News and politics live updates: Liberal MP Dan Tehan tears into Chris Bowen’s data centre demand

A new Federal inquiry will assess Australia’s readiness for war amid fears of the nation’s vulnerabilities in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment.

The investigation will be led by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence and will probe the flow of goods and services, including fuel, and the continuity of government during conflict.

It will also examine how everyday Australians, businesses and the larger private sector, as well as all levels of government, can contribute to the nation’s security.

Though Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia had experienced an extended period of peace and stability since 1945, he warned civil preparedness was an area which “should be given attention”.

“To be frank, this is an area which really hasn’t received much attention in Australian public policy since the end of the Second World War,” Mr Marles said.

“But in any contingency, the way in which the civil economy operates and interacts with the defence force is fundamental to a society, to us as a country, being able to manage that contingency.

“Now, it is important that we are able to prepare for that, that we’re able to exercise those muscles, if I could put it that way. And other countries around the world do this.”

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Chris Bowen says the Federal government will go ahead with national rules for large-scale data centres despite Queensland and the Northern Territory disagreeing with the legislation.

The government wants major data centre developers to underwrite their own electricity demand by backing new renewable energy projects. And Mr Bowen said “one State or territory” would not be allowed to “dictate” the plan.

“Now, I always prefer to work with my State and territory colleagues. (I’ve) always have had excellent relations with Coalition ministers at the State level in New South Wales and Tasmania, for example,” he told ABC Radio National.

“But what we’re not going to do is let one State or one territory dictate to the rest of the Commonwealth, or the other States indeed – and the other States were very strong in their views supporting the Commonwealth – that their way is going to be the lowest common denominator.”

The Energy Minister also rejected the Coalition’s “technology agnostic” approach to powering data centres, arguing it would increase energy costs and reduce grid reliability.

“Our national interest, is that the data centres work within the constraints and the rules that the governments of Australia wish to place on them to bring their own new additional renewable energy backed by sensible firming arrangements,” Mr Bowen added..

“A ‘let her rip’ approach, which my shadow minister was advocating on your program just a little while ago, a let them do whatever they want approach, would see bills go up, reliability go down, and data centres dominate the energy system in a way which is not in the national interest.”

Shadow Regional Communications Minister Anne Webster says a two-date Senate inquiry has exposed what she described as significant flaws in Labor’s propsed gambling reforms.

The government is weighing shelving the legislation rather than making major changes. Labor would need support of either the Coalition or the Greens to pass the bill through the Senate, but both parties have rasied their concerns.

Ms Webster argued the legislattion would fail to achieve its intended purpose.

“This bill that the Labor government are wanting to introduce fails to stop the current state of play, so to speak, happening. And ads will continue in children’s primetime TV,” she told the ABC on Thursday.

“They will continue right up to five minutes before the game. They’ll be able to do gambling ads when there’s a goal scored, which currently does not exist..

“Will this bill make it better or worse? It will make it worse. If gambling ads are going to increase because of this bill, that’s a fail, an absolute fail.”

Dan Tehan has accused Chris Bowen of trying to force private investment to compensate for what he described as shortcomings in Labor’s renewable energy rollout after the government vowed to press ahead with plans requiring major AI data centres to back new renewable generation.

Speaking after Mr Bowen pledged to use “all the powers” available to pressure Queensland and the NT to support a “causer pays” model for large-scale data centres, Mr Tehan said the proposal was an attempt to address the lack of investment in renewable projects.

“The problem here is that Chris Bowen’s renewable energy target is failing. He isn’t getting the investment in large-scale renewables, in wind and in solar, that he needs to meet his targets,” he told ABC radio.

“So what he’s doing is making up for that abject failure by now requiring data centres to fill the gap.

“That is not the way you should go about building a new sector of our economy. And the Northern Territory and Queensland have every right to call him out on this, because it’s trying to make up for the failing of his policies through data centres.

“And that’s not the way he should be going about doing this.”

Mr Tehan said the Coalition would pursue a “technology agnostic” energy policy, arguing Australia should not rely on only wind and solar to expand electricity supply.

“Our view is we should be technology agnostic when it comes to our energy source. And that’s how you pursue energy abundance in this nation, which means you can actually put downward pressure on prices,” the Liberal MP added.

A man has been charged after allegedly making a series of violent threats targeting a female member of Parliament.

Following an investigation, police arrested the 43-year-old man in Tascott about 8pm on Wednesday, August 5, before taking him to Gosford Police Station.

Police allege the man made a number of social media posts directed at the MP, including threats of violence, threats to damage property and statements indicating an intention to locate her in public and cause her harm.

He was refused bail and is due to appear before the Bail Division Court on Thursday.

Donald Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz could reopen “very soon” after what he described as an “all-day negotiation” with Iran, as Tehran and Oman finalise a draft agreement to establish new shipping lanes through the strategic waterway.

“They had an all-day negotiation,” the US President told Fox News. “We are having very good discussions.”

Speaking to reporters travelling with him in California, Mr Trump also said an announcement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz could come within days.

“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day. A lot of progress has been made,” he said.

Iran has denied Mr Trump’s assertion that direct talks are under way, although Qatar said on Tuesday that mediators were making progress in efforts to end the conflict.

Iran and Oman have agreed on the main elements of a draft agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

The proposal would establish an inbound shipping lane near Iran and an outbound lane near Oman, while giving Tehran oversight of ships entering the Persian Gulf.

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