Coronavirus Australia live news: Open internal borders to save aviation, says PM
Scott Morrison has called for the states to open their borders and save the aviation industry, saying ‘this isn’t a partisan issue’.
- Open borders to save aviation: PM
- Four Labor MPs to get COVID tests
- PM won’t grant pairs for protest MPs
- Palaszczuk’s border defence revealed
- NSW sport gets green light
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Scott Morrison has called for the states to open their internal borders and save the aviation industry in a combative question time. Four Labor MPs in Canberra have decided to self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19 after attending Black Lives Matter protests on the weekend. The closure of Queensland’s borders has not hurt tourism businesses, according to documents filed with the High Court by the Palaszczuk government this week.
AFP 8.40pm: Brussels suggests EU open borders from July 1
The European Commission will recommend EU member states begin to reopen their external frontiers to travellers from outside the bloc from July 1, diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday.
The decision on easing restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus rests with national capitals, but Mr Borrell said Brussels would suggest “a gradual and partial lifting” of the ban.
EU member states have begun to ease temporary restrictions on non-essential crossing of the borders within the bloc, with a goal of June 15 for restoring free travel.
READ MORE: Regulations go viral as Europe eases restrictions
Reuters 7.20pm: Widespread mask use may avert virus waves
Population-wide face mask use could push COVID-19 transmission down to controllable levels for national epidemics, and could prevent further waves of the pandemic disease when combined with lockdowns, according to a British study.
The research, led by scientists at the Britain’s Cambridge and Greenwich Universities, suggests lockdowns alone will not stop the resurgence of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus but even home-made masks can dramatically reduce transmission rates if enough people wear them in public.
“Our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of face masks by the public,” said Richard Stutt, who co-led the study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Combining widespread mask use with social distancing and some lockdown measures, could be “an acceptable way of managing the pandemic and reopening economic activity” before the development of an effective vaccine against COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, he said.
Researchers linked the dynamics of spread between people with population-level models to assess the effect on the disease’s reproduction rate, or R value, of different scenarios of mask adoption combined with periods of lockdown.
The R value measures the average number of people that one infected person will pass the disease on to. An R value above one can lead to exponential growth. The study found that if people wear masks whenever they are in public it is twice as effective at reducing the R value than if masks are only worn after symptoms appear.
In all scenarios the study looked at, routine face mask use by 50 per cent or more of the population reduced COVID-19 spread to an R of less than one, flattening future disease waves and allowing for less stringent lockdowns.
READ MORE: Leaders deflate hopes for a New Zealand travel bubble
Paige Taylor 5.50pm: Health minister’s wife to defy advice, attend rally
A Black Lives Matter rally planned for Perth this weekend has created an awkward moment for Western Australia’s health minister, who has urged people not to attend while his wife has issued a public statement that she plans to go.
WA Health Minister Roger Cook has been a stern voice of caution during Perth’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Though WA reopened pubs and lifted regional borders on the weekend, allowing up to 100 people in restaurants if social distancing requirements of 1.5m were complied with, Mr Cook on Wednesday reminded West Australians that mass gatherings were still not advisable under current health guidelines.
“We urge people to not attend the protest due to the current health pandemic,” he said.
Mr Cook is married to Carly Lane, an indigenous woman who is curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at the Art Gallery of WA and she intends to join what is predicted to be a gathering of thousands in Perth on Saturday for the Black Lives Matter protest.
Mr Cook said he great sympathy for the cause of ensuring Aboriginal people and minorities were protected from racism.
“I understand the reasons and motives behind the protest planned for Saturday but it is also important to understand the health risk,” he said.
“Currently we are in the middle of a serious health pandemic and we need to take necessary precautions to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
“While I respect the right to protest, given the current situation, large mass gatherings are not advisable and I ask people to follow the current health guidelines.”
“In relation to my wife, she is a private citizen and, like everyone else, makes her own personal choices, and that’s one of the many reasons why I love her,” Mr Cook said.
In a statement sent to newsrooms from Mr Cook’s office, Ms Lane said: “As an Aboriginal person, I want to attend the Black Lives Matter rally this Saturday in solidarity with all those who stand against racism and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody”.
“Systemic racism, whether it happens here or in America, is an abuse of our human right to live free of fear, and of our right to enjoy a full life,” she said.
“I support a peaceful rally and we should all be mindful of the health and safety of those around us.”
READ MORE: Gesture politics is double-edged
Richard Ferguson 5.10pm: No regrets, no reason to think I have virus: McCarthy
Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy says she has no reason to believe she has coronavirus, after defying federal health advice and going to a Black Lives Matter rally in Darwin.
Senator McCarthy — one of four Labor MPs to self-isolate in Canberra after attending marches — said she made the decision to self-isolate and did not regret attending the protest.
“I have absolutely no reason to think I have the virus or have exposed anyone to any risk. I have no symptoms, have practised physical distancing in Parliament, and have followed medical advice at all times,” she told The Australian.
“I made the decision to have the test out of an abundance of caution, after I was made aware that concerns had been raised by Government Members about people who attended Black Lives Matter rallies.
“I do not resile from my decision to attend the Darwin BLM rally on Friday June 5. The over-incarceration of Indigenous people in Australia is a national disgrace. I will continue to speak out on the discrimination we face in our justice, child protection, social security, health and education systems, as well as in society generally.”
READ MORE: Coronavirus has exposed uni rankings game
Matthew Denholm 4.20pm: PM’s rethink on VC for war hero
Scott Morrison has paved the way for a potential backflip on his denial of a Victoria Cross to war hero Teddy Sheean, announcing a high-powered panel to review the case.
The Prime Minister’s announcement on Wednesday of an expert panel – to be headed by former Defence Minister Brendan Nelson – follows intense political and community pressure for a rethink of his stance.
