Press Trump on China, Labor tells Morrison

September 17, 2019

(Translation appears in Arabic section)

Canberra - M E Times Int'l: Labor is demanding Scott Morrison remind Donald Trump that Australian livelihoods are at risk as a consequence of the US-China trade war.

The prime minister will fly to Washington later this week, before joining the US president for dinner at the White House.

"I'm sure Scott Morrison will be feeling very excited about going off and catching up with his mate Donald Trump," deputy opposition leader Richard Marles told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

NEW Fish Markets a Step Closer

Sydney: Visitor numbers to the new Sydney Fish Market are set to more than double to over five million a year, cementing the markets as one of Australia’s leading tourist attractions, and also as a driver of job creation and reinvigoration of the Pyrmont area.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes, today announced Government approval of a $750 million investment in the project.

“One in five international tourists to Sydney visit the existing Fish Markets and it’s the second-most visited attraction in Sydney behind the Opera House,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“In addition to the clear benefits for Pyrmont, the new market will be a boon for regional communities as a showcase for the very best seafood from along the NSW coast.”

NSW passes abortion amendment to prevent gender selection

Sydney: An amendment to the controversial abortion bill has passed the New South Wales upper house overnight. The legislative council agreed to pass an amendment that would see the NSW parliament publicly oppose abortions on the basis of sex selection. The watered-down amendment was introduced by NSW Finance Minister Damien Tudehope on Thursday night and passed 28 votes to 13. The state government is expected to create a framework of guidelines to prevent abortions on the basis of gender selection.

Govt to introduce tougher terror laws

Canberra: Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton would be given tough new powers to strip dual national terrorists of their Australian citizenship under strengthened national security legislation. The bill - to be introduced to parliament on Thursday - would lower the threshold for terror-related conduct and allow the laws to be applied retrospectively. Anyone who committed terror-related offences as far back as 2003 would be subject to the changes. Under the proposed legislation, Mr Dutton would be able to independently reverse and reject decisions made by the board in charge of revoking citizenship.

Shorten admits his climate policy cost Labor votes

Canberra: Former Labor Leader Bill Shorten has admitted his climate policy cost the party votes at the May federal election. Speaking to press, Mr Shorten broke his silence on Labor’s 45 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030. Mr Shorten said he believed voters wanted to see strong action to combat climate change, but admitted it would be arrogant if the party did not review its climate policy. "I want to promise the millions of Australians who voted for Labor in the hope of real action on climate change, that Labor wants real action on climate change," he said.

Budget balanced for first time in 11 years

Canberra: The federal budget is back in balance for the first time in more than a decade - falling just short of a surplus. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Mathias Cormann made the announcement on Thursday, revealing Australia’s healthy hip pocket to the nation.

Labor to oppose parliamentary inquiry into family law system

Canberra: Labor leader Anthony Albanese will vote against the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into the family court. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the inquiry into the system will examine a slew of issues, including custody disputes and exorbitant legal costs. Prominent conservative backbencher Kevin Andrews will chair the inquiry, with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson deputy chair. Mr Albanese said Labor “cannot support an inquiry” where the prime minister has “unilaterally” done a deal with Senator Hanson.

Pauline Hanson lashes family court 'liars'

Canberra: Pauline Hanson has launched an extraordinary attack against women who she claims are lying about domestic violence in the family courts.

The prime minister has selected the One Nation leader as deputy chair of a parliamentary inquiry into family law.

Senator Hanson says some women are making up domestic violence allegations or falsely accusing ex-partners of molesting their children.

"There are people out there who are nothing but liars and who will use that in the court system," she told ABC radio.

"Don't throw domestic violence orders against your ex-partners just to further your case or get control of the children."

Mckay Introduces Bill to Ban Property Developers From Sitting Around Cabinet Table

Sydney: NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay will today introduce a bill to outlaw property developers from sitting in cabinet, following the gross failure by the Premier to manage the conflict of interest posed by John Sidoti’s property empire.

Ms McKay will seek to amend the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act, which governs the Ministerial Code of Conduct, to strengthen integrity in public office.

Ms McKay supports any measures that improve the integrity of public office – including the one proposed today by the Premier to put a $100 cap on cash donations - and calls on the Premier to support Labor’s bill.

“I will do whatever it takes to restore the public’s trust in politicians and if that means banning property developers from sitting around the cabinet table then so be it. You can be a Minister or a property developer but you can’t be both.

“The Premier has been very vocal on cleaning up public life but to date she has done little about it. If she is serious then she will support our bill which will remove at a stroke the ability for an individual to make a fortune out of their privileged position,” Ms McKay said.

Currently, the Code of Conduct prevents Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries from being a director of a public or private company or any other business.

Joint Parliamentary Inquiry Into Family Law and Child Support

Canberra: The Prime Minister has announced the Government will undertake a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both the House and the Senate to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into the family law system.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the review would look at whether the current system, which is intended to support parents and children during the end of a relationship, is fit for purpose. 

“We want to ensure families can resolve issues as quickly and fairly as possible, so everyone can move on with their lives,” the Prime Minister said.

“This inquiry will allow the Parliament to hear directly from families and listen to them as they give their accounts of how the family law system has been impacting them and how it interacts with the child support system. 

Over 30 NSW homes lost to bushfires

Sydney: Bushfires have destroyed more than 30 NSW properties only weeks into the fire season as emergency services prepare for more unfavourable conditions.

The fire in bushland around Drake has been the most destructive, burning through more than 60,000 hectares and 16 properties since it started almost two weeks ago.

Thirty-four homes have been destroyed - 26 of those by the most recent fires - and another 13 have been damaged.

Govt should sacrifice surplus to build dams: Barilaro

Sydney: The New South Wales Deputy Premier is calling for the quick construction of new dams as the country battles devastating drought conditions and a depleted water supply. John Barilaro said the state government should be willing to sacrifice its budget surplus to get the job done. Shadow Infrastructure Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said after "six years of government inaction", it might already be too late. "It’s lazy from John Barilaro... they’ve had six years to do this and they’ve done nothing," he said.

Water storage capacity risks falling behind population growth

Sydney: The states are being urged to build dams as new analysis shows water storage capacity is at risk of falling behind population growth. The data suggests at current rates water storage per person in NSW, Queensland, and Victoria will fall by 30 per cent within a decade. Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud called on the states to take action. "The states have been responsible for urban water since Federation and should be taking the lead," he said. "They're just not keeping up with their growing populations. "This is not just about agriculture, it's about water security and food prices in our towns and capital cities."

Turtle-Ly in Need of Volunteers

Sydney: The NSW Government marked Biodiversity Month by investing $100,000 into NSW TurtleWatch, a research program run by volunteers to better understand the nesting behaviours of marine turtles and the threats they face.

Environment Minister Matt Kean said funding for the citizen science initiative is being provided by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program and will support the work of wildlife conservation group, Australian Seabird Rescue.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for residents to play a critical role in the conservation of marine turtles such as the Loggerhead and Green turtles,” Mr Kean said.

“The local community is encouraged to join the project by volunteering time to help gather vital data.

Between Iran and the West'

Melbourne: "A Melbourne academic has been sentenced to 10 years in a notorious Iranian prison on suspected espionage charges. Australian diplomats are pleading for the release of Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert - A University of Melbourne expert on middle-eastern politics who was arrested almost a year ago on secret allegations, believed to be related to spying." - The Sunday Herald Sun Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Dr Martin Drum said, "As academics, we're often in the business of looking at systems and critiquing them.