Squiz Today – Tuesday, 16 January

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“Milkshake duck”

That’s Macquarie Dictionary’s word of 2017 (and yes, they know it’s two words). Kicked off by a tweet in June last year, it articulates the phenomenon of someone becoming hugely famous one moment only to be taken down the next when something dreadful about their life is uncovered. It can also be a verb - “We hope (Aussie tennis player du jour) Alex De Minaur doesn’t get milkshake ducked” is appropriate usage.

---

LET THE AUSTRALIA DAY BATTLE BEGIN

THE SQUIZ
Greens leader Richard Di Natale yesterday made a case for changing the date of Australia Day from 26 January. "It's a day that represents an act of dispossession, an act of theft. It’s a day that represents the beginning of an ongoing genocide, the slaughter of so many Aboriginal people,” he said. Di Natale said more than 100 Greens local councillors around the country have his support to agitate for moving local celebrations from 26 January.

ARE THE MAJOR PARTIES ONBOARD?
Nope. PM Malcolm Turnbull said he was disappointed in the Greens. "A free country debates its history – it does not deny it. It builds new monuments as it preserves old ones, writes new books, not burn old ones," he said. Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce gave a laundry list of countries Aussies might come from (leaving off his former country of New Zealand…) and said he was looking forward to celebrating the day. Former PM Tony Abbott tweeted his objection to the Greens’ drive for political correctness. And Labor leader Bill Shorten expressed his support for leaving Australia Day where it is.

WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?
Former checkerboard-headbanded Aussie tennis great Pat Cash wants the date changed. He’s been spending time with a children’s charity in the Northern Territory and yesterday said; “I’m not celebrating the day the British landed here and started butchering the Aboriginal people.” But prominent Indigenous leader Warren Mundine and former Howard Government minister Amanda Vanstone are in the same boat – both would have chosen a different date but say we should get on with it. “While we shouldn't carry any burden of guilt for those wrongs, we do carry the responsibility for telling the truth about them, for doing what we can to ensure First Australians share in all the opportunities Australia offers,” Vanstone said. Expect a lot more to be said about this in the lead up to Friday next week.

---

SQUIZ THE REST

JAKARTA STOCK EXCHANGE BUILDING COLLAPSE
Seventy-two people were injured yesterday when a mezzanine level in the Jakarta Stock Exchange building collapsed. The structure came down around the Starbucks café and the crowded reception area inside the building. While the building has been a bombing target in the past, authorities have said they don't believe anything like that was involved in the collapse.

BABY FORMULA SALMONELLA SCARE IN EUROPE
More than 80 countries have been affected by a salmonella scare involving baby formula produced by huge French dairy company Lactalis. While there has been a product recall in place since December, the scale of the scare was only revealed yesterday with the CEO confirming it involves more than 12 million cases of its Picot, Milumel and Taranis brands. So far there have been 35 cases of ill children reported in France and Spain. Lawsuits have already been launched and the company is talking compensation. Production remains suspended, and the French government has promised sanctions for retailers who continue to sell the product. The US, UK and Australia were not affected.

DARRELL LEA IN SWEET DEAL
Private equity mob Quadrant has gobbled up confectionary maker Darrell Lea faster than a hungry new year’s health-kicker would a piece of Rocklea Road. The Quinn family bought the business when it was in voluntary administration after nearly collapsing in 2012. It's understood the Quinns sold the business for $200 million and they remain shareholders. That’s a lot of liquorice bullets.

NEW HARASSMENT CLAIMS
Celebrated photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber became the latest high-profile men to find themselves accused of harassment following claims by male models of inappropriate touching and more. Both have denied the claims. US Vogue’s editor in chief Anna Wintour responded saying; “I believe strongly in the value of remorse and forgiveness, but I take the allegations very seriously,” so the fashion bible won't work with the snappers for the time being.

And last week's Golden Globe winner Aziz Ansari (think Parks and Recreation and Master of None) has issued a public apology after a woman complained about his conduct on a date late last year. This piece outlines her feelings about the night. Ansari yesterday said he believed the night to be "by all indications was completely consensual", but he took her words to heart. The #metoo movement is clearly only getting warmed up.

TOP SEEDS TUMBLE AS AUSSIE OPEN KICKS OFF
Venus Williams was probably the highest profile casualty on the first day of the Australian Open. She was beaten yesterday by unseeded 20yo Swiss national Belinda Bencic. US Open winner Sloane Stephens also bowed out losing to China’s Zhang Shuai. Aussie Matt Ebden beat 16th seed John Isner – he had never beaten a top 20 player in a grand slam event. And both Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova made it through to the next round. Today's another busy one - we’ll be cheering for Alex De Minaur who plays seeded Czech Tomáš Berdych after 6.45pm. And Ash Barty will face Aryna Sabalenka at around 9pm. Fingers crossed Barty has a quick win to maximise our sleep time.

VALE DOLORES
Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of Irish band The Cranberries, has died suddenly in London at 46yo. The Cranberries cancelled a tour last year after O'Riordan suffered health problems but fans were thrilled to hear she was feeling optimistic in a message posted to social media just before Christmas. The Cranberries were huge in the 90’s with O'Riordan's iconic voice and hits like Zombie and Linger. They sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. She had three children with ex Don Burton.

SQUIZ THE DAY

ABS Data Releases - Building Approvals, November; Sales of New Motor Vehicles, December

Anniversary of the start of Operation Desert Storm (1991)