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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Caitlin Cassidy and Cait Kelly

Veterans’ affairs minister threatened to quit over budget; Australia reports 30 Covid deaths – as it happened

Scott Morrison Andrew Gee Australia Covid-19 Taylor Hawkins China Anthony Albanese Barnaby Joyce Cheng Lei Solomon Islands
A drive-through Covid test in Melbourne. Victoria reported nine Covid-related deaths and 8,349 new cases on Saturday
A drive-through Covid test in Melbourne. Victoria reported nine Covid-related deaths and 8,349 new cases on Saturday. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

What we learned today, Saturday 26 March

With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening. Enjoy your weekend, we’ll be back tomorrow morning with all the latest.

Here were today’s major developments:

  • The veterans’ affairs minister, Andrew Gee, announced he was on the cusp of offering his resignation from government today due to being refused adequate funding for his department. Gee called a press conference in Orange this morning to reveal he was moments from quitting the frontbench before the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, accepted he would find money for veterans’ compensation payments in the budget.
  • The prime minister, Scott Morrison, said Gee had only recently taken the portfolio and didn’t yet fully understand funding processes. It came as the PM said meeting the new Chinese ambassador would be a “demonstration of weakness” following reports he refused a meeting to resolve the “blockage” in communication.
  • A 65-year-old man has died following an accident at a Queensland coalmine, the result of a lifting injury overnight.
  • In Covid news, a teenager was among two historical Covid deaths reported in Western Australia today. The state recorded 7,535 new cases. There have been 30 deaths across the nation today.
  • Victoria recorded nine Covid deaths and 8,349 new cases, New South Wales recorded four Covid deaths and 19,843 new cases, South Australia recorded 3,897 new cases and seven deaths and Queensland reported eight deaths and 9,404 new cases. The Northern Territory recorded 306 new cases, the ACT recorded 947 new cases and Tasmania recorded 9,695 Covid cases.
  • And a climate protester was arrested today after hanging from Botany Road bridge. It is the fifth day climate activists have gathered at a Sydney shipping terminal used to transport coal.

Updated

Asylum seeker found dead at Villawood detention centre

An Iranian asylum seeker has been found dead in his room at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre.

The man, aged in his late 30s, had been detained in Villawood for two years.

Federal police were on the scene inside the detention centre, where the man was discovered around 1pm today by Serco guards. The cause of his death was not yet known.

The Refugee Action Coalition said it had been told the man had not left his room for the past two weeks and his death allegedly came after a series of detainee incidents inside the centre.

Updated

In sporting news, the hunt continues for the man who caught the football that made history when it was kicked on the foot of Lance Franklin for his 1,000th goal. The Sydney Swans have asked the man to come forward – inclusive of a free meet and greet with the player – so the ball can be passed to Franklin.

Updated

The opposition leader is up and about this afternoon with local councillor Jerome Laxale, who was announced this morning as Labor’s candidate for the Liberal-held Sydney seat of Bennelong.

Simon Kennedy, a partner at consulting firm McKinsey, has been announced by the Coalition as its candidate to replace retiring incumbent John Alexander.

Good stuff.

A 31-year-old man has died following a car crash in Kakadu overnight.

Northern Territory police received reports at around 3am of a single vehicle crash along the Arnhem Highway, some 10km west of the South Alligator River.

The car was carrying six people, with a 31-year-old man declared deceased at the scene.

Five people were conveyed to the local clinic in Jabiru with non-life-threatening injuries.

Detectives are investigating the circumstances that led to the crash.

Updated

South Australia records seven Covid deaths

South Australia has released its daily Covid update, and there have been 3,897 new cases detected.

Sadly, there have been seven further deaths in the state.

There are 151 people being treated in hospital with the virus including five people requiring intensive care and one person on a ventilator.

A shipping terminal in Sydney has been blockaded by climate activists for a fifth day, AAP reports:

Climate activists have struck for the fifth day in a row outside a Sydney shipping terminal used to transport coal.

A 29-year-old suspended himself from the Botany Road bridge, disrupting road and rail traffic early on Saturday morning.

Police said they arrested the man within 20 minutes of arriving at the scene but two city-bound lanes of Botany Road remained closed to traffic.

The Queensland man was refused bail to appear at Parramatta bail court on Sunday.

