Tag Archives: Nauru

The Week That Was – February 10 to February 16

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This week saw Parliament return, and what a week it was. The government released classified security information to the public that suggested that if all the Manus Island and Nauru detainees were deemed unwell by the medical team that they could all be transferred to Australia within weeks. Labor made an amendment to the legislation that means that the laws would only apply to those currently on Manus Island and Nauru, and they convinced the Greens and cross bench MPs to support this change.

So the government lost a vote on legislation, which is something that has not happened for around 80 years, and it sort of led to some sort of Trump-like transformation in the government, with suggestion that people with criminal histories would get into the country. This is despite the fact that the government hasn’t actually confirmed that any of the asylum seekers in detention have a criminal background. The government is also laying the foundations to blame Labor for any new boat arrivals, should they come.

Barrie Cassidy from ABC’s Insiders program had a great explanation about the whole issue.

This week was peak ridiculous from the government, and is exactly the reason that people switch off. People are getting annoyed with politics because the opposition to policy has become more about who was introducing that policy, rather than the policy itself. Labor has begun to recognise the change in public sentiment when it comes to humane treatment of asylum seekers, and it appears the government either hasn’t recognised the change, or they are simply ignoring it.

It also probably doesn’t help that it is an election year as well. Despite there being no date yet (but we know it has to take place by May), the pre-election policy announcements have begun, mostly from the Government. The Coalition are focusing on national security, something they see as one of their traditional strengths, which may have played into how they were dealing with the asylum seeker issue.

Meanwhile in the Senate, the Senate President Scott Ryan has banned Pauline Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby from entering parliament for “the time being” after he provoked Senator Brian Burston (formerly of One Nation, now part of the United Australia Party), leading to an altercation between the two. Burston also smeared blood on Pauline Hanson’s office door in the aftermath but it’s unclear whether that was on purpose or by accident, although I’d put my money on it being the former, even if Burston claims he can’t remember it.

The government also tried to avoid a vote on a Royal Commission into abuse in the disability sector. It passed the senate on Thursday, but the government kept Question Time going for an extra two and a half hours, so that the vote couldn’t be brought on in the Lower House. Labor accused the Coalition of running down the clock, which Scott Morrison denies, but Christopher Pyne didn’t.

This week also saw the start of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Safety and Quality in Adelaide. Most of Australia’s 1.3 million aged care clients are in home-based care (in a retirement or nursing home). During this week’s hearings we learned that there are not enough qualified nurses to fill nursing roles, meaning some roles are being filled by people who are unqualified, and that this issue, combined with a general lack of nursing staff has left those working in aged care facilities spread too thin, leading more nurses to quit, which adds to the nursing problem facing the sector. We also learned that there are a large number of patients with complex issues, such as dementia, being over-medicated. It’s thought that only a small fraction of those with dementia on anti-psychotic medication actually benefit from it, and that for those who don’t really need these medications it could be doing more harm than good.

Divisions in the seat of Gilmore are starting to show, with the Nationals holding a pre-selection for a candidate in the Southern NSW coastal electorate. It looks as if former NSW State MP and minister Katrina Hodgkinson will win that pre-selection and join the race against the parachuted Liberal candidate Warren Mundine, the originally pre-selected Liberal (and now independent) Grant Schultz, as well as the Labor candidate Fiona Phillips. Gilmore is an extremely marginal seat, and if the Liberal and National parties split the first preference vote, they may find neither party wins Gilmore.

Also this week, Hakeem al-Arabi was released from a Thai prison and returned to Australia. He’s likely to get his citizenship application fast-tracked from what Marise Payne and Scott Morrison were saying.

Finally this week, Michaelia Cash appeared in the Federal Court this week to give evidence in a case related to the raids on AWU offices in Melbourne, and it looks like one of her staffers may also be giving evidence soon

Tweets of the Week

Oh, and Tony Jones announced this week he would be leaving Q & A on the ABC, as his wife Sarah Ferguson will be posted to China as the ABC’s bureau chief, which led to numerous offers to host from social media, including this one that reflects many people’s feelings when it comes to politics these days:

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

The refugee drama distracted from a couple of other key points – ABC Online

 

The Week That Was – November 6 to November 12

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This week was interesting to say the least.

