Tuesday, 2 December - I wish I was special

December 02, 2025

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 2 December. In your Squiz Today…

  • The electricity market regulator warns of power outages

  • The Defence Department’s biggest reorg in 50 years

  • And influencing the weather with sausages… ☔️

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

"What sets Bruce apart is the genuine excitement and love he brings to every moment.”

Said 3-time Olympian Tamsyn Lewis Manou in her congratulations to Bruce McAvaney, who has received the prestigious World Athletics President’s Award for his contributions to athletics broadcasting. It’s an honour that’s (to use Bruce’s favourite word) special…

Get set to sizzle

The Squiz

We soon won't have enough electricity to supply those living in Queensland, NSW/ACT, Victoria, Tassie and South Oz, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator (aka AEMO). It's flagged the threat of widespread blackouts as the clock ticks down to the closure of the Eraring coal-fired power generator in the NSW Hunter Valley. It was set to be closed in August 2025, but its lifespan was extended to 2027 due to concerns about a power shortfall in the National Electricity Market. Confirming the energy outlook yesterday, AEMO boss Daniel Westerman said we actually have enough renewable energy to cover the shortfall, but we don’t have the infrastructure to keep the grid operational as Australia moves from large, traditional coal generators to spread-out renewable energy sources. 

What’s the government doing about it? 

That’s the multi-billion-dollar question… Regulators have been flagging for yonks that the closure of 10 coal-fired power plants since 2012 could create power shortfalls. Former Nationals leader/now Independent MP Barnaby Joyce yesterday said the Coalition should have kept our ageing coal plants going when they were in government, and he reckons it’s “a mistake” not to build more now. He also pointed the finger at the Albanese Government’s energy policy that favours renewable energy for “wrecking the grid”… But Environment Minister Murray Watt says there’s “no private company willing to build a new coal-fired power station” because it’s a bad investment. He’s working with the states and territories to stabilise the grid for “full and reliable” power supply going forward. 

Am I going to have air-con this summer? 

Well, we know from past years that high demand is a major driver of outages, so fingers crossed... But let’s hope the grid holds up, because the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) national long-range summer forecast is tipping that it's going to be scorchio… Senior meteorologist Jonathan How says it'll be "really important" for Aussies to stay across the weather updates, with many regions across the country set to experience particularly warm days and nights, uneven rainfall and a heightened risk of bushfires. So good luck to us all… 

Group gifts without the group chat chaos

Organising teacher gifts, office farewells or team thank yous can turn into administrative nightmare only for someone to panic-buy at the last minute. But GroupTogether can do the heavy lifting for you by setting up a collection, everyone chips in online, and it all turns into a digital gift card for 100+ retailers. No awkward cash collections or tracking who hasn't paid. You can even schedule delivery and personalise the card, and the whole thing takes about 2 minutes start to finish. Head here for on GroupTogether.

Squiz the Rest

A departmental tidy-up

Defence is set to undergo a restructure - the biggest shake-up in 50 years - with Defence Minister Richard Marles yesterday confirming 3 groups will be merged to become the new Defence Delivery Agency. If Marie Kondo-ing organisations is your jam, you can dig into the announcement here, but the goal is to streamline the buying and maintenance of all the stuff our military buys to get "better bang for buck" for our taxpayer dollars. Coalition Defence spokesperson Angus Taylor reckons it's just "moving bureaucrats around" and that the ADF is "chronically underfunded" as China muscles up. Speaking of… Marles confirmed their monitoring of a Chinese naval fleet which may/may not be headed towards Oz. Christmas here is pretty glorious, so who can blame ‘em… 

There’s more work to be done…

…on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday. US President Donald Trump reckons talks between Ukrainian delegates and his team in Florida yesterday went well, but Rubio said there are still sticking points that Russia will need to say ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ to. Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to the Kremlin for talks later this week, and will run the latest draft plan past Russian officials - so stay tuned… And while we have you, tensions between the US and Venezuela have escalated again over claims the government is involved in the illegal drugs trade. Reports say the White House has given Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro an ultimatum: resign/leave the country now and save yourself. So far, he’s refused to do that.

