Squiz Today – Friday, 13 January

THE SQUIZ
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has apologised for wearing the worst possible costume to his 21st birthday uniform-themed party nearly 2 decades ago. And when we say ‘worst possible’, it’s because if we said what it is, we’d be sent to junk, never to be seen again. You know we like to call it for what it is, so please forgive us… The 40yo Liberal leader fronted a press conference yesterday afternoon saying he was ‘fessing up following a phone call from an unnamed Cabinet colleague. Reports this morning say it was Veterans Minister David Elliott who warned him that there is a photo doing the rounds… Perrottet says he’s “deeply ashamed” of his actions, and it has caused “much anxiety” throughout his life. He also apologised to the Jewish community, holocaust survivors, veterans and their families. No photo of Perrottet in the costume has been published, and he says he doesn’t know if one even exists.

THAT’S NOT GREAT…
It’s really not. But he’s not the first and is certainly not the last… The US Holocaust Museum says that when people are found out, their explanations fall into the categories of ‘I meant no harm’ or ‘I didn’t know what it meant’. Perrottet’s response that he “just did not understand the gravity and the hurt of what that uniform means to people” is the latter… The Museum says that the burden “too often falls on Jews to explain why a photo, video, or costume is harmful or offensive”, and the focus should be on “why people don’t know more about the Holocaust and how that can change.” Yesterday, Perrottet said that because it was “something that I’ve had to carry with me for my life”, it had driven him “to do everything I could to help the Jewish community as a parliamentarian”. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies acknowledged his support and said it was “a reminder of the need to continually educate all Australians – and particularly our youth”.

WHAT WILL NSW VOTERS THINK?
Well, we don’t have long to find out… The state election will be held on 25 March, and Perrottet is seeking a rare 4th term. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the ruling partners in NSW… Perrottet came to the top job after Gladys Berejiklian quit last year because of a corruption probe that still hasn’t reported and won’t until after the election. The Nationals have had their own issues with former leader John Barilaro appointed and then dumped from a trade commissioner position in New York in a ‘jobs for the boys’ type scandal. The latest polls have Labor under leader Chris Minns ahead, but the pundits say there’s a lot to shake out as we start the year. Exciting, huh?

Albanese and Marape talk security during PNG trip

PM Anthony Albanese became the first foreign leader to address Papua New Guinea’s parliament yesterday during a 2-day visit. It’s also the first time an Aussie PM has visited since 2018, so Albanese was given a rockstar welcome when he touched down in Port Moresby, with a gun salute by the military and streets lined with Aussie and PNG flags. The visit aims to strengthen ties and lock down a landmark security deal. Albanese spoke with PM James Marape about a “family-first approach” (without explicitly naming non-Pacific family member China and its growing regional presence…) and hopes to finish negotiations by April. The pair also spoke about increasing trade and employment opportunities for up to 8,000 PNG residents in Australia. In a sign he knows his audience well, Albanese threw his support behind a PNG-based Pacific Islander team joining the NRL. What a sweet-talker…

Rounding up the documents…

One of the biggest legal challenges former US president Donald Trump faces relates to more than 300 classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in an FBI raid last year. This week, President Joe Biden has been drawn into a similar saga with 10 documents from his time as vice president found in an office he’d used after leaving the job. And overnight, the White House confirmed that more documents – a “small number” – were found at Biden’s residence in Delaware. He’s expressed surprise and says he doesn’t know what the documents relate to, but he’s cooperating with a Justice Department investigation. The mishandling of classified documents is a big no-no that can lead to criminal charges, and Biden had been scathing of Trump’s predicament. Meanwhile, Trump has wondered aloud on social media when Biden’s “many houses” will be raided…

Oz withdraws from Afghanistan cricket series

Cricket Australia (CA) has withdrawn from March’s scheduled men’s One Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan over the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls. CA made the decision following “extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Australian Government” after the Taliban cracked down on women’s and girls’ rights in recent months. Since the Taliban took control in 2021, Afghan women have been barred from playing sport, and many female athletes have gone into hiding if they haven’t been able to flee. In a statement, CA said it will “continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country”. Afghanistan is #9 in the ICC ODI world rankings and has earned a spot at the 2023 World Cup in India in October-November.

Vale Jeff Beck

The British rock pioneer known as the “guitarist’s guitarist” died at 78yo after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis. Rising to fame after replacing legend Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in 1965, Beck released a few hits during a brief solo career before forming the Jeff Beck Group. Featuring then-unknowns Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, the band’s 1968 debut Truth established a new rock sound that influenced genres like heavy metal and rockers Led Zeppelin. Known as an innovator with the electric guitar, Beck won 8 Grammy Awards during his decades-long career, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – once with the Yardbirds and once as a solo artist. Despite this, Beck wasn’t as big as many of his contemporaries – not that he minded, saying it’s a “really rotten place to be”. Former Yardbirds bandmate Jimmy Page said “Jeff could channel music from the ethereal”.

Don’t pass on the pasta

We’re not sponsored by the Pasta Association, but we’re not ones to pass up an opportunity to talk about it – particularly when someone says it’s good for you… A leading food scientist says it’s time we stopped hating on the carby goodness as it’s much better for us than many assume. Dr Emma Beckett from Newcastle Uni says pasta can be part of a healthy diet, with one cup of the cooked staple containing 7.7g of protein and 0.6g of fats, plus vitamins and minerals. And, yes, it is mostly carbohydrates, but that isn’t a bad thing as it’s one of several macronutrients we need every day to produce energy – presumably so we have the strength to cook more pasta… And if you’re worried about your calorie intake, the good news continues as studies show people who regularly consume pasta lose more weight than those who avoid it. So in the words of your nonna, Mangia!

Our ambition in 2023? To stop being late all the time. This article gave us some tips about unpicking why we’re that person…

We’re not saying we were total couch potatoes over the holidays, but we did binge both seasons of The Outlaws. Why? There for the crime comedy is writer/star/funnyman Stephen Merchant and Hollywood heavyweight Christopher Walken. It’s a safe bet if you’ve exhausted your obvious streaming options and can’t muster the strength to find (another) new show… Watch on Amazon Prime.

So we’re coming out of the gates red hot given pasta is the hero of the day. This carbonara cake is so epic that even Jamie Oliver calls is “slightly trashy”. We have no regrets…

6.30pm (AEDT) – Tennis – Australian Open practice match – Nick Kyrgios v Novak Djokovic – Melbourne

8.30pm (AEDT) – Men’s Hockey – World Cup – Australia v France – Bhubaneswar, India

ABS Data Release – Lending Indicators, November

Cycling – Tour Down Under begins (on until 22 January) – Adelaide

The Tamworth Country Music Festival begins (until 22 January)

Birthdays for actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1961), Patrick Dempsey (1966) and Orlando Bloom (1977)

Anniversary of:
• the death of Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon/Princess Margaret’s ex (2017)
• the false emergency alert warning of an impending missile strike on Hawaii (2018)