Squiz Today – Thursday, 27 January

THE SQUIZ

London’s Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into several parties held at UK PM Boris Johnson’s office and the British Government during the pandemic that may have breached COVID regulations. The investigation was launched after an internal inquiry led by civil servant Sue Gray passed information to authorities. Adding fuel to the fire, Gray’s report is expected to be made public this week. Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said the parties may have crossed the threshold for a “serious and flagrant” breach of the rules, which caused great concern to the public given the “huge sacrifices” people had made during the pandemic. In regards to the Met Police probe, a spokesman said the PM didn’t believe he’d broken the law.

SO HAS JOHNSON BEEN PARTYING IT UP?

Police won’t say exactly what’s being investigated, but several alleged breaches of the COVID rules have made headlines, including:

• A BYO booze garden party at the PM’s official residence on 20 May 2020. The “socially distanced drinks” was organised by Johnson’s private secretary, with 100 staffers and officials invited. Johnson has apologised for attending, but said he “implicitly thought” it was a work event. That would have been ok under the rules. 
• A “surprise” birthday celebration thrown by his wife Carrie in the cabinet room at 10 Downing St in June 2020. The PM’s office said he was there for less than 10 mins. Johnson ally/Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns said the gathering wasn’t a “premeditated party” but instead “he was, in a sense, ambushed with a cake.” Nigella Lawson had a bit of fun with that one…
• And on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral in April last year, staffers held 2 parties for departing colleagues. The next day, Queen Elizabeth was photographed mourning her husband of 7 decades by herself due to COVID restrictions.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Johnson could be interviewed as part of the Met probe, which would be totes awks. But on the politics, his leadership is in crisis. The PM faced a barrage of questions in the Commons overnight and said he wouldn’t resign, insisting his Government “gets the big calls right”. But colleagues have spoken out against him in Parliament, including former minister David Davis who said “in the name of God, go.” That heat will only increase with the Gray report’s release, and reports say many Tories are waiting on its findings before deciding what position to take. But for now, Johnson has the “unanimous support” of Cabinet according to senior Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg – maybe because anyone who doesn’t support him would be obligated to resign.

Alcott all go as Aussie of the Year

Tennis star Dylan Alcott has had to flick the switch to “tennis mode” after he was named 2022’s Australian of the Year on Tuesday night. He is the first person with “a visible disability” to receive the honour in its 62-year history. The 31yo quad wheelchair champ said he was stoked because his purpose is “not to win tennis tournaments, it’s to change perceptions so people with disability live the lives that they deserve to live.” And he didn’t waste the opportunity while all eyes were on him, calling for free rapid tests for people with disabilities. He takes the reins from last year’s winner Grace Tame, whose frosty encounter with PM Scott Morrison also made headlines. As for the other winners, St John Ambulance volunteer Val Dempsey was named Senior Australian of the Year, and Dr Daniel Nour was named Young Australian of the Year for his work in providing medical support to vulnerable Aussies. Shanna Whan, the founder of Sober in the Country, was named Local Hero.

Police appeal for information about Charlise’s death

NSW Police has released new details about the death of 9yo Charlise Mutten and called for new information due to “significant” gaps in the timeline of events leading to her murder. A post mortem revealed the Queensland schoolgirl was fatally shot before her body was dumped in a barrel near the Colo River west of Sydney. Police say it’s likely she was killed between 11-12 January on the Blue Mountains property belonging to the family of her stepfather Justin Stein, who has been charged. The 31yo is believed to have acted alone – police said Charlise’s mother was staying at a caravan park at the time of the alleged murder. CCTV footage showing Stein’s ute towing a boat – where police say her body was stored – was captured across multiple locations in Sydney on 13 January, and police need more information. Why Stein killed Charlise (allegedly) and why she was left alone with him are still being investigated. He is due to appear in court in March.

