That's it for today, thanks for reading
Here are the main stories on Friday, 1 April:
- Australia will send military equipment to Ukraine after a request to a joint sitting of parliament by president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
- At least 16 Covid-related deaths across Australia, including a child younger than five in South Australia.
- A woman dies in flood waters at Lismore as northern NSW floods again, but wild weather across the state is set to ease.
- The government cancels a $1.3bn drone program, redirecting the funds to cybersecurity.
- Michele Bullock has become the first female deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
We will see you all again tomorrow.
Updated
Here is a full story on the news that broke earlier today that former education minister Alan Tudge was not being paid as a backbencher. Via Paul Karp:
Australia has been asked to send military equipment including drones and anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, AAP reports:
Ukraine’s lethal aid wishlist includes more anti-tank missiles as well as anti-ship missiles, drones, ammunition and body armour, Ukraine’s new ambassador says.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko, who became Ukraine’s official envoy in Australia on Friday, has submitted a list of requests to Australia’s cabinet on behalf of his defence minister, which included armoured vehicles.
“That’s the list that we’ve been sending out to our allies globally. That will keep the safety of our armed forces at a much higher level,” he told the ABC.
It comes as Australia agreed to send Bushmasters to Ukraine after the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, singled out the armoured vehicles in his address to the Australian parliament.
Myroshnychenko said Australian Bushmasters would provide Ukrainian forces with protection against mines and small arms even if they were not on the battlefield.
Liberal senator James Paterson said preparations to send Bushmasters to Ukraine less than a day after Zelenskiy made the request was the quickest response he has seen.
“I have never seen our defence department move as quickly as this to help out on the other side of the world,” he told Sky News.
“That is because we recognise their fight is our fight. They must prevail so all the free and democratic world prevails.”
In his address to the Australian parliament on Thursday evening, Zelenskiy said peace needed to be decided on the battlefield and warned Russian aggression posed a direct threat to Australia.
“You have very good armoured vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other pieces of equipment could strengthen our position in terms of armaments,” he told the parliament.
“If you have an opportunity to share these with us, we would be very grateful. In Ukraine, they will do much more for our common freedom and common security than staying parked on your land.”
Scott Morrison said the request would be met.
Updated
Homelessness services will be nearly $40m worse off under the federal budget and may have to shed hundreds of jobs, as new modelling shows the government’s cost of living measures will disproportionately benefit higher-income earners.
The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, announced on Tuesday that the budget would include $8.6bn in one-off cash payments and temporary changes to petrol and income taxes to help ease the rapidly rising cost of living.
But modelling from the Australian National University has revealed that 56% of the dollar value from the measures would go to middle and higher income earners, most of it coming from the one-off $420 tax offset, the largest of the Coalition government’s three major cost of living measures, valued at $4.1bn.
More on that story is here:
Updated
Reports are emerging that asylum seekers being held at Melbourne’s Park Hotel are expected to be released. Here’s how we covered the situation at the hotel last month.
#BREAKING: An asylum seeker at Park Hotel has just told me he and nine others are expected to be released tonight. That would leave eight men remaining at the detention centre.
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) April 1, 2022
ABF yet to confirm.
Updated
My colleague Benita Kolovos has filed this report on the Victorian government subsidising the rent for 2,400 new houses:
Australia will commit an extra $40m in funding in response to an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the foreign affairs minister Marise Payne has confirmed.
In a statement, Payne said the funding was announced overnight at the UN Afghanistan conference and built on $100m in additional humanitarian assistance announced last September.
Australia’s additional funding will provide life-saving food supplies to vulnerable Afghans including women and children, and address other urgent needs such as health, gender-based violence and shelter, she said.
Updated
My colleague Mostafa Rachwani has some good news for those of you battening down the hatches in NSW.
'Unfathomable': critics lash NSW approval of coal mine expansion
A $400m coalmine expansion that would result in almost half a billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions has been conditionally approved by New South Wales planning authorities.
The NSW independent planning commission (IPC) has given final approval to Whitehaven’s expansion of its Narrabri underground coalmine in the state’s north-west.
Environment groups and Namoi valley farmers said they were incensed by the decision which comes after public hearings were told by the Lock the Gate Alliance and opponents of the project in February the mine would become the dirtiest thermal coal project in Australia.
Coalition went ‘directly’ to Whitehaven to purchase coal for UkraineRead more
The NSW Greens and an independent MP said the project would drive further climate catastrophe at a time when residents of the state were already experiencing extreme weather events with greater frequency, had lived through the state’s worst bushfires and were now in the grips of another flood disaster.
Read our full report here:
Updated
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has paid tribute to aged care nurse Alina Brakel, who died in floodwaters in Lismore. Brakel, 55, was from Nowra on the south coast but working in Lismore for a nursing agency.
The statement said:
The loss of any nurse is devastating, particularly in tragic circumstances. The NSWNMA expresses sincere condolences to the family, friends and work colleagues of aged care nurse, Alina Brakel.
Plans to build one of the world’s biggest prawn farms at an outback cattle station in the Northern Territory have been shelved, AAP reports.
Project Sea Dragon at Legune Station, about 340km southwest of Darwin, was set to double Australia’s prawn production.
But aquaculture company Seafarms says the 10,000-hectare black tiger prawn pond project was not financially feasible in its current form.
The company said “construction, breeding, processing, operating costs and logistics are all challenged due to distance and remoteness”.
“It will not generate acceptable financial return,” it said in an investor briefing submitted to the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday.
“The existing scope cannot be completed for targeted costs or achieve target completion dates, and the project currently involves unacceptable risk.”
Pond construction has been put on hold until its “unproven” production plan can be tested over the next three years at the station, near the Western Australian border.
Seafarms said significant international markets for the prawns would also need to be developed as supplying the Australian domestic market with fresh, cooked product from the remote location is unlikely to be feasible.
Competing against lower priced suppliers in other countries is also likely to be a problem, given the current construction costs per hectare.
The $1.87 billion project was set to become the biggest aqua-culture project in the Southern Hemisphere, supplying 6,000 tonnes of prawns per year.
The company said it “remains committed to delivering on the promise of Project Sea Dragon” but it will need to lower the cost of production.
Updated
Just following up on this story we published yesterday regarding the prime minister’s office being required to search Scott Morrison’s phone. The story got a bit of an airing during a couple of different Senate estimates hearings yesterday, so I will try to condense them all here.
The finance minister, Simon Birmingham, couldn’t say whether the PMO would appeal. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said yesterday it only provided administrative support on freedom of information requests, and was not involved in the formulation of the rejection Guardian Australia received on the request two years ago, which the acting information commissioner Elizabeth Hampton criticised in her decision.
Home affairs officials could not say whether the department had any involvement with Twitter in relation to the prime minister’s friend, Tim Stewart, having his QAnon-filled Twitter account suspended, nor whether the department had engaged with social media platforms to have QAnon content taken down.
The department could also not confirm whether home affairs had briefed the PM or his office regarding the QAnon conspiracy theory.
The ABC was also asked about it, given Four Corners devoted a whole episode to Stewart, and also took on notice as to whether the PM had complained about the episode, and whether the ABC had outstanding FOIs with the PMO on the topic.
