BY OUR UNION AND BUSINESS POWERS COMBINED …

The ACTU, United Voice and the Australian Industry Group are set to join forces in a historic compact backing current migration figures in the face of far-right political factions calling for numbers to be cut.

The Australian ($) reports that the two dominant, often antithetical allies of the major parties — unions and big business — will today sign and release the joint “National Compact on Permanent Migration”, an unprecedented call to maintain the current goal of 190,000 migrants per year and for long-term figures to be set proportionally to the Australian population.

The ACTU will sign the document as part of a long-term campaign to limit employer access to temporary foreign workers. The AiGroup has, in turn, spoken on the economic benefits of Australian immigration and the need for members of the public to retain confidence in the program.

ABSOLUTE POWER PLAY REBUFFED

Australia’s Home Affairs department has hit back against suggestions its controversial facial recognition scheme should be restricted to serious criminal investigations and require warrants.

The Guardian reports that new legislation has been criticised at a parliamentary joint committee hearing for potentially violating Australians’ privacy with an expansive government surveillance system. The legislation has also been criticised for exceeding plans states had originally agreed to, and for its potential to enable prosecution of minor crimes such as jaywalking or littering.

SHIP A BRICK!

Shipwrecks accidentally discovered by MH370 investigators using sonar detection have been identified as 19th-century coal-carrying merchant vessels.

The ABC reports that analysis of the two wrecks, found more than 2300 kilometres off the coast of WA by investigators into missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in 2015, has narrowed their origins down to predominantly British coal-shipping sources. Research has also identified a large, six-metre-long “mystery chest” as a water tank and not, as we would have otherwise assumed, pirate treasure. 

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

I failed a lot of trans kids and a lot of LGBTIQ folks over the past few years. But as Still Point Turning reveals, I am just another flawed human being, who tried to survive a life crisis that took me to the brink of suicide. I was not always as serene as my hero Rahul Dravid. But art touches our soul and heals.

Catherine McGregor

The cricket commentator, ex-ADF member and subject of a new play detailing her life as a transwoman offers a thoughtful, complex apology for dismissing the controversial “Safe Schools” resource (and no I am not crying, you are crying).

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Only clowns in the Mirabella circusCharlie Lewis

“Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court is an art deco building on Faithfull Street. Tinted windows let golden light onto carpets of a grubby caramel colour — black spots with lighter yellow flowers. Faithfull Street is largely cafes and bars, edged by the tree-lined Ovens River that runs languid around the picturesque cathedral town. It’s here that the possibly self-defeating and certainly bizarre defamation case between former Indi MP Sophie Mirabella and the Benalla Ensign concluded yesterday, in Mirabella’s favour.”

How Australia (and the whole Asia Pacific region) rates for press freedomEmily Watkins

“Just days after Afghanistan suffered its deadliest day for journalists since the Taliban fell — and the world’s deadliest since the Charlie Hebdo massacre in 2015 — the United Nations is today marking World Press Freedom Day. The date usually prompts breakfasts, reports and awards, but we thought we’d take a more analytical look around our region to see how we fare when it comes to press freedom.”

Razer: my fantasy budget involves a certain Greek finance minister and a lot of leatherHelen Razer

“My budget fantasy involves a former Greek finance minister, a good measure of leather and, perhaps, some voice-over by British economist, Michael Roberts. As Yanis Varoufakis removes his chaps and texts me, personally, to commend my choice of outfit for the global debt jubilee, Roberts narrates the final crash to, say, a trembling Peter Costello, before whom the ghost of Rosa Luxemburg appears — also in a very nice outfit — and persuades him to eat all WorkChoices documents while writing, ‘yes, capitalism has a crisis tendency’ one hundred times on the forehead of Scott Morrison.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Triple-0 outages affecting NSW, Victoria and WA after cable cut

ABC boss Michelle Guthrie writes grovelling apology to Kevin Rudd as ‘Cabinet Files’ scoop backfires

Labor promises to ban live sheep exports and have meat processed in Australia

Liberal MP Julia Banks’ claim she could live on $40 a day rebutted by Business Council

A Controversial Greens Candidate Has Backflipped On Sex Worker Rights After Intense Pressure

Police search in Brazil for former lover of murdered Sydney executive

Seven reporter Josh Massoud threatened to ‘slit’ colleague’s throat

Shift to renewables would save Australians $20bn a year – report

Police commissioner Reece Kershaw gives evidence in trial of former Northern Territory top cop John McRoberts ($)

AMP directors in crisis talks to save jobs ($)

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Adelaide

  • Federal, state and territory education ministers will attend an Education Council meeting with David Gonski about his latest education report. Federal Minister Simon Birmingham will deliver a doorstop address following the briefing.

Canberra

  • Voting begins for the election of Labor’s next federal president: Mark Butler v Wayne Swan. Will end June 15.

  • Joint standing hearing on review of Defence annual report will see department officials quizzed on their annual report and key issues in Defence.

  • Jeremey Soame, the grandson of Winston Churchill, will present a model replica of a British Churchill statue to Geocon.

Sydney

  • A parliamentary inquiry will look into the future of work and feature appearances from government, business and startup representatives.

  • Experts will speak at a “New Urban Agenda”, a UNSW conference on creating sustainable, resilient cities.

Perth

  • One hundred and eighty Starlight Children’s Foundation volunteers will paint Murray Street Mall purple and yellow as part of fundraising event, with volunteers also appearing at Princess Margaret Hospital.

  • Real Estate Institute of Western Australia Centenary Exhibition explores 100 years of the WA real estate industry.

Melbourne

  • Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas will deliver a post-budget address to the state’s social justice, advocacy and support bodies.

  • The Australian Ballet will deliver dance workshops to promote STEM subjects and then perform Coppelia to 200-plus primary school students at Government House.

Port Sorel, Tasmania

  • Labor candidate for the newly-created seat of Prosser Janet Lambert will be joined by state Opposition Leader Rebecca White for the final day of campaigning before the legislative council election. An election for the new division of Hobart will also be held tomorrow.

Southport, Queensland

  • Artist Dean Home will present new work in “Songbirds, Poets and Mountain Peaks” and launch his book “Dean Home – An Artist’s Journey” by Ken McGregor.

THE COMMENTARIAT

It’s the $65bn question that the Business Council can’t answer — Kristina Keneally (The Guardian): “Fast forward to 2018. I’m now a Labor senator. King is still the chair of the BCA, which has voluntarily provided a ‘Commitment to the Senate’ promising that 10 of their member companies will ‘invest more’ if we vote for the Turnbull government’s tax cut for big businesses. Given that $65bn of revenue is at stake, some senators were curious to find out what ‘invest more’ means in terms of specifics, and called for an inquiry.”

Malcolm Turnbull has become a de-facto climate denier — Giles Parkinson (RenewEconomy): “Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been delivered two home truths this week about his failure to act on climate change, and his refusal to tackle his party’s right-wing ideologues. The first was a speech, more a thinly disguised lecture, from visiting France president Emmanuel Macron, who eviscerated Turnbull in front of a big audience at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday night.”

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