PoliticsNow: Daniel Andrews’ right hand man Chris Eccles resigns
The Premier’s top public servant quit after revealing his phone records show he called Victoria’s police chief on March 27.
- NSW Premier ‘won’t survive’ ICAC
- PM’s car vandalised with red paint
- Chris Eccles resigns
- Victoria numbers rise to 15
- PM: possible bubbles for Asia countries
Welcome to The Australian’s live coverage of the coronavirus crisis. Daniel Andrews’ right hand man Chris Eccles has quit, revealing his phone records show he called the then police commissioner on March 27. NSW Liberals are jockeying for Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s job after damaging revelations in ICAC on Monday.
Amos Aikman 9.15pm: Risk study ‘would cut child suicides’
he Northern Territory could lower its shockingly high rates of child and youth suicide by using data from police, justice and child protection agencies to model the individual risk that kids face from primary school onwards, a leading researcher has suggested.
Coroner Greg Cavanagh will on Tuesday open the second of two harrowing public inquests into the deaths of young people from remote parts of the Top End.
A hearing last month examined the cases of three teenage Indigenous girls, all of whom had been sexually “molested” during their lives and were suspected of committing suicide.
David Ross 8.45pm: Alerts over Sydney eatery and medical centre
Alerts have been issued for two more venues linked to a COVID-19 outbreak in southwest Sydney’s Lakemba area after two healthcare workers tested positive.
Anyone who attended these venues is considered a close contact and must be tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result:
● Ali Dine Inn and Take Away Lakemba, at 158 Haldon Street, last Friday, October 9, from 7:30pm to 8:30pm
● A2Z Medical Centre, 96 Haldon Street, Lakemba, from Tuesday, September 29 to last Saturday, October 10.
Anyone who attended the A2Z Medical Centre between September 25 and September 28 must get tested immediately. However, as the full 14 days since exposure has elapsed these contacts do not need to continue to isolate once a negative test result is received.
Anyone who attended ISRA Medical practice, at 102A Haldon Street Lakemba, on Monday, October 5, from 6pm to 6am the following day is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop. After testing, they must remain in isolation until a negative test result is received:
READ MORE: Contacts may be fatal, like Covid
AFP 8.15pm: No deal on global digital tax this year: OECD
The 137 nations trying to hammer out a new global standard for taxing multinational tech firms will not secure a deal by the end of this year as hoped, the OECD acknowledged Monday.
“The glass is half full: the package is nearly ready but there is still no political accord,” said Pascal Saint-Amans, head of tax policy at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which is tasked with spearheading the talks.
The OECD does expect to finalise a “digital tax” proposal “sometime in 2021,” Saint-Amans added.
READ MORE: Survivors of danger drug to get payouts
Craig Greaves 7.45pm: Ardern set for shift to the left
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s is on track to win her second term in government at Saturday’s general election but, according to the latest polls, will likely need the help of the Green Party — a current coalition partner — to secure a parliamentary majority.
A Labour-Green government would be decidedly more willing and able to lean further left than the present coalition, which also includes New Zealand First.
NZ First, led by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, has sought to curb any perceived progressive policy excesses, but is now flailing in the polls and its political fortunes look more terminal by the day.
Largely on the back of broad support for the government’s COVID-19 public safety and economic recovery measures, and a popular Prime Minister, Labour is reaping a strong and sustained electoral windfall well ahead of the conservative National Party led by Judith Collins.
The latest 1 News Colmar Brunton poll showed Labour securing 47 per cent support to National’s 32 per cent.
Though Labour has broken the 50 per cent mark in other polls, it is more likely to require the 6 per cent the Greens are polling to form government.
Christopher Scalia 7.20pm: Flood of falsehoods about originalism coming
When Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings begin, you can expect to hear a lot of questions about, and descriptions of her judicial philosophy, originalism. Much of what you’ll hear about it will be inaccurate.
The dominant form of originalism entails interpreting provisions of the US Constitution according to the “original publicmeaning” they bore when they were adopted. (Textualism is the same principle applied in statutory interpretation.) You wouldn’tknow that from what journalists write about it.
Linda Greenhouse, who covered the Supreme Court for decades and should know better, claimed that judge Antonin Scalia (myfather) believed “the only legitimate basis for interpreting the Constitution is the original intent of its framers”. Lawprofessor Barbara McQuade recently wrote that originalists seek to understand what is “believed to be the original intentof the framers”. There are countless other examples of this conflation of intent with public meaning.
Remy Varga 6.50pm: Unified denies contact from Premier’s office, department
A Unified Security spokesman has confirmed no one from the office of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews or the Department of Premier and Cabinet contacted the private company ahead of hotel quarantine being announced.
At Daniel Andrews’ daily press conference on Monday, Sky News presenter Peta Credlin pointed out to the Premier that Unified Security emailed staff at 12.36pm on March 27.
This was during the national cabinet meeting where hotel quarantine was being announced, with then DPC Secretary Chris Eccles leaving at around 12pm.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the program at a 2.30pm press conference, with Mr Andrews holding a presser on hotel quarantine at 3pm.
Asked if anyone from the DPC or Mr Andrews’ office contacted Unified Security owner David Millward during the relevant time period, a spokesman said: “No”.
In Mr Millward’s statement to the hotel quarantine inquiry, he said the company was approached by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions at 11.33pm on March 27.
READ MORE: Newspoll spells trouble for Albanese
AFP 6.20pm: Trump campaign has twisted my words: Fauci
Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci says an ad aired by Donald Trump’s re-election campaign was edited to make him seem to endorse the President’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate,” Dr Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
The 30-second campaign ad cites Mr Trump’s personal experience with the virus — “President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus, and so is America,” it says — before including a brief clip in which Dr Fauci appears to praise the President’s response to the pandemic.
