For simplicity’s sake for the new thread starter, I think it would be best to just link to the published report of the royal commission into this despicable chapter in the Australian Government and Public Service.
https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/report
Related articles and opinions, among the usual politics of the day are welcome to be posted in the comments, but I will add notice to this excellent article by Laura Tingle.
On a personal note, I think it is outrageous that the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government implemented this policy and I hope the prosecutions go far in making sure this never happens again. And I also hope that the consequences are felt across the entire public service so that filth like Kathryn Campbell don’t get to float to the top to implement sewer policies like this again.
THE PUB 
5&5
The winter break’s over and even though it’s still winter – the spring sittings have begun.
Here’s the 5&5.
Also in case you haven’t caught it yet, the 5&5 isn’t just an email. There’s also a podcast I do every sitting week. This week my guest is Chief Government Whip, Joanne Ryan.
BEST
We reintroduced the Housing Australia Future Fund legislation
Paul Fletcher’s Dixer
We boosted support payments for the most vulnerable
Dutton’s failed question
Jim Chalmers’ one liner
WORST
Scott Morrison playing the Robodebt victim
The state that the Great Barrier Reef was left in
Remembering Simon Crean
David Coleman B-word mix up
Peter Dutton’s stance on the referendum
1. This week we reintroduced our legislation to set up the Housing Australia Future Fund after the Liberals, the Nationals, the Greens Party, and One Nation teamed up in the Senate to say no to tens of thousands of new affordable and social houses. On Monday Housing Minister Julie Collins explained the importance of getting this leg passed, talking about a woman she met during the parliamentary break who struggled to find a house. Here’s Lorilee’s story.
2. There was a really weird thing procedurally that we did on Thursday – where we had a question that was not asked to a Minister. Kate Thwaites stood up and asked a really detailed question to Julian Hill as the Chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit. He went through the details of an inquiry they’ve been having which related to some of the Stuart Robert issues. One of the key witnesses about where these payments may or may not have been going – John Margerison – has gone missing, and has left the country. The standing orders are really tight with what you can do as chair of a committee if you’re asked a question, so Julian had to be careful in what he could say. There was a lot he would have liked to have said, but couldn’t. But then, towards the end of Question Time, Manager of Opposition Business Paul Fletcher stands up and throws a complete full toss to Bill Shorten and asks about any criminal involvement in the NDIS. Bill gave one of the most spectacular answers I’ve heard for a while where he went through all the extra work we were doing on enforcement and then says, “If the Manager of Opposition Business can tell us where Mr John Margerison is, that will be helpful in our inquiries. He was a Queensland LNP fundraiser” which was one of the things Julian hadn’t been allowed to say! I laughed with Bill afterwards, and said to him he’s meant to get Dixers approved through me, not organise them with the Opposition!
3. Supporting Australians who are doing it the toughest is in Labor’s DNA. And this week we backed that in – boosting support payments for the most vulnerable, including single parents, older Australians, students and those on rent assistance. Though it was no surprise – as Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth pointed out – that the “cruel and callous” Coalition opposed doing it.
4. On Wednesday Peter Dutton asked a question – well sort of. He had a whole lot of statements with a question at the end, but had used up all of his time before he asked the question. In what was possibly the simplest point of order I’ve taken in my parliamentary career, I raised the fact that questions have to involve a question. The Speaker let the PM reply, but of course all bets were off in terms of what he could say. And he went straight to an article that had appeared that day.
“I did note the Leader of the Opposition’s reference in an article today by that investigative journalist James Morrow. He had gone back to 1986—a time when Crocodile Dundee had just hit the theatres, most women didn’t have paid maternity leave, and it was a crime in some states to be gay or lesbian and people were being jailed. And there was something else—terra nullius was still the law of the land. It was still the position that it was not acknowledged that there was ownership of the land prior to English people coming in 1788—terra nullius. In 1986 there was no Mabo decision, no native title and no Wik. Those opposite need to say whether that is still their position, because they were out there being critical about these issues. I am proud to have supported Aboriginal land rights in 1986 and been an advocate for social justice for First Nations people for four decades.”
5. There was a line that Jim Chalmers used that, with everything that’s been happening in the economy and what’s been happening with the shift to the right of the Coalition and the way they’ve been handling the referendum debate, brought it all together in the most simple statement. “Those opposite would rather fight Labor than fight inflation. Inflation is moderating but the Liberals and Nationals are not.”
1. He still just doesn’t get it. On Monday Scott Morrison got up to make a statement on indulgence – responding to the findings of the Royal Commission into Robodebt. What followed was close to 15 mins of denial, delusion and blame shifting – describing the Royal Commission’s findings as “wrong”, “unsubstantiated” and “absurd”. Bill Shorten hit the nail on the head on Tuesday, telling the House: “The Member for Cook is a bottomless well of self-pity with not a drop of mercy for all the real victims of Robodebt.”
2. On Tuesday we received the welcome news that UNESCO recommended The Great Barrier Reef not be listed ‘in danger’. They did this noting Australia’s “significant progress” being made on climate change, water quality as well as fishing practices. The fact that the Reef was on the verge of this listing was just more proof of the absolute mess left to us by the previous government. Here’s how Tanya Plibersek summed it up in Question Time. Tanya had some other really good moments in the House this week. But this was my favourite – Sussan Ley never stops interjecting when Tanya’s on her feet. On Thursday after Speaker Milton Dick had called Sussan Ley back into line Tanya Plibersek just looked across the chamber, offered a friendly smile and said “How’s your preselection going?”
3. There have been eulogies every day this week, and there’ll be more next week, for Simon Crean. He was deeply respected by both sides of the Parliament. In many of the portfolios I’ve held Simon had been there before me: Primary Industries, Employment, Workplace Relations and the Arts. There’s been some really beautiful speeches. Once the tributes have finished I’ll send you some of the links in a future email.
4. During Question Time on Wednesday the Speaker called the next question as the Member for Brisbane. David Coleman – the Member for Banks – walked to the dispatch box and started asking his question without the microphone on. Completely unaware after nine years representing a marginal seat – that his seat is known as Banks and is in Sydney, whereas the seat of Brisbane is in a different state called Queensland.
5. Question Time was interrupted on Thursday when Peter Dutton moved a suspension of standing orders over the upcoming referendum. We could have had the debate after Question Time, but I took the judgement just to let him go straight away – allowing him to have ten minutes and then the Prime Minister ten minutes to respond. The PM used his ten minutes to unpick the Coalition’s argument where they oppose a Voice in the Constitution, but believe that a Voice should be legislated. If they support legislating it, how on earth can all the things they say are wrong with it be true? The two arguments just don’t stack up. Peter Dutton, for his part ran out of material after seven minutes and not even all the Members on his own side voted with him.
We’re back next week.
’til then,
Tony
PS. People can take this in honour of the own goal from Paul Fletcher or they can define it as broadly as they want – but this week’s song is DMA’s “Criminals”.
Walter Sofronoff QC is being interviewed by Ray Hadley in Brisbane on Aug 24 over lunch about Justice vs Social Media
Shane Bazzi’s take
Bruce Lehrmann’s backer
Ugly. Very ugly.
There will be consequences for Stroganoff. None of them good.
It really is fishy just how hard the Liberal Party/News Corp/Right Wing Ghouls Behind The Curtain are fighting to rehabilitate Bruce Lehrmann’s career.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers. The return of the Saturday Special.
Peter Hartcher tells us why Trumpism failed here, despite Morrison giving it a red-hot go. This is an excellent read.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-trumpism-failed-here-despite-morrison-giving-it-a-red-hot-go-20230802-p5dtc5.html
Carrie Fellner goes into the murky past, and present, of Newcastle in the wake of the Crackanthorp revelations and sacking.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bentleys-brown-paper-bags-and-bundles-newcastle-can-t-shake-reputation-for-wheeling-and-dealing-20230804-p5du1c.html
The Voice to parliament is urgently needed to tackle Indigenous disadvantage, according to Anthony Albanese, who will reboot the Yes campaign in a major speech at the Garma festival in East Arnhem Land today ahead of a referendum vote expected on October 14.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/no-delaying-the-referendum-albanese-says-as-he-stresses-urgency-of-voice-20230804-p5dtxm.html
Instead of being a unifying moment, it feels like we have three completely separate discussions going on about the Voice, writes Laura Tingle.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-05/voice-garma-festival-albanese-things-are-not-going-well/102690280
Of all people, Chis Kenny writes, “think of what the Coalition might willingly trash in its hard-hearted ploy to take some bark off Anthony Albanese. Decades of Indigenous advocacy and consultation, including by Coalition governments, driven by the noblest of intentions, are being disrespected.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/attacks-on-the-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-an-ugly-attempt-to-wound-anthony-albanese/news-story/f9cc27e33d527fc10c7680761770de6a?amp
Phil Coorey takes us through Albanese’s speech at Garma where he said it is time to crash or crash through on the Voice and that Peter Dutton and others in the No campaign seeking to demonise the Voice were being utterly disingenuous.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/it-s-time-to-crash-or-crash-through-says-the-pm-20230804-p5dtve
Voice, treaty … and T-shirts: why Anthony Albanese is struggling to sidestep the referendum scare campaign. This is Paul Karp’s take on the state of play.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/05/anthony-albanese-treaty-t-shirt-midnight-oil-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-no-campaign
In this interview with Kerry O’Brien, leading ‘Yes’ advocate Noel Pearson details how the campaign is turning a corner, how the Voice would function, and how it would complement state treaty processes.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/indigenous-affairs/2023/08/05/the-pearson-interview-how-does-the-elephant-sit-down-with-the
The current hate-filled campaign by Far-Right conservative forces to derail the Voice Referendum is a shameful attempt to create division in order to ensure First Nations Australians remain voiceless, writes Michelle Pini who argues that the ABC platforming the IPA is derailing The Voice & subverting democracy.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/how-the-abc-platforming-sheridan–the-ipa-is-derailing-the-voice–subverting-democracy,17774
Allegations of corruption keep coming for a party on its knees, writes John Lord who lists lots of examples.
