DOOR NOT SHUT TO ONE NATION
Scott Morrison has refused to announce a preference position on One Nation following Al Jazeera’s explosive report into the party’s lobbying of the NRA.
The Guardian reports that Morrison has blasted One Nation’s apparent attempt to solicit NRA donations in return for weakening Australian gun laws but stopped short of committing to preference the party last. He also echoed Peter Dutton, Michael Keenan and other LNP members by equating the party’s far-right policies with The Greens.
One Nation party officials James Ashby and Steve Dickson have since referred Al Jazeera to ASIO and alleged the party never sought NRA donations but only floated the idea while intoxicated with undercover journalist and “Middle East spy” Rodger Muller. The duo also appeared on The Bolt Report last night claiming that, despite multiple, filmed comments to NRA officials, unedited footage would prove “there is no way we were out to change Australian gun laws”.
COAL CARRIES ON
Increased coal use and more extreme temperatures saw total carbon emissions rise by 1.7% last year to a record 33.1 billion tonnes, according to figures that come as the federal Coalition leans towards continued coal mining and generation.
According to the ABC, a new International Energy Agency report finds that coal contributed to a third of last year’s total emissions increase of 560 million tonnes while higher heating and cooling needs drove increased demand. The news comes as Scott Morrison shortlists the Vales Point coal station for the government’s underwriting scheme and agrees to consider The National Party’s pitch for a new Queensland plant.
CHRISTCHURCH LINKS PROBED
Austrian authorities have raided the home of prominent white nationalist Martin Sellner in an investigation into alleged ties with the Christchurch mosque terrorist.
The ABC reports that Sellner, the head of the nationalistic Identitarian Movement of Austria, has had electronic devices seized after a separate probe found a donation from a person with the same surname as the New Zealand gunman.
The news follows Scott Morrison’s meeting with social media giants yesterday on the issue of new cyber laws, as well as reports that the French Council of the Muslim Faith is suing Facebook and YouTube for broadcasting the massacre.
[free_worm]
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
I’m really fortunate because I was on a committee within parliament called the PCCC — the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee [sic] — it’s bad shit. I’m never going to jail, hey. It won’t happen … I walked the knife.
Steve Dickson
One Nation’s Queensland leader thinks back fondly to his time on the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee and sparks minor calls for an investigation.
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY
One Nation gun nuts present huge opportunity for Morrison
“The revelations by Al Jazeera about the extent to which One Nation was willing to seek foreign money from the extremist National Rifle Association to help it weaken Australian gun laws is a potential solution to one of Scott Morrison’s biggest problems.”
Did One Nation staffers break the law by seeking NRA money?
“Pauline Hanson’s One Nation staff have been caught on camera asking the National Rifle Association for $20 million to help water-down Australia’s gun laws, as revealed by an extraordinary Al Jazeera investigation. In doing so, did they break the law?”
‘If the Andrews government wants a fight, they’ve got one’
“For the past 10 months, the Djab Wurrung people have known this all too well. They have stood guard over their traditional lands in a bid to prevent the destruction of hundreds of sacred trees under threat from the Victorian government’s $672 million Western Highway duplication project.”
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Nationals MP George Christensen spent nine months in the Philippines over four-year period ($)
NSW Labor’s interim leader pushes for ban on donations from firearms lobby
’10 years late’: Calls mount for greater watchdog bite in power sector
Premier reminds ministers they’re on the same team ($)
Daniel Andrews shuns advice on pokies cash limits
‘He sold everything he believed in’: the price Turnbull paid to become prime minister
Passengers on Melbourne-Christchurch flight exposed to measles
Eagles send a message as ‘keyboard coward’ has Tigers membership cut
Tory rebels asked by No 10 if they would back Brexit deal if May quit
Pentagon reallocates $1bn to help fund Trump’s border wall
THE COMMENTARIAT
Indigenous suicide shows our traumatic past is just too heavy a burden — Shannan Dodson (IndigenousX/The Guardian): “It is unacceptable and a national disgrace that there have been at least 35 suicides of Indigenous people this year – in just 12 weeks – and three were children only 12 years old. The Kimberley region – where my mob are from – has the highest rate of suicide in the country. If the Kimberley was a country it would have the worst suicide rate in the world.”
