GRIST FOR THE MILNE

Former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie withstood pressure from ABC chairman Justin Milne in May to fire chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici, outlined in correspondence between the pair after former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull sent a list of 11 complaints over innovation reporting to the ABC’s news director.

In emails leaked to The Sydney Morning Herald following Guthrie’s dismissal, Milne said the Coalition “hated” Alberici and told Guthrie, “Get rid of her. We need to save the ABC – not Emma. There is no guarantee they will lose the next election.” Turnbull’s innovation complaint was rejected by an ABC internal review, came months after Alberici’s infamous tax cut analysis, and amounted to the second of six official Coalition complaints within the space of five months.

Crikey has previously noted Milne’s radio silence during this period.

RUSHIN’ TO PRINT

Special Minister of State Alex Hawke has reportedly spent over $500,000 worth of public funds over the last few years on printing work done by his Sydney branch president and Liberal donor Rudy Limantono.

A BuzzFeed News investigation also reports that Limantono’s company, Zion Graphics, does not actually own a commercial printer, has no website or Facebook page, connects to a phone number registered at the family’s home, and, according to Liberal Party sources, outsources printing work to another organisation,

Neither Hawke, a centre-right ally of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, nor Limantono have commented on how much taxpayer money has gone into the business.

DIGGERS’ PLEA

A group of Australian veterans has issued Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton with a list of over 80 Afghan interpreters who worked for the ADF but still remain in the country and fear retribution from the Taliban.

The Herald Sun ($) reports that retired captain Jason Scanes has been advocating for his former interpreter “Hassan” for five years now, while other interpreters have either been killed or remain in hiding while their visa applications remain in limbo over security concerns.

[free_worm]

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any other administration in the history of our country. America’s — so true—

[laughter from world leaders]

Didn’t expect that reaction, but that’s OK.

Donald Trump

A day at the United Nations General Assembly gives many people the schadenfreude they have long, long desired.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Biloela girls and baby in on-shore detention showing ‘behavioural disturbance’Rebekah Holt

“Three small girls living in a heavily guarded unit within the grounds of a Melbourne detention centre are showing signs of mental distress. The girls are aged three years, 14 months and six months. All have been there for six months and senior medical professionals have raised concerns about all three.”

Who are the people lining up to replace Guthrie?Glenn Dyer and Bernard Keane

“There’s nothing like a good ABC story to send the media into frenzy, but the endless hot takes, chin-stroking and analysis we’ve had over the last 24 hours has added very little to what we knew when the ABC board first announced its sacking of Michelle Guthrie yesterday.”

Ramsay Centre spruikers know that Marxism is a Western philosophy, right?Helen Razer

“The miserable words of an online grudge club are not meant to be said aloud. ‘It is okay to be white’ is a motto horrid US teens write down. When a Queensland Senator says it with her voice, she sounds like your embarrassing mum. When Pauline Hanson warns of an attack ‘on Western civilisation’ she sounds more like Dad. But, how deep is her love for our Western traditions? As deep as a 4chan meme?”

This week from the New York Times

How Scott Morrison’s boat trophy burst into public view — and why it matters

Sick to your stomach? #MeToo

For hackers, anonymity was once critical. That’s changing.

The plot to subvert an election: unraveling the Russia story so far

Why the internet wants your baby to fail

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Child among 90 people deradicalised by Victoria’s extremist taskforce

Youth gangs linked to visa cancellations

Australia to set national targets to reduce waste

Australian Defence Force has paid $1.29 million for data mined from citizens’ social media accounts ($)

Secret papers detail Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s costly PR strategy

Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson ‘assured’ of safety of two children in the care of a suspected abuser ($)

Scott Morrison sets deadline for councils’ Australia Day plans ($)

Minister Guy Barnett announces nation leading legislation on PTSD

Morrison slaps down Nationals plan to introduce special farm labour visas ($)

Midland hidden camera footage behind calls for nursing home surveillance

Richard Di Natale calls for government-owned energy retailer to lower power prices ($)

Billy Slater cleared to play NRL grand final for Melbourne Storm against Sydney Roosters

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

The Latest Headlines

THE COMMENTARIAT

We will not accept Australia Day on 26 January without resistance — Claire Coleman (The Guardian): “We don’t want a celebration of how we ‘contributed’ to Australia, which is what Morrison called for, we want white people to stop celebrating the day they invaded us. If you think about it, we really did contribute to the wealth of the country because it was land stolen from First Nations people upon which the entire wealth of Australia was and is built.”

Going tobacco free in the world of high finance and UN politics ($) — Jennifer Hewett (Australian Financial Review): “When she realised her own default superannuation fund was investing in tobacco companies, she had found her target – the finance sector. That determination means Dr King will be standing at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday to promote ‘The Tobacco Free Finance Pledge’ with 85 global financial institutions and combined assets under management of more than $US6 trillion ($8.2 trillion) as founding signatories.”

