A bumpy start to Dutton's nuclear age, a 'clumsy' moment steals the China spotlight, and hopes for the pitter-patter of panda paws

A nuclear debate awaits

By Thursday, Dutton was insisting the pesky details Hewson was seeking — like, you know, the costs — would be unveiled before the next election. That promise should come with a serving of salt: just a week ago, Dutton was shredding his earlier commitment to release a 2030 emissions target before the next federal election.

The opposition leader's pitch for nuclear is being levelled squarely at the households shivering through the winter and terrified at the prospect of a huge energy bill.

But it's not just voters Dutton will need to win over. There's the small matter of the states, all of whom seemingly don't want nuclear power plants. Even the Queensland LNP leader, who within months looks set to be the state's next premier, is refusing to get on board.

That's not to worry, a zealous federal Liberal told the ABC, insisting David Crisafulli could be convinced to "roll over" on nuclear, "as he did with the Voice and [state] budget". You get the sense the same politician won't publicly be calling him a lapdog during the state election campaign, but it would make for quite the sign.

Dutton, channelling Paul Keating, joked that you wouldn't get between a premier and a pot of money, suggesting the states could be convinced to go nuclear for wads of cash.

It might not be the last time he borrows from Keating. To get nuclear power, Dutton will need the Senate — infamously described by the former Labor prime minister as "unrepresentative swill" — to overturn a national ban. It's been almost two decades since the Coalition had full control of the Senate, which means Dutton will need crossbench support to get the votes through a chamber where the Greens hold the balance of power.

Getting a majority will be no small task if recent polls are to be believed, with roughly a third of the country continually vowing to vote for anyone but the two major parties.

A visit years in the making

The visit of a world leader always brings with it planning to the nth degree.

A ring of steel was constructed, protesters were restricted, and flags were flown outside Parliament House to greet Chinese Premier Li Qiang when he came to town this week.

The aim was to show relations were back on a level footing after years in the diplomatic freezer.

Anthony Albanese and his deputy-in-all-but-title Penny Wong have spent the last two years maintaining the line left behind by the Coalition while also seeking to repair a shattered relationship between Australia and its largest trading partner.

If you had drunk every time one of them mentioned the word "stabilise" in the last two years, you'd have been out cold on the floor for quite some time. But stabilise they have, with China removing all trade sanctions besides those on rock lobsters (which was not-so-subtly highlighted when lobster was served at an official function for Li in WA on Tuesday).

By and large, the trip went as planned. Both countries expressed a desire to work closer together and Albanese, behind closed doors, again raised the plight of Australians on death row, like academic Yang Hengjun.

Likely unplanned was Albanese accidentally misnaming the Chinese premier during a lunch in parliament's Great Hall. (It's of course awkward when you call a bloke the name of his now-deceased predecessor, but maybe it goes some way to counter the Coalition's suggestions that Labor was a pack of Manchurian candidates for the Chinese Communist Party. But we digress.)

Also unplanned, at least from the Australian side, were the efforts to prevent journalist Cheng Lei from doing her job.

Chinese officials sparked days of furore after they were seen seemingly trying to block Cheng — an Australian-Chinese journalist who was held in a Chinese jail for more than three years — from the cameras set up to capture Albanese and Li signing documents.

Cheng proved something of a rarity in the media in that when presented with the chance to make a story about herself, she largely left it for others to prosecute.

It took Albanese a couple of goes to land his response. After initially insisting he hadn't seen the incident, on Tuesday he dubbed it clumsy. Wong later confirmed that the PM had raised it with Li.

The Coalition was quick out of the gates to label Albanese's response "pathetic" and make it known that Dutton had raised it with Li when the two held talks on Monday afternoon.
Peter Dutton says he raised the treatment of Cheng Lei with Li Qiang during their private meeting.(ABC News: Nick Haggarty)
Pez dispensed awards

Former Home Affairs boss Mike "Pez" Puzzullo — who the government sacked last year after he breached the public service code of conduct — is no stranger to high-profile events inside Parliament House, having been a senior public servant for decades.

After months on the sidelines, he made an appearance to classify the Chinese officials' actions in the "heart of our democracy" as a "disgrace".

"To have that democratic space desecrated in the way that it was by those Chinese officials, who, no doubt, were acting under instructions, … was frankly disgraceful," he told the ABC's Afternoon Briefing.


"And full kudos to the Australian officials — there was at least one, if not two female Australian officials who, frankly, should be awarded public service medals on the spot for their grace, their resolve, and their courage and their judgement."

Not alone in wanting to go home

Looming large over the Chinese premier's visit was a state of panda-monium (I'll see myself out) over the fate of South Australia's much loved $1-million-a-year rented pandas, Wang Wang and Fu Ni.

Cuddly and tourist-attracting they might be, procreating pandas they are not.

One of the premier's first tasks was to announce Wang Wang and Fu Ni would be heading home after 15 long years in Australia.

A relieved Zoos SA seemed rather chuffed that they'll be replaced with a male and female panda, almost at breeding age.

As they await their arrival, the zoo's task will be to curate the requisite mood music and keep everything crossed that the pitter-patter of panda paws could one day feature in its future.


WATCH
Duration: 26 seconds26s

New pair of giant pandas set to call Adelaide Zoo home

As for who pays? Well, that remains unclear.

The Commonwealth picked up the rental charges for Wang Wang and Fu Ni during their first decade, while South Australia covered the lease extension for the last five years.

The Chinese premier appeared less concerned about costs than he was excited about the prospect of the pair going home.

"Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been away from home for 15 years. I guess they must have missed their home a lot," he said through a translator.

Jailed academic Dr Yang is too missing home and in much poorer health than the pandas. Yet the Chinese government has offered few signs that he'll be repatriated any time soon.