crikey--2020-11-30--The hypocrite of the year award. The nominees are… numerous

It 's been quite a year .
The hypocrite of the year award is heating up with a tight race between billionaires Bruce Gordon and Andrew “ Twiggy ” Forrest , NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian , and the entire Chinese and Russian governments .
Let ’ s take a look at the nominees .
Last week we learned expat media mogul Bruce Gordon , normally based in Bermuda , had been given an exemption by the Australian Tax Office ( ATO ) to live in Australia during the pandemic without incurring an additional tax bill .
That ’ s right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tax haven since 1985 wanted to stay in Australia because , sources close to him revealed , he felt “ safer ” here .
That ’ s because most of those grubby little tax “ havens ” are actually upmarket swamps that don ’ t have the superior healthcare we have in this country thanks to , you know , those common little people who actually pay tax .
We also learned he spent most of the year holed up in his luxury Circular Quay apartment .
It ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quitting our shores last century .
That would be because the ATO has a strict rule that you must spend 183 days offshore to qualify as a non-resident to avoid paying pesky personal income tax .
Billionaire Twiggy Forrest took the opposite approach : he left his home state of WA some months ago for Croatia , to pursue business opportunities .
Unfortunately , that meant Twiggy wasn ’ t here to massage his media profile as more unflattering stories crept into the local papers .
This included reports Fortescue Mining was trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inquiry into the destruction of the Juukan Gorge by fellow miner Rio Tinto , Fortescue was accused of “ bullying ” legal attempts to destroy the Eastern Guruma sacred sites .
That did not sit well with Twiggy ’ s carefully crafted image as a champion of Aboriginal rights , so it was rather timely that a story appeared in The Australian this weekend under the helpful headline “ Andrew Forrest hailed as the voice for the Indigenous ” .
But on careful reading of the short strange story , the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential voice to parliament on Indigenous issues ” was one Ngaanyatjarraku shire president Damian McLean .
McLean is not Indigenous and he also seemed to be speaking sarcastically .
Irony or spin ?
The Queen of Spin , NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian , might need more than soft interviews and the upcoming Vogue fashion shoot to offset her avalanche of bad publicity .
“ Poor Gladys ” is now “ Exhausted Gladys ” , according to her media minders in the weekend papers .
They noted how hard she has worked during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to recent mistakes .
Tell that to Dan Andrews .
Or Julia Gillard .
And let ’ s not mention her pre-pandemic misjudgments .
The woman who fails to protect greyhounds and koalas never fails to fight for property developers and Nats leader John “ Pork ” Barilaro .
The premier ’ s minders seem to be spinning that her recent problems are nothing a good quick holiday can ’ t fix .
Then there was China with its latest ludicrous ban on Australian goods : this time it claimed we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve already ripped off all the top-end ones . )
This from the nation that signed a free trade agreement with Australia , which is obviously not worth the paper on which it is written .
So too their signing up to the World Trade Organization where they blithely ignore the countless dumping actions against them… But then this morning came the ultimate hypocrisy from Russia with news their foreign ministry has attacked Australia ’ s credibility on the world stage after the Brereton report into unlawful killings by the SAS .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by our conduct is the nation that shot down MH17 , killing 298 passengers including nearly 40 Australians .
Not to mention invading Crimea , supporting the Assad regime in Syria and poisoning political opponents in Britain .
Oh and , for good measure , China joined in the pile-on claiming the report revealed the “ hypocrisy of the human rights and freedom these Western countries are always chanting about ” .
So strap in .
With nominees like these , it ’ s going to be a very close race .

The hypocrite of the year award is heating up with a tight race between billionaires Bruce Gordon and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and the entire Chinese and Russian governments.
Let’s take a look at the nominees.
Bruce Gordon
Last week we learned expat media mogul Bruce Gordon, normally based in Bermuda, had been given an exemption by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to live in Australia during the pandemic without incurring an additional tax bill.


crikey--2020-11-30--Do environmental approvals for gas projects mean anything?

Was there ever any doubt the environment minister would wave through the Narrabri gas project given it 's already been @ @ @ @ @ and the PM ?
The Narrabri gas project has been given another green light , @ @ @ @ @ Sussan Ley .
But was there ever any doubt Ley would wave through the project @ @ @ @ @ championed by her own government , including the energy minister and the prime minister ?
@ @ @ @ @ of the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission ( ICP ) last month .
Political @ @ @ @ @ a sure thing from day one .
To say no to it now would be @ @ @ @ @ status the government has bestowed upon gas , as Australia ’ s saviour fossil fuel @ @ @ @ @ is another sign regulatory and ministerial assessments have become meaningless in the face of corporate @ @ @ @ @ political pressure .

The Narrabri gas project has been given another green light, this time by Environment Minister Sussan Ley. But was there ever any doubt Ley would wave through the project, which has already been championed by her own government, including the energy minister and the prime minister?
The project received the backing of the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (ICP) last month. Political forces have made the project a sure thing from day one. To say no to it now would be to turn against the mythological status the government has bestowed upon gas, as Australia’s saviour fossil fuel.
Ley’s approval is another sign regulatory and ministerial assessments have become meaningless in the face of corporate interests, lobbying and intense political pressure.


crikey--2020-11-30--After a heatwave, is Australia ready for more fires?

This past weekend brought back painful memories of last year ’ s black summer .
Here we go again .
@ @ @ @ @ eastern Australia sweltering , Sydney had its hottest November night on record and we saw @ @ @ @ @ NSW and Queensland .
This past weekend has brought back painful memories of last year @ @ @ @ @ It was the first big heatwave of the summer , and the first time since @ @ @ @ @ that widespread high fire danger returned to much of the country .
The heatwave also @ @ @ @ @ royal commission into the bushfires released its final report .
With 80 recommendations , it @ @ @ @ @ government plenty of pointers about how future bushfires catastrophes could be managed and mitigated .
@ @ @ @ @ they doing so far ?

Here we go again. A record-breaking heatwave has left eastern Australia sweltering, Sydney had its hottest November night on record and we saw a smattering of fires across NSW and Queensland. This past weekend has brought back painful memories of last year’s black summer.
It was the first big heatwave of the summer, and the first time since last season’s devastation that widespread high fire danger returned to much of the country. The heatwave also comes just weeks after a royal commission into the bushfires released its final report. With 80 recommendations, it’s given the federal government plenty of pointers about how future bushfires catastrophes could be managed and mitigated.
So, how well are they doing so far?


crikey--2020-12-01--Don’t anger the beast: experts urge Australia to take the high ground with China

We ask the experts : what should Australia do next in its expensive fight with China ?
And it ’ @ @ @ @ @ economists argue that an all-out trade war with China would cost Australia 6 % of @ @ @ @ @ do we do next ?
Looking for answers , we spoke to three experts and @ @ @ @ @ the Australian government 's next steps should be , they all agree the ball is @ @ @ @ @ .

Australia and China’s relationship is deteriorating rapidly.
And it’s a costly fight: economists argue that an all-out trade war with China would cost Australia 6% of our GDP.
So what do we do next? Looking for answers, we spoke to three experts and while they differ on what the Australian government’s next steps should be, they all agree the ball is in China’s court.


crikey--2020-12-01--Beijing scores a direct hit. Australia loses out to China’s ‘shitpost diplomacy’

Zhao Lijian 's 'shitpost ' on Twitter provoked exactly the desired reaction from Canberra .
The first rule of dealing @ @ @ @ @ never get mad .
Getting mad is a sign you ’ ve been owned .
@ @ @ @ @ world of “ shitpost diplomacy ” , Australia has been comprehensively owned .
As Crikey @ @ @ @ @ shitpost generally refers to a kind of irony-dense , often edgy tongue-in-cheek tweet or meme @ @ @ @ @ chuckle , or howls of outrage , especially among those who aren ’ t “ @ @ @ @ @ was exactly what Zhao Lijian , a Chinese foreign ministry apparatchik , was doing with @ @ @ @ @ the Brereton report and showed a Digger cutting an Afghan child ’ s throat .

The first rule of dealing with internet trolls is to never get mad. Getting mad is a sign you’ve been owned. And in the brave new world of “shitpost diplomacy”, Australia has been comprehensively owned.
As Crikey has previously explained, a shitpost generally refers to a kind of irony-dense, often edgy tongue-in-cheek tweet or meme designed to inspire a knowing chuckle, or howls of outrage, especially among those who aren’t “extremely online”.
Shitposting was exactly what Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry apparatchik, was doing with his tweet that gloated over the Brereton report and showed a Digger cutting an Afghan child’s throat.


crikey--2020-12-01--Dispute over medals reveals more powerful networks behind Australia’s special forces

Less than two weeks after the release of the shocking Brereton report , the political resolve to confront one of @ @ @ @ @ shameful chapters has already started to shift .
Less than two weeks after the release @ @ @ @ @ that revealed allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan , the political resolve @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s most shameful chapters has already started to shift .
Despite the defence @ @ @ @ @ backing the report in full , Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds @ @ @ @ @ key recommendation to strip all 3000 Special Air Service ( SAS ) soldiers who served @ @ @ @ @ medals .
The intervention follows a rigorous campaign led by a vocal group of SAS @ @ @ @ @ Jackie Lambie .

