PLATFORMS ON THE DEFENSIVE
YouTube and Facebook have knocked back criticism for their part in hosting live-streamed footage of the Christchurch terror attack.
According to The Guardian, Facebook reports that the footage was viewed live by fewer than 200 people, and non-live by 4000, before being pulled. Youtube, however, says that the unprecedented number of uploads required automated systems to replace human reviewers. The Australian ($) reports that their statements come ahead of a meeting between social media chiefs and Scott Morrison, Mitch Fifield and Christian Porter to discuss potential new measures to restrict the distribution of disturbing content.
The news also comes after Australian telcos have blocked a number of websites still hosting the footage.
COALITION’S TRANSPORT PITCH
The Coalition will today announce plans for fast-rail links between cities, and reforms to the controversial Jobsearch program as the government heads into election mode.
The Australian ($) reports that Scott Morrison will likely include links between Melbourne and Shepparton, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and Sydney and Newcastle in April’s pre-election budget. This “decentralisation” plan will also include changes to migration intake and distribution, despite Morrison’s own population expert saying a new annual cap of 160,000 on permanent migration would make no difference to congestion in Sydney and Melbourne.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Jobs Minister Kelly O’Dwyer will also announce that jobseekers will have access to a new online application platform, amongst other changes.
HOTELS FOR THE BOYS
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the NSW Coalition government sold a hotel to a Liberal donor in a closed tender despite internal warnings it could breach ICAC guidelines.
Former NSW finance minister Greg Pearce ignored advice from the State Property Authority and oversaw the $16.8 million sale of Circular Quay’s prestigious Sir Stamford without a public tender process to a company controlled by billionaire Chio Kiat Ow in July 2013.
In related news, SMH also reports that NSW Treasury’s head of commercial transactions James Dolton took on a CFO role at Land and Property Information in 2016, six months before the government announced a $2.6 billion privatisation deal and three years after he first conducted a scoping study into the organisation’s sale.
[free_worm]
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
The image attracted a number of comments, some of which were inappropriate and offensive. As a consequence we have removed the image and the comments.
7AFL
The official Twitter page for Seven’s AFL solves online misogyny forever by deleting a photo of Carlton star Tayla Harris.
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY
The media needs to prioritse writing by those with skin in the game
“Deciding what outfit to wear as a Muslim writer setting off to report on a far-right event is at least as complicated as getting ready for an important job interview. This isn’t because I want to impress the local neo-Nazis with my high-level grooming skills, but because when I’m keeping that kind of company I’m torn between the desire to pass unnoticed and the desire to set myself apart. On the one hand I don’t want to be mistaken for a supporter of the self-styled patriots’ movement. On the other hand, I don’t want to get beaten up.”
The Coalition is addicted to race-baiting. Don’t expect it to stop.
“The mugging, smirking BBQer-in-Chief is a poor fit for that role anyway, but his own words count against him. He now denies, and his office threatens litigation over, an eight-year-old report on a proposal to exploit Islamophobia. But does he deny attacking Labor for flying detained asylum seekers to the funeral of relatives killed in the December 2010 Christmas Island shipwreck? Does he deny saying ‘any other Australian who would have wanted to go to the funeral of someone close to them, they would have paid for themselves to get on a plane and go there’? Even his own colleagues chipped him about that.”
‘Singing is good for the soul’: how Christchurch youth are responding to the attack
“As teenagers gathered outside the Masjid Al Noor in a loud and song-filled vigil on Monday afternoon, an 18-year-old was in court facing charges after sharing the terrorist’s livestream of Friday’s shooting. The Christchurch massacre was unprecedented in just how ‘online’ it was — streamed live over Facebook, and borne out of an ideology that percolated in the bowels of 8chan. “
READ ALL ABOUT IT
One Nation on the nose with PM, but Queensland MPs think Greens still worse
Australian Muslim leader Sheikh Shady refused entry to New Zealand following mosque massacre
Cyclone Trevor hits the Queensland coast with 200km/h winds
Australian coal in the firing line of Chinese ‘environmental’ crackdown
Doctors want urgent pill testing trial but Minister urges patience ($)
Bernardi defends flyer urging crackdown on ‘Islamic extremism’
Authorities failed to act on potential toxic waste disaster two years ago
Trump witness backed controversial report used to criticise Labor’s climate policy
Far-right Israeli campaign ad jokes of ‘fascism’ perfume
A Mar-a-Lago weekend and an act of God: Trump’s history with Deutsche Bank
THE COMMENTARIAT
This boom is no accident: What the Liberals have done for the NSW economy — NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Looking around the world you will struggle to find a state that has found the means to invest in new infrastructure like we have: an unprecedented $89.7 billion pipeline, expected to support more than 100,000 NSW jobs each year over the next four years. That’s a lot of paychecks for a lot of families.”
