While I agree (as usual) with Chris’ conclusions and advice about the correct response to this latest crisis vis a vis Energy strategy, I disagree with his characterisation of the Iran war writ large. I’m happy to cut him some slack given he doesn’t claim to be an expert on geopolitics or war strategy, but the fact that China wasn’t even mentioned in this article is a major clue to its shortcomings on this topic. Nuff said…
Yes, and the Queensland Premier requests the Federal Government speed up approvals for the Taroom Trough (potentially 250m barrels of oil in western Queensland) exploration and development. And the Federal Energy Minister, Bonehead Bowen pours cold water on it.
Agree President Trump is anything but stupid. I think he saw a rare opportunity to remove the rotten Iranian regime. However sometimes these things don't turn out as planned.
I don't see too many news articles criticizing Trump for removing the Venezuelan thug in Chief.
I guess it’s easy to sit from afar and criticise the war in Iran and its consequences. We have brought those consequences in ourselves with successive governments of either stripe and their stupid policies. Who knows how it will end. Regime change was never an aim. The Iranians welcomed in the Islamic Republic. Now they are the ones to change it! Look at the mess the Americans, British and us made in the rest of the Middle East. Israel pays the price.
The call for energy agnosticism is right, but the gap between aspiration and execution is enormous. Across critical minerals and gas in WA and Queensland, average permitting timelines for major projects have blown out to 7-10 years once you layer in environmental offsets, native title, and overlapping state and federal approvals. The Gulf states didn't just decide to capture value across the energy chain. They built regulatory frameworks that enabled development at pace. What's the equivalent institutional reform agenda here? The system that's meant to enable energy independence is the same one that's been optimised for decades to manage orderly decline, not rapid build-out. Where does the political will come from to re-engineer approvals when every level of government has a veto?
And yet those in authority must continue to pay lip service to the concept that the climate is significantly affected by carbon dioxide. Real objectivity can only come from an admission that this is a failed theory, not supported by reality.
Thank you, Chris, for another insightful and informative article. The more I contemplate this continuing evolution of national crises, the more I question our political system. It is clear that the political class - of all colours - have been complicit in the sorry state of our Nation today.
It doesn’t matter which party we look at, we will always find a majority of ‘minders’ trying to act in roles for which they have no qualifications or experience, and the predictable outcomes of dismal failure. Leadership changes, and even party changes, don’t change a thing. And they expect to be referred to as “honourable”!
Something is badly wrong with our system, and I don’t know how we can change it for the better. How can we establish a leadership - at all levels - which is fully qualified, suitably experienced and, above all, trustworthy and dependable?
Great essay once again Chris.
It reminds me of the Mark Twain quote, ‘Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.’
Rephrased: ‘Two things are in ample abundance in Australia fossil fuels and human stupidity; and in the latter super-abundant!!
While I agree (as usual) with Chris’ conclusions and advice about the correct response to this latest crisis vis a vis Energy strategy, I disagree with his characterisation of the Iran war writ large. I’m happy to cut him some slack given he doesn’t claim to be an expert on geopolitics or war strategy, but the fact that China wasn’t even mentioned in this article is a major clue to its shortcomings on this topic. Nuff said…
Yes, and the Queensland Premier requests the Federal Government speed up approvals for the Taroom Trough (potentially 250m barrels of oil in western Queensland) exploration and development. And the Federal Energy Minister, Bonehead Bowen pours cold water on it.
No wonder we are in trouble.
The Iranians were about to take delivery of 100s of MANPADS and Chinese supersonic antiship missiles so no the timing wasn’t wrong. Sloppy article
Agree President Trump is anything but stupid. I think he saw a rare opportunity to remove the rotten Iranian regime. However sometimes these things don't turn out as planned.
I don't see too many news articles criticizing Trump for removing the Venezuelan thug in Chief.
I guess it’s easy to sit from afar and criticise the war in Iran and its consequences. We have brought those consequences in ourselves with successive governments of either stripe and their stupid policies. Who knows how it will end. Regime change was never an aim. The Iranians welcomed in the Islamic Republic. Now they are the ones to change it! Look at the mess the Americans, British and us made in the rest of the Middle East. Israel pays the price.
The call for energy agnosticism is right, but the gap between aspiration and execution is enormous. Across critical minerals and gas in WA and Queensland, average permitting timelines for major projects have blown out to 7-10 years once you layer in environmental offsets, native title, and overlapping state and federal approvals. The Gulf states didn't just decide to capture value across the energy chain. They built regulatory frameworks that enabled development at pace. What's the equivalent institutional reform agenda here? The system that's meant to enable energy independence is the same one that's been optimised for decades to manage orderly decline, not rapid build-out. Where does the political will come from to re-engineer approvals when every level of government has a veto?
And yet those in authority must continue to pay lip service to the concept that the climate is significantly affected by carbon dioxide. Real objectivity can only come from an admission that this is a failed theory, not supported by reality.
Thank you, Chris, for another insightful and informative article. The more I contemplate this continuing evolution of national crises, the more I question our political system. It is clear that the political class - of all colours - have been complicit in the sorry state of our Nation today.
It doesn’t matter which party we look at, we will always find a majority of ‘minders’ trying to act in roles for which they have no qualifications or experience, and the predictable outcomes of dismal failure. Leadership changes, and even party changes, don’t change a thing. And they expect to be referred to as “honourable”!
Something is badly wrong with our system, and I don’t know how we can change it for the better. How can we establish a leadership - at all levels - which is fully qualified, suitably experienced and, above all, trustworthy and dependable?