What happened today, 18 February 2021
With that, I will leave you for the day. Here’s a recap of today’s news:
- Scott Morrison has slammed Facebook as “arrogant” and warned Australia “will not be intimated” after the tech giant banned Australians from seeing or posting news content on its site, weeks after it threatened such a move in response to the federal government’s proposed news media code. Morrison hit back at Facebook via a post on his Facebook page. Earlier, treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he spoke with Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg about the ban on Thursday morning.
- While major news outlets were Facebook’s intended target, the social media site has also banned pages belonging to the Bureau of Meteorology, state health departments, charities and Facebook itself. After the Western Australian opposition leader’s page was banned ahead of the upcoming state election next month, premier Mark McGowan likened Facebook to the North Korean regime.
- Brittany Higgins, the former Liberal staffer who alleges she was raped by a more senior colleague on a couch in Parliament House in 2019, has told Guardian Australia if there is unofficial government briefing going on against her or her loved ones – it needs to stop. Meanwhile, Liberal MPs have refused to acknowledge allegations the prime minister’s office is backgrounding journalists against Higgins, suggesting her now partner holds a gripe against the government.
- On Thursday afternoon, Australian federal police confirmed they had met with defence minister Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff in her office, 11 days after the alleged rape occurred in there. Earlier, Reynolds broke down in in the Senate after speaking about the rape allegations.
- Embattled casino operator Crown Resorts has plunged into the red as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns and its regulatory crisis, losing $120m over the past six months of 2020. This compares to a profit of $219m for the same period in 2019.
- Australia will begin its first coronavirus vaccinations from Monday in about 240 aged care homes across more than 190 locations around the country. The rollout will begin with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine due to join the rollout from early March.
- South Australia has reopened its border to regional Victoria. On Thursday, there were no cases of community transmission of coronavirus announced in Australia.
Have a great evening, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Updated
At 5.30am Australian east coast time, after months of threats and failed attempts to lobby the government over proposed new media laws, Facebook banned the sharing of news in Australia.
The first to notice were morning news producers. The main page of the national broadcaster, ABC, was down. Guardian Australia’s page was also down. Australians trying to post links to news publishers on their personal Facebook pages received an error message.
Australia’s media bargaining code, which will force tech giants Facebook and Google to broker deals with Australian publishers to pay for linking to news content, passed its first major parliamentary hurdle this week. Google responded by negotiating a reported $30m deal with Australia’s largest locally owned media company. Facebook pulled the plug.
But Facebook’s snap ban did not just affect Australia’s news publishers.
Read more:
Federal police release statement on Brittany Higgins rape allegations
The Australian federal police has just released this statement, in relation to the Brittany Higgins rape allegations:
A senior member of the Australian Federal Police met with Minister Linda Reynolds and her chief-of-staff on 4 April 2019 in relation to allegations of sexual assault in the Minister’s office on 23 March 2019.
The AFP has engaged with the Department of Parliamentary Services and Presiding Officers a number of times.
The matter is an open investigation and further commentary could be prejudicial.
The AFP will not be making further comment on this matter.
Updated
The pandemic has hit another major event in 2021:
#BREAKING: Melbourne’s Moomba Festival has been called off for the first time since 1955. #9News pic.twitter.com/TR4dBc5qmX
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) February 18, 2021
Updated
Marise Payne to join first 'Quad' call of the Biden era
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, is expected to exchange views on climate policy with her American, Japanese and Indian counterparts tonight when they join the first “Quad” call since the Biden administration came to office.
A big focus on the Quad call – which begins at 11pm AEDT – will be discussion of strategic developments in the Indo-Pacific region, as the Biden administration seeks to coordinate approaches to China.
The Quad foreign ministers – including the new US secretary of state, Antony Blinken – will talk about ways to align their approaches to those strategic challenges.
But the US state department’s spokesperson, Ned Price, has also made clear that the administration wants to use the Quad grouping to rise to “the defining challenges of our time, including coordinating our efforts on Covid-19 response as well as climate change”.
Guardian Australia understands climate change is on the agenda for tonight’s call, with each foreign minister likely to explain their country’s approaches and perspectives on the issue.
One question will be whether it is an issue countries can continue to work on together through the Quad format, or whether there were other forums in which to pursue it.
The discussion point comes as the Biden administration tries to encourage all countries to raise their level of climate ambition in the lead-up to the Glasgow climate summit at the end of the year. The US and Japan have both pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and Joe Biden has pledged to host his own climate summit in April.
The Quad meeting is also expected to discuss regional economic recovery, health security, maritime security, the digital economy and countering disinformation. The call may also lay groundwork for a first-ever meeting of the Quad leaders, potentially this year, although the date is not locked in and Covid-19 presents an obvious challenge to an in-person gathering.
Updated
WA premier likens Facebook to North Korea after opposition leader blocked
Western Australia’s premier, Mark McGowan, has likened Facebook to the North Korean regime after the tech giant blocked the page of the WA opposition leader, Zak Kirkup, as part of its ban on news in Australia.
While McGowan is still able to post to his page, the banning of Kirkup’s page has been criticised by both sides of politics, ahead of the state election on 13 March.
McGowan, urging Facebook to restore Kirkup’s page, said:
They’ve obviously spat the dummy.
They’re behaving more like North Korea than an American company and I’d urge the American government to assist us here.
Meanwhile, Kirkup has said the move was “very disappointing”.
To have the leader of the opposition’s page switched off arbitrarily in the middle of an election campaign was very disappointing.
It shows the vulnerability and fragility of our democracy, particularly when we rely on these massive social media giants who aren’t really accountable to anyone.
Updated
Liberal MPs are avoiding commenting on reports the Morrison government is backgrounding journalists against Brittany Higgins, the former Liberal staffer who alleges she was raped by a more senior colleague on a couch in Parliament House in 2019.
Earlier today, Higgins told Guardian Australia she was unaware of the backgrounding – allegedly that the prime minister’s office was deliberately backgrounding journalists to smear Higgins’ now partner suggesting he held a gripe against the government – but if it was happening, that it “silences people and I think it’s gross”.
The tourism and trade minister, Dan Tehan, when repeatedly asked by the ABC’s Patricia Karvelas about the alleged backgrounding, said “this is a police matter” and “that’s where it should end”.
The Liberal MP Russell Broadbent, who was also asked about the prime minister’s office allegedly backgrounding journalists, said “backgrounding is never appropriate and I don’t enter into it”.
Updated
Scott Morrison slams 'arrogant' Facebook in Facebook post
Scott Morrison has labelled Facebook’s decision to ban news in Australia as “actions to unfriend Australia” that “were as arrogant as they were disappointing”, noting the social media giant had also cut off essential health and emergency services information pages.
Morrison said in a Facebook post:
These actions will only confirm the concerns that an increasing number of countries are expressing about the behaviour of BigTech companies who think they are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them.
They may be changing the world, but that doesn’t mean they run it.
We will not be intimidated by BigTech seeking to pressure our Parliament as it votes on our important News Media Bargaining Code.
I encourage Facebook to constructively work with the Australian Government, as Google recently demonstrated in good faith.
Scott Morrison statement on Facebook on Facebook #auspol pic.twitter.com/tqZaC6HISL
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) February 18, 2021
Updated
The tourism and trade minister, Dan Tehan, is “still very hopeful” that a two-way travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand can be established by the end of March or April.
Tehan, speaking on ABC TV, also indicated travel bubbles may not have to rely on vaccination rates, but also low community transmission rates, and noted Vietnam and Japan as likely future bubbles.
I don’t think it necessarily needs to be a certain percentage of the community that has to be vaccinated before that starts. So my hope is that we could get New Zealand up and running.
I think it’s going to be incredibly important especially for our tourism sector that we can, and then we look to other countries like Vietnam, like Japan, and we’ll continue to monitor the vaccine rollout in those countries. Obviously how it’s going here, and whether we’ll still have that literally zero spread amongst the community, and therefore we can move to implement these bubbles.
Tehan was also asked about ongoing support to the tourism sector when jobkeeper ends next month. While the sector has been calling for this for weeks now, Tehan said the government is still considering further support for the sector.
Instead, he urged state governments to use lockdowns as a “last resort” and exhaust every other containment tactic before introducing the measure, because the associated border closures are “really killing confidence in people’s willingness or want to travel”.
Updated
Facebook's 'clumsy' news ban has 'backfired on them', says Dan Tehan
The tourism and trade minister, Dan Tehan, has described Facebook’s ban on news in Australia as a “pretty clumsy negotiating effort” that has “backfired on them”.
Tehan, speaking to the ABC’s Patricia Karvelas, said:
I’d say to Facebook, please, sit down in good faith and continue the discussions with the government and with the news providers here in Australia, and we can get an outcome that works for all parties.
I think one of the things that has probably shocked many Australians is how they were dependent on Facebook for the news that they were receiving, and I think that that’s become very apparent to them overnight.
I think potentially what we saw overnight was them (Facebook) trying to use a negotiating tactic which I think backfired on them, and so I think that’s how I would describe it, as a pretty clumsy negotiating effort that I think has not worked.
Hopefully they’ve learned the lesson from that, and learned that constructive dialogue is the best way to proceed, and sitting down in good faith is the best way to achieve outcomes.
Countries across the world are watching these discussions and are watching these negotiations. So I think it’s really important for Facebook that they behave in a manner that people will see that they’re acting with respect.
Updated
The head of the Presbyterian church in Australia says its pastors will not be directed to obey the Victorian government’s new law banning gay conversion practices, calling the bill “a declaration of war on scripture”.
In an interview with Guardian Australia on Thursday, the moderator general of the Presbyterian church in Australia, Rev Peter Barnes, called the bill – which passed Victoria’s parliament earlier this month – “authoritarian” and said the church would ignore it on the basis that church leaders “don’t get our instructions from parliament house”.
