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 
“First, a recap. Rubiales is a pig and a moron …”
‘Nough said.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Lisa Visentin writes that Voice architect Noel Pearson said the Yes camp is steering clear of a celebrity-backed campaign in a bid to target “ordinary Australians”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/yes-campaign-gears-up-for-battle-for-suburban-voters-in-voice-campaign-20230824-p5dz8u.html
In quite a colourful contribution, Ian Warden tears shreds off the Liberals’ No launch in WA. He gave Michaelia Cash a hell of a lashing and summed ot all up with, “A host of zealous, revved-up Liberals, baying for some cause dear to its hard, spiteful Liberal heart, is always an appalling and unforgettable spectacle.” Amusingly he suggests a few more inane slogans for them to use.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8319203/here-are-some-new-more-apt-slogans-for-the-no-case/?cs=14258
The recent CPAC conference gave a platform to a number of speakers with ties to neo-Nazis and ‘jobbers’ voicing racist hate speech, writes Tom Tanuki.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/cpac-2023-a-breeding-ground-for-dangerous-ideologies,17840
Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor has signalled he will pursue more measures to rid the vocational education sector of corrupt providers and to lift training standards, after the federal government shut down a loophole used to rort the student visa system that led to an explosion of “ghost colleges”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/further-crackdown-coming-for-vet-sector-to-target-ghost-colleges-20230824-p5dz8q.html
Victoria is facing a massive challenge to deliver its COVID catch-up plan, as documents show the state is yet to hit the 20,000 monthly elective surgeries needed.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/ambitious-surgery-goal-unlikely-as-victoria-considers-reform-20230823-p5dyss.html
The editorial in the SMH is pleaded about a move where those afflicted don’t languish in care homes when they can safely remain in the care of family and within community is to be welcomed. A study by Macquarie University in 2019 found that people living with dementia in aged-care facilities are being unnecessarily sedated with antipsychotic drugs for more than 200 days at a time, twice as long as the maximum time recommended.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/time-to-bring-the-dementia-conversation-out-of-the-shadows-20230825-p5dzg6.html
No rental bond. Pets are welcome. And the landlord is happy for tenants to paint walls, hang artwork or build shelves. Andrew Taylor tells us Mirvac’s LIV Indigo at Sydney Olympic Park sounds too good to be true – especially in Sydney’s torrid property market, where tenants face skyrocketing rental prices, no-fault evictions and often put up with appalling living conditions because landlords refuse to repair problems.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/in-a-sydney-building-tenants-happily-pay-higher-rents-it-s-a-model-that-could-become-more-common-20230801-p5dt0d.html
Wednesday’s National Cabinet meeting set itself a huge task: to fix Australia’s rental crisis. Thankfully, given rents are rising at their fastest rate in decades, the plan it produced just might do the trick, writes Brendan Coates.
https://johnmenadue.com/national-cabinets-new-housing-plan-could-fix-our-rental-crisis-and-save-renters-billions/
Independent Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe has identified herself as the federal MP who was threatened with violence in an online video, after the Australian Federal Police said they had charged a Melbourne man for his alleged role in creating and sharing the video.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/man-charged-senator-lidia-thorpe-identifies-herself-as-target-of-violent-threats-on-video-20230826-p5dzmm.html
Principals at Sydney’s Anglican schools will no longer be forced to sign a document affirming they believe marriage should only be between a man and a woman under a new proposal by the church that is set to abolish the controversial requirement. In a draft policy statement, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney says incoming school heads must instead show they are of Christian faith and character, be actively involved in a Bible-based church and sign “a personal commitment to organisational faithfulness”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/schools-force-anglican-backdown-on-statement-opposing-same-sex-marriage-20230821-p5dy4t.html
Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner mercenaries to swear an oath of allegiance to him two days after their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was likely killed in a plane crash, which was widely blamed on the Kremlin.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/prigozhin-gone-putin-orders-oath-of-allegiance-from-mercenaries-20230826-p5dzm1.html
“Trump is turning his mugshot into a badge of honour – but will voters see it that way?”, asks Arwa Mahdawi.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/26/trump-mugshot-marketing-campaign
“Arsehole of the Week” nomination goes to the driver of a Subaru WRX that crashed into a tree in southern Sydney on Friday night, leaving two boys dead and a third child with minor injuries. Police have charged him.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-children-dead-in-sydney-car-crash-20230826-p5dzlm.html
Cartoon Corner
Matt Golding
Glen Le Lievre’s gif
From the US
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Re the rental ‘action’
😆 I have always loved this little trick. The Rodent and Hammock Dweller liked using it. Whatever the actual situation after the 5 years claims will be made that the rents , even if much higher, are 4% lower than they otherwise would have been.
But seriously though, 4% over 5 years. Given how dismal the Dismal Scientists are that 4% would be lucky to make it as a margin of error or even a rounding error.
The reality is neither Labor or the Libs want to fix the housing situation. Now that housing has been morphed from being about one of the 3 basic needs into being about ‘wealth generation’ it would be politically ‘very brave’ to reverse that mistake.
A reminder from Maslow
No government, state or federal, wants to build more public housing no matter which party is in government. Home ownership is only for those who can afford it, despite the rapidly falling numbers of those who can.
The way I see it no one wants to have neighbours who are poor or or in some other way disadvantaged because of the hypothetical problems they might bring. Despite the bleeding obvious you get far more say crime especially drug use in the “better” neighbourhoods.
There is also the fact that tenants must be subsided for ever, that has to be a drain on carefully concocted (usually false) budgets.
Luis is dead meat
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/26/fifa-suspends-luis-rubiales-from-all-football-related-activity-over-hermoso-kiss
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Sean Kelly writes that anyone following policy debates over recent decades has become accustomed to two themes: every policy is justified in economic terms, and every economic debate becomes tied to IR and tax. Our sense both of what matters in society, and how governments can influence that, has narrowed. Ken Henry has put this view after seeing the Intergenerational Report.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/a-rising-tide-would-float-his-boat-but-chalmers-has-storms-to-navigate-20230827-p5dzq9.html
Ross Gittins advises un on how to make sense of Treasury’s latest intergenerational report which he describes as a “pencil sketch of the next four decades that we get when we assume present economic and demographic trends keep rolling on for 40 years, and that present government policies are never changed.”
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/how-to-make-sense-of-treasury-s-latest-intergenerational-report-20230827-p5dzr9.html
Strong political leaders are electoral gold – but the trick is in them knowing when to stand down, writes Mark Kenny.
https://theconversation.com/strong-political-leaders-are-electoral-gold-but-the-trick-is-in-them-knowing-when-to-stand-down-212119
Allan Patience writes about the political cynicism of Peter Dutton and the death of conservatism in Australia. He says, “The unplumbed depths of Peter Dutton cynical politics should be a matter of deep concern to genuine political conservatives across Australia. Whoever those people are (at present they appear to be in hiding), it’s time they distanced themselves from what the Liberal Party is becoming under Dutton’s leadership.”
https://johnmenadue.com/the-political-cynicism-of-peter-dutton-and-the-death-of-conservatism-in-australia-pic/
Hundreds of free appointments with naturopaths have been booked through Woolworths subsidiary HealthyLife, as peak health bodies warn people are forgoing more expensive, evidence-based care due to the cost-of-living crisis. Surely, this has dangers.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/28/woolworths-free-naturopath-consultations-raises-concerns-among-peak-health-bodies
Employers may be required to train staff in the technology that might displace them, as part of changes the Albanese government is considering to keep workers in jobs threatened by artificial intelligence. The AFR tells s that protecting workers from the effects of artificial intelligence is a key plank of Labor’s plan to regulate the looming technological revolution, and the ACTU is pushing for a body to monitor automation.
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/labor-works-on-maximising-secure-jobs-in-face-of-ai-disruption-20230825-p5dzio
In an interesting contribution, Nick Bryant tells us why the Voice should have a dream as big as Martin Luther King’s.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/what-the-voice-vote-has-in-common-with-martin-luther-king-s-famous-speech-20230824-p5dz5q.html
Yes23 must win over at least 38 per cent of the nation’s 4.6 million undecided voters to claim victory in the October referendum, according to confidential research targeting young people, women, multicultural communities and soft voters in four battleground states.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-yes23-campaign-must-target-17m-soft-voters/news-story/a40a8e15c8724b142d9b35a8f2367821?amp
The Liberal MP Bridget Archer has warned it is “irresponsible to cast doubt on the integrity” of the Australian Electoral Commission, after senior members of the Coalition and some no campaign groups raised concerns over whether crosses count as valid votes in the voice referendum.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/27/bridget-archer-says-it-is-irresponsible-to-cast-doubt-on-integrity-of-voice-referendum-after-questions-over-crosses
The AIMN says “If you don’t know, vote no” is not only a reflection of the attitude of those that believe they are born to rule, it also assumes that people who have genuine questions or concerns don’t have the intelligence to do some research and determine a point of view for themselves.
https://theaimn.com/if-you-dont-understand-do-the-research/
Shane Wright reports that a plan aimed at saving the nation’s businesses time and money has been abandoned by the federal government after an independent review found it would cost almost $3 billion to complete and not be operational until the end of the decade.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/it-was-designed-to-save-money-but-this-scheme-blew-out-by-2-billion-20230827-p5dzp4.html
Australia’s original Big 4 ‘whistleblower’ George Rozvany called for the bust up of PwC, EY, KPMG and Deloitte eight years ago. These “unregulated private partnerships” have cost Australia dearly. He writes this for Michael West Media.
