The multinational digger has just confirmed it has let the trucks roam free at the Nammuldi iron ore mine, a hole in the ground located in more or less the middle of nowhere, as the nearest town, Tom Price, is 60km away.

FORBES: Don't Tell The Teamsters: But Driverless Trucks Are Already Here

The deal digs Mr Albanese out of a hole the size of Tom Price, the huge iron-ore complex in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in which Chinalco stands to take a stake.

ECONOMIST: Face value