BAN PLAN

Members of both sides of politics have broken ranks to support a ban on live sheep exports, following the release of whistleblower footage of sheep dying and suffering heat stress aboard a trip to the Middle East in August last year.

The Guardian reports that Liberal MP and former health minister Sussan Ley plans to introduce a private member’s bill to ban the practice. Labor MP Josh Wilson has also reiterated his support of a ban, and Greens’ MP Adam Bandt confirmed he would join any cross-party action after launching a number of unsuccessful Greens bills.

FANCY SEEING YOU HERE

Three Australian warships were challenged by the Chinese military while travelling through the hotly contested South China Sea earlier this month.

The ABC reports that Australia’s HMAS Anzac, HMAS Toowoomba and HMAS Success passed through the South China Sea on their way to Vietnam, for a three-day goodwill visit, when they were challenged by members of China’s People’s Liberation Army engaging in naval exercises. An anonymous defence official says the exchanges were polite but “robust”, and, since news of the story broke, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has reiterated Australia’s right to travel through the waters.

TRASH-FLOW PROBLEM

A Melbourne lord mayor candidate is advocating for a trash-to-electricity hub as a solution to both the city’s growing population, and China’s foreign waste recycling ban.

The Age reports that Jennifer Yang has put forward an “urgent, comprehensive feasibility study” into a new waste management, recycling and water treatment centre in Melbourne’s Fishermans Bend, where plans are already underway for a similar “waste-to-energy” plant. Yang’s proposal coincides with a push from England to end plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds across Commonwealth countries at this week’s CHOGM summit.

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

So I guess now we know the banks misbehaviour is extremely serious we will see televised police raids of bank HQ, police visits to CEO homes & CEOs dragged off in Paddy wagons as they did to unions for suspected issues which came to absolutely nothing #BanksRC

Sally McManus

The ACTU secretary lets fly on another day of the banking royal commission and last year’s largely ridiculous AFP raids on Australian Workers’ Union offices.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Royal commission: banks face new fines of up to $210m ($)

Centrelink threatens to charge interest on $900m worth of welfare debts

‘Untenable’: AMP board under pressure following royal commission

Newspoll: Coalition closes the gap in Victorian election year ($)

Whistleblower sued by NDIS provider LiveBetter after allegations aired

Government property boss faces inquiry into alleged mobster links

Michael McCormack says he has ‘no view’ on gay conversion therapy

Island of no return: Vanuatu evacuates entire population of volcanic Ambae

North Korea wants total denuclearisation, says Seoul

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Then and now: the pollies left red-faced over banking commission back-pedalingBhakthi Puvanenthiran and Bernard Keane

“With headlines like ‘AMP execs warned they risk jail’ gracing the front page of the Fin Review, anger and disillusionment with the sector seems ubiquitous. But this animosity wasn’t always so clear. In fact, the Turnbull government was dragged kicking and screaming into the Hayne royal commission. Let’s have a look at just how much things have changed.”

Look at it from South Africa’s point of view …Meredith Burgmann

“South African citizens unfortunately believe that what Dutton says represents what Australians really think (after all, he is our Immigration Minister). It is a headache for Julie Bishop and worse for Malcolm Turnbull (he cannot afford to publicly rebuke Dutton for dog-whistling because Dutton is the most senior conservative still in his camp).”

The royal commission isn’t exposing flaws in the system — this IS the systemBernard Keane

“As anyone with a rash will tell you, treating symptoms is quite important, but they’ll simply recur without seeing the underlying causes. Let’s tease out how what we’ve seen this week is the result of the way we’ve done economic policy in general, not just individual malfeasance or conflicted structures.”

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Melbourne

  • Federal, state and territory energy ministers will discuss the National Energy Guarantee, as well as environmental groups protest outside, at the COAG Energy Council.

  • Vic Police will conduct a burn-off in woodland along the Great Ocean Road as part of an investigation into the 2016 “mistaken identity” murder of Muhamed Yucel.

  • Parents and carers can get free child and baby seat check by expert fitters today, as part of a joint initiative between Early Learning Association Australia, VicRoads South Eastern Road Safety Group and Premier Daniel Andrews.

Canberra

  • Parliamentary inquiry reports on the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Combatting Corporate Crime) Bill 2017, the Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2017, and implications of climate change on Australia’s national security due.

Bundaberg/Yeppoon, Queensland

  • Search for a missing man aboard a gyrocopter while on a flight between Bundaberg and Yeppoon will resume at first light.

Sydney

  • The NSW Police Force Dog Unit will announce the names of 12 new recruits as chosen by sick kids at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

THE COMMENTARIAT

What do we need? A royal commission into tax evasion now — Jenna Price (Sydney Morning Herald): “Why do we need a royal commission into tax? We need it precisely because the government tells us there is no problem with tax compliance by big business. In exactly the same way, it told us there was no problem with banks.”

Israel Folau saga shows there’s a whole new ball game in sports media — John McDuling, Megan Levy and Kathryn Wicks (Sydney Morning Herald): “Israel Folau has dominated sports news headlines this week (at least in Sydney). The Rugby star’s anti-gay comments have upset equality advocates, unsettled sponsors and put further pressure on an already beleaguered Rugby Australia. But for media observers and obsessives, the episode highlights a subtle change in the way sports news is announced and controlled, with potentially significant implications for the publishing business.”

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