Twelve judges resign from literary awards after fellowship sinking
What they said
Responding to questions from Labor's Leeanne Enoch, State Librarian Vicki McDonald said of the 36 judges lined up for the Queensland Literary Awards, to be announced next month, 12 had resigned since Wyld's award was rescinded.
'We have not had the number of judges resign previously,' McDonald, who has been in the role for nine years, said.
Langbroek, facing questions himself, stood by the decision to issue a legal direction to the library not to hand over the award on state-funded premises to someone 'appearing to justify terrorism'.
'Let me make it very clear … that I'm not questioning the skill, expertise and knowledge of [judging] panel members. What we're talking about here is the circumstances in which a fellowship was withdrawn under my direction,' he said.
Asked if he would rule out intervening in any other awards, Langbroek said he would take similar action in future 'if it's deemed necessary' and said if people 'choose not to be judges again, we will find other judges'.
Another perspective
Wyld told Guardian Australia in May that her X post bore no relevance to her manuscript on the Stolen Generations that originally garnered her the fellowship.
Loading
'I probably could have worded it less emotional,' Wyld said. 'It was mostly me being really devastated at the Albanese government's approach to the whole [Gaza] situation.'
The Australian Society of Authors said in May it intended to write to Langbroek and Premier David Crisafulli to 'call for a strong stance on freedom of expression and independent arts funding processes'.
What you need to know
Enoch also used the hearing to question QPAC chief executive Rachel Healy about the $175 million New Performing Arts Venue – to be known as the Glasshouse Theatre after a recent public poll – and the original plan to name it after a prominent First Nations figure.
Healy told the hearing that the QPAC board was invited by the then Arts Department director-general in August 2023 to 'provide advice on the name of the new theatre'.
Healy confirmed the board made a recommendation to the department in March 2024 featuring 'a range of names' but that the name of activist and poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal 'stood out' in the view of the board's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee.
The board was then advised in April that public consultation process would be undertaken for the name. While respondents could make their own suggestions, the only pre-selected options were Glasshouse, Lantern, Watershed and Russell.
Healy said the decision to not include Noonuccal's name in this list was 'a matter for the department and for the minister'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
41 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Labor running out of time to get Green light to govern
The Greens are calling for Dean Winter to shake his "majority mentality" as the Labor leader and Liberals court support to lead Tasmania. Jeremy Rockliff has been reinstalled as state premier after the governor granted his request to form a minority government. But a planned motion expressing no confidence in the Liberals and confidence in Labor is set to be moved when state parliament returns on August 19. Neither the Liberals with 14 seats nor Labor with 10 won the required 18 to control the lower house in their own right after a snap poll produced a hung parliament. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter have no formal agreements of support with the 11 minor party MPs and independents. The Liberals pitched a multi-partisan budget panel on Friday as part of draft stability agreement talks with crossbenchers. Immense backlash to the 2025/26 state budget was partially responsible for the original no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff in early June. Incoming treasurer Eric Abetz, who will be sworn in with the rest of Mr Rockliff's cabinet on Monday, said there was an "appetite" for budget repair among crossbenchers. The former senator refused to "pontificate on budgets past" and wouldn't reveal how his approach would differ to Deputy Premier Guy Barnett, who has been removed as treasurer. Mr Barnett's most recent budget forecast Tasmania heading for $13 billion worth of net debt by 2028. Mr Abetz described debt as "intergenerational theft" and hailed the national budget being whipped into shape as the biggest achievements of the Howard/Costello government that he served in. "That's the challenge here in Tasmania as well now, to get the budget back into shape," he told reporters. His instinct was not to raise the tax burden of Tasmanians to balance the books, but Mr Abetz acknowledged the panel would be open to "all possibilities". "I hope that my place in Tasmanian history is not cemented by being the shortest-lived treasurer in Tasmania," Mr Abetz said. Mr Winter met with all five independent crossbenchers on Thursday to outline his vision for a stable and lasting parliament. Shadow attorney-general Ella Haddad said Mr Winter shared Labor's draft collaboration