July 2022 – Page 47 – Michmutters
Categories
Australia

South Australia’s public housing shortage worsens, as number of people on waiting list reaches 17,000

Work has begun on the first stages of the South Australian government’s plan to build 400 new public houses as advocates say the housing shortage is worsening by the day.

There are currently 17,000 people on the waiting list for public housing in South Australia, with nearly 4,000 of those in category one, deemed in urgent need of shelter.

The state government has budgeted $177 million on its plan to build 400 new public houses across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.

So far, the construction of 44 homes has been given the green light in Kilburn, Woodville Gardens, Parafield Gardens, Salisbury Downs, Elizabeth Park, Elizabeth East, Elizabeth South, Elizabeth Downs and Morphettville.

The state government has confirmed contracts will soon be signed for another 33 homes in metropolitan Adelaide and regional areas, including Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge and Mount Barker.

Out of the 400 new homes, 200 will be built in greater Adelaide, 150 in regional areas and 50 will be built for people experiencing homelessness.

A woman with brown hair and glasses with a concerned expression on her face
Housing Trust Tenants Association assistant secretary Julie Macdonald says rent relief is desperately needed to prevent more people becoming homeless. (abcnews)

‘It’s getting worse’

Housing Trust Tenants Association assistant secretary Julie Macdonald said the extra houses were a “good start” to address the worsening situation.

“It’s getting worse. We’ve got so many homeless people because they can’t afford to rent privately so there’s more people out there waiting for housing,” she said.

“The people on this list are couch-surfing. They’re living in their cars. They’re on the street. They’re desperate for housing.”

Ms Macdonald said more hostels and supported accommodation was needed and that rent relief was crucial to prevent more people becoming homeless.

“Rent relief needs to rise because people just can’t afford the rents that have gone up so badly,” she said.

“We have got so many people in this state who are vulnerable and homeless and absolutely just torn apart with the way housing costs are rising at the moment.”

A woman wearing a purple blazer and purple lipstick with a serious expression
Human Services Minister Nat Cook says her department is working day and night to get more people into housing. (abcnews)

Human Services Minister Nat Cook said people in the most-urgent category include those who have fled domestic violence, children, people with disabilities, elderly people and people with complex mental health problems.

“All of those co-existing situations are taken into account when we are assessing who requires the most-urgent attention,” she said.

“Every day my office works in collaboration with community service providers, local advocates, families and the housing authority to ensure that people’s situations are truly and accurately reflected within that category.

“You see people jumping up in categories overnight because of some sort of catastrophe that happens in their life and we have to make sure that we have a service-provision model that is able to be proactive and reactive at the same time and that’s what I believe we’re doing now with the investments.”

Upgrades and maintenance

In addition to building extra public houses, the government is also planning to carry out major upgrades on 350 vacant homes and fix up 3,000 properties so they can be made available.

“We live in a great state, in a First World country, and we can’t have a situation where people are literally homeless. We can afford to do more,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said.

“That’s why we went to the election with a substantial increase in funding for public housing in the state and we’re now rolling it out as quickly as we can because we know the urgency that exists within the community.”

A woman with glasses and a fringe wearing a white shirt and blazer stands in front of a grassed area
Shadow Minister for Social and Community Housing Michelle Lensink says she’s concerned the costings don’t add up. (abcnews)

Shadow Minister for Social and Community Housing Michelle Lensink said she had concerns about the government’s proposal.

“While we welcome initiatives to get South Australians into a home, there are huge concerns [that] properties previously allocated for affordable housing have been swiped to help prop-up Labor’s poorly costed public housing policy,” she said.

“Smoke and mirrors aside, this could be a case of Labor cutting off its nose to spite its face and that there aren’t really any additional homes coming online.”

She called for the government to check the costs on the initiative to ensure “all the figures still stack up”.

“We are also worried Labor’s costings don’t take into account huge price hikes in supplies and labour.”

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Categories
Business

Property prices Australia: Home prices tipped to dive in wake of RBA rate hikes – but still remain well above pre-pandemic levels

Property prices across the country are tipped to fall up to another 5 per cent before the year is out, a new report forecasts.

The mid-year report by market analyst PropTrack predicts the average property price nationally will drop between 2 per cent and 5 per cent by the end of December.

By the end of next year, they are expected to fall further, potentially as much as another 10 per cent.

Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>

PropTrack director of economic research and report author Cameron Kusher said the research highlighted the rapidly changing housing market.

“While there were already some signs that the rate of price growth was slowing at the beginning of this year, we were not expecting interest rates to rise until early 2023,” he said.

