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Liberal senator Bragg can’t see Australia leaving Paris agreement
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Andrew Bragg is repeatedly pushed on Insiders on what a decision to dump net zero and leaving the Paris agreement would mean for his own future on the shadow frontbench.
He doesn’t think things will get to that point because he can’t imagine Australia is going to allow itself to be lumped with Azerbaijan, Iran and Syria in sitting outside the Paris pact.
Well, I just don’t believe that that’s going to happen. I don’t think it is within the realm of the possible.
Host David Speers asks again if Bragg would quit the frontbench if the party dumped net zero and abandoned Paris.
Well, sure, but I don’t imagine we will ever leave Paris. We are not fringe dwellers. Most Australians want us to play our fair role in terms of reduction, so I just don’t think we are going to be leaving the Paris agreement.
(A quick point of clarification here: There is no serious talk that a future Coalition government would pull Australia out of the Paris agreement, the international treaty that aims to limit global warming to 1.5C. Even the s – who are dumping net zero – say they are committed to Paris.)
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Gastro cases spike in October in NSW
NSW Health has raised concern about an above-average rate of gastroenteritis outbreaks in institutions in the state over the last month.
The department said that while viral gastroenteritis – caused by many different viruses, such as norovirus or rotavirus – is common, there is usually an increase in gastroenteritis cases in September and October each year.
There were 200 outbreaks of gastroenteritis reported from institutional settings – including schools, childcare centres, aged care facilities or detention facilities – in NSW in October 2025, which is higher than the October average of 149 from 2020 to 2024.
Both rotavirus and norovirus were detected in these outbreaks.
NSW Health warned that rotavirus can be particularly severe in young children.
A spokesperson for the department said:
The main treatment for viral gastroenteritis is to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Most people recover without complications, but more urgent care may need to be sought for infants, people with suppressed immune systems, and the elderly, who may experience more serious illness.
NSW to phase out plastic bread tags and ban helium balloon releases
The NSW government has announced the next stage in its plastics plan, with action to phase out single-use and problematic plastics.
The next phase of the NSW Plastics Plan 2.0 includes:
phasing out plastic bread tags and pizza savers from late 2027
phasing out non-compostable plastic fruit and vegetable stickers by 2030
introducing tethered lids (meaning the cap or lid on a plastic bottle must remain attached to the bottle itself, even after it’s opened) for plastic bottles by 2030
requiring takeaway food service businesses to accept reusable cups by 2028 and large food service businesses to provide reusable cup options by 2030
phasing out small condiment containers such as soy sauce fish bottles by 2030 that cannot be recycled
requiring the redesign of takeaway food containers to ensure they can be recycled safely
regulating harmful chemical additives in plastic food and beverage packaging to prevent toxins entering soil, water and the food chain
banning helium balloon releases
The announcement expands on previous action by the NSW government, including bans of lightweight plastic bags, straws, stirrers and single-use cutlery, with the government saying the moves aim to address NSW’s “waste crisis” and address one of the states “biggest environmental challenges”.
Police commissioner admits ‘communication error’ over Sydney neo-Nazi rally
Back to the neo-Nazi rally targeting Jewish people outside NSW parliament in Sydney on Saturday, my colleague Ben Doherty had this update yesterday.
The NSW premier has said in response to that he would consider giving police more powers to shut down racist and hateful demonstrations.
“It’s likely the case that we need to give police more legislated powers to stop this kind of naked racism and hatred on Sydney streets,” Chris Minns said after the rally.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, has said there will be a review of the process by which the rally was allowed to go ahead.
Lanyon said while police had allowed the protest, neither he nor the premier knew it was taking place.
“The government had not been briefed on this process. I take it very personally. There was a communication error in the police force for which I did not personally know that today’s protest was taking place,” Lanyon said.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Tehan: Coalition to work with states to extend coal-fired power stations
The shadow energy and emissions reduction minister, Dan Tehan, has signalled the federal opposition will commit to work with state governments to extend the life of coal-fired power stations as part of an energy agenda to be thrashed out this week.
After months of bitter public debate, the Liberal party will hold meetings in Canberra on Wednesday and Thursday in an attempt to agree on the pillars of its climate and energy platform – including whether to dump a net zero emissions target.
An agreed position with the s – who have already dumped the net zero target – would be put to the Coalition party room for endorsement on Sunday 16 November.
Sussan Ley is under pressure from senior Liberals to not just dump the 2050 goal set under Scott Morrison but to junk the net zero emissions policy entirely.
Moderates want net zero to be retained in some form, fearful the party could lose more ground in city seats if it abandons the climate target.
Appearing on Sky News agenda on Sunday morning, Tehan would not preempt the outcome of this week’s meetings.
I’m not going to announce this morning what it will be, what I’ll be taking forward because that’s not being respectful to my colleagues. I want to make sure with this that I engage with them in a way that they know that I’m incredibly serious about getting the right policy.
