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PM in tears as Peta Murphy dies aged 50

<p>In a sombre announcement that echoed through the halls of Australian politics, Labor MP Peta Murphy has passed away at the age of 50, succumbing to a relentless battle with breast cancer.</p> <p>A cherished wife, mother, daughter, sister and esteemed Member for Dunkley, Murphy's departure leaves behind a void in the hearts of those who knew her and a legacy of resilience that will endure.</p> <p>The news of Murphy's passing was shared by her grieving family on Instagram, painting a poignant picture of her final moments surrounded by loved ones. "She died the way she lived – with dignity and strength and a touch of sarcasm to boot," they wrote, a testament to the indomitable spirit that defined her journey.</p> <p>Murphy's battle with breast cancer began in 2011, a struggle that, despite brief reprieves, returned in 2019. Undeterred by the personal hardship, she made history by becoming the first woman elected to represent the Dunkley electorate shortly thereafter. Her maiden speech in Parliament resonated with the empowering words of children's book character Pippi Longstocking, reflecting a determination to challenge the status quo: "I'm the strongest girl in the world, remember that."</p> <p>In the face of her illness, Murphy remained steadfast in her commitment to social justice and community welfare. Just last Tuesday, she stood in Parliament in what would be her last trip to Canberra, advocating for a national registry for metastatic cancer patients – a cause that had become deeply personal for her.</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, visibly emotional, paid tribute to Murphy's legacy during a press conference in Canberra. "Peta Murphy was brave, she was courageous, and she was loved," he said. The government, he added, is "brokenhearted" over her passing, highlighting her exceptional contributions to public service.</p> <p>Before entering politics, Murphy served as a senior public defender at Victorian Legal Aid and a barrister. Married to Rod Glover for 24 years, she brought her legal expertise and unwavering advocacy to the political arena.</p> <p>Despite undergoing a double mastectomy, Murphy's cancer returned in 2019, mere days before she assumed her role as an MP. In her maiden speech, she acknowledged the collective struggle against cancer, asserting, "I am neither unique nor alone in the fight I am about to take on."</p> <p>Albanese reflected on these words, emphasising Murphy's uniqueness and the widespread affection and respect she garnered.</p> <p>In a poignant moment, the prime minister shared how Murphy channelled her personal battle with cancer into public policy, championing better treatment, increased services and stronger support for those facing similar challenges.</p> <p>Murphy's journey unfolded in the public eye, and she shared her experiences with <em>Today</em> reporter Christine Ahern earlier this year. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and losing her hair, she returned to federal parliament, using her unique platform to advocate for others.</p> <p>"I have this unique platform of being in the federal parliament and having metastatic cancer, I should use it to try and make life better for other people," she remarked. Her dedication to making a difference remained unwavering, embodying a "Pippi Longstocking-type of strength" that defined her advocacy.</p> <p>As tributes pour in from colleagues, constituents, and well-wishers, the nation mourns the loss of a remarkable woman who, in her strength and sacrifice, left an indelible mark on the hearts of those she touched.</p> <p>Her family's statement in full: </p> <p>"From Rod Glover</p> <p>Bob, Jan, Jodi and Penni Murphy</p> <p>I am devastated to have to inform you of the passing of our wonderful wife, daughter and sister, and always your Member for Dunkley, Peta Murphy.</p> <p>Peta left us this afternoon, having had her final days surrounded by family at home - just as she wanted it.</p> <p>We loved her deeply and are so, so proud of her achievements, her character and her courage. She was indeed the strongest girl of all.</p> <p>Still giving sassy advice until the very end - she died the way she lived - with dignity and strength and a touch of sarcasm to boot.</p> <p>Peta loved and worked for her community until the very last days of her life - being in Parliament this last Tuesday before being hospitalised on Wednesday.</p> <p>Over recent days, we have received so many messages of love and offers of support from Peta’s army of close friends. We will forever be grateful for your support of us during this period, but even more so for your love of our beautiful Peta."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / X / Today</em></p>