“There’s since been an outbreak of inflation, resulting in the Reserve Bank (RBA) lifting rates in each of the three months to July 2022.”

Property prices across the country are tipped to fall up to another 5 per cent before the year is out, a new report forecasts. Credit: James Ross/AAPIMAGE

The cash rate is currently 1.35 per cent but is expected to be hiked for a fourth consecutive month when the board meets on Tuesday.

That follows the release of the latest consumer price index figures, showing Australia’s inflation rate had risen to 6.1 per cent.

The PropTrack research operates on the assumption that the cash rate would rise to between 2.5 per cent and 3 per cent by the end of 2022.

They would then be subject to further hikes at the beginning of 2023 before remaining on hold, with the potential to be reduced late in the year or early into 2024.

Watch more on the RBA’s rate decisions in the video below

Kochie rips into RBA over rate rises.

Kochie rips into RBA over rate rises.

“The recent run-up in prices, coupled with reducing borrowing capacities as interest rates rise, is likely to see price falls broaden and then accelerate further into 2023, with the more expensive cities expected to record the largest price falls,” Kusher said.

The report predicts that the most expensive cities, Sydney and Melbourne, will lead the falls in prices.

They would decline between 3 per cent and 6 per cent this year and 9 per cent and 12 per cent in 2023.

According to PropTrack, the average price of a house and unit in Sydney is $1,435,000 and $780,000 respectively, meaning a worst-case scenario would shave $86,100 off the price of a house and $46,800 off the price of a unit before the year is out.

Hobart’s prices are forecast to decline between 1 per cent and 4 per cent this year and 7 per cent and 10 per cent next year.

Darwin’s are projected to drop between 0 per cent and 3 per cent this year and between 4 per cent and 7 per cent next year.

Canberra’s are projected to decline between 3 per cent and 6 per cent this year and 7 per cent and 10 per cent next year.

The only capital cities forecast to show a growth in prices for the rest of the year are Adelaide and Perth.

Property prices in both cities are forecast to increase by between 2 per cent and 5 per cent.

Brisbane’s prices may also increase, with a projection of between 2 per cent growth and 1 per cent decline.

The report, however, isn’t all good news for prospective buyers.

Even if there was a 15 per cent fall in property prices by the end of next year, home prices would still be well above the level they were prior to the pandemic.

“Though, home prices have grown at an exceptional pace over the last two years, rising 34 per cent since the pandemic onset in February 2020.”

The report predicts that the most expensive cities, Sydney and Melbourne, will lead the falls in prices. Credit: DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAPIMAGE

Economists predict another interest rate hike when the RBA board meets on Tuesday following the release of Australia’s inflation rate, which jumped to 6.1 per cent.

Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers said the figures were “not news” to many Australians.

But he did forecast more interest rates would follow.

“They’ve flagged themselves, the Reserve Bank Governor has said that there are more interest rate rises to come and people need to brace for that,” he said.

“I’m not prepared to nominate a number. The Treasury, when they make their forecasts, they use an assumption about what the market is expecting and it’s not really for me to do that.

“But interest rates are going to go up further, and that will make life harder for people who are already dealing with these skyrocketing costs of living.”

Aussie men win gold in 4x100m freestyle

Aussie men win gold in 4x100m freestyle

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Categories
Sports

Saints, Blues face tough AFL runs home

Agitated St Kilda coach Brett Ratten is demanding critics show his AFL side more respect after the Saints moved into pole position in the race for eighth spot.

And if the Saints end up playing finals this year, they’ll have earned it.

Ratten’s men have ticked boxes against lowly Hawthorn and West Coast over the past fortnight, leapfrogging the Western Bulldogs and Richmond into the top eight.

But they now face Geelong, Brisbane and Sydney – three of the competition’s top five – in a run home that could scarcely be any more difficult.

As many as three wins could be required for St Kilda (11-8), who sit just two points clear of Richmond with an inferior percentage, four points clear of the Bulldogs and eight clear of Gold Coast.

“We know we haven’t played our best footy through the year but (that’s the same as) other clubs too,” Ratten said after the Saints silenced many doubters with a nervy 12-point win over the Hawks on Saturday.

“We’ve won 11 games and we’ve put ourselves in a position to maybe play finals, maybe not.

“I don’t know what the future holds for us but I just think (critics) always look at it from a more glass half-empty view than maybe thinking a bit more about some of the positives that this club brings.”

