PM Morrison faces minority parliament 21/10/2018 (Translation appears in Arabic section) Sydney- M.E. Times Int'l: The biggest swing in Australia's political history has landed the nation with its second minority government in just over eight years. But Wentworth by-election winner Independent Kerryn Phelps has all but ruled out any prospect of supporting a no-confidence motion in the coalition government. "I've certainly said that the government and all governments should go full term unless there are exceptional circumstances and the next election is due in May next year and that's time enough," Dr Phelps told ABC on Sunday.  Dr Phelps achieved an unprecedented swing of more than 20 per cent against Liberal candidate Dave Sharma in Malcolm Turnbull's former seat of Wentworth on Saturday. As counting continued, Dr Phelps was on 52 per cent of the two-party preferred vote thanks to preferences from Labor and minor parties. When she takes up her seat, there will be a crossbench of six members in the House of Representatives with Labor holding 69 seats and the coalition one short of a majority with 75. Prime Minister Scott Morrison described it as a "tough day" and pledged to "listen, learn and accept the blows". Dr Phelps said she would set two priorities: action on climate change and getting asylum seeker children off Nauru.  Calls for boycott as Saudi Arabia admits journalist was killed inside its consulate https://www.news.com.au: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called for a stronger response to the apparent murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi today, as the Saudis confirmed Mr Khashoggi was killed in their consulate. Mr Khashoggi, who was critical of the Saudi regime, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2 and never came back out. He was reportedly tortured to death and dismembered. Today Saudi Arabian state TV reported Mr Khashoggi died after a fight inside the consulate. “I’m deeply concerned about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and have been shocked by reports indicating foul play following his entry into the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul,” Mr Shorten said. “Labor has joined with the government, European foreign ministers and many other nations in calling on Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, and hold to account those responsible for any harm that may have come to him. “Freedom of expression and a free press are important values Australia shares with our European allies.” Mr Shorten believes Australia should send a stronger message to Saudi Arabia by boycotting an upcoming economic forum.  FM Senator Marise PAYNE "deeply concerned" International condemnation has arisen regarding the alleged murder of dissident Saudi journalist, Mr Jamal Khashoggi, in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. Reports of the killing at the hands of men with links to the Saudi royal court have led key Western leaders to pull out of a major economic forum in Saudi Arabia. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Marise Payne said that Australia was “deeply concerned” about the disappearance of the journalist. - CapitalHill team 
Taxi drivers launch $500 million class action court case against Uber Melbourne: Furious taxi drivers in Melbourne have joined forces to launch a $500 million class action claim against Uber, over allegations the company stole their livelihoods by operating illegally in the city. Cabbies are suing the ride-share giant for profits that were allegedly lost during the time Uber operated in Melbourne before it was legalised. They are also planning to sue for damages and if they are successful the payout is expected to soar into the hundreds of millions. Law firm Maurice Blackburn, which ran the class action that saw $500 million paid to Black Saturday bushfire victims, is expected to launch the compensation claim in the Victorian Supreme Court within the coming weeks. Drivers are being saved from digging into their own pockets to launch the case after it was revealed that the class action would be bankrolled externally. Ms O’Shea revealed $20 million has already been offered to get the court case moving.  Ditch road camera warning signs, says new NSW Auditor-General report Sydney: Warning signs telling Aussie motorists there will be speed cameras ahead are having a profoundly negative impact on our road safety, according to a new report. The report, released by NSW Auditor-General Margaret Crawford recently, recommended ditching the warnings — leading to more drivers getting fines — if we are to get real about saving lives. She said states such as Victoria, which use “covert and unconcealed” mobile speed cameras (MSCs), are slapping more motorists with fines and bringing the level of road safety up. “The use of multiple warning signs provides drivers with general reassurance that they will receive an obvious warning to slow down before potentially being caught speeding,” Ms Crawford wrote in the report. “This limits the opportunity to moderate driver behaviour through causing drivers to be worried they could be caught anywhere, anytime. 
Gay student protections due within days Canberra: Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan expects laws protecting gay students from being excluded by religious schools to be introduced to parliament within days. However, it remains unclear whether faith-based schools will retain the power to hire and fire teachers based on their sexual orientation. Mr Tehan said protecting LGBTI students from discrimination was a top priority for the coalition as MPs return to work in Canberra after a three-week break. "We want to deal with the issue of students ... I expect that something will be done over the coming days on that," he told Sky News. |