Caring

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A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

<p>The recent <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/rings-of-power-horse-death-lord-of-the-rings-peta-1235564884/">death of a horse</a> on the set of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631058/">The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</a> is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment and sport.</p> <p>While a statement from producers said the horses’s cardiac arrest occurred before the day’s filming began, animal rights activists PETA used the death to call on all screen producers to replace on-set horses with CGI and mechanical rig alternatives.</p> <p>The incident feeds into growing public concern about horse welfare on film and TV sets, at the track and in equestrian sports.</p> <p>But improving horse welfare is about more than just reputation repair – too often it’s about survival for horses and humans.</p> <h2>Horse welfare in film and TV</h2> <p>The riding of a horse over a cliff to its death for the movie Jesse James (1939) led to the establishment of <a href="https://humanehollywood.org/about-us/">American Humane</a>, which now oversees around 100,000 animals on more than 1,000 productions each year.</p> <p>While things have improved since the early days of film and television, deaths and mistreatment of horses still occur.</p> <p>In 1987, on the set of <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118307194">The Man From Snowy River II</a>, a seriously injured horse was killed using the blunt end of an axe.</p> <p>More recently, the high-profile series <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-real-story-behind-hbos-cancellation-of-luck">Luck</a>, starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled following the deaths of three horses.</p> <h2>The good and bad of unprecedented global exposure</h2> <p>In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics beamed to a global audience the excessive <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/peta-calls-for-abusive-equestrian-events-to-be-axed-from-olympics-c-3703388">whipping and punching</a> of modern pentathlon horse Saint Boy and show jumper Kilkenny’s <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/kilkenny-suffers-nosebleed-during-olympic-individual-final">spectacular nosebleed</a> during the controversial show jumping program.</p> <p>While the bleed must have been obvious, officials did not intervene to stop the ride.</p> <p>Confronting images, and the perceived failure of organisers to protect the horses involved, brought into clear and global focus the indisputable welfare issues faced by horses competing at the elite level.</p> <p>The global outcry led to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9892093/Name-price-Kaley-Cuoco-offers-buy-horse-cruelly-punched-Olympics.html">actress Kaley Cuoco offering to buy Saint Boy</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/modern-pentathlon-votes-to-ditch-horse-riding-after-tokyo-olympic-turmoil">withdrawal of the equestrian phase from modern pentathlon</a>.</p> <h2>Risk to humans and horses</h2> <p>Horse welfare does not just impact animals.</p> <p>Since the 1840s, 873 jockeys are known to have <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2062/facts-and-figures-jockey-fatalities-australia/">died in race falls</a> in Australia.</p> <p>Internationally, the sport of eventing (where competitors complete three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross-country) reported 38 rider and 65 horse fatalities during or after competition between 2007-15.</p> <p>Riding horses is considered one of the most <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13934">dangerous of all sporting pursuits</a>, and the deaths of riders and jockeys, usually from falls, are common.</p> <p>Public concern about risk to horses and humans through horse racing and equestrian sports, as well as screen production, also <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1987">threaten these industries’ social licence</a>.</p> <h2>Better horse welfare is related to better rider safety</h2> <p>Our research offers hope for the horse industry and for those passionate about riding horses.</p> <p>Last year, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121003269">published a paper</a> demonstrating the link between horse welfare and rider safety. We asked riders how they cared for their horses and how their horses behaved when ridden – for example, we wanted to know how often horses were bucking or rearing.</p> <p>From this information, we calculated a relative welfare score for each horse. We also asked riders about their accidents and injuries.</p> <p>After analysing the data from over 400 riders, we found the higher the horse welfare score, the fewer accidents and injuries a rider reported.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2176589">subsequent study</a>, we found horses with better welfare scores are more enjoyable to ride, most likely because they perform better and riders feel more in control, creating a win-win for horses and riders.</p> <h2>Good horse welfare means more than good health</h2> <p>Often good welfare is thought of in terms of an animal being healthy.</p> <p>While this is part of good welfare, good health alone is not enough – especially for a horse competing at the elite level or taking part in a film.</p> <p>Horses are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159117300710?casa_token=5E77h_TYKGEAAAAA:EUBGz7BTnACvpvB_3iYM-urXpBxJbS95G0-05yMRJEbMTg_SEeb_VnSoVgn35su8_aNOZEpSqctL">neophobes</a> – this means they find new things frightening – so most horses are likely to find a movie set or travelling to a new location stressful. The most up-to-date <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870/htm">understanding of welfare</a> tells us that stress and poor mental health means poor animal welfare.</p> <p>When a horse is stressed or in pain they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159117300692">behave in a very predictable way</a> – they run away, panic, kick out or buck and rear.</p> <p>Yet, anecdotally and in the media, people seeing a horse behaving in this way often claim the horse is crazy, unpredictable or just plain mean.</p> <p>More likely, an “unpredictable” horse is suffering from poor welfare.</p> <p>As part of our research program, we have developed a <a href="https://hub.rspca.org.au/attachments/88">new framework</a> to help horse owners identify aspects of their care and training that diminish horse welfare.</p> <p>This information can be used to make modifications to improve horse welfare, and, importantly, can be applied to horses in any equine sector, including racing, sport and film and television.</p> <h2>Investing in the future of horses in entertainment and sport</h2> <p>Although a veterinarian assessed the recent horse death on the set of The Rings of Power as “unlikely to be associated with the horse’s participation in the film”, more can be done to protect horses and the industry.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/1986">no specific standard exists for the use of animals</a> in filmed media, and each state and territory has differing risk management guidelines.</p> <p>An opportunity now exists for the industry to set a new standard for horse care and training.</p> <p>An easily executable first step for the industry could be to insist a scientifically trained and credentialed equine behaviour expert be involved in the recruitment and supervision of horse actors and their trainers at all stages of production.</p> <p>This would ensure horse actors are appropriately trained to be on set and that horses are trained using the most up-to-date ethical methods.</p> <p>Horse behaviour experts could also help in scene design to minimise horses’ exposure to stressful situations and identify tasks that are incompatible with good horse welfare.</p> <p>If these suggestions were to be adopted, the film and television industry would be setting the benchmark for horse welfare – and pressure other horse industries to follow suit.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-horse-died-on-the-set-of-the-rings-of-power-more-needs-to-be-done-to-ensure-the-welfare-of-horses-used-in-entertainment-202939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: The Rings of Power / Amazon</em></p>

