Bruce Lehrmann has made more than $500k from media payouts

CASH ON DELIVERY

Information Corp gave former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann $295,000 to finish his defamation go well with, Guardian Australia reviews, which means he’s made greater than half 1,000,000 {dollars} from media over a since-dropped rape cost, whether or not by settlement (ABC paid him $150,000, because the SMH ($) says) or by lodging prices (Seven paid $104,000 for his northern seashores unit’s hire for an interview as Yahoo provides). Lehrmann was not named within the information.com.au story, nor within the ABC’s stream of Brittany Higgins’ Nationwide Press Membership speech and nor on The Challenge. He has at all times denied her allegations and the case was discontinued out of concern for Higgins’ well being.

In the meantime former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds — who was as soon as accused of calling Higgins “a mendacity cow” — has complained to the Nationwide Anti-Corruption Fee about Legal professional-Basic Mark Dreyfus’ dealing with of Higgins’ compensation payout ($2.3 million much less legal professionals charges and so forth, bringing it to $1.9 million), The Australian ($) reviews. As your Worm reported yesterday, three-quarters of complaints are thrown out. In the meantime a former Division of Defence staffer stated Higgins and Lehrmann had been kissing on the nightclub earlier than departing for Parliament Home, the ABC reviews, which flies within the face of his under-oath declare he had no bodily contact along with her. The courtroom additionally heard he’d assisted Higgins on the pub after she fell over, and took her cellphone away in an obvious playful bid to cease her reserving a experience dwelling.

SOLIDARITY FOREVER

Opposition overseas affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham, Liberal Nationwide MP Andrew Wallace, Victorian Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie, and Victorian Labor MPs Josh Burns and Michelle Ananda-Rajah will go to Israel subsequent week to satisfy households of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas, in addition to the Palestinian Authority, The Age ($) reviews. The Australian ($) provides Birmingham criticised Labor for not sending a minister since October 7 kicked the decades-long battle into excessive gear, and spoke of Israel’s “inherent proper to self-defence”. Not less than 16,015 Palestinians have been killed since then, in response to Gaza Well being Ministry figures, and 1,200 folks had been killed “in Hamas’ incursion into Israel”, in response to Israeli tallies, as Reuters writes this morning.

In the meantime the SMH informed freelance author Ariela Bard that Israel’s allegations that Hamas had performed mass rape and child-killing weren’t totally proved, The Australian ($) reviews, and requested her to edit her opinion article so as to add “alleged” or related earlier than they’d publish it. Bard stated she was “confronted” with the quantity of “proof” — eyewitness accounts have been given to media shops corresponding to Related Press and the BBC thus far which “alarmed UN Ladies”. Israeli police are nonetheless investigating, nevertheless, therefore the need of the phrase “alleged” in media protection. Talking of media — radio broadcaster Alan Jones has been accused of groping, assaulting and inappropriately touching younger males in a report from the  SMH’s Kate McClymont ($). He denied it through a lawyer, calling it “scandalous, grossly offensive and significantly defamatory”.

WRONG NUMBERS

Two persons are in jail proper now after Centrelink used an “incorrect” understanding of social safety legislation to accuse them of claiming greater than they’re owed, the watchdog says through Guardian Australia. Chilling stuff. The ombudsman is looking for Companies Australia — which has since suggested the director of public prosecutions concerning the two folks’s custodial sentences — to waive an extra 100,000 money owed. Remarkably it is a separate subject to robodebt. In the meantime there are 26 unemployed folks for each entry-level job in Australia, a brand new Anglicare report has discovered, with 18 of these folks having been outdoors the workforce for longer than a yr. Guardian Australia notes that: “Since June 2022, Australia’s unemployment charge has hovered between a low of three.4% and three.7%, with under-employment sitting round 6.4%, in response to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.”

And the federal government will dig deep for $25 billion in GST top-up funds and additional well being and hospital funding for the states and territories so long as they comply with revamp and fund extra of the NDIS, the AFR ($) reviews. We’d like you, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated, or else the $42 billion NDIS wouldn’t survive. Some $10.5 billion will go in direction of GST top-ups, The Australian ($) says, and nationwide cupboard bought a cap on their yearly contributions to the incapacity scheme (8%).

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Because the yr winds down and the climate warms up, many Australians look ahead to essentially the most festive of months bringing vacation cheer. For council employees, there can really be no extra harrowing and ghastly time. Yearly, faceless employees across the nation are assigned the dreaded process of adorning a neighborhood tree, to be scrutinised by a group so judgmental you’d suppose they had been persevering with the cycle of trauma attributable to watching Ian “Dicko” Dickson on Australian Idol. Take Adam Fitzroy, a resident of Forster on NSW’s mid-north coast, who was driving previous the city’s largest tree one night when he stopped lifeless. “Pathetic,” he declared because the ABC reviews. “An unthoughtful, rushed, ugly, non-Christmassy, rope mild set up.” My stars. It’s not that dangerous — form of cubist, actually.

