MARRIAGE SURVEY A REAL HEADACHE

As the campaign around the government’s marriage survey reaches its crescendo, the “respectful” debate has turned to the large organisations backing a Yes vote. The AFL is holding firm after being criticised for promoting a Yes vote by intellectual heavyweights, including Footy Show host Sam Newman, who described the organisation as “sycophantic political whores”. A “fired up” Eddie McGuire hit back, defending the league.

The AFL’s HQ was yesterday evacuated after a bomb hoax, though it is clear if it was connected to the organisation’s marriage equality stance.

Opponents of marriage equality in the NSW Law Society have also ramped-up their campaign against the organisation’s head Pauline Wright, calling for an extraordinary general meeting after she signed the organisation to a joint statement supporting a Yes vote.

The news came as former prime minister Tony Abbott alleged he was headbutted while leaving the office of Tasmanian newspaper The Mercury. “A fellow sung out at me ‘Hey, Tony’, I turned around, there was a chap wearing a vote ‘Yes’ badge,” he said. “He says ‘I want to shake your hand’. I went over to shake his hand and he headbutted me.”

If confirmed, it wouldn’t have been the only own-goal of the day. Senator Cory Bernardi accidentally assisted a primary school to fundraise over $140,000 after accusing it of promoting “gender morphing”. The annual charity event he was referring to encourages boys to wear a dress to school to raise funds for women’s education groups in Africa. Perhaps Bernardi will also be able to whip up some cash for the young woman known only as Madeline, who was “fired” as a contractor after expressing opposition to marriage equality but will reportedly not be pursuing legal action.

As these theatrics play out, the Family Court is set to determine whether children who desire a gender transition should continue to require court approval or simply a sign off from a doctor. Among those advocating the latter is Attorney-General George Brandis, though the move is being opposed by lawyers representing the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, headed by Michael Coutts-Trotter.

COPS AND ROBERTS

One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts has had his day in court, and what a day it was.

With his eligibility to sit in parliament being tested, Roberts’ ever changing citizenship story took another twist with the senator admitting he had tried to renounce his British citizenship by sending two emails to an outdated contact and a third to an account that did not exist. The senator is also maintaining he always believed he was Australian in spite of attempting to renounce his British citizenship, having once been an Indian citizen, and being contradicted by his own lawyer who noted the court would likely find he “understood at some level he probably was British”.

It was a good day for Fairfax journo Adam Gartrell, who has long held Roberts to account over his rapidly evolving story. Gartrell estimates the senator is now in dire legal trouble and notes the fallout looks terrible for his party.

“Hanson told her 200,000 Facebook followers ‘hand on heart’ Roberts was in the clear and it was all just a media witch hunt,” he writes. “She’s either a liar or a fool.” 

BANK REMAINS RESERVED

The Reserve Bank is unlikely to pump up interest rates just yet, says chief Philip Lowe, but the run is set to come to an end. The RBA is feeling optimistic about Australia’s prospects for economic growth and Lowe pointed to global signs of an accelerating recovery to argue rates are likely to go up in the near future. But for now at least, high levels of household debt mean they will probably stay put.

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WHAT’S ON TODAY

New Zealand: The final day of campaigning before tomorrow’s national elections. Despite the rise of Labour’s youthful leader Jacinda Ardern, most polls predict a relatively comfortable win for the National Party and Bill English.

New York: Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will address the UN General Assembly.

Sydney: Funeral for Lady Mary Fairfax.

Brisbane: The Coalition for Marriage holds a campaign rally at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

THE COMMENTARIAT

The Empirical Strikes Back: Malcolm Roberts‘ difficult day in court — Adam Gartrell (Sydney Morning Herald $): “It was always flimsy and just minutes into Thursday’s court appearance it fell to pieces: the man who claims he knows better than the world’s scientists on climate change had sent his missives to non-existent email addresses. It is now virtually unthinkable the court will allow Senator Roberts to remain Senator Roberts.”

Same-sex marriage: Are they out to confuse us? It’s a Yes for Tony — David Crowe (The Australian $): “The government’s key decision is to allow the bill to be brought to debate and then leave the rest to parliament. The bill will not be government policy. To propose a government bill would be to set up a test of Turnbull’s authority — a staggering miscalculation.”

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Inside the terrifying mind of Tony Abbott — Bernard Keane: “Much has always been made of Abbott’s Catholicism, but it’s hard to see religion as playing a particular role in this worldview; Catholicism is no more hierarchical than Anglicanism, for example, or some other Christian sects. But through a prism of hierarchy, it becomes easier to understand why Abbott clings to the heterosexual, coal-fired, monarchical Australia he believes he grew up in, because that delivered him, as he sees it, to the top of the “right order of things” and anything that contradicts it must be fought as a kind of existential threat.”

Why are right-wing snowflakes like Bolt so mad over this sacked kids’ entertainer? — Helen Razer: “The Madeline freelance case may be an unfortunate event, but it sure is a good brainteaser. This fate of this No voter has highlighted a pro-market hypocrisy so stark, it was impossible even for outlets openly committed to ignore No voters, formerly quite fond of deregulation, to ignore.”

Fed Square’s censorship of Adani protesters is bad news for Vic Labor — Guy Rundle: “Labor’s embrace of Adani may or may not hurt them in Queensland, but it’s going to rip the hell out of them in inner Melbourne, first at state, then at federal level.”

Has the Rebel Wilson case squeezed gossip mags out of a business model? — Emily Watkins: “Veteran paparazzo Jamie Fawcett thinks the payout could even mean more business for snappers, given that the story that got Woman’s Day into trouble was based on a single, unnamed source.”

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