SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $3–10 BILLION
The Coalition has conceded its prized surplus to fund a federal stimulus package that — while set to be presented Tuesday and settled after Wednesday — could be worth up to $10 billion, The Australian ($) reports. However, in a Sydney Morning Herald article detailing Labor’s call for unemployment support for casual workers, that figure is only listed at over $3 billion.
TALKING POINT: Despite pressure from Labor, Centre Alliance and the Greens, Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has ruled out raising Newstart as part of the “short term” initiatives, The New Daily reports.
A DIVIDED NSW COALITION
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s public support for a One Nation bill to open up uranium mining and nuclear power has provoked outrage from colleagues, with one senior Coalition minister telling the Sydney Morning Herald they would quit cabinet before supporting the bill.
FUN FACT: This makes two potentially dicey energy bills for the Berejiklian government in as many workdays, with a NSW upper house committee last week rejecting proposed “downstream emissions” changes for coal mining approvals.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES SUSPENDED
The West Australian Labor government has quietly suspended essential services — namely, maintaining bores and generators — across 25 abandoned or infrequently habited remote Indigenous communities, The Australian ($) reports.
The suspensions — which include an area evacuated due to fire and flood, and another that has acted as a rangers’ camp — come as part of heavy investment from the state government in 10 of the largest remote communities.
[free_worm]
WAIT, WAIT, THERE’S GOOD NEWS!
Finally, in what has to be the first good bit of news in literal weeks, Australia has won the Women’s T20 World Cup for the fifth time, thumping India by 85 runs at the MCG, the ABC reports.
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
Shell is becoming She’ll for International Women’s Day, showing that by just adding an apostrophe to their name, small gestures can motivate and deliver big messages.
She’ll
The fossil fuel giant celebrates IWD with a PR move destined to please roughly nobody.
CRIKEY RECAP
Democracy dies in darkness — but as AAP shows, it can be seriously hurt in daylight
“Can anyone else think of a situation when the two biggest players in a market, both of which are listed on the ASX, get together and agree to close a joint venture which is a key supplier to most of their smaller competitors?”
Another sad, sorry week for this denialist government
“Point by point, brushstroke by brushstroke, a picture emerged this week of just how ugly things are for Australia.
“Senate estimates further revealed how deeply corrupt this government is, and how entirely indifferent it is to basic integrity.”
Beyond shaming: women who campaign for men ‘resent gender narratives’
“As conservative commentator Bettina Arndt continues to make headlines with her controversial claims about domestic violence, it seems that women who campaign for men are becoming a hot topic for debate.
“Crikey takes a look at some of Australia’s more prominent figures and asks: what motivates them?”
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Russian ambassador accuses AFP of cover-up on eve of MH17 trial
Sport Australia defies Senate on questions over sports rorts grants
Pressure mounts on Health Minister to apologise to coronavirus GP
Charity World Vision in allegations of corruption and nepotism
Guardian staff blast Suzanne Moore’s ‘anti-trans’ column ($)
Saudi Arabia releases images of King Salman after purge of royals
THE COMMENTARIAT
Cool heads will prevail in crisis ($) — Josh Frydenberg (The Australian): “Seeing footage over the weekend of people involved in a supermarket scuffle over access to items was disturbing. Now is the time for Australians to be calm and look after one another, reassured by the fact that the government is putting the safety of citizens first.”
Scott Morrison isn’t trying to prevent a recession — Michael Pascoe (The New Daily): “I almost feel sorry for Josh Frydenberg. A second-rate Treasurer before the COVID-19 crisis, he is now facing a challenge that could beat the very best.”
Be honest Australia, you’re not ‘meeting and beating’ your emissions targets — Christiana Figueres (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Emissions have increased in every calendar year since 2014. The government’s own projections say Australia will reduce emissions by only 16 per cent by 2030, not the 26 to 28 per cent it promised in Paris, nor the 50 per cent required by science to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Sydney
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The Economics Legislation Committee will hold public hearings as part of an inquiry into superannuation changes.
Melbourne
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The annual Moomba Parade will begin, with monarchs/comedians Julia Morris and Nazeem Hussain.
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The University of Melbourne will host a symposium titled “After-Life: the digital future of visual history archives”, to include a book launch for The Routledge International Handbook of New Digital Practices in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Heritage Sites.
Brisbane
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Far-right party Queensland Conservatives will host a state election forum titled “Where to now for the conservative movement in Queensland?” with Lyle Shelton, David Goodwin, and Bernard Gaynor.
Perth
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Senator Michaelia Cash will help launch a new ‘Cellr’ app aimed at allowing customers to verify their product’s provenance.
Australia
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State public holidays will be held in South Australia (Adelaide Cup), Victoria (May Day), ACT (Canberra Day) and Tasmania (Eight Hours Day).
Big? Isn’t it just promises like the Bushfire Fund? Won’t it be reversed through equal cuts in the May Budget? All that matters is that journalists rewrite the press releases and print plenty of photos of scummo, conmann, and Fryd.
Class warfare via the two dominant conservative parties has for four decades been driving the looting of our society for the benefit of the filthy rich, local and transnational. It will continue to asset- and income-strip our society for as long and for as far as we let them get away with it.
Morrison’s Misgovernment has set Commonwealth expenditure as a percentage of GDP to fall from 25% to 23.5% over the next decade, while cutting revenue through tax giveaways to the richest. Labor supports the first part, and much of the second. More people but less services – all the extra loot going to the rich! To the rich, that is “reform”.
Class in Australia is equally well demonstrated by the tolerance of white-collar crime versus the aggressive penalising of blue-collar crime – and of political protest, such as against the Adani mine or live animal exports or greyhound racing.
Nothing significant has come of the Hayne Royal commission, since the morrison Misgovernment has walked away from its recommendations, bar a crooked industry having to repay up to $10,000 million of stolen money this financial year. But observe how easily they are doing it, and how little their shareholders care!