As it happened: Second retiring Coalition senator attacks government, Russia approaches India about SWIFT alternative for ruble payments, Hundreds of millions into voters’ pockets as Treasurer flags fuel excise cut

That’s where we’ll leave today’s live blog.

If you’re just catching up, here’s a summary of this afternoon’s main stories.

• A second retiring Coalition senator, Sam McMahon, attacked the government’s treatment of colleagues in light of Kimberley Kitching’s death. The Northern Territory Country Liberal senator said she was haunted by the death of the late Labor senator, saying the allegedly bullied Ms Kitching “could’ve easily been me”. Her speech followed fiery comments from Concetta Fierravanti-Wells who labelled the Prime Minister a “autocrat” and a “bully” who has no moral compass.

Nationals Senator Sam McMahon.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

• Russia approached India about using an alternative to SWIFT for ruble payments. No final decision has been taken and the matter will probably be discussed when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives in India for a two-day visit on Thursday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei LavrovCredit: LUONG THAI LINH

• Cricketing legends, music royalty and more than 50,000 fans amassed to farewell cricketer Shane Warne on in a celebration of his life on Wednesday evening.

Scott Morrison arriving ar Shane Warne Memorial service MCG.Credit: Eddie Jim

• Hey Hey it’s Saturday host Daryl Somers announced the death of Ernie Carroll, aged 92.

Ossie Ostrich creator Ernie Carroll dies

• The country recorded 34 deaths and 66,974 new cases of COVID-19, with South Australia recording its second-highest daily case load since the beginning of the pandemic.
• South Australia will no longer require teachers or transport workers, including taxi and rideshare drivers, to be vaccinated.

Thank you for reading today’s coverage. Good night.

Ernie Carroll, the creator of beloved Hey Hey It’s Saturday character, Ossie Ostrich has died, aged 92.

Daryl Somers announced Mr Carroll’s death on the show’s Facebook page on Wednesday evening, and expressed his gratitude for Mr Carroll’s guidance during the early stages of his career.

“It is with overwhelming sadness I announce the passing of my beloved friend and mentor Ernie Carroll,” the post said.

Ernie Carroll creator Ossie Ostrich has died.Credit: Fairfax Media

“Ernie was a pioneer of television starting back in the 50s, coming from a radio background to GTV9 when television was in its infancy.”

“He was a man of few words with a quiet countenance but when he did speak he imparted great wisdom... I loved him very much. Rest in peace Ern. Forever in my heart.’”

Mr Somers said Carroll has died of natural causes in a Melbourne retirement village.

Cricketing legends, music royalty and more than 50,000 fans have amassed to farewell cricketer Shane Warne on in a celebration of his life that will culminate in the unveiling of a Melbourne Cricket Ground stand renamed after the great leg-spinner.

A fan pays tribute to Shane Warne ahead of his state memorial service.Credit: Getty Images

The memorial has just started. You can follow our live coverage led by Roy Ward here. 

The Australian Federal Police will boost the security of parliamentarians with a new taskforce that will investigate threats to elected officials and candidates.

The taskforce, named Wilmot, will involve hundreds of investigators, intelligence officers and protective officers, and will coordinate responses to all electoral-related crime during the federal election.

“The AFP supports political expression and freedom of speech. However, when it leads to disruption, harassment, intimidation, threatening behaviour and damage to property, it can reach the threshold of a criminal offence,” the federal agency said in a statement today.

“Hiding behind a keyboard to issue threats against politicians does not ensure anonymity.”

Labor MP Andrew Leigh has taken out a protection order after receiving alleged threats, while two people have been charged over alleged online threats to Labor senator Kristina Keneally.

India’s government is considering a proposal from Russia to use a system developed by the Russian central bank for bilateral payments, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The plan involves rupee-rouble-denominated payments using Russia’s messaging system SPFS, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations.

No final decision has been taken and the matter will probably be discussed when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives in India for a two-day visit on Thursday.

India is keen to continue bilateral trade due to its dependency on Russian weapons and the prospect of buying cheaper oil as global prices surge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been pushing back against pressure from Western nations by arguing that arms purchases from Russia are needed to counter China’s growing military assertiveness.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.Credit: AP

Under the proposal, roubles will be deposited into an Indian bank and converted into rupees and the same system will work in reverse, one of the people said. Undecided elements include whether the exchange rate will be fixed or floating.

