Friday, May 13, 2022

The Parliament of Queensland, Australia rejected a motion on Wednesday by the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) that argued allowing transgender women to play in women’s sports teams would “erode the integrity of female sport”.

The motion stated “anyone who supports biological men playing in female sport, irrespective of age group, level or code, is complicit in eroding the integrity of female sport and therefore women’s rights”, and that, due to “insurmountable physical advantages”, transgender women would “pose an unfair competitive advantage against, and/or safety risk” against other athletes if competing in women’s sport.

The motion failed 49 votes to 33, with support from the KAP, the Liberal National Party (LNP), and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, but opposition from the Labor government and the Greens.

KAP leader Robbie Katter first told Parliament he thought the bill was “important for parents”, stating: “I’m a parent of some young girls who will be hopefully participating in some sport one day […] Imagining them at 15 or 17 years old, post-puberty, competing against the odd person who might want to transfer to being female, that doesn’t sit well with me.” Katter maintained that whilst he did not want to deny anyone the opportunity to compete in sport, “there’s a distinct advantage when you cross over”. Katter also referred to the coming federal election, saying “in the context of the election, there are social issues on which we need to put a stake in the ground.”

Queensland Sporting Minister Stirling Hinchliffe opposed the motion, calling it a “blatant dog whistle”, and saying: “This is not a debate about sport or women’s rights. It is an attempt to cause fear and division and is unnecessarily dragging an extreme right-wing trope into this parliament.” Hinchliffe expressed that “making blanket decisions purely based on gender identity is not only draconian and bigoted, but unwarranted”.

Representatives from all parties but the LNP spoke in the debate, which lasted for approximately 30 minutes. Sparking interjections from other MPs, KAP Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto speculated that “we may see an opportunity for guys who now identify as women to put on a wig and jump into women’s sport because maybe they are washed up at the NRL”, and stated that transgender people having “full access” to female sports was neither fair nor safe. One Nation MP Stephen Andrew spoke in favour of the motion, asserting “if someone does not stand up for the rights of these people — either way — the outcome is that there will eventually be no women’s sport at all.”

The two Greens representatives spoke against the motion. Amy MacMahon, who represents South Brisbane, claimed “this motion today is not about women; it is about stoking up transmisogyny for cheap political tricks”, and said “if we are really serious about supporting women’s sports, let’s pay women’s sportspeople the same as men, show women’s sports on free-to-air TV and news coverage and start programs to encourage women and girls to take up sports.” Greens leader Michael Berkman called the motion “repugnant” and “unnecessary”, and stated: “I think it is telling that we are hearing not a single word from the opposition to speak against it.”

Monday, September 7, 2015

The US economy added 173,000 jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday. The unemployment rate fell from 5.3 to 5.1 percent, the lowest since April 2008.

Although August job gains were lower than most economists forecast, job growth numbers for June and July were revised upwards by a combined 44,000. Average job gains over the past three months stand at 221,000, compared to March-May’s 189,000 monthly average. Over the past twelve months, job growth has averaged 247,000 per month.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent, or 8 cents, marking the largest increase in earnings in seven months. Hourly earnings had risen by 6 cents in July. Wages have risen by 2.2 percent over the past year.

Job growth in August was primarily concentrated in the health care and social assistance, financial activities, and professional and business services sectors. Those three areas of the economy added a combined 108,000 jobs. Food service and drinking places employment increased by 26,000 over the month, and other economic sectors saw employment hold steady. Manufacturing, on the other hand, saw employment decline by 17,000 in August. A stronger dollar and worldwide economic weakness make US exports less desirable, leading to a flattening in manufacturing employment so far this year after steadily rising in the early years of the US economic recovery.

The solid overall job gains led analysts to slightly raise expectations for a decision by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month. Investors raised the likelihood of a September rate increase from 26 percent before the jobs report to 30 percent, and stocks dropped by over one percent on Friday. “The payrolls data is certainly good enough to allow for a Fed rate hike in September,” said Deutsche Bank’s head of currency strategy, Alan Ruskin. “The big question is still whether financial market volatility will scupper the plans.”

“This is the first time the market has looked at a Fed meeting and really has no idea what the Fed is going to do,” said Mark Kepner, a New Jersey equity trader with Themis Trading. “Right now you’re looking at the overall uncertainty and that’s what’s hanging on the market. I don’t think this number in and of itself changes how somebody’s going to vote.”

Monday, March 30, 2009

First becoming famous in her native Ukraine in the 1990s, long-haired self-described “Amazon” Ruslana gained international recognition for winning the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Wild Dances,” inspired by the musical traditions of the Hutsul people of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains.

In the five years since, Ruslana has decided to use her name and public status to represent a number of worthy causes, including human trafficking, renewable energy, and even the basic concept of democratic process, becoming a public face of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and later serving in Parliament.

Currently, she is on an international publicity tour to promote her album Wild Energy, a project borne out of a science fiction novel that has come to symbolize her hopes for a newer, better, freer way of life for everyone in the world. She took time to respond to questions Wikinews’s Mike Halterman posed to her about her career in music and her other endeavors.

This is the fifth in a series of interviews with past Eurovision contestants, which will be published sporadically in the lead-up to mid-May’s next contest in Moscow.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has been appointed as head of the United Nations Development Program.

The appointment follows a unanimous vote by the UN General Assembly yesterday. Clark will take up the role by April 20, replacing current UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis.

Clark is reportedly eager for the role, comparing it to winning her first election and becoming Prime Minister. “I guess this is another of those moments,” she said.

The UNDP gives training and advice to developing countries to spur global development and to help them meet the Millennium Development Goals. It has offices in 166 countries and an annual budget of around US$5 billion. Its Administrator is the third highest ranking member of the United Nations after the United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General.

Clark has a long political career, having been first elected to Parliament in 1981. She was New Zealand’s first elected woman Prime Minister, serving for three terms between 1999 and 2008. She became leader of the social-democratic New Zealand Labour Party in 1993, and led it until her defeat in the 2008 general election.

She has previously held a number of Cabinet portfolios, including Health, Housing, Conservation, and Arts, Culture and Heritage. In January 2008 Clark won the United Nations Environment Programme Champions of the Earth award in recognition of her government’s promotion of sustainability initiatives. In January 2009 she was recognised by the New Zealand Herald as the Greatest Living New Zealander.

Clark’s appointment is expected to lead to a by-election in her Mt Albert electorate.