“Civil authorities have a God-given right to govern, I’m not questioning that, but its authority is not open-ended,” he said.
“If the government passes legislation I don’t think is wise, that’s one thing. You’re not going to please all people all the time. If I think they should lower taxes but they raise them, I still pay my taxes.”
The bill, which passed the parliament in February, outlaws practices that seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Penalties for those found to have engaged in conversion practices resulting in serious injury face penalties of up to 10 years jail or up to $10,000 in fines.
Read more:
Updated
Thanks for taking us through the day Amy.
I’ll be taking the blog through the next part of the day.
If you see anything you think I should be aware of, you can get in touch with me via Twitter @EliasVisontay, via email at elias.visontay@theguardian.com, and Wickr at eliasvisontay.
It has been quite the week, so I am going to take a slight early mark and hand you over to Elias Visontay to take you through the next couple of hours.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along with me on Politics Live this week – it means a lot and we all truly appreciate it.
I know I have said this all week, but I hope you are being gentle with yourselves. There has been a lot said this week, and not all of it sensitively, and that brings with it it’s own pellets.
So, to all of you, take care of you.
I’ll see you early Monday morning for the second sitting week of this session.
Updated
These are some good points.
Canberra’s NBN is the worst of any capital city. In the ACT, 66% put up with fibre to the “node” (a box up to 700m away). Nationally, only 36% have such lousy broadband. As the Liberals do their NBN patch-up, #Canberra must get its fair share https://t.co/RfVkUn9Idh #auspol pic.twitter.com/3MKKluSNDB
— Andrew Leigh (@ALeighMP) February 18, 2021
We mentioned during question time that Nick Greiner, the former NSW Liberal premier and more recently federal president of the party, has been named as Australia’s next consul general in New York.
It’s worth pointing out that Australia’s top diplomatic postings to the United States are increasingly being filled by Liberal party figures.
The Australian ambassador to the US, Arthur Sinodinos, is a former NSW Liberal senator and senior federal minister. The former communications minister and Victorian Liberal senator, Mitch Fifield, was appointed as Australia’s ambassador to the United Nations, based in New York, in October 2019.
Both Sinodinos and Fifield’s appointments opened up Senate casual vacancies that could be filled by the party. (They were replaced in the Senate by Jim Molan and Sarah Henderson, both of whom fell short in the 2019 election.)
Meanwhile the consul general in Chicago, David Bushby, is a former Tasmanian Liberal senator.
Updated
Here’s some more from how Mike Bowers saw the day:
Updated
Mike Bowers was in the Senate for question time and saw Linda Reynolds after delivering her statement to the chamber.
Updated
Question time ends
Both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese pay tribute to Hannah Clarke and her children.
Tomorrow is one year since their murder. Hannah used her last breaths to make sure police knew what happened.
Her Brisbane community, like the rest of Australia, remember them.
Updated
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Does the prime minister accept that he and his office have a human resources responsibility for all ministerial staff?
Has the prime minister asked his principal private secretary whether he checked in on Brittany Higgins as Ms Higgins has clearly stated?
Morrison:
I have, Mr Speaker. I advised the House when my office knew about these matters in accordance with the advice I have received.
Updated
Linda Reynolds breaks down in the Senate
Labor’s Anthony Chisholm asked Linda Reynolds - in her capacity representing the home affairs minister - whether Peter Dutton had disclosed his donation from the NRA before approving their grant.
Reynolds, who cried after giving her personal explanation about Brittany Higgins, asked “on indulgence” to answer the question on Monday, then tried to take it on notice.
Instead, Chisholm directed the question to Simon Birmingham, representing the prime minister. Birmingham defended Dutton’s conduct on the basis the grant was properly approved.
He said: “I’m confident Mr Dutton will have met all disclosure requirements in relation to donations ... and the ministerial standards.”
Updated
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Yesterday, Brittany Higgins issued a statement which said, “A current senior staffer to the prime minister and Ms Higgins’s former chief-of-staff” - the same person “continually made me feel as if my ongoing employment would be jeopardised if I proceeded any further with the matter.”
Has the prime minister raised Ms Higgins’s clear statement with his staff member?
Morrison:
There have been many conversations about this over the course of this week in relation to these issues and that is why I have asked the deputy secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to follow through on this process, to look at these matters and to provide me and the cabinet with advice on how we can ensure that in these horrendous situations that the best possible support can be provided, Mr Speaker, and that is what even in this situation was seeking to do in the best of faith.
But, Mr Speaker, as we have stated ...
Albanese:
It can’t be a clearer question. The question just goes to whether the prime minister has asked his senior staff member about the declaration made by Ms Higgins about whether that is accurate, whether he’s raised it with the member of his on staff?
Surely, we can get an answer to that. Ms Higgins deserves one.
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, perhaps the leader of the opposition didn’t understand me.
What I am saying is I have had these conversations. I have these conversations with the member of staff. I said there has been many conversations.
I am happy to indicate I have had conversations about the support provided by the member of my staff now.
She was working as the chief of staff for the minister for defence industry at the time. I have discussed these matters with her and the support provided and she indeed has indicated to me some appreciation that was also provided to her at the time in the messages that were sent to her.
Now, Mr Speaker, we all accept that Brittany no longer feels in any way that she felt supported particularly over the prolonged period of time, well beyond the initial incident where initially the advice was followed.
I note that the Australian human rights exhibition says if an employer suspects that a criminal incident has occurred the individual should be advised to report the matter to the police and indeed that is what the minister did then and arranged for Brittany to have that meeting with the AFP and that occurred, Mr Speaker, on 1st April.
That was followed up by a meeting between ministerial and the AFP assistant commissioner*. Everyone here tried to do the right thing.
They took advice and followed the advice and they sought to provide that support and this is what the challenge here is for us. Even when that has been done, it hasn’t done the job because now Brittany clearly feels that way and that is not disputed. That is what we are seeking to apply our attention to ensure we learn from that and others are not in a position where they are faced with this again. That is simply what we are trying to do. That is simply what we are trying to do honestly and openly.
*This is new information, I think
Updated
Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:
Yesterday Brittany Higgins issued a statement in response to the prime minister’s remarks. In that statement Ms Higgins said: “The continued victim-blaming rhetoric by the prime minister is personally very distressing to many and to countless other survivors.”
How does the prime minister respond to Ms Higgins’s statement from yesterday?
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, the last thing I would want to see is to add any further distress to what Brittany is already going through.
I am doing everything to ensure that is the case and how we seek to handle these issues. I am very sorry she feels that way.
She must be under tremendous stress during the course of this week.
She as shown courage and bravery in speaking up.
I have been listening to what she’s been saying and I am seeking to put in place arrangements, whether it is the support of staff who are here in this building here and now and will be feeling, I think, increasingly fragile or vulnerable because of the nature of these events that have arisen this week, and the best way to address the comments is to ensure that I am doing everything in my power to try and make that safer place.
Updated
The minister representing women, Sussan Ley, has not been asked a dixer about what is being done to make women staff more comfortable in the parliament, or to detail those counselling plans, or the review or anything else that government dixers usually cover when it wants attention for certain programs or actions.
But she is, of course, asked about the “shameful” actions of Facebook.
Dolly give me strength.
Updated
Scott Morrison warns Labor
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
Yesterday Peta Credlin says there is no way that a prime minister or his office wouldn’t know about an alleged sexual assault in a minister’s office. Ms Credlin says the claim that the prime minister and his office weren’t told doesn’t stack up and doesn’t smell right to me.
Does the prime minister stand by his story?
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, I have answered these questions honestly and openly in this place and the statements that I have made to this House about all of these issues are as exactly as they are to my knowledge.
I continue to stand by those statements and will because, as I said in this place, the advice that we had in dealing with this matter when it was a matter for the now minister for defence, but then minister for defence industry, the minister at the time arranged for Brittany to meet with the police.
She respected her wishes, as they were expressed to her and at all times sought to provide support in the best way that we possibly could.
As I said earlier this week, clearly over the passage of time Brittany has felt that that support was not sufficient. Mr Speaker, that is what we have to address.
We have to learn from this.
That is why the inquiry and process that has been set up across parties, all across this place, will be there to try and ensure that these supports pick up all of the lessons of this and other issues.
But I would say this to members of this House, and in the other place - if there is any suggestion here that this is not an issue or if there is any suggestion that this issue is confined to any one party in this place.
If there is a suggestion of that ... I think that is a false suggestion. I think we all understand that.
We are working to put a process in place, the leader of the opposition and other leaders and the crossbenchers, to ensure that we can make sure as best as we are all able that this would not happen again. That is our goal. We share that goal. That is my goal and I believe that is what Brittany would like us to achieve as well. I am committed to that as well.
Updated
Nick Greiner, the former NSW Liberal premier and more recently federal president of the party, has been named as Australia’s next consul general in New York.
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, announced the political appointment in a statement a short time ago:
“Mr Greiner has extensive and diverse experience, most recently serving as the federal president of the Liberal party of Australia. He has previously held senior roles in the private and public sectors, including as chairman of a number of leading Australian companies and as the premier of New South Wales and leader of the opposition for the New South Wales state government.”
Greiner replaces the former consul general, Alastair Walton, who was posted to New York in 2017.
Updated
There has not been a single dixer related to Brittany Higgins this week - nothing on the safety of staff, the review, things which are being put in place, or this should not have happened.
No dixers.
All the statements have come in response to questions from Labor MPs.
But we have had about a million about Facebook blocking content.
