Legislation ‘appalling’, refugee groups say
Deportation bill blacklist fears, youth justice looms large in Queensland, Ross River virus warnings | The Guardian

Support the Guardian

Fund independent journalism with £5 per month

Morning Mail - The Guardian
Immigration minister Andrew Giles and home affairs minister Clare O’Neil
28/03/2024

Deportation bill blacklist fears, youth justice looms large in Queensland, Ross River virus warnings

Paul Gallagher
 

Good morning. The backlash against Labor’s proposed deportation bill is mounting amid fears it could be used to blacklist entire countries’ citizens from obtaining visas to Australia. The legislation is set for a six-week Senate inquiry but refugee groups say the proposed law is a “slap in the face” and could cut them off from their families and friends permanently.

Meanwhile, it appears that some Labor MPs fighting for their political survival in Queensland’s October state election are eyeing up LNP policies on youth detention as a way to woo anxious voters. And: there are warnings for holidaymakers before the Easter break as health officials report a spike in Ross River virus cases.

The Morning Mail is taking a break for Easter. Thanks for reading, see you again on Tuesday.

Australia

A child’s hand on a wire fence

Youth justice | The Liberal National party is talking tough over youth detention – and it seems some Labor MPs have proposed adopting the LNP policy in the lead-up to October’s election in Queensland.

Deportation bill | Entire countries could be blacklisted from obtaining visas to Australia under Labor’s proposed legislation, described by the Greens as a “Trump-style travel ban”.

Energy | NSW may end up paying $150m a year to subsidise the extension of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power plant – money one expert argues would be better spent pushing the uptake of solar.

Social media | Fears are growing that Meta will block news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in Australia as the government faces pressure to to force the company to pay publishers under the news media bargaining code.

Ross River virus | Holidaymakers planning to head to the regions this Easter long weekend have been warned to cover up to avoid mosquito bites – with more than 1,500 cases recorded in Queensland.

World

Israeli activists stage a protest outside Unrwa offices in Jerusalem

Gaza crisis | Dozens of Israeli settlers and rightwing activists have protested by again blocking the entrances of the Jerusalem office of Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Moscow concert hall attack |There are fears the final death toll from the terror attack could be much higher than 140 confirmed dead, as investigators say scores have been reported missing.

‘You’ve got to be joking’ | A senior peer has dismissed the prospect of an incoming Labour government embarking on a bid to reverse Brexit by taking Britain back into the European Union.

Baltimore bridge collapse | Audio of the emergency responders’ dispatch call has been released, with the six people presumed dead all thought to be construction workers from Latin American countries.

‘A good sign’ | Lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill that could make Thailand the first country in south-east Asia to legalise equal rights for marriage partners of any gender.

Full Story

Series artwork

Can millennials unscrew themselves?

There are no easy answers to undoing all the problems driving intergenerational inequality but hope is not lost. Young Australians are increasingly politically influential, making up 43% of voters at the last federal election. Jane Lee and Matilda Boseley talk to Amy Remeikis and Greg Jericho to find out how millennials can use their new-found power for good.

The Guardian Podcasts

In-depth

A waiter carries a tray at a laneway cafe

As we gear up for the annual fight over the minimum wage, business groups and conservative media are again pushing the line that pay rises for the low paid will cause an outbreak of inflation. This week the ACTU announced it would seek a minimum-and-award-wage rise this year of 5%. Greg Jericho argues that such a rise is, if anything, pretty modest – and won’t set fire to inflation or cause interest rates to stay high.

Not the news

Courtney Act

Courtney Act, who goes by Shane Jenek when out of the frocks, was in a gay bar in the US when he heard Olivia Newton-John had died. “I wasn’t in drag, but I just felt like I had to get on stage and sing Xanadu,” Jenek says. Now the drag queen is set to perform in a 22-song Newton-John tribute alongside the full force of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

The world of sport

Sam Kerr

Football | Doctors and coaches alike cannot fully explain the worrying trend of ACL injuries among female players but many believe that a lack of resources, rather than biology, is a key factor.

Cricket | A ruthless Australian women’s cricket team has shown little mercy, thumping Bangladesh by eight wickets to clean sweep their ODI series.

AFL | Jack Snape says that after revelations of secret drug testing, the AFL must now show how its policies don’t enable players’ drug use.

Media roundup

A cruise ship suffered a blackout in Sydney Harbour in February in a scenario similar to that which led to the destruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Santos has received the federal government’s go-ahead to lay a new section of pipeline connecting the Barossa offshore gas field to Darwin, reports NT News. The entire board of the Victoria’s under-fire building regulator has been removed as the Allan government seeks major changes to the construction watchdog, reports the Age.

What’s happening today

NSW | The final day of the veterans’ suicides inquiry is set to be heard in Sydney, with chief of the defence force taking the stand.

Renewable energy | Anthony Albanese expected to shed light on the $1bn fund for Australian solar panel manufacturing during a Hunter Valley visit.

ABS | The Australian Bureau of Statistics is to release its latest job vacancies and retail trade figures.

Sign up

Enjoying the Morning Mail? Then you’ll love our Afternoon Update newsletter. Sign up here to finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news, and complete your daily news roundup.

Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

Contact us

If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email.

If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email customer.help@guardian.co.uk

 

Lenore Taylor

Editor, Guardian Australia

Person Image

I hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wonder if you would consider supporting Guardian Australia. As we look ahead to the challenges of 2024, we’re aiming to power more rigorous, independent reporting.

In 2023, our journalism held the powerful to account and gave a voice to the marginalised. It cut through misinformation to arm Australians with facts about the referendum and exposed corporate greed amid the cost-of-living crunch. It sparked government inquiries and investigations, and continued to treat the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves.

This vital work is made possible because of our unique reader-supported model. With no billionaire owner or shareholders to consider, we are empowered to produce truly independent journalism that serves the public interest, not profit motives.

And unlike others, we don’t keep our journalism behind a paywall. With misinformation and propaganda increasingly rife, we believe it is more important than ever that everybody has access to trustworthy news and information, whether they can afford to pay for it or not.

If you can, please support us on a monthly basis from just $2. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you can rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.

 
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email australia.newsletters@guardian.co.uk
https://www.theguardian.com/uk
You are receiving this email because you are a subscriber to Morning Mail. Guardian News & Media Limited - a member of Guardian Media Group PLC. Registered Office: Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU. Registered in England No. 908396