No, you weren’t dreaming, Donald Trump did actually become the President-elect of the United States of America. Asian stock markets got nervous and Australians lost 2% of their superannuation on Wednesday. Conservatives are celebrating the victory, while commentators are saying that this shows that people are disillusioned with the system and it will embolden people to vote to change the system – something the NSW State government is bearing in mind this weekend as three state electorates hold by-elections. Tony Abbott also joined in the discussion, warning his colleagues that they “ignore the conservatives at [their] peril”.

Government ministers spent most of Question Time on Wednesday looking at their phones as it became clear that Trump was going to win. While Turnbull has attempted to calm the public, there are still concerns about strategic and trade agreements between Australia and the USA. He also said that Joe Hockey, the Ambassador to the United States is working with the transition team.

Back at home, it was announced that the government would put through the legislation in the parliament in order to be able to send refugees on Manus Island and Nauru to a third country and never allow them back in again. This was followed later in the week by an announcement that the US would take the refugees from both island detention centres. Given this has occured shortly after agreeing to take Costa Rican-based Latin American refugees, some believe it could be a people swap. However, there is further concern that this agreement could be torn up by the Trump administration, as the deal was made with the Obama Administration.

Senator Rod Culleton and former Senator Bob Day have both had their election sent to the High Court over eligibility issues. Many were surprised when Pauline Hanson and her two fellow party members voted with the Government and Opposition to refer Culleton, who may have lied about a conviction he had when he became a candidate. There are also questions over how long the government has known about the issue with Bob Day, as there is a paper trail of legal advice regarding the whole saga. This trouble, which is affecting the Prime Minister, has the opposition painting it as Turnbull losing grip – although one has to say, it has nothing to do with his actions, something that could not be said for his predecessor.

What also doesn’t help at this time is the complaint to the Human Rights Commission regarding the member for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman. He is believed to have said at a party event that some members of the Liberal Party of certain ethnic backgrounds engage in branch stacking. Zimmerman’s response was to say that he likes multiculturalism, but there are ethnic groups that stack branches in NSW.

Finally this week, we saw former soldiers given gallantry medals for their service in the Battle of Long Tan over 40 years ago; Labor is blocking legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives, causing deadlocks; there are calls from the medical profession to introduce a sugar tax; and the PM may be banned from attending Mardi Gras next year.

Tweets of the Week

https://twitter.com/hamishNews/status/795163909791490048

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

Had some assignments for uni this week, so only one, but there should be more next week

Lucia Stein on media coverage and women’s behaviour – ABC Online

The Week That Was – May 8 to May 14

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Well, we’re officially in one of the longest election campaigns Australia has had in living memory.

In order to win the election, the Labor party will need to win 21 seats. It could be interesting to see the result, as an eight week-long campaign can lead to voter fatigue and if the 1984 Election is anything to go by, the opposition could get bigger in stature. Commentators suggest that if Turnbull lets that happen, he could lose the election. The ABC’s election analyst, Antony Green also suggests that this long campaign, paired with a double dissolution could see the Coalition with a hostile Senate, much like the one they’re trying to get rid of, if not more hostile. It also means that some of the “bellwether” seats across the country are getting media attention. Voters in the southern NSW seat of Eden-Monaro are not yet sure who they will vote for. Peter Hendy, the current MP, is getting criticised for not being in the seat enough, while the more recognised Labor candidate Mike Kelly is going around meeting people. It may not do Kelly much good though, given a minor redistribution of the seat has left it notionally more towards the Coalition.

The week began with both the PM and the Opposition Leader in Queensland, where Labor will need to win eight seats. Bill Shorten was in Far North Queensland talking up education policy, including scholarships for indigenous students to study education at university. However there have also been some first-week hiccups, with a few of the Labor candidates not toeing the party line on refugees coming by boat, as well as dumping a candidate for not disclosing criminal convictions.

