Greens propose to reconvene inquiry into Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate’s dismissal
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is speaking now about the party’s proposal to reconvene the Senate committee into Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate’s dismissal. She says:
There is a serious question about due process. That’s what the Senate inquiry found. The majority report found there were serious questions about whether the process had been followed, whether Christine Holgate had been given an appropriate opportunity to respond. There were question marks over the behaviour of the prime minister just in the public reaction that he gave.
But now we find out that he actually was in an extra position of power and that was never disclosed at any moment or at any point. So it really does create an uncertainty over the lack of due process and the legality of whether Christine was removed.
Key events
What we learned, Monday 22 August
That’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s what we learned today:
-
The prime minister Anthony Albanese has said he will release legal advice regarding Scott Morrison’s secret self-appointments to various ministries while PM tomorrow. The release of the advice will come after a briefing Albanese received this afternoon.
-
Liberal MP Bridget Archer has welcomed the idea of an independent review into Morrison’s conduct, saying he should consider his position.
-
Former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate said she was ‘disappointed’ to learn that Morrison was secretly finance minister during what was supposed to be an independent inquiry into the controversy around her dismissal from the role.
-
The Greens have called for the inquiry to reconvene following revelations of Morrison’s secret appointment to the finance portfolio, which is a “shareholder” ministry.
-
Australian federal police have seized the largest shipment detected in Australia of the deadly opioid fentanyl. The shipment contained more than 5m potentially lethal doses of the drug, but was stopped by a joint operation with Australian Border Force.
-
Musician and Gunditjmara-Bundjalung elder Archie Roach, who died in late July, was farewelled on the streets of Melbourne this morning, escorted by the Southern Warriors Aboriginal Motorcycle Club – the beginning of his final journey to Warrnambool, where a funeral will be held.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning to bring you up to speed with all the day’s events. See you then.
It’s going to be a cold morning in New South Wales on Tuesday. Don’t put your woollies away just yet.
Tomorrow the feels like temperature is expected to be a few degrees below the forecast air temperature. While getting ready for work tomorrow morning is expected to be chilly? Wednesday morning is forecast to be colder with widespread frost possible. See: https://t.co/SPHgGeisGZ pic.twitter.com/kZc9gHmxbj
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) August 22, 2022
A poll conducted for the Nine newspapers has found that Anthony Albanese is by far the preferred prime minister over Peter Dutton, with 55% of those polled by Resolve Strategic preferring Albanese, and only 17% preferring Dutton.
They’ve also given the Labor party a 42% primary vote, up from 33% at the election in May.
Keep a look out tomorrow morning for Guardian Australia’s own Essential poll, covering a range of political and economic issues, including company tax and the shape of the economy.
Caitlin Cassidy
Lettuce back on the menu as price finally drops
The price of lettuce has finally dropped at major supermarkets from soaring highs of $11.99 to a modest $2.50, as vegetable stocks return following months of supply chain issues.
Shaun Lindhe, national manager of communications at AusVeg, said prices had gone down as the availability of produce increased, particularly in areas recovering from flooding events:
Over the last few months, we have seen good conditions in many vegetable-growing regions, as well as increased supply from growers heavily impacted by severe floods earlier in the year – particularly southern Queensland, which is a major vegetable production region in the winter months.
This is resulting in an increased supply and availability of vegetables, including fresh lettuce in the market.
Read the full story here:
In the wake of that fire on the outskirts of Darwin earlier this afternoon, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting severe fire danger for tomorrow in the Northern Territory.
Emily Wind
A woman is taking legal action against Aldi after she was injured at a Victorian store last year amid a “special buys” frenzy involving discounted TVs.
The 73-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, is seeking compensation after she was allegedly struck by another customer’s trolley and knocked to the ground during the heavily promoted sale at the Corio store in August 2021.
The woman was knocked to the ground and suffered a fractured hip, which required surgery. According to a statement of claim filed in the Victorian county court, the incident also left the woman with ongoing trochanteric bursitis, depression and anxiety.
