What we learned - Friday 15 August
That’s where we’ll wrap the blog up for today, but first: a quick recap of the big events:
The University of Technology Sydney has announced a plan to “temporarily suspend” 140 courses across six faculties.
The Business Council of Australia has proposed a plan to cut $110bn red tape.
Mike Huckabee said he was ‘disgusted’ by Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
Israel’s deputy foreign affairs minister said the people who marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of ending the Israel-Gaza war were “naive” and “useful idiots”.
Investment in new wind and solar has fallen well short of the pace required to hit Australia’s 2030 renewable energy target.
Katy Gallagher identified a ‘worrying trend’ of young men believing there’s ‘too much focus on women’.
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, announced the states have agreed to toughen the Working With Children Checks.
Anthony Albanese has declared receiving a gift of a terracotta plaque from Pope Leo and a white felt hat from the Canadian prime minister in his latest update to the parliamentary register of interests.
An NT man has died during a police search of his home.
About 30 writers and authors have withdrawn from Bendigo writers festival over a code of conduct that requires ‘self-censorship’ over Israel and Gaza.
Take care and enjoy your weekend.
Updated
Greens push for Senate inquiry into early childcare safety
The Greens have announced they want a Senate Inquiry into the quality and safety of early childhood education and care as soon as Parliament resumes.
Senator Steph Hodgins-May, the Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, said in a statement:
A national Working With Children Check is long overdue. Whilst its reassuring to know that this will be in place by the end of the year, frankly, this is a decade after it was recommended by the royal commission.
Real action means more than introducing a check a decade after it was recommended. It means tackling for-profit cowboys sidelining quality and care in favour of profit, and a workforce in crisis.
The Greens are today announcing our intention to establish a Senate inquiry into the quality and safety of early childhood education and care as soon as parliament resumes. We recognise that we cannot keep waiting for these horrific headlines of abuse to take meaningful action.
The government must do more than Band-aids. It must sit down with everyone in the parliament willing to prioritise the safety and care of our children and enact meaningful reform to keep our kids safe.
Updated
