Bridget Archer leads criticism after Peter Dutton compares pro-Palestine protest to Port Arthur massacre

Original article by Sarah Basford Canales, Luca Ittimani
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 12-Apr-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is under growing scrutiny over a recent speech in which he raised concern about the growing incidence of anti-Semitism in Australia. Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer has questioned the appropriateness of Dutton’s comment in which he said that pro-Palestine protests at the Sydney Opera House on 9 October were "akin to a Port Arthur moment in terms of their social significance". Archer says this comment was "incredibly disrespectful" to the victims and survivors of the Port Arthur massacre, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Dutton "went too far". Dutton says he was referring to former prime minister John Howard’s strength as a leader; the Port Arthur massacre resulting in stricter gun laws in Australia.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Minister snubs US: Kiwis are closest

Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 19-Mar-24

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham says comments by Trade Minister Don Farrell that the US is not Australia’s closest ally are "errant and disturbing". Farrell made the remark when asked on Monday why Australia had resumed funding to Gazan aid body UNRWA when the US had not, with Farrell stating that Australia was independent, and that over the course of history, New Zealand was its closest internat­ional ally, rather than the US. Birmingham said Farrell’s statement was something he would have expected from the Greens, not a senior government minister.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Wong urges ASEAN leaders to guard against conflict

Original article by Joe Kelly, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Mar-24

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has told the ASEAN-­Australia special summit that a conflict in South-East Asia could cause the same level of devastation currently being seen in the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine. She urged ASEAN leaders to be bold and to commit to a "preventive architecture" in order to prevent the outbreak of conflict in the South-East Asia region, with Wong saying she wants to see a region where each country can pursue its own aspirations, and one where no country dominates and no country is dominated.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Joyce leadership hopes take a tumble

Original article by Jess Malcolm, Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Feb-24

National Party leader David Littleproud says shadow veterans’ affairs minister Barnaby Joyce will be supported rather than reprimanded in the wake of an incident in Canberra. Littleproud says Joyce is "deeply embarrassed" about the incident, in which he was filmed lying on a pavement while making a profanity-laden phone call. Joyce has acknowledged that he should not have mixed alcohol with prescription medication. However, some Nationals MPs have suggested that he now has little chance of regaining the party’s leadership.

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NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Teal demand 75pc emissions target by 2035

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Jan-24

Teal MPs in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are pushing for a much more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target than the federal government’s legislated policy of 43 per cent. Some of them want this target to be reset to around 50 to 60 per cent. The independent MPs contend that people in their electorate want "real "climate action" rather than "another decade of delay". Kylea Tink, Allegra Spender and Kate Chaney are among the teals who advocate stricter emission controls beyond the 2030 target, proposing a 2035 target of around 75 per cent. The government aims to set a 2035 target by February 2024.

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Dutton must explain Woolies boycott: PM

Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 3 : 16-Jan-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Opposition leader Peter Dutton needs to clarify his stance on Woolworths after the retail giant advised that it will not stock Australia Day-themed merchandise. Albanese says Dutton should specify whether his call to boycott Woolworths is only meant to apply until after the national holiday or should be ongoing. Albanese adds that the boycott would presumably also apply to Kmart and Aldi, and notes that the three retailers collectively employ about 200,000 people, so Dutton should explain the impact of his proposed boycott on their jobs.

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WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Penny Wong most trusted Australian politician; Peter Dutton most distrusted

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Dec-23

A Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey has found that Senator Penny Wong has emerged as the political leader with the highest Net Trust Score. She was followed by Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who came to the forefront of Australian politics as a lead spokesperson for the successful ‘No’ campaign in the October Voice referendum. Penny Wong retains the position she held in March 2022. Nampijinpa Price and Treasurer Jim Chalmers also record more trust than distrust. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has emerged as the most distrusted politician (up from second-most distrusted last year). Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved into Net Distrust territory, having been a trusted leader in 2022. Meanwhile, Andrew Forrest is the only business leader to record a Net Trust Score. These Roy Morgan Snap SMS surveys were carried out from 28 February to 1 March 2022 and from 16-20 November 2023.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Labor’s Voice box of priorities

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Jul-23

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney will address the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. Burney will identify health, education, jobs and housing as the four major policy priorities on which the proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament will be asked to privide advice. Burney will also state that unlike government, the Voice will focus on the next generation rather than the next election. Burney will argue that the Voice must be enshrined in the Constitution rather than merely legislated, to ensure that it cannot be abolished by a future government.

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NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Lidia Thorpe withdraws accusation made in parliament of sexual assault against Liberal senator

Original article by Josh Butler, Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 15-Jun-23

Controversial independent senator Lidia Thorpe has used the protection of parliamentary privilege to allege that she had been sexually assaulted by Liberal senator David Van. Thorpe interjected while Van was making a speech regarding the Brittany Higgins rape case; Thorpe stated that she feels "really uncomfortable" when a ‘perpetrator’ is speaking about violence, and accused him of sexual assault and harassment. He immediately denied her allegations. Thorpe subsequently withdraw her allegations in order to comply with Senate standing orders, but indicated that she will have more to say on the matter on Thursday.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Morrison, Gallagher deny misleading parliament over Higgins rape allegation

Original article by James Massola, Paul Sakkal
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 14-Jun-23

The Brittany Higgins rape case came under scrutiny in federal parliament on Tuesday. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher admitted to the Senate that she had been given information about Higgins’ allegation several days before it was reported in the media; however, Gallagher said she had been asked to keep that information to herself and did so. Gallagher also rejected suggestions that she had misled the Senate about when she had been informed of Higgins’ allegation. Meanwhile, former prime minister Scott Morrison also denied misleading parliament over his handling of the rape allegation. Bruce Lehrmann has consistently denied that he had raped Higgins.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE