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7 rules for a respectful and worthwhile Voice referendum

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joe-mcintyre-251004">Joe McIntyre</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>In October, Australians are, for the first time in a generation, going to the polls to vote in a referendum.</p> <p>Unfortunately, we’re out of practice in how to conduct ourselves in a referendum. This process is supposed to promote dialogue about the fundamental rules and identity of our nation.</p> <p>Yet passions can run hot, and misinformation is rife. How can we make sure our discussions with friends and family are respectful? How can we find reliable sources to ensure we make an informed choice? These seven rules may help.</p> <h2>Rule 1: remember there is no right answer</h2> <p>First, there is no one right answer. No side has the exclusive claim to the right(eous) solution, and there are valid concerns and arguments for both sides. You are not racist because you vote “no”. You are not a woke idealist because you vote “yes”.</p> <p>While the “<a href="https://www.yes23.com.au/">yes</a>” and “<a href="https://www.fairaustralia.com.au/">no</a>” campaigns rely heavily on emotional motifs, ultimately each Australian voter is entitled to make their own choice based on the best evidence.</p> <p>Even some experts disagree, for example, on whether the change is constitutionally <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/uploads/1/4/6/3/146303838/very_high_risk_very_low_reward_this_voice_referendum_deserves_to_be_defeated.pdf">risky</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/solicitor-general-confirms-voice-model-is-legally-sound-will-not-fetter-or-impede-parliament-204266">not</a> – depending on their risk appetite and ideological viewpoints. There is no single answer, and the consequences of either choice are uncertain.</p> <p>A proposal to change the Constitution is an opportunity for us to reflect on the type of nation we wish to be. In a democracy, that means valuing a wide range of different perspectives and opinions.</p> <p>The <a href="https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement/view-the-statement/">Uluru Statement</a> offered one vision for recognition of First Nations people in Australia. It was an invitation from a significant body of Indigenous leaders to walk a particular path.</p> <p>At the referendum we are asking whether that path is, at this time, the specific path the Australian people wish to walk.</p> <h2>Rule 2: don’t approach a referendum as if it is an election</h2> <p>Given the lack of bipartisan support for the proposal, it’s easy to default to the tribal operating mode of the three-year electoral cycle. This is wrong. A referendum is not like an election, in which we support one party or another. Instead, we have three parts:</p> <ol> <li>what is being proposed</li> <li>the case for reform</li> <li>the case against reform.</li> </ol> <p>In the bipartisan 1967 referendum, little attention was paid to what was being proposed – with the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-03/voice-referendum-vote-on-92-words-stay-out-of-weeds/102800166">result that it remains poorly understood</a>.</p> <p>The ‘67 referendum allowed the government to make special laws for Indigenous people, and ensured all Indigenous people were counted in the census. However many people mistakenly believe the referendum gave Indigenous people the right to <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/1967-referendum">vote</a>, or <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/indigenous-citizenship-myth-shrouds-1967-referendum/#:%7E:text=This%20is%20false.,were%20granted%20citizenship%20in%201948.">citizenship</a>, or that they were previously counted as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-20/fact-check-flora-and-fauna-1967-referendum/9550650">flora and fauna</a>.</p> <p>The benefit of a contested Voice referendum is that there is accurate, impartial and accessible information about the proposal – including its <a href="https://voice.gov.au/about-voice/voice-principles">design</a>, <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/voicehistory.html">history</a> and <a href="https://ulurustatement.org/the-voice/what-is-the-voice/">objectives</a>.</p> <p>The challenge is to remain alert to the distinction between the factual question of what is being proposed, and the policy question of whether we support it or not.</p> <h2>Rule 3: remember the Constitution belongs to all of us, and we can change it</h2> <p>It’s important to understand some key points about our constitution. Constitutions serve <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/con.html">a number of roles</a>: they create the basic political and legal institutions of a society, and regulate how they operate, interact and are limited.</p> <p>But they are also a potent symbol of national identity and a means of refining and crafting a defining national narrative.</p> <p><a href="https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/the-australian-constitution/australian-constitution/">Australia’s Constitution</a> is not a religious text. It was designed to evolve and change. It should not be viewed as static or set in stone.</p> <p>We have had <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2223/Quick_Guides/ConstitutionalReferendumsAustralia">44 referendums</a> in our history, at an average of one every 2.7 years.</p> <p>While only eight referendums have passed, five received majority support and another <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/referendumhistory.html">nine achieved more than 49% support</a>.</p> <p>The Constitution belongs to all of us, and we all have a right to have a say in its development. We are entitled to renew and reform it – and if something doesn’t work, to try again.</p> <h2>Rule 4: don’t believe (or repeat) everything you hear</h2> <p>Unfortunately, both <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-can-avoid-political-misinformation-in-the-lead-up-to-the-voice-referendum-206500">disinformation and misinformation</a> are rife in the public debate about the Voice. Both campaigns can (lawfully) <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-legal-to-tell-lies-during-the-voice-referendum-campaign-209211">lie to you</a>.</p> <p>While the Australian Electoral Commission has an online <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/media/disinformation-register-ref.htm">referendum disinformation register</a> addressing errors about the referendum <em>process</em>, there is no register of misinformation about the Voice proposal itself.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-the-yes-and-no-cases-stack-up-constitutional-law-experts-take-a-look-212364">Academics</a> and media organisations (including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/factcheck">RMIT ABC Fact Check</a>, <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/">AAP Fact Check</a> and <a href="https://factcheck.afp.com/afp-australia">AFP Fact Check</a>) are fact-checking claims about the Voice.</p> <p>Yet it remains difficult to isolate accurate information in a contested space. There remains a key difference between factual claims that can be verified, and subjective claims or opinions which cannot.</p> <p>This referendum demands we critically reflect on the source, authority and ambitions underlying all information we see, hear and share.</p> <h2>Rule 5: it’s OK to find this hard and confusing</h2> <p>The contested nature of the referendum, endless misinformation, complex social issues and lack of practice with referendums will leave many of us feeling confused and overwhelmed. This is OK. This referendum is complex, and raises many issues.</p> <p>This is compounded by our lack of <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/legalliteracy.html">legal literacy</a> and civics education. Too often, Australians feel alienated from our legal institutions.</p> <p>Every year, <a href="http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/ljf/app/6DDF12F188975AC9CA257A910006089D.html.">one in four</a> Australians experience a substantial legal problem. However, only 3% of those problems are resolved through the legal system, with many choosing not to take action due to cost or not knowing what to do, or resolving the matter outside of the courts.</p> <p>Without meaningful regular engagement with the law, we too often lack the language and framework to understand something so complex and archaic. It’s therefore completely understandable we may struggle with esoteric issues such as constitutional law.</p> <h2>Rule 6: don’t be afraid of expertise</h2> <p>The corollary of this, however, is that we should not be afraid of turning to experts to understand and assess the issue. The referendum is replete with issues that are technical and specialised.</p> <p>The good news is there are lots of experts trying to help the public understand the issues, including <a href="https://lawcouncil.au/policy-agenda/the-referendum-for-an-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-voice">Law Councils</a>, former <a href="https://www.auspublaw.org/first-nations-voice/the-voice-a-step-forward-for-australian-nationhood">judges</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-will-vote-in-a-referendum-on-october-14-what-do-you-need-to-know-195352">legal</a> <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/legal-analysis-by-the-experts.html">academics</a>.</p> <h2>Rule 7: if you don’t know, learn</h2> <p>This leads to perhaps the most important point: as citizens, we have an obligation to ensure we are informed about the key ideas and issues before we enter the ballot box.</p> <p>Fortunately, there are many excellent sources - including <a href="https://ucfm.com.au/series/its-the-constitution/">podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/voice/voicefacts">short videos</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@constitutionalclarion1901">discussions</a>, and <a href="https://www.monash.edu/law/research/centres/castancentre/our-areas-of-work/indigenous/voice-to-parliament-resources">carefully</a> curated <a href="https://www.referendum-voice.com.au/">websites</a> – that have been designed by experts to ensure Australians are empowered to make a meaningfully informed choice. These sources are designed to provide impartial, accurate and accessible information.</p> <p>Ultimately, the Voice proposal is about the dignity offered by listening to diverse opinions. Our challenge is to bring this same approach to our discussions about the referendum. These rules should help.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212974/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joe-mcintyre-251004">Joe McIntyre</a>, Associate Professor of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-rules-for-a-respectful-and-worthwhile-voice-referendum-212974">original article</a>.</em></p>

Legal

Instagram is making you a worse tourist – here’s how to travel respectfully

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-a-siegel-1416907">Lauren A. Siegel</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-greenwich-1298">University of Greenwich</a></em></p> <p>Travel is back in full swing this summer, and so is bad behaviour by tourists.</p> <p>Popular destinations have seen an uptick in incidents involving tourists in <a href="http://darwin.cnn-travel-vertical.ui.cnn.io/travel/article/tourists-behaving-badly/index.html?gallery=0">recent years</a>. Reports of a <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/06/30/hunt-for-tourist-who-carved-name-in-colosseum-intensifies">man defacing</a> the Colosseum in Rome shows that behaviour has deteriorated even in places that rarely had problems in the past.</p> <p>What’s behind these abhorrent acts? One answer, <a href="https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/541/178">my research shows</a>, is social media. Instagram and TikTok have made it easy to find “hidden gem” restaurants and discover new destinations to add to your bucket list. But this democratisation of travel has had other consequences.</p> <p>Because people now see their social media connections from their home environment travelling in an exotic location, they assume (consciously or not) that behaviour they ordinarily carry out at home is also acceptable in that holiday destination.</p> <p>This is known as <a href="https://fs.blog/mental-model-social-proof/">social proof</a>, when we look to the behaviours of others to inform our own actions. People are likely to act more <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0013916508319448">hedonistically while on holiday</a>. Now, travellers also look to social media for proof of how others behave. If their peers from home are throwing caution to the wind while on holiday, this can cause a domino effect of bad behaviour.</p> <p>I’ve identified other bad travel attitudes and habits that have emerged as a result of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212571X23000045?via%3Dihub">social media-driven tourism</a>.</p> <p>For example, the <a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/identifiable-victim-effect">identifiable victim effect</a>, which explains how people are more likely to sympathise with victims of tragedies when they know who those victims are. Because tourists are often sheltered in hotels and resorts away from local communities, they might (wrongly) think that travelling to a place far from home is an opportunity for consequence-free bad behaviour. They underestimate or ignore the effect their actions can have on locals or the economy.</p> <h2>The Instagram effect</h2> <p>When people travel to a beautiful place, the temptation to post photos and videos to social media is high. But, as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2022.2086451">I have argued</a>, this creates a cycle that contributes to more self-indulgent travel.</p> <p>First, tourists see their friends post photos from a place (revealed through geotags). They then want to visit the same places and take the same sorts of photos of themselves there. Eventually they post them on the same social networks where they saw the initial photos.</p> <p>Being able to travel to and post about visiting the same places as one’s social group or online connections can be a form of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10548408.2018.1499579?casa_token=mVH_AlLB_4kAAAAA%3Ahdz29HMEh5aCiK4TopW8WBS3lY2ZJ2n6CZQWhL5aH7d-ZK3lpsvUlowHtdy4Pa-e7ergNJgcGfI">social status</a>. But it means that, in some cases, travellers will put more energy into creating content than they will to exploration, discovery or being respectful to local customs.</p> <h2>Hotspots respond</h2> <p>Bali is one destination with a reputation for social media-induced tourism. The photogenic island, replete with yoga retreats, is a huge draw for influencers.</p> <p>In response to tourist misbehaviour, Bali <a href="https://thebalisun.com/balis-much-anticipated-list-of-dos-and-donts-for-tourists-revealed/">introduced new guidelines</a> for visitors in June 2023. These include rules about proper behaviour in the sacred temples, around the island and with locals, and respecting the natural environment.</p> <p>Tourists now need a <a href="https://thebalisun.com/bali-warns-tourists-must-have-international-driving-license-to-drive-scooters-on-the-island">licence</a> for motorbike rentals, and may not set foot on any mountain or volcano in Bali due to their sacred nature. Travellers must only stay in registered hotels and villas (which will impact a number of Airbnb properties). Bali has introduced a “tourist task force” to enforce the restrictions, through raids and investigations if necessary.</p> <p>One new guideline is to not act aggressively or use harsh words towards locals, government officials or other tourists both while in Bali, or, notably, online. This speaks to the role of social media as part of the problem when it comes to bad tourist behaviour.</p> <p>Other destinations have taken similar steps. <a href="https://pledge.visiticeland.com">Iceland</a>, <a href="https://mauitourism.org/Videos/malama-pledge.htm">Hawaii</a>, <a href="https://palaupledge.com">Palau</a>, <a href="https://www.tiakinewzealand.com">New Zealand</a>, <a href="https://costarica-sanctuary.com/make-it-happen/">Costa Rica</a> and others have adopted pledges for visitors to abide by local laws and customs. Campaigns like Switzerland’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXcBGfXXL4w">No Drama</a>, Austria’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgn3Y7kvJXE">See Vienna – not #Vienna</a>, Finland’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/oct/17/finland-be-more-like-finn-campaign-tourism-pledge-initiatives">Be more like a Finn</a> and the Netherlands’ <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2023/03/31/amsterdam-launches-stay-away-campaign-targeting-wild-party-behavior-of-young-british-tourists/">How to Amsterdam</a> are aimed at attracting well-behaved tourists.</p> <p>Where such efforts aren’t successful, some places such as Thailand’s famous Maya Bay have taken it further and fully closed to tourists, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/maya-bay-thailand-recovery-c2e-spc-intl/index.html">at least temporarily</a>.</p> <h2>Travel respectfully</h2> <p>Remember you are a guest of the host communities when you travel. Here are some ways to ensure that you will be asked back.</p> <p><strong>1. Do your research</strong></p> <p>Even if you’re a seasoned traveller, you may not realise the impact your actions have on local communities. But a bit of information – from your own research or provided by local governments – might be enough to help you act more appropriately. Before you go, look up guidelines or background information on local cultural or safety norms.</p> <p>Whether you agree with the customs or not is irrelevant. If it is a more conservative place than you are used to, you should be mindful of that – unlike the two influencers who were <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/16/bali-warns-misbehaving-tourists-will-sent-home-instagram-influencers/">arrested</a> for explicit behaviour in a temple in Bali.</p> <p><strong>2. Put down your phone…</strong></p> <p>Research shows that when travelling, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016073831730097X">people can become alienated</a> from their surroundings if they are more focused on their devices than the destination.</p> <p>Often the most memorable travel experiences will be when you have a meaningful connection with someone, or learn something new that you’ve never experienced before. That becomes harder if you’re constantly looking at your phone.</p> <p><strong>3. …or use your influence for good</strong></p> <p>In popular “Instagram v reality” <a href="https://matadornetwork.com/read/instagram-vs-reality-tuscany-switzerland/">posts</a>, influencers are revealing the huge crowds and queues behind the most Instagrammable locations.</p> <p>Showing the less-than-glamorous conditions behind those iconic shots could influence your own social media connections to rethink their personal travel motivations – are they just going somewhere to get the perfect selfie? Having more evidence of these conditions circulating online could lead to a larger societal shift away from social media-induced tourism.</p> <p>If you have the urge to post, try to promote smaller businesses and make sure you are demonstrating proper (and legal) etiquette on your holiday.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209272/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-a-siegel-1416907">Lauren A. Siegel</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-greenwich-1298">University of Greenwich</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/instagram-is-making-you-a-worse-tourist-heres-how-to-travel-respectfully-209272">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

