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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Donna Lu (now) and Graham Readfearn (earlier)

Severe weather and flood warnings – as it happened

Scott Morrison Michael Towke Australia Victoria
Scott Morrison
Prime minister Scott Morrison denies saying Michael Towke was a Muslim or suggesting he couldn’t be trusted because he was a Lebanese Australian. Photograph: Sarah Rhodes/AAP

The day that was, Sunday 3 April

It’s time for us to wrap up the blog for the evening. Here’s a summary of the day’s top news stories:

  • Communities across eastern Victoria have been urged to move to higher ground after heavy rain flooded rivers in the region, with more severe weather expected overnight.
  • Michael Towke, who initially beat Scott Morrison in a ballot to contest Cook for the Liberal party 15 years ago, doubled down on his position that the prime minister used claims about Towke’s Lebanese heritage to undermine him.
  • The Victorian government announced it would invest $1.5bn to increase the state’s elective surgery capacity to 125% by 2023.
  • Two missing kayakers – a teenage boy and a 51-year-old woman – were rescued overnight in south-western Victoria after the 13-year-old boy used his watch to signal a police helicopter.
  • Outgoing federal MP George Christensen announced he had tested positive for Covid-19.
  • There were 17 Covid-19 deaths and 46,818 cases reported around Australia.

Enjoy the rest of your night.

For some positive environment news, may I recommend two pieces by Bronwen Scott, both published today.

The first is about the range expansion of rainbow lorikeets – recent arrivals to Canberra – likely thanks to extensive native tree planting, which has provided them with food and nesting sites:

The second is on efforts to restore critically endangered mabi rainforest in north Queensland, which now covers less than 4.5% of its former range:

Updated

There have been a few photos and videos floating around capturing the wild weather that battered the east coast yesterday. In combination with a king tide, it has led to reports of coastal damage and erosion in NSW.

Here are a couple of videos of what Bondi looked like yesterday:

The prime minister was in Tasmania on Sunday to announce further funding for the Marinus Link electricity interconnector.

Scott Morrison announced an additional $75m on Sunday for the Marinus Link project which will export hydroelectricity from Tasmania into the other regions of the National Electricity Market, delivering an expected $4.6bn in benefits across the market.

Morrison said:

This will have enormous benefits for Tasmanians and Victorians, strengthening the economy, creating thousands of jobs, driving down power bills and easing cost of living pressures.

Our climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, has previously covered the ins and outs of the link. You can read more about it here:

State emergency services in Victoria have issued an additional flood warning for the Tambo and Nicholson river systems in the state’s east, advising people to move to higher ground.

There are currently several flood warnings in place.

Vulnerable and elderly Australians will begin receiving a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, ahead of a predicted winter infection surge. AAP reports:

The groups will include those 65 or older, Indigenous Australians aged at least 50, disability care residents and the immunocompromised.

An estimated 4.7 million people will be eligible to get the fourth dose but it’s expected less than 200,000 will be able at the start of the rollout.

People can have a second booster shot four months after receiving their first.

A parliamentary hearing was told on Friday eligibility numbers will be “relatively small” initially, with the bulk of people more likely able to book vaccination appointments through May and June.

Health department secretary Dr Brendan Murphy says the fourth jab will be critical in the effort to protect at-risk Australians ahead of winter, with a surge in cases of both the virus and influenza looming.

“The single most important thing we can do to protect people with underlying medical conditions, people with disability, people at risk of severe COVID, is to get as much vaccination - including full booster protection - as possible,” he said.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee expects an infection peak will hit in mid-April in several jurisdictions.

Comprised of chief health officers from across the country, the group says it is considering recommending the removal of quarantine for close COVID-19 contacts.

It says isolation could be replaced by frequent rapid antigen testing, mask wearing outside the house and limiting access of close contacts to high-risk settings.

While we’re on Covid numbers, here are the figures for the territories, where thankfully nobody died from the virus yesterday.

The Northern Territory had no new deaths and 309 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday. There are currently 14 patients in hospital.

In the ACT, there were no new deaths and 718 new cases. Presently there are 41 people in hospital.

South Australia records one new Covid death

The latest Covid-19 figures are in for South Australia: one death, 188 hospitalisations, and 4,096 new cases.

State emergency services in Victoria now have four flood warnings in place asking people to move to higher ground in the east of the state. Here’s what they’re saying

  • The east and west of the Cann River may hit major flood levels overnight tonight
  • A moderate flood warning is in place for the Genoa River and could hit a moderate flood level this evening
  • The Snowy River downstream of Basin Creek, at Jarrahmond, and also at Orbost, could reach the major flood level overnight Sunday into Monday with further rises possible
  • The Buchan River at Buchan could reach the major flood level overnight Sunday into Monday with further rises possible

Flood warnings were issued earlier today for the Mitchell and upstream and downstream of Glenaladale.

Updated

The Nationals MP George Christensen has tested positive for Covid-19 on a rapid antigen test, he has said in a Facebook post.

Christensen said today he was not vaccinated against Covid and he was treating his symptoms with a combination of Lemsip, Panadol, aspirin, vitamins and “a couple of antivirals”.

He wrote:

Watch the haters now hope for something horrible to happen to me as a result.

Christensen has previously pushed anti-vaccination messages that the prime minister labelled as “dangerous” and that undermined his own government’s public health messaging.

Nationals member for Dawson George Christensen after making his valedictory speech in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, March 31, 2022.
Nationals member for Dawson George Christensen after making his valedictory speech in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, March 31, 2022. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Police have launched a hunt for a man after a 15-year-old boy was allegedly detained in a toilet cubicle on Saturday in Sydney’s Central Station and sexually assaulted.

The boy was assaulted by an unknown man on the Country Concourse at about 3pm on Saturday, police in Sydney said.

The man left the scene and boarded a train to Mortdale, where police said he got off and left the station.

Officers with Sydney’s City Police Area Command launched an investigation after the boy reported the incident to his mum.

On Sunday, police released an image of a man they thought could help them with their investigation.

That man was described as of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall, solid build, aged between 40 and 50 years, with a white beard.

In the image he is wearing a black and fluorescent jacket with a black t-shirt, jeans and black sneakers.

Police urge anyone with information that could help identify the man to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Updated

Victoria will invest $1.5bn to address its growing elective surgery waitlist as part of a catch-up scheme. The plan aims to increase elective surgery capacity to 125% by 2023, with 40,000 additional surgeries to take place in the next year. AAP reports:

Victoria’s non-urgent surgery waitlists have blown out due to Covid restrictions over the past two years.

Category two and three procedures were suspended in January, with 80,000 people waiting as of the last update in December.

The acting premier, James Merlino, said an additional 16,000 surgeries beyond current capacity would be performed by year’s end.

The state government will fund the $1.5bn hospital package alone after the federal government decided not to include a provision in last week’s budget.

“We asked the commonwealth for support for this initiative and they have refused, nevertheless we are going ahead with it,” Merlino said.

Across the wider network, $475m will ensure additional same-day surgeries, more twilight and after-hours work and theatre improvements.

Another $548m will help get more public patients into private hospitals, with an extra 51,300 of them to receive elective surgery by June 2024.

The deputy opposition leader, David Southwick, said the funding should have been announced two years ago.

“It is simply not good enough for the government now to promise more money when they should have done in the first place,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, $54m will also be spent to develop three new mental health support hubs for children and families.

