1.Kim Williams is trending in Australia because he has been announced as the new chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), replacing Ita Buttrose.
Kim Williams has a diverse background. He was an ‘obsessive’ clarinettist in his youth and dreamed of a music career. He studied at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music and the University of Sydney. He has worked at senior levels in film, broadcasting, and the arts for several decades. He also had a stint at News Corp, but he is expected to be rigorously independent as ABC chair.
Williams is known for his tough business persona, demanding accountability, and his deep involvement in the arts. His vision for the ABC is to be Australia’s “campfire” – a shared space for all citizens, a unifying institution. This appointment has made him a trending topic in Australia.
2.Scott Morrison, the former Prime Minister of Australia, is trending because he has announced his decision to quit politics. Morrison, who was first elected in 2007 and served as the country’s leader from 2018 to 2022, has decided to join the private sector. He stated that “the time has come for me to return to private life” and he plans to take on a series of advisory roles related to defence. His retirement was expected following a significant election loss to Labor’s Anthony Albanese in 2022.
During his political career, Morrison oversaw Australia’s pandemic response, the Aukus defence pact, and was involved in a historic scandal for secretly appointing himself to several ministerial positions while PM. He first garnered national attention in 2013 when he was appointed to cabinet as immigration minister and oversaw Operation Sovereign Borders. He then served as social services minister and treasurer, before succeeding Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal Party leader and prime minister. His legacy includes Australia’s pandemic response, the Aukus security pact, and several controversies.
