Coronavirus Australia live news: UN not perfect, must work for all states, says Scott Morrison
Scott Morrison will argue that the UN faces new challenges responding to the pandemic, as well as maritime and territorial disputes, in a speech on Saturday.
- ‘Mistakes unacceptable’: Andrews unreserved apology
- Program ‘clearly failed: Andrews
- ‘Mikakos doesn’t see herself as accountable’
- Andrews doesn’t know who made security call
- Andrews appears at quarantine inquiry
- Footage clouds Mikakos claim on hotel guards
- ‘Challenging’ deficit figures revealed
- Victoria cases rise slightly to 14
- Kennett, Dutton demand Mikakos quit
- Easier lending ‘critical for economy’
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Appearing at the inquiry into the bungled hotel quarantine scheme, the Victorian Premier says he is unsure who decided to engage private security contractors. TV footage has clouded claims by Victorian Health Minister she found out about private security at hotel quarantine in May.
Geoff Chambers 11.05pm: The UN must work for all: PM
Scott Morrison will argue that the UN faces new challenges responding to the pandemic, as well as maritime and territorial disputes, in a speech laying out new objectives for the success of multilateral organisations in the 21st century.
In a national statement to the 75th UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister will warn that the UN is “not perfect” and must “continue to deliver for us and all nations” over the next 75 years by serving member states’ interests.
“The UN is its members, not its committees, processes, institutions or officials,” Mr Morrison will say. “Today there are 193 UN member states … with more voices and challenges comes complexity, negotiation, processes, bureaucracy that would test any organisation.”
“We want these multilateral institutions to continue to deliver for us and all nations. So we’re committed to ensuring they are fit for purpose, that they’re effective, that they’re open and transparent and, most importantly, that they are accountable to the sovereign states that form them.”
Mr Morrison will caution that sovereignty does not mean “turning inwards” and warns against a “retreat into the downward spiral of protectionism”, but says multilateralism must remain effective in responding to emerging issues and “serve all countries rather than any single power”.
Read the full story here.
Tim Dodd 8.35pm: Lockdown silver lining for Melbourne uni
Melbourne’s COVID lockdown has helped boost the University of Melbourne’s fragile financial position by $130m this year, due to greater then expected numbers of students filling in their time by enrolling to study.
Vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell said the university’s expected budget shortfall of $309m in 2020 had now reduced to $177m, which will translate to an operating loss of $60m for the year after other savings measures are factored in.
Greater than expected numbers of international students continuing their courses online are also playing a role in boosting the university’s financial position, and the university has also managed to increase its research income this year, probably due to COVID-10 related projects.
The lockdown, and lack of job opportunities, has also led to fewer student deferrals this year which has helped keep student enrolments high.
However the University of Melbourne plans to press on with 450 job cuts announced in August. Professor Maskell said the outlook for 2021 remained “very uncertain”.
Continue reading here.
Angelica Snowden 7.45pm: Why virus kills some, spares others
Australian researchers have helped uncover why COVID-19 can be lethal, killing otherwise healthy people and sparing others.
New research reveals some people who contract the virus produce antibodies which suppress a set of “crucial” proteins used to protect the body from viruses.
The two new reports show the lack of proteins — called type-one interferons (IFNs) — is common among a group of coronavirus sufferers who contract a severe case of the disease.
One study found about one in 10 people with life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia produced antibodies which targeted and neutralised the 17 key proteins.
“This study highlights the crucial role of type-one IFNs in protective immunity against SARS-CoV2,” the report read.
Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 6.28pm: Inquiry shows why nothing has stuck to Andrews
Daniel Andrews is “sorry” that “unacceptable mistakes” have been made.
He agrees the issue of infection control was “too important” to be left entirely to private security contractors under his government’s hotel quarantine scheme.
He agrees that answers are required to the question of who exactly is responsible for the breaches which resulted in a second wave of coronavirus which has killed at least 762 people and seen Victorians locked in their homes for months, with crippling social and economic consequences for the state and nation.
But after weeks of cross-examination of ministers and top public servants in legal proceedings costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a day, no one has been able to provide those answers, least of all the man ostensibly in charge.
Read Rachel Baxendale’s full analysis here.
Geoff Chambers 5.28pm: Victorians deserve answers: Frydenberg
Josh Frydenberg has declared “Victorians deserve answers” following Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ appearance at the hotel quarantine inquiry.
