☕️ Takeaway plastic coffee cups banned in WA

Good morning!

Today might be one of those Mondays where you wish it was still the weekend. I’m with you.

For the lucky ducks in Western Australia, enjoy your long weekend today on behalf of all of us.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

"You don’t realise how much of a difference it makes. Being referred to as ‘they/them’ for the first time gave me this euphoric feeling."
Adelaide United goalkeeper Grace Wilson on becoming the first Australian footballer to publicly identify as non-binary.

Stat of the day

Almost 100 million
How many packages Australia Post delivered in the six months to December last year.

Today in history

2022
Australian cricketer Shane Warne passed away from a heart attack while he was in Thailand.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• The Labor Party has retained the seat of Dunkley in a by-election over the weekend. A by-election (an election held to replace a single member of the House of Representatives) was called in the south-east Melbourne seat after the death of government MP Peta Murphy last year. Labor’s Jodie Belyea ran against Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy, mayor of Frankston. Labor’s primary vote rose 0.8% compared to the last time the seat was contested in 2022, but there was an estimated 4% swing away from the Government in the two-party-preferred vote.

• New ‘in-match pauses’ will allow A-League players observing Ramadan to break their fast during evening matches. During the month-long religious observation, Muslim people worldwide will fast during daylight hours. Australia’s professional soccer association has announced players who are fasting will be able request breaks of up to 90 seconds during games this Ramadan, to eat, drink, and pray. It said athletes have been working with nutritionists to ensure they are supported through training and games. Ramadan begins later this month.

I’ve got 1 minute

Takeaway plastic coffee cups are now banned in WA

Plastic coffee cups are now banned in Western Australia, under new measures that came into effect last week.

Several other plastic products including lids and sushi trays are now also banned in the state.

It comes after WA banned plastic cups for cold beverages in 2022.

The new bans

Disposable coffee cups, all plastic lids and disposable plastic trays are now banned in WA.

Businesses cannot use these items, even if they purchased them before the ban came into effect.

Further restrictions in the state from September will see a ban on plastic lids for takeaway containers, and disposable plastic fruit and vegetable bags.

Elsewhere

Gradual phase-outs of harmful plastic products are occurring across the country.

Plastic utensils, polystyrene cups and lightweight plastic bags have already been banned in most of the country.

Governments have also agreed to introduce regulations for recyclable packaging by 2025. The regulations are expected to include a ban on products manufactured with harmful chemicals.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Victoria Police says it’s “sincerely sorry” for wrongly arresting an ex-detainee

Victoria Police have said they’re “sincerely sorry” for incorrectly charging a recently released immigration detainee with sexual assault and stalking in Melbourne.

The man was one of over 140 people released from permanent detention last year, following a High Court ruling.

Victoria Police admitted to arresting the wrong person last week and said they’ve now arrested another man over the alleged assault.

The Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has refused to walk back her criticism of the Government over the incident before police announced their mistake.

Background

In December, the High Court ruled the indefinite detention of immigration detainees was unlawful.

It led to the immediate release of 149 immigration detainees. Some of the detainees were arrested in the weeks after being released. The government has passed laws to enforce ankle-bracelet monitoring and curfews on some of the detainees.

Last month, the government confirmed an additional 24 immigration detainees had been recently arrested, over charges including breaching visa conditions.

Melbourne arrest

Victorian Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault that took place in Melbourne last week.

GPS tracking of a man recently released from immigration detention placed him near the alleged assault. He was taken into police custody and charged.

However, investigators reviewed CCTV footage and evidence, showing the 44-year-old was wrongly identified as the suspected offender.

He’s since been released and police have dropped the charges against him.

Police apology

Victoria Police commander Mark Galliot said the force was “sincerely sorry” for detaining the man.

When asked how to mixup was made, Galliot said the alleged offender and the 44-year-old were “alike in their appearance”, citing race, age, height, and what they were wearing at the time.

Police have since arrested a 55-year-old man with sexual assault, stalking and unlawful assault of two women.

Opposition

When news of the ex-detainee’s arrest was first published, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton raised the matter in Parliament.

He repeated calls for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to resign, describing him as a “disaster”.

Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley accused the government of releasing a “serial sex offender” into the community.

Sussan Ley

Ley later posted on X urging Victorian voters in the electorate of Dunkley not to vote for Labor in the by-election over the weekend.

Ley has refused to take the post down despite the charges being dropped against the former detainee.

Response

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “I find it extraordinary that Ms Ley has refused to delete that tweet.”

He added: “The police and authorities should be allowed to do their job, free of this pre-emptive political game playing.”

Ley said she won’t back down from criticising the government’s handling of the former immigration detainees.

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According to a recommendation from an independent review of universities, students who complete placements as part of their degree shouldn’t suffer financially.

The review came after the Federal Government asked the Universities Accords Panel for advice on ways to improve the sector.

Today on the podcast, we explain exactly what “placement poverty” is, and what the recommendation might mean for university students.

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Give me some good news

New research suggests over 700,000 low-income households in the U.S. could receive free access to solar power under a government funded clean energy program worth $US7 billion.

The program was first announced last year, and followed research showing the median income of solar-powered households in the U.S. was 70% higher than the overall national median household income.

Analysis by the Clean Energy States Alliance of 33 states indicated how many people the program could help.

TDA tidbit

A hotel in Singapore has just launched a rain insurance package, that will see guests get a refund if it rains during their visit.

The “Rain Resist Bliss Package” means that guests can get $S850 ($AU970) back if “plans are disrupted by rain” during their stay at the InterContinental Singapore.

The general manager for the hotel said: “We’re giving guests an extra special booking option to provide extra assurance that they’ll leave with a smile on their face – no matter what the weather has in store.”

Not to rain on your parade, but the package is only for suite room bookings which start at $850 a night.

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