TV

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Alicia Silverstone bares all for cause she truly believes in

<p>Alicia Silverstone bared it all and posed nude in only faux leather boots for PETA’s new campaign.</p> <p>The campaign is an effort to promote more sustainable, vegan versions of the material.</p> <p>“If it takes me getting naked for you to care about animals then that is what I’m after,” the Clueless star, 46, said in a campaign video.</p> <p>“I never, ever, get naked in TV, in film, nothing, never, nope — but I’ve done it for PETA because that’s how much it matters to me,” the actress explained.</p> <p>“I’d rather go naked than wear animals,” Silverstone declared.</p> <p>“There’s this idea that leather is somehow better for the earth but what they don’t realise is the amount of resources – water, food, oil for transport – the amount of energy that goes into making leather is extraordinary. It’s just not sustainable. The Earth can’t handle it,” she refuted.</p> <p>Silverstone also posed with a cactus to encourage people to buy different types of vegan leather.</p> <p>“DON’T BE A PRICK,” the PETA picture proclaims. “Wear Vegan. Buy cactus, mushroom or apple leather instead!”</p> <p>This isn’t the first time the Clueless star has stripped down for a cause she loves. In 2019, she took it all off for PETA to encourage everyone to ditch wool, featuring on a Times Square billboard.</p> <p>Her new campaign will have its own billboard just in time for the New Year’s Eve ball drop.</p> <p>Silverstone has been a vegan since 1999 when she was 21 and has continued to live meat-free.</p> <p><em>Images: Peta</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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The one food King Charles just banned from all royal residences