“Can we show some respect?”: Outrage over Shane Warne’s state funeral cost

<p>A report detailing the cost of cricket legend Shane Warne’s state funeral has sparked outrage online, with one sports commentator labelling the move as “poor taste”. </p> <p>In the report, published by <em>The Age</em>, it came to light that the Victorian government had spent $2.8 million on state funerals in 2022, with $1.6 million from taxpayers going to Shane Warne’s public memorial.</p> <p>The event - which Eddie McGuire’s production company JAM TV received $1 million to produce - saw more than 50,000 people flock to the MCG to witness two hours of panel talks, speeches from those closest to Shane, and performances from fellow international superstars. </p> <p><em>The Age </em>went on to outline the disparities between Shane’s funeral price tag and that of others in the same year, and that’s where the late cricketer’s supporters drew the line, declaring that it had been worth each and every cent to celebrate his life and career in that way. </p> <p>“What's the point of this story, really? What does it achieve? Poor taste IMO,” journalist and AFL commentator tweeted in the wake of the news breaking. </p> <p>“Agree,” said fellow journalist Jim Wilson, “I was there and more than happy for my taxpayers money going towards this, can we show some respect[?]”</p> <p>Support continued to roll in from there, with one fan stating that the event “lit up the MCG for a night, [and] gave all Australians a chance to say goodbye to an Aussie legend.” </p> <p>“And how much did Warne’s presence in the Australian cricket team bring into the state’s coffers over the years[?]” another asked. “There are certain non-negotiables in Australian life & one of them is that beloved Australian legends who touch so many peoples’ lives are honoured with state funerals.”</p> <p>“Seems very fair considering what this legend gave to our sport and our country,” someone else pointed out. </p> <p>The argument that Shane had brought in far more than $1.6 million to the Australian economy was rampant throughout every comment section relating to the report, with many believing the guest list to be proof alone of the sporting superstar’s international draw. </p> <p>The likes of Elton John, Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran, and Chris Martin offered their talents in honour of the late Shane’s life. While fellow cricket greats - including but not limited to Allan Border, Michael Clarke, Brian Lara, and Mark Taylor - attended to share in Australia’s night of grief and celebration. </p> <p>"It didn't need to have these things done,” Eddie McGuire explained of the cost and decision to hold the event at the MCG - where a stand was being named in Shane’s honour. “But we did because it went around the world … we put our heart and soul into this because we loved Shane and we love this city."</p> <p>“In a lot of ways, we saw this as being Victoria's funeral," he also said to <em>3AW</em>. "I had to bury my mother with 10 people in the room at the funeral and I got great succour out of the fact that we all came together for a collective funeral in the name of our great mate Shane Warne."</p> <p>And last but certainly not least, as a spokesperson for the Victorian Government explained, “state memorials and funerals honour individuals’ outstanding service to Victoria – they afford Victorians an opportunity to mourn, celebrate, and to recognise extraordinary contributions to our great state.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

"Show some damn respect": Carrie Bickmore targeted by vile online trolls

<p dir="ltr">In a tale as old as time, strangers online have seen fit to make disgusting comments about a woman’s body. </p> <p dir="ltr">When Carrie Bickmore took to social media to share some happy snaps from a day out with loved ones, the last thing on the minds of her fans was to nitpick how the presenter looked.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, for the trolls crawling from the internet sewers for their daily hatefest, that was the first - and only thing - they cared about. </p> <p dir="ltr">The images Carrie had opted to share were simple enough - two saw her jumping for joy alongside a forest path, and another saw her laughing with an arm around friend Fifi Box.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Forest fun for city girls,” Carrie captioned the series of pics. She went on to add that they’d driven an hour and a half to find their intended forest destination only to learn it was closed, before travelling another hour to an open one. The friends shared a picnic, a game of hide and seek with the kids, a milestone “first LEECH” encounter, and a touching photo credit to “a 4 year old.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpuqg9-PcWl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpuqg9-PcWl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Carrie Bickmore (@bickmorecarrie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Carrie was dressed comfortably for the adventure in an oversized hoodie and yellow bike shorts, Fifi in a red jacket and full-length leggings. But unfortunately, in the year of 2023, these simple and appropriate options didn’t sit well with the noisy few. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her supporters didn’t miss a beat, swarming her comments with positivity, all while calling out the “inappropriate, sexual” commentary invading her post. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Your 4 year old has taken beautiful pics of his Mum having fun and enjoying the long weekend. Great pics,” wrote one. “From all the good men out there, you rock Carrie and keep being you. You bring joy and happiness. Lots of love and support from us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ffs [for f*** sake] it’s 2023 and there are still guys that think it’s ok to pass sexually inappropriate comments or body shame women all from the safety of their keyboards,” lamented another. “What if people were saying these things about your mother or sister or even daughter? It’s 2023 we must be better than that and treat all women with the respect they deserve. Beautiful photos Carrie.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When one man piped up to share his wildly inappropriate take, the second fan returned to the comments section, writing, “what gives you, me or anyone else the right to mock or embarrass others because of what they choose to wear or their clothes size? Especially people that hide behind a keyboard and have their settings set so they can not be mentioned or called out directly? </p> <p dir="ltr">“If a male chose to wear the same outfit and received similar vile comments then I would still stand up for them and their right to do so. The outfit is in no way offensive but some comments are very much so … I appreciate you have the right to your own opinion but not the fact that you use it in an attempt to make others feel bad. As I said previously, beautiful photos, Carrie.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some of you have children and here you are commenting on @bickmorecarrie's photos as if she is a slab of meat,” added another. “It’s disgusting. You’re grown men ffs. Show some damn respect.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And as one other put it, “jeeeeebus. Guess I never read your comments (sm comment sections are generally cesspools to be avoided imo [in my opinion] lol) so don't know if this is standard or because some folk can't seem to handle a woman in (entirely appropriate) close fitting attire but holy bejaysus some of the repulsiveness going on in here … hope you had as great a time as it looks like you did! absolute dote!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Images: Instagram</p>

Body

Reviled, reclaimed and respected: the history of the word ‘queer’

<p>Recently, a number of people have questioned or critiqued the use of the word “queer” to describe LGBTIQA+ folk. One <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/13/please-dont-use-the-q-word?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1673635001">writer to the Guardian</a> claimed that the “q-word” was as derogatory and offensive as the “n-word”, and should not be used.</p> <p>While there is a clear history of the word being used in aggressive and insulting ways, the meaning(s) and uses of queer have never been singular, simple or stable.</p> <h2>The origin of the word ‘queer’</h2> <p>Queer is a word of uncertain origin that had entered the English language by the early 16th century, when it was primarily used to mean strange, odd, peculiar or eccentric. By the late 19th century it was <a href="https://www.oah.org/tah/issues/2019/may/queer-history/#:%7E:text=Up%20through%20the%20nineteenth%20century,columns%20to%20private%20epistolary%20speculation.">being used</a> colloquially to refer to same-sex attracted men. While this usage was frequently derogatory, queer was simultaneously used in neutral and affirming ways.</p> <p>The examples <a href="https://www-oed-com.ez.library.latrobe.edu.au/view/Entry/156235">provided in the Oxford English Dictionary</a> show this semantic range, including instances of homosexual men using queer as a positive self-description at the same time as it was being used in the most insulting terms.</p> <p>Compare the neutral:“Fourteen young men were invited […] with the premise that they would have the opportunity of meeting some of the prominent ‘queers’” (1914); the insulting: “fairies, pansies, and queers conducted […] lewd practices” (1936); and self-affirmed uses: “young men who call themselves ‘queers’” (1952).</p> <p>In the 1960s and 1970s, as sexual and gender minorities fought for civil rights and promoted new ways of being in society, we also sought new names for ourselves. Gay liberationists began to reclaim queer from its earlier hurtful usages, <a href="https://outhistory.org/files/original/f6d46c5d90761e3a66edcd4fe32a6785.pdf">chanting</a> “out of the closets, into the streets” and singing “we’re here because we’re queer”. </p> <p>Their <a href="https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/come-out-magazine-1969-1972/the-come-out-archive">newsletters from the time</a> reveal sustained questioning of the words, labels and politics of naming that lesbian and gay people could and should use about themselves. Some gay libbers even wanted to <a href="https://outhistory.org/files/original/3809edc277d5dbfd51f8883422e761b7.pdf">cancel the word homosexual</a> because they felt it limited their potential and “prescribes a whole system of behaviour […] which has nothing to do with my day-to-day living”.</p> <p>In Australia, camp was briefly the most common label that lesbian women and gay men used to describe themselves, before gay became more prominent, used at that time by both homosexual men and women.</p> <h2>The evolving use of the word queer</h2> <p>In the early 1990s, gay had come to be used more typically to refer to gay men. Respectful and inclusive standards of language evolved to “lesbian and gay”, and then “LGBT”, as bisexuals and transgender people sought greater recognition. </p> <p>Queer began to be used in a different way again: not as a synonym for gay, but as a critical and political identity that challenged normative ideas about sexuality and gender.</p> <p><a href="https://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/c.php?g=995240&p=8361766">Queer theory</a> drew on <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/social-constructionism-4586374">social constructionism</a> – the theory that people develop knowledge of the world in a social context – to critique the idea any sexuality or gender identity was normal or natural. This showed how particular norms of sexuality and gender were historically contingent.</p> <p>Thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Michael Warner, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgewick and Lauren Berlant were enormously influential in the development of this new idea of queer. Some people began to identify as queer in the critical sense, not as a synonym for a stable gender or sexual identity, but to indicate a non-conforming gender or sexual identity. </p> <p>Activists in groups such as <a href="http://queernation.org/">Queer Nation</a> also used queer in this critical sense as part of their more assertive, anti-assimilationist political actions.</p> <h2>Queer as an umbrella term</h2> <p>From the early 2000s, it became more common to use queer as an umbrella term that was inclusive of the spectrum of sexual and gender identities represented in the LGBTIQA+ acronym.</p> <p>Today, queer is included among the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, asexual, <a href="https://junkee.com/brotherboy-sistergirl-decolonise-gender/262222">brotherboy and sistergirl</a>, <a href="https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/accessible-and-inclusive-content/inclusive-language/gender-and-sexual-diversity">recognised in style guides</a> as the most respectful and inclusive way to refer to people with diverse sexualities and genders.</p> <p>Of course, the different usages and meaning of words such as queer have often overlapped and have been hotly contested. Historical usages and associations persist and can sit uncomfortably next to contemporary reclamations.</p> <h2>Queer as a slur?</h2> <p>Contemporary concerns with queer’s historical use as a slur seem odd to me. The heritage report <a href="https://queerarchives.org.au/heritage-100/">A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects</a> (which I co-authored), surveys the complexity of language use in historical and contemporary society.</p> <p>It is notable that almost all of the words that LGBTIQA+ people use to describe ourselves today have been reclaimed from homophobic or transphobic origins.</p> <p>In fact, it could be said that liberating words from non-affirming religious, clinical or colloquial contexts and giving them our own meanings is one of the defining characteristics of LGBTIQA+ history.</p> <p>While queer does have a history of being used as an insult, that has never been its sole meaning. Same-sex attracted and gender diverse folks have taken the word and have been ascribing it with better meanings for at least the past 50 years. </p> <p>Queer’s predominant use today is as an affirming term that is inclusive of all people in the rainbow acronym. </p> <p>At a time when trans and gender diverse folk are facing particularly harsh attacks, I’m all for efforts to promote inclusion and solidarity. Respectful language use doesn’t require us to cancel queer, but rather to be mindful of its history and how that history is experienced by our readers and listeners.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/reviled-reclaimed-and-respected-the-history-of-the-word-queer-197533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