It’s also been tough for Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition with internal disagreements over negative gearing and questions to Liberal MPs over how they voted on spill night eight months ago. Turnbull was also mentioned in the Panama Papers, leading to calls from Labor accusing Turnbull for being out of touch and too wealthy. The whole wealth angle worked to Labor’s advantage at the end of the week at a mini debate in Windsor, in Western Sydney.

One week down, seven to go. Unlike 2007 and 2013, it’s not easy to figure out who is likely to win at this point. It’s anyone’s game.

In other news, five men have been arrested over one of the most peculiar attempts to get to Syria. The men towed a small boat from Melbourne to northern Queensland, it raised some suspicion with the authorities. They were stopped in Cairns and will face court some time next week if charged.

Also this week, a refugee on Nauru went into premature labour after having a seizure. It’s believed that the 22-year-old also had pre-eclampsia. Both mum and baby were on life support, but it’s understood that mum is now off that life support and her condition is improving. Peter Dutton is fending of criticism that the mother should have been evacuated off Nauru and taken to a hospital in Brisbane much earlier, especially given her pre-eclampsia diagnosis. Dutton says that the services on Nauru are fine and that people are well taken care of. Meanwhile the government is still deciding whether or not they will allow the baby’s father to be transported to Brisbane to be by his baby and his partner’s side.

Finally this week, arts groups are preparing to tighten their budgets as major cuts to the Australia Council come into effect. Many small and medium size arts groups could lose most of their government funding and grants, which could leave some with no choice but to close up shop. While there is the possibility of projects grants, some groups are saying that with fewer small arts groups, the fewer new talents there are for the bigger arts companies and groups to choose from.

Tweet of the Week

https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/731272396699631616

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

First Dog on the Moon on the Election – The Guardian

First Dog on the Moon on Vote Compass – The Guardian

Aussie Cafés in NYC – ABC 7:30

The Week That Was – January 10 to January 16

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This week saw the political machine whirr back into gear, with Bill Shorten touring marginal seats across the nation, campaigning against a rise in the GST. In one of these visits he was at supermarket asking a shopper what variety of lettuce they preferred, which lead to some frivolity with Triple J journalist Alice Workman desperately trying to find out which variety was Shorten’s favourite (you can tell we’re only in low gear at the moment).

https://twitter.com/workmanalice/status/687027060460486656

Shorten even played along, only to frustrate Workman further.

https://twitter.com/workmanalice/status/687049109484654592

The frivolity kind of stopped a bit later in the week, when it was revealed that the NSW ALP boss Jamie Clements was being accused of sexual harassment and many people in the party were asking him to go, such as former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally, NSW Acting Opposition Leader Linda Burnie and Shorten himself. It’s believed that Clements wanted $1 million to go, but whether that happened was unclear when it was announced that he had resigned, as he put it “for the good of the party”.

Clive Palmer and his Palmer United Party are under scrutiny this week after Palmer’s company Queensland Nickel sacked hundreds of workers after they were unable to get financial assistance to the tune of $35 million from the Queensland Government, despite the fact that the company donated nearly $290,000 to the PUP at the end of 2015.

Finally this week, Save the Children staffers have been vindicated over accusations they were causing trouble on Nauru; there are concerns about the share market and commodity prices as the price of oil drops to below USD $30 a barrel; Nick Xenophon and his party the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) have announced their candidates for this year’s election with a candidate in Tony Abbott’s seat of Warringah; and there are also concerns that the government is trying to make it harder for people to prove they need the Disability Pension.

Tweet of the Week

Something for us all to think about.

And if you can guess who it was, well done you.

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

First Dog on the Moon on killing off carp with herpes – The Guardian

First Dog on the Moon “moonsplains” sexism – The Guardian

The Week That Was – October 18 to October 24

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This week wasn’t too insane, which is probably a good thing for the government as it might actually be settling down and doing something.

Speaking of, Senate cross bencher David Leyonhjelm thinks that the only reason the government is making such strict anti-terror laws is so that it looks like something is being done, while Cathy McGowan is calling on the Attorney-General to change the legislation so that abusive ex-partners can’t cross-examine their victims in court, which only a few states ban. The idea behind this is that it intimidates and terrorises the victims, giving the power back to the perpetrator.