Less than two weeks after the release of the shocking Brereton report that revealed allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, the political resolve to confront one of the country’s most shameful chapters has already started to shift.
Despite the defence force (ADF) initially backing the report in full, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have now intervened in a key recommendation to strip all 3000 Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers who served in that war of their medals.
The intervention follows a rigorous campaign led by a vocal group of SAS veterans as well as Senator Jackie Lambie.


crikey--2020-12-01--What does RSL Victoria have to hide? Might take a blue Moon to find out

The old guard is using every trick in the book to hold on to power — but younger veterans are armed and ready for action .
If you ’ re a big institution with close to 200,000 members , 105 years of history and about $ 1 billion in property assets servicing 250 branches , you ’ d think it shouldn ’ t be too hard to run a professional annual general meeting ( AGM ) which is open and transparent .
But , sadly , what the pokies-captured cronies at RSL Victoria belatedly served up for five hours on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mark .
While the media were banned from last year ’ s shambolic but highly choreographed 500-person physical AGM at Caulfield Racecourse , this time it was a belated Zoom affair in which only about 150 branch-appointed “ delegates ” bothered to log on .
Last year younger veteran reformers had written to the elderly all-male board requesting 18 constitutional amendments , but these were largely ignored .
They then requested a series of transparency measures at the AGM ; most of those were refused by the old guard too .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general questioning during general business last year , but this year the board abolished the normal afternoon “ forum ” and allowed debate only on specific items of business .
The younger veterans have coalesced around the Hawthorn RSL president Lucas Moon — a former tank driver who is now a CPA with an MBA working in senior construction industry roles — and are broadly pushing to see RSL Victoria reduce its reliance on more than $ 200 million a year in poker machine revenue and instead focus on its core business of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more recent conflicts .
Hawthorn RSL was successful on Saturday with a motion overturning RSL Victoria ’ s official opposition to a royal commission into veteran suicide , sparking a Twitter endorsement from veteran turned senator Jacqui Lambie .
On Saturday long-term president Rob Webster was returned after a three-way contest , even though he has sat on the board since 1989 .
The press release hailing this outcome was light on detail , particularly on the question of the relatively small turnout of votes given that only 84 of the circa 250 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AGM .
The returning officer was RSL Victoria chief executive Jamie Twidale .
Most serious institutions appoint an independent party to count the votes .
Moon had earlier nominated for the position of treasurer but was rejected on the dubious grounds that he hadn ’ t served two years as an office bearer .
However , with the long-serving incumbent treasurer retiring and the position remaining vacant , the cronies in charge of RSL Victoria proposed a rule change on Saturday to abolish the position .
Truly !
This was rejected by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to vote on the day , leading to a situation where Moon was nominated for the vacant position from the floor .
Mark Schroffel from Australian Veteran News takes up the story in this blog post detailing how Twidale , a former Sex Party candidate , then appeared to break the rules by declaring Moon ’ s nomination ineligible , even though the position was vacant and there were no other nominations .
Online AGMs are good because they deliver far greater transparency — provided a full archive of the meeting is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the RSL , I emailed Webster and Twidale yesterday asking for a transcript or access to the full YouTube video archive and was told by Twidale : “ The minutes will be published in the normal manner and at the normal time.
” The YouTube channel on which the AGM was broadcast has apparently been deleted .
Minutes are for board members .
Imagine if BHP told its shareholders there was no archive of its online AGM but shareholders could look at the minutes some time in the future .
Heaven forbid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are leaving the full video archive of their 2020 AGMs online , plus publishing a full transcript for ease of access .
It really does sound like the incumbent long-serving ruling faction at RSL Victoria has something to hide .
Once we do somehow get access to the detail of what happened at the RSL Victoria AGM we ’ ll apparently discover that questions on the impact of COVID-19 were banned because the meeting was dealing only with the 2019 calendar year accounts , which were 11 months out of date .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 , the 2019 calendar year financials ( which were made available only on the hopeless RSL Victoria website after the AGM ) are largely irrelevant given that COVID has changed the whole game .
Indeed the Herald Sun ’ s page seven lead yesterday claimed that RSL Victoria might be broke and has asked the Victorian government for a bailout .
With $ 1 billion-plus in property holdings this is doubtful , but it was a very different story to that presented at the AGM on Saturday — apparently .

If you’re a big institution with close to 200,000 members, 105 years of history and about $1 billion in property assets servicing 250 branches, you’d think it shouldn’t be too hard to run a professional annual general meeting (AGM) which is open and transparent.
But, sadly, what the pokies-captured cronies at RSL Victoria belatedly served up for five hours on Saturday was a long way short of the mark.
While the media were banned from last year’s shambolic but highly choreographed 500-person physical AGM at Caulfield Racecourse, this time it was a belated Zoom affair in which only about 150 branch-appointed “delegates” bothered to log on.


crikey--2020-12-01--Australia shocked, SHOCKED to discover China is a brutal regime

What did Australian policymakers think when they enthusiastically embraced China ?
Eventually the brutal nature of its government will always emerge .
For decades , and in the face of evidence , Australian policymakers have told themselves they could compartmentalise when it came to Australia ’ s relationship with China : the grisly , brutal nature of the Communist Party ’ s tyranny could be put to one side as a “ difference of values ” , as something to be overlooked in the focus on its extraordinary success in lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty , while we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much money as possible from the huge Chinese market .
In time , this created a Sinophile lobby in Australia — successful , well-connected business people for whom making money from China was the only goal , and everything else , certainly human rights , but eventually , Australia ’ s sovereignty and security itself , should be subordinated to that .
But murder , as they say , will out .
The horrific nature of the regime would eventually be put on such vivid display as to make the compartmentalisation no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hawke , who in a few years went from boasting of a “ very special relationship ” between China and Australia to tearfully condemning the mass slaughter in Tiananmen Square .
Now it ’ s happened to the Coalition — mugged by the reality that China is a hostile , brutal major power that believes it can act with impunity — and probably can .
It ’ s hard to overstate Tony Abbott ’ s slavish embrace of China when prime minister — and the support he got from News Corp at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s trade agreement with China , as Crikey showed yesterday , was ridiculously overheated .
Things hadn ’ t changed since Tiananmen — the Chinese Communist Party had just become more effective at enforcing its will , creating a state surveillance system far beyond Orwell ’ s most dystopic dreams .
Its suppression of Tibetans continued apace .
Its genocidal oppression of Uyghurs — in the name of counter-terrorism — has been known about for over a decade , and has only escalated in recent years .
None of that shifted the needle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only the commercial opportunities of the Chinese market .
The same brutal awakening is now the lot of the current generation of politicians and senior bureaucrats .
You can ’ t compartmentalise with a monster .
Once again , its brutal oppression has been on display in Hong Kong , even if there aren ’ t tanks and piles of student corpses ( yet ) .
And the brutality has been directed toward Australia .
Just a little , mind — a nasty tweet , some trade sanctions , more of the usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press .
There are still many who hope for a “ reset ” with China , including Scott Morrison .
A “ reset ” means going back to a world where we could pretend to overlook the grotesque brutality of Beijing and Beijing pretended Australia was anything more than an irritant in a region it expects to dominate — and everyone could make a lot of money .
But it won ’ t change the reality of what the Chinese Communist Party really is .

For decades, and in the face of evidence, Australian policymakers have told themselves they could compartmentalise when it came to Australia’s relationship with China: the grisly, brutal nature of the Communist Party’s tyranny could be put to one side as a “difference of values”, as something to be overlooked in the focus on its extraordinary success in lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty, while we got on with the business of making as much money as possible from the huge Chinese market.
In time, this created a Sinophile lobby in Australia — successful, well-connected business people for whom making money from China was the only goal, and everything else, certainly human rights, but eventually, Australia’s sovereignty and security itself, should be subordinated to that.
But murder, as they say, will out. The horrific nature of the regime would eventually be put on such vivid display as to make the compartmentalisation no longer possible.


crikey--2020-12-01--Vale accountability — what ministers used to assume when they crossed the line

Is it really too much to expect from our politicians the same level of integrity expected of citizens ?
Where is responsibility in politics now ?
For the rest of us , in living our lives , the consequences are clear and routinely dealt with by courts : drink-driving , jaywalking , speeding , or worse .
In how we work , beefed-up regulators and others govern our behaviour and deliver the consequences for wrongdoing .
In our police services , permanent corruption-fighting bodies plough through misdemeanours to find patterns of behaviour that need to be rooted out and addressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision-making has become harder to see , elusive almost .
And the lines of where accountability begins and ends are no longer clear .
Remember when former NSW premier Barry O ’ Farrell received a bottle of Grange Hermitage and failed to declare it ?
It might seem preposterous that a politician could forget a bottle worth $ 3000 , but apparently he did .
Even after he was reminded of it — by evidence before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption ( ICAC ) — his recollection was no better .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The ICAC later reported there had been no intention on O ’ Farrell ’ s part to mislead but it is unlikely he could have remained in the job .
That lingering taste of a good red would have eventually provided a career hangover .
Just compare that with the recent decision-making of current NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian .
First her long-term boyfriend , Daryl Maguire , was hidden away .
Then she insisted pork-barrelling was perfecting legal .
( It might be , but where does it sit on her moral compass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pile of shredded documents and to ignore her own rules while waiting for COVID test results is similarly jaw-dropping .
And yet those calling for her to cop the consequences for that sloppiness are being drowned out by her rising popularity .
O ’ Farrell could be forgiven for wishing he ’ d remembered what a glass of $ 3000 Grange Hermitage actually tastes like .
So when should consequences kick in for poor government decision-making ?
Should it only be when the oversight is personal , à la O ’ Farrell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for sloppy or poor work in their departments ?
Take the robodebt fiasco .
The fact that a minister such as Stuart Robert is still picking up a fat taxpayer-funded pay packet defies expectations faced by the rest of us in our everyday lives .
We ’ re long past applying the Westminster principle which demands ministers resign over maladministration on their watch .
But is it too much to expect a tad of contrition , a trait Robert lacks ?
Then there ’ s the shameful revelations involving some of our soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medals are taken from them is a test case for how we see responsibility and accountability .
The now-scrapped plan to strip medals from soldiers who were members of units where the outrages originated was a rash one that shifted the blame from those who should be held accountable — namely , the soldiers who are the subject of any proved accusations , their superiors , and perhaps even the ministers who sat in the big offices during the sordid battlefield behaviour .
What culture was fostered by those in charge ?
Did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage these atrocities ?
And should they suffer the consequences for not asking the questions that could have raised alarm ?
On current standards , it ’ s impossible for ministers to be held accountable for such appalling behaviour .
But ministerial responsibility , if it has any meaning , surely requires good governance , strong culture and constant questioning .
There ’ s no evidence of any of this from a succession of ministers who shared the khaki glory — which makes them just as culpable as the other non-combatants who will @ @ @ @ @