Russia also wants India to link its Unified Payments Interface with their MIR payments system for seamless use of cards issued by Indian and Russian banks after Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. suspended operations, one of the people said.

Bloomberg

Retiring Coalition senator Sam McMahon says the alleged bullying faced by Kimberley Kitching was not confined to Labor and should not be used as a partisan football.

The Northern Territory Country Liberal senator said she was haunted by the death of the late Labor senator, saying the allegedly bullied Ms Kitching “could’ve easily been me”.

Coalition senator Sam McMahon during her valedictory speech on Wednesday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

She also became the second Coalition senator to deliver a veiled spray to the government during their farewell speech in as many days, following fiery comments by Liberal Concetta Fierravanti-
Wells.

“This alleged behaviour towards Kimberley Kitching should not become a partisan football … for it is not constrained to any one side of politics,” Senator McMahon said.

Speaking under parliamentary privilege, Senator McMahon said her decision to resign was due to a former staff member – who she said “terrorised my office” – “and the party’s decision to place him in office on the essential council,” which she said left her seeking professional help.

Read Angus Thompson’s full report here.

The ASX 200 closed 0.7% higher at 7514.5, its highest since January, with a big tech boost offsetting a decline from energy and mining stocks.

New South Wales hospital patients have been warned to expect disruption and delays when thousands of nurses walk off the job for 24 hours on Thursday, as the number of healthcare workers off work due to COVID-19 surges to 4300, placing further pressure on the health system.

Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association from 170 hospitals will descend on Macquarie Street and in regional city centres for the second time in seven weeks in defiance of an order issued by the Industrial Relations Commission last Friday. The action will last 24 hours at 161 hospitals.

Thousands of nurses stopped work in February in the first statewide strike in a decade. Credit: Renee Nowytarger

Read the full report from Mary Ward and Lucy Carroll here.

The country recorded 34 deaths and 66,974 new cases of COVID-19, with South Australia recording its second-highest daily case load since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Victoria recorded seven deaths and 11,479 new cases.
• New South Wales recorded 15 deaths and 25,235 new cases.
• South Australia recorded two deaths and 5,496 new cases.
• West Australia recorded three deaths and 9,754 new cases.
• Tasmania recorded one death and 2,472 new cases.
• The Northern Territory recorded one death and 503 new cases.
• The ACT recorded zero deaths and 1,139 new cases.
• Queensland recorded five deaths and 10,626 new cases.

The Morrison government has bowed to pressure to bring a key aged care bill to a vote in the Senate, setting up a debate on an amendment to put nurses into aged care homes around the clock.

Independent senator Rex Patrick blasted the government on Wednesday for initially leaving the bill off a list of 20 pieces of legislation to be pushed through on the final day of Senate sitting before the election.

“The government stopped the progression of their own bill because they were of the view that I had the numbers in the Senate to pass my amendment to finally help people in aged care by having a nurse available 24/7,” Senator Patrick said in the chamber.

“That is an absolute disgrace; the government holding up its own bill to avoid implementing a very sensible recommendation of the Royal Commission.”

Senator Rex Patrick.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The government needs to pass the bill to roll out its new funding model for the sector, which is supposed to start in October, and implement part of its response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, including pre-employment screenings for aged care workers and a serious incident response scheme for home care.

But it has delayed bringing on the bill for Senate debate over multiple sittings, finally adding it to the list on Wednesday after Senator Patrick signalled he would move a procedural motion to have it debated.

Labor, which supports the bill being passed despite having concerns about some details, is expected to vote for the 24/7 nursing amendment, as will the Greens and Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff.

The positions of One Nation’s two senators and independent Jacqui Lambie remain unclear.

If the bill passes the Senate with amendments, it will be returned to the House of Representatives where the government has the numbers to overrule the changes.

The government would not have time for a second attempt at passing the bill through the Senate, which will be devoted to estimates hearing for the rest of this sitting period, before the May election.

Senator Patrick said the bill was “too important” to delay.

“We cannot ignore what is happening in our aged care facilities,” he said.

“This Parliament is about to come to the end without having taken any serious action in relation to the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations.”