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Meghan Markle was right about the far right, the Jacinda Ardern eyeroll you can hear

All the news that's fit to mint.

Jenna ClarkeEditorial Director
7 min read
3:38PMNovember 30, 2022.
Updated 1:55PMDecember 01, 2022
The Oz

All the news that's fit to mint.

What's happening in (The) Oz:

🥱 Scott Morrison probably won't have his new TV show, Censure, green lit

🔐 Meghan Markle was targeted and threatened by the far right 

👯‍♂️ People shocked Prime Minister's Sanna Marin and Jacinda Ardern held a press conference instead of a pillow fight

📉 Inflation has dipped like our enthusiasm to work in December 

🍪 Carrie Bickmore promises to bake more after signing off The Project

🏀 Em Rata and Pete Davidson have softly launched

🙅🏻 Harassment, not forced fun, are a worrying employment trend

🙌🏼 Opposition Leader Peter Dutton leads, calls for an inquiry into Indigenous sex assault

🏏 Cricketers take a knee in Perth, while punters bring their books

Hello, it's Friday Eve.

May your coffee be strong and your constitution as stoic as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that was on display on Wednesday.

She may not be great at domestic economics but certainly nails it in the presence of company.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is embarking on a trip down under with a business delegation (she'll be here soon) however first stop was New Zealand where she - as a Prime Minister on official business - met with the Kiwi leader, as that's generally what happens when leaders embark on international work trips, even those who are younger than 45 and have ovaries.

It was something that got lost in translation for some on Wednesday at a joint press conference.

The pair were asked if they had a coffee purely because they are "similar in age".

“We, of course, have a higher proportion of men in politics, it’s reality, but because two women meet, it is not simply because of their gender,” Ardern said.

“We’re meeting because we are prime ministers,” Marin added.

The pair engaged in a bilateral meeting where they agreed to boost trade relations, as right now Finland banks about $185 million from exporting wares into New Zealand.

They'll also forge ahead with similar climate change "action".

“Our countries are aligned on incredibly important issues – we share a strong commitment to democratic values as the basis for open, tolerant, resilient, equal societies, and to multilateralism and a rules-based order that has underpinned global peace and prosperity since 1945″, said Ardern.

READ MORE: Finland's 'party PM' is visiting

Politics really is Hollywood for nerds

If we didn't know it before we know it now.

On Wednesday about four hours of precious parliamentary time was eaten up by some basic pantomime when the government censured former PM Scott Morrison for secretly appointing himself to five additional portfolios during the height of the pandemic.

Every Labor MP and only one Liberal MP (in Bridget Archer) voted for the censure - the first time it's happened to a former Australian Prime Minister - after Anthony Albanese accused his predecessor of undermining the Parliamentary system and misleading the Australian people.

“A censure motion like this is as rare as it is grave. The fact that it has become so necessary constitutes a profoundly sad moment in the life of our national Parliament," Albanese said.

"But to ignore it would be to be complicit to say – well, that was OK. This House of Representatives has a responsibility," he said.

Morrison then rose and spoke against the motion claiming it was just a political stitch up, a hit job and an exercise in political intimidation toward a man accused by many, including by his colleagues, as a bully.

It was all very "sorry you were offended" vibes.

For 30 minutes. 

Considering there are reports Morrison is keen to join the public speaking circuit soon, as an audition it lacked...everything.

During Archer's time at the dispatch box, she said the Liberals should use it as an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and move the party forward - at break neck speed away from the Morrison era - however the majority of his colleagues couldn't wait to line up to congratulate him after his sermon.

It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero. 

As The Australian's national editor Dennis Shanahan aptly opined: "Albanese made cogent arguments about the role of Parliament and the executive and prosecuted the political case about transparency and trust which fits the current narrative on anti-corruption legislation [which passed later in the day btw] but...

"Point made. Move on."

Those threats Meghan felt, were real according to actual experts

Meghan Markle faced multiple, and consistent, death threats from far right extremists after marrying Prince Harry.

That's according to one of the UK’s former top counterterrorism officials, who was also in charge of royal protection, has said in a new interview that anyone who received messages likes Markle did would “feel under threat all of the time.”

In 2020, speaking on the Teenage Therapy podcast alongside Harry, Markle said the online abuse she faced since marrying into the royal family felt "almost unsurvivable".

"[For] eight months of that, I wasn't even visible, I was on maternity leave with the baby - but what was able to be manufactured and churned out, it's almost unsurvivable, it's so big you can't even think what that feels like," she said.

She also claimed during that chat she was told she was "the most trolled person on the internet in 2019". 