framework and spruiked plans to shake-up oversight bodies. Labor would work across the chamber, including with the Greens, to win support for the motion, Ms Haddad said. The Clark MP argued the crossbench had a choice between an "energetic, ready, progressive Labor party" or a "tired 11-year-old Liberal government who offers more of the same". Tasmanian Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party was yet to have a "proper conversation" with Mr Winter and had been "basically blanked". She said the Labor leader remained stuck in a "majority mentality" despite the party's primary vote slumping to 25.9 per cent, 3.1 per cent lower than the 2024 state election. "It doesn't give us a lot of confidence about how he'd operate as premier," Ms Woodruff said. Labor needs the Greens' five lower-house MPs and another three crossbenchers to back the motion for it to pass. The Greens have not set a deadline for the "proper conversations" to be had to earn their support. Compromising on major issues does not mean compromising on values, independent MP Peter George said. "Until now Liberal and Labor seem to think that promising to treat the crossbench better in parliament is just about all they need to do to win support. It is not," he said. The Greens are calling for Dean Winter to shake his "majority mentality" as the Labor leader and Liberals court support to lead Tasmania. Jeremy Rockliff has been reinstalled as state premier after the governor granted his request to form a minority government. But a planned motion expressing no confidence in the Liberals and confidence in Labor is set to be moved when state parliament returns on August 19. Neither the Liberals with 14 seats nor Labor with 10 won the required 18 to control the lower house in their own right after a snap poll produced a hung parliament. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter have no formal agreements of support with the 11 minor party MPs and independents. The Liberals pitched a multi-partisan budget panel on Friday as part of draft stability agreement talks with crossbenchers. Immense backlash to the 2025/26 state budget was partially responsible for the original no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff in early June. Incoming treasurer Eric Abetz, who will be sworn in with the rest of Mr Rockliff's cabinet on Monday, said there was an "appetite" for budget repair among crossbenchers. The former senator refused to "pontificate on budgets past" and wouldn't reveal how his approach would differ to Deputy Premier Guy Barnett, who has been removed as treasurer. Mr Barnett's most recent budget forecast Tasmania heading for $13 billion worth of net debt by 2028. Mr Abetz described debt as "intergenerational theft" and hailed the national budget being whipped into shape as the biggest achievements of the Howard/Costello government that he served in. "That's the challenge here in Tasmania as well now, to get the budget back into shape," he told reporters. His instinct was not to raise the tax burden of Tasmanians to balance the books, but Mr Abetz acknowledged the panel would be open to "all possibilities". "I hope that my place in Tasmanian history is not cemented by being the shortest-lived treasurer in Tasmania," Mr Abetz said. Mr Winter met with all five independent crossbenchers on Thursday to outline his vision for a stable and lasting parliament. Shadow attorney-general Ella Haddad said Mr Winter shared Labor's draft collaboration framework and spruiked plans to shake-up oversight bodies. Labor would work across the chamber, including with the Greens, to win support for the motion, Ms Haddad said. The Clark MP argued the crossbench had a choice between an "energetic, ready, progressive Labor party" or a "tired 11-year-old Liberal government who offers more of the same". Tasmanian Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party was yet to have a "proper conversation" with Mr Winter and had been "basically blanked". She said the Labor leader remained stuck in a "majority mentality" despite the party's primary vote slumping to 25.9 per cent, 3.1 per cent lower than the 2024 state election. "It doesn't give us a lot of confidence about how he'd operate as premier," Ms Woodruff said. Labor needs the Greens' five lower-house MPs and another three crossbenchers to back the motion for it to pass. The Greens have not set a deadline for the "proper conversations" to be had to earn their support. Compromising on major issues does not mean compromising on values, independent MP Peter George said. "Until now Liberal and Labor seem to think that promising to treat the crossbench better in parliament is just about all they need to do to win support. It is not," he said. The Greens are calling for Dean Winter to shake his "majority mentality" as the Labor leader and Liberals court support to lead Tasmania. Jeremy Rockliff has been reinstalled as state premier after the governor granted his request to form a minority government. But a planned motion expressing no confidence in the Liberals and confidence in Labor is set to be moved when state parliament returns on August 19. Neither the Liberals with 14 seats nor Labor with 10 won the required 18 to control the lower house in their own right after a snap poll produced a hung parliament. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter have no formal agreements of support with the 11 minor party MPs and independents. The Liberals pitched a multi-partisan budget panel on Friday as part of draft stability agreement talks with crossbenchers. Immense backlash to the 2025/26 state budget was partially responsible for the original no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff in early June. Incoming treasurer Eric Abetz, who will be sworn in with the rest of Mr Rockliff's cabinet on Monday, said there was an "appetite" for budget repair among crossbenchers. The former senator refused to "pontificate on budgets past" and wouldn't reveal how his approach would differ to Deputy Premier Guy Barnett, who has been removed as treasurer. Mr Barnett's most recent budget forecast Tasmania heading for $13 billion worth of net debt by 2028. Mr Abetz described debt as "intergenerational theft" and hailed the national budget being whipped into shape as the biggest achievements of the Howard/Costello government that he served in. "That's the challenge here in Tasmania as well now, to get the budget back into shape," he told reporters. His instinct was not to raise the tax burden of Tasmanians to balance the books, but Mr Abetz acknowledged the panel would be open to "all possibilities". "I hope that my place in Tasmanian history is not cemented by being the shortest-lived treasurer in Tasmania," Mr Abetz said. Mr Winter met with all five independent crossbenchers on Thursday to outline his vision for a stable and lasting parliament. Shadow attorney-general Ella Haddad said Mr Winter shared Labor's draft collaboration framework and spruiked plans to shake-up oversight bodies. Labor would work across the chamber, including with the Greens, to win support for the motion, Ms Haddad said. The Clark MP argued the crossbench had a choice between an "energetic, ready, progressive Labor party" or a "tired 11-year-old Liberal government who offers more of the same". Tasmanian Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party was yet to have a "proper conversation" with Mr Winter and had been "basically blanked". She said the Labor leader remained stuck in a "majority mentality" despite the party's primary vote slumping to 25.9 per cent, 3.1 per cent lower than the 2024 state election. "It doesn't give us a lot of confidence about how he'd operate as premier," Ms Woodruff said. Labor needs the Greens' five lower-house MPs and another three crossbenchers to back the motion for it to pass. The Greens have not set a deadline for the "proper conversations" to be had to earn their support. Compromising on major issues does not mean compromising on values, independent MP Peter George said. "Until now Liberal and Labor seem to think that promising to treat the crossbench better in parliament is just about all they need to do to win support. It is not," he said. The Greens are calling for Dean Winter to shake his "majority mentality" as the Labor leader and Liberals court support to lead Tasmania. Jeremy Rockliff has been reinstalled as state premier after the governor granted his request to form a minority government. But a planned motion expressing no confidence in the Liberals and confidence in Labor is set to be moved when state parliament returns on August 19. Neither the Liberals with 14 seats nor Labor with 10 won the required 18 to control the lower house in their own right after a snap poll produced a hung parliament. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter have no formal agreements of support with the 11 minor party MPs and independents. The Liberals pitched a multi-partisan budget panel on Friday as part of draft stability agreement talks with crossbenchers. Immense backlash to the 2025/26 state budget was partially responsible for the original no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff in early June. Incoming treasurer Eric Abetz, who will be sworn in with the rest of Mr Rockliff's cabinet on Monday, said there was an "appetite" for budget repair among crossbenchers. The former senator refused to "pontificate on budgets past" and wouldn't reveal how his approach would differ to Deputy Premier Guy Barnett, who has been removed as treasurer. Mr Barnett's most recent budget forecast Tasmania heading for $13 billion worth of net debt by 2028. Mr Abetz described debt as "intergenerational theft" and hailed the national budget being whipped into shape as the biggest achievements of the Howard/Costello government that he served in. "That's the challenge here in Tasmania as well now, to get the budget back into shape," he told reporters. His instinct was not to raise the tax burden of Tasmanians to balance the books, but Mr Abetz acknowledged the panel would be open to "all possibilities". "I hope that my place in Tasmanian history is not cemented by being the shortest-lived treasurer in Tasmania," Mr Abetz said. Mr Winter met with all five independent