Updated
A Tasman low pressure system is producing damaging winds in parts of #NSW and #Vic, and dangerous coastal conditions in NSW. Showers increasing to #rain for the NSW South Coast and East Gippsland this weekend. Some riverine flooding likely. Warnings: https://t.co/m9GM6lwhkB pic.twitter.com/gUm1WKVRqo
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) April 1, 2022
My colleague Graham Readfearn reported on the blog earlier about an upcoming report on water quality across the Great Barrier Reef. In that post, Graham said the Morrison government had pledged $253m for water quality improvements over the next nine years.
He’s just emailed to ask if I can apologise on his behalf, as the correct figure should have been $580m. We’ll change the original post.
Updated
A team of aviation experts will spend at least three days combing through wreckage to determine the cause of a Victorian helicopter crash, AAP reports.
The aircraft came down at Mt Disappointment, north of Melbourne, on Thursday morning, killing a pilot and four passengers.
Meat industry boss Paul Troja, 73, has been identified as one of the victims.
The Albert Park man’s fifth grandchild was born a day earlier, his son Luke Toja told Nine News, revealing his father vowed this trip would be his last before retiring.
Troja, the chairman of Warragul-based meat processing company Radfords, has been remembered as a passionate and accomplished leader.
A 50-year-old Inverloch woman and two NSW men, aged 59 and 70, were also on board the helicopter, flown by a 32-year-old Cheltenham man.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said crews from Canberra and Melbourne will take at least three days to analyse the crash site.
“What we do know is it was in company with another helicopter from the same operator and that they lost visual contact,” Mitchell said.
Drone analysis of the helicopter’s flight path, along with assessment of flight control records and weather conditions, will be part of the investigation.
Mitchell said the helicopter operator Microflite had a very strong safety record.
The crash is Victoria’s deadliest aviation disaster since February 2017, when five people were killed after a charter plane crashed into Melbourne’s Essendon DFO shopping centre.
Updated
The Morrison government has axed a $1.3bn program to buy armed drones, redirecting the money towards the “Redspice” cybersecurity package that the Coalition trumpeted as a centrepiece of the defence budget, Daniel Hurst reports:
No campaigning for a little while for Steph Hodgins-May, the Greens candidate in the inner-Melbourne federal seat of Macnamara (held by Labor’s Josh Burns).
Drat! Feeling a bit under the weather but hopeful that I'll make a speedy COVID recovery. Cute pet pics and virtual cups of tea gratefully accepted. See you when I'm feeling better! 💚🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/apPnVBt6CW
— Steph Hodgins-May (@stephhodginsmay) April 1, 2022
Australian officials say they have long held concerns about a lack of transparency in the case against the detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who faced a closed trial hearing in Beijing yesterday.
At a Senate estimates committee hearing this afternoon, Ian Gerard from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade gave an update on the case:
Yesterday she faced a closed trial hearing in Beijing. The court did not issue a verdict yesterday. We expect that will be issued at a later date .
Gerard said Australia’s ambassador to China had “sought access to the hearing on the day and beforehand and he was not granted that access”.
Asked by Labor senator Penny Wong what concerns the Australian government held regarding transparency, Gerard said:
Since Ms Cheng was first detained in August 2020, we have long had concerns about the lack of transparency in this case. We have never been provided with the details of the charges, nor evidence to support the allegations against her. That’s why we continue to press both in BJ and Canberra for basic standards of justice, for procedural fairness and for human treatment to be met.
Wong said she wanted to reiterate that the government “has the opposition’s full support in making representations in relation to Ms Cheng”.
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, replied:
Thank you, Senator Wong - that is appreciated. And I would also note the very widespread community concern in relation to this matter and the ongoing constructive interest in the case from the committee.
My colleague, Helen Davidson, covered the developments last night:
Updated
The foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, says she first became aware of the draft security agreement between Solomon Islands and China when it emerged in “a social media post” on 24 March.
The Australian government has previously insisted it was not blindsided by the development. Labor’s Penny Wong asked Payne to give an indication of when Australia became aware of the prospect of an agreement. The minister replied:
When this was a public document.
However, Payne said Australia had been “engaged very closely” with Solomon Islands since the unrest late last year “but not in relation to this agreement”. She said the Pacific, including Australia, had demonstrated that “together we are able to respond to security issues, to humanitarian and disaster relief issues”.
Ewen McDonald, the head of foreign affairs department’s Office of the Pacific, said Australia had “known for a while China’s interest in this sector” including in relation to policing. He said:
So we’ve been very conscious and we’ve been, I suppose, not surprised.
Payne said McDonald had been in Honiara in January and February.
McDonald noted Solomon Islands’ statement this week that it did not intend to have a Chinese military base. He also noted the agreement that appeared in the public domain is not the latest version of the document, but Australia does not have the updated wording.
Updated
New South Wales Labor MPs have expressed disquiet over their party’s support for a bill that would see protesters who block major roads, ports or train stations face up to two years in prison.
The NSW government arranged a special sitting of parliament on Friday after it failed to pass the bill following a late-night filibuster by the Greens.
Introduced this week after a series of climate protests targeting Port Botany, the Roads and Crimes Legislation Amendment bill 2022 introduces fines of up to $22,000 and up to two years in prison for anyone who causes “damage or disruption” on major roads or other “major facilities” such as ports or railway stations.
You can read more on this story here:
Child under five with Covid dies in South Australia
A child under five has died with Covid-19 in South Australia as the state winds back reporting of classroom contacts, AAP reports.
The child was one of two people to die with the virus in the latest reporting period, along with a woman in her 80s.
“This was a young person that had other very severe health problems and in fact had been on a palliative care pathway,” chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier told reporters on Friday.
“But because they did test positive for Covid, it will be counted as one of our Covid deaths.”
Spurrier said she understood the child had contracted the virus from a relative before testing positive at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The child’s family members are believed to have been fully vaccinated.
“Unfortunately for this little one, they were not old enough to be vaccinated,” Spurrier said.
“But by vaccinating ourselves we also protect those people that are more susceptible in our community.”
About 57% of children aged five to 11 in SA have been vaccinated, a figure Spurrier described as being well below other age groups.
SA Health on Friday reported 5,134 new infections, while the number of people in hospital fell slightly to 169 including seven in intensive care.
Public schools will no longer have to notify parents if there is a single case in their child’s classroom in a bid to ease “burdensome” contact tracing pressures.
Updated
Almost half of all young people in detention in Australia are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, even though the overall number of children going to jail has fallen in the past five years, research shows.
Young Indigenous people are only 5.8% of all young people aged 10-17 in Australia but make up 49% of all young people in detention, according to the latest data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
You can read the full story here:
New Australian school curriculum agreed by ministers
Australian schools will teach a new curriculum from 2023, after state and territory education ministers and acting federal education minister Stuart Robert endorsed the new framework on Friday.
In a statement, Robert said the curriculum, known as version 9.0, met key objectives to refine, realign and declutter the curriculum, with a focus on reducing content in primary years and lifting quality.
