Senator for Western Australia, Rachel Siewert, has joined the Joint Justice Initiative and pledged to recognise the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides.
Senator Siewert signed an affirmation of support for the Joint Justice Initiative, which calls for Federal Australian recognition of the genocides of 1915.
The February 2020 launch of the Joint Justice Initiative at Australia’s Parliament House featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian National Council – Australia (ANC) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC), which declares Australia’s recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides as a priority on behalf of their communities.
Senator for Western Australia, Rachel Siewert, has joined the Joint Justice Initiative.
A long standing Perth resident, Senator Siewert is the Whip of The Australian Greens and Chair of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee.
The Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Haig Kayserian, said that the Joint Justice Initiative is extremely proud to have another federal parliamentarian on board.
“On behalf of the Armenian-Australian, Greek-Australian and Assyrian-Australian communities, we thank Senator Siewert for her support,” Mr Kayserian said.
The Joint Justice Initiative has so far announced the support of Siewert, Susan Templeman MP, Adam Bandt MP, Tim Wilson MP, Senator Janet Rice, Steve Georganas MP, Michael Sukkar MP, Senator Louise Pratt, Warren Entsch, Joel Fitzgibbon MP, Andrew Wilkie MP, Julian Leeser MP, Michelle Rowland MP, Senator Paul Scarr, Tony Zappia MP, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator Hollie Hughes, Senator Rex Patrick, Mike Freelander MP, Senator Eric Abetz, Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Pat Dodson, Jason Falinski MP, Josh Burns MP, John Alexander MP, Senator Andrew Bragg and Bob Katter MP, with a promise of more announcements to come.
Queensland has recorded six new cases of COVID-19 overnight, with one of those cases locally acquired.
Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the local case, who is a student nurse, was linked to the existing Alpha cluster.
“She is a close contact of the man that we reported yesterday from Sinnamon Park (in Brisbane),” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“She lives at Kangaroo Point and she is in home quarantine at the moment.”
This news comes after Queensland recorded four locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with all of the cases linked to the Greek Orthodox Community Centre cluster.
The cluster emerged last week when a mother, who is an administration employee within the St George Greek Orthodox Parish and Community respite team, tested positive. She had been been working at the Administration building on Browning Street in South Brisbane at the time.
“The person was symptomatic on Tuesday morning and immediately self-isolated as per Government regulations and was subsequently tested,” the St George Parish and Community said in a media release at the time.
“Areas where she worked remain closed and are being deep cleaned, and the person’s network of friends, colleagues and respite users are being contacted together with the respite service users during the relevant period.”
Since then, Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, has said the Greek community centre cluster is linked to the Portuguese Family Centre cluster, which spread when a flight attendant contracted the virus while in hotel quarantine and spent time in the community while unknowingly infectious.
On Monday, Young indicated that over 23 COVID-19 cases have now been linked to the clusters.
Jeannette Young has provided information on the suspected link between COVID clusters. File image. Credit: AAP.
Greek Orthodox priests in South Brisbane mandated to isolate at home:
In a Facebook post on July 3, Father Dimitri Tsakas from the St George Greek Orthodox Church in South Brisbane confirmed that he, along with Father Stavros and many of his co-workers, were mandated by Queensland Health to home isolate and quarantine.
“Fr Stavros and I will isolate for the mandatory period, meaning we should be back on board Wednesday 14 July. In the meantime we cannot leave home for any purpose, including Pastoral callouts or Services,” Father Dimitri wrote in the post.
“We accept the decision with gratitude in the interest of keeping everyone safe and healthy.”
The parish priest went on to say the administration building will be “deep cleaned in accordance with Health Department directives.”
The church will also be open to the public this Sunday, July 11 for services. Fr George Papoutsakis will conduct the service.
Adelaide’s District Court has heard there is “unlikely to be any debate” that a young man suffered “mental impairment” during a crash that killed two Adelaide women last year, the ABCreports.
Harrison Kitt has pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving over a high-speed crash in April 2020.
Senior police officer, Joanne Shanahan (nee Panayiotou), and mother, Tania McNeill, died in the collision at the intersection of Cross and Fullarton roads in Urrbrae, south of Adelaide.
