Coronavirus Australia live news: Court bans Sydney refugee march; PM apologises for illegal robodebt scheme
A refugee rally planned for Sydney on Saturday has been prohibited by the NSW Supreme Court amid fears over the spread of COVID-19.
- Stay away from public protests: COVID warning
- PM apologises for illegal robodebt scheme
- Melbourne protester tests positive
- Police set to charge demonstrators
- PM: Protests hijacked by the left
- NSW eases restrictions further
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing coronavirus crisis. Australia’s peak health authority has renewed COVID risk warnings on public rallies. Scott Morrison has apologised to people harmed by robodebt but defended the aim of the scheme. A person who attended the Melbourne Black Lives Matter protest has tested positive to COVID-19. Scott Morrison has warned protesters they’ll face charges at future rallies. The government has formally protested to Beijing over its warning Australia is too dangerous for students.
Agencies 9.10pm: Court bans Sydney march
A refugee rally planned for Sydney on Saturday has been prohibited by the NSW Supreme Court.
NSW Police went to the court over fears the rally organised by the Refugee Action Coalition breached rules on public gatherings could spread COVID-19.
Justice Michael Walton ruled on Thursday night that the gathering was a prohibited public assembly.
Assistant Police Commissioner Mick Willing urged those thinking of attending the protest to obey the court’s decision.
“Justice Michael Walton has made it very clear this protest will be an unauthorised assembly, and the people of NSW need to respect that ruling,” he said.
“While the NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals to exercise their right to free speech in normal circumstances, these are not normal circumstances.
“We are in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic and the risk to public safety of these protests going ahead is significant.
“I want to be clear about this — if people choose to break the law and attend this protest, police will not hesitate to take the appropriate action against them.”
AFP 7.40pm: South African cricket to restart
Cricket in South Africa is set to resume following the coronavirus lockdown on June 27 with a made-for-television event featuring three teams made up of the country’s leading players.
Government approval has been sought for an event to be played without spectators at SuperSport Park in Centurion, acting Cricket South Africa chief executive Jacques Faul told The Citizen newspaper on Thursday.
Mr Faul said an experimental format would be used. It will be an opportunity for players to get together after being in lockdown since March and to provide match practice ahead of possible series against the West Indies and India in late July and August.
The players would assemble three days earlier in what CSA’s medical officer, Shuaib Manjra, described as a “sanitised eco-system”, with all players being tested for COVID-19 when they arrived and again five days after the event.
“We’re looking at the minimum number of people being there for the event to happen and be broadcast, which is about 200,” said Dr Manjra.
“We will limit the number of team staff, otherwise it will just be the broadcast personnel, officials, players and stadium staff. There will also be thorough cleaning of the stadium beforehand.”
Sports minister Nathi Mthethwa announced on May 30 that professional sports could resume training, subject to government approval but a court ruling that lockdown regulations are unconstitutional complicated sport’s return, with new regulations needing to be gazetted.
Mr Faul said he was confident that the legal issues could be overcome. “Hopefully we’ll be playing again at the end of June and we’ll start with the Proteas players, for obvious reasons,” he said.
READ MORE: Negative pay growth for first time in two decades
Reuters 7.05pm: Japan may allow business trips
Japan may restart business trips to and from Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand in the next few months, easing an entry ban to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the Yomiuri daily reports.
Up to 250 business travellers a day will most likely be allowed into Japan from the four countries, which have seen their infection situations stabilise, the newspaper said on Thursday, without citing sources.
Prospective visitors will be required to submit a document before their trips to Japan showing they are not infected and will be asked to go through a polymerase chain reaction test, upon entry.
Japan, which bans entry from more than 100 countries, would negotiate with the four countries with a view to a partial reopening in the northern summer, the paper said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said nothing specific had been decided.
“It is important to resume comings and goings of people partially and gradually,” the government spokesman told a news conference.
“Relevant ministries are looking into the matter, while taking into consideration infection situations in and outside of Japan and exchanging views with various countries.”
READ MORE: Premiers get tough on rallies
Angelica Snowden 6.10pm: Police warn protesters to stay home
NSW Police have warned of arrests at a Black Lives Matter rally planned for Sydney on Friday, urging people to stay home.
Nearly 1000 people have expressed interest in marching via a Facebook page for the event on Friday night.
But Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said the march is unauthorised because police have not been formally notified.
“We all appreciate the sensitivities around (the BLM cause) and global events have left an impression on all of us, but I ask people not to attend tomorrow night’s rally,” Mr Willing said on Thursday.
Police would deploy “significant resources” to enforce the existing COVID-19 health order, which bans mass gatherings, he added.
People could be moved on and potentially arrested if they choose to attend Friday’s event, Mr Willing said.
“We have shown a tempered and measured approach when it comes to the issuing of infringements in relation to the health orders to date. That won’t change,” he said.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said protesters could be issued $1000 fines.
“We know that the organisers can’t control the numbers. We know they can’t meet the health obligations that are in place for everyone else,” Mr Fuller told 2GB radio.
Organisers announced speakers for the event, including Leetona Dungay, the mother of David Dungay Jr, who died in custody in 2015.
NSW has not confirmed a community-derived COVID-19 case in two weeks. No new cases were reported in the state on Thursday and no one is in intensive care.
Additional reporting: AAP
READ MORE: Black Lives Matter protest kills off commonsense
Ewin Hannan 5.30pm: Ensuring Integrity bill formally killed off
The Coalition’s union-restricting Ensuring Integrity Bill has been officially killed off after the government agreed to a Labor motion to remove it from the Senate notice paper.
Labor’s motion passed on Thursday, meaning the bill, which proposed to make it easier to ban union officials and deregister unions, is no longer before federal parliament.
Scott Morrison dropped the bill in May ahead of four months of government-initiated talks with unions and employers to try to break a long-running political and policy deadlock on workplace relations.
READ MORE: ‘Stand up to workplace abuse’
Rachel Baxendale 5pm: Melbourne protest organisers defiant
The organisers of Saturday’s protest have issued a defiant statement following the news that a protester has tested positive for COVID-19, saying they will continue to “campaign for justice”.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page, “Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance — WAR” said: “Many community members from all walks of life proudly took action for the families of the victims of Aborignal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody, who don’t have a choice but to continue the call for justice.”
“The moment was bigger than the protest itself. It was the product of hundreds of years of systemic racism and racist policing that state governments and police have directly contributed to.
