That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today – thanks so much for joining us. Here is a wrap of the day’s biggest stories:
Anthony Albanese has said it would be “entirely inappropriate” for politicians to direct the national integrity commission to investigate a matter, after the Coalition opposition called for further scrutiny on Brittany Higgins’ compensation payout.
The high court has pressed the Catholic church to explain why it didn’t have an adequate opportunity 50 years ago to investigate the extent of a priest’s abuse of children, given there were “red flags everywhere” about his crimes.
Scott Phillip White was sentenced to nine years in jail for the manslaughter of Scott Johnson, who fell to his death after White punched Johnson at a well known gay beat in Sydney in 1988.
The ACT Legislative Assembly passed laws banning unnecessary and irreversible medical procedures for people born intersex, in an Australian first.
An LGBTQ+ event that was being planned for St Kilda library has been cancelled amid threats from far-right groups. It is the second LGBTQ+ event in Pride month and at least the 13th since December last year to not go ahead.
Trade between Australia and China increased by nearly 20% in the first five months of the year, according to the Chinese customs agency.
A police officer is in a critical condition after being run over and dragged underneath a car in the early hours of the morning in Perth.
Australia’s talks have stalled for a trade deal with Europe that would give Australian producers access to a market with a GDP of $20tn.
Independent Zoe Daniel has welcomed the government’s ban on Nazi symbols, but said more action is needed to combat antisemitism and extremism:
Our federal and state governments must continue to monitor antisocial developments to ensure that these important steps are not circumvented.
Federal government's ban on Nazi symbols a welcome step, but more action is needed to combat anti-semitism and extremism. Our Federal and State governments must continue to monitor anti-social developments to ensure that these important steps are not circumvented.#auspolpic.twitter.com/WSks8ZsJvJ
Victorian LGBTQ+ event cancelled amid threats from far-right groups
Cait Kelly
An LGBTQ+ event that was being planned for St Kilda library has been cancelled amid threats from far-right groups. It is the second LGBTQ+ event in Pride month and at least the 13th since December last year to not go ahead.
The event with Dean Accuri AKA Frock Hudson was targeted by groups after a flyer advertising the event was posted online by fringe actors.
In a statement, the City of Port Phillip’s CEO, Chris Carroll, said the event hadn’t yet been approved:
A drag storytime at St Kilda library was under consideration as one of these events but had not been approved when a draft flyer for the event was shared with some parents at a library branch yesterday.
Following a thorough risk assessment, which included security and safety concerns, our Pride month program was finalised today. Full details will be made available soon on our Port Phillip library service website.
Due to security and safety concerns, and to avoid any disruption and distress to young participants and their families, staff and other library users, we will not be holding this event in person. Our drag storytime will instead be made available online for interested families.
Carroll said because of the current climate of hate directed towards the LGBTQ+ community, the library would be “proceeding with events differently”.
We condemn the hate speech directed to our council, staff, councillors and the performer on this topic. We greatly value our large LGBTQIA+ community and will be celebrating Pride month in June with several events.
Australia firm on feta as EU trade talks hit roadblock
Australia is willing to walk away from a possible free trade deal with the European Union despite there being a “lot at stake”, the agriculture minister, Murray Watt, has admitted. AAP reports:
The EU has been pushing for geographic indicators which would stop Australian producers from using names such as parmesan, feta or prosecco to label products.
While trade talks were set to be paused with the EU after the impasse, Senator Watt said an agreement had been reached to continue negotiations.
Speaking on ABC Radio, Watt said Australia was being sensible in calling for geographic indicators not to be used:
What we’re asking for is perfectly reasonable, especially when you compare it to what other countries have been able to negotiate with the EU.
It’s an emotional issue for Australian producers because we’ve had a lot of migration post World War II from Europe to Australia that has seen our producers ... bring their own products from their home countries and make them here.
Victorian Bar supports Indigenous voice to parliament
The Victorian Bar has said it supports an Indigenous voice to parliament after it took a poll of its members to determine its position.
In a statement it said:
The Victorian Bar considers that the amendment proposed by the bill for an act to alter the constitution is sound, appropriate, and compatible with Australia’s system of representative and responsible government which would be enhanced by the voice.
