Below find a useful wrap of Christchurch related material from Crikey:
SHOOTER EMAILED ‘MANIFESTO’
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed her office was one of more than 30 to receive a so-called “manifesto” from the accused Christchurch terrorist just minutes before Friday’s mosque attacks.
The ABC reports that Ardern will today meet with New Zealand cabinet to discuss stricter gun laws, while Australian counterparts will hold their own cabinet security briefing ($) amid concerns neither country is effectively monitoring white supremacist hate groups. Leaders across the Tasman have also hit out at the role of social media in fostering hate speech, or as The Agereports “shit posting” neo-Nazism, while Facebook has since announced 1.5 million videos of the attack have been removed.
The news follows vigils, mosque open days and rallies against Islamophobiaacross the weekend as information continues to emerge about the victims of the attacks.
Anyone seeking help can reach Lifeline on 13 11 14, and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GREENS PUSH TO DUMP ANNING
Greens leader Richard Di Natale has called for “extraordinary action” to be taken against controversial MP Fraser Anning for blaming Friday’s attacks on Muslim immigration, including expulsion through potential changes to the Privileges Act.
The Australian ($) reports that Di Natale’s push, which comes after more than one million people signed a Change.com petition calling for Anning’s removal, has already been dismissed by the Coalition and Labor. Scott Morrison, who along with Bill Shorten will move a symbolic censure motion against Anning, has suggested the independent senator should face the “full force of the law” for twice punching a 17-year-old boy who egged him at an event in Melbourne.
DALEY REJECTS GUN CAMPAIGN
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has given an “ironclad” guarantee not to weaken gun restrictions if elected, after the Liberal Party released advertisements with John Howard campaigning against Labor’s preference deal with Shooters, Fishers and Farmers.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, after delaying their release for days after the Christchurch attacks, the NSW Liberals have aired anti-gun ads in which Howard warns that the Labor-Shooters preference swap means a Daley-government could wind back Australia’s 1996 gun laws. The campaign comes as new YouGov Galaxy polling ($) suggests swings to Labor in the knife-edge seats of Goulburn and Penrith.
Our view of these events is that a psychopath has destroyed the lives of hundreds Kiwis and Aussies and traumatised both nations. Our hearts go out to those effected.
We will cover whatever political fallout there is from the disaster to the extent that it falls within our purview. But, equally, we find the rush to politicise events, by all concerned, inappropriate.
MB comments will continue to be moderated accordingly.
