ABORTION BILL MOVES FORWARD
A bill to decriminalise abortion has passed the New South Wales lower house, with new amendments extending safeguards around informed consent, provisions on conscientious objection for doctors, and requirements for specialists and approved public facilities for late-term abortions.
The ABC reports that the bill passed just before 11pm last night, with 59 votes in favour and 31 against. The bill will now head to the NSW Legislative Council. The lead-up to the debate was marked with misinformation over late-term abortions, and criticism of Premier Gladys Berejiklian for not speaking on the proposed legislation.
LAND DANGER
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a new report on the impact of global heating on both ecosystems and the land itself, finding that increased droughts, soil erosion and wildfires will correspond with diminishing crop yields and thawing permafrost near the Earth’s poles.
The Guardian reports that the new inquiry highlights how changes to the land sector produce just under a quarter of global emissions, notably through cattle herds, the destruction of forests and overuse of chemical fertilisers.
The report comes as The Courier-Mail ($) reveals that Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad wrote to federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in the wake of the election calling for a new clean economy agreement, a call Frydenberg rejected.
‘COLD WAR MENTALITY’
The Australian government remains unconvinced that a massive influx of Chinese development in Cambodia is not a disguised military base, as China rejects Australia’s “Cold War mentality”.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that both China and Cambodia continue to deny that their agreement involves plans to station troops and weapons at the site. Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, who compared Australia’s inability to contain the rising superpower to the “catastrophic failure” to stop the rise of Nazi Germany, has been praised by Coalition and Labor colleagues (although invoking Nazism earned a few rebukes).
[free_worm]
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
But if you, my fellow handballers … also happen to think that Junkee are a bunch of humourless, anti-handball narks, then why not take this to their own Facebook page and tell them what you think.
Kevin Rudd
After calling himself the “global handball king”, the former prime minister has a go at youth news website Junkee for some reason.
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY
The High Court got the law right on Banerji, and that law is wrong
“The High Court’s judgment in the case brought by former public servant Michaela Banerji comes at a very interesting moment. Thanks to the recent rash of Folau family sackings, everyone is talking about the contest between personal freedom and the employment contract. But how comparable are these cases? And what are the state of our freedoms when you can get sacked for being mean to the government on Twitter?”
My family tragedy was turned into true crime
“I’m writing to address the statements made by Maryrose Cuskelly in an article published in Crikey last month. I’m writing to defend my objection to this author’s inclusion in the Bendigo Writers Festival (BWF). I’m writing to outline my objections to the content of Cuskelly’s true crime book, Wedderburn: A True Tale of Blood and Dust, and how it was contrived. I’m writing to provide my first-hand insight into the pain, distress and utter devastation that this book’s very existence has inflicted on myself and my immediate family.”
After El Paso, conservatives must disown white supremacist terror
“Utoya… Christchurch… El Paso… that shrieking sound is the strings tightening, to snapping point. Three major white supremacist massacres, with a number of ‘smaller’ ones, attacks on churches and synagogues, interspersed. As violent Islamic extremism has been contained and demobilised in the West — although it may be a pause, rather than a cease — hard-right white terrorism has become patterned and regularised.”
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Labor says Coalition has failed to make case for Migration Act changes
BOM forecasts dangerous winds and blizzards to hit parts of NSW, Vic and SA
‘Doing nothing a non-option’: Porter pushes ahead on Family Court reform
James Packer’s sale of Crown shares will be subject to inquiry by NSW gaming regulator
AMP ignites adviser revolt ($)
RBA has ‘got it wrong’, says key Labor MP ahead of bank grilling
Campaign to axe Alan Jones blamed for 2GB profit slump ($)
Moon bugs: Crashed spacecraft accidentally spills life on lunar surface
THE COMMENTARIAT
Time to end the paradox in BHP’s response to global warming — Bob Carr (The Sydney Morning Herald): “The federal election in May relegated the prospect of ambitious carbon emission targets. But there’s been no slowdown in business planning for a post-carbon future; the strongest confirmation has been the speech by Andrew Mackenzie, CEO of BHP, the world’s largest mining company.”
How Chinese investment is challenging our academic freedom ($) — Bella d’Abrera (The Daily Telegraph): “Recent scenes of chaos at the University of Queensland as pro- and anti-Hong Kong freedom demonstrators squared off on campus, and reports that the Chinese-based families of anti-communist protesters have received visits from Beijing’s security apparatus, are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to infiltration of our universities by the Chinese Communist Party.”
Writing as a Sovereign Act — Melissa Lucashenko (Meanjin): “If you trace it back far enough you get to a Latin root, super, meaning ‘over’. So sovereignty in the English language really means being on top. Being the one with the power. ‘Highest, supreme or chief.’ Pretty easy concept. You look at the Queen of England and of Australia. She’s the one on all the coins.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Sydney
- Day one of the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference, to feature Tony Abbott, Nigel Farage and Mark Latham amongst others.
- Commissioner Michael Fuller and Police Minister David Elliott will open the new Redfern police station.
Canberra
- Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe will appear before the House Economics Committee. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority will also be questioned by MPs as part of the review of the performance and operation of Australia’s banking, insurance and superannuation regulator.
Brisbane
- The aged care royal commission will hold a public hearing.
Melbourne
- “King of Bollywood” Shah Rukh Khan will be awarded an honorary doctorate from La Trobe University.
- The Melbourne Fair will run until Sunday 11 August.
Hobart
- State Minister for Science and Technology Michael Ferguson will launch National Science Week in Tasmania at the Festival of Bright Ideas Schools’ Day.
Darwin
- Day one of the two-day Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Australia’s largest Indigenous art event.
Perth
- Environmental group Extinction Rebellion will protest in Forrest Chase.
- Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader Libby Mettam will speak at the 500 Club’s Transport Policy Breakfast.
Cairns, Queensland
- The prime minister and premiers will meet for COAG.
Australia
- The National Union of Students will hold mass walkouts in almost all capital cities to urge the governments, universities and the higher education sector to take climate action.
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.