The High Court brought down its momentous ruling on the “citizenship seven” early this afternoon, which has resulted in four Senators (Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam of the Greens, Fiona Nash of the Nationals and Malcolm Roberts of One Nation) and one member of the House of Representatives (Barnaby Joyce) losing their seats. Not disqualified are Nationals Senator Matt Canavan and Senator Nick Xenophon, the latter of whom will shortly be leaving anyway. The full judgement can be read here.
Broadly speaking, the court’s unanimous decision has been to take a black-letter, conservative approach to the meaning of the section, and accept the reasoning established by the court in the Sykes v Cleary ruling in 1992. It has rejected the dissenting opinion of Justice William Deane in Sykes v Cleary, who argued the second limb of the section 44(i), ensnaring any person who is “a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power”, should be understood to apply only where such rights have been actively acknowledged. As such, the court rejected various shades of argument that it was unreasonable to expect members should divest themselves of citizenship rights they do not realise they possess.
Since the court’s ruling is that the five members are retroactively disqualified from running at last year’s election, their positions will be filled by countbacks in the case of the four Senators, and by a by-election in the case of Barnaby Joyce and his seat of New England. There appears to be no reason at law why disqualified Senators could not recover their seats if their replacements agree to resign and their parties choose them to fill the resulting casual vacancy, provided they have resolved their citizenship issues in the interim. However, in none of the cases does it appear that this will happen.
To consider their circumstances in turn:
Barnaby Joyce
Most importantly, the government is now down a Deputy Prime Minister, after the court found nothing to complicate Barnaby Joyce’s status as a dual citizen of New Zealand acquired through his father. Joyce must re-contest his seat at a by-election in his seat of New England in northern New South Wales. It appears to have been agreed within the government that this will take place as soon as possible, on December 2. For now it will suffice to observe that Labor last held the seat in 1913, and has not come close to doing so in living memory. If a threat should loom to Joyce, it would appear more likely to come from an independent or minor party candidate. One of the former might be Tony Windsor, the independent member from the seat from 2001 to 2013, who fell 8.5% short of unseating Joyce in 2016 (UPDATE: Windsor has ruled this out). It should also be noted that Shooters Fishers and Farmers have polled strongly in three recent state by-elections, including a victory in the seat of Orange last year. It was presumably aided by the fact that One Nation is not officially registered at state level, a circumstance that does not apply at federal level. Ladbrokes is offering two betting options: $1.13 on Barnaby Joyce, and $5 on One Nation. Obviously a lot more will be said about this in weeks to come.
Fiona Nash
The court found nothing to complicate the fact that Nash is a dual British citizen through her Scottish-born father, which she had done nothing to renounce. The recount for her New South Wales seat makes life complicated for the Coalition in that it stands to elect a Liberal, Hollie Hughes, in place of a National.
Malcolm Roberts
Perhaps the least surprising aspect of the ruling was that Malcolm Roberts, who was born in India and did not properly renounce his British citizenship until six months after he was elected. The recount to replace him will elect Fraser Anning, about whom not much is known except that is a hotel owner from a farming background. Anning’s own eligibility appeared under a cloud due to bankruptcy proceedings but these were resolved early this month. Had it been otherwise, it would have been the fourth candidate on the One Nation who would have come into contention: Judy Smith, sister of Pauline Hanson. Suggestions that Roberts might find a way back to the Senate through the back door have been scotched by a media release on a party letterhead from Anning in which he is strongly critical of Roberts and others caught up in the controversy, and says he is “very much looking forward to being a Senator”. Roberts now says he plans to run at the looming Queensland state election.
Scott Ludlam
Here the situation was straightforward: Scott Ludlam was clearly a citizen of New Zealand, and hence ineligible under the first limb of Section 44(i). It appears to have been resolved that the Greens will accept the outcome of the recount process, which will deliver his Western Australian seat to the party’s number three candidate at last year’s double dissolution, 23-year-old disability advocate Jordon Steele-John.
Larissa Waters
The court also ruled that there was nothing to complicate the provision of Canadian nationality law that persons born in the country become citizens, and that her failure to renounce this citizenship rendered her ineligible. The recount will elect Andrew Bartlett, who held a Queensland Senate seat for the Australian Democrats from 1997 to 2008, and led the party in its terminal phase from 2004 to 2008.