crossbenchers on Thursday to outline his vision for a stable and lasting parliament. Shadow attorney-general Ella Haddad said Mr Winter shared Labor's draft collaboration framework and spruiked plans to shake-up oversight bodies. Labor would work across the chamber, including with the Greens, to win support for the motion, Ms Haddad said. The Clark MP argued the crossbench had a choice between an "energetic, ready, progressive Labor party" or a "tired 11-year-old Liberal government who offers more of the same". Tasmanian Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party was yet to have a "proper conversation" with Mr Winter and had been "basically blanked". She said the Labor leader remained stuck in a "majority mentality" despite the party's primary vote slumping to 25.9 per cent, 3.1 per cent lower than the 2024 state election. "It doesn't give us a lot of confidence about how he'd operate as premier," Ms Woodruff said. Labor needs the Greens' five lower-house MPs and another three crossbenchers to back the motion for it to pass. The Greens have not set a deadline for the "proper conversations" to be had to earn their support. Compromising on major issues does not mean compromising on values, independent MP Peter George said. "Until now Liberal and Labor seem to think that promising to treat the crossbench better in parliament is just about all they need to do to win support. It is not," he said.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
AI tells lies, but kindly apologises if found out
Go bold, Albanese Unfortunately for us Labor faithful, Prime Minister Albanese lacks the courage and boldness to lead a government of true reform. He once again ruled out tax reform (″ Albanese Shies Away from Major Tax Reform ″, 8/8). He's the manager doing things right, rather than the leader who chooses to do the right thing. Significant tax reform might put a few noses out of joint, but with a large majority and political momentum now is the time for some boldness. Governments are elected to lead and make life better, but right now this seems as if it is far from the minds of Australian Labor. Albanese might reflect on the courage of the previous Victorian premier, Dan Andrews, as an example of bold political leadership. Like him or not, Andrews was often courageous and doing the right thing defined his leadership. No one can deny the strength of his government which chose many real tangible actions to improve life for Victorians. They were certainly rewarded at the ballot box. Michael Cormick, Carnegie Defence is everything Italy has showed us the way. Everyone in the world can give Donald Trump a ″win″ on increased defence spending and none of that expenditure will be wasted on actual weapons. Yes, a suspension bridge is defence spending! (″ Italy will build bridge to Sicily ″, 8/8). So how does this work for Australia? Simple. All our expenditure on modernising our electrical grid is strategic – we are protecting ourselves against interdiction of fuel imports. All road and rain infrastructure is defence spending – we need to ensure that our forces can quickly and efficiently get to where they need to be. So is health – we need to have a strong fighting force. And of course, all education spending is defence spending. We need fully rounded people in our defence forces. Foreign aid and foreign embassies are defence spending – soft power is the most effective way to maintain peace. In no time, Australia will be spending 10 per cent of GDP on defence. We should then be able to ask Trump for a 1000 per cent decrease in tariffs. Ken Richards, Elwood What fits the crime After reading the article by Jeremy Pudney about the role James Vlassakis played in the Snowtown murders, I was moved with compassion about a young man manipulated by John Bunting and Robert Wagner (″ Why it's right to release the youngest Snowtown killer ″, 8/8). Vlassakis is depicted as a troubled teenager who fell under an evil spell. However, I feel for the victims' families who must live with the trauma of losing a loved one to murder. It is an impossible task to meet the needs of both parties, revenge on one hand and forgiveness on the other. The old adage is that the punishment must fit the crime. Life is short and eleven lives were lost, and Vlassakis has lost 26 years of his life. Yes, some will be outraged, but this decision certainly seeks understanding. Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East Call time on pub test Re Letters 8/8. Please let's drop the 'pub test' as a measure of anything. Only a minority of the population are to be found in a pub and most of them will be slightly to fully inebriated and looking for a rest from the worries of the day. If you enter with clipboard and questions you'll probably learn a lot more about expletives than your chosen topic. No-one actually polls a pub. It's on a par with all the other economic nostrums – plucked out of the air. It's guesswork based on the prejudice of the campaigner. John Laurie, Riddells Creek Thank you, Isabel I felt very sick and collapsed while trying to get off at South Yarra station last Friday. A young nurse on her way to work at Cabrini Hospital came over to ask if I was OK, and called the wonderful paramedics who took my blood pressure and took me to the Alfred Hospital. Its staff were kind and professional, and after about five hours involving constant monitoring of my blood pressure, an ECG and a CT of my head, I was cleared to go home. I tried to contact the nurse who helped me on the train to thank her, but I couldn't as I only knew her first name, Isabel. There is a lot in the press about the inadequacies of our health system, but we should be so proud of our frontline health workers, doctors, nurses and paramedics and so grateful for their care. Catherine Needham, Parkdale AFL comedy channel I'm a bit disappointed at Channel 7's lack of imagination in dumping the broadcast of the upcoming Blues v Bombers game for August 21. It could have billed it as a comedy in the tradition of 1960s British Carry On films, featuring slapstick fumbling, dropped marks, missed goals and kicks and Keystone Cops-like packs chasing the ball. What a missed opportunity. Pier Paolo De Carlo, Ascot Vale Docklands mystery It's still a mystery after years of huge investments and planning that at lunchtime I see an empty Docklands. On the north facing boulevard to the library on a perfect, sunny Friday, restaurants are derelict and not one person is on the moored megayachts. Every time a new iconic tower is completed the street life seems to decline. Is this what was planned, and if not what changes are needed? Robert Irvine, Sunbury AND ANOTHER THING Work from home Our roads are in an abysmal state of disrepair, so it will be interesting when those employed to fix the innumerable pot-holes decide to work from home. Helen Moss, Croydon I look forward to train, tram and taxi drivers, ambulance crews, policemen and garbage collectors all working from home. Les Aisen, Elsternwick The sheer scale and volume of the pushback against Jacinta Allan's stance on protecting the current WFH arrangements clearly demonstrates that such protection is needed. Geoffrey McNaughton, Glen Huntly Furthermore It is beyond appalling that Kathleen Folbigg has been awarded a measly $2 million as compensation for being wrongly convicted of killing her children and imprisoned for two decades. Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg Heights Re ″ Talking parrot brings down gang turns stool pigeon ″ 8/8. At last we know why there's a dearth of orange bellied parrots on the Bellarine. They've joined the police force. Margaret Skeen, Pt Lonsdale Geo-politics Australia appears to have an even-handed approach to the war in Ukraine, providing aid to Ukraine while simultaneously buying Russian oil from India, leaving our feet free to kick the Ukrainian people when they are down. Ken Machin, Grovedale Let's say nyet zero to Aussie cars running on crude oil from Russia. Paul Custance, Highett
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
The Albanese government's net zero goals will send 'manufacturers to the wall', says Shadow Assistant Manufacturing Minister Andrew Willcox.
Labor's net zero agenda is going to lead to the loss of manufacturing jobs in Australia, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing Andrew Willcox told Rowan Dean on Sky News. International metals producer Nyrstar has received $135 million bailout package from the federal and state governments to save two smelters, with 8,000 jobs potentially at risk in Port Pirie and Hobart. The World According To Rowan Dean is available to view for subscribers. Join to watch the full episode. The company said the funding would enable it to "maintain its ongoing operations" which require massive amounts of energy. Mr Willcox fears 17,000 jobs could be lost in Queensland if copper refineries shut down. 'So, the copper smelter there (Mount Isa) is looking to be closed down,' Mr Willcox said. 'What that will mean then is the Townsville copper refinery, which is in my electorate, will then close down. 17,000 jobs at risk. 'The by-product of the copper smelter is used in fertiliser as well, and we just don't have enough fertiliser for our farmers in this country. 'So, a massive issue and something needs to be done about ASAP!' Mr Willcox fears smelters will be non-existent if the Albanese government continues with their renewables approach. 'The simple fact of the matter is this renewables-only approach by the Albanese Labor government is not working, it's going to send all our manufacturers to the wall. You can't run a full-time economy on part-time power, it just can't happen,' he said. The Shadow Assistant Minister said he is working on a joint committee with Nationals Senator Matt Canavan and Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan to map out the Coalition's official position on net zero. 'We will be bringing a policy forward that will actually work,' he said. 'We've got three years before the next election, but we will have this developed within the next 12 months that we'll put forward, because that's our path back to government.' Rowan Dean told Mr Willcox the solution was simple: "Ban net zero."