Mr Morrison had rejected a defence awards tribunal recommendation that a posthumous VC be granted to Sheean, who went down with HMAS Armidale in 1942, strapping himself to his gun and firing on Japanese fighters even as the ship sank.
READ FULL STORY here.
Geoff Chambers 4.16pm: Dutton vows to hunt down ‘depraved’ pedophiles
Peter Dutton has warned “depraved” pedophiles that they will be hunted down, flagging law reform to give security agencies the powers they need to protect children.
Speaking in parliament, the Home Affairs Minister said the Australian Federal Police and AUSTRAC were detecting “more and more people” using the dark web and encrypted devices who “deserve to be caught” and “punished”.
Mr Dutton said the AFP had continued to combat child exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has triggered an increase in online crime.
READ FULL STORY here.
Richard Ferguson 3.40pm: Open borders, we need planes flying: PM
Scott Morrison has called for the states to open their internal borders and save the aviation industry in a combative question time.
The Prime Minister’s focus on opening the economy came as he faced multiple Labor attacks on robodebt, JobKeeper and the country falling into recession for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Mr Morrison told parliament on Wednesday that Virgin and other businesses would only rebound when there were more planes in the sky and people could move more freely.
“We need to get planes flying around Australia and if you want to see planes flying around Australia, Mr Speaker, we need to open up these domestic borders,” he said in the House.
“That (must) occur for South Australia, for Tasmania, for Queensland and Western Australia. This isn’t a partisan issue.
“This is about ensuring that our economies can open up and I have made this point consistently.”
Anthony Albanese used question time to attack the government’s handling of the pandemic and support for those most in need, in a sign that coronavirus bipartisanship is finally over.
“Can the Prime Minister confirm that in just the three weeks since Parliament last sat the government admitted it over-estimated coverage of its JobKeeper scheme by 3 million workers, resulting in a $60 billion blunder,” the Opposition Leader asked.
“The government announced $720 million will be repaid to victims of the Prime Minister’s illegal robodebt scheme, and Australia entered its first recession in three decades?”
Mr Morrison lashed out at Anthony Albanese’s questions on the recession and the restricted access to wage subsidies, accusing the Opposition Leader of “constant whining.”
“It is a recession, Mr Speaker, there’s no doubt about that … only those opposite, Mr Speaker, would take joy in this fact and seek to use it for political purposes,” he said.
READ MORE: Border closure irrational, discriminatory, says silk
Richard Ferguson 3.35pm: I decided, drove myself to get tested: Perrett
Labor MP Graham Perrett says he consulted with ALP officials before he decided to self-isolate and test for COVID-19, but maintains it was his decision.
After attending a Black Lives Matter rally in Brisbane on the weekend, Mr Perrett said as early as this morning that he did not need to get tested due to advice from health authorities.
But he later decided to get tested after consulting with Labor whips hours later.
“It was my decision. It was my decision to get in the car. I drove myself to get tested,” he told The Australian.
“I just wanted to assure them everything in my workplace would feel fine … I did that in consultation with my whip.
“I am just waiting on the test, I feel good. And I look forward to getting back to work for the people of my electorate.”
Richard Ferguson 3.15pm: Why we are buying fuel reserves in US
Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison why the government is purchasing fuel reserves in the United States, rather than building them in Australia.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor answers and says the government is committed to establishing domestic reserves.
“During this pandemic our supply has remained stable, our liquid fuel supplies have remained strong and have remained stable,” he says.
“ Now we do need to take more action to ensure that we have a strategic fuel reserve in this country to ensure that the truckie, the tradie, the farmers, the commuters have access to the fuel that they need.
“We have a total fuel supply in this country of around 85 days and we need it to be higher.
“The right place to store it for now is the United States but we are committed to ensure that there is local storage available in Australia.”
READ MORE: Protests cost economy $1bn, delay reopening
Rosie Lewis 3.05pm: Labor MP ‘chose to have COVID-19 test’
Labor MP Warren Snowdon, who was tested for COVID-19 after attending a Black Lives Matter rally in Alice Springs, says he was not directed to do so by the party’s leadership group.
Four Labor MPs who attended weekend protests left federal parliament on Wednesday to be tested and self-isolate.
“I had a test after learning from the whip’s office this morning that the Speaker (of the House Tony Smith) had expressed concern about members who had attended rallies on the weekend,” Mr Snowdon told The Australian.
“I had attended a rally in the Alice appropriately practising social distancing. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the Deputy Chief Medical Officer said that there was no obligation for us to take action and out of an abundance of caution, I chose of my own volition to have a test.”
Olivia Caisley 2.55pm: Fiery PM rejects Labor’s demonising of JobKeeper
Labor leader Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison why he excluded those working in the arts and entertainment industry, the university sector and those at air services provider Dnata from JobKeeper payments.
The Prime Minister rises to the dispatch box, declaring he rejects Mr Albanese’s assertion.
“In the design of JobKeeper we ensured it covered a wide spectrum of the Australian public for full-time employees, part-time employees and partial equivalents, long-term casuals working for employers but we said we would not going to cover the bills of state governments and their responsibilities,” Mr Morrison says.
“We were not going to cover the bills of local governments and we were not going to cover the bills of foreign governments and that is the principle on which we established the JobKeeper program.”
He says workers in need of support can access the JobSeeker program.
“What I will not do, is join with the opposition in seeking to demonise a program to support workers who lose their jobs.”
READ MORE: Lowe urges paying subsidies for longer
Olivia Caisley 2.47pm: Call to delay JobKeeper review ‘immature’: PM
Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers asks Scott Morrison whether the government will delay releasing its review into the JobKeeper arrangements until after the Eden-Monaro by-election on July 4.