Matt Canavan
Matt Canavan is off the hook because the court deemed he was not an Italian citizen. His difficulty related to the fact that he was included in a register of Italian residents abroad after his mother registered for citizenship and listed her children in the application form — which, among other things, entitled him to vote in Italian elections. However, Canavan never applied to become an Italian citizen, and the court was not of the view that the official status granted through this process amounted merely a “declaratory” acknowledgement of a status that existed in any case. The court has apparently opted to take a narrow view of the second limb of the sub-section, with his voting rights not deemed to make him “entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or citizen”.
Nick Xenophon
Nick Xenophon has the status of a “British overseas citizen” through is Greek Cypriot father, by virtue of him having been born in a country that was a British colony at the time but has ceased to be so. The court ruled that this status does not amount to citizenship, or entitle him to the rights or privileges thereof, as it does not entail right of abode in the United Kingdom, nor entail a pledge of loyalty to it.
Meanwhile the Saudi Crown Prince is going to build a multi-function polis …
Suck that up, Adelaide!
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-economy-breakingviews/breakingviews-saudi-utopia-plan-is-so-bonkers-it-just-might-work-idUSKBN1CV1MY
Buried in the sound and fury of the High Court citizenship decision was the Cabinet decision to quietly drop a referendum for any meaningful recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Constitution. It’s a shame, but there was no way that the dominant Far Right Wing of the “Liberals” and Nationals would allow anything beyond anodyne platitudes.
Unfortunately this needs to be put on the backburner for the time being. A campaign held in the next couple of years would be much uglier than the fake plebiscite, and the prospect of a failed referendum just cannot be contemplated.
BiDG
I must have been keenly anticipating what will be ‘volume 3’.
I’m so disappointed!
steve777
There was some mention of this on TV/Radio this morning early before high court decision-a-mania took over completely around 10 o’clock.
Turnbull continues to add bit by bit to the people who’ll never vote for his party while he still there.
Ctar1,
You might be thinking of volume 5 or 6. 🙂
Hey, I wonder what Peter Draper is up to these days…
And you could just google Peter Hartcher and get a free copy.
CTar1 @ #144 Friday, October 27th, 2017 – 11:13 pm
Rudd was going to write one volume but had a delay in getting access to government records so closed it off with the election victory in 2007.
FWIW Jon Fine has read it and commented favourably. Said it was a good read.
All the 2010 treachery will be in the next volume, so we will have to wait.
CTar1:
“Did anyone notice that while Pawleen was lauding Malcolm Roberts ‘service’ with him standing next to her she refered to him as Malcolm Robertson …”
I believe that Pauline has the speech fluency disorder known as ‘cluttering’. (edit – this is just my ‘professional’ opinion; she hasn’t been diagnosed with it to my knowledge, but I’m basing it on listening to her speak in parliament/the media).
It is characterised by collapsing adjacent syllables or words together (leaving syllables or grammatical endings off words), a seemingly rapid rate of speech, and difficult to understand speech, despite no (or only minor) trouble pronouncing specific speech sounds (but not whole words). Speakers who clutter are often not aware that others find their speech difficult to understand, and, if they are, they usually don’t care/aren’t motivated to change their speaking patterns.
Sounds like Pauline.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluttering
[bemused
…
Rudd was going to write one volume but had a delay in getting access to government records so closed it off with the election victory in 2007.]
Considering this ones 600+ pages it’s probably good he stopped.
It looks like the Russian Military (including it’s employed contracters) have lost at least 131 people in Syria this year.
This doesn’t, of course, include Russians fighting with ISILand other anti-Syrian Government groups.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-russia-syria-casualtie/exclusive-death-certificate-offers-clues-on-russian-casualties-in-syria-idUSKBN1CW1LP
Mr Newbie
Tks. I’ve never heard of it but that there’s a scientific explanation for how Pawleen communicates is a real ‘ get outa here!’ thing.
bemused – I hope then that KRudd is using recycled paper for his drafts!
Barney in Go Dau @ #159 Friday, October 27th, 2017 – 11:54 pm
Agreed. Books get too thick and heavy to be convenient.
The Jon Faine program brought back a lot of memories. Good times.