Prosecutor Patrick Hill told the court while it was likely “mental impairment” was a relevant factor of the crash, there were other matters that still needed to be considered.
“One issue … relates to self-induced intoxication and whether that may have been a substantial cause of Mr Kitt’s episode,” Mr Hill said, according to the ABC.
David Edwardson QC, for Mr Kitt, said his client’s toxicology report was zero at the time of the crash.
Harrison Kitt outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz.
“There are no reports that indicate otherwise; indeed, [psychiatrist] Dr [Paul] Furst’s report positively dismissed the notion of self-induced intoxication,” Mr Edwardson said.
The court has previously heard Mr Kitt has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has manic episodes and psychotic features.
The diagnosis has been confirmed by a clinical psychiatrist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The matter was adjourned for three weeks, with Mr Kitt next set to appear in court later this month.
A deadly fire that claimed four lives and has been described as the most destructive blaze in Cyprus’ 61-year history as an independent republic is now fully under control, Cypriot authorities said Monday.
Cyprus’ Forestry Department said more than 600 people managed to contain the blaze early Monday after scorching more than 55 square kilometers (21 square miles), forcing the evacuation of nine villages and burning down homes, businesses, orchards and forest.
Fire crews remain on the scene in case the blaze reignites amid temperatures reaching 35 C (95 F). Cyprus Electricity Authority officials said they hope to have power restored to at least seven villages by Monday evening.
This house and a vehicle in the Larnaca region were gutted by the blaze. Picture: EPA.
Search crews on Sunday discovered the bodies of four people who are believed to be Egyptian laborers outside the village of Orou on the southern edge of Cyprus’ main Troodos mountain range.
The men, ages 22 to 29, had gone missing Saturday afternoon when the fire began outside the nearby village of Arakapas and spread quickly amid strong winds.
Officials said the four tried to flee the fire along a dirt mountain track, but their small truck veered off the road and fell down an embankment. They tried to flee on foot, but didn’t make it.
Trade Union PEO has asked for a full investigation into the laborers’ deaths as well as their work safety conditions.
The forest fire claimed the lives of four people. Picture: AFP.
President Nicos Anastasiades called the fire “an unprecedented tragedy” for Cyprus except for the destruction wreaked by a 1974 war that split the island along ethnic lines after Turkey invaded in response to a coup aimed at union with Greece.
Some area residents who lost their homes and property to the fire wept as they described seeing a lifetime’s worth of labor going up in flames. People were allowed back to their homes after their villages were declared safe.
Anastasiades, who toured the fire-hit villages on Sunday, pledged immediate government help to farmers and homeowners who lost crops and property and the families of those who perished in the fire.
Crews are already assessing the damage so that fire-afflicted residents can receive the first compensation packages later this week.
A man walks through the burned forest, in Ora village in Cyprus on Sunday. Credit: AP.
Anastasiades on Monday opened up a bank account for private contributions to help those who lost their homes and livelihoods.
Police spokesman, Christos Andreou, told The Associated Press that a 67-year-old man is being investigated on arson charges. He said “more than one witness” had seen the man leave his orchard shortly before a fire broke out there. A court ordered that he remain in custody for eight days.
Fire crews had been joined by police officers, soldiers, Civil Defense and Wildlife Service staff, as well as many members of the public who volunteered to help. Authorities said more than 70 fire engines, 14 bulldozers and numerous water tankers were mobilised, while a National Guard drone provided eyes overhead to locate new fire fronts.
A total of nine Cypriot firefighting aircraft, and police and National Guard helicopters were deployed. Two helicopters from British military bases in Cyprus also helped firefighting efforts, along with two Greek Canadair CL-415 aircraft and two Israeli fixed-wing planes.
Μετέφερα τηλεφωνικώς την ευγνωμοσύνη μας στους φίλους Πρωθυπουργούς @PrimeministerGR και @IsraeliPM για την αποστολή πτητικών μέσων, στηρίζοντας τις προσπάθειές μας για τον έλεγχο της καταστροφικής πυρκαγιάς. Μια απόδειξη στην πράξη της άριστης συνεργασίας των χωρών μας. 🇨🇾🇬🇷🇮🇱
— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) July 5, 2021
Anastasiades thanked Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for his assistance during a phone call on Monday morning, with Mitsotakis later sending his condolences for the human lives lost during the bushfires on Twitter.
