Good morning. The sexual misconduct crisis engulfing Canberra shows no sign of abating as the prime minister ponders cabinet changes, a NSW state government member faces sexual assault allegations, and the US vice-president makes an impassioned plea to stop gun crimes.
The NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen has taken leave “effective immediately” amid allegations he sexually assaulted a sex worker. The Nationals member for Upper Hunter categorically denied the claim, saying he was “an innocent party” and that he was “devastated by these allegations”. An allegation of rape was aired in state parliament on Wednesday by the Labor MP Trish Doyle, who did not name the MP but said the alleged assault took place at a “secluded lockout” in the Blue Mountains in September 2019.
The NSW Liberal upper house member Catherine Cusack has rounded on the culture of “toxic behaviours” surrounding the party, in this column for Guardian Australia, saying that Liberal leaders should ditch the “ludicrous expectation” that “female MPs can be wheeled out to defend these disgusting behaviours”. It follows growing speculation that both Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds could lose their positions in a mooted federal cabinet reshuffle, as Scott Morrison continues to face criticism over his handling of rape allegations. Another former Liberal staffer who has alleged sexual assault has warned against confidentiality overreach in the looming Jenkins review, saying: “I won’t support a bill that robs staffers of agency or justice, now or into the future.”
The federal Coalition remains divided over the issue of adopting a quota system to promote more women into parliament, with prominent female members including the social services minister, Anne Ruston, and the minister for superannuation, Jane Hume, rejecting the push to do so. The prime minister gave qualified support for the move, saying he did not hold the same “reservations” as others in the party, gaining support from the industry minister, Karen Andrews, and the environment minister, Sussan Ley.
The US vice-president, Kamala Harris, has declared “these slaughters have to stop”, calling on Congress to pass gun safety bills after multiple mass shootings across the country in the past week. Evading questions over whether President Joe Biden would resort to executive action to restrict gun access, Harris said Democrats must first “appeal to the hearts and minds and the reason” of Republican senators. Two bills have passed the Democratic-controlled House but appear unlikely to progress through the Senate, despite Monday’s grocery store shooting in Colorado in which 10 people died. “We are seeing tragedy after tragedy after tragedy,” Harris said.
Australia
Victorian police officers investigating sexual assault complaints conducted a “highly intrusive and oppressive” interview, an independent review has found. The questioning of a fellow police officer reportedly took an “unjustified” prurient interest in investigating details of an alleged workplace affair.
Liberal MPs have proposed that the looming superannuation increase be used to fund aged care shortfalls, to meet an estimated $10bn funding black hole in the sector. Industry Super Australia has opposed the move, while Labor has warned the increase may not be enough to fund the improvements needed.
Services Australia has been criticised for mistakes that put “additional strain” on a pensioner, with the woman winning a two-year battle to clear a $127,000 debt that the administrative appeals tribunal ruled to have been erroneous.
The world
A minority party of ultranationalist extremists dubbed “racist and reprehensible” by a pro-Israel US lobby could decide Benjamin Netanyahu’s electoral fate after yet another uncertain election result in Israel. The party leader, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was convicted of inciting racism in 2007.
The EU has empowered officials to prohibit the shipment of Covid-19 vaccine doses outside the bloc, singling out the UK for its failure to export doses to the continent. The revised regulation will also affect countries with high levels of vaccination coverage.
The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has complained of a “sharp deterioration” in his health in prison, with an aide reporting that he was suffering “serious back pain” and has been blocked from meeting with his lawyers.
The Earth could be set for more rapid global heating, with research suggesting the carbon storage potential of soil may have been overstated. Soils and the plants in them absorb about a third of the carbon emissions.
Recommended reads
They’re the globe’s forgotten people – the tiny percentage deemed “stateless”. But many stateless children could be eligible for Australian citizenship and their parents entirely oblivious to that fact, Ben Doherty reports. “For these children, Australia is the only home they have ever known. Their legal status as ‘stateless’ means they have no country to ‘return’ to, having inherited no nationality from their parents.” Worryingly though, the practical realisation of that right remains fraught – with the process remaining “legalistic and administratively complex”.
Exporting more than you import is often regarded as a decent indicator a nation’s economy is ticking over nicely. But while Australia has rode strongly on exports in recent months, its reliance on iron ore has become concerning, especially in the light of fading private investment and slumping imports, Greg Jericho argues. “When we crow about our record run of an $8bn monthly merchandise trade surplus, we need to realise that is as much about reduced imports as it is about exports.” And a narrow economic base, reliant on iron ore exports, could pose future headaches.
The backlash to Dark Mofo’s cancelled artworks raises serious concerns – and not about censorship, but ethics – Paola Balla explains. A provocative call-out for Indigenous Australians to provide literal blood for an artwork was at first defended by the festival, then cancelled. “The critical question is how this was allowed to be programmed in the first place? And what structures support white curators to speak of Black traumas?”
Listen
In this recording of Guardian Australia’s monthly book club, journalist and author Rick Morton discusses his book My Year of Living Vulnerably, which explores how trauma affects the brain, and how part of getting better is through learning to love.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
Australia’s women’s cricket team does not want for superstars. But while the likes of Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry have long been household names, with a string of key tournaments on the horizon now might be the perfect time for succession planning, Megan Maurice writes.
Sam Kerr has scored a goal and provided an assist to guide Chelsea to a 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Wolfsburg, in an entertaining clash. The Matildas captain was instrumental in the win – the English club’s first over its German opposition.
Media roundup
Lessons learned from the black summer bushfires will be applied to NSW flood crisis, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The Australian warns that jobkeeper could “morph into JobLoser” this weekend when the subsidy scheme is turned off, with up to 150,000 workers potentially facing loss of employment. And Sydney’s richest 30 schools have recorded incomes in excess of several Pacific nations, says the Daily Telegraph, with private schools such as Scots College recording a 29% increase in income due to increased government funding and fees.
Coming up
The military are joining the NSW flood clean-up as residents in one part of the mid-north coast return home.
Senior health, economics and education officials will front questions at Senate estimates hearings.
And if you’ve read this far …
It’s the 220,000-ton “megaship” that threatened to bring global shipping to a standstill. So just how did the Taiwanese-owned Ever Given vessel come to block a narrow passage of the Suez canal? Well, according to authorities, high winds and sandstorms were to blame.
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