“I can’t imagine that anybody could be doing more,” Dr Fauci is shown as saying, creating the clear impression he is referring to Mr Trump.
But a complete clip of Dr Fauci’s comments, made during an interview in March with Fox News, shows the doctor saying: “I have been devoting almost full time on this. I’m down at the White House virtually every day with the task force. It’s every single day. So, I can’t imagine that under any circumstances that anybody could be doing more.”
AFP 5.50pm: British PM to outline new lockdown system
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to present a new three-tiered alert system for coronavirus cases in England on Monday, with northwestern Liverpool expected to be the only city placed in the top category.
Like governments throughout Europe, Mr Johnson’s Conservative cabinet is seeking to balance bringing down the rate of new infections against concern about the economy and frustration among voters.
The new alert system, which will classify all areas as either “medium”, “high” or “very high” risk, is an attempt to bring transparency and uniformity to restrictions introduced to combat the spread of the disease.
The BBC reported that Liverpool would be the only city placed in the top category, meaning its pubs and restaurants would have to close — against the wishes of local authorities.
“This is a critical juncture and it is absolutely vital that everyone follows the clear guidance we have set out to help contain the virus,” said a Downing Street spokesperson.
British Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced on Friday he would pay up to two-thirds of staff monthly wages to firms forced to close over the winter months under the new system’s highest level of lockdown.
Mayors representing several northern English cities, including Manchester and Liverpool, have said the new support falls short for those on minimum wages like bar staff and kitchen workers, and self-employed people such as taxi drivers and security guards.
Several urban centres in northern England have already been hit with a range of curbs on social life such as a ban on different households mixing, but the south has escaped stricter restrictions for now.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own devolved governments and separate health systems. Pubs across central Scotland have closed for just over two weeks to try to cut close-contact transmission.
Mr Johnson is set to present the system in parliament on Monday night (AEDT) and MPs will be called to vote on the measures later in the week, a source in his office said.
The national death toll from coronavirus in Britain is more than 42,000, which is the worst in Europe.
On Sunday, 12,872 people in Britain were reported to have tested positive for coronavirus.
READ MORE: Panicking No 10 dumps Trump to woo Biden
Remy Varga 5.10pm: Eccles resignation was offered ‘immediately’
Daniel Andrews said he was shocked when he was informed about the phone call by his chief-of-staff on Sunday at around 6pm during a crisis cabinet meeting.
“I was shocked when I was informed last night that this call had been made, and that a detailed examination of his phone records had shown that,” he said.
Mr Andrews said he spoke to Mr Eccles on his way to his daily press conference on Monday after the top public servant had issued his statement.
“He had indicated to the inquiry that he had not received a call. It’s clear that he had and I’ve believed he’s made the right choice,” he said.
“That resignation was offered almost immediately, he worked out a statement and that’s been formalised this morning.”
READ MORE: Premier’s right hand man resigns
Max Maddison 4.55pm: Berejiklian: I failed in my personal life
Despite multiple intercepted phone calls in which Ms Berejiklian told Mr Maguire “I don’t need to know about that”, the Premier rejected the assertion she knew anything about the Badgerys Creek deal.
This stinks. #nswpol #ICAC #auspol
— Troy Bramston (@TroyBramston) October 12, 2020
“Everybody held their ground, and this person was not able to acquire anything - or his friends, or his associates,” Ms Berejiklian said at a press conference on Monday.
“He had a go, quite a few many times, but nothing transpired. And I want to say strongly to the people of this state - there is one way - one way - to come to the government to get things done, and that’s through the front door, through proper process.”
While Ms Berejiklian said Mr Maguire and his business associates had “failed” in their attempts to influence her, she said she had “failed in her personal life”.
“And what is comforting in what I regard as a personal nightmare - ask I will call it a personal nightmare - you cannot appreciate, for someone who’s very private, for someone who is very by the book,” she said.
READ MORE: Premier battles to hold on
David Ross 4.45pm: NSW issues alert after new cases detected
NSW Health authorities have discovered two new cases of COVID-19 after a known case attended a medical clinic in Lakemba.
Both cases are doctors who worked at the A2Z Medical Clinic and tested positive after a previously reported case had attended the clinic.
All staff at the clinic are now isolating and are being tested and NSW Health is in the process of contacting everyone considered to be a close contact of these cases.
NSW Health is calling for anyone who attended A2Z Medical Clinic, 96 Haldon Street Lakemba, at the following times to self-isolate and get tested if symptoms occur.
Thursday, 1 October, 2.30-3.30pm
Friday, 9 October, 3-4.30pm
Saturday, 10 October, all day
Some people who attended the clinic will be managed as close contacts. NSW Health will contact everyone directly to provide tailored advice depending on their exposure:
The COVID-19 infected patient also attended Isra Medical practice, at 102A Haldon Street Lakemba, and anyone who attended on Monday, 5 October, between 7:15-7.40pm is considered to be a casual contact.
Warnings have also been issued for the Inge Ingleburn Hotel on Sunday, 4 October from 3-6pm. Anyone who spent an hour or more in the Bar Room between these times is considered a close contact and must immediately isolate and be tested. Anyone who spent less than an hour there is considered a casual contact.
Anyone who attended the Ingleburn Hotel Bistro and Gaming Room is considered a casual contact.
Anyone who used the following train services at the specified times is also considered a casual contact:
• Thursday, 1 October, from Wiley Park Station to Lakemba Station, between 12.02 and 12.14pm;
• Thursday, 1 October, from Lakemba Station to Wiley Park Station, between 3.14pm and 3.27pm;
• Tuesday, 6 October, from Wiley Park Station to Lakemba Station, between 12.10pm and 12.30pm;
• Tuesday, 6 October, from Lakemba Station to Wiley Park Station.
