Senator Mathew Canavan (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate): I must give it to the newly elected Labor government: they are already smashing records. Yesterday they broke a major election promise in just their first day at work here in parliament. That must be some kind of record! At the election, the Labor Party promised—I'm quoting from their own policy—to 'cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year for homes by 2025 compared to today.' Yesterday, in the Governor-General's address, there was not a mention of the $275 saving at all; instead, there was just a vague commitment to 'help save families hundreds of dollars on their electricity bills'. Where has the $275 gone now? Australians are asking the newly elected Labor government: 'Where is our $275 that you promised?' This is a massive broken promise that will hurt Australian families already struggling with crushing increases in the cost of living. Since the elect...
Putin, I extend greetings to all Christians on the day of Christ’s Resurrection
Vladimir Putin greeted Orthodox Christians and all citizens of Russia celebrating Easter Sunday. With great sincerity, I extend greetings to all Christians on the day of Christ’s Resurrection, the great holiday of Easter. I know that members of all religious denominations and followers of all traditional religions in Russia will join me in these greetings. This year celebrations are being held under mandated restrictions. They are necessary to fight the spread of the coronavirus infection, a disease that is by now known throughout the world. By joining efforts, together we are overcoming challenges as they emerge. And as I have repeatedly said, we have everything we need for this – a healthy and strong economy, scientific capabilities, the necessary material base and highly professional healthcare. We are carefully monitoring the experience of foreign countries and are engaged in active cooperation with our foreign friends and colleagues. We are aware of what is going on and see the ri...