Monday, 4 November - You're movin' on out

Good morning. It’s Monday, 4 November. In your Squiz Today…

• The inquest into William Tyrrell’s disappearance resumes

• The PM’s plan to wipe HECS debts for millions of students

• And the Collins Dictionary word of the year…

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But first - it’s about time…

Come and meet Team Squiz for our very first meet-up. Think drinks, bites, and great chats - it’s a free event, but capacity is limited, so register for a ticket for this shindig in Potts Point, Sydney. Our host Becker Minty is also extending Squizers a shopping discount, so not only will you be down for good times, but you can check some Christmas gifts off your list. Talk about a win-win…

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, crossing the finish line in first place at the Brazilian Grand Prix after starting 17th due to some controversy in the qualifier. With his eye now on the F1 Championship, the Dutchman’s in with a flying chance…

The search for answers continues…

The Squiz

The long-running inquest into 3yo William Tyrrell’s disappearance is set to resume in the NSW Coroners Court this morning. Overseen by Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame, the inquest began more than 5 years ago but has gone through many delays - including last year when prosecutors needed time to consider charging William’s foster mother for covering up his accidental death and disposing of his body. She denied doing that, and charges were never laid, so it’s onwards with this inquiry. 

This is about the little boy in the Spiderman suit, right?

It sure is - and we’ve just passed the 10-year anniversary of William’s unsolved disappearance from a home at Kendall on the NSW Mid North Coast on 12 September 2014 during a visit from Sydney. He was playing outside his foster grandmother’s home - she left him and his 5yo sister briefly to go inside but came back out when she realised it was “too quiet” and couldn’t find him. Despite a huge search, William wasn’t found - leaving authorities to conclude he was kidnapped. What followed was one of NSW Police’s biggest-ever investigations, involving hundreds of people of interest and multiple searches around Kendall and, in 2021, of his foster grandmother’s house. In 2016, a $1 million reward for information leading to a conviction was offered. That remains in place, but no one has been charged over his disappearance. 

So what’s this inquiry about?

This week’s hearings are part of the final sprint before Coroner Grahame issues her findings. We don’t know what witnesses will be called, what evidence they’ll share, or when the report will be handed down, but we could hear what evidence police have against William’s foster mother, who hasn’t been named. Criminologist Xanthe Mallett doesn’t think any charges will be laid, saying “if police had enough evidence” to make a move, “that would've happened by now”. Instead, she believes the Coroner might make an open finding, meaning the case remains unsolved. Clare Collins, who led the ‘Where’s William?’ campaign, hopes that won’t happen. She says “all William’s loved ones deserve answers. All Australia deserves answers.”

A workplace that champions you

Providing equal opportunities for men and women is a priority for BHP as it heads towards its target of having a gender-balanced workplace by 2025. With that in mind, there are heaps of jobs on offer across the country and across the business with flexible work arrangements to help you achieve your long-term career goals. There’s never been a better time to make your next career move - head to bhp.com/careers for more information.

Squiz the Rest

A HECS of a discount

PM Anthony Albanese was out and about in Adelaide yesterday to spruik Labor’s plan to wipe $16 billion in HECS debts for 3 million Australians. To spare you the maths, that’s about 20% of national student debt and would save those with an average HECS debt about $5,500 each. The minimum repayment threshold (when graduates have to start repaying their debt) will also be lifted from $54,000 a year to $67,000 in 2025-26. Albanese says the overhaul is about addressing “intergenerational unfairness” and boosting access to uni. While Albanese was busy there, Education Minister Jason Clare became the latest politician to be questioned over his links to Qantas after admitting he requested a free upgrade in 2019. With the fallout from that scandal growing, here comes the House of Reps beginning a new sitting week today…

A hectic last stretch in the US election

The polls say there’s a hair’s breadth between the US presidential candidates - but millions of Americans have already made up their minds. Around 70 million Americans have voted before the final pitches - that's about 45% of the total number of voters in the 2020 election. As for the campaigns, Donald Trump has been strongly criticised for comments about critic Liz Cheney (aka former Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter) and how she might feel if "guns are trained on her face." Meanwhile, Kamala Harris appeared in the opening sketch of Saturday Night Live - her camp will be buoyed by polls showing she’s pulled ahead in the Republican-held state of Iowa. And for some adjacent respite, this vid from the New York Times’ snappers about their take on the campaign is worth a look. 

