Live: Marles says suburbs are not the right place for data centre development

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has stated that data centres should not be built in suburbs, as he believes they are not the appropriate location. Instead, data centres should be constructed a considerable distance away from residential areas. Additionally, Marles emphasized that data centre companies should provide their own water and power sources when building these facilities.

He argued that by bringing their own power and water, these companies could potentially contribute to the power grid instead of drawing from it.

Marles addressed the upcoming US midterm elections, asserting that they will not alter Australia's relationship with the United States. He highlighted the importance of the alliance between the two nations in the context of a challenging strategic landscape. Marles also mentioned that the government's priority is the cost of living and maintaining a prudent budget.

The aged care minister, Sam Rae, and Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, participated in a discussion about a court case between One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. The High Court agreed to hear Hanson's appeal against a finding that she racially vilified Faruqi by telling her to "piss off back to Pakistan."

Both Rae and Canavan expressed their preference for resolving such disputes through political debate rather than in the courts. Rae emphasized Australia's robust and healthy political debate, while Canavan criticized the treasurer's request for productivity ideas, stating that the government should focus on reducing energy prices and cutting taxes to boost productivity.