Thursday, July 27, 2017

Morning mail: Malcolm Roberts faces dual citizenship scrutiny

Morning Mail

Morning mail: Malcolm Roberts faces dual citizenship scrutiny

Friday: One Nation senator gives contradictory accounts of citizenship status and fails to produce documents. Plus, Australian babies prescribed high levels of antibiotics

Malcolm Roberts
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Eleanor Ainge Roy


Good morning, this is Eleanor Ainge Roy bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 28 July.

Top stories

One Nation's Malcolm Roberts is the latest senator under scrutiny over dual citizenship after a spokesman reportedly said on Thursday he was "choosing to believe he was never British". Following the resignation of two Greens senators from parliament and the National party's Matt Canavan from cabinet, Roberts, who was born in India to a Welsh father, has given contradictory statements about his citizenship status. On 25 October last year, a spokesman for Roberts told Guardian Australia he had only ever held one citizenship. Roberts later retracted this statement, accusing the Guardian of inaccuracy.

But then Buzzfeed unearthed documents proving Roberts had travelled on a British passport as a child. Appearing on Sky News late on Thursday, Roberts said he had written to British authorities on 1 May 2016 and followed up with an email on 6 June – three days before nominations closed for the federal election – to renounce his citizenship, Fairfax reported. However, he did not receive formal acknowledgment from the UK until December, and has yet to make public the document that may show whether he was or was not a dual citizen at the time of election.

The premature death of Dr G Yunupingu could have been prevented if recommended funding models for dialysis services had been in place, his doctor has said. With a new funding model for services in remote communities under consideration, Dr Paul Lawton urged swift government action to assist in Yunupingu leaving a legacy. "Every person from a remote community … when they end up in renal failure and have to start dialysis, the first thing people want to know is when and if they can get home and if they can receive treatment close to home," Lawton said. "Dr Yunupingu was no different."

US defence chiefs have pushed back strongly against Donald Trump's unexpected and unplanned ban on transgender people serving in the military, saying the policy would not be overturned until they received formal direction to do so, and information on how to implement it. General Joseph Dunford, America's top military officer, said all transgender personell would continue to be treated with "respect". However, many transgender people in uniform have reported anxiety about their future: "Everybody is hurt, everybody is scared," said Rudy Akbarian, 26.

Australian babies are prescribed antibiotics at some of the highest rates in the world, risking possible long-term side-effects and speeding up antibiotic resistance, which has been described by the World Health Organisation as a "global health emergency". Of comparable countries, only Italy had a higher rate, and Australia's rate was almost 500% that of Switzerland and 150% that of the UK.

Toxic chemicals used in firefighting in Australia over the past few decades are being scrutinised for the damaging health effects on people who live in areas where they have been used. This week it was confirmed that seafood is being contaminated in two creeks in the Northern Territory that are popular fishing spots, including for the local Indigenous community. NT health minister Natasha Fyles said: "Current research is inconclusive ... but the potential for adverse health effects can't be ignored." Some of the levels found in the Territory were worse than those detected at the notorious Williamtown airbase, near Newcastle, a known contaminated site.

Sport

Alastair Cook's 82 not out dragged England to 171-4 on a rain-affected first day of the third Test against South Africa at the Oval. With the series poised at 1-1, England went in with three debutants and struggled against the miserly Vernon Philander (2-17) in particular.

In an extract from his forthcoming book, The Death and Life of Australian Soccer, Guardian Australia football writer Joe Gorman delves into Socceroos great Mark Viduka's profound connection to Croatia. "For his devotion to his club and respect for the elders of his community, Viduka represented all that was good and right about Australian soccer. He stood at over six feet tall, with shy eyes, a small grin and a floppy haircut. He possessed unshakable balance, a combination of poise and power not seen before or since."

Thinking time

Fred Bartusch, builder, guitarist and singer, who is part of The Power Within musical in Moranbah, Northern Queensland.
Fred Bartusch, builder, guitarist and singer, who is part of The Power Within musical in Moranbah, Northern Queensland. Photograph: David Varga

As north Queensland waits for a decision on the Adani Carmichael mine, 250 locals from six towns have banded together in a quest to explore their identities beyond mining 250 locals from six towns whose futures hang in the balence have banded together to – dancing and crooning their way through an uncertain time in a musical extravaganza, The Power Within. People aged seven to 70 will perform in the mining hub of Moranbah alongside a 10-piece house band, six belly dancers and a horse cavalcade. "It's about how the town grapples with massive profit," says director and writer David Burton. "It's the start of the community going: 'Who are we and what do we mean?'."

Shortly after their marriage in 2009, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner began collecting art, a hobby she later described as "a fun exploration of our personal and collective tastes". Fast-forward to today and now they have amassed a $25m collection that includes rebellious "bro art" which was first in vogue with tough-talking abstract expressionists in the 1950s. "Bad boys stand in for cultural iconoclasts, the existential opposite of Ivanka and the Trump brand," said art collector Sarah Getto.

Inequality is real - and guess what? The electorate has noticed, writes Van Badham. Inequality in Australia is as bad as it's been in 75 years, and while the Liberals dispute the facts and make outrageous claims, reality has a habit of thumping discourse every time

What's he done now?

Donald Trump has found a little more generosity for his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who has flown to El Salvador to discuss efforts to combat the MS-13 gang. Having spent the best part of the week apparently trying to force Sessions to resign, Trump tweeted overnight: "Big progress being made in ridding our country of MS-13 gang members and gang members in general. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!"

Media roundup

There are now more bikies behind bars than on the streets, the Adelaide Advertiser reports, with more than half of South Australia's bikie gang members serving time in prison, according to figures released by correctional services. The Canberra Times reveals figures showing the health and social service portfolios have lost $4.7bn through efficiency audits. The Herald Sun reports that more than 500,00 extra vehicles have clogged up Victoria's roads in the past five years, with vehicle registrations soaring 11.5% to 4.7m since 2011. And the ABC has a first-person account by Connie Boglis, whose partner Jesse Bird took his life after serving in Afghanistan and suffering PTSD. Last night Bird's family also spoke to 7.30.

Coming up

The winner of this year's Archibald prize will be announced at noon AEST. If you fancy a scroll through a selection of this year's contenders, here's one we prepared earlier – and stay tuned over the weekend for our critic Andrew Frost's review of the full show.

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