“Greece, as we assisted with 2 Canadair to put out the fire, will always be on the side of Cyprus,” Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter.
Diaspora in Australia are also doing their part to help out with the clean up effort, after the Cypriot Community of Melbourne and Victoria launched a GoFund Me page in an attempt to fundraise for their compatriots.
“The Cyprus Community of Melbourne & Victoria stands hand in hand and supports the victims of the current devastating fires in Cyprus,” the committee wrote on Facebook after launching the fundraiser.
Divers have reported a rare sighting of hundreds of endangered seahorses in a polluted lagoon in western Greece and warn they could be lost if the area is not cleaned up.
“We see hundreds here and if they remain we have hope,” said diver, Vasilis Mentogiannis, an expert in underwater surveys who has led efforts to protect the seahorses. “I don’t think there is a similar situation to this anywhere else in Greece.”
A protected species threatened by overfishing and pollution, seahorses need an environment full of organisms to feed on and plant life to hide.
A seahorse rests on the seabed of the Aitoliko lagoon, Greece, May 31, 2020. Photo: Vassilis Mentogiannis/Handout via REUTERS.
Older fishermen say Aitoliko lagoon in the northern Patras Gulf used to contain thousands of seahorses but their numbers have plummeted in recent years and local divers were amazed when they found a group of the creatures.
“It was the first time I had spotted seahorses and they were in a place I least expected,” said local diver Labros Charelos.
Aitoliko, which reaches depths of up to 30 meters, is linked by narrow channels to a shallow lagoon open to the sea. Over recent years, leaks from damaged irrigation canals as well as factory waste and fertilizers have cut off oxygen and polluted the lagoon, which on windy days gives off a “rotten egg” smell from hydrogen sulfide produced by its oxygen-depleted waters.
Divers have spotted endangered seahorses in a polluted Greek lagoon.
“Near the surface it is viable, it’s the deeper depths that are a problem,” said University of Patras Professor, George Katselis.
Spyros Kariofyllis has been fishing in Aitoliko for decades and says he has reached a point where he doesn’t catch anything.
“When I throw my live bait in … when it reaches five and half meters it dies, and not only does it die but there is no living organism to eat it down there,” he said.
A seahorse swims in the Aitoliko lagoon, Greece, June 13, 2021. Photo: Vassilis Mentogiannis/Handout via REUTERS.
Helped by 21 million euros of EU funds, the government is going ahead with a long-delayed study on repairing the damage but Mentogiannis said time was short for the seahorses.
For the moment, they have found a spot with oxygen and food, far from fishing areas but if hydrogen sulfide levels increase, it may be too late.
From a young age, Angelina Lati was always healthy, bubbly and energetic. That is until, at the tender age of 14, her family started to notice subtle changes in her demeanour which derailed her life forever.
“She started dropping things. Every time she was setting the table, she was dropping the glasses on the floor and I’d ask what was going on and she’d go, ‘I don’t know.’ Her hands were just not holding the cups,” Angelina’s mum, Niki Markou, tells The Greek Herald.
Later, Angelina fell over while walking the family dog and this all prompted Ms Markou to make an appointment with a neurologist. But before the appointment arrived, Angelina had a terrifying seizure at the family home.
“She had a seizure in my arms and I had to put her down on the ground. I’d never seen one before so to me, it was very traumatising. I was screaming,” Ms Markou says.
Niki Markou with Angelina as a young girl. Photo supplied.
Angelina was rushed to hospital and was initially misdiagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. She was prescribed medication but after a few months, it was clear she wasn’t getting any better and she began to show signs of cognitive decline.
A lengthy hospital stay followed along with extensive genetic testing. Eventually, Angelina, who was 15 by then, received the heartbreaking diagnosis of Lafora Disease, which is a form of childhood dementia.
“I honestly felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I felt out of control… I think I was in shock and denial because it just didn’t sound rational or believable,” Ms Markou explains with tears in her eyes.
‘She’s not going to grow old’:
Ms Markou isn’t alone. Many Australians don’t know much about childhood dementia, which is progressive brain damage that starts before the age of 18. There are over 70 types of the disease, each caused by changes in the DNA because they are genetic diseases.