The Premier says we can have it all – but everyone has a budget — NSW Opposition Treasurer Ryan Park (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Fairness. It’s a word that I have in front of me every time I sit down at my desk in the NSW Parliament. I have had it written there since I was asked to take on the role as the shadow treasurer and if I am given the honour of being made the next treasurer of NSW in a few days’ time it will come with me when I move office.”
Coalition ramps up scare campaign against climate action, renewables — Giles Parkinson (RenewEconomy): “This week it is going full throttle on the supposed costs of Labor’s 50 per cent emissions reduction target, and 45 per cent renewables target, promoting a report from economist Brian Fisher from BAEconomics that claims outrageous and quite nonsensical costs from such action.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Sydney
-
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Labor Leader Michael Daley will take part in the Sky News/Daily Telegraph People’s Forum ahead of this Saturday’s election.
-
Independent MLA Alex Greenwich and Greens’ MLA Cate Faehrmann will speak in conversation with drug experts at the “Beyond the War” drugs forum.
-
Mehreen Faruqi, Ruby Hamad, David Shoebridge and Paul Oosting will speak at a snap anti-Islamophobia protest outside News Corp’s major advertisers conference “Come Together”. Another protest has been scheduled tonight outside Sky News’ Melbourne office.
-
Labor senator and co-chair of the Australian TB Caucus Lisa Singh will present at a RESULTS International TB forum event.
-
The Australian will hold the Global Food Forum 2019 at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park.
Melbourne
-
The Wheeler Centre will host an AFLW Season Wrap panel event with sports writers including Crikey contributor Kate O’Halloran.
-
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala will run tonight ahead of the official festival opening day next Wednesday, March 27th.
-
The UN Global Compact Cities Programme will hold a forum event “Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals from the Ground Up” at RMIT.
-
Virginia Eubanks will discuss her book Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police and Punish the Poor at an Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union event at Trades Hall.
-
International climate change correspondent for The New York Times Somini Sengupta will present “Urban life and climate change” at the University of Melbourne.
Canberra
-
ANU Vice-Chancellor and Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Schmidt will discuss the moon landing as part of ANU’s Works That Shaped The World series event.
Brisbane
-
Foreign Affairs and National Security advisor to the President of South Korea Professor Chung-in Moon will present “North Korea’s Denuclearisation: Now and Future” at the University of Queensland.
Adelaide
-
The Australia China Business Council will host a promotion conference for the Second China International Import Expo with the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Adelaide Lan Jin and SA Trade Minister David Ridgway.
-
Water Sensitive SA will host forum event “Cooler, greener Adelaide: Shaping our future city” with local design and water experts at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Perth
-
The West Australian European Business Association will hold an annual ministerial business event with WA Tourism Minister Paul Papalia, Ambassador of the European Union to Australia Dr. Michael Pulch and more.
-
State MPs will meet at a Parliament House reception ahead of tomorrow’s National Early Literacy Conference “Books and Bonding Build Brains”.
Wodonga, Victoria
-
Nationals’ Deputy Leader Bridget McKenzie will present “Connecting the regions; It’s in the National Interest” at the National Press Club.
Logan, Queensland
-
The Logan Entertainment Centre will hold a vigil for victims of the Christchurch terror attack.
Australia
-
Deloitte Access Economics will release its latest report on Australia’s retail sector.
-
PwC Australia and PwC’s Indigenous Consulting will launch their first joint Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan for 2019-2023.
Crikey is committed to hosting lively discussions. Help us keep the conversation useful, interesting and welcoming. We aim to publish comments quickly in the interest of promoting robust conversation, but we’re a small team and we deploy filters to protect against legal risk. Occasionally your comment may be held up while we review, but we’re working as fast as we can to keep the conversation rolling.
The Crikey comment section is members-only content. Please subscribe to leave a comment.
The Crikey comment section is members-only content. Please login to leave a comment.