Suffer the little children…

CHURCH AND STATE

The Queensland government is providing taxpayer-funded indemnity to 18 religious organisations to cover child abuse claims, Guardian Australia reports, because insurance companies won’t go near them any more. In 2021, the time limit that stopped many historic child abuse victims from getting justice was scrapped, and new claims spooked insurers. Without insurance, critical out-of-home care and youth homelessness services such as Anglicare Southern Queensland could be at risk, the government says, and victims could miss out on compensation (though one might raise an eyebrow at an insinuation the church couldn’t afford to pitch in). It comes after Catholic Church Insurance claimed it would be forced to close without a big injection of cash, as Brisbane Times ($) reports, but Archbishop Timothy Costelloe quickly released a statement saying the church was committed to ensuring general insurance coverage continues.

Staying in Queensland, and the government will pay healthcare workers $70,000 to relocate to the Sunshine State, The Daily Mail reports. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says staff shortages are being made tougher to fix because of “all- time high … global competition for health workers”. So how does it work? Healthcare workers will get $10,000 when they start, and $10,000 a year later, but practitioners who go bush will get another $25,000 after three months, and another $25,000 after a year. Not too shabby. Meanwhile, metro GPs say the new incentive for doctors to bulk bill ($20.65 bonus a patient) won’t change out-of-pocket fees (between $45 and $50) for most of their patients because they still can’t cover their costs, The Age ($) reports.

CLIVE PALMER SUES AUSTRALIA, AGAIN

United Australia Party founder Clive Palmer is suing Australia again — or his company Zeph Investments intends to, to be precise. Guardian Australia reports the two new claims were revealed in the budget papers — they’re investor-state claims, where foreign investors sue a country (Zeph is Singapore-based). We don’t know exactly what they are — the budget listed the “two other potential claims” as contingent liabilities — something that could cost our budget’s bottom line, as the paper explains. The Attorney-General’s Department says the claims aren’t related to Zeph’s other claim which seeks $296 billion for an alleged breach of the ASEAN free trade deal after WA rejected his Pilbara iron ore mine. (Speaking of trade — we might be about to see all our trade restrictions with China lifted, Trade Minister Don Farrell said via the ABC.)

It seems WA is leaving sulky mining billionaires in the past and embracing the new forms of power: one of the world’s biggest batteries will be installed in Collie, The West Australian ($) reports, boasting 500 megawatts of power. It’s part of the $2.8 billion package for WA’s green energy transition, revealed in today’s state budget release. There’s another battery too — a 200MW one in Kwinana — which will be switched on in the coming weeks. Together with 210MW of wind generation, Premier Mark McGowan says his state’s energy will be set up for “decades to come”.

WATCHDOG CHIEF HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

Victoria’s construction watchdog chief has quit after it was revealed Victorian Building Authority inspectors had done hundreds of “inspections by iPhone” instead of attending sites, The Age ($) reports. The iPhone scandal came even though the watchdog had received legal advice for almost two years warning virtual inspection might breach the state’s Building Act. Yikes. However, chief executive Sue Eddy did not give a reason for her resignation and it followed a note to staff about her taking personal leave due to a family matter, the paper qualifies.

Speaking of scandal-plagued exits — the NSW Nationals would forfeit $1.1 million over eight years if they give MP Ben Franklin the boot, the SMH ($) reports. The Nats get $138,000 a year under a NSW Electoral Commission fund for endorsed members of Parliament, which reimburses them for admin costs. But they were livid about Franklin taking a plum promotion to president of the upper house, calling it “treachery” after it gave Labor a majority. Party chair Andrew Fraser says he is still getting advice over whether to refer his own to corruption watchdog ICAC after the Nats all agreed no member of the opposition should be in presiding positions in either chamber.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

More than 500 starry-eyed chooks with dreams of being Australia’s Next Top Chicken have put their best claw forward in an online competition. It attracted some 70,000 votes before the “pecking order was established”, as the ABC reports, with “fluffy chooks, skinny chooks, chic chooks, haute couture chooks” and even chooks that swim. So let’s meet some of the contenderrrrrs! There’s a Belgian d’Uccle-cross called Harold (a rooster, but don’t be so plucky about it) who wears a pink and purple mini tutu as he accompanies owner Kelly Gan to her job at a Melbourne vet clinic each day. Gan found him injured and dumped on the side of the road and lovingly nursed Harold back to health. That’s when she realised he had stolen her heart. Harold can’t walk, but he’s “just full of love”, Gan says.

