Press review of December 19

Online Press review
19 December 2014
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FRONT PAGE
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Sydney siege: Police launch new terror raids (AUS) Dan Box
COUNTER-terrorism police yesterday launched another wave of raids across Sydney as part of
their investigation into a planned attack on Australian soil and ongoing efforts to cut off the supply
of funds and fighters to Islamic State in the Middle East.
National Gallery of Australia blitz on 54 ownership gaps (AUS) Michaela Boland
THREE months after Tony Abbott returned a $5.6 million Dancing Shiva to India, the National
Gallery of Australia has identified another 54 South Asian sculptures in its collection with gaps in
their recent ownership histories, which could indicate they were also stolen.
GST rise in too-hard basket: Joe Hockey (AFR) Phillip Coorey
Treasurer Joe Hockey has hosed down expectations the Abbott government will attempt to
increase the goods and services tax next term as a lack of economic and political capital
threatens its reform agenda.
Sydney siege aftermath: inquiry signals split in bipartisan support for national security
(CAN+SMH) Nicole Hasham, Mark Kenny
Cracks have emerged in the normally bipartisan area of national security policy after Bill Shorten
warned an inquiry into the Martin Place siege would satisfy public concern only if it is transparent
and open about mistakes made.
Drone strikes counterproductive, says secret CIA report (CAN+SMH) Philip Dorling
Drone strikes and other "targeted killings" of terrorist and insurgent leaders favoured by the US
and supported by Australia can strengthen extremist groups and be counterproductive, according
to a secret CIA report published by WikiLeaks.
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
SYDNEY SIEGE
 Sydney siege: Man Haron Monis flew in on a business visa (AUS) Natasha Bita
ISLAMIC terrorist Man Haron Monis arrived in Australia on a business visa, before claiming asylum as a political refugee.
 Australians left bloody but unbowed (AUS/Opinion) Michael Fullilove, Anthony Bubalo
IT feels like terror has come to our home town. After this week’s events, Sydney joins New York,
London, Madrid, Mumbai and Ottawa on the list of great cities visited by politically motivated violence since 2001.
 In denial, there is no security (AUS/Opinion) Laura McNally
HEART-WRENCHING scenes of an attack against innocent hostages in the Martin Place Lindt
cafe went to air on Monday morning. Shortly thereafter I was evacuated along with most people
in the surrounding area.
Ambassade de France en Australie – Service de Presse et Information
Site : http://www.ambafrance-au.org/ Tél. : 61 (02) 6216 0150
Email : [email protected]
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Martin Place siege: acknowledge errors to prepare for the future (CAN+SMH/Opinion) Mark
Kenny
Like prime ministers before him, Tony Abbott believes the first responsibility of government is
national security – protecting the citizenry from those who would do us harm.
Lindt cafe hostages, like the rest of us, denied the practical right to self-defence
(SMH/Opinion) David Leyonhjelm
Legally, Australians have a right to self-defence.
POLITICS
 Exhausted government is searching for alibis (AFR/Opinion) Laura Tingle
The most important duty of government is to preserve the safety of our country and its citizens,
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday afternoon when he emerged to talk about the
Sydney siege that left two innocent, vibrant people dead at the hands of a nut job.
 Christmas will see Prime Minister Tony Abbott pondering survival (CAN/Opinion) Norman
Abjorensen
With politicians about to act like ordinary Australians and take a break over the holiday period,
not all of them will be relaxing, especially those concerned about their jobs.
ECONOMY
 Political class stumbles on how to fix our broken budget (AUS/Opinion) David Crowe
BATTERED by the response to their first budget, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey seem almost
hesitant as they take the first steps towards their second major economic statement.
 Five urgent repairs for the government’s budget sales pitch (AFR/Opinion) Anthony
Tregoning
Regardless of whether the budget was fair or the country is facing a deficit crisis, the federal
government is failing to persuade voters that budget savings are necessary. Many who voted for
the Coalition are disappointed by the government’s inability to communicate effectively, which
has led to a crisis of confidence in the community.
 The only real tax reform is lower tax (AFR/Opinion) John Roskam
It is a myth that Australia is a low-tax country, because we’re not. In fact we’re on the verge of
becoming a country with higher than average taxes. If, next year, we’re going to have a debate
about tax reform, at the very least we should have the facts in front of us and know what we’re
talking about.