That apparently, is “reprehensible”,
Updated
Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:
My question is to the prime minister, and I refer to the prime minister’s answers yesterday. In relation to the reported sexual assault, does the prime minister still maintain that his office didn’t know, even though in the same offices he said a member of his office did?
Morrison:
Mr Speaker, I do stand by the statements that I have made in this House all week and, Mr Speaker, as the leader of the opposition knows, the member of staff that he is referring to was formally the chief of staff to the minister for defence industry. That knowledge related to her time in that role. Not in her role in my office. He would be aware of that, Mr Speaker. Seeking to conflate those things, Mr Speaker, and to suggest that involves a knowledge of my office, then that would be misplaced and that would be inaccurate.
I was asked about the knowledge of my office, the Prime Minister’s Office, being informed by other officers about these events and I have answered honestly about this.
The last thing I have sought to do ... is to cause stress in this area and it is very important that we continue and I will continue, Mr Speaker, to address these issues as honestly and openly as possible. That is what I am doing.
That is what the minister for defence is doing. That is what the minister for employment and skills is doing. Mr Speaker, we will continue to do that. Everyone should feel safe in their workplace and be safe in their workplace, Mr Speaker.
I want to advise the House today that to ensure staff are supported at this time - and it has been a traumatic, I believe, time for staff over the course of this week as these events have become known to us all - that to the Department of Finance through the employment assistance program is increasing support to staff but also to members and senators as well and from Monday, 22nd February there councillors will be on site at Parliament House between 8:30 and 5:00pm.
Councillors will also be available for telephone-based calls by the usual employment assistant hotline.
We are keen to ensure as much support is put in place for the members and senators in this place and their staff. If there are any staff out there who need to reach out for that counselling and support at this time because of the traumatic events of this week, I would encourage them to do so or indeed if there are any members or senators wish to do that, that support and service is available to them.
Updated
Scott Morrison turns a question on the NBN bonuses being awarded while jobkeeper is not being extended for industries like the arts, into an attack on Anthony Albanese.
Tony Burke objects and Morrison replies:
I seem to have deeply offended the sensitivities of the leader of the opposition.
Updated
Over in the Senate, the Labor senator Jenny McAllister has asked Simon Birmingham about the allegations aired by Network Ten editor Peter van Onselen this morning about Scott Morrison’s office allegedly backgrounding against Brittany Higgins and her loved ones.
Following these allegations, Higgins told me this morning that if this was happening, it was “gross” and part of a culture of silencing in Parliament House.
The Guardian has not been privy to any negative briefing about Higgins or her associates.
In response to McAllister’s questions, Birmingham says the intention of the government is to support Higgins after her “very distressing claims” and support remains the government’s intention.
In terms of the alleged briefing: “I have no awareness of any such activity being undertaken”.
McAllister wants to know if the prime minister will investigate, and whether there will be consequences if anything untoward is uncovered.
Birmingham says:
“I will take those matters up with the prime minister. I am certain he has no tolerance for such activities”.
Birmingham says the government wants nothing more than for Higgins to make the decisions she chooses to make and the government will provide absolutely full cooperation with any investigations.
Updated
It moves on to a dixer on the media bargaining code.
But despite being almost two minutes after referencing Christine Holgate, something has floated through to Bob Katter’s frontal cortex and he leaps to his feet:
Mr Speaker, if a person knows that a minister is lying, is it my duty to stand up and say he is lying. Christine Holgate never resigned. Don’t tell lies to the House.
(Holgate did resign)
He’s told he can’t use unparliamentary language.
I withdraw the word “lie” and I said he told an untruth.
The House moves on.
Updated
Paul Fletcher:
As was made clear in the way the government handled the Australia Post matter, there were significant concerns.
It was referred to an investigation by the secretaries of the two departments, my department and the Department of Finance, supported by advice from an external law firm and that advice did indeed find there were significant concerns about compliance with the requirements of the public government’s performance and accountability act.
What is also the case is that the former chief executive of Australia Post chose to resign.
We acknowledge ... we acknowledge her performance during her time in that role but those are the facts.
In terms of the NBN, I simply make this point: A large portion of the number quoted in the media today goes to a very large number of staff across NBN, under the terms of their employment there is base pay and there is at risk pay, arrangements which have been in place since Labor set up NBN as a government business enterprise, I remind the House.
The proposition seems to be that, in some way, when the conditions for at-risk pay to be paid have been met, that in some way, the terms of employment should be retrospectively varied by the employer.
You can imagine what Labor would say about that if any large corporate did that in Australia.
I do make the point that the minister for finance has written to the chief executive of NBN, as he has to other government business enterprises, drawing his attention to a review of performance bonus arrangements for senior executives and equivalent employees, that was done before Christmas and NBN is fully aware of that.
Updated
I mean, the only other time I have seen Scott Morrison as aggravated as he was over Christine Holgate was when needles were found in strawberries, but you know.
Updated
Michelle Rowland to Scott Morrison:
Given Christine Holgate lost her job over $20,000 worth of Cartier watches given as bonuses to executives, what are the consequences for NBN Co paying $78 million in taxpayer funded bonuses at the depths of the recession?
Morrison gives it to Fletcher, who presumably will not have to check with the North Shore Mums on this one - if he does though, he can have a bit more time - Tony Burke is not happy Morrison has passed it on.
Burke:
It goes to the circumstances where the prime minister can refer to a minister. The purpose of that within the standing orders are within practice, it is whether the minister is in a unique position to provide further information.
This question goes exactly to the treatment that the prime minister gave to Christine Holgate and contrasts it with what NBN Co have done and there is no additional information on that that can be invited from the relevant minister.
Christian Porter:
The question contains its own assertions as to figures and usually when Labor asks those sorts of questions, those assertions are wrong. That sort of ability is only going to be inside the knowledge of the minister.
Tony Smith:
I will just say to the manager of opposition business this is an area of practice, not standing orders, and under the practice - I mean, it’s a problematic area, I will certainly say it’s a problematic area and it may well be that that is the intent of the practice, that where a prime minister can, as often happens, answer part of the question, refer the rest to the relevant minister, or refer the entire answer to the minister.
The manager of opposition business has made his point and that is one part of practice, sort of historically, so that if a minister had the detail that the prime minister didn’t, the House could be provided with the system of questions without notice directly rather than it automatically being taken on notice. I understand the point that the manager’s making.
The other part of practice is it’s unqualified and that is the prime minister can choose to refer any question to any relevant minister and it is unqualified. I appreciate the point the manager’s making but nonetheless, that doesn’t prevent the prime minister from referring the question.
Fletcher takes it - (paraphrasing) it’s Labor’s fault.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg’s LinkedIn chip continues to malfunction, with the treasurer physically incapable of taking a dixer without referring to the backbencher’s resume.
It’s sad and my heart goes out to him.
He does manage to get in his Facebook lines though, without referring to how it was originally set up as a way of rating the hotness of women in college:
What we saw today from Facebook – Facebook’s actions today – were unnecessary. They were heavy-handed.
They were wrong.
It was provocative and overreach. It will damage Facebook’s reputation here in Australia. There was no reason to block access to government sites, sites providing credible information about the pandemic, about emergency services, about mental health. It was unnecessary to do that.
We say to Facebook that we will continue to work with them, hopefully to find a pathway forward but what their actions today have done is remind Australians about the importance of this code and it’s reaffirmed and strengthened the government’s resolve to implement it.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg bats away Zali Steggall’s question on better paid parental leave with a non-answer.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is in the gallery.
Updated
[Continued from previous post]
Linda Reynolds:
I became aware incrementally over a period of days of Brittany’s story during private conversations with her and my then chief of staff and via reports from parliamentary authorities.
On Tuesday March 26, my then chief of staff called Brittany and a male co-worker into separate meetings concerning what at that point appeared to be a security breach involving unauthorised access to my office.
The following day the secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services provided a report concerning the security breach. On Monday April 1, I met with Brittany and my then former chief of staff.
During this meeting I made it clear to Brittany that she would have my full support in whatever course of action she decided to take and that she would have full access to counselling services.
My chief of staff and I moved quickly that Brittany would have access to the police should she wish to make a complaint.
In terms of the actions by my then chief of staff and by me in the days and weeks that followed Brittany’s alleged assault, we at all times followed the advice of the ministerial of parliamentary services and the Department of Finance, as was appropriate.
I have full confidence that my then chief of staff and I at all times acted in what we believed were in the best interests of Brittany. Mr President, throughout this entire time, my sole desire has been to let Brittany herself determine how this matter would be dealt with.
I fully appreciate, I fully appreciate that it is the proper duty of the Senate, of all of us in this chamber, to ask hard questions about how this incident was dealt with.
But at the time this was a difficult, it was a complex and it was a highly sensitive matter.
At all times to me Brittany’s welfare and her right to privacy were paramount to me. For my part, I’m deeply sorry that Brittany felt unsupported at the time of the incident and in the months that followed.
And, in fact, the years that followed. I’m also deeply sorry that some of my actions and my handling of this matter added to Brittany’s distress.
The prime minister has announced an independent review into the culture of Parliament House and the processes in place to deal with serious incidents such as these. It is a move I welcome.
It is a move I think we can all agree that is long overdue. Mr president, it is now incumbent of all of us in this place to let the independent processes, now in train, consider these matters.
Updated
Here is Linda Reynolds’ whole statement to the Senate:
I refer to the serious matters relating to my former staff member Ms Brittany Higgins, who was employed in my ministerial office and I was the minister for Defence Industry. I take this opportunity to provide the Senate with a further statement.
On Monday evening, we heard in Brittany’s own words the harrowing account of her alleged sexual assault in my ministerial office in 2019.
Brittany’s story has occasioned a wider reckoning of how women are treated in this building.
It has prompted a national conversation about how we ensure women are safe in their workplace, wherever that is, and how we support them when they need our care.
