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Scott Morrison has a history of underestimating strong women. As Michelle Grattan writes, he did it as CEO of Tourism Australia - leading to his sacking - and he’s doing it again now.
Two recent examples involve former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate and Australian of the Year Grace Tame. Morrison let rip in parliament when it was revealed Holgate had given a $5,000 Cartier watch to four employees as gifts. Would he have reacted the same way had the CEO been male?
Then there was his decision to appoint the conservative and combative Amanda Stoker as assistant minister for women, when such an appointment would inevitably provoke a strong negative reaction from some quarters. So it did, with Tame claiming Stoker had supported a fake rape crisis tour on campus, among other things. Stoker rejected the claims, defending her record on promoting justice for women. But Morrison could easily have made a less controversial appointment, Grattan argues, and it’s strange he didn’t.
Meanwhile, the Morrison government also finally responded to Kate Jenkins’ year-old report into sexual harassment in workplaces, but here, too, it came under fire.
Emma Golledge and her colleagues at the Kingsford Legal Centre at UNSW argue the government’s response falls significantly short of demands by many women to fully implement all 55 recommendations in the report. For the government to respond effectively to Jenkins’ damning findings, they write, it must deliver radical change.
The government is finding itself under pressure on the country’s slow vaccine roll-out, as well, and last night’s news that people under 50 are advised against getting the AstraZeneca vaccination due to the extremely small risk of blood clots will only delay things further. We will have more analysis coming on this later in the day.
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Amanda Dunn
Section Editor: Politics + Society
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Mick Tsikas/AAP
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Scott Morrison is inclined to underestimate tough women - and these tough women now present a serious political challenge
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Mick Tsikas/AAP
Emma Golledge, UNSW; Dianne Anagnos, UNSW; Madeleine Causbrook, UNSW; Sean Bowes, UNSW
The government's response to Kate Jenkins' landmark report on sexual harassment in the workplace includes several positive measures. On the whole, however, it doesn't go far enough.
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AAP
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The vaccine rollout was thrown into fresh uncertainty on Thursday night after the government received medical advice against using the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 50 because of the very small risk of blood clots.
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TRACEY NEARMY/AAP
Jason Harris, University of Sydney
Director's responsibilities are to the company, not the the owners, even if those owners are the government.
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Matthias Schrader/AP/AAP
Nathan Bartlett, University of Newcastle
All vaccines and medications come with risks. But the risks of delaying vaccination are far higher.
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Shutterstock
Anthony Zulli, Victoria University; Maja Husaric, Victoria University; Maximilian de Courten, Victoria University; Vasso Apostolopoulos, Victoria University
Scientists have called it "vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia", or VIPIT. The condition is characterised by a shortage of platelets in the blood.
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Shutterstock
Jacob Deem, CQUniversity Australia; A J Brown, Griffith University; Susan Bird, CQUniversity Australia
New research reveals high support for a First National Voice to be enshrined in the Constitution.
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Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
Jo Caust, The University of Melbourne
Arts Minister Paul Fletcher has taken aim at what he calls a 'cosy club' of arts elites. But his claim of 'unprecedented' arts funding and a push for greater fairness don't add up.
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Science + Technology
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Ritesh Chugh, CQUniversity Australia
Avoid using a hot blow dryer too, as these can wreck the rubber seals and damage the screen.
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Arts + Culture
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Maria Nugent, Australian National University
What happens when the distant frontier takes up residence in the family home? How are we to remember our flawed ancestors? A new book grapples with these questions.
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Health + Medicine
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Holly Seale, UNSW; Jessica Kaufman, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Our well-meaning efforts to use images to help demystify the vaccination process or share our pride in getting a COVID vaccine can backfire.
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Education
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Lucinda McKnight, Deakin University
Artificial intelligence is probably already helping many students write essays. Schools and unis need to start talking about the ethical implications now.
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Politics + Society
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Michael Macaulay, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The good news is New Zealand's whistleblower protection laws will be stronger. The bad news is they might still not be strong enough.
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Environment + Energy
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Anthony Richardson, The University of Queensland; Chhaya Chaudhary, University of Auckland; David Schoeman, University of the Sunshine Coast; Mark John Costello, University of Auckland
Climate change has already made tropical oceans too hot for some marine species to survive. As they flee towards the poles, the implications for ecosystems and human livelihoods will be profound.
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