“No one seems to be able to tell Victorians who made the decision to engage private security contractors in the Hotel Quarantine Program,” the Treasurer said.
“The failings in the program had deadly consequences resulting in Victoria’s second wave and millions being subject to curfews, locked in their homes 23 hours a day. I, like so many Victorians.
READ MORE: Budget repair jettisoned for jobs
Remy Varga 4.56pm: Mistakes ‘unacceptable’: Premier’s apology to Victoria
Mr Andrews finishes giving evidence at the inquiry by sharing his reflections on the failures of the hotel quarantine program.
“Mistakes have been made in this program and answers are required,” he said.
“Those mistakes are unacceptable to me. I want to thank you Madame Chair and the board of inquiry and all of the staff for your work you are doing and will do.
“I want to make it very clear to each and every member of the Victorian community that I am sorry for what has occurred here and I want to issue an unreserved apology to all Victorians.
“I want to say to you Madame Chair I await your final report, the conclusion of your work, so we can understand better what has occurred.
“So I as leader of government can take appropriate action to ensure these sorts of errors never occur again.”
READ MORE: Seven seats won’t bring Aussies home by Christmas
Remy Varga 4.38pm: ‘United Security legal rep quizzes Andrews
Arthur Moses SC, who is representing Unified Security, will cross examine Mr Andrews now.
He wants to ask Mr Andrews what was behind comments made on the ABC program 7.30 on July 1 after the inquiry was called.
“Someone knew something because the Premier of the state said something,” Mr Moes said.
Mr Moses takes Mr Andrews to his comments to the ABC on July 1.
At the time, the Premier said: “There’s been a number of staff who despite knowing about infection control protocols have decided to make a number of errors.”
Mr Andrews said he can’t recall who told him the information behind his comments or what infection control protocols were in place before the outbreaks.
“It’s my expectation that I am accurate and fair in all of my public comments,” he said.
Remy Varga 4.20pm: ‘Quarantine program ‘clearly failed’: Andrews
Mr Andrews said the hotel quarantine program had clearly failed, allowing the virus to leak into the Victorian community.
“It was supposed to contain the virus, it didn’t,” he said.
“Therefore something has gone wrong.”
READ MORE: What Jenny didn’t know
Remy Varga 4.14pm: ‘Concerning’ Mikakos doesn’t see herself as accountable: Andrews
Mr Andrews says its concerning his Health Minister Jenny Mikakos didn’t see herself as accountable for the hotel quarantine program.
He said there should have been no confusion over who was in charge or responsible of the regime.
“It should be very clear,” he said.
READ MORE: As usual, he buck doesn't stop here
Remy Varga 4.12pm: ‘We should know who appointed security, but I don’t’: Andrews
Mr Andrews says we should know who decided to use private security but he doesn’t.
“It’s one of a number of important questions,” he said.
Mr Andrews says it is alarming no one involved in the collective decision making process to use private security guards seemed aware of their involvement.
“It is very disappointing,” he said.
He said collective decision making did not remove accountability.
Mr Andrews said it was also concerning the decision seem to be a “series of assumptions”.
“These are some of the issues I confronted which saw me on the 30th advise the governor to appoint the board... I couldn’t get answers to these questions either.”
Remy Varga 4.02pm: Andrews learned of ADF request via media
Mr Andrews said he became aware that Emergency Management VIctoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp had requested 850 troops on June 24 to assist with hotel quarantine in media reports the following day.
Mr Andrews said he did not support the request as the model was being reset.
Mr Andrews said he understood the request was granted when it was rescinded.
“I’m aware that is the case... towards the end of June they might well have been available,” he said.
Mr Andrews disagreed with the proposition that accepting ADF help in late June would have assisted the hotel quarantine program.
“Many ADF members would be reservists or people that were not stationed in Victoria,” he said.
“There would be some time involved... I think this was superseded by events.”
READ MORE: COVID-19: We’re all xenophobic at the moment
Rachel Baxendale 4.01pm: Vic by the numbers: 247 active cases linked to aged care
Of 20,118 people who have had coronavirus in Victoria since the pandemic began, 18,794 have recovered — an increase of 56 since Thursday.
Of 482 active cases in Victoria on Thursday, 468 are in people from metropolitan Melbourne, 11 are in people from regional Victoria, and three are from unknown locations or subject to further investigation.