And while we’re on international politics… The UK’s Conservatives have a new leader after their drubbing in this year’s election. Kemi Badenoch is the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK - she promises to "renew" the Tories. 

The Brand case lands with prosecutors

There’s been a development in the investigation into Russell Brand - UK detectives say they’ve passed on evidence to prosecutors, who will now consider bringing sexual assault charges against the comedian/podcast host/lifestyle guru. This stems from allegations made by 4 women as part of a joint story by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 in September last year over incidents from between 2006-13. Brand has denied the claims, saying in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson back in January that they were ‘very, very hurtful’. Since the story came out, several UK media outlets have apologised for not taking the complaints they received against Brand seriously, including Channel 4. Prosecutors have confirmed they’ve received the evidence, but there’s no hint of when a decision will be made.

A Prince out of pocket

Prince Andrew’s money tap has been turned off, according to a new book. Author Robert Hardman’s claims scored international headlines yesterday - he says King Charles has ended financial support to his younger brother, which would include Andrew’s personal allowance and the money for his security detail. Buckingham Palace hasn’t confirmed it, but it would mean Andrew has to stump up for the lease on his current fancy digs - Royal Lodge in Windsor - which he was warned would happen a few months back. As for what’s next, a move to the more cost-effective Frogmore Cottage (aka the residence Harry and Meghan zhuzhed up…) could be on the cards. Andrew’s ex-wife/current housemate Sarah Ferguson is in Perth at the moment for a book tour before heading to Sydney. So she may not need to unpack much when she gets back…. 

Brat summer becomes a brat year

The Collins Dictionary says brat’s still where it’s at. The title of UK popstar/DJ Charli XCX’s album has won the 2024 race for its Word of the Year, beating competition like ‘yapping’ (talking a lot), era (thanks, Taylor) and ‘delulu’ (slang for deluded). So what is brat, exactly? The dictionary says it’s a “confident, independent and hedonistic attitude”, while the woman herself described it as ‘a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter, and a strappy white top with no bra’... Brat also became part of the US election, with the performer tweeting in July that ‘kamala is brat’, sending the Harris campaign into the social media stratosphere. Now to see if the ‘slime green’ background from the brat album cover takes out Colour of the Year too…

Apropos of Nothing - Notable animals edition

No crocodile tears over this, just real ones for Cassius the saltwater croc who has died. He held the world record for the largest of his kind living in captivity at 5.48m long - and he might have been over 110yo. That’s a long innings from the big guy…

Very good boy Decoy has stolen the show from baseball superstars Freddie Freeman and his owner Shohei Ohtani at the LA Dodgers World Series victory parade. Decoy was a favourite all season at Dodgers home games - even ‘throwing’ the first pitch back in August…

And in less flesh-and-blood animal news, engineers at Dyson have come up with a 4-legged robot dog that cleans your house. It moves around by itself doing chores and even ‘sits’ after it’s done cleaning. So get ready to add ‘reboot’ to your list of pet commands…

Squiz the Day

9.00am (AEDT) - Senate estimates hearings for the 2024/25 budget begin (on until 8 November) - Canberra

9.30am (AEDT) - The inquest into the disappearance of 3yo William Tyrrell will resume - Sydney

9.30am (AEDT) - Reserve Bank Board meeting (on until 5 November) - Sydney

10.00am (AEDT) - Westpac to release 2024 full year results - online 

12.15pm (AEDT) - Lowy Institute: In conversation with The Economist’s defence editor Shashank Joshi about the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, China’s nuclear ambitions and other security issues - Sydney

2.30pm (AEDT) - Men's Cricket 1st ODI: Aus v Pakistan - Melbourne, and watch on Kayo

5.30pm (AEDT) - Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley will deliver the 2024 ANU Solar Oration - Canberra 

5.30pm (ACST) - Northern Territory Australian of the Year winner will be announced, and broadcast live

House of Reps sitting (until 7 November) - Canberra

Tonga’s National Day

🍗 Roast Dinner Day  - UK

Birthdays for Tony Abbott (1957) and Matthew McConaughey (1969) 

Anniversary of:

• James Ritty patenting the first cash register (in order to combat stealing by bartenders in his saloon in Dayton, Ohio) (1879)

• archeologist Howard Carter discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt (1922)

• the premiere of the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

• the election of Republican Ronald Reagan (1980), and Barack Obama becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the US (2008)