“Individuals weighed up carefully the decision to protest and the importance of the lives of 434 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died in custody without anyone held accountable for their deaths.
“Safety was paramount and people did their utmost to support the official advice on social distancing, using masks and hand sanitiser. Anyone feeling unwell was urged to stay home.
“The advice stands that any person who attended the rally and is feeling unwell should get tested.
“We will continue to campaign for justice, and to push Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody to the top of the national agenda.”
READ MORE: Self-absorbed activists kill off commonsense
Geoff Chambers 4.40pm: Stay away from public protests: health warning
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has told people to stay away from public protests, warning they present a “very high risk environment” and make contact tracing “challenging”.
The nation’s peak health advisory group, chaired by Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, said it could take “some days” to determine whether other Black Lives Matter protesters have been infected with COVID-19.
In a statement published on Thursday afternoon, the AHPPC said a “significant investigation to determine the source of the infection and identify close contacts is underway”.
“AHPPC emphasises once more the very high risk environment of a protest, with large numbers of people closely gathering and challenges in identifying all contacts. AHPPC again urges the Australian community to not participate in mass gatherings,” the AHPPC statement said.
“Anyone who attends protests must be vigilant and ensure they get tested if they develop any symptoms. Anyone who is feeling unwell or with symptoms should stay home. It is particularly important to avoid any interaction with people who are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”
The AHPPC repeated its advice that protestors do not need to quarantine but said anyone showing symptoms, or who come in contact with people infected with COVID-19, should undergo immediate testing.
“Situations like this are a reminder of how important it is for everyone to continue to take steps to protect themselves from COVID-19.”
“This includes practising good hand and respiratory hygiene, staying 1.5m away from other people, staying home when sick, and getting tested if they have cold or flu like symptoms.”
The AHPPC urged more Australians to download the COVIDSafe app to “help public health authorities find people exposed to the virus quickly”. — with Simon Benson
READ MORE: Premiers get tough on rallies
Richard Ferguson 4.21pm: Indigenous deaths in custody ‘a national shame’: PM
Scott Morrison has apologised for any harm done by the government’s illegal robodebt scheme, but warned the government would have to recoup welfare debts somehow.
In a fiery question time, the Prime Minister also labelled the number of Aboriginal deaths in custody a “national shame” but implored people not to attend any more Black Lives Matter marches.
Mr Morrison for the first time apologised to people harmed by robodebt - which was found to be illegal - but defended the aim of the scheme.
“The business of raising and recovering debts on behalf of taxpayers is a difficult job, and it deals with Australians in many very sensitive circumstances, and of course I would deeply regret—deeply regret—any hardship that has been caused to people in the conduct of that activity,” he said.
“I would apologise for any hurt or harm in the way that the government has dealt with that issue, and to anyone else who has found themselves in those situations.”
Mr Morrison also said his government is changing its targets on Indigenous incarceration rates and deaths in custody and said the current situation is a “national shame.”
“Every death in custody, and particular Indigenous deaths in custody, is an absolute national shame and tragedy,” he told Parliament.
“What the Minister for Indigenous Australians (Ken Wyatt) has been working to do is also to address the contributing factors which find Indigenous Australians in custody.”
Labor used question time again to pursue the government’s robodebt problems and issues around the eligibility of workers for JobKeeper.
Ewin Hannan 4.04pm: Attorney-General reverses EBA changes
Attorney-General Christian Porter has reinstated the required consultation period for enterprise agreement changes to seven days, after a review found a contentious government regulation cutting the time period to one day was no longer needed.
Federal Labor and unions had attacked the regulation, claiming it would allow employers to ram through cuts to pay and conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Construction, Forestry, Maritime,Mining and Energy Union has launched legal action seeking to overturn the regulation, while the government agreed to a One Nation call that any agreement changes would expire after 12 months.
Mr Porter said on Thursday the “emergency measures” would now be wound back in line with the easing of other restrictions on the Australian economy.
A review conducted by the Attorney-General’s Department found the regulation was used 23 times, with about two thirds of the new agreements allowing three or more days for changes to be considered.
Mr Porter said the review did not identify any cases of misuse by employers but “concluded that the need for the change had now passed and the original seven-day access period should be reinstated”.
“This was only ever intended to be an immediate, temporary measure designed to assist businesses during the peak of the pandemic and it is clear to me that it has served its purpose and can be withdrawn which will reinstate the usual seven day access period,” he said.
READ MORE: Retail workers’ double whammy on penalty rates
Richard Ferguson 3.05pm: Shorten questions PM’s ‘duty of care’ to welfare recipients
Opposition NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten asks Scott Morrison if the government owes a duty of care to all welfare recipients to behave lawfully, after the robodebt scheme was found to be illegal.
The Prime Minister says the government always seeks to act lawfully.
“Here we have advice and where matters indicate, as has been the case in relation to the use of income averaging as the sole determinant of raising a debt, then obviously Government practices change,” he says.
“And I just note simply again that this is a practice that has been in place over at least two governments. That elected in 2013 until now and the previous Labor government applied the same practice.”
READ MORE: Government to clear $721m in robodebt
Richard Ferguson 2.58pm: PM ‘deeply regrets’ any harm caused by robodebt
Opposition NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten asks Scott Morrison why he will not apologise to people wrongly accused of owing government debts under the robodebt scheme.
The Prime Minister says that he “deeply regrets” any harm but the government must recoup welfare debts owed to Australian taxpayers.
“The business of raising and recovering debts on behalf of taxpayers is a difficult job and it deals with Australians in many very sensitive circumstances,” he says.
“Of course I would deeply regret - deeply regret - any hardship that has been caused to people in the conduct of that activity.
“The government has many difficult jobs that it has to do dealing with Australians in very sensitive circumstances and that is true particularly at this time.”
READ MORE: Van Onselen – ‘Taking out the trash’ a cynical move
Rachel Baxendale 2.52pm: Contact tracing still underway for protester
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the Department of Health and Human Services was yet to complete contact tracing for the man who tested positive to COVID-19 after attending Saturday’s protest.
“We would go through a process of interviewing, as we do for anything confirmed case, who they know that they’ve been around for more than 15 minutes,” Professor Sutton said.
“If they’ve been with a group of people who are acquaintances or friends and they can name them, we’ll follow up with all of those individuals directly.”
He said he did not know whether the man had been using the COVIDSafe app.