How the ABC lost its way with digital stupidity — John McDuling (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Two days before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials, a short quiz appeared on the ABC website. ‘Can you tell the difference between a royal wedding hat and a chicken?’ proclaimed the headline. It was a perfectly harmless piece of content. But even fans of the ABC would admit it was not the kind of work the public broadcaster was set up to produce. And it’s symbolic of a widespread view the ABC has lost its way.”

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Canberra

  • Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale will present “Bad Faith: How government lost the people’s trust and how we win it back” at the National Press Club.

  • Shadow Charities and Not-for-profits Minister Andrew Leigh will speak in-conversation with the author of “No Place Like Home: Repairing Australia’s Housing Crisis” Peter Mares at ANU.

  • Opening day of the Evidence Based Policy Summit 2018, to run until Friday September 28th.

  • The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network will hold a “Neutrality and war powers reform – paths to peace for Australia?” forum at the ACT Legislative Assembly.

Melbourne

  • Federal Environment Minister Melissa Price will announce the next round of national recycling targets and a new nationwide recycling label at the Australian Packaging Covenant’s “Towards 2025” industry event.

  • A memorial will be held outside Victorian Parliament to mark ten years since the racially-motivated murder of 19-year-old African-Australian Liep Gony, to feature Liep’s mother Martha Ojulo and speeches against current racist political rhetoric in Australia.

  • AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, Victoria’s Sport Minister John Eren and AFL Premiership Cup ambassador Josh Gibson will launch the AFL Footy Festival in Yarra Park, to run until Grand Final day on Saturday.

  • Victoria’s Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney, RMIT executives and community sector leaders will attend a funding announcement for an NDIS Future Workforce Capability Project.

  • Lawyer and author Bri Lee, investigative journalist Kate Wild and constitutional lawyer and Uluru Statement biographer Shireen Morris will speak at Wheeler Centre event “For the Record: Power and Prejudice in Australia”.

  • Environmental activist will protest outside AGL’s Annual General Meeting against their proposed new gas import terminal in Westernport Bay.

Adelaide

  • Day four of budget estimates will hear from Minister for Industry and Skills David Pisoni, Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan, Minister for Education John Gardner, and Minister for Child Protection Rachel Sanderson.

  • Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgway will deliver “Trade, Tourism and Investment: our agenda to grow business in the Northern Suburbs” at a Northern Business breakfast event.

  • Robinson Research Institute and Healthy Development Adelaide will host “The Endometriosis Q&A” with panellists Liberal MP Nicolle Flint, gynaecologists A/Prof Louise Hull and Dr Susan Evans, journalist Libby Parker and embryologist Dr Ryan Rose.

Sydney

  • The 2018 NRL Dally M awards night will be held at The Overseas Passenger Terminal.

  • The ABS will release the statistics for causes of death in Australia for 2017.

  • Soldiers from both the Australian and Chinese Army will kayak through Sydney Harbour as part of “Exercise Pandaroo”.

  • Activist group “People of Warringah” will protest against a reported “Pulling the Plug on Paris” event with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Liberal MP Craig Kelly at Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

Hobart

  • Tasmania’s Legislative Council Select Committee will release its final report into the future management of the state’s irrigation, with head of the inquiry Tania Rattray MLC expected to discuss findings at a media conference.

  • A University Fellowship of Christians forum discussion on homelessness in Hobart will include representatives from Hobart City Mission, Orange Sky Laundry, Colony 47 Housing Connect, and the Tasmanian Prison Chaplaincy.

  • Historian Dianne Snowden will speak on her book Van Diemen’s Women: A History of Transportation to Tasmania for a “Tim Talk” event at Fullers Bookshop.

Brisbane

  • An EnergyLab “waste-to-energy” startup event at the Precinct will feature executives from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Waste Management Association of Australia, Landfill Gas Industries, and CDP Waste to Energy.

  • AEG Ogden chairman and chief executive Harvey Lister will speak at a State Library “Game Changers” event.

  • Local non-binary poet Rae White will speak at Brisbane Pride’s “Evening of Queer Literature” event at Avid Reader.

Perth

  • 31-year-old Matthew Hemsley will appear in court charged over the death of Julie Anne Cooper, whose body was found in a bushland grave in Perth’s southeast.

  • Author Liane Moriarty will speak in-conversation on her new book Nine Perfect Strangers with Sara Foster at Prendiville Performing Arts Centre.

Darwin

  • The Early Childhood Integrated Service Strategic Forum’s will hold a two-day “NT Together for Kids” conference.

  • Historian Dr Catherine Bishop will present “‘Misguided Crank’ or ‘Good Fella Missus’: Missionary Annie Lock” at Northern Territory Library.

New York, USA

  • New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend a United Nations General Debate and meet with UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hathaway.

Wellington, New Zealand

  • Local man Joshua Williams will be sentenced in court for stealing two toes from an exhibition of bodies, after being caught bragging about the theft on social media.