As a woman who has spent much of her working life in politics, much of it in this very building, I welcome that conversation. And I welcome the reviews announced by the prime minister.
My hope now is that we can address this very serious issue as a parliament, away from the politics.
Mr President, I’ve been asked a series of questions surrounding the circumstances of Ms Higgins’s alleged sexual assault and the actions that were taken by myself and my then chief of staff as a consequence.
I will do my best to answer them.
[continued in next post]
Updated
Michelle Rowland to Paul Fletcher:
Given Australia is ranked 61st in the world for fixed line broadband, the cost of the NBN has broken out from $29-57 billion, up to 238,000 premises can’t access minimum NBN speeds, as required by law, how on earth were NBNCo executives management and staff given $78 million in taxpayer funded bonuses and how much would they have been paid if the NBN wasn’t behind schedule?
Fletcher (and I am paraphrasing here):
It’s Labor’s fault.
Updated
Back in the House, and the alleged leader of the “party of positive contributions”, who can’t stop backbenchers from continually pushing against government policy, takes a dixer, prompting Ed Husic to yell something out (and get shut down by the Speaker).
“He’s a repeat offender, says the alleged Nationals leader.
“So are you,” Speaker Tony Smith says.
“Just get on with the answer.”
Updated
Linda Reynolds gives statement to Senate
The defence minister, Linda Reynolds, has given a personal explanation to the Senate, that she “became aware incrementally over a period of days” from her then chief of staff and parliamentary authorities about the alleged rape in her office.
The timeline she gave was:
- On Tuesday 26 March, 2019 her chief of staff spoke to Brittany Higgins and the coworker about what was then thought to be a security breach
- 27 March, 2019 the secretary of the DPS provided a report about the security breach
- 1 April, Reynolds met Brittany with her then chief of staff, and offered Brittany her “full support” including to have access to the police if she wished to make a complaint.
Reynolds said: “We at all times followed advice of the department of parliamentary services and finance. At all times we acted in what we believed were the best interests of Brittany. My sole desire has been to let Brittany herself determine how it would be dealt with ...
At the time, it was a difficult, complex and highly sensitive matter. At all times, Brittany’s welfare and right to privacy were paramount.
“I am deeply sorry that she felt unsupported at the time of incident and years that followed. I’m sorry that some of my actions and handling of this matter added to Brittany’s distress.”
Updated
Question time has begun
Linda Reynolds is providing a statement to the Senate. I’ll have that for you soon.
Updated
We are on the downhill slide to question time.
It’s the last one for the week.
It’s been that sort of decade
Craig Kelly just came into the Parliament and quoted himself about free speech.
— Tim Watts MP (@TimWattsMP) February 18, 2021
It’s been one of those kinds of days in this building.
And of course, we get to Facebook
Greg Hunt says there’s a risk misinformation will spread in the gaps created by Facebook. He says the company should “forget the money” and think of its community. https://t.co/JUeJYojoVK
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) February 18, 2021
To recap what we have learned:
The vaccine will begin being distributed from Monday across 240 towns and 190 hubs will be set up.
Communities across all jurisdictions, including major hospitals, will begin getting the vaccine from next week.
As reported, health and border workers on the frontline are the first to get the jab.
Updated
Will vaccinations be mandatory for aged care workers, and why aren’t residents receiving it at the same time?
Profesor Brendan Murphy:
So, in terms of mandatory vaccination, that is something that AHPPC is considering on a regular basis.
And we are waiting until we have data on the transmissibility of the virus in vaccinated people.
If it is very effective, as we expect, at preventing transmission, once we have an opportunity for all of the workers to be vaccinated, that is something that will be reconsidered. That’s something that National Cabinet has asked to reconsider on a regular basis.
At the moment, the plan is for aged care residents to get the Pfizer vaccine.
We have enough Pfizer vaccine to roll that out to the maximum of our workforce over the next month or so.
So, it’s a fairly short period of time. It will be getting that first dose out over the next three or four weeks.
The staff will mostly get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
That will be a separate workforce that will go in to facilities at different times. The evidence from overseas is vaccinating the staff and residents at the same time is not actually a very effective way to do it.
The staff vaccination programs have a different logistic need and will have a different workforce to do that. So, we will have enough of the Pfizer vaccine to cover all of the aged care residents pretty quickly. And the AstraZeneca vaccine is coming online, we think, in early March and we’ll be able to get the staff vaccinated pretty quickly first.
Updated
There will be about 200 towns included in the first stage of the rollout.
Professor Brendan Murphy:
There will be approximately 240 aged care facilities, if not more, that are vaccinated in Week 1.
And we’re of the expectation that that will be at least 190 towns, and we’ll also have 16 Pfizer hubs.
And those towns cover all of Australia, commencing in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, or Farrer, or Tiwi in the Northern Territory.
Here in the ACT, towns such as Weston and Narrabunda.
We know that in Tasmania it could be in Burnie or in Somerset or in Wynyard.
All of these are on the list, amongst others.
We then go to New South Wales and across New South Wales, in the city areas such as Blacktown or Penrith, across the state, areas such as Gosford West and Orange will see facilities inoculated.
If we turn to Queensland, we’ll have areas such as Aspley, Bundaberg, Cleveland, Mackay, and many others.
And then, if we move to Victoria, Altona Meadows, Ballarat, Bendigo, Cranbourne, Dandenong, and a variety of others.
And then in South Australia, what we’ll see is Encounter Bay, Heathfield, Mount Barker.
Western Australia, areas such as Bunbury, or Emu Point, near Albany, Kingsly, Mirrabooka, and Rockingham, amongst many others.
The point of that is that right across Australia, every state and territory, rural and regional and urban areas will be covered. It has to start somewhere and it has to finish somewhere, but this is the beginning of the process.
We then, of course, have the Pfizer vaccination hubs, which include the Royal Prince Alfred hospital in New South Wales, the Monash Medical Centre in Victoria, the Gold Coast University hospital in Queensland. The Royal Adelaide hospital in South Australia. Perth Children’s hospital in Western Australia. The Royal Hobart hospital in Tasmania, the Canberra hospital here in the ACT, and the Royal Darwin.
Updated
State and territory authorities will let you know if you are in the first phase of vaccinations.
Once you receive your vaccination, it will be included in the Australian Immunisation Register.
Updated
Professor Brendan Murphy is outlining the first round of vaccination strategy.
It goes to frontline healthcare and border and quarantine workers.
That includes those working in residential aged care and disability care, the clinical staff in emergency departments and ICUs, lab staff doing the Covid tests, paramedics and special GP respiratory clinics where testing is taking place.
Updated
Looks like BOM and some of the government health pages are back up and running on FB.
Save the Children Australia CEO Paul Ronalds has joined the list of actual organisations who use FB for good, talking about the platform’s content block’s impact:
It’s really disappointing to be cut off from our 160,000 supporters who follow the Save the Children Australia Facebook page.
Save the Children has come to rely on the platform to communicate with our supporters and members of the wider Australian community.
We also use Facebook as an important fundraising tool to reach generous supporters who want to support the world’s most vulnerable children.
Every minute that our page is down is another minute our message isn’t getting out about the needs of children.
But guys, will someone please think of the North Shore Mums.
Updated
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says tonight’s call among the foreign ministers of Australia, the US, Japan and India “will allow our nations to advance our shared interest in a secure and prosperous region”.
Dfat has issued a statement confirming that Marise Payne would join the dialogue with the “Quad” foreign ministers – the first since the Biden administration took office – as mentioned here on the blog earlier today.
“The Quad’s positive agenda will enable us to progress cooperation among four Indo-Pacific democracies across a range of areas, including to support the region recover from the economic and health impacts of Covid-19.”
While stressing the importance of the Quad, the Dfat statement also sought to emphasise Australia’s links with south-east Asian nations:
“The Quad is a key pillar of Australia’s international agenda and complements our other bilateral, regional and multilateral engagement, including with ASEAN. Quad partners are strong supporters of ASEAN centrality within a region in which all countries are sovereign, independent and resilient.”
Updated
Brittany Higgins has spoken to Katharine Murphy after the Network Ten political editor, Peter van Onselen, alleged the prime minister’s office was deliberately backgrounding journalists to smear Higgins’ now partner on ABC RN radio this morning.
From the story:
The former Liberal staffer told Guardian Australia on Thursday she understood that telling her story would have consequences.
‘I knew personally that when I decided to put my name and face to this there would be repercussions for me,’ Higgins said.
‘But I think it’s unfair if they are starting to try and take this out on loved ones.
‘I think it speaks to the systematic problems of this place.
‘It silences people and I think it’s gross.’
Updated
Back to actual news now.
Has Josh Frydenberg considered getting the woman who runs the North Shore Mums Facebook page on the phone to Zuckerberg? Because she’s apparently quite influential.
What happened between Sunday and this morning?
The bill went through the House, says Josh Frydenberg:
Well, they saw the passage through the House of Representatives of the legislation yesterday.
It hasn’t gone through the Senate. They saw the passage of the legislation through the House of Representatives.
And they interpreted some of the provisions in a specific way. Now, they’ve clearly made public their concerns about the code as it stands.
We will work through some of their issues, as we did over the weekend with the prime minister with Google. And we were able to provide some clarifications and some technical amendments which we moved through the parliament this morning with bipartisan support. So, let’s see where it goes. But Facebook is in no doubt that we’re committed to the code, but also we would like to see them here in Australia. But I think their actions today were unnecessary and wrong.
Updated
Around half of First Nations Media Australia (FNMA) member organisations have had their Facebook pages blocked today.
“We are outraged that access to First Nations voices has been limited in this way,” said Dot West, First Nations Media Australia chair.