https://theaimn.com/allegations-of-corruption-keep-coming-for-a-party-on-its-knees/
It is with mounting despair that John Hewson notes that several mega threats to our planet and to humanity seem to be simultaneously gathering considerable momentum, yet governments and policy authorities are simply ignoring the severity and urgency of the challenges.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/08/05/the-case-global-crisis-centre
Michael Pascoe declares that our economy, not just the homeless, needs more public housing.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/08/04/michael-pascoe-homeless-economy-public-housing/
Ross Gittins begins this contribution with, “Have you noticed how people keep banging on about “productivity” these days? That’s because it’s the secret sauce of economics, the bit that comes closest to giving us a free lunch. But also because we haven’t actually been getting much of it lately.” He then schools us in the various meanings of the word.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/nsw-treasury-kicks-off-the-new-realism-productivity-won-t-be-speeding-up-20230803-p5dtr5.html
Inflation will go without recession, but RBA can’t take credit for that, argues Alan Kohler.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/08/04/inflation-recession-rba-kohler/
Pontificationg Paul Kelly comes out fighting from Scott Morrison’s corner and shitcans the robodebt royal commission.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/inside-the-robodebt-stitchup-of-former-pm-scott-morrison/news-story/cdc079076bf3702fc4d2101c56f035f9?amp
Paul Bongiorno looks at Morrison’s defence of his part in robodebt an points out that, in stark contrast to the defiant show of solidarity Coalition members gave their former leader when the house voted to censure Morrison last November for his secret acquisition of five powerful ministries other than his own, the whips pressed no one to turn up to support him. But, he says, the near-empty chamber at the beginning of the week was no harbinger of a change of the Liberal leader’s heart.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/08/05/morrisons-strong-welfare-cop-out
In focusing on Scott Morrison’s shocking record in government, and/or on his pathetic and self-pitying response to Commissioner Holmes’ Robodebt report, we must not lose sight of the fact that Morrison is symptomatic of a great deal of what is so terribly wrong in contemporary Australian politics. He is not the cause of what is wrong. The focus on Morrison is deflecting attention away from the increasingly worrying conduct of the Albanese government and the alarming rate at which Australia is being entrapped into American militarism in the region, posits Allan Patience.
https://johnmenadue.com/morrison-is-a-symptom-not-the-cause-of-the-decline-in-australian-politics/
Angus Thompson explains how the Lehrmann saga damaged everyone. He says that, in the end, not even the inquiry charged with examining the Bruce Lehrmann case was safe from its destructive path.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/in-the-end-the-lehrmann-inquiry-consumed-its-own-chair-20230804-p5dtvr.html
Drumgold dug his grave, then Sofronoff buried him, writes Michael Palley who says the ACT’s top prosecutor faces being sued and disbarred, while convictions will likely be reviewed.
https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/drumgold-dug-his-grave-then-sofronoff-buried-him-20230804-p5dtzg
The final Sofronoff inquiry report was handed to journalists prior to the ACT’s chief minister, the government has said. The fallout from the explosive findings and premature publication of Walter Sofronoff KC’s report continued yesterday, following revelations that the inquiry head had provided embargoed copies of the final report to selected media outlets before police, the director of public prosecutions and other key players.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/04/head-of-inquiry-into-lehrmann-prosecution-gave-report-to-selected-journalists-before-act-chief-minister
Sam Maiden untroubled by the Australian’s blue on blue attack over Brittany Higgins, writes Amanda Meade in ger weekly media round-up.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/2023/aug/04/sam-maiden-untroubled-by-the-australians-blue-on-blue-attack-over-brittany-higgins
The peak body representing clubs tipped off its members that Liquor and Gaming NSW was conducting a compliance blitz and advised them to position their gaming machines and ATMs correctly. Harriett Alexander reports that he ClubsNSW tip-off was contained in documents released by Liquor and Gaming NSW to parliament yesterday afternoon after a request by Independent MP Alex Greenwich. This is a developing story, methinks.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/documents-show-nsw-clubs-tipped-off-to-compliance-checks-20230804-p5du20.html
Michal Bachelard and Nick McKenzie report that the Australian Federal Police has been unable to answer a raft of questions in parliament about how a man convicted of bribing foreign officials was able to keep $30 million in offshore processing contracts over the five years that he was under criminal investigation. And its chief police officer Neil Gaughan was also forced to admit the AFP had got it wrong when it told parliament earlier this year that it had briefed then-Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton in 2018 about the investigation into Bhojani.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/afp-retracts-statement-dutton-was-briefed-on-nauru-bribery-investigation-20230804-p5dtzi.html
Rising interest rates, inflation and working from home may have knocked the wind out of the commercial property market, but childcare is quickly emerging as the standout performer in the sector, explains Stephen Miles.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/why-childcare-is-the-shining-star-of-the-property-market-20230804-p5du0g.html
A series of wage theft scandals that this week culminated in criminal charges against Woolworths show Australia has a “huge problem” with worker underpayments, ACTU secretary Sally McManus says.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2023/08/04/wage-theft-woolworths-albanese/?breaking_live_scroll=1
Rick Morton tells us that the controversial filling of a seven-figure-salary role at UNSW Sydney has been referred to the state’s anti-corruption body. Interestingly it was the recently sacked NSW minister, Crackenthoro, who made the referral.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/education/2023/08/05/exclusive-unsw-referred-icac
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon explains how one phone call can get an instant reprieve on your council rates. It makes perfect sense.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/saving/how-one-phone-call-can-get-an-instant-reprieve-on-your-council-rates-20230804-p5dtxd.html
Dear old Gerard goes all-in on the ABC today.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/on-wuhan-and-covid-paul-barry-abc-fail-fairness-standards/news-story/ff0d19ca3356380a38cfe9edd45cac4f?amp
Should law firms even be publicly listed, where they might serve the interests of their shareholders before their clients? Justice Michael Lee has called Shine Justice to account for its efforts to gouge costs from the 11,000 Johnson & Johnson pelvic mesh victims. Michael West reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/shine-justice-in-a-dark-place-as-shares-tumble-on-pelvic-mesh-judgement/
The AFR reports that ANZ Bank has vowed to continue its fight to buy Suncorp Bank, after the competition regulator knocked back the $4.9 billion acquisition on fears it would “further entrench an oligopoly” and lead to reduced competition in home loans, and agribusiness and business banking in Queensland. A courtroom showdown beckons.
https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/accc-rejects-4-9b-anz-acquisition-of-suncorp-bank-20230804-p5dtuw
Australia’s top-selling cars are becoming more of a threat to other motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, as sports utility vehicles and utes replace family sedans, writes Patrick Hatch who intro duces us to the measure “aggressivity”.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/bigger-dirtier-more-dangerous-how-auto-besity-is-a-health-risk-for-everyone-20230803-p5dtkg.html
Karen Middleton unpacks the Senate report on foreign interference through social media channels in Australia and proposes a co-ordinated national approach to ensure online platforms work harder to combat false information.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/media/2023/08/05/the-government-plan-combat-social-media-misinformation
The Australian government is moving to curb the revolving door between the Department of Defence and private consultants amid increasing scrutiny of the practice. Guardian Australia understands Defence has introduced a new moratorium on entering into contracts with personnel who have left within the past 12 months. It comes after the department spent more than $1.3bn on temporary personnel and recruitment services over the 2022-23 financial year, government contract notices show.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/05/australias-defence-department-clamps-down-on-private-consultants
Qantas is still the most complained-about company in Australia, with refunds the biggest problem.
https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/please-don-t-hang-up-what-it-s-like-trying-to-claim-qantas-credits-20230802-p5dtab
Youth activist Anjali Sharma speaks about the duty of care climate bill, devised with David Pocock, at a time when legal cases linking human rights to global heating are proliferating and building on successes. Mike Seccombe reports.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2023/08/05/the-fight-enforce-climate-duty-care
As a former childcare worker stands accused of more than 1,600 charges, experts say the dark web is making offenders harder than ever to detect, explains the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/05/invisible-predators-the-shifting-behaviour-of-paedophiles-has-australian-police-playing-catch-up
Nick Bryant examines the malaise that has settled on the UK and shows no signs of going away.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/britain-isn-t-stuck-in-the-past-it-s-stuck-in-the-present-20230726-p5drhe.html
Eryk Bagshaw writes that China has dropped its tariffs against Australian barley, putting an end to a three-year dispute that went to the World Trade Organisation and helped relations between Beijing and Canberra to fall to historic lows. He says that the decision opens the door to further relief from $20 billion in trade sanctions as Australian officials target crippling tariffs on Australian wine that have blocked winemakers from their most profitable market for more than two years.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/china-drops-tariffs-against-australian-barley-20230804-p5du0l.html
The SMH editorial describes Trump as an American tragedy with potential to affect the world. It says that the 6 January court case may well be a chance for US democracy to rid itself of Trump’s pernicious and insidious presence and the farce that his continuing presence has imposed on US politics. History shows when demagogues depart, their malign influence fades.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-is-an-american-tragedy-with-potential-to-affect-the-world-20230804-p5dtxt.html
Greg Sheridan writes that American politics is entering its most bizarre, shabby and perhaps dangerous period in modern times, at least since the civil war in the 1860s.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/american-politics-enters-its-most-dangerous-period-since-the-civil-war/news-story/b9b177ff88e2d8d9336b1d6d9dc92513?amp
Finally, there are three reasons for Donald Trump to be afraid: a courtroom, a jury and the truth, writes Jonathan Freedland who says this week’s indictment may not diminish his supporters’ devotion, but it will challenge his fraudulent conception of reality
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/04/donald-trump-courtroom-jurors-truth-indictment
The perplexing aftermath of the Wagner mutiny shows Putin is more vulnerable than ever, posits Kimberley Marten.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/04/wagner-group-mutiny-putin-prigozhin-russia
“Arsehole of the Week” nomination goes to this road rager who fractured a woman’s face.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/disgusting-woman-s-face-fractured-in-alleged-sydney-road-rage-incident-20230804-p5dtwt.html
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
Matt Davidson
Jim Pavlidis
John Shakespeare
Alan Moir
Matt Golding
Jon Kudelka
Andrew Dyson
Glen Le Lievre
Mark Knight
Leak
From the US
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/03/australian-finance-department-hires-consultant-to-advise-on-hiring-consultants-in-move-compared-to-abcs-utopia
Chris Hayes –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Good morning Dawn Patrollers. This collection is a big comedown from yesterday!
