Tag Archives: America

The Week That Was – August 4 to August 10

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The start of the week saw Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds meet with their American counterparts – Defence Secretary Mark Esper (who’s only just started in the job) and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as part of AUSMIN talks. America is asking Australia to consider joining the coalition of navies in the Middle East, protecting oil tankers from interference from the Iranians, which is still being mulled over.

There are also rumours that the USA might ask Australia to play host to some mid-range missile batteries in the future – as a way to counter China. While Payne and Pompeo gave non-answers at an event after the AUSMIN meetings, Linda Reynolds has said that in discussions with Pompeo and Esper that they have denied that they want Australia to host missiles. Most foreign policy experts believe that the denial could be temporary, and we will have to see if the Americans ask us in the future. This is also leading to questions about how our relationships with our strategic partners like the USA, will balance with the relationships we have with our trading partners like China.

Meanwhile, Canning MP Andrew Hastie has gotten himself in hot water over comments he made in a column about China this week. He suggested that the West had misjudged China and it’s growth and expansion, drawing parallels with the French misjudging the rise of Nazi Germany before World War Two. Aside from the fact he invoked Godwin’s Law, Hastie also got told off by the Chinese government – who said he had a “Cold War mentality”. He’s also receiving mixed reviews from his colleagues, with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Finance Minister Matthias Cormann saying Hastie’s comments were inflammatory and ill-advised, while Scott Morrison has pulled the “He’s a backbencher, he can say what he wants” card. While Hastie is a backbencher, he is also the chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. Some argue that this means he should know better than to make comments like that, while some wonder if he was trying to get himself a headline or some attention.

It appears that a second government agency was involved in the investigation that led to the raid on ABC offices a few months ago. Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick asked for information on the raids from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) under Freedom of Information Laws. However, the AFP declined, saying that an agency exempt under the Freedom of Information Act was involved. The only agencies that are exempt are Australia’s intelligence agencies, both domestic and international. Rex Patrick believes this means that either the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) or the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) were involved in the investigation into how the ABC’s reporter Dan Oakes got hold of the documents that helped him put together the news stories known as The Afghan Files.

This week’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting had one major outcome – the agreement that all states would cease to send their recyclables overseas. It won’t happen instantly, as each state has to work on the change individually and find ways to ensure that the recyclables actually get recycled and don’t just get dumped in landfill or the ocean.

Also this week, the NSW Lower House passed abortion legislation, but it still has to get through the Upper House. If successful, this legislation will bring NSW’s abortion laws into line with pretty much every other state in Australia.

Tweet of the Week

This week, it’s technically an Instagram post. This week saw snowfalls in Victoria, the ACT and New South Wales – including the Blue Mountains region just outside of Sydney.

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

The toddler at the Garma Festival that stole the show – ABC Online

Laura Tingle on if the Morrison government knows how to deal with China – ABC Online

The Aged Care Royal Commission hears recommendations are ignored – ABC Online

The Week That Was – November 11 to November 17

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This week saw the centenary of the armistice following the First World War, with commemorations across Australia. Scott Morrison spoke at the War Memorial in Canberra and the Governor-General, General Sir Peter Cosgrove, attended services in France. 

Melbourne is recovering from the apparent terror attack on Bourke Street, with Dan Andrews offering the family of the deceased victim, Sisto Malaspina, a state funeral – which they’ve accepted. Meanwhile the Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton have been speaking tough on extremism, saying the community, especially the Muslim community, needs to keep an eye on radicalisation and report it  – which has somewhat upset the Muslim community because they’re being tarred with the same brush. There are also questions now over whether the attacker, who died after being shot by police, was also mentally unwell, separate from his radicalisation – something that Scott Morrison did not like the idea of when asked about it in an interview on Channel 10. 

This week also saw Prime Minister Scott Morrison at his first regional summits. First, to Singapore, where he attended ASEAN meetings. He was received well, however both Indonesia and Malaysia have concerns about the Israel Embassy decision, which is yet to made. This has lead to the delay in signing the free trade agreement with Indonesia, which was supposed to happen this week. Morrison says the decision will be made in “a little while”, but won’t say exactly when – although the aim seems to be before Christmas.

Morrison also attended the APEC conference in Papua New Guinea this weekend, during which there has been a lot of announcements about joint projects. Most of these are designed, it seems, to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific region. The first is a joint infrastructure venture between America, Japan and Australia, which is meant to be an alternative to the “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiative offered by China.

