You win Somyurek, you lose Somyurek

ADEM IF YOU DO, ADEM IF YOU DON’T

Victorian MP and former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek has announced via the Herald Sun that he will return to Parliament to vote against Premier Dan Andrews‘ pandemic bill, posing a serious threat to the bill passing the upper house as scheduled on Friday, The Age reports. This development comes after days of toxic debate around the bill. As The Australian reports, it was only a couple of days ago that the Victorian Government secured the support of crossbenchers needed for the bill to pass the upper house, but Somyurek’s unexpected return could see the vote tied at 19-19, and ultimately defeated.

Somyurek quit the Victorian Labor Party last year after being dropped from the ministry amidst allegations of branch stacking, which were aired in IBAC corruption hearings earlier this month, AFR reports. He had been suspended from Parliament since October for failing to confirm his vaccination status, but that was cleared up on Wednesday to make way for his return.

This latest kerfuffle comes after the bill was already watered down last week, and the Herald Sun reports that the failure of the pandemic bill would further complicate the enforcement of restrictions and mandatory vaccinations. If the bill does not pass this week, the government will be hurtling towards the December 15 expiry for the current state of emergency, which cannot be extended. Only one sitting week is scheduled before the expiry, from November 30 to December 2, and to guarantee the support of more crossbenchers in such limited time, the government may have to make further concessions.

[free_worm]

PRAY ON

Details of the federal Coalition’s long-awaited religious freedom bill have begun to emerge ahead of its unveiling next week — and it’s already causing controversy. In a bid to deliver on one of Scott Morrison’s 2019 election promises, the AFR reports that the legislation will allow religious institutions including schools and hospitals to discriminate when hiring staff, so long as they provide and make public their policies explaining hiring decisions. The bill has sparked concern from moderate Coalition MPs, as well as groups including LGBTIQ advocates Equality Australia, as reported by the SMH, and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, as reported by The Age.

Religious discrimination has become a focal point of debate generally this week, as the Victorian government is simultaneously proposing laws that would prohibit religious schools from refusing to enrol students or sacking teachers based on their sexuality or gender identity, as The Age reports. Education Minister Alan Tudge’s comments on the matter did little to clear up how the proposed federal and Victorian laws would interact.

EMISSION IMPOSSIBLE

The Port of Newcastle, the world’s largest coal port, was shut down amidst protests by climate activists from the group Blockade Australia, 9 News reports. Two people climbed on large pieces of machinery and hit an emergency stop button, which saw operations at the port come to a grinding halt. They then took their positions suspended in the air after abseiling off a tall piece of equipment, with the entire protest being broadcast live to Facebook.

Guardian Australia reports that these protests are another in a long line of interventions by the group over the past 10 days, which has included blocking essential bottlenecks using their bodies, rope, and glue. The protests continued despite NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller warning the protesters could face up to 25 years in jail for their disruptions.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

The ANU’s Australian National Dictionary Centre has again declared a very pandemic-inspired word of the year. ABC reports the 2021 word of the year is “strollout”, a term coined to describe the casual pace Australia’s vaccine rollout took earlier in the year. Luckily for us, Australia picked up the pace, so now we can (mostly) look back and laugh at these funny little pandemic-isms.

This year’s choice follows the trend set by 2020’s word of the year “iso”, which goes to show just how much COVID-19 has infiltrated not only our lives, but our vernacular. I for one hope this is the last time our word of the year is pandemic-themed, and that we can return to fun phrases like 2016’s winner “democracy sausage”.

SAY WHAT?

It is so unfair for a small, ugly mob to be taking attention away from the more than 90% of Victorians who have had a first dose and will soon have had a second dose.

Daniel Andrews

The Victorian premier hits back at anti-government protesters (and lets them know he doesn’t think they’re very good looking).

CRIKEY RECAP

Lowe pulls the rug out from under Morrison’s interest rate scare campaign

Glenn Dyer and Bernard Keane

Nov 17, 2021

17

“Morrison’s accusation is that Labor will somehow force interest rates higher than they should be — presumably by spending an even bigger proportion of GDP than the 26-27% Morrison is spending, or by managing the economy more successfully so that growth picks up quicker.