Where is responsibility in politics now?
For the rest of us, in living our lives, the consequences are clear and routinely dealt with by courts: drink-driving, jaywalking, speeding, or worse.
In how we work, beefed-up regulators and others govern our behaviour and deliver the consequences for wrongdoing.


crikey--2020-11-30--Andrew Bragg is the great hypocrite of superannuation — and that’s saying something

Liberals expressing concern for superannuation members ' money is deeply hypocritical .
But for Financial Services Council executive Andrew Bragg to do it is particularly risible .
The latest target in the Liberal Party ’ s war on superannuation is The New Daily , owned jointly by industry super funds .
The point man in this campaign is Andrew “ virus guy ” Bragg .
He has attacked The New Daily as biased and “ being used to attack critics of superannuation and political opponents ” .
He also suggested it ’ s a waste of workers ’ money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of superannuation funds , and an example of why the government is right to impose much tighter restrictions that will prevent industry super funds from spending money on advertising .
“ The complacency and largesse is there for people to see , ” says Bragg .
“ Super seems to think it is a state within a state.
” This is quite the Damascene conversion for Bragg , to suddenly declare his concern about super funds wasting workers ’ money .
Bragg , you see , was some years ago a senior executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , the front group for retail super funds owned — back then — by the big banks and AMP .
Those are the retail super funds that the Hayne royal commission “ exposed ” as having ripped off , gouged , rorted and stole from their members to the tune of billions .
Except , it didn ’ t take the royal commission to reveal that .
The rorts , related party transactions and ridiculous fees being extracted by the wealth management arms of the big banks and AMP from workers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected that they extended to the disgusting extent of charging fees of dead people , as some major institutions did .
Back in 2012 , the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority ( APRA ) warned about related party transactions : At the same time , Labor ’ s future of financial advice ( FOFA ) reforms were introduced to end some of the worst rorts , including people being charged every year for financial advice whether they got it or not .
FOFA required that people had to opt-in to be charged for advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We learnt from the royal commission that not merely did retail funds often never provide any advice , but often there wasn ’ t an adviser allocated to a client .
But they charged massive fees anyway .
For years these rorts went on without the FSC saying anything .
Did Bragg ever speak out about related party transactions when APRA revealed them in 2012 ?
Did he speak out when the FSC opposed FOFA , and sought to water it down , delay it and carve out exemptions ?
Did Bragg display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now professes for workers ’ super back when he was a senior executive in a body representing the most egregious abusers and rorters of the super system ?
Did he express one moment of concern about the behaviour of the FSC ’ s most senior members which cost millions of retail super funds members billions in lost retirement savings ?
No — indeed , the evidence is that Bragg said whatever he was told to say at the FSC .
That ’ s why , in 2015 , he was the most ardent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , of course , Bragg professes a very different view .
Another Damascene moment , perhaps , on the road to the Senate .
As for his objections to industry super collectively funding a media outlet ( Bragg has no issues with the government handing free money to News Corp , apparently ) , it ’ s worth looking at his own record of attacking critics and political opponents .
After he left the FSC , Bragg moved to the Business Council of Australia ( BCA ) and tried to set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry super funds were some sort of union/Labor war chest unknowingly funded by members .
When Industry Super called out the lie , it induced an apoplectic reaction from right-wing business figures and the Business Council , which declared “ that ’ s not the way we should run free speech in this country ” and said the BCA wasn ’ t running the campaign — Bragg was “ expressing his own views ” .
Except , as the ABC ’ s Stephen Long revealed , the campaign was using online resources provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the way they communicate seems a strange hill to die on for a man involved in secret BCA-linked propaganda campaign .
“ Super seems to think it is a state within a state , ” says Bragg .
Here ’ s something that more closely resembles a “ state within a state ” : Australia ’ s biggest corporations , and their bespoke industry lobby group , donating colossal amounts to political parties to turn a blind eye to outrageous gouging of Australians and prevent any inquiry into those practices by nobbling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as possible .
Any Liberal turning around now and feigning concern about workers ’ super being misused hasn ’ t got a leg to stand on .
But Andrew Bragg is the biggest hypocrite of all .

The latest target in the Liberal Party’s war on superannuation is The New Daily, owned jointly by industry super funds. The point man in this campaign is Andrew “virus guy” Bragg. He has attacked The New Daily as biased and “being used to attack critics of superannuation and political opponents”.
He also suggested it’s a waste of workers’ money, a breach of regulations around the use of superannuation funds, and an example of why the government is right to impose much tighter restrictions that will prevent industry super funds from spending money on advertising.
“The complacency and largesse is there for people to see,” says Bragg. “Super seems to think it is a state within a state.”


crikey--2020-12-02--Can we break our trade relationship and dependence on China? Do we want to?

As long as the Chinese economy grows it will need steel , and for that it will look to Australia .
Economic ties strengthen relationships and ease tensions .
Can Australia break its dependence on trade with China ?
There are precedents .
Not all of them are hopeful .
Australia has had a single dominant trading partner before .
We were locked into the UK economy first and then , much later , to Japan .
As the chart shows , China ’ s outsized relevance to our national wealth is not without precedent .
Japan had a similarly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the UK was even more dominant .
Might we be able to engineer changes that make China fade in our trade statistics ?
After all , trade relationships are not immutable .
If Chinese babies aren ’ t drinking Australian infant formula , other babies will .
If Australian wine is not being served at Chinese tables , there are places where it will be .
However , when you look more closely at that graph two major observations must be made .
First , the changes in our trade relationships were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead they corresponded with the rise and fall of great powers .
The UK was the world ’ s biggest power up until World War II .
It faded in global dominance thereafter and as an Australian trade partner .
As it fell , Japan rose .
The “ postwar miracle ” saw its economy surge , growing at a mind-blowing rate for several decades .
Those are the decades during which it also comes to feature heavily in Australia ’ s trade statistics .
Second , the changes did not happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second biggest trading partner , and the UK is our eighth .
These two facts force us to consider our trade with China in a cold light .
It seems likely China will continue to grow .
Precisely when it becomes the world ’ s largest economy is unclear .
Some say it has already happened .
If not , it will during the next few years .
China ’ s performance in keeping the pandemic under control will only speed the process of overtaking the West .
China ’ s economic potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it can be expected to “ catch up ” to the economic frontier , like Japan and South Korea before it .
Catch-up growth — by adopting modern technology and building infrastructure etc — can be much faster than growth in advanced countries that have technology and infrastructure in place .
If China simply catches up to the per capita GDP level of South Korea it can triple its economic heft .
In so doing , it would be three times the size America is now .
In a recent book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US should treble its population to 1 billion to avoid being outcompeted by China and maintain US hegemony .
Now I ’ m amused by the idea of an arms race that strips the term of its metaphorical aspect and involves racing to produce more actual arms ( and legs , etc ) .
But the idea seems impractical .
Similar thinking appears in more dilute ( and more realistic ) form when Australian policymakers call for a larger Australian population .
Either way the lesson is the same : power depends on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spare .
Population size is a race in which China is not even competing .
It has hobbled itself with a one-child policy .
Its remarkable economic growth has been achieved without much population growth ( unlike Australia ) .
If China should decide to turn demographics in its favour and increase its population , it could grow even larger and more powerful .
So China is getting stronger , which suggests reducing our trade with it is an unlikely prospect .
Can we make that a good thing — not a risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy is growing , it will need steel .
Perhaps not as much as before ( as the next graph shows , steel intensity of GDP is usually highest when countries are in the earlier phases of growing rich ) but still a great amount .
And that will have it looking at Australia .
Economic links create strong person-to-person and business-to-business ties .
They make both sides better off .
They also raise the cost of conflict .
The conflict between Australia and China is very much top-down .
It is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia but a policy choice by President Xi Jinping .
( His strong man tactics against Australia mirrors those of Donald Trump against China . )
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has chosen to wade in .
These choices can be reversed , and indeed may be in the more stable global environment of a Biden administration .
This is the hopeful outlook .
But it is not the only one .
Examining Australia ’ s trade statistics for the past 150 years , looking for times when our trade relationships reduced , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20th century there were two episodes where a trade partner rapidly grew in importance then shrank to zero .
These periods were , as the next chart shows , 1914-18 and 1939-45 .
Look closely at the chart , and you can see that the trade relationships actually falter before the giant global wars start .
Is the drumbeat of tension between Australia and China the introduction to a larger conflict between China and the West ?
It is not without precedent .
It took about a century to pay the price for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Has it been so long since World War II that we ’ ve forgotten the importance of maintaining peace ?

