Here is a look at what is making news around the country today.
Today’s national news includes Peter Dutton in deadlock with state Liberal leaders over federal Coalition’s nuclear plan, Australia fortifying F-35 fleet capabilities, Tim Wilson winning Liberal preselection in Goldstein, and Qantas being the worst performing airline.
Politics
Peter Dutton in deadlock with state Liberal leaders over federal Coalition’s nuclear plan
The federal Coalition faces a battle with the states on its proposal for nuclear power stations at the sites of decommissioned coal power plants, with state premiers and opposition leaders alike largely against Peter Dutton’s proposal, The Guardian reports. Labour governments and Coalition oppositions in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are either outright opposed to the plan or have failed to endorse it. Despite this, the federal opposition leader has repeatedly called for nuclear to be considered as part of the future energy mix for Australia.
Defence
Australia fortifies F-35 fleet capabilities
Australia is enhancing the capabilities and durability of its fleet of F-35 fighter jets with expanded maintenance infrastructure, while also opening its facilities to F-35s from partner forces for maintenance and training in the nation’s vast airspace, the Indo-Pacific Defense Forum reported. The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth fighter designed for multiple roles, including air superiority, ground attack and reconnaissance. Both government and industry partners are upgrading Newcastle Airport in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney as a maintenance hub for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-35s.
Regions
Tim Wilson wins Liberal preselection in Goldstein
Former MP Tim Wilson has won preselection to become the Liberal party candidate in his former seat of Goldstein, setting up a rematch with “teal” independent Zoe Daniel, The Guardian has reported. Wilson, who held the seat in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs between 2016 and 2022, won a vote of Liberal party members. He was one of six MPs to lose once-safe Liberal seats to progressive independents at the 2022 election and is the only one so far to put his hand up to contest his former seat at the next poll, due by the middle of 2025.
Travel
Qantas is worst performing airline
Data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics showed that Qantas cancelled nearly six per cent of all domestic flights last month and roughly one-in-four were late as the embattled airline tried to overcome prolonged pilot strikes, the Daily Mail has reported. Only 74 per cent of flights departed or arrived on time and carriers cancelled that four per cent before takeoff. It was also the worst airline for late landings and cancelled flights, with only 72.7 per cent of flights arriving on time and 5.8 per cent being cancelled outright. The airline blamed seven 24-hour strikes by pilots in Western Australia for its reliability issues, which caused more than one in every 20 flights to be cancelled.
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