The Australian political class has worked itself into a frenzy today because the Newspoll, in News Corp papers on Monday, recorded the 30th consecutive poll lost by the government to Labor on a two-party preferred basis.
It is a noteworthy milestone because it was the score Malcolm Turnbull himself used in part to justify challenging Tony Abbott for the prime ministership in 2015. So it's a whole thing.
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But it was all very expected, and the PM had lines prepared this morning stating he was all about delivery rather than the polls. Tony Abbott has made his presence felt, and while this will dominate the news for the day there are other things going on. Here are some of those other things (in no particular order) that will probably not attract nearly as much attention:
1. Australia illegally detained 39 people, including an 11-year-old boy.
2. We are making it harder for immigrants to pass an English language test if they want to become Australians.
The government tried and failed to pass new citizenship laws that would have raised the bar on the English language test new citizens are required to take before they can become Australians. New citizenship minister Alan Tudge has indicated the government is keen to try again.
3. Reports that there have been airstrikes in Syria following a suspected chemical weapons attack.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...
4. Welfare changes that passed the parliament last month will make it harder for people to keep their unemployment payments.
There will now be a demerit points system and those who fail to meet the requirements set by the government, or don't take up work, risk being penalised, including losing some or all of their payments.
5. Hundreds of asylum seekers who tried to get to Australia by boat are still on Manus Island and Nauru, and it's not getting any better
The refugee who was beaten up yesterday just came back from hospital. He is much better now. Paladin guards are saying they reported to police. Keeping 600 men in a small town makes many problems. These are problems created by Australia and PNG.
6. Australia is only on track to meet three of the seven "closing the gap" targets for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, after 10 years.
7. The espionage legislation to crack down on government leakers isn't great, legal experts say.
Journalists have won an exemption from legislation that could result in people being jailed for 20 years for leaking secret government information. However legal experts suggest the definition of "national security" is too broad, while Australia's peak spy agency, ASIO, suggests that journalists could now be recruited as spies.
8. Charities say they'll be silenced by new donations legislation limiting whether they can advocate on policy matters while also taking money from overseas donors.
9. The conditions of the live animal trade from Australia.
60 Minutes aired disturbing footage on Sunday night of the conditions faced by sheep being sent on boat from Australia to the Middle East as part of Australia's live export trade.
10. One in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner.
11. Four officers were suspended by Victoria Police last week after footage emerged showing alleged excessive force used in two incidents, one involving dragging a disabled pensioner into his front yard.
12. The government still plans on getting company tax cuts passed.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann admitted last month that the government didn't have the numbers to pass legislation to bring down the company tax rate for all businesses from 30% to 25%. But a Fairfax poll out this week says 49% per cent of those polled support the cuts (up from 44%), and the government will likely bring it back when parliament resumes after the May budget.
13. In case you forgot, from July 1, 2018, most of the overseas online retailers you buy from will be adding the 10% GST on to the things you buy from them.
14. Endometriosis affects about 600,000 women in Australia, and the government has allocated $160,000 in funding to research treatment.
15. China and the US are gearing up for a trade war, and we are stuck in the middle.
Catching up with @realDonaldTrump & President Xi at #APEC2017; working together to secure our region’s safety & prosperity https://t.co/ZUrb0w174u
16. Fewer than 1,000 people in Australia have legal access to medicinal cannabis under the strict rules currently in place, while estimates put the number of people who access it illegally at around 100,000.
17. In 2016, Indigenous Australians were 12.5 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-Indigenous Australians.
18. People on welfare might still have to pee in a cup to keep receiving their payment. The government has reintroduced legislation for a drug-testing trial, despite not having the numbers for support in the Senate, and criticism from health experts.
19. Lots of people, including the Australian Energy Market Operator and former PM Tony Abbott, are concerned about the Liddell coal-fired power plant closing in a few years, but... it's in a few years.
20. Matt Lodge is still playing rugby league despite a history of violence.
21. Home affairs minister Peter Dutton wants police to be able to access encrypted communications, but claims that doing so won't break encryption, or be a backdoor.
22. It's nine months since the Uluru Statement From The Heart that called on an Indigenous voice in public policy. The government rejected the report, and the constitutional recognition debate has since stalled.
.@TurnbullMalcolm: We do not want to embark on some sort of exercise in heroic failure. #auspol MORE: https://t.co/Bor3j893ux https://t.co/nq7KxKvz1N
23. Lots of politicians are claiming a total of over $1 million in travel allowance to cover accommodation for sitting weeks in Canberra, while they and/or their partners also happen to own property in Canberra.
24. Indigenous people are three to seven times more likely to contract a sexually transmitted infection, depending on the STI.
25. Labor MPs claimed up to $2,000 each for subscriptions to a free online magazine published by a Labor think tank they also happened to be on the board of. And also, Liberals do similar things with Parakeelia.
26. Abortion is still a crime in two states in Australia and only half the states and territories have safe-access zones which protect patients from being approached and harassed by anti-abortion protesters.
27. A mining taskforce set up by the government will investigate whether "activists" opposed to projects such as the Adani Carmichael coal mine are abusing the process of approvals needed for the projects.
28. The NBN has just switched on fibre to the kerb services for about 1,000 homes and businesses, while many, many more on cable are still waiting for their connections.
29. Disabled prisoners in Australia say they're being raped, neglected, and assaulted.
30. Oh, and the Commonwealth Games is on, and Australia seems to be doing fairly well.
