The Times Australia
Mirvac Harbourside
The Times World News

.

Peter Malinauskas on political donations, kids on social media, and the nuclear option

  • Written by Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

After beating a first-term South Australian Liberal government in 2022, Labor premier Peter Malinauskas has gone on to be a reform advocate on issues including social media and politcal donations.

His government is looking at a ban on children under 14 accessing social media accounts, with parental consent required for those 14 and 15.

Malinauskas is also proposing changes that would ban most political donations in South Australian politics.

On AUKUS, he is urging a greater national effort to prepare the Australian workforce for the demands for labour the agreement will bring, dirtectly and indirectly.

Peter Malinauskas joined the podcast to talk about these issues.

On political donation reform, he says politicians are spending far too much time raising money:

We want to get money out of politics. We believe that’s important for a number of reasons, but the least well-understood is the fact that fundraising is increasingly taking up the time of politicians, and we don’t want politicians to become professional fundraisers.

We want them to be developing thoughtful public policy and engaging with their constituents.

On a social media ban for young teens, Malinauskas says it’s worth doing even if some kids find a workaround:

Are there people under age who drink? Yes. Are there people underage who smoke? Yes. Are there people who speed every day on our roads? Yes.

But that doesn’t stop us from having limits on the provision of alcohol or cigarettes, that doesn’t stop us from having speed limits. Always there are going to be examples of people who circumvent the law or find a way around it, or choose to just not follow it. But the majority of people do and are better off for it.

So, if we didn’t put in place standards only on the basis of the fact that […] there might be one person out there that doesn’t follow them, then we’d never do any of it.

With South Australia heavily involved in the AUKUS submarine program, Malinauskas is a strong defender of the agreement:

The strategic value of nuclear submarines, the moment the AUKUS submarines enter the water, it completely recalibrate’s Australia’s negotiating position strategically in our region at a really important time.

The second element it goes to is cost. Well, of course, it’s expensive but it’s expensive because it is the most advanced capability of any defence platform that exists. I mean, it immeasurably recasts the way that any would-be adversary thinks about the defence of Australia, and that’s worth it.

On Peter Dutton’s nuclear power announcement this week which would place a small modular reactor near Port Augusta, Malinauskas says:

I believe that nuclear power is important in the global energy mix to achieve decarbonisation. I don’t think we achieve net zero by 2050 globally unless nuclear power is playing a role around the world. It’s safe and it produces zero carbon emissions.

So the question is how much more expensive is nuclear power going to make energy bills in Australia? And all the economists who actually know something about this, all of the scientists tell us it’ll make it more expensive unless there is a rapid change in the technology which there is no evidence of yet.

Now, the small modular reactors, I challenge anybody to demonstrate an example of where a small modular reactor exists that is providing civil nuclear power to a population of 1.7 million and is doing it cheaper than renewables.

Read more https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-peter-malinauskas-on-political-donations-kids-on-social-media-and-the-nuclear-option-232823

Mirvac Harbourside

Times Magazine

YepAI Joins Victoria's AI Trade Mission to Singapore for Big Data & AI World Asia 2025

YepAI, a Melbourne-based leader in enterprise artificial intelligence solutions, announced today...

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an onli...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beau...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data anal...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right c...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in t...

The Times Features

Macquarie Bank Democratises Agentic AI, Scaling Customer Innovation with Gemini Enterprise

Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services group (Macquarie Bank), in collaboration with Google ...

Do kids really need vitamin supplements?

Walk down the health aisle of any supermarket and you’ll see shelves lined with brightly packa...

Why is it so shameful to have missing or damaged teeth?

When your teeth and gums are in good condition, you might not even notice their impact on your...

Australian travellers at risk of ATM fee rip-offs according to new data from Wise

Wise, the global technology company building the smartest way to spend and manage money internat...

Does ‘fasted’ cardio help you lose weight? Here’s the science

Every few years, the concept of fasted exercise training pops up all over social media. Faste...

How Music and Culture Are Shaping Family Road Trips in Australia

School holiday season is here, and Aussies aren’t just hitting the road - they’re following the musi...

The Role of Spinal Physiotherapy in Recovery and Long-Term Wellbeing

Back pain and spinal conditions are among the most common reasons people seek medical support, oft...

Italian Lamb Ragu Recipe: The Best Ragù di Agnello for Pasta

Ciao! It’s Friday night, and the weekend is calling for a little Italian magic. What’s better than t...

It’s OK to use paracetamol in pregnancy. Here’s what the science says about the link with autism

United States President Donald Trump has urged pregnant women[1] to avoid paracetamol except in ...