It will be taught in schools from next year. Robert said:
The Australian Curriculum now sets a higher standard for educational achievement in Australia going forward. It has been decluttered, allowing teachers to focus on what matters most, and it is evidence-based, with phonics now embedded in the teaching of English, for example.
Importantly, Ministers also noted that they will consider continuous updates to the curriculum so that more iterative improvements can be made in the future.
In our February meeting, the Commonwealth and Western Australian Governments requested further revisions to two of the learning areas: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) and Mathematics.
Australian history is now compulsory in years 9 and 10, Robert said.
Updated
A further two people in New South Wales were infected with Japanese encephalitis earlier this year, NSW health has revealed.
A total of 10 people in the state have now been infected with the virus. The latest two confirmed cases are in the Riverina region.
The ninth case is a young man from Carrathool Shire whose infection onset was in January. The 10th case is a man aged in his 70s from Lockhart Shire whose infection onset was in late February.
Updated
The finance minister, Simon Birmingham, is speaking in Canberra. He says it is “curious” that Labor leader Anthony Albanese made an “opaque commitment to supporting higher wage growth” for health workers in his budget supply speech last night.
The Health Services Union says Labor has supported its call for a 25% pay rise, Birmingham said, after the union had threatened not to support the opposition’s election campaign unless it backed the claim. Birmingham asked:
What backroom deal has been done? What secret plans are there, between Labor and the Health Services Union ... to get union patronage for their campaign?
When he was asked what difference it made, given the Fair Work Commission would ultimately rule on the wage claim and it would therefore be incumbent on whichever party won the election to honour it, Birmingham reiterated that Labor should “come clean”.
Updated
A curious development in estimates, according to Labor.
BREAKING: Despite saying a month ago that he had quit the cabinet, government officials have revealed Alan Tudge is still the education minister, his taxpayer funded office is still operating, and wouldn’t confirm whether he’s still getting a Cabinet minister’s salary #estimates
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) April 1, 2022
Elective surgeries could be paused by some Queensland hospitals battling staff shortages, AAP reports:
Elective surgeries at some Queensland hospitals may need to be suspended as the number of furloughed health workers reaches more than 3,300.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath on Friday said elective surgeries could be affected at some hospitals in response to thousands of health workers needing to quarantine or isolate.
“It’s important that we let people know that in various parts of Queensland right now we are seeing extra pressure,” Ms D’Ath told reporters.
“Each hospital and health service ... will be looking at whether they need to suspend planned care.”
The number of health staff currently off work has more than doubled in the past week and a half, she said.
The state recorded another 10,722 cases on Friday, with 376 patients in public hospitals and 13 in ICU.
Another 27 cases are in private hospitals, with one patient in ICU.
Data suggests the state’s current Omicron wave is about a third of the size of the previous wave in January, Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said.
Queensland appears to be approaching the peak of infection transmission, with hospital numbers expected to follow one to two weeks later.
Updated
WA records 8,731 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths
Western Australia has recorded 8,731 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths. The deaths are historical and were reported to WA Health yesterday, the government says.
The number of cases reported today is a significant fall on the 9,754 reported on Thursday but the number of people in hospital (211) and number in ICU (seven) both increased slightly.
This is our WA COVID-19 update for Friday, 1 April 2022.
— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) April 1, 2022
For official information on COVID-19 in WA, visit https://t.co/zTYXZD1B7R https://t.co/jFEa89P5ng pic.twitter.com/BPp5CMYmJp
Updated
Tasmanian government sacks 100 unvaccinated health workers
More than 100 health workers in Tasmania have been sacked for failing to comply with the state’s coronavirus vaccination mandate, AAP reports.
The Tasmanian government implemented the mandate from October 31, requiring healthcare staff to be “sufficiently vaccinated” against COVID-19.
“We’ve terminated over 100 staff in relation to non-compliance through this process,” state health commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks told reporters on Friday.
“Noting that it’s a failure to comply with a legal public health direction.”
Tasmania’s health system is under increased strain as the state experiences a second Covid-19 wave since reopening borders in mid-December.
Documented active cases were pushed to a record high of 12,883 on Friday, with 2108 new infections reported.
New cases have been in the low-to-mid 2000s for four days in a row. The state’s daily case number had only exceeded 2000 twice before this week.
Morgan-Wicks said 163 health workers have tested positive and 217 are considered close contacts.
She said it was increasing operational pressures on hospitals, particularly at the Royal Hobart Hospital and the Launceston General Hospital.
“(We’re experiencing) increased wait times in emergency and some impacts on elective surgery,” she said.
She said both major hospitals could be escalated to level three of their COVID-19 management plan, which would result in a “reconfiguration” of services.
Despite the recent rise in infections, Tasmania’s hospitalisation rate remains relatively low, with 30 cases in hospital and none in intensive care.
National cabinet in mid-March indicated it was evaluating whether to end quarantine requirements for people who are close contacts of cases.
The Tasmanian Small Business Council and Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have called on the state government to scrap close contact quarantine requirements.
Updated
It does not appear that this story from the Nine papers about KFC opening a degustation restaurant in Sydney is an April fool’s joke. I promise not to use this as an opportunity to pot the harbour city from Australia’s culinary capital.
Updated
Cause of Mt Disappointment helicopter crash remains unclear, ATSB chief says
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, has also just been speaking about the helicopter crash near Mount Disappointment.
There are investigators on the scene, but the cause of the accident remains unclear, he said.
The operator of the flight had a good safety record, Mitchell said.
Police Minister @LisanevilleMP offering condolences to victims of Mt Disappointment chopper crash; and thanks emergency services for efforts at difficult crash site. pic.twitter.com/cESva0u6bC
— Heidi Murphy (@heidimur) April 1, 2022
Updated
Meat industry leader among victims of Mt Disappointment helicopter crash – report
The ABC reports that one of the five people who died when a helicopter crashed near Mount Disappointment on Thursday was Paul Troja, a leader in the meat industry.
Troja, 73, lived in the Melbourne suburb of Albert Park and was chairman of Radford Meats, which operated an abattoir in Warragul, south-east of Melbourne, according to the report.
He was flying with a major client and their working group to inspect a property, the company told the ABC.
Radford Meats chief executive Paul Scanlon said Troja had a long and distinguished career in the meat industry, and his death had hit the company hard.
Meat industry leader, Paul Troja, 73, is among victims of Mount Disappointment helicopter crash. @ABCRural https://t.co/CR3CxqYqps via @ABCaustralia
— Kellie Lazzaro (@kellazzaro) April 1, 2022
Updated
Here’s an update on the flood situation in New South Wales, via AAP:
Residents from Lismore to the Lower Macleay in northern NSW are under evacuation orders even as floodwaters recede in other parts of the region.
The State Emergency Services received 652 calls for help and performed 23 rescues in the past 24 hours.
Already drenched areas could see flash flooding, with saturated soil increasing the risk of falling trees, the SES warned on Friday.
NSW Police believe they have found the body of aged care nurse Anita Brakel, who went missing in floodwaters south of Lismore three days ago.
The body of the 55-year-old woman, recovered on Thursday night, is yet to be formally identified but police believe it is Brakel.
Gusts nearing 100km/h have been recorded across the state with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of possible 9 metres waves along coastal areas.
