Australians reject legalised LGBTIQ discrimination

AUSTRALIA REJECTS LGBTIQ DISCRIMINATION

Australian voters have overwhelmingly rejected laws allowing religious schools to discriminate against LGBTIQ students and teachers, with 74% of respondents to the latest Fairfax-Ipsos poll opposed to legalised discrimination, compared to just 21% in support.

The survey follows Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement that the Coalition, with what actually might look like bipartisan support, is working on new legislation that would ban private or religious schools from being able to expel students on the basis of their sexuality. The Greens will today introduce their own bill in the Senate to protect not just students but teachers and other staff.

In other polling news, Fairfax-Ipsos found a 44-52 split on decreasing Australia’s immigration intake and has Labor ahead of the Coalition at 55-45 on two-party terms, a figure the latest Newspoll ($) puts at just 53-47.

THE NEW TAX REVOLT

One of the most radical tax plans in recent history has proposed everything from the abolishment of the tax-free threshold to pinning progressive taxation at every $1000 of income earned, including repurposing the tax office.

According to a Sydney Morning Herald investigation, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ tax package comes on top of a wave of similar demands from groups across the political divide, including dual op-eds today from the Australian Council for Social Services and the Business Council of Australia. PwC has argued that policy-makers will have increased flexibility as the country moves closer to its first budget surplus in a decade, and that Australia has not had this opportunity for major change since the global financial crisis.

PLAN TO PROJECT DETAINED KIDS ON OPERA HOUSE

A crowdfunding campaign to project images of refugee children detained on Nauru onto the Sydney Opera House has exceeded its goal of $100,000 in just five days.

Following the controversial decision last week to advertise horse racing onto the world heritage-listed site, SBS reports that energy transition specialist Simon Holmes à Court is planning a similar event aimed at tackling the 60% of Australians unaware that children remain in offshore detention. The campaign has now hit over $110,000 but would still require permission from the Sydney Opera House, the NSW government, and/or one specific shock jock.

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THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

It would seem (misleading), since the ‘modern’ UAP and the old one don’t overlap.

Stephen Bell

The University of Queensland political science expert reacts ($) to Clive Palmer’s attempt to pass off former prime ministers Robert Menzies, Billy Hughes and Joseph Lyons as members of his own party. 

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Our democracy has failed — time for an independent climate action bodyBernard Keane

“As someone who accepts the laws of physics, I find it alarming to partly agree with Matt Canavan, noted coal fetishist. However, his response to business talking about putting together its own energy and emissions package — that ‘we have a way of resolving fraught political dispute in Australia, it’s called democracy, and I don’t think the corporate sector is a replacement for democracy’ — has a point.”

Nine maps that help explain why a ‘neo-fascist’ could become president of BrazilFreg J Stokes

“[Jair] Bolsonaro’s statements exceed even Donald Trump’s in their violent misogyny, racism and homophobia. His regular promises to exterminate his enemies and his nostalgia for the days of Brazil’s military dictatorship have led São Paulo academic Vladimir Safatle to characterise him as ‘the classic example of a fascist’, and former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters to describe him as a ‘neo-fascist’. So how did almost 50 million Brazilians end up voting for him?”

Cristiano Ronaldo and sport’s lacklustre Me Too momentKishor Napier-Raman

“Last month, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on allegations of sexual assault made against football star Cristiano Ronaldo. Kathryn Mayorga, an American teacher and former aspiring model alleged that the Portugal and Juventus forward raped her in a Las Vegas penthouse in 2009. Mayorga initially reported the case to police, but did not want to name the athlete involved. Under alleged pressure from Ronaldo’s lawyers, Mayorga claims she hastily agreed to a $375,000 settlement, and the incident quietly went away.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Landmark study reveals extent of gay conversion therapy in Australia, calls for sweeping reform

Delays to TPP ‘put $15.6bn benefits at risk’ ($)

‘No place to hide’, police warn Queensland’s online predators

Australia heading for a ‘battle royale’ on solar power

Farmers criticise PM’s plan to use jobseekers instead of foreign workers on farms

‘Just not true’ – Shorten under fire on IR claim

SA’s ‘pre-internet’ information laws in need of secrecy overhaul ($)

NSW Young Nationals investigate alt-right ‘infiltration’, suspend new memberships