Mark Kenny has some thoughts about the way the Voice referendum debate is going.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8297027/the-great-australian-shouting-match/?cs=14329
Nino Bucci and Tamsin Rose tell us how a series of killings and gun violence have rocked Sydney, a city with an already bloody criminal history.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/06/sydney-gangland-shooting-killing-gun-violence-crime-criminal-cocaine-drug-bondi-marrickville-greenacre-alen-moradian
“It’s important to get a grip: we haven’t actually seen Walter Sofronoff’s report yet”, writes Richard Ackland. He says DPP Shane Drumgold, who prosecuted the ACT trial of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations against Bruce Lehrmann, has been blindsided without an opportunity for response
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/05/its-important-to-get-a-grip-we-havent-actually-seen-walter-sofronoffs-report-yet
Murdoch media is to face scrutiny as Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission works with expert researchers to monitor its Voice Referendum coverage. Leading researcher for the project, Dr Victoria Fielding reports.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/news-corp-bullies-to-be-held-accountable-over-one-sided-voice-coverage,17779
Victorian state Labor MP Will Fowles has resigned from the parliamentary Labor Party amid assault allegations. Daniel Andrews said in a statement on Saturday evening that his office was advised of an “alleged incident” on Thursday afternoon.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/labor-mp-will-fowles-resigns-over-alleged-serious-assault-20230805-p5du7f.html
Wayne Swan says that superannuation’s benefits continue to stack up as the ideologues attack.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/superannuation/2023/08/05/wayne-swan-superannuation-attacks/
Labor is facing growing opposition from conservative and Christian groups against a plan to toughen social media self-regulation of misinformation, including fresh claims from the Australian Christian Lobby that the proposal will “cancel Christian posts online”. No, it just aims to attend to blatant misinformation. So, cut the bullshit and you’ll be alright.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/05/australian-christian-lobby-social-posts-labor-misinformation-campaign
Kate McClymont and Benn Cubby write that more than $500 million worth of major Sydney housing development projects are poised to hit the market as fugitive Jean Nassif’s failed property empire is rapidly dismantled by major lenders seeking quick sales to recoup debt. They say thousands of anxious apartment owners living in Toplace buildings are concerned that nothing will be left over for them to fix serious defects as the big lenders move to offload Toplace assets to reduce their own losses.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/500m-fire-sale-lenders-begin-to-break-up-nassif-s-crumbling-empire-20230804-p5du1f.html
Due more to the courts than politicians, native forest logging may be nearing an end. Recent court judgements in Victorian Supreme and Federal courts don’t augur well for the logging industry. Sue Arnold reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/native-forest-logging-may-be-near-the-end-thanks-to-historic-court-decisions-precautionary-principle/
Australia’s environmental protection legislation needs all hands-on deck right now. City centre households have lower emissions than the suburbs. Northern hemisphere summers getting hotter, writes Peter Sainsbury.
https://johnmenadue.com/environment-critical-months-ahead-for-australias-environmental-legislation/
As the Minns government grapples with the fallout from Tim Crakanthorp’s sacking, a massive planned redevelopment in Broadmeadow has been put on ice, explains Michael McGowan.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/newcastle-redevelopment-plans-on-indefinite-hold-after-crakanthorp-referred-to-icac-20230804-p5du2o.html
Tim Biggs tells us that sustainability experts have warned of a crunch ahead for the booming data centre industry, as increasing energy usage amid demand for new artificial intelligence-powered technologies crosses paths with a hotter, drier climate.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/energy-hungry-ai-could-pose-a-challenge-for-data-centre-esg-20230802-p5dtad.html
Bigoted, antisemitic, gross: Rudy Giuliani finds an even lower low, says Arwa Mahdawi who provides many examples to support her opinion.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/05/rudy-giuliani-court-audio-new-york-trump
America needs to see the ex-president brought to justice, urges the Observer editorial which says Trump’s claims about the 2020 election have done great harm to US democracy. They must be exposed for the blatant lies they are
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/05/observer-view-donald-trump-trial-america-needs-to-see-ex-president-brought-to-justice
US prosecutors fear former president Donald Trump may intimidate witnesses after he made a threatening social media post stating: ‘IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU’. Prosecutors flagged the post in a late-night court filing, arguing it suggested he might intimidate witnesses by improperly disclosing confidential evidence received from the government.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2023/08/06/donald-trump-threatening-truth-social-post/
Cartoon Corner
Matt Golding
Peter Broelman
From the US
Labor really knows how to stuff up things. Why not let the referendum take place before this distraction?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/05/wa-cultural-heritage-laws-indigenous-group-condemns-reports-of-labor-backflip-within-days
It is dumb arse politics on local Labor’s part but they were in a bind. The heritage legislation and the publicity it garners out West would for sure have become a bigly drag on the yes vote. lose lose
Damned right it does. It sure as hell well will make all the difference in the world for me. Retirement would have looked bleak financially without the compulsory Super. I would not be orphan in that regard.
No surprise
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8297588/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=
Seeing clips of people campaigning for the ‘no’ vote on the Coalition frontbench and Sky News. They’re smiling, they’re laughing, they’re having so much fun, they’re so gleeful about it.
It sickens me in what they’re doing.
Very appropriate for the Noalition
Chris Rudge dissects the ombudsman’s report into income apportionment, an illegal practice that has led to some welfare recipients being jailed
A bit sweary, but I agree with the message behind this article.
https://theshot.net.au/general-news/murdochs-climate-denial-is-unhinged/
Peter has written in the past how the L/NP when in opposition always oppose referendums from Labor, but this doesn’t actually help shore up anyone’s leadership, or help them win the next election, although they always think it will. The two tweets below are him giving old examples.
Research Roundup
A look at some recent papers on extremism, disinformation and interventions
https://jmberger.substack.com/p/research-roundup
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Geoge Brandis tells us why a good man, Home Affairs boss Mike Pezzullo, must fall.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-a-good-man-home-affairs-boss-mike-pezzullo-must-fall-20230802-p5dteo.html
Peter Dutton has had Anthony Albanese on the ropes all week, but the pressure for a cogent explanation for denying the Voice is mounting, writes Sean Kelly.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/saying-no-has-been-the-easy-part-now-the-real-heat-begins-for-dutton-20230806-p5du7m.html
Angus Thompson reports that the ACT’s top prosecutor has accused the head of the inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/act-top-prosecutor-shane-drumgold-resigns-20230806-p5duan.html
While proceeding cautiously, Labor must deliver on its promises to make Australia a more egalitarian country to maintain its place in the country’s political landscape, writes Dr Klaas Woldring.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/to-ward-off-the-teals-labor-must-deliver-in-government,17781
Alan Kohler writes about the “Beautiful waste – the shimmering mirage of Australia’s bullet train”.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/08/07/high-speed-rail-bullet-train-kohler/
A Gold Coast businessman with ties to former Liberal MP Stuart Robert remains listed as a director in at least 10 Australian companies despite “severing ties” and living abroad. But Guardian Australia reveals that Margerison remains a director of at least 10 Australian companies, including four linked to the DJ Group associated with NDIS providers.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/07/investor-linked-to-stuart-robert-is-still-a-director-of-10-companies-despite-severing-ties-with-australia
The Spanish renewable energy giant that is building Australia’s biggest wind farm says bad behaviour within the sector is putting community support for future projects at risk, and has warned that federal government targets will be jeopardised unless it better manages the energy transition.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/spanish-renewables-giant-sounds-stark-warning-on-australian-projects-20230806-p5du8m.html
The rate of inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, can be an unreliable guide to the cost of living – especially now, explains Ross Gittins.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/why-you-should-and-shouldn-t-believe-what-you-re-told-about-inflation-20230806-p5du7v.html
The Department of Defence has racked up a $26 billion bill for contractors and consultants over the last financial year, totalling more than half of what all the other federal government agencies have spent combined. The soaring figure comes as the federal government continues its crackdown of consultancy and contracting fees, promising to bring core government work in-house where possible and practical, reports Sarah Basford Canales.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8267310/its-a-gordian-knot-defence-racks-up-26-billion-contracting-bill/?cs=14329
Meanwhile, the AFR tells us that consulting firms caught promoting tax exploitation schemes will be fined up to $780 million, a 100-fold increase, under the Albanese government’s sweeping response to the PwC tax leaks scandal. A two-year Treasury review of the regulation of all professional firms; the removal of secrecy laws hampering the Tax Office and more power for regulators are also part of changes designed to fix a system deemed “not fit for purpose”.
https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/not-fit-for-purpose-sweeping-response-to-pwc-scandal-20230805-p5du62
The federal government’s plan to crack down on misconduct by tax advisers is ambitious. But it faces a long rocky road, based on the past fraught history, wars Max Chenoweth.
https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/expect-a-fierce-response-to-labor-s-pwc-reforms-20230806-p5du9t
And the AFR editorial says that engaging with a relatively transparent Treasury review in good faith is the way forward for the big four to restore the public trust and confidence eroded by PwC’s failures.
https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/an-off-ramp-from-the-pwc-pile-on-20230730-p5dsco
Scale Facilitation is in default in its takeover of Britishvolt. After a crime taskforce raid in Australia and failures to pay staff in the US, its chief executive David A. Collard remains defiant. Sean Johnson of Open Politics questions why PwC is getting paid when staff and creditors have been missing out.
https://michaelwest.com.au/is-pwc-caught-up-in-scale-facilitations-alleged-150-million-tax-fraud/
The Robodebt Royal Commission has shown that the Australian Public Service is at a crossroads. It can be a professional and ethical APS that serves the public interest through the government of the day. Or it can be an overtly politicised service, little different from the staff in ministerial offices. What must not persist is the stealth service, where the pretence of a professional public service masks spineless servility and outright capture, urges Peter O’Keefe.
https://johnmenadue.com/the-aps-integrity-or-spineless-servility/
As Australia faces a GP drought, the number of medical graduates wanting to go into general practice has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, explains Angus Thompson.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/young-doctors-are-avoiding-general-practice-but-one-group-is-bucking-the-trend-20230802-p5dtd0.html
Many women in rural and regional Victoria have no access to surgical and medical terminations close to where they live, forcing them to travel for hours to get an abortion, writes Rachel Eddie.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/a-postcode-lottery-the-17-areas-with-no-abortion-access-in-victoria-20230726-p5drd3.html
Extreme climate impacts are exploding in this year’s Northern Hemisphere summer. We urgently need to understand how climate disruption will affect Australians: their safety and well-being in the face of ever-more-extreme climate events, the viability of public and private infrastructure, communications and logistical systems, challenges to food security, and much more, writes David Spratt.
https://johnmenadue.com/are-we-failing-to-see-the-wood-for-the-trees-on-climate-risks/
If we want kids to learn to cope, we should treat mental health like any other school subject, argues Dr Addie Wootten.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/if-we-want-kids-to-learn-to-cope-treat-mental-health-like-any-other-school-subject-20230806-p5du9m.html
“What’s going on here? Why is this guy still politically viable, after all he’s done?”, wonders David Brooks who says that Americans can condemn the Trumpian populists all day until the cows come home, but the real question is when will they stop behaving in ways that make Trumpism inevitable.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/try-looking-at-the-trump-legal-saga-without-congratulating-yourself-20230804-p5dtu0.html
Trump’s assault on American justice gives inspiration to authoritarians everywhere, opines Jill Abramson.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/06/donald-trump-assault-american-justice-gives-inspiration-authoritarians-everywhere
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Jim Pavlidis
Peter Broelman
Megan Herbert
Mark Knight
Leak
From the US
Reading this story a name fair leapt off the page. They say cockroaches will be the only survivors of a nuclear war. I reckon this chap could also be a contender.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/07/centrelink-call-waiting-time-processing-delays-wait-jobseeker-income-support-payment
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6037265/centrelinks-robo-debt-crisis-who-is-hank-jongen/
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Mehdi Hasan –
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mehdi+hasan+show+msnbc&sp=CAI%253D
Jen Psaki –
Am I having a seniors’ moment this morning when I feel frustrated at the inability of anyone at several KPMG offices tell me what those four capital letters ‘K’ ‘P’ ‘M’ ‘G’ and stand for, i.e. are they initials of companies or individual people? Is mine an unusual request? The AMA, I know and the ABC etc…..and I simply want to how KPMG came to have that name as a business entity. Price Waterhouse Cooper, ie PWC, it seems, are planning to join them; since I know the names and background of PWC founders, idle curiosity has me interested in KPMG and its founders..