“It is a case in point about the app. If there are people that you don’t know that you might have been within one and a half meters for 15 minutes or more, that’s when the Bluetooth handshake triggers on the COVID app, and so even if you don’t know that individual, even if you can’t name them and their contact details aren’t known to you, that Bluetooth handshake pings, and the Health Department can be informed,” Professor Sutton said.
“So if both individuals, those who are later confirmed as positive cases, and anyone who’s been a close contact for more than 15 minutes, if they both have the app, then that’s the process that notifies the health department to be able to follow up those individuals.”
Professor Sutton conceded that the health department would not be able to release a photo of the protester to help others identify whether they had been in contact with him for privacy reasons.
Asked whether there was any known link between the infected protester and other known clusters, Professor Sutton said the investigation was ongoing.
A spokeswoman for Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the government’s message ahead of Saturday’s rally had been “very clear: don’t go.”
“Full contact tracing of the case is underway, but we urge anyone who attended the protest with even the mildest of symptoms to self-isolate and get tested immediately,” the spokeswoman said.
READ MORE: Open borders, urges Scott Morrison, as people’s anger grows
Richard Ferguson 2.47pm: Robodebt ‘same policy that ALP used’: PM
Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison if he takes responsibility for the illegal robodebt scheme, which led to a $721m refund to people who were wrongly burdened with government debts.
The Prime Minister says he always takes responsibility for government policies, but that the income averaging found to be illegal was originally Labor policy.
“It was the same policy that the Labor Party used and would account for some or more than 20 per cent of the debts they raised on exactly the same basis,” he says.
“My government is not going to walk back from the idea that when monies have been overpaid, when benefits have been overpaid, then we owe it to taxpayers to ensure that we reclaim those debts.”
READ MORE: Attorney-General: I can’t apologise for robodebt
Richard Ferguson 2.43pm: Albo questions PM on Teddy Sheean’s VC
Anthony Albanese asks Scott Morrison if he will award late Second World War hero Teddy Sheean a Victoria Cross.
The Prime Minister has to be very careful to recommend a Victoria Cross award to the Queen, and has asked a review of such an award to be undertaken.
“There can be no more important decision that a Prime Minister would make to recommend to Her Majesty regarding the awarding of the Victoria Cross,” he says.
“There is dispute about that in the advice that I’ve received in forming the view that I have made to this point in time.
“I note that the Leader of the Opposition before forming a view has not sought out that advice from the government, from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or from the Department of Defence and has moved immediately to form a position. That is a matter for him.”
READ MORE: PM clears a path for war hero Teddy Sheean’s VC
Rosie Lewis 2.40pm: No pay rise for pollies, judges, public servants
Parliamentarians, former MPs, secretaries of government departments, judges and other public officer holders – such as ABC managing director David Anderson and Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe - will not receive a pay rise on July 1.
The Remuneration Tribunal released its decision on Thursday, noting commonwealth public servants have already had their salaries frozen for six months and the economy has been “impacted significantly by restrictions enacted to prevent the spread of COVID-19”.
It is the first time in four years public office holders have not been given a 2 per cent annual payrise.
“The Tribunal notes the Australian economy is facing challenges as a result of COVID-19 and will likely record a second quarter of negative growth once the June quarter results are known. With high levels of unemployment, wage growth is expected to slow,” the tribunal said.
“The most recent decision to defer wage increases of Commonwealth public servants is significant. At its meeting on 18th March, the Tribunal’s preliminary conclusion was that it would determine no increase for offices in its jurisdiction from 1 July 2020.
“Matters considered by the Tribunal since, including the receipt by the Tribunal of a joint request from the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Cabinet, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, to institute a stay on increases to remuneration, entitlements and allowances for all office holders in the Tribunal’s jurisdiction, have served only to firm the Tribunal’s preliminary conclusion.”
The decisions affect past and present parliamentarians, part-time offices, full-time offices, principal executive offices, secretaries and judicial offices.
READ MORE: Public servants to have pay frozen
Richard Ferguson 2.34pm: ‘We’ve spent billions on community housing’: Treasurer
Opposition housing spokesman Jason Clare asks Josh Frydenberg why the government will not follow OECD advice and invest more in social housing.
The Treasurer says the government has spent billions already on community housing.
“The government contributes around $6 billion a year for housing assistance - around $6 billion a year, Mr Speaker, for housing assistance,” he says.
“When it comes to social housing and other support we know that under the former Treasurer, now Prime Minister, we established the NIFIC program which is to help grow the community housing sector.
“We established the $1 billion national housing infrastructure facility. $30 million was in the Hobart City Deal to build more than 100 social and affordable homes. $78 million for domestic violence housing services, Mr Speaker, and $60 million to build emergency accommodation and $18 million for keeping women safe in their homes program
READ MORE: Backbench frets at HomeBuilder bringing deeper debt
Richard Ferguson 2.28pm: No date yet on indigenous recognition referendum
Opposition indigenous affairs spokeswoman Linda Burney asks Scott Morrison when a referendum on indigenous recognition will be and if he will enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.
The Prime Minister says Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt is working to find a consensus and he cannot yet announce a referendum date.
“I am not interested in seeing issues go forward that may fail and will divide Australians. I want to do things that bring Australians together around this proposition,” he says.
“I hope that we will be able to do that as soon as possible.
“I can’t say when that will be because we have not arrived at that point and I still think there is quite a journey that we are all on.”
READ MORE: Keeping focus on roots of indigenous incarceration
Richard Ferguson 2.23pm: ‘Indigenous deaths in custody a national shame’: PM
Greens leader Adam Bandt asks Scott Morrison if he will take the issue of Aboriginal deaths in custody to the national cabinet.
The Prime Minister says the government is changing its targets on indigenous incarceration rates and deaths in custody and says the current situation is a “national shame.”
“Every death in custody, and particular indigenous deaths in custody, is an absolute national shame and tragedy,” Mr Morrison says.
“What the Minister for Indigenous Australians (Ken Wyatt) has been working to do is also to address the contributing factors which find Indigenous Australians in custody.”
Mr Morrison says people should noy go to rallies about deaths in custody because of the health risks.
“Do not go to those rallies, do not go to those rallies, you are putting others’ lives at risks,” he says.
The issue you raise is important and it is understood and acknowledged by all in this chamber, that is a great reflection on this country.”