In response to the spate of cases in Sydney’s west a new pop-up testing clinic has been set up at the Lakemba Uniting Church, cnr Haldon Street and The Boulevard, Lakemba. Opening hours are 12-4pm Monday, 12 October and 10am-4pm Tuesday, 13 October.
Max Maddison 4.40pm: Berejiklian vows to stay on as NSW Premier
After the “most difficult days” of her life, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has stared down calls to resign, vowing to continue serving the people of NSW.
After an explosive Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing, which detailed her “close personal relationship” with disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, Ms Berejiklian said with the benefit of hindsight, she wouldn’t have “made those personal decisions”.
“I trusted someone that I’d known for a long time, and I feel really, really let down. I trusted him for a long time. We were colleagues for 15 years,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“And I’m not going to take away from the fact that I made a mistake in my personal life, but I have to say that there is a huge separation between a personal life and public office.”
However, she rejected calls to resign, labelling her job as the “greatest privilege of my life”.
“And whilst I have made this mistake in my personal life, I intend to serve the people of New South Wales to the best of my ability. That’s what I’ve always done. I’ve sacrificed my life to public office, and I’m proud of that,” she said.
John Stensholt 4.30pm: Clive Palmer’s $100m property bonanza
Clive Palmer’s spending spree this year has seen him snap up more than $10m of Queensland property, draw up plans to build and own 4000 apartments and emerge with about $300m worth of gold. Read more here
Glenda Korporaal 4.15pm: Former AFL chief faces Crown inquiry
Crown’s ‘failure of culture’ meant bad news about potential money laundering and concerns about staff in China did not make it to the board, NSW inquiry hears. Read more here
Charlie Peel 3.55pm: Morrison forced to flee rowdy protesters
Police have escorted Scott Morrison from the University of Queensland after refugee protesters vandalised his car. Read more here
Remy Varga 3.40pm: Victoria’s new Covid cases detailed
Of Monday’s 15 new cases in Victoria, 10 are linked to known outbreaks.
Of these, four are linked to a family cluster in Melbourne’s southeast, while two are connected to a family cluster in Melbourne’s north.
Another two are household contacts linked to a case linked to Box Hill Hospital while another is a close case linked to Sunshine Hospital.
On case is the close contact of an existing case while another five cases remain under investigations.
The 14-day case average for Melbourne is 9.9, while it is zero point four for regional Victoria.
Of the 191 active cases in Victoria, 186 are in metropolitan Melbourne while five are in the regions.
Max Maddison 3.20pm: Berejiklian may be recalled to ICAC hearing
In February 2018, Daryl Maguire was attempting to leverage illegitimate business deals in a bid to find a career after he retired from politics in 2019 - so he could begin a public relationship with Gladys Berejiklian.
In Feb 2018, Daryl Maguire was trying to stitch together an array of illegitimate business deals, telling Gladys Berejiklian the "f***** Country garden has fallen through" - all so he could retire from politics in 2019 and begin a public relationship with the Premier @australian
— Max Maddison (@maxmaddison) October 12, 2020
With an array of deals falling over, Mr Maguire told Ms Berejiklian he was working hard to find something that would enable him to retire in 2019, saying “I don’t want to stay, I want to go”.
“I have a meeting tomorrow morning with Joe; the Country Garden stuff has fallen through, I can’t just go to nothing,” Mr Maguire told Ms Berejiklian in a phone call played to an ICAC hearing on Monday
“There’s no future doing stuff for the NSW government.”
“That’s why I’m giving you space, I’m not trying to stress you,” Ms Berejiklian replied.
The hearing has finished for the day. Ms Berejiklian has been excused but hasn’t been dismissed from her summons, with counsel assisting the inquiry, Scott Robertson, saying she may need to appear again.
The inquiry will continue tomorrow, and will hear from Maggie Wang, Mr Maguire’s offsider and Mr Maguire himself.
Rosie Lewis 3.05pm: Hanson pushes for payroll tax relief
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has demanded the Morrison government put the $4bn allocated for its youth wage subsidy scheme towards reducing payroll tax, as she lashes the signature budget policy for “blatantly discriminating” against Australians over the age of 35.
The push from a key Senate crossbencher to completely overhaul the JobMaker hiring credit comes as Labor, the Greens, unions and other independent MPs prepare to push for amendments if the government does not include safeguards that would prevent an employer replacing an existing or older worker with several new, younger employees.
Senator Hanson, whose vote is crucial if Labor and the Greens oppose government bills, said payroll tax – which an employer must pay to the states once their wage bill exceeds a certain threshold – was one of the biggest inhibitors to hiring more staff.
“I will tell the Prime Minister (Scott Morrison) myself there are already jobs across this country where businesses are crying out for workers, but because of decisions made by his government to make welfare so lucrative over recent times there’s not many people willing to move to regional parts of the country and take up the work,” Senator Hanson told The Australian.
“I would much rather see the $4bn given to the states in return for them raising the threshold on payroll tax. Until the Liberal National Coalition are prepared to sit down with employers and union groups to jointly work on reforming industrial relations laws in this country, business owners will continue with their nervous approach to hiring new staff.”
Under the government’s plan, which would run for 12 months from October 7 if it passes parliament, an eligible employer would receive $200 per week for hiring an unemployed person aged 16 to 29 years old or $100 per week for someone aged 30 to 35, with a maximum benefit of $10,400 per new position created.
The new employees must work at least 20 hours per week.
In order to receive the subsidy, an employer must show the hiring of that person has increased their business’s headcount and wages bill compared to September 30.
Mr Morrison has questioned why he would need to change the scheme and insisted the eligibility test would stamp out any rorting.