“Never has our media been more vital than during a global pandemic – especially on the cusp of vaccination rollouts.
“First Nations media services are not the same as commercial outlets and should not be negatively impacted by an industry-wide response to corporate interests,” West said.
First Nations Media Australia is the peak body for Indigenous community broadcasting, media and communications, representing hundreds of radio, TV and online outlets across the nation, which provide essential information – including language services – to cities, towns and remote communities.
West said Facebook’s restrictions today were “hit and miss” and had affected health organisations, community media, First Nations media and other service providers in “inconsistent and problematic ways”.
“We stand with our sister sectors across community media in asserting that addressing the financial interests of commercial enterprises should not come at the expense of independent publishers of information vital to community safety and democracy in this country,” West said.
“The silencing of sovereign voices in this way is unacceptable and inconsistent with Facebook’s messaging in celebration of Black History Month and the platform’s mission to empower people to build community.”
FNMA wants the government to seek an immediate resolution to its conflict with Facebook and to protect the First Nations media industry from further negative impacts.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg was not given any notice from Facebook that this was happening. Despite having had chats with Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday.
Well, we certainly weren’t given any notice by Facebook. You’re right, I spoke to him over the weekend, but I also spoke to him this morning. We had a pretty lengthy conversation, around half an hour, and it was constructive.
I think there’s some differing interpretations as to how the code would work.
And we talked through some of those elements. And we’re happy to help clarify some of those issues with Facebook. Because as Paul said, we want commercial agreements under the code, we want to implement and legislate the code, and we want the major players to stay here in Australia and to keep providing the services to Australians that Australians so enjoy. So, we are going to work through those issues with Facebook.
Updated
If you were Josh Frydenberg, you would have to start taking this personally at this stage.
Frydenberg’s press conference Facebook live feed stopped working 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/2IE3b8rGNF
— CAMERONWILSON (@cameronwilson) February 18, 2021
While Josh Frydenberg spoke to Mark Zuckerberg for half an hour today, the communications minister was having an equally important conversation.
Paul Fletcher:
I have spoken this morning to the operator of North Shore Mums, which is a well-known Facebook page in my own electorate.
Like a number of similar services around Australia, her page, her Facebook page, has been blocked, and that is of significant concern.
So, we are very clear that we think this is the wrong action by Facebook. And, of course, we’re very clear on the proposition that we’re going to legislate the code. We have been talking to stakeholders all the way through, including Google and Facebook, and we’ll continue to do that. But that principle is very clear.
I mean, government, charities, advocacy groups, health, emergency services and groups for domestic violence all lost their pages – but that’s nothing in comparison to what the North Shore Mums must be going through.
Updated
Google is great though, says Josh Frydenberg:
And we want to thank Google for the very constructive discussions that they have been having with stakeholders, and we recognise the announcement earlier today between Google and News Limited about their successful negotiations.
It follows on from the announcement by Channel Seven and Google, and the reports of the successful negotiations between Channel Nine and Google.
This digital code, this new media bargaining code, is very important microeconomic reform.
It’s one that was initiated by the prime minister when he was then treasurer, and Paul [Fletcher] and I have been working closely on for some time, and I also want to note the hard work of Rod Sims and the ACCC in getting to the point now where we have these successful negotiations between Google and Australian news media businesses paying for content, but obviously we have the developments today with Facebook.
Updated
I mean – the government can’t even control the Nationals, so these Facebook chats should go GREAT.
Updated
Treasurer says 'Facebook was wrong'
Josh Frydenberg is pretending to hold a press conference about the unemployment numbers, but it’s really to talk Facebook:
In respect to Facebook’s actions today, Facebook was wrong.
Facebook’s actions were unnecessary, they were heavy-handed, and they will damage its reputation here in Australia.
Their decision to block Australians’ access to government sites – be they about support through the pandemic, mental health, emergency services, the Bureau of Meteorology – were completely unrelated to the media code which is yet to pass through the Senate.
But what today’s events do confirm for all Australians is the immense market power of these media digital giants. These digital giants loom very, very large in our economy and on the digital landscape. The Morrison government remains absolutely committed to legislating and implementing the code.
Updated
Yes, there is also this.
Here is Barnaby Joyce saying that if you give the Nationals more positions in cabinet, they will be less likely “to go off the reservation”.
I mean, Joyce has made a career out of saying the quiet things out loud, but still. Here we are.
Just belling the cat here. As @CroweDM reported earlier this week, Barnaby's coal campaign is a venal grab for more 'positions' for the Nationals. It's not about national interest at all https://t.co/79oRe6Y50T pic.twitter.com/aKq7IhXsof
— Paula Matthewson (@Drag0nista) February 17, 2021
The report into Victoria’s mental health system will be handed down next month. As AAP reports:
The findings of a royal commission into Victoria’s “broken” mental health system are expected to be handed down on March 2.
The report was due to be made public on February 4, but was delayed over a COVID-19 case in hotel quarantine and the imposition of tighter restrictions.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday announced the report would be tabled next month ahead of a joint “historic” sitting of parliament.
Commission chair Penny Armytage, leading psychiatrist Patrick McGorry and a community member with experience of mental illness are expected to address the parliament upon the report’s release.
The commission in November 2019 released an interim report describing the current system as “broken” and making nine recommendations, among them a substantial increase in funding.
An estimated 105,000 Victorians with severe mental illness were not receiving specialist care and the cost of poor mental health to the state was about $14.2 billion a year, the interim report said.
Mr Andrews commissioned the Australian-first inquiry following the 2018 state election.
“The thousands of Victorians who have so bravely and so generously shared their personal stories deserve our full, undivided attention - and they deserve our help,” he said on Thursday.
Foodbank has also been caught up in the ban
This is UNACCEPTABLE. Demand for food relief has never been higher than during this pandemic, and one of our primary comms tools to help connect people with #foodrelief info & advice is now unavailable. Hours matter when you have nothing to eat. SORT THIS OUT! #facebooknewsban. pic.twitter.com/xYVnrKQQeF
— Brianna Casey (@briannacasey1) February 18, 2021
News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller says the deal with Google has breathed “new confidence” into the local news industry in Australia and gives the business model of journalism a much-needed boost.
“The future of commercial news organisations rests on their ability to establish workable business models in the digital era,” he said.
“We will continue to invest in journalism and the skills needed to tell stories in new and evolving ways across our communities, and for a digital future.”
Miller said Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch and chief executive Robert Thomson’s long campaign to make tech accountable had paid off.
“Thanks to [Thomson’s] leadership over the many years since the entire industry can now return to a sustainable model.”
The WA department of fire and emergency services has responded to the Facebook ban:
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ Facebook page has been impacted by this morning’s Facebook changes restricting news pages.
We have been in contact with Facebook and they have assured us they will restore the page as a priority.
In the meantime, information about incidents can still be accessed through Emergency WA (www.emergency.wa.gov.au) and 13 33 37 (13 DFES).”
Fresh from destroying the family court, One Nation has a new target in sight:
One Nation's Malcolm Roberts wants to make it easier for small business to sack workers and fight off unfair dismissal cases #auspol #ausunions https://t.co/GAoYBC4M30
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) February 18, 2021
Updated
Facebook defends sweeping ban on pages
Facebook says the government’s definition of news content in the media bargaining code is to blame for the blanket ban on so many Facebook pages today.
However, they are reversing any pages “that are inadvertently impacted”.
Government pages should not be impacted by today’s announcement.
The actions we’re taking are focused on restricting publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.
As the law does not provide clear guidance on the definition of news content, we have taken a broad definition in order to respect the law as drafted.
Facebook has only referred to government pages however, and it is not clear whether they will reverse all the other community and health pages too.
Updated
Paul Karp has got a statement from the deputy prime minister on the CFEC amendments his members are making - without taking through the party room.
It is important that consideration is given to the amendments that have been put forward.
We have always said a diverse energy mix is needed to ensure the lowest possible power prices for Australian families and businesses.
The Government is proudly supporting coal projects in Australia and has invested in a feasibility study into a HELE coal project in Queensland.
This is in stark contrast to Labor which has walked away from the resources industry and the thousands of jobs the industry supports.”
I know there is a lot going on today, but I just need to take you back to the what the ‘party of positive contributions’ is focussing on.
Large sections of the country are still in drought.
Fishers, particularly cray fishers, are in mass distress after the China tariffs.
Farmers don’t have their usual labour supply to pick their crops.
People in areas ravaged by bushfires are still living in temporary sheds and having to make hour return trips to take a shower.
Climate change is happening and among the industries already suffering, is agriculture.
There is a pandemic, which has caused Australia to shut its borders to the world and is causing lockdowns, separating regional communities.
And the Nationals, have decided its “positive contribution” is to demand coal and nuclear be included in a clean energy finance fund.
This is the same party which receives about 13% of the national vote (including the LNP votes) - just above the Greens - and yet gets to dictate policy in this country every time one of them has a tantrum.
And their ‘leader’ just lets them do it.
Another key point from that release:
- The youth unemployment rate remained at 13.9% (and increased by 1.8 pts over the year to January 2021)
Unemployment rate drops to 6.4%
That’s seasonally adjusted for January 2021, the ABS reports
- Unemployment rate decreased to 6.4%.
- Participation rate decreased to 66.1%.
- Employment increased to 12,939,900.
- Employment to population ratio increased to 61.9%.
- Underemployment rate decreased to 8.1%.
- Monthly hours worked decreased by 86 million hours.
Seems like some of the Nationals’ “positive contributors” are using the party website as a personal vision board. If you can see it, you can be it.
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) February 18, 2021
Updated
The foreign ministers of Australia, Japan and India will speak tonight with the new US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in the first high-level call of Quad members since the Biden administration took office.
