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You can listen to The Front on your

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smart speaker every morning. To

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hear the latest episode, just say, play

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the news from the Australian. From

0:22

The Australian, here's What's on the Front. I'm Claire

0:24

Harvey. It's Tuesday, June 18. The

0:32

family of murder victim Lynette Sims

0:34

have launched an impassioned defence of

0:36

Lynne's law, a nobody-no-parole law designed

0:38

to keep her killer, Chris Dawson,

0:40

behind bars unless he reveals what

0:42

he did with Lynne's remains. A

0:45

campaign supported by wrongly convicted women Kathleen

0:47

Follbeek and Lindy Chamberlain is demanding a

0:49

repeal of the New South Wales law.

0:52

But Greg and Marilyn Sims say

0:54

the families of homicide victims deserve

0:56

certainty. The

1:00

coalition would scrap offshore wind projects

1:02

in Australia. Nationals leader David Littleproud

1:04

says renewables must be on rooftops

1:07

where the environment can't be destroyed.

1:09

It comes after Labor declared an offshore

1:12

wind zone 20 kilometres off the Illawarra

1:14

coast in New South Wales. Chinese

1:18

officials have attempted to block an

1:20

Australian journalist at a press conference

1:23

in Parliament House with visiting Chinese

1:25

Premier Li Cheng and Anthony Albanese.

1:27

Extraordinary scenes unfolded as Australian officials

1:30

physically blocked the Chinese personnel from

1:32

obstructing Cheng, who spent nearly three

1:34

years in a Chinese jail and

1:37

now works at Sky News Australia.

1:40

Anthony Albanese said he didn't see what was

1:42

going on. I'm not

1:44

aware of those issues. It's important

1:46

that people be allowed to participate

1:49

fully and that's what

1:51

should happen in this building or anywhere

1:53

else in Australia. The visit

1:55

is a big deal for Australia with Premier

1:57

Li saying the relationship is on the right

2:00

track. announcing Australian nationals will be

2:02

allowed to enter China for holidays

2:04

or work without needing a visa.

2:07

That story is live now at

2:09

theaustralian.com.au Bruce

2:13

Lerman will fight to have sexual

2:16

assault charges against him thrown out

2:18

of court. Media organisations were booted

2:20

out of court in Toowoomba on

2:22

Monday when a complainant alleged Lerman

2:24

sexually assaulted her in 2021. Today,

2:27

why Lerman is arguing there's no

2:29

case to it. I'm

2:38

buzzing this morning. I've been up since the crack of

2:40

dawn. Those were

2:43

the words spoken by Bruce Lerman as he

2:45

made his way into the Toowoomba Magistrates Court

2:47

on Monday morning. They're being read by a

2:49

voice actor. Bruce,

2:54

what happened that night? The

2:56

former Liberal staffer was surrounded by a

2:58

media scrum that had descended on the

3:01

Queensland city. Do

3:04

you defend the targets? Where's

3:06

Peter Costello when you need him? Lerman

3:10

was referring there to a physical altercation

3:12

between the former nine chairman and a

3:14

reporter from the Australian at Canberra Airport.

3:17

Liam Mendes was knocked to the ground

3:20

while trying to question Costello about allegations

3:22

of bullying and harassment at the TV

3:24

network. 29-year-old

3:26

Lerman is charged with two counts of

3:28

rape relating to an incident that's alleged

3:30

to have happened in his hometown Toowoomba

3:33

in October 2021. He's yet to formally enter a

3:35

plea, but

3:37

will defend the charges. It

3:44

was Lerman's first appearance in these proceedings.

3:46

He came with a silk, Andrew Haw

3:49

Casey, who's gone in with an aggressive

3:51

approach. He'll be arguing the whole matter

3:53

should be thrown out after what unfolded

3:56

on Monday. Laws in

3:58

place in Queensland prior to October. The great

4:00

many people accused of sexual assault couldn't

4:02

be named until a matter with committed

4:04

to trial. Can middle is a process

4:07

in a lower court with the evidence

4:09

is tested. If the magistrate blaze the

4:11

case should proceed, it goes to a

4:13

higher court where it's heard before judge

4:15

and jury. Layman's

4:18

Louis for his identification for weeks after

4:20

the law was scrapped bought the Queensland

4:22

Supreme court allowed him to be named

4:24

a high profile person charged with true

4:27

pounds of rice in the rain snow

4:29

queen sun city of to One Bath

4:31

can finally be named as former Liberal

4:34

party saw thought a smarmy. It's

4:38

one the court isn't typically nine said

4:40

A so it's a high profile cases.

4:43

Because. He scored is a reporter with the

4:45

Australian soon into one that said a hearing.

4:48

So the public gallery

4:50

only had sixteen seats

4:52

and. Sell for

4:55

almost immediately. so we had.