https://michaelwest.com.au/george-rozvany-living-in-the-shadows-of-the-big-4-and-the-art-of-sudden-reappearance/
The nation’s $145bn food and grocery manufacturing sectors have raised the issue of unauthorised deductions from their invoices by all major supermarket chains, including Coles and Aldi, and are pushing the independent reviewer, appointed by the federal government, to take up the problem directly with CEOs and rectify the problem.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-to-investigate-unauthorised-deductions-from-supplier-payments/news-story/cbd0a2ef830059b44c029e54fd250e3b?amp
Ultra-processed food significantly raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes, according to two studies that one expert says should serve as a wake-up call for governments worldwide. Global consumption of heavily processed items such as cereals, protein bars, fizzy drinks, ready meals and fast food has soared in recent years. In the UK and US, well over half the average diet now consists of ultra-processed food (UPF). For some, especially people who are younger, poorer or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPF is typical.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/27/ultra-processed-food-raises-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke-two-studies-show
Trained pharmacists would be able to prescribe pain pills, asthma preventers and medicines for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes under the profession’s push to expand the role that pharmacies play in the strained primary care system, reports Natassia Chrysanthos.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/pharmacies-propose-prescribing-for-conditions-like-dental-pain-and-asthma-20230827-p5dzpd.html
Does private health insurance cut public hospital waiting lists? These academics found it barely makes a dent.
https://theconversation.com/does-private-health-insurance-cut-public-hospital-waiting-lists-we-found-it-barely-makes-a-dent-211680
A bitter industrial dispute between Sydney Water executives and staff has intensified after the union urged Water Minister Rose Jackson to sack managing director Roch Cheroux, saying the Coalition had appointed the American to use “hyper-aggressive, American-style union-busting tactics” to push the corporation into private ownership.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/water-fight-gets-dirty-as-boss-lumps-union-sites-with-gambling-porn-20230827-p5dzpi.html
George Brandis writes that the four court appointments so far made under Mark Dreyfus – Gageler, Debbie Mortimer as Chief Justice of the Federal Court, and Jayne Jagot and Beech-Jones to the High Court – have been well received. All satisfied the double test: that the nominee should be respected professionally and should be untainted by controversy. Brandis says, “The American jurist Alexander Bickel once described the US Supreme Court as “nine scorpions in a bottle”. There have been times when the High Court has been a little like that. But not on Kiefel’s watch. She may have been a role model for women in the law, but as an exemplar of judicial leadership, Susan Kiefel is a model for Chief Justice Gageler as well.”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/it-s-one-of-the-key-government-decisions-but-you-may-have-missed-it-20230825-p5dzeh.html
Supermarkets have announced major investments into surveillance following a surge in shoplifting, but privacy advocates are concerned about what is being done to protect large amounts of biometric data from being collected, explains Amber Schultz.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/up-to-70-cameras-watch-you-buy-groceries-what-happens-to-that-footage-20230819-p5dxtp.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Peter Broelman
Badiucao
Matt Golding
Jim Pavlidis
Joe Benke
Leak
From the US
Mehdi Hasan –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnJLb2nfOE0
Jen Psaki –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYg_WRQuy2I
Brian Tyler Cohen –
F.M –
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/28/i-only-read-about-climate-change-now-because-i-have-to
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
The cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is growing at an unsustainable rate and unless it has an overhaul, political support for the scheme is at risk, a global expert on disability support systems has warned. Jewel Topsfield writes that Dr Simon Duffy said it was concerning that the NDIS seemed to keep growing as a share of GDP, with the scheme’s latest annual financial sustainability report projecting expenses to increase from 1.48 per cent of GDP in 2022-23 to 2.55 per cent in 2031-32.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/growing-sense-of-crisis-overhaul-needed-for-ndis-or-support-will-wane-review-says-20230828-p5dzwa.html
We moan about them, complain they don’t work hard enough. But Australia has a shortage of federal MPs. For democracy’s sake, we need more, argues Shane Wright.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/if-there-s-one-thing-australia-needs-it-s-more-federal-mps-no-really-20230818-p5dxhx.html
Data from 1991 until today shows how apartment buildings of between one and three storeys have fallen from 15-20 per cent of all dwellings approved in NSW to less than 3 per cent in recent years, sinking below 1 per cent in some months.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-charts-that-show-sydney-s-so-called-missing-middle-is-real-20230821-p5dy72.html
Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney has confronted a whispering campaign about her health by revealing she had a so-called “mini-stroke”, followed by surgery for a hole in her heart. Jacqui Maley reports that the medical issues left her with an alteration in her voice, she said, although she was unclear about the medical reason for the vocal change, and misremembered key details of the event, including the date.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/linda-burney-reveals-medical-diagnosis-ahead-of-voice-launch-20230828-p5e00f.html
A successful No vote against the Indigenous voice to parliament would be a victory for democracy, says Greg Sheridan.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/successful-no-vote-against-the-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-would-be-a-victory-for-democracy/news-story/905e21e1e0594a5fad0e674f7d61d59f?amp
Though the campaign for a referendum recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Nations people of this continent formally begins only tomorrow, the debate has already revealed much about the state of politics in the nation, writes Paul Bongiorno.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2023/08/29/voice-challenges-albanese-government/
Today Andrew Leigh will use a National Press Club speech to help launch the Australian Centre for Evaluation, a body funded in the May 2023 budget with an initial $10m over four years to design better policies.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/29/labor-australian-centre-for-evaluation
In response to increasing student visa fraud, the Government is rolling out measures to stamp it out, writes Dr Abul Rizvi.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/government-seeking-to-address-student-visa-rorting,17847
According to the SMH, The Labor-appointed NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray and his wife both made personal donations to the woman who would become transport minister, Jo Haylen, less than a year before she hand-picked him for the role despite warnings his lack of experience meant his appointment represented a “significant risk”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-transport-secretary-donated-to-haylen-before-she-hand-picked-him-for-role-20230828-p5dzzp.html
And its editorial says the appointment has shades of an earlier scandal.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/minns-government-appointment-has-shades-of-an-earlier-scandal-20230828-p5dzy6.html
Defence has defied warnings it is paying too much for its vast contractor workforce under a system that has handed $4.6bn in contracts to an exclusive club of companies to support the acquisition and sustainment of ADF equipment. Ben Packham writes that the department’s major service provider panel – creates in 2018 and branded by smaller players as a “cartel” – awards lucrative work to four contracting “teams” without requiring them to compete for contracts.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/defences-cosy-khaki-club-armed-with-46bn-in-deals/news-story/1abf4b9acd23cdd9970f959151b0f99c?amp
Mike Foley tells us that pollution from transport and agriculture is on the rise, putting those sectors in the sights for reduction targets and potentially controversial policies.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-s-emissions-reduction-burden-shifting-to-political-hot-potatoes-20230828-p5dzw1.html
Clean transport campaigner Ben Lever gives us 10,000 reasons why electric vehicles won’t ‘end the weekend’. He took an electric ute on a long trip through the regions.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/electric-vehicles-won-t-end-the-weekend-my-10-000km-road-trip-shows-why-20230823-p5dyvn.html
The NSW Liberal Party is being harangued by the state’s corruption watchdog to produce documents for an ongoing investigation. It’s the case that revolves around The Hills Shire Council and claims (ventilated in parliament) that party officials were funnelling cash to install friendly representatives. The purpose of this alleged grift was to help out Sydney developer and outrageous galoot Jean Nassif, who’s wanted by police and is hiding out somewhere in rural Lebanon (and still harping on like a putz). What’s even more amusing is how the NSW Liberal Party appears to have tried to smear out its dealings with the Independent Commission Against Corruption and perhaps been less than helpful with its provision of records. Hence the ICAC’s need to serve multiple notices on the party compelling it to produce documents.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/margin-call/nsw-liberal-party-plays-down-icac-probe-energy-one-takeover-trauma/news-story/3360a5b111886e208a7c9b2d07441c6f?amp
Qantas boss Alan Joyce has again defended the government’s choice to reject an application by Qatar Airways for more flights to Australia, hours after assistant treasurer Stephen Jones said it was in the national interest to protect Qantas from foreign carriers. Amelia Maguire describes how Joyce received a fierce two-hour grilling from the Senate select committee in Melbourne on the cost of living crisis, just days after the airline group – which controls 60 per cent of the domestic market through carriers Qantas and Jetstar – revealed a record $2.47 billion profit.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-boss-grilled-on-airfares-cost-of-living-by-senate-inquiry-20230828-p5e026.html
The AFR’s Chanticleer says that the pummelling Alan Joyce received at the hands of a Senate committee shows how political heat over cost-of-living pressures is rising, and Joyce’s grilling is a warning for other CEOs.
https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/joyce-grilling-is-a-warning-for-ceos-20230828-p5e01l
The Australian Government’s public analysis of climate risk, our greatest threat, is dangerously misleading. The Intergenerational Report 2023 is a prime example. By dumbing down the implications of climate change with simplified economic models, the IGR and similar reports are institutionalising the global failure to face climate reality, argue David Spratt and Ian Dunlop.
https://johnmenadue.com/fatal-mistake-intergenerational-report-misleads-on-climate-risks/
The ACT’s acting top prosecutor has responded to criticism of his office’s approach to sexual assault cases, saying it is “wrong as a matter of logic and common sense” to suggest everyone who is acquitted should never have stood trial. Anthony Williamson SC has sought to explain the office’s decision-making processes, which have been described as “opaque”, in the wake of what he called “considerable media commentary”.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8325888/wrong-as-a-matter-of-logic-acting-dpp-addresses-criticism-of-sex-offence-cases/?cs=14329
Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case about sexual assault victims’ typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins’ level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House. Michaela Whitbourn reports that the Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/ten-wants-to-use-expert-evidence-on-brittany-higgins-level-of-intoxication-20230828-p5dzwo.html
Federal police received 28 allegations of misconduct by parliamentarians, their staff or “official establishments” in the year after Brittany Higgins’ allegations first became public knowledge. But the Australian federal police has declined to outline any further details, including which state or territory police force it passed the reports to for further investigation. In response to a Senate question on notice, published on Monday, the AFP said it had received 28 allegations that involved parliamentarians, their staff or “official establishments” between February 2021 and February 2022.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/29/afp-received-28-misconduct-allegations-involving-mps-staff-or-official-establishments-in-12-months
A West Australian MP has been found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl and has automatically been disqualified from parliament. A jury of six women and six men found James Hayward, 53, guilty of two counts of indecent dealing charges. He was acquitted of two other charges including the allegation he showed the child how to search for pornography online. Hayward did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody until his sentencing hearing in October.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/former-wa-nationals-mp-james-hayward-guilty-of-child-sex-abuse/news-story/b4bce053efed827a24863833ea0dee42?amp
As a woman in a man’s field, Roz Kelly suffered sleazebags like Rubiales. They are all on notice, she declares.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/as-a-woman-in-a-man-s-field-i-ve-suffered-sleazebags-like-rubiales-they-are-all-on-notice-20230827-p5dzso.html
The Australian Public Service Commission released the second capability review of the Department of Health and Aged Care on 18 August. While the review is not as scathing as the first review in 2014, it still sets out a challenging internal reform agenda for new Secretary Blair Comley, explains Charles Maskell-Knight.