READ MORE: Why Albanese and Labor are in trouble
Max Maddison 2.35pm: Berejiklian told of boyfriend MP’s ‘little friend’
Ms Berejiklian told Daryl Maguire she didn’t “need to know” about his “little friend”, moments after he told her to expect a meeting request from a property developer, an ICAC inquiry has heard.
“I don’t need to know about that bit," Gladys Berejiklian told Daryl Maguire in an intercepted phone call after being told about the $690,000 fee he stood to gain @australian
— Max Maddison (@maxmaddison) October 12, 2020
After informing the Premier about the problems facing “Sunito”, Mr Maguire told her he had introduced his “little friend to them”, which he said was “good news”.
“I don’t need to know which little friend you (are) talking about,” Ms Berejiklian told Mr Maguire in an intercepted phone call.
“With the polished head … so he was down there, I introduced him which was good,” Mr Maguire replied.
“They’re all frustrated still with planning, so absolutely frustrated. Still no decisions.”
The inquiry has adjourned briefly once again so Ms Berejiklian can be played evidence she hasn’t heard in a private hearing.
Richard Ferguson 2.20pm: PM ‘surprised’ at Berejiklian revelations
Scott Morrison says NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s personal relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire - the centre of a corruption probe - is a surprise and “news to me”.
The Australian has revealed Ms Berejiklian, who is still giving evidence at an ICAC inquiry, is already under pressure to resign over conflicts involving her “close personal relationship” with Mr Maguire and several NSW ministers are being lined up to succeed her.
The Prime Minister said in Brisbane that he never knew about Ms Berejiklian’s relationship, but praised her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“These are very new revelations, and obviously came as news to me,” Mr Morrison said.
“I think the news that came today was a surprise to many people.
“I have no knowledge of these matters, it is a matter before that commission and a matter for the New South Wales government
“I’ve worked well with the premier for many years ... The work the Premier has done in New South Wales and managing the COVID-19 crisis has been exemplary.”
READ MORE: Gladys’ private life goes public
Staff Reporters 2pm: Pandemic lessons: Act quickly next time
The window of opportunity to find and stop a rapidly spreading virus is vanishingly small and intolerant of mistakes. Read more here
Jack McKay 1.30pm: Palaszczuk condemns paint attack on PM’s car
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says it’s “completely unacceptable” that Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s car has been targeted by protesters.
Mr Morrison had to be escorted from the University of Queensland on Monday morning in a police car after the car he was travelling in was vandalised.
“I’m not aware of that, but that’s completely unacceptable,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “As I’ve always said, everyone should be showing respect.”
Protesters threw red paint across Mr Morrison’s car, while a group of people were outside chanting about refugees detained at the Kangaroo Point Hotel.
Ms Palaszczuk spent the morning campaigning in the marginal electorate of Pumicestone - held by outgoing LNP MP Simone Wilson by a wafer thin margin of 0.8 per cent.
She announced a re-elected Labor government would establish new satellite community hospitals in what she described as an Australian first.
Ms Palaszczuk said it meant Queenslanders could get healthcare closer to where they live, with the commitment to cost $265 million over the next four years.
They will be located in seven regions, including Bribie Island, the Redlands, the Gold Coast and Ipswich - but the Premier said there would be more to come if they’re successful.
“These new satellite hospitals will also help provide the health care services families need in our rapidly growing outer-urban areas,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “This initiative is an important part of our ongoing economic recovery plan and will support up to 768 local jobs during construction.”
Ms Palaszczuk confirmed the commitment would be funded through borrowings
READ MORE: Protesters target PM
Sharri Markson 1.15pm: Lib contenders jockey for Berejiklian’s job
EXCLUSIVE | Senior NSW Liberals say Gladys Berejiklian’s tenure as Premier is over after today’s explosive ICAC evidence, with Attorney-General, Mark Speakman, and Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, emerging as the leading contenders for the top job. Read more here
Max Maddison 1.10pm: Maguire wanted help from Premier’s office
Daryl Maguire explicitly told Gladys Berejiklian that he was trying to get her office involved in a bid to help Louise Waterhouse fix a “big problem”.
In October 2018, with Ms Waterhouse’s efforts to get approval for an intersection near her Western Sydney development site not making headway, Mr Maguire told the Premier he had used his parliamentary position to try and get a positive outcome.
“She’s got a big problem so I took up to your office and said here can you help solve it. She’s got a lot of property out at Badgerys Creek,” Mr Maguire told Ms Berejiklian in an intercepted phone call.
“I got Jock (Sowter) to come down and got one bloke from your place to put their heads together and said look, why can’t you fix this.”
READ MORE: Premier faces tough questions
Dennis Shanahan 12.50pm: Numbers don’t stack up for Albanese
The sobering message in the public’s reaction to the budget is that Labor’s attempt to recapture its lost legions isn’t working. Read more here
Max Maddison 12.35pm: Berejiklian ‘shocked’ at ICAC revelations
Gladys Berejiklian knew intimate details about Daryl Maguire’s business ventures, asking about the de facto director of Mr Maguire’s company G8wayinternational - a company which ran an illegal “cash for visa” scam.
In another intercepted phone call, Mr Maguire told the Premier that Phil Elliott - the director and sole shareholder of the company the former Wagga Wagga MP controlled from behind the scenes - was travelling to China on a business trip.
“I thought you said he wasn’t very good at that?,” Ms Berejiklian asked Mr Maguire.
Yet the Premier maintained she had no knowledge about the illegitimate visa scheme nor that he wasn’t following the appropriate protocols in disclosing his business interest to parliament.
“I had no reason to think Mr Maguire wasn’t making the appropriate disclosures at the appropriate time,” she said. “I’m shocked and disturbed by what has been revealed.”
