Voters trying to decipher the impact of rich donors might consider the curious case of the 31-year-old Marcus Catsaras, who over a few years has risen from managing the Cat’s Ass Studio to outspending billionaires on politicians.
While some say the potential income from carbon has sent the price of land in prime carbon farming territory rocketing, others complain that the opaque business structures and focus on confidentiality have driven their property’s value down.
What will haunt this government to its political grave is the promise it made to reduce power bills by $275 per household per year – which has turned into increases of up to $1000
Chiefs in the infrastructure and energy sectors warn Labor’s 82 per cent green power target is unrealistic and coal-fired power stations must stay open, as the Albanese government slapped down business pleas to reconsider its renewables-only strategy and said they would be listening to “experts”.
Mineral Resources’ balance sheet has received a welcome boost of $780 million from Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting through the flash sale of its WA gas assets in October.
Amid the political fight over the Coalition’s nuclear plan, the flaws in the federal government’s own renewables-driven energy models – and the huge hidden costs to consumers – are being exposed.