CTari1:
“Tks. I’ve never heard of it but that there’s a scientific explanation for how Pawleen communicates is a real ‘ get outa here!’ thing.”
Yeah, it’s not a widely-known disorder. I’m not saying she definitely has it, but she has at least one of the major characteristics of it. She so regularly drops parts of words out, hesitates, re-starts what she was saying, uses the wrong word or grammar, etc. It’s fascinating listening to her speak, purely for the way she speaks.
On a related note, it really irks me the way that Malcolm says his ‘sh’ sounds. Listen to him say ‘Bill SHorten’, for example. He makes the sound with his jaw and tongue positioned lower, and his lips protruded more, than they typically are for most Australian-English speakers making the ‘sh’ sound. I guess he’s trying to sound upper-class and edumacated. Just like “ay-leet”.
They’ve only had 50 yrs to review these.
Does the CIA and FBI have a money making interest in encouraging the ‘conspiracy’ writers!
😀
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-jfk-release/trump-releases-some-jfk-files-blocks-others-under-pressure-idUSKBN1CV3KL
CTari1, here’s a video of an adult who clutters, for comparison:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF63zZpk4Kc
(edit – link changed to a better/shorter video)
You may notice his rapid bursts of speech, followed by pausing and hesitations. He also seems to be unaware that he’s speaking too quickly/leaving parts of words out/collapsing words together.
Has anyone compiled a complete list of everything that Joyce has done that could be feasibly challenged?
And more importantly, by what law/mechanism?
Been too busy today to catch up and join in on this but I will say one thing.
When the Conservatives decided to appoint “black letter law” judges to the HC, they got what they asked for 🙂
Mr Newbie
After reading the Wiki bit you linked I can recognise that there are some patterns in her speech that recur
One of my cousins is a speech pathologist. I must ask her about it next time I see her (family funeral most likely reason!).
Ctari1:
“One of my cousins is a speech pathologist. I must ask her about it next time I see her (family funeral most likely reason!).”
As am I. It wasn’t mentioned once during my degree. A lot of speech pathologists have never heard of it. It doesn’t really have a big profile.
Mr Newbie
The way the guy in the video approaches and retreats as he speaks is unusual as well and quite striking as a repeated action.
No CTar, the interest of the FBI and CIA is in hiding their incompetence. They knew that LH Oswald was a dangerous nutter and (contrary to the “someone else musta done it” theories) quite a good shot, and they knew he was heading for Dallas, and they didn’t try to pick him up and lock him away for JFK’s safety.
I’m certainly not a speech pathologist, but having listened to the cluttering guy and to Poorline, I’d say she doesn’t clutter – she’s just dumb with a limited vocab!
If anyones wondering about me commenting on a whole lot of disparate subjects I’m reading Reuters raw news feed. Not sleepy yet so any trivia will do.
I remember that one of the trade complaints about the original EEC was ‘mountains of butter’ produced by farm subsidies. It almost sunk the NZ economy when the UK joined the trading block and stopped importing NZ Dairy products.
Times have changed!
http://www.reuters.com/video/2017/10/24/butter-shortfall-could-leave-french-croi?videoId=372810147&videoChannel=118169
Jack a Randa
Oswald being an ex-Marine is often rolled out as explaining why he was very capable with a fire arm but being from the country I’ve seen an occasional totally untrained individual who are naturally ‘gifted’ with using a firearm.
Martin Bryant is an example of one. Certainly he was more destructive over a very short period of time than for an example the gunmen who struck in Tunisia about 5 years ago.
The recent Las Vegas shooter another example like Bryant – no training at all that the police seem to be able to identify or even solo practice at the very many ‘shooting ranges’ that exist in the US.
The ABC replaying the Drum from earlier today. Vanstone being as nutty as they come with Julia Baird having to cut her off on just about every discussion point.
I bet she went home unhappy.
Vanstone must have abandoned Adelaide for Sydney to be on the Drum so often these days.
The continuity of the UK’s specialist BREXIT ministry is a demonstration of something that not very many politicians or civil servants want their name associated with –
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-minister-resigns-baroness-anelay-injury-david-davis-eu-talks-leave-uk-government-house-lords-a8023326.html
Right, I’ve just got home from an evening out, (sober & in Perth’s why it’s later) and someone is wrong on the internet.