Not unlike St Kilda, Carlton suddenly look a little shaky, having dropped a game they would have expected to win away to lowly Adelaide.

The Blues (12-7) face Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood – three of the top four – in the run home but have an extra win in the bank.

“We’re in with a shot,” Carlton coach Michael Voss said.

“We’re going to go full roar at it so we’re looking forward to those contests.

“We’re going to first unpack this (Adelaide loss) and get to work on our game.”

Richmond lead the chasing pack in ninth position after an epic comeback win over Brisbane, erasing a seven-goal deficit to prevail by seven points on Sunday.

“We’ve been through some tough weeks, but what this means, we can only wait and see,” Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said.

“This AFL season is an absolute beauty. I don’t think I’ve seen one quite like it with how even it is.

“There’s a couple of sides at the top that might feel like they’re a little bit above the others.

“There’s some really, really capable sides and some good sides are going to miss out on finals positions this year.”

At the top of the ladder, Geelong will be expected to extend their 10-match winning streak to 13 with games against St Kilda, Gold Coast and West Coast heading into the finals, while reigning premiers Melbourne are back in form after a strong victory over sixth-placed Fremantle.

Sydney are looming large in fourth spot, above Brisbane on percentage, after four straight wins.

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Categories
US

US faces new era of political violence as threats against lawmakers rise | House of Representatives

Members of the US House of Representatives will now receive up to $10,000 to upgrade security at their homes in the face of rising threats against lawmakers, the House sergeant at arms announced last week, in yet another sign that American politics has entered a dangerous, violent new phase.

As support for political violence appears to be on the rise in the US, experts warn that such threats endanger the health of America’s democracy. But they say the country still has time to tamp down violent rhetoric if political leaders, particularly those in the Republican party, stand up and condemn this alarming behavior.

The announcement about increasing security for people in Congress came days after a man attacked Lee Zeldin, a New York congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate, with a sharp object during a campaign event.

Two weeks before that, a man was arrested outside the home of Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, for allegedly shouting racist obscenities and threatening to kill her. Last month, authorities filed federal charges against a man who they say traveled from California to Maryland with the attempt to murder the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Public service has clearly become an increasingly dangerous endeavor in America.

Recent polls show an increasing number of Americans are comfortable with political violence, although there is a wide range of opinions on the type of violence that is acceptable.

Lee Zeldin stands onstage after an attack on him during an event in Fairport, New York, on 21 July.
Lee Zeldin stands onstage after an attack on him during an event in Fairport, New York, on 21 July. Photograph: Ian Winner/Reuters

According to a mega-survey conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and released this month, one in five US adults say political violence is justified at least in some circumstances. A much smaller portion of survey respondents, 3%, believe that political violence is usually or always justified.

Liliana Mason, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University and co-author of Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy, said the phrasing of survey questions on political violence can drastically affect results. But having studied such polling since 2017, Mason said it is clear that support for political violence is indeed on the rise in the US.

“I think of it as pretty low numbers of people who actually approve of violence at all,” Mason said. “The problem is that, if you go from 7% to 20%, that means that there are certain social spaces where the norms around anti-violence are eroding.”

The impact of that trend can be seen at every level of American government, from the halls of Capitol Hill to local polling places.

The US Capitol police reported 9,625 threats and directions of interest (meaning concerning actions or statements) against members of Congress last year, compared to 3,939 such instances in 2017.

The members of the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection have frequently been the targets of violent threats, requiring them to obtain personal security details.

One member of the committee, Republican Adam Kinzinger, recently shared a threatening letter sent to his wife last month. The sender vowed to execute Kinzinger, his wife and their newborn son. He is not seeking re-election in 2022.

Even those who help administer elections in the US have reported an increase in threats against them. According to a poll conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice this year, one in six election officials have received threats because of their job, and 77% believe threats against them have increased in recent years.

Jennifer McCoy, a political science professor at Georgia State University whose research focuses on polarized democracies, said: “The kinds of threats and intimidation to … election administration officials and poll workers is very concerning and is also new.”

The apparent increase in threats against public servants has sparked broader concerns about the health of American democracy, particularly in the wake of the January 6 insurrection.

“There is simply no place for political violence in a healthy democracy. The increase in threats and harassment being leveled at people across our government is deeply concerning,” said Jennifer Dresden, policy advocate for the group Protect Democracy.

“To be clear, we’re not yet at a point where political violence has fundamentally undermined our democracy. But when violence is connected to other authoritarian tactics, like disinformation and efforts to corrupt elections, that sets a dangerous path for our democracy that we cannot ignore.”