READ MORE: No spike in home violence: police
Richard Ferguson 2.17pm: PM asked whether he will extend JobKeeper
Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers asks Scott Morrison whether he will listen to 81 per cent of company directors who want JobKeeper extended.
The Prime Minister says Dr Chalmers misrepresents the government’s wage subsidy stance and he is considering the future of the scheme.
“We have listened carefully right across the economy. Those working, those running businesses and particularly to those running businesses.” Mr Morrison says.
“That’s why the Treasurer announced the extension of the instant asset write-off, a very important measure.
“What the government will continue to do is make decisions about the level of supports we provide into the economy based on the best possible advice and the best reading of the economic situation as that becomes increasingly clear.”
READ MORE: Top JobKeeper postcodes revealed
Richard Ferguson 2.11pm: JobKeeper, JobSeeker review ‘by July’: PM
Anthony Albanese opens question time by asking Scott Morrison why the government is committed to removing coronavirus-sparked government support by September against warnings by the OECD.
The Prime Minister says a review of JobKeeper and JobSeeker will be ready for July and he will continue with the government’s current economic policies.
He also says the OECD report praised Australia’s current economic response.
Labor MP Justine Elliott asks Scott Morrison if workers on JobKeeper wage subisidies will be kicked off the scheme earlier than September, after childcare workers were recently removed.
The Prime Minister says JobKeeper will stay until that date and accuses the Opposition of not having a firm position on any coronavirus policy.
“The only people talking out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to the issues of the COVID response is the Labor Party,” he says.
“They oppose the very measures that they support. Each way on every issue has been the response of the Labor Party.
“Feigning, Mr Speaker, so much support for the Government’s response but taking every single opportunity to niggle and undermine for their own political purposes. This is disappointing.”
READ MORE: Activists kill off common sense
Richard Ferguson 1.37pm: ‘Slavery part of Australia’s history’: Burney
Opposition indigenous affairs spokeswoman Linda Burney will not condemn anyone for attending Black Lives Matter protests and says Australia has to recognise slavery was a part of the country’s history.
After a member of a BLM rally tested positive for coronavirus in Melbourne, Ms Burney said she would not condemn those who protested last weekend.
“The health advice is clear ... My advice is to listen to what the health warnings are and look within themselves to make a decision about whether they attend the rallies or not attend the rallies.”
Scott Morrison earlier today said the rallies should not import elements of US riots, saying Australia was not founded on a slave trade.
Ms Burney said the treatment of Stolen Generations and slaves from Micronesia disputed the Prime Minister’s account of history.
“Slavery is part of the Australian story,” she said.
“There was a slave trade between Micronesia, the Pacific Islands including the Solomons and Fiji.”
READ MORE: Time’s up for classics in wake of protests
Richard Ferguson 1.15pm: Victoria ‘should be consistent on protests’
Victorian federal MPs are demanding premier Daniel Andrews take a tougher line on future Black Lives Matter protests, after an attendee at Saturday’s rally tested positive for coronavirus.
The Premier had told marchers before Saturday not to go to any mass gatherings, but Victoria Police said they would not fine general protesters because it would be too logistically difficult.
Goldstein Liberal MP Tim Wilson told The Australian that he did not expect Mr Andrews to move against any future protests, despite his tougher stance on other breaches of social distancing.
“Dan Andrews failed a test of leadership by using the police against a handful of Victorians fishing off Rye pier, but wouldn’t do the same against tens of thousands of protestors who knowingly put public health at risk,” he said.
“So it doesn’t surprise me if he continues to fail to act.”
Former defence minister Kevin Andrews said the Premier had to sort out the inconsistencies between his handling of the protests and the rest of the state government’s COVID-19 response. “It’s inappropriate to allow thousands to gather in the streets but tell others they can’t gather in smaller groups because of social distancing,” the Liberal MP said.
“The Victorian Government should be consistent on these matters.”
READ MORE: Pier’s off: Fishers get marching orders days after mass protests
Rachel Baxendale 12.55pm: Chief Health Officer admits potential for spike
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton admits there is potential for a spike in cases as a result of Saturday’s protest.
“I hope it doesn’t happen. People were trying to distance in that gathering, but it’s effectively impossible for the 1.5 metre requirement, and people were there in their thousands,” he said.
“There was lots of wearing of masks, but again, masks and not 100 per cent protection for you if somebody else is infectious, or indeed if you’re infectious. It’s mitigation, but it doesn’t completely protect those around you.”
Professor Sutton said that without additional protections, a COVID-19 positive individual on average infects two to three others. “But every individual will be different. The majority of people don’t infect anyone else, 70-80 per cent of people don’t transmit to anyone else, but there are a small smaller proportion 20 to 30 per cent of people, who will spread it to a number of other individuals in close contact,” he said.
“The risk is elevated if you’re in closer contact with people, and the greater number of people that you mix with.’’
READ MORE: Gottliebsen — Chinese community relays the truth about Australia
Richard Ferguson 12.45pm: Greens senator Janet Rice holding out on taking test
Greens Senator Janet Rice will step back from the Senate chamber and monitor her health after she attended a Black Lives Matter rally with a COVID-19 positive patient.
But the Greens Senator will remain in her office and will not get tested or self-isolate unless told otherwise by federal chief medical officers.
“I am continuing to follow the advice of the DCMO. The DCMO has not recommended asymptomatic testing,” she told The Australian.
“I am continuing to monitor my health and be vigilant with physical distancing. If any symptoms arise, I will immediately get tested and self isolate.
“We are seeking a briefing from the DCMO to ensure that advice is still current. In the meantime, I will be paired in the senate chamber today.”
READ MORE: China students reject Beijing’s racism claims
John Ferguson 12.35pm: Lib slams ‘Chairman Dan’ over protest
Victorian Liberal MP Tim Smith lashed out at the Victorian government’s handling of the Melbourne Black Lives Matter amarch. He called for organisers of the weekend rally to be punished.
Those crooks, that broke the Covid laws with their illegal gathering,that endangered all of us,must be punished. Daniel Andrews,through his own weakness has potentially enabled the further spread of the virus,ensuring restrictions last longer for all decent law abiding citizens https://t.co/QjAYz6MOrn
— Tim Smith MP (@TimSmithMP) June 11, 2020
“Those crooks, that broke the Covid laws with their illegal gathering, that endangered all of us, must be punished. Daniel Andrews, through his own weakness has potentially enabled the further spread of the virus, ensuring restrictions last longer for all decent law abiding citizens,’’ he tweeted.
