Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson resigns

WILSON RESIGNS

The most senior Catholic official to have ever been convicted of concealing child sex abuse, Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson, has given in to weeks of intense pressure to resign.

The ABC reports that Pope Francis had accepted Wilson’s resignation, delivered on July 20 after the archbishop was found guilty in May of covering up child abuse by paedophile priest Jim Fletcher in the 1970s. Wilson intends to appeal the verdict, but — after originally saying he planned to stay on in the role and that his “resignation was not requested” — has said he decided to resign over community hurt from the conviction.

However, The Australian ($) has claimed that Pope Francis “effectively sacked” Wilson, after multiple Australian bishops, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and opposition leader Bill Shorten called on the Archbishop to resign or be sacked by the Pope. Turnbull has welcomed Wilson’s decision, which “belatedly recognises the many calls, including my own, for him to resign”.

MAL CONTENT WITH TAX CUTS

Prime Minister Turnbull has defied internal pressure to budge on his company tax cut package after the Coalition’s losses at the Super Saturday byelections.

The Daily Telegraph ($) reports that Turnbull has personally told senior colleagues of his commitment to cut taxes for businesses earning more than $50 million per annum, and, despite the concerns over the Longman swing, will put it to another vote when Parliament returns in August.

However, on the plus side for worried colleagues, the Coalition’s relationship with the politically powerful Catholic schools sector has improved. The Australian ($) reports that Turnbull personally intervened last Friday to help restore a funding shortfall of up to $1.7 billion over the next decade.

HALTING MATILDA

Australian journalist and New Matilda editor Chris Graham has reportedly been detained by the Israeli Navy on board the vessel Al Awda, which formed part of the humanitarian and activist Freedom Flotilla coalition aimed at ending a decade-long blockade of a Gaza port.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has released a statement saying two Israeli-born members of the crew have been released and charged with “attempting to enter Gaza and conspiracy to commit a crime”, while the rest remain in prison. New Matilda editor Graham had detailed his journey in an article released just prior to his detention, and has since had a message recorded in case of arrest, released on YouTube.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale has called on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to establish the safety and wellbeing of activists on board the ship, including Graham, and has said, “the illegal and inhumane blockade of Gaza must end immediately, and I commend those who are part of the peaceful campaign to end it”.

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THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

This an extraordinary situation – a private charity financially supported by mining firms, big banks and the BCA has been handed nearly half-a-billion dollars of taxpayer money in a private meeting by the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Kristina Keneally

After directing questions at an inquiry, the Labor Senator reflects on the $8 million/pa Great Barrier Reef Foundation being handed $443.8 million in funding in a meeting with Turnbull, Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg and Environment Department secretary Finn Pratt.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Longman shocker an ominous sign for TurnbullBernard Keane

“But all of that was obliterated by a shocker of a result in Longman, a seat that really should have been winnable given Labor only fluked it in 2016 off the back of One Nation and Katter Party preferences. This time, One Nation were preferencing the LNP. Instead, the LNP vote fell into the twenties, while Labor lifted into the forties. Despite Malcolm Turnbull’s effort to declare ‘nothing to see here’ yesterday — you can always tell how bad an election result is by the time it takes Turnbull to appear afterward — it’s a nightmare result.”

Cricket Australia sacking: what are your rights when you’re fired for tweeting?Charlie Lewis

“Former Cricket Australia government relations and infrastructure manager, Angela Williamson alleged in Fairfax Media this morning she was sacked for tweets she made on a personal account campaigning for greater access to abortion in her home state of Tasmania.”

Here’s how Turnbull can fix My Health Record messBen Grubb

“As the privacy and security controversy surrounding the Turnbull government’s My Health Record debacle enters its third week, there were no concrete resolutions in sight to allay the concerns of the Australian people, whose rights were literally being politicised in the process.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Rein in sceptics or we’ll walk: Victoria’s ultimatum on energy scheme

Residents at North Eastern Community Nursing Home drugged and restrained, audit reveals ($)

Government denies interfering in sacking for abortion tweets ($)

Ipswich ratepayers should foot the bill to compensate sacked councillors: LGAQ

MH370 investigators unable to determine cause of disappearance unless ‘wreckage is found’

The gig economy is a myth, survey finds

Inquiry wants Indigenous recognition views

‘Hayne to blame’: Rich-lister Christian Beck can’t get a bank loan ($)

‘Unique and alarming’: Engineers to be tested as rain events intensify

Jose Ramos-Horta calls on Australia to drop prosecution against Witness K and lawyer Bernard Collaery

AFR Innovation Summit: Business prepares for wave of AI ($)

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Sydney

• Day one of the two-day Australian Clean Energy Summit 2018, with speakers to include Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Mark Butler, Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale, and Victorian Energy and Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio.

• A federal parliamentary committee will hold an inquiry into impediments to business investment.

• ACOSS and UNSW Sydney will release their ‘Inequality in Australia 2018′ report, which highlights the disparity between high income earners and those on the lowest incomes.

• The Sydney Fringe Festival will announce their biggest program ever under the Kings Cross Coca-Cola sign, with key performers and staff in full costume.

• A panel of students from Melbourne’s RMIT and Perth’s Curtin University will discuss how they contributed to global virtual reality project ‘Life on Mars’, launched to advance work initially done for NASA’s Mars 2030 program, and offer demonstrations of the technology.

Brisbane

• Day five of Queensland budget estimates will hear from Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Dr Steven Miles, Minister for Communities; and Disability Services and Seniors Coralee O’Rourke, and Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women; and Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Di Farmer. 

Canberra

• The annual Housing Income and Labour Dynamics Survey (HILDA) survey will be released.

Darwin

• A federal parliamentary committee will hold an inquiry into how the mining sector can support businesses in regional economies.

Hobart

• Two federal senate inquiries will be held into the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia; and he high rates of mental health conditions experienced by first responders, emergency service workers and volunteers.

Adelaide

• Premier Steven Marshall will speak at the Art Gallery of South Australia announcing unprecedented attendance figures for the exhibition ‘Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay’ and gallery attendances for the 2017/2018 financial year.

Perth

• TEDxPerth curator Suzanne Waldron and guest curator John Barrington will present ‘TEDxPerth Salon: Are we too selfish for a sharing economy?’.

Melbourne

• The Australian Intercultural Society will host panel discussion ‘Islam in a Secular Society: Individualism vs Communitarianism’.

Global

• Today is World Ranger Danger, held to commemorate rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate work protecting the planet’s natural treasures and cultural heritage.

THE COMMENTARIAT

Big data backlash: Consumers wise up to Facebook, Twitter — Stephen Bartholomeusz (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Last week something, two things really, happened that would have sent a frisson of concern through those monetising ‘Big Data.’ First, Facebook shares plummeted on Thursday, wiping more than $US120 billion off its market capitalisation. Then, on Friday, Twitter lost 15.5 per cent of its market value. The precipitous falls came after both of the social media networks reported user numbers and sales growth that disappointed the market.”

MH370 report a disservice to Australian victims ($) — Byron Bailey (The Australian): “The MH370 report by the Malaysian government is out, and as ­expected it is a whitewash. It reaches no conclusion. Soon after MH370 dis­appeared, the Malaysian PM said it was a deliberate case of human intervention and his wife remarked to the wife of a missing Australian passenger how ‘horrible that someone could do this’. Strange, therefore, that the ATSB decided on an event that rendered the pilots unconscious and the plane flying by itself for another seven hours and crashing uncontrolled into the southern Indian Ocean.”

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