Via the ABC: Charges against suspended University of Queensland (UQ) student Drew Pavlou were “obviously fabricated” and involved “scrounging up every bit of filth which could possibly be thrown at him”, his lawyer claims. In a 16-page appeal document seen by the ABC, Brisbane barrister Tony Morris QC, who is acting pro-bono, argues Mr Pavlou,
Paul Kelly thinks it’s the end of America: The most powerful nation on Earth is being brought undone from within by its pent-up governance and moral failures. The crisis has multiple triggers — abuse of police power, entrenched disadvantage of black Americans, mounting anger in American hearts, cultural schisms across the nation and political polarisation
Via The Australian: A long-serving Andrews government staffer with links to the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department has posted a series of articles and videos on social media suggesting coronavirus was created by the US and transported to China by the US Army. The comments from Nancy Yang, who
Via The Economist: It is not hard to find Chinese who cheer the foreign ministry’s pugnacious new style. Against that, some members of China’s foreign-policy establishment express alarm over this assertiveness, calling it a mistake born of inexperience. That is letting foreign ministry hotheads off too easily. A well-travelled bunch, China’s quarrel-picking diplomats know how
What a world this is, via Domain: Federal Parliament’s first Chinese-born MP says the Andrews government’s deal with Beijing on the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative has been shrouded in secrecy, and called on the state to release full details of the scheme’s benefit to Victoria. Gladys Liu said although Australia was open to entering
Via The Australian: Seeking a “first-mover” advantage in the competitive global education business, Australia’s 39 major universities have put a plan to the government to restart the entry of international students under strict health guidelines. The proposal by Universities Australia, sent to the federal government on Thursday for consideration by the national cabinet, will require
Via the ABC: SA Police has launched an investigation into a photo which purportedly shows one of its uniformed police officers supporting Hong Kong’s police force. The photo, which features in an International Police Association (IPA) magazine, defends the conduct of Hong Kong Police during the protests last year, despite claims from protesters that officers
“Australia” has had a near-death experience, at The Australian: Australia’s current ambassador to China gave the green light to Victoria to sign on to President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative, which has been criticised by Scott Morrison. The Australian can reveal that Graham Fletcher, then a senior Foreign Affairs official, told the Victorian
Awful to watch. At the AFR comes Joel Fitzgibbon on his long march: Indeed, China is the customer for 36 per cent of Australia’s exports – more than $120 billion worth each year. Their demand for our food and mining products creates hundreds of thousands of Australian jobs. So too does the money invested here
Via Domain: The Victorian government looks set to pursue the next step of its controversial Belt and Road deal with the Chinese government, despite widespread criticism of the deal. Premier Daniel Andrews indicated on Wednesday that the timetable for agreeing to the next step of the deal, a “co-operation road map” between the state and
Via The Australian: Australian barley on its way to China has been diverted mid route to Japan and the United Arab Emirates following China’s decision to impose punitive trade tariffs on the grain. Four ships carrying Australian barley have changed course or cargo after rising trade tensions led to China — Australia’s biggest barley buyer
Feel the fear: I note that for Mr Pavlou to be a martyr he must first die. I shouldn’t put ideas in UQ’s head. The story says! Before he was dubbed the world’s most famous undergraduate, Drew Pavlou was merely a “particularly annoying” student making life hell for the University of Queensland over its close
Drew Pavlou for Australian of the Year, at The Guardian: Lawyers for a student activist have lodged a formal complaint demanding the University of Queensland dismiss the Chinese consul-general in Brisbane from an adjunct professor position, over comments “praising violence” against peaceful campus protesters. The call to sack the diplomat, Xu Jie, from the honorary
The answer is yes but it needs to toughen up. At heart, Australian multiculturalism is a post-modern phenomenon. It is the ultimate manifestation of global psychology and the death of God. Only in a world in which secularism dominates can such a society exist. That is, AM is a figment of enlightenment thinking. It is
Via Shane Oliver at AMP: Introduction There has been much debate about the short-term economic and investment impact of coronavirus – on economic activity, unemployment, interest rates, house prices, shares, etc. However, the magnitude of the shock means it will have medium to longer-term implications as well. Of course, there is a danger in placing