The Mark Kenny article is interesting, he’s actually nailed them to the wall, finally, about 10 years too late.
But my real beef is the JFK assassination.
I’ve been studying it since the 1970’s. The whole thing was a conspiracy from top to bottom.
Lee Harvey Oswald shot no one. He was certainly a CIA asset from when he left the Marines. He was sent to the USSR to try to discover what another defector, Robert Webster, had leaked. Oswald was supplied with a Barium Meal to go by the CIA, real U2 data to give the Russians to prove his bona fides. It is assumed the Russians saw through him & shipped him off to Minsk.
He traveled to Russia by CIA transport, he wasn’t tried & fried on his return for treason after handing over highly secret U2 data because he WAS a CIA asset.
He returns and lives freely in the US. He was impersonated by someone, more than once.
He is only one of many sheep dipped patsy’s the CIA/deep state has ready to go.
1 in Chicago, 1 in New Orleans & Oswald in Dallas amongst others.
The three tramps were ready to go patsies. The Watergate plumbers crew were in Dealy Plaza as bench warmers, assassins or patsies. George HW , a CIA director came to watch the show. A veritable who’s who of hired assassins & gangsters were in Dallas that day.
I could go on & on.
For years, there has been misinformation continually placed into the media. Probably, the report originating with rhymes with “The Scum” today, surprise, surprise, is probably the red herring media article.
Everthing has long ago been whitewashed over but Lee Harvey Oswald was probably a good & faithful servant of his country, poor bastard.
Bemused:
So what’s happening with the biological blackberry control measures I have heard the CSIRO was working on? One was a kind of rust fungus and the other a wasp that would burrow into and kill the canes.
I heard about bio controls too, but I am here to tell you that if it has been implemented, and if it is actually effective, it sure as little apples has not reached this neck of the woods.
antonbruckner11
Are we sure there is nobody in New England who might give Barnyard a run? The Mayor of Tamworth? Does Windsor have a protege?
Windsor’s last protege in New England was Rod Taber, who crashed and burned. Didn’t even reach the requirement for payment of expenses.
There is no one with a high profile here from Labor, Greens, or independent.
Labor appears to regard local council, state, and federal elections in this region as a way of blooding rank beginners who have zero chance of winning.
It is a one horse race.
Sooo which court hears the suit for £100? Is it sterling or the aussie pound. If it’s the aussie pound what’s the conversion rate?
Could use some extra dough…
😎
REVEALED: Russian lawyer coordinated talking points with Kremlin before meeting with Don Trump Jr.
After meeting with Donald Trump Jr. during the 2016 campaign, Russian lawyer Natalia V. Veselnitskaya denied coordinating with the Russian government but a report released this week says that she shared talking points with the Kremlin.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Veselnitskaya claimed to be the sole author of her notes for a meeting in which Trump Jr. expected to receive damaging information about then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. She later blamed anti-Russia “hysteria” for allegations that she was acting on the wishes of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But interviews and records obtained by the Times allegedly show that Veselnitskaya had been in cahoots with the Kremlin from the beginning.
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/revealed-russian-lawyer-coordinated-talking-points-with-kremlin-before-meeting-with-don-trump-jr/
Some GOP lawmakers think Trump ‘might be suffering from early Alzheimer’s’: conservative columnist
Dconservative New York Times columnist says Republican lawmakers privately expressed grave concerns about President Donald Trump’s mental health after a luncheon this week.
David Brooks tucked away a startling nugget in Friday’s column, which made a lengthy comparison between Trump and Steve Bannon’s takeover of the GOP and the Bolshevik takeover of Russia one century ago.
“The Republican senators went to the White House and saw a president so repetitive and rambling, some thought he might be suffering from early Alzheimer’s,” Brooks writes. “But they know which way the wind is blowing. They gave him a standing ovation.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/some-gop-lawmakers-think-trump-might-be-suffering-from-early-alzheimers-conservative-columnist/
Don. Thanks. Disappointing.
