The energy minister said he was not going to preempt next year’s default market offer when asked how he puts today’s news in the context of the party’s election promise to reduce electricity costs by $275.

“The race isn’t won, nor would anybody, I think sensibly suggest that it is we have more work to do, we have more work to do in getting more renewables into the system,” Chris Bowen said today.

Here’s what else he told reporters:

What we’re doing there – we saw some figures recently which were encouraging, record investment in batteries and large-scale storage of $4.9 billion in new financial commitments, 27 large-scale batteries under construction at the end of 2023. 337,000 rooftops for oil systems installed across the country.

That’s good, but we’ve got more to do, of course, in coming weeks, we’ll say more, particularly about our capacity scheme and its rollout.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen is speaking in Canberra, as authorities moved to cut electricity prices for hundreds of thousands of customers on the eastern seaboard.

As we reported below the Australian Energy Regulator released its draft decision on changes to the nation’s main consumer price caps, known as “default market offers”, to kick in from July 1, determining it would not hike prices in most regions for the coming financial year.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen says the power decision was encouraging.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen says the power decision was encouraging.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Bowen said it was encouraging news for small businesses and families who would have lower energy bills.

“The result shows the impact of the government’s coal and gas caps, it shows the impact of lessening international pressures, it shows the impact of getting more renewables into the system, the cheapest form of energy available,” Bowen told reporters this morning.

“It shows the impact of my request – along with state ministers – to the Australian Energy Regulator to prioritise the needs of consumers and put consumers first.”

For those looking for the stream, unfortunately we were unable to get it back live.

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto still has questions to answer despite updating his register of interests to include those who have donated to his legal defence fund, the state’s Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says.

Speaking to reporters outside parliament this morning, Thomas – who is also the leader of the Allan government in the lower house – said Pesutto needs to say how much money he has received.

State opposition leader and MP for the seat of Hawthorn, John Pesutto, at a media conference last month.

State opposition leader and MP for the seat of Hawthorn, John Pesutto, at a media conference last month.Credit: Arsineh Houspian

“Either the amounts are so small he’s embarrassed by them, or, secondly, they’re so large they pose more questions than they answer,” she said.

“Who is he beholden to?”

However, Thomas dodged questions on whether it was time for Labor to update real-time-disclosure laws, as has been called for by integrity experts, arguing this issue was unprecedented.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has backed former prime minister Paul Keating’s decision to have a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Yesterday, Keating hit back against criticism for his plan to meet with the Chinese foreign minister claiming it was reasonable for a former prime minister to meet with international figures – Bowen agreed.

Paul Keating is set to meet China’s foreign minister.

Paul Keating is set to meet China’s foreign minister.Credit: Louie Douvis

“This is a very important visit by the Chinese foreign minister, I think it reflects the efforts of the government and the efforts from the Chinese government to be fair to stabilise relations,” he said.

“It is entirely usual for a visiting foreign minister to seek out a former prime minister, particularly one who played the role he did in Australia finding security in Asia, not from Asia, as Paul Keating did all those years ago, he’s deeply respected across Asia and a meeting of that nature is I think singularly unremarkable.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the reduction in energy bills was welcome but there was still a long way to go to continue easing the cost of living crisis.

Speaking on Nine’s Today program, Bowen said the Australian Energy regulator’s draft decision on changes to Australia’s main consumer price caps was welcome news.

“The price reductions will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, to state to state and different providers, but this is encouraging news,” he said.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“What the energy regulator has found is that a combination of bringing more renewables on coal and gas caps, reduced international pressure and also requests from the state ministers to prioritise consumers has led to these reductions.

“Nobody’s suggesting that this is over or the cost of living pressures don’t continue to exist as they do around the world, but yes, this is an encouraging day.”

Coalition spokesman for immigration Dan Tehan says the government accusing the opposition of refusing an offer to be briefed on the NZYQ decision for 106 days was not correct.

“It’s just simply and utterly not true and just remember this fact … the minister Andrew Giles had three key legal briefings from his department on the NZYQ case, which he didn’t turn up to,” Tehan told ABC Radio National.

The opposition’s immigration spokesman, Dan Tehan.

The opposition’s immigration spokesman, Dan Tehan.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“This is a complete and utter smokescreen to make up for the minister’s gross incompetence.”

Tehan claimed he was offered a briefing when he was in his electorate and requested to do it from his local office.

