Australia’s Most Mentioned Issues in the Media (February 13 – 19, 2016)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to this weekly recap of Australia’s news, powered by iSentia
After losing six ministers in five months, PM Malcolm Turnbull unveiled a major ministry reshuffle over the weekend, with Barnaby Joyce sworn in as the new Deputy Prime Minister of Australia on Thursday morning. Steve Ciobo has been named Trade Minister, Darren Chester as Infrastructure Minister, Alan Tudge as Human Services Minister, Matt Canavan as Minister for Northern Australia, and Dan Tehan as Minister for Defense Materiel and Minister for Veterans Services. The number of women in Cabinet has been boosted to six, while the total in the executive has risen to 10, with a total of 17 portfolio changes. Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Fiona Nash, has added Regional Development and Regional Communications to her existing Rural Health portfolio.The PM used a morning press conference in Queensland this week to assure Australians the government “will not be taking a proposal to increase the GST to the election”, dropping the potential $33 billion revenue stream. The Labor Party has pledged to remove negative gearing for existing homes and reduce capital gains tax concessions from 50 per cent to 25 per cent, after a research paper said the changes would provide incentives for increased housing supply and lead to greater price stability.After weeks of protests in Australia, New Zealand PM John Key said it was “potentially possible” for New Zealand to take in some of the 267 asylum seekers facing deportation to Nauru after the recent High Court ruling, saying “the offer is there” but that “historically the Australians have said no”. Key will meet with Malcolm Turnbull on Friday for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting. Meanwhile, Serco guards employed by the Department of Immigration have reportedly barred a former Save the Children worker from visiting Baby Asha and her mother at a Brisbane hospital, who doctors are refusing to discharge due to safety concerns.Australia’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell has been criticized after claiming he is too ill to travel to Australia for the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse, and will testify via video link from Rome. A controversial song penned by Comedian Tim Minchin and aired on Tuesday night has so far attracted over $175,000 of donations to pay for abuse victims to travel to Rome to give evidence.The Grammy Awards debuted Taylor Swifts new hair cut and saw Beck and Sir Paul McCartney denied entry twice to a “VIP after party” after a security guard reportedly didn’t recognize them. Ed Sheeran won the song of the year with Thinking Out Loud, and Swift’s 1989 won album of the year.Quote of the week: “I write this to you my brothers while still $53 million in personal debt… Please pray we overcome… This is my true heart” - Entertainer Kanye West on Twitter, after releasing a new clothing line and album this year.