Mr Smith went to to say “this selfish individual who tested positive for Covid-19 after attending that illegal gathering must be fined by the state govt for putting the community at risk, so should thousands of other activists.’’
“Chairman Dan’s weakness allowing that illegal protest is a complete debacle.’’
This selfish individual who tested positive for Covid-19 after attending that illegal gathering must be fined by the state govt for putting the community at risk,so should thousands of other activists. Chairman Dan’s weakness allowing that illegal protest is a complete debacle. https://t.co/2nr6LEFZm7
— Tim Smith MP (@TimSmithMP) June 11, 2020
READ MORE: Commentary — Black Lives Matter protest kills off commonsense
Paul Garvey 12.25pm: WA Premier pleads with protesters not to march
West Australian premier Mark McGowan has urged organisers of an upcoming Black Lives Matter protest in Perth to postpone the event after a Victorian contracted coronavirus at a rally in Melbourne. Mr McGowan said the news out of Melbourne this morning also reinforced why Western Australia’s border with the rest of the country remained closed, despite fresh pressure from Scott Morrison for the states to commit to reopening.
The WA government has encouraged people not to attend this weekend’s rally and organisers have not been issued a permit. Instead, Mr McGowan urged the organisers to wait until after the threat of coronavirus had passed.
“I just ask them, please use some common sense here. This is about trying to save people’s lives and trying to stop any potential community spread of the virus,” he said.
“The issue about which people are protesting is a very important issue, but if they can postpone the rally util after the COVID period, until after the pandemic is over, that would be far better.”
He said the latest case out of Melbourne, and the risk that other protestors may have been infected, showed why it was a bad idea to continue with the event. “The advice to the organisers is take note of that and don’t hold the rally. We understand the significance of the issue but it’s not the time to hold a rally like this,” he said.
Some WA tourism operators have called for the state’s border to reopen and the prime minister has called for the states to set a date for a resumption of interstate travel, but Mr McGowan said WA would not be rushed. “If there’s community spread in the east then we don’t want them to come here,” he said. “I know people have expressed some co ncern and I understand that concern, but it’s for the greater good of Western Australia that we’ve done this. It’s a very unusual and to a degree quite extreme thing that we’ve done but it’s worked.”
He confirmed there had been no new cases of coronavirus recorded in the past 24 hours.
READ MORE: Savva — It’s the PM’s show: he doesn’t take out the garbage
Rachel Baxendale 12.10pm: Not known if infected protester had COVIDSafe app
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says he does not know whether the protester had used the COVIDSafe contact tracing app. He said given that the man had developed symptoms within 24 hours of attending the protest, it was possible that he had been infectious while there.
“Within 24 hours there is the possibility of being infectious before you develop symptoms,” Professor Sutton said. “How infectious someone is, is not clear, but it is known that people can transmit the virus within 24 hours of developing symptoms, so that’s a concern.
“It’s obviously helpful that that individual wore a mask, but masks are not 100 per cent protection.’’
Asked whether the case could lead to a planned lifting of restrictions on June 22 being delayed, Professor Sutton said no delay would occur “by virtue of one case”, but that he had “always said there are caveats” if numbers increase significantly. “It’s not by virtue of this one case. We are watching all of the community transmission cases each day,” he said.
“We’ve had zero days, we’ve had days with six cases that aren’t in quarantine, so we need to continue to watch that right through to June 22. I’ve always said there are caveats around all of the easing of restrictions that involve that day to day watching of numbers. The general trend has been positive in Victoria. We’ve got fewer community cases in the last couple of weeks than from the previous, but we’re not there yet.”
Asked to respond to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments that the protests could have set Australia’s easing of restrictions back by a week, amid more planned rallies in Melbourne and Sydney this weekend, Professor Sutton said he continued to advise people not to gather.
“We don’t want people gathering in groups larger than 20 in Victoria, because of the additional risk of transmission to others,” he said. “It is my strong recommendation not to go. and it is the law. The public health direction that I’ve laid out, says that community gatherings should not exceed 20.”
Asked whether the public health message could or should have been stronger ahead of Saturday’s protest, Professor Sutton said: “I don’t know that I could have said it any more strongly than that.”
“Public health folk across the country were pretty clear about the potential risk of transmission,’ he said.
READ MORE: State and territory leaders deflate hopes for a New Zealand travel bubble
Richard Ferguson 11.55am: Bandt won’t make Greens Senator get test after rally
Greens leader Adam Bandt will not order Victorian Greens Senator Janet Rice to get checked for coronavirus after an attendee at a Black Lives Matter rally she attended tested positive.
Mr Bandt said on Thursday that Senator Rice would still attend parliament despite marching in the mass protest on the weekend as she has not shown any symptoms.
“We’ve followed the medical advice and they have said the mere presence at a rally was not reason enough to get tested,” he told Sky News. “We will reach out and see if that is still their advice.”
Victorian government MPs are now demanding Senator Rice self-isolate and test, just as four Labor MPs who attended protests did yesterday.
Former defence minister Kevin Andrews said: “It’s the responsible thing to do and if she plans to continue her duties she should get tested.”
Goldstein MP Tim Wilson labelled Senator Rice “delinquent and irresponsible.”
“She’s put the public’s health at risk and the Parliament’s, so she should immediately get tested and self-isolate.”
The Australian has reached out to Senator Rice for comment.
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Rachel Baxendale 11.45am: Victoria records eight new virus cases
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said anyone who attended the march was urged to remain vigilant and if symptoms develop should isolate at home and get tested as a matter of urgency.
“There is no requirement to get tested or to quarantine if a person attended the march but is well and has not had symptoms since attending the march,” he said.
Victoria recorded eight new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including that of the protester, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 1699.
The other cases include a close contact of a case in the Rydges on Swanston quarantine hotel outbreak, bringing the total number of cases in that cluster to 15.
One new case has been detected through routine testing of a former staff member from BUPA Aged Care in Clayton.
Professor Sutton said the former staff member, who finished employment with BUPA on June 4, did not work while infectious, but all staff and residents of this facility were being tested as a precaution.
“BUPA has elected to take the precautionary step of limiting activities at the facility until 21 June so a deep clean and other public health actions can take place, Professor Sutton said.
Another new case has been detected in a toddler attending the Professor Lyn Corcoran Early Learning Centre in Parkville. The facility will be closed for at least 24 hours for deep cleaning. “The child attended two days of childcare while potentially infectious, but was not showing symptoms at the time.”