Can Australia break its dependence on trade with China? There are precedents. Not all of them are hopeful.
Australia has had a single dominant trading partner before. We were locked into the UK economy first and then, much later, to Japan.
As the chart shows, China’s outsized relevance to our national wealth is not without precedent. Japan had a similarly big role in the 1970s and before that the UK was even more dominant.


crikey--2020-12-01--The chest-beating of two angry men bruises Sino-Australian relations

As most grown-ups know , the best way to deal with tantrums is to go quietly and not carry a @ @ @ @ @ back one side of the Australia-China spat got personal when the Morrison government called for @ @ @ @ @ origins of the COVID-19 pandemic infuriated President Xi Jinping and his entourage .
State media @ @ @ @ @ a fierce editorial .
This week the Australian side grew personal when Prime Minister Scott @ @ @ @ @ to shame China for what he called a `` repugnant post '' published on a @ @ @ @ @ Morrison was clearly offended .
A long-running bilateral dispute over diplomacy and trade now involves @ @ @ @ @ aggrieved .
It ’ s not a good sign .

Some months back one side of the Australia-China spat got personal when the Morrison government called for an independent review into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic infuriated President Xi Jinping and his entourage. State media People’s Daily issued a fierce editorial.
This week the Australian side grew personal when Prime Minister Scott Morrison called a press conference to shame China for what he called a “repugnant post” published on a Chinese government Twitter account. Morrison was clearly offended.
A
long-running bilateral dispute over diplomacy and trade now involves two men
who feel personally aggrieved. It’s not a good sign.


crikey--2020-12-01--Just why did Kylie Moore-Gilbert go to Iran in the first place?

Did the Islamic scholar married to an Israeli think being an academic would keep her safe ?
Or was she a genuine innocent abroad ?
The release of Islamic scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert last week after more than two years in an Iranian prison has raised a host of questions which are likely to go unanswered , given the prolonged and secretive geopolitical chess game that led to her being freed .
First is why Moore-Gilbert traveled to Iran in the first place , given her professional and personal profile which includes being married to an Israeli , a relationship which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof ” that Moore-Gilbert is a spy .
And what of her employer , the University of Melbourne ?
Does it hold a degree of responsibility for her travel to Iran given her position as a staff lecturer ?
The university has told Crikey it was “ delighted and relieved ” that Moore-Gilbert was back in Australia safe and well .
“ We respect Kylie ’ s wishes for privacy and we will not comment any further about her ordeal , ” a spokesman said .
You don ’ t need a doctorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupies a special place along with the “ Great Satan ” — aka the “ United Snakes of America ” — as the mortal enemy of the Islamic Republic .
Middle East 101 tells you that .
Consider the details available online for any security apparatus bent on building the profile of a spy , even if Moore-Gilbert simply behaves as an independent academic .
Moore-Gilbert ’ s work includes examining the movement to overthrow the rulers of the Persian Gulf state of Bahrain .
Her work has been published by the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which includes Richard A Clarke , a long-time US government national security operative and Reagan-era intelligence adviser , and Anthony Zinni , retired four-star US Marine Corps general who served as special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority .
Moore-Gilbert is a member of the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies which is heavily skewed to Iran ’ s major Gulf enemy ( and US ally ) the United Arab Emirates .
That much you can find from a basic Google search .
Iran has also now published video and photographs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli as well as photos of Moore-Gilbert in Israel , where she reportedly studied Hebrew for a year .
The photos and video are reportedly from Moore-Gilbert ’ s Facebook page , deleted since her arrest .
In the spy versus spy world of the Middle East such images are all you need to portray the academic as a Zionist spy .
( Moore-Gilbert and the Australian government have outright denied the allegations . )
Moore-Gilbert is not the first Australian to have been trapped in the quagmire of Middle East politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no such thing as the presumption of innocence .
Australian businessmen Marcus Lee and Matthew Joyce were kept in prison and under house arrest for several years in Dubai despite efforts by the Australian government to get them out .
Australian journalist Peter Greste was held on trumped-up charges in an Egyptian prison for over a year , largely because of regional rivalry between Qatar and Egypt .
Last week Australian Waled Youseff was released after serving 10 months in a Cairo prison for “ liking ” a Facebook post a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being a member of a banned organisation .
The International Studies Association , which works to protect academic freedom around the world , highlighted the Moore-Gilbert case last year as evidence of “ a broader campaign against academic freedom that has been mounted by many regimes across the globe in recent years ” .
Scholars at Risk , a US-based international organisation defending academic freedom , detailed what it called a “ horrifying list ” of 10 academics , mostly dual citizen Iranians , who were jailed on fabricated charges dating back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal data has made it easy to assemble a digital case based on the most circumstantial evidence .
Facebook posts are a ready source .
Against this background Moore-Gilbert accepted an invitation to attend a course-cum-conference in the religious city of Qom , south of Tehran , hosted by Qom ’ s University of Religions and Denominations and an organisation called Iran Study Tours .
Starting at the end of August 2018 , it promised an intensive week-long journey into Shia Islam , and a social program to explore “ the history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , followed by an optional four-day cultural tour of Iran ’ s religious monuments .
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported that the 33-year-old Australian-British academic was arrested in September 2018 after Iranian security learnt of her relationship with the Israeli man and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage .
Whether Moore-Gilbert was an innocent abroad , believed that being an academic gave her immunity , or was just plain unlucky , is hard to know given how opaque the saga has been .
Whatever the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex series of diplomatic manoeuvres conducted in secrecy between Iran and Western powers using captives as pawns .
In July last year an Iranian woman held in custody in Adelaide may have been a candidate for a prisoner swap with Australians held in Iran .
But she was extradited to the US and destined for another set of deals , said then to involve a dual British-Iranian woman .
In October last year Iran released two Australian travel bloggers who had been arrested after they used a drone to take images in Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 38-year-old University of Queensland research student Reza Dehbashi Kivi to return to Iran after being detained for more than a year .
The US wanted to extradite Kivi on allegations he had conspired to export American-made electronic military devices to Iran , breaching sanctions .
Kivi ’ s lawyer claimed the deal was made under a prisoner swap .
The Australian government made no comment .
Ultimately Iran released Moore-Gilbert at the same time as three Iranian men , held in Bangkok since 2012 , were handed to Iran .
The three were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomats in Thailand .
An Iranian government-linked group , the Young Journalists Club , trumpeted the exchange as a prisoner swap , characterising Moore-Gilbert as a Zionist spy .
Australia has refused to comment .
But one thing ’ s for sure : Australia pulled a lot of strings and drew on a great deal of international goodwill to bring back Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert .

The release of Islamic scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert last week after more than two years in an Iranian prison has raised a host of questions which are likely to go unanswered, given the prolonged and secretive geopolitical chess game that led to her being freed.
First is why Moore-Gilbert traveled to Iran in the first place, given her professional and personal profile which includes being married to an Israeli, a relationship which Iran has continued to promote as “proof” that Moore-Gilbert is a spy.
And what of her employer, the University of Melbourne? Does it hold a degree of responsibility for her travel to Iran given her position as a staff lecturer?


crikey--2020-12-01--China-Australia relations, where words now speak louder than actions

Some uniquely Australian mental gymnastics are needed to be outraged at China 's SAS tweet but to ignore the rest of its years of aggressions .
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me .
It seems rather ridiculous that it was an offensive and juvenile post on Twitter that caused more public outrage at China from Australia than any of its actual harmful and ultimately dangerous actions over the years .
Sure the Chinese — unlike the Russians who also took a shot over the Brereton report this week — haven ’ t shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australians .
But Australian defence forces are engaged in tense naval exercises against China in the South China Sea because , let ’ s not forget , it invaded and militarised the Spratly Islands .
Obviously the tweet was the final straw because there has been a litany of atrocities — from imprisoning Australians in China without due process , trying to corrupt or recruit our elected officials , ongoing cyber attacks on our public and private institutions , and even stealing the plans to our new ASIO office .
Remember it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Scott Morrison appeared in a dramatic press conference to announce we were under attack , although he declined to actually name the culprit adopting the usual euphemism “ sophisticated state-based actor ” .
Our PM was not so shy when it came to the Twitter post this week , going into full-on war mode with urgent video in front of the flag demanding an apology from China .
It should also be noted that the doctored Chinese photo in the “ repugnant ” tweet referred to our real and damaging Brereton report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( It should not be confused with today ’ s absolutely vile real photo in The Guardian showing an Australian soldier drinking out of the prosthetic leg of a dead Taliban fighter . )
If the Chinese had waited two days they might have been able to make a more valid comparison with America ’ s shameful Abu Ghraib photos .
They probably still will .
Cue more outrage .
In no way am I trivialising the tweet which symbolises everything that is offensive about China and its contemptuous attitude to a too-compliant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades I have been called out for my fierce criticism of China from the left , from the right ( who I often had to remind were defending “ communists ” ) , to the craven business community which claimed I was naive and even unAustralian for daring to question “ our biggest trading partner ” .
And don ’ t get me wrong .
I ’ m delighted the mask is now off and most Australians , including politicians , have been vindicated in their recent moves to push back against China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference laws .
If only the business sycophants would follow suit — but of course they are either strangely silent while privately blaming their own government for everything or else publicly calling for calm , by which they mean continue to kowtow to China .
They never acknowledge their complicity in the financial pain they ’ re feeling by becoming too beholden to one customer .
They now find themselves collateral damage even before the great Twitter war .
The overnight global campaign of support for our wine industry is to be welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The same global outrage over the tweet is also welcome and diplomacy will hopefully be the solution .
But will words speak louder than actions ?
I was more concerned that the Chinese landed on the moon this morning and plans to take a few scientific samples .
On past form let ’ s hope that ’ s all they do with a rocky outpost in the middle of nowhere .

