Labor to refer travel document scandal to police

DOCUMENT SCANDAL ESCALATES

Labor says it plans to refer Energy Minister Angus Taylor to the police over the allegedly “forged” document used to attack Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, The Guardian reports.

Taylor — who incorrectly accused Moore of spending $15 million on travel, backed up with a questionable council document his office provided to The Daily Telegraph — has denied the incorrect figures were the work of anyone in his office, insisting he relied on files downloaded from the City of Sydney website. Labor asked Taylor yesterday whether he was aware it was an offence to fail to bring information about a forgery to the attention of authorities, with MP Mark Butler warning that the opposition will refer the issue to the police within 24 hours if the government doesn’t first.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Police say all 39 people found dead in a truck trailer in the UK are believed to be Chinese nationals, the ABC reports.

The eight women and 31 men will undergo a “full coroner’s process” to establish cause of death before any of them are identified. Officials have raided three properties in Northern Ireland, with the truck’s driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, remaining in custody on suspicion of murder. The British National Crime Agency has been called in to assist with the investigation, saying it has been asked to identify any “organised crime groups who may have played a part”, Nine reports.

AFP PROBES FIGHTERS

The AFP is investigating allegations that Australian ISIS fighters bought Yazidi women and held them as sex slaves ($), The Australian reports.

The investigation, part of a wider AFP probe into Australians in Syria, has collected a number of “harrowing” statements from the women, who say they suffered brutal treatment at the hands of Australian fighters. The AFP has also doubled the size of its investigation into Australians in Syria, with a view to ­draw up indictments against foreign fighters. Meanwhile, new footage has revealed the horrific abuse of a slain female fighter by Turkish forces, with Kurdish sources saying “these are the very same methods [used by] Islamic State”.

[free_worm]

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

The shadow treasurer served at the knee of Wayne Swan. He’s at one with the former treasurer. He’s Obi-Swan Kenobi. 

Scott Morrison

The prime minister likens Labor’s Jim Chalmers to a Star Wars character (er, who wants to tell him Obi-Wan was one of the good guys?).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Key details of first home buyer scheme yet to be made public

Canberra critical of Victoria’s deepening engagement with China’s controversial Belt and Road initiative

Great Barrier Reef: Coral cover around popular islands has almost halved

Brexit: Boris Johnson to ask for general election on 12 December

Migration appeals tribunal struggling with workload and clearance targets

Extinction Rebellion: Queensland passes laws to crack down on climate protesters

‘Insufficient evidence’: AFP drops investigation into John Setka

Hillsong pastor Brian Houston unsure about PM’s White House invite

‘Abuse of parliamentary privilege’: Senator goes after ATO Commissioner

NSW towns at ‘high risk’ as the drought saps confidence

‘Mike Pence tells Hong Kong protesters in China speech: ‘We stand with you’

‘He is loyal to his country’, says wife of arrested Australian intelligence officer

Beware religious freedom fallout: churches keen for further talks on Bill ($)

DFAT in the dark on PM’s call on China ($)

Don’t extend coal power plants: Origin ($)

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Where did Australia’s Right To Know come from?

Chris Woods

Oct 24, 2019

9

“After peaking at 18 submissions in 2009, ranging from everything from suppression orders to uniform defamation, ARTK entered an unofficial limbo. Writing for Crikey in 2012, David Salter noted that the group’s last press release was in May 2010, and that the default organiser (Chapman) would only say that they had not ‘had a huge number of issues on the table for the past 12 to 18 months’. Salter speculated that the lull had more to do with funding and internal inconsistencies, as well a change in leadership to Hartigan’s successor (and non-journalist) Kim Williams in 2011. Hartigan, who departed News Corp in 2011 after 41 years of service, puts this hiatus down to a natural exhaustion of momentum. It likely isn’t a coincidence that the recent surge in submissions — from one in 2012 to more than 15 this year — correlates with the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison governments’ much more aggressive crackdown on metadata, foreign interference and encryption.”