It is quite astounding that a company that has been fined $Billions for a multitude of incidents of dishonesty are let anywhere near any process that needs a bit of probity let alone given access to the heart of government. Just a sample of their ‘misbehaviour’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPMG
https://kpmg.com/au/en/home/about/overview/history.html
F.M
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/07/everyone-loves-having-somewhere-to-live-and-yet-australia-has-decided-some-people-should-miss-out-why
Thank you Duckie! The old teacher in me still wants to give a star to anyone who answers the question directly! And so priomptly too! ***************!
Duckie, I hope you and KK forgive me for abbreviating your names. I get a bit fumble fingered in my left hand when stimulated by interesting replies. I also need to keep my comments briefer since I often lose my train of thought these days. I see I have mis-spelt ‘promptly’ above too. Just watching Q&A on the ABC late last night about The Voice I realised that even direct questions are not always direct but only seem so. They can be loaded missiles and aimed at trapping the respondents into a quandary, and ‘on line’ too! When posting longer items or articles I find myself struggling with colons and semis!
I must go now, or some robot somewhere in the world is going to find me and put an ad here or polliepomes or twitter about colonic irrigation products On Special! Good Night!
PS I have forgotten how to link again! Here’s one particular site I found very helpful which you and KK somehow led me to – Abbreviations, initials and acronyms @ Camridge University press.
Shane Dowling re Walter Sofronoff
Ouch!
One of those “Only in America” events. Sad but LOL.
.
Man tries to rob Atlanta nail salon but gets ignored……..
Good morning Dawn Patrollers. Late start today – blame the Matildas!
Paul Karp takes us through the latest Essential poll that has the No leading in every state except Victoria.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/08/no-vote-overtakes-yes-in-all-states-except-victoria-guardian-essential-poll-shows
The wrecking ball of the Lehrmann-Higgins case keeps swinging, writes Jacqui Maley who says impolite people might call this entire matter a s–t-show, and they would be right.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-wrecking-ball-of-the-lehrmann-higgins-case-keeps-swinging-20230807-p5dujx.html
The Sofronoff inquiry was meant to restore faith in the justice system. It has done anything but, says Christopher Knaus.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/08/sofronoff-inquiry-report-justice-system-act-andrew-barr
The Higgins-Lehrmann case may now spawn an investigation into the investigation into the investigation, says the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/act/the-higgins-lehrmann-case-may-now-spawn-an-investigation-into-the-investigation-into-the-investigation-20230807-p5dugt.html
Jazper Lindell describes how Andrew Barr “fizzed” with frustration over Sofromoff giving the report to two journalists and The Australian doing the dirty.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8299264/what-a-coincidence-barr-fizzes-with-frustration-at-media-over-inquiry-leaks/?cs=14329
“ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr – the most radical left-wing leader in the country who blames everyone else for his mistakes – should have no authority over a criminal justice system”, trumpets The Australian’s Geoff Chambers.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/its-barr-humbug-ina-territory-of-bull-and-bluster/news-story/1bf50cd3af2e50be5e6bf649c95e0922?amp
The former supreme court judge who oversaw the inquiry into the rape trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann may be referred to the ACT Integrity Commission and could face criminal charges over his dealings with the media, posits Ronald Mizen.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/sofronoff-could-face-integrity-commission-probe-and-charges-20230807-p5dugc
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia will push for an additional $3.3 billion in its funding negotiations with the federal government when talks are expedited over the powerful lobby group’s uproar about Labor’s 60-day prescription policy, writes Natassia Chrysanthos.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pharmacies-to-push-for-billions-more-to-compensate-for-missing-script-fees-20230807-p5dug9.html
Peter Dutton blocked high-priority crime prevention grants for Indigenous communities as Home Affairs Minister in favour of less-worthy projects found to have favoured Coalition seats and which included protecting “expensive bowling greens”. Labor has seized on this, writes Paul Sakkal about a process that has a familiar ring to it.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/dutton-bypassed-indigenous-crime-prevention-for-safety-grants-in-coalition-seats-20230806-p5du9d.html
In a rather frightening contribution, former chief scientist Alan Finkel warns that the AI horse has bolted and it’s time for the nuclear option.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/the-ai-horse-has-bolted-it-s-time-for-the-nuclear-option-20230807-p5duel.html
“With the ground shifting beneath them, the big four consultancy firms are now all very happy with the increased regulatory oversight and turbocharged penalties that are coming down the pike. But then what else could they say?”, writes Elizabeth Knight about how the PwC virus infected the whole industry.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/how-the-pwc-s-virus-infected-the-industry-20230807-p5duj6.html
The AFR tells us that the Tax Office first raised its concerns related to the conduct of PwC’s tax division with Luke Sayers on August 29, 2019, when second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn urged the firm’s then-CEO to “personally review the internal emails”.
https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/tax-office-warned-pwc-chief-sayers-to-read-the-emails-20230807-p5dumo
“Eye-watering”, “fines jump 10,000% in huge crackdown”! The Big 4 crackdown has arrived in the most cracking down fashion. But what is it really? Michael West reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/crackdown-better-watch-out-you-big-4-well-wave-a-stern-finger-at-yers/
A pilot project in Marrickville by award-winning architects will provide dozens of homes at well below market rates, explains Julie Power. She tells us an inner Sydney council hopes to encourage more religious groups to use their surplus land for desperately needed affordable housing rather than selling it to developers for profit.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/the-plan-to-add-thousands-of-affordable-apartments-in-sydney-s-inner-west-20230804-p5dtyo.html
The environment agency alleges the landfill in Melbourne’s south-east has not complied with its laws after residents complained of putrid smells coming from the site. The Environment Protection Authority has taken SBI Landfill – a construction and demolition waste tip on Ballarto Road in Cranbourne – and its directors to the Supreme Court, alleging serious non-compliance with environment protection laws.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/permeates-entire-community-epa-takes-landfill-to-court-over-offensive-odours-20230807-p5dufh.html
Perry Duffin tells us that two FBI agents were killed investigating a child abuse ring. A year later Australian police arrested 19 men allegedly linked to the dark web paedophile network.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/murder-of-fbi-agents-leads-to-alleged-australian-paedophile-ring-bust-20230807-p5dui7.html
The massive wealth transfer that occurred during the pandemic is poised to cause problems. And Australia will not be immune, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/why-this-billionaire-investing-legend-is-worried-about-the-future-20230807-p5duf0.html
Professor Michael Woods opines that aged-care funding reforms must ensure users pay their fair share.
https://theconversation.com/aged-care-funding-reforms-must-ensure-users-pay-their-fair-share-210962
The affordability of insurance and the impact of planning rules on flood-prone areas will be the focus of a parliamentary inquiry into the sector, amid warnings that Australians are being priced out of coverage in parts of the country most at risk from natural disasters, reports Shane Wright.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inquiry-to-examine-insurance-costs-as-study-shows-australians-being-priced-out-20230807-p5dukp.html
When it comes to encroaching on neighbours’ territory, Vladimir Putin is simply a boofhead. Xi Jinping, on the other hand, is simply brilliant, opines Peter Hartcher.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/why-putin-is-losing-his-war-and-xi-is-winning-his-20230807-p5dueu.html
Donald Trump remains an existential threat to the survival of US democracy, declares Troy Bramston, saying Trump remains a disgusting, disgraceful, dangerous individual..
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/donald-trump-remains-an-existential-threat-to-the-survival-of-us-democracy/news-story/428da2df8ee481076c6e0913a9b423af?amp
“Will Donald Trump be jailed before his trial?”, asks Robert Reich after the former president continues to threaten witnesses despite warnings not to violate conditions of release.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/07/will-donald-trump-be-jailed-before-trial
A federal judge tossed out former US president Donald Trump’s countersuit against the writer who won a sex abuse lawsuit against him, ruling on Monday that Trump can’t claim she defamed him by continuing to say she was not only sexually abused but raped. He’s not having a good time, is he?
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/judge-tosses-trump-s-defamation-suit-against-writer-e-jean-carroll-20230808-p5duo4.html
Republican politicians have been accused of exploiting the tragedy of America’s fentanyl crisis by blaming Joe Biden for the rising death toll, and linking it to his immigration policies and populist anger over the US’s troubled southern border.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/07/republicans-fentanyl-biden-asylum-seekers-cynicism
Cartoon Corner
Cathy Wilcox
David Rowe
Glen Le Lievre
Peter Broelman
Matt Golding
Dionne Gain
John Shakespeare
Mark Knight
Spooner
From the US
Rachel Maddow –
Mehdi Hasan –
Lawrence O’Donnell –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
James O’Brien –
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
David Crowe reports that Australians will be promised a national plan to strengthen renters’ rights under a deal to be struck by state and federal Labor leaders amid a growing dispute with the Greens over the housing crisis. He says Anthony Albanese is seeking the deal at a national cabinet meeting in Brisbane next week while also negotiating new commitments on planning laws to add 1 million homes across the country.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-leaders-aiming-for-national-plan-to-boost-renters-rights-20230808-p5duvh.html
The NSW government is considering a shake-up of state-owned corporation Landcom to focus on building homes instead of selling off land to developers, as planners narrow down a list of Sydney sites for a housing density blitz.’
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/minns-government-weighs-up-landcom-shake-up-to-build-more-homes-20230808-p5duqq.html
Australian Architecture Association president, Tone Wheeler, examines the three types of house occupiers and how the disparity between the renters and the rest, with the Greens using it effectively against the government. He concludes by saying the old binary political system is broken and now the Coalition is not Albo’s primary concern, it’s the ternary combination of teals on one flank and emboldened Greens on the other.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/housing-may-be-the-third-rail-for-labor-s-second-term-pitch-20230808-p5duqp.html
The opposition leader’s stink bombs are dragging the national focus of the campaign on to the no campaign’s preferred reactionary front, shifting the campaign deeper into the orbit of bad faith actors., writes Peter Lewis.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/aug/08/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-peter-dutton-no-campaign
Peter Dutton’s opposition to the Voice to Parliament is based on flimsy arguments, yet the compliant mainstream media continues its unwavering support, writes Belinda Jones.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/peter-dutton-makes-the-voice-about-retail-politics-in-his-lust-for-power,17788
Mistakes, leaks and missed opportunities – the Sofronoff inquiry represents a failure in the pursuit of justice, writes Geoffrey Watson who says the extraordinary events involving Shane Drumgold, the Australian newspaper and the report itself bring into question our entire criminal justice system. Watson does not mince his words!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/08/mistakes-leaks-and-missed-opportunities-the-sofronoff-inquiry-represents-a-grave-failure-in-the-pursuit-of-justice
Ross Gittins says that to fix things, Albanese will need a degree of courage. The article begins with, “I’m starting to worry about Anthony Albanese and his government. As politicians go, they’re a good bunch. Well-intentioned, smart, and hard-working. Only occasionally got at by their union mates.”