Eight protesters, including the man arrested on Saturday, have now been charged for their involvement in the protests, which have been taking place on a daily basis since Tuesday.

On Thursday, the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, announced two German nationals would be deported on “good order grounds” for their involvement in a similar incident.

Three protesters were due to face Parramatta local court on Saturday after being arrested and charged on Friday for their parts in the protests.

In a statement from the group organising the protests, Blockade Australia, Saturday’s protester, identified only as Wenzel, said the only way to address the climate crisis was by hindering commercial operations.

Updated

Northern Territory records 306 new Covid cases

NT Health has released today’s Covid-19 update:

There were 306 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the NT in the 24 hours to 8pm on 25 March 2022. Of these, 257 were positive cases from a rapid antigen test (RAT).

There were 247 cases recorded in the Top End region, 16 in Central Australia, four in East Arnhem, 12 in the Big Rivers region, one in the Barkly and 26 are under investigation.

There are currently 22 patients in hospital, with one patient requiring oxygen. There are two patients in ICU.

The number of active cases in the NT is 1,972.

Updated

We have more info from AAP on the detained journalist Cheng Lei, who will face trial in China on Thursday:

The Chinese-born Australian citizen has been in detention for more than 18 months on suspicion of illegally communicating state secrets.

Cheng was a high-profile presenter on the state-run China Global Television Network before she was detained in August 2020.

Chinese authorities notified the Australian government she will face trial in Beijing on 31 March, foreign minister Marise Payne said on Saturday.

The Australian government has regularly raised serious concerns about Ms Cheng’s welfare and conditions of detention.

Our officials have visited her regularly, most recently on 21 March.

We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms.

Australian officials should be allowed to attend the hearing in line with obligations under a bilateral agreement between the two countries, Payne said.

Updated

Wiradjuri artist SJ Norman has won the 2022 Blake prize for an artwork that saw him receive 147 wounds to his back, representing the number of Aboriginal deaths in police custody over the last decade in Australia.

Norman was announced the winner of the $35,000 prize at Sydney’s Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre on Saturday, for his performance piece and photographic diptych titled Cicatrix (All that was taken, all that remains).

When asked whether he was told by Barnaby Joyce that the veterans’ affairs minister, Andrew Gee, would resign if he was not given the requested budget allocation for his department, Morrison says:

Well, this was a budget submission that had come through. I’m not going to go into the details of our budget process. Submissions are made in the course of the budget. The budget was locked, it is locked.

There was always the decision for further funding to be provided under this proposal, which it indeed will, and that was the indication that was provided during the budget process. Mr Gee is new in cabinet and is coming to understand those processes, and I appreciate that he does, and we look forward to getting on with those programs.

Updated

Scott Morrison says meeting Chinese ambassador 'would be a demonstration of weakness'

When questioned about reports he refused to meet the new Chinese ambassador, Scott Morrison explains why he did not:

For the same reason that President Xi does not meet with our ambassador in China. Ambassadors don’t regularly meet with heads of government and that is the case in Australia as well.

On occasions we do, but when we have a situation where China has completely blocked any minister-to-minister dialogue between Australia and China, then, until those arrangements are removed and that block is removed by China, well, I think Australians would think it would be very inappropriate for me to engage in that dialogue with an ambassador.

So long as China continues to refuse to have dialogue with Australian ministers, indeed the prime minister, then I think that’s an entirely proportional response.

When questioned as to why he would not meet with the ambassador to try to resolve the “blockage” in communication, Morrison says it “would be a demonstration of weakness on our part and, I can assure you as prime minister, that’s the last message I’ve ever sent to China”.

Updated

When asked if Australia could convince the Solomons government to change its mind, Morrison said:

Well, ultimately, these are the decisions of sovereign governments. And the communication we had yesterday from prime minister Sogavare was that he greatly appreciates the incredible support – we are the Solomon Islands’ single largest development partner.

It was when the Solomon Islands recently went into a time of crisis, the first place the Solomon Islands called was Australia. And we sent in our defence forces and our police, and they’re still there and we have committed to them being there till the end of 2023. So we will be there on the ground and continue to be there on the ground to support peace and security and stability in the Solomon Islands.

