Australia politics live: Victorian energy bills may rise by $100 a year under Coalition; Chalmers says One Nation would ‘destroy’ super
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<div id="readability-page-1" class="page"><div id="liveblog-body"><gu-island name="EnhancePinnedPost" priority="feature" deferuntil="idle" props="{}"></gu-island><div id="pinned-post" data-gu-marker="pinned-post" data-component="pinned-post"><div><p>From</p><!-- --> <gu-island name="RelativeTime" priority="enhancement" deferuntil="visible" props="{"then":1788901227000,"now":1788901920000,"editionId":"INT"}"><time datetime="2026-09-08T21:00:27.000Z" data-locale="en-gb" title="Tuesday, 8 September 2026 at 22:00 British Summer Time">12m ago</time></gu-island></div><div id="collapsible-body"><article><header><h2>Victorians could pay almost $100 a year more for electricity</h2><div><p><img src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/03/03/Benita_Kolovos.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5eab712ba445dc6cf12cdc0f9a1eff16" alt="Benita Kolovos"></p><p><span>Benita Kolovos</span></p></div></header><p>Victorians could pay almost $100 a year more for electricity under a state <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/coalition" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Coalition</a> policy to halt two key transmission projects, according to new analysis that suggests it would result in a near 40% increase in wholesale prices by 2031.</p><p>Analysis by consultancy Nexa Advisory, commissioned by non-profit group Environment <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/victoria" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Victoria</a>, has found postponing the Western Renewables Link and the VNI West would delay other renewable energy projects. Such a move could force the state to rely on using more gas.</p><p>As a result, the average wholesale electricity price could rise from $52.9 to $85.20 per megawatt hour – an increase of 37% – between 2027 and 2031. This would flow through to households, adding $472 to the power bills of a typical household – and up to $4,719 for a small business and $11,797 for a large business - over the five-year period.</p><p>By 2050, delaying the projects could add $3bn to wholesale electricity costs and produce an additional 8.6m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – akin to about a quarter of the state’s current annual electricity emissions.</p></article></div></div><p><span><gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"6aa06d818f081e01929e6c4c","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>Welcome to Guardian Australia’s live news coverage for Wednesday.</p>","elementId":"365a3617-adfb-4942-b588-1651afd35a6a"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>Our terrific liveblogger <strong>Krishani Dhanji</strong> will be with you shortly.</p>","elementId":"6956a33e-598a-44e8-a8ea-358fbdda19cd"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>Let’s begin.</p>","elementId":"96ea6785-1a55-49a7-a69c-d0e829b558d9"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1788901227000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"22.00 BST","blockLastUpdated":1788900822000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"21.53 BST","blockFirstPublished":1788901227000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"22.00 BST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"22.00","title":"Morning","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 8 Sep 2026 22.09 BST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 8 Sep 2026 22.00 BST"},{"id":"6aa06dd48f081e01929e6c4e","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>Jim Chalmers says the Coalition and One Nation would “diminish or destroy” a compulsory super regime that this month’s intergenerational report will confirm is key to long term budget sustainability 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2031.</p>","elementId":"ad654e53-ad99-479e-af66-ef66919f6de3"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>Analysis by consultancy Nexa Advisory, commissioned by non-profit group Environment <a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/victoria\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Victoria</a>, has found postponing the Western Renewables Link and the VNI West would delay other renewable energy projects. Such a move could force the state to rely on using more gas.</p>","elementId":"9deba518-c21d-432e-b549-6b2719625d36"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>As a result, the average wholesale electricity price could rise from $52.9 to $85.20 per megawatt hour – an increase of 37% – between 2027 and 2031. This would flow through to households, adding $472 to the power bills of a typical household – and up to $4,719 for a small business and $11,797 for a large business - over the five-year period.</p>","elementId":"de6aef3e-f290-4c20-b66a-8cc3ca63d09c"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>By 2050, delaying the projects could add $3bn to wholesale electricity costs and produce an additional 8.6m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – akin to about a quarter of the state’s current annual electricity emissions.