Morning mail: New Gayed questions, Melania 'doesn't care', Socceroos fight on
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Version 0 of 1. Good morning, this is Richard Parkin bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 22 June. Top stories The NSW medical watchdog has begun a fresh investigation into disgraced gynaecologist Emil Shawky Gayed, confirming an expansion of scope to also examine hospital management. Gayed has been banned from practising medicine for three years, but new cases of malpractice have subsequently been uncovered by Guardian Australia. Additional patient complaints have prompted the Health Care Complaints Commission to broaden the investigation and examine management at the Manning Rural Referral hospital in Taree, where Gayed worked, including whether staff working with him failed to report errors or concerns that led to the death of one patient and left many others suffering the effects of unnecessary surgeries. A US immigration attorney has admitted he is “not confident at all” that family separations will halt immediately, expressing concerns about “wriggle room” within Donald Trump’s executive order. Jeremy McKinney also raised doubt about the official mechanism to start repatriation of children with their families, given limited phone or internet access within ad hoc centres. Hours earlier, Melania Trump made a surprise visit to the US-Mexico border, taking part in briefings and attending a tour of centres where children were being held. But she has come under fire for wearing a jacket on the visit with the words “I really don’t care. Do u?” scrawled in huge letters on the back. At the World Cup, the Socceroos have fought out a valiant but frustrating 1-1 draw against Denmark, with captain Mile Jedinak again the hero from the penalty spot after Christian Eriksen’s early opener. The result leaves Australia’s chances of progressing to the knockout stage hanging in the balance, taking the edge off what was an otherwise impressive performance. They will need to beat Peru in their final game and hope Denmark lose to France. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s Argentina are teetering on the brink of elimination after a shock 3-0 loss to Croatia. The Victorian parliament passed legislation late on Thursday that will create a framework for negotiating a treaty with Aboriginal people, in what is being heralded as a significant national first. “Treaty will have benefits for all Victorians – promoting reconciliation, fostering shared pride in Aboriginal culture and helping to heal the wounds of the past,” the Aboriginal affairs minister, Natalie Hutchins, said in a statement. “Aboriginal Victorians will continue to be at the centre of this process, as we work towards establishing the Aboriginal Representative Body.” A report commissioned following the Grenfell Tower fire has found the ABC’s building at Ultimo in Sydney no longer complies with fire codes, with staff told to tidy loose papers and unplug some personal electronic devices as a safety precaution. Employees of the public broadcaster have been assured it is safe to work while the issue is being resolved, but received additional instructions via email. On Thursday the Australian newspaper had to apologise after readers commenting on an article on its website said they hoped the building would burn down. Sport England have continued their dominance of Australia in one-day cricket, running down a total of 310 to take a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. Aaron Finch and Sean Marsh both notched centuries but big-hitting Jason Roy once again led the way for the hosts, striking 101 off just 83 balls. Also in the UK, Nick Kyrgios has created a stir at Queen’s, apologising for swearing during his win over England’s Kyle Edwards. Staunch rivals go head-to-head at North Sydney Oval tonight in the women’s State of Origin, but for Maroons vice-captain Brittany Breayley the match will be just another on a long pathway to the top. Breayley tells Guardian Australia about the importance of having visible role models in women’s sport and what it means for women’s rugby league to be included in the famous Origin culture. “We’ll have our critics out there,” says Breayley, “and there’s going to be positives as well as negatives, but we just have to go out there, train hard, play hard, showcase a great product and show people that women can play.” Thinking time Tasmania’s annual winter festival, Dark Mofo, has infused Hobart with music, eclectic artworks, performances, food, and plenty of bonfires. From Mike Parr’s self-entombment underneath Macquarie Street, a controversial depiction of an upside-down cross, to the entire city being bathed in red light – here are some of the best images so far. Privatisation has been the last fiscal resort of desperate governments for decades, but voters mostly know that the supposed windfall achieved by selling income-generating assets is deceptive, writes John Quiggin. “The politicians’ reluctance to abandon privatisation is understandable if discreditable: when electors throw them out, they are virtually guaranteed a lucrative post-political career in the financial sector. The failure of political journalists to understand what they write and talk about for a living is more surprising. Yet the coverage of the Queensland and NSW elections suggests that there has been no improvement in understanding of the basic issues.” “There’s nothing toxic about masculinity, Ange. But there is only toxicity in being an asshole.” When an AFLW senior coach entered into an online discussion around toxic masculinity following the killing of Eurydice Dixon in Melbourne’s Princes Park it only acted to reinforce the shortcomings within football clubs in addressing these issues, writes Kirby Fenwick. “Far from being two separate ideas lumped together, toxic masculinity describes the restrictive norms of masculine behaviour that are harmful to men and to the community. These encompass traditionally masculine ideals or behaviours like male dominance, emotional repression and self-reliance which in turn promote aggression and superiority in men at the expense of community and emotional expression.” Media roundup “Return of the Jedi”, proclaims the Courier Mail, among the metropolitan mastheads prominently featuring the Socceroos, after captain Mile Jedinak’s nerves of steel helped keep Australia’s thin hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout phase alive. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the prime minister has lauded “the most comprehensive reform of personal income tax in a generation” following the successful passage of the government’s $144bn package. And the NT News has called on the chief minister to take on the portfolio of child protection as the Territory prepares for a cabinet reshuffle. Coming up Actor Craig McLachlan’s defamation suit against Fairfax and the ABC, launched after they reported allegations of sexual harassment, returns to the supreme court on Friday. The bitter chill of a Tasmanian morning won’t deter hundreds of participants of the annual winter solstice nude swim. Bathers will take the plunge just after 7.30am at Long Beach in Sandy Bay. Supporting the Guardian We’d like to acknowledge our generous supporters who enable us to keep reporting on the critical stories. If you value what we do and would like to help, please make a contribution or become a supporter today. Thank you. 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