Updated

When questioned on the security pact, Morrison said Australia would “respond as a family of Pacific nations of which Australia is one, New Zealand is another, and we’ll be progressing those issues”.

And we respect the sovereignty of our individual island states in our region. They make their own decisions in their own places and we respect their democracies.

And, at the same time though, we will work with our partner states in the Pacific to ensure there’s a keen understanding of the risks and threats that we believe this poses and we’ve made those positions very clear.

Updated

During today’s press conference Scott Morrison defended his government’s handling of the Solomon Islands after the draft security deal between China and Solomon Islands was revealed earlier in the week.

I think there is great concern across the Pacific family because we are in constant contact with our Pacific family. And I’ll be in further discussions with leaders over the course of this weekend.

There was a meeting yesterday with our head of mission and prime minister [Manasseh] Sogavare yesterday to talk through these issues and they’re very aware of our views on this. But I think what these events highlight is the reason why our government increased our overseas development assistance to the Pacific by 50%.

We actually increased our investment in overseas development assistance in the Pacific by 50%. It was a step up because we had to step up from where Labor was investing in this area.

While they were chasing votes for the [UN] security council, throwing money in continents far away from our region, we decided to increase our focus and draw together and this started under foreign minister [Julie] Bishop, drawing together our overseas development assistance from around the world and focusing it on the Pacific region because we saw that as our first responsibility.

Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at the Harbour to Hawkesbury Lifeline Centre in Sydney
Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at the Harbour to Hawkesbury Lifeline Centre in Sydney. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

The Guardian’s own and fellow pies supporter is there now. Absolute carnage!

It’s all happening at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

Updated

Scott Morrison defends veterans’ affairs funding after minister's threat to quit

Back to Scott Morrison’s press conference, he has defended the Coalition’s record of funding the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, saying it “received 440 additional staff to bolster capability in the year ahead to improve their operations and the processing of claims”.

It follows the threat by veterans’ affairs minister, Andrew Gee, to resign from the ministry today after he was refused $96m in funding for his department.

Minister Gee has only recently come into this portfolio through this budget process. And I appreciate and acknowledge and commend him for his enthusiasm to the task he’s understanding, as this government always has, the very pressing needs on veterans and the program of works that we are we are supporting both in this budget and subsequent announcements to the budget, will ensure that DVA can go and deliver.

It’s one thing to make an investment, but you’ve got to have the confidence that the investments that you’re making can then be implemented effectively. And that’s the work that the minister will need to be doing to ensure that the investments we’re making can be backed up by the delivery of those investments, and I look forward to him to acquitting himself to those tasks.

Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney
Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

Tributes are already flowing in for Hawkins from around the world.

The Foo Fighters are currently on tour in South America and were preparing to perform in Columbia, Rolling Stone has reported.

Hawkins joined the band in 1997 after the original drummer William Goldsmith departed. He has served as the touring drummer for Alanis Morissette and Sass Jordan, and was a drummer in experimental band Sylvia.

We do not know yet what caused his death.

Updated

Some sad breaking news has just come in.

The drummer of the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins, has died at just 50. The band has released a statement on Twitter saying they are “devastated” by his passing.

Updated

Turning to the Solomon Islands, Morrison says he “respects the sovereignty of island states” in the Pacific following a draft security deal with China which experts warn has demonstrated a “black and white” intent at expanding China’s influence in the Pacific.

Morrison says he wasn’t blindsided by the deal, which would allow China to base navy warships in the Pacific less than 2,000km off the Australian coast.

He says he will “work with partner states to ensure there’s a keen understanding of the risks and threats this poses”.

We will be there on the ground and continue to be there on the ground to support peace and security ... no government has committed more time, effort and respect to the Pacific nations than my government has ... I see the Pacific as our family and they are our priority when it comes to overseas development commitments.

Updated

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is speaking now, touting further support for Lifeline that was announced earlier today.

He also says the veterans’ affairs minister, Andrew Gee, who threatened to resign today after being denied $96m in budget funding, has been lobbying hard for his department.

“He’s understanding the very pressing needs on veterans,” Morrison says.

Updated

WA teenager dies with Covid

Western Australia’s premier, Mark McGowan, has just released the state’s Covid update.

There have been 7,535 new cases to 8pm last night and, sadly, two historical deaths from preceding days were reported to WA Health – a man in his 90s and a male teenager with “pre-existing medical conditions”.