While threats and harassment against lawmakers and political candidates appear to have increased across many government institutions, they are not evenly distributed.

One study of online messages sent to 2020 congressional candidates found that women, particularly women of color, were more likely to be the target of abusive content. Of all the candidates reviewed, the progressive congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is Somali American, received the highest proportion of abusive messages on Twitter. Fellow progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is Puerto Rican American, saw the most abusive comments on Facebook.

Women of color serving in Congress have spoken publicly about the threats they face, which have become a regular part of their lives on Capitol Hill.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who saw the most abusive comments on Facebook.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who saw the most abusive comments on Facebook. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, who is Black, told PBS Newshour last year: “I remember, at the beginning of the 116th Congress [in 2019]when we were just spotlighting and highlighting the beautiful diversity of this incoming Congress, but then, on every caucus call, we had members who were getting death threats on a daily basis.”

The acts of political violence carried out in the US are also unevenly distributed across the ideological spectrum. According to a study conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, rightwing extremists have committed about 75% of the 450 political murders that occurred in the US over the past decade. In comparison, Islamic extremists were responsible for about 20% of the murders, while leftwing extremists were blamed for 4% of the killings.

Expert argue the frequency of rightwing violence compared with leftwing violence can be partly explained by Republican leaders’ failure to condemn threatening rhetoric.

“We see justifications for violence that are similar on the left and right,” said Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who studies political conflict. “But we see incidents of violence that are vastly higher on the right and that has to do with all of the normalization of violence from leaders on the right.”

That normalization has been on vivid display over the past couple of years in the US. Donald Trump infamously referred to his supporters of him who carried out the deadly January 6 insurrection as “very special”, telling them: “We love you.” Trump was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House for his role in the 6 January riot, but acquitted in the Senate.

Last year, House Democrats, over near-unanimous Republican opposition, voted to strip the far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments, after it was discovered that she had previously expressed support for assassinating Barack Obama and the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi .

In November, Congressman Paul Gosar received the same punishment, as well as a House censorship, after he shared an animated video depicting violence against Joe Biden and Ocasio-Cortez. Only two Republicans supported the censorship.

Most recently, the Senate candidate Eric Greitens was widely criticized for airing a campaign ad that appeared to encourage violence against more moderate Republicans. In the ad, Greitens, who resigned as Missouri governor over allegations of sexual harassment, is seen carrying a shotgun and bursting into homes as he urges the “hunting” of Rinos, meaning Republicans in Name Only.

Research indicates that the messages supporters receive from their political leaders have a large impact on whether they actually carry out violent acts, several experts said. In experiments conducted by Mason and her colleagues, some participants were asked to read a quote from Biden or Trump condemning violence while others read nothing. Those who had read the quote were significantly less approving of violence.

“Leaders are actually uniquely powerful in being able to tamp down violence,” Mason said. “Republicans in particular are not using that power. And they could, but they’re not.”

Although political leaders are particularly powerful when it comes to reducing violent rhetoric, Mason’s research indicates that average people may have some leverage of their own. Mason’s team saw some positive results when they asked participants to read messages from random Twitter users condemning political violence. For the overwhelming majority of Americans who oppose such violence, the findings could offer some hope.

“For Americans in general, I think it’s sort of empowering to know that every single one of us has the potential to reduce violence by simply rejecting it,” Mason said. “We can all do that. All the 80% of us who don’t think violence is acceptable to have a real voice, and it’s important to use it.”

Categories
Technology

What’s new in August 2022 for PlayStation Plus members

PlayStation Plus Essential members still get their free games every month in the revamped version of the subscription service. While July wasn’t anything to write home about, August absolutely makes up for it. You should probably clear your calendars now.

Here are your free games for August:

  • Yakuza: Like A Dragon
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2
  • little nightmares

Breaking down PlayStation Plus’s August benefits

the Yakuza series is incredibly popular, so it’s no surprise that Yakuza: Like A Dragon is finally gracing the PS Plus membership. Released in 2020, you play as Ichiban Kasuga and attempt to rise through your crime organization to make it to the top after serving an 18-year sentence for a crime you didn’t commit. This installment introduced turn-based combat to the series (and it’s something we’ll see in the upcoming sequel as well). It’s an unhinged RPG that will keep you guessing as you play with some of its antics.

What has most people excited this month is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2. This is the remastered version of the originals that graced our original PlayStations back in 1999 and 2000. It’s lovingly crafted with a fantastic soundtrack to back it up.