4:57

Paypal. Fitting five to a role for.

4:59

we had people standing in the middle of

5:02

the call or at the back. We had

5:04

people sitting on the floor. It was quite

5:06

a sight to say. I don't think they

5:08

score of the really set up for these

5:11

types of The Tories cases. News.

5:13

Organizations including News Corp Australia which

5:15

publishes the Australian Nine and the

5:17

Id say apply to be prison.

5:20

While the complainant a twenty eight

5:22

year old woman gave evidence, she

5:24

was cross examined by Council Philemon

5:26

giving evidence over about an hour.

5:29

Of. Our sister, the news outlets decider

5:31

Goldie, argued it was important for journalists

5:33

to see the complainants evidence so it

5:35

could be accurately reported. It's

5:38

an important, fundamental proposition to our

5:40

legal system. This. Matter is a

5:42

unique case which has attracted a high

5:45

degree of national interest in media coverage.

5:47

There. Is therefore a high public interest

5:49

in the matter. But.

5:52

Layman's does influence Andrew Hore

5:54

and Crown Prosecutor Nicole Freedom

5:56

Old both opposed the application.

5:59

Both. Said they. The concerned the details of

6:01

the complainants evidence in chief and cross

6:03

examination would make it easy for her

6:05

to be identified. So.

6:08

Obviously in a sort of not

6:10

as. The. Law does protects

6:12

and planet coming forward. Sorry

6:14

to. Encourage. Others

6:16

to come forward in they

6:18

sort of cases how legal

6:20

fees and hasten did put

6:22

forward alternative say we could

6:25

bayonet. Sepracor. When as

6:27

she gave her evidence via

6:29

videolink all are we to

6:31

be obscured from view. spots.

6:33

Bars The. Proud. And

6:35

the defense were concerned about privacy

6:38

and the fact that she may

6:40

be identified via the evidence that

6:42

she. Was providing. Magistrate.

6:44

Mark how to and ultimately. Blocked the application

6:47

mating members of the media including Mackenzie

6:49

we sent out of the court room

6:51

while the complainant gave her evidence. So.

6:54

It was frustrating for journalists not to

6:57

be in the room as the complain

6:59

and gave her evidence. But.

7:02

I think it was largely expected.

7:04

Please Imports have lack of transparency

7:06

in the past and this not

7:08

all guys I pass of the

7:10

course of what to expect than

7:12

covering these sorts of cases in

7:14

Queensland. Magistrate. Hadn't acknowledge the

7:17

high degree of public interest in his

7:19

case and accepted the principle of open

7:21

justice. But. He said it doesn't have

7:23

a rule the complainants right to privacy in

7:25

a proceeding like be. Able

7:29

very quick or in nearby to

7:31

and added that I to ten

7:33

pm. basically wants to go back

7:35

in the burbs. Mr. London's barista

7:37

Andrew whole case a told the

7:39

court that they will be making

7:41

your submission to basically say there

7:43

is no case to move forward

7:45

to trial. Mr. Clements defense did

7:47

say that the twelve paid some

7:49

he said would have some density.

7:51

And. It would highlight the insufficient evidence

7:53

within Queensland Police. As case. Behind.

7:58

Closed doors. The complainant later. Her

8:00

allegations. Against Free Slim and

8:02

charges. Will so slide in January. Twenty

8:05

twenty. Three. According

8:07

to police. Documents the complainant heard about

8:09

allegations against for Islam. And bite Recently

8:11

he does that prompted the to Wonder

8:13

Woman. To identify limb and is the man

8:16

she had a sexual encounter with. In.

8:18

October. Twenty Twenty one. The

8:20

matter heard on Monday into one, but

8:23

is unrelated to the earlier allegation and

8:25

to proceedings that have unfolded in these

8:27

scenes. In. De Smet the

8:29

complainant says she met lamb and at

8:31

a strip club in Twenty Twenty One.

8:33

We introduced himself as Bryce. To.

8:36

Will not Islam and home town

8:38

and it's believe he was staying

8:41

with his mother when this incident

8:43

is alleged to have occurred. He

8:45

was on bail at the time,

8:47

having just repeating court over an

8:49

allegation made by Britney Higgins that

8:51

he raped her in Parliament House

8:53

in early twenty nineteen. That trial

8:55

with sensationally aborted in light. Twenty

8:57

Twenty Two. That aiming

8:59

in an extraordinary turn of events.

9:01

the right price of former Liberal

9:04

staff. A Bruise Luhrmann there's been

9:06

aborted after a jurors misconduct was

9:08

discovered by a court sheriff. That's

9:10

when Bruce lame and sued Nitwit Ten

9:13

and Wilkinson said decimation. Delegation.