AGL Energy finds going tough on gas plants as customers baulk ($)

Editor of university newspaper promotes fare evasion as ‘the government can afford it’ ($)

Kerryn Phelps urges Wentworth voters to use byelection to protest ‘inhumane’ refugee policies

THE COMMENTARIAT

Banks, AMP facing $6 billion bill for customer refunds, reviews and litigation ($) — Adele Ferguson (The Australian Financial Review): “Leading banking analyst Brett Le Mesurier has put an estimate of at least $6 billion on consumer refunds, reviews and litigation for the big four banks and AMP. It comes as investors speculate that National Australia Bank will release some updated figures for its compensation scheme ahead of a grilling in the House Economics Committee on Friday.”

All eyes on Australian review as Facebook wheels out big guns — John McDuling (Sydney Morning Herald): “One of Facebook’s most senior American lawyers was in Sydney last week, as Australian regulators prepare to move their world-first inquiry into digital platforms into next, decisive phase. Samantha Knox, Facebook’s associate general counsel, was flown out from the US for two legal industry events and to meet with Facebook’s local lawyers and management in Sydney.”

Pence speech on China signals it’s time to bolster strike capability ($) — Paul Dibb (The Australian): “US Vice-President Mike Pence’s blistering speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC, last week announcing an openly confrontational relationship with China and accusing Beijing of unbridled aggression cannot be underestimated. The US has vast experience in dealing with China and Pence’s words were not some spur-of-the-moment thought bubble. Rather, the pressures have been building for some time.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Canberra

• Both houses of federal parliament will resume.

• The 2018 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner will be held at Parliament House.

Adelaide

• South Australia’s Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan will open the Australian Geoscience Council’s inaugural, three-day convention.

• SA nurses, supported by doctors and ambulance officers, are set to begin industrial action over hospital overcrowding.

Melbourne

• As part of International White Cane Day, Guide Dogs Victoria will announce an extension of partnership with PTV to roll out beacon wayfinding technology for blind or low vision people across six stations.

• Residents will enter a new, $32 million, 103-bed, custom-built aged care facility in suburban Melbourne’s Heidelberg.

• Victoria’s Creative Industries Minister Martin Foley will attend a sneak peak of the University of Melbourne’s new $109 million arts and music hub.

• Global economic leader Professor Jeffrey Sachs will present “A new age of sustainable development – Australia, Asia, and the world” at Monash University. 

• Indigenous agriculture, technology and knowledge systems expert Bruce Pascoe will address an RMIT School of Engineering event celebrating historic inventor and author David Unaipon.

• Former Dean of Medicine at Harvard University Professor Jeffrey Flier will present “The Obesity Paradox” at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Sydney

• The NSW parliamentary inquiry into WestConnex will hear from the Sydney Motorway Corporation, Sydney Transport Partners and Roads and Maritime Services.

• Sydney Morning Herald editor and state political editor Alexandra Smith will speak with four candidates for the Wentworth bylection — Dave Sharma, Kerryn Phelps, Tim Murray and Licia Heath — at a Bondi event.

• A launch event for the NSW Defence Innovation Network will include Minister for Primary Industries, Regional Water, and Trade and Industry Niall Blair and Assistant Minister for Defence David Fawcett amongst others.

• NSW State Chief Scientist and Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte will present “Data automation and innovation in the mining industry” for UNSW’s 21st Annual Kenneth Finlay Memorial Lecture.

Brisbane

• Journalist Tracey Spicer will deliver a keynote speech at Screen Queensland’s third annual IncubatHER women’s industry forum.

• The South East Queensland Indigenous Chamber of Commerce will hold an Indigenous Business Month event with Queensland Small Business Champion Maree Adshead.

• Day one of Energy Lab’s two-day Bioenergy Australia Hackathon.

Darwin

• The Social Policy Scrutiny Committee will hold public hearings on the Nuclear Waste Transport, Storage and Disposal (Prohibition) Amendment Bill 2018 and Electoral Amendment Bill 2018.

Hobart

• Opening day of week-long technology event FutureFest 2018.

Perth

• Day one of the Australian College of Midwives’ four-day national conference.

Australia

• Multiple events will be held around the country to launch Global Climate Change Week.