The Latest Breaking News from Scott Morrison

The Prime Minister says he's listening to the Queensland Premier by not including the state in a national emergency declaration, as the man coordinating the ADF's flood response confirms a boost in the number of boots on the ground helping to clean up in two states.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the nation's political leaders want to move to a new phase of living with COVID-19 as though it were the flu, but would consult health experts.

Meanwhile, in other fake news, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared Australia needs more submarines to make travel easier during the floods.

Australia follows lead of US and UK with Russia sanctions; ‘We want tradies to come to Queensland,’ premier says. This blog is now closed

When the Morrison government finds itself in times of trouble, it turns to national security.

This is the second March in a row where heavy rains have brought flooding to coastal portions of Queensland and New South Wales.

Good morning, early birds. Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching has died aged 52, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to announce Queensland is now part of the state of emergency declaration despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s earlier refusal of the offer. It’s the news you need to know, with Emma Elsworthy.

As French statesman Charles de Gaulle once said, when faced with crisis a man of character “falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own”.

Dame Mary Gilmore died at 97 in late 1962, two and a half years before the birth of her great-great nephew, Scott John Morrison.