Crikey Worm: all hail President Swan?

ALL HAIL PRESIDENT SWAN

Former treasurer Wayne Swan is expected to become Labor’s new federal president, with figures released last night putting the outgoing Labor-Right MP well ahead of current president and Shadow Climate Change and Energy Minister Mark Butler.

The Australian ($) reports that, with the former deputy PM on 48.77% of postal votes against Butler’s 35.91% last night, Swan’s success will send shockwaves throughout Labor’s left factions. It’s unlikely be derailed after counting for online votes wraps up this morning.

In other political news, the ALP has hit yet another 52-48 TPP Newspoll victory ($) over the Coalition despite an increasingly popular Malcolm Turnbull. Treasurer Scott Morrison has ruled out splitting the controversial income tax cuts package as it heads to a vote over the next fortnight. Also, Joe “The Age Of Entitlement Is Over” Hockey has billed taxpayers almost $70,000 for dinners, babysitting, bulk alcohol and other expenses ($) in just six months as Australia’s ambassador to the US.

TOXIC THREAT

The Victorian government is yet to provide financial compensation to people left seriously ill after exposure to toxic “per-and poly-fluoroalkyl” chemicals at a Victorian Country Fire Authority training college, two years after committing to a redress scheme.

The Age has conducted an investigation into at least 17 known sites in Victoria and 90 Australia-wide with elevated levels of PFAS, which has known links to cancer and other illnesses and is banned in most other countries including the United States.

LIVING UNDER A ROCK

An Australian performance artist has emerged from three days inside a Hobart street as part of Tasmania’s Dark Mofo festival.

The ABC reports that 73-year-old Mike Parr escaped from his self-imposed tomb in Macquarie Street last night, as over 1000 people watched a bulldozer yank a slab of road off the temporary home.

[free_worm]

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’m just gonna wing it!

Brad Fittler

The NSW State of Origin coach unveils a devious new game plan.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Roundtable: what does the Rebel Wilson payout mean for the media?Emily Watkins

“It’s a win for journalists, but not for the publishers of faux journalism. This is a wake up call for all those who try to make money in the media by peddling gossip and half truths and try to pass it off as journalism. For journalists working on stories where there is a public interest (and there was little real public interest in Rebel Wilson beyond curiosity), I’m glad that the amount has been reduced.”

Tapering jobs growth kills wage growth hopesBernard Keane

“The argument from the government is that we just need to wait a little longer and the strong jobs growth we’ve seen will finally push wages growth up. Only problem is, that strong growth has definitely peaked and is falling away. It’s still solid growth, welcome growth — but well down on what we enjoyed in 2017.”

An incomplete list of ways women already ‘take responsibility’ for their safetyMeg Watson

“We spend money we don’t always have on cabs and Ubers — after running informal roundtables about which of those is safer these days. We get in the backseat, so there’s distance between us and the driver, just in case. We text the licence plate to a friend and ‘joke’ about whether his driver ID makes him look like a murderer. We check Google Maps for unexpected detours. Check the locks. Google if there’s a reason they always lock the doors.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Suicide note left for Aaron Cockman a final message after years of strain

The birth of a new faction in Territory ALP ($)

Retractable security bollards to be installed in Brisbane CBD

Cormann fuels row over states’ GST carve-up ($)

AGL’s Vesey urges Frydenberg to move beyond the blame game

Defence probe into shooting of Afghan shepherd boys ($)

Hundreds of Australian doctors call for dying refugee to be brought from Nauru

20 injured in mass shooting at New Jersey all night arts festival, 1 suspect killed

Afghanistan province Nangarhar hit by second attack during Eid holiday

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Canberra

• The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will hold additional public hearings for its review of the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017, in the wake of recent amendments. Witnesses will include Universities Australia, Community Council for Australia, Law Council of Australia, Oxfam Australia and Pew Charitable Trusts, Brett Walker SC, and the Attorney-General’s Department.

• EU Trade Minister Cecilia Malmström will be in Canberra for talks with the Prime Minister and relevant portfolio ministers.

• Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel will launch Australia’s first Robotics Roadmap at Parliament House, along with a number of other experts and politicians.

• Clive Palmer will make an announcement following yesterday’s news of his rebooted, newly-named United Australia Party.

• The Australian Mathematics Trust and Australian Science Innovations will hold Australian Olympiad Teams Announcement, a celebration and launch of the teams of school students selected to represent Australia at the International Olympiads in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Informatics, Mathematics and Physics.

Brisbane

• The Refugee Action Collective will hold a peak hour protest outside Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s electoral office following the death of another person seeking asylum, 26-year-old Iranian man Fariborz Karami, from suicide on Nauru last Friday.

• Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad will address a post-budget CEDA lunch.

Melbourne

• A “Reclaim Princes Park” vigil will be held following the rape and murder of Melbourne comedian Eurydice Dixon last Tuesday.

• Victorian Trade Minister Philip Dalidakis will announce the arrival of one of the world’s largest retailers to the state.

• The National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia will hold “Stem Cell Research – Now and in the Future”, a public forum with a range of expert speakers.

Mallacoota, Victoria

• Detective Sergeant Margaret Schulz will hold a doorstop on missing man Greg Tory.

Perth

• The WA Select Committee Inquiry into Elder Abuse will hold a public hearing into ANZ Bank’s conduct in the WA town of Albany.

Adelaide

• The Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission will begin its first public hearing.

• State Independent MP Troy Bell will face court on fraud charges.

• The Institute of Educational Assessors will hold the IEA Assessment Conference 2018, to focus on fostering student agency and self-regulated learning.

• Women in Innovation SA will launch the 2018 Winnovation Awards.

Darwin

• The Northern Territory’s Estimates Committee will hear from the Minister for Primary Industry & Resources and Minister for Arafura Games Ken Vowles.

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

• An inquest to into the 2016 Dreamworld ride tragedy will begin.

Sydney

• Mums & Co will hold the MPowered Conference 2018, a business event targeted at women entrepreneurs.

• The Centre for Policy Development will hold “Financing a Sustainable Economy”, a public event with speakers from ASIC, ClimateWorks and MinterEllison among others.

• The Giant Dwarf theatre will host Your Attention Please a comedy night of speeches written and performed in character without context.

Launceston, Tasmania

• The AFL National Inclusion Carnival will run from today until Saturday June 23, with the final to be played as a curtain raiser to the Hawthorn versus Gold Coast Suns AFL match.

Australia

• Vigils will be held across the country after both the rape and murder of comedian Eurydice Dixon in an inner-Melbourne park and the alleged murder of missing Sydney woman Qi Yu.

• Refugee Week will run until Saturday June 23.

• June 18-24 is Whole Grains Week, organised by the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council set to include a cook-off between two celebrity cooking duos.

Philippines

• Australian Catholic nun Sister Patricia Fox’s extension to stay in the Philippines expires after today, as she fights an order to leave the country for allegedly breaching her missionary visa by attending political protests in support of poor farmers.

THE COMMENTARIAT

Academic freedom is at heart of Ramsay Centre furore — Tanya Plibersek (The Sydney Morning Herald): “There’s not enough philanthropy in Australia. If someone offers to donate millions of dollars, I completely understand why universities would want to say ‘yes please’. Unless, of course, that donation could compromise academic freedom.”

Another vigil for another woman who should be here — Jane Gilmore (Daily Life): “There’s another vigil in Melbourne tonight. Another young woman who had too much life yet to live is dead. All we can do is mourn Eurydice Dixon and remember her; celebrate her too short life and it’s not enough. A bright, talented, brave, hilarious woman is dead and nothing we can do will give back the long, full life she should have had.

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