Squiz Today – Friday, 7 December

SQUIZ SAYINGS

"I'm sorry that I mentioned your boyfriend on radio before you were Facebook-official."

Was Labor leader Bill Shorten's message to his daughter during his end of year speech to the parliament. No word on whether the apology was accepted…

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PARLIAMENT ENDS ON A SHRILL NOTE

THE SQUIZ
The last parliamentary sitting day of the year was always going to be fraught. But what went down in our nation's capital yesterday had even hardened hacks shaking their heads in disbelief. The tactical struggle between the Coalition Government and Labor/the Greens/many independents over counter-terrorism measures and border security was something else…

ALL I HEARD WAS NOISE. DECIPHER IT FOR ME.
We'll boil it down to the basics. While navigating the precarious situation that is a minority government, PM Scott Morrison and Co wanted two things out of yesterday:

1. To pass laws that would allow our security agencies to access the encrypted apps of suspected terrorists and other unsavoury characters in time for Christmas.

2. To avoid the government's first defeat on legislation in the House of Representatives in 90 years. That was on the cards with a proposal on moving people from Manus Island and Nauru to Australia gaining support from Labor, the Greens and many independents.

And after a lot of manoeuvring and heated debate, the Coalition achieved those goals.

HOW DID IT GO DOWN?
It was brutal. While throwing accusations at Labor leader Bill Shorten that his lot is soft on border security and terrorism, Team Morrison played the parliamentary day's timetable to its advantage (although some pundits say the government looked "hysterical" in doing so). A vote on changing the way refugees and asylum seekers come to Australia for medical care has been delayed (embarrassing defeat for the Coalition avoided, for now…) while Labor had little choice but to vote for the encryption legislation if it wanted to avoid being trolled by the Coalition over its ‘tough-on-terror' credentials. Where is this all going? If yesterday is anything to go by, it could be a shrill and nasty few months until we get to vote next year. And if that's not your cup of tea, you might consider putting some noise-cancelling headphones on your list for Santa…

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SQUIZ THE REST

WILSON WALKS
A Newcastle Court yesterday overturned former Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson's conviction for concealing child abuse that occurred in the 70s. Wilson always denied the accusation and yesterday was found by a judge to be an "honest witness" who did not want to "blacken the name" of his accuser. The 68yo was the most senior member of the Catholic Church internationally to be convicted concealing child abuse. The Crown will appeal the decision.

In other news from the Newcastle Court round… Bali Nine drug mule Renae Lawrence missed a court appearance yesterday. Reports say she is suffering from anxiety and depression. Lawrence, who spent 13 years in jail in Bali, is facing old charges over a high-speed car chase. The case was adjourned until January.

DAWSON EXTRADITED TO SYDNEY
Chris Dawson will plead not guilty to the murder of his wife Lynette Dawson. The former rugby league star/PE teacher yesterday faced court in Sydney where his lawyer voiced concerns about his client's chances for a fair trial due to "pervasive" reporting of the ins-and-outs of Dawson's life and times via The Teacher's Pet podcast. His lawyer yesterday maintained Lyn was missing, saying another extended Dawson family member walked out on her family 60 years ago and was only recently discovered to have established another life in New Zealand. Dawson's application for bail was adjourned until next Friday.

HUAWEI EXEC ARRESTED
China is demanding the immediate release of chief financial officer and deputy chairwoman of telco Huawei. Meng Wanzhou is the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. She was arrested in Canada a week ago and is facing extradition to the US. Reports say it could be related to accusations of violations of US sanctions against Iran. China has issued a ‘please explain' to America and Canada.

US MARINES MISSING
One US Marine has been rescued, another is dead and five are missing after a mid-air collision between a fighter jet and refuelling plane off the Japanese coast. The US aircraft were "conducting regularly scheduled training" when the "mishap" occurred at 2am local time on Thursday. Japanese and US forces have been working together on the rescue and recovery of the Marines. The incident adds to a growing list of US defence accidents around the world in recent years - so much so that Congress is looking into it.

SHINING UP THE GLOBES
That sound you can hear? Oscars buzz. Awards season is a'comin with the announcement of the nominations for the Golden Globes overnight. Stealing most of the attention is Lady Gaga's nomination for best actress for her turn in A Star Is Born. Bradley Cooper was also nominated for best actor and director for that flick. Bohemian Rhapsody and Black Panther are other blockbusters to get a nod. Our Nicole (Kidman) is also there for best actress in Destroyer. The full list of nominations is here.

FRIDAY LITES – THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
The office Christmas party – four words that will either excite or fill you with dread… Fascinating that this guide starts with the advice that you should attend even if you'd rather not instead of tips for keeping yourself nice around alcohol. Modern life, eh?

Get this. Britney Spears' perfumes have enjoyed US$1 billion in sales since launching in 2004. Incredible. This article unpacks her success and has some notes on the good and not so good celebrity scents. Note: apparently Spears' Curious fragrance is a winner. Who knew?

It's entertaining season, so it's time for something easy and delicious. Salmon rillettes is a favourite, and this recipe requires no cooking other than melting some butter. Tweek: we often use hot smoked salmon fillets like this for the texture. Make sure you have some crispy bickies or toasted, thinly sliced ciabatta or sourdough to load it on. Delish.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday
German Democrats vote on leader to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel

First anniversary of same-sex marriage legislation passing the Australian Parliament

Saturday
Anniversary of John Lennon's death (1980)

Anniversary of Metallica performing in Antarctica, making them the first band to perform on all seven continents (2013)

Sunday
Bob Hawke's birthday (1929)

Judi Dench birthday (1934)

Anniversary of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declaring victory over Islamic State in Iraq (2017)