9:15

Made by person he he gets was sound

9:17

on the balance of. Probabilities to be

9:19

true by Justice Michael Lay in

9:22

the Federal Court Defamation proceedings brought.

9:24

By limb and against nitwit ten and

9:26

present at least a wilkinson. With

9:29

implanted into to One that Matters says she had

9:31

consensual sex with land and on the not they're

9:33

nice. And twice the next

9:35

morning thought that he failed to

9:38

use a condom, despite her expectation

9:40

that he do so. She.

9:42

Says she never consented. To

9:44

unprotected intercourse and is her allegation

9:46

is proven it's technically conceded to

9:49

under Queensland law Colloquial He it's

9:51

called still Thing and it was

9:54

formerly criminalize in Queensland in March

9:56

as taught a sweeping reforms to

9:58

the way L. of sexual

10:00

assault and coercive control are treated

10:03

by the justice system. Coming

10:09

up, Bruce Lamens bid to get the whole

10:12

matter thrown out. We'll be back after this

10:14

break. We're

10:30

waking up to a dead woman, a dead

10:32

mother. Sister, auntie, green mother, it's

10:34

not good enough. One

10:48

was shot in the mouth, but I thought he was

10:50

dead. Another one better shot the shotgun and I got

10:52

the overspray. Did

11:01

you know that there's more than 2000 stocks listed

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on the Australian stock exchange? Most

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of which you've never heard of. Most of which are

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actually right at the cutting edge of what's going to

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in mind searching for the battery metals to power us

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into the future. Medical

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companies researching the next big breakthrough to make

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us healthy into the future. Or

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tech companies, brilliant young Australian

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entrepreneurs seeking the next big

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tech unicorn. Well, if

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you want to know about them, search Stockhead.

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Stockhead is focused on the small.

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You never know. You could find

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the next big thing. stockhead.com.au So

11:43

there's still lots of unanswered questions, aren't there Mackenzie?

11:45

You haven't been allowed to see the police brief

11:47

of evidence. You haven't

11:49

been allowed to hear the complainant's claims about

11:51

what happened that night. So

11:53

what do we know about what the magistrate's going to

11:55

do in terms of committing this to trial or not?

11:59

The matter has been adjourned. until July

12:01

4. At that time we

12:03

will reconvene and

12:05

the submission put forward by the

12:07

defence will be considered by the

12:10

magistrate. The Crown will have

12:12

to provide its response in writing by July

12:14

3. So we should at

12:16

that point know whether or not this

12:18

matter will proceed to a jury trial.

12:21

Bruce Lemon appears to

12:23

have depleted his funds in the other

12:26

legal actions that he's had on foot.

12:28

He's now representing himself in the appeal

12:30

in the Federal Court. He's

12:32

got a KC in this case which

12:34

if he's paying those bills will already

12:37

be running well into the multiple tens

12:39

of thousands of dollars. How

12:41

did he seem on his way out of court? Those

12:43

questions were put to him as he was

12:45

leaving by waiting journalists but there was no

12:48

response from Mr Lemon at all. He just

12:51

walked straight to his lawyer's car and

12:53

then as they were driving off they

12:56

beeped the horn and waved at journalists as they

12:58

walked past. It's quite an unusual

13:00

scene isn't it? Probably not what you were expecting when

13:02

you went to cover a sexual assault matter this morning.

13:05

It was a bit surprising but we

13:08

know that this case was meant to

13:10

be three hours and now we're going into

13:12

two days. We keep getting Kerbal's thrown at

13:14

us so let's just see what happens when

13:16

we come back next month. Mr

13:18

Lemon won't have to be in the

13:20

courtroom next time. He has

13:23

been given permission to appear via video

13:25

link or via telephone so I don't

13:27

expect we'll have this same sort of

13:30

media circus again next time. Mackenzie

13:33

Scott is a journalist with the Australian. The

13:39

Reserve Bank board meets on Tuesday morning and

13:41

is expected to hold the cash rate at 4.35%

13:46

per second. You

13:48

can follow the decision live at the

13:50

Australian Cocaine

14:07

is a global industry where the profits

14:09

are counted up in millions and

14:12

the losses measured out in

14:14

murders because it's only

14:16

business and right

14:18

now business is good. And

14:21

I'm like, what's your cell? What are you talking about? I

14:24

don't think we can arrest our way out of it.

14:27

Listen to Cocaine Inc. wherever you

14:30

get your podcasts or visit

14:32

cocaineinc.com.au I

14:38

used to be a homicide detective. It was my job

14:40

to lock people up and put them in here. You

14:42

get to hit a locker animal, you're going to act

14:44

like one. I didn't really care what happened to them.

14:46

Whatever they got inside, I reckon they deserved. You walk

14:49

out of the cell, you might not be walking back

14:51

in that night. Now I'm going back into a maximum

14:53

security prison to find out what