READ MORE: Premier’s bombshell revelation at ICAC
Remy Varga 12.25pm: Peta Credlin presses Premier on evidence
Sky News presenter Peta Credlin has appeared at Daniel Andrew’s presser again, and is pressing the Victorian Premier on his evidence to the hotel quarantine inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Premier has released a statement on the resignation of Mr Eccles.
“Late yesterday, the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Chris Eccles, advised that, following a request from the Board of Inquiry into the Hotel Quarantine Program, he had reviewed detailed phone records that made it apparent he had phoned former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on the afternoon of 27 March,” he said
“Until last night, I had understood that Mr Eccles did not know if he had telephoned Mr Ashton at that time. That matter is now beyond doubt.
“This morning, Mr Eccles tendered his resignation effective immediately and has outlined his reasons for doing so in his statement.
“I want to acknowledge Chris’ many decades of public service spanning governments in three States and the Commonwealth and thank him for the significant contribution he has made to Victoria. I wish him all the very best.”
Remy Varga 12.15pm: Premier backs Eccles’ resignation decision
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has called the decision of Chris Eccles to resign appropriate, after his phone records differed from the top public servant’s testimony to the hotel quarantine inquiry.
“I was shocked when I was informed last night,” he said.
Mr Andrews said he was informed about Mr Eccles phone records yesterday afternoon, speaking to him after he released a statement on Monday.
Emily Ritchie 11.55am: Protesters throw red paint over Morrison's car
Refugee protesters have vandalised Scott Morrison’s car with red paint and blockaded a University of Queensland building where the Prime Minister is visiting vaccine labs
This represents the souls and life of our friends who are being tortured with isolation, no exercise and uncertainty.
— Refugee Solidarity Meanjin (@RSMeanjin) October 12, 2020
Dad Saif, has been split from baby Sammi and his wife Sabbah since March.
Scott Morrison, free the KP120. Free the Mantra 60. pic.twitter.com/5Kh7Q9I7VW
A small group of activists carrying banners also splashed red paint over the glass door entry to the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Building at the university and blocked a doorway, chanting “free the refugees” and “eight years too long”.
The group also threw tomatoes and brussel sprouts at the building which is now being guarded by police and Mr Morrison’s security detail.
Mr Morrison has reportedly been locked in the building even though the media event ended half-an-hour ago, with his bodyguards attempting to determine a safe exit strategy.
#BREAKING: Extraordinary scenes in Brisbane where protesters have ambushed the prime minister during a visit to the University of Queensland. @heinkealex #9News pic.twitter.com/SZRGAwst0u
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) October 12, 2020
The gatecrashers are understood to be from the Refugee Solidarity Meanjin group, which has been running a campaign outside a Kangaroo Point hotel where 120 refugees have been held under medevac laws for months.
READ MORE: Voters show faith in Morrison
Charlie Peel 11.45am: Frecklington campaigns without PM
There will be a notable absence at Deb Frecklington’s campaign appearances on Monday after Scott Morrison stayed behind in Brisbane while the Opposition Leader flew to Hervey Bay.
The Prime Minister, whose presence on the campaign trail has given the Liberal National Party a boost, will reunite with Ms Frecklington on Tuesday when they appear together at a fundraiser in Brisbane.
Mr Morrison joined Ms Frecklington on the hustings on the Gold Coast on Saturday and at Redbank, west of Brisbane, on Sunday.
On Sunday night Ms Frecklington flew to Hervey Bay, 300km north of Brisbane, where she is hoping to sandbag the electorate held by retiring LNP stalwart Ted Sorensen on a 9.1 per cent margin.
The LNP lost 10.1 per cent of its primary vote in 2017, most of which went to One Nation, however, the party increased its overall margin by 2.6 per cent.
Adrian Tantari, who ran for Labor in 2017, is the party’s candidate again this year and will take on the LNP’s Steve Coleman.
READ MORE: Stage set for poll battle
Remy Varga 11.40am: Andrews to face media at noon
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is due to front the media at 12pm.
It comes after the state recorded 15 new cases of the coronavirus and Department of Premier and Cabinet Secretary Chris Eccles quit.
Heidi Han 11.20am: China’s beer city in major outbreak
Qingdao, home of the Chinese beer label Tsingtao Beer, has rolled out a massive testing operation for COVID-19 after a new outbreak in the coastal city including multiple asymptomatic carriers.
Chinese media reported that an additional 9 people tested positive following six confirmed cases as of late Sunday night, with all cases related to a local hospital caring for imported coronavirus patients.
Residents in the city started lining up for testing overnight, as the Shandong provincial government vowed to accomplish city-wide testing within five days, according to Chinese Central Television.
Health authorities across the country have urgently warned against visiting Qingdao despite the popular destination having just attracted over 2.5 million visitors during China’s week-long national holiday and holding major events recently including East Asia Marine Expo.
The Port of Qingdao and its railways also carry a heavy weight to transport major imported commodities including Australian barley to inner China.
READ MORE: Age dumps Leunig’s anti-Dan cartoon
Emily Ritchie 11.15am: NSW records 6 new cases
NSW has recorded six new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including one new case of local transmission.
The locally acquired case is a household contact of someone who was reported as positive on Sunday, which is linked to a cluster with two other cases whose source is unknown.
Five cases were diagnosed in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 4094.
NSW has reported one new case of locally transmitted #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) October 12, 2020
Five cases in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine were also diagnosed, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4,094. pic.twitter.com/8emC8w5zEP
NSW Health is currently treating 54 people in hospitals across the state, including one in intensive care who does not require a ventilator.
There were 7,391 tests reported to 8pm on Sunday night, compared with 12,823 in the previous 24 hours.
NSW Health said testing numbers have dropped recently.
“This is a concern as it limits our ability to find people with COVID-19 early and contain further spread,” it said in a statement.