<p>King Charles III has banned a classic French delicacy from his royal residence. The ban comes following animal cruelty concerns, PETA have confirmed.</p> <p>The animal rights group said the King removed "foie gras" which is a traditional delacy made from the fattened liver of a duck or goose. It has been off the royal menu for quite some time now, both at Buckingham Palace and all other residences owned by the royal family.</p> <p>The food product was banned around 2008, while Charles was the Prince of Wales. PETA have more recently confirmed the King has issued a blanket ban on the product which was described as “torture in a tin”.</p> <p>The foie gras ban extends to Balmoral, Sandringham, Windsor Castle, Hillsborough Castle and Buckingham Palace, reports claim.</p> <p>"As Prince of Wales, King Charles removed foie gras – a despicable product for which ducks and geese are force-fed until their livers swell up to 10 times their natural size before the animals are slaughtered – from his royal residences," a PETA spokesperson said.</p> <p>The group made public a letter they received from royal officials confirming the ban.</p> <p>"I can confirm that foie gras is not purchased by the Royal Household nor served in Royal Residences, and there are no plans for this policy to change," the letter reads.</p> <p>The letter was signed by the Master of the King's Household, Tony Johnstone-Burt and dated November 10, 2022.</p> <p>Elisa Allen, PETA's vice president, said she hoped Charles' move would encourage other people to ditch foie gras from their diet.</p> <p>There is a ban on the production of foie gras in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. However, it can be imported and sold within those countries.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Former Gatsby-esque home of Peta Toppano hits the market

<p dir="ltr">The luxe mansion and former home of Aussie TV star Peta Toppano is set to sell at auction in November with an eye-watering price guide of $6 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nestled in Pymble, on Sydney’s north shore, The Knoll is one of the oldest homes in the area, having been built in 1906.</p> <p dir="ltr">Toppano, known for her roles in <em>The Young Doctors</em> and <em>Home and Away</em>, lived in The Knoll with her family, including her parents, cabaret artist Enzo Toppano and soprano Peggy Mortimer, in the 1970s.</p> <p dir="ltr">Toppano even tied the knot at the home with Prisoner co-star Barry Quin in 1979.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 1684-square-metre property boasts plenty of Federation charm, with soaring three-metre ceilings and timber flooring throughout, a stone-wrapped kitchen, a family room with the original fireplace,and the original maids quarters with a separate staircase leading to the five bedrooms on the second floor.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside, the property features large terraces, as well as a pool and a sauna underneath it, and a separate room behind the double carport that could serve as a studio, teenager’s retreat.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Knoll was part of the Pymble Station Estate, a subdivision of orchards between 1893 and 1910, and maintains some of the original features, including its circular driveway, sandstone foundations, the maids quarters and the wine cellar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jessica Liu, one of the two agents at Marshall Chan Yahl real estate group that is managing the sale, said that the residence’s rich history has been imbued with contemporary comforts, such as a modern kitchen, saltwater pool, and new designer lights.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-pymble-140679755" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The home</a> is scheduled for auction on November 19 with a price guide of $6 million, having last been sold in 2015 for $3.375 million.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1afe82f5-7fff-0f33-360f-8559f7534aca"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter, Marshall Chan Yahl Real Estate Group</em></p>

Real Estate

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"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

