Squiz Today – Thursday, 29 November

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“We all know when Knickers is on the move."

Said Geoff Pearson, a WA farmer and proud owner of the giant Holstein Friesian steer who’s grabbing world attention. Almost two-metres tall and weighing 1,400kg, Knickers is safe from becoming steak (because he’s too big for the abattoirs). So he’s earning his keep as a herd leader because the other cattle follow him around, presumably because they can see him from anywhere in the paddock. And the name? His best mate was a Brahman named Bra…

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FIRES AND FLOODS ON OZ’S EAST COAST

THE SQUIZ
“Unprecedented. Uncharted,” was how Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the fires threatening property and lives across the state. Hot and windy conditions fuelled ‘catastrophic’ fires in Queensland late yesterday. Meanwhile, areas north, south and west of Sydney were smashed by wet and wild conditions.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN QUEENSLAND?
• A total of 138 fires are burning throughout the state. Fires have affected residents from North Stradbroke Island and the Gold Coast in the southeast of the state; up to Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay along the Central Queensland coast; further north to Townsville; and up to Cairns. Crews from interstate have arrived to help.

• Yesterday was a particularly bad one with the Rural Fire Service declaring the Capricornia, Central Highlands and Coalfield regions of Central Queensland to be under catastrophic fire danger. It’s the first time in the state’s history the highest level of threat has been declared. The dangerous conditions are expected to continue into next week.

• Gracemere’s 8,000 residents were yesterday evacuated to Rockhampton. The progress of that fire slowed overnight. A little further south, residents of towns near Gladstone and Bundaberg were warned to leave immediately.

AND DOESN’T NSW NEED THE RAIN?
It certainly does, but one storm doesn't break a drought, even when you get more than a month's worth of rain in a couple of hours. Wind gusts of more than 90km/hour sucked the windows from an office, while flooding inundated homes, streets and train stationsacross Sydney in what the weather bureau labelled a once in a century weather event. The wild weather also affected Wollongong, Newcastle and the Blue Mountains. Even Tamworth was smashed by hail. An SES volunteer died after collapsing during the cleanup near Wollongong.

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SQUIZ THE REST

PLANE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FLYING
That’s the preliminary finding of the National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia in their initial report into the crash of the Lion Air Boeing 737 Max-8 plane a month ago. The pilots of the fateful flight weren’t briefed on the “very serious” issue with the anti-stalling system that automatically pushed the plane's nose down. While the pilots of the previous flight took manual control of the plane to counter the problem, it's unknown why the pilots of Lion Air Flight 610 engaged in a tug-of-war with the aircraft that they could not win. The definitive cause of the crash that killed 189 people was not identified. Authorities still have not recovered the plane's voice recorder.

HUAWEI BLOCKED IN KIWILAND
New Zealand is the latest government to block Chinese telco Huawei from a network upgrade citing security concerns. Kiwi network operator Spark had put in a bid for the 5G network rollout using Huawei equipment. “Nah, bro,” was the assessment of the Government Communications Security Bureau. Australia and the US have expressed concerns about Huawei’s ties to China’s government and its potential to access confidential/sensitive information. Sometimes an accidental email is all you need to get the scoop…

QUICK POLITICAL NEWS WRAP
WORK BOOTS HANDED OVER - Aka Julie Bishop’s bedazzled red heels. They have been delivered to the Museum of Australian Democracy in Old Parliament House. "The shoes were seen as a bold statement and a symbol of solidarity and empowerment among Australian women," the museum said.

“RAPIDLY CASCADING INTO FARCE” - The Bishop event was in contrast to what went down in the Senate yesterday. As senators addressed offensive comments made by the Coalition’s Barry O’Sullivan about the Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young, Senate President Scott Ryan told senators to check yo self before you wreck yo self.

GUY GONE – Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy will no longer be the leader when the party elects someone new on Thursday next week. They're taking a bit of time because there are potential candidates who don't know if they've won their seats. Premier Daniel Andrews wished him well.

VALE STEPHEN HILLENBURG
The 57yo creator of SpongeBob SquarePants died from motor neurone disease. A former marine biology teacher, Hillenburg's foray into animation with SpongeBob was inspired by his underwater knowledge. If you’re not entirely up to speed, SpongeBob SquarePants is a yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple with his pet snail Gary in the city of Bikini Bottom on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The cartoon dominated the noughties. The industry’s great and good remembered Hillenburg as one of the best. "His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination," said Nickelodeon.

MUSIC’S QUESTIONABLY DRESSED NIGHT OF NIGHTS
Oh ARIAs, you never disappoint. Get your red carpet gallery here. As for the winners: Amy Shark (aka Amy Billings) won Album of the Year and Best Female Artist; 5SOS won Best Group and Song of the Year for Youngblood (presented by a non-compliant Bob Geldof); Gurrumul Yunupingu posthumously won Best Male Artist and Best Independent Release; and Kasey Chambers was inducted into the Hall of Fame. A full list of winners is here.

SQUIZ THE DAY

PM Scott Morrison this afternoon leaves Oz for the G20 leaders meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina

ABS Data Release - Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, September

Birthdays for philanthropist Janet Holmes à Court (1946), muso Brian Cadd (1946) and songwriter Don Walker (1951)

Anniversary of the death of George Harrison (2001)

Read the email every day this week and you enter the draw for a $100 gift card from Woolies. Simples.