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/to-fix-things-albanese-will-need-a-degree-of-courage-20230808-p5dup7.html
Stuart Robert met tech giant Infosys multiple times when the company was seeking lucrative contracts including a deal it won to build a government payment system later scrapped at a cost of $191 million. David Crowe and Nick McKenzie report that the company revealed the 11 meetings in answers to a parliamentary inquiry that is examining the close ties between Robert and his consultant friend, David Milo, whose firm Synergy 360 asked companies for “success fees” to line up contracts in Canberra.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/stuart-robert-met-infosys-multiple-times-including-before-191-million-deal-20230808-p5duqw.html
Referring to the Morrison government’s growing record of wasting public money and dubious preferment, the SMH editorial says that Stuart Robert should face anti-corruption body over the scrapped $191m software deal.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/robert-should-face-anti-corruption-body-over-scrapped-191m-software-deal-20230808-p5durs.html
“Narcissus drowning? Morrison, Robodebt and love-rat Dutton.” This contribution from David Tyler is a good read.
https://theaimn.com/narcisuss-drowning-morrison-robodebt-and-love-rat-dutton/
The civil war inside the Victorian Liberal Party shows no signs of letting up. The latest skirmish was in the headlines at the weekend after sitting MP Renee Heath attended an event hosted by anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination activist Morgan Jonas, who also happens to be the founder of the Freedom Party of Victoria.
https://www.theage.com.au/cbd/liberal-party-s-father-daughter-act-feeling-the-heat-from-cookers-20230808-p5duy3.html
If the blowout in premiums is not dealt with soon, we could face a reckoning nobody is ready for, says Shane Wright who reckons the looming insurance crisis could make the GFC ‘look like a picnic’.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/looming-insurance-crisis-could-make-the-gfc-look-like-a-picnic-20230807-p5duhz.html
Noel Whittaker suggests a way to fund aged care without plundering our super.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/how-to-fund-aged-care-without-plundering-our-super-20230808-p5duqb.html
Elizabeth Knight tells us why taking the top job at Myer could be a career killer.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/why-taking-the-top-job-at-myer-could-be-a-career-killer-20230808-p5dutc.html
It is dispiriting that the Public Service Act Amendment Bill now before the Parliament says so little about ‘merit’. Nothing about secretary appointments and terminations and only a minor grammatical change to clarify that ministers are not able to direct agency heads about individuals’ employment, claims Andrew Podger.
https://johnmenadue.com/merit-is-the-forgotten-fundamental-aps-value/
The recent indexation of HECS fees at 7.1% is adding to students’ debt at a time of a cost of living crisis for young people, writes Rowan Bosman.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/hecs-indexation-increasing-unaffordable-student-debt,17784
The Catholic church is seeking to challenge a legal ruling in Victoria that would allow the father of a choirboy to sue for damages over allegations of child sexual abuse by Cardinal George Pell. The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, filed a claim against the Catholic archdiocese of Melbourne and Pell. He claims to have suffered nervous shock after learning of allegations that Pell sexually abused his now deceased son in the mid-1990s.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/08/george-pell-child-abuse-allegations-melbourne-catholic-church-lawsuit-seeking-to-stop-appeal
Labor will seek to avert a damaging internal split over the Israel-Palestine conflict by hardening its language on the Palestinian territories, with the federal government to officially refer to Israel’s settlements in the West Bank as “illegal” and the territories as “occupied”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-to-harden-position-on-palestine-20230808-p5dutd.html
Greg Sheridan says Anthony Albanese is both wrong on both politics and policy with Labor’s new Israel-Palestine policy. Of course!
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/anthony-albanese-is-both-wrong-on-both-politics-and-policy-with-labors-new-israelpalestine-policy/news-story/b981036a6f9e029ac37334f73e37cf66?amp
The spiralling cost of our alliance with the United States goes way beyond the $368B AUKUS deal and joined intelligence and communications facilities. Australia is paying the price of reduced independence, as Rex Patrick reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/death-of-sovereignty-everyday-australians-will-pay-the-cost-of-us-kowtowing-aukus-inevitable-war/
The Chinese government has been accused of deliberately flooding the northern city of Zhuozhou and other areas to save Beijing’s prized high-tech sector from record flooding in the past week. The floods impacting an area that is home to 110 million people have trapped residents for days as authorities open flood zones in the country to protect urban areas near the capital.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/they-tried-to-protect-beijing-so-they-sacrificed-zhuozhou-20230808-p5dus8.html
The AFR says China’s recovery has stalled – and it’s taking Asia down with it.
https://www.afr.com/world/asia/asia-feels-the-pinch-from-china-s-stalled-recovery-20230808-p5duvt
John Crace writes that the Home Secretary’s symposium of stupidity delivers blue-sky thinking on asylum seekers. Crace in good form, as usual.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/08/suella-braverman-symposium-of-stupidity-delivers-blue-sky-thinking-on-asylum-seekers
Surging oil prices are allowing Russia to generate more revenue to fund its war. It might be time for the West to step in, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/the-west-needs-to-tighten-the-screws-on-putin-20230808-p5dupk.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe – love the metronome!
David Pope
Matt Golding
Mark David
John Shakespeare
Cathy Wilcox
Simon Letch
Spooner’s at it again!
From the US
“Peter Dutton’s opposition to the Voice to Parliament is based on flimsy arguments, yet the compliant mainstream media continues its unwavering support, writes Belinda Jones.”
I agree. Leading the charge against the Voice has to be Murdoch, of course, closely followed by Nine. Even The Guardian has fallen into line. Poll after poll is published in the MSM all declaring that the referendum will fail. They said the same thing about same sex marriage. We all know what happened there.
I’m hoping Australians will vote “Yes” in a clear defeat for racism.
Goodbye to those annoying CAPTCHA tests ? No doubt to be replaced by something even more annoying.
.
.
Bots are better at beating ‘are you a robot?’ tests than humans are
The use of CAPTCHA tests to prove that website users are human and not bots might come under scrutiny given research showing that bots complete them faster and more accurately than we do.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2384228-bots-are-better-at-beating-are-you-a-robot-tests-than-humans-are/
Chris Hayes –
Lawrence O’Donnell –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
We are definitely in “before one of us dies” territory
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/aug/09/australia-politics-live-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-rental-crisis-housing-cost-of-living-indigenous-voice-to-parliament#top-of-blog
Dear ol’ Gerard has his ABC hobby horse and this guy has China’s economy. It would be about Stephen Bartholomeusz’s eleventy ninth episode of his ‘ China is Heading Over a Cliff I Tells Ya’ series over the past dozen years or so.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/china-s-exports-are-crashing-is-this-the-end-of-the-world-s-factory-20230809-p5dv0m.html
James O’Brien –
F.M –
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/09/sea-ice-is-at-historic-lows-meanwhile-australia-wants-to-cut-scientific-research-in-antarctica
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
David Crowe outlines the four fixes Anthony Albanese wants for the housing crisis.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-four-fixes-anthony-albanese-wants-for-the-housing-crisis-20230809-p5dv8e.html
Former NSW minister for planning, Rob Stokes, reckons old churches could be the answer to our prayers for new housing.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/old-churches-could-be-the-answer-to-our-prayers-for-new-housing-20230809-p5dv4b.html
One of the key Liberal voices in the upcoming referendum would be silenced from advocating for the Indigenous Voice if Peter Dutton promotes him to the frontbench in a looming reshuffle, write Paul Sakkal and James Massola. They write that the months-long delay in picking a successor to Stuart Robert has puzzled and irritated some Coalition MPs who believe Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones is an underperformer who could be exposed by an opponent with media nous and economic acumen.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bragg-s-voice-could-be-silenced-as-dutton-considers-tricky-reshuffle-20230809-p5dv5x.html
Big business has sided with the Albanese government by rejecting the “misconception” that migration is higher than normal and the “disingenuous” claim by the Coalition that Labor is pursuing a big Australia policy. Paul Karp tells us that, in a report titled Migration Makes Australia Stronger, to be released on Thursday, the Business Council of Australia calls for reforms to make migration more business-friendly and rejects concerns about a surge in arrivals after Covid border closures were lifted.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/10/business-lobby-rejects-coalitions-disingenuous-claims-labor-pursuing-big-australia-policy
Anthony Albanese says the Coalition is making One Nation look like a mainstream party with its insistence the Uluru Statement from the Heart is actually 26 pages long, not one, writes Phil Coorey.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/liberals-more-right-wing-than-one-nation-on-the-voice-pm-20230809-p5dv0q
Stung by criticism The Australian’s culture warrior Peta Credlin writes, “This week in parliament, Anthony Albanese doubled down on his claim that the Uluru Statement from the Heart is just a simple one-page statement – almost an Australian version, he’s said, of the Gettysburg Address.” It won’t wash, she says.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/why-pms-backtrack-on-the-uluru-statement-from-the-heart-wont-wash/news-story/79c2acd753138aa7dfc57c7d25a75ddf?amp
Health Minister Mark Butler is threatening to blow up negotiations with the pharmacy lobby on the next five-year deal for medicine dispensing if the Senate successfully overturns its 60-day script policy. Ronald Mizen reports that yesterday the Coalition announced it would attempt to disallow the regulations letting about six million people buy 60 days worth of 320 common medicines for the price of one script, up from the current 30 days.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/coalition-push-to-scrap-60-day-prescriptions-20230809-p5dv90
Paul Karp expands on the Coalition’s stance and how the minister reacted.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/09/coalition-liberal-party-labor-prescription-medicine-60-day-dispensing-pharmacies
Billions of federal taxpayers’ money is at risk of being wasted across the public service by the poor way bureaucrats buy vital goods and services, a bipartisan parliamentary committee has found while calling for a far-reaching overhaul of tendering processes, explains Shane Wright. It seems some of the biggest winners from the lack of competition for government business were the five large consulting firms: Accenture, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC and Ernst & Young.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/public-service-puts-taxpayer-billions-at-risk-by-fumbling-major-contracts-20230809-p5dv1c.html
Alan Kohler writes about what he describes as the “extraordinary delusion and madness of crowds of consultants”. He rightly points out that the Australian public service cohabits with copious consultants because of three hiring freezes imposed by Coalition governments over the past ten years.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2023/08/10/alan-kohler-consultants-royal-commission/
A powerful parliamentary committee has delivered a searing rebuke of Department of Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and his leadership team over procurement failures and organisational shortcomings. The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit found Mr Pezzullo, who has headed the mega-department since 2017, was “not … persuasive” in his attempts to explain why the troubled multi-billion dollar maritime surveillance services contract was extended to 2027 without seeking a competitive tender and despite serious shortcomings identified by the Australian National Audit Office.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8300927/pezzullo-home-affairs-lashed-over-serious-failings/?cs=14329
The Age says Victoria Police’s fight against organised crime is being hobbled by serious problems recruiting new informers amid concerns their safety and identities cannot be protected after the Lawyer X scandal.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/fight-against-organised-crime-faltering-as-police-struggle-to-recruit-informers-20230703-p5dlam.html
Shaun Carney says that Dan Andrews’ never-apologise shtick won’t help debt-saddled Labor.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/andrews-never-apologise-shtick-won-t-help-debt-saddled-labor-20230809-p5dv6s.html
Rugby Australia has not and is not seriously investing in the core of the code’s long-term future – children – so the Wallabies have fallen and are falling down the international rankings, Writes Michael Pascoe who says Australia’s investment in its long-term future – children – is similarly failing. Relative educational performance continues to fall, domestic literacy and numeracy standards are static at best.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/08/09/michael-pascoe-australia-wallabies-education-future/
In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children’. The Review set up by the Albanese government to inform a better and fairer education system is an occasion for some serious soul-searching by Australians, writes Lyndsay Connors.