</p>","elementId":"3fb6c15c-966c-4466-aaea-a6eeeff0c8e8"}],"attributes":{"pinned":true,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1788901227000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"22.00 BST","blockLastUpdated":1788901212000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"22.00 BST","blockFirstPublished":1788901227000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"22.00 BST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"22.00","title":"Victorians could pay almost $100 a year more for electricity","contributors":[{"name":"Benita Kolovos","imageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/03/03/Benita_Kolovos_2.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d3f0a5f1842f00e9418475562a58b666","largeImageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/03/03/Benita_Kolovos.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5eab712ba445dc6cf12cdc0f9a1eff16"}],"primaryDateLine":"Tue 8 Sep 2026 22.09 BST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Tue 8 Sep 2026 22.00 BST"}],"id":"key-events-carousel-mobile","renderingTarget":"Web","serverTime":1788901970284}"><span id="key-events-carousel-mobile"></span><span><p>Key events</p></span><div id="key-events-carousel"><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/sep/09/coalition-victoria-energy-bills-labor-one-nation-super-digital-duty-of-care-ntwnfb?page=with%3Ablock-6aa06d818f081e01929e6c4c#block-6aa06d818f081e01929e6c4c" data-link-name="key event card | 0 of 3"><p><time datetime="2026-09-08T21:00:27.000Z" data-locale="en-gb" title="Tuesday, 8 September 2026 at 22:00 British Summer Time">12m ago</time></p><p>Morning</p></a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/sep/09/coalition-victoria-energy-bills-labor-one-nation-super-digital-duty-of-care-ntwnfb?page=with%3Ablock-6aa06dd48f081e01929e6c4e#block-6aa06dd48f081e01929e6c4e" data-link-name="key event card | 1 of 3"><p><time datetime="2026-09-08T21:00:27.000Z" data-locale="en-gb" title="Tuesday, 8 September 2026 at 22:00 British Summer Time">12m ago</time></p><p>Chalmers: One Nation would 'diminish or destroy' super</p></a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/sep/09/coalition-victoria-energy-bills-labor-one-nation-super-digital-duty-of-care-ntwnfb?page=with%3Ablock-6aa06f158f081e01929e6c59#block-6aa06f158f081e01929e6c59" data-link-name="key event card | 2 of 3"><p><time datetime="2026-09-08T21:00:27.000Z" data-locale="en-gb" title="Tuesday, 8 September 2026 at 22:00 British Summer Time">12m ago</time></p><p>Victorians could pay almost $100 a year more for electricity</p></a></li></ul></div></gu-island></span></p><article id="block-6aa0782a8f08a7ec8f75d39f"><header></header><p><strong>Digital duty of care bill risks ‘malicious compliance’, say Greens</strong></p><p>Greens senator <strong>Sarah Hanson-Young</strong> says the government’s digital duty of care legislation is too vague on whether it allows users to opt-in or opt-out of algorithms, and says that risks manipulation or malicious compliance by the platforms.</p><p>Speaking to RN Breakfast this morning, Hanson-Young says the fines of up to $100m also won’t be enough to deter big tech.</p><blockquote data-spacefinder-role="inline"> <p><svg viewBox="0 0 22 14" style="fill:var(--block-quote-fill)"><title>double quotation mark</title><path d="M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z"></path></svg>It’s neither opt-in nor opt-out. And what I’m concerned about is how the tech platforms will manipulate that. Unless the rules are tight, unless there’s no gaps, big tech is going to spend a lot of money fighting these laws in the first place and finding every which way to get around them. Malicious compliance at best.</p> <p>I think the fines element is one of those areas that I think is just not good enough … you need to hit them really where it hurts, and that’s their revenue. So it should be a percentage of global revenue.</p> </blockquote><p>Asked about the Coalition’s claims that the laws amount to censorship of free speech, Hanson-Young says <strong>Angus Taylor</strong> is “wrong”.</p><blockquote data-spacefinder-role="inline"> <p><svg viewBox="0 0 22 14" style="fill:var(--block-quote-fill)"><title>double quotation mark</title><path d="M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z"></path></svg>I don’t know whether this is deliberate misinformation by the opposition leader or he just doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He hasn’t really spent much time engaging on these issues. Either way, it’s wrong.</p> </blockquote></article><article id="block-6aa076ba8f088a3fa7f6bf5c"><header><div><p><img src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2025/01/08/Krishani_Dhanji.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=88e85a466dde81302ee6274d3af35cd6" alt="Krishani Dhanji"></p><p><span>Krishani Dhanji</span></p></div></header><p>Good morning, <strong>Krishani Dhanji</strong> here with you as we tick over the halfway mark of the sitting week!</p><p>There’s plenty to get to this morning so let’s get stuck in.