There are 46,822 active cases in the state. There are 194 people being treated in hospital with the virus including eight people requiring intensive care.

Updated

A new “Super Sound Stage” has been unveiled at Docklands Studios in Melbourne.

Sound Stage 6 increases Docklands Studios’ capacity by 60%, featuring a soundproof set and 900,000-litre, 4.5-metre-deep purpose-built water tank for shooting large-scale underwater scenes.

An adjoining three-storey building houses studio operations and production offices as well as facilities, including a makeup room, green rooms and audition spaces.

Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man will be the first film to start production in the studio.

Updated

Stay dry, WA readers.

A Perth prisoner who died overnight is believed to be the fifth Indigenous death in custody in Australia this year, AAP reports.

The death of the 22-year-old Indigenous man in a Perth prison will be investigated by Western Australia’s coroner. The Department of Justice said the man’s death was not suspicious and police would prepare a report.

There had been at least 500 Indigenous deaths in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

In a statement on Saturday morning, authorities said the man was found in his cell at Hakea prison at about 7.20pm on Friday night:

Preliminary reports indicate there are no suspicious circumstances. In accordance with all deaths in custody, the WA Police Force will investigate and prepare a report for the state coroner.

Prison officers and medical staff tried to resuscitate the man before paramedics arrived and continued first aid while transporting him to hospital.

There have been several Indigenous deaths in custody this year, including the death of 16-year-old Sydneysider Jai Wright who died after he collided with an unmarked police car while riding an allegedly stolen trail bike in February.

His father, Lachlan Wright, said police had given him “inconsistent” explanations to how his son died that day, with one officer explaining the teenager was being chased by police and another saying the car had been stationary.

Later that month, a Queensland police chase involving 18-year-old Robert Malayta also ended in tragedy after the teenager and a friend fled from an allegedly stolen car to dodge a police road block before he drowned trying to cross a river.

The 1991 royal commission made several recommendations, including using prison as a last resort for Indigenous people and improving reporting of deaths in custody. Indigenous Australians make up about 3% of the nation’s population but nearly a third of the prison population.

Updated

Worker dies in Queensland coalmine accident

A 65-year-old man has died following an accident at a Queensland coalmine, AAP reports.

Police responded to the workplace incident at the Moranbah North mine, inland from Mackay, about 10pm last night.

The operation is owned by multinational company Anglo American, which confirmed on Saturday the fatality was the result of an injury sustained in a lifting incident overnight. The man suffered critical head injuries.

CEO Tyler Mitchelson said in a statement:

We are devastated by the loss of one of our colleagues at Moranbah North Mine and our thoughts are with their family and friends.

We have ceased mining activities at Moranbah North and will undertake a full investigation with relevant authorities so we can understand how this incident occurred.

It’s believed the man was an employee of a contractor. Support services were on site.

The state government assistant minister and member for Keppel, Brittany Lauga, posted on Facebook today that the news was awful:

My condolences to this mine worker’s friends and family. No one should go to work and not come home. I hope all the first responders are doing ok also.

Updated

The ACT records 947 new Covid cases

The Australian Capital Territory has released its daily Covid update, and there have been 947 new cases detected.

There are 42 people being treated in hospital including two people in intensive care.

There have been no new deaths.

In Victoria, the state government has introduced the region’s first deer control plan to reduce feral deer numbers on the outskirts of eastern and northern Melbourne.

The energy, environment and climate change minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, launched the plan today which sets out a long-term approach to reduce the threat feral deer pose to the environment, farming, public safety and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Deer were introduced to Australia from Europe in the 19th century as game animals.

Updated

Gee told the ABC it was a “pretty dramatic morning” and it may not have been “the best career move” for the minister but he was pleased to have secured the $96m in funding for veterans and their families.

I feel glad that I’ve got a result for the veterans and their families ... It’s about making life better for them and as I said this claims backlog is a national disgrace.

I couldn’t look them in the eye and do it and just pretend that I was OK with it and just go along for the ride and, what, line up at the parliamentary buffet.