https://johnmenadue.com/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/
Sexual assault trials across NSW are permeated by outdated myths and stereotypes about how “genuine victims” should act, dress, and fight off their attackers, exposing complainants to caustic and distressing court hearings, research has found, writes Perry Duffin.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why-did-you-wear-that-the-myths-hurting-sex-abuse-survivors-in-courts-20230808-p5duuc.html
Brittany Higgins’ partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/linda-reynolds-defamation-case-against-david-sharaz-gets-trial-date-20230809-p5dv7u.html
And Angus Thompson tells us that Brittany Higgins has launched an attack against the attitudes of the police who investigated her rape claim against her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann, claiming they were disgraced by their own conduct, rather than the accusations of former director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/brittany-higgins-attacks-conduct-of-police-who-investigated-lehrmann-20230809-p5dv1w.html
Here is an op-ed from Higgins in which she responds to The Australian’s Sofronoff Inquiry article.
https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/brittany-higgins-in-response-to-the-australians-sofronoff-inquiry-article,17792
Private healthcare policies and incentives have been examined in order to find methods for improvement, write Professor Francesco Paolucci and Josefa Henriquez.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/possibilities-of-optimising-private-health-insurance-examined,17791
Mike Foley and James Massola report that Nationals leader David Littleproud has declared he is open to having a nuclear power plant in his Queensland electorate, as the Coalition pushes a new plan to convert Australia’s existing fleet of coal plants to the controversial source of electricity generation.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/yes-in-my-backyard-nationals-happy-to-go-nuclear-20230809-p5dv43.html
European natural gas jumped above €40 ($67.27) a megawatt-hour for the first time since June amid the possibility of worker strikes in Australia — highlighting market jitters over potential supply disruptions.
https://www.afr.com/markets/commodities/europe-gas-surges-40pc-after-chevron-woodside-workers-vote-to-strike-20230810-p5dvav
Suncorp chief executive Steve Johnston says insurance premiums are likely to rise further in the next six months as the industry passes on higher reinsurance costs and deals with supply chain bottlenecks, but the pace of price rises could ease after that.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/suncorp-flags-more-premium-hikes-as-reinsurance-costs-bite-20230809-p5dv0n.html
Australian entrepreneur and ex-PwC partner David A. Collard is being sued for rent on both his fancy apartment in Manhattan as well as Scale’s 88th floor World Trade Centre head quarters. That’s on top of an ATO tax raid, unpaid staff and creditors, and defaulting on the purchase of Britishvolt in the UK. Sean Johnson of Open Politics reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/getting-scalier-david-a-collards-creditors-lawsuits-now-a-thing-of-scale/
China’s economy has fallen into deflation as it struggles to escape a deepening spiral of poor economic growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, explains Eryk Bagshaw who says there appears to be no quick fix.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/worrisome-china-s-economy-falls-into-deflation-20230809-p5dv5j.html
The imposition of sanctions on Israel by the Australian government is a logical step now that Foreign Minister Penny Wong has finally bowed to the inevitable in calling Israel’s West Bank settlements ‘illegal’. As Wong told the federal party caucus yesterday, it was time to “strengthen the government’s objection to settlements by affirming that they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace”. Writes Greg Barns.
https://johnmenadue.com/israel-and-australian-law-on-sanctions-will-we-act/
Britain is trapped in political purgatory – waiting for its undead government to fall, writes Rafael Behr who says policy that can’t work and laws written purely for campaign slogans are clear symptoms of a moribund regime.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/09/britain-conservatives-government-bibby-stockholm
The danger is that ongoing ructions surrounding the Biden family will continue to be a headache for a president heading into an election, says Farrah Tomazin.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/republicans-hunt-for-hunter-biden-scandal-big-enough-to-sink-joe-save-trump-20230809-p5duzy.html
A respected conservative judge who advised the former Republican vice-president Mike Pence not to attempt to overturn the 2020 election believes Donald Trump has destroyed the Republican party. “American democracy simply cannot function without two equally healthy and equally strong political parties,” J Michael Luttig told CNN yesterday “So today, in my view, there is no Republican party to counter the Democratic party in the country.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/09/anti-trump-judge-conservative-republican-party
Perverse as it sounds, Donald Trump in a prison cell may be the worst possible outcome, writes Emma Brockes who says, “Imagine Trump posing as the ultimate martyr, campaigning for president from jail – his supporters would find it irresistible”.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/09/donald-trump-prison-cell-campaign-for-us-president
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
David Rowe
Andrew Dyson
Matt Golding
Cathy Wilcox
Fion Katauskas.
Dionne Gain
John Shakespeare
Mark Knight
Spooner
From the US
“Old churches could be used for housing”
I drive frequently between Bendigo and Ballarat, There are lots of old “churches” on my route There are two that have regular services, one that is used once a month. There are probably twenty that are houses or being converted to houses. I’m not talking Cathedral type places, just country churches, they would be huge empty boxes inside though, It must be a challenge to turn them into comfortable spaces.
Vale Rodrigues and Robbie –
Chris Hayes –
Lawrence O’Donnell –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Come on down …………The Church of the Confused Chicken. 🙂
https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/18985/where-on-earth-is-this-church-which-looks-like-a-confused-chicken
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
The Guardian reveals that Department of Home Affairs officials told researchers to water down a key report that threatened to undermine the government’s use of “extraordinary” counter-terror powers allowing individuals to be imprisoned for a crime they have not yet committed.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/11/home-affairs-tried-to-water-down-report-critical-of-extraordinary-counter-terror-powers-documents-reveal
Australian company Canstruct was paid more than $300 million by the federal government to care for refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru last financial year, even as the number of people on the island dwindled to a few dozen and a diminishing number of services were being delivered to them. Michael Bachelard and Nick McKenzie tell us that the $1.82 billion paid to Canstruct over five years for the Nauru contract added significantly to the wealth of Queensland’s Murphy family, who were also Liberal National Party donors. Their family-owned company, Canstruct International, posted profits of $127 million after tax in 2021-22 bringing total profits to more than $442 million up to the contract’s conclusion in late 2022.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/boats-stopped-the-money-didn-t-how-liberal-donor-made-442m-in-five-years-20230809-p5dv2v.html
Australia and the United States are being urged to turbocharge the AUKUS pact by jointly producing long-range missiles and using Australia as a testing ground for hypersonic weapons as Anthony Albanese prepares to make his first prime ministerial visit to the US capital. Matthew Knott reports that Albanese will be feted at a rare state dinner in Washington, DC, in late October at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, just days before he has been tipped to make an as-yet-unconfirmed visit to Beijing.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-to-meet-us-president-joe-biden-at-white-house-in-october-20230810-p5dvgm.html
Whether Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit China in 2023 remains uncertain, but the odds are favourable. Beijing has issued an invitation and Albanese said that the trip remains ‘likely’. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed that Canberra ‘would look to make sure that a visit can occur’. But there remain two factors that might derail a visit, says James Laurenceson.
https://johnmenadue.com/what-albanese-could-seek-to-achieve-in-china-visit/
Paul Sakkal writes that Liberal MP Keith Wolahan has urged his party to learn the lessons of the robo-debt scandal, claiming the welfare scheme offended liberal values and the royal commission was justified. In a speech in parliament on Tuesday, the Melbourne-based MP delivered arguably the strongest repudiation of the program by a Coalition figure, sharing his frank views on the controversial scheme, which a royal commission heard was a factor in the suicides of three welfare recipients who had received automated debt notices.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberal-mp-says-robo-debt-offended-liberal-values-and-royal-commission-was-justified-20230810-p5dvdh.html
Bill Shorten has urged the opposition to make a formal apology over robodebt, condemning the unlawful scheme as a breach of trust. The government services minister successfully moved a motion in the House of Representatives on Thursday calling on parliament to accept the findings of the royal commission into robodebt, apologise to victims of the scheme, and commit to ensure it never happens again. The motion passed 88 votes to 51.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2023/08/10/robodebt-victims-apology-coalition-shorten/
The Sofronoff shambles, Robodebt Royal Commission, hijacking of the Voice Referendum and permeation by PwC (among others) of the public service cannot recur, write Dave Donovan and Michelle Pini.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/dodgy-governments-corrupt-institutions-and-shadow-states-lurking-beneath-our-democracy,17795
If Daniel Andrews is serious about Victoria being an inclusive and safe state, he needs to focus on improving how his workplace handles serious allegations and the people involved, says Annika Smethurst.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/when-mps-allegedly-behave-badly-justice-pays-little-part-in-the-consequences-20230810-p5dvii.html
Like planting cotton in drought-stricken areas, decisions to place data hubs in various locations across the globe are becoming increasingly contentious from an environmental perspective, and not merely because of their carbon emitting propensities. In the United States, which houses 33% of the globe’s data centres, the problem of water usage is becoming acute, explains Binoy Kampmark.
https://theaimn.com/water-wars-cooling-the-data-centres/
Serious allegations of waitlist manipulation and a culture of fear at one of Australia’s most prestigious teaching hospitals have emerged as the Sydney Local Health District faces growing discontent among its staff, reports Angus Thompson. In a document circulated to staff at Concord Hospital after he was prevented from speaking at a meeting between staff and the Sydney LHD board on Wednesday night, Royal Prince Alfred cardiologist Professor Ian Wilcox said problems at Concord were “deeper, and even more serious” at its sister hospital, RPA.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-speech-doctors-and-nurses-were-barred-from-hearing-20230810-p5dvcl.html
David Crowe explains why the young Green Turk Max Chandler-Mather is troubling Albanese.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-this-young-green-turk-troubles-albanese-to-the-max-20230809-p5dv8q.html
The sale of public land for private housing constitutes “privatisation” and a broken promise by Premier Chris Minns, the state opposition says, as it draws the battle lines for a serious fight over Labor’s plans to increase Sydney’s density, writes Michael Koziol.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/liberals-draw-up-housing-battle-lines-as-triguboff-rubbishes-expanded-landcom-role-20230810-p5dvhm.html
“Abbott is sick Of “Welcome To Country”, so maybe we should shorten it for him!”, suggests the AIMN’s Rossleigh.