The other of these is a Joint Naval base on Manus Island that will house Papuan, Australian and American naval forces. Again, the plan is to counter Chinese influence in the region by setting up a naval base close to Australia before China did. Australian Defence members have also bee brought in during APEC to help the Papua New Guinean security forces with security and protection for the conference, as Australia knows a thing or two about APEC security having hosted in 2007.

The closing date for opting out if the MyHealth Record system was November 15 – or at least it was until the website crashed in the days prior as people rushed to opt out or get more information. This has lead the Health Minister Greg Hunt to announce that there will be an extension to the opt-out timeframe. If you are yet to opt-out (if you so wish) you have until January 31.

Also this week, the ABC investigated itself on Four Corners over the sacking of Michelle Guthrie. Guthrie essentially accused the board of failing to act when she brought up instances of former Chairman Justin Milne interfering politically in the running of the public broadcaster. Guthrie also accused Milne of “inappropriate touching”, saying that he rubbed her back, which made her feel uncomfortable. She reported it to another board member but refused to make a formal complaint. Many people can understand why that’d make you uncomfortable, but it did feel a little bit like she was throwing that in at the eleventh hour to save her job. 

This has lead to calls for the ABC Board to be entirely replaced, but also lead to several former and current politicians to support the ABC and the work they do – with former Deputy PM Tim Fischer saying regional Australia would “be like Siberia” if not for regional ABC programming.

Finally this week, in an epic display of “policy gymnastics”, the government announced a cut to Foodbank, ostensibly to share the money with two other food rescue organisations, SecondBite and OzHarvest, before deciding instead to increase the food rescue industry budget after facing public backlash.

Tweet of the Week

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

A year after the vote, the LGBT community are still recovering – ABC Online

Morrison’s government brings back memories of McMahon’s – ABC Online

The Week That Was – March 4 to March 10

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It was a quieter week this week because parliament didn’t sit.

The Liberals won the Tasmanian state election, just hitting the “magic number” of 13 for the House of Representatives. Tasmania, being so small population-wise, uses the Hare-Clark electoral system. There is a lot of concern still about the fact that the Liberals  did announce the day before election that they were considering decreasing gun ownership restrictions.

Barnaby Joyce this week suggested the paternity of his baby with Vikki Campion was a “grey area”, but that he’d raise the child as his own. He then changed his tune and said that it was no-one’s business, which is a bit hypocritical given the comment he’d made the day before.

The Federal Government has announced a redress scheme for victims of institutional child abuse. The New South Wales and Victorian State governments have signed up, and Malcolm Turnbull is encouraging other states and territories as well as charities and church organisations to sign up, otherwise lots of victims will miss out. The redress scheme gives payouts of up to $150,000, which is $50,000 less than the Royal Commission recommended, as well as access to counselling and a direct response from the responsible organisation.

After Donald Trump announced the steel and aluminium tariffs, Australia has been working hard to get an exemption. The government has been successful, and Australia, like America’s NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada, will be exempt from the 25% tariff on steel and the 10% tariff on aluminium, leaving other key steel importers to pay the taxes. This is leading to concerns that Australia could be a dumping ground for cheap steel imports, which the government does not seem to concerned about (yet).

Finally this week, James Ashby, Pauline Hanson’s chief of staff, is being investigated for flying her around in a plane without the correct pilot’s licence; Australia is on the way to eradicating the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer, thanks to the use of the Gardasil vaccine; and there is now a commitment between the Australian and NSW Governments to build the Badgery’s Creek Airport.

Tweet of the Week

Leigh Sales wrote a column for International Womens’ Day, and after a positive response which included people saying that they wanted her advice every day….

https://twitter.com/leighsales/status/971688939277791232

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

Does your local MP know what it is like to do your job? – ABC Online

The Week That Was – February 15 to February 21

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This week was a little less crazy as the last, but there was still some drama.

Philip Ruddock has spoken out about his sacking, saying that he was never approached by Tony Abbott about his performance as Chief Whip. Some have suggested that Ruddock was sacked because he allowed the spill motion to go ahead last week, or that the sacking was a way to show the backbench that he was serious about change and that he wants to communicate with them differently.