Read the full story here:
Sorry not sorry to all non-Collingwood fans, but regardless of your team allegiance, this piece from Caitlin Cassidy on the highs and lows and chronic anxiety of being a sports fan is a lovely read – especially after Sunday afternoon’s epic match.
Eden Gillespie
Queensland inquiry into police responses to domestic violence reopens submissions to public
Queensland’s commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence has unexpectedly reopened submissions to the public, citing the reaction to evidence given by the state’s police commissioner as a driver for the decision.
Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, was interrogated for more than eight hours at a public hearing in Brisbane last week after she initially declined an invitation to attend.
The commission said it was contacted by a number of Queensland police service (QPS) members after Carroll “agreed” there were “significant cultural issues relating to sexism, misogyny and racism” within the force.
“After considering the answers to the questions put to [Carroll] at that hearing and upon receiving further communications from current and former members of the QPS … the commission has decided that it’s necessary to reopen call for submissions,” the commissioner, Deborah Richards, said during a brief hearing on Monday.
Read the full story here:
WA puts out call for hospitality workers to fill skills shortage
Not up for a holiday in WA? Perhaps you’d like to work there instead?
Western Australia is urging hospitality and tourism workers from the rest of Australia and New Zealand to consider moving to the state, as it grapples with a skills shortage ahead of summer, AAP reports.
The WA premier, Mark McGowan, announced a major campaign, Discover the Other Side, to attract chefs, wait staff, baristas, bartenders, managers and tour operators ahead of summer.
McGowan said:
Summer is the busiest time of year for our local hospitality and tourism industries, so the timing of this campaign is critical to help attract young workers to WA.
With our strong and thriving economy, relaxed lifestyle and great attractions, there’s no better time to make the move to WA and work in these high-demand industries.
As someone who relocated to WA for work in my twenties and has remained here ever since, I can safely say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
The campaign has been developed with key industry and government bodies, including Tourism WA and the WA Australian Hotels Association.
It builds on the state’s Life in WA campaign launched nationally last year to target skilled workers in the construction and manufacturing industries, which was expanded to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Aaand that bushfire warning has now been downgraded to “watch and act”. If you’re in the area, please keep an eye on the situation.
NT FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE MESSAGE: WATCH and ACT
LOCATION: Kirkland Rd, Wishart and Tiger Brennan
ALERT LEVEL: Watch and Act – There is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing. S…https://t.co/qozXV9UK0r
— SecureNT (@secureTerritory) August 22, 2022
The weekly Niño3.4 temperature anomaly just dropped to -0.74ºC after cooling continuously over the past six weeks. This is near the @BOM_au‘s La Niña threshold of -0.8ºC, increasing the likelihood that a La Niña will be declared in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/RYfVdSBGuz
— Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) August 22, 2022
Bushfire warning issued for south-east Darwin
An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire in Darwin’s south-east.
Secure NT says the blaze is spreading on one or more fronts and effective containment strategies are not in place for its entire perimeter, AAP reports.
The risk of loss of life or threat to properties is almost certain or has occurred.
Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service is primarily undertaking defensive strategies to protect lives and property.
Locals in the vicinity of Wishart and Kirkland roads have been urged to leave if it is safe to do so. If it’s not safe to leave, they should shelter indoors immediately.
Hanson-Young continues:
We as the committee, the Senate committee that hosted this inquiry, over many months, had the finance department in front of us a number of times. We had the Australia Post board and we had a whole raft of from the two shareholder ministers and their offices in relation to it. Not once was it disclosed that the prime minister himself [was] in a position of being a shareholder minister.
Greens propose to reconvene inquiry into Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate’s dismissal
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is speaking now about the party’s proposal to reconvene the Senate committee into Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate’s dismissal. She says:
There is a serious question about due process. That’s what the Senate inquiry found. The majority report found there were serious questions about whether the process had been followed, whether Christine Holgate had been given an appropriate opportunity to respond. There were question marks over the behaviour of the prime minister just in the public reaction that he gave.
But now we find out that he actually was in an extra position of power and that was never disclosed at any moment or at any point. So it really does create an uncertainty over the lack of due process and the legality of whether Christine was removed.