Oz weighs sanctions over Ukraine

New Aussie powers to seize property and deny the travel plans of international baddies could be deployed against Russians who are making trouble with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Marise Payne might impose “Magnitsky” sanctions against senior Russian officials, which would be the first time they’ve been used since becoming law in December last year. Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are running high with 127,000 of its troops massed on the border. Taking it a step further, US President Joe Biden said he’d consider sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin if an invasion occurs, which he said could amount to the “largest invasion since World War II.” If sanctions were placed on Putin, it would put him in the same class as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as far as the US is concerned. The Kremlin responded by saying that any sanctions levied against Putin personally wouldn’t affect Russia’s course of action on Ukraine. 

Inflation on the rise

As global supply chain disruptions and unmet demand continues to push up prices of fuel, housing and food, inflation has seen its biggest spike since 2014, the Bureau of Statistics says. Over the 12 months to the end of December, the consumer price index jumped 3.5% while underlying inflation jumped 2.6%. That’s within the Reserve Bank’s target rate of 2-3%, but above economists’ forecasts. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said despite supply issues, Australia’s economy is “remarkably resilient”, and our inflation rate is still below that of the US, the UK, Germany and Canada. But Labor Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said the latest figures show the cost of living is increasing while few are getting a pay bump. Cue discussions about whether the Reserve Bank will lift interest rates from the record lows of 0.1%, despite saying 2024 is the most likely timing for an increase. Given we’re seeing some inflation, some analysts reckon we might see it as early as August this year.

Sizing up the Aussie Open

We don’t want to jinx it, but Ash Barty is set to become the first Aussie woman to make the final of the Aussie Open since 1978 after easily defeating American Jessica Pegula on Tuesday night. Barty makes her 2nd Aussie Open semifinals appearance tonight; the world women’s #1 needs to beat American Madison Keys to get a crack at the title. It’s been 44 years since Chris O’Neil won the women’s singles trophy – she was the last Aussie sheila to do so. And while Barty’s game is strong, Keys is also on a roll so c’mon, Ash… The ‘Special Ks’ team of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis feature in the ​​men’s doubles semifinal this arvo on Rod Laver Arena ahead of Dylan Alcott’s quad singles final. Tennis Australia bowed to fan demand to move the matches to the bigger venue, such is the support for the men – particularly Alcott who retires from tennis after today’s match. There’s another Aussie doubles duo to look out for with Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden also making the semis. Last night world #2 Daniil Medvedev came back from 2 sets down to win a 5-set (and 4hr40) thriller against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime to move into the semis. 

John Lennon’s son Julian is auctioning off his personal stash of Beatles’ memorabilia – as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Winning bidders will receive a digital image of the item, plus a recording from Julian sharing a personal memory related to it. If we had a choice of buying Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to Hey Jude or a digital image of it with some chit-chat from Jude himself, we know where we’re landing… 

A new report from the World Wildlife Fund has identified 224 new species in the Mekong region of ​​Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. They include a slug snake that eats slugs and a ‘ghostly monkey’. Spooky… 

Speaking of things that can give you a fright, a 16th-century Scottish castle that once hosted Mary, Queen of Scots is up for sale. There’s no price listed (of course…) but the property is said to be haunted by the ghost of Sir Andrew Bruce, a baron nicknamed the ‘Bloody Bruce’. Yeah, nah…

10.00am (AEDT) – Cricket – Women’s Ashes Test – Australia v England – Canberra

From 12.00pm (AEDT) – Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne – broadcast on Nine. Watch out for Aussie doubles duo Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden at 2.15pm, the ‘Special Ks’ Nick Kyrgios and Thinasi Kokkinakis at 2.30pm, Dylan Alcott’s farewell match at the quad wheelchair singles final at 4.00pm, and Ash Barty at 7.30pm

8.10pm (AEDT) – Football – World Cup Qualifier – Socceroos v Vietnam – Melbourne

National Cabinet meets

ABS Data Release – International Trade Price Indexes, December 2021

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Anniversary of:
• the end of the Siege of Leningrad, which saw more than 2 million Russians killed (1944)
• the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Army (1945)
• the Apollo 1 disaster (1967)