<p dir="ltr">The horrifying moment a carriage horse breaks down in the middle of a busy New York City street has angered animal activists.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heartbreaking footage shows the horse's knees buckling, possibly due to the weight of the carriage it's been pulling all day in the heat, when it fell to the ground. </p> <p dir="ltr">The driver could be seen shouting multiple times at the horse, known as Ryder, to “get up” and slapping it to get up. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one person can be heard saying. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop slapping him,” another woman called out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he once again whipped the horse with the reins.</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver then removed the carriage with the help of an onlooker as police arrived and sprayed Ryder with water. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ryder then attempted to get up several times but failed until an adrenaline shot was administered.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour.</p> <p>Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more. <a href="https://t.co/vXBVRJRjPB">pic.twitter.com/vXBVRJRjPB</a></p> <p>— PETA (@peta) <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1557504250359361537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">After an hour or so, the horse was back on its feet and was taken to an unknown location to be looked at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tony Utano, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 slammed those who attacked the driver for jumping to conclusions saying the horse, Ryder, was suffering from EPM. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We thank everyone for their concern about Ryder, one of the beloved Central Park carriage horses,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is another example why people shouldn't rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, this did not stop animal rights group PETA from calling out the practice, which constantly puts horses in danger.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour,” PETA wrote.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many other supporters have called for the ban of carriage horses to be replaced with electric vehicles. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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PETA complaint leads to controversial art installation being dismantled

<p dir="ltr">A controversial art installation has been dismantled in Germany after animal rights organisation PETA filed a complaint. </p> <p dir="ltr">The installation titled <em>A Hundred Years</em>, first exhibited in 1990 by artist Damien Hirst, was designed to see hundreds of flies die, prompting outrage from PETA. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg museum was issued an oral warning from the German city’s veterinary office, to which Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg director Andreas Beitin told local media, “We thought flies were not covered by the Animal Welfare Act.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A Hundred Years</em> consists of a glass display case partitioned in half, with flies being hatched on one side of the glass. </p> <p dir="ltr">When they venture through a hole in the partition, the flies are drawn to an artificial light which burns the flies on contact. </p> <p dir="ltr">The cycle continues until the end of its exhibition.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hirst has previously described the artwork as “a life cycle in a box.” </p> <p dir="ltr">In the original iteration, the flies flocked around a bloody cow’s head, to which curator Hans Ulrich Obrist described the work in its original form as “dangerous and frightening.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Killing animals has nothing to do with art, it only shows the arrogance of people who literally go over corpses for their own interests,” Peter Höffken of PETA said in a statement. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to Germany’s Animal Welfare Act, there “must be good reason for one to cause an animal harm.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The managing director of the art museum, Otmar Böhmer, told the German Press Agency that they agree with PETA’s sentiment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We share the basic idea of the animal welfare organisation that animals are not there to entertain us or exploit them,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The museum said it will contact Hirst’s studio to establish whether <em>A Hundred Years</em> can be presented with artificial flies. If not, it has recommended that the work not be presented again.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

