scott morrison

SAVE THE DATE?

Scott Morrison will this morning meet with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and is set to call a likely May 18 election later today — after a delayed announcement last weekend led to this week’s slate of last-minute government appointments.

The New Daily reports that Morrison, after spending the day in marginal Tasmanian seats and announcing new anti-activist laws for farmers, flew into Canberra last night ahead of today’s meeting. Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen last night also confirmed on Radio National that Labor reserves the right to review 11th-hour appointments if it wins the election.

NETANYAHU VICTORIOUS

Benjamin Netanyahu is set to become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that with 97.4% of the vote counted both Netanyahu’s hard-right Likud and closest rival, the centre-right Blue and White party have won 35 seats each in the 120-seat parliament.

While the the parties are deadlocked, Likud benefits from being part of a bloc of of hard-right parties which collectively have 65 seats, clearing the way for a Netanyahu government. 

HOLY MOLY

Nine radio dishes across the globe have captured the first ever image of a black hole, the historic result of a seven-year “virtual telescope” project aimed at photographing a phenomena that releases no light.

Following one of seven simultaneous press conferences around the world, the ABC reports that the image of cosmic monster Messier 87, located in our neighbouring Virgo A galaxy, shows a bright fringe of gas being squeezed and heated as it falls towards the unfilmable event horizon.

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THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

While other political leaders take the day off to march with union bosses — blocking the CBD — I’m having a sandwich at my desk, working for Victorians.

Michael O’Brien

The Victorian Opposition leader offers his own version of solidarity with the tens of thousands marching to “Change the Rules”.

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

A blustering Thatcherite rises from the crowd…

Apr 11, 2019

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“Bumptious as a regional manager, in big two-for-one horn-rim glasses, straining out of his suit, Mark Francois, member for Rayleigh, came to the lectern, and surveyed the audience. They were banked high in the lecture theatre of the Engineers’ building, an ancient stone’s throw from parliament.”

Can the ‘right-wing GetUp’ make a dent in this election?

Apr 11, 2019

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This week Advance Australia finally grabbed some media attention, unveiling a new mascot. The bizarre, widely mocked Captain GetUp is a man in an orange superhero suit, who aims to expose left-wing lobby group GetUp’s alleged foreign funding and links with Labor and the Greens … Yes Advance Australia has been raising money and attracting wealthy and influential supporters but can it really emerge as a serious rival to GetUp?

How print mastheads are beating the ABC in the podcast boom

Apr 11, 2019

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“As the podcast boom rolls on in Australia and around the world, the locally-produced offerings getting the most hype haven’t been those produced by the 86-year-old ABC, but by newspapers — relative newcomers to audio production.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

‘I have spoken with Joe today’: how the evidence contradicts Liberal fundraiser over Helloworld

Migrants may have to wait 56 years to bring their families to Australia

Labor’s 49pc tax rate to hit middle-income earners ($)

Adani still has a long march ahead before its Carmichael coal mine opens

Scott Morrison bills taxpayers $20K for a day at the cricket ($)

‘Extremely dangerous’, a ‘peanut’: Anthony Mundine slammed over anti-vaxxer stance

New safe zones floated to protect terminally ill patients from anti-euthanasia protesters

Revealed: Punters losing $11,803 an hour on Northern Territory pokies ($)

New Zealand gun laws pass 119-1 after Christchurch mosque shootings

Nearly 200 million people on our doorstep are about to vote for a new leader. Here’s why it matters to Australia.

THE COMMENTARIAT

Electric vehicle scare puts Morrison at odds with his party and Treasurer ($) — Anthony Albanese (The Australian): “If misrepresentation could generate energy, Scott Morrison’s inflated claims about Labor’s policy on electric vehicles would light up the world. The Prime Minister’s hysterical response to Labor’s announce­ment of a plan to remove obstacles to the take-up of EVs proves what many Australians must already suspect — he’s not much of a future thinker.”

Scott Morrison has a chance to hold on to marginal seats as John Howard did in 1998 ($) — Sharri Markson (The Daily Telegraph): “Just a week ago, the federal election campaign looked insurmountable for Scott Morrison. Bill Shorten seemed certain to be Australia’s next prime minister and Labor MPs have been guessing the size of the landslide, dreaming of a historic 20-seat victory.”

‘A disaster’: budget funds for couples counselling criticised — Jane Gilmore (The Sydney Morning Herald): “A single-line item in the supplementary papers to the recent Coalition budget has raised concerns in the domestic and family violence sector: there will be $10 million allocated to ‘Specialist Family Violence Services’, which includes “individual or couple broad-based counselling and dispute resolution services”.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

The Latest Headlines

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Sydney

  • Darlinghurst Theatre will host a candidates forum at Darlinghurst Theatre with Greens senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Labor senator Jenny McAllister, Independent MP Dr. Kerryn Phelps, Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman, and ABC’s Karina Carvalho moderating.

  • Lord Mayor Clover Moore will speak at a panel briefing on the City of Sydney’s Alternative Housing Ideas Challenge at Town Hall House.

  • The Centre for Independent Studies will host ‘China and Free Societies’ with John Lee, former senior advisor to foreign minister Julie Bishop, and acting director of the Australia China Relations Institute James Laurenceson.

Canberra

  • Strategist Hugh White will launch new anthology After American Primacy at ANU.

Melbourne

  • Hawthorn Arts Centre will host a Kooyong climate forum with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Labor’s Jana Stewart, Green’s Julian Burnside, independent Oliver Yates and others are listed to speak.

  • Shadow Assistant Treasurer Dr Andrew Leigh will present a Per Capita address on the budget at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers.

  • Political women’s advocacy group Emily’s List will hold a Great Gender Debate with teams headed by ALP Vice President Mich-Elle Myers and Victorian Labor MP Will Fowles.

Brisbane

  • The Grove will host Greater Brisbane Precincts Series discussion on Mt Coot-tha with Qld Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind, Channel Nine general manager Kylie Blucher, and Greens MP Michael Berkman.