Joyce effectively outs himself as a liar in order to keep his influential cabinet position, but no one seems to think it will be detrimental to his re-election.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-rocked-by-high-court-judgement-as-barnaby-joyce-gears-up-for-byelection-20171027-gz9w1b.html
From six months ago:
“Speaker vows not to use casting vote to give Coalition a majority in lower house”
Hmmm ..we’ll see.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/05/speaker-vows-not-to-use-casting-vote-to-give-coalition-a-majority-in-lower-house?CMP=share_btn_tw
Now, this is interesting from Mike Seccombe:
“Exclusive: Turnbull sought GetUp! help before spill”
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2017/10/28/exclusive-turnbull-sought-getup-help-before-spill/15091092005412
Oh, please let it be so:
“High Court’s citizenship ruling leaves Nationals and Liberals on the verge of a civil war”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-28/nationals-and-liberals-could-go-to-war-over-citizenship-fallout/9094300
..just a few tasty ‘starters’ before BK’s breakfast feast
Good Morning Bludgers 🙂
“Exclusive: Turnbull sought GetUp! help before spill”
Which just proves that there is no one that Malcolm Turnbull will not stab in the back if it suits him.
Ahem, a court judgment does NOT have a second ‘e’.
Shorten_Suite
take 2
https://twitter.com/Shorten_Suite/status/923780289431666688/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpbxmastragics.com%2F2017%2F10%2F27%2Fwell-they-didnt-hold-mal%2F
take 3
Shorten_Suite
Good morning Dawn Patrollers. Given the week we have just witnessed it comes as no surprise that this edition is a monster!
Oh dear! Look what Mark Kenny says. “Dismiss all the desperate spin and sugar-coating. Nothing can obscure the fact that these are dark days for the government and a humiliation for the Prime Minister personally.”
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/no-judgement-and-no-answers-chaos-engulfs-the-turnbull-government-20171026-gz9apg.html
Adam Gartrell writes that the government is rocked by the decision and what the opposition might now do.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-rocked-by-high-court-judgement-as-barnaby-joyce-gears-up-for-byelection-20171027-gz9w1b.html
Paul Kelly says Turnbull is humiliated and the government faces immediate policy problems in the parliament. Google.
/news/inquirer/chaos-swirls-as-turnbulls-fate-uncertain/news-story/7ea3215ee4837f751e7afd2747783b74
George Williams says that the High Court’s reading of section 44 is strict and unsurprising and now there remain only two ways forward – an audit using the now very clear understanding of s44 and/or a constitutional change.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/two-ways-forward-now-that-the-high-court-has-ruled-on-citizenship-of-mps-20171026-gz99sp.html
Judith Ireland was not impressed with Turnbull’s presser and his “pageant smile”.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/citizenship-debacle-smile-the-turnbull-show-must-go-on-20171027-gz9sat.html
So is Katharine Murphy who describe it as a “rictus smile”.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/27/turnbulls-smile-more-a-rictus-as-everywhere-he-looks-a-crisis-beckons
David Crowe writes that Turnbull is fighting to protect his government from the sudden loss of two cabinet ministers and a dire threat to his control of parliament, as Labor moves to exploit the expulsion of Barnaby Joyce to bring down the Prime Minister. Google.
/national-affairs/coalition-turmoil-turnbull-battles-to-save-his-government/news-story/8311a8ba04ccb5b841cd883dd6adb6ee
Jacqui Maley shows Malcolm Roberts the door. She says he will not be missed.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/high-court-verdict-goodbye-malcolm-roberts-you-wont-be-missed-20171026-gz9byd.html
Tony Wright describes the spectacle of the High Court decision yesterday.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/citizenship-verdict-the-high-court-and-the-theatre-of-public-execution-20171026-gz9b64.html
Section 2 . . .
Tony Windsor and Justin Gleeson have done the nation a great service according to The Australian. Google.
/business/opinion/chris-merritt-prejudice/this-act-of-constitutional-vandalism-needed-stopping/news-story/96e287a733026f049595ebf9d2e6bd0e
Peter Hartcher outlines the shrewd tactics Barnaby Joyce will use to win the by-election.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/barnaby-joyce-makes-his-stand-20171026-gz99fx.html
The man who sparked the chain of events that led to the downfall of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says more MPs will likely fall.
http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/there-will-be-others-says-perth-lawyer-who-exposed-scott-ludlam-20171027-gza02g.html
Jenna Price begins her contribution with “The first time Michaelia Cash ever lied to me was in 2015. I actually took it pretty personally. She looked me straight in the face and lied to me as we stood in the same room.” This is a really good article.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/afp-raid-time-to-cash-out-before-she-moves-into-a-bigger-role-20171026-gz9b0t.html
Brad Norrington on how it all blew up for Cash. Google.