Heavy swells forced Sydney transport authorities to shut down the Manly to Circular Quay ferry on Friday.
The rain that has battered the north for most of the week is easing, as Lismore and Byron Bay reel from another round of flooding.
Wilsons River at Lismore peaked at 11.4 metres, below expectations of 12 metres, with waters now below the 10.6 metre height of the city’s levee.
Victorian and South Australian SES teams are flying into flooded areas to help with rescue and recovery efforts.
In Lismore, the Rapid Relief Team charity was donating tonnes of hay to flood-affected farmers.
“Very, very devastating to come through Lismore and see what they’ve been through,” charity director Lester Sharples said.
“To see it again a second time, it’s gut-wrenching, really. It’s important to get these farmers back online.”
Updated
Who said the budget wasn’t kewl?
Fair bit going on in this photo, but specifically: 😎 pic.twitter.com/w04kO76Na1
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 1, 2022
Updated
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee have released a statement on “winter preparedness” for Covid-19, if you feel like some cheering up*.
*Won’t cheer you up.
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) April 1, 2022
Updated
Thank you Matilda for another stellar morning of web logging.
With that, I shall place you in the safe hands of the wonderful Nino Bucci, who will take you through to the weekend.
After a weeks-long illegal occupation that ended in a riot, New Zealand’s parliament has a new unwelcome visitor to contend with: cannabis seedlings popping up among its rose gardens.
An eagle-eyed Wellingtonian spotted the tiny green leaves emerging from the soil this week and posted his find to social media. The man wished to remain anonymous, but a parliament groundskeeper confirmed to the national broadcaster, RNZ, that the plants were indeed “a few cannabis seedlings” thought to be left by the protesters.
“A lot of seeds had been scattered around, among other things left from the protesters,” the groundskeeper said.
You can read the full report below:
National Covid-19 update
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 16 deaths from Covid-19:
ACT
- Deaths: 1
- Cases: 1,014
- In hospital: 46 (with 2 people in ICU)
NSW
- Deaths: 2
- Cases: 25,495
- In hospital: 1,345 (with 43 people in ICU)
Queensland
- Deaths: 3
- Cases: 10,722
- In hospital: 403 (with 14 people in ICU)
South Australia
- Deaths: 2
- Cases: 5,134
- In hospital: 169 (with 7 people in ICU)
Victoria
- Deaths: 6
- Cases: 10,424
- In hospital: 310 (with 12 people in ICU)
Western Australia
- Deaths: 2
- Cases: 8,731
- In hospital: 211 (with 7 people in ICU)
Updated
After weeks of waiting for the AHPPC's advice on whether the close contact rule should change, it recommends the 7-day iso rule should stay in place, until the anticipated peak of the BA.2 variant expected around mid-April #auspol pic.twitter.com/JZQOgnsArt
— Bridget Rollason (@bridgerollo) April 1, 2022
Decision will be made next week on whether to stop Bruce Lehrmann's trial
Today the ACT supreme court heard an application from lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann to permanently stay the prosecution against him for the alleged sexual assault of Brittany Higgins. Lehrmann denies the allegation and is pleading not guilty.
The ACT chief justice, Lucy McCallum, made a non-publication order covering the submissions and evidence heard in court on Friday.
McCallum reserved her judgment – and will address the issue of whether the non-publication order remains in place when she hands down her decision, which is expected to be next week.
Updated
ACT records one Covid death and 1,014 new infections
ACT COVID-19 Update – 1 April 2022
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) April 1, 2022
💉 COVID-19 vaccinations
◾ Aged 5-11 years (1 dose): 80.2%
◾ Aged 5-11 years (2 doses): 53.1%
◾ Aged 5+ years (2 doses): 98.3%
◾ Aged 16+ years (3 doses): 73.3%
Please note vaccine data is from 31 March 2022. pic.twitter.com/VnzAg8JGIm
Queensland records three Covid deaths and 10,722 new infections
Today we have recorded 10,722 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) April 1, 2022
Sadly, 3 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
Full details ➡ https://t.co/MyDwPPidE5 pic.twitter.com/H62xp6r26u
Albanese criticises Morrison's delayed election call
Anthony Albanese has criticised Scott Morrison for not calling the election, accusing him of delaying the announcement in order to use taxpayer money to run political ads.
I said of the prime minister, enough of the pantomime. Call the election. Call the election, let the Australian people decide.
This business of not calling the election, so that he can use taxpayers money for ads is just yet the latest example of a prime minister who thinks that taxpayers money is the same as Liberal party money.
That is why, yesterday in court, in the high court of Australia, the solicitor general, the second-highest law officer of the land after the attorney general, in terms of the commonwealth position, was making representations on behalf of one side of a Liberal party faction fight here in New South Wales. A Liberal party faction fight that is the responsibility of Scott Morrison and Alex Hawke, who want to control absolutely everything, and have received a response from the Liberal party membership, which is division.
That is why they don’t even have a candidate. Here in Parramatta. While what I am here talking with aged care, with a Labor candidate for Parramatta. Talk about the difference we will make, the Liberal party don’t have a candidate, and are using taxpayer funds to appear in court to intervene in this faction fight. It is a disgrace. And it is an abuse of taxpayer funding.
Updated
Albanese has been questioned over the choice of Andrew Charlton as the candidate for Parramatta, one of the most diverse electorates in the country, over three more diverse candidates.
Albanese:
Andrew was in fact chosen unanimously by the Labor party here in Parramatta. He was elected unopposed ... there were a range of options and people put themselves forward, and that is a good thing that people have been prepared to consider being a candidate for the Labor party.
We are a vibrant party, but I am pleased that Andrew received the support, unanimously, by being elected unopposed as Labor candidate for Parramatta.
People who meet Andrew, instantly are attracted to his qualities that he has. That certainly has been my experience over a long period of time. I have been looking for a range of candidates across a range of seats that fulfil the sort of qualities that make up a good government. And we have a diverse range of candidates indeed.
Updated
Albanese:
It is practical measures that we have put forward, and the cost of $2.5 billion over four years, to fully costed, we are being transparent of what is there. And yet this government had nothing to say, had nothing to say about aged care in a budget, after a royal commission was handed down.
It is not good enough, Australia deserves better. This is a tired government, that has been in office almost a decade. They had no plan for anything beyond the next six weeks. One of handouts won’t cut it.
Labor has applied for childcare, we have a plan for healthcare and we will have more to say. During the campaign. We have a plan for aged care and new industries, a fully costed plan on climate change and energy.
We have applied for jobs and skills, we have a plan to lift wages and living standards. We have a plan or a better future. Because Australia is the greatest country on earth, but with a better government can have a better future.
Albanese:
Thirdly, our plan for better wages. We need to address that. We will put in a submission to the aged care worker force to be paid better.
We know that’s been identified by the royal commission as necessary if we are going to attract and indeed retain aged care staff. They deserve more than just our thanks. They deserve a decent rate of pay.
Fourthly, issues like food. How is it that an interim royal commission put forward a clear finding that over half of aged care residents weren’t getting the nutrition that they need? They literally starving and yet no response from this government.
