Good afternoon. The no campaign leader and former Labor minister Gary Johns has been criticised after comments he made proposing blood tests to prove Aboriginality for welfare payments have emerged.
“If the current three-part test on Aboriginality is to remain, then, just as Aborigines insist in native title claims, blood will have to be measured for all benefits and jobs,” Johns wrote in his book published last year.
The no campaign activist is now facing calls to resign over the “extreme” and “offensive” comments, which Labor senator Jana Stewart, a Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman, said were “outdated views, from over 100 years ago”.
In other news, ABC journalist Stan Grant has permanently stepped down as Q&A host.
Top news
Stan Grant to move on to other ABC roles | RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas will replace the high-profile Indigenous journalist as Q&A host. Grant (pictured) stepped down from hosting Q+A after receiving “grotesque racist abuse”.
Kathryn Campbell resigns from Department of Defence | Campbell has resigned in the wake of the robodebt royal commission report, with Defence confirming it had accepted her resignation. It comes after confirmation last week that Campbell had been suspended without pay.
Former Liberal MP ‘distressed’ at identity reveal | The former federal MP Lucy Wicks has criticised Sydney radio station 2GB for naming her as the Liberal figure behind a formal complaint against a state MP, Taylor Martin, that included allegations of harassment through “demeaning, degrading, and abusive texts”.
WA Labor government popularity crashes | A poll of 1,000 voters shows a resurgence of support for the Liberal party, which now has a 54% to 46% two-party preferred lead over Labor. The last poll conducted in May, after leader Mark McGowan stepped down and was replaced by Roger Cook as premier, had Labor ahead at 61-39. Labor’s primary vote has also fallen to 32%, from 52% previously.
Townsville cocaine bust | Two men have been accused of importing more than $61m worth of cocaine by sea after Australian federal police seized 247kg of the drug allegedly hidden in a yacht in Queensland.
Victoria fails to reach Commonwealth Games compensation deal | Victorian government lawyers negotiating the cost of the state’s shock cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games have flown home without reaching a compensation deal. A Victorian government spokesperson today said “negotiations are continuing in Australia over coming weeks”. The premier, Daniel Andrews, has vowed to get the “best deal” in negotiations for taxpayers.
John Farnham is cancer-free, son says | James Farnham says his father (pictured) is “doing fantastic” after undergoing a 12-hour operation to remove a tumour in his mouth and reconstruct his jaw.
US woman dead after grizzly bear attack | A woman has been found dead in Montana after coming into contact with a grizzly bear on a trail west of Yellowstone national park. Rangers issued an emergency closure of the area where the woman was found, which is popular with hikers.
Israeli protests over judicial reforms | The country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, remained in hospital to recover from an emergency heart procedure as tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of his government’s controversial judicial overhaul plan held rival rallies ahead of a key vote in parliament. The US president, Joe Biden, has urged Netanyahu to scrap the vote.
Radioactive Fukushima fish | A fish living near drainage outlets at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in May contained levels of radioactive cesium that are 180 times Japan’s safety limit. The revelation comes as Japan prepares to release 1.3m tonnes of treated water from the Fukushima plant, which has sparked concern in the region.
In pictures
The Department of Defence has released an image showing the Australian air force’s encounter with a Chinese spy ship during the Talisman Sabre military exercise in central Queensland. China is expected to monitor the two-week training exercises, which includes 13 countries, among them the US, Japan and Indonesia.
What they said …
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“Tough pill to swallow” – Ben Stokes, England captain
Australia has retained the Ashes, thanks to rain forcing a draw. The Australian captain, Pat Cummins, agreed the anti-climactic result was “a bit of a strange one”.
In numbers
And Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer took home $258m (US$174m), making “Barbenheimer” the biggest box office weekend of 2023 so far.
Before bed read
Want to quickly spot an idiot? Here are five foolproof red flags, writes Arwa Mahdawi.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: ARIA. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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