Updated

Veterans' affairs minister Andrew Gee threatened to resign over budget funding

Veterans’ affairs minister Andrew Gee
Veterans’ affairs minister Andrew Gee threatened to resign days before the budget unless funding to his department was increased. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The veterans’ affairs minister, Andrew Gee, has announced he was on the cusp of offering his resignation from government due to being refused adequate funding for his department.

Gee called a press conference in Orange this morning to reveal he was moments from quitting the frontbench, days out from the budget, before the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, accepted he would find money for veterans’ compensation payments.

An emotional Gee said he had asked senior members of the government for $96m to clear a huge backlog of 60,000 unprocessed veterans’ compensation claims within his department. He was told he would only get about a quarter of that money in Tuesday’s federal budget.

Gee spoke to Joyce this morning:

I told him that the media was waiting outside the office, and as a courtesy I was letting him know as my leader that I was going to resign from cabinet.

That followed quite a bit of activity, and the end result is that the $96m to help process and clear this backlog ... is now going to be forthcoming.

Updated

Queensland records eight Covid deaths and 9,404 new cases

Queensland has released its daily Covid update and sadly there have been eight further deaths.

There are 9,404 new Covid cases. There are 295 people being treated in hospital, including 19 people requiring intensive care.

Updated

Many thanks to Cait Kelly for guiding us through this morning’s news. Second ‘Cait’ here to keep you company for the rest of your Saturday.

I am now going to hand you over to Caitlin Cassidy, who will take you through the afternoon.

We have some more information on the Covid numbers from Victoria today.

In a statement, Victoria’s health department said:

6,099,650 vaccine doses have been administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services, with 5,462 administered yesterday at state-run centres.

64.8 per cent of Victorians aged 18 and over have had three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. 94.3 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over have had two doses.

8,349 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded yesterday. This includes:

  • 5,523 who tested positive on a rapid antigen test.
  • 2,826 who returned a positive result on a PCR test.

Sadly, the department was notified of 9 deaths yesterday of people aged in their 20s, 80s, 90s and 100s. Seven of today’s reported deaths occurred in the past three days and the remaining two deaths occurred in early March.

One of today’s deaths is a person aged in their 20s who had significant other co-morbidities. Out of respect for the family, no further details about this case will be provided.

This brings the total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began to 2,722.

There are 55,502 active cases in Victoria.

Updated

Tasmania records 1,695 new Covid cases

Tasmania has recorded no new Covid-19 deaths and 1,695 new cases.

There are 28 cases in hospital, just 14 of those are being treated specifically for Covid symptoms. One person is in ICU.

Updated

DJ Webber was in the house!

Read Jason Blake’s review of Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour here:

Updated

Jurors who sat on the Zachary Rolfe murder trial in the supreme court of the Northern Territory might be feeling cheated, writes Richard Ackland. Read more here:

Updated

Paul Sadler, CEO of Aged & Community Services Australia on Twitter:

Missing Tasmanian girl OK despite bumps and scratches, mother says

From AAP:

A four-year-old Tasmanian girl found after spending two nights in remote bushland is well despite a few bruises, scratches and bites, her relieved mum says.

Shayla Phillips was located about a kilometre from where she was last seen on the Tasman Peninsula, on Friday afternoon.

About 100 people were involved in the search and as rescue crews feared she would have to spend another night in the open, the pre-schooler was found just after 4pm.

State Emergency Service crews conducting a close-to-ground search spotted her on a steep slope in dense bushland near Halls Road in Stormlea.

“I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart with everything I have that I am currently sitting here with my precious baby girl with a few bruises scratches bites and a urine infection after spending over 48 hours alone in the Bush,” mother Bianca Page posted on Facebook.

“A huge big thankyou to the SES Tasmania, Police Victorian officers, ambulance and all the locals of the peninsula, my friends and family and ... the whole of Tasmania.”

Police officer Inspector Gavin Hallett says Shayla was able to walk but appeared disoriented and officers reunited her with her mother as soon as they could.

“It was obviously very emotional when I passed the happy news on to mum. She was very grateful,” he told reporters on Friday.

Updated

The entire Brisbane River is re-opening to recreational boating this Saturday (26 March) following the floods.

The transport and main roads minister, Mark Bailey, said strict conditions would be in place, following extensive safety inspections:

Maritime Safety Queensland have done a phenomenal job in working with several agencies to clean up the river after the floods.