If you never played the original versions, please take the time to add this to your library; they are two of the most iconic skateboarding video games ever created. There are some updates to it, of course, as you can play as some of the iconic skateboarders or play as new Olympian skaters.

Last up is little nightmares, your haunting third-person adventure game this month. This isn’t a terribly long game, but if you’re craving a bit of spookiness to get you ready for Halloween, this is your game. You play as Six and attempt to escape the Maw, the prison vessel you’re stuck on. The creatures you encounter and attempt to sneak around are just… horrifying at times.

It has the perfect creepy atmosphere, and a gorgeously creepy soundtrack, and there are moments where the game is almost too creepy and grotesque. You might find yourself turning on a light while you play.

August’s games will be available to download starting Tuesday, August 2nd.

Categories
Entertainment

Michelle Visage interview: RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Star Michelle Visage on what the queens need to do to impress her | Exclusive

If you look at the way the drag scene has evolved over the decades, there’s one factor that stands out above all the rest: the elevated looks.

That’s according to RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage, who says that if queens really want to impress her, they’ll have to do more than just look pretty on the runway.

“Sometimes you’ll get these kids who are incredible, incredible at makeup and their look and their hair, but not so great at performing,” Visage told 9Entertainment.

2022 Stan RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 2
Michelle Visage says there’s more to Drag Race than being pretty. (stan)

“And, you know, that’s because they didn’t spend time on the road.

“So that’s kind of how it shifted, because of RuPaul’s Drag Race, they just wanted to be pretty. But really, I have to encourage new queens that pretty is great, but you have to be a total package of performance and presence.

“That’s even more important. It needs to be the total package to really win that crown.”

READMORE: ‘I texted producers: Oh my god’: Michelle Visage’s behind-the-scenes Drag Race confession

Visage said that more noticeably on newer seasons, people are “caring more about what they look like and less about performance.”

“You have to care about what you look like, absolutely, you have to be good at hair and makeup because you will be judged on that,” she explained.

2022 Stan RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 2
RuPaul himself is returning to host another season of Drag Race Down Under. (stan)

“But, you also have to know how to lip sync, you also have to know how to sew you also have to know how to act; these are all the things that Ru had to do to get to where he is today.”

In Pictures

Queens, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 2.

Meet the queens competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 2

What you need to know about the competitors.

ViewGallery

Visage admitted she “gets so upset” when people ask the price tag attached to going on drag racing nowadays, with the assumption that queens must come prepared with expensive, couture fashion in order to be competitive.

READMORE: Drag Race Down Under Star Rhys Nicholson dishes on what it’s really like to work with Rupaul

“It’s very upsetting to me because I don’t care if you’re wearing duct tape. As long as it looks good, and it makes sense, then that’s perfect for me,” she said.

“I’m never going to put an $8000 dress up next to an outfit of duct tape or trash bags and compare them. It’s what the aesthetic looks like.

“Please, don’t think that you need to be rich to come on.”

This is one thing that separates down under queens from the rest of the world however, Visage added.

“So when we came here, you know, there’s a specific way that they do drag, but because of drag racingit’s changed a lot,” she said.

“People have really pushed themselves aesthetically, but the thing that I do love most about it here – and it’s something that I really love about the UK too – is that it’s not just about being pretty.

“It’s about having heart. There’s so much heart in the drag down here, so much heart.

“It’s like you fall in love with the person and the drag, not just, ‘Oh, she’s pretty'”.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 2 it set to sashay onto screens on Saturday July 30 at 4pm, exclusively on Stan and Visage says fans are in for an absolutely “wild ride”.

In Pictures

The stars of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 2 premiere

Queens hit the blue carpet at the Drag Race Down Under Season 2 premiere

Big hair, bold looks and plenty of glamour.

ViewGallery

all seasons of the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise are available to stream now on Stan. Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.

Categories
Australia

Eleni Petinos sacked by Dominic Perrottet following bullying allegations

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has sacked his small business and fair trading minister Eleni Petinos, after allegations she bullied workers emerged during a horror week for his government.

The premier said he had confidence in Petinos last week after alleged media reports the MP berated staff with offensive language including the words “retarded” and “stupid”, triggering the departure of multiple staffers since she was promoted in December.

But in a statement issued on Sunday night, Perrottet said he had spoken with Petinos after “some further matters concerning her were brought to my attention” and moved to stand her down immediately.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has sacked his fair trading minister, Eleni Petinos, following bullying allegations.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has sacked his fair trading minister, Eleni Petinos, following bullying allegations.Credit:AAP/Rhett Wyman

“In light of these matters, Ms Petinos’ service as a Minister will cease with immediate effect, and I will write to the Governor in this regard tomorrow,” Perrottet said.