/news/inquirer/awu-donations-affair-raid-resignation-reprisal-how-it-all-blew-up-for-cash/news-story/bdff5f46c6a7fe9e6bbdbb60d28a2997
Mike Seccombe drops a bucket on Turnbull and Pyne as he reveals that they approached GetUp! for help in 2009. In the article he asks, “Why is the AEC not investigating the declaration of News Corp as an associated entity of the Liberal Party? Or, for that matter, the Minerals Council or the Australian Christian Lobby, or the right-wing talkback hosts on commercial radio, whose campaigning might equally be seen as directed “wholly, or to a significant extent for the benefit” of the conservative parties?”
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2017/10/28/exclusive-turnbull-sought-getup-help-before-spill/15091092005412
Anna Patty with concerns about the independence of the ROC.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/buzzfeed-report-on-awu-raid-leak-raises-concerns-about-independence-of-roc-20171025-gz8hqj.html
Paula Matthewson on Turnbull’s shocker of a week.
http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2017/10/27/barnaby-joyce-citizenship-malcolm-turnbull/
Section 3 . . .
The dramatic federal police raids of the Sydney and Melbourne offices of the Australian Workers Union tell us everything we need to know about the desperation of the embattled Turnbull government. This is a government – and more to the point, a Prime Minister – that cannot get cut-through in the electorate. If the opinion polls are an accurate reflection of voters’ animus, Malcolm Turnbull is political toast.
http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/work/2017/10/25/awu-raids-reveal-turnbull-desperation/
Richard Ackland says the whole purpose of the AFP raid is starting to look a bit thin.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/27/the-whole-purpose-of-the-afp-raid-is-starting-to-look-a-bit-thin
Phil Coorey writing about the Cash story says that the more substantive issue is the creation and hamfisted use of such bodies as the ROC for overt political purposes. It is an abuse and sets a poor precedent. Google.
/news/fallout-from-afp-awu-raids-fuels-labors-accusations-of-a-political-witchhunt-20171026-gz99mr
Jack Waterford looks at the subject in general of leaks preceding AFP raids. There seems to be a cosy relationship between it and journos.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/awu-raids-leaking-through-the-australian-federal-police-sieve-20171026-gz9bfr.html
NSW and Victorian treasurers have formed a breakaway group, sidelining Treasurer Scott Morrison in a new national board that will exclude the federal treasurer. Now what, Scott?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/nsw-and-victorian-treasurers-form-break-away-group-from-the-commonwealth-20171027-gz9kpc.html
So what’s in the released JFK files?
http://www.smh.com.au/world/british-newspaper-got-anonymous-call-25-minutes-before-jfk-assassination-20171027-gza27f.html
http://www.smh.com.au/world/donald-trump-orders-some-jfk-assassination-documents-released-officials-20171026-gz9a30.html
David Wroe says that the world has never been in a nuclear arms race like we currently have on our plate.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/nuclear-clubs-rival-weapons-and-agendas-pushing-us-into-uncertain-new-world-20171027-gz9jkq.html
Stand by for fun and games on the Iberian Peninsula. Catalonia’s parliament declared independence from Spain on Friday in defiance of the Madrid government, which at the same time was preparing to impose direct rule over the region.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/spain-to-impose-direct-rule-in-catalonia-as-crisis-spirals-20171027-gz9zis.html
Adele Ferguson writes that as oil refiner and petrol station giant Caltex continues to battle widespread wage fraud scandal across its franchise network it has come to light that it considered changing its name. She also says that Caltex’s problem with the underpayment of employees is far from over.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/tore-me-up-like-tissue-paper–caltex-weighed-name-change-as-workers-suffered-20171026-gz9bsc.html
Section 4 . . .
A landmark report into the harm caused by gambling in NSW has recommended banning a controversial feature of poker machines known as “losses disguised as wins”, blamed by experts for fuelling addiction. These things really are a blight on our society!