This further, proper regulation, making sure every dollar because to aged care, as I was and whether money goes to put up so that decay, better food, better provisions, goes to assist what aged care residents really need.
Updated
Albanese:
In particular [the government] have provided some additional funding but absolutely no idea of any program to meet the challenge of the big essential which is workforce.
These nurses behind us are people who have a tough job. It’s physically demanding. It is emotionally traumatic at times, to look after older people in the later years. To make friends with them. To know that they are dependent upon health. But do not have the hours or even the minutes to give the care that they really want to give and the residents need.
That is why our plan to put a nurse and every nursing home 24 seven is not only a recommendation of the royal commission, it’s just common sense.
Our plan to provide for additional minutes based upon the royal commission’s recommendations of care, so that people can get not just showered and changed and fed properly, but also have the opportunity to have a bit of human interaction. It’s not too much to ask.
Updated
Okay, let’s jump over to Anthony Albanese’s press conference, where he has just announced the new candidate for Parramatta, Andrew Charlton.
I want to say that I’m very proud and pleased that Andrew accepted the nomination to be Labor’s candidate for Parramatta. Andrew will bring extraordinary capacity to represent this amazing vibrant community ...
He will be part of a team that has a vision for the country. A vision that is about growth and opportunity. About supporting childcare for our youngest Australians.
Medicare throughout people’s lives, aged care for when people get older. Childcare, Medicare, aged care because Labor cares. That will be a major theme of this election campaign and I outlined last night a competency plan for aged care based upon the royal commission.
Why is it that the government set up a royal commission into the aged care crisis but isn’t prepared to act on its recommendations?
Updated
Back to defence Senate estimates, and the foreign minister, Marise Payne, said the government had been receiving advice from the Australian Defence Force about provision of Bushmasters to Ukraine. That includes availability and numbers.
She said transport options were also still being considered.
We are speaking with Ukrainian officials to determine exactly the nature of the request … We will make an announcement as soon as those discussions are finalised.
Payne said she didn’t want to speculate on transport options:
Flight is much more preferable to sea in terms of many factors.
The defence estimates hearing turned to other topics. But minutes later, Labor senator Penny Wong intervened to raise the comments made by Scott Morrison at the press conference where he appeared to confirm Australia would be sending Bushmasters.
Payne replied that Morrison “didn’t go to the numbers – he said we would be intending to do that”. Payne said Morrison had made clear that Australia had “every intention to help” and would send the vehicles by C17 because it was the fastest way.
He said he was discussing options with the defence minister.
Wong:
I’m a little confused. Are we discussing it or are we going to do it?
Payne:
Well, the prime minister has said we will be sending Bushmasters but the numbers and the process, which we were talking about before, are in the finalisation process with the defence minister.
Updated
A comprehensive annual report card that will show levels of pollution and water quality across the Great Barrier Reef – a key concern for scientists and a UN monitoring mission – has been finalised and with ministers for a month.
In a Senate hearing on Thursday, Dr Simon Banks, a federal environment department offical, told Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson that the report had been finalised and two UN scientists had been briefed on the findings during their 10-day monitoring mission to the reef, which has now ended.
The Guardian asked the state and federal governments when the report would be released, and was told by both it would be made public “shortly”.
Water quality in waterways running into the reef has long-been a hot bed issue, with governments spending hundreds of millions of dollars to lower pollution levels and protect marine ecosystems and corals.
A Morrison government pledge to spend $1bn on reef conservation over the next nine years included a further $580m for water quality programs.
Elements of the unpublished new data were reported by the government on 1 February in a report on the state of the Great Barrier Reef sent to Unesco.
A spokesman for the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, said in a statement that she and the Queensland environment minister, Meaghan Scanlon, had received the report for review and signing in late February. The statement said:
All data in the report has been made available to the visiting delegation of the IUCN and the World Heritage Centre, along with the opportunity to directly engage with the scientists who have compiled the information. The report will be released shortly.
The Queensland government has also introduced new laws to regulate fertiliser and chemical use on farms, assess expansion of cropping and horticulture, and the adoption of best practice land management – but they have come under sustained attack from agriculture and cane grower groups, who want them wound back.
In state parliament this week, Katter’s Australian party (KAP) failed to have amendments passed to water down the rules.
State LNP member Colin Boyce, who earlier this month had pledged to cross the floor to support the Katter changes, resigned his position before the vote saying he wanted to concentrate on his run for the federal seat of Flynn.
The state KAP leader, Robbie Katter, speculated Boyce may have been asked by party officials in Canberra to resign early to avoid the spectacle of him crossing the floor on a reef issue. Boyce reportedly told the Courier Mail it was to avoid taking attention away from the federal budget.
Disappointing to have @colin4callide resign from the Qld Parliament today and not Thursday so he could vote in support of @KAPteam's reef regs reversal bill tonight. Wonder if the phones might have been running hot from Canberra over the last few days? #qldpol
— Robbie Katter MP (@RobKatter3) March 29, 2022
Updated
Morrison was asked if he is waiting to call the election until all preselections in NSW are finalised. And once again he has avoided the question by talking about Anthony Albanese, although at least it was slightly more on topic this time.
Interestingly he seems to be saying he plans to allow the election campaign to stretch out as long as it can.
I’m glad you asked that question. I heard Anthony Albanese say last night, “call the election now”.
What he would like is to be able to skate through an election without facing the scrutiny of a real campaign. Australians have been through a lot over the last couple of years. They have rightly been focusing on the things that have been happening in their own lives and communities and pushing through, whether buying or renting a house or making ends meet, keeping their business together, dealing with the catastrophes of floods and fires. Australians have had to push through all of it but now there is an important choice to make.
I’m not going to let Anthony Albanese skate in under the radar. He likes to think of himself as a small target when it comes to managing the economy and keeping Australians safe, he is a blank page, not a small target, so I’m going to give Australians an opportunity to have a close look.
They had a close look at me and they know what I can do. Whether it’s 300,000 people into their own homes, as I promised we would do. Or it’s in keeping Australians safe, bolstering our defence forces, standing up for Australia in our own region against the bullies who would seek to coerce us.
You need to take a close look at this bloke because if he wants to be prime minister, and as we’ve seen in 24 hours, didn’t deliver an economic plan, wasn’t able to give a guarantee that he wouldn’t increase taxes when asked three times.
Updated
Morrison has opted to absolutely not answer questions about independent Zali Steggall’s comments on Q&A last night that she might be more likely to support the government in the event of a hung parliament if the PM were to be ousted.
Like he REALLY just didn’t answer it at all.
Reporter:
Zali Steggall said she was likely to support a hung parliament if you are not leader. Would you stand aside if it helped the Coalition.
Morrison:
As we went to this election, we set out an economic plan and that is backed up by the delivery of a strong economy, stronger than we’ve seen in the UK, the US, Germany, France, Italy Japan. We’ve done that during a pandemic which is seen unemployment go down. With Labor in power, that took an economy with 4.2% unemployment under John Howard and took it up to 5.7%.
When we said that in the parliament, Anthony Albanese he said, you are forgetting the GFC. Seriously? Compared to the global pandemic and the global recession we have been in, and what we’ve had to deal with as a government and we got unemployment down ...