"Last great journey": Queen’s coffin arrives in Edinburgh

<p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrived in Edinburgh on Sunday following a six-hour journey from her summer home in the Scottish Highlands.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her solemn arrival was greeted by thousands of people at the city's Royal Mile; Her Majesty's body will remain there for two days to allow people to pay their final respects.</p> <p dir="ltr">The queen's daughter Anne and her sons, Princes Andrew and Edward, curtsied and bowed as the coffin was carried inside by soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is just ahead of the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following her <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death</a>, the Queen's son, King Charles III, spoke of her long 70-year reign.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Her dedication and devotion as Sovereign never wavered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also spoke about looking forward to following in his mother’s footsteps.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply,” King Charles III continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And to my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: Thank you.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years.</p> <p dir="ltr">"May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

Ministers not happy with new Respect at Work rules

<p>As part of new workplace behaviour advice, NSW government ministers have been reportedly told to avoid using the word “mate”, as they recently undertook "Respect at Work" training sessions.</p> <p>Dominic Perrottet's government ministers have been advised against using the word “mate” in a work setting, against drinking alcohol in the office, and to not yell at staff.</p> <p>“I use ‘mate’ all the time – it’s as Australian as you can get. How can it be offensive?” one minister said.</p> <p>Those who attended described the training as “PC insanity” with other unnamed ministers also criticising the course.</p> <p>A critical part of the training was ensuring that all sexual assault allegations are reported appropriately.</p> <p>The two-and-and-a-half-hour modules were run by an external “diversity and inclusion” consultant. The training came after a review into bullying and harassment by former sex discrimination commissioner Pru Goward.</p> <p>Banter and gossip were deemed a no-no, while ministers were also told to invite everyone in the office if heading out for lunch or after-work drinks.</p> <p>Veterans Minister David Elliott took issue with the alcohol ban, saying he keeps a bottle of whiskey in his office to “placate (his) parliamentary colleagues”.</p> <p>Delegating the work of a “junior” staff member to a more “senior” person can now also be construed as bullying.</p> <p>The Respect at Work training sessions are expected to be run regularly.</p> <p>According to a new “inclusive language guide” released by The University of Washington Information Technology department , words such as “grandfather,” “housekeeping,” “minority,” “ninja,” and “lame” are also considered “problematic words”.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Safe, respected and free from violence: preventing violence against women in the Northern Territory

<p>The Northern Territory has the <a href="https://territoryfamilies.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/464775/Domestic,-Family-and-Sexual-Violence-Reduction-Framework.pdf">highest rates</a> of domestic, family, and sexual violence in Australia.</p> <p>Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory are among the most <a href="https://territoryfamilies.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/464775/Domestic,-Family-and-Sexual-Violence-Reduction-Framework.pdf">victimised groups</a> of people in the entire world.</p> <p>Programs and services in the Northern Territory attempting to address these unacceptable levels of violence must do so with little support and funding.</p> <p><a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/project/safe-respected-and-free-from-violence-an-evaluation-of-primary-prevention-projects/">A recent report</a> evaluated two community projects that aim to prevent violence against women by changing attitudes towards women and girls.</p> <p>It found these Indigenous-led community projects were having some success in helping to shift attitudes about gender stereotypes.</p> <h2>Community-driven prevention projects</h2> <p>The Tangentyere women’s group, a group of senior Aboriginal women from Alice Springs town camps that campaigns against family violence, has run two prevention projects that were recently evaluated: <a href="https://www.tangentyere.org.au/girls-can-boys-can">Girls Can Boys Can</a> and <a href="https://www.italkstudios.com.au/oldwaysarestrong/">Old Ways Are Strong</a>. These projects aimed to increase positive strength-based representations of Aboriginal children and families.</p> <p>Both of these projects were developed in partnership between the <a href="https://www.tangfamilyviolenceprevention.com.au/">Tangentyere Family Violence Prevention Program</a>, Larapinta Child and Family Centre, and iTalk Studio. The projects were also co-designed with Town Campers in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.</p> <p>These prevention projects focused on the drivers of violence against Aboriginal women, such as:</p> <p>• gendered factors, including gender inequality</p> <p>• the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal people, families and communities</p> <p>• the power imbalance between non-Indigenous people and Aboriginal people, including systemic and structural inequalities.</p> <p>Girls Can Boys Can developed gender-equitable messaging and resources for early childhood educators to be used in classroom and playgroup settings. This messaging aimed to help structure conversations around gender equality and challenge gender stereotypes.</p> <p>Old Ways Are Strong developed animations to challenge the racist attitude that violence is a part of traditional Aboriginal cultures.</p> <p>The messages and resources from these projects were distributed throughout the community through workshops, merchandise and posters, as well as across social media and local television networks.</p> <h2>How the programs were evaluated</h2> <p><a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/project/safe-respected-and-free-from-violence-an-evaluation-of-primary-prevention-projects/">The evaluation</a> of these programs involved 60 surveys with local community members and 16 interviews with project staff. There were also 110 social media surveys, 18 animation audience surveys and 36 training feedback surveys.</p> <p>The data from the surveys and interviews was compared to the data collected before the projects began (the baseline) to see whether they had any impact on people’s attitudes, beliefs and/or knowledge about gender, violence and Aboriginal cultures. These are three key findings:</p> <p><strong>1. Violence prevention staff lacks training and funding</strong></p> <p>The evaluation showed workforce capacity grew considerably through the projects. Most project staff were early childhood educators or working in learning centres, while some worked in specialist domestic, family, and sexual violence services.</p> <p>Staff knowledge about violence against women, its drivers, and how to prevent it increased dramatically through their work on the projects.</p> <p>However, the evaluation also found Northern Territory primary prevention work (which focuses on the causes of violence) receives limited funding, and there is also no funding for the workforce itself.</p> <p>As a result, the staff do this prevention work on top of their usual roles. They were continuing to teach their classes or support women experiencing violence, while also planning and delivering primary prevention workshops.</p> <p>As an analogy, this is akin to a doctor in the emergency department dealing with car crash casualties while also producing resources that explain the importance of wearing a seat belt.</p> <p>The project staff essentially learned about violence prevention on the job. They received little or no prior training and received no support outside of the partner organisations. They also reported high levels of burnout and vicarious trauma, and felt unsupported in their primary prevention work.</p> <p>One key participant reflected:</p> <blockquote> <p>That’s generally how the roles transpire is that you do end up in a crisis response mode, rather than being given the tools to (actually do) that work.</p> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p><strong>2. Explicit direct messaging could shift people’s attitudes</strong></p> <p>A small number of the survey participants, who were mostly from Alice Springs Town Camps, were surveyed at the beginning and end of the evaluation. Although the sample size was small, there was a shift in their attitudes towards gender roles.</p> <p>In the baseline survey, the respondents said things such as “girls can’t play footy” or “boys can’t cry”. In the survey at the end, 90% of the respondents demonstrated at least one positive shift toward the idea that girls/women and boys/men can do the same things.</p> <p>The most positive changes were found among respondents who had a high level of participation in the projects. This perhaps shows repeated and intensive messaging is needed for messages to resonate among people.</p> <p><strong>3. How ‘jealousing’ is used to justify violence</strong></p> <p>The surveys also showed a high proportion of respondents justified violence against women in certain situations (44% in the baseline group, and 52% in the post-project group). It’s important to note these groups were made up of mostly different people.</p> <p>The justification of violence was linked to jealousy or “jealousing”. Respondents were more likely to justify violence in cases or situations associated with real or imagined sexual misconduct, for example, if a woman comes home late or looks at another man. Said one participant:</p> <blockquote> <p>It’s not alright (to use violence), but a lot of (jealous violence) does happen. A woman shouldn’t be texting another man if they have feelings for her.</p> </blockquote> <p>The surveys showed how this concept of “jealousing” plays out in gendered ways. For men in particular, perceived sexual entitlement might play a role in justifying violence and coercive and controlling behaviour.</p> <p>Although the projects were not targeted at the problem of “jealousing”, this finding could provide direction for future work.</p> <h2>How can we improve violence prevention programs?</h2> <p>The evaluation showed the importance of explicit and direct messaging – or “talking straight” as it’s called in Central Australia. Messaging about gender-based violence that was implied but not explicitly stated had less of an impact.</p> <p>In future projects, explicit and accessible messaging should be used to challenge highly entrenched attitudes and beliefs, such as the misconception that traditional Aboriginal cultures condone violence against women.</p> <p>The link between “jealousing” and justification of violence highlighted the need for education about healthy relationships in schools and communities. Explicit messaging must challenge the notion that possessiveness is “normal”, acceptable or even “desirable” in a partner.</p> <p>This is one of the most important and urgent issues for the domestic, family, and sexual violence sector to tackle in the Northern Territory.</p> <p>Funding for dedicated primary prevention workers is also important. These workers need a commitment from different levels of government to adequately fund, resource, and support their work.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172243/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chay-brown-1252113">Chay Brown</a>, Research and Partnerships Manager, The Equality Institute, & Postdoctoral fellow, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carmel-simpson-1292133">Carmel Simpson</a>, Co-coordinator of Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/indigenous-knowledge-4846">Indigenous Knowledge</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shirleen-campbell-1292134">Shirleen Campbell</a>, Co-coordinator of Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/indigenous-knowledge-4846">Indigenous Knowledge</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/safe-respected-and-free-from-violence-preventing-violence-against-women-in-the-northern-territory-172243">original article</a>.</p>

