Bureau of Meteorology’s billion-dollar IT spend

DOLLARS AND SENSE

It price the Bureau of Meteorology almost a billion {dollars} over 4 years to do a pc improve, the CEO advised employees final yr, earlier than telling Senate estimates on Tuesday that he couldn’t reveal the mission’s price. Guardian Australia stories Andrew Johnson talked about the price of the aptly named Strong improve in an Australia Day awards video, calling it a “large sum of money particularly for somewhat company like us”. Certainly. A spokesperson stated neither employees nor Senate estimates had the ultimate determine due to “industrial sensitivities”. In the meantime, the standard family’s transport prices rose by about 13% in 2023, AAP by way of Guardian Australia stories. Cripes. It was as a result of excessive prices for brand new automobiles, excessive rates of interest on loans, and better insurance coverage premiums, the Australian Car Affiliation’s newest Transport Affordability Index discovered.

It comes because the ACT Authorities apologised to former defence minister Linda Reynolds and paid her “substantial” damages over allegations from former director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold that the senator engaged in “disturbing conduct,” The Australian ($) stories. The defamation go well with was centred on a letter Drumgold wrote to ACT Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan in 2022 about alleged political interference in former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial (Lehrmann denied the allegation and the cost was dropped out of worry for Brittany Higgins‘ well being). The Oz claims Drumgold gave the letter to Guardian Australia, although this seems to be inaccurate; the latter’s story says reporter Christopher Knaus accessed it by way of freedom of data legal guidelines. The Australian additionally known as the settlement “the fifth profitable authorized motion” from Reynolds — she settled with journalist Aaron Patrick and his writer HarperCollins over guide claims final April, however I can’t consider any others. Reynolds is suing Brittany Higgins and her companion David Sharaz, however there’s been no win there as of but, as The West ($) says. Reynolds did, nevertheless, apologise for calling Higgins a “mendacity cow” and paid her authorized prices.

WATCH AND LEARN

ASIO boss Mike Burgess says the AFP is conducting a evaluation into the arrest of a 13-year-old boy on two terror prices after a court docket discovered undercover cops inspired him “in direction of racial hatred, mistrust of police and violent extremism, encouraging the kid’s fixation on ISIS”. His dad and mom initially approached Victoria Police for assist together with his “fixation”, as Guardian Australia put it, however then operatives began speaking to the child on-line, instructing him new terminology, and permitting him to speak about “his fantasy world”, the Justice of the Peace stated. Burgess advised the paper it was “extremely tough” coping with little one suspects and insisted ASIO and the AFP “don’t radicalise individuals”. The kid was given a everlasting keep on the fees.

It comes as China was revealed because the nation behind ASIO’s so-called A-Group, the SMH stories, particularly a division of China’s Ministry of State Safety. Burgess wouldn’t be pressed to disclose the ex-politician he accused of promoting out Australia after Opposition Chief Peter Dutton claimed it was a NSW Labor determine, however stated there have been international spy operations focusing on all events and added by way of the ABC that the pollie was in authorities on the time. In the meantime, the Herald Solar stories a former counter-terrorism worker at Victoria Police named Cristal Micallef seemed on the household violence and prison historical past information of greater than a dozen targets — together with college friends and her prolonged household. She acquired a two-year good behaviour bond, however one nameless sufferer advised the paper the “vital penalties” affected individuals and youngsters’s lives. Western Victoria MP Jacinta Ermacora stated the police database — known as LEAP — doesn’t ship an alert when unauthorised materials is accessed.

MEDIA GOSS

Is our information about to vanish from Fb and Instagram once more? Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones will start efforts to get Meta to pay media organisations for content material this week per our Information Media Bargaining Code, however AFR stories the social media large already stated it received’t renew offers (Google, alternatively, agreed to). “Meta’s choice may price native publishers about $70 million a yr and finish dozens of jobs as soon as present contracts expire this yr,” the paper notes. Chilling. Information Corp boss Michael Miller agreed, The Australian ($) says, urging the Albanese authorities to step in and defend the offers price greater than $250 million a yr to Australian information publishers. So why is Meta bailing? It says individuals don’t learn information on Fb, however after all, the tech large additionally doesn’t need extra copycat international locations to demand compensation for content material — like Canada.

