7 Tuesday news bites (July 26)

Morning all. It’s been a big 24 hours and, if you’ve been distracted by life or what not, we’ve got the quick hit of news you’ll need to get back in the loop. Here goes:

1. The ‘Malaysia Solution’ is passed, drawing ire from both sides of politics

The Federal Government’s ‘Malaysia Solution’ became official policy yesterday as it emerged it would foot the entire bill for the housing and education of 800 asylum seekers Australia will send to Malaysia. In return, Australia will take 1000 ‘genuine’ refugees already processed in Malaysia per year, for four years. Those sent to Malaysia will be paid for, for as long as they remain there. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the deal was struck to make sure the asylum seekers would not be caned, or beat and would be allowed to work. Unlike other refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia.The 568 asylum seekers who have arrived since the policy was first announced but before it was signed will remain in Australia. The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner’s office has not been a signatory to the deal but says it was consulted.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said: “This is an arrangement that sends a very clear signal that Malaysia and Australia are serious about stopping people-smuggling,” he said. “As Immigration Minister, I hope I never get another call telling me that people have drowned trying to make it to Australia and that children as young as two months old have drowned trying to come to Australia.”

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young said of the policy: “The Greens are doubtful that in reality the rights and protections of 800 vulnerable people sent by Australia will be any different to the 94,000 asylum-seekers already in Malaysia,” she said.

“Ultimately, these 800 people will be subject to domestic Malaysian law, and we know these laws do not meet appropriate human rights standards. We do not support any policy to expel unaccompanied children and families to a country which has not signed the UN Refugee Convention.”

Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the plan was a costly BandAid solution.

“Labor’s new deal is a vindication of the Coalition’s claims that Labor’s weaker policies started the boats. If your policies are not attracting boats, as Labor previously maintained, you don’t need to change them.

Labor’s decision to change its policies through this Malaysian agreement and by seeking to re-establish the Pacific Solution on Manus Island demonstrates it believes its policies have failed.

However, just because Labor knows it has got it wrong does not mean it knows how to get it right.”

Take our poll at the end to tell us what you think.

2. Julia Gillard tried to ditch the carbon tax and emissions trading scheme

According to the Australian Financial Review, which obtained a Government report, now Prime Minister Julia Gillard tried to convince then PM Kevin Rudd to ditch both policies that priced carbon in favour of a ‘bipartisan’ approach. Opposition leader Tony Abbott said it was proof that she doesn’t believe in her own policy she is selling now and that it is, instead, a Greens policy. The PM denied the accusation, saying she has never believed Australia could reach the 5 per cent cut in emissions targets by 2020 any way other than putting a price on carbon.

3. Norway terror suspect hearing behind closed doors as country mourns

Norway held a minute’s silence for the at least 93 victims of a lone man’s violent rampage over the weekend. As they gathered outside a prominent Oslo university, floral tributes piled high in the street and strangers hugged one another. Following the minutes silence, a judge in the detention hearing for the 32-year-old terrorist decided to hold the hearing in closed session because of security concerns. During the hearing he warned he was part of a network of up to 80 ‘solo martyr cells’ who worked alone to overthrow western Governments that tolerate Islam.

4. Premier Retail, owner of Just Jeans, JayJays and Portmans, to close 50 stores.

Mark McInnes, formerly of David Jones and the new head of Premier Retail, said there were ‘challenging’ conditions in the retail arena and that the company would close 50 loss-making Peter Alexander, Just Jeans, Portmans and other stores. It said it would, however, be opening 100 new stores in more profitable areas. The new stores would be mostly Smiggle and Peter Alexander.

5. The Queen now has a children’s book, to answer questions from curious kids

That age old question of inquisitive young’uns, does the Queen wear her crown in bed, will be answered in a 32-page children’s book aimed at answering some of the most frequently asked questions. The answer, for those playing along at home, is no she does not wear the crown to bed. Other questions include: is the throne comfy? Does the throne have grooves from past Kings and Queens? One is, of course, very impressed that the book was not a royal re-telling of ‘Go the F*ck to Sleep’.

6. Maid at centre of Dominic Strauss-Kahn sex assault case speaks to media

Nafissatou Diallo, from Guinea, spoke to America’s Newsweek magazine about the sex scandal that has spread shockwaves through French politics, the International Monetary Fund and the public of two countries. The maid spoke about how DSK was ‘like a madman to me’ and how he ‘clutched’ at her breasts when she first encountered him naked in his hotel suite. The case against DSK has become increasingly hard to prosecute as more details about the maid’s background came to light.

7. Adultery website with almost 400,000 Aussie members offers money back guarantee

Ashley Madison, the website for would-be adulterers, has begun offering a money-back guarantee on its services. You have an affair, or you don’t pay. But it’s founder said affairs, just like marriages, had to be worked on. The website has been around since 2001.

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