https://theaimn.com/abbott-sick-of-welcome-to-country-so-maybe-we-should-shorten-it-for-him/
The Coalition’s likely embrace of nuclear energy is high-risk politics, says Michelle Grattan.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-the-coalitions-likely-embrace-of-nuclear-energy-is-high-risk-politics-211346
The NSW government’s plans to ban gay conversion therapy will be expanded to include making it illegal to change or suppress a person identifying as trans or gender diverse. Caitlin Fitzsimmons reports that Attorney-General Michael Daley has confirmed the government is pushing ahead with its own new laws, rather than backing independent MP Alex Greenwich’s bill later this month.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/gay-conversion-law-would-ban-suppression-of-gender-identity-20230808-p5dute.html
Business class flights taken by the wife of The King’s School’s headmaster to an elite British rowing regatta will need to be repaid, after an investigation found it was an improper use of its funds and a breach of the Education Act, reports Lucy Carroll.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/business-class-flights-to-be-repaid-following-probe-into-king-s-school-regatta-trip-20230810-p5dvec.html
The idea of headmaster and his wife swanning off for tea and scones at Henley-on-Thames sits awkwardly beside sacrifices most parents make to send their children to the private school system, opines the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-kings-school-goes-for-a-row-over-headmaster-s-jaunt-20230810-p5dvfa.html
Giles Parkinson writes that the Australian Energy Market Operator has made a rare foray into the mainstream media debate around the green energy transition, saying claims that its cost assessment of renewables does not include transmission and storage are “wrong.” Unsurprisingly, aim is taken at the leader of the pack, the Murdoch press.
https://johnmenadue.com/aemo-slams-murdoch-media-campaign-that-claims-renewables-are-not-low-cost/
Federal Transport Minister Catherine King needs to cut the obfuscation and give domestic airlines, tourism operators and the public a plausible explanation as to why it won’t allow Qatar Airways to increase flights to Australia. Elizabeth Knight says Qatar’s push for more flights has the backing of the tourism sector, and according to industry sources, it was also supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Austrade, various airport owners and all state governments.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/the-half-billon-dollar-economic-boost-the-government-won-t-let-fly-20230810-p5dvhu.html
The high fence America is building around its small yard of sensitive technologies is about to get a little higher, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz. On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced proposed restrictions on US outbound investment in “certain national security technologies and products in countries of concern”. The only “countries of concern” named were China and its special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/higher-and-higher-america-keeps-raising-its-fence-against-china-20230810-p5dvdk.html
Annual inflation in the US rose for the first time in 13 months to 3.2 per cent driven by higher costs in food, energy, rent and caregiving, but the modest increase might be enough to persuade the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged next month, writes Matthew Cranston.
https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/us-cpi-rises-3-2pc-in-year-through-to-july-20230810-p5dvnx
After Brexit, desperate Tories needed a new crusade. They think dumping ‘human rights’ could be it, says Polly Toynbee.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/10/european-convention-on-human-rights-brexit-tories-conservatives-election
Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to additional charges related to his handling of classified documents, this time over accusations that he sought to delete security footage in a bid to thwart federal investigators. Farrah Tomazin reports that the charges also accused two Trump employees of conspiring with the former president to delete the footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort, which the government believed would show how boxes of sensitive White House files were moved or hidden before they could be searched.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/donald-trump-pleads-not-guilty-to-additional-charges-in-classified-documents-case-20230811-p5dvo0.html
Federal prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing the criminal case against Donald Trump over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election to schedule the trial for the start of January 2024, saying there was a significant public interest in expediting the prosecution. The written filing from prosecutors in the office of the special counsel Jack Smith set an aggressive timetable that Trump’s lawyers are expected to seek to substantially delay, according to a person close to the former president.\
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/10/trump-trial-date-2020-election-jack-smith
Florida wants to let a right wing group teach history to children. This is appalling, declares Nancy Jo Sales.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/10/florida-wants-to-let-a-rightwing-group-teach-history-to-children-this-is-appalling
Moira Donegan reports that the US supreme court justice Clarence Thomas appears to have violated US law by failing to disclose “flights, yacht cruises and expensive sports tickets” bestowed by wealthy friends behind at least 38 destination vacations, ethics experts told ProPublica in its latest blockbuster report on the conservative judge and his friends.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/aug/10/clarence-thomas-gift-vacation-supreme-court
Cartoon Corner
Davis Pope!!!!
David Rowe
Matt Golding
Jim Pavlidis
Mark David
Andrew Dyson
Cathy Wilcox
Glen Le Lievre with some gifs
Mark Knight
Leak
From the US
Chris Hayes –
Lawrence O’Donnell –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Mark Humphries –
F.M –
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/11/how-to-protest-climate-change-nicely-with-brenda-the-civil-disobedience-penguin
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
“Could our US alliance survive another Trump presidency?” asked Peter Hartcher of Caroline Kennedy.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/could-our-us-alliance-survive-another-trump-presidency-i-asked-caroline-kennedy-20230810-p5dvgp.html
Peter van Onselen writes that the teals exposed the soft underbelly of the party’s moderate wing, which for too long has capitulated to the conservative wing of the party, emboldened by Howard’s total dominance for nearly 12 years. He says that Peter Dutton needs to ditch the fringe and reclaim the teal middle if the Liberal Party is to survive.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/peter-dutton-must-ditch-fringe-reclaim-teal-middle-if-liberal-party-is-to-survive/news-story/fbc9d44690ef6bca5e73489ed3b33e96?amp
Imposing rent controls to ease the housing crisis would make the shortage of homes even worse over the long term, outgoing RBA governor Philip Lowe warned yesterday, saying politicians should resist the push for such short-term solutions, reports Michael Read.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/lowe-warns-rent-caps-will-make-the-housing-shortage-even-worse-20230811-p5dvtd
More scrutiny of the outgoing RBA governor’s views on interest rates, profit-gouging and rent controls would have been welcome at his final appearance before parliament, says Peter Hannam.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/aug/11/philip-lowe-rba-parliamentary-inquiry-interest-rate-rise
It wasn’t so much the exuberance of the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures in Arnhem Land that set the tone of federal politics this week, as the troubling economic data on the evening news, writes Chris Wallace. She says each day’s media this past week revealed more steaming piles of what could be conflicts of interest, malfeasance and/or public sector capability destruction hanging over from the Coalition, and especially the Morrison era.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/08/12/self-interest-rates
An obviously upset John Hewson bemoans what has been going on as we approach the Voice referendum date.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/08/11/missed-voice-messages
National Cabinet is turning its attention to Australia’s housing crisis — and an important shift could be coming, writes Laura Tingle, pointing out that Australia virtually now has wall-to-wall Labor governments.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-12/national-cabinet-housing-crisis/102720530
Kos Samaras argues that rent control is not the solution, and he looks around the world to make his point.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/08/11/rent-control-not-solution
Voters have a poor view of Labor on cost-of-living relief, but Peter Dutton keeps letting them off the hook, opines Paul Karp who says Dutton is leaving it very late to flip the switch from resentment to solutions and in the meantime, by opposing too many measures, he is giving Labor an easy counterattack on cost of living.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/aug/12/voters-have-a-poor-view-of-labor-on-cost-of-living-relief-but-peter-dutton-keeps-letting-them-off-the-hook
Independent MP Kate Chaney’s new bill proposes banning political donations from consultants and may help strengthen crossbench efforts to break the cosy relationship between the big firms and the major parties, writes Mike Seccombe.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2023/08/11/how-curb-the-political-influence-consultants
Paul Sakkal reports that the boss of Australia’s financial watchdog, ASIC, says he will yield to demands to release sensitive documents at the heart of a dispute over its competency, avoiding the punishment that could be set in motion by a powerful Senate committee.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/asic-will-surrender-top-secret-documents-to-senate-committee-20230810-p5dvhp.html
Paul Keating, a giant of Australian politics, pushed Australia forward with giant steps – but he also made giant-sized mistakes, writes Michael Pascoe, saying that, with all the benefit of hindsight, arguably his biggest was to clear the way for Rupert Murdoch to buy the Herald and Weekly Times group in 1987 and thus dominate the Australian newspaper industry when newspapers set the news and policy agenda.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/08/12/keating-commonwealth-bank-pascoe/
Billionaire mining scion Gina Rinehart, gas fracker Santos, Australia’s number one corporate welfare recipient Qantas, as well as beleaguered taxpayers, are bankrolling Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s annual Bush Summit. Starting today in Tamworth, a national News Corp roadshow to spruik Murdoch business partners. Michael Sainsbury reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/sky-views-taxpayer-funded-billionaire-bush-bash-with-the-murdochs-and-albo-in-the-paddock/
In his final parliamentary appearance, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe ended where he started – bemoaning the high cost of land in Australia, says Shane Wright.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/lowe-drops-truth-bombs-as-he-prepares-to-leave-the-rba-stage-20230810-p5dvlb.html
NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman has quietly rebuked Peter Dutton’s arguments against the Voice to parliament. By doing so, he runs a risk, writes Max Maddison.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-liberal-leader-mark-speakman-should-be-applauded-for-risky-voice-support-20230811-p5dvtj.html
Anthony Albanese is facing a farmer revolt over plans for vast networks of power lines needed to shift the electricity grid from coal-fired to renewable energy. Albanese visited Tamworth yesterday where he heard farmers’ concerns about the planned rollout of thousands of kilometres of high-voltage transmission lines linking solar and wind farms to the grid, which threatens to erupt into a major political stoush.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/clean-energy-push-hits-hurdle-amid-fight-over-farmland-20230811-p5dvty.html
We shouldn’t be so sure we’ll have inflation back to normal any time soon, declares Ross Gittins who points out that the process of globalisation, which did so much to keep inflation low, is now reversing.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/don-t-be-so-sure-we-ll-have-inflation-back-to-normal-any-time-soon-20230810-p5dvmo.html
The Walter Sofronoff inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann case missed real opportunities for ACT reform, opines Jack Waterford in a VERY long and critical dissertation. Read it!
