Monday, 17 August - Don't be so reckless

Good morning, it’s Monday, 17 August. In your Squiz Today…

• NSW signs up to the gun buyback scheme

• A debate breaks out over superannuation

• And Sam Pang wins the Gold Logie… 📺

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🙋🏻‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Andrew Williams and Anna Pykett

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said Sporting CP, the Portuguese football club that will be the new home of Socceroos forward Nestory Irankunda. He’s followed up his fancy moves during the World Cup with some even more fancy dance moves in his announcement video…

Throw down your guns

The Squiz

After months of debate, New South Wales has an official gun buyback scheme, which could see over 250,000 guns taken out of circulation. That makes NSW the first state to sign up to the Federal Government’s national program, but whether other states will follow suit is a different matter… This has been in the works ever since the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December last year, and was a recommendation of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion’s interim report. As a reminder, there are currently around 4 million firearms in Oz, spread amongst about a million owners, with around a quarter of those in NSW.

That seems like a lot…

It’s more than we had before the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, when then-PM John Howard introduced sweeping gun reform legislation, including a buyback. Here’s how the 2026 version will work: As of 2 November this year, owners will be able to trade in their guns for up to $1,000 in return. Early next year, higher-value guns can be handed in - for any gun worth $3,000 or more, you’ll get up to $10,000 back. NSW Premier Chris Minns says it’s expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and not everyone’s a fan - NSW Coalition leader Kellie Sloane said: “to suggest a gun buyback… is going to stop another Bondi, it’s absolute bulls***.” But Minns says it’s an important step, and he’ll make it a centrepiece of next year’s state election campaign. PM Anthony Albanese wants the other Oz states and territories to follow suit, but he hasn’t had much luck on that front… 

What’s the state of play there?

The Albanese Government can’t just bring these laws in itself, because gun laws are largely a state-based thing. While states and territories like Western Oz, South Oz and the ACT are either on board or thinking about it, Queensland and the NT have both opted out. Their argument is that a gun buyback merely reduces the amount of guns owned by law-abiding citizens like farmers and graziers - but leaves them in the hands of criminals and potential terrorists. So even though it’s technically a national scheme, it’s kind of just NSW going it alone at this point. The PM says while it is up to the other states and territories to make their own calls, “in the Commonwealth, they have a willing partner.” We’ll see what happens…

Moving towards financial independence

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Squiz the Rest

An escalation in Eastern Europe

At least 6 people have died after Ukraine launched one of its biggest aerial attacks of its ongoing war with Russia. The Russian defence ministry says its military shot down 822 of the drones launched into its territory, but several still hit their mark - including a warehouse for Wildberries, the largest Russian online retailer (and often described as its version of Amazon). Ukraine has made Wildberries a target because it says the retailer is supplying the Russian military - but Russia says it only serves civilian purposes. Russia has launched a series of drone strikes of its own, killing at least 5 people and causing a fire at an historic book market in Kyiv. As of next week, the war will have been running for 4.5 years - with a death toll estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

An earthquake hits Indonesia

In the early hours of Saturday morning, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit the country’s east coast, followed by a 6.9 magnitude quake off northern Sumatra. It’s been described as one of Indonesia’s deadliest in years… At least 53 people have been confirmed killed so far, with rescue efforts underway to find more survivors, and thousands of people have left their homes. The quakes were followed by some 341 aftershocks - hundreds of buildings have collapsed, including these ones on the island of Flores… As it happens, today is Independence Day in Indonesia - marking 81 years since the country achieved independence from the Netherlands, but it’ll be a sombre occasion, with authorities also on high alert for more tremors.

A super stoush

A fresh row is brewing between the Albanese Government and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson over the country’s compulsory superannuation system. Hanson reckons the current rules are too rigid - which require employers to contribute 12% of a worker’s earnings into their super accounts. Aussies can only access this when they reach 60yo and retire, or when they turn 65, regardless of whether they still work or not… Hanson thinks people should be able to access their retirement funds to pay for things like mortgages and medical needs because the system is “broken”, but Treasurer Jim Chalmers says this would put pressure on the budget. He says the next federal election in 2028 will be a referendum on super, and that Labor would defend the $4.5 trillion system.

Rock bottom in the Top End

The Australian men’s cricket team has been on the receiving end of an all-time boilover, losing a Test on home soil against Bangladesh. It’s only the second time in the history of cricket that ninth-ranked Bangladesh has beaten the top-ranked Australian team in a Test, and the first on Australian soil. It wasn’t close, either, with the visitors dominant throughout, and chasing down 57 runs in their second innings to get the job done. It’s a huge milestone for Bangladesh, but a very poor start to a long run of Tests (20 in 12 months) for the Aussies, and captain Pat Cummins said that changes to the team might be on the way ahead of the second Test between the 2 in Mackay. That begins on Saturday, and the Aussies will be under a stack of pressure heading into it…

A Pang of recognition

Comedian and former Logies host Sam Pang is this year’s Gold Logie winner for the most popular personality on Oz TV. The comedian has been a feature on our screens for a long time, as a Eurovision commentator on SBS and a regular panellist on shows like Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Front Bar - he took home the night’s major award on his first nomination. As for the man who took over as host, Robert Irwin is getting strong reviews this morning for a stint that showed off both his dancing and comedy chops. There were plenty of highlights, but the show was stolen by Magda Szubanski, who is currently in remission after undergoing treatment for cancer, making a surprise appearance as her Kath and Kim character Sharon to present the Gold. She received a well-deserved standing ovation…

Apropos of Nothing

And look, the Logies are one thing, but we can’t deny we might have been an iota more excited for the World’s Ugliest Dog contest, a celebration of all our canine friends who are just a little bit different. This year’s winner: Jinny Lu, a rescued pug who likes to scream at her own reflection. Hey, we’ve all been there on a Monday morning…

A Disney event this weekend featured a stack of new movie announcements, including a cast for the upcoming X-Men movie, and a stack of sequels like The Incredibles 3 and Coco 2. But perhaps most excitingly for us Aussies, we have a trailer for The Bluey Movie…

You may well be hearing this name a lot come the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics - 19yo German swimmer Johannes Liebmann has smashed the men’s 1,500m freestyle world record by wiping almost 4 seconds off the existing mark. He’s unbe-Lieb-able… 

Squiz the Day

The Senate Inquiry into gambling advertising laws is set to hand down its report today

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, arrives in Oz for an official visit today - he’ll meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will meet with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale in Honiara

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will hold its ninth and final hearing block in Sydney, with a focus on strengthening social cohesion

Another sitting week begins in Federal Parliament

Pre-sentence hearing for agent Ralph Carr, who has been found guilty of rape and recently had a suppression order lifted

A NSW Police chopper will land in a Parramatta park donning a red nose ahead of a local child care 'Red Nose Disco'

Full-year company results for a2 Milk, JB Hi-Fi, Lendlease, BlueScope

It’s Independence Day in Indonesia, marking 81 years since Sukarno proclaimed the Republic of Indonesia and became its first President (1945)

Birthdays for Robert de Niro (1943), Belinda Carlisle (1958), Sean Penn (1960), Lil Pump (2000)

Anniversary of 

• Korea being divided into North and South Korea along the 38th parallel (1945)

• the Soviet Union's launch of Venera 7 to Venus, which made history as the first probe to return data after landing on another planet (1970)

• the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain (1980)

• US President Bill Clinton admitting in taped testimony he had an "improper physical relationship" with Monica Lewinsky and on the same day admits before the nation he "misled people" about the relationship (1998).   

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