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Don’t kill the mice: PETA cause backlash among Aussie farmers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An animal rights organisation has been called out for demanding farmers stop killing the mice running rampant on their properties in regional Australia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Millions of rodents have been destroying crops and stored hay and grain across large parts of inland NSW and southern Queensland over the last six months, despite floods and tonnes of poisons being deployed to reduce numbers.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Even if grain’s in silos, mice can get to it. Like Tyler Jones discovered in Tullamore when cleaning out the auger and it started raining mice <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mouseplague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mouseplague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/australia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#australia</a> <a href="https://t.co/mWOHNWAMPv">pic.twitter.com/mWOHNWAMPv</a></p> — Lucy Thackray (@LucyThack) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyThack/status/1392315030012522497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) pleaded with farmers this week to not kill the animals, arguing that exterminating them promoted the “dangerous notion of human supremacy”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These bright, curious animals are just looking for food to survive,” PETA Media Officer Aleesha Naxakis told NCA NewsWire.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They shouldn’t be robbed of that right because of the dangerous notion of human supremacy.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead of using “cruel killing methods” that subject “innocent mice to unbearably painful deaths”, Naxakis said farmers should employ humane methods to control the outbreak.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We urge farmers to avoid poisoning these animals,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This cruel killing method not only subjects innocent mice to unbearably painful deaths, but also poses the risk of spreading bacteria in water when mouse carcasses appear in water tanks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Instead, humane traps allow small animals to be caught gently and released unharmed,” she added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Naxakis’ comments have drawn fierce backlash from farmers and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who said PETA were “idiots who have never been outside the city.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The real rats in this whole plague are the people who come out with bloody stupid ideas like this,” he said, according to </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/mouse-plague-crisis-peta-cops-backlash-for-telling-farmers-not-to-kill-the-rodents/news-story/f107ba8f8fb80372a4cc9b1e23a164ee"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Their thinking around this is reprehensible, when you have farmers struggling,” he continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You have these people who have never left the city and wouldn’t know if their backside was on fire, then all of a sudden they’re telling farmers what to do?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The only good mouse is a dead mouse.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro also said the comments from PETA’s spokeswoman were “ridiculous” and an “insult” to farmers currently struggling.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I would laugh if it wasn’t so serious,” Mr Barilaro said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I will not entertain PETA’s ridiculous concerns. Mice are pests. They are destroying crops and farming businesses, and the mental angst they are causing familiers is real.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben Storer, a farmer in north-west NSW, has lost 800 hectares of his sorghum crop and been left with upwards of $200,000 in damage caused by the pests.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every morning you get up and pull 400 dead mice out of your pool and out of your filters, and you know, that sort of thing takes a bit of a toll on you,” he told </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/15/australias-mouse-plague-six-months-ago-it-was-war-now-whole-towns-have-accepted-their-presence"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Baiting is the only large-scale method of controlling mice populations, but farmers still feel for the creatures.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Farmer Graham Jones said: “People think farmers don’t have a heart, but they love their animals. I’m sure everyone wants to be killing the mice in a human way.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: 9NEWS</span></em></p>

News

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“I know who you are”: Peta Credlin’s bombshell claims

<p>Sky News presenter and former chief of staff for Tony Abbott Peta Credlin has revealed that she sacked the Coalition staffer featured in a video masturbating on the desk of a federal MP in Parliament House.</p> <p>Credlin also alleged that evidence was found that another staffer had held "gay orgies" inside Parliament, including during Question Time where their boss was in the chamber.</p> <p>Credlin said she was collecting evidence for the review being carried out by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins into Parliament's workplace culture.</p> <p>She said that years earlier, she had dismissed the staffer in the video for disloyalty and leaking information against his boss.</p> <p>“That bloke I demanded to be sacked years earlier for disloyalty, for lying, for leaking against his boss,” she said.</p> <p>“I sacked him and I said he would never be back while I worked in that building.”</p> <p>He was rehired when Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister, but was fired again due to the publication of the video.</p> <p>“The bloke I sacked came back and dozens more like him. Mid-career women, women of ability, lost out in roles to well-connected factional twenty-somethings with not much on their CV of note other than the ability to stack branches,” Credlin said.</p> <p>“Much of the current mess on the ministerial blue carpet for the Coalition is a legacy from the Turnbull years.</p> <p>“These are my first comments on incidents in the past. They will not be my last.”</p> <p>She was very clear to the three other men in the video, saying: “I know who you are. I see you”.</p> <p>“The former minister who it is alleged had his male prostitutes delivered to Parliament House by this spiteful gang – signed in and all kept quiet – former minister I see you too,” Credlin added.</p> <p>Credlin said that there was evidence of the gay orgies held inside Parliament.</p> <p>“When the MP cleaned out the former staffer’s desk, and the computer, that MP uncovered evidence that for many months, that staffer had regularly met with other men during the middle of the day – while the MP was in question time – for orgies in political offices,” she said.</p> <p><em>Photo credits: Sky News</em></p>

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Tony Abbott hits back at Malcolm Turnbull’s Peta Credlin claims

