A WOMAN A WEEK
Every single surveyed woman in the Australian Border Force’s (ABF) marine unit said they had “witnessed sex discrimination, sexual … and/or sex-based harassment” while almost four in five said they’d been a victim of it themselves. That’s according to watchdog the Australian Human Rights Commission, which heard that included “bullying, sexually suggestive and sexist comments and incidents of sexual harassment described by officers as ‘serious’”. Guardian Australia reports on the results, which came from a secret report by the sex discrimination commissioner Anna Cody — she demanded “immediate intervention”, while ABF commissioner Michael Outram vowed a crackdown on the “confronting and disturbing” reported behaviours.
Meanwhile, the former partner charged with murdering Forbes mother Molly Ticehurst was released on bail mere weeks ago after he was charged with sexually assaulting, stalking and intimidating her, the ABC reports. The NSW government has ordered a review into the court’s decision, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “completely unacceptable” that a woman a week is being killed by a man they know (in this case, allegedly). So what do we do? Albanese said the government would look at increasing domestic violence prevention funding, while victim-advocate Howard Brown told The Daily Telegraph we must ensure bail laws require psychiatric assessments before alleged offenders are released into the community. It comes as Central Coast Mariners player Angel Torres has been charged with rape, assault and stalking, according to 9News. Football Australia has suspended him.
UNSOCIAL MEDIA
Kids shouldn’t be allowed to use Facebook, Instagram and TikTok until they reach a certain age — maybe around 15 or 16 like in some US states, opposition communications spokesman David Coleman said, as the SMH reports. It’s unclear how that would work, however. Would kids need to trust social media sites with a copy of their birth certificate? It comes as Australian Security Intelligence Organisation boss Mike Burgess and AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw say they’ll demand access to encrypted social media messages on Facebook Messenger, Signal and Telegram, the AFR reports. Encryption means you can send a message in complete privacy, but the duo say it basically creates a “safe room” for violent extremists to “plot and plan”.
Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart says Meta is taking ages to remove Facebook scams that use faces such as hers to dupe people out of cash, WA Today reports. Rinehart said victims have no legal mechanism to claw their money back and called for new laws to force Meta to pay them back. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton wants the eSafety commissioner to become more powerful, but Guardian Australia reports his Coalition Senators Matt Canavan, Claire Chandler and Alex Antic say it’s a huge mistake. Not only them — the Institute of Public Affairs and the Australian Christian Lobby will likely continue to campaign against the misinformation bill that contains the teeth. Canavan says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was trying to link the video of the bishop being allegedly stabbed to “outlawing” free speech, adding: “If you don’t trust politicians, don’t give them the power to tell you what you can say”.
TAXPAYER’S GOT IT
Nationals leader David Littleproud took a taxpayer-funded flight to see family in 2023 because he “got the wrong advice”, Sky News Australia reports. The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority found the trip from Canberra to the Gold Coast, costing $2,009.76, was in part a “contravention of section 26 of the PBR Act” (his trip back to Canberra was deemed fine to claim). Even so, Littleproud paid the entire sum back. Meanwhile, WA’s highest-paid fat cat John Langoulant and his wife Jan flew to the US business class twice in less than a month, The West Australian ($) says, charging the taxpayer more than $40,000. It’s all allowed under his contract as WA’s agent-general, the paper adds, which has a combined salary package of more than $840,000. But WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam blamed the Cook government for allowing it.
Meanwhile, Queensland taxpayers paid for Premier Steven Miles, Police Minister Mark Ryan and the new police commissioner Steve Gollschewski to fly two jets on identical routes mere minutes apart to make a series of crime pledges, The Courier Mail reports. The trio visited Cairns, Townsville, Hervey Bay and Brisbane over two days this week, though it wasn’t clear how many seats were vacant on each plane. The paper says the jets are usually hired for about $6,500 an hour, and notes it took place days after the landmark emissions bill was passed enshrining into law a 75% reduction by 2035. Miles’ office said they usually use commercial flights but there were none “suitable”.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE
A US man named Kadir Tolla was cruising along the Interstate 94 humming a song absentmindedly when the “scariest moment” of his life occurred. A fiery ball of flame on the side of the road came into view, and Tolla’s first horrifying thought was: there’s someone in that car. Tolla veered, threw open his car door and sprinted over to the flames. He figured the worst thing that could happen to him was a bad burn, but “that man could literally lose his life”, he recalled thinking to CBS News, who published the incredible dash cam footage of the moment. Several other courageous drivers pulled over as Tolla approached the car, and the group began yanking at the boiling-hot door frame.
The flames were growing in acrid ferocity but Tolla stayed at it. After all, he thought, what if I was in this situation? Would I want these strangers to stop? Finally, a Minnesota transportation worker managed to get close enough to smash the driver’s side window, pulling the man — an attorney named Sam Orbovich — out to safety. Orbovich, who went to hospital, released a statement where he said the reason he was alive was because of those “several good samaritans and professional first responders”. He continued that it was “incredibly heroic” that people would put themselves at risk to save another. It’s a good reminder, Orbovich wrote, of what Fred Rogers used to say: “Whenever someone sees something scary, ‘look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
Hoping you spot the opportunity to help someone today and have restful days ahead. The Worm will be back in your inbox first thing Monday morning.
