News update for Tue 9 April 2024
Your trusted guide to the top independent news and views of the day...
Welcome to your TrueNorth news update where every weekday afternoon we share selected articles from Australia’s independent news media sector.
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Scroll down for today’s news and views…
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here - and through 6 News here
BREAKING NEWS: Tanya Plibersek rejects Toondah harbour project over impact on globally significant wetlands - The Guardian
‘Forever chemicals’ of the modern world that will not go away - The Mandarin
Scientists are warning that the environmental impact of a group of more than 14,000 human-made chemicals known as Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been seriously underestimated and likely surpass the limits for safe human consumption.PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not degrade. They have been widely used since the 1950s for common applications where heat resistance or water, grease and stain resistance is required.
Bridget McKenzie’s office wanted ‘sports rorts’ funding tripled to pay for target and marginal seat priorities - The Guardian
Bridget McKenzie’s office proposed tripling funding for the “sports rorts” program to deliver “priorities for target and marginal” seats after consultation with MPs and senators, new documents confirm.After a three-year freedom of information battle, the Greens have secured the release of colour-coded spreadsheets related to the community sport infrastructure grant program and the “talking points” document prepared for McKenzie to pitch to the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, to expand the program from $30m to $100m.
Read more from Paul Karp for The Guardian
The Lehrmann interview (Taylor's version) - 7am Podcast
Former Channel Seven producer Taylor Auerbach has given extraordinary evidence at Bruce Lehrmann’s trial against Channel Ten over defamation. Auerbach’s evidence is significant enough that the judge sensationally reopened the case, and it could impact the final verdict – but it has also led to explosive allegations that ask questions of the entire Australian media. So, what has Auerbach alleged and why has he come forward now?
Listen to Rick Morton for The 7am Podcast
Crossbench is Labor’s real opposition - Pearls and Irritations
Albanese’s practice of preferring to govern and legislate through deals with the coalition rather than with Greens and Independents is plainly because of a theory or strategy of what is in Labor’s long-term interests. It presumably includes the fear that Labor itself could atomise, as the coalition has done, if the influence and power of strong independent voices, and, in the Greens the risk of an alternative left-of-centre governing party is given encouragement. Better the devil you know in two-party contests.
Read more from Jack Waterford for Pearls & Irritations
The death of aid workers in Gaza sparks global outrage and a rethink of Australia’s diplomatic stance with Israel - New Politics
In the wake of the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza, a storm of controversy and outrage has developed, not only for those directly involved but also the response—or lack of response—by the Australian government.
Also read > Please help stop the war on children in Gaza – appeal by paediatricians and child health experts - Pearls and Irritaitons
Also read > Paul Bongiorno: Australia on collision course with Israel after Zomi Frankcom’s death changes everything - The New Daily
Cartoon by First Dog on the Moon for The Guardian
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here - and through 6 News here
Hyperlocal News: Every Tuesday TrueNorth features news from a hyperlocal publisher.
Report reveals high levels of antibiotic in wild fish at Tasmanian salmon farm - The Tasmanian Times
Tasmania’s largest salmon company, Tassal, has revealed wild fish at one of its salmon farms contained antibiotic residues at almost five times the allowed level.
In another case, there were low-level antibiotic traces in wild fish caught more than seven kilometres from another Tassal salmon farm.
Two monitoring reports published by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in January show Tassal used 368.5 kilograms of a controversial antibiotic to control disease outbreaks at the two salmon farms last year. There was no public notification when the antibiotics were used or when the monitoring reports were released.
Read more in The Tasmanian Times
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Anthony Albanese is setting himself up as the fossil fuel export king of Australia - Renew Economy
In a break from tradition, Australia’s government dropped some good news in the days before the long weekend Easter break. It’s a time usually reserved for ‘taking out the trash’: dropping news items you don’t want covered by journalists eager to clock off for their holidays.
Australia’s government says it wants to build solar panels, instead of importing most of them from overseas – and is funding a boost for local manufacturing of solar:
While they don’t mind handing cash to support renewable development or deployment in Australia (generally a good thing) this doesn’t reduce any desires they have to continue exporting coal and gas to other countries.
Read more from Ketan Joshi for Renew Economy
Tasmania produces a very proportional result - The Tally Room
The recent Tasmanian election was very interesting and complex to follow, right down to the final preference distributions, but it also did a good job of translating votes into seats.
The House of Assembly was expanded in size from 25 to 35, and with that became a system more likely to produce a highly proportional result.
Now that the results have been finalised, it’s clear that this was a very proportional translation of votes into seats.
If we just start by looking at the 2024 results by party, they line up quite neatly.
Read more from Ben Raue for The Tally Room
Also read > JLN Confirms Working on a Deal to Support Liberal Government - Tasmanian Times
Details of defence deal with Israel kept under wraps to protect Australia's 'reputation' - ABC
Details of an agreement struck between Australia and Israel on defence industry cooperation will not be released publicly over concerns the information could damage Australia's "international relations".
Scrutiny of military relations with Israel has intensified since last week's air strike on an aid convoy in Gaza, which killed Australian Zomi Frankcom, along with six other humanitarian workers.
Eight charts on how Australia’s population is growing – and changing - The Conversation
People form the foundation of society, determining all manner of things from housing needs to economic wellbeing. And population characteristics can tell us much about how the inhabitants of a place have changed over time and where the population might be headed in the future.
Australia’s population now numbers around 27 million. On its own, however, this figure says little about our demography. Unpacking Australia’s population composition reveals the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.
Read more from Dr Liz Allen for The Conversation
News Corp is the agenda-setting opposition. That’s bad news for women — and the Liberals - Crikey
The response to Labor’s appointment of a (gasp) woman as governor-general is a case study demonstrating how the right’s supply chain of nasty noise is targeting an audience of “angry young men”. And it’s forcing an increasingly blokey Liberal Party to follow along.
Read more from Christopher Warren for Crikey
The young and the assetless - The Politics
Democracy does indeed rest on certain rules and norms, including – especially in Australia – the idea that it is possible to live a good life. But as both Ken Henry and Jordan van den Berg (Purple Pingers) point out, Australia’s social compact now appears to be at breaking point, with younger Australians feeling increasingly screwed over by a system in which older generations are allowed to hoard resources, and governments refuse any attempt to even the scales.
Read more from Rachel Withers for The Politics
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Quick Links…
The Lehrmann defamation case, journalist values and the MEAA Code of Ethics - Pearls and Irritations
Big business in Australia faces less competition than almost anywhere else - John Quiggin’s Blog
Regional Australia needs health workers and teachers – but it has to have childcare first - The Guardian
News Gamification - ABC’s Media Watch
Let’s be sceptical of the right-wing culture war on fact-checkers - Crikey
Bernard Keane's Canberra and playwright David Williamson on our housing crisis - Philip Adams for ABC’s Late Night Live
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here - and through 6 News here
Share your views on Australia’s media landscape through TrueNorth’s short survey
You’re up to date for Tuesday the 9th of April. See you tomorrow!
TODAY’S BREAKING NEWS: See all the breaking news of the day through The Guardian here - and through 6 News here