Today, I’m pleased to announce the full Brisbane River is open to recreational boaties during daylight hours only.

Everyone onboard must wear a lifejacket as we continue to monitor unusual currents and debris.

This is great news for boaties, but we’re asking everyone getting back on the water today to remain vigilant and keep safety front of mind.

Boaties must avoid participating in water activities that pose a high risk of injury from debris, such as water-skiing.

Updated

We have just been sent these pictures of the submarine that is thought to be leaking oil in Rushcutters Bay, in Sydney Harbour.

One person tells us there was oil spreading about a couple of hundred metres … “A big slick. We better not get nukes.”

There was one person out kayaking and, apparently, a few people were banging the hull with hammers.

“It didn’t look very high tech,” another onlooker said.

Submarine in Rushcutters Bay
The submarine in Rushcutters Bay. Photograph: submarine possible oil leak
Submarine in Rushcutters Bay

Updated

NSW has announced more detail about the four Covid deaths.

NSW Health said:

Two women were in their 70s and two women were in their 80s. Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for Covid-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.

One woman had received three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and three women had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Two women were from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, one woman was from the Central Coast and one woman was from northern NSW.

NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to their loved ones.

Updated

If you only watch one thing today, make it this video:

There’s a report about a possible oil leak from a submarine in Rushcutters Bay, in Sydney Harbour. One person tells us:

There is a submarine on the harbour off Rushcutters. Leaking a heap of oil. Lots of repair boats hanging around. People banging it with hammers.

Couple of hundred metres of oil. Lots of yelling “keep away”. Couple of barges coming out to it.

We’ll bring you more on this.

Updated

Maddie Jones lives in Sydney’s inner west and each day she updates a spreadsheet of Covid cases in her area.

The 51-year-old avoids certain places – or going out altogether – when numbers are high.

Hiti de Kretser, 41, lives in Prahran in Melbourne’s inner south-east. This week she missed her uncle’s funeral, deeming the risk of catching Covid too great.

Read more about the vulnerable Australians fearing the Omicron subvariant here:

Updated

Nurses and midwives plan to walk off the job for 24 hours next Thursday, saying the NSW government failed to address the ongoing staffing crisis inside public hospitals, or commit to further talks on workplace improvements, since an initial strike almost six weeks ago.

A majority of NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) public sector branches this week voted in favour of a second statewide strike or work bans, and will hold public rallies to highlight the ongoing short staffing, workloads and patient safety concerns.

NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said nurses and midwives were deeply distressed by the government’s refusal to acknowledge the public health system crisis.

“In the past five weeks there have been multiple “code yellow” incidents across the state, which signals an internal staffing emergency inside a health facility. These are becoming more frequent across metropolitan and regional sites because of the staffing issues,” he said.

“We’ve had ongoing reports of nurses and midwives working double shifts and increased amounts of overtime, gaps in staffing rosters going unfilled for weeks, vacant positions being left unfilled for months, as well as daily text messages begging staff to pick up extra shifts.

“Our members are scathing of the government’s unwillingness to continue an open dialogue with us about their claim for shift by shift nurse-to-patient ratios, improved maternity staffing and a modest pay rise.”

Updated

Climate protester arrested after hanging from Botany Road bridge

From AAP:

Climate activists have struck for the fifth day in a row outside a Sydney shipping terminal used to transport coal.

A 29-year-old suspended himself from the Botany Road bridge, disrupting road and rail traffic early on Saturday morning

Police said they arrested the man within 20 minutes of arriving at the scene but two city-bound lanes of Botany Road remained closed to traffic.

Seven protesters, not including the man arrested on Saturday, have now been charged for their involvement in the protests, which have been taking place on a daily basis since Tuesday.

On Thursday, the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, announced two German nationals would be deported on “good order grounds” for their involvement in a similar incident. Three protesters will face Parramatta local court today after being arrested and charged on Friday for their parts in the protests.

In a statement from the group organising the protests, Blockade Australia, Saturday’s protester, identified only as Wenzel, said the only way to address the climate crisis was by hindering commercial operations.

“Other methods of protest don’t work,” he said. “Direct action does, as we have seen throughout history.

“We are living through climate collapse, it’s here now and it’s more important than ever to take collective action.”

The protests have sparked a beefed-up response from the NSW government, with the threat of two years in jail and $22,000 fines for disrupting traffic.

