Making news: The Voice's publicity stunt with Shaq overshadowed a Kardashian mistake
All the news that's fit to mint.
All the news that's fit to mint.
What's happening in The Oz today:
🤔 Shaq - in Australia for betting company business - was supposed to endorse the Voice, didn't
🧑🏻⚕️ Victoria: the place to be HECS free
😭 AFLW kicked off, leaves us dehydrated
👑 Diana's car is for sale (not that one)
💄 Kourtney Kardashian promoting a make-up tutorial for 10-year-olds
🪩 Elton John and Britney Spears' new song will be the summer Covid
Good morning!
You'd be aware by now this happened.
We are mobilising a broad base of support for the Voice to Parliament, bringing people with us as we embrace this positive change for our country. Great meeting with @SHAQ in Sydney today with @LindaBurneyMP pic.twitter.com/Ljg3qJWjKy
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 27, 2022
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney met with Shaq - who was in Australia to promote a betting company - to discuss The Voice and constitutional recognition.
It was jarring. Sort of like that time Scotty Cam was made to be the face of Australian tradies by the former government a couple of years ago.
According to the PM, the NBA legend sought a meeting with him to specifically discuss the upcoming referendum.
“Shaq has at that record, particularly when it comes to bringing people together of different backgrounds which is consistent with our approach to a constitutionally recognised Voice to parliament and recognising that Australian history didn’t begin in 1788," Albanese said.
Burney added the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament is “for the Australian people”.“As the Prime Minister said, it is about making everyone proud, and filling that glaring omission in our birth certificate of and recognising First Peoples,” she said.
Back in the US, Shaq has done some work in the George Floyd matter and called out Donald Trump a few times. And as an iconic basketball player of the 1990s, his endorsement would definitely help have cut through with a large cross section of older and younger Aussies. But he didn't really say anything when he joined the press conference on Saturday where he was expected to express his support for The Voice.
Some pollies - albeit from the opposition - have called it a stunt and questioned why the government aren't helping to platform Indigenous Australians.
Hi @AlboMP can I introduce you to @Patty_Mills… pic.twitter.com/a4YRsZg9Jz
— Stuart Ayres (@stuartayresmp) August 27, 2022
New Liberal senator for the Northern Territory Jacinta Price - who is against the Voice - said on Sunday the government was “clueless and out of touch” to have Shaq as an official pin up for its policy.
She also said Aboriginal Australians have more in common with Native Americans than African-Americans.
“If the PM and Minister for indigenous Australians thinks Shaq’s experience with 'lifting people up who are marginalised' is the answer to winning Yes votes for the Voice then it demonstrates just how clueless and out of touch they both are with what the needs of Aboriginal Australians are.
“I’ve no doubt Shaq’s a top bloke but it’s a bit insulting to call on a black American to help with black Australians as if this is all about the colour of one’s skin,” Price said.
She said the act was “shallow” as the country faces “such serious issues.”
I’m gonna miss u Australia pic.twitter.com/EQp7eF3VYm
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) August 28, 2022
Victoria determined to not be Victorian anymore
Given the horror stories stemming from Victoria's cooked hospital and health care systems, Premier Dan Andrews - just in time for an election - has declared people wanting to become nurses or midwives can do so HECS free.
On Sunday he announced the state government will cover the cost of more than 10,000 nursing and midwifery degrees, in an effort to boost the state's health workforce.
“If you’re in Year 12 and you’ve been thinking about studying nursing or midwifery – go for it. We’ve got your HECS fees covered," Andrews said.
If you're about to finish school and been thinking about studying nursing or midwifery – go for it.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) August 28, 2022
We've got your HECS fees covered. pic.twitter.com/ZarxO3RAiQ
The new plan will see all domestic students enrolling in a professional-entry nursing or midwifery course in 2023 and 2024 receive a scholarship of up to $16,500 to cover course costs. About $9000 while studying and the remaining $7500 if they start and stay working in the Victorian public health sector for two years.
Extra scholarships will also be available for nurses who complete postgraduate studies in midwifery, intensive care, cancer care, paediatrics and nurse practitioner specialities.
The Victorian opposition supports the initiative.
However the plan, that'll cost about $270m, has now raised questions about when similar education packages will be rolled out for engineers and IT experts to help address the skills shortage in those sectors too.
Yeah the girls!
Tears and so many cheers happened in my living room and stadiums all over Australia this weekend as the new season of the AFLW kicked off.
Sell out crowds at huge arenas like Marvel Stadium in Melbourne and Brisbane's Gabba played host to the games.
However it was the human and behind the scenes stuff that hit different than a 50m penalty.
Like new Hawthorn recruit Sophie Locke, who lost her mum two weeks ago, getting the call up for her debut.
And umpire Emma Stark becoming the youngest field official at just 16.
Brilliant. Bring on next weekend.
Hot Wheels
Princess Diana's version of her banged up Hyundai Excel has sold at auction for more than $1.1m.
The 37-year-old Ford Escort which she drove following her wedding to Prince Charles from 1985 to 1988, went for more than six times the anticipated price to a British buyer.
"Even after marrying Prince Charles in 1981 Diana preferred to drive her own car, though she had to have a royal protection officer in the passenger seat. It is believed to be the only black RS Turbo Series 1, as Ford was asked to create a more discreet model than the typical white," The Times reported.
They grow up so quick
An adage that is especially true for Kardashian-Jenner progeny.
Kourtney Kardashian is under fire for allowing her 10-year-old to share her make-up routine on TikTok.
In the now-deleted clip on her TikTok page, Penelope - whom Kardashian shares with ex Scott Disick - is first seen putting on a pink headband to ensure she doesn’t get any product on her hair, the New York Post reported.
She then added a serum to her skin to prep it before applying concealer under her eyes, under her cheekbones and onto her forehead, blending the product in with a beauty blender.
The account has about 4m followers.
Did I mention, she's 10?
The song of summer has arrived
Bad news: prepare for more rain this week across the eastern seaboard.
Good news: Britney is back. Christmas has come early and delivered her new song - her first in six years and the first since that awful conservatorship was lifted. It's a duet with Elton John, a mash up of his hit Tiny Dancer, called Hold Me Closer.
It's a big hot Friday afternoon mood best enjoyed with wine and logging off early.
It's already gone to number one in more than 33 countries since it debuted on Friday after Elton promoted a sneak peak on Instagram.
Once it dropped on Spotify, Brit's friends got to work. Posting wonderful messages of support for the song - whether we like it or not - we'll be "woo girling" to all summer.
And this from Paris is just precious.
Bring on the summer of Y2K: The Sequel. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to get balayage. Again.
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