Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Antoun Issa

Afternoon Update: Presbyterian church’s LGBTQ+ school discrimination; Florida’s abortion ban; Jennifer Coolidge to visit Australia

The tower of St Andrew’s Presbyterian church is seen near the flagpole of Parliament House in Canberra
The Presbyterian church has called for the right to exclude students from leadership roles if they are in a same-sex relationship. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Happy Friday! The Presbyterian Church of Australia raised eyebrows today after they called for the right to exclude students from leadership positions if they were in a same-sex relationship or having premarital sex, in a submission to the review of anti-discrimination laws.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, pushed back against that idea, saying he “can’t see a situation where we’re inadvertently discriminating against kids”. And on a happier note to end the week, The White Lotus duo Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White are coming to Sydney for a public speaking event.

Top news

Students walk into school
The Queensland government says it would not ‘tolerate’ discriminatory views in schools after a Presbyterian submission to a federal review. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
  • Church submission on LGBTQ+ students | Two Queensland government ministers added to the criticism of the Presbyterian church’s submission. The youth affairs minister, Meaghan Scanlon, said the Queensland government would not “tolerate” discriminatory views in a state school. The church suggested the students “would not be able to give appropriate Christian leadership”.

  • Kerry O’Brien’s impassioned plea for the voice | The prominent journalist delivered a passionate defence of the Indigenous voice at a parliamentary inquiry, saying the nation is at an “absolutely pivotal moment” in demonstrating “our ability to learn the lessons of the past”. Meanwhile, Bridget Archer, the Liberal backbencher who has vowed to campaign for a yes vote, has co-authored this op-ed outlining her reasons for supporting the voice.

Pardoo Roadhouse damaged by Cyclone Ilsa – put up on Facebook by owner Kelly Anne Martinez
The Pardoo Roadhouse, east of Port Hedland, which was damaged by Cyclone Ilsa. Photograph: Kelly Anne Martinez/Facebook
  • Cyclone Ilsa moves inland | The cyclone has been downgraded from a severe level 5 to 2, but it left a trail of destruction in its wake. The eye of the cyclone passed close to the Pardoo Roadhouse, 150km east of Port Hedland, with owner Kelly Anne Martinez saying the damage would cost $4m.

  • Jarryd Hayne jailed | The former NRL player has been jailed ahead of his sentencing hearing after being found guilty of two counts of rape. Hayne had “remarkably” remained on bail after being found guilty on two counts of sexual intercourse without consent earlier in April, a New South Wales supreme court judge said.

Police officers at the scene of stabbing of a paramedic in Campbelltown, Sydney
Police officers at the scene of the fatal stabbing of a paramedic in Campbelltown. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
  • Paramedic stabbed to death at McDonald’s | The 29-year-old father was grabbing a bite during an early morning shift break in Sydney’s south-west before he was fatally stabbed. A 21-year-old man has been taken into custody. No charges have been laid.

People hold signs during a protest against Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks
People hold signs during a protest against Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks. Photograph: Alicia Devine/AP
The White Lotus creator Mike White and star Jennifer Coolidge
The White Lotus’s Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge are to speak at this year’s Vivid Sydney festival. Photograph: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
  • Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White to appear in Sydney | Tickets are on sale for an event at Sydney’s Vivid festival featuring The White Lotus duo. Coolidge delivered the news in a video filmed from a bed while wearing a robe, saying: “Hey Australia, it’s Jennifer Coolidge and I’ve just got really exciting news.”

  • North Korea’s ICBM | North Korea claims it has successfully tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time – a breakthrough that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, warned would make its enemies “suffer in endless fear”.

In pictures

Julie Downie grooms her long-haired cavy at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
Julie Downie grooms her long-haired cavy at the Sydney Easter Show competition. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

The hair potential of guinea pigs makes me envious, as I twirl my frizzy curl. Check out the stunners at this year’s Sydney Easter show’s Royal Cavy competition.

What they said …

Deputy leader of the opposition Sussan Ley
Deputy leader of the opposition Sussan Ley. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

***

“The scope of the voice as described by the prime minister is deliberately undefined. So that means the prime minister can’t rule out that the voice has the de facto veto rule on, for example, our national days of commemoration such as Australia Day or Anzac Day.” – Sussan Ley

Fact check: the voice doesn’t have any veto power at all, let alone over national holidays.

In numbers

ExxonMobil CEO gets 52% pay rise

ExxonMobil made A$82.5bn in profits, or $9.3m an hour, last year after the war in Ukraine ignited a surge in global oil and gas prices. The oil industry’s outsized profits were criticised as “outrageous” by the US president, Joe Biden, during his State of the Union address in February. Biden has previously accused Exxon of making “more money than God”.

Before bed read

A family riding together in a car

A stranger paid for this family’s motel bill – kindness is indeed alive in our selfish world.

“I love remembering and telling this story to whoever will listen … it reminds me to look for opportunities to help, care for and encourage my fellow human beings. This simple act of kindness by a stranger truly changed my life.”

A feelgood story to end the week.

Daily word game

Screengrab of Wordiply game

Today’s starter word is: CREE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

Sign up

If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know. Sign up for our Morning Mail newsletter here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.