Malcolm Turnbull turned 61 on Saturday, and celebrated with some interviews being published in the weekend papers that outlined some of his plans, which include borrowing money to invest in public transport projects as well a dealing with union corruption. Polls at the start of the week show that he has a 68% approval rating – which analysts are attributing to the fact that the bitterness of the Rudd-Gillard-Abbott period is over and the government appears to be acting sensibly.

Badgerys Creek Airport has taken a step towards actually being made instead of just being mused about, with a plan for the build and the environmental statement released. It’s been received mostly positively with tourism and business groups applauding the plan’s release, but concerned about the fact that there is no train line to the prospective airport mentioned. Warren Truss, the Transport Minister, has said that the train and other public transport will come eventually. The environmentalists are worried too, because they feel not enough is being done to protect native endangered species. If Badgerys Creek Airport is ever built (sorry, I live with parents who have heard about this plan since they were kids), construction would start next year, with 6 years to be spent levelling soil, and another few years to build the actual airport – at least ten years in all.

This week Senate Estimates brought to light an incident that occurred on the night Tony Abbott lost the spill. Dubbed “Tablegate” by the media, the gist of the story is that a bunch of people had an alcohol fuelled party in Abbott’s Prime Ministerial Office, in which people got a tad drunk and someone climbed atop a marble coffee table and danced. It is understood that the table then gave way, in Penny Wong’s words, “smashing” to pieces, and possibly injuring the dancer – and people are believed to have taken bits of the table as souvenirs. What makes the whole thing even better is the ABC’s reenactment of the event they filmed for the nightly news, which was quite funny and which I have turned into a gif.

Marble Table

Meanwhile, the people of the electorate of North Sydney (including me) are bracing themselves for a by-election after Joe Hockey made his valedictory speech in Parliament this week. Usually during elections the seat is ignored a bit because it’s a safe Liberal seat and Joe Hockey’s win is essentially a given, so I think some of us in the electorate are looking forward to a little attention.

The Somali refugee that was flown back to Australia after the government said she “changed her mind” about having an abortion after being raped in detention at Nauru has written a statement that contradicts a lot of what the government says. The woman, who is being referred to as Abyan (not her name), says that when she came to Sydney to get the abortion (illegal in Nauru, hence the reason she was flown here) she never saw a doctor, nurse, midwife, or even an interpreter. The government is yet to respond further as far as I have seen, while her lawyers and other activists protested the decision to send her back with no treatment.

Finally this week, Labor has agreed to the China free trade agreement as long as there are certain checks and balances in place; there are going to be changes to renewable energy legislation; Warren Entsch and Eric Abetz have differing views over whether pre-emptive same-sex marriage legislation should be written so that when the country passes it in a plebiscite they can push it through quickly; Bill Heffernan is accusing the judiciary of a cover-up of child abuse, saying he has police paperwork to prove it which includes allegations of child abuse by a former PM; the Trade Union Royal Commission is recommending charges against a union figure and the Social Services Minister Christian Porter bungled an interview question during the week which lead to some savage questioning from the Opposition during Question Time this week.

Tweets of the Week

https://twitter.com/workmanalice/status/656320299466518528

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

First Dog on the Moon on Joe Hockey – The Guardian

The ABC’s look back at Joe Hockey’s political career

The Week That Was – October 11 to October 17

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Malcolm Turnbull’s week started well, with him announcing $100 million for light rail infrastructure on the Gold Coast. However, as it went on, the week got tougher for him. His government with his cabinet had their first sitting day in the Parliament, with Andrew Hastie, the new MP for Canning being sworn in, and Tony Abbott on the back benches for the first time in almost two decades, which went well. However, by the end of the week Turnbull was dealing with the Labor party implying, but never directly accusing the PM of avoiding taxes, as it was revealed that Turnbull has an investment in the Cayman Islands, a famed tax haven. Turnbull says that he has always paid his taxes, and while it seems suspicious, he doesn’t control where his money is invested. Furthermore, he has no investments in Australia, so there is no perceived conflicts of interest. At the end of the week, Turnbull was in NZ for his first international trip as PM, with the main focus on Australia deporting New Zealand citizens who had been convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.