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
Tweets are another thing.
It seems rather ridiculous that it was an offensive and juvenile post on Twitter that caused more public outrage at China from Australia than any of its actual harmful and ultimately dangerous actions over the years.


crikey--2020-12-01--The NSW premier says pork-barrelling isn’t breaking the law. We put that to the test

“ It ’ s not an illegal practice.
” That ’ s NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian ’ s last line of defence , and it may be the one that does her in .
Because it ’ s a lie .
We now know that before the last state election the Berejiklian government repurposed a $ 252 million fund — originally set aside to help local councils deal with its abandoned merger policy — as an undefined slush fund for grants to councils for “ community development ” projects .
We also know that 95 % of that money went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make up 51 % of the total ) .
No guidelines were published ; most councils didn ’ t know the program existed ; some received grants and were then asked to apply for them ( eg Hornsby Council , which copped $ 90 million ) .
And we know that despite her continuing protestations that the program was managed by the Office of Local Government , the premier had her hands all over the funding decisions .
According to evidence from the OLC to a parliamentary inquiry , of the $ 252 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allocated by the premier ” .
Finally , there ’ s the small matter that all the documents relating to the allocations were shredded by her office .
Berejiklian says none of that involves illegality .
Let ’ s test that proposition .
First , there ’ s the NSW ministerial code of conduct , already problematic for Berejiklian in the context of her not-intimate personal relationship with Daryl Maguire .
The code has legal force in that a breach of its provisions can be found by the Independent Commission Against Corruption ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” — not a crime in itself , but a serious thing .
The code ’ s preamble sets the tone , providing among other things that “ ministers have a responsibility to maintain the public trust … by performing their duties with honesty and integrity , in compliance with the rule of law , and to advance the common good of the people.
” Contrast Berejiklian ’ s description of her conduct as “ not something the community likes … but it ’ s an accusation I will wear ” .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the code is specific : “ A minister , in the exercise of their official functions … must not act improperly for their private benefit or for the private benefit of any other person.
” The premier openly admitted the money was spent on pork-barrelling , to buy votes .
That is by definition not for the public interest , but for the private benefit of her own party .
The code also says that “ a minister must not knowingly breach the law ” .
Which brings us to the question of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offence of “ misconduct in public office ” .
These are its elements : • In the course of or in relation to his public office It ’ s rarely invoked ( most recently in NSW , former ALP ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald were convicted of the offence ) .
There is no limit to the available sentence a court can impose , but it will usually mean jail time because it ’ s viewed so seriously .
The key elements are the big words : wilfully , intentionally , culpably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of corruption , a deliberate act contrary to duty .
The beneficiary of the misconduct does not have to be the wrongdoer , however .
It would be a novelty for a minister to be prosecuted , let alone convicted , for this offence in the context of rorting taxpayers ’ money for purely political gain .
However , it ’ s important to distinguish common or garden-variety pork-barrelling , which all governments do , from what happened with this scheme .
The money was literally thrown away , with no process for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was spent on a purpose entirely different from that for which it had been appropriated from the state Treasury .
And no attempt was made to even pretend that it was being spent fairly , proportionately or for genuine public purposes .
The government used our money to buy its reelection .
In pub test terms , that ’ s theft .
In legal terms , it ’ s not a stretch to suggest that it was corrupt , wilful , intentional and culpable .
Apart from that very major potential crime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shredded documents , being investigated by the authorities and likely to have contravened the State Records Act , which mandates the “ safe custody and proper preservation of state records ” .
And there ’ s the illegality of the entire scheme , on which some of the councils who missed out are seeking advice with a view to mounting a class action .
As noted , the funds were appropriated for one purpose but then spent on a completely different one .
Much as Berejiklian ’ s state of hubristic offhandedness suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hers are the same thing , governments are still bound by law to spend public money only as parliament allows .
The entire program implementation was quite likely unlawful .
So — entertaining as is the premier ’ s spectacular personal reinvention as a bad , bad girl who doesn ’ t even care if we know that she smokes behind the bike shed — this spectacle is not merely a rare admission by a politician that they ’ ve been behaving politically .
Berejiklian protests that her government ’ s conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think she ’ s wrong .

“It’s not an illegal practice.” That’s NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s last line of defence, and it may be the one that does her in. Because it’s a lie.
We now know that before the last state election the Berejiklian government repurposed a $252 million fund — originally set aside to help local councils deal with its abandoned merger policy — as an undefined slush fund for grants to councils for “community development” projects.
We also know that 95% of that money went to councils in Coalition-held seats (which make up 51% of the total). No guidelines were published; most councils didn’t know the program existed; some received grants and were then asked to apply for them (eg Hornsby Council, which copped $90 million).


crikey--2020-12-02--ScoMo talked to Chinese people on WeChat. This is what they said back

Win some , lose some .
The prime minister was given plenty of advice , chief among it was that @ @ @ @ @ .
Scott Morrison has gone straight to the Chinese people using the WeChat messaging service @ @ @ @ @ to war crimes , defend the nation 's honour , and restate its ongoing respect @ @ @ @ @ at noon today , his message had been viewed 54,000 times , garnering 1788 likes @ @ @ @ @ official government response .
But plenty of Chinese WeChat users have responded .
Australian academic @ @ @ @ @ Crikey .
Here is a selection with the user name first in bold .

Scott Morrison has gone straight to the Chinese people using the WeChat messaging service to explain Australia’s approach to war crimes, defend the nation’s honour, and restate its ongoing respect for Chinese people.
As at noon today, his message had been viewed 54,000 times, garnering 1788 likes. There’s been no official government response. But plenty of Chinese WeChat users have responded.
Australian academic Dr Luxin Liu translated for Crikey. Here is a selection with the user name first in bold.


crikey--2020-12-03--Britain has just approved a COVID-19 vaccine — so why hasn’t Australia?

Australia wo n't begin rolling out the vaccine until March next year .
The UK ’ s regulatory body has @ @ @ @ @ for use across Britain , making it the first country to do so .
Vaccinations @ @ @ @ @ .
But in Australia , Health Minister Greg Hunt has reiterated approval for a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ finalised until January , with vaccinations rolled out from March .
Where are we up @ @ @ @ @ one of four vaccines the Australian government has purchased , with 10 million doses secured @ @ @ @ @ for each person .

The UK’s regulatory body has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use across Britain, making it the first country to do so. Vaccinations will start early next week.
But in Australia, Health Minister Greg Hunt has reiterated approval for a vaccine likely won’t be finalised until January, with vaccinations rolled out from March.
Where are we up to?
Pfizer’s is one of four vaccines the Australian government has purchased, with 10 million doses secured. Two doses are needed for each person.


crikey--2020-12-03--Dutton gives cops and spooks more power — again. Do they really need them?

The government says its new security laws will stop bad guys , but does ASIO and its friends really need @ @ @ @ @ , the government will introduce new laws which will dramatically increase the power of national @ @ @ @ @ to stop the scourge of bad guys like terrorists , paedophiles and drug-traffickers , the @ @ @ @ @ to take over the accounts of suspected criminals on the dark web , as well @ @ @ @ @ data .
It all sounds very scary .
But are the laws , which ramp @ @ @ @ @ can do , really necessary ?

Today, the government will introduce new laws which will dramatically increase the power of national security agencies.
Ostensibly designed to stop the scourge of bad guys like terrorists, paedophiles and drug-traffickers, the bill will allow security agencies to take over the accounts of suspected criminals on the dark web, as well as modify and disrupt their data.
It all sounds very scary. But are the laws, which ramp up what ASIO and friends can do, really necessary?


crikey--2020-12-03--Sweden defies ‘experts’, rejects lockdown and keeps COVID-19 numbers in check

