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
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
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
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.
In-depth
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, 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
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.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