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8304674/sofronoff-missed-the-point-we-deserve-our-money-back/?cs=14329
The head of the inquiry into the Lehrmann prosecution is likely to face the ACT Integrity Commission and may also be charged for giving his report to The Australian before the government, writes Karen Middleton who understands the ACT Integrity Commission received at least one referral of the matter this week.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/media/2023/08/11/charges-considered-over-sofronoff-inquiry-leak
The nation’s peak business group will intensify its campaign against federal workplace laws it says will burden employers with billions of dollars in higher costs, naming a new chief to lead its case while calling for full disclosure of Labor’s plan. David Crowe reports that the Business Council of Australia has chosen former Coalition adviser Bran Black to replace outgoing chief executive Jennifer Westacott, risking tensions with leaders in Canberra and the states by selecting someone without Labor ties.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/business-council-appoints-liberal-staffer-to-top-job-as-ir-showdown-looms-20230811-p5dvtq.html
More than 100,000 people have been affected by a second robodebt-like scheme, which has run for two decades and could cost $1 billion to correct, explains Rick Morton.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/law-crime/2023/08/11/exclusive-dpp-reviews-prosecutions-false-welfare-debts
Ben Roberts-Smith’s key supporters at Seven West Media may resist handing over documents revealing their involvement in the former soldier’s failed defamation case, the Federal Court has heard, as the Nine-owned newspapers at the centre of the lawsuit pursue his backers for legal costs, writes Michaela Whitbourn.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/costs-fight-delayed-in-roberts-smith-case-as-nine-seeks-seven-documents-20230811-p5dvsi.html
NSW teachers strongly supported Chris Minns in the election. Now the withdrawal of a deal for pay rises that could help ease chronic staff shortages in public schools raises the risk of more industrial action, says Jane Caro.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/education/2023/08/11/anger-over-broken-deal-nsw-teachers
Colin Kruger tells us that fear and greed has led to the consulting sector facing a reckoning.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/fear-and-greed-the-consulting-sector-faces-a-reckoning-20230811-p5dvwa.html
Pete Shmigel is beyond frustrated. The former head of the Australian Council of Recycling has been campaigning for the rollout of recycled roads for more than half a decade now, writes Liam Mannix who tells us that this week, RMIT University announced a pilot project working with 10 councils to lay test strips of recycled road. The project will use up more than 21,000 kilograms of recycled plastics, which will get melted into the bitumen.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/the-science-stacks-up-for-recycled-roads-why-aren-t-they-everywhere-20230811-p5dvu5.html
PwC Australia lost track of who prepared dozens of client privilege claims that blocked the Australian Tax Office from gathering evidence for its investigations, a Senate inquiry has heard. Henry Belot tells us that earlier this week, the ATO published a timeline of the PwC scandal that confirmed years of frustration at the firm over allegedly withholding information related to multinational tax avoidance.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/12/pwc-lost-track-of-number-of-client-privilege-claims-allegedly-used-to-stymie-ato-investigations
PwC can’t take a trick! Now a judge finds it broke its own rules when it forced a partner to retire.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/judge-finds-pwc-broke-its-own-rules-when-it-forced-partner-to-retire-20230811-p5dvpw.html
The parliamentary Liberal Party in Victoria has no plans to sanction MP Renee Heath at next week’s party meeting, despite concerns over her appearance at two events attended by conspiracy theorists.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/let-s-not-talk-about-us-liberals-won-t-sanction-renee-heath-over-speaking-events-20230811-p5dvuw.html
The Kimba nuclear waste plan bit the dust. Here’s what went wrong and how to do better next time, suggests Professor Ian Lowe who says \the “decide and defend” model, where a government decides to put radioactive waste somewhere and then attempts to defend it against the community, hasn’t worked anywhere.
https://theconversation.com/the-kimba-nuclear-waste-plan-bites-the-dust-heres-what-went-wrong-and-how-to-do-better-next-time-211344
New laws will allow a notorious gas field project to dump carbon dioxide in Timor-Leste waters – using a process that has not worked anywhere in the world – so it can meet its net-zero requirements, explains Ben Abbatangelo.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2023/08/11/santoss-carbon-capture-fantasy
“It is hard to understand the stupidity of Australia’s political leaders when it comes to the climate catastrophe. It is a given that the likes of Barnaby Joyce and Tony Abbott will ignore the facts as they unfold, but even they must have noticed what’s going on”, writes Mark Buckley.
https://theaimn.com/how-will-they-explain-themselves-to-their-grandchildren/
There are not many occasions when a middle power with a relatively small population, like Australia, can make a significant impact on world affairs. Either on the field of battle or in diplomacy, writes Gerard Henderson, decrying the Labor government’s announcement last week.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/labors-symbolic-shift-on-israel-a-split-from-western-allies/news-story/d7bb7fe56d8c664f3ead17a3543e78d9
Married Indigenous men should be allowed to be ordained as Catholic priests and the centuries-old rule of compulsory celibacy will “very likely” ultimately be axed by the Vatican, one of the Church’s most powerful Australian clerics has declared. Short of numbers?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/end-of-celibacy-nigh-says-brisbane-catholic-archbishop-mark-coleridge/news-story/ed56f884876e88ca258cce269a417cb2?amp
Here’s Amanda Reade’s weekly media round-up.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/2023/aug/11/ben-fordham-uber-sponsorship-deal-abc-bluey-kyle-sandilands-ai-newscorp-four-corners-twitter-x
Julia Baird lets fly at Trump’s pathetic tirade against the US woman who missed a penalty shot.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/rapinoe-missed-a-penalty-trump-s-pile-on-was-foul-20230810-p5dvgr.html
The US attorney general, Merrick Garland, sent shockwaves through American politics overnight when he announced the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, the president’s son, ahead of the 2024 election.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/11/hunter-biden-special-counsel-investigation-merrick-garland
The federal judge presiding over Donald Trump’s 2020 election subversion case yesterday warned inflammatory remarks from the former president would push her to schedule the trial sooner, saying she would take every step to safeguard the integrity of proceedings and to avoid tainting the potential jury pool.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/11/trump-trial-date-sooner-warns-judge-tanya-chutkan
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
Alan Moir
David Rowe
Matt Golding
Jon Kudelka
Simon Letch
John Shakespeare
Andrew Dyson
Jim Pavlidis
Joe Banke
Leak
From the US
Jonathan Pie – (with a scathing review of the Pippi Longstocking)
Cheaper medicines, nurses in aged care and crazy conspiracy theories – it was all on this week.
In case you haven’t caught it, the 5&5 is now also a podcast. You can listen here. This week’s guest is the Member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi.
BEST
The hypocrisy of the Opposition’s power price preferences
Chris Bowen’s energy correction
Putting nurses back in nursing homes
Linda Burney’s perfect response
The PM’s Question Time summary
WORST
The Opposition not comprehending an A4 piece of paper
Nationals 🤝 Liberals 🤝 One Nation
The Opposition just don’t get the severity of Robodebt
The Liberals voting against a promise to never let Robodebt happen again
The Opposition trying to block cheaper medicines
1. On Monday Industry Minister Ed Husic pointed out Peter Dutton and the Coalition’s hypocrisy when it comes to power prices. They opposed our Energy Price Relief Plan.
“He said it was a massive con job. This one was a doozy: he claimed it would lead to blackouts! Blackouts, he claimed! No claim too outrageous or absurd! I guess that if the Teflon count is big enough the embarrassment just whooshes straight off—that’s what it does! The master of disaster! But what did you expect? This is the party of robodebt, who are only interested when people’s lives are miserable.”
2. Meanwhile, at a time when we’re focussed on bringing down energy prices – the Liberals and the Nationals are focussed on the most expensive form of energy: nuclear. Ted O’Brien – the Opposition’s energy spokesperson – this week announced nuclear would be the Coalition’s focus going forward. Chris Bowen had a great response in Question Time on Wednesday.
“I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts on the weekend, Sundays with Stoker. You can’t think of a Sunday without Sunday with Stoker. The honourable Member for Fairfax was on, and he said, ‘If you look at Canada, even today, between 50 and 60 per cent of their grid is nuclear; they pay half the energy prices of Australia.’ And I had to pause and rewind and listen again because I thought—actually, I know—that 50 to 60 per cent of Canada’s power comes from renewable hydro energy. Less than 15 per cent comes from nuclear.”
3. This week Aged Care Minister Anika Wells announced registered nurses are now onsite in aged care homes 98% of the time as part of our 24/7 nursing commitment. Less than a year and a half since the election and we’ve made huge improvements in this space. This is despite the fact that Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley recently raised concerns about ~ and I quote ~ “the actual collapse of the aged-care system as we know it.” Who would have thought, nurses in nursing homes – radical.
4. We heard a lot of misinformation, disinformation and just plain conspiracy theories this week about the Referendum (more on that later). But during a particularly disingenuous question on Monday from Liberal MP Andrew Hastie about World War 2, submarines, nuclear waste and the Voice – Linda Burney had the perfect response.
“Defence is not my portfolio, I’ll point out, and the Minister for Defence might like to take the question. But before he does that, can I say to you that the imagination you have is commendable! The Voice is about two things. It is about listening, and it is about changing practical outcomes for First Nations people.”
5. Wrapping up Question Time on Wednesday – the Prime Minister summed up the pretty weird approach the Opposition had been taking in their line of questioning this week:
“After no questions on the economy or the cost of living from those opposite, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.”
1. So where was the Opposition focussing this week during Question Time? Turns out they wanted to know about the size of one A4 sheet of paper – the Uluru Statement from the Heart, questioning whether or not it was actually a one page document. Here’s how the PM responded.
“What we have here are conspiracy theories colliding with each other. They’re struggling to get their scares straight. I mean, what role did Marcia Langton play in the faking of the moon landing? What was the role of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in that? This is absolutely nonsense. There’s a whole lot of projection going on here—more projection than at a film festival—and it’s coming from those opposite, who do not want to debate the facts and take what is in the Uluru statement, an eloquent request from Indigenous Australians to come together as a nation.”
2. And if you wanted evidence of the unity ticket that’s developing in both chambers – it’s worth knowing that this strange conspiracy theory wasn’t only asked about once. It was asked about in the Reps and the Senate. Have a look at the names of who asked these almost identical questions:
Collin Boyce – Nationals MP
Sussan Ley – Deputy Opposition Leader
Michaelia Cash – Liberal Senator
Pauline Hanson – One Nation Senator
3. I’ve heard Bill Shorten deliver a lot of great speeches over the years. But on Thursday he gave one of the best moments I’ve ever heard from him in the chamber, when talking about Robodebt and how the other side still just don’t get it.
“Robodebt is political, but not in the way that’s insinuated by those opposite. For Labor, for the Albanese government, for me, it is political when you bully the poor, when you pick on the vulnerable, when you demonise them, when you trash their reputations in the paper. That is political. It’s political when you divide this country into those on welfare and those not on welfare. It is political when you seek to divide the country and say that some people are lesser than other people.”
4. On Thursday we passed a motion accepting the findings of the Robodebt Royal Commission, apologising to the victims and committing it would never happen again. Guess what words the Libs specifically tried to take out of the motion? It was the commitment that this would never happen again. After everything that’s happened they’re apparently keeping their options open.
5. Not content with standing in the way of cost of living relief, wage increases and a stronger social safety net – the Liberals and the Nationals this week managed to one up themselves, by introducing a disallowance motion to block our cheaper medicines legislation. This is the one that helps millions of Australians with half price medicines. Once they’d introduced it they then voted six times to try to stop their own motion from coming to a vote. So once the Senate had decided that it was definitely going to be debated they refused to move their own motion. They’ll say “no” to cheaper medicines, “no” to higher wages and apparently they’re sufficiently in the habit now they’ll just say “no” to themselves.
We’ve got our national conference next week and Parliament returns in September.
‘til then,
Tony
PS We got the sad news this week that Rodriguez had passed away. So I knew there had to be a Rodriguez song of the week. The only problem was my office always has a paranoid check of the lyrics of different songs I want to choose for the song of the week. Having gone through the lyrics of a bunch of his songs there’s *nothing* they’re comfortable with. But – I’ve found a way around it. Former PM Kevin Rudd was back in the building this week having his official prime ministerial portrait unveiled. During his speech he referred to the rise of the fact-free debate. And so instead of any of Rodriguez’ songs – this week I’m picking his album ‘Cold Fact’.