Tehan said the best way to achieve lower energy prices was through “energy abundance”, which he claimed required keeping coal and gas in the system for longer.
He did not rule out taxpayer subsidies for fossil-fuel power generation.
Now what I’m saying is we need to make sure that we’re sweating those coal assets, continue to sweat those coal assets, and also that we can get more gas into the system much more quickly.
The Queensland LNP government’s new energy roadmap, released last month, proposed keeping its state-owned coal plants running for up to a decade longer than previously planned, meaning some would be open until at least 2046.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dumping the words ‘net zero’ is ‘absolutely ridiculous’ – Bragg
The net zero debate has turned into a leadership test for Sussan Ley, who is under pressure for her main rivals Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie to dump the target.
But she’s also under pressure from moderates such as Bragg to not simply fall in line behind the s, who have already abandoned the target.
Asked if Ley’s leadership was finished if she caved to the s, Bragg said:
I don’t believe that we’ll be leaving the Paris agreement. We’re not a fringe party.
Asked again if Ley can survive if the Liberals adopt the s’ policy, Bragg said:
I don’t think you can have a fatwa on two words. I think that’s too silly for words, frankly. And I think at the end of the day, this is the international standard on decarbonisation. So Australia cannot sit out of its own international standard.
Speers keeps pushing Bragg on what it means if the words “net zero” are dropped from the policy entirely.
You can’t have a fatwa on two words. I mean, it’s ridiculous. This is the international standard. I mean, trying to pretend you’re not going to say two words is absolutely ridiculous.
Liberal senator Bragg can’t see Australia leaving Paris agreement
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Andrew Bragg is repeatedly pushed on Insiders on what a decision to dump net zero and leaving the Paris agreement would mean for his own future on the shadow frontbench.
He doesn’t think things will get to that point because he can’t imagine Australia is going to allow itself to be lumped with Azerbaijan, Iran and Syria in sitting outside the Paris pact.
Well, I just don’t believe that that’s going to happen. I don’t think it is within the realm of the possible.
Host David Speers asks again if Bragg would quit the frontbench if the party dumped net zero and abandoned Paris.
Well, sure, but I don’t imagine we will ever leave Paris. We are not fringe dwellers. Most Australians want us to play our fair role in terms of reduction, so I just don’t think we are going to be leaving the Paris agreement.
(A quick point of clarification here: There is no serious talk that a future Coalition government would pull Australia out of the Paris agreement, the international treaty that aims to limit global warming to 1.5C. Even the s – who are dumping net zero – say they are committed to Paris.)
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Liberals must ‘maintain a commitment to do a better job on net zero’ – Bragg
The Liberal senator Andrew Bragg is up on ABC Insiders ahead of a crunch week of meetings to determine the Coalition’s position on net zero emissions.
The shadow housing minister is among a group of moderate Liberals fighting to salvage the party’s commitment to the climate target, as conservatives push Sussan Ley to dump the policy entirely.
Bragg is asked to respond to his colleague Sarah Henderson’s insistence that the party should abandon net zero completely.
Unsurprisingly, he disagrees:
The Australian people are worried about climate change and so are we, and that’s why I would have thought that the most reasonable position here would be to stay in [the] Paris [agreement], maintain a commitment to do a better job on net zero and maintain a goal, because I think if you have anything less than that, then you are giving up on the idea that you will try and reduce emissions for future generations and after all, we are the trustees for future generations.
Greens condemn Sydney neo-Nazi rally
The NSW Greens have called for a new approach from NSW police and the premier, Chris Minns, after a neo-Nazi rally overtly targeting Jewish people was allowed to go ahead in Sydney on Saturday morning.
Greens MP Sue Higginson said on Saturday:
The Greens abhor antisemitism and racism and I was sickened to see neo-Nazis outside the NSW parliament today. The Greens condemn the actions and the rhetoric of these depraved racists. The Jewish community and people of colour in our state should not be subjected to this on our streets or news feeds.
Higginson said tougher laws on protests wouldn’t work this time, and that Minns “needs to deal with the actual issue”.
It’s time to set up a taskforce to work with the NSW police engagement and hate crime unit and the counter-terrorism command, and deal with the rise of the far right and racism in this state head on.
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the goings-on this Sunday 9 November.
Princess Anne, sister to King Charles, touched down in Australia on Saturday for a royal visit.
Anne arrived in Sydney and laid a wreath at a memorial service. She is expected to attend Remembrance Day services and centenary events in Sydney and Brisbane.
Her visit comes less than a fortnight after the king stripped their brother Andrew of his title of prince.
The NSW Greens have condemned a neo-Nazi rally targeting Jewish people held in Sydney yesterday, which was allowed to go ahead outside NSW parliament.
The Greens have called for a new approach from NSW police and the premier in the wake of the event.