7-Eleven delivery service closer after Seven’s legal loss
Seven Network has failed to hold onto the 7NOW trade mark, opening the door for 7-Eleven to use the same brand name to launch a food delivery service in Australia.
The win ends a two-year long legal spat between the two firms to keep hold of the 7NOW mark which the broadcaster had owned since August 2013.
Overseas, 7-Eleven runs a food and alcohol delivery and pick-up service using this brand via its website and phone app.
On Thursday, the firm successfully deregistered Seven Network’s trade mark in the Federal Court, removing one barrier to the launch of its delivery service in Australia.
Filthy and overrun with rats: Banksia Hill detention centre in ‘acute crisis’, inspector finds
A damning inspector report into the troubled Banksia Hill detention facility has found “every element” of the centre is failing, with “young people, staff and a physical environment in acute crisis”.
The report from the inspector of custodial services, Eamon Ryan, was released on Thursday, but was provided to the Western Australia parliament on 8 May, one day before to the most recent riot at the detention centre. Inspections were carried out in early February 2023.
Ryan said the daily staff shortages were unprecedented, the staff attrition unsustainable and recruitment was not able to keep pace:
The help these young people need and the effective rehabilitation they require are exactly the types of interventions (education, programs, recreation, training, family reconnection and general health and mental health) that have been most heavily impacted by staffing shortages and increased lockdowns.
Equality Australia calls on all states and territories to ban unnecessary medical procedures on intersex people
Equality Australia has called on Australia’s states to follow the ACT’s lead banning unnecessary and irreversible medical procedures for people born intersex.
ACT passed the laws earlier today in an Australian first.
Equality Australia wrote on Twitter:
This is a fantastic result after years of tireless campaigning by intersex individuals and organisations. Now it’s time for all other states and territories to follow the ACT’s lead.
Congratulations to the ACT Government passing Australia's first laws to protect intersex people from unnecessary medical treatment without their consent. The news laws were passed unopposed by the ACT Parliament this morning. pic.twitter.com/MEE5jm8TDu
Victim’s brother calls for NSW police reform regarding crimes against LGBTQI+ people
Johnson said the evidence showed police aren’t doing their job with respect to crimes against LGBTQI+ people.
There is no hate crime unit in the New South Wales police. The parliamentary inquiry that led to this special commission said that the New South Wales police had failed in their duty to investigate these historical gay hate crimes. And they’re still failing.
It’s inescapable to me that that New South Wales Police needs some reformin how it deals with LGBTQ crimes and their families.
Scott Johnson’s brother: ‘hundreds of victims and dozens of other deaths’ ignored by NSW police’
Steve Johnson is speaking outside of the NSW supreme court responding to the sentence of Scott Phillip White to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of Johnson’s brother, Scott Johnson, in 1988.
He said his brother, who fell to his death at a known gay beat at the time after he was punched by White, shone a light on how poorly police investigated the deaths of gay men decades ago.
They demonised my family by calling us obsessed.
We’ve learned from the commission’s proceedings the New South Wales police had a long contrived plan to go on a television program and defend their investigative work and to cast doubt on our family and on my brother and to try to reinforce their original assessment of suicide.
Australians could see that Scott’s case wasn’t the only one. There were hundreds of other victims and dozens of other deaths that had gotten similarly ignored by the police.
Victorian Liberal leader won’t meddle in Warrandyte preselection
The Victorian Liberal leader, John Pesutto, won’t intervene to ensure a woman is preselected for a pivotal byelection in Melbourne’s north-east, AAP reports.
Liberal nominations for the Warrandyte byelection closed on Wednesday after it was brought on by the veteran MP Ryan Smith’s decision to quit politics next month.
Men account for 21 of the Liberals’ 30 members in Victorian parliament after the expulsion of outspoken upper house MP Moira Deeming.
The state opposition leader has previously said he is open to gender quotas for the 2026 state election, but suggested the preselection pick was out of his hands:
We obviously need more women in the parliament.
But all of our preselections are matters for the members, and they guard that power, as they should, very carefully.