Then there’s Jolene, a “basic” ISA Brown, and a simple gal with no “fluffy plumage, proud afros, downy feet or intricate patterns of some of the other entrants”. She’s classy, owner Susanne Dubreuil from Caboolture says, and her glamour speaks for itself. Did it ever — she attracted 5500 votes, winning her the Top Chicken crown. Reflecting on her glory, Dubreuil says it may be because Jolene is a “henfluencer” with a bit of a social media following. She even gets fan art, and a couple of people have written songs dedicated to her. It’s probably the puns, Dubreuil continues, that write themselves: “She’s definitely an eggs-traordinary chook.” But the competition is not about beauty, organiser Ros Russell says. It’s about diversity: “Any chicken is beautiful.”

Wishing you the confidence of rooster in a tutu today.

SAY WHAT?

Life is very surprising.

Nyunggai Warren Mundine

Mundine’s Recognise a Better Way and Fair Australia (supported by opposition Indigenous Australians spokesperson Jacinta Nampijinpa Price) have merged, right after the Recognise a Better Way got DGR status that allows people to make tax-deductible donations — a big incentive.

CRIKEY RECAP

Rupert Murdoch could be forced to appear before royal commission, Greens say

JOHN BUCKLEY

“The inquiry would set out to probe whether Australia’s regulatory framework is fit for purpose, and investigate the impact of media ownership laws on media concentration in Australia. If the bill gets up, an inquiry would report to Parliament, not the government.

“It would also scrutinise the relationship between the media and government, whether fear of retribution in the press has hampered the creation of public policy, and mount a case for establishing a single, independent media regulator to “harmonise news media standards” and handle complaints.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Embattled US Rep George Santos arrested on fraud, money laundering charges (Reuters)

French actress Adèle Haenel quits film industry over ‘complacency’ towards sexual predators (euronews)

Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza Strip ‘negotiate ceasefire’ (The Guardian)

Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran hold high-level talks in Moscow (Al Jazeera)

Former PM Imran Khan appears before judge amid uproar in Pakistan (The Guardian)

Dangerous conditions persist as hot weather threatens to worsen Alberta’s wildfires (CBC)

US inflation below 5% for first time in two years (BBC)

THE COMMENTARIAT

My people’s plea to Australia: send ‘Swiss Army knives’ — Vasyl Myroshnychenko (The SMH) ($) : “Described by some as a ‘Swiss Army knife’ vehicle, the NASAMs-integrated Hawkei would, for example, provide the cutting-edge air defences to Ukrainian troops. It could also be used for intelligence and reconnaissance, command and control and other applications. The good news is that there is an oversupply of Hawkeis right now. The bad news is that overly bureaucratic rationales are being offered for why the Hawkei cannot be used — and in fact tested — in Ukraine.

“Further Bushmasters and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) would also be extremely useful for moving forwards quickly to end the war fast, including as part of an overall plan we have suggested to the government that can give structure, continuity and surety for mutual benefit … The window is now. Ukrainian preparations are nearly complete. NATO and Ukraine’s other allies are working well together through the Ramstein format for military aid co-operation. The number of modern air-defence and artillery systems and tanks that Ukraine has access to is reaching the necessary amounts. Russia is poised for defeat and its dictator for containment and irrelevancy.”

If the budget ditched the stage three tax cuts, Australia could save every threatened species — and lots more — Sarah Bekessy, Brendan Wintle and Rachel Morgain (The Conversation): “The budget also contains $28 million to develop a much-needed national climate risk assessment, which includes risks to biodiversity. But a far greater investment will be needed to adapt to these risks. And $439.2 million was committed over five years to support programs that repair world heritage properties, restore Ramsar wetlands and conserve threatened species and habitats. This is a continuation of existing funding for natural resource management.

“Overall, the budget spending does not represent the substantial increase to existing funding needed to halt biodiversity declines or recover threatened species. Research suggests Australia must spend $2 billion a year to save its 1900 most-imperilled species. And an additional $2 billion a year for 30 years could also restore 13 million hectares of Australia’s degraded land. Meanwhile, the cost of adequately conserving our world heritage areas and Ramsar wetlands is not yet known.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Yuggera and Turrbal Country (also known as Brisbane)

• Journalist Antonia Case will chat about her new book, Flourish, at Avid Reader bookshop.

Kulin Nation Country (also known as Melbourne)

• Fiona McLeod KC will speak about how we can use the law as a vehicle for good in a lecture at the Kwong Lee Dow Building.