“They never got back to me as to whether it could be done in my electorate office or not, this has just been game-playing when we have 151 hardened criminals in the community, and we don’t know whether all of them are being properly monitored or not, and we’ve got the potential [of] between another 100 and 150 to be released,” he said.

The Greens have released plans to give the competition regulator a new power to force companies to sell assets if they grow too big and gain too much market power, acting on years of debate about whether Australia should have similar laws to the United States.

The move is aimed at supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths but could be used against other companies that inflate prices or exploit their supply chains to keep competitors out of the industry.

“This isn’t a controversial or radical proposition,” Greens Senator Nick McKim said in a statement.

“The UK has this power, and the US has been using it for well over a century. The competition agencies of Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands have all recently required the divestment of supermarket assets in order to increase local competition.”

Greens senator Nick McKim says the plans weren’t controversial.

Greens senator Nick McKim says the plans weren’t controversial.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The Greens are moving ahead of the federal government on the issue, given Treasurer Jim Chalmers and other ministers have set up a competition review to look into this and other issues.

A similar power, known as antitrust law in the US, has been used for decades to order big companies to break up their businesses, most famously when regulators in that country ordered the nationwide telephone company, AT&T, to be split into regional businesses.

Former ACCC chairman Allan Fels called for the divestiture powers last month, but he noted the challenge for the regulator in persuading a court to order a company to make the changes.

“It’s not obvious that breaking up Coles and Woolies into smaller units would be regarded by court or by anyone as sensible. There would be quite a loss of economies of scale,” Fels said last month.

“However, the existence of the power is likely to have a big effect on business behaviour generally. It’s a huge stick, and a big stick is needed to make some parts of the [Competition and Consumer] act work more effectively.”

Nationals leader David Littleproud has previously called for divestiture powers, showing the Greens have support on the other side of politics. Labor and the Liberals, however, are yet to back the idea.

The Greens say their bill would allow the ACCC to apply to the courts for an order to require the divestment of assets by a company that is misusing their market power to inflate prices, exploiting their supply chains or keeping out competition.

Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie says Australia needs to follow the lead of the US in legislating tough reforms against TikTok.

TikTok is the only social media giant that has not signed up to a global anti-extremism pact, as Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant flagged the social media platform could be the target of her next round of legal notices.

McKenzie told Nine’s Today program TikTok should be treated like the other social media platforms.

Bridget McKenzie has warned again of the dangers of video app TikTok.

Bridget McKenzie has warned again of the dangers of video app TikTok.Credit: AP

“The fact that our young people can access horrific footage and content aligned with its algorithm – that ensures it becomes an addictive form of viewing – I think needs closer monitoring and I don’t know why the Labor government has been so flat-footed on its critique of TikTok,” she said.

“We know what it’s doing to our young people’s mental health, so something needs to be done … I think if TikTok’s a national security issue for the US and their Congress has passed tough legislation, then we need to be doing this.”

Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie has backed the Greens’ plan to introduce legislation that would break up the powers of Coles and Woolworths.

The Greens are expected to table a private senator’s bill to introduce divestiture powers – a position McKenzie said the National party had long been supportive of to tackle the dominance of supermarkets.

Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie backs legislation to break up Coles and Woolworths.

Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie backs legislation to break up Coles and Woolworths.Credit: Peter Rae

“We’ve always been supportive of divestiture powers. It was the Coalition that actually brought the big stick legislation in for use against the energy companies and the misuse of that market power, so we’re always going to back consumers getting a better price at the checkout. It’s the Labor Party that has ruled out divestiture,” McKenzie told Nine’s Today program.

Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the government already had plans to investigate the supermarkets through the inquiry led by Craig Emerson doing a review into the Food and Grocery code of conduct.

“We’ve got the ACCC looking into a review into the supermarkets, and we also have CHOICE giving quarterly updates on what the costs are across the country,” she said.

Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy has backed her colleague, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, saying he is safe in his position.

The federal government will move to block the release of more immigration detainees by mounting a new defence in the High Court against asylum seekers who refuse to co-operate with Australian authorities, arguing they cannot use the approach to obtain their release.

At least 127 asylum seekers in detention could be eligible to be released if the government loses.

Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy.

Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy.Credit: Rhett Wyman

When asked about the government’s handling of the detainees, McCarthy said it was important to not create fear and mayhem.

“We know that the opposition are using national security as a political tool and a political ploy. They haven’t sought a briefing on what’s actually going on with the home affairs area, they hadn’t sought a briefing from … the Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles,” she told Nine’s Today program.

Asked if Giles was safe in his position, McCarthy responded: “Absolutely.”

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