Family & Pets

PM sparks furore after visiting Hillcrest Primary School to pay respects

<p><em>Image: Twitter / Monte Boville</em></p> <p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s tribute to the young victims of Tasmania’s jumping castle tragedy has taken a perhaps predictable turn, with critics Australia wide questioning his motives.</p> <p>Mr Morrison and wife Jenny visited Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport on Saturday afternoon, two days after a freak weather event sent a jumping castle airborne during an end-of-school celebration. Six lives were lost and two children were left critically injured.</p> <p>The couple laid flowers and a touching note, knelt for a minute’s silence and spent time reading other tributes to Addison Stewart, 11, Zane Mellor, 12, Jye Sheehan, 12, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, 12 and Peter Dodt, 12.</p> <p>On Sunday afternoon, it was revealed that a sixth victim, Chace Harrison, 11, had also died.</p> <p>After the Morrisons’ visit, it didn’t take long for criticisms to come flying through on social media channels, though many defended the “entirely appropriate” act.</p> <p>Taking to Twitter on Saturday afternoon, former Wallaby and veteran journalist Peter FitzSimons questioned the appropriateness of the PM’s visit.</p> <p>“To me this seems to be more a matter for the Governor-General to arrive expressing the nation’s grief and shock, rather than the PM?” he posted.</p> <p>Former Labor Senator Doug Cameron also weighed in, claiming Mr Morrison had turned a press conference announcing funding support for those impacted by the tragedy “into a partisan political advert for Liberal politicians”.</p> <p>Everyday Aussies were also quick to slam the PM after Tasmanian ABC reporter Monte Bovill shared a snap of the Morrisons at the site, with one Twitter user claiming the leader was “not one to miss a photo opportunity” and accusing him of “turning tragedy into a public relations exercise”.</p> <p>However, the furore sparked a wider conversation about whether the criticism was unfair, with veteran entertainment reporter Peter Ford arguing Mr Morrison was in a hopeless position, and that “the same people would be on the attack if he didn’t” visit the site to pay his respects.</p> <p>Hitting back at FitzSimons’ comments, claiming they were a “bit odd” given he had “previously sung the praises of Jacinda Ardern for her compassion and care during times of tragedy in NZ”, including the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre.</p> <p>Other prominent Australians also leapt to Mr Morrison’s defence, with former TV personality and Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas dismissing the criticism as “ridiculous” and arguing the site visit was the “right thing for the Prime Minister to do”.</p> <p>Former Howard government minister and Sky News host Gary Hardgrave also spoke out, posting that it was “most appropriate for Scott Morrison and Mrs Morrison to be there”. A string of reporters on the scene also defended the Morrisons, including Bovill.</p> <p>“For everyone replying to this. You weren’t there. There was no media opportunity, no political or campaign announcements in the northwest. The media were already at the school,” he posted.</p> <p>“You are using this to fit your own narrative...kids died and you make this about politics?”</p> <p>7 News’ Nick McCallum agreed, saying that: “Prime Minister and Mrs Morrison’s visit to Hillcrest Primary was entirely appropriate. It was respectful … low key … showed emotions we all feel. No-one we spoke to in Devonport, including victims’ families, indicated they had any problem with it”</p>

News

"Respect your partner": Man criticised for rant about wife

<p>A husband who has been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has been slammed online for complaining about his stay-at-home wife.</p> <p>He took to Reddit to say that his spouse isn't keeping their toddler twins quiet while he's working.</p> <p>“So as many of you have been doing in these times, I’m currently doing work from home,” the husband said.</p> <p>“I have a wife and two toddlers (twins). I need silence to work and I don’t have a home office.</p> <p>“It has been slowly ****ing me off because I am working hours and I hear noises such as my wife talking, watching TV, kids playing from the other room.</p> <p>“I have been VERY patient with them telling more than once that I need 100% silence to focus but even if they are trying to be ‘quiet’ I still hear some noises (kids, walking around, making food, cleaning etc).”</p> <p>The rant went up to another level, as he said that the "least they (his family) can give me is peace and quiet while I do my job".</p> <p>“I got fed up with it and told my wife off, I’m the one working in this family and paying for everything,” he said.</p> <p>“The least they can give me is peace and quiet while I do my job.</p> <p>“My wife is a stay-at-home mum and it’s her job to be silent and shut the kids up.</p> <p>“If I don’t have complete silence, I cannot work and therefore could lose my job.</p> <p>“My wife on the other hand doesn’t appreciate any of it. When I wasn’t working from home, she would ask me to do chores after work and take care of the kids when I am obviously very tired and needing to wind down and relax for the night.</p> <p>“Then when I’m off on the weekend, I’m still expected to help out.</p> <p>“I would remind her that that’s her job as a stay-at-home mum, but she refuses to listen to me because ‘it’s my kids and my home too’.”</p> <p>People were already irritated with the anonymous man's claims, saying that they wanted to help out the mother.</p> <p>"How do I divorce her husband for her?" one user joked.</p> <p>However, things got worse as the husband claimed he was being disrespected in their marriage.</p> <p>“It hurts that she doesn’t appreciate how hard I work or my feelings. I do my part by supporting this family financially, if it wasn’t for me we wouldn’t have a roof over our heads or food to eat,” he said.</p> <p>“But despite me voicing my feelings she not only has the nerve to disturb my work but also expects me to work more afterwards.</p> <p>“My wife is angry at me and refuses to back down. The worst part? She claimed that <em>I</em> don’t appreciate her.</p> <p>“I work very hard and I feel like I deserve to have my feelings considered.”</p> <p>The man was met with a wall of criticism from disbelieving Reddit and Facebook users.</p> <p>"You sound like you don't appreciate your wife at all," one user said bluntly.</p> <p>"Remember that you get breaks from your paid work; your wife gets none from her unpaid work. What kind of AH expects complete silence from toddlers?"</p> <p>"You have two jobs - one of them is being a parent," another pointed out. "So yep, when you're not doing your other job, that's when parenting comes into play. It doesn't sound like you appreciate her at all."</p> <p>"Get some sound proof headphones and respect your PARTNER. Notice, I say partner, not slave or maid."</p> <p>“I’ve never met a toddler who could be silent EVER! Let alone two. Let alone for months on end. Dude must be crazy,” said another.</p>

