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Gooda ‘can’t separate compromise from capitulation’, Pearson says
Noel Pearson continues to be very critical of Mick Gooda for offering his view “executive government” should be removed from the voice proposal:
Mick’s problem is that he can’t separate compromise from capitulation. He thinks capitulation is compromise …
Mick Gooda’s intervention, all it does is of course is make the yes campaign’s job harder.
Pearson warned about the danger of giving “the whole game away” on the voice if campaigners gave in on removing executive government.
Key events
Survivors of child sexual abuse will be further supported as they seek help or make a compensation claim, AAP reports.
The social services minister Amanda Rishworth has today revealed an additional $142.2m funding boost over the next five years, to ensure survivors can access it in a timely and trauma-informed way.
Rishworth said the government’s priority was to make sure survivors did not face unnecessary delays.
This extra funding will allow more survivors access to free, confidential, practical, and emotional support for those applying or considering applying to the scheme.
Of the funding, $80.1m over the next four years will be dedicated to scheme support services, including tailored services for Indigenous and disabled people, and language assistance.
Yunupingu’s vision ‘elevated us all’, says PM in tweets paying tribute to Indigenous leader
Before he jetted off to Japan, the PM attended the public memorial for Gumatji leader Yunupingu in northeast Arnhem Land community where he was born.
Albanese said Yunupingu, who died on 3 April, “elevated us all”:
It’s often said we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Yunupingu was a giant who made sure we could. He lifted us up so that we could see as far as he did.
And what a vision he shared with us. A vision so grounded in all that was just and fair and right it elevated us all. pic.twitter.com/jISEaYhL0H
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 18, 2023
He walked in two worlds with power and grace, and he worked to make them whole.
Now he walks in another place, but has left such great footsteps for us to follow here in this one. pic.twitter.com/vq9TZgS2Sg
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 18, 2023
You can read more about the memorial from our Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam:
Dutton continues opposition’s criticisms of Labor budget
Dutton also continues the opposition’s main line of attack on the Albanese’s government budget, claiming it’s inflationary. Economists says otherwise but the opposition leader paints a bleak picture of “middle Australia” struggling:
I think in the budget for middle Australia, we have that whole class of people now [where] Labor is creating the essential working poor, working their guts out, barely keeping their heads above water.
‘It’s important that like-minded countries come together,’ Dutton says
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is appearing opposite Richard Marles, and says meetings like the Quad and the G7 are crucial:
It’s important that like-minded countries come together to express our commitment to freedom of speech, to freedom of navigation, to all of the values that have stood us well over a long time. And I think it’s an important optic for the world as well to see all of the leaders there.
Biden’s cancellation not a snub, Marles insists
The media is still trying to get the Albanese government to admit it feels bruised after Joe Biden cancelled his Australian visit for the Quad leaders meeting.
But deputy prime minister Richard Marles tells the Today show he wouldn’t describe what’s happened in terms of a snub:
You’ve got a leader of a country who is dealing with an urgent issue in terms of their domestic politics. It’s unfortunate. But it happens. It’s nothing more than that.
Marles emphasises that Anthony Albanese and the other Quad leaders will still be meeting on the sidelines of the G7, which he is pretty chuffed Australia has been invited to:
It says a lot about Australia’s standing in the world right now. It says a lot, I think particularly about our relationship with Japan, actually, given that they’re the hosts of this.
Australian doctor, 88, reunited with family after eight years in captivity in Mali
An Australian doctor has been reunited with his family after more than seven years in captivity in west Africa.
Dr Kenneth Elliott and his wife Jocelyn Elliott were kidnapped by extremists in northern Burkina Faso near the border with Mali in 2016. Jocelyn Elliott was released a month later in February 2016.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, says Elliott has been released “safe and well” after tireless work by the government and Elliott’s family.
Wong acknowledged the strength and resilience of Elliott and members of his family “through the most difficult of circumstances”.
The family said:
We wish to express our thanks to God and all who have continued to pray for us.
We express our relief that Dr Elliott is free and thank the Australian Government and all who have been involved over time to secure his release. We also continue to pray for those still held and wish them freedom and safe return to their loved ones.
At 88 years of age, and after many years away from home, Dr Elliott now needs time and privacy to rest and rebuild strength. We thank you for your understanding and sympathy.
Busy summit will boost Australia’s trade, Alabanese says
Anthony Albanese says he’s honoured to accept Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida’s invitation to take part as an outreach partner at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
Albanese says the “busy summit” will help boost Australia’s international trade:
This is a vital meeting at a vital moment for the global economy and our region, and it builds on the ambitious agenda for Australia we outlined in last week’s budget …
I’m proud to take Australia’s seat at a table that represents more than half a trillion dollars a year in trade – supporting Australian businesses, producers, jobs, innovators and industries …
A strong economy at home depends on strong relationships and engagement abroad.
One in four Australian jobs are related to international trade and we know jobs in export industries pay above the national average income.
That’s why my government continues to work hard to restore Australia’s reputation in the region, to engage constructively in multilateral forums, and to rebuild our national credibility on the entry ticket for modern international dialogue: a commitment to act on climate change.
China’s decision to resume importing Australian timber hailed
The agriculture minister, Murray Watt, says China’s announcement it will resume importing Australian timber is a “very positive step”.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, Watt says while he understands lingering concerns within Australia’s timber industry despite the ban being lifted:
It is an important market to resume connection with.