Of the other new cases, two were detected in returned travelers in hotel quarantine, while two cases remain under investigation. There are currently 57 known active cases in Victoria, with six people in hospital, including one in intensive care.
There have been 179 confirmed cases of coronavirus acquired through unknown sources.
Victoria’s COVID-19 death toll remains 19, with no deaths in recent days, while 1621 people have recovered.
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Max Maddison 11.30am: NT launches $5m holiday voucher stimulus
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner will “throw the kitchen sink” at the struggling tourism sector, handing out $5m in holiday vouchers in a bid to breathe life into the industry.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Gunner said with the NT’s borders closed, the scheme was aimed at supplementing a portion of the interstate and international tourism with intrastate travellers.
The scheme will give Territorian’s one dollar for every dollar they spend on a holiday, up to $200 — a potential $400 experience.
“I want you to know your Northern Territory and you’re never going to get a better chance than this Territory Day. If you’re living in Darwin, I want you to get down the car, head down the track to Katherine, Alice, get out of the car and support locals, buy local,” Mr Gunner said. “That is what the voucher system is. We want you to get out in your backyard.”
READ MORE: Queensland’s border closure irrational, discriminatory, says silk
Richard Ferguson 11.08am: Treasurer: Positive test won’t stall reopening
Josh Frydenberg says the diagnosis of a COVID-19 patient who went to Melbourne’s Black Lives Matter rally will not halt the easing of social distancing restrictions yet.
A man in his 30s who attended the Saturday rally outside the Victorian Parliament has tested positive, raising fears that the marches could lead to coronavirus outbreaks.
The Treasurer said in Canberra that despite the diagnosis it was important to go ahead with the nation’s three-steps-by-July timetable on easing restrictions.
“What we have been absolutely clear about is that people shouldn’t have gathered in those numbers for those rallies. In doing so, they put the broader community’s health at risk,” he said.
“Obviously, we’ll wait and see what the health outcomes are in the weeks ahead.
“I don’t accept that (restriction relief should be halted), we do know there was a time table agreed by the National Cabinet. It is important to move ahead with that time table because we know how many jobs are going to be created and we know how much the economy will benefit as a result.”
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Scott Henry 10.58am: Victorians ‘won’t forgive Premier’ if new wave hits
The Victorian Opposition leader Michael O’Brien says Victorians will not ‘forgive’ Daniel Andrews’ if the state experiences a second wvce as a result of the COVID-positive protester. “Who knows how many people at the rally *they* infected? Daniel Andrews failed to stop a mass gathering during a pandemic,’’ he tweeted. “If we get a second wave to lock us down further, Victorians will not forgive him - and neither should they.’’
Who knows how many people at the rally *they* infected?
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelobrienmp) June 11, 2020
Daniel Andrews failed to stop a mass gathering during a pandemic.
If we get a second wave to lock us down further, Victorians will not forgive him - and neither should they #springst https://t.co/rpgFM5DpB3
Rachel Baxendale 10.35am: Melbourne protester has tested positive
A person who attended Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne has tested positive to COVID-19.
The protester, a man in his 30s, is not Indigenous and first developed symptoms the day after the rally.
The person wore a mask, was not symptomatic at Saturday’s protest and is unlikely to have contracted the virus at the event, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters.
“Because of that attendance at the protest, within 24 hours of attending the protest, they were potentially infectious, so the lesson about warning people not to attend applies,” Prof Sutton said on Thursday.
“The directions in place which limit mass gatherings ... are there for a reason. Normally people develop symptoms 4-6 days after being exposed to coronavirus. As you know, up to 14 days the incubation period can be, from the time of being exposed to developing symptoms, so for it to occur within 24 hours it would be very unlikely that it’s been acquired from attending the protest.”
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Sarah Elks 10.35am: Palaszczuk insists no problem with PM
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has insisted she and Prime Minister Scott Morrison are “as one” in wanting to reopen the state’s borders in July.
In her strongest comments yet – after suggesting last month the border may not open until September – Ms Palaszczuk said there was no dissent between the PM and her.
“We are as one on this in terms of July, there’s no dissent on this,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“He has said July, I have said July.”
Ms Palaszczuk said she still had a concern about Victoria, which had recorded four new cases. But she said NSW had done a “great job” in getting community transmission under control.
She said tomorrow’s national cabinet would be a very important meeting, to consider the latest epidemiology results and the impact of the weekend’s mass protests.
Queensland’s latest roadmap does not set a date for interstate travel to resume. It does say the borders will be reconsidered at the end of each month.
The previous roadmap set July 10 as a provisional date for interstate travel, subject to planning and review.
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Sarah Elks 10.20am: One new case in Qld - from quarantine
Queensland has recorded one new case of coronavirus overnight – a person who returned from overseas and is now in quarantine.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there was still only three active cases, with the total number of cases rising to 1063.
More than 235,000 tests have been conducted. “If you are feeling sick, please stay at home,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
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Richard Ferguson 9.50am: Protesters could be charged over breaches
Scott Morrison has called for future Black Lives Matter protesters to be charged for breaking social distancing rules.
More BLM rallies are set to take place in Sydney and Perth over the next couple of days.
The Prime Minister said on Wednesday that the initial message of last week’s rallies have been “hijacked” by other causes, and that anyone continuing to protest should be changed as they were showing a disregard for other people’s lives.
“I really do think they should (be charged) ... you can’t have a double standard here,” he told Melbourne’s 3AW radio.
“The issues of last weekend were very difficult. But I think people carrying it on now, it’s not about that. It’s about people pushing a whole lot of other barrows now .
“It puts others’ lives and livelihoods at risk.”
Mr Morrison told The Australian on Thursday that the BLM rallies had delayed the accelerated easing of restrictions by a week.
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Max Maddison 9.40am: NSW eases restrictions, food courts reopen
Crowd restrictions will ease in NSW from Saturday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says, with homes allowed to host 20 people and food courts reopening.
Speaking at a press conference, Ms Berejiklian said she was “very pleased” to announce the easing of restrictions, yet warned the “virus is still among us”.
“So, from this Saturday, you will be able to welcome 20 people into your home as well as having gatherings outside with 20 people. This is based on the health advice, given the data and how well we’ve been doing,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“And from Saturday also you will be able to attend food courts in a socially distanced way.”