The country ’ s relatively non-deadly second wave has vindicated its strategy — leaving its critics eating 'their own bullshit ' .
It hasn ’ t taken long for the Sweden haters to come out in force .
The outpouring of schadenfreude at the apparent downfall of the arrogant Swedes who refused to fully shut down their economy to combat a virus that statistically ( in Australia ) had killed about one in every 25,000 people .
Retired British kidney specialist David Goldsmith — apparently posing as an epidemiologist — was especially critical of the Swedish response last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their own bullshit ” .
“ What was it about the Swedes that would simply mean they could sit there and expect not to have a second wave of such severity ?
” he asked .
The Telegraph claimed that the architect of Sweden ’ s lighter lockdown , Anders Tegnell , “ appears to be being sidelined ” , with Nicholas Aylott of Stockholm ’ s Södertörn University claiming that “ by some counts , we ’ ve now got exactly the same level of spread of the virus that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s about as clear a refutation of Tegnell ’ s strategy as you could wish for ” .
Other critics of Sweden failed the most basic of tests .
Last week Reuters claimed the country “ has seen a surge in the number of cases , hospitalisations and deaths in recent weeks ” and “ the country battles a growing second wave of a disease that has now killed more than 6000 Swedes ” .
The problem with that is that Sweden ’ s first wave led to more than 6000 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer apparently forgot to check when people died .
Under Tegnell ’ s strategy , Sweden undertook several targeted measures — specifically banning mass gatherings ( more than 50 people ) and stopping senior school and university attendance .
It did , however , allow most school students to attend campus and small businesses to remain open .
Although Sweden clearly didn ’ t eradicate the virus with herd immunity as some had hoped , Tegnell ’ s critics have been very selective in choosing their comparators .
Goldsmith and Aylott both compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the lowest case-and-fatality Western countries ) rather than say , Goldsmith ’ s own UK or France .
The data seems to indicate that Sweden ’ s relatively non-deadly second wave has absolutely vindicated Tegnell ’ s approach : Sweden is again able to bend the curve without implementing a strict lockdown .
Now let ’ s look at the UK , which did lock down ( albeit less strictly than Victoria in its second wave ) .
Its curve looks remarkably similar to Sweden ’ s : But caseloads are for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data point than fatalities .
For example , Singapore — which alongside Taiwan has been the gold standard for COVID-19 management — has reported 58,230 cases , but a mere 29 deaths .
How deadly has Sweden ’ s second wave been ?
Not very .
Its seven-day rolling averages of fatalities peaked at 31 and has dropped back to 12 : Meanwhile in France , which recently did lock down during its second wave , shutting restaurants and bars but not factories and schools , has seen a far worse fatality rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 earlier this month ( so 18 times the deaths with about seven times Sweden ’ s population ) : Sweden had proportionally fewer deaths in its second wave than its first wave , when authorities ineptly allowed the virus to cascade through aged care homes .
By contrast , the second wave in France appears to be more deadly than its first wave in total fatalities ( albeit with a far lower case fatality rate than its first wave , presumably due to far more testing ) .
It appears the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own bullshit ” is Goldsmith .
Meanwhile Japan , which has maintained a far less strict lockdown than most , announced that more people died from suicide in October alone than died from COVID-19 in 2020 .
There is no doubt that the highly infectious COVID-19 absolutely kills people ( median age : 83 ) but so too does locking down a population and cutting off community and livelihoods .
Time will tell which strategy was right , but so far Sweden seems to be defying its critics .

It hasn’t taken long for the Sweden haters to come out in force. The outpouring of schadenfreude at the apparent downfall of the arrogant Swedes who refused to fully shut down their economy to combat a virus that statistically (in Australia) had killed about one in every 25,000 people.
Retired British kidney specialist David Goldsmith — apparently posing as an epidemiologist — was especially critical of the Swedish response last week, claiming the Swedes were “caught up in their own bullshit”. “What was it about the Swedes that would simply mean they could sit there and expect not to have a second wave of such severity?” he asked.
The Telegraph claimed that the architect of Sweden’s lighter lockdown, Anders Tegnell, “appears to be being sidelined”, with Nicholas Aylott of Stockholm’s Södertörn University claiming that “by some counts, we’ve now got exactly the same level of spread of the virus that we had in the spring, and that’s about as clear a refutation of Tegnell’s strategy as you could wish for”.


crikey--2020-12-03--Gun for hire: Pyne’s new role with government’s go-to arms dealer

Former defence minister Christopher Pyne 's latest role is with one of Australia 's biggest beneficiaries of defence contracts .
Nothing opens a door quicker than the words “ former defence minister ” .
Christophe Pyne has been given another line to add to his CV , this time as an adviser to one of the country ’ s biggest beneficiaries of defence contracts .
Brisbane-based NIOA hardly basks in the limelight but it has managed to use its trading platform to become one of the government ’ s go-to arms dealers .
In the last year alone the small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many contractors could only dream of : 66 government contracts , many worth millions , and many done under a limited tender arrangement , including an $ 18 million contract to supply weapons and ammunition in May .
Pyne ’ s relationship with NIOA — not an acronym but the name of the family behind the business — goes back some years .
In 2018 as defence minister Pyne shook hands with NIOA chief executive Robert Nioa after the company took up tenancy at a Commonwealth-owned munitions factory in Benalla , Victoria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographed “ checking out [ NIOA ’ s ] capability ” at its Brisbane headquarters after the government handed it a $ 100 million contract for the supply of weapons and ammunition .
Nioa said Pyne would bring “ tremendous personal qualities and unique skillsets ” to the company at an important time in its growth .
‘ ’ As the minister for defence , he led Australia ’ s defence industry through a period of unprecedented growth and change , ” he said in a press release .
Also joining the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former Labor senator , federal MP and parliamentary secretary for defence , and retired Major General Gus McLachlan , who was the head of the Australian Army modernisation program .
Pyne ’ s controversial leap into lobbying less than a month after leaving federal parliament prompted an inquiry into whether he had breached ministerial standards .
Former ministers are not allowed to lobby on matters for which they held ministerial responsibility for 18 months after leaving parliament , however Pyne was cleared of any breach by the former Department of the Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s not hard to see why you want “ the fixer ” on your side when competing for government contracts .
As defence minister he oversaw a $ 200 billion investment in Australia ’ s military capability — the largest in the nation ’ s peacetime history .
And in August he proved his worth , with his client Saber Astronautics securing two federal government grants worth almost $ 7 million to help develop Australia ’ s space capabilities .

Nothing opens a door quicker than the words “former defence minister”.
Christophe Pyne has been given another line to add to his CV, this time as an adviser to one of the country’s biggest beneficiaries of defence contracts.
Brisbane-based NIOA hardly basks in the limelight but it has managed to use its trading platform to become one of the government’s go-to arms dealers.


crikey--2020-12-03--Governments starve watchdogs of funding as the war on accountability rages on

Across the country governments are rocked by scandal after scandal — and yet the very organisations digging the dirt are @ @ @ @ @ do their jobs .
It ’ s the ultimate conflict of interest : governments accused @ @ @ @ @ stop funding the very organisations tasked with investigating said corruption .
Such is the funding @ @ @ @ @ the country .
And it ’ s a conflict our governments appear to have no @ @ @ @ @ .
The ombudsman Deborah Glass has accused the Andrews government of not providing enough funding @ @ @ @ @ perform its core duties -- something she says could be perceived to be undermining the @ @

It’s the ultimate conflict of interest: governments accused of corruption in Australia can stop funding the very organisations tasked with investigating said corruption.
Such is the funding model for integrity bodies across the country. And it’s a conflict our governments appear to have no problem abusing.
Take Victoria. The ombudsman Deborah Glass has accused the Andrews government of not providing enough funding for the integrity watchdog to perform its core duties — something she says could be perceived to be undermining the agency.


crikey--2020-12-04--COVID scapegoats: the one national sport that’s been playing the full season

The hunt for COVID-19 scapegoats not only fails to address the issues that lead to outbreaks , but creates new health risks as well .
If there ’ s one thing we ’ ve learned in the midst of the pandemic , it ’ s that our nation loves a scapegoat .
Allegedly randy security guards , fraudulent quarantine fugitives , or the pizza shop worker blamed for a state-wide lockdown , experts say our habit of pointing the finger at individuals just distracts us from a range of broader issues .
And for those who bear the brunt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our most recent victim was brought into the spotlight on Sunday when SA chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier wrongly accused a man of breaching quarantine rules .
Unsurprisingly , public comment swiftly unleashed a tirade of vilification for the man ’ s infectious “ shopping spree ” .
One Facebook user suggested we “ start locking these pricks up for breaking quarantine ” , while others wanted to take it into their own hands by demanding his name and address .
That was until Monday morning when Spurrier publicly apologised to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done nothing wrong — and thanked him for his continued cooperation with contract tracers .
Alas , the shopping spree scapegoat paled in comparison to SA ’ s pizza shop worker who became an infamous mascot for the state ’ s brief but harsh lockdown last month .
When Premier Steven Marshall lifted restrictions three days early , he accused the worker of “ lying ” to contact tracers .
In an inflammatory press conference , Marshall claimed they were “ absolutely livid with the actions of this individual ” and planned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stevens then needlessly specified the individual was a 36-year-old Spanish visa holder .
Emerging from three days of cabin fever , fuelled by the words of a “ fuming ” premier , SA mobs picked up their virtual pitchforks and terrorised every possible online platform of the Woodville Pizza Bar and its “ deceitful ” employee .
Much like we saw with the disgraced trio of women who allegedly evaded quarantine when returning from Melbourne to Queensland in July , this small piece of identification opened him up to an unproductive onslaught of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ throw the book ” at the worker has seemingly been forgotten .
South Australia Police said SA Health is unable to provide the evidence needed to build a case , due to the confidentiality of contact tracing interviews .
But while he won ’ t face legal charges , the aftermath has changed the worker ’ s life considerably .
His lawyer Scott Jelbert says the man is now “ in hiding and he ’ s not coming out , at least for the time being ” .
“ Those that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people have , have contacted him and it ’ s been overwhelming.
” Jelbert says his client is “ not out for blood ” , but understandably is looking for an opportunity to “ set the record straight ” and return to some sort of normalcy .
University of Sydney lecturer in bioethics Dr Diego Silva says releasing identifiable characteristics about the pizza shop worker was dangerous and did not make sense from a public health viewpoint .
“ One of the things they teach you in public health is don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positively have to , ” said Silva .
“ In this case , it just doesn ’ t seem like these facts needed to be revealed.
” CEO of the South Australian Council of Social Service ( SACOSS ) Ross Womersley argues that by placing the blame at the foot of a single worker , SA ’ s health authorities run the risk of spreading a number of unhelpful messages : “ It didn ’ t address the systemic issues that we know are in play , and it actually created a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to identify and present for testing because they ’ d be worried about being shamed.
” A coalition of SA organisations including SACOSS have since written an open letter to Marshall , saying “ the initial response from the government has led some in our community to vindictively turn on that individual and it has drawn attention away from the structural conditions of work that have contributed to the transmission of COVID in our state and country ” .
Womersly points out that countless systemic factors come into play that can lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they contract the virus .
“ In this instance , we can be reasonably confident that one major factor is the lack of security in their income , ” he said .
These cases have once again brought the instability of employment — particularly in migrant communities — to light , with people in high-risk roles operating across multiple workplaces out of necessity .
South Australia ’ s mishandling has echoed the failures in Victoria ’ s hotel quarantine system , which saw the virus spread through security staff working additional jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ve watched the attention be diverted to one victim .
University of South Australia public health researcher Alison Barrett says that moving forward there needs to be a shift in the way health information is relayed to the public in order to maintain trust .
“ Because of the way they reacted to that individual , for me , a bit of trust in the system has decreased , ” she said .
“ Clear , consistent … evidence-based approaches to communication — without individual blaming — are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while reducing fear.
” We ’ re still in this for some time yet , so our public health system needs to be a resource we can rely on , without fear of being lynched for mistakes largely out of individual control .
Although personal responsibility is important , Dr Silva says , “ you also can ’ t divorce that from context ” .
“ To not consider the broader determinants of the spread of disease is folly .
”

