Whatever floats your boats

SUBS CASH SPLASH

The waves created by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to the US and the announcements regarding the AUKUS submarine treaty continue to roll out across Australia’s front pages. And the response from the major papers remains largely positive. “Our $368bn, missile-packed freedom fleet of submarines”, crows The Australian ($), saying the plan will “ultimately ­deliver two types of nuclear-­powered submarines with massive long-range strike missiles to help counter China’s growing military expansion”.

The commentary goes further, with Simon Benson approvingly noting that “the prime minister has sought to put his personal stamp on AUKUS, rewriting Labor’s previously damaged national defence credentials and, in the process, restoring the primacy of traditional pro-alliance right-wing Labor principles”. The editorial calls the pact a “fine display of respect and understanding” and Paul Kelly says: “Labor under the judgment of Anthony Albanese and the determination of Defence Minister Richard Marles has become a party of conviction in AUKUS.” And so on and so forth. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has insisted in an interview with Guardian Australia that China’s claim AUKUS would lead to an arms race is “not grounded in fact”.

The Nine papers have at least mentioned there’s some debate over the truly staggering sums of money — $368 billion for something that won’t enter the water for nearly 20 years, if all goes to plan. The Greens have said they will not support any budget cuts to help fund the increase in defence spending, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton — who was hardly going to oppose Labor’s passionate embrace of a policy launched while he was in government — asks only that the project doesn’t end up eating into the other things defence might want to spend money on.

[free_worm]

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

We’re getting the surest indication that NSW election campaign is properly up and running — candidates are having to walk back from some of their supporters or deny past indiscretions. The SMH ($) reports that teal candidate for the seat of North Shore Helen Conway has distanced herself from an attack ad put out by the Climate 200 group attacking her Liberal opponent, Felicity Wilson. Dubbing her “Duplicity Wilson” (a sobriquet borrowed from no less a progressive icon than Alan Jones), the flyer says she is “loose with the truth” and urges voters to “put Felicity last”.

Conway’s team said it had complained to Climate 200 about the flyers, and Conway put out a statement insisting: “I was not aware that Climate 200 were planning to distribute a flyer of this nature, and I did not endorse or provide authorisation for its distribution, and nor did anyone from my campaign team.”

Elsewhere, Labor’s candidate for Parramatta, Donna Davis, has made a sworn statement to The Daily Telegraph ($) denying allegations she made “racially charged comments” regarding two Liberal volunteers in 2021. We’ve already seen Liberal candidate for Wyong Matthew Squires disendorsed after his extensive (and seemingly pretty easy to find) history of homophobic, Islamophobic and anti-vax posts was revealed. Watch this space — there’s sure to be more to come.

CRIMES AGAINST UKRAINIAN HUMANITY

According to Reuters, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will soon seek its first arrest warrants against Russian individuals in relation to the war in Ukraine “in the short term”. This comes a year after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan opened an investigation into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the conflict. Over four trips to Ukraine, he has said he was looking into alleged crimes against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure. Now Khan, according to Reuters’ source, is expected to ask a pre-trial judge to approve issuing warrants against several Russian officials. The report doesn’t specify who or exactly when, but the alleged crimes could include genocide, said the source.

This development comes as the two sides are locked in grinding fighting and suffering heavy losses over the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. According to the BBC, the city has little strategic value — being neither a garrison town, a transport hub nor a major centre of population — but “has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin”.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

It’s one of the cast-iron tenets of decent journalism: always put in a request for comment, however unlikely a response. You never know your luck. Media reporter for Semafor Max Tani took such a punt when he noticed that News Corp proprietor Rupert Murdoch’s email address was in some of the filings concerning the defamation case News is facing at the hands of voting system Dominion. So, naturally, he sent him an email: “Hey Rupert,” Tani wrote. “I’m a media reporter with Semafor. I wanted to get in touch to see if you plan on watching the final season of Succession when it airs later this month, and what you think of the show. Thanks, let me know.”

Amazingly, he got a reply: “Never watched it.”

“It’s an interesting show,” Tani replied. “While I have you: how do you think Elon [Musk] is doing running Twitter?”

“Great!” Murdoch wrote. “Tough task but he will get there.”

With things getting progressively warmer, Tani decided to get a little less casual, asking whether Murdoch agreed with Fox host Tucker Carlson’s recent depiction of the protesters who rioted at Washington’s Capitol Building on January 6 2021 had been “peaceful and orderly”. And then: “Another one for you: have you been getting more inquiries over the last week since this email address was included in the Dominion suit?”

Alas, this was the point when the terse but polite correspondence from Murdoch ceased. On the plus side, thanks to the same court case that gave Tani his email address, we now have plenty of insight into Murdoch’s view on what his employees have had to say about the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath.

CRIKEY RECAP

Barilaro once threatened to sue a fellow Nat. Now her Liberal candidacy has sparked Coalition warfare

Anton Nilsson

Mar 14, 2023

8

“A feud inside the NSW Coalition once became so bitter that the deputy premier threatened to sue a party colleague, it can be revealed. Now the same schism has led to open electoral warfare between Liberals and Nationals, prompting the parties to run candidates against one another in a pair of regional seats while trading barbs in the media.

