Weekend Wrap 21 Nov 2021: Tim Paine resignation highlights Morrison‘s lack of leadership on Alan Tudge, Wages going backwards, final sitting fortnight, QAnon rallies coordinated across the globe

Ben Davison looks at how Tim Paine's resignation from the captaincy of the Australian cricket team over sexual misconduct contrasts to the promotion of Alan Tudge by Scott Morrison over sexual misconduct that occurred around the same time in 2017.  Paine has resigned over sexting prior to it becoming public knowledge while Tudge conducted an affair with a member of his staff and was subsequently promoted when news of the affair became public on 4Corners.

Why does Morrison allow someone who has fallen so far below the bar required to be a leader in our nations cricket team to continue to be a cabinet minister in his government and lecture the nation's educators on what is and isn't acceptable values to teach our young people?

The latest wage growth figures have come out and show that the real value of wages continues to drop.  ALP Treasury spokesperson Jim Chalmers has claimed on Insiders that petrol prices have gone up $900 while wages have declined $700 and that Labor welcomes a debate about economic management.

The final sitting fortnight for 2021 is about to kick off and Albo has challenged Morrison to a series of debates.  Given Morrison won't be passing a federal ICAC and may struggle to get his religious discrimination bill passed, with some in his government saying it goes to far and others saying it doesn't go far enough, a series of debates might be the only useful way to fill the allotted time. 

We have seen more death threats against Victorian and Queensland MPs, as well as actual violence committed against a cross-bench MP's daughter, while globally coordinated far right and Qanon aligned protests took place in Australian capital cities and across Europe .