☕️ Hate speech trial against Pauline Hanson starts

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Quote of the day

“Growing up and living as I have all my life in central Victoria, on Dja Dja Wurrung country, I did not know about the massacres that occurred so close to home. And that distress carries with me today. It brings me a sense of shame and distress personally that I did not know that.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan speaking at the Yoorrook Justice Commission on Monday.

Stat of the day

$AU1.72 million
The amount a gold pocket watch worn by the wealthiest passenger on the Titanic sold for at an auction in the UK. It is six times higher than the asking price.

Today in history

1945
Adolf Hitler died by suicide in his underground bunker.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• The Queensland Government has announced a 20% funding increase for domestic and family violence prevention. It comes ahead of an emergency National Cabinet meeting tomorrow when state and territory leaders will meet with the Prime Minister to discuss action on gender-based violence. Queensland’s additional $36 million in funding will go towards frontline services and response programs. CEO of advocacy group DVConnect Beck O’Connor said the boost  “is an important step forward in ensuring that people get the right service at the time they need it”. 

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia where he’ll attend talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, and getting more humanitarian aid into the region. According to Reuters, Blinken will meet with foreign ministers from Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan for negotiations over how the Gaza Strip could be governed if the war ended. Blinken will also meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu this week.

I’ve got 1 minute

A 10-year-old girl has been fatally stabbed near Newcastle. A 17-year-old girl has been arrested.

A 10-year-old girl has been fatally stabbed near Newcastle in NSW.

NSW Police said they were called to a home in the suburb of Boolaroo, west of Newcastle, at about 3.45pm yesterday, where they treated the girl for stab wounds. She died at the scene.

A 17-year-old girl was arrested at the home and was taken to a police station. Police said the girls are known to one another.

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732

I’ve got 2 minutes

A hate speech trial against Pauline Hanson has started in the Federal Court

A hate speech trial against One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has begun in the Federal Court.

Hanson was accused of racially discriminating against Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi in a social media post from 2022.

Hanson and Faruqi will both face questioning during the five-day hearing. Faruqi is seeking an apology and compensation from Hanson.

Here’s what you need to know.

The post

In a social media post following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Faruqi wrote:

“Condolences to those who mourn the Queen. I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples.” She called for a “Treaty with First Nations, justice & reparations for British colonies”.

In response, Hanson told Faruqi to “piss off back to Pakistan”.

Censure

Shortly after the tweets were posted, Faruqi moved to ‘censure’ Pauline Hanson in the federal Senate.

A censure is a formal statement of disapproval of a federal politician’s actions or policies. It doesn’t have legal consequences.

Faruqi urged her fellow senators to condemn Hanson’s “divisive, anti-migrant and racist statement”, which she said had unleashed an “avalanche of hate”. Instead, Labor and Coalition senators passed a general motion condemning “racism and discrimination in all its forms”.

Legal action

Faruqi then lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

However, when Hanson refused to participate in an investigation, Faruqi pursued legal action instead.

Faruqi alleges Hanson “engaged in unlawful offensive behaviour” in breach of racial discrimination laws.

Faruqi has also provided expert analysis of social media users’ responses to Hanson’s post.

Hanson’s reply

Hanson denies the tweets were made based on race. Her lawyers have two main defences:

• The post is protected by fair comment on a matter of public interest, arguing Hanson therefore had a right to make a statement defending the monarchy.

• The post is protected by an implied (not expressly stated) right of political communication — meaning Hanson and Faruqi have a right to engage in political debate.

What next?

Faruqi appeared as a witness yesterday, where she argued Hanson’s tweet was racist and faced questioning from Hanson’s lawyers. Faruqi said she feels like she’s “been silenced on colonisation”.

Hanson is expected to take the witness stand today, where lawyers from both sides will question her.

Faruqi is asking for an apology from Hanson and $150,000 in compensation, which she has said will go towards a charity.

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Give me some good news

Nicole Kidman has become the first Australian actor to receive the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.

The 56-year-old was presented the award by Meryl Streep at a tribute in Hollywood. Kidman said making films is a “privilege”.

She thanked those in attendance for “inviting me into your movie families. Thank you for my childhood dream that became a reality.”

TDA tidbit

American Airlines’ computer systems keep mistaking this 101-year-old lady, Patricia, for a two-year-old.

According to a BBC reporter who watched a mix-up unfold at an airport in the U.S, the airline’s booking system was unable to process Patricia’s 1922 birth date, so substituted it for 2022. 

Patricia said: “It was funny that they thought I was only a little child and I’m an old lady!”

Airport staff were reportedly caught off guard when Patricia requested a wheelchair to be transported through the terminal. They were expecting to assist a toddler!

Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!

With the federal budget just over two weeks away, the economy is set to come roaring back into focus on your newsfeed. So, we thought we'd get you up to speed well in advance.

How are we going with inflation and the cost of living? What should you expect from HECS and HELP debt indexation this year? And what early clues do we have about this year's budget?

Today on the podcast, we speak to the Australia Institute’s Chief Economist, Greg Jericho, to take a temperature check of the economy.

TDA asks