Having a "Pre-COP" meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu is one of those initiatives that seemed a good idea at the time.
asserted
that → have → time
No doubt it still has resonance as part of Australia's wider diplomacy in the Pacific, in the battle to limit China's influence.
asserted
it → have → influence
But when Anthony Albanese, still coming down from his New York high, steps onto his plane on Monday bound for Pre-COP, it could feel more chore than opportunity.
uncertain
it → come → opportunity
Even COP itself, in Turkey a few weeks later and also on Albanese's itinerary, is not expected to break much ground.
asserted
COP → expect → ground
Big issues have their high time, seizing public and media attention for brief or long periods.
asserted
issues → have → periods
When Labor announced in 2021 that it would bid to host COP (The United Nations' annual climate meeting), climate change was still front and centre.
asserted
change → announce → COP
But now — as we (with Pacific countries) are co-hosts with Turkey — global warming has slipped down the public's agenda.
asserted
warming → slip → agenda
This doesn't mean that objectively, climate change is any less important.
asserted
change → mean → ?
It means other issues have supplanted it on the public's and the media's radar.
asserted
issues → mean → radar
The appearance of OpenAI's representative at a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday, questioned about the recent breach of a government site by a rogue agent and the new technology's risks and potential, will likely be of more interest to many Australians than what the PM is doing at Pre-COP, but neither will dominate their daily concerns.
asserted
neither → question → concerns
In ordinary people's day-to-day thinking, the cost of living dominates, never more than this week when the Reserve Bank hiked rates for the fourth time this year, to the highest level since 2011.
asserted
Bank → dominate → 2011
Interest rate pain never far away
Albanese might fend off questions about domestic politics while he's away — as he tried to do when asked in New York about neglected Aboriginal children in Western Australia — but the home scene will remain on his mind.
uncertain
scene → fend → mind
The government is heading into a difficult final three months of the year.
asserted
government → head → year
With the latest rate rise, the argument over "blame" has intensified this week.
asserted
argument → intensify → blame
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Monday got out in front of the Reserve Bank's announcement by laying as much responsibility as he could on the Iran war.
uncertain
he → get → war
The opposition insists the pressure on inflation and rates is mostly from government spending.
asserted
pressure → insist → spending
The bank on Tuesday complicated the picture.
asserted
bank → complicate → picture
In its statement explaining the rate rise, it highlighted overseas factors.
asserted
it → explain → factors
But at her lengthy news conference, RBA Governor Michele Bullock had a killer assessment in her opening statement.
asserted
Bullock → have → statement
"Inflation is too high and has been driven by domestic capacity pressures," Bullock said.
asserted
Bullock → drive → pressures
Domestic spending and investment have been stronger than expected, despite weak sentiment and the softening in housing market conditions.
asserted
spending → expect → conditions
Productivity growth remains weak and the labour market remains a little tight.
asserted
market → remain → ?
And outside of Australia, the global economy has also been more resilient than many expected.
asserted
many → expect → Australia
Watching this, Chalmers may have, figuratively, kicked the cat.
uncertain
Chalmers → watch → cat
Not only did the emphasis in Bullock's summary undercut his it's-the-war line but it also drew attention to the fact that the government's productivity agenda, a priority with Chalmers, has not yet delivered.
asserted
agenda → undercut → Chalmers
Obviously, a mix of factors is keeping inflation high — on Wednesday the latest annual figure rose from 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent — and driving up rates.
asserted
figure → keep → rates
But any differences in their ranking by key players will stoke the current fevered economic debate over blame.
asserted
differences → stoke → blame
Bullock speaks out
asserted
Bullock → speak → ?
There's an irony in Bullock publicly (in effect) marking the government's homework.
asserted
Bullock → be → homework
Her regular news conferences were part of the reforms to the Reserve Bank Chalmers and the bank made in Labor's first term.
asserted
conferences → make → term
It's a far cry from when the bank's top faces lived in the political shadows.
asserted
faces → live → shadows
The news conferences impose more accountability on the bank but, indirectly, on the government as well.
asserted
conferences → impose → government
For Bullock, appointed by Chalmers, the times have been testing.
asserted
times → appoint → Chalmers
Asked recently about what the bank had done to help the economy navigate its challenges, she said:
"Just as an aside, I remember previous governors saying you'd be lucky to get through your term without something going badly pear-shaped.
asserted
something → ask → term
So I'm getting my share now."
asserted
I → get → share
Bullock is one of several high-profile women Chalmers appointed to key positions impacting his portfolio.
asserted
Chalmers → appoint → portfolio
They include Danielle Wood, chair of the Productivity Commission.
asserted
They → include → Commission
From time to time Wood calls out the government on specific issues.
asserted
Wood → call → issues
The willingness of Bullock and Wood, both of whom hold independent statutory posts, to tell it as they see it speaks to the quality of the appointments, although Chalmers mightn't relish it when it happens.
asserted
it → hold → it
LoadingGovernment pulled between savings and relief
As it prepares its budget update, due in December, the government is pulled in conflicting directions: to respond to calls for fresh savings, and to spend on new cost-of-living relief.
asserted
government → pull → relief
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