Of the total number of cases since the pandemic began, 18,727 have been in people from Melbourne, while 1192 have been in those from regional Victoria.
There have been 9598 cases in men and 10,507 in women.
The total number of cases in health workers has increased by two since Wednesday, to 3516, and the number of active cases in health workers decreased by six to 77.
There are four cases linked to residential disability accommodation - all of them in staff. This number has remained the same since Monday.
There are 247 active cases of coronavirus linked to Victorian aged care facilities as of Friday - 27 fewer than on Thursday - despite three of Friday’s 14 new cases being linked to aged care.
As of Friday there have been 619 coronavirus deaths linked to aged care facilities in Victoria, including seven of the eight deaths reported in the 24 hours to Friday.
The 10 active aged care outbreaks with the highest cumulative total numbers of cases as of Friday and deaths as of September 8 (the most recent date for which data is available) are:
— 256 cases and 18 deaths linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest;
— 220 cases and 35 deaths linked to Epping Gardens in Epping, in Melbourne’s north (an — increase of one case since Thursday);
— 140 cases and 20 deaths linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s outer east;
— 132 cases and 11 deaths linked to BlueCross Ruckers Hill in Northcote, in Melbourne’s inner north (an increase of one case since Thursday);
— 127 cases and 20 deaths linked to Twin Parks in Reservoir, in Melbourne’s north;
— 124 cases and eight deaths linked to Cumberland Manor in Sunshine North, in Melbourne’s west;
— 122 cases and 17 deaths linked to Japara Goonawarra in Sunbury, in Melbourne’s outer northwest;
— 121 cases and 10 deaths linked to Estia in Heidelberg, in Melbourne’s northeast;
— 108 cases and 23 deaths linked to Glendale in Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer southwest;
— 108 cases and 17 deaths linked to Kalyna in Delahey, in Melbourne’s outer northwest;
The following two large aged care clusters no longer have active cases:
— 216 cases and 44 deaths linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner, in Melbourne’s north;
— 166 cases and 17 deaths linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer, in Melbourne’s west;
Remy Varga 3.59pm: Andrews unaware of ADF support email
Mr Andrews is shown correspondence between Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet Secretary Chris Eccles and his federal counterpart Phil Gaetjens, in which the state is offered ADF support.
Mr Andrews said he was not aware of the email or its contents until he was shown by the inquiry.
“The first time I’m seeing this email in prep for this,” he said.
He said the national cabinet meeting on March 27 where hotel quarantine was discussed left him with the impression ADF support was not available to Victoria.
He said Mr Eccles should have informed and he believed he would have remembered if he had.
“Given it’s so at odds with what I took away from the national cabinet meeting I think it would have been very significant to me … it would have presented us with options we didn’t have,” he said.
A case had been well made for NSW, Mr Andrews said, but he did not have any expectations Victoria would be offered similar support.
READ MORE: Saluting our invaluable researchers
Remy Varga 3.48pm: Andrews pressed on ADF
When Ms Ellyard asked if he understood Australian Defence Force support would be granted according to need at hotel quarantine, he said: “yes.”
He said he understood Mr Crisp’s had made requests for ADF supports that were granted.
Mr Andrews said he wasn’t aware Mr Crisp held the view in late March ADF support wasn’t necessary.
READ MORE: PM plea to Premier to accept soldiers
Remy Varga 3.40pm: ‘Infection control too important to leave to contractors’
Mr Andrews said infection control was too important to leave up to private contractors, as was the case with the contracts between the Victorian government and security companies.
“Yes I think I can agree with that statement given what’s at stake given the seriousness and infectivity of this virus, I think that’s a fair statement.”
When Ms Ellyard asked if using security guards was a “risk”, Mr Andrews said: “Yes.”
The contracts were secured by the Department of Justice, Regions and Precincts.
READ MORE: Shake up will speed up loans
Rachel Baxendale 3.30pm: Breakdown of Victoria’s Friday cases
Of Victoria’s 14 new coronavirus cases on Friday, nine have been linked to outbreaks, while five remain under investigation.
