Squiz Today / 11 September 2018

Squiz Today – Tuesday, 11 September

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“Ugh. Tip truck cake. B*tch of a cake, don’t make it unless you’re really desperate.”

Said Pamela Clark, author of the Australian Women’s Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book. For anyone who was lucky enough to have had a cake made from the book for their birthday, or has attempted something from it, this video is good for a smile.


WHALE WATCHING IN BRAZIL

THE SQUIZ
Japan’s proposal to reestablish commercial whaling is being discussed at the biennial meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Florianopolis (yes, that’s a real place) in Brazil. And Australian is again leading the charge to stop Japan. Commercial whaling has been banned for more than 30 years.

WHAT IS JAPAN’S ARGUMENT FOR WHALING?
It’s not the first time Japan has sought an easing of the moratorium on commercial whaling. This time around, it argues that stocks of Minke other species of whales are healthy enough to allow a ‘sustainable’ level of whaling. Japan has also suggested reforms to the IWC, including a rule change that would allow decisions to be made by simple majority vote. It says the current practice of a three-quarters majority is too restrictive.

WHAT IS AUSTRALIA’S POSITION?
Australia has been a loud advocate for bans on whaling for many years. Former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop outlined the government’s position on this round of discussions a few weeks ago saying Oz would “vehemently oppose” any attempts to change the current approach. And on Japan’s exploitation of a ‘scientific research’ loophole to kill hundreds of the animals every year, Bishop said; “The science is clear, you do not need to kill whales in order to study them.” Mic drop.


SQUIZ THE REST

UPDATE ON FAMILY KILLING IN PERTH
Anthony Harvey, the 24yo father of 3yo Charlotte and twin 2yo girls Alice and Beatrix, husband of 41yo Mara and son-in-law of 73yo Beverley Quinn, was yesterday charged with their murders. It’s alleged he killed his wife and kids last Monday and Quinn on Tuesday, and that he stayed in the house with them for several days before presenting at a police station in the remote Pilbara mining town of Pannawonica, about 1400 kilometres north of Perth, on Sunday morning. The couple had a Jim's Mowing franchise, and reports say they were well known in the neighbourhood.

NEW DUTTON ATTACK
Fairfax Media reports this morning that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton pressed former Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg to help two Queensland Police mates get jobs with the agency. It's the latest in a string of accusations against Dutton about his decision-making/conduct as the minister, and he has again denied any wrongdoing.

SWEDEN FLIRTS WITH THE RIGHT
Its election on Sunday has the two major parties tied with about 40% of the vote each, and the right-wing Sweden Democrats (which has its roots in the neo-Nazi movement) on about 18%, up a lot (a technical political term…) on previous elections. It’s anticipated that government will be formed by a coalition arrangement. Migration is said to have been an issue for voters with Sweden taking in 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015. The result makes Sweden the latest European country to see a rise in support for anti-immigration parties (think Italy and Germany).

BLOKES EXIT, STAGE RIGHT
Three of them have hit the brakes

LES MOONVES – He was the chairman, president and CEO of American media company CBS and he’s been under pressure for weeks over harassment allegations. Six more women came forward this weekend. Moonves has denied the accusations, and he and CBS said they would donate US$20 million to support groups associated with the #metoo movement. CBS bought Network Ten last year.

JACK MA – The founder and chairman of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce behemoth, will depart the business in 12 months and will be replaced by CEO Daniel Zhang. Management types were marvelling at his departure plan that's said to have been a decade in the making. Ma is off to focus on philanthropy.

ANDREW BRAGG – The frontrunner to be the Liberals’ candidate to replace former PM Malcolm Turnbull in his Sydney seat of Wentworth, said he was out and a woman should have a go. The Daily Telegraph (paywall) reports there was a complaint made against him that was investigated and dismissed (although Bragg denies there was a complaint), and he will be given a winnable Senate spot on the NSW Coalition ticket at the next election.

ROYAL COMMISSION SHINES LIGHT ON INSURANCE
Showering itself in glory at the Royal Commission yesterday was insurance provider ClearView with its chief risk officer Greg Martin grilled about selling, as the Australian Financial Review put it, “lower quality life insurance policies to poor people”. ClearView clocked up 300,000 breaches in that regard. And in an attempt to avoid a bludgeoning, a number of other insurance companies preemptively fessed up to misconduct, misleading ads and admin errors. Could be another couple of interesting weeks…

US OPEN ENDS WITH AN AUSSIE WIN
Aussie women’s tennis leading light Ash Barty and her partner CoCo Vandeweghe took out the doubles title at the US Open yesterday. Said Barty: “It was really nice to be able to play a pretty clean tournament." Which leads us to men’s singles winner Novak Djokovic and his comments on the Serena Williams saga. “I love Serena, first of all,” he said. And while he thought the umpire "pushed Serena to the limit," he didn't support comments that there was a double standard in umpiring decisions. "It’s hard to generalise things,” he said. Never stopped us before…

SQUIZ THE DAY

ABS Data Release - Lending Finance, July

National Australia Bank Business Confidence Survey for August

Al Hijra – Islamic New Year

Anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in Washington DC killing 2,996 (2001)

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