COLD CHISHOLM
Labor is considering challenging the Liberals’ Chisholm win in the Court of Disputed Returns, alleging misleading campaign material, the ABC reports.
The challenge revolves around Chinese-language how-to-vote cards, depicting a first preference next to Liberal candidate Gladys Lui with the words “copy exactly as it is to avoid an informal vote”, suggesting any other ranking would invalidate the ballot. Labor will also refer deceptive posters which appeared to mimic AEC branding which implied something similar. Liu has denied authorising the material (along with other misinformation spread about her opponent), though screenshots of the HTV cards were posted to her own WeChat account.
A successful challenge could trigger a byelection in the marginal seat.
CHANGE THE RULES
The Age reports that former Liberal Party president Trent Zimmerman is calling for new rules to disqualify candidates who disobey instructions and run below-the-line campaigns. Soon-to-be-former senator Jim Molan encouraged supporters to vote for him below the line, rather than following official Liberal HTVs that relegated him to an unwinnable fourth place on the NSW ticket, behaviour Zimmerman called “dishonourable”. Discussions are reportedly already underway to introduce such rules.
There may be hope for Molan yet, however, with an earlier Age report suggesting he may be on the shortlist to replace incoming ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos in the senate.
IT BEGINS
A “factional brawl” is set to break out over Labor’s senate leadership, with Kristina Keneally of the NSW Right being blocked in her bid for deputy by her own faction, The Guardian reports. South Australian power broker Don Farrell, the current senate deputy, has the backing of the Right, which allegedly sees Keneally as a self-promoter rather than a team player, The Age and SMH report.
The party will meet on Thursday to confirm its leadership, with sources saying Keneally is gauging support to run anyway, in a move that could cause “deep ructions within the party“. There is currently only one woman — senate leader Penny Wong — in Labor’s leadership team.
The Age adds that Bill Shorten will likely receive the disability portfolio, and potentially still harbours leadership ambitions.
[free_worm]
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
A wasteland in which to work.
Scott Morrison
The Prime Minister warns his new party room, two-thirds of which has never served in opposition, of the horrors of the other side of the chamber.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Sydney’s lockout laws likely to be relaxed as Premier orders review
Coalition’s big stick for energy firms at the ready ($)
Australia to achieve 50% renewables by 2030 without government intervention, analysis finds
Compulsory superannuation ‘bad policy’ for house-hunting millennials
EU tells Britain: There will be no renegotiation of Brexit deal
Corbyn backs referendum on Brexit deal after EU election exodus
Swedish court rejects bid to delay Julian Assange court hearing about rape allegation ($)
Australian military aircraft targeted with lasers in South China Sea
‘Last throw of the dice’: Rescued Australian climber was on fourth attempt to climb Everest
Warren Entsch declares war on plastic in new Great Barrier Reef envoy role
‘We have got to get this right’: Liberal MP warns broad support needed for Indigenous referendum
New multicultural affairs minister proud of campaign against ‘African gangs’
WA may lose a seat at the next federal election as slowing population growth threatens the state
‘Believing, trusting, loving, but she was so vulnerable’: Courtney’s mother grieves
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY
Manus detainees are making sure they can no longer be ignored
“In essence every person detained from August 27, 2013 until May 12, 2016 when the detention centre gates were opened — a period of 989 days — is entitled to damages for every one of those days. In Australia we would call it a false imprisonment claim. Yesterday lawyers for Behrouz Boochani, the celebrated author and journalist currently on Manus, filed an application for the independent assessment of the amount of those damages.”
The European Parliament’s Brexitstential crisis
“Well, elections for the European Parliament have been held, and the winner is… pretty much anyone you want it to be. With an unprecedented 50% turnout, the highest since direct voting to the institution began in 1979, voters went to nationalist and populist parties in greater numbers, to left and green parties, and away from the mainstream party blocs — which nevertheless maintained their overall control of the chamber.”
Welcome Paul Fletcher, new communications undertaker
“How much “dealing” Fletcher can do is questionable. The most powerful media groups in Australia are beyond his control — the mega-techs led by Facebook, Google and Amazon and the streaming giants Netflix, Disney Now, CBS All Access, HBO, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. Locally, there’s only Stan to compete. The government can pass as many new laws as it wants to, it can try and curtail and punish big tech companies but they are beyond its true reach, and business in Australia isn’t that vital to the giants. It’s US and European regulation that keeps Facebook and Google executives up at night, not Australian.”
THE COMMENTARIAT
Indigenous Australians can be bystanders no longer – June Oscar (The Age): “Two years ago, we gathered in the red dust for a ceremony at Uluru and offered a gift to all Australians. There was a great sense of hope about what this gift could deliver. A new beginning, an opportunity to re-define who we are as a country. A country that celebrates its First Peoples and resets the relationship between all Australians for a better future. Despite the recent setbacks and the rejections, I still hold a deep sense of hope, because I genuinely believe that this gift will benefit all Australians. And I believe that Australians are looking for a way to move forward together.”
Reading the vibe will never take the place of data ($) – Tory Shepherd (The Adelaide Advertiser): “Once you get down to booths, you may be able to sense something — you just might even be able to detect a “mood” at that level just by chewing the fat with people. Maybe. If you talk to a lot of the right people and they are representative of the voters. But even then, you can’t extrapolate it to a whole electorate. Blaming people — including journalists — for not “reading the mood” is part of this festering move towards trusting emotions over facts. Instinct over truth.”
Labor has a problem and its name is Pauline – Jody Fassina (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Labor’s new leader Anthony Albanese has rightly recognised the party has a “Queensland problem” with his first foray post-election being to visit the good folk of Longman an outer northern Brisbane seat. But it might be more accurate to say that Labor has a One Nation problem – and it goes beyond the Sunshine State. It was an accepted truism in Australian politics that Pauline Hanson’s One Nation damaged the LNP vote more than the Labor Party vote. The federal election result has turned that truism on its head.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
National
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National Reconciliation Week 2019 continues, with the theme of “Grounded in Truth Walk Together with Courage”. A full list of events can be found on the NRW website.
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The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare will release its annual report on the health of Australia’s prisoners in 2018.
Darwin
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Northern Territory Library will present the final “Treasures Talk: Indigenous Languages in our Collection” series, focusing on Indigenous language material.
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Comedian Amy Hetherington will host the NT Government’s “Digital Futures,” an all-day event aimed at encouraging women to consider jobs in tech.
Brisbane
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Brisbane City Council will hold “Brisbane’s Liveability”, a free collaborative forum encouraging people of all ages to explore the concept of liveability in Brisbane.
Melbourne
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The ABC’s Rafael Epstein will host the Victorian Council of Social Service post-budget breakfast, an opportunity for Victoria’s community sector to hear and questions treasurer Tim Pallas on the social policy initiatives in the 2019 budget.
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The African Australian Legal Network will hold the grand final of its inaugural AALN Mooting Competition at the Supreme Court, to be presided over by two justices and open to the public.
Adelaide
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Groups opposed to the demolition of Port Adelaide’s historic Shed 26 will continue their protests, gathering outside the office of the developer’s architect before marching to Adelaide Town Hall.
Canberra
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Scott Morrison’s new ministry will be sworn in by Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, before the new cabinet meets for the first time.
The rule that needs to be changed is the above-the-line voting system.
It was introduced when voters were required to fill in every box in the ballot, which could be as much as 100, or more.
Now there only has to be 12 votes cast, so the above-the-line system is no longer required, and should be abolished. Further changes would be the randomising of the candidates within a group/party, and the randomising of groups across the ballot.