Announcing the planned phone hookup, the US state department said it reflected the importance the new administration placed on alliances and partnerships.
“This administration has made clear that the United States values our alliances and will work with our partners and friends around the world to pursue common interests across the globe,” the state department’s spokesperson, Ned Price, said at a press briefing overnight.
“This discussion with the Quad foreign ministers is critical to advancing our shared goals of a free and open Indo-Pacific and rising to the defining challenges of our time, including coordinating our efforts on Covid-19 response as well as climate change.”
The move comes amid efforts by Australia to navigate tensions with China, which views the Quad grouping warily. Beijing has previously described it as “an anti-China frontline” or “mini-Nato” which reflected America’s “cold war mentality”.
While China has not ratcheted up trade actions against Australia since the flurry of steps taken last year, there appears to be a stalemate in Canberra’s push for high-level dialogue.
Joe Biden has vowed to closely coordinate with allies in the region, including via the Quad. While the US president has signalled plans for a continued tough line against Beijing, he has also indicated there is room for cooperation with China on issues like climate change, health and weapons control.
The Quad foreign ministers last met in person in Tokyo in October last year, when Mike Pompeo was the US secretary of state. There is increasing speculation that the Quad will be upgraded with a first-ever meeting of the leaders from the four countries.
The Public Interest Journalism chair Professor Allan Fels (a former chair of the ACCC) has some thoughts on the Facebook content block:
The Government has been aware of the possibility of a FB withdrawal or prevention of the sharing of news content, so this would not come as a complete surprise. It is not unusual for market participants to threaten withdrawal or restriction of services in the face of market regulation.
However, we urge Facebook to be cautious. It is unconscionable for Facebook to limit access to Australian Government information, be it weather, health or bushfire information. This is not ‘news’, nor content envisaged under the Mandatory News Media Bargaining Code.
The mandatory News Media Bargaining Code seeks to address a significant market power imbalance. That is the role of the ACCC and government, to ensure a level playing field. Currently, more than 80% of online advertising is directed to digital platforms, which have previously demonstrated a lack of willingness to negotiate with news organisations around the value of their content in the generation of this revenue.
The costs of producing public interest journalism are high, but it is integral to the functioning of any working democracy.
News media has supported the code, with its underlying principle to safeguard public interest journalism and level the playing field in this space.
We also note that in we are living in an era of misinformation and disinformation, or should I say, ‘fake news’.
We urge FB to sit at the table and negotiate in good faith, as Google appears to be doing.
Also we note that the Australian Government has asked the digital industry to develop a code of practice on how they address disinformation.
The Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI) will be releasing that new code within weeks. FB’s announcement seems to run counter to community sentiment for tech giants to act in good faith and demonstrate their social license to operate.”
South Australia opens to regional Victoria
South Australia has also opened its border to regional Victoria, which is wonderful news.
Updated
I just love “positive contributions” that are announced in the media, not the party room, and totally contradict government policy.
The Nationals Senate team, led by Bridget McKenzie and Matt Canavan, have this morning announced amendments to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation bill to allow it to invest in nuclear power and carbon capture and storage. It follows the Barnaby Joyce amendment to allow it to invest in coal-fired power.
At a press conference in Canberra, McKenzie said the Senate team want to be “positive contributors” by putting forward the ideas, but deflected questions that noted the amendments didn’t go through the Nationals party room.
McKenzie did say that deputy prime minister Michael McCormack was “well aware” they would present the amendments, and confirmed they’d also had discussions with energy minister, Angus Taylor.
Asked if the amendments were official Nationals policy, McKenzie pointed to federal and state conference motions in favour of nuclear power and local branch support.
She said “the Nationals party room are generally – I’m sure if you rung them all [you’d find] they’re very very keen to make a positive, progressive contribution to the energy and emissions debate”.
Which is odd, because yesterday we asked the resources minister, Keith Pitt, what he thought of the Joyce amendment and he had no comment.
We’ll try Pitt and McCormack again today, but it looks at the very least like the Nationals backbench are massively frontrunning the debate or openly defying the leadership, who are bound by cabinet solidarity to go for the (unamended) bill.
Updated
No new local cases in NSW
NSW has reached 32 days of no locally transmitted Covid:
It’s a double donut day in NSW.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired and no overseas-acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, meaning the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic remains at 4,954.
There were 20,906 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 23,463.
Updated
It’s amazing that the same people who have been in charge of this country since 2013 are the same ones who keep offering the same tired options for energy reliability, despite their old-school solutions continuing to increase in price while taking decades – at least – to build, even if price wasn’t an issue, while ignoring cheap, plentiful power options which are literally staring them in the face right now.
Like literally the face. The sun shines on them. The wind ruffles what is left of their hair. I assume some have even looked at the ocean in real life.
But no. It must be COAL AND NUCLEAR at all costs.
It’s like insisting on dragging around a Commodore 64 because you really like tetris instead of just downloading the app.
Updated
*insert Will Smith look at this meme here*
According to @CSIRO, nuclear is the most expensive type of electricity. And besides, it would take decades to build any in Australia. If you actually care about creating jobs in the regions, and if you want cheap, clean, reliable energy, renewables are the only way to go. pic.twitter.com/vztd0w5mjS
— Helen Haines MP (@helenhainesindi) February 18, 2021
Victoria has recorded its second consecutive day of zero coronavirus cases, as the state emerges from its snap lockdown.
There were 30,000 tests recorded yesterday, with Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley welcoming the high number of tests.
“Another day of over 30,000 is fantastic and it shows the level of commitment that Victorians have displayed when we have asked them to come forward.”
Foley also said that 15 of the 19 cases associated with the most recent outbreak have had their infection genomically sequenced and linked to the Holiday Inn, as authorities suspected, with the results for the remaining four due soon
Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed that there are still 59 household and primary close contacts that authorities are still working with on this outbreak.
“There are around 1,341 primary close contacts link to the various exposure sides that we spoke about over the last week or so and over 2000 others linked either to the Holiday Inn as workers.”
Weimar also confirmed that authorities will continue supporting the 3,400 people still in quarantine.
The state has emerged this morning out of lockdown, although some restrictions, such as mandatory masks where people cannot socially distance, only five visitors allowed at each household and density limits returning to pre-snap lockdown.
The Minerals Council, the Nationals (some of them) and others are renewing the push for nuclear to be part of Australia’s energy mix.
I spoke to Al Gore about this in June 2019 (the last time it was an issue) and he pointed to the cost
The cost hasn’t become any less of an issue - but that hasn’t stopped the usual suspects from jumping on it as a solution to Australia’s energy issues.
Anthony Albanese was asked about it today:
I am not a supporter of nuclear energy in Australia because it doesn’t stack up. There have been numerous reports, occasionally you’ll get your opinion pieces in the pages of The Australian or other papers suggesting this, and no serious propositions have ever come forward on it.
What we’re witnessing here is just a part of the chaos that is the Coalition when it comes to energy policy with their 22 energy policies.
We had a debate in the Parliament on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation that’s adjourned.
A Government that can’t debate its own legislation because it can’t agree with itself on what should happen with that legislation.
It’s more chaos.
Georgie Dent, from the advocacy group, the Parenthood, has spent the last few days in Canberra trying to get attention for universal childcare and better paid parental leave benefits.
It relates to this report
Anthony Albanese just held a press conference with Dent, to promote Labor’s universal childcare policy as a solution, but the issues of the day left early child education and PPL with not a lot of room
One would hope that reversal will also mean women’s legal services, 1800-Respect and emergency services pages will also be immediately restored
Facebook reportedly working to reverse ban on weather pages
It seems Facebook did not mean to ban the non-news pages – like the weather – that have fallen prey to its blanket blocking of Australian news content.
There is chaos on Facebook as unions, health and research pages have been wiped.
Facebook says it was a mistake to block the Bureau of Meteorology, and is working to reverse the ban, according to US based CNET reporter Queenie Wong.
Me to Facebook: Is the Bureau of Meteorology considered an Australian news publisher or was it mistakenly blocked?
— Queenie Wong (@QWongSJ) February 17, 2021
Facebook spox: It is not – we are working to reverse this. pic.twitter.com/S8aSSIprdi
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This morning Linda Burney was out making sure people don’t forget the jobseeker rate is being cut from 31 March and people still don’t have any certainty over how much the unemployment payment will be:
I met yesterday and the day before with a number of people who were on the jobseeker payment. Two clear messages came across.
Firstly, that the stimulus payment, as a result of coronavirus, has changed the lives of people who find themselves, the 1.4 million people in Australia that find themselves on jobseeker. It has meant for the first time that they could actually have three meals a day. It’s meant for the first time in two or three years, they’ve been able to fill a script. It’s meant that they’ve been able to house, clothe their children and pay their rent so they had secure housing. That was the first message.
The second message was one that I found incredibly disturbing and inconceivable, that the government does not know what it’s going to do in 42 days’ time, which is when jobseeker proposes to be finished. People on Jobseeker are incredibly anxious. They’re worried. They’re disturbed by the fact that they have no idea where their lives will be in 42 days’ time. They don’t know whether they’ll be thrown back into abject poverty.
And, it’s not like it’s just Labor saying that there should be a permanent increase to jobseeker. It’s Philip Lowe, it’s Acoss, it’s the BCA [Business Council of Australia], it’s Barnaby Joyce, it’s John Howard. And the list goes on. I have met, as I said, directly with people who are on jobseeker, and they are the two strong messages that I took from my discussions.
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The Bureau of Meteorology has released a statement on the shutdown of its Facebook pages:
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Facebook page has been impacted by the broader Facebook changes.
The latest forecast and warning information is always available at www.bom.gov.au and on the BOM Weather app.