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the midst of the pandemic, it’s that our nation loves a scapegoat.
Allegedly randy security guards, fraudulent quarantine fugitives, or the pizza shop worker blamed for a state-wide lockdown, experts say our habit of pointing the finger at individuals just distracts us from a range of broader issues. And for those who bear the brunt, the public pile-on can be debilitating.
Our most recent victim was brought into the spotlight on Sunday when SA chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier wrongly accused a man of breaching quarantine rules. Unsurprisingly, public comment swiftly unleashed a tirade of vilification for the man’s infectious “shopping spree”.


crikey--2020-12-03--By picking on the ABC, the government is fighting an enemy that no longer exists

Despite the odd critical piece of reporting , there is no evidence that the ABC of 2020 is a nest of left-wing , anti-business bias — the government is shooting at ghosts .
As the year draws to a close the Morrison government couldn ’ t be clearer about its media priorities .
The Coalition has kept up its decades-long war on the ABC even though there is now barely a leftie to be found at the national broadcaster .
This week Communications Minister Paul Fletcher invoked the ABC ’ s code of practice to attack the Four Corners report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff , alleging the story was not in the public interest .
Fletcher ’ s end-of-year showdown with the ABC comes accompanied by tough talk from Canberra as the government finalises laws compelling Google and Facebook to share revenue with Australian media publishers .
The question is : will that include the public broadcaster ?
“ You ’ d have a better chance of selling ice to Eskimos than convincing the party room to support the ABC at the moment , ” one anonymous Liberal MP told Nine .
The eternal push against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ small but powerful conservative grouping ” within the federal government which has opposed such other popular initiatives as marriage equality , the push for a federal anti-corruption agency , and action on climate change .
The public might be on side with these issues , but so what ?
But in the case of the ABC , the Coalition ’ s reflexive hostility is barely rational .
In truth this “ conservative grouping ” is fighting an enemy that no longer exists .
Maybe it did a quarter of a century ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it considered to be a hotbed of insurrection at the national broadcaster , but the cultural reengineering of the ABC is all but done .
Funding cuts have this year led to yet another exodus of experienced staff .
The ABC ’ s board is stacked with Liberal appointments , with two more to be made before the end of the year .
News Corp ’ s right-wing opinionators are dotted through the ABC ’ s panel discussion programs in the name of balance .
But less well known to the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ABC ’ s biggest names to also have outside engagements with organisations run by corporate Australia or linked to the government .
The arrangement is permitted under the ABC ’ s rules which allow high profile staff to MC conferences , run panel discussions or host government and corporate events .
There is no public register of outside engagements , making it impossible for a viewer to check on any possible conflict for themselves .
The ABC cites privacy reasons for this , and maintains that it has processes to guarantee there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ABC ’ s reputation .
A quick online search can yield an inexhaustive snapshot of the extra-curriculars that some ABC personalities have been getting up to .
Sales been MC , speaker or interviewer at : • Corporate Club Australia ’ s annual business lunch , 2017 to 2019 ( Sales conducted a chat-style interview with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian for the NSW government entity ) • The Australian Governance Summit , run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors • The 2019 icare awards ( Crabb hosted the awards night in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the scandal-ridden NSW government insurer , became known ) • Women In Mining West Australia summit ( 2017 and 2018 , with Leigh Sales ) As first reported in Pearls and Irritations , Grant was a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute ( ASPI ) , a Commonwealth agency which receives most of its funding from the Defence Department as well as sponsorship from global defence manufacturers .
Grant hosted an ASPI interview series at a time when he was also a “ contributor ” on global affairs with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ABC full time and is no longer listed as an ASPI senior fellow .
As again reported in Pearls and Irritations , Greene was a panellist at a conference organised by the Australian British Chamber of Commerce and defence manufacturer BAE Systems .
He also appeared in a short BAE sponsored video carrying BAE branding .
Prior to leaving the ABC , Alberici hosted events for ( among others ) : • The leaders summit at the Salesforce World Tour , Sydney ( for leading C-Suite and senior executives ) An ABC spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside engagements and took into account the subject matter and whether or not the organisations were politically aligned or functioned as lobby groups .
The amount of money , if any , is also taken into account .
Anything over $ 5000 per engagement is considered a high risk to the “ perception of independence ” , as are “ regular payments and ongoing relationships ” , the corporation ’ s guidelines say .
According to the spokesperson the positives included “ the public and community benefit ” of experienced ABC staff facilitating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ABC and individual staff members of participating in events .
Whether or not the ABC ’ s on-air staff are blurring professional lines — and if the public has a right to know about that — is a topic for another day .
The point is that , despite the odd critical piece of reporting , there is no evidence that the ABC of 2020 is a nest of left-wing , anti-business bias .
How could it be when its leading journalists are rubbing shoulders with Australia ’ s corporate elite and government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ministers ?
Despite this the Coalition continues to fight last century ’ s war .
At the same time , a real threat to the health of the information ecosystem — Sky News ’ pushing of wild and baseless conspiracy theories about the US election — is going unchecked .

As the year draws to a close the Morrison government couldn’t be clearer about its media priorities. The Coalition has kept up its decades-long war on the ABC even though there is now barely a leftie to be found at the national broadcaster.
This week Communications Minister Paul Fletcher invoked the ABC’s code of practice to attack the Four Corners report on government ministers’ behaviour towards female staff, alleging the story was not in the public interest.


crikey--2020-12-03--Government, media rewrite history to attack Labor for being too soft — or is it too hard — on China

Five years after being assailed by News Corp and the Coalition for being too hard on China , Labor is @ @ @ @ @ China — while the Coalition 's complete reversal on hugging the panda is ignored .
@ @ @ @ @ of something that fits that badly overused term `` Orwellian '' to the letter -- @ @ @ @ @ at Crikey have banged on about for years : no one in the national press @ @ @ @ @ memory longer than five minutes .
Anthony Albanese is now , by right-wing lights , @ @ @ @ @ The opposition leader 's crime has been to suggest that the government had handled its @ @ @ @ @ It 's China that has been a constant aggressor , abuser and interferer , and @ @ @ @ @ for the most part , been appropriate .
Has it been perfect ?
As Richard @ @ @ @ @ pointed out today , not exactly .

Here’s a good example of something that fits that badly overused term “Orwellian” to the letter — and something else that we at Crikey have banged on about for years: no one in the national press gallery seems to have a memory longer than five minutes.
Anthony Albanese is now, by right-wing lights, officially Soft On China. The opposition leader’s crime has been to suggest that the government had handled its relationship with China poorly.
It’s China that has been a constant aggressor, abuser and interferer, and Morrison’s response has, for the most part, been appropriate. Has it been perfect? As Richard McGregor of the Lowy Institute pointed out today, not exactly.


crikey--2020-12-03--It’s one of the worst years for domestic violence — so where’s the federal funding going?

2020 may be the worst year for domestic violence in living memory .
Domestic violence rates have soared in Australia @ @ @ @ @ week another five women were killed , bringing the total number of deaths this year @ @ @ @ @ are dealing with increasingly complex cases and higher demand .
Despite a $ 150 million @ @ @ @ @ violence services across the country during COVID-19 , funding has been slow to hit the @ @ @ @ @ territories allocating just a fraction of the money they 've received .
The $ 150 @ @ @ @ @ 's federal budget is just a drop in the bucket , advocates say .
By @ @ @ @ @ Australian women in a relationship had experienced some form of abuse by their partner , @ @ @ @ @ experienced physical or sexual violence .
Fifty percent of those subjected to violence said the @ @ @ @ @ or severe since the start of the pandemic .

Domestic violence rates have soared in Australia amid the pandemic. This week another five women were killed, bringing the total number of deaths this year to 50.
Support organisations are dealing with increasingly complex cases and higher demand. Despite a $150 million federal package to support domestic violence services across the country during COVID-19, funding has been slow to hit the ground, with states and territories allocating just a fraction of the money they’ve received.
Where’s the money gone?
The $150 million allocated in this year’s federal budget is just a drop in the bucket, advocates say. By July, 11.6% of Australian women in a relationship had experienced some form of abuse by their partner, while one in 20 women experienced physical or sexual violence. Fifty percent of those subjected to violence said the abuse had become more frequent or severe since the start of the pandemic.


crikey--2020-12-07--Morrison tweet diplomacy: a bull in a China shop?

