Squiz Today – Tuesday, 20 June

THE SQUIZ
It’s official: Aussies will have their say via a vote in the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum later this year after the Senate passed a bill yesterday to make it happen. PM Anthony Albanese said the referendum would be a chance for Aussies to “make history”. “It will be a moment of national unity, a chance to make our nation even greater,” he said. But not everyone is on board… Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash criticised the proposal – she says if Aussies vote ‘yes’ in the referendum, the Voice will open “a legal can of worms”.

WAIT, I THOUGHT THIS WAS ALL LOCKED IN?
Nope – and let’s regroup… Albanese announced plans for a referendum at the Garma Festival last July. Then, after months of consultation with Indigenous leaders, the government shared the preferred draft wording of the question that Aussies will be asked to vote on. The wording was included in the Constitutional Alteration Bill, which ticks the legislative boxes to allow the referendum to happen – and that’s the legislation that went through the House of Reps late last month before passing in the Senate yesterday. There was a standing ovation when it was voted through 52-19, and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said it was “the final hurdle” to clear. “Today, the political debate ends. Today, we can start a national conversation at the community level,” she said.

SO WHAT NOW?
We’re now waiting for Albanese to name the date when more than 17 million will vote. It must be scheduled between 2-6 months from now, with mid-October thought to be the preferred time given a rolling schedule of footy finals and school holidays. The ‘yes’ and ‘no’ camps will now ramp up their campaigns… The Coalition has given us a preview of the ‘no’ messaging – that a Voice would lead to regular High Court challenges and delay government decision-making. And on the ‘yes’, it’s about recognising the continent’s first people in the Constitution and listening to their voices on issues that impact them. Yesterday, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians/Yanyuwa woman Malarndirri McCarthy called on campaigners “to be mindful of the commentary and the conversations” they have in the coming months and to be respectful. Buckle up…

Questions about a migrant boat disaster

Pakistani officials yesterday said more than 300 of its citizens were among those who died after a migrant boat capsized off the Greek coast last week. The death toll hasn’t been confirmed, but the United Nations says more than 500 people are missing after 104 survivors and more than 70 dead were pulled from the water. On Saturday, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, said the disaster may be “the worst tragedy ever” seen in the Mediterranean Sea, and the UN is leading calls for an investigation into Greece’s handling of the disaster. Local officials say those in charge of the vessel refused help until just before the boat sank on Wednesday local time. But yesterday, the BBC cast doubt on those claims because the overcrowded fishing vessel – which was en route to Italy – was stationary for 7 hours before it capsized, indicating it could have been in trouble. The accused people smugglers are due to appear in court early this week.

Candid chats in China

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up his rare visit to China with a meeting with President Xi Jinping. The 35-minute get-together didn’t see progress made on Blinken’s top agenda item to reopen military-to-military communication channels to stop accidents from becoming armed conflict. The pair covered a plucked from the menu of global challenges, including the war in Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and climate change. Xi told Blinken that China isn’t seeking to “challenge or replace the United States,” but America “must also respect China and not harm China’s legitimate rights and interests.” And Blinken described the talks with Xi and top officials Wang Yi and Qin Gang as “very candid, very in-depth”. Next up: President Biden says he’s keen to talk to Xi in person. That could happen at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November in San Francisco – Xi is yet to RSVP.

Hackers like to MOVEit, MOVEit

It’s headaches all around at consulting firm PwC… If the scandal over misusing confidential government tax information wasn’t enough, the company has been caught up in a global data breach perpetrated by Russian-linked hackers. The hacking group “Cl0p” was able to access the servers of MOVEit Transfer – a service used by governments and corporations worldwide to send files over the internet. So far, the BBC, Shell, consultants EY, and British Airways have been caught up in the hack, along with many other companies… If it’s got you thinking about online safety, an additional push comes this morning from a new study by Telstra that found 78% of Aussies use the same password across more than one account, including pet names and fave sporting teams… For the love of all that is good and safe, get yourself a password manager…

Ski season saved

After a mild start to winter that left many asking what season we’re in, a cold front has brought a massive dump of snow to parts of southeast Oz. It’s music to skiers’ ears after a “lacklustre” start to the ski season earlier this month, with the Aussie Alps set to receive heaps of the white stuff over the week, including Perisher/Thredbo experiencing blizzard-like conditions yesterday morning. The cold front passed through Tassie and South Oz on Sunday night before moving through Victoria, the ACT and NSW yesterday, bringing “really chilly” conditions. But the weather bureau says the frosty weather will stick around in the southeast for the rest of the week – just in time for some rain…And just in case you’re wondering what the conditions are like in India… Two of India’s most populous states – Uttar Pradesh and Bihar – are sweltering through a deadly heatwave with temps hitting the mid-40Cs.

Top nods for top TV talent

The 2023 Logie Award nominations are in, and among the first-timers for a Gold Logie nod is ABC journo Leigh Sales. The Australian Story host has been nominated for TV’s most popular personality after calling time on her 12-year run on the current affairs program 7.30 last year. Sales said the nomination felt “surreal” and quipped that the “less people see me, the more popular I apparently am”. She’s up against 2-time Gold Logie winner Hamish Blake, host-of-many-shows Osher Günsberg, comedians Julia Morris and Shaun Micallef, Mystery Road: Origin actor Mark Coles Smith, and Dancing with the Stars host Sonia Kruger. Blake, Morris, Micallef and Kruger are also in the running for the Bert Newton Award for most popular presenter alongside The Block’s Scott Cam and the ABC’s Tony Armstong. And Foxtel/Binge drama miniseries The Twelveled the viewing nominations with 9. Whack it in the diary: the trophies will be handed out in Sydney on 30 July.

More than 1,300 dachshunds and their owners have congregated in Melbourne to snag a Guinness World Record for the largest dog walk by a single breed. Small dog, huge feat…

One economist has dissected the latest Bureau of Stats national accounts data to discover one unexpected trend: declining meat pie sales. Aussies might have burned the roof of their mouths one too many times…

And pop megastar Taylor Swift is set to release her song Cruel Summer as a single- 4 years after it debuted. The pandemic interrupted plans to release it as a single back then, but millions of fans have downloaded it in recent weeks. In 2023 it could be retitled Charmed Summer…

World Refugee Day

Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist announced

Birthdays for Brian Wilson (1942), Lionel Richie (1949), and Nicole Kidman (1967)

Anniversary of:
• Queen Victoria ascending the British throne at 18yo following the death of her uncle King William IV (1837)
• Samuel Morse patenting his telegraph (1840)
• the premiere of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975)