The Bureau posts all weather and warnings information on Twitter @bom_au and Twitter accounts for each state and territory:
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In other developments at James Packer’s Crown Resorts this morning, the Financial Review is reporting that WA police are taking a gander at possible links between $50m in allegedly dirty cash they’ve seized over the past six months from carriers they believe answer to international drug syndicates and Crown’s Perth casino.
The AFR reports WA deputy police commissioner Col Blanch as saying:
“The $50 million that we have seized in six months is difficult to get rid of for organised crime.
“Any place that takes cash, large amounts of cash, is a haven for money launderers.
“We are seeing large banks be fined by regulators for exactly the same thing in money laundering.
“In my previous career, you actually do see criminals operating in the casino space, in the banking space.”
(Blanch was previously at the Australian Crime Commission.)
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Nick Evershed is seeing what is and what isn’t possible with the content block:
you can still post giant JPEGs of a news article (lol) pic.twitter.com/gugsy2H764
— Nick Evershed (@NickEvershed) February 17, 2021
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how this ban is being carried out.
Facebook has also banned advocacy pages like Stop Adani, as well as the (formerly known as Adani) Bravus page.
Some government pages are OK, some are not.
And it seems some politicians can have their pages, and others can’t. During an election.
A few weeks out from a state election, the opposition leader has been banned by Facebook's arbitrary decision. Wildly dangerous. pic.twitter.com/JZAGxKR9Xp
— Blake Johnson (@BlakeJohnson) February 17, 2021
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This is a thing which has happened.
Interesting approach by federal Labor re Facebook. They voted to pass the media code in the Parliament last night. This morning they say the government has failed to land a workable code. Which they voted for. Last night.
— Lisa Visentin (@LisaVisentin) February 17, 2021
The government, however, did say it was working through the issues and was very close to an agreement.
Embattled Crown reports $120m loss
Embattled casino operator Crown Resorts has plunged into the red as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns and its regulatory crisis, losing $120m over the last six months of 2020.
This compares to a profit of $219m for the same period in 2019. The company also has current liabilities – things that need to be paid in the next 12 months – that are $430m more than current assets – things it could reasonably turn into cash in the same period.
This is generally a bad thing, but the company says it’s still a going concern because the hit to its operations was largely due to the coronavirus crisis, which is (hopefully for all of us) a one-off.
But there’s good news for chair Helen Coonan, who has been tasked with the difficult job of cleaning up Crown after a scathing report tabled in NSW parliament last week that found the company facilitated money laundering and that junket operators who brought in high-rollers were linked to organised crime.
She’s to get a $1.8m a year pay rise for taking on extra duties by becoming executive chair, bringing her total pay to $2.5m.
Meanwhile, Crown’s general counsel and company secretary, Mary Manos, who in 2019 warned the board against an ad blitz pushing back against media allegations about wrongdoing at Crown, has stepped down, effective immediately.
The two jobs are to be split apart and chief financial officer Alan McGregor will act as company secretary for the time being.
Revenue plunged 62.1% to $581m, due largely to the forced closure of Crown’s Melbourne and Perth casinos by state governments, Crown said.
It said it also took a $25m hit after stopping junket operations. This is because it has had a look through its books and decided that it could no longer collect on some debts from gamblers.
Unsurprisingly, the company isn’t paying a dividend.
Crown is speaking to some media (but not Guardian Australia) this morning.
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Facebook blocks government health and emergency services pages
The Facebook ban on news content in Australia has led to several official government pages being blocked from posting content.
WA’s fire and emergency services department, the Bureau of Meterology, the Queensland Department of Health, and a number of ACT government pages have all had their content removed as a result of Facebook’s ban this morning.
Facebook's news ban hammer having a lot of collateral damage. pic.twitter.com/mP4pfd3nL5
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) February 17, 2021
Facebook has not yet responded to questions about other non-news sites being banned as a result of the action taken by the company in response to the federal government’s news media code.
It appears the block also affects a number of news-adjacent sites, like academic journals, charity sites, and even news satire sites like Betoota Advocate, Chaser, and Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell.
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Facebook has deplatformed Facebook.
Facebook has banned Facebook's own Facebook page pic.twitter.com/bvZGRaO77H
— Andrew Brown (@AndrewBrownAU) February 17, 2021
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Anthony Albanese has also spoken on the Facebook ban, in the context that government, community and advocacy sites have also been banned:
What is its solution to this? The government has said that it was all good and they were negotiating and they – they bragged about the phone calls that were being made. It’s very clear that this is a problem that the government needs to address.
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It’s literally just Aunt Karen, Uncle Steve and jet skis left.
Hobart Women's Shelter is also down. I'm so confused. #FacebookAustralia #facebooknewsban pic.twitter.com/L4W2v6T1ok
— Sarah Maunder (@s_maunder) February 17, 2021
Women's Legal Service also down. What the HECK is going on? #FacebookAustralia #facebooknewsban pic.twitter.com/V48weAwLJs
— Sarah Maunder (@s_maunder) February 17, 2021
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If there is a world ranking of awkward chats, I would like to know where this one sits – neither Josh Frydenberg or Mark Zuckerberg are known for their easy charm.
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Treasurer says he talked to Zuckerberg about Facebook news ban
Josh Frydenberg says he talked to Mark Zuckerberg for half an hour this morning about the Facebook ban and they are trying to “work the issues through”.
But government remains committed to making them pay for Australian original journalism.
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Then there is this:
State health Facebook pages have been the source of news for thousands during the pandemic. This is completely irresponsible from Facebook. They must be restored immediately. How could the Morrison Government bungle this so badly? https://t.co/1VCfnFP0uG
— Mark Butler MP (@Mark_Butler_MP) February 17, 2021
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The government’s own commissioned report can’t find evidence the cashless debit card conclusively leads to better outcomes for communities, as Luke Henriques-Gomes reports:
A government-commissioned evaluation of the cashless debit card has failed to find conclusive evidence the scheme reduces social harm, despite some positive short-term improvements in the trial sites.
The $2m report by the University of Adelaide was released on Wednesday some three months after final drafts were handed to the government and about nine weeks after the trial was extended for two years.
It paints a mixed picture of the controversial scheme, which quarantines up to 80% of welfare recipients’ payment – across four sites – onto a debit card that cannot withdraw cash or be used to purchase alcohol.
Introduced in 2016, the scheme was touted as a way to reduce social harms in areas with large numbers of welfare recipients. It operates in Ceduna, South Australia, the East Kimberley and Goldfields regions of Western Australia, and Bundaberg and Hervey Bay in Queensland.
Gen X, seizing their moment
It’s time Australia pic.twitter.com/YzC6edDT7q
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) February 17, 2021
Jim Chalmers says Josh Frydenberg was celebrating too early:
This is a mess of the government’s making.
It is up to the government to tell us what has gone on here and what they are doing to fix it and what it means for real people trying to access news.
This will have consequences for people who are trying to access health news during a pandemic.
It will have consequences for all of those people who rely on Facebook to get their news, credible news from credible sources. We don’t want to see people denied access to the news that they need, particularly when it comes to health news during a pandemic.
This exposes the big gap between announcement and delivery in the Morrison government. Not 24 hours ago, the treasurer stood right here, or near here, and said that this was a historic moment and he declared victory over the tech platforms. Now we know that this is just as much of a mess, if not more so, today than it was yesterday.
The treasurer said it was an historic moment, in many ways he is right. He shouldn’t have declared premature victory here when there are still lots of questions to be answered, still lots of mess to be cleaned up in the interests of people who just want to access a quality news via Facebook.
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Labor blames Coalition for Facebook ban
Labor’s shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, says the Facebook decision is the fault of the government:
Make no mistake, the impact of the decision by Facebook today, which has been effective immediately, is profound, it is profound for Australian consumers, businesses and also media outlets.
It is incumbent on the Government to explain clearly, precisely and urgently what is going on and what the impact will be. Not only that, what it intends to do about it.
Labor has been consistent that the objective of this exercise initiated by the ACCC, in bringing in a workable media code to ensure that we have a thriving public interest journalism sector in Australia and a sustainable media industry needs to be upheld.
We need a workable code. This government only circulated amendments two nights ago, the night before it was actually brought into the parliament and shared those with Labor, we only knew about the impact of them at such a late stage.
Yet the way the government was explaining it, you would have thought that this was a set of amendments that was going to deliver a workable code.
Clearly, in the mind of Facebook, that is not the case. I have been in touch with Facebook Australian representatives today and it is clear that their decision is based on the uncertainty that they perceive with this code. In that event, this is not a workable code that has been landed by this government.
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Labor will attempt to make Linda Reynolds deliver an explanation to the Senate today:
And it’s not just government departments.
So it seems Facebook is banning anything that isn’t your uncle’s weird memes and your high school friend’s pyramid schemes.
So @Facebook has blocked access to our website. We are not a news organisation. Australian workers can not now find out about their rights at work via @Facebook. This is disgraceful & needs to be reversed immediately pic.twitter.com/588Qf1JbuD
— Sally McManus (@sallymcmanus) February 17, 2021
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It’s not just news content – it’s also that of government departments.
Facebook's news ban hammer having a lot of collateral damage. pic.twitter.com/mP4pfd3nL5
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) February 17, 2021
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Mark Dreyfus spoke about the legislation that passed overnight, abolishing the family court:
It’s a terrible decision, which goes against the advice of more than 150 people and organisations who work in the family court of Australia, who have told the government for years now that this is a terrible proposal. The government has ignored the advice of women’s legal services, it’s ignored the advice of community legal centres, it’s ignored the advice of family violence experts. And the government must know, if it had listened at all to their advice, that this decision to abolish the expert standalone family court will not do anything for those thousands of vulnerable Australians.