PM apologises to Toto Albanese after rubbing the ears of another dog
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has apologised to Toto Albanese, Australia’s first dog, after he was spotted rubbing the ears of another dog by the pupparazzi in Sydney earlier today.
The PM clarified all pats were part of official business, opening the new Animal Welfare League adoption centre in Sydney.
Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
Anthony Albanese during the opening of the Animal Welfare League NSW in Sydney. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
Sorry Toto 🐶 Made some friends while opening the new Animal Welfare League adoption centre in Sydney today. pic.twitter.com/kYgqKUsYd1
We saw Albanese earlier in the day donning his hi-vis at Western Sydney airport, confirming the trend Guardian Australia identified last election that giant cheques are on the way out, while hi-vis workwear and photos of dogs are on the rise:
Queensland emergency housing gets major funding boost
Crisis accommodation will be given a $64m funding increase to boost emergency housing across inner-city Brisbane, AAP reports.
The extra funding will be handed down in the next week’s Queensland budget and spent purchasing and leasing crisis accommodation sites in the inner-city, including hotels and boarding houses.
The treasurer, Cameron Dick, said the boost would be part of a spending package firmly focused on reducing cost-of-living pressures on Queensland families.
He told reporters today:
This new accommodation will help purchase, lease and support the operation of emergency accommodation for vulnerable Queenslanders.
That includes Queenslanders who are homeless, who are at risk of homelessness or who are escaping domestic and family violence.
AMA concerned about declining funding for specialist fees by Medicare
The peak medical body says it’s concerned about the new data which Guardian Australia reported today which shows the declining proportion of specialist fees funded by Medicare.
The Australian Medical Association says without investment, the problem will only get worse.
New data from @aihw shows a drop in the proportion of specialist fees funded by Medicare, meaning patients are often faced with increasing out-of-pocket fees on top of long waits. Without investment this will only get worse.https://t.co/doKLk27JyY
Shrinking trade surplus poised to drag further on economic growth
Much of the focus of late has naturally been on the domestic economy, but what’s going on outside Australia has a big bearing on overall growth. (Just ask Jim Chalmers whose budget benefited hugely on commodity prices remaining well above treasury’s overly conservative forecasts.)
Anyway, as we noted in yesterday’s March quarter GDP report, trade subtracted 0.2 percentage points from quarterly growth, which itself came in a weak 0.2%. (Net exports fell, which refers to the difference between exports and imports, not actual nets.)
Net exports were shaved 0.2pp off March quarter GDP, and trends in this quarter suggest a negative contribution is likely for April-June too. pic.twitter.com/wnbqSnWM59
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) June 8, 2023
Today, we got details for April – and the trend continues.
Seasonally adjusted, the surplus shrank by $3.66bn in April, or about a quarter, to $11.16bn from a revised $14.82bn for March. Exports for the month fell 5% while imports rose 1.6%.
Commodity prices bounce around of course but they were generally been coming off their recent peaks, although the red dirt variety has been holding up better.
As Westpac notes: “Commodity prices fell by a further and sizeable 6.8% in May, pointing to a likely additional move lower in export earnings.”
AMA says influenza and Covid shots can be given at the same time amid rising flu cases
The AMA says the effects of the latest Covid-19 wave are being made worse by the rising number of influenza cases.
The Department of Health and Aged Care recorded 17,277 flu cases between May 15 and May 28, which was more than double the previous fortnight’s total.
If you’re worried how you’re going to space out the two shots, don’t be – Robson says Covid-19 boosters and flu shots are safe to administer at the same time.
We are seeing a significant spike in the number of flu and Covid cases, making this a potentially dangerous winter, particularly for elderly and immunocompromised people.
Having a Covid-19 booster and a flu shot at the same time is an effective and safe way of ensuring you are protected from both viruses.
Robson said while children under five years of age aren’t badly affected by Covid-19, he stressed influenza can be extremely serious for them. “So it is crucial they get their flu shots as soon as possible,” he said.
Read more about the rising cases of respiratory illnesses across Australia from our medical editor Melissa Davey and data editor Nick Evershed here:
