What we learned today, Saturday 18 June
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Here are the main stories of the day:
- As the UK government approved the extradition of Julian Assange, senior Labor ministers said the WikiLeaks co-founder’s case should be brought to a close, and the independent MP, Allegra Spender, urged the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to intervene.
- Fire crews battled a blaze at an electricity substation in the Illawarra, with a senior officer describing the incident as a “very dangerous operation”.
- At least 55 Covid deaths were reported across Australia.
- A controversial figure was ousted from the Victorian Greens.
- Victoria announced it would ease some Covid restrictions next week.
Enjoy your Saturday evening, and we will see you all again tomorrow.
Updated
Wowsers, another photo of that fire at a substation in the Illawarra, shared by Paul Baxter, the Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner.
Our crews are deployed to Yallah Bay road, Illawarra. Significant resources on scene and being mobilised as back up should they be required.
— Paul Baxter (@PaulBaxterFRNSW) June 18, 2022
This is a large TransGrid 33 kv transformer, a very dangerous operation, we are working closely with TransGrid and Police. pic.twitter.com/DhQiSw8ajn
Updated
More re that substation fire mentioned below.
YALLAH | #FRNSW Power Station fire. Responding to numerous Triple 0 calls for large volumes of smoke, and explosions on site. Multiple crews from @FRNSW and @NSWRFS are working to contain the blaze. @nswpolice and @NSWAmbulance are also on scene. Avoid the area if possible.
— Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) June 18, 2022
Fire at electrical substation at Yallah, near Wollongong
Smoke is billowing from an electrical substation south of Dapto, near Wollongong, the Illawarra Mercury is reporting, with police urging nearby residents to stay indoors.
According to a post on the newspaper’s website, NSW police say they are concerned about the toxicity of smoke billowing from the substation at Yallah.
Updated
The ACT records 865 new Covid cases
Updated
Queensland records 4,016 new Covid cases
There are 428 people in hospital, and eight in ICU.
Updated
Tasmania records 850 Covid cases
There are 31 people in hospital, and two in ICU. Full statistics here.
Updated
Northern Territory records 212 new Covid cases
There are currently 19 patients in hospital, one who requires oxygen and one in ICU.
Updated
Literary academics have taken the Australian author John Hughes to task for apparently copying extracts from some classic texts including The Great Gatsby in parts of his new book, The Dogs.
On Thursday Guardian Australia published a 1,700-word article by Hughes in which he gave his explanation for why some extracts from F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front had made their way into his novel. Guardian Australia has cross-referenced all the similarities between Hughes’ work and sections from those classic texts and found some cases in which whole sentences were identical or where just one word had changed.
That revelation followed just days after the Guardian revealed similarities between the Sydney writer’s book and a 2017 English translation of the non-fiction work The Unwomanly Face of War by the Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich.
When asked about the similarities, Hughes wrote: “I don’t think I am a plagiarist more than any other writer who has been influenced by the greats who have come before them.”
Full story:
Independent MP says Albanese must intervene in Assange case
The newly elected member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has urged prime minister Anthony Albanese to contact US president Joe Biden in a bid to stop Julian Assange being “unjustifiably imprisoned”.
Assange’s extradition has been approved by the UK.
It’s time for Anthony Albanese to pick up the phone, call Joe Biden, and urge him to intervene so Julian Assange isn’t unjustifiably imprisoned.
— Allegra Spender (@spenderallegra) June 18, 2022
Updated
Tasmanians warned to brace for more wind
If AAP are doing a weather story during winter in Tasmania, things must be serious:
Tasmania’s north-west is bracing for more wild weather, with potentially damaging winds forecast for Monday.
The State Emergency Service is closely monitoring and preparing for the conditions.
Police joined the agency in warning residents to be wary of falling trees after recent heavy rain.
“When damaging winds follow recent heavy rainfall, this increases the chances of trees falling, so people must also be aware of this potential and drive accordingly,” Tasmania police’s Shane Le Fevre said.
A severe weather warning is yet to be issued, but windy conditions are forecast for areas including Waratah, Arthur River, and Zeehan.
Residents should be proactive by tying down loose items like outdoor furniture, staying up to date with weather warnings, and getting prepared for possible power outages, the SES said.
Inspector Le Fevre said the agencies were also asking motorists to prepare for potential traffic delays if emergency services were responding to fallen trees and other hazards.
A 54-year-old woman died on Tasmania’s north-west coast last Saturday after she was struck by a falling tree during stormy weather in Beulah.
Another 54-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries following the incident.
The same day, eight people had to be rescued from the summit of Mt Wellington, which has the Indigenous name kunanyi, after they became stranded in blizzard-like conditions.
Updated
NSW government to prioritise women’s safety in budget
AAP reports that this push includes funding for CCTV in parks.
Efforts to increase women’s safety in public places and combat workplace harassment will both receive a major boost in next week’s NSW budget.
The women’s safety minister, Natalie Ward, says the government is prioritising her portfolio and will spend $30m over two years installing CCTV and lighting along parks and pathways.
“Women travelling in the dark know that sometimes we take extra precautions,” she said on Saturday.
“This program seeks to address both the symptoms as well as the cause of why so many women feel unsafe in our cities, especially after dark.”
Pilots will be conducted in The Rocks in Sydney’s CBD, Parramatta Park in the city’s west and up to eight other locations to be announced later.
The treasurer, Matt Kean, says the state wants to hear from women about unsafe areas and will set up a taskforce to advise where street lighting should be upgraded or cameras installed.
Women’s safety and economic participation are key focuses of Tuesday’s budget, Kean’s first.
One barrier to improving both is workplace harassment and the government has allocated $4.8m to combat it via a new taskforce involving regulator SafeWork NSW.
“Sexual harassment should have no place in our community and it certainly should have no place in our workplaces,” Kean said.
Updated
Barilaro posting ‘no surprise’ to premier
The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has defended the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro as the state’s senior trade and investment commissioner to the Americas, AAP reports.
The government announced Barilaro’s selection for the US role on Friday afternoon.
He was appointed after a “highly competitive and rigorous global talent search” managed by specialised recruitment firm NGS Global, the state government said.
“That was an independent process ... I believe he’ll make a very strong trade commissioner,” Perrottet said on Saturday following opposition criticism of the appointment.
The premier said it made sense for Barilaro to be recommended for the post the former Nationals leader helped establish.
“(He) was instrumental in setting that up, so it doesn’t come as any surprise to me,” Perrottet said. “He was by far the most outstanding candidate and recommended by that panel to the government, and I’m sure he will do a brilliant job.”
Barilaro resigned from state parliament in October last year, days after the shock resignation of the then premier Gladys Berejiklian that resulted in Perrottet’s promotion to the top job.
The opposition leader, Chris Minns, quickly criticised the appointment.
“Are we really expected to believe that of 8 million people in NSW, Barilaro is the best person to represent us?” Minns wrote on Twitter on Friday.
Labor’s trade spokesman, Anoulack Chanthivong, said it was a “jobs for mates” appointment that proved the government did not respect taxpayer dollars.
“It says everything about Dominic Perrottet and this government that he gives his friend a taxpayer-funded job while at the same time giving workers across the state a real wage cut,” he said.
Barilaro on Friday said he aimed to support business in his new role, including companies in fields such as fintech, cybersecurity, space, health and food and beverages.
Helen Sawczak was also appointed to the role of senior trade and investment commissioner to China, with both incoming commissioners expected to relocate in the coming months.
Updated
Victorian Greens leader ousts party’s state convener
The leader of the Victorian Greens has ousted the party’s controversial state convener after successfully applying to have recent election results set aside.
Linda Gale, a senior industrial officer at the National Tertiary Education Union, was elected last Saturday to fill a casual vacancy as state convener of the Victorian Greens, despite co-authoring a 2019 document that had been labelled “transphobic”.
Her appointment prompted backlash on social media from members of the party, including the Greens senator Janet Rice, and two Victorian Greens MPs who said there was “no alternative” but for her to resign when she did not disavow the comments.
But late on Friday, Samantha Ratnam, an upper house Victorian MP and the parliamentary leader of the Greens in the state, revealed that she had taken action under the party’s rules to have the results overturned.
Full story here:
Updated
This is a lovely palate cleanser:
Liberal MP criticises move to allow secular workers under school chaplain program
The Senior Liberal MP Andrew Hastie claims Labor’s decision to allow schools to hire secular workers under its chaplaincy program was made to satisfy leftwing activists.
Hastie, the shadow defence minister, said in a weekly email to his electorate of Canning in Western Australia that under the announcement made yesterday “thousands of schools will be vulnerable to pressure from radical activists demanding that they dump their chaplains in favour of a secular alternative”.
The new education minister, Jason Clare, confirmed on Friday the Albanese government intended to give schools a choice of whether to hire a religious or secular pastoral care worker through the $60m-a-year program.
But Hastie described the move as a “betrayal” of chaplains and the “many kids that they help and support”.
He said:
I know many of the chaplains in my local schools. They are big-hearted, caring people who love and serve their communities. They do so because they are motivated by their Christian faith and a desire to see our kids prosper.
But Labor seem more interested in satisfying left-wing activists.
This move is a betrayal of Australia’s school chaplains, and the many kids that they help and support.
We are less than a month into the Albanese Labor government. These early calls signal a radical shift to the left.
Worth reiterating here that under the announcement, schools will still be able to have religious chaplains if they want.
Updated
Cairns cafe manager admits ‘little joke’ over Kim Kardashian has turned into an ‘unbelievable mess’
That’s it, put down your glasses: the weekend’s wackiest story is here.
A cafe owner in Queensland joked to the local ABC that Kim Kardashian and her bae had eaten there, and they believed him and wrote up a story.
“Honestly this little local joke has turned into an unbelievable mess,” the cafe owner said.
The full story is here:
Updated
Virus fight continues as funding extended
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has agreed to $760m of additional funding as the Covid pandemic continues to impact the health system, AAP reports:
Anthony Albanese has signed off on an extra $760m to help the states and territories deal with Covid-19.
Federal pandemic-related funding arrangements were set to expire in September but will be extended by three months, the prime minister says.
“(The pandemic) clearly isn’t over yet and it would be very brave to suggest you can make that projection,” he told reporters after chairing Friday’s national cabinet meeting with state and territory leaders.
Albanese said there were about 3,000 Australians in hospital as a result of the virus, which was why the federal government committed to extending support until 31 December.
More than 60 additional Covid-related deaths were reported on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a new study points to ongoing brain fog and memory loss in long Covid patients.
The Adapt study, which follows patients diagnosed with Sars-CoV-2 infection and is carried out by Sydney’s St Vincent’s hospital, found about 20% of people with long Covid suffered cerebral impairment for at least 12 months without improvement.
Long Covid is categorised as people suffering from symptoms like brain fog, fatigue and shortness of breath a month or more after contracting the virus.
Elsewhere, the Victorian health minister, Martin Foley, says changes to the state’s Covid rules will come into effect next weekend.
Positive cases will be allowed to drive members of their household to work or classes and masks will be scrapped at airports.
Three-dose vaccination mandates for workers will stay in vulnerable settings such as aged care but be lifted in other sectors like education, food distribution and quarantine accommodation.
Rules requiring others to work from home if not double-dosed will also be scrapped, although workplaces can still set their own vaccination policies.
Visitor caps at care facilities will be removed, with residents able to see as many people as they want as long as they return a negative rapid antigen test that day.
Updated
Adam Bandt criticises PM Albanese for a "hairy-chested approach to climate", saying the Greens are open to backing Labor's emissions plan but want more than 43% cuts
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) June 18, 2022
“We don’t want to be obstructive but we’ve got a mandate to push the government" #auspolhttps://t.co/O1fF2eFmny
VIC hospitalisations down 19 today to 419.
— CovidBaseAU 🦠📊🇦🇺 (@covidbaseau) June 18, 2022
◾️25 are in ICU (+1)
◾️️8 are on a ventilator (+️1)
️29 deaths today, total at ️3708.
In the past week:
Deaths⬆️121
Hospital⬇️35
ICU⬇️2
Vent⬆️4 pic.twitter.com/qoOU4TFd8L
Thank you Ben. Reminds me of the time I dressed up as a member of a Ringo Starr cover band. Anyway. Onwards, to the news!
Updated
With that joyous chorus, I am going to hand over to my inestimable colleague Nino Bucci. Today on the blog, it’s just the Two of Us...
Odd punctuation. But the very happiest of birthdays Sir Paul...
Happy 80th birthday, Sir. Paul McCartney. pic.twitter.com/wmar5V5pPn
— The Beatles (@BeatlesEarth) June 18, 2022
And still rocking... Thursday night in New York.
“Naaaahhh, nah, nah, nah-nah-nah-naaahhh!”
Ever sang “Hey Jude” with 60,000 of your closest friends?
— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) June 17, 2022
Me neither…until tonight.
What a blessing to see the legend himself, Paul McCartney, tonight at MetLife.
Sir Paul will be 80 years old on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/W1rxKuQyGc
Updated
Western Australia records one Covid death
Here’s the Western Australia Covid update from WA Health:
WA Health is reporting a total of 4,052 new cases to 8pm last night. There are currently 32,666 active cases in Western Australia.
Please note this report from here on will be for reporting period to 6pm, aligning to other jurisdictions.
To 6pm last night, there were 277 people with Covid-19 in hospital, 13 in ICU.
Sadly, today’s report includes one death – a woman in her 40s – dating back to 6 June which was reported to WA Health yesterday.
Updated
What happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week? Catch up with the must-read news and analysis https://t.co/3Ev6vbpM4A
— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) June 17, 2022
I’m betting they won’t make it to Wednesday...
$35 to start a herb garden and I'll never buy herbs like a chump again. Wowee.
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) June 18, 2022
These bad boys are gonna be dead in a week aren't they pic.twitter.com/v2fanL2jgg
The UK Government’s decision to uphold the application by the US Department of Justice to extradite Australian publisher Julian #Assange imperils journalists everywhere. #MEAAmedia #pressfreedom #JournalismIsNotACrime https://t.co/qTzlTaS1TG
— MEAA (@withMEAA) June 17, 2022
The Guardian view on Julian Assange’s extradition: a bad day for journalism | Editorial https://t.co/k17OC6OYF7
— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) June 18, 2022
"This should shock and concern everyone..this decision is a grave threat to freedom of speech, not just for Julian but for every journalist and editor and media worker in this country" Assange lawyer @suigenerisjen #FreeAssangeNOW pic.twitter.com/vGIrExmto1
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 17, 2022
Steph. Gilmore. Shredding.
Women's Semifinals Heat 2 Results:
— World Surf League (@wsl) June 17, 2022
🇦🇺 @Steph_gilmore - 14.50
🇺🇸 @Caroline_Marks3 - 9.84
Watch the Surf City #ElSalvador Pro pres. by Corona on https://t.co/ie0ZfNdmHw | @surfcity @corona pic.twitter.com/CGGYzY9ssA
Timely reminder about unsafe indoor heating from NSW Health
NSW Health has issued a statement cautioning people to be safe in heating their homes, and urging people not to bring outdoor heaters or barbecues inside because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Dr Richard Broome, the director of environmental health at NSW Health, said over the past few weeks, calls to the Poisons Information Centre related to carbon monoxide poisonings had increased:
Burning charcoal, BBQ coal outdoor heaters, and portable backup generators are some of the biggest concerns.
The carbon monoxide, which is released from outdoor heaters and BBQs, is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which means you can’t know that you’re breathing it in.
When carbon monoxide is breathed in, it displaces oxygen in the blood and deprives the heart, brain and other vital organs of oxygen which can cause unconsciousness and – sadly in some instances – death.
NSW Health is reminding people to be safe in how they heat their home and not bring outdoor heaters or BBQs inside due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. pic.twitter.com/NpWbgZLoXh
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 18, 2022
Broome urged people to always use outdoor gas heaters, barbecues and portable generators in well-ventilated outdoor spaces only, and ensure nothing that is intended for outdoor use is brought into the home or garage.
“If you have a gas heater that is approved for indoor use, it’s important to have it serviced regularly by a licensed gas fitter.”
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Prolonged exposure can have very serious consequences.
To minimise your exposure to carbon monoxide this winter you should:
- Ensure proper installation of heater and gas supply.
- Make sure that ventilation of the heating space is adequate.
- Avoid using portable generators inside your home or garage, even if the doors and windows are open.
If you suspect someone has been exposed to carbon monoxide, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.
More information about how to reduce risk and exposure this winter is available online here.
Updated
This, from @ToryShepherd is a perfect trend piece. It’s useful, it’s weird, it’s got minor risk of electrocution. https://t.co/Mnx0ea5m6g
— Alyx Gorman (@AlyxG) June 17, 2022
Antony Green analyses Clive Palmer’s effect on Queensland Senate result
The psephological oracle hath spake...
I've summarised the distribution of preferences in the Queensland Senate race. It was Clive Palmer's preferences that were decisive in allowing Pauline Hanson to defeat the LNP's Amanda Stoker. https://t.co/KTOMCtbAI3 #auspol
— Antony Green - elections (@AntonyGreenElec) June 17, 2022
Updated
Victoria’s corruption watchdog sheds almost half its legal team in six months
The Victorian corruption watchdog has shed almost half its legal team in the past six months, amid internal investigations into leaks of classified information and ongoing morale issues.
Guardian Australia has confirmed seven lawyers left the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac) between November and May, in another significant exodus that occurred despite renewed efforts to retain staff in the wake of a damning survey into workplace culture.
The departures from the legal team, which typically has 15 full-time lawyers, have occurred at a delicate time for Ibac, according to current and former staff who spoke with Guardian Australia on the condition of anonymity.
It has three reports outstanding that could have political ramifications in a state election year, all of which required investigators to interview the premier, Daniel Andrews.
Updated
Victoria records 29 Covid deaths
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 18, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAcOZP#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/IO3grYVF6x
Updated
NSW records 25 Covid deaths
COVID-19 update – Saturday 18 June 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 17, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96.5% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 95% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/9yR09thd1t
Updated
At the end of the week, investors were assessing the odds the RBA would lift its cash rate on 5 July to 1.5% as 82%. (Such an increase, of 0.65%, would be the RBA's biggest since 1994.) pic.twitter.com/0XWLbfvQi8
— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) June 17, 2022
Victoria to ease some Covid restrictions next week
Victoria will roll back some of its pandemic orders, but the acting chief health officer has said others should remain in place until the end of winter.
From midnight next Friday, masks will no longer be required to be worn inside airports, though they will still be mandated on public transport, taxis, ride shares, planes, and in hospitals and care facilities.
A statement from the state’s health minister Martin Foley said:
Positive cases must still isolate for seven days from the day they took their test but may now leave home to drive a household member directly to or from education or work without leaving their vehicle. They can also leave home to get medical care, a Covid-19 test, or in an emergency, including the risk of harm.
There will also be changes to workplaces:
To continue to protect the most vulnerable through winter, workers who interact with a vulnerable person will still require three Covid-19 vaccine doses. This includes residential aged care and disability care, healthcare, and custodial and emergency services, including police.
Government imposed third dose mandates in education, food distribution, meat and seafood processing and quarantine accommodation sectors will be lifted.
In line with other jurisdictions around Australia, vaccination policies will be the responsibility of individual workplaces. As almost 95%t of Victorians 12 and older have had two Covid-19 doses, rules requiring general workers to work from home, unless they are double-vaccinated are lifted.
Foley said:
These orders mean we can keep in place sensible settings to reduce case numbers and hospitalisations through winter, when the risk of transmission is highest, while allowing Victorians to live safely with Covid-19.
Modest changes to our public health measures will keep Victorians protected as we continue to safely lift mandates and support businesses and individuals to begin to manage their own Covid-19 risk.
Updated
It’s the vibe... Benita Kolovos reports of Australia’s unlikely political partnership between the Victorian and NSW premiers...
Victoria and New South Wales’ premiers, Daniel Andrews and Dominic Perrottet, couldn’t be more different: one is a progressive from Labor’s socialist left faction and the other a conservative from the Liberal party’s right.
But together, they represent a political vibe shift – a sense that long-term ambitions for their states can be achieved, with cooperation paramount.
Peter Hannam writes on Australia’s near-miss energy crisis week...
In another guise, a generation ago, this columnist regularly huddled with the US ambassador to Mongolia, watching as that country’s main power plant came close to running out of coal.
It was an outcome would have been catastrophic as the plant also provided heat and kept the drinking water flowing for the million or so residents of the capital, Ulaanbaatar.
How much coal had come by train, how much was burnt, and how much was left – and what friends of the newly democratic central Asian nation could do to help – was our weekly accounting exercise.
Those memories were refreshed after another week when Australia’s main electricity grid seemed to be constantly on the brink.
Catholic church succesfully uses the death of a known paedophile priest to shield itself from being sued over new abuse complaints, arguing a fair trial now impossible. Will it deploy this strategy more broadly against other delayed complaints? https://t.co/cPrcxDENzd
— Christopher Knaus (@knausc) June 17, 2022
Could an eighth world title be in the offing?
Congratulations @Steph_gilmore, winner of the #SurfCityElSalvadorPro pres. by @corona.
— World Surf League (@wsl) June 17, 2022
Watch live, on https://t.co/ie0ZfMVLPY.@surfcity #ElSalvador pic.twitter.com/t1NSeToDTA
AAP reports:
Seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore has won the WSL’s Surf City El Salvador Pro, registering her 33rd victory to break her own record for most women’s wins on the Tour.
The Australian defeated American Lakey Peterson in the final after eliminating Caroline Marks in the semis and compatriot Isabella Nichols in the round earlier.
“Muchas gracias El Salvador, this is amazing,” said Gilmore.
Once I got past Caroline [Marks], I was super confident and I knew I could do it.
Lakey [Peterson] is an amazing surfer, so I knew it was going to be a tough Final but it doesn’t get any better. I love doing this. I love winning, I love doing this sport.
Women's Semifinals Heat 2 Results:
— World Surf League (@wsl) June 17, 2022
🇦🇺 @Steph_gilmore - 14.50
🇺🇸 @Caroline_Marks3 - 9.84
Watch the Surf City #ElSalvador Pro pres. by Corona on https://t.co/ie0ZfNdmHw | @surfcity @corona pic.twitter.com/CGGYzY9ssA
I would love to win another world title but it’s a long road. There’s a lot more competition to be surfed and a lot of hard work to do, but this is just an amazing experience and I’m so happy to be here.
Griffin Colapinto took out the men’s title, the American defeating world No 1 Filipe Toledo in the final.
The wins catapult both Gilmore and Colapinto to third place in their respective ratings as the tour now heads to Brazil for the third-last stop.
The top five men and women after the 10-event world tour will compete in a one-day finals competition in California in September.
Updated
There’s a growing crisis everywhere Anthony Albanese looks, but they may enable a more ambitious agenda, Sarah Martin writes...
A trip to the beach is about to get more expensive as parking rates rise in some parts of Sydney, causing concerns they will put some of city’s best natural wonders out of reach for lower-income families already facing increasing cost-of-living pressures.
A curious development this morning, with news Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov has launched legal action against Australia’s minister for foreign affairs, seeking to be removed from the list of people sanctioned by Australia over the invasion of Ukraine.
Ben Butler and Daniel Hurst have the story here...
French prime ministerial candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants to make Assange a French citizen and give him a medal (this, of course, contingent on Mélenchon winning Sunday’s election).
« Si je suis Premier ministre lundi, Julien Assange sera naturalisé français et décoré » annonce Jean-Luc Mélenchon lors d’un point presse à Paris. pic.twitter.com/vbFG0iSh7g
— Benjamin Mathieu (@BenjMathieu) June 17, 2022
Wikileaks’ response: “A dark day for press freedom and for British democracy.”
BREAKING: UK Home Secretary approves extradition of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange to the US where he would face a 175 year sentence - A dark day for Press freedom and for British democracy
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 17, 2022
The decision will be appealedhttps://t.co/m1bX8STSr8 pic.twitter.com/5nWlxnWqO7
Updated
Australian political response to Assange’s extradition being approved
The decision by the UK Govt to approve extradition of Julian Assange to the US is an outrageous betrayal of rule of law, media freedom and human rights. @AlboMP must pick up the phone now and demand an end to this madness https://t.co/W0fi2lw38p. #FreeAssangeNOW #auspol #politas
— Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) June 17, 2022
Press Freedoms will die with Julian Assange if he is extradited and dies in a US prison. Enough is enough, it’s time for @AlboMP to pick up the phone to @BorisJohnson and #freeassange #freejulianassange pic.twitter.com/xGa3zsBzAa
— Peter Whish-Wilson (@SenatorSurfer) June 17, 2022
I disagree with this decision. I do not support Assange’s actions and his reckless disregard for classified security information. But if Assange is guilty, then so too are the dozens of newspaper editors who happily published his material. Total hypocrisy. https://t.co/O27OlhDgn5
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) June 17, 2022
Appalling decision by UK Home Secretary to extradite Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, to the USA.
— Julian Hill MP (@JulianHillMP) June 17, 2022
Manning who leaked classified material exposing US war crimes has been pardoned, yet Assange who published it (a journalistic activity) is facing an effective death sentence.
And from Karen Percy, the media section president of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (the union for journalists in Australia).
We ask @AlboMP @SenatorWong and their colleauges to end this now by asking Australia’s key allies to #freeAssange
— Karen Percy (@PercyKaren) June 17, 2022
If this ruling is allowed to stand it puts every journalist at risk for holding governments to account. #journalismisnotacrime
Updated
Australia says Assange case has 'dragged on for too long'
The Australian government has responded to news of Assange’s extradition being allowed, saying his “case has dragged on for too long and should be brought to a close”.
AAP reports:
The federal government says it will continue to offer consular assistance to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the UK’s decision that his extradition to the US can proceed.
“We will continue to convey our expectations that Mr Assange is entitled to due process, humane and fair treatment, access to proper medical care, and access to his legal team,” a statement late on Friday night from foreign affairs minister Penny Wong and attorney general Mark Dreyfus said.
The Australian government has been clear in our view that Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long and that it should be brought to a close.
We will continue to express this view to the governments of the United Kingdom and United States.
Earlier on Friday, British home secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition, bringing Assange’s long-running legal saga closer to a conclusion.
He is wanted by US authorities on 18 criminal charges, including a spying charge relating to WikiLeaks’ release of vast troves of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables which Washington said had put lives in danger.
Assange’s wife Stella Moris said he would appeal the decision.
“We’re going to fight this. We’re going to use every appeal avenue,” Moris told reporters, calling the decision a “travesty” at a London press conference on Friday.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International called on the UK to refrain from the extradition, and the US to drop all charges against Mr Assange.
Amnesty International secretary general Agnes Callamard said allowing the Australian to be sent to the US for trial would put him at great risk.
Assange faces a high risk of prolonged solitary confinement, which would violate the prohibition on torture or other ill treatment.
Diplomatic assurances provided by the US that Assange will not be kept in solitary confinement cannot be taken on face value given previous history.
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Good morning
Morning all, Ben Doherty here, with you for this Saturday morning.
The Australian journalist, Julian Assange, has been approved by extradition to the US by UK home secretary Priti Patel. The case passed to the home secretary last month after the UK supreme court ruled that there were no legal questions over assurances given by US authorities on the Wikileaks founder’s likely treatment.
Assange, currently in Belmarsh prison, is in poor health and faces a prison sentence of up to 175 years.
Wikileaks has vowed: “Today is not the end of the fight.”
In a statement, the publisher said: “It is only the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system; the next appeal will be before the high court.”
The statement said anyone who cared about freedom of expression should be “deeply ashamed” that the home secretary had approved Assange’s extradition.
The Guardian has published an editorial on the decision to allow his extradition, describing the home secretary’s action as a threat to journalism everywhere.
This action potentially opens the door for journalists anywhere in the world to be extradited to the US for exposing information deemed classified by Washington.
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