In the meantime, the SMH ($) notes The Australian has misplaced a number of employees these days, together with arts correspondent Matthew Westwood who’d labored there since 1990. Neither the paper nor Westwood would say why. Cricket author Peter Lalor additionally left however obtained extra of a “glowing tribute”. The paper additionally notes Information Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch was in Las Vegas for the NRL’s opening “Sin Metropolis” video games, alongside chief govt Robert Thomson, Foxtel boss Patrick Delany, and “Murdoch’s fellow nepo billionaire” James Packer. Lol. Lastly, Brisbane Broncos participant Ezra Mam made a “formal criticism” about an alleged racial remark by Roosters participant Spencer Leniu throughout the Vegas recreation, ABC stories, which was to be handled after the ultimate whistle. Mam is of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander descent. Leniu stated it was “enjoyable and video games on the sector”.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Like several bored teenager in an age earlier than smartphones, Guardian Australia’s Rosamund Brennan spent many Saturdays wandering moodily across the Perth procuring centre Carillon Metropolis within the noughties. She’d window-shop beneath the fluorescent lights, eat low-cost sushi in its ’80s foodcourt, and usually mooch round as busy customers toting baggage and toddlers bustled by. Strolling down the escalator into the meals court docket now, she sees a sea of inky black water flooding the ground, with lush inexperienced water-dwelling foliage rising in what she describes as a “sprawling brackish wetland”. Folks typically gasp, Annika Kristensen stated — she’s the visible arts curator at Perth Pageant who commissioned artist Linda Tegg to re-wild the procuring centre’s floor flooring, in becoming with the Perth Pageant’s theme — ngaangk, or “solar”.

In a means, the 2 environments couldn’t be extra dichotomous — one a gleaming, artificially lit illustration of mass consumerism, the opposite the uncooked earthy panorama the place all residing issues acquire sustenance. And that’s the central thought — Noongar individuals, the Conventional House owners of Perth, as soon as used the land as a spot of nourishment (with a a lot lighter footprint than us, one would possibly be aware) and Tegg labored with Balladong Whadjuk lady and medicinal plant professional Vivienne Hansen to make use of crops that will’ve grown within the space earlier than the British arrived, like kondil (she-oak, which resembles pine needles) and taaruk (previous man’s beard, a wispy climbing plant). Ultimately, Andrew Forrest’s Fiveight goes to do a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the procuring centre and possibly bulldoze the entire thing. However for now, this inventive wetland exhibits how the solar can all the time discover its means again in, Kristensen says.

Hoping you you’re feeling the grass beneath your toes right this moment.

SAY WHAT?

Should you stay in Frankston and also you’ve acquired an issue with Victorian ladies being assaulted by international criminals, vote in opposition to Labor. If you don’t want to see Australian ladies being assaulted by international criminals, vote in opposition to Labor. Ship Labor a message.

Sussan Ley

The deputy Liberal chief insists she has no regrets about a tweet that appeared to reference a later-retracted assault cost a couple of man launched from indefinite detention. The backlash was swift, with double the quantity of feedback to likes, generally generally known as getting ratioed. Labor received Dunkley’s seat on the weekend anyway.

CRIKEY RECAP

Aldi has stopped rising, proper after we want it most

“If Aldi’s German HQ requires an finish to growth and a cap on capital spending, and decides to spend a number of years reaping fats earnings from its ultra-popular Australian operation, that’s its name to make. It’s a personal enterprise and it needn’t justify itself to anybody.