Analysis conducted by Bot Sentinel - an official Twitter service in 2021 - found she endured a targeted attack from a small, but co-ordinated, bunch of users.

Just 83 Twitter accounts authored about 70% of the hateful content directed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The couple have not responded to this latest news.

However Meghan's latest podcast episode has dropped.

LISTEN UP: Meghan Markle invites men on final podcast episode

Good news for iceberg lettuce freaks

Inflation chilled out in October dropping from 7.3% to 6.9%, mainly thanks to Mother Nature pulling itself together and delivering better growing conditions for our farmers.

"While consumer price growth remained high in October, it was well down on the 7.6 per cent forecast by economists and offered a glimmer of hope that inflationary pressures – and interest rates – may peak earlier and lower than expected," The Australian reported.

"The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ relatively new monthly inflation gauge, however, has proved more volatile than the longstanding quarterly measure, and the October report did not include an update of the prices of key services, such as restaurant meals, hairdressers, insurance, and other financial services."

Using this monthly series of reporting, inflation has declined in three of the past seven months, even as the trend has remained firmly up.

However, we're not out of the woods yet, as most of us already known anecdotally that cost of living remains hectic. The stats back it up. The ABS said fruit and vegetable prices were up 9.4% from this time last year, that is compared to the 17.4% year-on-year increase that was recorded back in September.

Good news for those who use their ovens to cook instead of for storage, as overall grocery costs increased by 8.9% in October, down from 9.6% the month prior. 

Sex pests well and truly on notice

One in three of us have experienced sexual harassment at work over the past five years.

That's what a major survey by the nation's human rights commission has found.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, presented the findings in a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, said it was "unacceptable" that so many workers continue to experience sexual harassment.

The report found:

  • Women were far more likely to experience harassment than men.
  • More than 40 % of female respondents revealing they had been harassed in the workplace.
  • That was compared to about 25 % of men.
  • Just under 80% of harassers were men.
  • Only 18% of those who experienced harassment reported it.

Commissioner Jenkins said though disappointing, the results were "not surprising".

"The actions that governments and workplaces around Australia are now taking will have an impact, but it will take time," she said.

"I urge them to continue implementing change now, so that results of the next national survey may be greatly improved."

READ MORE: Support grows for changes that'll curb court trauma during rape trials

Libs call for an inquiry into WTF is being done for Indigenous victims of sexual abuse

Peter Dutton has once again called for the government to establish a royal commission into sexual abuse of Indigenous Australians. 

Anthony Albanese thanked the Opposition Leader for his engagement on the “very serious issue” - again - which he said needed collaboration across all levels of government.

The Prime Minister said work was underway through the national strategy to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse put in place under the former government.

“I congratulate the former government in doing that, they had our support doing that. The national strategy includes measures leading partnership by the National Indigenous Australians agencies and First Nations experts to support and empower First Nations communities in the NT.

Linda Burney said evidence of sexual abuse was “unacceptable” and that Indigenous communities wanted a “working partnership on concrete actions”.

It's the second time Dutton has raised the issue in parliament. He did do after visiting a number of communities with NT Senator Jacinta Price earlier this year.

You'll be missed on our screens Carrie Bickmore

Dressed as a swan, the longest running host of The Project and philanthropist, delivered her TV swan song.

I want these two to work...

More than my next relationship.

This is a vibe of true romance - basketball, trackie pants and beer. 

Cheers to you (new podcaster) Em Rata and Pete Davidson. Love and sweat is in the air.

It's cricket szn!

Test match time is upon us. First stop Perth, where it was a scorching 35 degree day as Australia took on the West Indies.

"10mm of grass. Left some moisture in the pitch. Could be a sexy first session," The Australian's cricket writer Peter Lalor told us before play got underway on Wednesday.

The Aussies won the toss and elected to bat first. Alas, David Warner was bowled out early.

There was a small crowd, about 6000 fans, who turned out to Perth's Optus Stadium to watch. They didn't care Warner and Usman Khawaja each took a knee before the first ball. 

This dispatch from The Australian's WA bureau chief Paige Taylor made my day:

"Philip Ryan, 72, sat alone reading Amir Towles’ The Art of Civility during pre match entertainment. Asked what he thought of players taking a knee he said: 'I think it’s baloney they’re only doing it because others are doing it'."

Read related topics:Harry And MeghanJacinda Ardern
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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/the-oz/news/meghan-markle-was-right-about-the-far-right-the-jacinda-ardern-eyeroll-you-can-hear-carrie-says-goodbye/news-story/4ab54e4932b29e345910e991d60ac43f