https://johnmenadue.com/dhac-review-recommends-improved-strategic-policy-capability-data-driven-metrics/
How did the National Archives of Australia, whose core function is to ‘collect, preserve, manage and make public Australia’s most significant historical records, become instead an obstacle to public access and a barrier to knowledge of our own history? Minister for the Arts Tony Burke must act to reverse the Morrison government’s attack on the spirit of the Archives Act, urges Jenny Hocking.
https://johnmenadue.com/archives-access-and-history-can-the-national-archives-democratic-function-survive/
Brad Emery proposes a set of rules for elevator etiquette. He might be on the money here.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/you-ve-forgotten-how-to-use-an-elevator-lift-your-game-20230823-p5dytj.html
Ukrainian forces pierced the first line of Russian fortifications in the nation’s southeast and are fighting to widen the breach, the nation’s defence chief said, in a bid for a potential breakthrough. Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Ukrainian soldiers, on foot and mostly at night, had made slow progress in clearing heavily mined areas to create approach corridors for a larger force that has now fought through the first main line of Russian trenches, bunkers and tanks traps.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/expanding-our-foothold-ukraine-says-it-has-pierced-russian-line-of-defence-20230829-p5e058.html
A concerted and co-ordinated effort to undermine and sabotage an election is one of the gravest crimes anybody can commit in a democracy. If Trump had succeeded, the US would have slid towards an autocracy. There can be no gainsaying this. It is absurd to blame Democrats for Trump’s indictments given that those most damning of Trump are his former Republican staff and officials, writes Troy Bramston who concludes by saying, “if Trump wins, he will, as flagged, move to terminate democracy. The US, and the world, will pay a heavy price if Trump regains the presidency.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/us-world-should-fear-new-donald-trump-presidency/news-story/7fff226ac4faec40223166f291977bca?amp
Whether or not he is convicted, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president, writes Lloyd Green.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/28/trump-republican-presidential-nominee-conviction
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
David Rowe
Cathy Wilcox
Matt Golding
Mark David
Dionne Gain
John Shakespeare
Alan Moir
Andrew Dyson
Leak
From the US
“The cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is growing at an unsustainable rate and unless it has an overhaul, political support for the scheme is at risk, a global expert on disability support systems has warned.”
Why do planners of anything to do with disability ALWAYS underestimate the desperate need for programs like the NDIS?
This reminds of when the NSW government introduced the program known as “post-school options” in the late 1990s. The program was aimed at school leavers with serious disabilities and the NSW government grossly underestimated the demand. By 2004 it was costing the NSW government far more than they had budgeted for due to their own stupidity and lack of planning. It became obvious that “something” had to be done but no one knew what, so the government decided on the worst possible option – massive funding cuts combined with corporatisation, which saw many local community-run services sold or taken over by the “big boys” who were only hungry for profits and did not care about successful outcomes for their clients.
Samuel Wurzelbacher, who became ‘Joe the Plumber’ after confronting Obama, dies at 49
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/28/1196452357/samuel-wurzelbacher-joe-the-plumber-dies-at-49
‘Joe the Plumber’, who challenged Obama on taxes in 2008, dies aged 49
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/28/joe-plumber-dead-obama-campaign
Samuel Wurzelbacher? Wasn’t he in this band?
The Hackers and the Appleby’s of Canberra would be very pleased. Mission accomplished ?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/29/australias-federal-whistleblowing-laws-have-not-protected-anyone-since-inception-analysis-shows
friendlyjordies –
Rachel Maddow –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLd-_0UYK08
Lawrence O’Donnell –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvD7F3ZLShM
Jen Psaki –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2jo8d-EnrE
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
David Crowe writes about Albanese and Dutton’s ruthless contest over Australia’s future, with the Voice referendum being a key part of it.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/two-men-two-paths-albanese-and-dutton-s-ruthless-contest-over-australia-s-future-20230829-p5e05z.html
A prominent architect of the Indigenous Voice to parliament proposal has rebuked conservative political leaders and No campaign advocates for peddling “myths and misinformation” about the looming referendum. Senior Australian of the Year and Voice co-architect Tom Calma said misinformation and disinformation had infected much of the public debate surrounding the Indigenous Voice and often came from people who were ill-informed or had malicious intent.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/ignorance-malice-and-misinformation-senior-australian-of-the-year-takes-aim-at-no-campaign-20230829-p5e0dx.html
James Massola and Mike Foley report that the cost of the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project has doubled within the last six months to be close to $12 billion, according to a new cost estimate, forcing the Albanese government to make a critical and costly decision about the project’s future. What an unholy mess!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/snowy-2-0-mega-project-costs-double-to-12b-in-six-months-20230828-p5e046.html
The City of Sydney and City of Melbourne have been relying heavily on cheap Chinese and Turkish carbon offsets to get to net zero. Does it make sense to pay foreign governments for projects which they would operate regardless? Callum Foote investigates.
https://michaelwest.com.au/the-price-of-green-city-of-sydney-pays-chinese-turks-to-get-net-zero/
In an excoriating contribution, Ross Gittins says, “Not only in America. If you think the United States has become dysfunctional and incapable of solving its pressing problems, I have three words to say to you: Murray-Darling Basin. Last week, federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a brave new plan to rescue the Murray-Darling rescue plan, which the feds, NSW and Victoria had agreed to give up as all too hard.”
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/think-only-the-us-is-a-basket-case-i-have-three-words-for-you-murray-darling-basin-20230829-p5e0ab.html
Lucy Hamilton makes the call – “We can’t ignore politicians’ Christianity any longer”.
https://theaimn.com/we-cant-ignore-politicians-christianity-any-longer/
The Australian government is refusing to release its secret report on how the climate crisis will fuel national security threats and is also refusing to say when it was completed. Daniel Hurst reports that the government insists the date, too, is classified. The approach has sparked claims of a “cult of secrecy in Canberra”. Anthony Albanese ordered the Office of National Intelligence last year to investigate national security threats posed by global heating, in line with an election promise.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/30/office-of-national-intelligence-climate-crisis-security-threats-report-anthony-albanese-labor-government-refuses-to-release
Yesterday at a Senate inquiry, a former FOI boss dropped some truth bombs about his old agency.
https://www.smh.com.au/cbd/former-foi-boss-drops-some-truth-bombs-about-his-old-agency-20230829-p5e0fo.html
Meanwhile, documents show Richard Marles was involved in a decision to prohibit the release of information on where government VIP planes flew and who was on board. Paul Sakkal tells us that the Greens will seek to unite with the Coalition in the Senate to extract key details about Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles’ $3.6 million of private flights since April last year.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/deputy-pm-s-3-6m-in-vip-flights-on-greens-radar-20230829-p5e09i.html
The sudden removal of children’s human rights proves – yet again – why Queensland needs an upper house, argues Scott Prasser.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/29/the-sudden-removal-of-childrens-human-rights-proves-yet-again-why-queensland-needs-an-upper-house
Treasurer Jim Chalmers could ditch the stage three tax cuts as wage rises force lower and middle-income earners to pay more of their income in tax, opines Karen Maley.
https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/high-inflation-gives-chalmers-cover-to-ditch-the-stage-three-tax-cuts-20230829-p5e0c4
Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has launched legal action to overturn damning findings about his conduct made by the board of inquiry into the high-profile Bruce Lehrmann trial, and to stop the territory government from taking any action against him based on the report.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/lehrmann-prosecutor-files-legal-action-against-sofronoff-board-of-inquiry-20230829-p5e0al.html
Christopher Knaus has a look at what could happen next.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/29/shane-drumgold-is-taking-legal-action-over-the-sofronoff-inquiry-what-could-happen-next
Alan Fels argues that by protecting Qantas, the government is backing corporations over consumers. He says all Australians should be concerned about the government’s decision.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/blatantly-anticompetitive-by-protecting-qantas-the-government-backs-corporations-over-consumers-20230829-p5e0cs.html
Virgin’s political fight back against Qantas is gaining traction with a community irritated by high fares, poor service and record profits, writes Jennifer Hewett.
https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/qantas-enviable-dominance-now-comes-with-a-big-cost-20230829-p5e0bt
The SMH editorial says that it’s time for Charlie Teo’s media supporters to back away from their controversial mate.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/time-for-teo-s-media-supporters-to-back-away-from-their-controversial-mate-20230829-p5e0ar.html
Stan Grant has accused The Australian newspaper of acting like “a racist hit squad” with a history of targeting Indigenous public figures, after the Murdoch masthead claimed the former ABC host was the subject of a bullying complaint.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/29/nfbntw-stan-grant-accuses-the-australian-newspaper-of-acting-like-a-racist-hit-squad
Karen Barlow reports that Services Australia has revealed it is still in the process of contacting 12,000 former Centrelink customers over potentially incorrect child support assessments found through a single parent’s complaint in 2018 to the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8326915/the-big-lessons-services-australia-learned-over-fronting-up-to-child-support-errors/?cs=14350
More than two-thirds of safety and quality inspections at aged care homes have been outsourced to consultancy firms, despite warnings this presented a “significant risk” and that some contractors underestimated the standards of work required. Henry Belot reports that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission audits residential facilities to ensure they are meeting mandated standards. Since 2021, four firms have been paid more than $40m for this work, which includes conducting interviews and searches.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/30/aged-care-safety-inspections-outsourced-to-third-party-consultants
A new Aged Care Act cannot fix a broken system, argues John Ward.
