We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.
1. Mother fights for 2-year-old son’s life after his surgery is labelled a “burden” by doctor.
A mother from Adelaide is desperately seeking an opportunity to save her terminally ill son, after he was denied life-saving surgery.
Two-year-old Mack suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy which affects the nerves that control movement. It is a rare but terminal disease.
Sharyn Colledge says a doctor denied her son surgery because it would be a “burden on society.”
Now, she’s petitioning Adelaide Premier Jay Weatherill to reverse this decision.
“Our beautiful boy was born with this awful disease, which over time has meant he’s lost the ability to move, swallow or even breathe on his own,” the online petition states.
“But Mack’s mind remains unaffected, developing the same as any other child his age. He was only expected to live a few months, but has recently celebrated his 2nd birthday. A huge milestone!”
Ms Colledge says support for SMA in South Australia is lacking, and the family has often had to seek outside of the state for medical supplies and services.
She’s accusing the hospital of attempting to “save a few dollars” instead of saving her son’s life.
The petition on change.org currently has over 27,000 signatures.
2. Rosie Batty calls for domestic violence leave.
Anti-domestic violence campaigner and Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty, has backed a call for victims of domestic violence to receive additional annual leave.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has requested victims get 10 extra days of annual leave.
ABC News reports some big businesses, such as Telstra and Kmart, already offer time off for people having a hard time at home.
However, tonight’s episode of Lateline will tell the story of one woman who had to leave her job and give up counselling sessions for her and her son.
She told the program she could no longer fit in legal, medical, counselling, financial and her son’s school appointments, on top of her job.
Lateline will air tonight on ABC.
2. Greens push for same-sex marriage vote in parliament this year in wake of Ireland referendum.
By ABC.
The Greens have moved to push federal parliament to a vote on same-sex marriage before the end of the year.
Renewed debate in Australia has been triggered by Ireland’s vote in favour of marriage equality in a referendum on the weekend.
Same-sex marriage has already been legalised in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said her party’s Marriage Equality Bill would be brought on for debate in the Senate on June 18, with a view to vote on November 12.
Senator Hanson-Young said it was time Australia “really caught up”.
“This gives members of all parties the opportunity to think about how they will vote on this issue but also the impetus for Tony Abbott to allow his party room to have a free vote, to vote with their hearts as well as their heads,” she said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who remains opposed to same-sex marriage, has said it is up to the Coalition party room to decide if the issue warranted a conscience vote.
The issue was not brought up at this morning’s joint party room meeting, but yesterday Liberal supporters of marriage equality said the discussion was “close”.
Labor has granted MPs a conscience vote on marriage equality, however deputy leader Tanya Plibersek is pushing for a binding vote in favour of the issue.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has baulked at that, setting it up as a flashpoint for the party’s July national conference.
A growing number of ALP MPs are switching their vote to support the idea, with frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon the latest to add his voice to a yes vote, citing a change in popular sentiment.
This article was originally published by ABC Online.
3. BB King’s death being treated as a homicide.
Police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of Blues legend, BB King.
Nevada police are treating the death as suspicious after King’s daughters accused his business associates of poisoning him.
Karen Williams and Patty King say their father’s manager and personal assistant murdered the star.
“I believe my father was poisoned and that he was administrated foreign substances to induce his premature death,” the daughters wrote their affidavits, obtained by E Online.
“(I) request a formal investigation into this matter.”
Accused manager Laverne Toney is the executor of King’s estate and has denied the allegations.
King died in his Las Vegas home on May 14, aged 89 years.
5. Gillian Triggs will not pursue corruption charges against George Brandis.
The Australian Federal Police will not continue to a corruption investigation into the Attorney General, after Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs drops her complaint.
Earlier this year, Triggs accused Attorney General George Brandis of offering her a job in order to encourage her to leave the Human Rights Commission.
Guardian Australia reports the AFP investigated the matter.
“During that dialogue with Professor Triggs she stated she did not wish to make a complaint nor was she interested in pursuing this matter,” police commissioner Andrew Colvin wrote in a letter to shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus.
“The evaluation did not identify evidence to support the allegation and consequently the AFP will not be taking any further action in relation to the matter.”
6. Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his government won’t be axing the “tampon tax” any time soon.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott says that removing GST on sanitary items is “certainly not something Government plans to do”, despite Treasurer Joe Hockey admitting they were “essential products” on last night’s episode of Q&A.
Mr Hockey agreed the GST “probably should” be removed from tampons and promised to lobby the state treasurers for the change.
According to ABC News, Mr Abbott distanced himself from the comments today.
“I understand there’s long been a push to take the GST off goods, which are one way or another regarded as health products,” he said.
“It’s certainly not something that this Government has a plan to do.”
The debate comes after a petition to have tampons and sanitary pads made exempt from GST garnered more than 90,000 signatures online.
The university student behind the petition, Subeta Vimalarajah, asked Mr Hockey directly if he agreed the tax should be removed.
“It probably should, yes, the answer’s yes,” Mr Hockey told the Q&A audience.
Do you have a news tip? Email us at news@mamamia.com.au.
Top Comments
It is highly unlikely that surgery was denied due to "burden on society". More likely the medico legal term "unduly burdensome" was used, meaning it would not be fair to put the poor boy through it, as tragically he has a fatal condition. Unfortunately his medical team can't put forward their side of the story. The petition is well intentioned but inappropriate. If it was really the rational behind surgery not being offered, it would be easy enough to find a surgeon who would do it.
This is a mother who is powerless against her child's fatal illness, she needs do everything she can to try and save her son, futile or not, as would EVERYBODY else, if only I tried harder is not a thought you want associated with the death of a child, let her have the petition, nobody is making you sign it.