Australia General Discussion 4.0: It ain’t easy under Albanese

[S019]

Can't believe this hasn't been posted yet, but the Coalition has scheduled the budget for March 29 and will have only 10 sitting days until August, speculation has been rising that this indicates they will go for a May election: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/29/coalitions-proposed-parliamentary-calendar-has-just-10-sitting-days-in-first-half-of-2022

Also a deal has possibly been struck on LGBT protections to win Labor's support for the religious discrimination bill (article indicates Labor is open to voting for it, but the fate of it is ultimately unclear): https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/deal-to-protect-lgbtqi-students-sets-up-vote-on-religious-freedom-20211201-p59dxg.html

Deal has also been struck to win Labor support on the political campaigner bill (Voter ID has also been dropped until after the election): https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/dec/01/australia-news-updates-live-covid-omicron-scott-morrison-parliament-nsw-victoria-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-quarantine-australian-politics?CMP=share_btn_tw&page=with:block-61a6e3b08f08ab53167b7bce#block-61a6e3b08f08ab53167b7bce

Also on the topic of the upcoming election, Health Minister Greg Hunt (Flinders) and scandal-plagued ex-front bencher Christian Porter (Pearce) are both expected to retire.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Well that's not good:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/wa-nationals-mp-james-hayward-charged-child-sex-offences/100669446

I didn't know whether to put that in the crime thread or this political thread, but seeing as Barnaby's name is in the title.

This is crazy news in WA at present.

[GoTfan]

A report released eariler today details rampant sexual harassement in Australia's Parliament.

Men strutting down corridors looking women up and down. Women carrying fake binders to block unwanted advances. Forcible touches, kisses, comments about appearance. Fears of speaking out.

A sweeping review of the workplace culture in Australia’s Parliament paints a damning picture of widespread sexual harassment, with employees sharing harrowing stories of an alcohol-soaked atmosphere where powerful men blurred lines and crossed boundaries with impunity.

The report, released on Tuesday, was commissioned by the Australian government in March, shortly after a former employee’s account of being raped in Parliament House sent shock waves through Australia’s halls of power. It found that one-third of parliamentary employees — 40 percent of women — had experienced sexual harassment. About 1 percent of the more than 1,700 people who participated in the review said they had been the victim of attempted or actual sexual assault.

In response, Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, who conducted the study, proposed a series of measures to address the power imbalances, gender inequality and lack of accountability that she said had made Parliament a hostile workplace for many employees, especially young female staff members.


Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the findings of rampant sexual harassment “appalling” and added, “I wish I found them more surprising.” He said the government would review the report’s recommendations — including the creation of an independent central complaints body, a code of conduct and alcohol policies — but did not commit to accepting them.

The Australian Parliament has long had a reputation as a testosterone-fueled bunker, a place that lagged behind the rest of society as the country’s corporations and other institutions made gradual moves toward gender equality. In the past 20 years, Australia has fallen from 15th to 50th in the world for parliamentary gender diversity.

Predictably, Sky News has tried to rubbish Jenkins already.

[(no subject)]

[Pericles]

Daniel Andrews has declared Victoria's pandemic response a 'triumph'. That's a rose-tinted glasses view of things because Melbourne was the most locked down city in the world. By international standards, which he used, he certainly has a point, Victoria's death rate is so much lower than most jurisdictions in similar countries or anywhere in the world. However, Victoria also did worst in Australia on most measures, including the deaths (and even now are doing the worst, because they opened up at the highest level of cases despite Andrews being seen as so strict). Maybe Australian posters know better, but I think the main mistake he made was not going hard enough at the start of the second wave last year, which made the long lockdown inevitable. The long Delta lockdown may have been inevitable.

A minor point, but did any ministers say something that could have been seen as 'bagging' Victoria? That sounds a bit like Scott Morrison trying to turn Macron's very clearly personal attack into an attack on Australia as a nation, just a soundbite to undermine the criticism.

[NewYorkExpress]

Protestors set the Old Parliament Building in Canberra ablaze earlier Thursday during a demonstration for Aboriginal sovereignty. 

Australia's former parliament building in the capital Canberra was briefly set alight on Thursday by protesters during a demonstration for Aboriginal sovereignty, police said.

No-one was injured in the fire, which engulfed the Old Parliament House's front doors before it was put out.

It follows a fortnight of protest activity at the site, police said.

Protest violence on this scale is rare in Australia, but flare-ups have become more common during the pandemic.

Some of the protesters had identified themselves as part of anti-government and "sovereign citizen" groups, observers said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the violence, saying: "This is not how Australia works."


"I am disgusted and appalled by behaviour that would see Australians come and set fire to such a symbol of democracy in this country," he said.

Workers inside the heritage building were quickly evacuated once the fire broke out on Thursday.

The current residents of the building, the Museum of Australian Democracy, had on 20 December shut its doors after indigenous protesters held a "peaceful sit-in".

The museum said it recognised protesters' rights to a peaceful protest. It has not yet addressed Thursday's protest.

https://twitter.com/siobhanheanue/status/1476372405631082497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw...

[AustralianSwingVoter]

You would think this is satire. Or a piss take. But no, this is an officially sanctioned logo from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. On the week of Women's Day.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Tassie Premier Peter Gutwein has pulled a shock resignation. Sounds very tired, made it clear he's got nothing left in the tank to give after the stress of two years through covid. Deputy moderate Jeremy Rockliff looks best positioned to take the leadership, with conservative Michael Ferguson the likely contender from the minority right faction.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Rockcliff has been rather quietly installed as the next Tassie Premier. Instead there'll be a dogfight for the Deputyship between moderate Elise Archer and conservative Michael Ferguson.  Vote should be held in a couple days.