https://johnmenadue.com/a-new-aged-care-act-cannot-fix-a-broken-system/
Organised crime gangs are extorting and torching suburban shops as they wrestle for control of illegal tobacco sales, says The Age which takes us inside the gangland war over the tobacco trade netting millions.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-or-burn-inside-the-gangland-war-over-the-tobacco-trade-netting-millions-20230821-p5dy38.html
Victoria’s emergency triple-zero hotline will be revamped after staff and funding shortages led to a series of tragic and deadly failures. After a series of reports from The Age about the number of people who were dying waiting for an ambulance, Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said the new body would represent a “new era”.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-seeks-to-tackle-triple-zero-delays-with-agency-overhaul-20230829-p5e0gu.html
Working from home has created a fundamental shift in Melburnians’ relationship with their shopping strips. We are spending more money closer to home and more time at our local villages than ever, explains Stephen Miles.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/how-the-shopping-habits-of-melburnians-has-changed-20230829-p5e0dd.html
Australia has long had far less competition in consumer markets than the US. The Conversation tells us that new research from the e61 Institute finds that in all but one of 17 broad industry divisions identified by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian industries are on average more concentrated than their counterparts in the United States.
https://theconversation.com/flying-under-the-radar-australias-silent-and-growing-competition-crisis-212116
When China’s authorities resort to a measure last used in 2008, in the midst of the global financial crisis, you know that anxiety is increasing in Beijing, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz, He tells us that last weekend the authorities halved the stamp duty on share trades, lowered margin deposit requirements for leveraged trades, imposed restrictions on share sales by major shareholders, said they would slow the volume of initial public offerings and instructed some large mutual funds to avoid net selling of equities.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/fear-is-in-the-air-as-china-s-problems-worsen-20230829-p5e06q.html
The Biden administration has selected 10 drugs for the first round of price negotiations between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies in an effort to lower costs for seniors, it announced on Tuesday. The list of prescription drugs includes blood thinners and treatments for diabetes, as well as drugs used to treat kidney disease, heart failure and arthritis. Millions of older Americans depend on these drugs – many taken daily – each year, and the negotiations are intended to reduce the financial burden for Medicare beneficiaries. Good luck with that, Joe!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/29/medicare-drug-prices-biden-big-pharma
Donald Trump has “the moral compass of an axe murderer”, a Republican opponent in Georgia said, discussing the former president’s legal predicament in the southern US state and elsewhere but also his continuing dominance of the presidential primary.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/29/trump-moral-compass-georgia-republican-geoff-duncan
Ron DeSantis’s Florida is a dangerous and hostile place for Black Americans, writes T Anansi Wilson who says that, throughout his tenure as governor, DeSantis has taken every chance to criminalize, stigmatize and sideline Black Floridians.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/29/ron-desantis-florida-dangerous-black-americans
Cartoon Corner
David Pope – brilliant!
David Rowe
Matt Golding
Alan Moir
Matt Davidson
John Shakespeare
Simon Letch
Andrew Dyson
Cathy Wilcox
Glen Le Lievre
Spooner
From the US
Snowy 2.0 doing a fine impersonation of a Defence contract. 😦 No surprise though as this legacy from Truffles’ pet project was pegged as a white elephant from the beginning
Posted Tue 23 May 2017
Snowy 2.0 plan approved by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in less than two weeks; cost could skyrocket
By political reporter Tom Lowrey
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-23/snowy-hydro-2.0-decision-made-by-turnbull-in-less-than-two-weeks/8551134
Chris Hayes –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wkBPBHo9tk
Lawrence O’Donnell –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0iiXnchIDQ
Brian Tyler Cohen –
From The Shovel –
PM Wears Costume of His Traditional Owners During Special WA Ceremony
In a gesture of respect to the traditional owners of Governments past, present and emerging, Anthony Albanese wore a Rio Tinto high-vis vest and hard hat at a special mining ceremony in Western Australia at the weekend.
Ignore the first five seconds
F.M https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/30/huge-wasps-everywhere-all-the-time
Where was that FDothM cartoon when I REALLY needed it !? Lordy I wish I had of known about the red light back in the day. As wee Kiwi on the farm the SOP plan of attack was as per FDotM re the petrol but it was a daylight attack and so required approaching the nest veeeeery carefully. Not always successfully. . Letting the petrol evaporate for a wee while was the go, it could make for a very satisfying ‘WHOOMP” as the fumes ignited in the nest chamber. I wasn’t allergic to them but they were bloody nasty when disturbed.
I had something of an embarrassing moment today. The locksmith came around to fix the locks on my car after someone tried to break into it (and failed, thankfully) and when the time came to pay the fee, I seem to have completely drawn a blank on my own pin number.
Thankfully these days such a thing is a quick fix over the phone, I was able to reset the pin without much trouble and got the transaction done in the end.
I’ll say though, those touchscreen eftpos machines can be very difficult to use if your hands are a bit shaky, as mine were when I started to panic and realize that I might screw up my card like I did when it happened last back in 2008 where I entered the wrong number 3 times and that made my whole card invalid, so I had to wait for a replacement one to be sent in the mail the next week before I could use card transactions again.
Those machines aren’t exactly user-friendly. On purpose, I guess.
The pawns practicing their dying for the hegemon.
—————————————————————————————————————–
Philippines, Australia Plan to Conduct Joint Patrols in South China Sea
The disputed waters have become a potential flashpoint for a war between the US and China
The Philippines and Australia plan to conduct joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea, disputed waters that are increasingly becoming a potential flashpoint for a conflict between the US and China.
Brawner’s comments came as the Philippines and Australia are conducting their first-ever joint amphibious military exercise, which included simulating retaking an island in the South China Sea.
I wonder what null hypothesis he started with
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/30/icac-cleared-gladys-berejiklian-investigation-length
Teh Friendly………….
.
Social media is a cult
Jordan Shanks
Since I gather Australian politics is going to be pretty concentrated about the Voice Referendum now that its voting day has been announced as 14th October, in the next week there should be a new post about it.
I’d like to ask if any of the other people here able to make new blog posts would like to handle that, since I’ve done the last 3 of them. If so, that’s great. If not, then I’d also be happy to make another post regarding that.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Alexandra Smith reports that Chris Minns has vowed to push ahead with the construction of gigantic overhead power cables across the state, warning a delayed rollout of transmission lines could undermine the renewable energy transition and threaten supply and prices. In an unusually blunt intervention into the fraught debate over how to connect regional wind and solar projects to the east coast grid, Minns said burying the cables below ground as some landholders have demanded could triple the cost and delay the government’s urgent effort to plug a looming hole in the state’s power supply caused by the retirement of coal-fired power stations.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/power-play-minns-warns-giant-overhead-cables-only-way-to-deliver-renewable-energy-future-20230830-p5e0ng.html
A continuation of delays and disruptions to new energy projects will impose perilous risks of power outages as soon as the coming summer, amid escalating closures of ageing coal-fired power plants and unexpected blowouts to the deadline and cost of the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro scheme, explains Mike Foley.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/grid-on-knife-edge-as-project-delays-risk-blackouts-electricity-market-operator-warns-20230830-p5e0iz.html
Australia’s rapid electric vehicle take-up, which is accelerating despite the absence of a politically sensitive federal fuel emissions standard, has become one of the biggest drivers of a forecast surge in household demand for energy, explains Jacob Greber.
https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/the-boom-in-evs-could-add-20pc-to-household-energy-demand-by-2033-20230830-p5e0nx
Australia’s greenhouse emissions are a national disgrace that are destroying the planet and costing households, declares Greg Jericho who says the quarterly emissions data reinforces how much of a joke our 2030 emissions target is.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2023/aug/30/australia-quarterly-greenhouse-emissions-data-survey
According to David Crowe, millions of consumers will be asked to accept tough new rules to protect food delivery drivers and other “gig economy” workers despite industry claims the changes will push up prices. The national workplace regulator will gain full power to lift wages and set conditions for the workers in sectors ranging from food to healthcare and disability services. Today at the NPC, Employment Minister Tony Burke will argue that workers “shouldn’t have to rely on tips” when existing laws treat rideshare and food delivery workers as contractors with few rights.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/showdown-over-gig-economy-as-labor-introduces-tough-new-wage-laws-20230830-p5e0og.html
The Albanese government will bar gig workers from overtime rates and roster conditions as part of concessions in its gig economy regulation, which aims to set minimum pay and allow challenges to unfair terminations.
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/burke-to-exclude-overtime-rosters-from-gig-economy-laws-20230830-p5e0lv
Paul Sakkal and James Massola write that the Yes campaign is hurrying to tap donors to plug a funding shortfall that reduces its ability to buy crucial advertising space during the Voice campaign. Peter Dutton is claiming that the Voice movement has an unprecedented $100 million to blitz Australia with promotions, echoing many commentators who have suggested the Yes side could reverse its opinion polling deficit via heavy spending.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/yes-camp-says-no-they-don-t-have-100m-in-war-chest-for-voice-campaign-20230828-p5dzwf.html
Tony Wright has written a nice piece about the launch of the Yes campaign in Adelaide yesterday.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-adopts-a-sober-approach-to-winning-hearts-and-minds-20230830-p5e0ik.html
Here we have No and Yes arguments from Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-constitution-is-too-important-to-change-because-of-the-vibe-20230829-p5e0cn.html
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-my-government-didn-t-back-the-voice-but-i-m-now-voting-yes-20230829-p5e0a0.html
The SMH editorial argues why a Yes victory would be the better outcome for Australia.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-a-yes-victory-would-be-the-better-outcome-for-australia-20230829-p5e0gl.html
PM wants to lift the Voice above politics but Dutton won’t let him, writes Phil Coorey.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-wants-to-lift-the-voice-above-politics-but-dutton-won-t-let-him-20230830-p5e0ix
“Australians go into the referendum divided – can the country emerge united?”, wonders Michelle Grattan.