“NSW Health is appealing to the community to come forward for testing right away if you have even the mildest of symptoms like a runny nose or scratchy throat, cough, fever or other symptoms that could be COVID-19.”
READ MORE: Expensive bill will undermine unis’ global status
Max Maddison 10.55am: Berejiklian admits ‘close personal relationship’ with Maguire
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had a “close personal relationship” with disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, and congratulated him on receiving a $5,000 commission, a corruption inquiry has heard.
In an explosive morning hearing at the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Ms Berejiklian said she had begun a relationship with Mr Maguire in 2015 after the state election.
In a text exchange tendered as evidence, Ms Berejiklian congratulated the former Wagga Wagga MP for receiving a $5,000 commission.
Under questioning from counsel assisting the inquiry, Scott Robertson, Ms Berejiklian admitted she was likely to have made her relationship “public” if Mr Maguire had followed through with plans to retire in 2018 – months before he was forced to resign after the Operation Dasher probe.
Asked why she didn’t make the relationship public beforehand, the Premier said “I’m a very private person”.
Despite saying she maintained a “close friendship” for up to 15 years, Ms Berejiklian categorically rejected the assertion she knew about Mr Maguire’s illegitimate business schemes, saying she thought he “disclosed them at the appropriate time”.
READ the full story here
Remy Varga 10.30am: Eccles second head to roll over hotel fiasco
Chris Eccles is the second head to roll over the hotel quarantine fiasco, which sparked Victoria’s coronavirus second wave that has claimed nearly 800 lives.
Former Victorian health minister Jenny Mikakos quit the day after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told the inquiry responsibility for the failed program lay with her and her department.
In a scathing submission to the inquiry, Ms Mikakos urged inquiry head Jennifer Coate to treat evidence given by Mr Andrews “with caution”, declaring the weight of evidence points clearly to an “actual” decision being made to use private security guards, despite the Premier, ministers and department heads claiming ignorance.
Counsel assisting the hotel quarantine inquiry have submitted the decision to use private security was a “creeping assumption”, instead of an actual decision.
READ MORE: Inquiry must find culprit behind hotel failures
Remy Varga 10.05am: Chris Eccles resigns, effective immediately
Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet Secretary Chris Eccles has resigned, revealing his phone records at 1.17pm on March 27.
Part of Chris Eccles' resignation statement. Confirms he was on the phone to Graham Ashton for two minutes at 1:17 on March 27 @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/lSJXJKadSe
— Andrew Lund (@andrew_lund) October 11, 2020
It comes after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews as well as the DPC were asked to hand over their phone records to the hotel quarantine inquiry.
In a statement released on Monday, Mr Eccles said his phone records indicated he called former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton at 1.17pm on March 27.
“Following a request by the Board of Inquiry on Saturday 10 October 2020, I requested detailed telephone records from my telecommunications carrier,” he said.
“These records show I called Mr Ashton at 1:17pm and that I spoke with him for just over two minutes.
“At no time prior to 10 October 2020 had the Board requested access to these telephone records, and they had not previously been in my possession.”
Mr Eccles emphatically denied he or anyone else from the DPC made the decision to use private security at the hotel quarantine program.
“There has been much commentary and speculation about whether I or anyone else at DPC spoke to Mr Ashton during that narrow timeframe on 27 March,” he said.
“It is now evident I did.”
Mr Eccles said he had chosen to resign as he did not want to distract from the hard work of the public sector during the pandemic.
Between 1.16pm and 1.22pm on March 27 someone called then police commissioner Graham Ashton to tell him a decision had been made to use private security to guard the hotels, according to the submission of Victoria Police to the hotel quarantine inquiry.
In text messages sent by Graham Ashton to Mr Eccles at 1.16pm on March 27, the former Victoria Police chief commissioner asked what role police would play in the hotel quarantine program.
“The suggestion is that Victorian arrivals are conveyed to a hotel … somewhere where they are guarded by police for 14 days. Are you aware of anything in this regards?” said Mr Ashton.
When Mr Eccles gave testimony to the hotel quarantine inquiry on September 21, he did not respond to the text but conceded it was more likely that he asked someone in his office to reply to Mr Ashton.
READ MORE: Andrews and staffers to hand over phone records
Anne Barrowclough 9.30am: Victoria records 15 new cases
Victoria numbers have risen again, with 15 new cases, and no deaths.
Yesterday there were 15 new cases reported. No lives were lost. The 14 day rolling average has slightly increased in Metro Melbourne but remains steady in Regional Victoria. More data will be available later today.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) October 11, 2020
Info: https://t.co/pcll7ySEgz#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/F1Ztgt9UFZ
The 14-day rolling average has slightly increased in metro Melbourne to 9.9 but remains steady in regional Victoria at 0.4.
It comes as close to 600,000 Victorian students returned to school after 10 weeks of learning from home.
Richard Ferguson 9.15am: PM derides Labor’s childcare plan
Scott Morrison has blasted Anthony Albanese’s post-pandemic childcare plan, saying it will offer thousands in subsidies to high-income families.
Labor’s $6.2bn childcare policy, which would be in place for an initial three years, would remove the $10,560 cap from July 2022.
All subsidy rates would be immediately increased under a Labor government for families earning less than $530,000, with 97 per cent of families saving between $600 and $2900 a year.
The Prime Minister told the Nine Network that his childcare policies and derided Labor’s plan saying “money doesn’t grow on trees.”
“Labor is offering families on half a $1m $11,000 of subsidies. That’s their plan. That’s not our plan. Our plan is means-tested and targeting support to those who need it most,” he said.
“All the supports we provide across the economy for individuals are means tested, Family Tax Benefits and other supports, they’re there to help people, but we target them.