He said Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello would assume Petinos’ portfolio responsibilities.

The bullying allegations against Petinos came during a week of crises for the Perrottet government that saw pressure mount on Trade Minister Stuart Ayres over his potential involvement in the controversial appointment of John Barilaro to a New York trade role.

The state’s first building commissioner David Chandler – whose role was overseen by Petinos – also quit his position prematurely last Monday, leading Labor to demand that the Miranda MP explain the reasons for Chandler’s “dramatic” resignation.

Labor’s better regulation spokeswoman Courtney Houssos said Chandler had “worked for more than 40 years in one of the toughest industries, yet barely lasted seven months working for this minister”.

Last week the premier said Petinos had denied the allegations reported by News Corp, as he stressed that an anonymous complaint to the Department of Premier and Cabinet about her conduct had been dealt with appropriately.

Categories
Business

Law firm Corrs Chamber Westgarth dumps church after 60 years

It comes amid growing tensions within the legal fraternity about the balance between social responsibility and commercial imperatives.

The decision to cut ties with the church has also raised questions about the future of prominent partner Richard Leder, who served articles at the firm in 1988, and has worked on behalf of the Catholic Church for 30 years.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth partner Richard Leder.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth partner Richard Leder.Credit:Justin McManus

Leder did not return calls from TheAge, but several friends and associates confirmed he was considering his options and had already received interest from other firms.

“He’s incredibly well respected. What people are asking is, ‘If you were to go, and the clients are coming with you, then we’d like to have a chat,’ ” one long-term friend said.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne refused to confirm if it would stay with Leder or seek legal representation elsewhere.

“Richard Leder is still a partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and we have great respect for him and his team. We are working through the transition process,” a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said.

“Our ultimate goal now is to ensure that this decision, and the transition, has no impact on survivors.”

Leder played a key role in developing the legal framework around the archdiocese’s compensation scheme known as the Melbourne Response, which was introduced by former archbishop of Melbourne George Pell in 1996.

Under the scheme, payments were capped at $50,000, later raised to $75,000, but it required victims to sign a deed of settlement that waived their right to take civil action against the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Leder defended the Melbourne Response when he appeared before a royal commission in 2014 following repeated claims the church was primarily concerned with avoiding litigation and minimizing payouts.

Cardinal George Pell in 2018.

Cardinal George Pell in 2018.Credit:Just McManus.

Between 1996 and 2014, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne made $17.2 million in ex gratia payments to 326 victims of clerical abuse under the Melbourne Response, with claimants receiving an average payout of $36,100.

Serial paedophile priest Kevin O’Donnell was responsible for the largest number of payouts, to 50 victims, including Emma and Katie Foster for abuse when they attended Oakleigh’s Sacred Heart primary school in the 1980s.

Their mother, Chrissie Foster, accused Corrs of profiting from the misery of victims.

“The Catholic Church has been a cash cow for these guys [Corrs Chambers Westgarth] for more than 50 years. The perpetrators of these crimes were protected by bishops and archbishops and allowed to continue raping children, and then you have a law firm fighting to stop compensation,” she told The Age.

During his appearance before the royal commission in 2014, Leder apologized to Foster and her late husband Anthony over insensitive and incorrect statements he made in correspondence to senior figures in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

In letters submitted to the commission, Leder claimed the abuse suffered by Emma Foster at the hands of O’Donnell was “relatively minor” and doubted the sexual assaults were responsible for her drug problem.

“On the one hand, the link between what appears to be relatively minor abuse and treatment for a heroin addiction might be thought tenuous,” Leder wrote.

In other correspondence, Leder falsely accused the Fosters of kicking Emma out of home.

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Chrissie Foster urged the church and its future lawyers to adopt a more compassionate approach in their dealings with victims.

In 2018, the Victorian government dismantled the Ellis defense when it passed legislation to close the legal loophole. Dozens of victims who accepted meagre payouts under the Melbourne Response have since launched fresh litigation.

Lawyer Michael Magazanik, a partner at Rightside Legal, has represented several clients who have successfully sued the church.

“One of Mr Leder’s key accomplishments for his client (Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne) was helping design the Melbourne Response, the scheme that awarded very modest payments to legally powerless victims of clergy sexual abuse. Now, thanks to law reform, there’s a level playing field and the church has to face up to reality. Shock, horror, it can actually be sued. It lost at trial earlier this year for the first time – it had to pay our client more than $2.2 million,” Magazanik said.