https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-australians-go-into-the-referendum-divided-can-the-country-emerge-united-212448
The growing number of First Nations suicides is an indication of a country that has turned its back on the unfortunate and those in need, writes Gerry Georgatos.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/australias-shame-first-nations-suicides-a-growing-problem,17855
A group of rebel Victorian Liberal MPs is pushing to stop the party funding the legal defence of Opposition Leader John Pesutto and his leadership team after a new defamation threat. The Age says the party’s administrative committee is expected to discuss tonight whether to fund legal costs after a threat by British anti-trans rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull arising from a March rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/angry-liberals-to-thrash-out-leadership-team-s-defamation-demand-20230830-p5e0lj.html
Moderate Liberal Party members in Victoria will move this week for what they hope is a decisive blow against the party’s infiltration by an ultra-conservative religious network. Andrew Gardiner reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/city-builders-the-pentecostal-cult-driving-the-liberal-party-to-the-far-right-and-beyond/
Australia’s primary health care nurses are one of our health system’s biggest assets – but they aren’t working to their full potential. A recent APNA survey tells us that despite the widespread under-utilisation of PHC nurses, recent progress in using nurses effectively has virtually stalled, explains Karen Booth.
https://johnmenadue.com/its-high-time-to-let-phc-nurses-show-what-they-can-do/
Ben Smee writes that several Queensland Labor MPs have claimed they have been “clearly misled” and “fed bullshit” by their own government about the urgent need to scrap human rights provisions for children in police watch houses, after Guardian Australia obtained a legal letter that appears to cast doubt on some of the state’s key justifications.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/31/labor-mps-incensed-by-letter-they-say-contradicts-queenslands-stated-reason-for-suspending-human-rights-act
Michael Pascoe declares that it’s time for a mature talk about GST reforms.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/08/30/michael-pascoe-gst-reform/
The federal government’s blueprint to boost competition in the domestic aviation market to help drive down plane ticket prices will be released within days, with Qantas and Virgin in its sights. A green paper on the future of Australian aviation to 2050 comes ahead of the formal white paper due by the middle of next year.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/qantas-virgin-set-for-turbulence-as-government-examines-domestic-airfares-20230830-p5e0mn.html
To be fair dinkum, the competition review should include aviation regulation, labour market regulation and the compliance burdens that limit competition by creating cost barriers to new entrants, says the AFR’s editorial.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/labor-s-qantas-protection-racket-points-to-competition-problem-20230827-p5dzqc
Elizabeth Knight tells us why Qantas is a protected corporate species. She says it’s safe to say the Albanese government and Qantas are looking increasingly marginalised in defence of their position taken on Qatar, and Canberra has further compounded its poorly judged decision by cutting aviation out of its broader competition review.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/why-qantas-is-a-protected-corporate-species-20230830-p5e0nv.html
Health experts are saying intrusive questionnaires required by pharmacies when dispensing emergency contraception are a discriminatory hangover from a time when stringent checks were in place around reproductive health.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/30/emergency-contraception-form-pharmacies-chemists-australia
Westpac will add “friction” to its digital payment processes in an Australian banking first that seeks to protect customers and itself against the wave of fraudulent schemes and scams costing people billions of dollars. The nation’s second-largest lender said it would be the first bank to integrate sophisticated fraud detection systems with its digital payment platforms to help customers identify potential scams before payments were made.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/financial-services/westpac-launches-first-australian-realtime-bank-fraud-algorithm-to-catch-scams/news-story/ed7ab42cbf0a8ebe4ad8c71ab8a40358?amp
The NSW corruption watchdog has found three former Sydney councillors engaged in serious corrupt conduct when they accepted trips to China and tens of thousands of dollars from property developers in return for supporting two large apartment projects. Bags of cash, escorts, lavish shopping – you name it, it was all there!’
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/icac-finds-sydney-ex-councillors-corrupt-over-development-projects-20230830-p5e0ol.html
Meanwhile, the New South Wales corruption watchdog has been cleared of maladministration after an inquiry by the inspector of the Independent Commission Against Corruption into the length of the investigation into the former premier Gladys Berejiklian. The inspector, Gail Furness, also found Icac needed to change the way it operated, noting the “enormous” impact the investigation had on all those involved.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/30/icac-cleared-gladys-berejiklian-investigation-length
The Higgins-Lehrmann case has become a lawyers’ feast and Richar Ackland says each new development sparks more legal action, and we may not have seen the last of it.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/30/the-higgins-lehrmann-case-has-become-a-lawyers-feast-can-we-expect-more-litigation
The ABC has accused Heston Russell of engaging in “very deliberate dishonesty” in his defamation case against the national broadcaster, as the judge raised questions about whether the former commando had lied in court. Michaela Whitbourn reports that Nicholas Owens, SC, acting for the ABC, submitted on the final day of the Federal Court trial in Sydney on Wednesday that Russell was a “dishonest man” who should receive damages “very much at the lower end” of the scale if he won the case.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/dishonest-man-abc-takes-aim-at-heston-russell-in-defamation-case-20230830-p5e0km.html
Mystery and irony are surrounding the recent discovery of thefts within the British Museum, an establishment that appears to have something to hide, writes Dr Binoy Kampmark.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/looting-the-looters-theft-at-the-british-museum,17853
Donald Trump says he will lock up his political enemies if he is president again. In an interview on Tuesday, the rightwing broadcaster Glenn Beck raised Trump’s famous campaign-trail vow to “lock up” Hillary Clinton, his opponent in 2016, a promise Trump did not fulfill in office. Nice.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/30/trump-interview-jail-political-opponents-glenn-beck
Critics say Biden is old and tired. But so is his most likely opponent, Trump, writes Jill Filipovic.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/30/biden-trump-age-presidential-election-2024
Rudy Giuliani, an attorney and close ally of Donald Trump, is liable for defaming two Georgia poll workers following the 2020 election, a federal judge has ruled in a default judgment. Giuliani failed to produce records during the discovery process while making “excuses” to shroud his noncompliance, according to the opinion by Judge Beryl Howell, of the federal US district court for the District of Columbia. Rudy’s mot travelling too well.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/30/rudy-giuliani-liable-damages-election-2020
A United States judge is set to consider whether to impose the steepest sentence yet on two former leaders of the right-wing Proud Boys convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes for the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2023/08/30/proud-boys-leaders-sentencing-us-capitol-attack/?breaking_live_scroll=1
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Andrew Dyson
Cathy Wilcox
Simon Letch
Matt Golding
Glen Le Lievre
Spooner
From the US
And, in more dog bites man news, from the masters of confected outrage:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/aug/31/australia-news-live-anthony-albanese-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-greens-adam-bandt-protest-post#top-of-blog
Chris Hayes –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAREKenSDwM
Lawrence O’Donnell –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUoU1ptUP4Y
Brian Tyler Cohen –
This won’t end well for Stroganoff
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/aug/31/australia-news-live-anthony-albanese-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-greens-adam-bandt-protest-post#top-of-blog
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Chris Minns and Daniel Andrews say they support the Voice to parliament. “So where are they?”, asks James Massola.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/small-states-premiers-speak-out-on-voice-as-minns-andrews-hang-back-20230831-p5e0u8.html
Alexandra Smith opines that, five months on, NSW Labor still has training wheels on.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/five-months-on-nsw-labor-still-has-its-training-wheels-on-20230831-p5e0zd.html
Victorian Liberal frontbencher Matt Bach – a key ally of party leader John Pesutto – resigned from the shadow ministry in a late night party room meeting yesterday that was called to thrash out angst about costly legal threats facing the leadership team. Rachel Eddie and Annika Smethurst say that this resignation is a blow for Pesutto.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/pesutto-ally-matt-bach-quits-liberal-shadow-ministry-20230831-p5e14g.html
David Crowe says we should watch out for the small tricks and big lies of the final campaign to decide the Indigenous Voice. The arguments about the Voice have been marked by misinformation and outright falsehoods for most of this year, and those lies will be fired with rocket fuel now that voting day is so close.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/watch-out-for-the-big-little-lies-on-the-voice-20230830-p5e0rn.html
Coalition politicians who oppose the Indigenous voice to parliament are vastly outspending other parliamentarians on Facebook, and in some cases, using taxpayer-funded expenses to boost ads that personally target yes campaigners and raise doubt about the reliability of the voting process. According to a Guardian Australia analysis of federal politician’s advertising data in Meta’s ad library, Coalition politicians have spent over four times more on Facebook ads about the voice than Labor politicians.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/01/coalition-no-campaigners-spending-four-times-more-on-voice-facebook-ads-than-counterparts
The Qantas ‘ghost flights’ allegations leave airline with some explaining to do, writes Elizabeth Knight who says that the company is experiencing its “AMP charging dead customers” moment. She tells us the scale of Qantas’ alleged deception is shocking. It allegedly sold tickets for 8000 services scheduled to depart between May and July last year, weeks after the decision had already been made by the airline to nix the flights.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-ghost-flights-allegations-leaves-airline-with-some-explaining-to-do-20230831-p5e100.html
After years of getting his way with governments, employees and even passengers, Qantas boss Alan Joyce has finally met someone who has pushed back. And this time it will be costly – but also the wake-up call that is needed, writes Eric Johnston.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/the-arrogance-building-in-qantas-will-be-its-undoing/news-story/6c7764fe3cabdd3eb8e80aa01b4ce1c3?amp
If your business relies on ripping off staff, taxpayers and other assorted bystanders – or needs to prevent public access to affordable life-saving medication – in order to stay afloat, it should just close down, writes Michelle Pini.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/old-sick-or-dead-you-still-need-to-come-and-see-the-chemist,17857
Business groups are warning of higher prices for consumers and job losses under federal workplace laws to be put to parliament next week as they ramp up an advertising campaign to turn voters against the changes. The warnings centre on a Labor pledge to crack down on labour hire companies and create new rights for 2.7 million casual workers, raising concerns about back-pay claims and other costs worth billions of dollars. This is exactly what Burke predicted at the NPC yesterday.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/business-prepares-to-take-ir-fight-to-voters-20230831-p5e0u6.html
The AFR says Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has admitted the Albanese government’s next wave of workplace changes will increase prices for gig services like UberEats, as employers warn the “radical shake-up” will raise living costs as higher interest rates bite.
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/consumers-will-pay-extra-for-gig-economy-shake-up-20230831-p5e0wn
Paul Karp gives a pretty good account of what Burke said at the NPC yesterday.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/31/australians-may-pay-tiny-bit-extra-on-pizza-delivery-as-government-announces-new-gig-economy-rules
Jennifer Hewett refers to the loophole Burke identified as being exploited and she quotes Burke as saying, “The platform I am sure will be up in arms about these changes. That’s fine. They can have the argument … but be honest, defend the loophole.”