“You have to target things because, you know, money doesn’t grow on trees and what we’re focusing our budget effort on.”
READ MORE: Voters back Morrison’s Covid budget
Richard Ferguson 9.00am: PM: Singapore, South Korea, Japan possible travel bubbles
Scott Morrison has highlighted Singapore, South Korea and Japan as future COVID-safe travel bubble destinations in the future, but warns it will still take some months to get there.
New Zealanders will be allowed into NSW, the Northern Territory and the ACT this week without having to go into hotel quarantine, in the first stage to resume post-pandemic global travel.
The Prime Minister said on Monday that initial discussions were now happening with three of our biggest Asian neighbours and Pacific Island nations about future travel options.
“We’ve got the Kiwis coming and that’s great. But – and potentially we are having discussion with the Pacific Islands,” he told the Nine Network.
“We have to be careful. The risk COVID can get into those communities. They have done a fantastic job protecting their communities.
“Places like Singapore, Japan, South Korea have all done a tremendous job also. We had some initial discussions with those countries. I wouldn’t want to raise expectations too high.”
READ MORE:
Imogen Reid 8.50am: Frydenberg canes Andrews for ‘stringing along’ Victorians
Josh Frydenberg has accused Premier Dan Andrews of stringing along Victorians by keeping them under lockdown, saying he wants to see residents get back to a “COVID-safe normal life.”
“I’m devastated by what’s happened in Victoria and here I am today in NSW where life is COVID normal,” the Treasurer told Sky News.
“People are getting about shopping, going to their cafes, going to work and in NSW they had more cases than in Victoria last week at one state and they’ve also had numerous days when they’ve had more than 10 cases, yet in Victoria where the numbers are coming down, Daniel Andrews keeps turning the screws and that is really unfortunate.
“I think people are fed up, and I think people want to hear about the lifting of the restrictions, of course, in a COVID-safe way. But they shouldn’t be kept strung along like they have been. I think it’s time Daniel Andrews really got on with it, lifted restrictions and allowed Victorians to get back to a COVID-safe normal life.”
READ MORE: Pressure to extend wage plan
Imogen Reid 8.30am: Frydenberg: Budget for blokes and women
Josh Frydenberg has defended the federal budget following criticism that it favours men over women.
Speaking on Sunrise, the Treasurer hit back at claims the new economic plan is a “budget for blokes,” claiming that more than half of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic have been jobs filled by women.
“This budget is designed to create more jobs for women and for men,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“Fifty four per cent of the jobs lost during COVID have been jobs that have been filled by women. Fifty per cent of the jobs that have come back are jobs that are filled by women. That’s an encouraging sign.
“The government’s track record going into COVID was getting female work participation to a record high, closing the gender pay gap which has a way to go but was starting to close.
“There is $9.2 billion in this budget for childcare. It is helping to get female participation in the workforce to a record level.”
Imogen Reid 8.15am: Former Labor Minister demands Sutton quit over threshold
Former Labor Minister Steven Conroy is calling for Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to resign after he admitted during a COVID-19 press conference that he did not know if Melbourne would ever reach the five case threshold he instated.
Mr Conroy told Sky News host Paul Murray that Mr Sutton should have resigned after saying it will be “extraordinarily difficult” to get cases down to zero.
Mr Conroy said Mr Sutton’s response proved he is a “complete clown” that “chops and changes” on his own strategy.
“I actually think that following that statement he should have then added, and I now formally tender my resignation,” Mr Conroy said.
“He’s designed this strategy, it was unachievable from the beginning, for him to again, despite public denial, talk about driving the number to zero.
“But for him to now say he has no idea if he can achieve the target he has set, he should resign tomorrow morning.”
READ MORE: Time to send in the big guns
Imogen Reid 8.10am: UK cases still spiking, 12000 new cases
The number of coronavirus infections continue to spike in the UK, with over 12,000 new cases reported in the past 24 hours.
Following the reopening of large sectors of the economy and thousands of students returning to school and universities, infection levels and death rates are increasing in the UK at their fastest rates in months.
Cases jumped by 12,872 on Sunday, compared to 15,166 registered the day before. A total of 603,716 cases have been confirmed since the start of the pandemic.
The UK has experienced the most COVID-19 related deaths, with an official toll of 42,825.
England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the UK is at a “tipping point similar to where we were in March”.
“But we can prevent history repeating itself if we all act now,” he said.
“Now we know where it is and how to tack it – let’s grasp this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.”
The disproportionate rise in cases in northern England has prompted the British government to consider tightening virus restrictions to control the rise of infections.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make a statement to MPs on Monday providing details of the new measures.
In France, the number of new infections jumped to over 26,000 in one day for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Russia reported 13,634 new cases in the last 24 hours, marking its worst day yet for new infections.
Meanwhile, Ireland reported 1,012 new infections on Saturday, the highest daily figure since April.
READ MORE: Grandad stranded as Home Affairs denies him entry
Anne Barrowclough 7.35am: Fauci ‘taken out of context’ in campaign ad
Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, has denied endorsing Donald Trump, saying he was taken out of context in a campaign ad in which he appears to be praising Mr Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
In the ad, released on Sunday, Dr Fauci says: “I can’t imagine that … anyone could be doing more” as the ad spruiks Mr Trump’s response to Covid-19.
The clip came from an interview Dr Fauci had with Fox News, but referred, not to Mr Trump but to the work he and other members of the coronavirus task force were doing to battle coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci did not consent to being featured in a new advertisement from the Trump campaign touting President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert tells CNN his words were taken out of context:
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) October 11, 2020
“In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate,” Dr Fauci said in a statement to CNN. “The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials.”
READ MORE: Who are America’s private militias?