Refugees also became a major issue this week, with the doctors and nurses at the Melbourne Children’s hospital refusing to discharge patients who came to them from detention centres, due to concerns about mental health. The Victorian government is behind them, and both have told the public that the issue will not affect bed numbers. Another issue was the way the government dealt with a Somali asylum seeker who was raped and required medical attention, primarily because she wanted an abortion, which is illegal in Nauru. She was flown to Australia towards the end of the week, only to be sent back a few days later without the abortion. The government is claiming that she changed her mind, while her lawyers say that she was never seen by a medical professional and was never given access to an interpreter.

The Dutch report into MH17, was released this week, with the investigators concluding that a Russian-made BUK missile shot down the plane over Ukraine, although they do not know who launched it. Most of the families and friends of the victims, including Malcolm Turnbull, who I think said that he knew one of the passengers, have welcomed the report, while Russia has criticised it.

Finally this week, Glenn Lazarus has called for a Royal Commission into the Coal Seam Gas industry after a Queensland farmer killed himself after a long battle with the CSG companies drilling on his land; the Federal government is looking into legalising medical marijuana; charges have been laid against those involved in the Parramatta shooting, and the victim, Curtis Cheng was farewelled at a funeral on Saturday.

Tweet of the Week

International Politics can be interesting…

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

I’ve been working on an assignment for uni, so this is really all I’ve looked at…

Diversity at the ABC – ABC Radio National

The Week That Was – October 4 to October 10

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Investigations continued into the Parramatta police shooting this week, with police looking into people the 15-year-old shooter was involved with. A classmate of the shooter was arrested earlier in the week and raids in neighbouring suburbs later in the week lead to more arrests, although most have now been released with no charge. Meanwhile, NSW Police, the NSW Premier Mike Baird and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have been calling for calm, while the Muslim community continues to remind people that the bulk of their community are law-abiding, non-violent citizens. Turnbull has heralded a marked change in the government’s reaction to events, in that he does not use Abbott’s favourite word “death cult” nor does he engage in the kind of scaremongering that was a key part of Abbott’s national security spin.

The Nauruan government has announced that they will start processing remaining asylum claims with aims to finish within the week. It appears there may be a bit of a delay, as I don’t think they are done, but it’s a start. There is some suspicion that this move may have to do with a High Court case that started this week, but the government obviously isn’t saying anything. However, it is still at a cost to the Australian taxpayer and there are still allegations of untoward behaviour at centres.

The government has announced that they’re going to spend $1.3 billion on new armoured vehicles for the ADF. They’ve ordered 1100 vehicles, along with an unclear number of trailers. PM Turnbull and Defence Minister Marise Payne have said this is good for the country, if not for the fact that we need some newer better ones, but because they will be built in Australia, keeping at least 200 jobs. However, there has been some amusing side acts to this with both Kevin Andrews and Labor claiming they started the process for ordering the vehicles.

Peter Garrett is in a spot of bother this week after it was revealed that he had said that someone from Clubs NSW had given him a bag of cash at an event just after he was elected to parliament in 2004. He said he didn’t accept the cash. However, he has now backtracked on his allegations, saying now that it was an event before he was elected and the envelope contained a cheque (which is considered a legitimate donation as it can be traced). His excuse is that he had a brain fart and he has asked both his publisher (he’s writing a book) and the editors of a documentary on gambling to correct what he had said.

Also this week, Liberal Party Director Brian Loughnane has announced he will leave his role at the end of the year. Loughnane, is married to Abbott’s Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin. Loughnane is not seen as a victim of the spill, however he believes, much like Abbott, that Abbott could have won the Liberals the next election.

Finally this week, the Trans-Pacific Partnership has been agreed on and signed in Atlanta this week, with all nations involved relatively pleased with the result; Australia still has concerns about Russia’s involvement in Syria, the crazy people came out to protest outside Parramatta Mosque, as well as against a proposed mosque in Bendigo in Victoria; a Somali asylum seeker is trying to get to Australia for medical treatment after she was sexually assaulted, and NSW will be taking the bulk of the Syrian refugees Australia has agreed to take in.