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/why-burke-says-gig-economy-needs-greater-regulation-20230831-p5e0vg
Michelle Grattan says that it can be a battle to get information from the Albanese government.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-it-can-be-a-battle-to-get-information-from-the-albanese-government-212606
The head of NSW Premier Chris Minns’ department says he would have sought legal advice had he been aware of donations made by hand-picked Transport Secretary Josh Murray to Transport Minister Jo Haylen’s election campaign. A fiery upper house probe into Haylen’s appointment of Murray, a former Labor staffer, revealed donations totalling $1450 to the ALP across three separate events before his appointment.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/embattled-transport-secretary-friends-with-the-premier-for-20-years-inquiry-hears-20230831-p5e0v8.html
And the SMH editorial declares that Labor brilliantly prosecuted the Coalition over Barilaro, but then it forgot the lessons.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/labor-brilliantly-prosecuted-the-coalition-over-barilaro-then-forgot-the-lessons-20230831-p5e0yn.html
The Greens are threatening to block Anthony Albanese’s proposed $2.3bn tax hike on superannuation balances for wealthy retirees, unless the government immediately adds the 11 per cent retirement payment to paid parental leave. Labor’s policy agenda is now at risk of being derailed, with its signature housing policy at a stalemate and relations with the minor party deteriorating, ahead of parliament resuming next week.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/greens-crank-up-super-war-with-anthony-albanese-over-paid-parental-leave/news-story/ddb2419256f24addcd8d37a2ce196041?amp
The massive Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project must continue despite a $6 billion cost blowout, Energy Minister Chris Bowen says, declaring it essential for the electricity grid’s shift to renewable energy amid warnings of elevated blackout risks this summer.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bowen-backs-snowy-2-0-pumped-hydro-project-despite-6-billion-blowout-20230831-p5e0u7.html
The Victorian government will bank on payments made to big power users to scale back their electricity consumption during peak periods to avoid summer blackouts, explains Kieran Rooney.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/payments-to-power-down-companies-will-help-keep-victoria-s-lights-on-20230831-p5e10y.html
The anti-corruption watchdog has seized the phones of four councillors in Melbourne’s inner north-west as part of an investigation into their relationship with a local soccer club.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/moonee-valley-councillors-raided-in-integrity-probe-involving-soccer-club-20230831-p5e0w1.html
Here is Andrew Leigh’s speech to the National Integrity Summit, Transparency International Australia. In it he said that when corruption really gets into the bones of a society the damage it does to institutions can take generations to heal.’
https://johnmenadue.com/the-nacc-and-the-economics-of-corruption/
Mercedes-Benz’s legal win over car dealers could transform the way new cars are sold in Australia, explains The Conversation.
https://theconversation.com/mercedes-benzs-legal-win-over-car-dealers-could-transform-the-way-new-cars-are-sold-in-australia-212189
A consultancy firm that secured $528m of taxpayer money last year has admitted to maintaining hundreds of “power maps” that categorise federal officials based on influence, personality type and relationships with competitors. Henry Belot writes that Accenture has told the Senate the maps are restricted and only supplied to staff on a “need to know” basis, but acknowledged they were used in the process of bidding for government work.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/01/consultancy-firm-used-power-maps-of-australian-officials-to-help-win-government-contracts
Lawyers for Walter Sofronoff have asked the ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, to “correct the harm he has caused” to the former judge’s reputation, telling him he was wrong to suggest the premature release of his report was unlawful. Sofronoff’s legal team released correspondence between him and the ACT government on Thursday, revealing their exchanges concerning the premature release of his findings into the conduct of prosecutors and police during the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/31/author-of-report-into-bruce-lehrmann-prosecution-hits-back-at-ministers-criticism
It looks like Melbourne’s king of radio, Neil Mitchell, really is hanging up the big mic and leaving his top-rated spot on 3AW Mornings later this year for a different role. Not all are mourning, says The Age.
https://www.theage.com.au/cbd/neil-mitchell-to-step-down-as-3aw-mornings-host-not-all-will-be-mourning-20230831-p5e11d.html
Stephen Bartholomeusz explains how China’s property cancer is spreading and wreaking havoc.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/china-s-property-cancer-is-spreading-and-wreaking-havoc-20230831-p5e0ut.html
An Australian academic has lit the fuse of diplomatic fury by publicly criticising Indonesia’s brutal response to the Papuan independence movement, a sensitive topic for governments of both countries. Duncan Graham reports from Indonesia on the silent war to our north.
https://michaelwest.com.au/the-silent-war-australia-and-indonesia-stay-mum-on-papuan-human-right-abuses/
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
David Rowe
Simon Letch
John Shakespeare
Cathy Wilcox
Matt Golding
Andrew Dyson
Jon Kudelka
Glen Le Lievre
Leak
From the US
https://image.cagle.com/277869/750/277869.png’
Chris Hayes –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eldYZgOTgRY
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Veranda doesn’t come up too well
https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/2023/sep/01/amanda-vanstone-radio-national-counterpoint-corey-tutt-interview-weekly-beast
F.M –
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/01/do-you-have-hiccups-here-are-some-life-hacks-that-may-or-may-not-make-a-difference-to-your-annoying-life
“Why not use frozen grapes to cool your wine? At the end you can eat them!”
Cool!
Frozen grapes cut in half might be a refinement worth trying. A bit of grape juice seeping into the wine and a bit of wine infusing teh grape. I guess I’ll have to follow Dr Karl’s frequent exhortation and ‘Do the experiment’ 🙂
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has gone Galactic…..
Katrina Miller
Reporting on space
The James Webb Space Telescope captured intricate views of the Ring Nebula, composed of bright halos of hydrogen around a dying star.
Here are more images and videos from August →
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Peter Hartcher ridicules the No sayers’ garbage about the Vice being a risk of making government dysfunctional.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/voice-to-parliament-a-risk-let-s-count-the-other-bodies-just-like-it-20230831-p5e0zc.html
Katherine Murphy writes that since she has been away for six months, the PM has developed a clearer pitch on the Indigenous voice. But Peter Dutton is flooding the zone with shit as a means of obscuring the truth.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/01/life-has-gotten-tougher-and-politics-noisier-can-australians-still-find-the-mindfulness-to-listen
How big a setback it would be for Dutton if Australians rejected his calls for no change is open to conjecture, but it would be considerable. Already he is a very unpopular leader who has produced no coherent alternative to the referendum, says Paul Bongiorno.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/09/02/between-the-hard-right-and-soft-no
While the Prime Minister seeks to finish the nation’s reconciliation journey, his government’s approach to reform is timid. For he and Jim Chalmers to succeed the political skills of a Hawke-Keating collaboration will be required, writes Simon Benson.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/reward-and-risk-of-anthony-albaneses-historic-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-ambition/news-story/0dfb0d765dbc2a84c0ef0a6c33febf18?amp
In a strident call to make polluters pay, John Hewson says that to have genuine climate and reform credibility, the question for the Albanese government is whether it has the political courage to resurrect a carbon price as fundamental to its climate armoury.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/09/02/make-the-polluters-pay
What is Albanese hiding? Maybe it’s the experts’ vision of the climate hell ahead, suggests Michael Pascoe.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2023/09/02/michael-pascoe-australia-china-india/
Productivity growth will be less than projected in the Intergenerational Report, the budget deficits will be worse, and the Government should be setting the scene for raising more revenue, writes Michael Keating.
https://johnmenadue.com/australias-fiscal-challenge/
The Minns government has scrapped a $500 million rebuild of the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo, opting instead for a $250 million “heritage revitalisation” and redirecting the savings towards new schools and hospitals. The decision is the latest pre-budget announcement by the NSW government reining in large construction project costs in an attempt to rebalance the state’s finances. Plans for a rebuild of Penrith Stadium on a new site were axed last week after costs more than tripled.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/minns-government-scraps-powerhouse-museum-rebuild-at-ultimo-20230901-p5e19x.html
“Six months on from the election, is the inexperience of Minns’ front bench becoming more apparent?”, asks Deborah Snow who points to the striking number of inquiries the premier and his ministers have commissioned since the change of government.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/six-months-on-from-the-election-is-the-inexperience-of-minns-front-bench-becoming-more-apparent-20230831-p5e0yt.html
According to Michael Koziol, an expert review of western Sydney’s transport infrastructure needs recommended $200m of investment to kick-start major projects but was ignored in the May budget.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/secret-western-sydney-infrastructure-review-ignored-in-federal-budget-20230831-p5e0ws.html
Victoria could be forced to impose new taxes or levies to pay for the $34.5 billion Suburban Rail Loop East as the Andrews government faces a multibillion-dollar funding hole in its flagship project. Patrick Hatch writes that economists and property tax experts say the revenue measures proposed in the SRL East business case would raise billions of dollars less than what the government needs.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/special-levy-could-be-needed-for-suburban-rail-loop-funding-hole-experts-say-20230829-p5e0af.html
Shane Wright reports that an inquiry into the COVID-era JobKeeper program has been told the extra stimulus contributed to the surge in inflation that has forced the RBA to lift interest rates while eating into real wages.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/92-billion-more-than-thought-pumped-into-economy-during-pandemic-analysis-20230901-p5e1cv.html
Jack Waterford writes, “When Labor next loses state office in NSW, it will almost certainly be entirely its own fault. One might have expected that the party’s 12 years in the wilderness would have taught it something about restraint, and about the risks of reverting to its ancient, and traditional ways.”
