Florida mass shooting

FLORIDA MASS SHOOTING

The BBC reports several people have been killed in a mass shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. At time of reporting, The Guardian says the local sheriff’s department confirmed one suspect was dead at the scene, but did not know if there was a second suspect, with searches being conducted. The SWAT team has been brought in and is conducting sweeps of the building, finding people hidden throughout the complex.

NAPLAN RESULTS OF ‘LIMITED USE’

Findings from two international experts in a report commissioned by the New South Wales Teachers Federation have found this year’s NAPLAN tests are flawed and would be of “very limited use” to parents, teachers and schools.

The ABC reports the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority had assured schools that its online and pen-and-paper tests were comparable and that its methods of scaling were statistically sound. However, Professor Les Perelman and Walt Haney have said a number of studies had shown there were “enormous” differences between the two modes of testing.

POPE’S APOLOGY

The Sydney Morning Herald reports Pope Francis has issued a “sweeping apology” for the “crimes” of the Catholic Church during the pontiff’s 36-hour visit to Ireland, where he acknowledged the lack of compassion by church officials toward those who have suffered abuse.

The Guardian reports the Pope gave a penitential prayer, which mentioned specific forms of abuse, sexual crimes, forced adoptions and women being “forced by nuns to undertake manual labour”. The plea for forgiveness comes after a retired Vatican diplomat Carlo Maria Vigano demanded Francis’ resignation for what he claims is the Pope’s failure to act on abuse allegations.

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THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

Cormann rumoured to be putting some WA votes behind Julie Bishop in round 1. Be aware that this is a ruse trying to get her ahead of Morrison so he drops out & his votes go to Dutton. Despite out hearts tugging us to Julie we need to vote with our heads for Scott in round one.

Paul Fletcher, Liberal MP

In a leaked WhatsApp message obtained by Insiders on ABC, the group “Friends for Stability” reveals the reason why Julie Bishop got such a low vote during the leadership spill.

Bishop officially quit as Foreign Minister on Sunday after 20 years in Australian Parliament.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

ScoMo is a goBernard Keane

“The defeat of Dutton marks this as the single most disastrous leadership challenge in recent history. Despite ripping the Liberal Party and the government apart to tear down Turnbull, the hard right of the Liberals and their media backers have failed to install their own man and instead seen a man reviled as a turncoat on the right replace Turnbull — a result that may well have News Corp, 2GB and the late-night extremists at Sky News girding their loins for a new battle to destroy another prime minister.”

How is Scott Morrison’s government going to treat the ABC?Emily Watkins

“The Liberal Party has not been a friend to the ABC in recent years. The government-funded public broadcaster has been publicly criticised and attacked increasingly in 2018, and incoming Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s track record on the ABC doesn’t indicate we’re likely to see that ease up under his leadership.”

Thus passes the goriness of the worldGuy Rundle

“So, sic transit gory mundanity. Malcolm Turnbull, the dashing Sydney lawyer, venture capitalist, republican, art collector, who promised the Liberal Party a leadership they and the nation could get behind, and in the end departed in the same way all three of his predecessors have, two-thirds of the way through their sole legitimate, elected term. Having begun with a series of striking political moves, which were largely about undoing the idiocy of the Abbott-Hockey period, and encouraging many — this writer included — to think that he would be a solid liberal-conservative one could attack on the ideas, Turnbull turned out to be almost nothing at all.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

The nation’s highest-paid university leaders

PM to visit drought-affected regional QLD

Labor attack ad accuses Scott Morrison of only caring about ‘top end of town’

Liberal Party elders lash Tony Abbott for acts of revenge on Turnbull’s Government

Liberals smashed in poll after leader coup

‘Darkness surrounds me’: Nauru child refugee paints pictures of despair

‘Stop the name-calling!’: anger unites Melbourne’s March for Men protesters

City toasts record-breaking Darwin Festival after the sale of 44,000 tickets ($)

Neil Simon, giant of American stage, dies aged 91

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Brisbane

• A Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade to hold an inquiry into the transition from the Australian Defence Force in Parliament House Queensland. The Committee will examine the support provided to members of the ADF as they transition from active service to civilian life.

• Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival returns to Brisbane in 2018 running until August 30. The festival is one of Queensland’s premier fashion events. Today’s events include the Pacific Fair Fashion Show, QueensPlaza High Tea & Fashion Trends.

Canberra

• First Edition Canberra will host Kids High Tea Winter Wonderland. There will be snow globes to decorate, face painting and a kids high tea.

• Canberra’s National film and Sound Archive will showcase the Cycle Chic Film Tour. A selection of short cycling films encouraging and inspiring women who love to cycle.

Melbourne

• The Fair Work Commission will hold a five-day hearing over Victoria’s controversial firefighters’ pay deal. The deal has been agreed to by the brigade and its firefighters, however Victoria’s Human Rights Commissioner and the Federal Government have voiced concern the agreement is discriminatory.

• A 23-year-old Werribee man is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with endangering persons and intentionally/recklessly causing injury after allegedly throwing oil on bike paths in July 2017. The incident caused several riders to suffer injuries.