Family & Pets

"Let me finish": Tense argument on Q&A between Barnaby Joyce and Emma Husar

<div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>ABC's Q&A was tense last night with Barnaby Joyce and former Labor MP Emma Husar speaking about respect for women.</p> <p>However, as one viewer pointed out, Joyce cut off his female counterparts 12 times in 2 minutes.</p> <p>The panel was described as "lively" by host Hamish Macdonald who tried to keep things together as the talks descended.</p> <p>At one point in the program when writer Jane Caro was speaking, former Labor MP Emma Husar interjected with, “Barnaby, be quiet!” to which Caro added, “It is my turn to talk” and the pair were met with resounding applause.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Barnaby just interrupted women 12 times in 2 minutes. On an episode about respect for women. 😂 I just counted. You can't make this up. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/qanda?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#qanda</a></p> — Finance Money Life (@financemoneylif) <a href="https://twitter.com/financemoneylif/status/1328295932551544832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Labor MP Husar was forced to resign after sexual assault allegeations and bullying and harrassment claims from staff, saying that over the last week women were held to different standards to men.</p> <p>She then pointed out Joyce's case, which he wasn't happy with.</p> <p>“Obviously Barnaby’s case as well, is that women will be judged by a different set of standards. They will be told to abide by a different set of rules than the men,” she said.</p> <p>She said if the Liberal Party were saying that politicians such as Mr Joyce, Alan Tudge and Christian Porter were “meritorious selection, we’ve got a problem”.</p> <p>“It is galling to watch these men continue in their jobs,” she said.</p> <p>“Continue to go forward and to lead our country, when – you know, in Tudge’s case – he got caught with his pant’s down, Barnaby is the same. Mine was all over innuendo. There was a man that was wielding that agenda because I’d fired him.</p> <p>“A man who felt privileged, who felt like he was entitled to his job, even though he was underperforming, didn’t get his way in fair work, didn’t get his way when he tried to extort me, so went down the path of – you know, getting the media to be complicit in his actions, which – you know, has had lasting ramifications on my life. And I’ve not worked since. “</p> <p>She said while she wasn’t wishing anything bad for those men, she was asking “what the hell is this?”</p> <p>“We can’t put a woman out there and hang her out to dry on rumour and innuendo when we have got behaviour that is clearly outside at least some standard of basic integrity going on while we allow this to happen to a woman,” she said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QandA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QandA</a> is live with <a href="https://twitter.com/Barnaby_Joyce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Barnaby_Joyce</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/helenhainesindi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@helenhainesindi</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/emma_husar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@emma_husar</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/rcbregman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rcbregman</a>, and Kate Mills, and a live performance from <a href="https://twitter.com/limecordiale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@limecordiale</a> <a href="https://t.co/dBOBPuiV3i">https://t.co/dBOBPuiV3i</a></p> — QandA (@QandA) <a href="https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1328288835491401728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Mr Joyce went on to say he was “disappointed” in Ms Husar for what she said and he was not apologetic for what happened to her because it was what the Labor Party did that was appalling.</p> <p>“I think she was treated incredibly poorly,” he said.</p> <p>But Ms Husar shot back, “You didn‘t call that out at the time, Barnaby. I remember your party and the government of the day weaponising what I was going through. And making it worse.”</p> <p>He said he was different to Ms Husar in that he accepted he did something that was wrong.</p> <p>“I would say morally wrong, in that my marriage [was] breaking down, but that is not a judgment for another politician,” he said.</p> <p>“If it’s illegal, it is a judgment for police. If it is something else, it is a judgment for priest or pastor … it’s not the job of another politician or a person who’s not the police or some sort of moral guidance counsellor to be in judgment of you.</p> <p>“I’m not in judgment of you, Emma. I do find it a little bit galling that you open your sort of narration with one of the meritorious selection of myself because I most certainly never, ever did that to you.”</p> <p>Fans of the show weren't impressed by Macdonald's lack of moderation during the tense discussion.</p> <p>"Great topic, but there's too much on-screen axe grinding," one fan griped.<br />Another agreed.</p> <p>"Come on Hamish, step on here and do some moderating. I can't believe Jane Caro has been so patient with Barnaby Joyce, second time he's talked over the top of someone and not let them speak," another fan wrote.</p> </div>

“Wakanda forever”: Marvel stars pay respect to lost superstar Chadwick Boseman

<p><span>Many members of the Marvel family have paid their respects following the crushing news that Chadwick Boseman, superhero actor, has died at age 43.</span><br /><br /><span>The talented performer portrayed T’Challa in the groundbreaking film Black Panther.</span><br /><br /><span>“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” the family said in a statement on Friday.</span><br /><br /><span>“Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and battled with it these last four years as it progressed to stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much.</span><br /><br /><span>“From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”</span><br /><br /><span>The statement finished: “He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.”</span><br /><br /><span>Over the years, Boseman has made his mark by appearing in multiple Avengers films, making his debut as Black Panther in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.</span><br /><br /><span>Two years later, the remarkable thespian led in his own groundbreaking film, Black Panther, before finally appearing in Avengers: Infinity War.</span><br /><br /><span>In 2019, Black Panther made a cameo in Avengers: End Game.</span><br /><br /><span>Black Panther achieved its own incredible feats just on its own however, including the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.</span><br /><br /><span>The 42 star took the stage to say: “I think of two questions we have received: 1.) Did we know that this movie was going to receive this kind of response? 2.) Has it changed the industry?</span><br /><br /><span>“My answer to that is to be young, gifted and Black. We all know what it’s like to be told that there’s not a place for you to be featured.</span><br /><br /><span>“We know what it’s like to be told that there’s not a screen for you to be featured on — a stage for you to be featured on.”</span><br /><br /><span>He finished by saying: “We know what it’s like to be the tail and not the head. We know what it’s like to be beneath and not above, and that is what we went to work with every day because we know that had something special that we wanted to give the world — that we could be full human beings in the roles that we were playing.</span><br /><br /><span>“That we could create a world that exemplified a world we wanted to see.”</span><br /><br /><span>Following his death, the cast of Black Panther and other Avengers cast members shared their thoughts on social media.</span><br /><br /><span>Chris Evans took to Instagram on Saturday to honour the actor.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdTxJWFYoD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdTxJWFYoD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chris Evans (@chrisevans)</a> on Aug 28, 2020 at 8:21pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdTxJWFYoD/<span></span><br /><br /><span>“I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking. Chadwick was special,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. Few performers have such power and versatility. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Rest in power, King.”</span><br /><br /><span>Jake Gyllenhaal also took to social media to share his condolences, writing: “Chadwick’s strength and goodness and honesty burned in his eyes. We only spent a handful of hours together, but anyone that crossed paths with him on or off screen knows what I mean: he was rare. The genuine article. His bravery is a lesson to us all. Rest In Peace, Mr. Boseman. You will be deeply missed.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEfKmbHHHPf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEfKmbHHHPf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Jake Gyllenhaal (@jakegyllenhaal)</a> on Aug 29, 2020 at 1:40pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Captain Marvel’s Brie Lawson said Chadwick would “never be forgotten” in a heartfelt post.</span><br /><br /><span>“Chadwick was someone who radiated power and peace,” she began.</span><br /><br /><span>“Who stood for so much more than himself. Who took the time to really see how you were doing and gave words of encouragement when you felt unsure. I’m honored to have the memories I have. The conversations, the laughter. My heart is with you and your family. You will be missed and never forgotten. Rest in power and peace my friend.”</span><br /><br /></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdRs2wDXFD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdRs2wDXFD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Brie (@brielarson)</a> on Aug 28, 2020 at 8:03pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“This hurts. Really hurts,” Boseman’s <em>Black Panther</em> costar, Letitia Wright, tweeted.</p> <div class="gallerydata update" data-aop="galleryflex_slidedata"> <div class="show"> <div class="body-text"> <div class="expand"> <div class="caption"> <div class="gallery-caption-text"> <p>Scarlett Johansson said in a statement: “Chadwick was not only a deeply soulful and powerful actor, but he was such a kind, thoughtful, funny and gentle person.”</p> <p>“He brightened everyone’s day every time he walked into our hair and makeup trailer or on set with his beautiful smile.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>Robert Downey Jr. shared a heartfelt Instagram post, writing: “Mr. Boseman leveled the playing field while fighting for his life… That’s heroism… I’ll remember the good times, the laughter, and the way he changed the game… #chadwickforever."</p> <p> “Today is beyond devastating to comprehend. Just shock and pain," Sebastian Stan said.</p> <div class="gallerydata update" data-aop="galleryflex_slidedata"> <div class="show"> <div class="body-text"> <div class="expand"> <div class="caption"> <div class="gallery-caption-text"> <p>"I was in awe of Chadwick, as an actor, in his commitment to the work and as a human.</p> <p>“I looked up to him. The way he carried himself, how thoughtful and mindful he was, how generous…he elevated everyone around him. None of it makes sense to me. There was so much more coming from this man. It’s such a loss. Such a shame.” </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="stb-flex" data-stickyviews="4" data-stickytopmargin="20"> <div id="content-actions-toolbar-vert" data-documentid="BB18ug5J" data-isrsthree="False" data-verticalkey="entertainment"> <div class="contentActionsToolbar-DS-unknown1-1 contentActionsToolbar_vertical-DS-unknown1-1"> <div data-t="{"i":"1|1"}"> <p>Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo shared his own words about the heartbreaking loss: “All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of #ChadwickBoseman.</p> <p>“What a man, and what an immense talent. Brother, you were one of the all time greats and your greatness was only beginning. Lord love ya. Rest in power, King.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p><span>Additionally, the DC Comics Twitter account — DC is the famous Marvel rival — tweeted a powerful statement. “To a hero who transcends universes. Wakanda Forever,” the statement read. “Rest in Power Chadwick.”</span></p>

