Welcome to the latest edition of Clark Matters, Andrew’s monthly email newsletter to help keep you abreast of federal politics and what he’s been up to.
Iran war
The United States-Israel war against Iran is illegal under international law, and the US-Israel claim that there was an urgent need to attack Iran, because their development of nuclear weapons was imminent, is simply fanciful. After all, US President Donald Trump claimed just last year that Iran’s nuclear program was as good as destroyed by the 2025 US-Israel airstrikes.
The dismantling of Iran’s authoritarian regime would be a good thing if it could actually be achieved. They are an odious mob, one that terrorised and murdered their own people and spread havoc as far afield as Australia. At the same time most Australians disagree with this illegal and reckless war in Iran, which is a humanitarian disaster and tipping the globe into economic and social chaos. The Australian Government needs to recognise this disaster, commit to not being dragged further into it, and communicate that to the Trump Administration.
The rule of law matters and must be applied consistently. It’s simply not acceptable to say that “might makes right”, or that “the end justifies the means”, or that international law only applies to our adversaries and competitors and not our friends. As a middle-power Australia relies on and has benefited from a rules-based order. We treat it with contempt at our peril.
Energy security
The US-Israel war against Iran has of course shone a very bright spotlight on Australian energy security. If this matter wasn’t staring us in the face previously, it sure is now with global oil supplies in doubt and oil shares whiplashing like there’s no tomorrow, while some bowsers run dry and fuel prices spike.
Andrew acknowledges that the Energy Minister has repeatedly assured the community that Australia currently has sufficient diesel, petrol, jet fuel and bunker fuel, and that supplies continue to reach Australia. But the war goes to show, again, that in a world where energy markets are increasingly volatile and geopolitical tensions have the potential for prolonged disruption of global supply chains, Australia must think carefully about its energy independence and its sovereign capability.
Andrew is at the forefront of calls for long-term reforms to help ensure that the current fuel problems are not repeated. For instance the expansion of renewable energy and the electrification of industry, households and transport must be accelerated. Alternative fuels like ethanol need to be exploited. And the International Energy Agency requirement for Australia to hold 90 days of certain fuel types should be met.
Gambling advertising
More than 1,000 days have now passed since the federal parliamentary inquiry into gambling harm, chaired by the late Peta Murphy, was finalised. But the Federal Government still hasn’t even responded to the report and its cross-party unanimous findings, let alone acted on the recommendations.
The report’s flagship recommendation is the phase-out of gambling adverting. This would go a considerable way to reducing gambling addiction, and increasing the community’s enjoyment of broadcast/streamed sporting and other events. No wonder the idea enjoys very strong community support.
Sadly the Federal Government continues to hold out, in part because it’s scared stiff of the pushback from the gambling and media companies, as well as the major sporting codes which are paid millions of dollars by the gambling companies. Interestingly though, most parliamentarians actually support a ban, meaning it’s the Prime Minister personally who’s standing in the way of reform. He might want to brace himself for the continuing campaign on this issue by Andrew and some of his colleagues.
Yours sincerely
