Squiz Today – Thursday, 2 November

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“I don’t know how to explain it.”

But Jenny Morrison gives it a go – perhaps a UFO was responsible for the bright green dot in the middle of a saucer shape in her pictures of the sky over Queensland’s Fitzroy Island. Apparently, FNQ is a UFO hotspot as well as being the country’s biggest consumers of rum*. What a coincidence!
*We have no evidence for this statement whatsoever. Call it a hunch..

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NEW YORK TERROR ATTACK DEADLIEST SINCE 9/11

THE SQUIZ
Eight people died and 11 were injured yesterday when 29yo Uber driver and Uzbek national Sayfullo Saipov drove a hired ute down a busy bike path along the Hudson River in Manhattan. Siapov’s rampage ended when he turned down a street and hit a school bus. He then took to the road by foot brandishing pellet and paintball guns. Witnesses say he was shouting “Allahu akbar” (Arabic for “God is great”) before police shot him in the abdomen. He is expected to survive surgery. Five Argentines and one Belgian are among the victims. The Argentine government said those killed were part of a bigger group in Manhattan celebrating the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation.

WHAT’S KNOWN ABOUT THE ATTACKER?
Saipov was in America on a green card and had been working in Paterson, New Jersey. He is understood to have a wife and children. Reports say he was on the radar of anti-terror agencies and handwritten notes indicating an allegiance to Islamic State were found in his vehicle. Reports this morning say he appears to have been in contact with people who are subject to terrorism investigations and that he had been planning the attack for weeks.

WHAT’S THE REACTION BEEN?
US President Donald Trump tweeted; “I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!” There has been no clarification as to exactly what the orders relate to, but Trump said overnight that he wants an end to their lottery visas and replace it with a "merit-based" program. Uber said Saipov had passed its background check.

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EMBRACING FLEXIBLE WORK

PRESENTED BY COMMTRACT

Newsflash: Balancing work and family is hard. Ok, we admit that’s not such new news. But for many, embracing flexible work arrangements is. Commtract’s Amanda Purdie – a working mum with 20 years experience in PR – has written about making the shift from a full-on/full-time career to pursuing exciting and flexible opportunities in the world of part-time and freelance work.

Check out Commtract – an online marketplace for communications professionals - if you're thinking about getting more flexibility into your comms career.

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SQUIZ THE REST

SAINSBURY’S PLEA DEAL ACCEPTED
South Australia’s Cassie Sainsbury will serve six years in jail in Colombia after a judge accepted her plea deal this morning. She will also need to pay a fine of $90,000, and with good behaviour, she could be out in just three years. Her lawyer said there is also a possibility that in six months time she could be eligible for home-based parole if she can establish a base in Bogota. That’s pretty good given she was facing 30 years in jail if found guilty of smuggling charges. Sainsbury was arrested in April for attempting to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine out of Colombia.

PARRY GAINS BRITISH CITIZENSHIP, LOSES SENATE SPOT
Apparently not content with the prospect of using his new British passport to take advantage of shorter queues at Heathrow airport, Tassie Liberal Senator Stephen Parry told his colleagues he was heavy-hearted about discovering he is a dual British citizen. Parry won’t stick around to fight it in the High Court. He’s resigned and is destined to be replaced by Richard Colbeck, a former senator who was pushed to an un-winnable spot on the ticket at the last election despite his standing as a government minister. Quoting former US President Abraham Lincoln, Parry signed off; "I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me." Who’s the next batter up?

NO MORE STANDING ON SOLID ROCK
From 26 October 2019, visitors to Australia’s Uluru will not be allowed to climb the iconic natural wonder. The date was chosen for two reasons:
1. The two-year notice period will allow tourists who have booked trips to Uluru to complete the climb if they want.

2. It’s the 34-year anniversary of the day the Uluru land title was handed back to its traditional owners, the Anangu people.

Climbing Uluru has fallen out of vogue anyway. Just 16.2% of visitors climbed the rock in 2015, down from 74% in the 90s. We’re sure that’s out of respect and awareness, not our declining fitness levels…

HOUSING PRICE GROWTH SLOWS
And in fact, Sydney’s property market registered its first quarterly decline in price growth in 18-months. Melbourne’s prices are still growing albeit at a slower rate. The other results for October showed Adelaide and Perth were flat, Darwin and Canberra saw prices fall, and Hobart and Brisbane were up. Observers said the slow-down in the cycle was due to regulatory changes to lending to investors. Speaking of lenders (and for the political nerds…), the South Australian Parliament last night rejected the government’s proposed state bank tax by a single vote in the upper house.

MYER UNDER PRESSURE
Myer is having a shocker. They announced a bad sales result yesterday and the trend is getting worse. That’s also the case for its executives and board with +10% shareholder Solomon Lew breathing down their necks. The October-to-December quarter is when retailers make or break their year. If Myer doesn't have an excellent Christmas, it will likely be a train wreck given the pressure it is under. Myer's AGM is on 24 November.

NETFLIX SUSPENDS HOUSE OF CARDS PRODUCTION
The fallout from allegations by actor Anthony Rapp that Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey made advances on him when he was 14yo continues. Others have come forward with allegations of harassment. And not only has Netflix, the maker of Spacey’s hit political-drama House of Cards, confirmed the 6th season would be the series’ final (a decision it says was made before the allegations came to light), they have also suspended its production. Netflix said it would “give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew." Reports say Netflix is looking at a spin-off of the highly successful show with one idea being a focus on Robin Wright’s character Claire Underwood. We always thought she’d end up in front.

SQUIZ THE DAY

12.30pm (AEDT) - Richard Goyder, CEO of Wesfarmers, addresses the National Press Club on 'The roles of sound economic policy and business in a vibrant and cohesive society' - Canberra

Annual General Meetings - Seven West Media; Fairfax Media

ABS Data Releases - International Trade in Goods and Services, September; Building Approvals, September

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

And a reminder - open the email every day this week you'll go into the draw for a $100 gift card from Woolies. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson said success isn't always about greatness, it's about consistency. Reading The Squiz every day is a ticket to greatness = what a great two-for-one!