The Prime Minister lashes Mr Chalmers for his “immature” question, declaring the government’s wage subsidy program is “the single largest form of social support this country has ever seen, in the most uncertain economic environment anyone could possibly imagine of our generation.”
Mr Morrison flags the review will most likely be delivered in the “third week” of July and will be used to inform a further economic statement.
“Now, that is the proper, responsible way to manage important financial decisions,” Mr Morrison says. “Now, I understand the Labor Party can only see things through a political prism, but the government is focused on the economic wellbeing of the country at a time of great crisis.”
READ MORE: 14 candidates to contest Eden-Monaro
Olivia Caisley 2.40pm: PM ‘won’t shy away’ from JobKeeper changes
Opposition spokeswoman for early childhood education Amanda Rishworth calls on Scott Morrison to answer why he “broke his promise” of cutting JobKeeper support for up to 120,000 early childhood educators.
The Prime Minister says the government was very clear from the start the wage subsidy package would not be a permanent arrangement.
He says the childcare sector voiced that it was their preference the government move to a sustainment subsidy of 25 per cent of their fee base rather than the continuation of the JobKeeper arrangement.
“We have said very plainly that the temporary arrangements were not permanent and as we’re moving ahead on that road forward, we will continue to provide the support that these sectors need.”
Mr Morrison says the government won’t shy away from making further changes to the JobKeeper arrangement, declaring “where there is a better way to do things we won’t step aside from doing them in a better way.”
Olivia Caisley 2.33pm: Frydenberg estimates 7000 ‘substantial rebuilds’
Opposition spokesman for housing Jason Clare calls on Josh Frydenberg to answer how many Australians the government expects to spend more than $150,000 on a renovation before the end of this year.
“Around 7000 substantial rebuilds is our estimate,” the Treasurer replies.
The direct cash grants for home renovations, announced last week, are part of a multibillion-dollar building stimulus package to support the housing construction industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.
READ MORE: Renovation rescue for tradies’ jobs
Olivia Caisley 2.28pm: Wyatt on Closing the Gap justice targets
Labor MP Linda Burney is up and asks Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt when the Morrison government will include justice targets in its Closing the Gap framework.
Mr Wyatt says there are two targets and the government is committed to rolling-out a partnership agreement that reflects the views of the 51 Indigenous peak bodies.
“We will continue to work with the jurisdictions because there is broad agreement to both targets,” he said, declaring the quantity is still being finalised and “that is occurring today.”
“But once that goes in, we will certainly be working very strongly to ensure that those targets are met within the context of what we have agreed to.”
Mr Wyatt says the government recognises that incarceration is a contributing factor to unemployment and “many other issues that our people face across the socio-economic conundrum of challenges that exist within their lives.”
“Let me assure you that there are two targets and we will be focusing on them,” he says.
READ MORE: Time to close indigenous gap in jails
Olivia Caisley 2.20pm: Communications minister quizzed on community TV
Crossbencher Rebekha Sharkie asks Communications Minister Paul Fletcher whether the Morrison government will allow Adelaide’s television broadcaster Channel 44 to keep operating by extending its free-to-air license.
Mr Fletcher says community television will continue to have an important future, however its content will be generated and disseminated online.
“The spectrum that was being used for community television in Sydney, in Brisbane and in Perth is no longer being used for that purpose, and our government has provided funding to make this transition,” he says.
He says some of Australia’s best talents are YouTube stars, declaring that people can be “very successful in generating original, creative content and disseminating it online.”
Richard Ferguson 2.15pm: Morrison asked for apology, $721m robodebt refund
Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison if he will apologise to people wrongly targeted by the government’s robodebt scheme and given a $721m refund.
The Prime Minister says the robodebt class action is still going through legal processes and defends the system of income averaging.
“I would simply ask, Mr Speaker, given the Labor Party have raised this, do they now believe that they did the wrong thing when they used income averaging?” Mr Morrison says.
“A policy, Mr Speaker, that they used? Mr Speaker, that was their policy. We continued that policy. This has nothing to do, Mr Speaker, with the issues of technology.
“Or how technology is used to do this, Mr Speaker. It is based on the principle of income averaging, something Labor embraced and now, for political purposes, once again seeks to reject.”
Opposition government services spokesman Bill Shortens asks NDIS minister Stuart Robert when he found out the robodebt scheme was illegal.
Mr Robert said he announced last November that he would pause any debts recovered by the scheme.
“As the member knows on 19 November last year I did a press conference to indicate that we were pausing all recoveries for debts raised by income averaging,” he says.
“The Attorney-General also made clear on the Insiders interview that income averaging is a longstanding practice of governments going back decades.”
READ MORE: ‘Taking out the trash’ a cynical move
Richard Ferguson 2.05pm: Albanese attacks PM on JobKeeper
Anthony Albanese opens the first question time of the week by attacking Scott Morrison on the $60bn JobKeeper accounting error, robodebt refunds, and Australia falling into recession.
The Prime Minister says there is a recession, but accuses the Opposition Leader of “whining” and undermining the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.
“It is a recession, Mr Speaker, there’s no doubt about that,” Mr Morrison says.
“I don’t think there is an Australian in this country, Mr Speaker, who doesn’t understand the reason why. But only those opposite, Mr Speaker, would take joy in this fact and seek to use it for political purposes.
“What we have seen from this Opposition is not a contribution but just constant whining, Mr Speaker, undermining the government at every turn as the government has sought to provide the support that Australians need.”
READ MORE: Virgin plea to keep JobKeeper, guarantee tickets
Olivia Caisley 1.58pm: Bid to unmask Qld border decision thrown out of court
The High Court has thrown out an attempt to force Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young and the state government to disclose the materials they relied upon to close the state’s borders.