The statistics around childhood dementia are just as startling.
Angelina Lati has been diagnosed with Lafora Disease, which is a type of childhood dementia. Photo supplied.
Head of Research at the Childhood Dementia Initiative (CDI), Dr Kristina Elvidge, says 1 in 2800 babies born will develop dementia in childhood. That’s 129 babies born each year in Australia, one every three days. It is estimated that almost 2,300 Australians are currently living with childhood dementia, which adds up to 700,000 people worldwide.
The signs and symptoms themselves are similar to those you might have seen in an elderly relative suffering from dementia. They include for example, lack of concentration, memory loss, personality and behavioural changes, and even loss of speech and mobility.
“Childhood dementia affects the child’s ability to think, learn and remember. They suffer loss of cognitive function and loss of previously gained skills,” Dr Elvidge elaborates.
“Each of the childhood dementia disorders have a different age of onset and life expectancy, but the average across all of the disorders is 28 years of age (including those few that have a treatment). In fact, 75 percent of the children have a life expectancy below 18 years of age, so their lives are severely shortened.”
Angelina is mostly tube-fed now. Photo supplied.
In Angelina’s case, she’s now 17 years old and her mum says although she can still walk, she doesn’t talk much anymore, she’s mostly tube-fed and the dementia has ‘come on.’
“It’s like she’s fading away. That’s the only way to describe it. You watch old videos back and that’s when you really realise the difference of how she was and how she is now and how quick the progression is,” Ms Markou says.
“She’s not going to get married, she’s not going to have kids, she’s not going to grow old, she’s not going to be with us. You start thinking of all those future things that are going to be taken away from you.”
The race to save Angelina:
Finding a treatment for Angelina’s type of childhood dementia is proving very challenging despite many years of research. In fact, less than five percent of childhood dementia disorders have a treatment and, in many cases, the only options are symptom management and palliative care.
“Care and support for families battling childhood dementia is lacking and poorly coordinated so Childhood Dementia Initiative is working to change this at the same time as accelerating global research into new therapies and cures,” Dr Elvidge says.
The Head of Research at CDI goes on to add that gene therapy is showing promise in clinical trials for some patients. This involves introducing a healthy copy of the faulty gene into the body using a virus. Other research aims to replace the enzyme or protein that is missing due to the faulty gene but getting enough into the brain is a challenge.
Niki is fighting to get her daughter into a clinical trial.
For Angelina, just being accepted into one of these clinical trials in the first place is a challenge. Her mum says she was hoping Angelina could get into a drug therapy trial this year, but it was pushed back by the Food and Drug Administration.
“They wanted further testing done in the labs before it’s to be trialled on humans. It’s been very upsetting because each month is different. They decline so quickly that we don’t know where we will be in 12 months. Will she make it? I don’t know,” Ms Markou says.
The Sydney mum-of-two says ‘time is of the essence’ and that’s why she and her family are determined to not only share Angelina’s story, but also continue to make lasting memories together.
“I want to save my daughter’s life. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the word out there,” Ms Markou concludes.
A passionate statement from a mum who’s determined to give her beautiful daughter the best life possible despite her heartbreaking diagnosis.
The head of Australia’s Olympic team has encouraged Nick Kyrgios to compete at the Tokyo Games after the tennis star expressed reservations about competing in the green and gold in Japan.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Kyrgios remains undecided on appearing at the Olympics as he’s heard they are “very tough, restrictions wise.”
“I’ve also entered Atlanta,” Kyrgios said, referencing an ATP event which clashed with the Olympics.
Nick Kyrgios.
“I’m tossing up my options at the same time. I’ve heard some things about the Olympics, that are very tough, restrictions wise. No guests, none of that stuff.”
But the SMHreports that Australian chef de mission, Ian Chesterman, really wants Kyrgios to represent his country in Tokyo.
“We would still love to see Nick over at these Games. He knows he is welcome at these Games and I still think it would be a fantastic outcome for tennis and for our team if he was there,” Mr Chesterman said when asked about Kyrgios.
Australian chef de mission, Ian Chesterman.
“But I understand and respect his decision whichever way he goes because the [Tokyo] games are different. People have to believe they can perform under these circumstances.”