Updated

National Covid update

Here are the Covid numbers reported around Australia today:

NSW

  • Deaths: 11
  • Cases: 16,087
  • In hospital: 1,355

Queensland

  • No deaths in last 24 hours
  • Cases: 8,478
  • In hospital: 418

Western Australia

  • Deaths: three historical deaths
  • Cases: 6,439
  • In hospital: 221

Victoria

  • Deaths: two
  • Cases: 9,008
  • In hospital: 307

South Australia

  • Deaths: one
  • Cases: 4,096
  • In hospital: 188

Northern Territory

  • No deaths
  • Cases: 309
  • In hospital: 14

Australian Capital Territory

  • No deaths
  • Cases: 718
  • In hospital: 41

Tasmania

  • No deaths
  • Cases: 1,683
  • In hospital: 37

Updated

'Completely untrue': Morrison denies preselection stoush claim

Scott Morrison has again emphatically denied claims that he sought to use a preselection opponent’s Lebanese heritage to undermine him.

On Sunday Morrison told reporters in Tasmania the claim was “completely untrue”, adding that it was “very rare” he would respond to such claims.

But on this particular occasion, as others have continued to wish to report it, I could not reject this more fundamentally, more soundly.

Morrison blamed the allegations on “individuals who haven’t liked the answer they’ve got” from party preselection processes. He said:

So, rather than accept that, they’ve decided to cast all sorts of slings and arrows at me ... People will throw all sorts of mud at you – particularly when you get up close to an election and they’ll make all sorts of things up, because they have other motivations.

The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has said Labor has no plans to increase taxes on Australians if elected in May, labelling any claims to the contrary as a “scare campaign”.

The senior frontbencher said today that federal Labor will look to lift foreign aid if elected, and that its only tax proposal was to crack down on multinational tax avoidance.

Read the full story, from my colleague Paul Karp, here:

Updated

In some good news, two missing kayakers – a teenage boy and a 51-year-old woman – were rescued overnight in south-western Victoria, near the South Australian border.

Police praised the 13-year-old boy, who used his watch to signal a police helicopter.

Victoria Police Insp Kelly Walker said the watch’s light appeared as a beacon that led crews to the location of the pair.

Walker said:

The quick-thinking actions of the 13-year-old boy, who shined his watch light at police, ultimately led to their rescue.

Our night-vision [camera] picks up heat, so the pair were not standing out against the large number of wildlife that comes out to play at night.

Read the full story here:

Updated

Here’s some satellite imaging from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 Earth observation mission, showing the extent of the flooding in northern NSW on March 31. The flooded area was reportedly greater than 300 sq km.

Updated

Western Australia records 6,439 cases and three deaths

Thanks Graham. Afternoon all – let’s kick things off with the Western Australia Covid figures.

WA recorded 6,439 cases yesterday, according to the state’s premier, Mark McGowan. There are three deaths included in yesterday’s figures, but these are historical and were reported to WA Health in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday. There are currently 221 people in hospital.

Updated

My awesome colleague Donna Lu will take you through the rest of your Sunday.

The man who initially beat Scott Morrison in a ballot to contest Cook for the Liberal party 15 years ago has doubled down on his position that the now-prime minister used claims about his Lebanese heritage to undermine him.

Michael Towke, on Sunday in the Nine newspapers, publicly backed a 2016 account that preselectors informed him that Morrison had told them in 2007 “a candidate of Lebanese heritage could not hold the seat of Cook, especially after the Cronulla riots” and there was a “strong rumour” that Towke was a Muslim.

Here’s Paul Karp’s full story.

Updated

How would an Australian republic work and how would it elect a president?

The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) has released what its chair, the writer Peter FitzSimons, says is the most credible proposal for an Australian republic ever published.

Each state and territory would be able to nominate one candidate, and the federal government could nominate three. So that’s 11 candidates chosen by governments going to a national poll to be elected for a five-year term.

After two years of consultation with 10,000 Australians, ARM has published the detail of the constitutional draft it says would see the nation ruled by an Australian. You can download a copy of the constitution here. FitzSimons said:

More than two years of consultation, detailed analysis and drafting went into creating these reforms and they represent the most credible proposal for an Australian republic published yet.

Not only do they represent strong policy and sound constitutional reforms, but after deep consultation we are confident they reflect what Australians have overwhelmingly told us they want.

