This week was mostly quiet for politics, but the issues that did make the news were pretty major.
First, Peter Dutton announced that refugees in Australia for medical treatment, who had finished treatment and were living in the community would lose their financial assistance and be moved onto a visa that essentially expects that they will leave soon. Until they do leave, refugees will be expected to pay their own way. It appears this mainly concerns single refugees, rather than families, but the concern is that this decision could soon include them. The Greens, activists and service providers are mad, and Labor is yet to comment.
Malcolm Turnbull visited the Snowy Hydro to talk up his “Snowy 2.0” plans, which will take six years to build – once everything has been approved. Turnbull and other government ministers met with energy providers as well this week, the result of which was the providers agreeing to send letters to consumers to show them how to get compare and get cheaper energy bills. Most people seem to think this somewhat unimpressive, and I have to say, it is a bit of a fail when you’re the PM and all you can get out of the energy providers is a commitment to send customers a letter, when you’ve been going on and on about how it is such a massive problem for Australians.
The first same-sex marriage “no” campaign ad came out this week, and was panned by most people for being factually incorrect. For the millionth time – having same-sex marriage is not going to mean that your child is going to be forced to pretend they are in a same-sex relationship. I could go into an entire rant about the actual Safe Schools lesson that this misinformation stems from, but I won’t in this post – mainly because I did back in February last year. The Education Minister has also said that there is no such plan to change the education of children simply because the country lets same-sex couples get married. Panti Bliss, an Irish drag queen, has also reinforced that point in an interview for an ABC news story about what Ireland thinks about Australia’s survey.
Finally this week, US broadcaster CBS will buy Channel 10 (as long as it passes a foreign investment review); Derryn Hinch may or may not be the eighth politician to fall victim to section 44; Aboriginal people in Yamba have been ruled the traditional owners of an additional area of water that they consider sacred after a twenty year push for recognition; and Australia might send military trainers to the Philippines to help fight ISIS in Marawi.
Tweets of the Week
Buzzfeed’s Mark Di Stefano is leaving Australia to go to the UK (he’s following his girlfriend)
https://twitter.com/workmanalice/status/900612075587723264
Things I’ve Been Looking at Online
Joe Biden on Trump and Charlottesville – The Atlantic
ABC’s meteorologist Nate Byrne explains Hurricane Harvey – ABC Online
Did a book buy its way onto the New York Times Bestseller List – Pajiba
Kara L 