☕️ Whooping cough cases surge

When I was looking for inspiration for today’s intro, I came across a fun fact that Tuesdays are widely regarded as the most productive day of the workweek.

So go on! Do the thing you’ve been putting off today!

The quote: “I just wonder why men aren’t taking responsibility as well.”
Liberal Senator Jane Hume during Senate Estimates, after she questioned why there were condoms in the women’s change rooms at the Parliament House gym and not in the men’s. Hume’s statement came in response to Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Public Service Nicola Hinder who said she believed “it’s absolutely wonderful that women are taking care of their sexual health.”

The stat: 116% The cost increase of arts degrees after a government scheme was introduced in 2021 to make humanities degrees more expensive, according to new research.

The big question:

Yesterday’s results: 76% of you said you prefer watching the Summer Olympics [1585 votes].

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Whooping cough cases are at a 35-year high, new data from the Federal Government’s Productivity Commission shows.

There were 82,513 whooping cough cases detected nationally in 2024 and 2025 — the highest number since monitoring began in 1991.

Children aged between five and 14 represented roughly half of all cases.

The report also found the number of children who are fully immunised against whooping cough has decreased to a 10-year low.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes severe coughing fits.

In some cases, the infection can lead to serious health complications, including pneumonia, seizures, and brain damage.

Federal health officials recommend pertussis-containing vaccines for children at “2, 4, 6 and 18 months, and 4 years of age, and adolescents at 11–13 years of age”.

Vaccination of pregnant women is recommended during the third trimester.

Australia experienced a major whooping cough outbreak in 2024-25, data from the Productivity Commission shows.

The independent research and advisory body noted more than 57,000 cases were reported in 2024 alone.

While cases usually spike every six years, Health Minister Mark Butler said there’s been a “very big bounce” with a “huge” number of recent cases.

“Even early in 2026 we’re still seeing quite significant numbers of cases,” he said. Butler noted a global drop in childhood immunisation rates.

The proportion of children who are fully immunised has decreased to a 10-year low.

National immunisation coverage of children aged between 12 months and five years old has dropped by an average of 2.6% since 2021, the report found.

The biggest decreases were recorded in babies aged 12 to 15 months, with immunisation coverage down 3.3% from 2020-21.

GPs are “concerned about the reduction in the vaccine rates and that, potentially, having some impact [on increased whooping cough cases,]” RACGP President Michael Wright said.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) warns that “missing or delaying vaccinations risks serious disease.”

The NCIRS said “enhancing catch-up vaccination activities, addressing barriers to vaccination and optimising equity of access should be priorities across all age groups.“

Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.

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New antisemitism-focused hate speech laws will be introduced to Queensland Parliament this week.

Qld Premier David Crisafulli has promised the legislation will crack down on slogans and symbols associated with terrorism.

Crisafulli said the laws are aimed at “bolstering safety around places of worship,” and “stamping out” hatred in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

Qld’s Labor opposition said it will “closely examine” the proposal, while the Greens criticised the reforms as “kneejerk authoritarianism”.

On 14 December, two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish community event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring many more.

In the wake of this terrorist attack, the Federal Government passed new hate speech legislation.

Under the bill, a person found guilty of committing a hate crime as part of their role as a religious or spiritual leader faces up to 12 years in prison.

A non-citizen associated with a terrorist or hate group can also have their visa cancelled or refused.

Over the weekend, the Qld Liberal-National Government announced its own changes to hate speech laws.

A joint statement from Premier Crisafulli and Qld Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the reforms will address intimidation at places of worship and restrict terrorist slogans and symbols.

The bill will ban Nazi, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic State emblems/flags, and increase penalties for displaying terrorist symbols from 6 months to 2 years’ imprisonment.

A new offence would prohibit slogans used by some pro-Palestine activists.

Queensland is the second state to examine further hate speech measures in response to the Bondi terror attack, after a bipartisan committee of NSW MPs filed a report in January recommending certain law changes.

However, it is the first to put forward a bill. The NSW Government has not yet released draft legislation on hate speech, but has stated its intention to do so.

In the Queensland bill, two phrases are specified: “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea”.

Intifada is the Arabic word for “uprising”. In the NSW report, the committee said “the term intifada cannot be separated from its history of violence against Jewish people” and “inspires violence”.

However, the committee noted that it had received multiple submissions from stakeholders who argued the phrase was “commonly understood as a call for peaceful global solidarity and/or opposition to Israel's violations of international law “.

This phrase refers to the Jordan River on Israel’s eastern border, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.

The NSW committee did not recommend banning it, determining it didn't meet the same threshold as "globalise the intifada".

According to the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, the phrase "effectively calls for ethnic cleansing of Jews".

According to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, it is "a demand for democratic coexistence between Jews and Arabs".

Both slogans have been outlawed in some cities overseas.

For example, in 2024, the German Government declared “from the river to the sea” was a “Hamas slogan” and using it could be considered a punishable offence.

In December, Police in London and Greater Manchester announced “globalise the intifada” was banned at protests, relying on existing hate speech and public order powers designed to target racially-aggravated hate speech.

Shortly after, two men in the UK were arrested for chanting the slogan at a protest.

Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies President Jason Steinberg said the bill is “not only a welcome and necessary step for Jewish people, it is vital for rebuilding the confidence we have lost as hatred has run rampant.”

Frecklington called the changes a “focused and practical step forward” for the state.

Qld’s Liberal-National Government has a majority in the state’s one-house of Parliament, meaning it does not require support from other parties to pass legislation.

Shadow Multicultural Minister Charis Mullen said he’s “pleased” the Government consulted with Jewish leaders on the bill. However, he noted several “key multicultural organisations... should be afforded that opportunity as well.”

Qld Greens MP Michael Berkman criticised the proposal. “You can’t legislate away hatred or discrimination,” he said.

“The best tool against extremists, racists and bigots is a strong, diverse community that looks after its people, especially the most vulnerable.”

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Sydney-born Dickson helped the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots on Sunday. Dickson is widely considered the best punter in the league and is the Seahawks’ longest-serving player. After the win, Dickson told reporters: "I love my family, my friends, Australia. I can't wait to get home and eat some chips with some chicken salt. I'm craving that, and a parmi, that'd be nice."

Reporting by George Finlayson.

The Winter Olympics are in full swing and the side stories are skating in just as fast as the medals. Canadian figure skater Madeline Schizas has reminded the internet that even Olympians struggle with juggling life and uni commitments, after she missed an assignment deadline.

The 22-year-old is a final-year psychology student at McMaster University in Ontario.

In an email to her professors shared to her Instagram, Schizas wrote: “I was competing in the Olympic Games yesterday and thought the reflection was due on Sunday, not Friday.” She even attached a Canadian Olympic Committee press release to prove it.

Schizas has since confirmed she received an extension, and her professor later shared a photo cheering her on at the Games, writing, “So proud of you Maddie!”

Go figure (skating).

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.