Movies

Alex Pullin’s girlfriend leaves heartbreaking note on door: “Respect my privacy”

<p><span>Alex Pullin's mourning girlfriend has left a tear-jerking note on her front door just a day after losing her partner in a tragedy on the the Gold Coast.</span><br /><br /><span>Alex, 32, was a world champion snowboarder who lost his life after going spearfishing in the water at Palm Beach.</span><br /><br /><span>He suffered a blackout at about 10:30 am on Wednesday and did not wake up despite paramedics performing CPR for 45 minutes on Pullin.</span><br /><br /><span>On Thursday his girlfriend Ellidy Vlug honoured her boyfriend with a handwritten letter that she taped to a front door on the Gold Coast home.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836881/pullin-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5e2df3ca0b75477091fab15d77f55414" /><br /><br /><span>“Dear media, thank you for your thoughts, this is a very difficult time for me and I ask that you respect my privacy during this period of grief,” Ms Vlug wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“Know that Chumpy absolutely loved life and lived life to the full.</span><br /><br /><span>“He lived for us – his family, our puppy Rummi, our amazing friends and the home we made together.</span><br /><br /><span>“He was living his dream, our dream.</span><br /><br /><span>“I am eternally grateful that I have lived my life with him and I am deeply saddened that his life has been cut short.</span><br /><br /><span>“Rest in peace my beautiful man.</span><br /><br /><span>“Kind regards, Ellidy.”</span><br /><br /><span>Earlier that day, Ms Vlug told Daily Mail Australia she last saw her boyfriend alive moments before he'd decided to go for a dive, telling him: “Love you, watch out for sharks.”</span><br /><br /><span>Ms Vlug then went for a walk by herself, and when she returned home, she was met by a neighbour at her door telling her a spear fisher had been pulled from the ocean.</span><br /><br /><span>She then raced to the beach with her mother, where she was told the body belonged to her boyfriend of eight years.</span><br /><br /><span>It's been little more than 24 hours since his death, and Ms Vlug and the couple's friends and family can still hardly believe their loss.</span><br /><br /><span>“I don't know what I'm going to do without him,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>But the 28-year-old model and business owner says she is determined to make him proud.</span></p> <p><span><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836880/pullin-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/25ca6ac77f89425786952b2c6085cb9d" /></span></p> <p><span>The couple were parents to one-year-old Rummi, their beloved Kelpie puppy, and Ms Vlug said Pullin absolutely adored her.</span><br /><br /><span>“He was a family man through and through. Me, and his sister and parents and Rummi were his world,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Ms Vlug shares a tight-knit relationship with Pullin's parents and sister.</span><br /><br /><span>They all live in New South Wales, so were physically separated during the COVID-19 lockdown, but remained in close contact with each other.</span></p>

Caring

“Lack of respect”: China hits back at Mack Horton after refusing to share podium with Sun Yang

<p>Mack Horton’s rivalry with Sun Yang is set to reach new heights as China hits back at the Aussie star for refusing to shake Yang’s hand or share the podium with him.</p> <p>Horton, who won the silver medal in the 400m freestyle, refused to stand next to gold medal winner Yang or shake his hand.</p> <p>The bad blood between the pair goes back to the 2016 Olympics, where Horton said he had “no time or respect for drug cheats”. This is after Yang served a three-month doping ban in 2014.</p> <p>Yang also escaped sanction after there were accusations that he smashed vials of his blood with a hammer when visited by drug testers last year. He is awaiting a hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to see whether he will face any punishment.</p> <p>The hit back from China includes death threats to Horton and his girlfriend, as well as calling him a “fat Aussie pig”, a “pathetic loser” and “disgusting”, reported <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sports/china-media-swipes-back-at-aussie-star-over-swimming-protest-storm/news-story/04e11d58357f1886228e6bdb8f073962" target="_blank">news.com.au.</a></p> <p>According to AAP,<span> </span><em>The China Daily</em><span> </span>has led the country into a chorus of disapproval saying that “Horton’s behaviour was not an insult to Chinese athletes, but an insult to himself.”</p> <p><em>The China Daily</em><span> </span>has also said that Horton showed a “lack of respect” which “violated the spirit of sports”.</p> <p>“His behaviour will make his silver medal less glorious,” the publication allegedly added, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/" target="_blank"><em>The Australian</em></a>.</p> <p>Richard Ings, former CEO of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), has explained why he believes Horton was out of line for snubbing Yang.</p> <p>“Athletes are innocent unless and until an anti-doping tribunal finds them guilty, and in the case of Sun Yang, there was an incident regarding a refusal (to provide a blood sample), a very contentious incident,” Ings said on SEN’s<span> </span><em>The Sporting Capital</em>.</p> <p>“This matter was heard by a FINA anti-doping panel. They heard arguments from both sides, the panel handed down a 59-page reason decision, where they found that Sun Yang had not violated anti-doping rules.</p> <p>“That’s going to be appealed by WADA to CAS. Where we stand today is he’s had his matter heard and he’s been found innocent of all charges.</p> <p>“One thing I do not like is when athletes are involved in making allegations against other athletes who have not, at that particular point in time, been found guilty of committing an anti-doping rule violation,” Ings said.</p> <p>“We have to wait for the CAS hearing to see whether CAS will take a different view."</p>

International Travel

Honesty is the best policy? Research reveals when people are most likely to return a lost wallet

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to classic economic theory, if you find a wallet on the street and find money in the wallet, your self interest in keeping the cash is likely to override the more honest behaviour of returning the wallet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, new research in 40 countries has found that people are more honest than they think, at least when it comes to returning money to strangers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study of 17,000 “lost” wallets in 355 cities revealed that people are more likely to return a wallet if it had money in it than when it was empty.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study also found that if there was more money in the wallet, the more likely people were to return the wallet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study was published in the journal </span><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aau8712"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Science</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">said that a team of people handed in wallets that they claimed to find on the street in front of major institutions, such as banks or post offices.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The wallets contained no money, or the equivalent of US$13.45 in local currency, a grocery list and three identical business cards in the local language which made it possible to return the wallet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 38 out of 40 countries, people were more likely to return the money if it has money in it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This is something we didn't expect," said behavioural economist Alain Cohn of the University of Michigan to the </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-06-21/people-are-more-likely-to-return-a-wallet-if-it-has-money-in-it/11227766"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Cohn said that there were two factors to explain the findings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"One is altruism — where you care about the other person even though they are a stranger."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The second finding is that people didn’t like to view themselves as dishonest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"They said the more money in the wallet, the more they would feel like a thief if they didn't return it," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The larger the amount of money, the more worried you are about your self-image — the more difficult it is to convince yourself that you're still a good person."</span></p>

