Australia news live: Delta Goodrem hits the stage in Eurovision semi; Angus Taylor accused of ‘dog whistle’ budget reply | Australia news
important events
Eurovision protests kept to a minimum due to heavy police presence
It is worth noting the controversy surrounding this year’s Eurovision, which is likely to continue as Israel’s Eurovision. Noam Bettan He advanced to the final in the first half two days ago.
Bettan was booed by some in the crowd during his performance in the first semi-final on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old made it through to Saturday’s final after receiving mixed reactions from the crowd before her performance began; some audience members were shouting during the quiet moments of her song Michelle.
Israel’s entry into the competition led to a boycott by Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia.
The Press Association reported this morning that protests against Israel’s involvement have been kept to a minimum with a heavy police and security presence around the Wiener Stadthalle, but a protest event called No Stage for Genocide, featuring speeches and music, is planned for Friday at Venediger Au, a playground on the outskirts of the city.
Photos of Delta Goodrem’s performance
To reassure you that Delta’s performance was as spectacular as the rehearsal, here are a few more photos fresh from the wires.
Cait Kelly
Immigrant advocates last night accused Angus Taylor of using his budget response speech to “chase votes with dog whistles, fear and divisiveness”.
Taylor claimed immigrants came to Australia and asked for help before becoming citizens, but he said Australians did not accept this.
But the Asylum Seeker Resource Center said newly arrived migrants currently face strict waiting periods of up to four years before they can access most Centrelink payments, including JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Parenting Payment.
By the time most permanent migrants qualify for these payments, they are already eligible to apply for Australian citizenship.
Refugee Resource Center Deputy CEO Jana Favero said:
The coalition’s dangerous decision to return to the harmful, failed refugee policies of the past shows just how bad a situation they are in. No new policy ideas. Temporary protection visas have harmed countless people and kept many families apart for more than a decade. Many people are still trying to recover.
Taylor’s comments tonight are provocative and desperate. The fact that they feel the need to blow the whistle on mass deportations of so-called ‘extra survivors’, many of whom are in fact trapped within a largely dilapidated court and judicial system created as a result of years of underfunding by the Coalition, shows that they are much more interested in stoking fear than in offering serious policy solutions.
The language in tonight’s speech misleads the nation by claiming that immigrants arrived and had immediate access to welfare payments, which is a blatant lie. In reality, many of the restrictions he talks about already exist, with long waiting periods for benefit payments.
The Coalition knows all this and is deliberately misleading Australians about how the welfare system currently works to fuel fear and division.
Cait Kelly
In the meantime, let’s continue with more serious news.
Speaking on the 7.30 Report last night, Opposition leader Angus Taylor said the number of immigrants allowed into the country under a Coalition government would depend on the number of homes built.
When asked what the exact number was, he did not answer, saying it would only be 40% of current immigration levels.
Asked whether he would cut which immigrants (international students, New Zealanders, working holiday visas) he would cut (the Nationals would oppose this because of the impact on agriculture) he said:
If I can answer it will be under 200,000. There is no doubt about it.
And then the right mix will depend on the conditions of the time. What is clear is that the number of students in this country has reached record levels.
This government has lost control of this situation.
Of course, jurors are only half the equation; There is also a public vote where fans can vote up to 10 times via phone or SMS (but not for their home country).
This is where Europe’s distinctive politics comes into play, because nations that are politically, culturally or geographically aligned often vote for each other.
Given Australia’s remoteness, we may be at a disadvantage here. Tonight’s top 10 will advance to the grand final on Sunday (Austria will automatically qualify as hosts).
We’ll find out soon – the UK’s entry is currently underway with some shenanigans, followed by three more songs before the votes start being counted.
Nick Miller
Delta Goodrem performs in the Eurovision semi-final
There was a harp. There was a sparkling dress. Too much smoke. A crescent moon.
Yes, there was a significant mid-song change in the best traditions of Eurovision cheese.
And Delta rose to the rafters on a pillar that emerged proudly from her grand piano, soaring into space on an effortless, high note.
I’d say he did a pretty good job. We’ll find out what the judges think later.
Here are some images from Delta Goodrem’s final dress rehearsal before this morning’s semi-final. It looks quite production-like.
We will have a comprehensive report after the event. In the meantime, take our Eurovision quiz.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I Martin Farrer with the best night stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
We start with some pop fun: Australia’s Eurovision hopes are being tested in Vienna, Austria. Delta Goodrem (at the time of this writing) she is about to take the stage to perform her song Eclipse.
In more important news, immigrant advocates blame Angus Taylor She said he used his budget response speech to “chase votes with dog whistles, fear and division” and accused her of a “blatant lie” by saying immigrants were able to access welfare payments when they arrived in Australia. More is coming.
Four Australian citizens aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak off the African coast, will land in Perth this afternoon after the government secured a suitable aircraft and crew for the journey. More is coming.