Mr Chesterman was speaking at the official unveiling of Australia’s team for the Tokyo Games, which begin in just under three weeks.
Athletes will begin arriving in Tokyo soon but Japan’s Prime Minister has warned the Olympics could have no fans at all in the stands with COVID-19 cases rising in Tokyo.
New lifespan data analysed by Torrens University has laid bare a huge divide between the metropolitan and regional areas of New South Wales.
The data, which ranged between 2014 and 2018, showed how residents growing up in the state’s Central Darling region will die on average aged just 63 years.
According to The Daily Telegraph, this is the lowest life expectancy of all 129 of the state’s LGAs and a stark contrast to Sydney’s north, where locals on average live longer than 85 years.
The Central Darling, which includes Wilcannia, White Cliffs, Menindee and Ivanhoe, was followed closely by Brewarrina in the state’s northwest, where the average lifespan stood at 67 years.
Seven of the 10 areas with the lowest lifespan — all of which were under 76 years — were in regional NSW, The Daily Telegraphreports.
The Central Darling.
The other low scorers were Blacktown and Campbelltown in Sydney’s west and southwest.
On the flip side, Sydney’s leafy peninsula of Hunters Hill on the lower north shore had the highest lifespan, with locals living for an average of 89 years, followed by Ku-ring-gai and Mosman at 87 years.
Access to health services:
10-year-old, Paris Metaxas, lives in Hunters Hill and her mum, Nicole, tells The Daily Telegraph she feels “blessed” that her children can grow up in an area where they will statistically live to almost 90 years.
Mrs Metaxas said the area had a strong sense of community and health and wellbeing services were available in “abundance.”
“There are a lot of bulk billings GPs, medical centres, dental care, all available in abundance. A lot of people here like to exercise, and we have a lot of tracks and natural trails, gyms and classes,” Mrs Metaxas told the media outlet.
Some areas of metropolitan Sydney have better access to health care.
Mrs Metaxas went on to say a strong focus on nature conservation also helped improve the overall wellbeing of residents.
“It’s a conservation area. We have lots of trees and greenery. Food wise, people have really good access to good healthy food, and restaurants and cafes are more common than fast food,” she stressed.
Taking a look at socio-economics:
Social demographer, Amanda Davies, told The Daily Telegraph she was not surprised to see the contrasting statistics between suburbs such as Hunters Hill and regional NSW.
She attributed the disparity to factors including lower socio-economic status, poorer access to facilities and higher Indigenous populations.
“When we look at life expectancy, we look at socio-economics. Those with better access to healthcare and services live longer and lower or poorer access to healthcare lowers life expectancy,” Ms Davies said.
Shadow Minister for Regional NSW, Mick Veitch, says more needs to be done.
“We know there is a significant divide between urban and rural healthcare, particularly preventive healthcare.”
Shadow Minister for Regional NSW, Mick Veitch, told Australian media that the “terrible statistics” match the evidence currently being unearthed in the parliamentary inquiry into rural health.
“There is much to be done. We really need to resource our health services and ensure timely access to health professionals is available to all,” Mr Veitch said.
Authorities are dealing with multiple clusters and the south-east and parts of north Queensland were sent into a lockdown last week.
The lockdown has since lifted, but restrictions remain and masks remain mandatory until July 16.
Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, said the case announced late on Sunday, a woman who is a close contact of a case at the Greek community centre, tested positive and so did her child.
Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.
She said contact tracers have also found where three cases, which authorities were having difficulty linking, had all attended – Zeus Street Greek Kitchen at Westfield Chermside.
“We’re just working out all of the specifics but we think that is probably the site of transmission,” she said.
The Premier added it was very important that people continue “doing the right thing,” including wearing masks, checking in to public places and getting tested even for the mildest symptoms.
Greek Orthodox priests in South Brisbane mandated to isolate at home:
In a Facebook post on July 3, Father Dimitri Tsakas from the St George Greek Orthodox Church in South Brisbane confirmed that he, along with Father Stavros and many of his co-workers, were mandated by Queensland Health to home isolate and quarantine.