Money & Banking

“Be respectful:” Channel 10 intervenes after Waleed Aly cops lashing from viewers

<p>Channel 10 has been forced to intervene on social media, after<span> </span><em>The Project</em>’s host Waleed Aly was targeted by online trolls on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p>The Channel 10 Facebook page shared a post encouraging viewers to vote for Waleed to win the Gold Logie in the upcoming annual awards show.</p> <p>“Vote for Waleed for all his hard work on The Project,” the post read, along with a smiling photo of the 40-year-old TV personality.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7828091/new-project.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/988850533ec548ceb7058e1b9937cf60" /></p> <p>However, the post was met with a flood of negative comments, with many Facebook users claiming they had stopped watching <em>The Project </em>because of Waleed.</p> <p>“No way, I can’t stand him,” wrote one user.</p> <p>“He and [Lisa Wilkinson] have ruined The Project. They have used The Project as their own personal soapbox.”</p> <p>Another comment read: “How does this muppet still have a job let alone a Logie nomination going off the number of ppl (sic) that hate him.”</p> <p>Channel 10’s social media department stepped in after a barrage of comments, branding the negative response as “abuse” and posting a link to the network’s community guidelines.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7828090/new-project-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d6160e262d5b45708b4ef3ee88c81b2b" /></p> <p>“We don’t tolerate or condone any form of abuse, insults or threats to any of our 10 personalities,” read the post by Channel 10.</p> <p>“Here is a reminder of our community guidelines... At 10, we're about celebrating Australian TV talent. Please consider your comments before you post them.</p> <p>“Be kind. Be respectful. Thanks for your understanding.”</p> <p>However, the message was not received well, with many users accusing the network of being unwilling to accept criticism.</p> <p>“I think people are giving you a clear message. Not sure if you’re getting the hint though,” one comment read.</p> <p>Another person wrote: “Actually, if you want proper feedback of your cast and presenters, do not tell people what they can and can't post.”</p> <p>Waleed previously won a Gold Logie for the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television back in 2016.</p> <p>This year, the 40-year-old is up again for the award alongside Amanda Keller, Tom Gleeson, Rodger Corser, Sam Mac, Costa Georgiadis and Eve Morey.</p>

Books

Rafael Nadal completely blindsided after Kyrgios loss: "He lacks respect"

<p>Tennis champion Rafael Nadal has delivered a harsh reality check to Nick Kyrgios, saying he “lacks respect” after the Australian 23-year-old beat the world number two at the Mexico Open.</p> <p>Putting on his best performance in two years, Kyrgios saved three match points to register a 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) win.</p> <p>But controversy seems to follow the young Aussie athlete wherever he goes, and this time was no exception, as what was considered a monumental moment in his career was soon drowned out by Nadal’s comments in the media conference that took place after the match.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BucKxQsgz9j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BucKxQsgz9j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Somos Tênis (@somostenisbr)</a> on Feb 28, 2019 at 1:13pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“He’s a player who has enormous talent, could be winning grand slams or fighting for the number one ranking,” Nadal said in Spanish.</p> <p>“He lacks respect for the crowd, his opponent and towards himself.”</p> <p>He then continued saying: “I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but he lacks a little respect for the public and the rival.”</p> <p>The Spaniard’s frustration came after several flashpoints which occurred during the match.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Just. Wow. 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/NickKyrgios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NickKyrgios</a> produces a moment of magic in Acapulco 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/AbiertoTelcel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbiertoTelcel</a> <a href="https://t.co/oOnIa5Y1mg">pic.twitter.com/oOnIa5Y1mg</a></p> — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1100956334655242240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">28 February 2019</a></blockquote> <p>During the first set, Kyrgios seemed to not be taking the game seriously, and even toyed with the idea of pulling out of the match.</p> <p>“I feel sick … if I forfeit, the media will blow it up … I’ll be booed off the court,” said Kyrgios during the set.</p> <p>“I’m going to try to play a couple of more games.”</p> <p>The Aussie star then received a warning after he told the crowd to “shut up” and was caught swearing.</p> <p>Nadal seemed to be growing increasingly frustrated at his opponent, as Kyrgios lodged a complaint to the umpire, saying the 32-year-old was taking too long in between points when Kyrgios was serving.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BubonmbgbLK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BubonmbgbLK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Tennis News (@thetennisreport)</a> on Feb 28, 2019 at 8:14am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>But despite the bitter feud, Kyrgios put on a show and saved nine break points throughout the match, including a comeback from 0-40 in the final two sets.</p> <p>This was considered Kyrgios’ best win since the Cincinnati Masters in 2017, when he beat Nadal for the first time in a quarter-final.</p> <p>Do you agree with Nadal’s comments? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

News

Tourist slammed for “irresponsible” and “disrespectful” video

<p>A tourist has been branded an “idiot” and a “moron” after sharing an “irresponsible” and “disrespectful” video of his trip to Iceland on YouTube.</p> <p>The footage shows an unidentified hiker traversing a narrow ledge above the Fjadrargljufur canyon in the country’s south. It’s outraged not only the internet, but also locals.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/acyQRI-MQqk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Why? For two good reasons.</p> <p>Number one, it’s incredibly dangerous. The hiker doesn’t seem to be wearing the proper safety equipment despite walking across a ledge 100m above the Fjaora river that is barely as wide as the tourist's foot in some parts.</p> <p>Number two, it’s highly damaging to Iceland’s delicate ecosystem. “The nature is getting torn up in that area because people don’t respect boundaries,” one local tour operator told <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/iceland-hiker-risks-life-steep-cliff-climb-no-ropes-gear-safety-harness-a8010721.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>The Independent</em></span></strong></a>. “Now this person has made a video of their stupidity and posted it online, it will probably motivate more irresponsible tourists to do stupid things.”</p> <p>YouTube commenters haven’t taken kindly to the footage, either. “It’s people like you that cause the most nature vandalism in Iceland,” one person wrote. “You just motivated thousands of people to ignore ropes put up to protect nature. All the damage caused by those who you inspired is your fault.”</p> <p>According to forecasts, around 2.3 million tourists are expected to visit Iceland this year, almost seven times Iceland’s population of just 335,000.</p> <p>The huge increase in visitors has even prompted the island nation’s official tourism site to create <a href="http://www.inspiredbyiceland.com/icelandicpledge/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">“The Icelandic Pledge”</span></strong></a>, encouraging travellers to be safe, respectful and responsible when exploring the rugged terrain.</p> <p>Have you ever visited Iceland? What do you think of this irresponsible video? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Travel Insurance

Helping ageing parents with love and respect

<p>It’s hard watching your parents lose the skills to take care of themselves. It might start when they need a hand to look after their pool or garden. Then it might come a time when they can’t manage the vacuuming or driving their car.</p> <p>And while it may be tempting to just step in and do the tasks yourself, or pay someone to do it, there is still a need to respect your elders and not step on their toes. You might also find that their feelings would be hurt if they felt that you were taking over or being condescending.</p> <p>If you want to help out, there are some more gentle approaches that you can take.</p> <p><strong>1. Ask first before you help</strong></p> <p>You could say something like “I’ve been thinking about setting up online shopping for myself, and thought I could get your groceries for you too if you were interested?”</p> <p><strong>2. Mention a friend in a similar situation</strong></p> <p>Try something like “Aunty Kath is getting someone in to help her with her garden. Is that something you would be keen to investigate too?”</p> <p><strong>3. Work together instead of taking over</strong></p> <p>Try this “Next time I come over, I thought we could sit down and go through all of those bills you need to pay. Perhaps I could help you set up online banking so that you don’t need to go to the post office?”</p> <p><strong>4. Be available but give space</strong></p> <p>“I can drop you off to your dental appointment, and then wait for you in the waiting room in case you need me. Maybe we could grab some afternoon tea afterwards?”</p> <p>Have you got any tips for helping ageing parents in a respectful way? We would love to hear your advice in the comments.</p>

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Honesty is the best policy? Research reveals when people are most likely to return a lost wallet

“Be respectful:” Channel 10 intervenes after Waleed Aly cops lashing from viewers

Rafael Nadal completely blindsided after Kyrgios loss: "He lacks respect"

Tourist slammed for “irresponsible” and “disrespectful” video

Helping ageing parents with love and respect

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