I went undercover to expose the US, Australia gun lobby — Rodger Muller (Al Jazeera): “I’ve been living a double life for the past three years. As part of Al Jazeera’s elaborate infiltration of the United States’ gun lobby, I assumed the role of a gun advocate, pretending to campaign for a repeal of Australia’s rigid, gun control laws, and pretending that I wanted more firearms in the hands of Australian citizens.”
Nationals not down and out in NSW — Claire Taylor (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Much of this week’s election commentary about seats lost by the Nationals ignores the impact of retiring MPs, and mistakenly assumes that all country people are rusted-on Nationals voters. It is a furphy to say that the seat of Barwon has been a Nationals stronghold for more than 65 years.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
PRACTICE BY GUY RUNDLE
Practice distils Guy Rundle’s best writing on politics, culture, class and more. In it, he roves the campaign trails of Obama and Trump, Rudd and Abbott; rides the Greyhound around a desolate America; bails up Bob Katter and Pauline Hanson; and excavates the deeper meanings of everything from Nirvana to Anzac Day.
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Canberra
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Former Hillary Clinton foreign policy adviser Laura Rosenberger will present “US foreign policy in the 2020 presidential race, and where to after Trump?” at ANU National Security College.
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The National Press Club will host “Women in Economics: 2019-20 Federal Budget Perspectives” with Budget Policy Program Director at Grattan Institute Danielle Wood, Partner at Deloitte Access Economics Nicki Hutley and Senior Economic Consultant at Equity Economics Angela Jackson.
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The House of Representatives economics committee will interview ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott and NAB interim CEO Philip Chronican.
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Founding chair of Our Watch Natasha Stott Despoja will discuss her book On Violence with Lieutenant General David Morrison at an ANU/Canberra Times event.
Sydney
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Safe Encryption Australia will host a forum event on The Assistance and Access Act 2018 with Shadow Minister for Human Services and the Digital Economy Ed Husic, Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar, Girl Geek Academy CEO Sarah Moran and more.
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Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews will announce a $35 million investment into food provision.
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The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will launch its federal election campaign “Small Business is a Big Deal”, to focus on workplace relations, energy and skills.
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Independent expert on the UNHCR Working Group on Discrimination Against Women Elizabeth Broderick and journalist Sarah Ferguson will speak at Sydney Ideas event “Moving to a gender-equal world”.
Melbourne
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Victoria’s royal commission into the state police force’s use of informants, specifically “Lawyer X” Nicola Gobbo, will hold the first of its public hearings.
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An Auditor-General report will be tabled on investment in regional Victoria.
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The Victoria Energy Policy Centre will host seminar event “Why did wholesale market prices go up so much after Hazelwood Power Station closed?” with director Bruce Mountain and research fellow Steven Percy at Victoria University.
Brisbane
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Day one of the two-day Australian Energy and Minerals Investor Conference, to include a keynote from Queensland Resources Council CEO Ian Macfarlane amongst others.
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Day one of the three-day international Refugee Trauma Conference.
Hobart
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A new Centre for Antarctic, Remote and Maritime Medicine will be launched to hone specialised medical skills in the extreme Antarctic environment.
Perth
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WA Scientist of the Year Peter Newman and NASA Space architect Larry Toups will speak at Curtin University event “Climate change: What should WA be a leader in?”.
Townsville, Queensland
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Northern Australia Minister Matt Canavan and Senator Ian Macdonald will announce $730 million in federal funding to upgrade/seal roughly 700km of road across North Queensland.
Burnie, Tasmania
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Tasmanian Nationals Senator Steve Martin and Liberal candidate for Braddon Gavin Pearce will announce major funding for Burnie Council.
I would be checking the expenses to see who paid for the travel and the alcohol.