“But Lowe’s point is that interest rates will go nowhere until wages growth is up in the 3% range and forces inflation sustainably up above 2%. And they’ll go nowhere despite the conniptions of bond markets, the commentary of inflation hawks and the demands of neoliberals in places like The Australian Financial Review.”

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In my short time as a journalist, the gender disparity has already been palpable

Amber Schultz

Nov 17, 2021

6

“Every female journalist I know has stories about feeling like an outsider in their industry. Media isn’t even particularly male-dominated — women make up about 45% of the publishing workforce.

“But it’s not just who is on the floor that represents equality. It’s who is taken out for dinner and coffee, who is put forward for training, or moulded for promotions. It’s who ends up with a door on their office versus who keeps working shifts on the newsroom floor. It’s who takes home the higher pay packet.”

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The culture war army prepares for battle. The question is, will we get the full deployment?

Guy Rundle

Nov 17, 2021

23

Unlocked

“We can comfortably say that a full political culture war is on the way, assembled overseas and applied shakily to local conditions. It’s going to be plonked down in the middle of everything, it’s going to be on critical race theory, curriculum, education etc, and it’s going to be absurd and hideous, particularly as reasonable and necessary debate will be tangled up with ridiculous claims. No matter how often it falters, it will be jerked into life and kept running in the weeks preceding, and into, the election campaign proper.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

William Tyrrell: Inside the police thinking on the case (The Daily Telegraph) ($)

‘Worse’ than lockdown: Hundreds of students at Sydney schools isolating after COVID-19 exposures (The SMH)

Former Labor MP Craig Thomson arrested over alleged migration fraud (The Australian) ($)

$8b takeover offer could avert one of China’s biggest potential corporate failures (Bloomberg)

Japanese experts craft ‘super clone’ of Afghan mural from Bamiyan valley destroyed by the Taliban (ABC)

They saved classical music in Melbourne: now they’re going national (The Age)

Desperation is taking hold for cold migrants marooned in a police state (The New York Times)

Anti-vaxxer extremists now targeting WA school students, Premier Mark McGowan has revealed (The West Australian)

Inflation, rather than sleaze, could kill off Boris Johnson’s government (The Independent)

THE COMMENTARIAT

Why I won’t be supporting pandemic Bill — Adem Somyurek (the Herald Sun) ($): “Had I continued to be a member of the Andrews cabinet, I would have argued this Bill is a bad idea because it gives too much power to the government. Since I did not trust the opposition (Coalition) with such power I would argue that without meaningful parliamentary oversight and independent review mechanisms as Victorians we all risk the prospect of being unjustly governed by a Coalition despot in the future. Given the democratic deficit in our parliamentary system, I believe the emergency powers need to come back to Parliament for endorsement of a two-thirds majority.”

Working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific region — Sumio Kusaka (The Australian) ($): “Turning to Australia-Japan defence co-operation, last year the two sides reached an in-principle agreement on a reciprocal access agreement. With the re-election of the Kishida government, I hope the agreement can be signed off as soon as possible, taking advantage of the opportunity presented at this critical juncture. Our world is faced with extraordinary challenges, yet we have a historic opportunity to turn the tide of escalating tensions and re-establish the rules-based international order. Many of our greatest challenges are still in front of us. We must be prepared and, mindful of the lessons of the past, never allow ourselves to underestimate how much is at stake.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Eora Nation (also known as Sydney)

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the keynote address at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Sydney Dialogue, also streamed online.

• A panel of NSW university vice-chancellors will discuss the significant challenges facing the state’s tertiary education sector.

Kulin Nation (also known as Melbourne)

• Lord Mayor Sally Capp will launch the City of Melbourne’s annual Christmas Festival in Federation Square.

Larrakia Country (also known as Darwin)

• A formal apology ceremony, including a smoking ceremony, will be held for Garden Point abuse survivors.

Australia

• The Australian Institute of Employment Right’s Ron McCallum Debate on the future of workplace relations in Australia will feature keynote speeches from International Labour Organization Deputy Director Greg Vines and Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash, held online.