The people of Australia to make this choice about who should lead the country and key around economic security and national security. You can keep Australians safe, who’s demonstrated that, who will keep our economy strong for a stronger future and whose demonstrated that with the experience and track record and, most importantly, the plan for the future. That’s what I put forward. Anthony Albanese, he has done none of that.
What?
Updated
Morrison has slammed opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s budget reply speech, saying he failed to lay out a clear economic plan for the country.
He knows the cost of nothing. If you know the cost of nothing, you can’t trust him with the finances and the first hurdle, at the first hurdle today, last night when he had to put forward an economic plan as to how he was going to take the Australian economy forward, he didn’t do it. That’s what he had to do last night.
Josh Frydenberg set out a very comprehensive economic plan on behalf of our government but on Thursday night, didn’t get one, failed.
And then today, he was asked point-blank on the Today show, will you increase taxes? Not just once, not just twice but three times. He was asked, will you increase taxes? Fudged it. Couldn’t answer it. It’s a very simple question to answer.
There are no increases in taxes or new taxes in the budget we handed down this week and there will not be any under the government that I have led and will continue to lead.
Morrison is also using this press conference to backtrack – or at least clarify – some of the comments he made suggesting that the best support that can be offered to renters is the ability to purchase a home.
We came up with the first home loan deposit scheme now called the home guarantee scheme and that means that you aren’t saving for a deposit of some 20% of a price that is so hard and is increasingly making owning a home a challenge but you need to get to 5% ...
But there are many others I know he will continue to rent. My grandparents rented for their attire lives and there are many Australians for whom homeownership will be beyond their reach, and that’s why there are one million Australians every year who get the support of commonwealth rental assistance.
It’s a $5.1bn that we put in to help them with the cost of their rents are an important scheme and one we are very committed to. There are many other programs we are doing to support Australians with the cost of living pressures.
Updated
Prime minister Scott Morrison has used the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s address to the Australian parliament to issue a warning to China about expanding their power in the Indo-pacific.
I thank president Zelenskiy for coming and addressing our Parliament and reminding not just all of us who are in the Parliament last night but all the Australians of what is at stake here when you have one nation bullying and other – a democratic nation whose territorial sovereignty has been violated and war crimes being committed in the Ukraine by Russia, this is something Australians will never stand for and so we stand with Ukraine.
But president Zelenskiy had a key warning for the whole world that if you let a bully do this in Ukraine, then there are bullies elsewhere and there are those in our own region who should be watching on to see how the world and the western world in particular stands together and stands up against bullies.
Updated
Australia will send Bushmaster vehicles to Ukraine, PM confirms
Prime minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that Australia does intend to send Bushmaster military vehicles to Ukraine following significant confusion over this in Senate estimates this morning.
I invited president Zelenskiy to come and speak to our parliament and it was a truly majestic occasion and I can tell him after yesterday we announced $25m and further support, military support.
We are not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, ammunitions, humanitarian aid, all of this, our body armour, all of these things and we will send out armoured vehicles, Bushmasters as well and we will fly them over there in our C-17s to make sure they can be there to support.
Updated
Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now. Let’s have a listen in.
Military vehicle confusion in Senate estimates
OK, there was a bit of confusion at Senate estimates about how many Bushmaster vehicles Australia may provide to Ukraine, following last night’s request from president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Let’s step through how the evidence unfolded at the defence estimates hearing this morning:
When asked whether the government had tasked defence to consider what could be done in relation to Zelenskiy’s request, the acting secretary of the Department of Defence, Matt Yannopoulos, said:
Yes, overnight we were asked to explore what was possible in terms of the provision of Bushmasters and I think I’ve just seen an announcement by the minister for defence … I was just shown the message, we’ll make available four Bushmasters – up to four.
He added that was “the current decision of the minister” and “we have produced some options for him”.
Something didn’t seem quite right about these comments because the chief of the Australian defence force, general Angus Campbell, confessed to Labor senator Penny Wong that he wasn’t aware of an announcement:
No, I haven’t looked at my phone in the last few minutes to see it.
The head of land systems, major general Andrew Bottrell, then told the Senate hearing there might actually be more than four Bushmasters provided:
We’ve overnight been working through options on what we’ve got available, where they are, provided some of that advice through to government. They’re still considering those options now – I’d suggest it’s moved on from ‘just four’ so those options are still being considered by the minister and government … I was just on the phone now to advisers just discussing how that thinking is evolving.
Campbell then explained that the acting department secretary was actually “referring to a reference to a media engagement that a C-17 [transport aircraft] can fit up to four Bushmaster vehicles in one load”.
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, said Peter Dutton’s comments that you could fit four Bushmasters on a C-17 did not amount to a decision to do so.
He did not announce that there would be four Bushmasters on a C-17 ... These discussions are happening in real time.
We are expecting an update on this point later today.
Updated
⚠️ Moderate #Flood Warning issued for the #OraraRiver. #Glenreagh fell below the minor flood level Friday morning. #CouttsCrossing falling slowly with moderate flooding. See https://t.co/AdztI2rqg1 for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES. #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/ZADn1XbEIV
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 31, 2022
Speaking of that confusion over the supply of military vehicles to Ukraine:
Here's the full quote from Dutton on @RNBreakfast - he's basically saying the government is happy to send Bushmasters but officials are trying to work out how we'd get large numbers to Ukraine quickly 3/ pic.twitter.com/JhCwwWo9vP
— Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) March 31, 2022
By the way, we should be hearing from Anthony Albanese in the next ten minutes or so.
Michele Bullock appointed Reserve Bank deputy
Michele Bullock has become the first female deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, announced Bullock to replace retiring deputy Guy Debelle on Friday, AAP reports.
She joined the central bank in 1985 as an analyst and has been an assistant governor since 2010.
Bullock is also a member of the Council of Financial Regulators and works extensively with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Treasury.
The appointment is for five years.
Updated
Specialist swift water rescue technicians are deploying to NSW to assist @NSWSES in flood impacted communities. Our @SA_SES crew are flying out this morning to Ballina - where they will be staging for taskings in the Northern Rivers catchments.
— Chris Beattie (@ChrisBeattieSES) March 31, 2022
Thanks to all - stay safe. pic.twitter.com/kk5HwOqEwE
Defence officials will clarify what assistance Australia will provide to Ukraine, after initially suggesting that Australia was willing to make available up to four Bushmaster vehicles, following the request from Ukraine’s president last night.
But the chief of the Australian defence force, Angus Campbell, seemed unaware of the particulars.
Defence officials said the discussions were evolving and details are all still being worked through. Marise Payne said Peter Dutton had indicated that up to four Bushmaster vehicles could fit on a C-17 large transport aircraft in a single load (as in, the four figure was about capacity to carry in a single load).
Payne says officials will clarify the details later in the hearing:
This is literally happening in real time.
Updated
Treasury boss Dr Kennedy at a parliamentary committee: "We expect that future waves of Covid will occur and this remains a risk to the outlook, but given our high vaccination rates & increased immunity in the community, our ability to live with Covid has improved” #7NEWS #auspol pic.twitter.com/kRlABgZ96R
— Jennifer Bechwati (@jenbechwati) March 31, 2022
The Queensland health minister, Yevette D’Ath, is speaking now. She says cases are still on the rise in Queensland as part of the Omicron second wave.
