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1 – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL
New South Wales Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton has introduced a new bill in Parliament that allows Domestic Violence Orders to be enforced in all states and territories across Australia and New Zealand, meaning offenders will be unable to escape prosecution by moving interstate.
Domestic violence expert Sally Harmon from the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre says while this is a positive step forward, it’s dependent on the follow through of the legislation.
HARMON: We have reports AVO breaches are not followed up by the police or the justice system, so whilst in theory it’s good, it’s a great step forward that has to be backed up by practical action and respect of the AVOs by the justice system
2 – WOLLONGONG PALM SUNDAY RALLY
A rally will be held in Wollongong this Sunday to protest the federal government’s offshore detention processing. Jordan Osborne has more:
OSBORNE: Hundred’s of Wollongong residents are expected to turn out on Sunday to call for a more humane approach to the Governments asylum seeker policy. The Palm Sunday rally will call for an end to the government’s current policies on turning back boats, off shore detention, and temporary protection visas. Protestors at the rally will spell out in big writing on North Wollongong beach ‘let them stay’ in a show of solidarity with asylum seekers. Spokesperson for Wollongong’s refugee action collective, Cath Blakey, said the protest will also serve as an effort to stop the federal government from sending families in the community back to detention.
BLAKEY: So the governments trying to deport to Nauru families and kids and ahh people that were in detention and are living in the community at the moment.
OSBORNE: Further Palm Sunday protests on refugee rights will run around the country on Sunday. Jordan Osborne, Radio U
3 – CLIMATE CHANGE ECONOMIST HITS GREG HUNT
A leading climate change economist has taken issue with Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s claims that Australia will meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Dr Frank Jotzo says the next step is energy efficiency, and zero carbon energy generation, but that we are unlikely to be able to implement these changes in time.
JOTZO: The big game really is the 2030 target. That’s what the Paris agreement is about, and that’s a 26 to 28 per cent reduction relative to 2005, and so that’s a quarter reduction, or there abouts, that needs to be achieved over a period of time of just 15 years. That will represent a significant effort that will need to be made.
This comes in the wake of figures released by NASA showing that this February was on average 1.35 degrees hotter than any year on record.
4 – RUBIO SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
In international news, Marco Rubio has dropped out of the 2016 US presidential campaign after losing the Florida primary to Donald Trump.
With Trump holding a twenty-percent advantage over Rubio in his home state, Rubio suspended his campaign but reinforced his political career isn’t over yet.
RUBIO: While it is not God’s plan that I be president in 2016 or maybe ever, the fact that I’ve come this far is evidence of how special America truly is, and all the reason more why we should do all we can to ensure it stays a special place.
In his speech Rubio also criticised Trump’s campaign strategies, and warned that by exploiting the public’s angers about immigration, Trump will leave America a fractured nation.
SPORT:
Joel Thompson has hit back at Cronulla fans who berated him and his family after Sunday’s Sharks – Dragons match.
Thompson alleged that Shark’s fans threatened him, and said they would urinate on his car as he attempted to leave the stadium.
Fans were also allowed onto the field during the post-match presentation, leading to fears that a player could be assaulted, and the incidents have been raised with the Rugby League Players Association for further action.