The government has not waited for the current inquiry of the joint select committee of this parliament into the family law system to go ahead with this terrible legislation. The government has ignored the recommendations of the inquiry that it set up by the Australian Law Reform Commission, which conducted the largest ever review of the Family Law Act and the family law system in Australia. We haven’t even had a response from the part time attorney general to that report of the Law Reform Commission.
Worst of all, the government has proceeded as if it were not the government of Australia. It’s provided additional resources to one state. Resources which it should be providing on an increased level to every state and territory of Australia. This is no way to proceed. It’s an extraordinarily bad decision. It’s a very sad day for Australia.
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ABC condemns Facebook news ban
The ABC has responded to the Facebook news:
ABC News is Australia’s number one digital news service and the nation’s most trusted news outlet.
The ABC’s digital news services will always remain free and accessible to all Australians on the ABC website and via the ABC News app, providing independent and reliable news, information and analysis.
Despite key issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic having ongoing effects on all Australians, Facebook has today removed important and credible news and information sources from its Australian platform. We will continue our discussions with Facebook today following this development.
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Sarah Hanson-Young has some more thoughts on Facebook:
Facebook has proved this morning they have become far too big, reinforcing the need to regulate this corporate bully.
Instead of coming to the negotiating table in good faith and to pay the journalists that create their content, they pulled a major component of their service.
Facebook constantly makes excuses for why it allows fake news to be spread on their platform yet overnight has blocked real news.
The platform profits off the spread of hate speech, dangerous conspiracy theories and fake news and has now restricted any possibility of balancing that with the truth.
Mark Zuckerberg allowed Trump’s dangerous rhetoric to fester on his platform and now all he will be left with in Australia is the likes of Craig Kelly and an increase in the spread of misinformation.
Facebook needs to grow up. Australia’s democracy isn’t a college dorm room, and playing with public interest journalism isn’t a game.
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Nine Entertainment, publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, has warned of the misinformation that will spread now that news has been banned on Facebook.
Nine has signed a $30m deal with Google for news but has not come to an agreement with Facebook. It said:
It is unfortunate Facebook have taken this position and it will indeed inhibit us from sharing our quality news and information with Australians.
Nobody benefits from this decision as Facebook will now be a platform for misinformation to rapidly spread without balance. This action proves again their monopoly position and unreasonable behaviour.
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Victoria records no locally acquired Covid cases
Some good news for Victorians to celebrate now they are out and about:
Yesterday there were no local cases and 1 case in hotel quarantine reported. 30,261 test results were received. Thank you to those who got tested - #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 17, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/KWewYw3akX
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Meanwhile, Bridget McKenzie has announced a Nationals Senate team press conference for 10.30. It’s on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation bill.
Barnaby Joyce’s amendments to have coal considered were rejected Josh Frydenberg.
But Joyce has friends in the Senate. Including a former resources minister, who loves the coal industry like I love Haigh’s chocolate. And there is nothing to stop amendments being added to bills as they enter the Senate.
So keep a watch on that.
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Josh Frydenberg has spoken to Mark Zuckerberg this morning after Facebook made its announcement.
Paul Fletcher told the ABC the social media giant needs to think of its reputation (I mean – I don’t know if Fletcher uses Facebook but, given what is allowed on there, I don’t think reputation is its driving force, but anyways).
Fletcher:
Facebook needs to think very carefully about what this means for its reputation and standing.
They’re effectively saying, on our platform, there will not be any information from organisations which employ paid journalists, which have fact checking processes, editorial policies.
They’re effectively saying any information that is available on our site does not come from these reliable sources.
I would imagine that on quite sober reflection, they will start to become quite troubled about what that would mean for how their platform is perceived.
There is things they have said throughout the process about the value of news. Objective observers would be sceptical of some of their claims.
This is about a competition policy issue, particularly in the digital advertising market and our competition regulator has advised that we take this action. It is also about a media policy issue, about having a diverse, well-resourced media sector in Australia.
That’s an important part of our democratic process. It may not seem so important in Silicon Valley but it is very important to the Australian government and Australian people. That is why we have gone through this careful, measured three-year process now, based upon the ACCC’s extensive inquiry, the digital platforms inquiry.
That is why we are where we are with the code. We will continue to legislate it but we continue to talk to all parties, as we have consistently throughout the process.
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Rebekha Sharkie was asked about Facebook’s decision while speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning:
I guess we’re a small market in Australia and I guess Facebook feels that they can flex their muscles. Ultimately, I think they would have to be very careful that they don’t become irrelevant. We can all only look at so many funny cat videos.
People mainly get their news content from Facebook or other services and I think people will perhaps look at other platforms if Facebook aren’t willing to share.
That might underestimate people’s willingness to change.
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Anyone who has reported abuse knows just how hard it is to have the comments removed.
Blocking Australian news overnight, while allowing hate speech and dangerous conspiracy theories run rampant.
— 💚🌏 Sarah Hanson-Young (@sarahinthesen8) February 17, 2021
Facebook has just confirmed it really is just FakeBook.
Meanwhile, while the government absolutely tore apart the Australia Post executive Christine Holgate for awarding executives Cartier watches as bonuses (Holgate resigned after Scott Morrison called the combined $20,000 bonus “disgraceful” in a parliament), executives at NBN Co received $78m in personal bonuses in the second half of last year. During a pandemic.
Paul Fletcher effectively told ABC radio he didn’t have a problem with it, as the NBN was critical in keeping Australia running during lockdowns. (One could argue the same for Australia Post, but anyway.)
Fletcher said Labor had set the NBN Co up as a government business enterprise and the board can assess the performance of the company and make its own decisions.
Australia Post is also a government business enterprise. Essentially, what that means is that it operates as a business but with Australian taxpayers as the shareholder.
The Holgate decision was different, Fletcher says, because a report (that the government didn’t want released) found Holgate did not receive approval from the Australia Post board to award the watches. She was cleared of wrongdoing but the bonuses were found to be “inconsistent” with public expectations.
I’m not sure how $78m in bonuses in the back end of a pandemic year is going to go down if $20,000 in watches was too much, but that’s something for estimates.
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The Australia Institute has reponded to Facebook’s news.
Peter Lewis, director of the institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology, says it might time for people to close their accounts:
Facebook’s decision to prevent users viewing for sharing public interest journalism will make it a weaker social network.
The social network is destroying its social license to operate. Facebook actions mean the company’s failures in privacy, disinformation, and data protection will require a bigger push for stronger government regulation.
Without fact-based news to anchor it, Facebook will become little more than cute cats and conspiracy theories.
At a time when the importance of facts in dealing with a global health crisis are critical, Facebook’s decision is arrogant, reckless, and dangerous.
For years Facebook has been holding back against valuing facts and taking accountability for what their network promotes.
It has honed advertising models that excite, enrage, and divide its users and fails to recognise the benefits of anchoring its network in ethically-curated news content.
If Facebook determines to treat Australians with such contempt, Australians should respond by ending alternate ways to connect online.
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It is not just traditional news Facebook has banned:
The Betoota Advocate, The Chaser and The Shovel are all gone too pic.twitter.com/5cPUijYFeI
— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) February 17, 2021
And it looks as though users are unable to share links through messenger, as well.
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Communications minister Paul Fletcher says the government will be pushing ahead with its media bargaining code, despite Facebook’s stance.
News Corp has announced it has struck a deal with Google for use of its content.
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Good morning
It’s the last sitting day of the week and it’s all gone a little pear-shaped for the government.
After announcing that everything seemed hunky dory and deals were being made, and issues had been pushed through after a very busy weekend of talks with the heads of Facebook and Google, Mark Zuckerberg and co had an announcement this morning.
Facebook is banning all Australian news content from its platform. Not just in Australia, but across the world.
That doesn’t seem like the smartest move for a company trying to prove it is not in the business of fake news, but it does seem to be the actions of a company that doesn’t want the media bargaining code going anywhere else.
So while Google was making the most noise about pulling out its search engine, Google has come to the table and made a few deals (and is in negotiations with others).
Facebook though, is out. At least for now.
!Holy moly! — Facebook has seen enough and will block people from sharing and viewing news articles in Australia. https://t.co/Aa5llJgwJP
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) February 17, 2021
Meanwhile, the government decided this was the week to push ahead with its plans to abolish the family court, cheered along by Pauline Hanson.
Abolishing the family court was one of the One Nation leader’s main goals in returning to parliament. It was one of the platforms she ran on, and was heavily supported by men’s rights activists. Last night, after making a deal with Rex Patrick, the government was able to shut down the debate and take it to vote, despite almost the entire legal community speaking about what a bad idea it is. Under the bill, the family court is merged with the federal court. What on earth could go wrong.
And Scott Morrison, who did not do any media yesterday, responded to the Labor and later, the crossbench, call for the review of the Parliament House workplace culture and complaints process to be conducted independently.
That came after Brittany Higgins released a statement accusing the prime minister of using “victim blaming rhetoric” and said the government had its own questions to answer about its conduct.
New statement from Brittany Higgins, post #qt pic.twitter.com/DXMe1Ujkjq
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) February 17, 2021
PM @ScottMorrisonMP has written to Opposition Leader @AlboMP about the review into workplace behaviours. “It is my expectation that this review be conducted at arms length of Government” #auspol pic.twitter.com/kgjF2fr14U
— Jennifer Bechwati (@jenbechwati) February 17, 2021
We’ll cover everything as the day unfolds. A special good morning to Victorians who are officially out of lockdown and, I hope, having a coffee at their favourite place today.
You have Amy Remeikis with you today, with Mike Bowers, Katharine Murphy, Paul Karp and Daniel Hurst along for the ride.
I’m going to get my third coffee, and then we can jump right in.
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