The state’s chief health officer, Dr John Gerrard, says they are likely to see a peak in transmission soon, but hospitalisations and deaths will probably continue to rise.
Updated
Independent MP Zali Steggall has signalled she could be more likely to support the Coalition in the event of a hung parliament if Scott Morrison wasn’t the leader.
Steggall – who could be in a king-making position post-election if the federal result in May is close – told the ABC on Thursday night she had “grave concerns in relation to Scott Morrison’s leadership”.
She pointed to “deep concerns within my community about some of the things that have occurred in the last few [years]”.
Steggall said she would look at the substance of what the government would deliver to inform her choice. But pressed on the Q&A program about whether or not a different leader would make it easier for her to back the Coalition, Steggall said: “That is obviously an open possibility.”
You can read the full report below:
Updated
⚠️Moderate #Flood Warning issued for the #ClarenceRiver. Levels are falling along the Clarence River at #Grafton, #Ulmarra and #Maclean. See https://t.co/AdztI2rqg1 for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES. #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/iyfnd8cs0g
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 31, 2022
Rental properties will be offered at prices below market value to help low and moderate income earners in Victoria into secure housing, AAP reports.
The state government has announced 2,400 properties will be made available, including 500 in regional areas, for at least three years.
Rents on government-owned homes will be set at least 10% below the median market rent for properties in the area, and will be based on location and size, the housing minister, Richard Wynne, announced on Friday.
They will also be capped at 30% of the median income for Melbourne or regional Victoria.
Low and moderate income essential workers including carers and healthcare workers will be eligible for properties, which are expected to first become available in Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo as well as the Melbourne suburbs of Ascot Vale, Ashburton and Heidelberg.
Wynne said the program, part of the government’s big build, would help to sustain and grow affordable housing and provide more options for Victorians looking for homes to rent.
Properties will be available for at least three years and the first are expected to be ready to be moved into by the end of this year.
Updated
The first direct flight to LA from Brisbane in 2 years, will take off in a few hours. This morning’s service on the @Qantas A330 is almost full 🍾@sunriseon7 @BrisbaneAirport @7NewsWideBay pic.twitter.com/NlsD8nLFCl
— Anna McGraw (@annamcgraw_7) March 31, 2022
⚠️ MAJOR #Flood Warning issued for the #RichmondRiver, major flooding is occurring at #Coraki, #Bungawalbin and #Woodburn. See https://t.co/JShqrbChLU for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/rj1xwQ3y5F
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 31, 2022
The abandoned French submarine program has cost $2.5bn, as at end of January, defence officials have told a Senate estimates hearing. That cost for the Attack-class submarine program compares with $2.4bn expended by the time Aukus was announced ($100m more has been spent between September and January).
These are not the final costs because the government’s negotiations with France’s Naval Group about ending the contract remain ongoing.
Tony Dalton, a deputy secretary of the Department of Defence, said Naval Group had “reserved their rights” – but the original strategic partnering agreement was “silent” on arrangements for a break payment at this point in the contract.
Dalton said there were negotiated points at which a break payment would be payable – but one of those was the preliminary design milestone that would have been in 2023.
Labor senator Penny Wong wanted to know whether Naval Group had expressed to the Australian government how much they believed Australia should pay it.
Dalton:
Not formally, senator.
But Dalton confirmed he was aware, through discussions, of the figure Naval Group was seeking.
Wong asked him to reveal that figure.
Dalton:
I’d rather not say, senator.
Wong asked if there was budget provision for this.
“Yes Senator,” Dalton said.
Tuesday night’s budget papers showed a budget estimate of a further $494m in the 2022-23 financial year.
But Dalton said the figures for the Attack-class program in Tuesday’s budget were as originally budgeted – prior to the cancellation – because “we haven’t determined what the final cost is”.
(It’s essentially TBC.)
Updated
Queensland extends pandemic powers for six months
The Queensland chief health officer’s pandemic powers to order Covid-19 face mask and vaccine mandates, as well as citywide lockdowns, have been extended for six months, AAP reports.
The state’s Labor government passed its public health bill on Thursday night with the support of 48 Labor MPs, but it was opposed by the Liberal National party, Katter’s Australian arty, One Nation MPs and independent MP Sandy Bolton.
The health minister, Yvette D’Ath, said that the chief health officer, John Gerrard, needs the powers to act quickly given the unpredictable nature of Covid-19.
“This bill has been developed in a period of ongoing uncertainty not experienced in a century,” she told parliament on Thursday night.
For the foreseeable future there will continue to be unknowns.
Government must have the tools to respond to preserve the health and safety of our people, to protect the community and mitigate disruption to society.
The government cannot do this without relying on the public health emergency powers included in this bill.
Updated
Australian motorists may have to wait weeks for the Morrison government’s halving of the fuel excise to be passed on, with one motoring group warning that retailers could use falling global oil prices as a cover to fatten their profit margins.
From midnight Wednesday, the government cut the fuel excise by 22.1 cents a litre for six months at a net cost to the budget of $3bn.
Petrol prices have been decreasing for the past fortnight in most state capitals, with falls in recent days largely unrelated to the tax cut.
Guardian Australia understands that service stations are now selling fuel that was supplied to them with the 44.2 cent a litre excise, and are only obliged to cut the bowser price when they clear those stocks and take on new supplies. Retailers with slower turnover would work through their more expensive fuel first.
You can read the full report below:
By the way, mostly for my own amusement, I will be sharing the most obvious April Fools’ Day jokes that politicians and companies post today.
Here is the contribution from the Melbourne lord mayor:
Following the success of the Zipline across the Yarra during Summer we’re thrilled to announce our latest attraction to bring people into the city - a waterslide into the Yarra for Winter! And yes I’ll be the first to try it! More details to come. pic.twitter.com/WaDHWfszWB
— Sally Capp - Lord Mayor of Melbourne (@LordMayorMelb) March 31, 2022
Updated
NSW records two Covid deaths and 25,495 new infections
COVID-19 update – Friday 1 April 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 31, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 96% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 94.6% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/MxMiGmnGmw
Victoria records six Covid deaths and 10,424 new infections
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 31, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAchah#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/VizRmTlTvZ
⚠️Minor #Flood Warning updated for the #Macleay River at #Kempsey and #Smithtown. See https://t.co/AdztI2rqg1 for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/IOjllz1D3e
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 31, 2022
Workers on the lowest pay would receive a real pay cut under a proposal to freeze the minimum wage pushed by the cafe and restaurant industry.
The Restaurant and Catering Industry Association called for no increase in the minimum wage in its submission to the annual review, arguing take-home pay is already rising due to job shortages, on top of super increases and budget giveaways.
Wes Lambert, the association’s chief executive, warned that if the Fair Work Commission ordered bigger pay rises it was “only a matter of time” before cafes charged $7 for a coffee – prices he said were common in other major global cities.
You can read the full report below:
We shall be hearing from Anthony Albanese at 10.45am today, by the way.
Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, is in Sydney today with Labor candidate for Parramatta, Andrew Charlton, and will hold a doorstop, 10:45AM #auspol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) March 31, 2022
Aviation experts will take over the investigation at Mt Disappointment today, it’s expected weather/conditions will be the focus. 5 people lost their lives here yesterday. A 32 year old highly respected pilot and 4 passengers in their 50s and 70s. @TheTodayShow @9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/HJM5jroO40
— Izabella Staskowski (@IzaStaskowski) March 31, 2022
There's the chance of up to 150mm of rain for parts #NSW over the next 4 days, as the focus shifts to the #SouthCoast. Areas that could see roughly 100mm of rain over the weekend includes #Bega and #Merimbula.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 31, 2022
Check your local forecast, monitor warnings: https://t.co/SPHgGeisGZ pic.twitter.com/QnjY6DKdIq
Independent Zali Steggall admits she would consider supporting the Coalition if Morrison were booted
Independent Zali Steggall has certainly caused a stir last night after she was pushed to admit on Q&A that, if the Coalition was to change their leadership (and give Morrison the boot) she would be open to the idea of supporting them if it came down to a hung parliament.
Steggall:
Well, where it’s changed is the conversation we’ve just had around leadership. And I do have grave concerns in relation to Scott Morrison’s leadership.
Host David Speers:
I want to be clear on this. If they had a different leader, you might support them into a minority government?
Steggall:
Ah, that is obviously an open possibility.
Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmer, who was also on the panel, quipped that “Josh Frydenberg is paying a lot of attention to this answer”.
Well, the ripples of the (reluctant) mic drop are still washing ashore this morning with defence minister – and long time prime minister hopeful – Peter Dutton asked about it on ABC radio this morning.
But he doesn’t seem convinced that Steggall would ever be swayed to the blue side.
Look, I think if you look at Steggall’s voting record she’s been with the Labor party and the Greens on many more occasions than she’s been with the Liberal party so we should be realistic.
I think we should look at words and actions. I know Zali, I deal with her, I like her but I would be amazed if Zali Steggall supported the Liberal party if there was to be a hung parliament.
Updated
Dutton:
We know that [China has] been trying to get into Papa New Guinea and elsewhere to build ports. We know that they’re already in Sri Lanka. And this is a very concerning development.
ABC radio host, Patricia Karvelas:
On that question of whether it’s become a done deal or whether we can you know, stop it. What’s, what’s your view on that?
Dutton:
Well, again, I mean, there are some things that we’ll say publicly and other things that we’re able to do privately and we’re working closely with the Solomon Islands ...
I mean, they’re a sovereign nation, and they have the ability to make decisions for themselves and we fully respect that and they will do what’s in what they believe is in their country’s best interest, but I think there are many neighbouring countries in the region who have expressed their concern, rightly, about this development.
Updated
Dutton says it's hard to take China 'at face value' over Solomon Islands deal
Australia has raised concern over the looming security deal between the Solomon Islands and China, fearing it could pave the way for a Chinese military base in Australia’s backyard.
Defence minister Peter Dutton has been asked on ABC radio if there is still a chance Australia can intervene, or if it’s now a “done deal”.
He says it’s hard to take China “at face value” when they say they aren’t interested in building a port.
Dutton:
The first point is it hasn’t caught us off guard at all. We’ve been obviously working with Solomon Islands, and we don’t publicly broadcast discussions that are held in private and their views are expressed and the way in which show we seek to negotiate with countries including the Solomon Islands. So that’s the first point.
The second point is that President Xi promised to President Obama, no less, when the South China Sea and reclamation of islands there, the promises made, they would be no authorisation on those islands. We now know that there are 20 points of militarisation that China has, they are amassing nuclear weapons and missiles and testing hypersonics etc. So it’s a deeply concerning time for the world.
And [Ukrainian] President Zelenskiy referred to that in the speech to the parliament yesterday, and it’s deeply concerning in the Indo Pacific, because under President Xi, China is headed in a very different direction. And I think it’s very hard to take them at face value when they say that this is not about a military port.
Updated
Some interesting implications here from the Google search trends following the political parties’ respective budget speeches.
Albo got more of a search bump than Frydenberg from their respective budget speeches pic.twitter.com/a1x9QezPjb
— camvid-19 (@cameronwilson) March 31, 2022
Updated
.@PatsKarvelas pushed to confirm the costs? Wage element and ongoing costs
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) March 31, 2022
"The costs last night were $2.5 billion across the forward estimates.. the wage case is a matter for the fairwork commission.. whoever wins the election will have to deal with that cost"@SenKatyG
The shadow finance minister, Katy Gallagher, says the extra spending on the age care industry proposed by Labor leader Anthony Albanese last night isn’t optional and should be supported by both sides of government.
We need to make room for this. This is not, you know, this is not spending that is discretionary in any sense. This is spending that should be bipartisan.
The state of aged care at the moment is really difficult for many Australians and we believe these investments are needed to bring this sector to the standard of care that is required for elderly Australians.
Updated
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staff reviewed the social media accounts of a disabled woman applying for the scheme and sent a report to a doctor engaged to provide an expert opinion, a tribunal decision reveals.
But their “intelligence report”, which included Facebook and LinkedIn posts dating back as far as 2015, was dismissed by a tribunal reviewing her case as “far from sound”.
Confirmation of the practice, labelled “outrageous” by one federal senator, comes from a recent judgment in a long-running Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s (AAT) case seen by Guardian Australia.
You can read the full report below:
Damaging wind gusts near the central and southern coast today and early Saturday morning. #Sydney #Newcastle #Wollongong. The surf is also big , beach conditions are dangerous and erosion . pic.twitter.com/RyFn4HB7Se
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 31, 2022
Good morning everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley here with you again to see off the week.
Unfortunately, we are starting the day with some tragic news, NSW police recovering the body of a 55-year-old woman whose car became trapped in water earlier this week.
Police said the body was yet to be formally identified but is believed to be that of a missing woman who became trapped in her white station wagon at Monaltrie, south of Lismore, about 10pm on Tuesday.
The 2017 Holden Captiva that the woman was driving has not yet been located.
Strong gale force winds, heavy surf and high tides are expected over southern NSW today as flood waters in the north of the state recede.
The Wilsons River, which runs past Lismore, had peaked at 11.4 metres but that was below higher expectations of 12m. The Bureau of Meteorology says waters are now below the levee height of 10.6m.
But with two low pressure systems colliding along the south-east of the state, rainfall is expected to hit Newcastle and Sydney today, extending down to the Victorian border into the weekend before easing on Sunday.
Changing our focus to politics and Anthony Albanese used his budget reply speech to pledge $2.5bn to help the country’s aged care sector, laying out a five-point plan, including requirements for every aged care facility to have a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day, and new minimum care mandates.
Our older Australians aren’t just a number, they aren’t a burden, they are people who deserve respect, courtesy and the best possible attention.
As part of the aged care announcement, Labor would also support a wage rise for aged care workers, as well as work with the sector to institute new mandatory food standards in residential facilities.
While Albanese said the plan has been fully costed, finance minister Simon Birmingham has already dismissed it, calling it a sweeping promise with no mention of how it would be funded.
Clearly, there is plenty to talk about today, so, with that why don’t we jump right in.