• A media conference will be held at the official launch of the 2019 Australia v US men’s basketball series. In attendance will be USA Basketball CEO, Jim Tooley, Basketball Australia CEO Anthony Moore and Australian Boomers assistant coach Luc Longley.

• Labor leader Bill Shorten and deputy leader Tanya Plibersek will visit a Melbourne hospital today, reminding voters of the government’s health funding cuts under former treasurer Scott Morrison.

Sydney

• Former Prime Minister and current backbencher Tony Abbott will speak at The Centre for Independent Studies on immigration and the challenges of a ‘Big Australia’.

• A hearing will be held into the Rinehart family trust dispute at the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Bianca Rinehart, trustee for The Hope Margaret Hancock Trust, will apply for access to the books of Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd as part of her claims against mother Gina Rinehart, which involves the withholding of up to $500 million of dividend payments from Hancock Prospecting to the trust.

• The inquest into the death of a 13-year-old girl at Allowah Presbyterian Children’s Hospital will be held at Glebe Coroner’s Court. The young girl, who was severely disabled, was found hanging weeks after being admitted to the hospital for respite care.

• Clubs from the NBL to hold a jersey launch, along with AFL players. The launch will be attended by Andrew Bogut from the Sydney Kings, Chris Goulding from Melbourne United and Will Hayward and Oliver Florent from the Sydney Swans, who will participate in a special three-point shoot-out with NBL players.

• Jury may retire in the trial for spiritual healer Riza Morinaj, who has been charged with kidnapping and the assault of a man to perform a black magic exorcism ceremony.

Adelaide

• Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Bruce Lander will appear before a parliamentary committee inquiring into legislation to set up open hearings. The matter of public hearings has been a contentious issue in South Australia, however the SA Government has said there was a need for public hearings, which was demonstrated by the ICAC’s Oakden investigated, which was conducted in secret.

• The chiropractor who used hidden cameras to secretly film hundreds of his clients will today argue in the SA Supreme Court that he should instead be sentenced in the District Court.

• The inquest into the death in custody of Wayne ‘Fella’ Morrison is set to open in the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Morrison died after an altercation with prison guards while in remand in 2016.

Port Hedland

• On the final day of the McGowan Labor Government Community Cabinet, Premier Mark McGowan, along with state government ministers will participate in a series of events including breakfast with local representatives and a Cabinet Meeting and lunch with local youth leaders. The community event offers the region’s community the opportunity to hear about the McGowan Government’s plans for the region with issues like local jobs, tourism and infrastructure to be discussed.

Perth

• The trial for Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton will resume. The senator represented himself at trial last year after he was accused of the theft of an ANZ Bank receiver’s car and surrounding the vehicle with bales of hay, at an attempted farm seizure by the bank.

United States

• The US Tennis Open will kick off today. Andy Murray is set to play Australia’s James Duckworth, Cameron Norrie will play Australian Jordan Thompson and Sam Stosur will play against Caroline Wozniacki. The tournament will run until the ninth of September.

Australia

• The Labor party will roll out a new attack ad across Facebook undermining PM Scott Morrison’s “new generation” message and plans to remind voters of the PM’s past political actions. 

THE COMMENTARIAT

Cancer eating the heart of Australian democracy — Kevin Rudd (The Age): “Abbott has never cared about policy. He has only cared about politics and winning at any cost. I cannot remember a single positive policy initiative that Abbott has championed and then implemented. Not one. As a result, unconstrained by policy, the entire energy of this giant wrecking ball of Australian politics has been focussed on destroying his opponents – within the Labor Party and the Liberal Party. Of all modern politicians, Abbott is sui generis. His singular, destructive impact on national politics cannot be underestimated.”

Enter the X men, a generation sworn to put people before politics ($) — Jennifer Oriel (The Australian): “Malcolm Turnbull was the last baby boomer prime minister of Australia. The past decade of ­national politics has had all the drama, instability and futile rage of a midlife crisis. Traditionalists acquired mistresses or pined for bygone eras while progressives spurned the midlife crisis for midlife causes. Gay marriage was the hot favourite last season but gender-bending in any direction made ageing politicians feel young again. The ascension of Scott Morrison marks a generational shift from baby boomers to generation X. The X men have command of government.”

Is ‘feminist’ a term you’d use now Julie Bishop? — Kasey Edwards ( The Age): “It would be interesting to know if, after being the first to be eliminated from Friday’s ballot for the new leader of the Liberal Party, Bishop might now have a little more clarity on the relevance and use of feminism these days. Because, let’s face it if there was no glass ceiling to limit women in parliament, if women really do have equal access to power and opportunity, Julie Bishop would have spent the weekend moving into The Lodge rather than announcing the end of her political career.”

Tim Blair: Malcolm Turnbull’s climate change obsession is bewildering ($) — Tim Blair (The Daily Telegraph): “CLIMATE change still hasn’t killed anybody, but it is remarkably effective at ending political careers. And reducing profits, if supermarket plastic bag bans are any guide. Malcolm Turnbull is now the third prime minister or party leader whose career has either been derailed or cut short by climate change obsession, and he’s the only one to have achieved this twice.”

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