<p>Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has hit back at Malcolm Turnbull over claims of a “bizarre relationship” with a senior staffer. Turnbull spoke about Abbott and his former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, to ABC’s 7:30 which is mentioned in his new memoir <em>A Bigger Picture</em>.</p> <p>“He worshipped and feared her and she, on the other hand, treated him with disdain,” Turnbull told the ABC’s 7.30.</p> <p>“It was as though she felt, ‘I’ve created you, you’re my creation’, and she felt she owned him.</p> <p>“It was a bizarre – a truly bizarre – relationship.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Coming up tonight, <a href="https://twitter.com/leighsales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@leighsales</a> interviews former prime minister <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TurnbullMalcolm</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc730?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc730</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://t.co/VkHJjbFtNX">pic.twitter.com/VkHJjbFtNX</a></p> — abc730 (@abc730) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc730/status/1252129925500264448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>On Tuesday morning, Abbott was quick to respond.</p> <p>“I am aware of some pretty odious comments that one of my successors made last night,” he told Seven’s Sunrise.</p> <p>“Anyone who’s watched Peta Credlin on TV would know what an extraordinarily capable person she is.</p> <p>“She was an important part of the Abbott Government, she was a fine thinker, a greater organiser and a trusted colleague.”</p> <p>In a chapter titled ‘Tony and Peta’, Turnbull’s memoir revisits the relationship between Abbott and the woman who briefly served as deputy chief of staff in his own office while the Liberal Party was in opposition.</p> <p>When Abbott overthrew Turnbull as leader in 2009, Turnbull switched camps.</p> <p>Turnbull said that despite Abbott’s “carefully cultivated image as the hairy-chested, bike-riding, firefighting alpha male, complete with a swagger that would put a sailor to shame”, he was a pussycat when it came to his chief of staff.</p> <p>“You were really dealing with Peta and Peta was running the country and that was obvious, and dominating Abbott,” he told 7.30.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">On the dynamic between <a href="https://twitter.com/HonTonyAbbott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HonTonyAbbott</a> and Peta Credlin. “You were really dealing with Peta. I mean Peta was running the country, and that was obvious, and dominating Abbott.” - <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TurnbullMalcolm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc730?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc730</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a></p> — abc730 (@abc730) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc730/status/1252178719763918848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Turnbull’s ‘no holds barred’ memoir is a scathing analysis of his three-year tenure as the 29th Prime Minister of Australia and hypocrisy within the Liberal Party is a theme he returns to often. If Turnbull isn’t slamming his successor, Scott Morrison, for his “cringe-worthy ‘daggy dad’ persona”, he’s calling Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton a “narcissist who was self-delusional” for thinking he could ever be prime minister.</p> <p>The personal lives of Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and George Christensen are also discussed in this book, including Turnbull himself being “sickened by the hypocrisy” of Christensen, who is a devout Christian but regularly visited “seedy” nightclubs in Manila.</p> <p>Christensen has since defended the trips, saying he was visiting his Filipina fiancée.</p>

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Robert Irwin being investigated over "cruel treatment" of animals

<p>In what seems impossible to believe, Robert Irwin has been named in a proposed animal cruelty investigation following his appearance on <em>The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon</em>.</p> <p>Animal rights organisation PETA has called for a ban on wild animals on the US TV show, saying that celebrities and other members of the public were not licensed to  interact with the wildlife.</p> <p>In a statement, PETA noted that Irwin handled various animals – including an alligator, a camel, and servals – for the show’s segments on various occasions.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ieFrIvFzJd8"></iframe></div> <p>The organisation also mentioned actor Kate Beckinsale, who poked an African bullfrog, and <em>Game of Thrones </em>star Jacob Anderson, who was locked in a phone booth with a python snake on the show.</p> <p>“Animals suffer every time they’re exposed to the chaos of a television set and passed around like props,” said PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange.</p> <p>The organisation called for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to investigate exhibitor Grant Kemmerer, who supplied the animals to the NBC show, as well as other shows, including <em>The Rachael Ray Show, The Wendy Williams Show </em>and <em>Good Morning America</em>.</p> <p>It said that Kemmerer should be banned from obtaining future permits for breaching the city’s health code.</p> <p>“PETA is calling on authorities to throw the book at this hack for brazenly violating – on camera – the clear conditions of his exhibitor permits,” Lange said.</p> <p>However, Kemmerer denied that he violated his permit requirements by allowing the animals to appear on the program.</p> <p>“[Host Jimmy] Fallon or Robert Irwin are not the public,” Kemmerer told <em>Page Six</em>.</p> <p>“It was deemed even people in the audience are not looked at as the public in the eyes of the USDA, because they’re paying for an entertainment show and expect this type of show … You’re not going to pull out a random animal and hope it goes OK.”</p> <p>Kemmerer said Fallon was a willing participant. </p> <p>“We are alleviating any potential risk, and for Jimmy Fallon, he’s not going into this unknowing.</p> <p>“He is a participating person in this. They’re having Robert on there to bring the animals.”</p>