Tweet of the Week

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

Terry Barnes on how Turnbull needs to learn from the Credlin-Loughnane era – ABC The Drum

Criticisms of Channel 9’s attempt at a Q&A (“The Verdict”) – ABC The Drum

The ABC reflects on its coverage of the Turnbull spill – ABC Backstory

The Week That Was – February 22 to February 28

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It’s been less than a month since the failed spill motion in the Liberal Party room, and already there have been some leaks from within the party. A message written by the outgoing Honourary Treasurer of the Liberal Party (a senior Liberal Party executive) has leaked in which he criticises the fact that Peta Credlin, Abbott’s Chief of Staff, is in a senior job within the party that her husband Brian Loughnane is in charge of, suggesting it is a conflict of interest. Also this week saw more leadership rumblings, with reports that backbenchers approached Malcolm Turnbull about challenging Abbott, telling him he would have the numbers to do so. Even more worrying is that many backbenchers are avoiding saying that Abbott will last to the next election.

Tony Abbott made a National Security Statement, in which most people in my house rolled their eyes, as Tony Abbott told us:

When it comes to someone like the Martin Place murderer, people feel like we have been taken for mugs.

He also said this:

I’ve often heard Western leaders describe Islam as a ‘religion of peace’. I wish more Muslim leaders would say that more often, and mean it.

Yes, he actually said that. Here is a transcript of the speech, complete with death cults.

And you can also watch it below (It’s 20 mins long)

Part of the National Security speech had to do with Man Haron Monis and the Sydney Siege, in which it was revealed that despite calls to the National Security Hotline and the fact that Monis was on the authorities’ radars, he was not seen as much of a threat in the lead up to the Sydney Siege.

Gillian Triggs has shocked many by telling a Senate Estimates Committee that the Attorney-General asked her to resign from the role as President of the Human Rights Commission and in return she would be given a senior legal job in the government. The Attorney-General believes that the Australian Human Rights Commission is biased against the government, and Abbott has said that the government has lost confidence in Professor Triggs. Triggs has said that she will not go, and several opposition members have asked the Australian Federal Police to look into the offer given to Gillian Triggs to see if the Attorney-General acted corruptly.

This week has seen two reports about private organisations that have been rorting the federal government systems that they are beneficiary to. The first, a jobs company that is meant to help get people jobs, and is taxpayer-funded, has been claiming money on people who have since found a job and no longer require the serviced of the company, it has shown that the system is open to rorts, and it has also become apparent that some people within the company knew about the activity. The other issue has been a Sydney-based private vocational college that has been claiming government subsidies through FEE-HELP students, by claiming students have completed courses that they have not, with one claim that an office assistant who was helping a student with literacy issues withdraw (for which the college had no form) was told to tear up the withdrawal letter and put it in the bin once the student was gone, under the impression they had withdrawn.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has agreed to facilitate the move of asylum seekers from Nauru to Cambodia, with Australia covering the cost. The IOM has guaranteed education, job and family re-unification rights for the refugees. However, few, if any, of the refugees in detention on Nauru want to be moved to Cambodia, and the Cambodian locals are not happy with the prospect of refugees being sent there.

Finally this week, New Zealand unintentionally threw Australia for a loop after including Australia in an announcement about sending more Australian and New Zealander troops to Iraq to help train troops there; the Bali Nine ringleaders have had their appeal rejected; Knox Grammar School has been investigated by the Child Abuse Royal Commission; there is a proposal for foreign buyers to pay a $5,000 fee when buying a house under $1 million and $10,000 when they buy a house for $1 million and then for every $1 million thereafter; and the Medicare co-payment may be dumped.

Tweet of the Week

Matthew Mitcham has been touring his Cabaret Show Twists and Turns around the country.

