78 — Oh THAT Barrier Reef

We spend about half an hour yelling about lockdowns. Sorry. Then we chat about what Australia's Environment Minister has been up to.

 

Lockdown again again

• A limo driver at the center of the Sydney outbreak was eligible for the vaccine, but didn’t get one because he was afraid to. Police are trying to pin something on him.
• Gladys Berejiklian admits to pork-barrelling.
• Richard Pusey filmed dying police officers.
• Prime Minster Scott Morrison says the outbreak is NSW’s fault.

Ssussann Ley

• Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley added an extra “s” to her name because of a misunderstanding of numerology. Maybe just so she could add an extra cool S?
• Check out episode 74: Care of Duty: Modern Lawfare.
• Sussan Ley vetoed a massive new renewable energy hub, quoting “environmental impacts”.
• …while approving 21 offshore gas drilling sites near Victoria’s Twelve Apostles.
• She also put the solar power industry “on notice”, saying they need to sort out recycling.
• Australia has very little actual recycling infrastructure.
• Ley is also considering allowing a banned poison to deal with NSW’s mouse plague.
• She was “blindsided” by UNESCO recommending that the Great Barrier Reef be placed on a list as in “great danger”.
• Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson forced the Audit Office to admit that the Government’s $444 million grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation was to avoid the very same UNESCO listing.

Shoutouts

• Shoutout to the workers at General Mills who struck and won a pay rise and bonus!