NSW acting premier Paul Toole on Thursday dubbed the protests “disgraceful”, while Greens MP David Shoebridge said the government’s response was a “politically motivated crackdown on legitimate political expression”.

Updated

Albanese says Australia needs to work on its relationships with neighbours.

I’d say this as well. Australia needs a presence in the Pacific ... We play an important leadership role in the areas including the Solomons ... Australia needs to continue to have a strong presence in the region.

He asked what he would do differently:

We wouldn’t have cut funding to aid ... The other thing is creating stability in the region by acting on the most important issue for our Pacific neighbours, which is climate change.

Albanese says Labor has a plan to cut emissions by 2030.

We have a fully costed plan, the most comprehensively costed plan of any policy put forward by any opposition in an election ever.

Updated

Albanese on Laxale:

He’s respected by everyone in this community. He is an outstanding candidate. And he’s up for it. We’re all ready to go.

Updated

Anthony Albanese is speaking in Eastwood, introducing Labor’s candidate for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale.

Updated

Woman dead and man arrested after fatal Newcastle stabbing

A woman is dead and a man in custody following an alleged domestic violence-related stabbing in Newcastle, police say.

Officers were called to a home unit in Crebert Street, Mayfield, about 10.40pm on Friday in response to reports a man had broken into the flat.

They arrived to find a 21-year-old woman critically injured lying outside her home.

Despite the efforts of ambulance paramedics, she died at the scene having suffered a number of stab wounds, police said.

A 22-year-old man was arrested at the scene and is in custody.

A crime scene has been established with forensic specialists on site and inquiries are continuing.

Updated

The Morrison government is extending the temporary 50% minimum
superannuation drawdown requirement for a further 12 months and committing to no increased taxes on superannuation if re-elected.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says:

The Morrison government has a clear message for older Australians - your super is safe with us.

We recognise the valuable contribution self-funded retirees make to the Australian economy and the sacrifices they made to provide for their retirement.

That’s why, as part of our plan for a stronger future, the government is extending the 50% reduction in minimum drawdown requirements until 30 June 2023. This will provide retirees with greater flexibility and certainty over their savings.

At the last election, we promised there would be no new taxes on superannuation. Over the last three years we have honoured that commitment.

At this election, we are again saying to retirees – under a Morrison Government there will be no increased superannuation taxes.

It’s not a guarantee Labor can be trusted to match. Labor sees success as something to be taxed, not celebrated.

Updated

The government must end the “moral and financial black hole” on Nauru by ceasing its contract with Canstruct and returning those on Nauru to Australia in the wake of the New Zealand refugee resettlement deal, human rights groups say.

Asked on Friday whether it would end the Canstruct contract for “garrison and welfare services”, the government declined to answer.

From AAP:

International tourists are being urged to book a flight Down Under, as the federal government eases restrictions in a bid to return travel to pre-pandemic levels.

Nearly two years of border restrictions have crippled Australia’s once thriving tourism sector.

But the government hopes easing travel rules will entice more tourists to make the trip.

While international travellers will still need to be fully vaccinated, from April 17 they will no longer need to have a negative Covid test result to board a flight to Australia.

Health minister Greg Hunt announced the rule would end along with the ban on cruise ships.

Meanwhile, Qantas has launched a new campaign to showcase the country as a prime destination for international tourists.

Updated

Victoria records nine Covid deaths and 8,349 new cases

Updated

NSW records four Covid deaths and 19,843 new cases

When Bill Shorten parachuted Kimberley Kitching into parliament in 2016, she was no darling of conservatives.

Kitching’s selection was derided by the then prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, as a “captain’s call”. The Liberal senator Eric Abetz labelled her “unfit for public office” over adverse findings made by the Fair Work Commission and trade union royal commission.

He has been asked about the Solomon Islands. He said the country needs a better relationship with its neighbours.

This government’s going out of its way to poke our Pacific neighbours in the eye whether it’s our belligerent position on climate change, which is a critical issue for Pacific island nations, or whether it’s withdrawing aid, and I’d say support from those nations as well. The government seems to have dropped the ball on it. I think we need a new focus on the Asian-Pacific region.

Updated

Labor’s Stephan Jones is on the ABC. He has also just been asked about how the budget should deal with cost of living.