</p></article><article id="block-6aa06f158f081e01929e6c59"><header><h2>Victorians could pay almost $100 a year more for electricity</h2><div><p><img src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/03/03/Benita_Kolovos.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5eab712ba445dc6cf12cdc0f9a1eff16" alt="Benita Kolovos"></p><p><span>Benita Kolovos</span></p></div></header><p>Victorians could pay almost $100 a year more for electricity under a state <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/coalition" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Coalition</a> policy to halt two key transmission projects, according to new analysis that suggests it would result in a near 40% increase in wholesale prices by 2031.</p><p>Analysis by consultancy Nexa Advisory, commissioned by non-profit group Environment <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/victoria" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Victoria</a>, has found postponing the Western Renewables Link and the VNI West would delay other renewable energy projects. Such a move could force the state to rely on using more gas.</p><p>As a result, the average wholesale electricity price could rise from $52.9 to $85.20 per megawatt hour – an increase of 37% – between 2027 and 2031. This would flow through to households, adding $472 to the power bills of a typical household – and up to $4,719 for a small business and $11,797 for a large business - over the five-year period.</p><p>By 2050, delaying the projects could add $3bn to wholesale electricity costs and produce an additional 8.6m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – akin to about a quarter of the state’s current annual electricity emissions.</p></article><article id="block-6aa06dd48f081e01929e6c4e"><header><h2>Chalmers: One Nation would 'diminish or destroy' super</h2><div><p><img src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2025/03/14/Patrick_Commins.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=24331ece1fedaf86ba7048e2c86b8cd2" alt="Patrick Commins"></p><p><span>Patrick Commins</span></p></div></header><p>Jim Chalmers says the Coalition and One Nation would “diminish or destroy” a compulsory super regime that this month’s intergenerational report will confirm is key to long term budget sustainability in a rapidly ageing society.</p><p>In remarks to the Super Members Council later this morning, the treasurer will condemn as “crazy” the right wing parties’ plans to give workers early access to their super savings, which he said would leave Australians poorer in retirement and weigh on the nations’ finances.</p><p>New Treasury projections show the number of retirement-age Australians will nearly double to around 9 million by 2066.</p><p>But the intergenerational report, to be released on 21 September, will show the share of older people on the aged pension is expected to fall from 66% to 52% in 40 years’ time.</p><p>As a result, spending on age and service pensions is projected to fall from 2.3% of GDP last year, to 1.8% in 2066, the IGR will show.</p><p>This is much lower than other nations, which are struggling to meet their pension obligations: aged pension costs in the UK will account for nearly 10% of GDP by 2060, 8% in Canada, 7% in New Zealand, and 6% in the US.</p><p>“Super takes serious pressure off social security outlays, and makes the budget much more sustainable as a consequence,” Chalmers will say.</p><blockquote data-spacefinder-role="inline"> <p><svg viewBox="0 0 22 14" style="fill:var(--block-quote-fill)"><title>double quotation mark</title><path d="M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z"></path></svg>We cannot let One Nation, the Liberals and Nationals diminish or destroy one of the best things Australians and Australia have going for us now and in the decades to come.</p> <p>They would put at risk the fiscal sustainability, higher living standards and stronger economy that the IGR shows will be supported by a strong and maturing super system.</p> </blockquote></article><article id="block-6aa06d818f081e01929e6c4c"><header><h2>Morning</h2></header><p>Welcome to Guardian Australia’s live news coverage for Wednesday.</p><p>Our terrific liveblogger <strong>Krishani Dhanji</strong> will be with you shortly.</p><p>Let’s begin.</p></article><gu-island name="LiveBlogEpic" priority="feature" deferuntil="idle" props="{"sectionId":"australia-news","shouldHideReaderRevenue":false,"tags":[{"id":"australia-news/series/australian-politics-live-with-krishani-dhanji","type":"Series","title":"Australian politics live with Krishani Dhanji"},{"id":"australia-news/australian-politics","type":"Keyword","title":"Australian politics"},{"id":"australia-news/one-nation","type":"Keyword","title":"One Nation"},{"id":"australia-news/labor-party","type":"Keyword","title":"Labor party"},{"id":"australia-news/coalition","type":"Keyword","title":"Coalition"},{"id":"australia-news/australian-greens","type":"Keyword","title":"Australian Greens"},{"id":"australia-news/australia-news","type":"Keyword","title":"Australia 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