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Illegal strip-searches are a form of assault

Michael Bradley

Oct 24, 2019

3

“But seriously, why are we even having this conversation? Even the NSW government’s stupid refusal of pill-testing and its “just say no” rhetoric is supposedly predicated on keeping kids safe. Why are we punishing them with gross personal invasion and humiliation? Even the most bone-headed ‘law ‘n’ order’ reactionary must surely notice that their ‘if you’ve done nothing wrong…’ insistence crashes into their other pet obsession: personal liberty. We’re strip-searching children — 30% of whom have a few pills on them and 70% have done nothing at all. The LECC inquiry has flushed out what was already obvious: NSW police don’t know the law and are likely committing unlawful personal assaults. But don’t blame Constable Plod; he’s merely performing the inevitable consequence of a police state mentality which is now absolutely out of control.”

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Behind the scenes of BuzzFeed’s investigation into NOW

Amber Schultz

Oct 24, 2019

“Journalists Hannah Ryan and Gina Rushton spent weeks investigating the story. They were initially tipped off by a statement from NOW outlining some post-launch problems. ‘We were all struck by how frank it was, and figured that if so much was being admitted on the website, a whole lot more must have happened behind the scenes,’ Sainty told Crikey. Ryan and Rushton contacted more than 20 journalists, sexual assault survivors, NOW board members, advocates and experts. They outlined how the founder, Tracey Spicer, took on a role a team of 10 couldn’t handle; described how survivors were affected; and analysed NOW’s large-scale organisational issues.”

THE COMMENTARIAT

The racing industry wants us to forget and move on. We cannot allow it – Mehreen Faruqi (The Age/Sydney Morning Herald): “The industrial-scale slaughter of ex-racehorses that no longer turn a profit has always been an open secret in the industry. But surely on the eve of the race that stops the nation, our top priority should be to stop the cruelty. So where to from here? The federal government must show leadership. A national traceability scheme is the least they can do to ensure transparency, but the horse racing industry needs to go much further. They must make a commitment to stop racehorses being slaughtered. A horse traceability system could include a requirement for knackeries and abattoirs to scan all horses. If they are found to be from the racing industry, the racing industry must rescue them and take full responsibility. In the interim, the industry must buy back any racehorses that end up at abattoirs and knackeries.”

It’s through our stories that trauma can be transformed into spirit-soaring beauty – John Harvey (The Guardian): “Recently I moved from a city I love, with my beautiful wife and two kids, to the bush. My family gathered at our place for the 10-year anniversary of my ama’s passing. I asked my dad if he would say a few words. My dad is a carpenter but also a storyteller. He said: “I don’t want this to be a sad time, or speak of a sad story. I want to share a story of a fond memory I have of your mother for the grandkids and for the family.” And in this moment, as we gathered around the table, he shared a story that lifted our spirits and brought healing to our family. Our stories may come from places of hurt, but they have the ability to unite us as conscious beings, to allow us to grow as people and make our audiences lean in to learn our truth. Storytelling will always be, for me, a process of spiritual strengthening.”

Press freedom still the same old story ($) – John Rolfe (The Daily Telegraph): “Daily Telegraph readers were left with: ‘The elderly … are being … abused … and … neglected … inside our … nursing … homes. … The Government … won’t … tell … you … which ones.’ That edition carried a story I had written on a survey of Australians’ opinions on what the ATO was doing on the sly and the lack of information on mistreatment in aged-care facilities. In both cases, around 80 per cent said they were concerned. As was I. Particularly about the secrecy over what has been going on in nursing homes. To be honest, I thought the claim may be incorrect. What possible reason could there be to hide information that would help people decide if a home was safe for a loved one?”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Canberra

• Ex-military lawyer David McBride will appear in court for the first of two pre-trial applications, after allegedly leaking classified documents about war crimes committed by Australian troops.

Melbourne

• Hospo Voice will hold a press conference before mediation with Rockpool over claims of widespread wage theft.

• State and federal agriculture ministers will meet to discuss race horses and other issues.

• Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley will address the Rural Press Club on the challenges facing farmers, communities and the environment throughout the Murray Darling Basin.

• Chyka Keebaugh of Real Housewives and two of Australia’s top female breast cancer researchers will launch the “Her Lab Coats” campaign by Breast Cancer Trials.

Sydney

• Members of Extinction Rebellion who were arrested during the movement’s recent Spring Rebellion will have a bail variation request heard.

• Insurance giant IAG will hold its AGM.

Adelaide

• A human-sized hen cage will be set up, giving Adelaide shoppers the chance to experience what life is like for a layer hen.

• Qantas will hold its AGM for 2019.

National

• #StopAdani groups will protest at GHD offices around the country to call on the company to stand with the community and not Adani.