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Categories
US

US faces new era of political violence as threats against lawmakers rise | House of Representatives

Members of the US House of Representatives will now receive up to $10,000 to upgrade security at their homes in the face of rising threats against lawmakers, the House sergeant at arms announced last week, in yet another sign that American politics has entered a dangerous, violent new phase.

As support for political violence appears to be on the rise in the US, experts warn that such threats endanger the health of America’s democracy. But they say the country still has time to tamp down violent rhetoric if political leaders, particularly those in the Republican party, stand up and condemn this alarming behavior.

The announcement about increasing security for people in Congress came days after a man attacked Lee Zeldin, a New York congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate, with a sharp object during a campaign event.

Two weeks before that, a man was arrested outside the home of Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, for allegedly shouting racist obscenities and threatening to kill her. Last month, authorities filed federal charges against a man who they say traveled from California to Maryland with the attempt to murder the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Public service has clearly become an increasingly dangerous endeavor in America.

Recent polls show an increasing number of Americans are comfortable with political violence, although there is a wide range of opinions on the type of violence that is acceptable.

Lee Zeldin stands onstage after an attack on him during an event in Fairport, New York, on 21 July.
Lee Zeldin stands onstage after an attack on him during an event in Fairport, New York, on 21 July. Photograph: Ian Winner/Reuters

According to a mega-survey conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and released this month, one in five US adults say political violence is justified at least in some circumstances. A much smaller portion of survey respondents, 3%, believe that political violence is usually or always justified.

Liliana Mason, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University and co-author of Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy, said the phrasing of survey questions on political violence can drastically affect results. But having studied such polling since 2017, Mason said it is clear that support for political violence is indeed on the rise in the US.

“I think of it as pretty low numbers of people who actually approve of violence at all,” Mason said. “The problem is that, if you go from 7% to 20%, that means that there are certain social spaces where the norms around anti-violence are eroding.”

The impact of that trend can be seen at every level of American government, from the halls of Capitol Hill to local polling places.

The US Capitol police reported 9,625 threats and directions of interest (meaning concerning actions or statements) against members of Congress last year, compared to 3,939 such instances in 2017.

The members of the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection have frequently been the targets of violent threats, requiring them to obtain personal security details.

One member of the committee, Republican Adam Kinzinger, recently shared a threatening letter sent to his wife last month. The sender vowed to execute Kinzinger, his wife and their newborn son. He is not seeking re-election in 2022.

Even those who help administer elections in the US have reported an increase in threats against them. According to a poll conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice this year, one in six election officials have received threats because of their job, and 77% believe threats against them have increased in recent years.

Jennifer McCoy, a political science professor at Georgia State University whose research focuses on polarized democracies, said: “The kinds of threats and intimidation to … election administration officials and poll workers is very concerning and is also new.”

The apparent increase in threats against public servants has sparked broader concerns about the health of American democracy, particularly in the wake of the January 6 insurrection.

“There is simply no place for political violence in a healthy democracy. The increase in threats and harassment being leveled at people across our government is deeply concerning,” said Jennifer Dresden, policy advocate for the group Protect Democracy.

“To be clear, we’re not yet at a point where political violence has fundamentally undermined our democracy. But when violence is connected to other authoritarian tactics, like disinformation and efforts to corrupt elections, that sets a dangerous path for our democracy that we cannot ignore.”

While threats and harassment against lawmakers and political candidates appear to have increased across many government institutions, they are not evenly distributed.

One study of online messages sent to 2020 congressional candidates found that women, particularly women of color, were more likely to be the target of abusive content. Of all the candidates reviewed, the progressive congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is Somali American, received the highest proportion of abusive messages on Twitter. Fellow progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is Puerto Rican American, saw the most abusive comments on Facebook.

Women of color serving in Congress have spoken publicly about the threats they face, which have become a regular part of their lives on Capitol Hill.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who saw the most abusive comments on Facebook.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who saw the most abusive comments on Facebook. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, who is Black, told PBS Newshour last year: “I remember, at the beginning of the 116th Congress [in 2019]when we were just spotlighting and highlighting the beautiful diversity of this incoming Congress, but then, on every caucus call, we had members who were getting death threats on a daily basis.”

