A senior Chinese diplomat in Canberra has blamed the Australian media and “totally ridiculous” security concerns for the breakdown in Australia’s relationship with China. Addressing an audience of business people at a Chinese Lunar New Year dinner, China’s deputy head of mission Wang Xining said the rising power would remember who was on its side during the bilateral dispute. More
A senior Chinese diplomat in Canberra has blamed the Australian media and “totally ridiculous” security concerns for the breakdown in Australia’s relationship with China. Addressing an audience of business people at a Chinese Lunar New Year dinner, China’s deputy head of mission Wang Xining said the rising power would remember who was on its side during the bilateral dispute. More
The Morrison government minister accused of raping a woman when he was a teenager will on Wednesday publicly declare his innocence for the first time after police investigating the matter said it was “now closed”. With Scott Morrison under unrelenting pressure to take action against him, the minister plans to make a public statement. He has sought legal advice following days of claims and after former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said everybody knew who he was. More
03.03.21. The Australian’s Ticky Fullerton says rules surrounding coronavirus vaccinations will be an “absolute mess” in businesses. “Safe Work Australia has sort of set out a few scenarios and guidelines, but they just reveal what a extraordinary liability that business actually are having to bear,” Ms Fullerton told Sky News host Alan Jones. “For example, if you are employing a workforce and somebody gets COVID-19 at work, you can be forced to pay workers compensation. “Now if somebody gets the flu at work you don’t have to pay compensation, but partly because of the great traceability and the ability to actually pinpoint where this COVID outbreak happened, this is now part of keeping a workplace healthy. “Now if you take the other view and say ‘well now that’s the case and we have got that liability, then we actually must get all employees vaccinated’, well then you’re up for discrimination.” More
South Australian Liberal MPs are refusing to back their own party’s extension of coronavirus emergency powers for fear it would permanently give the state too much authority that could be misused in the future. State Attorney-General Vickie Chapman wants to extend a number of pandemic-related arrangements and outlined proposed legislation to cabinet and then to the partyroom on Monday. The Australian understands that at least two MPs said they would “reserve their rights” on supporting the bill, while others questioned whether the proposed changes meant the Police Commissioner would continue to wield special powers as State Emergency Co-ordinator for the remainder of 2021. More
Georgia’s House of Representatives passed an omnibus bill that would reform a range of election rules, including over absentee voting, voter ID for absentee voting, time limits for voting, and more. The 66-page bill, HB 513 (pdf) passed the Republican majority chamber on a party line vote of 97-72 and is headed to the state Senate for further debate. More
Like them, Australia banned books like The 120 Days of Sodom, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Lolita.
It seems such a long time ago, so do many Australians realise that Australia still bans books?
The Peaceful Pill Handbook (2007) Philip Nitschke and Fiona Stewart; You: An Introduction (2008) Michael Jensen and No Game; No Life (Volumes 1, 2, 9) by Yuu Kamiya have all been banned in the last few years.
There is no doubt, in many minds, that anti-vax books will be banned soon.
There can never be a free society if any book is banned; they can be restricted to adults but should never be banned.
The really scary thing, however, is the story Michael Brown recently wrote about the world’s largest book store: More
iWish I hadn’t said that! ☺ More
A senior cabinet minister accused of rape has denied the allegations, and Scott Morrison has rejecting calls to stand him down and hold an independent inquiry. The Prime Minister, in his first comments on allegations which have engulfed the government, said he had raised the claims with the minister on Wednesday. More