Things I’ve Been Looking at Online

That dress that sent social media crazy, explained – ABC Online

Julie Bishop’s Emoji Interview – Buzzfeed

If Dying Phones Were People

The Week That Was – September 28 to October 4

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It’s official. Australia is going to Iraq to take part in US airstrikes against Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL). At the beginning of the week, while waiting for confirmation, Australian troops were doing practice flights in the UAE and reconnaissance flights over Iraq. The government has not considered Syria yet, and may decide not to go there in the end. However, according to the government, we’re not going to war, we’re going to help a humanitarian mission – despite this the ABC has been using the term ‘war’, so go figure. Australia’s tactical advisors are yet to begin working in Iraq as they haven’t been given their diplomatic immunity, but apparently that will happen soon. Meanwhile, raids were carried out in Melbourne by Victoria Police and the AFP. There was one person arrested and charged for sending money to finance terror organisations. The police say it had noting to do with the young man killed last week, and that the FBI tipped them off about the guy.

At the end of this week, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President decided to force women wearing burqas or niqabs to sit behind the glass walled part of the public gallery, usually reserved for school groups. This “security measure”, as they’re calling it, has been criticised by most people, arguing that it treats Muslim women as second-class citizens, with some calling it religious apartheid. On Friday, Tony Abbott spoke with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Bronwyn Bishop and asked her to reconsider the decision.

That mysterious thing called the budget is still haunting the government, as they try to figure out new ways to save money that won’t upset the Opposition, and will allow for the changes to go through. There is talk of lowering the income limit for tax benefits, as well as fiddling with the large family tax benefit. In the meantime, they’ve also got to find cuts in order to have money to fight in Iraq and fund new terror laws, though getting through a hostile senate may be a challenge, especially if Clive Palmer and the PUP decide not to support the changes the government decides to make.

This week, Scott Morrison announced an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse by guards at the Detention Centre in Nauru, after saying earlier this week that he would be “pretty damn cross” if the allegations are true. However, the investigation is also looking into whether or not the children’s charity Save the Children is orchestrating the claims or encouraging asylum seekers to make such allegations.

As the Ebola outbreak continues in Africa, and with the news of the first person being diagnosed of the disease on US soil, officials are moving to quell the fear here. Australia is at low risk, and while airports are on alert and have the capacity to send suspected Ebola cases to hospitals, we shouldn’t be overly concerned. They’ve also pointed out that in Australia, we have the resources to deal with a patient with Ebola.

In other news, the move to fully privatise Medibank is gaining momentum, with advertising now letting people know that they can register their interest in buying shares in the health fund. While some are happy with the move, there are concerns that jobs could be at risk, premiums will go up, and what happens to the many Australians that picked Medibank due to its link with the government. Also, the Trade Union Royal Commission continued this week with bribery allegations against the MUA, as well as the implication of the CFMEU in activities with crime bosses.

Finally this week, Australia Network stopped transmission into the Asia Pacific, and Australian citizen was killed in Afghanistan, and it turns out some Australian companies are not paying the amount of tax they should be.

Tweets of the Week

ICYMI – Hong Kong has been crippled by protests. But they are some of the most well-behaved and polite protesters you will ever see…

They recycle:

They apologise for barricading train stations:

They shield the cops from the rain:

Things I’ve been Reading/Watching/Listening etc

California adopts “Yes means Yes” consent legislation – TIME Magazine

Only in Australia…Bushfire training for journalists – ABC Backstory

How to Comment – The Not Adam

The Week That Was – August 3 to August 9

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This week there were MH17 memorials in Western Australia and Queensland and more bodies were found at the crash site. The people living in a town close to the crash site also held a memorial. Meanwhile, the Russians have imposed sanctions on Australia, the EU and the US, in retaliation for the sanctions placed on them (which I thought Australia was not a part of, because our main aim was to bring our dead home). These sanctions stop Australia from trading dairy and livestock. Tony Abbott has said Australia will now consider more sanctions on Russia. Also, the Prime Minister is due to travel to the Netherlands and the UK in the next week.