Six plaintiffs, including Brisbane based travel agency Travel Essence, argue they have suffered financially because of the border restrictions and on Wednesday sought an urgent High Court hearing asking for Dr Young and the Queensland government to be subpoenaed.
The plaintiffs’ legal representative, prominent Sydney barrister Guy Reynolds, said he believed it appropriate the material be provided, but Chief Justice Susan Kiefel rejected the request, declaring it nothing more than a “fishing expedition”.
Appearing via video link from Brisbane, the Chief Justice said she was perplexed why Mr Reynolds’ clients had pursued this course of action as it may jeopardise the time frame of their associated legal challenge questioning whether the border closure was unconstitutional.
Mr Reynolds said his clients were suspicious there may be little or no material to support the Queensland government’s decision to impose intrastate travel restrictions, which is why they had been met with a “stiff neck refusal” to see the documents.
“We suggest it be an appropriate course, for this material to be produced, it may be there isn’t any material in this category, in which case that will be a very easy case, or it may be one or two documents,” Mr Reynolds said. “We are, to say the least, suspicious that may be the case and that has been the primary reason for the stiff neck refusal to provide this material.”
Chief Justice Kiefel said there was “absolutely no warrant” for him to make such strong allegations against Queensland’s Chief Health Officer and the state government.
She said if Dr Reynolds was making such statements for the “purpose of the media”, “I hope they don’t report it.”
Queensland Solicitor-General Sandy Thompson QC labelled the request “nothing more than bare allegations.”
“Not a single fact, which has been put before your honour, and it’s clear our learned friends don’t have any facts to support those allegations and they’re serious allegations,” he said.
Chief Justice Kiefel lashed the request as a fishing expedition “par excellence” and one that had resulted in time being lost with delays to the main hearing on constitutional issues arising from the border closure.
She ordered the plaintiffs pay the cost of the defendants.
The associated legal challenge claiming the border closure breached a constitutional right to travel freely throughout the nation will be heard by the full bench as early as June 29.
Mr Reynolds assured the court his case would be able to meet the existing timeline.
READ MORE: Ease restrictions but not Qld borders: AMA
Max Maddison 1.55pm: Four new cases in Victoria amid nervous wait
Victoria has recorded four new cases of coronavirus, with two from unknown sources, as the state nervously waits for signs of an uptick from the Black Lives Matter protest
One case was a Rydges staff member already in quarantine, while another detected from at a day service at a Scope Disability Services.
“All close contacts of the client, including staff members and clients of the facility, are being tested and required to quarantine. The facility has been closed and will remain shut at least until Thursday 11 June to undertake a deep clean and other public health actions,” Victorian Health said.
Another two were detected by routine testing, Victorian Health said. These cases haven’t been linked to any known outbreaks as yet.
In total, Victoria has had 1691 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There are 54 active cases across the state. Nine people currently in hospital, with two in intensive care.
READ MORE: Unfair comparison to NZ virus ‘victory’
Brent Read 1.35pm: Benji Marshall breaches virus guidelines by kissing reporter on cheek
Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall has been told to stay away from training after a breach of biosecurity guidelines.
He has been quarantined from his teammates after he was spotted kissing a TV reporter on the cheek at today’s training session, breaching the code’s strict social distancing rules.
The Tigers released a statement on Wednesday confirming that Marshall was involved in a social distancing incident at training.
The incident was immediately reported and Marshall has been told to stay away as per NRL guidelines.
“Under those guidelines, Marshall will remain at home tomorrow — which is a scheduled day off for Wests Tigers NRL squad — while the reporter undergoes a COVID-19 test,” the Tigers said.
“Assuming a negative result is returned, no further action will be required by Marshall or Wests Tigers.”
READ MORE: AFL aiming for fans in stands in two states
Max Maddison 1.25pm: Half of exposed Queesnland farm workers test negative
Over half the Queensland farm workers exposed to a fruit-picker infected with coronavirus have tested negative, AAP reports.
More than 230 people were tested at the farmworkers accommodation in Bundaberg, after the infected 24-year-old man travelled from Melbourne.
The man entered Queensland under exemptions for essential workers
All 147 workers returned negative tests, said Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles.
It’s unconfirmed whether health authorities are waiting for the remaining results.
Mr Miles said the man is doing well in isolation, and thanked everyone for co-operating with the rapid health response.
READ MORE: Melbourne man positive with virus in Qld
YONI BASHAN 1.20pm: Ruby passengers let off to catch flights: inquiry
A leading NSW Health official has been forced to defend allegations of “serious deficiencies” in the department’s management of public health during terse exchanges at a special commission of inquiry hearing examining the Ruby Princess fiasco.
Dr Sean Tobin, the state’s Chief Human Biosecurity Officer, told the inquiry that thousands of passengers were allowed off the ship prior to the completion of COVID-19 testing because a large number had flights to catch.
This is despite the fact 100 passengers had presented to the ship’s medical centre with either acute respiratory infections or symptoms indicating an influenza-like illness, or both, for which 10 swabs had been taken for COVID-19 testing.
The inquiry’s commissioner, Bret Walker SC, became visibly frustrated while questioning Dr Tobin, asking numerous times why the ship was allowed to dock when only 10 swabs had been taken. He queried why he should not regard this decision as a “serious deficient piece of public health administration”.
READ THE FULL STORY here.
MAX MADDISON 1pm: Shift ABC HQ to western Sydney: Minister
Moving the ABC’s headquarters to western Sydney would enable the organisation to better serve all Australians, said Communications Minister Paul Fletcher, adding a six-month staff wage freeze would be a “fine gesture of solidarity”.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Fletcher said he was already on the record as favouring a move from Ultimo to western Sydney.