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8331909/labor-is-already-showing-signs-of-a-slide-into-complacency/?cs=14329
John Lord writes the first of a series of articles where he looks at the Intergenerational Report. Today he criticises Angus Taylor’s response to the report.
https://theaimn.com/the-times-they-are-a-changing/
Almost 3 million Australians started a new job last year and Jim Bright says that the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Job Mobility report sheds some light on what is happening in the careers world.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/almost-3-million-australians-started-a-new-job-last-year-here-s-why-20230830-p5e0iw.html
Millir Muroi writes that not all sectors or companies were equal in their ability to pass inflationary pressures onto customers through increasing prices. She says that one clear trend is that companies that can manage to do it have helped re-ignite debate about the intensity of competition.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/price-shock-the-companies-defending-profits-by-raising-prices-20230828-p5dzyq.html
While waiting for another Sydney bus that was late, cancelled, too full to stop, suddenly non-existent, or all four, Malcolm Knox was wondering how he could blame the transport minister or her questionable new secretary. Instead, he landed on Alan Joyce. Knox explains the dark art of figuring out how to get the maximum revenue per seat out of the minimum number of services, moving around the parts of differential pricing, aircraft sizes, costs and service frequency until they all come together in one beautiful profit-making symphony. Throughput accounting on steroids!
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/waiting-for-a-sydney-bus-that-will-never-come-i-m-blaming-alan-joyce-20230831-p5e0za.html
The AFR tells s that wind and solar developers want to be able to connect projects directly to parts of the electricity grid to sidestep the roadblock of new transmission and ease the strain on a system creaking during the energy transition.
https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/direct-plug-in-for-solar-could-jump-energy-grid-hurdle-20230901-p5e1bs
Amelia Maguire and David Crowe report that Alan Joyce, has pocketed more than $10 million in shares for meeting the airline’s COVID-19 recovery goals, even as the consumer watchdog seeks to punish Qantas for allegedly selling tickets to flights that were already cancelled.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/hundreds-of-millions-accc-calls-for-qantas-to-be-hit-with-heavy-fine-20230901-p5e198.html
The AFR tells us that Qantas’ major superannuation investors have put the airline’s board on notice over the “significant damage to reputation” it has sustained in the past 12 months, saying they are scrutinising executive bonuses this year.
https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/qantas-board-under-pressure-on-bonuses-joyce-s-share-sale-20230901-p5e18f
According to Rick Morton, Qantas is considering repaying the JobKeeper money paid to it. He says that, as the national carrier faces increasing criticism of its conduct, a former minister likens the airline’s management to ‘terrorists’.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/2023/09/02/exclusive-qantas-considers-paying-back-jobkeeper
Albanese government’s close embrace of Qantas may no longer fly with the times, writes John Quiggin who says that even if the Albanese government is not convinced by the case for open competition, it should be more alert to the political dangers associated with its close embrace of Qantas.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/01/albanese-governments-close-embrace-of-qantas-may-no-longer-fly-with-the-times
Alan Joyce should depart Qantas now, before he does more brand damage, declares Anne Hyland.
https://www.theage.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/alan-joyce-should-depart-qantas-now-before-he-does-more-brand-damage-20230831-p5e11b.html
In her weekly media roundup, Amanda Mead refers to Amanda Vanstone’s expletive-laden insult of radio show guest capping off the ABC’s hellish week.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/2023/sep/01/amanda-vanstone-radio-national-counterpoint-corey-tutt-interview-weekly-beast
Our economy faces a $216 billion dilemma that is getting harder and harder and to ignore. That huge figure is what Australia is estimated to have made last financial year from exporting coal and liquefied natural gas during a period of booming prices. But here’s the thing: it is a trade bonanza with a finite lifespan, says Clancy Yeates.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/after-the-boom-australia-s-216-billion-dilemma-that-s-hard-to-ignore-20230830-p5e0qu.html
New figures show Australia has little chance of meeting its emissions targets. After a period of flatlining figures, the numbers are going up sharply, writes Mike Seccombe.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/economy/2023/09/02/australias-greenhouse-emissions-are-still-rising
When British prime minister Rishi Sunak held a press conference in March this year from a podium emblazoned with “Stop the boats”, Australian audiences could have been forgiven for thinking we had regressed a decade to Tony Abbott’s 2013 federal election campaign.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/comment/topic/2023/09/01/how-australia-wrote-britains-refugee-policy
“The frontrunner for the Republican nomination is the centre of at least four criminal investigations, but even jail wouldn’t prevent him running for office. What would his return mean for Australia’s relationship with its most powerful ally?”, asks Martin McKenzie-Murray.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/international-relations/2023/09/01/what-trump-2024-election-win-means-australia
Dear old Gerard is still fuming over the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which he grizzles that had George Pell as its main target. What about the paedophiles in government schools, he whines.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/wheres-spotlight-on-government-school-pedophiles/news-story/236e5be24570664be346f3939773fdab?amp
Karen Middleton reports that a military chaplain, who was indecently assaulted by a colleague, was pressured not to complain by another senior chaplain, who is now serving the royal commission where she is giving evidence.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/law-crime/2023/09/01/we-are-watching
As Covid-19 variants continue to outpace vaccines, and the risks of long Covid remain, the government needs to be prepared to act rapidly and at scale, argues Bianca Nogrady.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2023/09/02/the-science-covid-boosters
Julia Baird has written a cracker of an open letter to the mother of the embattled Luis Rubiales who kissed the victorious Spanish women’s soccer player’s lips.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/women-aren-t-copping-that-crap-anymore-my-open-letter-to-luis-rubiales-mum-20230831-p5e0wp.html
Resolving economic and political inequality is vital if we want people to reject authoritarianism, argues Joseph Stiglitz.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/01/global-democratic-politics-economic-reforms
China’s economy is slowing down. Current forecasts put China’s GDP growth in 2023 at less than 5%, below the forecasts made last year and far below the high growth rates that China enjoyed until the late 2010s. The Western press is filled with China’s supposed misdeeds: a financial crisis in the real-estate market, a general overhang of debt, and other ills. Yet much of the slowdown is the result of US measures that aim to slow China’s growth. Such US policies violate World Trade Organisation rules and are a danger to global prosperity. They should be stopped, argues Jeffrey D Sachs.
https://johnmenadue.com/the-us-economic-war-on-china/
“I have urgent safety concerns for Rishi Sunak’s government. Could we not shut it down for a bit?”, asks Marina Hyde. She says that if there were such a condition as long short-termism, the UK could now consider itself an advanced sufferer.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/01/rishi-sunak-school-buildings-closed-knives-grant-shapps
Doubts on how long the old guard of US politics should remain in office have been elevated after Senator Mitch McConnell, the longtime Republican leader who has appeared increasingly diminished and frail after a series of falls and a serious head injury this year, froze up suddenly during a news conference, says the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-political-old-guard-face-dilemma-that-age-shall-weary-them-20230831-p5e0z3.html
Joe Biden said the US has the strongest economy in the world, seizing on a report showing payrolls rose by more than forecast in August even as wage growth cools and the economy faces other headwinds.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/biden-hails-us-jobs-data-in-latest-bid-to-tout-economic-agenda-20230902-p5e1gk
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
Alan Moir
David Rowe
Jon Kudelka
John Shakespeare
Matt Golding
Andrew Dyson
Matt Davidson
Simon Letch
Leak
From the US
Too late Joe, what the West took on board in the wash up of WWII regarding that danger has been washed away. Ronny and Maggie got the ball rolling and of course the rest have followed.
Brian Tyler Cohen –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz7haem-3k0&t=2s
Chris Hayes –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz7haem-3k0&t=2s
Ooooops –
The world is becoming unbearably hot and yet these fools keep approving more coal mines!
Climate crimes committed as QLD and feds approve two new coal mines in two days
https://www.lockthegate.org.au/climate_crimes_committed_as_qld_and_feds_approve_two_new_coal_mines_in_two_days
More examples of government madness _
Coalmine approvals in Australia this year could add 150m tonnes of CO2 to atmosphere
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/02/coalmine-approvals-in-australia-this-year-could-add-150m-tonnes-of-co2-to-atmosphere
I feel like I have to explain here that there’s 2 different types of coal mines. Metallurgical and Thermal.
Thermal coal mines are the type we want to completely abolish, those that simply provide low-quality coal to power plants that distribute a huge amount of greenhouse gases that will in fact bring about climate events that will destroy civilizations.
Metallurgical coal mines meanwhile provide high-quality coal that is necessary for smelting steel and other alloys that require high quality carbon.
We don’t yet have an alternative to metallurgical coal for quality steel, so as unfortunate as it is that coal mines would still operate in Australia, at the very least it won’t necessarily be used for the pointless burning in thermal coal power plants, but be used for alloys for things we need for a clean carbon future, like wind turbine propellers or solar panel arrays.
We have however been very very keen on thermal coal production expansion.
I’d wager that that big expansion from 2010-2014 would have likely been down to the fact that Victoria had voted out a Labor government in 2010 and had elected a Liberal-National Coalition government, of which its policies didn’t really care that much about climate change, and the fact that Victoria’s coal industry is almost entirely based about thermal.
I do understand the uses of coal and the different types of uses. Wouldn’t it be better to speed up development of “green” steel instead of focusing on digging up more metallurgical coal?
Yes, absolutely I think that would be better. The wrench in the gears though is if Labor launched forward with a policy like that, we’d see a redux of 1975 and 2013 where almost all of its most well-meaning policies were repealed and then followed by 8-9 years of Liberal-National Coalition rule in which they ruin the nation even further.
I really wish it was different, where there was a world in which Labor could say “All greenhouse gas projects stop now.” but if they did that then all it would result in was a victorious Dutton government in 2025 saying “All greenhouse gas projects are revived and doubled.”
Being slightly less shit than the other lot. What a lofty aspiration.
A message from BK – from over the road.
Vale Jimmy –
***American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett dies aged 76***
The Best Things On The Internet: Tom Tanuki Watched 11 Hours Of CPAC So You Didn’t Have To
https://newmatilda.com/2023/09/03/the-best-things-on-the-internet-tom-tanuki-watched-11-hours-of-cpac-so-you-didnt-have-to/
LOL flicking through the whole video in about a minute something stood out. It looked like the line up the usual suspects who regularly appear on Sky After Dark.
OMG 😆 How the describe themselves on their web page.
CPAC is a values based nonprofit organisation that espouses the best of Howard, Reagan and Thatcher while exploring new ideas and themes for the coming generations.
I watched the whole thing although I almost turned it off countless times. I consoled myself by thinking Tom wants me to watch this, so I stuck it out until the end.