DEFENCE/SECURITY
 Our bases win Joint Strike Fighter repair role (AUS) Brendan Nicholson
IN a major boost for its hi-tech defence and aviation industries, Australia has been selected by
the US Defence Department as a major Asia-Pacific regional hub to repair and maintain the new
Joint Strike Fighter.
INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
 Income scheme misses target (AUS/Opinion) Matthew Gray
INCOME management is now being trialled in several areas of Australia. Both Andrew Forrest
and Patrick McClure in their reports to government have recommended an expansion of income
management to other areas of Australia.
WORLD
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Peshawar attack ends a bad year for school children across the World (SMH/Opinion) Matt
Wade
The horrifying slaughter of students in the Pakistani city of Peshawar caps a terrible year of
violence against school kids.
Ambassade de France en Australie – Service de Presse et Information
Site : http://www.ambafrance-au.org/ Tél. : 61 (02) 6216 0150
Email : [email protected]
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Asia needs to prepare for a possible China crash - soft landing tipped (CAN/Opinion)
William Pesek
As China's first full year of rebalancing draws to close, how has President Xi Jinping done?
Reasonably well, it seems. Growth appears to be moderating gently, stocks continue to soar and
most economists still foresee a soft landing rather than market-shaking meltdown for the world's
second-largest economy.
EDITORIALS
The Australian
 Liberal-Left still in denial despite terror in Sydney
MOST Australians have the common sense to understand this week’s deadly attack in the heart
of Sydney for what it was — an act of terror. It was unpredictable, brutal and well targeted. Sadly,
the deaths of two innocent people have not cleared the moral and political confusion of many of
our liberal-left elite. Some online, ABC and Fairfax commentators and lawyers are bending over
backwards to indulge in denial about the reality of Islamist terror and the threat it poses not only
in Africa, the Middle East and Asia but also on our shores.
 Disney’s great moral confusion
THE terrorist who killed two people in Sydney this week has created a dreadful quandary for the
hand-wringing, morally superior Left. The reality of lethal Islamic terror has clashed head on with
a view of the world that has much in common with the Stockholm syndrome. Terror might have
erupted in Martin Place but instead of dealing with the consequences, the posturing Left would
prefer to avert its eyes.
The Australian Financial Review
 Oil shock risk to energy exports
Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens says the sharp fall in oil prices should be a net positive
for the global economy. Yes, cheaper energy should put more money in the pockets of the
world’s consumers. But lower oil prices are part of a wider slump in commodity prices that
threatens commodity-exporting economies from Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Nicolas Maduro’s
Venezuela to Indonesia and Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald
 How Joe Hockey can get his mojo back
Treasurer Joe Hockey has had a hard year adjusting to the harsh reality of government. He
deserves a festive break, when he can sit back and listen to some classic Ella Fitzgerald, or
perhaps he's more of a 1980s Fun Boy Three with Bananarama fan.
The Canberra Times
 Post Sydney siege idea over gun laws is absurd
If the government cannot protect individual Australians from evil acts of the sort that occurred at
Sydney's Martin Place on Monday, then it ought not to stand in the way of a rational discussion
about the practical right to self-defence, Senate crossbencher David Leyonhjelm said on
Thursday. The liberalisation of Australia's gun laws, for that is what Senator Leyonhjelm desires,
is of a piece with his neo-classical libertarianism, but the timing of his proposition is awful, and its
logic absurd.
Ambassade de France en Australie – Service de Presse et Information
Site : http://www.ambafrance-au.org/ Tél. : 61 (02) 6216 0150
Email : [email protected]
CAPTIONS & CIRCULATION
AUS = The Australian (News Limited); Circulation WK: 126,901, Sat.: 277,386;
Digital WK: 31,240, Digital SAT: 31,381.
AFR = The Australian Financial Review (Fairfax Media Ltd); Circulation WK: 68,425, Sat.: 69,012.
SMH = The Sydney morning Herald (Fairfax Media Ltd); Circulation WK: 161,169, Sat.: 265,457;
Digital WK: 56,559, Digital SAT: 56,113.
CAN = The Canberra Times (Fairfax Media Ltd); Circulation WK: 30,420, Sat.: 49,965, Sun.: 31,308.
Ambassade de France en Australie – Service de Presse et Information
Site : http://www.ambafrance-au.org/ Tél. : 61 (02) 6216 0150
Email : [email protected]

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