I fully expect the prime minister to come into the parliament on Tuesday and start spending money like a drunken sailor in the lead-up to an election but I think Australians are going to see through that and be looking at in the long-term interests of the country and how’s this government, so, Anthony Albanese, his alternative government going to be dealing with those issues.

He says workers need wage rises, there needs to be more skills and training and to fix aged care.

What we don’t need is a continuation of the pork-barreling, the sports rorts ... and the prime minister using taxpayers’ money as if it was his own money in a desperate attempt to try and bolster his reelection chances.

Updated

Ruston has just been asked about reports the Solomon Islands is considering letting Chinese troops be stationed in the country.

We are very, very concerned about and we will continue to work with all of our Pacific neighbours, particularly the Solomon Islands at the moment in their time of need to make sure that they know that Australia is their friend and will continue to receive the support from Australia to make sure that their sovereignty is not undermined.

Senator Anne Ruston has been talking on the ABC. She was asked about how the budget will balance cost of living pressures and dealing with the debt.

We understand that Australians are feeling the pinch of cost of living pressures.

And so the first thing we need to do is to make sure that we let Australians keep more of their money in their pockets. In last few years, $30bn has been left in the pockets of 11 million Australians.

They’re the kinds of initiatives that we’ve already put in place. and we’ll continue to work on to make sure that Australians keep more of their own money. So the cost of living pressures are reduced as much as they can be. So I believe the budget can do both and I think you will see you on Tuesday night.

Updated

Major staffing shortages have forced schools in New South Wales and Victoria back into remote learning as the new Omicron sub-variant BA.2 sees Covid cases rise.

NSW recorded 23,702 new Covid cases on Friday and seven deaths, with rates of infections in the state highest among those aged 10-19 years old. Victoria recorded 9,244 new cases and nine deaths.

From AAP:

Lifeline Australia will get a multimillion-dollar funding boost in next week’s budget, the federal government has announced.

More than $52m in funding over four years will be provided to help the crisis support service keep up with growing demand.

The service will use the funding to improve responsiveness and invest in crisis response innovation, surge capacity and models of care.

Prime minister Scott Morrison says the funding will allow Lifeline to answer an extra 176,000 calls or texts from Australians in the next year - just under 4,000 every day.

“The critical role that Lifeline plays has never been more evident than in these recent years ... Lifeline is lifesaving, and that’s why our investment is so important,” he said.

Updated

Good morning and welcome to Saturday’s blog. This is Cait Kelly, and if you want to contact me throughout today, you can tweet @cait__kelly or email cait.kelly@theguardian.com.

No doubt, there will be lots for us to go through today. Let’s kick off with the big stories this morning:

Prime minister Scott Morrison says Australia has been adequately supporting the Solomon Islands amid growing concern over the Pacific nation signing a policing deal with China. The leaked draft deal between the two nations would allow for Chinese ships to be based in the Pacific, as well as have a navy base less than 2,000km off Australia’s coast.

In a joint statement late yesterday, the foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, and the international development minister, Zed Seselja, said Australia respected the right of every Pacific country to make sovereign decisions. But the Australian government was “concerned” about actions that could undermine the stability and security of the Indo-Pacific region, they said.

Australia will allocate $22m in the upcoming budget for the Solomon Islands government to fund salaries for essential workers to help with the impacts of civil unrest and Covid.

The Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who has been detained in China for more than 19 months, will be put on trial, likely in a closed court, the BAC has confirmed. She is due to be tried next Thursday in the Beijing No 2.

In NSW, nurses and midwives will strike for better conditions for the second time in five weeks, with the union saying the government has not addressed the crisis in NSW public hospitals. The 24-hour strike planned for Thursday comes just over a month after the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association voted in favour of a historic statewide strike, that saw demonstrations at 150 public hospitals.

Four-year-old Tasmanian girl Shayla Phillips has spent the night with her family after two nights lost in remote bushland.

And Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin caused scenes of pandemonium at the SCG last night when he became the sixth VFL/AFL player to kick 1,000 career goals. The match against Geelong had to be stopped for 33 minutes after the mass invasion of fans so the final five minutes of the contest could be completed.

We will also have all the latest Covid news.

And with that, let’s get into it.

Updated

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