Kim Wingerei blog posts
“Without idealists, the pragmatists would have nothing to do…”
Happy NACCiversary. Celebrating two years of not very much
The National Anti-Corruption Commission celebrates its second anniversary this week. Has the much-heralded initiative of the first Albanese government lived up to its expectations? Kim Wingerei asks. As of June 30, the NACC reports that it received 2,260 referrals...
Mega deal. Santos takeover a tester for Jim Chalmers
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is offering to buy Australian energy giant Santos for $8.89 a share in hard cash. What’s the scam? The scam is that Santos shares are trading way below the bid price at $7.74, which means investors are doubtful the deal will be done....
ASX to offer IT. What’s the scam with “Colo on demand”?
The ASX website has recently started advertising its new offering to corporate Australia, ‘Colo on Demand’. What’s the Scam? Back in the day, when this writer worked at Ozemail, and the internet was still fresh and exciting, ‘colo’ – short for colocation – meant a...
Manning Valley mining puts water supply at risk. What’s the scam?
Explorative mining in the Manning Valley not only risks the release of asbestos into the environment, but the NSW Government has also ignored the risk to the valley’s water supply. What’s the scam? The scam is how the NSW Department of Resources has made a mockery of...
Charges dismissed, but activist denied rights. What’s the scam?
A judge has ruled that pasting a piece of paper on a controversial former governor’s statue is not protected by freedom of political communication, but dismissed all charges against activist Stephen Langford. What’s the scam? The scam is how a very simple act of...
Sinners are winners. Is Labor’s Safeguard Mechanism saving the planet?
The first report since the Safeguard Mechanism demonstrates the fundamental flaws in a system that may reduce emissions overall, but is certain to increase the profits of some emitters. Kim Wingerei reports. The Clean Energy Regulator’s report on Australia’s biggest...
The democracy sausage eaten by Labor landslide. What’s next?
The Labor party added at least ten more seats to return with a clear majority, while a leaderless LNP will be licking their wounds and wondering where to from here. Kim Wingerei reports. Updated Sunday, May 4 AM. The headlines will be about a Labor landslide and Peter...
Konnichiwa! The Japanese are not so keen on our gas. What’s the scam?
Australia ships 30 million tonnes of tax and royalty-free gas out of Darwin every year, but the Japanese are not all grateful for our largesse. What’s the scam? The scam is that not only do we not profit from it, but our great gas giveaway is slowing Japan’s...
New report: Peter Dutton’s nuclear power plan to cost $4.3 trillion
Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy claims have been conspicuously absent from his election campaign. Now a leading energy analyst calculates the cost at more than $4.3 trillion, way above the Coalition’s touted $331B. Kim Wingerei reports. The Coalition’s plans to solve...
Tariffs, shares, bonds and China’s ‘nuclear option’. Making sense of Trump mayhem
Donald Trump has declared a trade war, the share market is down, and US t-bond yields are rising. But how did it all start, and what’s next? Michael West and Kim Wingerei with the lowdown. They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and when it comes to what Trump...
Dutton’s gas reservation plan more about politics than price
Peter Dutton’s plan to introduce a gas reservation scheme on the East Coast may be good politics, but industry experts say it is unlikely to lower domestic gas prices for a long time, if at all, Kim Wingerei reports. A gas reservation scheme – forcing suppliers to set...
Carbon Capture project risks asbestos contamination in Manning Valley
Residents of the Manning Valley in NSW are raising concerns about foreign-owned companies’ plans to extract serpentine ore for carbon capture and storage, risking the release of asbestos dust. Kim Wingerei reports. Although it is early days, the potential scale of a...