The council issued a slightly damage assertion, saying it had tried its finest over three days however was not “skilled tree decorators”. Years again, a Chrissy firm had are available in to hold lights in three timber every December, however the rising prices meant it had grow to be a council duty, whether or not it appreciated it or not. We’re very happy for another person to do it, the assertion continued, providing up the lights as a donation. We’ll, Fitzroy declared. The self-described “vigilante elf” has fashioned a committee with greater than 200 folks and native companies within the small seaside city to boost cash for subsequent yr’s decorations. They higher be bloody good then, disgruntled council employees could be privately considering. Squabbles and brief change — it should be Christmas.

Hoping your mild shines vivid at this time, it doesn’t matter what it seems like.

SAY WHAT?

I can’t be apologising for upholding the legislation. I can’t be apologising for pursuing the rule of legislation and I can’t be apologising for appearing … Don’t interrupt! I can’t be apologising … for appearing in accordance with a Excessive Courtroom resolution. Your query is an absurd one.

Mark Dreyfus

The attorney-general gave Sky Information reporter Olivia Caisley a mouthful after she requested him for an apology for the folks affected by reoffending former detainees, though the federal government doesn’t have the ability to override the Excessive Courtroom per the separation of powers that the majority journalists study in first-year college.

CRIKEY RECAP

Georgie Purcell had two abortions. Does that make her unworthy of fellow MPs’ respect?

“Purcell sits on her sofa, surrounded by a handful of framed, feminist slogans. Aimee, a member of her staff, peruses an exhaustive archive of rescue canine on a close-by laptop computer, presumably seeking to safe the staff’s subsequent adoption.

“There’s one thing to be stated for a politician who neatly locations her expertise as a lady into her legislative mission, noting all of the methods by which her gender rubs up in opposition to the world round her. Purcell is able to say simply that: a second abortion ought not be a secret.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Israel military in most intense fight in Gaza battle, no secure place to evacuate (Al Jazeera)

Taylor Swift named Time journal’s particular person of the yr (BBC)

Biden: ‘You need to discover objective past your ache’ (CNN)

Russia’s Putin meets Saudi crown prince in whirlwind Gulf go to (Reuters)

UK COVID inquiry: Scandal-prone Boris Johnson apologises for ‘ache’ and ‘loss’ of victims (euronews)

As anticipated, Financial institution of Canada holds rate of interest regular at 5% (CBC)

THE COMMENTARIAT

It’s looking season for Terminator Dutton as Albanese flounders — Niki Savva (The Age) ($): “The yr started with Albanese authorities ministers describing Peter Dutton as their finest asset. It’s ending with the risk he might flip into their worst nightmare. A rejuvenated Dutton has — with appreciable assist from the federal government — succeeded in catastrophising each subject, creating a way of chaos round Anthony Albanese. Brimming with confidence, Dutton now scoffs at solutions he’s working a two-term technique to unseat Albanese, predicting he’ll cut back him to a one-termer.

“Dutton is starring within the Terminator sequel, fittingly subtitled “Judgment Day”, tutored by the unique, Tony Abbott, dwelling proof there isn’t any such factor as an unelectable opposition chief. If Albanese doesn’t change, he’ll go down. It received’t matter how ugly Dutton’s type of politics — Labor’s focus teams solid him as thuggish — or what state the economic system is in …The federal government has enabled and obliged Dutton by screwing up repeatedly — basically by making the identical mistake. It reacts too slowly to an issue, then responds both inadequately or incompetently.”

Safer, less complicated monetary recommendation to ship the very best outcomes for all — Stephen Jones (The AFR) ($): “Superannuation funds should play a larger position. We need to make sure that the superannuation system is nearly as good at delivering earnings as it’s as rising wealth. Funds ought to be reaching out to their members at essential life phases and nudging them
to consider the place they need to be in retirement and the way they’re monitoring. They need to even be offering them recommendation round investments choices, retirement projections, and contribution and drawdown methods, all whereas contemplating the family circumstances. Lastly, we have to scale up the availability of recommendation throughout the monetary sector.

“As a result of customers ought to be capable of entry high quality recommendation when fascinated with their insurance coverage wants, their credit score wants and, sure, their retirement wants. We’ll do all of this whereas preserving the teachings of the Hayne royal fee entrance of thoughts. We received’t dilute the important client protections which were laborious fought for. Recommendation offered by these establishments might be offered by a brand new class of economic adviser that should be certified and can give attention to easy points. They will even not be capable of obtain a price or a fee for his or her recommendation. Some have argued that the one solution to obtain that is to dump the very best pursuits obligation. We disagree. Below our reforms, all advisers might be required to prioritise the wants of the shopper. Not their very own, and never their employer.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Eora Nation Nation (also called Sydney)

• Enterprise govt Jacqui Clarke will talk about her new e book, Cease Worrying about Cash, at Higher Learn Than Useless bookshop.

Ngunnawal Nation (also called Canberra)

• Assistant Minister for Charities Andrew Leigh will ship a press release to Parliament titled “Backing Charities and Constructing Neighborhood”.

• Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape might be at Parliament Home.

• NDIS Minister Invoice Shorten will handle the Nationwide Press Membership.