Squiz Today / 18 August 2017
Squiz Today – Friday, 18 August
SQUIZ SAYINGS
“AWOK”
This is the highest praise you can get from revered/feared US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. It’s delivered via post-it note and is shorthand for “Anna Wintour OK”. Not so great is “keep trying”, “no”, or the worst - “see me”. Shudder…
PRAISE FOR STAND AGAINST HANSON’S BURKA STUNT
THE SQUIZ
As if to highlight the US State Department’s report this week that said Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is a threat to religious freedom in Australia, the party’s leader double-downed with a stunt in the Senate Chamber yesterday. Hanson entered Question Time dressed in a black burka, dramatically removing it when called upon to ask a question. Cue widely-praised response from Turnbull Government Attorney-General George Brandis...
WHAT HAPPENED?
Here’s an edited transcript for you to see for yourself.
Pauline Hanson: …Terrorism is a true threat to our country, and many Australians are very much in fear of it. What I would like to ask on behalf of the Australian people - considering a large majority of Australians wish to see the banning of the burqa…
George Brandis: …I would caution you and counsel you, Senator Hanson, with respect, to be very, very careful of the offence you may do to the religious sensibilities of other Australians. We have about half a million Australians in this country of the Islamic faith, and the vast majority of them are law-abiding, good Australians. Senator Hanson, it is absolutely consistent being a good, law-abiding Australian and being a strict-adherent Muslim… To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments is an appalling thing to do, and I would ask you to reflect on what you have done.
WHAT’S THE REACTION BEEN?
It’s fair to say that George Brandis isn’t much loved by his political adversaries, but Labor, the Greens and other crossbenchers gave him a standing ovation yesterday. It was quite extraordinary to see and almost never happens. Footage shows he choked up with emotion as he admonished Hanson. For all the bluster, heat and noise that comes from Canberra, these moments in Parliament are notable. Expect this episode to be reflected on and dissected for days to come.
SQUIZ THE REST
VAN TARGETS PEDESTRIANS IN BARCELONA
At least 13 people are dead, and some reports say 80 people were injured in another ‘low tech’ terror attack, this time in Barcelona, Spain. A rented van zig-zagged at speed through a pedestrian mall for several hundred metres in the tourist area of Las Ramblas. Witnesses say the driver was targeting people causing hundreds to stampede through the shops in their rush for safety. Police have arrested one man but it's not clear if he was the driver. Reports say Islamic State have claimed responsibility.
SIXTH POLLIE CAUGHT IN CITIZENSHIP CLUSTER-DISASTER
Another day and another Turnbull Government minister/Nationals pollie is in trouble for holding dual citizenship. Senator Fiona Nash, who is the deputy leader of The Nationals, announced to the Senate last night that she is a British citizen by descent (through her Scottish father) and her standing will be referred to the High Court for decision. She said that she doesn’t intend on standing down from her executive positions or from Parliament for the same reasons Barnaby Joyce hasn’t.
UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS BUT JOBS LOST AT CADBURY
Jobs were up in July with our unemployment rate falling to 5.6%, down 0.1% from June. However, it was one of those mixed results - full-time jobs fell by 20,300, and part-time work increased 48,200. Overall, we've had the strongest five-month performance for five years with 189,000 jobs added in the period (that's about 1,000 new jobs a day). The national trend wasn’t much solace to Cadbury workers at the Claremont factory in Tassie with the news that 50 jobs will be cut by the end of the year. Parent company Mondelez said it is investing $75 million in the plant over the next 18 months and it hopes the redundancies will be voluntary. We wonder if one of those yuuuge 10kg Dairy Milk blocks is part of the leaving package…
LAWRENCE INCHING CLOSER TO BALI JAIL RELEASE
Bali Nine member Renae Lawrence is the most prominent Aussie locked up in an Indonesian jail to receive an Indonesian Independence Day sentence reduction. Lawrence had a further six-months cut from her 20-year sentence, and she could be free from as early as mid-2018 if she pays a $100,000 fine. Three other Australians received three-to-four month reductions.
DOWN DOWN, COLES PROFIT IS DOWN
Wesfarmers’ full year earnings were out yesterday for the last financial year – the attention-grabber was supermarket chain Coles’ profit was down 13.5% to $1.6 billion. That’s the first profit drop in 10 years. The supermarket sector is very competitive at the moment with Woolies pouring profits into lowering prices and Aldi continuing to strengthen their market share. Bunnings’ profit was up 10%, and Kmart’s earnings were even better with a 17.7% boost. They would be happy that the market wasn’t much fussed by the result with minimal impact on their share price.
Telstra on the other hand really bothered the market – its share price fell by more than 10%, which is a five-year low. This was because profits were down and it is cutting the dividend payout from 100% of profits to a range of 70-90%.
QUICK SPORTS NEWS WRAP
WINX SET FOR A WIN - ‘Sooo excited’ is the vibe for horse racing enthusiasts for the return of Winx in Saturday's Warwick Stakes at Randwick. She has won 17 consecutive races and bookmakers have her as a $1.08 chance to extend that winning run on Saturday. Gai Waterhouse this week said that Winx is; “…a remarkable racehorse that you just dream of having.”
BLEDISLOE CUP GAME ONE - That’s a rugby union thing between the Wallabies (Oz) v All Blacks (the nation rejected by Barnaby Joyce). There’s not a lot of hope the Wallabies will take the win on Saturday night but we can dream, right? The last time we won the Bledisloe Cup Dawson’s Creek was a thing.
AUSSIE WINS MONGOLIAN DERBY – It’s the toughest horse endurance race in the world and 29yo Ed Fernon (who is also an Olympic pentathlete) has taken equal first. The race is quite amazing – it’s 1,000km of fast paced riding on semi-wild horses (that they change every 40km) and sleeping under the stars. It took Fernon seven days to complete. We bet he has some amazing saddle sores…
FRIDAY LITES – THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
With the marking of Elvis Presley’s death 40 years ago this week, some reflection on The King was appropriate. We started to become quite interested in Presley after watching the movie Nixon and Elvis last year – a whole chapter of history we’d missed (it's a fun movie BTW). Anyway, this Rolling Stone article from 1977 on his death and funeral is worth a read if you’re feeling lonesome tonight.
Look, we don’t know who Claire Trehearne is, but her 40th birthday party looks remarkable. Step through the wardrobe and into a world where posh Brits party like it’s 1980. Make sure you read the intro – like it’s all totally normal…
US Instyle’s Best Beauty Buys for 2017 – it’s a source of wonder for us. What do you do with all that stuff?
SQUIZ THE DAY
Friday
Company Earnings Announcements - Primary Health Care and Yancoal
Saturday
3.00pm (AEST) - Winx racing in the Bob Ingham Warwick Stakes - Sydney
8.00pm (AEST) - Wallabies v All Blacks - ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Henley on Todd Regatta - Alice Springs
International Orangutan Day
Start of Children's Book Week (on until 25 August)
Sunday
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