Pardon me…

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog as his corruption trial drags on. Taking a quick backstep for a sec: Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust across 3 separate but related cases. The claims are that he granted favours to businessmen (including Aussie James Packer…) in exchange for gifts/sympathetic media coverage. He’s fighting the charges, and analysts reckon he’s put off asking for a pardon to avoid looking guilty. But in recent times, he received the backing of President Trump, who’s described the charges as “a witch hunt”. Herzog’s office says he’ll speak to justice officials before considering the request, which could take some time…

The rivalry revs up

Geez it’s exciting… There’s one race to go before this season’s F1 Drivers’ Champion is crowned, but a “huge mistake” by Team McLaren in yesterday’s Qatar Grand Prix has cost Aussie driver Oscar Piastri and his British teammate Lando Norris valuable points. Piastri was leading, but instead of making a pitstop when a safety car was deployed on lap 7 (like every other team), Piastri and Norris were told to stay on the track. It meant the others got a ‘free’ stop, and when the McLaren drivers had to pull in later, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen zoomed away. Afterwards, a “broken” Piastri said it was “gut-wrenching”, but he’s now focused on clawing back the 16-point difference between him and teammate/rival Norris in the final race in Abu Dhabi. That’s on Monday at 12am (AEST)… 

Something buried, something brew 

You might have heard of wedding superstitions like the groom not seeing the bride’s dress before the ceremony, but have you heard of burying a sausage in the garden to ward off bad weather? Neither had we, but it’s one of a host of new rituals Aussie couples are resorting to ahead of their big day. The sausage ritual is a European practice that’s taken off on social media, so you’ll be shocked to learn that the science behind it isn’t exact... And if that plan hits a snag, there’s always an Etsy witch to cast a sunshine spell… It might sound kooky, but celebrant Pam Nelson reckons it’s not uncommon. She’s seen it all, from Star Wars weddings to nude nuptials. It’s no wonder she says “nothing surprises me anymore”.

Apropos of Nothing

Seafood at Christmas is as Aussie as it comes, which is why we feel a bit Grinch-like telling you prawn stocks are down, and prices are up. Wild catches have been particularly low - although industry experts reckon they are still available, so don’t go prawn hoarding…

The (unofficial) queen of Christmas Mariah Carey has kicked off the season with her Christmas Time In Las Vegas residency, featuring - you guessed it - All I Want For Christmas Is You. It reportedly brings in $3.8 - $5.7 million in royalties annually - so it’s no wonder she feels comfortable calling Santa her “dude”...

And Christmas adjacent is the revelation that Christmas Island is home to just one dog… Administrators decided to ban pooches to protect the local fauna years ago - but Shilo the chockie lab got a special pass as an approved assistance dog. As you can imagine, she’s a popular/very good girl…

Squiz the Day

9.30am (AEDT) - The first hearing will take place at the Federal Court of Australia in a landmark sexual harassment class action against the Australian Defence Force - Sydney

9.30am (AEDT) - A sentence indication will take place for St Basil’s Homes For the Aged in Victoria, which was charged with breaching Occupational Health & Safety regulations during Covid-19 resulting in the deaths of 45 people - Melbourne

10.00am (AEST) - Bank of Queensland’s AGM - Brisbane

10.00am (AEST) - Closing statements will be delivered in the re-trial of Rajwinder Singh, who was accused of murdering 20yo Toyah Cordingley in 2018 - Cairns 

11.30am (AEDT) - Matt Keogh, Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel, will address the National Press Club on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, 12 months on - Canberra

6.00pm (AEDT) - On The Steps concert series at Sydney’s Opera House forecourt begins, starting with Aussie Chet Faker and Mallrat - Sydney

8.00pm (ACDT) - Football: The Matildas take on the Kiwis in a women's international friendly - Adelaide, watch on Network 10 or Paramount+

ABS data releases: Building Approvals, Australia October 2025; Government Finance Statistics, Australia, September 2025

National days for the United Arab Emirates and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Birthdays for author Ann Patchett (1963), actor Lucy Liu (1968), and popstar Britney Spears (1981)

Anniversary of:

  • Napoleon Bonaparte being crowned Emperor of France (1804)

  • Fidel Castro becoming President of Cuba (1976)

  • the music video for Michael Jackson's song Thriller airing on MTV (1983) 

  • the death of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (1993)