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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Paul Gallagher

Morning Mail: deportation bill blacklist fears, youth justice looms large in Queensland, Ross River virus warnings

Immigration minister Andrew Giles and home affairs minister Clare O’Neil
Immigration minister Andrew Giles and home affairs minister Clare O’Neil said they were ‘very disappointed’ the Liberals did not support the deportation bill. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Good morning. The backlash against Labor’s proposed deportation bill is mounting amid fears it could be used to blacklist entire countries’ citizens from obtaining visas to Australia. The legislation is set for a six-week Senate inquiry but refugee groups say the proposed law is a “slap in the face” and could cut them off from their families and friends permanently.

Meanwhile, it appears that some Labor MPs fighting for their political survival in Queensland’s October state election are eyeing up LNP policies on youth detention as a way to woo anxious voters. And: there are warnings for holidaymakers before the Easter break as health officials report a spike in Ross River virus cases.

The Morning Mail is taking a break for Easter. Thanks for reading, see you again on Tuesday.

Australia

World

Full Story

Can millennials unscrew themselves?

There are no easy answers to undoing all the problems driving intergenerational inequality but hope is not lost. Young Australians are increasingly politically influential, making up 43% of voters at the last federal election. Jane Lee and Matilda Boseley talk to Amy Remeikis and Greg Jericho to find out how millennials can use their new-found power for good.

In-depth

As we gear up for the annual fight over the minimum wage, business groups and conservative media are again pushing the line that pay rises for the low paid will cause an outbreak of inflation. This week the ACTU announced it would seek a minimum-and-award-wage rise this year of 5%. Greg Jericho argues that such a rise is, if anything, pretty modest – and won’t set fire to inflation or cause interest rates to stay high.

Not the news

Courtney Act, who goes by Shane Jenek when out of the frocks, was in a gay bar in the US when he heard Olivia Newton-John had died. “I wasn’t in drag, but I just felt like I had to get on stage and sing Xanadu,” Jenek says. Now the drag queen is set to perform in a 22-song Newton-John tribute alongside the full force of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

The world of sport

Media roundup

A cruise ship suffered a blackout in Sydney Harbour in February in a scenario similar to that which led to the destruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Santos has received the federal government’s go-ahead to lay a new section of pipeline connecting the Barossa offshore gas field to Darwin, reports NT News. The entire board of the Victoria’s under-fire building regulator has been removed as the Allan government seeks major changes to the construction watchdog, reports the Age.

What’s happening today

  • NSW | The final day of the veterans’ suicides inquiry is set to be heard in Sydney, with chief of the defence force taking the stand.

  • Renewable energy | Anthony Albanese expected to shed light on the $1bn fund for Australian solar panel manufacturing during a Hunter Valley visit.

  • ABS | The Australian Bureau of Statistics is to release its latest job vacancies and retail trade figures.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

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