SAY WHAT?
Thank you, I know how a conversation works.
Arj Barker
The retort followed radio host Erin Molan asking the comedian what he would say to mother Trish Faranda who told him she wished he had “let me leave with my dignity”. The female host was momentarily speechless and later told Barker both times he’d been on the show he’d been rude to her.
CRIKEY RECAP
“Some believe the delay could be a deliberate tactic to help the government’s chances in the next election, particularly in more conservative states. In West Australia, for example, Premier Roger Cook had said new protections for nature could disproportionately impact the resources-rich state. In response to news that Plibersek would delay the law reforms The West Australian newspaper ran a front page declaring ‘Tan Yeah Nah.’
“But Plibersek rejects the suggestion the Labor government is scared of a conservative backlash, pointing out the task is a complex one — the existing legislation alone is more than 1,000 pages long.”
“It appeared the artist included a tiny mushroom in the bottom-right-hand corner of her courtroom portrait of Patterson. Crikey understands the sketch was done by the artist for a pool of Australian outlets on the day, and that the ABC was responsible for sending the image out to the pool that day, to be distributed by AAP.
“Most outlets ran a cropped version of the image when Patterson returned to court this week, this time appearing via video link in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court. However, The Australian included in its report the fungus seemingly in full.”
“And at any one time, even when the economy is flourishing, half the population will be below average in terms of their economic value. Neoliberalism has created an environment in which at least half of all people receive the signal that they are failing according to the only standard that matters.
“The response of many is to turn to those other forms of identity where they stand a greater chance of success — driving greater tribalism, separatism, identity insularity and division. Or to experience alienation and marginalisation. Whether any of that is applicable to male violence can’t ever be known for sure …”
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Russian court rejects US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s detention appeal (Al Jazeera)
US preparing $1 billion weapons package for Ukraine, officials say (Reuters)
UK passes controversial bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda after two years of challenges (CNN)
Inside NZ Rugby’s governance battle with provincial unions (NZ Herald)
Baltimore bridge collapse: City says ship was ‘unseaworthy’ before leaving port (The Guardian)
Canada Post refusing to collect banned guns for Ottawa’s buyback program (CBC)
Justice dept. reaches $138.7 million settlement over FBI’s failures in Nassar case (The New York Times) ($)
THE COMMENTARIAT
Hawke’s reforming vision lost to Albanese’s ‘flat-earth’ ambitions — John Howard (The Australian) ($): “I had said, before I became prime minister, that the most courageous policy decision taken by the Hawke government was the dismantling of tariff protection. That action defied Labor’s trade union origins. High protection had been an article of ALP faith since its formation. Not that Hawke, as a trade union leader, had been beyond rhetorical forays against institutions involved in protecting Australian industry. He once described the Industries Assistance Commission (predecessor to today’s Productivity Commission) as the ‘industries assassination commission’. In office, however, he embraced reality on many economic issues.
“This is something that has totally eluded the member for Grayndler [Anthony Albanese]. In his speech, Hawke opined that the most powerful spur to greater competitiveness was further tariff reduction. In other words, further reducing protection would make industry more competitive. He expressed the view that past policies of protection had resulted in inefficient industries that could not compete overseas, higher prices for consumers and higher costs for our efficient primary producers. In doing so, he was expressing the economic reality of the time. He was strongly supported by John Hewson, then opposition leader, who had long argued for less industry protection and other economic reforms. It is an economic reality that is still with us.”
John Curtin, Winston Churchill and the cable that changed the course of Australian history — Peter FitzSimons (The SMH): “The biggest issue between the leaders concerned the Australian troops of the Sixth and Seventh Divisions then on the Indian Ocean and heading east, from North Africa to Australia. Churchill wanted them diverted to Burma to defend the jewel in Britain’s colonial crown, India, against a western Japanese thrust — while also putting garrisons in Ceylon and Java. Curtin, call him crazy, wanted Australia’s finest sons to return to Australia. In an effort to convince Curtin, Churchill even engaged the support of US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who sent cables to the Australian leader agreeing with the British prime minister’s line of reasoning. (It was explained to Roosevelt that Australia was a sovereign nation, and Curtin was quite within his rights.)
“Even Australia’s representative to the United Kingdom, Earle Page — our own man — told Churchill that he would endeavour to change Curtin’s mind, and indeed tried to do so. Curtin’s reported comment in response to Page’s recommendation was one for the ages: ‘There are numerous geographical centres where an AIF or any other division would be useful,’ he said, but from the viewpoint of Australia, ‘there is none east of Suez of greater importance than Australia [itself]’. Finally, the climax … For, extraordinarily — believing himself to be the leader of the forces of the British Empire, and that was authority enough — Churchill gave orders to the British troopships to divert the Australian troops to Burma anyway, only informing Curtin 24 hours after the event.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Eora Nation Country (also known as Sydney)
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Meanjin’s Esther Anatolitis will talk to sociologist Na’ama Carlin, writer Katie Shammas and author Ianto Ware at Glee Books.
Ngunnawal Country (also known as Canberra)
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The AFP’s Reece P. Kershaw and ASIO’s Mike Burgess will speak at the National Press Club.