So many lies! So much rubbish! How can people believe all this shit? It is just like talking to my brother-in-law, I can hear his voice spouting the same sort of nonsense.
Today I heard a song I have not heard ‘since forever’ . Loved it back in the day so I thought I’d wander over to the Pub’s jukebox and give it a spin.
If your Holy Trinity is Howard, Thatcher and Reagan then you have a big problem.
Tonight I’ve thought of a line of argument that might be helpful to the ‘Yes’ campaign when especially trying to connect with older voters that mostly seem to be inclined to vote ‘No’.
Imagine yourself in a hospital bed. You’ve been suffering from something you don’t quite know of. You’ve spent a whole week from nurses and doctors making their routine tests one way or another, but they ignore you when you try to tell them exactly what is hurting you.
This is the situation in which a Voice in the Constitution would fix things. They would need to listen to you and address your concerns. Of course if your concerns are not rational, then they would be treated as such. But if they are, then that would need to be addressed as soon as possible.
Great suggestion, Kirsdarke. Give it to your Labor rep or to Yes23.
Newspoll according to GhostWhoVotes
2PP: ALP 53(-2) L/NP 47(+2)
Primary Votes: ALP 35(-1) L/NP 37(+3) GRN 13(+1) ON 7(0)
Voice Referendum: Yes 38(-3) No 53(+5)
Preferred PM: Albanese 50(-4) Dutton 31(+2)
Albanese: Approve 46(-6) Disapprove 47(+6)
Dutton: Approve 38(+2) Disapprove 49(0)
I think the Voice referendum will fail – it will be a great shame
Breakdown of support for the Voice
https://x.com/kossamaras/status/1698231447184887976?s=61&t=X3EzO5PdwGOA35adMaCDCw
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Here’s Simon Benson’s take on the “News”poll findings.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/no-vote-for-voice-tips-over-50-per-cent-as-coalition-leaps-ahead-of-labor-on-primary-vote/news-story/47923e5faa868024fea3b9f05d6cd1ff?amp
Here is the Yes ad based on John Farnham’s song, “The Voice”. It is an excellent production which, to my mind, sets out to appeal to the decency that Australians have displayed over the years.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/a-familiar-voice-an-old-song-and-a-wish-to-turn-the-pages-over-20230903-p5e1mo.html
David Crowe and Brode Carmody write that Peter Dutton has sparked rebukes from fellow Liberals and a backlash from Indigenous leaders after he pledged to hold a second referendum to change the Constitution if the Voice is rejected at the ballot box next month. Dutton’s promise of a second vote to recognise Indigenous Australians but exclude a constitutionally protected Indigenous Voice to parliament is an option dismissed by Yes campaigners on the grounds it would not deliver practical change.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/backlash-over-dutton-s-plan-for-second-referendum-if-voice-vote-fails-20230903-p5e1mi.html
In an excellent contribution, Mark Kenny writes that a telling weakness of the “no” campaign is that its substantive complaints go only to peripheral concerns whereas its core arguments rely on blatant falsehoods. Relly going to town on the No campaign, Kenny says that its shrillness is deeply depressing, if less surprising. The weaker a given case, the more stridently it tends to be put.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8333327/how-low-can-the-no-campaign-go/?cs=14329
“What sort of Australia are we living in? Or, to put it in terms that follow from Howard’s call to “maintain the rage”, just how scared and angry are we?”, asks Sean Kelly following Howard’s insertion into the No campaign.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/just-how-scared-and-angry-are-we-australians-are-about-to-find-out-20230903-p5e1lx.html
If you’re not Indigenous, what’s in the Voice for you? “Plenty”, says Jacqui Maley.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/if-you-re-not-indigenous-what-s-in-the-voice-for-you-plenty-20230901-p5e1c3.html
Disturbing signs have emerged that American-style election denialism is infecting the voice campaign. The No case signalled this by attacking the integrity of the vote. This goes well beyond social media hashtags such as #StopTheSteal. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said the poll is “rigged” and that the Prime Minister has “tried to orchestrate” this from “day one”, writes George Williams who says. “These claims need to be called out. They are not only false, they are also irresponsible and harmful to our democracy.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coalitions-claims-on-rigged-voice-vote-must-be-called-out/news-story/fe0eecbc0c3cdb7dcd31d5c12c192517?amp
For the Voice to succeed, we need to learn from the mistakes of other post-colonial nations, argues Professor MacLeod.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/for-the-voice-to-succeed-we-need-to-learn-from-the-mistakes-of-other-post-colonial-nations-20230903-p5e1ly.html
The federal government will limit the scope of its controversial labour hire laws to fend off a fierce campaign from business groups to scuttle the changes in the Senate, citing new figures to claim the looming changes will affect only about 67,000 workers. David Crowe reports that today in parliament the federal government will seek to limit the scope of its controversial labour hire laws to fend off a fierce campaign from business groups to scuttle the changes in the Senate, citing new figures to claim the looming changes will affect only about 67,000 workers.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-to-unveil-next-wave-of-workplace-change-as-business-warns-of-economic-damage-20230903-p5e1nb.html
Modern prime ministers have typically left parliament soon after defeat. So why doesn’t Scott Morrison, wonders Paul Stranglo who says we can discount his declarations that he is relishing being the member for Cook. Being a humble backbencher visits daily humiliation on him. Indeed, Morrison’s post-prime ministership has been most notable for his reputation being tarnished by revelations of his bizarre commandeering of several portfolios while PM, and by the adverse findings against him by the Robodebt Royal Commission.
https://theconversation.com/modern-prime-ministers-have-typically-left-parliament-soon-after-defeat-so-why-doesnt-scott-morrison-212544
Aisha Dow and Henrietta Cook reveal the current parlous state and cost of ramping at Melbourne’s hospitals. Ramping is a symptom, not the cause!
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-worst-i-have-seen-hospital-ramping-costs-paramedics-120-years-worth-of-shifts-20230829-p5e08o.html
Premier Chris Minns is preparing to squander about $3 billion of taxpayers’ money to extend the life of the coal-fired Eraring power station, writes Matt Kean who reckons “ ‘CoalKeeper’ will keep our lights on. They weren’t going out”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/minns-reckons-coalkeeper-will-keep-our-lights-on-they-weren-t-going-out-20230901-p5e1fm.html
A renewable energy project touted as an essential part of the plan to make Tasmania the “battery of the nation” and boost energy security on the mainland has been scaled back after a multibillion-dollar cost blowout. Mike Foley tells us that the Marinus Link, a joint venture between the federal government, Victoria and Tasmania, was expected to cost $3 billion in 2017 for two 750-megawatt cables, but costs ballooned to an estimated $6 billion due to global inflation, spiralling steel prices and supply chain disruptions.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/battery-of-the-nation-renewable-project-scaled-back-amid-cost-blowout-20230901-p5e1f5.html
Instead of pursuing shoplifters, the big supermarkets should use their record profits to prevent food waste, writes Drew Brooke who argues that it is reprehensible during a cost-of-living crisis to dump binloads of groceries and enforce strict cosmetic standards on produce.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/04/instead-of-pursuing-shoplifters-the-big-supermarkets-should-use-their-record-profits-to-prevent-food-waste
According to Matt Wade, nearly a quarter of NSW businesses across all major industries and regions plan to cut staff over the next three months as higher interest rates take a toll on consumer spending, sapping the demand for labour.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/deep-in-negative-territory-one-in-four-nsw-businesses-expect-to-cut-staff-20230903-p5e1km.html
Sarh Basford Canales writes that The Albanese government has been accused of “blatant hypocrisy” by its political opponents as more than 2,000 requests for answers remain unanswered in the Senate. Both the opposition and the Greens are calling on the government to lift its game on transparency and live up to the integrity mandate it promised voters at the last federal election.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/04/albanese-government-accused-of-blatant-hypocrisy-as-more-than-2000-senate-questions-go-unanswered
Byron Shire council’s planned 60-day cap on short-term rentals such as Airbnbs to ease pressure on the housing market would not come into effect until the middle of next year if the government decides to allow it, the holiday hotspot’s mayor says. And if the tightened rules are approved by the New South Wales government, they will just apply to Byron and not other councils also struggling with housing amid a statewide shortage.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/04/byrons-proposed-60-day-airbnb-cap-unlikely-to-come-into-effect-until-next-year-despite-housing-crisis
Joe Aston rips into Joyce and the Qantas board and its behaviour.
https://www.afr.com/rear-window/qantas-board-microdosing-reality-freebasing-delusion-20230903-p5e1nh
The Qantas board of directors should resign and regulators ought to investigate charging Alan Joyce with insider trading. Michael West reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/did-alan-joyce-know-is-this-qantas-insider-trading/
Angry Qantas customers say ditching the expiry date on COVID-19 flight credits is not good enough when the same flights today are far more expensive than when tickets were first purchased. Annoyance over Qantas’ handling of flight credits has also spread beyond the pandemic era, with customers increasingly frustrated at limitations and mixed signals about how much tickets will cost using credits, explains Ronald Mizen.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/qantas-anger-spreads-as-customers-wrangle-mixed-signals-20230903-p5e1l5
Some NSW poker machine venues are treating minor reforms by the Minns government with contempt as the industry fights to block action against problem gambling, complains the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/chancer-pubs-and-clubs-try-getting-around-bans-on-pokie-advertising-20230903-p5e1l8.html
Two years on, history has proved Biden right on Afghanistan withdrawal, argues Adam Creighton who says that unlike presidents Obama and Trump, Biden had the courage to end the mess George W Bush had created. For all the understandable attacks he’s endured over his mental capacity since, on a question that mattered, he pushed back against the “Washington Blob” who wanted to stay.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/two-years-on-history-has-proved-biden-right-on-afghanistan-withdrawal/news-story/4552f09d96eba3eb300787e5cd78f338?amp
“It’s going to be huuuge. The election campaign in the US of A, next year, will be bigger than Ben Hur. However, I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that many commentators are talking shit”, writes James Moylan for the AIMN.
https://theaimn.com/a-world-without-trump-the-great-orange-flameout-of-2024/
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Peter Broelman
Jim Pavlidis
Alan Moir
Megan Herbert
Glen Le Lievre
Leak
From the US