This is what happens when Labor takes the China bribe to its logical extreme, at ABC: The US ambassador to Australia has played down a suggestion from his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that his nation could “simply disconnect” from Australia if Victoria’s trade deal with Beijing threatened its telecommunication security. On Sunday morning, Mr
Check this out from Kowtowing Kevin Rudd on the weekend: Seven years into this Liberal government, there is no evidence of a serious China strategy. Lots of tactics, but no strategy. China respects strength, not weakness. It also respects consistency. So here are seven simple principles for the future. First, be unapologetic in our dealings
Good, Chris Joye’s Flying Circus: In the AFR today I write that this is a great day for all Australian financial advisers and investors, and a brave decision by the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, which was also vigorously advocated by Labor’s shadow financial services minister, Stephen Jones. Excerpt enclosed: By banning fund managers from paying sales commissions
Via Essential, Aussies do not feel safe: Are hesitant about easing restrictions: And they do not like China: 40% see it coming from a Chinese lab…
Let’s reprise the shocking document released yesterday by Aussie freedom fighter, Drew Pavlou: Here it is, plain as day: UQ coordinated its response to my campus Hong Kong protests with CCP officials. In response to my July 24 protest, a senior UQ official wrote to Rongyu Li, Chair of Board at UQ Confucius Institute: “Below
The Kouk just can’t well enough alone: A group of 122 economists (at last count) have signed a letter arguing against an early relaxation of social distancing measures in Australia. They say “some commentators have expressed the view that there is a trade-off between the public health and economic aspects of the crisis. We, as
Fark me: Here it is, plain as day: UQ coordinated its response to my campus Hong Kong protests with CCP officials. In response to my July 24 protest, a senior UQ official wrote to Rongyu Li, Chair of Board at UQ Confucius Institute: “Below is message to the Chinese Consulate for review.” pic.twitter.com/cvW4BHxHWH — Drew
Via the AFR comes a huge laugh out loud: China has changed its inspection procedures for iron imports under new rules that analysts say could be used to block Australia’s most important export, as trade tensions between the two countries escalate. China’s Customs authorities said in a notice the new supervising rules, which take effect
‘ We have not “let the relationship slip”. China launched a quiet invasion of Australia via bribery, lawfare and intimidation, and Labor is blaming Australia for it even though Turnbull and Morrison only undertook the most basic pushbacks to protect our sovereignty and freedoms. Post COVID-19, we spearheaded a failed push for an independent inquiry
Via The Guardian: Australian taxpayers should underwrite a massive expansion of the domestic gas industry – including helping open new fields and build hundreds of kilometres of pipelines – according to a group advising on Covid-19 recovery. A leaked draft report by a manufacturing taskforce advising the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC) recommends the Morrison
It’s all fake now. Our entire political economy. Right wing politics is an oligarchic fake pretending to compete. Left wing politics is an oligarchic fake pretending to care about workers or the environment. Government is a fake, pretending to do reform but really just stuffing the nation full of coolies to disguise falling living standards.
This time via The Guardian: More natural gas, faster project approvals and lower company tax are critical to achieving “economic sovereignty” and a stronger Australian manufacturing sector, according to the industry minister, Karen Andrews. Andrews will address the National Press Club on Wednesday, calling on governments to streamline project approvals and foreshadowing a role for
From News: China has slammed claims it backed down and Australia had a victory over the probe into COVID-19 as a “joke”. In the latest diplomatic war of words between the two nations, the Chinese embassy has lashed out at claims it has backed down over the investigation under international pressure. “The draft resolution on
The federal government must step into this disgrace, at The Australian: A student activist facing expulsion from the University of Queensland is being threatened with criminal prosecution over his handling of documents relating to the institution’s public response to anti-Beijing protests on campus. Drew Pavlou faces a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday following his protests and
I’m afraid it is an epochal stain that will keep it from power for decades. Labor cannot be trusted with China. Kevin Rudd is the exemplar: Former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has accused Scott Morrison of exposing primary producers to extra risk by taking the lead against China on a coronavirus inquiry while Beijing