The Bali Nine ringleaders are getting closer to execution, although it was closer at the start of the week, when the authorities decided to move them to the execution prison by Wednesday. However that changed, and the two men will not be transferred for some time, so they can have more time with their families. Tony Abbott and the government have been trying to save the two men from execution, saying that if it goes ahead, Australia will make their disappointment known diplomatically. Abbott also said that because of the $1 billion in aid Australia gave to Indonesia after the 2004 Tsunami, Indonesia should pay us back by saving the two men from execution, which Indonesia did not like, saying that threats were not part of diplomatic language and foreign aid was not a bargaining chip. It put strain on the relationship and Julie Bishop ended up apologising to the Indonesian Foreign Minister for the gaffe.

The Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out including the family home in the means-testing calculations for the aged pension, after rumours that it would be included. Morrison has asked for ideas on saving money so he doesn’t get in trouble from the public for doing something they don’t like.

The Productivity Commission has released their report into childcare, saying that the cost and the limited places are what keeps parents (usually mothers) at home looking after the kids and not returning to work. The Commission has recommended that there be a means-tested subsidy that is paid directly to the child care providers, meaning that wealthier parents will pay more towards childcare than lower-income parents. If the parents choose to get a nanny, the subsidy can also go towards paying them, however the professional child care providers are concerned about the quality of care children get from nannies. Meanwhile, the Health Minister Sussan Ley is trying to make the Medicare changes more palatable.

David Hicks, an Australian held in Guantánamo Bay by the Americans, has had his conviction quashed after it was ruled that the crime he was charged with did not exist at the time he committed his crime. Hicks has welcomed the development, but has been critical of the Australian and American governments, saying his conviction was politically motivated, and wants an apology from the government, which the Prime Minister has said he will not get because he was “up to no good”. Hicks also wants the government to help him pay his medical bills, as he needs quite a few procedures and long-term treatments thanks to his time in the prison at Guantánamo Bay.

The submarine building drama continues, with the announcement that Japan, Germany and France will compete for the tender to build Australian submarines, meaning that the ASC will have to partner with the company that earns the tender in order to have building jobs available. The Opposition and the unions have said this is a broken election promise. The government has also ruled out the Swedish firm Saab from building submarines, even though Saab said it would be more than happy to have all the building done in Australia, because the Swedish haven’t built a submarine since 1996.

Also, there appears to be someone leaking things to the media, after a story came out on Saturday suggesting that Tony Abbott wanted to send thousands of troops into Iraq. Abbott has denied that he ever brought it up, although it has been suggested that it may have been an informal suggestion rather than a formal idea.

Finally this week, Western Australia is worried that the measures to prevent young Australians heading to fight in the Middle East are focusing too much on the eastern coast after a West Australian man left for the Middle East; George Brandis is trying to monitor social media in real-time; the ADF has been called in to help with the Cyclone Marcia recovery; and there are concerns that Free Trade Agreements might make it easier for incidents, like this week’s Hepatitis A outbreak, to happen again.

Tweet of the Week

Things I’ve been Looking at Online

Malcolm Turnbull talks to Indonesia through Q & A about the Bali Nine ringleaders (and in the process auditions for the role of PM)

Queensland’s Cyclone Marcia sent rain and wind to Northern NSW – so this happened.

The D-Day Stuff Up of 2014

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I first found out about this on Twitter…

and since then, it’s gotten awkward. The New Matilda has a summary of the story, and the PDF of the original speech is here.

Please tell me how a speech about following War Veterans to France for D-Day commemorations links into blatant political messaging about how getting rid of the Carbon Tax and telling the rest of the world that “Australia is open for business” is going to make anyone want to trade or do more business in Australia than they already do.

Somehow, I don’t think Tony Abbott is going to make any headway going around Europe and the Americas, telling people that “Australia is open for business” and that:

We welcome investment and we are making investment more attractive by scrapping the carbon tax and the
mining tax, cutting 50,000 pages of red tape and ending the “analysis paralysis” on major projects.

The “analysis paralysis”? What has this got to do with D-Day Veterans attending the 70th anniversary commemorations in Normandy to remember the beginning of the end of a deadly war?

This has been stirring up social media, and I can understand why – it was meant to be about the Veterans, not a chance to slip in a political message that at the moment is completely irrelevant. It shouldn’t have happened at all.

The video is still on YouTube (as at 10:55pm AEST on June 1)