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Passenger’s dog found dead after “running out of oxygen” on long haul flight

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A husky has been found dead in the cargo hold of an Air France KLM Jetliner after running out of oxygen during the 11-hour flight.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The plane was travelling from Amsterdam and arriving in Los Angeles, and upon landing is when the dog was found.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Airline sources told </span><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/20/dog-dies-air-france-flight-lax-amsterdam/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TMZ</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that photos of the dog are “too disturbing to share”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to one Air France employee, the dog had been “incorrectly” loaded into the cargo hold and was unable to breathe on the non-stop flight.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for PETA has given their thoughts on the matter. They told </span><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8686525/dog-cargo-hold-air-france-klm-plane-oxygen-dead/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sun</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Tragedies like this one are exactly why airlines must require that animals travel in the main cabin only.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"PETA urges Air France-KLM to join airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest in prohibiting companion animals from being flown in the cargo hold, where they endure noise, extreme temperatures and sometimes inadequate pressurisation, before yet another sensitive animal suffers and dies, terrified and alone."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Air France policy states that passengers are allowed to keep a dog or cat weighing no more than 17 pounds (7 kg) in the cabin, but that’s only if the pet is at least 10 weeks old and has all required shots.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you think pets should travel in the main cabin area of the flight? Let us know in the comments below.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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PETA asks iconic Aussie band to change its name

<p>The head of campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written to members of the iconic 1980s Aussie rock group Hunters and Collectors, requesting they change their name ahead of the band's Adelaide reunion tour.</p> <p>PETA admitted that the letter to members of the group is something of a publicity stunt, intended to draw attention to the plight of thousands of native waterbirds that are, “facing an agonising death on the wetlands at the hands of shooters.”</p> <p>Ashley Fruno, PETA’s director of campaigns, wrote, “Changing its name would be a win-win situation for the band. The name would no longer be synonymous with animal suffering, and the move would help persuade people to aim for less violent hobbies.”</p> <p>The letter coincides with the band’s reunion concert at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.</p> <p>The letter reads: “As your Adelaide reunion show is coming up, now is the perfect time for a band namelift. Might you consider ‘Hunters &amp; Collectors of Antiques’, ‘Hunters &amp; Collectors of Vinyl Records’, or even ‘Hunters &amp; Collectors of Beer Cans’ as possible replacements? You could even enlist the help of your fans to crowdsource the holy grail of names on social media.</p> <p>“Do you see what we see? By agreeing to change your name, you would help raise awareness of the cruelty inherent in hunting waterbirds and give ducks a fighting chance.”</p> <p>To see the letter in full <a href="http://www.peta.org.au/news/peta-asks-hunters-collectors-name-change/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>click here</strong></span></a>. What’s your take? Do you think it’s a clever ploy to draw attention to an important issue? Or is it simply an unreasonable request?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/2016/12/bob-king-50-years-of-music-photography/"><em>Bob King celebrates 50 years of music photography</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/2016/04/the-surprising-real-names-of-singers/"><em>The surprising real names of famous singers</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/2016/05/1970s-songs-that-defined-a-decade/">1970s: songs that defined a decade</a></em></strong></span></p>

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