The announcement marks more than two weeks since a community transmission was recorded in NSW.
READ MORE: NZ prepares for COVID-complicated poll
Agencies 9.30am: Tests clear Labor MPs of coronavirus
Federal Labor MPs Graham Perrett and Anika Wells have tested negative for coronavirus after attending a Black Lives Matter protest in Brisbane, AAP reports.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese confirmed the pair do not have the disease, saying the results were not surprising.
NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy and lower house MP Warren Snowdon, who also took part in rallies, are expected to receive their results later on Thursday.
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Agencies 9.15am: Italy PM to be grilled over virus response
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte says he will be questioned by prosecutors over the way the coronavirus outbreak was handled in the northern Italian city of Bergamo, one of the areas most badly affected by the epidemic, AAP reports. “I am not at all worried,” Conte told reporters outside the prime minister’s office in Rome on Wednesday.
“We will speak on Friday and I will pass on all the facts I am aware of,” he said, adding that he was not under investigation himself.
The prosecutors are looking into why badly hit areas around Bergamo were not closed down early in the outbreak and have already questioned the regional governor of Lombardy, which includes Bergamo, and Lombardy’s health chief.
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 71 on Wednesday, against 79 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said.
The daily tally of new cases fell to 202 from 283 on Tuesday. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 34,114, the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Britain and Brazil.
READ MORE: Defunding police a ‘crazy move’
Robert Gottliebsen 8.45am: The truth about ‘racist’ Australia is emerging
Australia’s Chinese community is helping counter Beijing’s assertions about what awaits would-be students in Australia. Read more here
Max Maddison 8.10am: PM: Protests hijacked by left-wing causes
Black Lives Matter rallies have set the nation back by a week, says Scott Morrison, with calls to tear down the country’s history revealing that the protests have been hijacked by “left wing causes”.
The Prime Minister said last weekend’s rallies were the only factor preventing the nation moving onto the next stage of easing restrictions, with any other action “completely unacceptable”.
“It’s been complicated by these rallies last weekend. We don’t know what the health impacts of that is,” Mr Morrison told 2GB host Ben Fordham.
“The rally last weekend is the only real legitimate blocker to this right now. We don’t know whether these protests will cause another outbreak, and we won’t know for another week.”
Mr Morrison rejected calls to pull down statues of Captain Cook, saying that the protests had transformed from their original grievances and had now been hijacked by other forces.
“They start on a fair point, but they’ve been taken over by much more politically driven, left wing causes,” Mr Morrison said.
READ MORE: Protests cost the economy $1bn
Max Maddison 7.55am: Police will ‘make arrests’ at BLM Sydney rally
NSW Police can’t do anything to stop thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters turning out this weekend, but Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says officers will make arrests.
Mr Fuller asked protesters - estimated to be around 3000 people - to find other ways to show their support, but said he would be challenging the rally in the Supreme Court.
“Find other ways to protest, like businesses are finding other ways to do business,” Mr Fuller told Sydney radio 2GB.
“People aren’t taking the health orders seriously. I can’t remember a decision that has been made in recent times that has been more unpopular.”
Police would be “out in force” to move protesters along, while arrests would be made if anyone failed to comply, Mr Fuller said.
The Police Commissioner called the wave of anger calling for cities to defund their police as “bizarre”, and asked people to continue supporting police.
“There’s a dark side to policing and it’s important we continue to shine a light on that. But, that’s just bizarre, Ben. We’re not the US and we’re not Europe,” he said.
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Max Maddison 7.25am: Lambie attacks BLM protesters, ‘cancel culture’
Black Lives Matter protests are “un-Australian”, says Senator Jacqui Lambie, as she voices her concerns about the wave of cancellations.
Ms Lambie said those who criticised police officers should “spend a day in their shoes”.
“For those people out all that criticise our men and women in blue uniforms, seriously, you go and spend a day in their shoes because on a daily basis they are abused,” Ms Lambie told television program Today on Nine.
“Everybody in society has bad eggs but to blame everybody for that action, that’s not on and that’s once again un-Australian. What these people do and the courage that they show and the honour they show year in year out in that blue uniform.”
On the topic of Netflix removing four Chris Lilley shows from its library, Ms Lambie said you “can’t hide things under the carpet”.
“We’ve got to get on with our lives and even when it comes to producing comedy, you know when you’re taking the Mickey out of someone or something, that’s very - for me, that’s very Australian, very larrikinism,” she said.
“Where’s the stopping line here?”
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Max Maddison 7.05am: Hopes rise for vaccine with trials set to begin
Human clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine will begin in July, much earlier than initial forecasts of September.
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson said human trials would begin in the second half of July, earlier than first thought.
“Based on the strength of the preclinical data we have seen so far and interactions with the regulatory authorities, we have been able to further accelerate the clinical development of our investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine,” Johnson &Johnson’s Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels said in a press release.
The company began developing a COVID-19 vaccine in January.
READ MORE: Open up borders to quell revolt
Max Maddison 6.50am: Brazil reports 32,000 new cases amid spike
Global confirmed cases of coronavirus are poised to reach 7.3 million, with global deaths at 413,236, reports John Hopkins University.
Brazil’s exponential rise continues unabated, with another 32,091 new cases overnight and 1272 deaths. Despite relaxing social distancing regulations, India had another 10,218 new cases, with 277 deaths.
Russia’s race to half a million confirmed infections looks set to pass by Saturday, with another 8587 cases and 171 deaths.
READ MORE: Second wave could cost $25bn
Agencies 6.35am: Trump rejects renaming push over Confederate links
US President Donald Trump has ruled out a change to US military bases named after Civil War Confederate leaders, pushing back on pressure to rid public places of reminders of the once pro-slavery South, AFP reports.
...Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
“These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump said in a tweet that was also read out by his spokeswoman at a press conference.
“My Administration will not even consider renaming these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with,” he wrote. “Respect our Military!”
The importance given by Trump to keeping bases like Fort Bragg in North Carolina as they are was underlined by the decision of press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to read out the tweet and to give printed copies of it to White House reporters.
The demand for renaming such installations has taken momentum in the wake of mass protests across the US against police brutality and racism against African-Americans.
Ten bases named after generals from the secessionist South, which lost the Civil War and its effort to preserve slavery, are in the spotlight.
They include the famous Fort Bragg, Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Benning in Georgia.
Anger from anti-racism protesters has also focused on statues of southern Civil War heroes and most lately a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus, who opened the Americas to European settlement.