“We’ve seen major commercial media organisations like Seven or Nine move to purpose built facilities. That can allow a media organisation to configure itself in the most efficient way,” Mr Fletcher said.
“If we look at where the majority of people in our big cities live, the majority of people in Sydney live west of Parramatta. So I think if we had the ABC relocating to western Sydney, it would be able to do an even better job of serving all Australians.”
On the six-month wage freeze, Mr Fletcher said he had spoken with the ABC’s managing director David Anderson about the freeze, which would now be presented to the media organisation’s board.
“It would be a fine gesture of solidarity with other journalists and media organisations who have had extensive redundancies and pay cuts. … I think this would be an appropriate thing for the ABC to do,” Mr Fletcher said.
READ MORE: ABC plan for job losses ‘by month end’
Richard Ferguson 12.50pm: Greens Senator who protested won’t get tested
Greens Senator Janet Rice will not follow the lead of four Labor MPs and test for COVID-19, despite attending a Black Lives Matter protest.
Senator Rice — who attended the Melbourne rally on Saturday — will remain in parliament, following the green light given to protesting MPs by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth.
“I will be following the advice from the Deputy CMO given to all Australians, including politicians, who attended the protests over the weekend,” she told The Australian.
“I will continue practising strict physical distancing, monitor my health closely, and get tested and isolate immediately should any symptoms arise.
“The Deputy CMO said yesterday that there was not a need to self isolate after attending the protests.”
READ MORE: Consumer confidence back near pre-virus levels
Richard Ferguson 12.35pm: PM won’t grant pairs for Labor protest MPs
Scott Morrison will not grant pairs in parliament to four Labor MPs who have been forced to self-isolate and test for COVID-19, after they attended Black Lives Matter rallies against health advice.
The Australian understands the government will deny any pairings for MPs Graham Perrett, Warren Snowden, Anika Wells and Malarndiri McCarthy because of their opposition status.
Pairs are usually given to governments by oppositions to ensure the party with the biggest parliamentary representation can still win votes.
But pairs have been given throughout the pandemic to MPs who cannot travel to Canberra because of the risk of contracting coronavirus.
READ MORE: Shanahan — Double standards betray trust
Richard Ferguson 12.20pm: Albanese: MPs tested out of ‘abundance of caution’
Anthony Albanese has confirmed four of his Labor MPs are being tested for coronavirus out of an “abundance of caution”, after they attended Black Lives Matter protests against health advice.
Queensland MPs Graham Perrett and Annika Wells and Northern Territory MPs Warren Snowden and Malarndirri McCarthy have now left parliament and are self-isolating in Canberra awaiting tests.
The Opposition Leader said he has made his position against attending protests in a pandemic clear.
“They’ve gone off and got tested for an abundance of caution … I’ve made my position on the protests very clear, I think you should always follow health advice,” he said in Canberra.
“That was the position I said beforehand, during and after.
“Now out of an abundance of caution, they are now getting tested. That’s fine.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said earlier this week that MPs who attended protests against health advice only needed to self-isolate and stay away from Canberra if they had symptoms.
READ MORE: Inquirer — Black Lives Matter sits uneasy in Australian context
Richard Ferguson 12pm: Four ALP protest MPs self-isolate, get COVID tests
Four Labor MPs in Canberra have decided to self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19 after attending Black Lives Matter protests on the weekend.
The Australian understands Queensland MPs Graham Perrett and Annika Wells and Northern Territory MPs Warren Snowden and Malarndirri McCarthy have also chosen to get tested out of an abundance of caution.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said earlier this week that MPs who attended protests against health advice only needed to self-isolate and stay away from Canberra if they had symptoms.
Labor sources told The Australian that the four are expected to find out their test results in the next 24 hours.
READ MORE: ‘Self-indulgent’ Labor MP cleared for parliament
Max Maddison 11.40am: NSW records three new virus cases
NSW recorded three new cases of coronavirus in the past 24-hours, says NSW Health.
In a statement, the health authority said all new cases were travellers in quarantine. In addition, the positive case which was flagged for investigation earlier in the week was not infected recently and wasn’t infectious, NSW Health said. The exact timing and source of the infection are uncertain.
Since 8pm last night, there have been 3 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,117.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 10, 2020
All of the new cases today are travellers in hotel quarantine. pic.twitter.com/QNOicgoeV8
The new reported cases take the state’s total to 3117. There are 64 cases currently in hospital, while none are in intensive care.
An additional 5703 tests were carried out in the reporting period. Almost 582,000 COVID-19 tests have been carried out in NSW.
READ MORE: Contact tracing app ‘vital’ but has rarely been used
Sarah Elks 11.30am: Qld won’t budge on borders despite NSW success
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says while it was “very encouraging” NSW was starting to record zero cases of coronavirus, her state will not reconsider its closed borders until the end of the month.
Visiting Rockhampton in central Queensland on Wednesday, Ms Palaszczuk said she understood businesses were “doing it tough.” But she said she had made it “absolutely clear” that no decision would be made about the borders until the end of this month.
“We do not want to see a second wave, there’s still some community transmission in Victoria … but it is very encouraging that NSW is now starting to report zero new cases,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
National Cabinet will meet on Friday and will consider Queensland’s results, as well as the impact of mass rallies protesting Aboriginal deaths in custody.
Ms Palaszczuk said she would consider whether other restrictions could also be eased at the end of the month.
READ MORE: Protests cost economy $1bn, delay reopening
Rosie Lewis 11.15am: Joyce slams Black Lives Matter protesters
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has claimed the Black Lives Matter protests in Australia could cause deaths in remote indigenous communities and questioned why church services of 50 people were prohibited when the mass political gatherings were allowed on the weekend.