“Crikey can reveal that a grudge between the Coalition partners dating back to 2020 has played a large part in Liberals and Nationals battling it out in Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga in the March 25 state election.”

---

News Corp bosses laud diversity as staff encouraged to respect pronouns

John Buckley

Mar 14, 2023

2

“Staff were encouraged to put their pronouns into the internal record system in March last year, according to documents seen by Crikey. News Corp Australia’s company-wide cultural reform efforts come as it continues to deal with behavioural issues among the top brass of The Australian, the company’s most prized local publishing asset …

“For years, its Australian mastheads have railed against gender issues and the use of pronouns. In a 2018 story, Sky News host and Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt called government adoption of pronouns an ‘overreaction’ that would force people to walk on ‘linguistic eggshells’.”

---

‘Demoted’: Did Albanese put Plibersek in a fossil-fuel-friendly portfolio to dent her popularity?

Emma Elsworthy

Mar 14, 2023

20

“A new biography has renewed speculation about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s surprise decision to give Tanya Plibersek the environment and water portfolios, considered to be some of Parliament’s most complex — not to mention reputationally risky for the minister heading them.

“Was Albo making the most of Plibersek’s razor-sharp mind and problem-solving skills, or was it a political manoeuvre to charge his biggest leadership competition with tough, unpopular decisions during an era dominated by environmental outrage?”

SAY WHAT?

I think the idea of ensuring the taxpayers’ money which is paid is done properly is the principle. And I think that principle is right. But clearly how this was executed, on an industrial scale, failed that test.

Scott Morrison

The former prime minister appearing on 7.30 last night was pressed on whether it was fair to call the robodebt scheme “immoral”. He was asked three times, and could manage nothing much stronger than this.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

House Dems launch NY ‘war room’ for 2024 (Axios)

‘I know what I heard’: Teammate backs Latrell as Souths weigh up police options (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Zuckerberg’s Meta to lay off another 10,000 employees (The Guardian)

Scott Morrison’s GST deal on track to cost taxpayers $25 billion (The Age)

Live mic reveals McGowan’s private thoughts on Perth Mint (WAToday)

Stranglehold use by her cops ‘concerns’ Queensland chief Katarina Carroll (The Australian)

THE COMMENTARIAT

Like NDIS, AUKUS will get politically and financially tricky over time — Phillip Coorey (The Australian Financial Review) ($): “Defence Minister Richard Marles was right to describe as ‘modest’ the estimated $268 billion-to-$368 billion cost of acquiring, operating and maintaining a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines over the next 30 years. ‘You can take any ability of government and forecast it out to the middle of the 2050s, and you will get a large number,’ he said.

“By comparison at least. For example, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which is already costing a much higher than promised $34 billion a year, and rising to $89.4 billion in 2032, will cost more than $2 trillion over the same period as AUKUS if left unchecked. The stage three tax cuts, last forecast to be worth $254 billion over a decade, could cost as much as three times the AUKUS amount over 30 years.”

‘Your boobs are too big’: It’s no surprise expert women don’t want to go on TV — Wendy Tuohy (The Sydney Morning Herald) ($): “Imagine the dilemma of the professional woman dressing for a TV interview who must choose her outfit so carefully as to avoid someone emailing her whole organisation, including the CEO, complaining that her ‘boobs are too big’.

“She’s also aware that members of the public may inform them that their colleague is guilty of another, particularly female offence: the crime of being drab. ‘The challenge is, I’ve had comments for being too frumpy and too provocative,’ the woman said in research by Associate Professor Kathryn Shine from Curtin University and colleagues from the Australian National University, who are examining the gendered experiences of non-public figures who do media interviews.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Nationwide

• Australia’s leading climate scientists release a report on the extreme weather and climate events that lashed the nation in 2022.

Kaurna Country (also known as Adelaide)

• Former Liberal and independent MP Troy Bell is is scheduled to stand trial in the District Court on theft charges.

• South Australian Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison and industry leaders will discuss how the state can harness “revenge tourism”.

Yuggera Country (also known as Brisbane)

• Extinction Rebellion will march with a giant burnt koala through the CBD to Parliament.

• The QUT Business Forum will host Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia. The forum will be moderated by ABC journalist Ellen Fanning.

Eora country (Also known as Sydney)

• NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns will debate in an event sponsored by Nine News, the SMH and 2GB.

Whadjuk Noongar Country (also known as Perth)

• The 2023 World Indigenous Tourism Conference, which will focus on the theme ‘Tourism and Indigenous earth wisdom weaving the future that benefits all’ and feature speakers from Indigenous groups the world over.

Ngunnawal Country (also known as Canberra)

• Former prime minister Paul Keating will address the National Press Club.

Kulin Nation country (also known as Melbourne)

• The Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association will host keynote speaker and MP for Kooyong Monique Ryan to discuss gender equity in health at an International Women’s Day dinner.