Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised the AFL over its handling of the current scandal engulfing the league.
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Albanese → criticise → league
On Wednesday, the Swans stood down five players for the rest of the AFL season — vice captain Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon, Riley Bice and Nick Blakey — for breaching club standards for drinking and bringing women to the hotel.
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Swans → stand → hotel
Police from Victoria's sexual crimes squad have since flown to New South Wales and are investigating a report of sexual assault, which the ABC understands centres on a player allegedly touching one of the women without her consent.
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player → fly → consent
Mr Albanese told 7.30 that he felt the initial response was not good enough.
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response → tell → 7.30
It's extraordinary that this has occurred," Mr Albanese said.
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Albanese → occur → ?
"The idea that this is occurring is completely untenable, and the initial response as well was, I think, completely unacceptable.
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I → occur → ?
The NRL have a no-fault stand down clause for issues like this, but the first thoughts should have been always about women and their safety.
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thoughts → have → women
I don't think that occurred at this time.
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that → think → time
The AFL certainly needs to do better."
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AFL → need → ?
That initial response came on Monday afternoon when Swans CEO and Fremantle Dockers great Matthew Pavlich confirmed several players had been linked to the alleged incident.
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players → come → incident
"We’re still piecing together exactly what’s transpired here and have our own set of internal inquiries ongoing," Mr Pavlich said on Monday.
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Pavlich → piece → Monday
"But safe to say that we’re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation."
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players → say → situation
On Tuesday AFL CEO Andrew Dillon described the allegations as "deeply disturbing" in a statement.
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Dillon → describe → statement
On Thursday night the ABC reported that detectives investigating have been told some players paid female adult entertainers to consume drugs off their bodies.
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players → report → bodies
Police have not made any arrests or laid charges.
Mr Albanese said the AFL and the Swans should "have a good look" at their culture.
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AFL → make → culture
Albanese to press Israel over Frankcom
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Albanese → press → Frankcom
While Mr Albanese was focused on several issues at home, the major geopolitical issue of the day involved Israel.
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issue → focus → Israel
On Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) cleared its personnel of any criminal wrongdoing over a 2024 strike on a humanitarian convoy, which killed Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.
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which → clear → Frankcom
The decision was described as an "outrage" by Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday morning.
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decision → describe → morning
Mr Albanese told 7.30 he wanted a much more transparent response from the Israeli government.
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he → tell → government
"It clearly is an outrage and there's a need for a far more transparent and clear explanation from the Israeli government other than what we've received," Mr Albanese said.
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Albanese → be → what
Asked if that would involve an independent investigation, Mr Albanese said it was one option.
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it → ask → investigation
It's certainly not good enough that on World Humanitarian Day ... they release this so-called report that essentially says, 'Yes, we're responsible, but nothing to see here', he said".
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he → release → report
"Zomi represented the best of Australians out there in a dangerous area, helping her fellow global citizens as she had in other parts of the world that were suffering conflict as well.
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that → represent → conflict
And that's why it deserves better.
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it → deserve → better
Her family deserved better, and frankly, Australia deserves better.
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Australia → deserve → better
We will press the Israeli government.
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We → press → government
"[We] will discuss with Ms Frankcom's family.
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We → discuss → family
They deserve to be consulted on these issues and we'll do that, and then we'll make an announcement in coming days."
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we → deserve → days
PM concedes podcast appearance was 'an error'
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appearance → concede → ?
The Prime Minister was also asked about criticism he's faced over several comments he made on the Deep Bush podcast.
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he → ask → podcast
Mr Albanese first came under scrutiny for playing "shag, marry, date" on the podcast, which was broadcast in July.
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which → come → July
He has since unequivocally apologised for saying he would "shag" Kylie Minogue.
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he → apologise → Minogue
Recently it was hand gestures he made on the podcast, while referring to a pair of melons given to him by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, that caused controversy.
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that → make → controversy
Mr Albanese has not apologised specifically for the melon interaction and maintains that the gestures have been misinterpreted.
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gestures → apologise → interaction
However, he told 7.30 that in hindsight he should not have gone on the podcast and that he had learned from it.
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he → tell → it
"I learned that I need to do better every day," Mr Albanese said.
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Albanese → learn → ?
"If I had my time again ... then I wouldn't have done that podcast.
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I → have → podcast
"We have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error.
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that → have → people
The Aporia