“How can you have a Black Lives Matter protest about the Aboriginal community, knowing the most vulnerable people for coronavirus are remote Aboriginal communities? What happens if one person gets the coronavirus,” the former deputy prime minister said. “Don’t those black lives matter as much of the other ones? The consequence of those protests could be the deaths of people in remote Aboriginal communities.
“A lot of people are making a statement to create further dissent without properly thinking through the consequences of what they’re doing and one of the most vulnerable groups are the people they were apparently protesting (for).”
Mr Joyce said it was difficult to justify the protests to local churches in his electorate when they were not allowed 50 people in outdoor services. Under stage two of national cabinet’s three-step recovery plan, religious gatherings may have up to 20 attendees. This increases to 100 people under step three, which Scott Morrison wants in place by July.
The Australian revealed on Wednesday the Black Lives Matter protests were expected to delay the easing of COVID-19 restrictions by at least one week.
“An outdoor service where people are 1.5m apart, surely that’s safer than a rally with 12,000 people?” Mr Joyce said.
READ MORE: Coronavirus has exposed the university rankings game
Richard Ferguson 11am: Protest MPs should ‘self-isolate for two weeks’
Queensland LNP senator and recovered COVID-19 patient Susan McDonald has slammed MPs who have come to parliament this week, despite attending Black Lives Matter protests.
Senator McDonald was one of three MPs — including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Liberal senator Andrew Bragg — to catch coronavirus early in the pandemic.
On Tuesday, she said Labor MP Graham Perrett and Greens senator Janet Rice had put people’s health at risk by being at the mass rallies and should be self-isolating.
“As one of the very few parliamentarians who has had coronavirus, the agony was the wait to find out if I hadn’t infected elderly and at-risk family and friends,” she said.
“These parliamentarians make the mistake of thinking that this is about them, when it is about the people that they put a risk.
“The real test of conscience and a moral decision is what actions would you take if you thought you did have coronavirus.
“Defying social distancing protocols and then travelling to sit in enclosed spaces with others for lengthy periods is not the example Australians expect of their elected representatives.
“These MPs should be self-isolating for two weeks.”
READ MORE: Editorial — Public patience is snapping
Sarah Elks 10.50am: Qld border closure one of ‘best responses in world’
Queensland’s Health Minister says the government’s decision to close the borders had kept the state’s citizens safe from coronavirus, in one of the “best responses in the world” to COVID-19.
Steven Miles, speaking in Brisbane on Wednesday morning, defended the decision to shut the interstate border, and the decision to keep it closed despite pressure from NSW and the tourism industry.
“Closing the borders kept Queensland safe … that was the right decision, that has kept Queenslanders safe. QLD has just three active cases. We’ve had one of the best responses in the world to this virus. Clearly that has had economic impacts,” Mr Miles said.
He said QLD was now in the best position to recover economically. Mr Miles said the government decided to shut the borders when an unacceptable number of coronavirus cases were coming over the border from NSW and VIC.
“The decisions we took were purely motivated by the desire to keep Queenslanders safe and it has worked,” Mr Miles said.
READ MORE: Votes prove a Premier attraction
Sarah Elks 10.30am: No new Qld cases, just three remain active
Queensland has recorded another day with no new cases of coronavirus, with just three active cases in the state.
One person is in hospital, being treated in intensive care on ventilation.
The state’s total stands at 1062 confirmed cases and more than 200,000 tests have been conducted.
Coronavirus (#COVID-19) case update 09/06.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) June 9, 2020
Detailed information about COVID-19 cases in Queensland can be found here - https://t.co/kapyXpSIAP pic.twitter.com/NNkNlb6DJ3
Health Minister Steven Miles said the state had finally tested more than 5000 people in one day, meeting its target. “It’s fantastic to see that. In the last week across the country, there have been seven cases believed to be locally acquired, six of those in Victoria, one in Queensland,” Mr Miles said.
There are currently 44 people in Queensland in quarantine due to their contact with that case, who travelled to QLD from Victoria to pick fruit.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said she would love to see more than 5000 Queenslanders tested every day. “If you have any symptoms no matter how mild, or a fever, or a history of a fever … immediately isolate yourself and get tested,” Dr Young said.
READ MORE: Gesture politics a double-edged sword
Max Maddison 10.15am: Minister disputes claim of widespread racism
Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge says recent “high profile” racist attacks are the “actions of a tiny minority of cowardly idiots”, in response to China warning students to expect “racist incidents” if they return to Australia.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Tudge said the “vast majority of Australians” would be appalled by the racist acts directed towards people of Asian descent and would “call it out”.
“Just as the prime minister has, just as I have, 99.99 per cent are as disgusted as I, the prime minister or anyone else is. It’s not the Australian way and I don’t think it is by any stretch of the imagination the Australian norm.”
Mr Tudge follows Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on Sydney radio 2GB disparaging the idea that widespread racism towards Asians exists in Australia
READ MORE: Politics drowned out death of a black man
Peter van Onselen 9.45am: Comparisons to NZ ‘victory’ miss the mark
Before anyone looks too longingly across the ditch, realise that comparing their success to our gains is like comparing apples and oranges. Read more here
It's a sitting day! The #Senate meets today from midday.
— Australian Senate (@AuSenate) June 9, 2020
The order of business (the Red) is available from ParlWork https://t.co/W0mvG4D8zj
Max Maddison 9.20am: Premier rejects push for return of NRL crowds
In NSW, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has shot down calls from her deputy to allow thousands of fans to attend NRL matches.
Ms Berejiklian told the Today Show on Nine that although “we all want to see normality come back” and have crowds back at the NRL, it needed to happen at the “right time”.
“As I said yesterday, I want to be in a position that the Prime Minister of New Zealand has find herself in and New South Wales, compared to our case numbers where they are in the way people have put together, so patient, everybody has made sacrifices,” Ms Berejiklian said earlier this morning.