So it turns out the asylum seekers were moved to Nauru on Friday night last week. Scott Morrison has been saying that the Tamils are from Indian camps and most have long-term Indian residency. The lawyers for the High Court case have also begun to claim that their clients were taught to drive lifeboats and read maps to show them where to go. Meanwhile a report has come out about the asylum seekers that claimed to have been burnt by being forced to put their hands on boat engines by Australian authorities. The heavily censored report suggests that the asylum seekers were burned when trying to light a fire on their boat and not by the actions of the Australians. There has been no response from the Indonesian authorities, who treated the asylum seekers at the moment.

Unemployment is now at a 12 year high – at 6.4%. Only 300 jobs were lost in the last month, but more people have been looking for jobs, making the unemployment rate rise. Youth unemployment is worse, with a little over 20% in the 15-19 age group and nearly 15% in the 15-24 age group. South Australia and Tasmania have had a drop in the unemployment rate, while the other states have had a rise, with Sydney having one of the worst youth unemployment rates, especially out in Sydney’s west. The Paid Parental Leave Scheme may have been shelved or delayed. It’s thought to be because some backbenchers – primarily those in rural or low-income areas – are still not supporting it. The government claims that the budget is the priority at the moment, so they haven’t brought up the scheme yet.

Joe Hockey has also been disputing Treasury numbers, after information was released stating that many families would be up to $490 worse off because of the 2014 Budget. In fact, the table that explains this was omitted from the budget papers, and those who wanted to know what the table said had to make Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. However, it appears most FOI requests, including one from the ABC was denied. Joe Hockey says that the numbers are wrong because the Deficit Levy imposed on higher-income households wasn’t factored in and there could still be changes. Either way, there are still negotiations between the Government and the cross benchers in the Senate – David Leyonhjelm has said that these discussions should have begun before July 1.

This week also saw a bit of gymnastics on the repeal of section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act. The government has decided not to continue with the repeal of section 18c because Tony Abbott wants to unify Australia, given the threat posed by Australians travelling to the Middle East. Andrew Bolt, along with other conservative commentators and politicians are not pleased. At least one conservative senator is going to launch a private member’s bill to keep the repeal alive.

There are now going to be changes to the Terrorism laws given the threat posed by those travelling to the Middle East perceived by the government. This change, on top of the “burden of proof” proposal last week, means that there will be another $630 million for security agencies, the ability to suspend passports and make it illegal to travel to certain nations without an acceptable reason (burden of proof on the traveller not the police) and telecommunications companies must keep metadata for a certain amount of time.

Now this “metadata” thing has confused everyone. Tony Abbott and George Brandis have been unable to explain exactly what will be retained, and they didn’t let Malcolm Turnbull (one of the guys who probably could explain it) out to talk until a few days later. Other than the concerns over privacy, it is completely unclear at the moment what is going to be retained by the telcos. Now, I am not a computer geek in any way, but from what I understand, what will be retained is the IP address of websites you visit, not the content or the URL of the site. So when you visit this blog, they only see the IP address, not the karaxl.wordpress.com or the content of the blog – in order to see those they need a warrant.

Before I forget, Eric Abetz is in trouble for appearing to link abortions with breast cancer. He said it on The Project on Channel Ten in what he says was a pre-recorded interview that was heavily edited, which Channel Ten denies. By the way, the link has been disproved by the scientific community, despite the fact that some scientists coming to the World Families’ Congress maintain there is a link. The congress will be held in Melbourne later this year, and several Federal Government MPs are planning to attend.

Finally this week, the Federal Liberal Party is being dragged into the NSW ICAC, Australia might become involved in humanitarian drops in Iraq, our Airports are preparing for Ebola checks, and the WA Premier Colin Barnett wants the GST changed, because he feels that Western Australia is ripped off as it contributes quite a bit to the GST and gets less back.

Tweet of the Week

After hitting 5000 followers on twitter this week, the people running Kevin Rudd 2000 (@Rudd2000), a spoof account called it a day, killing off “Kevern”.

(Translation: Albo [Anthony Albanese] ate Kevin [Rudd])

Things I’ve been Reading/Watching/Listening to etc

Balibo’s ghosts and East Timor’s media laws – ABC The Drum

When journalists stop covering a story without explanation and social media speculation gets out of hand – BBC News

Whitehousegate is still going, and a student at the college is facing criminal charges for blowing the whistle – Business Insider