“Fr Stavros and I will isolate for the mandatory period, meaning we should be back on board Wednesday 14 July. In the meantime we cannot leave home for any purpose, including Pastoral callouts or Services,” Father Dimitri wrote in the post.
“We accept the decision with gratitude in the interest of keeping everyone safe and healthy.”
The parish priest went on to say the administration building will be “deep cleaned in accordance with Health Department directives.”
The church will also be open to the public this Sunday, July 11 for services. Fr George Papoutsakis will conduct the service.
Former federal Liberal MP and Greek Australian, Julia Banks, has alleged she was touched inappropriately by a senior male colleague and subjected to a culture “underpinned by sexism and misogyny” during her time in Parliament.
In an extract from her new book, published in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, Ms Banks alleged an unnamed Coalition minister slid his hand up her inner thigh during a function at Parliament House, around a year after she was elected Member for Chisholm in 2016.
“For a minister to do this in the prime minister’s wing, which was full of Coalition MPs, he had to be astoundingly brazen,” she wrote.
“I found it unbelievable. And I momentarily froze.”
On other occasions, including during her 2015 pre-selection, party members told her she was too old to be in politics at 52 and suggested she should be looking after her children.
Ms Banks resigned from the Liberal Party several months after Malcolm Turnbull was rolled as prime minister. She later contested the seat of Flinders as an independent but was unsuccessful.
Ms Banks has called out a culture of sexism in Parliament.
Politicians react to Banks’ allegations:
Ms Banks’ startling portrait of the political culture comes just as the Parliament is undergoing a major workplace review, sparked by former staffer Brittany Higgins’ allegations that she was raped by a colleague on a couch in the ministerial wing.
Speaking on ABC’s Insider program on Sunday, Federal Finance Minister, Simon Birmingham, said any inappropriate behaviour should be reported and that was why the government was seeking to set up “improved reporting and investigatory arrangements right across the parliament to support staff, members of parliament or anybody else.”
But the minister indicated the new procedure was unlikely to cover incidents that allegedly occurred in previous parliaments, saying “it becomes a point as to where do you draw the line in those regards.” He suggested it would apply “from this parliament forward.”
“Certainly it will provide for now and into the future a model that actually enables people to have confidence that their complaints can be heard and investigated with independence and confidentiality if they wish,” Birmingham said.
Federal Finance Minister, Simon Birmingham.
This came as other Federal and State Liberal MP’s told The Sydney Morning Herald they have not witnessed the culture of sexism and misogyny within the party portrayed Ms Banks in her new book.
Victorian Federal MP, Katie Allen, who is in her first term, said she felt “very supported” by her Federal Liberal colleagues, but more support was needed for politicians and their staff to deal with the high-stakes environment of Parliament.
“Certainly my experience has been very different from Julia’s but that’s not to say it didn’t happen,” Dr Allen told the SMH. “But there is no doubt politics is contested and the outcomes can be brutal.”
Health Minister, Greg Hunt, who has served in Federal Parliament for two decades, said he hadn’t seen a culture of sexism within the government.
“That’s not one of the things I’ve witnessed,” Mr Hunt said on Saturday. “I can only speak to my own practices. For me, my practice since I have been there is that Canberra is a place for work.”
Prime Minister ‘not aware’ of sexual harassment allegations:
Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.
A spokesperson for Scott Morrison said the Prime Minister was “not aware of any allegations of sexual harassment Ms Banks faced” and “any such behaviour is completely inappropriate.”
In the book extract, Banks claims Morrison offered to send her to New York as a United Nationals delegate, or to negotiate with the opposition for a parliamentary pair so she could have leave, after she decided following the 2018 leadership spill to stand down at the next election.
Banks claims that Morrison’s tone in one phone call in 2018 was “bullying, short and swift and coldly calculating,” and she alleges Victorian Liberal party forces and the Prime Minister both wanted her “silenced.”
But Morrison’s spokesperson said the prime minister “absolutely rejects claims about the nature of those conversations.”
“The Prime Minister was disappointed in Ms Banks’ decision to quit the parliamentary party and had several conversations with her to understand what she was going through to see what support could be offered before she made her decision,” the spokesperson said.
“That included support for personal leave so she could take the time to recover from the upset many people suffered during that period. Several of Ms Banks’ colleagues had similar conversations.”