Imogen Reid 6.30am: Health alert for Bunnings, Aldi in western Sydney
A fresh health alert has been issued for a number of popular shops in Sydney’s west and south west, including Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse and Aldi, after they were visited by positive COVID-19 cases.
NSW Health is alerting the public that confirmed cases of #COVID19, reported yesterday, have attended venues in Western and South Western Sydney: https://t.co/8YEkF3eXir
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) October 11, 2020
Full list of locations linked to known #COVID19 cases here: https://t.co/pqkRdfh3cR. pic.twitter.com/nfDaXvMYyT
Anyone who attended the following venus is considered a casual contact and should monitor for symptoms and get testing if they develop.
Big W at Carnes Hill on October 4 between 3pm and 4.30pm
Aldi at Edmondson Park on October 4 between 6.30pm and 7pm
Chemist Warehouse at Casula on October 6 between 12.30pm and 1pm
Bunnings Crossroads on October 7 between 2pm and 3pm
Costco at Casula on October 9 between 3pm and 3:30pm
Anyone who was at Lakemba Radiology from midday to 2.30pm on October 1 is also considered a casual contact.
NSW Health has also directed all passengers on a Sydney bus last weekend to self-isolate, upgrading its advice to travellers on the train replacement bus from Central to Strathfield.
The bus departed from Central at 11.48pm on October 4 and arrived at Strathfield at 12.15am on October 5.
All passengers on the bus are now considered close contacts and are instructed to immediately get tested for COVID-19 and isolate for 14 days.
READ MORE: Cash a contagion risk? You can bank on it
Rebecca Ballhaus 6.20am: Trump ‘no longer transmission risk’
President Trump’s physician has said Mr. Trump was no longer considered a transmission risk but didn’t say whether he still tests positive for Covid-19, in a memo released hours after the president’s first public remarks since contracting the virus more than a week earlier.
Mr. Trump — who didn’t wear a mask — spoke Saturday to supporters on the White House lawn. The president emerged from the White House on Saturday pumping his fists, to cheers of “USA” from the audience of hundreds of pro-police activists. “I’m feeling great,” he said. In taped videos and brief appearances earlier in the week, the president had at times appeared short of breath, but sounded better in his nearly 20-minute speech Saturday.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2020
In a memo Saturday evening, Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s physician, said Mr. Trump was no longer considered a transmission risk to others but didn’t say whether Mr. Trump continues to test positive for the virus. He said diagnostic tests show there is “no longer evidence of actively replicating virus.”
In his statement, Dr. Conley said: “I am happy to report that in addition to meeting [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] criteria for the safe discontinuation of isolation, this morning’s COVID PCR test demonstrates, by currently acceptable standards, he is no longer considered a transmission risk for others.” A polymerase chain reaction test detects the virus’s genetic material. Dr. Conley also said diagnostic tests show there is “no longer evidence of actively replicating virus.”
But the White House has continued to leave central questions about the president’s medical condition unanswered. It hasn’t said outright whether the president continues to test positive for Covid-19 or when he last got a negative test before testing positive Oct. 1.
The Wall St Journal
READ MORE: Trump pushes for release of Downer report
Ewin Hannan, Tessa Akerman 2am: Andrews, staffers to hand over phone records
Daniel Andrews and his senior staff will hand over phone records and text messages to the inquiry into the hotel quarantine breakdown as the investigation tries to determine who decided to deploy private security guards.
The Australian has confirmed that the inquiry, headed by former Family Court judge Jennifer Coate, separately asked Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles to hand over his phone records for March 27.
The records, including messages sent on encrypted apps, could reveal who told former chief commissioner Graham Ashton in a six-minute window that day that private security and not police would be used to guard hotels.
The Victorian Premier said on Sunday that he did not speak to Mr Ashton during that period and did not believe his staff had either.
The vast majority of coronavirus cases in Victoria can be traced back to travellers who returned to Australia in mid-May and went into hotel quarantine.
The question of who decided to use private security, and not police or Australian Defence Force officers, has become a central issue for the Coate inquiry.
Evidence presented to the inquiry showed Mr Ashton texted Mr Eccles at 1.16pm on March 27 asking whether he was aware of suggestions that Victoria Police would be required to guard overseas arrivals in hotel quarantine.
Read the full story here.
Greg Brown, Gerard Cockburn 1.45pm: ‘Un-Australian’ Koala moves manufacturing to China
Furniture retailer Koala, a major local success story now valued at about $500m, will move production of mattresses to China despite manufacturing becoming a focus in last week’s federal budget.
The company, which targets younger consumers through social media campaigns as an ethical and sustainable bedding alternative, confirmed it would “consolidate manufacturing in more strategically supportive locations” and “cease production of mattresses in Australia”.
Industry Minister Karen Andrews on Sunday urged consumers to buy locally made products to support local jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic, and said there were other mattress brands which manufactured in Australia.
Read the full story here.
Rebecca Urban 01.15am: Returning schools to major in Wellbeing 101
Schools across Victoria have been advised to prioritise students’ mental health and wellbeing and pare back the curriculum to focus on key literacy and numeracy skills when they welcome students back to classrooms this week.
More than 580,000 primary school, Year 7 and VCE students across Melbourne will return to school from Monday, joining regional students who were permitted back last week.
Having experienced the longest stint of remote learning across the country — a metropolitan prep student has spent more of their foundation year at home than in a classroom — questions are being asked about the impacts on learning and development.
Read the full story here.
More Coverage
Crisafulli’s $50m anti-crime canoe camps
Children who wag school will have their phones confiscated and be sent on taxpayer-funded camps to canoe and learn coding under a Liberal National Party plan to drive down youth crime rates in Queensland.
Pro-Gazan pianist and MSO open to mediation
Jayson Gillham is suing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in the Federal Court, with a trial likely to be scheduled in March next year if mediation fails.