Watt also says China has given “positive signals” which should see the tariffs on barley lifted within three months:
As I understand it from Don [Farrell], having spoken to him last night, there were positive signals on the barley front. We would be hopeful that we could get that resolved within that three-month window. The next thing would be wine.
Police investigate alleged use of stun gun on 95-year-old woman
NSW police commissioner Karen Webb says she understands community concerns in response to yesterday’s news that police allegedly used a stun gun on a 95-year-old woman with dementia at an aged care facility.
Webb has released a statement:
My thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.
I understand and share the community concerns and assure you that we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness.
A Critical Incident Investigation is currently being conducted into the circumstances of the incident.
Gooda ‘can’t separate compromise from capitulation’, Pearson says
Noel Pearson continues to be very critical of Mick Gooda for offering his view “executive government” should be removed from the voice proposal:
Mick’s problem is that he can’t separate compromise from capitulation. He thinks capitulation is compromise …
Mick Gooda’s intervention, all it does is of course is make the yes campaign’s job harder.
Pearson warned about the danger of giving “the whole game away” on the voice if campaigners gave in on removing executive government.
When Noel met Julian
Noel Pearson is recounting a meeting with Julian Leeser two weeks ago.
(Leeser resigned as shadow attorney general after the Liberals decided to oppose the voice but still wants to see executive government taken out of the proposal.)
Pearson claims that during the meeting Leeser admitted that his proposed change to the voice – which Mick Gooda is also backing – wouldn’t bring anyone new onboard from the opposition:
Two weeks ago I spent a whole day with Julian Leeser, my old friend … and he made the case for revisiting this issue.
And I asked him, what happens if this is done, who in your party is going to come onboard if an amendment like this is made? And I told him that your amendment would actually gut the voice proposal, because it would remove … the most important function a voice would perform.
And he told me in all honesty that … no new people would come onboard [in the Coalition] if the change was made, but it may help with the overall vote.
Pearson says yes campaign proper is yet to begin
Former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Mick Gooda yesterday said the yes campaign leadership needed to compromise because the referendum was too important to fail and he fears that is.
Cape York Indigenous leader and co-architect of the Uluru statement Noel Pearson is this morning telling ABC Radio that Gooda is wrong.
Pearson acknowledges the situation is challenging but says the campaign proper is yet to begin:
We’ve been under heavy weather. I’ve been out in the ocean and we’re approaching the river.
And when you get to the river, the bar is rough. And we’ve been going through that process …
The campaign proper is yet to start. When this legislation passes, the parliament will be ready to start a long paddle up the river.
Paul Karp
Chalmers trumpets Labor’s economic achievements
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has released a statement trumpeting the government’s economic achievements on the (almost) one-year anniversary of the 2022 election.
They are:
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More than 330,000 jobs created since May 2022
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Wages growth of 3.7% in the year to the March quarter
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A forecast surplus in 2022-23, a dramatic turnaround from the $78 billion deficit we inherited from the previous government.
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A forecast Budget improvement of more than $143 billion over four years to 2025-26, compared to the Coalition’s 2022-23 March Budget.
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Legislated an emissions reduction targets of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050, and passed the safeguard mechanism
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Investing over $40 billion in our plan to make Australia a renewable energy superpower
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Cost of living relief on childcare, medicines, the jobseeker base rate increase, rent assistance, energy rebates and single parent payments
Chalmers said:
Australians have every right to be proud of what we have achieved together over the past year.
Unemployment remains near a 50-year low, wages have started moving again, and our economy is forecast to grow faster than any of the G7 major economies this year. We have begun the hard yards of getting the nation’s finances back on track, cutting debt and deficits as well as our interest bills.
At the same time, we’re delivering meaningful cost-of-living relief, investing in health, aged care and better government services, and laying the foundations for a stronger, more secure and resilient economy.
While many challenges remain, what we have managed to accomplish in these past 12 months only makes me more optimistic and ambitious for our economy, our country and our people.
The Albanese government will continue its work to improve the strength and sustainability of the nation’s finances and build a stronger and fairer economy that delivers more opportunities for more Australians.
Good morning!
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is on his way to Hiroshima for the G7 summit where Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and China’s economic coercion are expected to be on the agenda.
If you’re thinking – hang on a second, Australia is not part of the G7 – you are correct. Albanese is going as one of a number of “outreach partners” expanding the Eurocentric group.
Albanese will for the first time meet with Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, after a visit to Hiroshima’s Peace Park and the Atomic Dome with the city’s mayor today.
There will also be a last-minute scramble to assemble the Quad leaders to meet on the sidelines after US President Jo Biden called off his visit to Sydney, triggering the event’s cancellation.
Back home, the government has been told to draft laws to ban Nazi symbols after concerns were identified about the opposition’s legislation.
The Labor-chaired committee questioned how shadow attorney general Michaelia Cash’s draft bill would be enforced, whether it would stand up to a constitutional challenge and unintended consequences, included making martyrs out of Nazis.
In NSW the state government is moving to honour its election promises on gambling with related signage to be removed from outside pubs and clubs.
Staying in the state, you may have read this horrifying story yesterday that police allegedly used a stun gun on a 95-year-old woman with dementia, leaving her with a fractured skull. NSW police commissioner Karen Webb says she understands community concerns.
At sea, the search for 39 Chinese, Indonesian and Phippine nationals whose fishing boat capsized in the Indian Ocean is entering its third day.
Let’s get into it.
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