ARM launched an advertising campaign in January after launching its model for an Australian republic.

The Australian Republic Movement’s ad campaign to back its model for a new constitution.

Updated

In Brisbane, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has delivered a campaign stump speech heavy on the policy detail of its aged care package from the budget reply and criticisms of Scott Morrison for his handling of natural disasters and the cost of living.

Australia is the greatest country in the world. But we can be a better country with a better government. My message to Australians is simple – Labor is ready to form government. We are ready to start building back stronger. We are ready to improve lives and solve problems. The most experienced incoming Labor government in our history. A government I lead will be worthy of you. As prime minister, I will always step up for you. I won’t disappear when the going gets tough. I won’t mistake a photo opportunity for action. And I will always be straight with you.

Anthony Albanese addresses a crowd during a Labor campaign rally at the Kedron-Wavell Services Club in Brisbane on Sunday.
Anthony Albanese speaks at a Labor campaign rally at the Kedron-Wavell Services Club in Brisbane on Sunday. Photograph: Russell Freeman/AAP

The speech both pointed to Labor’s record in office, but argued it has presented a substantial policy offering for the next term – an implicit rejection of those arguing it has a small-target strategy.

In the Labor party, we do not rest on our record. It inspires us to even greater heights. To reach for our best days, which I know are ahead of us. Because Labor knows how to get Australia there. Because Labor is the party that delivers. I can pledge to you this: Labor will ease the costs of living. Labor will strengthen Medicare. Labor will deliver cleaner and cheaper energy. Labor will deliver a better NBN. Labor will put the nurses back into nursing homes. Labor will make childcare cheaper. Labor will tackle the skills crisis with fee-free TAFE. Labor will create a Future Made in Australia. We will do all of that, and more.

The speech concluded with some folksy nods to Queensland deserving better representation, like Annastacia Palaszczuk has provided, and a state of origin reference that Albanese is with Queensland “365 days a year and 362 nights”.

“We need a better government – and I know we need Queensland to help deliver it,” Albanese said.

He also singled out individual candidates that give an idea of Labor’s targets: Madonna Jarrett, who is contesting Brisbane; Ali France who “the whole nation hopes takes out Peter Dutton”; and Rebecca Fanning whose opponent in Longman “hasn’t troubled the scorer”.

Updated

NSW healthcare workers to walk out on Thursday

Thousands of healthcare workers are expected to walk off their jobs in NSW on Thursday over a pay dispute.

The Health Services Union has told AAP the planned industrial action will include stopping work for four hours at major metro hospitals and two hours at regional hospitals.

Workers will include ambulance, cleaning, allied health, admin, security, catering and wards.

Under a state wages cap, public sector pay increases can’t go over 2.5%, but the union says it’s not enough with inflation currently at 3.5%.

HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes says:

We don’t need another politician thanking us for being heroes of the pandemic, we need a pay rise.

Health and hospital workers are being smashed by higher prices and stagnant wages.

NSW and the nation desperately need higher wages and this needs to start in the NSW health system.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association rally last week, demanding shift by shift nursing and midwifery staffing ratios.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association rally last week, demanding shift by shift nursing and midwifery staffing ratios. Photograph: Richard Milnes/REX/Shutterstock

Updated

Labor’s Queensland federal campaign rally is under way in Brisbane and the shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers has launched an attack on the character of Scott Morrison.

Morrison is a “fake and a phony” whose “idea of transparency in government is a glass jaw”, Chalmers has just said.

Real leadership is taking responsibility, not just taking the credit. Not just pointing the finger of blame when things get difficult. But most of all it’s bringing people together.

Updated

We were expecting to hear from Scott Morrison this morning during his visit to Devils Gate Hydroelectric Power Station in Tasmania.

There’s no media conference yet from that visit, but if and when it does happen we’ll let you know.

Updated

Queensland: No Covid deaths reported

There have been no deaths reported from Covid over the last 24 hours in Queensland. There are 418 people in hospital and 16 people in intensive care in the state.