“However, the shortage of aggressive zeal in a time when Woolworths and Coles are cranking up margins is disappointing for many who hoped Aldi would scare the residing daylights out of our massive two. Over the six months to June 30 final yr, Aldi gross sales rose by a reported 10%. That could be a mixture of inflation and elevated gross sales. Not a nasty consequence once you’re opening hardly any new shops.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Israeli air raid on Rafah kills 14 Palestinians, lots of them youngsters (Al Jazeera)

Eurovision 2024: Israel agrees to October Rain lyrics change (BBC)

Shehbaz Sharif elected as prime minister of Pakistan (The Guardian)

Israel stated to boycott Cairo ceasefire talks over hostage record (Reuters)

Yemen’s Houthis say they are going to proceed sinking British ships (Reuters)

Russia probably suffered a minimum of 355,000 casualties in Ukraine warfare — UK MoD (euronews)

Majority of Biden’s 2020 voters now say he’s too previous to be efficient (The New York Instances) ($)

THE COMMENTARIAT

Shocked? Spy revelation no shock to these paying consideration — Nick McKenzie (The SMH): “Seasoned politicians and journalists, or certainly anybody who can use Google, ought to be properly conscious of the plethora of open-source instances involving former Australian political figures being overtly cultivated by Chinese language authorities brokers of affect. This consists of these tempted by the lure of donations and post-political careers, or who’ve taken tasty pay cheques from firms owned by figures linked carefully to the Chinese language state for seemingly piddly duties. Certainly, there have been so many suspects that many journalists didn’t know who to begin calling when making an attempt to get an ex-politician to determine themselves because the unnamed traitor that Joe Hockey and Peter Dutton believed ought to have been outed.

“Burgess’ unnamed politician isn’t a surprising aberration needing to be named and shamed. It’s merely a historic case examine for instance simply how shut the MSS has at instances acquired to reshaping elements of our democracy because of the greed, ego, stupidity or naivety of a small however nonetheless troubling variety of ex-political figures. Alex Turnbull, the son of former PM Malcolm, made this level completely (though maybe with out realising it) when he proffered that he could have been focused by this unnamed politician’s plotting. Sorry Alex. It wasn’t you. However the truth that, for a couple of days, many thought it may have been (Turnbull claimed he was approached by doable Chinese language spies), highlights the best way during which brokers of the MSS and its sister entity, the United Entrance Work Division, work.”

Does Dunkley inform Peter Dutton he ought to give extra consideration to the previous Liberal heartland? — Michelle Grattan (The Dialog): “[A convincing economic plan], it is likely to be stated, requires content material and salesmanship. The Liberals are presently missing in each. Expectations at the moment are being raised about Peter Dutton’s price range reply — will it comprise some critical and main coverage? Whether or not coverage comes then, or round then, the opposition absolutely can’t delay for much longer telling individuals what it could do in some key areas. Anthony Albanese’s small goal method labored when the Coalition and particularly its PM have been severely on the nostril. Nevertheless it’s fairly probably the general public will nonetheless be comparatively affected person in direction of the Albanese authorities subsequent yr.

“Dutton intends quickly to announce a reshuffle of his frontbench, filling the vacancies of shadow assistant treasurer and shadow cupboard secretary (left by the departures of Stuart Robert and Marise Payne), and making another minor modifications. The reshuffle is lengthy overdue. Nevertheless it is not going to tackle core issues Dutton has together with his weak frontbench. His shadow treasurer, Angus Taylor is less than the job when that job is to match and higher Treasurer Jim Chalmers. And Dutton’s deputy, Sussan Ley, has grow to be shrill and shows poor judgement, as proven by her inflammatory social media submit final week saying, ‘If you don’t want to see Australian ladies being assaulted by international criminals, vote in opposition to Labor’. However each Taylor and Ley are successfully locked into their positions, and Dutton is the loser.”

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WHAT’S ON TODAY

Kulin Nation Nation (often known as Melbourne)

Eora Nation Nation (often known as Sydney)

• The Social Coverage Group’s Carla Wilshire will speak about her new guide, Time to Reboot: Feminism within the Algorithm Age, at Higher Learn Than Useless bookshop.

Yuggera and Turrbal Nation (often known as Brisbane)

• Author Minney Richani will discuss her new guide, Amongst The Grapevines, at Avid Reader bookshop.