The acts of political violence carried out in the US are also unevenly distributed across the ideological spectrum. According to a study conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, rightwing extremists have committed about 75% of the 450 political murders that occurred in the US over the past decade. In comparison, Islamic extremists were responsible for about 20% of the murders, while leftwing extremists were blamed for 4% of the killings.

Expert argue the frequency of rightwing violence compared with leftwing violence can be partly explained by Republican leaders’ failure to condemn threatening rhetoric.

“We see justifications for violence that are similar on the left and right,” said Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who studies political conflict. “But we see incidents of violence that are vastly higher on the right and that has to do with all of the normalization of violence from leaders on the right.”

That normalization has been on vivid display over the past couple of years in the US. Donald Trump infamously referred to his supporters of him who carried out the deadly January 6 insurrection as “very special”, telling them: “We love you.” Trump was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House for his role in the 6 January riot, but acquitted in the Senate.

Last year, House Democrats, over near-unanimous Republican opposition, voted to strip the far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments, after it was discovered that she had previously expressed support for assassinating Barack Obama and the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi .

In November, Congressman Paul Gosar received the same punishment, as well as a House censorship, after he shared an animated video depicting violence against Joe Biden and Ocasio-Cortez. Only two Republicans supported the censorship.

Most recently, the Senate candidate Eric Greitens was widely criticized for airing a campaign ad that appeared to encourage violence against more moderate Republicans. In the ad, Greitens, who resigned as Missouri governor over allegations of sexual harassment, is seen carrying a shotgun and bursting into homes as he urges the “hunting” of Rinos, meaning Republicans in Name Only.

Research indicates that the messages supporters receive from their political leaders have a large impact on whether they actually carry out violent acts, several experts said. In experiments conducted by Mason and her colleagues, some participants were asked to read a quote from Biden or Trump condemning violence while others read nothing. Those who had read the quote were significantly less approving of violence.

“Leaders are actually uniquely powerful in being able to tamp down violence,” Mason said. “Republicans in particular are not using that power. And they could, but they’re not.”

Although political leaders are particularly powerful when it comes to reducing violent rhetoric, Mason’s research indicates that average people may have some leverage of their own. Mason’s team saw some positive results when they asked participants to read messages from random Twitter users condemning political violence. For the overwhelming majority of Americans who oppose such violence, the findings could offer some hope.

“For Americans in general, I think it’s sort of empowering to know that every single one of us has the potential to reduce violence by simply rejecting it,” Mason said. “We can all do that. All the 80% of us who don’t think violence is acceptable to have a real voice, and it’s important to use it.”

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Entertainment

Celebrity Life: Canadian singer Nelly Furtado makes shock appearance at Drake’s North Stars event

Drake fans got a pleasant surprise when an unexpected guest joined the Canadian rap artist on stage for his North Stars concert last night.

On day one of OVO Fest, Drake kicked off his performance with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado who hasn’t publicly been on stage since 2017.

In a hyped-up introduction, Drake called on the audience to sing as loud as they could for Furtado, who he said has been one of his biggest inspirations throughout his singing career.

“This right here took a lot… this next person’s music changed my life so much. I love her with all my heart so when she comes out here you better show her some f***ing love too,” Drake said.

Furtado then made her entrance while singing her iconic hit Promiscuous Girl, the crowd quickly joining in.

The Canadian pop star has produced some of the best hits of all time including maneater and Say It Rightwith many of her songs still holding a special place on nostalgia playlists.

But despite her success in the early 2000s, Furtado was quick to vanish from the spotlight in 2007 after having a breakdown on stage during her Loose tour.

“I was being a mum and a singer on the road. I was exhausted,” she told the Daily Mail during an interview in 2017.

“I took a break from music and went home and I realized that being at home and having the whole family experience was what I wanted.”

Furtado is now a mother of three children, aged 18, 4 and 3.

Aside from a few small albums and her independent album TheRide which she released under her own label in 2017, Furtado has stayed away from the spotlight.

But that all changed last night when she appeared at Drake’s concert.

Another hit which fans at last night’s concert obsessed over was I’m Like a Birdthe crowd belting out the song as Furtado and Drake performed a duet.

It even sent fans online into a frenzy, with avid Drake and Nelly Furtado lovers from around the world wishing they had been there.

“Drake and Nelly Furtado singing I’m like a bird together. This is Canadian history,” a fan said on Twitter.

“Would love to hear them sing on the radio together,” another user said.

“I really like these male rappers showing love and respect to artists who inspired them, even Travis Scorr brought back MI A on a song,” one fan commented.

“This was nice and heartwarming and I’m a fan of both… thanks Drake,” said another.

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