Scott Morrison faces parliament

PM MORRISON’S FIRST DAY

Scott Morrison will today face his first day in parliament as prime minister, on the back of an announcement that the National Energy Guarantee is “dead” ($), and emissions targets will be ditched. A fresh Newspoll has also put the Coalition behind Labor 44-56 on two-party preferred vote.

Based on 1653 interviews across the country, The Australian’s latest opinion poll ($) did however put Morrison ahead of former leader Malcolm Turnbull, and leading Opposition leader Bill Shorten as “Better Prime Minister” at 42 to 36%.

In other federal news, Labor will attempt to refer Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to the High Court this week, with fresh legal advice suggesting constitutional difficulties over not only childcare centres run by his wife, but the possibility of new legal challenges pursuant to that potential ineligibility.

TALES OF A FACILITATOR

A two-part Fairfax investigation has found links between facilitators involved in the alleged misappropriation of $150 million from the Australian Tax Office and at least three major drug syndicates.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s first report details how accountant Philip John Swahili allegedly helped launder money from both drug lord Anthony Robert Parker and an alleged conspirator for the $150 million ATO fraud Jason ‘Jay’ Onley in the form of real estate. Parker’s partner Siobhan Oliver also employed Scahill and has been employed by a subsidiary linked to the Plutus Payroll scam, allegedly Australia’s biggest tax fraud.

OSAKA VS WILLIAMS VS RAMOS

A series of rare code violations, outbursts and accusations of misogynistic rulings have overshadowed rising Japanese star Naomi Osaka’s 6-2, 6-4 US Open final win over US star Serena Williams.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that violations levelled by chair umpire Carlos Ramos against Williams for “coaching”, breaking her racquet, and verbal abuse (“You stole a point from me. You’re a thief”) cost the American both a point and a game. Opinions remain divided over both Ramos and Williams’ behaviour, however the violation for a verbal outburst is especially rare when compared with similar conduct from male players.

[free_worm]

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

Cassidy: Just tell the people of Australia why Malcolm Turnbull was sacked.
Frydenberg: I think that the focus for the Morrison government and for all my colleagues is on delivering more jobs, lower taxes and the essential services.

Barrie Cassidy and Josh Frydenberg

ABC’s Insiders distills the archetypal political interview.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

How Turnbull lost controlBernard Keane

“Late on the night of September 14, 2015, Malcolm Turnbull, fresh from defeating Tony Abbott for the prime ministership, arrived in the Blue Room at Parliament House, flanked by a smiling Julie Bishop. Turnbull was ebullient and eloquent. ‘This will be a thoroughly Liberal government,’ he promised.”

How do you fix the arts sector? Tony Burke has some ideasBen Eltham

“There are plenty of issues for Burke to grapple with [so] Crikey sat down with Burke on a recent trip to Melbourne, before the recent carnage in the Liberal Party, and asked what sort of arts minister he would be.”

Where is homosexuality still illegal?Kishor Napier-Raman

“Much of this state-sanctioned homophobia shares a common genealogy. Several former British colonies across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have anti-sodomy laws similar to India’s now repealed Section 377, which were implemented in the 19th century as a means of imposing rigid Victorian social mores across the empire.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Wagga Wagga byelection: Antony Green calls it for Dr Joe McGirr

Migrants cautious about Morrison’s regional plans

Community leaders condemn BOM decision to move forecasters interstate ($)

State-wide prison lockdown to go ahead after SA budget deadlock

This is what happened when a Chinese warship encountered the Royal Australian Navy off Darwin

Bedford suspected mass murder: ‘Up to’ five people found dead at Perth home

James Aitken’s front row seat to the GFC circus ($)

China’s import ban shakes up plastic waste war

‘I had to be real’: man removed from Trump rally after viral facial expressions

THE COMMENTARIAT

Wagga Wagga loss lies squarely at Premier’s feet — Alexandra Smith (Sydney Morning Herald): “Gladys Berejiklian owns the Liberals’ spectacular loss in Wagga Wagga to independent Joe McGirr. While there is no doubt that the bloody war that erupted mid-campaign between Berejiklian’s federal Liberal colleagues was very damaging, it was not the major factor.”

What the state budget cuts mean for the arts ($) — Julian Meyrick (The Advertiser): “The state budget signalled major changes for the arts in South Australia. The focus has been on reduced government funding. If the haircuts weren’t as savage as prior rumour suggested, they were still pretty awful. Yet the institutional shifts will also have profound implications for a state where culture is a big part of collective identity.”