“Hopefully in 10, 15, 20 years time there was a sense of pride about how everybody came together.”
Deputy Premier Mr Barilaro told The Daily Telegraph that the NRL should be allowed crowds of up to 40,000 at ANZ Stadium in a fortnight.
READ MORE: Horse farm on track for a sale
Richard Ferguson 8.50am: Labor MP yet to be tested after protest march
Labor MP Graham Perrett has not been tested for coronavirus despite marching in a Black Lives Matter rally over the weekend against federal health advice.
Mr Perrett said in Canberra that he has shown no symptoms but will consult Labor MP and doctor Mike Freelander for further advice.
Mr Perrett defended his attendance of the Saturday Brisbane BLM protest and said it was a legal event. The Labor MP for Morton said he was not encouraging other people to break COVID rules.
“It was not an illegal protest in Brisbane at all … The health authorities and the (state) government made it clear that people should do all that they can and they did,” he told Sky News.
“I haven’t had any symptoms … I might go see Dr Mike Freelander today but what I’ve been told is wait till you’ve got symptoms.”
Both Mr Perrett and Victorian Greens senator Janet Rice have come under fire for attending BLM marches and then deciding to attend parliament this week.
Mr Perrett said the nation’s current coronavirus trajectory showed it was time to roll back restrictions.
“Let’s hope the authorities … indicate that Australians have been doing a good job and it’s time to ease off,” he said.
READ MORE: We can’t rely on migrants for growth
Staff Reporters 8.45am: Labor set to oppose Australia Post changes
Proposed laws for a new delivery method for Australia Post will be blocked by federal Labor due to fears it will axe jobs, cut wages and scale back deliveries. Read more here
Max Maddison 8.05am: States could get access to trans-Tasman bubble
States who have quashed coronavirus should be given early access in the trans-Tasman Bubble, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says.
Using Tasmania as an example, Mr Peters said states shouldn’t be held back by “slower movers”, and identified Victoria as a “bit of a worry”.
“I’m certain when we’ve got all the protocols sorted out, which can be done very, very quickly, because so much work has been done, we can be off,” Mr Peters told television program Sunrise on Seven.
“Let’s not restrain the movement between our two countries based on the slowest state in Australia.”
In response to a question about the speed and extent of NZ’s shutdown, Mr Peters said a “post-mortem” would always take place, but he noted the performance of Australian states in balancing the health and economic risks.
“The performance of Queensland, Northern Territory and, dare I say it, Tasmania, has been superior to New Zealand’s in many ways even though we’ve done surprisingly good,” he said.
READ MORE: Markets cool ahead of Fed
Max Maddison 7.55am: Cormann: JobKeeper to stay until September
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has assured workers that the JobKeeper wage subsidy program will be here until September, despite an uproar from the childcare sector which feels blindsided.
Senator Cormann said there were “legitimate representations” from the childcare sector for a “fairer and better” way to provide transition support, after the federal government removed free child care subsidies from July 12.
“So child care workers are actually supported through this period, except that we’re supporting them in a fairer, more equitable and a targeted way enabling parents who can afford to do so contribute to the cost of the child care of the children the way they did in the past,” Senator Cormann told Today on Nine television.
However, he said there were no plans to remove wage subsidy support for the rest of the economy before September.
“Well, as I said yesterday, I mean, there’s no consideration to take it away from any other sector. That is not something that is in front of us,” Senator Cormann said.
READ MORE: Enemies see a weak US. They’re wrong
Max Maddison 7.35am: Community sport in NSW gets green light
Acting NSW Sports Minister Geoff Lee has announced that all community sports will be allowed to return from July 1, as the state ramps back up towards normality.
Speaking on Sydney radio 2GB, Mr Lee said while guidelines were being worked on, all community sports would be allowed to recommence at the end of the month.
Although Mr Lee said players would have to practise social distancing and good hygiene, contact sports, such as rugby union and rugby league, would be allowed to return as normal.
“Try and change at home. Don’t go into the showers. Just practice good common sense,” Mr Lee told host Ben Fordham.
However, while the specifics were being ironed out, each club would require a COVIDsafe checklist.
Mr Lee also said from this weekend, spectators would be allowed back in corporate boxes at all sporting venues. However, this would be confined to 50 patrons per separate seating areas, while food must be served.
READ MORE: Public patience is snapping
Max Maddison 7.15am: Global COVID-19 cases: 7 million and counting
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 7,185,573, John Hopkins University reports.
The US continues to hold a grim lead with 1,971,302 confirmed cases – more than a quarter of all cases. America, with 111,751 deaths, also represents over a quarter of deaths across the globe.
With 707,412 reported cases, Brazil comes in at second. However, with reports of data manipulation, that figure could be significantly higher.
Russia is third with almost half a million confirmed cases, while the UK sits fourth.
READ MORE: Police could not stop rally, Andrews says
Max Maddison 7am: Brazil president ordered to release virus data
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has ordered the President to publish the entirety of COVID-19 data, after the suppression led to accusations of a cover up.
On Saturday, under direction from President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s health ministry stopped publishing cumulative totals for deaths and cases and removed data from its website, leading to claims of censorship.
Mr Bolsonaro claimed these measures would improve COVID-19 reporting.
The BBC reports that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes intervened in the matter, telling the ministry to “fully re-establish” the publication of COVID-19 data in the interests of public health.
READ MORE: ANU named top Australian uni
Agencies 6.45am: Trump pushes conspiracy theory on elderly protester
President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy over his hard-line “law and order” push Tuesday by peddling yet another unfounded conspiracy theory, this time trying to raise suspicions about a 75-year-old protester who was hospitalised after being shoved by police and falling, AP reports.
