NOT SUCH A PROUD DAY

Eddie McGuire has conceded he should not have labelled the leaking of a secret report into Collingwood’s systemic racism a “proud day” for the club, with the ABC noting that while the club president “fully intended to make public” the report after it was delivered in December, he blames its leak for a scrambled response.

McGuire’s comments to the club’s annual general meeting come after AFL star Héritier Lumumba labelled Collingwood’s response “offensive, shameful” and shallow, and told The Guardian the report was only commissioned because of his continued advocacy against racist experiences. Lumumba, for his efforts, initially received insinuations of mental illness and lies about meetings from club and AFL figures, as well as some significantly distrustful reporting from The Project.

Now, The Age reports that Gary Murray, the grandson of Indigenous leader and ex-footballer Sir Douglas Nicholls and father of former Bomber Nathan Lovett-Murray, has called on Collingwood to institute a quota system for Indigenous players as it enters the 2020 season without any on the men’s list and just one on the AFLW team.

WA FACES MASSIVE BUSHFIRE

More than 55 homes have been lost to a massive bushfire east of Perth, with the real figure expected to be higher as damage assessments continue, but the ABC reports that there has been no loss of life or major injuries. An emergency warning remains in place for parts of the shires of Mundaring, Chittering and Northam, and the City of Swan.

The news comes after WA recorded its second consecutive day of no new COVID-19 cases, while Health Minister Roger Cook noted that masks are not required for all quarantine personnel at every stage of their job, and it is unclear whether the guard at the centre of the scare wore one while delivering medication to a man with the UK variant.

SMALL BEANS FOR UNIS

The Australian ($) today reports that a $1 billion boost to research funding in last October’s federal budget has almost cancelled out the revenue loss universities expect this year from restrictions on international students.

For context, however, the government deliberately excluding the sector from JobKeeper — save for private universities and New York University Sydney — led to roughly 10% of jobs being slashed.

AUSTRALIA BRINGING UP THE REAR

Finally, and despite some honestly embarrassing fawning from the press gallery yesterday over Scott Morrison’s maybe-possible-if-we-still-care-by-2040 plan for a 2050 net-zero target, RenewEconomy reports that Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s 2021 zero-carbon policy scoreboard puts Australia last in the major developed economies. Maybe some more taxpayer funds for gas donors could help?