We are still none the wiser as to whether the PM 's reaction to a Chinese official 's tweet was @ @ @ @ @ It was seven days ago that Prime Minister Scott Morrison snapped , or seemed to @ @ @ @ @ tweet by a Chinese official .
The image of a knife-wielding Digger responded to accusations @ @ @ @ @ soldiers in Afghanistan .
All these days on , despite a torrent of analysis , @ @ @ @ @ on a central question : was this a genuine reaction from Morrison ?
Or was @ @ @ @ @

It was seven days ago that Prime Minister Scott Morrison snapped, or seemed to, over that now-infamous doctored tweet by a Chinese official.
The image of a knife-wielding Digger responded to accusations of atrocities committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
All these days on, despite a torrent of analysis, we are none the wiser on a central question: was this a genuine reaction from Morrison? Or was it mere confected outrage?


crikey--2020-12-07--Australia needs an extra 205,900 healthcare workers. Where will they come from?

Disability , aged care and mental health workers earn some of the lowest wages in the country .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ practitioners received their initial qualification overseas .
The pandemic , coupled with Australia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ extra 205,900 healthcare and social assistance workers will need to be added to the workforce @ @ @ @ @ a report by the National Skills Commission released this morning .
But with low immigration @ @ @ @ @ is Australia going to get all those extra workers from ?
The state of the @ @ @ @ @ dominated by women aged 20-34 .
There were more than 586,000 registered health practitioners in @ @ @ @ @ which just 146,000 were men .
Also 46 % of the workforce is employed part @ @

The pandemic, coupled with Australia’s ageing population, means an extra 205,900 healthcare and social assistance workers will need to be added to the workforce by 2025, according to a report by the National Skills Commission released this morning.
But with low immigration and COVID-19 risks, where is Australia going to get all those extra workers from?
The state of the workforce
The healthcare sector is dominated by women aged 20-34. There were more than 586,000 registered health practitioners in Australia in 2018, of which just 146,000 were men. Also 46% of the workforce is employed part time.


crikey--2020-12-07--Morrison should move quickly to ban Dan Andrews’ dud China deal

With every attempt to offer an olive branch to Beijing rebuffed , Scott Morrison should let some actions do the talking , rather than responding to tweets .
While it went down a treat with the press gallery and right-wing media at the time , Scott Morrison ’ s hasty and furious response to the trolling of a junior Chinese official last week now seems increasingly ill-judged .
Even extreme reactionaries in News Corp have begun questioning whether Morrison has any plan for the escalating dispute with China .
Morrison would have better off leaving the response to Marise Payne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was something literally impossible for the Chinese government to ever produce given its incapacity to acknowledge wrongdoing or tolerate questioning .
The real response should have taken the form of actions , rather than words .
Fortunately , with the imminent passage of the Australia ’ s Foreign Relations ( State and Territory Arrangements ) Bill , the government has a useful option on that front .
The impact of the bill on universities is deeply concerning : the government despises universities and refused to assist them in the pandemic , while steadily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over them on the basis of national security .
The new bill is that latest such extension of control .
But its provisions in relation to state and territory governments are amply justified by the Victorian government ’ s obnoxious Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) agreement with the Beijing tyranny .
The agreement dates from 2018 , when the federal government itself was still in thrall to the Abbott-era idea of truckling to China in order to secure more trade and investment opportunities .
There was little complaint about it back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gung-ho Abbott government had encouraged us all to do when it signed us up to a trade deal with China .
More than two years later , of course , we ’ re supposed to forget everything the government said about the joys of being ever closer to Beijing .
The Andrews deal is bureaucratic waffle about consultation , coordination , cooperation and connectivity .
Its primary benefit appears to be to add to the number of memorandums of understanding ( MOUs ) the Chinese dictatorship can boast of having signed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little more than straightforward colonialism aimed at securing Chinese control of extractive resources .
Neither the Liberals nor federal Labor support Australian involvement in the BRI .
With the MOU already a dead letter , the government has an opportunity to do more than fulminate from the Lodge about nasty tweets .
Overruling the agreement will send a signal that Australia ’ s federal system is not an opportunity for China to leverage Australian governments against one another .
It would have been far more effective to let the tweet be addressed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Victorian agreement serve as a response .
Critics and the China lobby might say this is unnecessarily provocative , but every olive branch extended by the government has been rebuffed by the Xi regime — indeed , met with escalations of rhetoric and trade sanctions .
Other options exist for pushing back against China .
Beijing still blocks any participation , even as an observer , by Taiwan in the corrupted World Health Organization , despite Taiwan ’ s remarkable success in dealing with COVID-19 .
Australia should be much louder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Asia-Pacific ’ s most successful democracies in planning for future pandemics .
Then there are the 2022 “ Genocide Games ” — the winter Olympics to be held in Beijing while China continues its brutal campaign of oppression of Uyghurs , its crushing of dissent in Hong Kong and its long-running suppression of Tibetans .
Why Australia would participate in an event deliberately overlooking atrocities on a mass scale is a question that should be asked increasingly loudly .

While it went down a treat with the press gallery and right-wing media at the time, Scott Morrison’s hasty and furious response to the trolling of a junior Chinese official last week now seems increasingly ill-judged. Even extreme reactionaries in News Corp have begun questioning whether Morrison has any plan for the escalating dispute with China.
Morrison would have better off leaving the response to Marise Payne, or noting that the Brereton report was something literally impossible for the Chinese government to ever produce given its incapacity to acknowledge wrongdoing or tolerate questioning.
The real response should have taken the form of actions, rather than words. Fortunately, with the imminent passage of the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Bill, the government has a useful option on that front.


crikey--2020-12-06--While we obsess about industrial relations, innovation and reform are happening before our very eyes

Australia 's retail sector has successfully overhauled itself , and it had nothing to do with industrial relations reform or @ @ @ @ @ prevailing narrative about Australian economic policy -- one pushed hard by the Coalition , the @ @ @ @ @ tanks and the mainstream media -- is that industrial relations is the key area of @ @ @ @ @ gains are to be had .
The narrative defies the evidence .
The government 's @ @ @ @ @ ) review of industrial relations found the current system working well and flexibly , and @ @ @ @ @ that industrial relations reform would increase productivity .
One of the few recommendations the PC @ @ @ @ @ to reduce penalty rates -- turned out to be a dud , with no additional @ @ @ @ @ .

The prevailing narrative about Australian economic policy — one pushed hard by the Coalition, the business sector, conservative think tanks and the mainstream media — is that industrial relations is the key area of reform and one where major gains are to be had.
The narrative defies the evidence. The government’s own Productivity Commission (PC) review of industrial relations found the current system working well and flexibly, and failed to find any evidence that industrial relations reform would increase productivity.
One of the few recommendations the PC did venture to make — to reduce penalty rates — turned out to be a dud, with no additional jobs created as a result.


crikey--2020-12-06--Inquest announced into the death of David Harris following Inq investigation

'The main reason I want an inquest is to examine what went wrong to stop this from happening again , ' Harris ' sister told Inq .
An inquest into the circumstances leading up to the death of David Harris , who died shortly after his National Disability Insurance Scheme ( NDIS ) funding was cut off , will be launched following an investigation by Inq .
Harris lived with paranoid schizophrenia and diabetes in community housing in Sydney ’ s west .
The 55-year-old had complex needs with care provided by community mental health teams for most of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NDIS in early 2019 , Harris was expected to advocate for his own care and expected to schedule workers to help him with day-to-day living .
People with schizophrenia often don ’ t understand that they are ill , and can become socially isolated and withdrawn .
It ’ s unclear when Harris ’ NDIS workers stopped visiting him .
His NDIS funding was cut off in the days or weeks before his death after Harris stopped responding to calls and letters .
Harris ’ body wasn ’ t discovered for around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so decomposed a coroner couldn ’ t determine an exact time or cause of death .
Harris ’ sister and disability advocate Leanne Longfellow lives in South Australia with her daughter who also has multiple disabilities .
She was horrified to learn about her younger brother ’ s death .
Since July last year , she has been fighting for answers with the help from lawyers funded through Legal Aid .
She hopes the inquest , announced 17 months after his body was discovered , will help prevent others from falling through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main reason I want an inquest is to examine what went wrong to stop this from happening again , ” she told Inq .
“ Secondly , I want to ensure the legal processes available to non-disabled people are equally available to disabled people.
” The inquest , she added , validated her concerns that something went wrong in her brother ’ s care .
“ It ’ s been so hard getting someone to say that there was a problem with the system , and I felt , in the beginning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously , ” she said .
“ I think it will give me closure.
” Shortly after Inq ‘ s investigation was published , shadow minister for the NDIS Bill Shorten sent out a press release about Harris ’ death .
The story was then picked up by other media outlets .
Inq ‘ s investigation has also been cited in submissions to the disability royal commission and South Australia ’ s disability safeguarding taskforce .
A directions hearing for the inquest will be listed in early 2021 .

An inquest into the circumstances leading up to the death of David Harris, who died shortly after his National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding was cut off, will be launched following an investigation by Inq.
Harris lived with paranoid schizophrenia and diabetes in community housing in Sydney’s west. The 55-year-old had complex needs with care provided by community mental health teams for most of his life.
But when he transitioned onto the NDIS in early 2019, Harris was expected to advocate for his own care and expected to schedule workers to help him with day-to-day living.