UPDATE: Vote held early this morning and easily confirmed Ferguson as deputy. Unsurprising as it maintains the ever important factional balance and Archer is far from the most popular person in the party.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

David Speirs was comfortably elected as new SA Liberal leader and just unveiled his shadow cabinet. He’s factionally unaligned and was supported by most of both factions so not much factional implications can be drawn from it. Disgraced ex-Deputy Vickie Chapman has resigned from parliament triggering a by-election in Bragg that should be a comfortable hold for the Libs. Steven Marshall is still under pressure to resign his seat of Dunstan which’d be a considerably trickier race for Libs.

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Albo has covid.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Michael Gunner has issued a shock resignation as NT Chief Minister, apparently over the birth of his second child. I'm not fully across factions inside NT Labor so I wouldn't know who the frontrunners to replace him are.

[Meclazine for Israel]

COVID in Australia has been a media virus. WA is peaking in numbers at 12,000 per day, but we have never been more relaxed.

The media have stopped reporting it. Back when the media was going nuts and Perth had zero cases, we all went freaking mad over 1 case and shut the city of 2 million people into lockdown.

It's just been pure insanity in retrospect and the media have a lot to answer for in terms of their alarmist approach during the pandemic.

I am surprised that Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews could put up with the media scrutiny.

Regardless of your opinion of him, no amount of money is worth that role over the last two years.

A man of pure resilience.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Michael Gunner has issued a shock resignation as NT Chief Minister, apparently over the birth of his second child. I'm not fully across factions inside NT Labor so I wouldn't know who the frontrunners to replace him are.

Natasha Fyles of the left ended up being elected leader over the right's Nicole Manison. Gossip takes some time to disseminate out of Darwin however it sounds like there's quite an internal brawl inside Territory Labor.

[GoTfan]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

[Agonized-Statism]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

Hold up, Australia went Labor? When did that happen? XD

Just read he's a republican, LET'S GOOOOO

[KaiserDave]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

Hold up, Australia went Labor? When did that happen? XD

Just read he's a republican, LET'S GOOOOO

Election was yesterday (Australia time), Labor may even have a majority. Albanese will be Prime Minister regardless at this point.

[brucejoel99]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

As in Mon. the 23rd? Didn't Kevin '07 have to wait 'til 9 days after, the following Mon., & with more seats than Albo too?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

As in Mon. the 23rd? Didn't Kevin '07 have to wait 'til 9 days after, the following Mon., & with more seats than Albo too?

they want the new leadership to attend the Quad meeting with Modi, Biden and Kishida

[GoTfan]

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister-elect of Australia. he and his cabinet are due to be sworn in Monday.

As in Mon. the 23rd? Didn't Kevin '07 have to wait 'til 9 days after, the following Mon., & with more seats than Albo too?

they want the new leadership to attend the Quad meeting with Modi, Biden and Kishida

Yes. This is the main reason why. It would do no one any favours if outgoing PM Scott Morrison (God that feels great to type) attended the Quad meeting when everyone knew he'd be out of office by the end of the week. A consistent line is important here, particularly when it comes to Chinese influence in the Solomons.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Ça va mieux en le disant...

https://twitter.com/BFMTV/status/1528010827957141509?t=RdPd2m0LtGIQHzIvGX5B9g&am...

Too bad for those who dont have an access to the French language, but in short, before leaving his job, the former French Foreign Affairs Minister says he is very happy of the defeat of the former Australian guy, to whom he gives several qualifications, and wishes the best to the next Australian guy, and, well, i share the feeling

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Ça va mieux en le disant...

https://twitter.com/BFMTV/status/1528010827957141509?t=RdPd2m0LtGIQHzIvGX5B9g&am...

Too bad for those who dont have an access to the French language, but in short, before leaving his job, the former French Foreign Affairs Minister says he is very happy of the defeat of the former Australian guy, to whom he gives several qualifications, and wishes the best to the next Australian guy, and, well, i share the feeling

We don't care what some Frog thinks. It's clear they are still butt hurt about AUKUS.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Yeah, thanks to confirm the legitimacy of that feeling 👍🏻👍🏻

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Coalition leadership has been sorted in party room. Libs as expected, Peter Dutton elected unopposed, Sussan Ley elected as deputy unopposed after Karen Andrews, Jane Hume and Bridget Archer withdrew. Meanwhile in the Nationals David Littleproud has toppled Barnaby Joyce (they never release numbers but sounds like it was a solid margin) with Senate Whip Perin Davey unopposed as deputy (she’s completely anonymous prior to now, clearly chosen in the need of gender balance not called Bridget McKenzie.

[brucejoel99]

Coalition leadership has been sorted in party room. Libs as expected, Peter Dutton elected unopposed

History has been made, then, as I'm not sure if it's been pointed out 'til now, but interestingly enough, Peter Dutton is the 1st-ever Queenslander to be elected Lib leader: almost all of his predecessors have hailed from either NSW or Victoria, with the exception of SA, since Alexander Downer was leader for 8 months. It's very ironic that despite their lengthy QLD dominance, they've never had a leader from QLD 'til now. Hell, Labor beat them to it with Rudd, nearly 16 years ago now.

Sussan Ley elected as deputy unopposed after Karen Andrews, Jane Hume and Bridget Archer withdrew. Meanwhile in the Nationals David Littleproud has toppled Barnaby Joyce (they never release numbers but sounds like it was a solid margin) with Senate Whip Perin Davey unopposed as deputy (she’s completely anonymous prior to now, clearly chosen in the need of gender balance not called Bridget McKenzie.

Luckily, ol' Barnaby is a real team player & won't undermine Littleproud in order to regain the leadership, so there'll surely be no need for the Nats to dump [INSERT NON-BARNABY NATS LEADER] for Barnaby again, just like they did last time.