A statue of the navigator was beheaded in Boston, police said Wednesday. Similar attacks on statues of historical figures seen by activists as glorifying racism and slavery have taken place in Britain and Belgium.
READ MORE: Cook next in line of statue protesters
Agencies 6.15am: Coronavirus cases surge by 10,000 in India
India has reported a new rise of nearly 10,000 coronavirus infections, with a total caseload of 276,583, the fifth highest in the world, AP reports.
The Health Ministry confirmed 9985 new cases and 274 deaths in the past 24 hours. Total fatalities have reached 7745. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and New Delhi are the worst-hit states.
The spike comes as the government reopened restaurants, shopping malls and places of worship in most of India after a more than 2-month-old lockdown. Subways, hotels and schools remain closed.
India has so far tested more than 4.9 million people with a daily capacity crossing 140,000.
The number of new cases has soared since the government began relaxing restrictions.
There has also been a surge in infections in rural India following the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who lost their jobs during the lockdown.
READ MORE: Crisis in the heart of our civilisation
Jacquelin Magnay 5.45am: Britain’s ‘bonk bank’ thrown out to help lonely
Boris Johnson has eased Britain’s sex ban after 82 days, allowing single people to mix with one other single household and ignore the 2m social distancing rules.
In a move “to support the lonely”, the British prime minister said single people would be allowed to find one other single household in which to socialise, and thus legally have sex.
Everybody else still has to meet outdoors, with 2m distancing, and only meet up with a maximum of five others.
From this weekend, we will allow single adult households in England - so adults living alone, or single parents with children under 18 - to form a support bubble with one other household.
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 10, 2020
All those in the bubble will be able to act as if they live in the same household. pic.twitter.com/QDPOjUWDcF
“I want to stress that support bubbles must be exclusive, meaning you cannot switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households,” Mr Johnson said.
“We are making this change to support those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures. It is a targeted intervention to limit the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions. It is emphatically not designed for people who don’t qualify to start meeting inside other people’s homes — that remains against the law.”
You can meet with up to 5 other people in England, but you must stay outdoors and keep 2 metres apart.#StayAlert pic.twitter.com/VRpAhIjq5u
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 10, 2020
Trust in the government, however, has dissipated since Imperial College epidemiologist Neil Ferguson ignored lockdown rules to meet his married mistress, with Mr Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings also exposed travelling 350km during strict lockdown.
Mr Johnson has allowed non-essential shops, apart from hairdressers pubs and restaurants, to open from next Monday with strict conditions, but has delayed sending all children to school until September.
“My judgment at present is that we must proceed cautiously,” he said.
Yet the public has assessed their own risks and begun to act outside of the government rules, including Black Lives Matter supporters, who participated in mass protests during the past fortnight.
Intriguingly, Professor Ferguson — despite his appallingly poor track record in modelling previous outbreaks such as bird flu, swine flu, foot and mouth disease and BSE, and his use of outdated and random modelling programs in the coronavirus epidemic — continues to advise the government.
On Wednesday he told the Commons’ science committee that had the lockdown — which he brought about by alarmist predictions of 500,000 UK deaths — been introduced a week earlier, it would have halved the death rate in the UK.
The death toll is currently 41,000, with half believed to have occurred in care homes among the elderly and vulnerable.
“The epidemic was doubling every three to four days before lockdown interventions were introduced. So had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half,” Professor Ferguson said.
READ MORE: Prepare for next pandemic, Europe warned
Ben Packham 5.15am: Government protests Beijing’s study, travel warnings
The Morrison government has formally protested to Beijing over its claims Australia is too dangerous for its tourists and students, as Chinese nationals already here downplayed allegations of racism.
Australian diplomats in Beijing told Chinese officials there was no evidence of an increase in racist attacks against Asians in Australia, as colleagues in Canberra delivered the same message to the Chinese embassy.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham were unable to challenge the ruling themselves because their Chinese counterparts refused to take their calls.
China advised its students on Tuesday to reconsider studying in Australia — a move that threatens $12bn a year in economic activity — after earlier warning its tourists to stay away as well.
University of Sydney law student Clement Decheng Sun told The Australian he expected Chinese students would ultimately ignore Beijing’s warnings against studying in Australia.
“I’m not sure how many students will follow the advice. I would have confidence in the Australian education system,” he said.
“It has its flaws but the system is generally a good one. And it is much cheaper than the US or Europe.”
Read the full story, by Ben Packham and Richard Ferguson, here.
Geoff Chambers 5am: Frydenberg to reveal leading JobKeeper postcodes
Companies and sole traders in tourism and manufacturing hubs across Australia have been forced to rely heavily on the government’s $70bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme to keep workers on the books, according to Treasury analysis.
Josh Frydenberg will today release a postcode breakdown of where JobKeeper payments are being made, showing more than 844,400 businesses and individuals have had their applications processed by the Australian Taxation Office, supporting around 3.5m employees.
The Treasury data reveals the top two postcodes where businesses and individuals have had applications processed were in the heart of the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs. Sydney’s Liverpool and Melbourne’s Hoppers Crossing — both manufacturing hubs — were also in the top four postcodes relying on the $1500-fortnightly payments, which are due to cease on September 27.
Read the full story here.
Rebecca Urban 4.45am: Councils putting brakes on construction recovery
Tens of billions of dollars worth of construction projects with the potential to create thousands of jobs are caught up in stagnating planning processes, sparking calls for councils to fast-track building approvals to turbocharge the post-pandemic economic recovery.
In Victoria, more than $10bn worth of prospective commercial and residential development is estimated to be sitting in the planning approvals system, largely overseen by local government, while at least $3.5bn of disputed projects is before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In NSW, the City of Sydney alone is overseeing $2.8bn worth of development applications, while the City of Brisbane has 176 separate development applications on its books — many of them for residential renovations.
And with the federal government’s HomeBuilder stimulus package shining the spotlight on the crucial role of the $360bn construction industry in an economic rebound, federal and state government ministers and industry figures have demanded local government work harder to expedite approvals of “shovel-ready” projects.
Read the full story, by Rebecca Urban and Damon Johnston, here.
Additional reporting: Ben Packham
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Police, security gear up for Price campaign appearance
Australian Federal Police, state police and private security specialists are preparing for protests by Aboriginal opponents of senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price during her visit on Friday to the West Australian city of Bunbury.
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