China, Australia work to mend fraught relationship

RELATIONS ON THE MEND

Australia and China have committed to improving their strained relationship ahead of trade talks in Thailand, talking up opportunities for future cooperation, Nine reports.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged to work with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to keep the relationship “on the right track” during a sidelines meeting at the ASEAN East Asia Summit, saying “we are ready to work with Australia to fully unlock the potential of our relations”. Morrison is expected to use the summit to push forward negotiations on a potential EU-style Asian trade pact, to include all 10 ASEAN nations as well as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. India is reportedly holding out, wary of China, the ABC reports.

AGED CARE ACTION

Health Minister Greg Hunt has pledged do more to stop the drugging of elderly people, after the Royal Commission into Aged Care interim report found a “significant over-reliance” on chemical restraints in nursing homes.

Hunt told ABC’s Insiders that there would be “significant” investment in the aged care sector soon and flagged the introduction of “stronger” regulations. Labor has launched a new campaign, “aged care, action now”, calling for an immediate funding boost to address the crisis with a deadline of November 11 for the government to act. 

POLICE MISCONDUCT

More footage of NSW police misconduct emerged over the weekend, while Victoria Police has expressed “extreme disappointment” in two officers involved in policing the Melbourne climate change protests.

The NSW Law Enforcement Complaints Commission says continued cuts to the organisation’s budget means it is only able to fully investigate 2% of complaints levelled against police, as disturbing footage emerged of an officer found to have engaged in serious misconduct during a motorist’s arrest. Down in Melbourne, Victoria Police has released a statement, saying an officer found to have posted alt-right memes on social media has been reprimanded.

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THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

I thought it was actually a very good call.

Steve Bannon

The former Trump adviser says a leaked Trump-Turnbull call is “inextricably linked” ($) to the impeachment inquiry.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

1500 university places freed up in move to boost productivity

EPA keeps injured fireys in the dark on toxic fire details

Child abuse: thousands of calls for help are going unanswered

One home lost in fast-moving Cooktown bushfire 

Hong Kong knife attack wounds several, leaving one councillor with a partially bitten-off ear

Hospital complications data hidden from the public

‘Legalise, regulate, control and tax’: former DPP urges drug overhaul

Steggall’s campaign was powered by a $1.1 million donations war chest

‘Political oblivion’: Albanese cops AWU boss’s policy warning ($)

Elderly in $1m-plus homes raking in $6.3bn in pensions ($)

Tax office to pay in victory for business ($)

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Why call-out culture and electronic tribalism hurts progressives

Bernard Keane

Nov 01, 2019

25

“Calling out thus risks undermining any progressive project, which must rely on achieving some sort of critical electoral mass for change. This is the point centrist politicians like Obama and O’Neil — one, a uniquely successful modern leader with a deep background in community politics, the other a younger politician with most of her career ahead of her — are making. You can’t bring people with you to achieve change while chiding and deriding them. Conservative politics, aimed at preventing and reversing change, benefits from fragmentation and the dissolution of consensus; progressives always have the burden of making the case for change to half the electorate plus one.”

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Private health industry definitely doesn’t need a review, says private health industry

Kirsten Drysdale

Nov 01, 2019

3

“Private Healthcare Australia (PHA), the lobby group representing the private health insurance industry, tweeted on Wednesday that there’s no need for an inquiry into the troubled sector… because there have been so many other inquiries into totally unrelated issues. Well OK, sure. But the list of reviews in PHA’s tweet (apparently a screenshot from a story in The Australian) doesn’t quite help make the group’s case. It includes, for example, the aged care royal commission, which has uncovered such shocking cases of elder neglect and abuse that it has felt the need to recommend immediate action in its interim report.”

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What will it take for Australia to stop supporting the Melbourne Cup?

Michael Bradley

Nov 01, 2019

13

“This brings us to the ethical question: are we OK with an industry which fulfills its purpose — running horse races for our entertainment — on the production of thousands of horses that cannot realistically be offered the opportunity to live the full length of their natural lifespan? This is qualitatively no different from the greyhound racing industry, which involves the deaths of some 18,000 dogs a year. There’s no getting around it. And all the money that the industry is now promising to throw at ‘humane treatment’ of retired racehorses can’t reconcile the equation.”

THE COMMENTARIAT

Ripping up Murray-Darling plan would ignore the lessons of history – David Papps and Chris Guest (The Age/Sydney Morning Herald): “There is no doubt that, even though it is only very early in its (faltering) implementation, the plan is delivering real environmental benefits. One hundred and twenty significant sites have received water they would not otherwise have had. We have seen major native fish breeding and recovering, improvements in riparian vegetation, and reconnecting rivers and wetlands, to name but a few. If we were to allow the Deputy Premier and others to destroy the plan without a better alternative – evidence-based and ensuring the long-term sustainability of both farming and nature – we would be ignoring all the lessons of history and failing our responsibility to deliver a better future.”

Victoria takes wrong track with China’s Belt and Road Initiative ($) – Anthony Bergin (The Australian): “Last month, Andrews signed an agreement with China’s National Development and Reform Commission that will focus on infrastructure, innovation and trade development and market access. This agreement followed Victoria’s memorandum of understanding with China on the BRI last year. The federal government hasn’t signed up to the BRI, saying that it will consider individual projects on a case-by-case basis. That’s because Canberra knows the BRI is a strategic path to assert China’s growing power. Scott Morrison is urging our Pacific Islands neighbours to be cautious in their dealings with China. A large state government signing up to BRI ­undermines that message to our Pacific family.”

Australians are yelling in grief and frustration – but will Scott Morrison act? – Katharine Murphy (The Guardian): “That means doing something more substantial than applying bandaids to deficient systems. It means going back to first principles, even if that means taking on noisy interest groups within these systems who might just have to lose out. It will require, dare I say it, some expertise, some deliberation, some concentration, considered reflection and some courage. It will require genuine reform – a practice that feels out of fashion in Canberra. So rather than crying in grief, or yelling in frustration, this weekend, on the behalf of readers and voters, I’m asking Scott Morrison – journalist to prime minister, but more importantly, human to human. Are you that prime minister? Are you the prime minister to do the work, and get this done?”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Mudgee, New South Wales

• The aged care royal commission will hold a hearing on the provision of aged care in regional areas.

Townsville, Queensland

• The disability royal commission will hold its first public hearing in Townsville.

Sydney

• The Upper House’s Standing Committee on Social Issues will hold a public hearing for the inquiry into the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and associated matters.

• A hearing will be held in Nationwide News’ appeal against Geoffrey Rush’s $2.9 million defamation win.

• The ABS will publish its data on retail trade for September, a snapshot of the health of Australia’s retail sector and consumer spending.

Melbourne

• The Melbourne Cup Parade will take place down Swanston Street, with anti-horse racing activists expected to protest.

• A Federal Court hearing will take place in ASIC’s civil action against former Tennis Australia directors Harold Mitchell and Stephen Healy over the awarding of Australian Open broadcast rights.

Hobart

• The Building Opportunities, Building Communities Conference will take place; a conference on disability, child and youth support service.

Adelaide

• Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor will visit the Barker Inlet Power Station with South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan.

Brisbane

• ABC chair Ita Buttrose will speak at a CEDA event on trust in Australia’s institutions and how media influences public policy.

• An inquest will be held into the death of Christopher Betts, the elite former soldier shot dead in mysterious circumstances in Australia’s embassy in Iraq more than three years ago.

Bangkok

• Prime Minister Scott Morrison will attend the East Asia Summit.