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Trump tweeted without evidence that the confrontation in Buffalo, New York, may have been a “set up” as he once again sided with police officers over protesters and demonstrated anew his willingness to spread and amplify bogus charges cooked up by far-right outlets.
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur,” Trump wrote in his tweet. “75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. (at) OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”
There is no evidence to suggest that anything of the sort took place. Trump was referencing a report on One America News Network, a far-right news channel that he often praises.
READ MORE: Protesters make good on statue threat
Max Maddison 6.25am: Pick up the phone, Trade Minister asks China
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says if Chinese students choose to boycott Australian Universities it will be a loss for students missing out on a high quality university education.
Speaking on Sydney radio 2GB, Mr Birmingham said he didn’t believe there had been a rise in racist attacks on Chinese students, as has been propagated by the Chinese Communist Party, in recent times.
Mr Birmingham said Australia “holds itself to a much higher standard than other nations” and encouraged all racist attacks to be reported and investigated.
However, Mr Birmingham asked his Chinese counterpart to pick up the phone.
“Australia and China won’t agree on everything, and don’t agree on everything … (but) we are going to be tied in this region forever”
READ MORE: Double standards ‘betray trust’
Agencies 6.10am: UK scraps plan to get all kids back to school
The British government has ditched plans to have all primary school children in England return to the classroom before the summer vacation after schools voiced worries about their ability to meet coronavirus social distancing requirements, AP reports.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson admitted that the goal for approximately 5 million primary schoolchildren from age 4 to 11 wasn’t possible, given constraints related to classroom sizes, the need for social distancing and inadequate numbers of teachers.
Although many of England’s primary schools have been open this entire spring for the children of key workers – including health care professionals, delivery drivers and journalists – the Conservative government had planned to give all younger pupils the chance to return following months of home learning.
Last week, the very youngest schoolchildren were allowed to return as well as those in their final year of primary school who are due to make the transition to secondary school in September. The plan was that all others would return in stages.
Just over 50 per cent of primary schools have reopened to more children last week and that this increased to more than 70 per cent by Monday.
The U.K., which has the world’s second-highest virus-related death toll behind the U.S. at just under 40,900, is generally seeing lockdown restrictions ease.
READ MORE: Happy brides worth virus vines
Agencies 5.40am: Confusion reigns over WHO virus advice
It’s an issue that’s been argued about for months, both by experts and by people strolling through parks all over the world: Can people who don’t feel sick spread the coronavirus, and if so should we all be wearing masks to stop it?
Even the World Health Organisation can’t seem to get it straight, AP reports. On Tuesday the UN health agency scrambled to explain seemingly contradictory comments it has made in recent days about the two related issues.
The confusion and mixed messages only makes controlling the pandemic that much more difficult, experts say.
The communications debacle highlighted WHO’s change to its longstanding mask advice – a revision that was made months after many other organisations and countries already recommended people don masks.
On Friday, WHO changed its mask advice, recommending that people wear fabric masks if they could not maintain social distancing, if they were over age 60 or had underlying medical conditions. Part of the reasoning, WHO officials said, was to account for the possibility that transmission could occur from people who had the disease but weren’t yet symptomatic.
But when Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19 was asked about the frequency of this kind of transmission this week, she said “It still appears to be rare that asymptomatic individuals actually transmit onward.”
On Tuesday, Van Kerkhove said she was referring to a few studies, not the complete picture.
Still, many other scientists were stunned by the description of asymptomatic spread as “rare,” saying plenty of evidence exists that people can spread the disease before suffering symptoms.
READ MORE: Protests cost $1bn, delay reopening
Chris Merritt 5.10am: Qld government’s border closure defence revealed
The closure of Queensland’s borders has not hurt tourism businesses, according to documents filed with the High Court by the Palaszczuk government this week.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young and the government “do not admit” that the border closure has hurt the companies that are challenging the restrictions, they show.
The six plaintiffs allege the border closure is invalid because it goes beyond what is necessary to control the spread of COVID-19.
And, they claim, the closure has imposed financial hardship on their businesses and breached their constitutional right to travel freely throughout the nation.
The parties to the challenge — who have engaged prominent Sydney barrister Guy Reynolds SC — are seeking an urgent High Court hearing on Wednesday to force Dr Young and the government to disclose the materials they relied upon when they closed the borders.
Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 5am: Victorian police ‘could not have arrested protesters’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has rejected claims that he sent “mixed messages” ahead of Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest, arguing police could not have arrested or fined the thousands of people who congregated in Melbourne’s CBD in contravention of social-distancing laws.
Ahead of the protest Mr Andrews urged Victorians to support the cause in ways that did not involve attending, but backed Victoria Police’s decision to issue fines to organisers but not attendees.
On Tuesday, speaking publicly for the first time since Saturday’s rally, Mr Andrews said his message that people should not go to the protest “couldn’t have been clearer”.
“Victoria Police’s response couldn’t have been clearer: don’t go to the protest,” he said. “But it’s simply not practical to be issuing thousands of fines or potentially locking up thousands and thousands of people … as Victoria Police made very clear, we weren’t able to stop people. Victoria Police made the right judgment.”
READ MORE: Paul Kelly — There are two ways of looking at protests
Richard Ferguson 4.45am: COVIDSafe app ‘vital’, but it’s rarely been used
State health detectives have used the COVIDSafe app to find the contacts of a maximum of 27 coronavirus patients, despite 600 new cases since the mobile software was launched in April.
Authorities in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT have not used the app at all.
Victoria has contact-traced through the app in 18 cases, and NSW in fewer than 10.
Queensland and South Australia have also revealed that none of their recent COVID-19 patients had downloaded the app.
About 6.5 million Australians have downloaded the app, a key weapon in the Morrison government’s armoury to justify easing social-distancing restrictions.
Read the full story here.
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