PREACHING CONVERSION

Liberal MPs have spoken out against a push from a Victorian branch to encourage “conversion therapy” and remove discrimination protections for LGBTIQ people.

The Age reports that federal Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman and some unnamed state MPs have hit out against the motions, set to be debated at the Victorian Liberal Party’s state council motions and proposed by a Young Liberal branch linked to federal MP Kevin Andrews. Conversion therapy has long been dismissed by health professionals as pointless and disastrous for its mental health impact: as Zimmerman says, “the real debate is whether so-called gay conversion therapy should be regarded as a form of child abuse.”

EMISSION STATEMENT

A policy design paper circulated among state leaders has revealed that under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull‘s controversial National Energy Guarantee, states’ attempts to reduce emissions will not be factored into the national target. Furthermore, the paper recommends a review of reduction targets only every five years.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the 12-page Commonwealth Design Elements briefing, the second of two papers circulated among the states ahead of Friday’s COAG meeting on energy policy, also “provides for emission exemptions for trade-exposed companies that constitute as much as one fifth of demand”. Manufacturing Australia has welcomed the exemption, but Victoria, Queensland and the ACT have all voiced opposition to any energy plans that undermine their renewable energy targets or unfairly benefit less ambitious states with low, averaged national targets.

 

CEREMONY WITHOUT THE CEREMONY

Seven News presenters Johanna Griggs and Basil Zempilas have slammed organisers of last night’s Commonwealth Games closing ceremony for the decision to have athletes in the stadium before the ceremony and broadcast began. Consequently, Seven was unable to broadcast footage of anyone doing much of anything at all.

In their live-to-air wrap up of last night’s event, Griggs and Zempilas made clear that the decision not to air footage of para-sports star Kurt Fearnley bearing the Australian flag or other athletes entering the stadium was down to host organisers, who Griggs argued “actually wreck[ed] a tradition”. ABC coverage of the incident includes similar criticism from social media users, including former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. 

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

It’s the peoples’ front of judea, but for coal.

Scott Ludlam

The former Greens senator and current Monty Python nerd reacts to news of a Barry O’Sullivan vs Tony Abbott schism within the Coal-Ash Forum ($).  

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Russian President Vladimir Putin warns of global ‘chaos’ if West strikes Syria again

Labor tax switch a ‘$1bn-a-year blow to states’ ($)

Syria conflict: Britain says no more Syria strikes planned as Assad condemns ‘act of aggression’

Israeli PM Netanyahu says Lucy Turnbull has given promise on sheep issue

Road-user charging: Stop delaying the inevitable switch, AAA warns ($)

Leaders’ summit pushes stronger Commonwealth ties ($)

Clive Palmer at a loss over millions in payments to women ($)

Sleepless night ahead as Sydney bushfire continues to burn

Flesh-eating ulcer outbreak ‘exploding epidemic’ in Victoria

WHAT’S ON TODAY

London, England

  • Commonwealth heads of government will meet in the UK over four days, with both Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expected to attend.

Melbourne

  • Second round of the hearings for the banking royal commission will begin, featuring first witness ASIC deputy chair Peter Kell and including a focus on financial planning and the wealth management industry

Sydney

  • ICAC’s Operation Dasha public inquiry will being, set to investigate whether former Canterbury City councillors such as Michael Hawatt and Pierre Azzi acted dishonestly and/or partially in relation to environmental planning proposals.

  • The City of Sydney will launch a new program for the 2018 Sydney City Region Business Awards. 

Canberra

  • Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan will launch a preview of highly accurate satellite positioning technology being trialled for regional aircrafts across the Australasian region.

Perth

  • WA Health Minister Roger Cook will call on the federal government to give the state a greater share of health funding.

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

  • Up to 300 Australian athletes from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth will meet with fans.

Hobart

  • The Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania will launch new online resource, “Legal Talk”.

Adelaide

  • SA Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgway will open the 2018 Australian Tourism Exchange, a four day event set to bring roughly 1,600 tourism delegates from 540 Australian tourism businesses to meet with 650 international travel wholesalers from more than 30 countries.

  • SA Police will host a community meeting at the Port Noarlunga Arts Centre to discuss ongoing safety issues.

Australia

  • Start of National Advance Care Planning Week, an initiative encouraging all Australians to make their future health care preferences known.

THE COMMENTARIAT

At some point, climate change must be injected into the energy debate — Peter Hannam (Sydney Morning Herald): “Sydney not only had its hottest April day with 35.4 degrees on April 9, but backed it up with a trio of days above 30 degrees. The last of the three coincided with the ignition of a dangerous fire that threatened south-western suburbs and the Holsworthy army base. Given the heatwave unfolded during days when Australia’s energy future is being widely thrashed out in the media and by politicians, it’s surprising that climate change has barely earned a mention.”

Trump’s strike against Assad futile, but will make him feel better — Peter Hartcher (Sydney Morning Herald): “After an unhappy century, the Western powers are leaving the Middle East in a state of dangerous disarray but sought to retrieve a little dignity on the way out. The US, Britain and France on the weekend launched missiles at a handful of Syrian government sites to defend the global ban on the use of chemical weapons.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

NBN Co always had obsolete technology, now it has to admit itMichael Sainsbury

“The timing couldn’t not have been more exquisite as Bill Morrow, the chief executive of Malcolm Turnbull and Ziggy Switkowski’s shambling joke of a national broadband network, was grilled about the fast-emerging 5G mobile broadband technology at a Senate hearing on April 10.”

Border Force
Border Force can’t even seem to deport a man competentlyRebekah Holt

“Last week I lost a friend. Well, actually Border Force and Home Affairs have lost him. I knew the extravagantly funded department of Home Affairs was incapable of detaining people humanely in Australia but it turns out they can’t even deport someone efficiently either. Last Friday with no warning my friend H* was taken from a detention centre in Australia and sent to the country he was born in and now we can’t find him.”

The truth about the ‘Labor mole’ hiding within the GreensGuy Rundle

“Ever since the mainstream media splashed the story of an internal Greens’ complaint against Batman candidate Alex Bhathal (a month after Crikey broke the story), rumours have been running wild of a Labor ‘mole’ within the Greens in the Darebin branch. The story doesn’t check out, per se, and appears to have been a ghost meme from that time, long ago, when former Batman member David Feeney was seen as a wily factional operator rather than a hopeless booby who almost lost Labor the inner city.”

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