Updated

The start of the Women’s Cricket World Cup Final between England and Australia is less than 15 minutes away. England won the toss and will bowl.

Follow our live coverage of the final from Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Captains Heather Knight of England and Meg Lanning of Australia take part in the coin toss ahead of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final.
Captains Heather Knight of England and Meg Lanning of Australia take part in the coin toss ahead of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Updated

Flood warnings in east Victoria as some residents told to move to higher ground

The Bureau of Meteorology has just issued a severe weather warning for the east of Victoria for damaging winds and heavy rain for today.

That comes as the bureau and the Victoria State Emergency Service issue a series of flood warnings.

Parts of the Buchan and Snowy Rivers will hit major flood levels by this evening, the bureau is saying.

The SES has this morning issued “watch and act” warnings for people near the Genoa River, Snowy River downstream of McKillops Bridge and the Bemm River.

People living close to the Cann River and Genoa River have been told to move to higher ground.

Updated

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has just finished an interview on the ABC’s Insiders program now, and has flatly denied ever hearing about Scott Morrison allegedly racially vilifying an opponent in his 2007 pre-selection race in the seat of Cook.

He’s categorically denied it and Jamal Rifi, who is one of Australia’s leaders of the Australian Muslim Lebanese community, has said about Scott Morrison that he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. That’s what he has said.

Rifi made those statements in 2019.

On the budget, Frydenberg repeated the government’s cut to the fuel tax will be temporary and will end in six months’ time under legislation.

He said he wouldn’t be arguing to extend the cut, and that Treasury was forecasting that the price of oil would be down from the current $120 a barrel to $100 by September.

Updated

Victoria: two more deaths from Covid

Victorian health authorities say two more people have died from Covid in the last 24 hours. There are 307 people in hospital, including 18 people in ICU with three people on ventilators.

Updated

On the ABC’s Insiders program, the conversation is about Morrison’s 2007 preselection bid and allegations he had raised his opponent Michael Towke’s Lebanese heritage as a reason to dismiss his campaign.

Morrison yesterday denied making any statements like that and told journalists they should ask the people making the accusations.

The Sydney Morning Herald and the Age chief political correspondent David Crowe has just told the ABC he has spoken to Towke.

He says there was a campaign of racial vilification against him and that Scott Morrison was directly involved. Those are his words.

Updated

NSW records 11 Covid deaths

There have been 11 more deaths from Covid in NSW, where 50 people are currently in intensive care among the 1,355 people in hospital battling the virus.

Updated

Journalist Hugh Riminton has looked at last week’s budget and how it sets up Scott Morrison for the upcoming election.

He writes this morning how the budget was designed to tell Australians their jobs were secure, they were getting some cash and here’s some cheaper petrol to go with it.

The pressure is all now on Morrison. And sometimes it shows. He’s a sitting duck to questions about bullying or ruthlessness, but he can’t afford to counter-punch without looking snappy. Often, he just looks tired.

Good morning

Morning all. Graham Readfearn here.

It’s Sunday and harmony has returned to the eastern states with Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania returning to join Queensland in the same time zone. Did you remember to adjust your clocks?

That’s about it though, harmony-wise. On our live coverage today we’ll follow the heavy weather that’s forecast to continue on the south coast of NSW and the flood warnings for the eastern parts of Victoria.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is facing intense scrutiny over allegations he made “racial comments” in 2007 about a rival candidate for preselection in the seat of Cook. Morrison has denied making the comments.

The candidate who initially won the preselection battle, Michael Towke, has today told the Nine newspapers he stood by a 2016 statutory declaration outlining “many unedifying tactics used to unseat me from my preselection victory”.

Morrison is in Tasmania this morning for a 10am press conference at the Devil’s Gate Hydroelectric Power Station where he is expected to make an energy announcement.

We’ll keep up to date with the latest Covid numbers too. A quick summary from yesterday:

Let’s proceed harmoniously.

Updated

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