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/landmark-report-says-key-addictive-pokie-feature-should-be-banned-20171026-gz9aep.html
Some debt-ridden NRL players have found themselves in so deep that they owe more money in gambling repayments than their massive contracts are worth, the head of the NRL match fixing probe says. What a mess!
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/nrl-players-have-gambling-debts-worth-more-than-their-contracts-police-20171027-gz9mrh.html
Gideon Haigh writes about sport and gambling.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/you-know-sport-you-understand-money-its-just-for-fun-right-20171025-gz81x1.html
Inside the debate on Victoria’s assisted dying legislation. “Opposition to assisted dying comes fundamentally from canon law, but the parliamentary inquiry says clearly that the status quo is unacceptable.”
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2017/10/28/inside-the-debate-over-victorias-assisted-dying-bill/15091092005410
Greg Hunt is standing firm on new rules banning over-the-counter codeine products, in defiance of some party room colleagues, state counterparts and the vocal pharmacy lobby. He says the powerful Pharmacy Guild has backed down.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/pharmacy-guild-backs-down-on-codeine-changes-health-minister-says-20171026-gz9cas.html
Paul Bongiorno asks what’s NXT without Nick Xenophon.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2017/10/28/whats-nxt-without-nick-xenophon/15091092005397
Theresa May urged political employees who’d suffered sexual harassment to come forward after a newspaper article said that women working in Parliament had set up a WhatsApp group to discuss their experiences at the hands of male politicians.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/uk-prime-minister-theresa-may-urges-political-harassment-victims-to-come-forward-20171027-gza1py.html
The SMH editorial bemoans what has happened to the NBN.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/tangled-wires-on-the-way-to-national-broadband-20171026-gz92kf.html
Section 5 . . .
Karen Middleton writes about the politics of the NBN.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2017/10/28/the-politics-the-nbn/15091092005414
Clancy Yeates explains how the data revolution will challenge the four pillars banking model in Australia.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/how-the-data-revolution-could-transform-banking-as-we-know-it-20171025-gz7wm0.html
Jess Irvine has a good look at the most recent report on productivity.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/mediocrity-beckons-why-we-should-worry-about-poor-productivity-20171026-gz8qck.html
Crispin Hull on the growing unpopularity of Australia’s growing population.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/malcolm-turnbull-falling-into-trumplike-politics-20171027-gz9fkq.html
NAB will pay a $50 million penalty and admit its staff broke the law by trying to rig a key market benchmark as part of an agreement with the corporate regulator to settle a landmark prosecution.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/nab-admits-staff-wrongdoing-as-it-settles-bbsw-20171027-gz9zva.html
Alan Joyce says Qnatas will need to see further improvement in its international business before it can justify ordering more Boeing Dreamliners.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/dreamliners-need-to-prove-their-worth-before-qantas-orders-more-20171026-gz9c9v.html
This huge investor says the world’s OK but he does worry about Australia.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/a-us460b-investment-chief-at-jpmorgan-says-the-worlds-ok-but-he-worries-about-australia-20171027-gz9i0h.html
The chief scientist, Alan Finkel, has challenged figures used by supporters of coal-fired power stations in a Senate estimates hearing.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/26/alan-finkel-disputes-figures-used-by-supporters-of-coal-power
US online retailer Amazon revealed its latest sales figures on Friday, and they will have its Australian competitors very, very worried. In the three months to September, the Seattle-based colossus increased its global sales by a massive 34 per cent on the previous year.
http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2017/10/27/amazons-latest-sales-figures-prove-australian-retailers-afraid/
Ticket reseller Viagogo falls foul of the NSW Fair Trading outfit and the ACCC.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/ticket-resale-site-viagogo-tops-nsw-fair-trading-complaint-register-for-second-month-20171026-gz996k.html
Prominent Australian swimming coach Scott Volkers has reportedly been arrested in Queensland and charged with child sex abuse offences.
http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2017/10/27/swimming-scott-volkers-child-sex-abuse/
Talk about only half-finishing a job! An aircraft engineer who removed the left testicle of a man who wanted to change genders has been sentenced to a five-year good behaviour bond by a NSW judge.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/aircraft-engineer-avoids-jail-after-removing-a-mans-testicle-in-a-motel-room-20171027-gz9wnh.html