There’s a small mystery in Australian politics this year. Why was Peter Dutton’s first major policy promise since becoming opposition leader to build nuclear power plants? But this may be less about votes and more about holding the coalition together, with the help of a lobby group most of us have never heard of.

Today, investigative journalist and contributor to The Monthly, Marian Wilkinson on the Coalition for Conservation lobby and their links to Peter Dutton’s nuclear promises.

Hunter is just that; it’s a seat that spans some of Australia’s oldest coal mines, and the questions in Hunter have huge consequences for us all. How seriously we are taking the climate crisis, how quickly we can transition to renewable energy and whether workers in these industries will be looked after. Today, investigative Marian Wilkinson on the race for Hunter, what the parties are promising people there and what that means for all of us.

Australia’s gas industry has undergone a massive expansion, and it’s been supported by federal and state governments. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s roadmap to net zero emissions includes ongoing support for gas mining. Today, Marian Wilkinson on how the gas lobby is shaping Australia’s climate policies and the unproven technology the industry is relying on.