Banking royal commission: the revolution in financial advice ($) — Jennifer Hewett (Australian Financial Review): “The banks are now well used to playing their roles as the main villains of the piece, including during the last hearings into superannuation. What’s less obvious is that underneath the theatrical performance directed by Kenneth Hayne, the revolution in financial advice as well as the banks’ role in wealth management generally is already well under way.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Canberra

• First sitting week for new Prime Minister Scott Morrison after the leadership coup. Labor MP Emma Husar will also return to parliament, and the Greens’ Larissa Waters will be sworn back into the Senate.

• Farmers for Climate Action will hold a rally outside Parliament House to demand the federal government take action on global warming.

• Asthma Australia will host a “People with Asthma” event at Parliament House to educate politicians on the impacts of the long-term lung condition.

• Environment Minister Melissa Price will celebrate Threatened Species Day with some of Australia’s most threatened animals at Parliament House courtyard.

• Day one of the ANU Department of Pacific Affairs’s three-day biennial State of the Pacific conference.

Wagga Wagga, NSW

• Final results for the Wagga Wagga state byelection are expected to be released.

Adelaide

• The Public Service Association will stage a rally at Parliament House over cuts and privatisation measures in the SA budget, which is set to create a state-wide prison lockdown.

• School Library Association SA will hold a conference day for school library staff.

Melbourne

• Opening day of the banking royal commission’s hearings on insurance. Counsel assisting will give an opening statement, to be followed by first witness ClearView’s chief actuary and risk officer Greg Martin.

• Activists will mark World Suicide Prevention Day with a State Library vigil for three asylum seekers who recently died by suicide.

• The Victoria Racing Club will unveil the new $128 million Club Stand at Flemington on AAMI Victoria Derby Day.

• Day one of Fine Food Australia’s four-day trade exhibition for the foodservice, hospitality and retail industries.

• Day one of the National Tertiary Education Union’s two-day national public conference on the future of higher education.

• The Australian Nurses and Midwives Conference 2018 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Hobart

• Day one of the ABC and University of Tasmania’s two-day “Navigating the News” conference, with speakers to include ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania Professor Rufus Black; Director ABC News, Analysis and Investigations Gaven Morris, and more.

• Nominations open for Tasmanian local government elections. 

• The Mental Health Council of Tasmania will launch the Tasmanian Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Communications Charter at Parliament House to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

• Kingston Library will hold an in-conversation “Books Uncovered” event with author and pilot Stan Tilley.

Sydney

• Former prime minister and beyondblue chair Julia Gillard will unveil a sanctuary and sculpture where people impacted by suicide can reflect at Macquarie Park Cemetary.

• Former Liberal leader Dr John Hewson will launch “Social Return Accounting: Adding social returns to the politics of public spending”, a report outlining how to recalculate the politics of public spending in Australia, and around the world, using the NBN and the NDIS as case studies.

• NSW Rugby League Awards will be announced, including the Brad Fittler Medal for Player of the Year.

• Australian firefighters will return home after helping Canadian firefighting crews battle blazes on the country’s Pacific coast.

• Students at Concord High School and Kriti Sharma will launch the Invictus Chatbot via a Skype session.

• Inner West Council will host an in-conversation event with Phillipa McGuinness and Tim Dunlop, author of the new book The Future of Everything: Big Audacious Ideas for a Better World.

Brisbane

• Queensland Labor MP Joan Pease and the Commonwealth Women in Parliament will host “Smash the Ceiling 2018”, with speakers to include Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women Di Farmer MP; Shadow Minister for Women Ros Bates; and leadership development coach Amy Jackson.

• The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare will launch a new national clinical care standard on colonoscopy will on day two of the Australian Gastroenterology Week’s three-day conference.

• Brisbane City Council will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “Land for Wildlife” restoration program with an art show, Sharing land with wildlife.

• Chermside Library will hold an in-conversation event with author William McInnes.

Perth

• Day one of Research Week 2018 at Edith Cowan University.

• Subiaco Library will hold an in-conversation event with local author David Whish-Wilson.

Darwin

• The Social Policy Scrutiny Committee will holding a public briefing on the Interpretation Legislation Amendment Bill 2018, Electoral Amendment Bill 2018, Nuclear Waste Transport, Storage and Disposal (Prohibition) Amendment Bill 2018, and Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority Amendment Bill 2018.

Australia

• Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.