Of those nine, three have been linked to outbreaks across the following two aged care facilities:
- Estia Keilor, in Melbourne’s northwest. This facility was also linked to new cases on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. As of September 8, this facility had been linked to nine cases. It is understood this cluster began when a resident returned from being treated for an unrelated condition at Footscray Hospital, having contracted coronavirus;
- Opal Hobsons Bay in Melbourne’s inner southwest. This facility was linked to cases on Monday and Tuesday, but had not been linked to any cases or deaths as of September 8;
A further five cases have been linked to the following to existing outbreaks:
- Dandenong Police Station, in Melbourne’s outer southeast. As of Wednesday, there were three active cases linked to this cluster, which totalled 18 cases. DHHS has provided no update for this cluster on Friday.
- Springvale shared accommodation, in Melbourne’s outer southeast. As of Friday, there are five active cases linked to this cluster, which totals five cases. This is the first time this cluster has been mentioned in a daily DHHS press release.
DHHS says the remaining case linked to an outbreak is “linked to a complex case”. No information has been provided as to what “complex case” is.
The following local government areas have new cases on Friday:
- Greater Dandenong (outer southeast): 4
- Casey (outer southeast): 1
- Frankston (outer southeast): 1
- Hobson’s Bay (southwest): 1
- Hume (outer north): 1
- Knox (outer east): 1
- Moonee Valley (northwest): 1
- Mornington Peninsula (outer southeast): 1
- Whitehorse (east): 1
- East Gippsland (eastern regional Vic): 1
- Wodonga (northeastern regional Vic): 1
Of the East Gippsland and Wodonga cases, DHHS says: “After further investigation two new cases above linked to regional Victorian addresses are associated with cases currently living in metropolitan Melbourne. These cases have not been in regional Victoria in recent weeks and both acquired COVID-19 in metropolitan Melbourne. These cases will be moved to the appropriate LGA in coming days.”
READ MORE: JobSeeker can’t return to $40 a day
Remy Varga 3.22pm: Health objective ahead of jobs: Andrews
Mr Andrews has rejected he gave “equal weight” to public health and creating jobs.
Shown two crisis council briefings that highlighted hotel quarantine would “provide crucial support to Victoria’s tourism accommodation sector, helping retain local jobs”.
Mr Andrews said the economic benefits were a “secondary consideration”.
“I would always see them secondary to the public health objective … it is important but absolutely secondary,” he said.
Mr Andrews says he doesn’t think he’s seen the hotel quarantine operational plan, saying he normally wouldn’t see “documents of this nature”.
Mr Andrews said he did not know Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton opposed being sidelined from leading the state’s response to the pandemic.
“I was not aware of that at the time when these matters were live,” he said.
READ MORE: ‘A whole platoon of Sgt Schultzes at the one inquiry’
Ewin Hannan 3.20pm: Mikakos ‘accountable’ for program between April-July
Mr Andrews said he regarded Health Minister Jenny Mikakos as
“accountable” to him and the parliament for the quarantine program between April and July.
“At the start of the rogram, I regarded Minister Mikakos and Minister Pakula as responsible for informing cabinet about, and seeking cabinet’s endorsement of, the initial overall service model and costings that had been determined for the program. They did so at the CCC meeting on 8 April 2020.
“I then regarded Minister Mikakos as accountable for the program. The CCC was provided with regular reports by Minister Mikakos containing data relevant to Victoria’s response to the public health emergency, key insights from the data, as well as other updates, including in relation to the program.
“From 8 July 2020, I regarded the Attorney-General as accountable for the program.
“However, as Premier and chair of the CCC, I regard myself as being ultimately
accountable for the Victorian government and any decisions made about the structure and operation of the program.”
READ MORE: ‘Drop your virus detention law’
Remy Varga 3.15pm: Andrews did consider hotel alternatives
Mr Andrews said prior to establishing hotel quarantine, he did consider other options but ultimately it seemed the best model to ensure compliance and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“It seemed an appropriate response to a very significant risk,” he said.
“At the time, we were trying to buy time to prepare our health system… and expecting things to unfold much like in other parts of the world.”
READ MORE: Virus tipped to give us a migrant migraine
Rachel Baxendale 3.09pm: Mikakos denies misleading hotel inquiry
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has “categorically denied” misleading the hotel quarantine inquiry, after statements she gave in evidence on Thursday appeared to contradict publicly documented events.
Ms Mikakos was present at a press conference in late March where Jobs Minister Martin Pakula mentioned the use of private security guards in hotel quarantine, and Labor Caucus was briefed on the practice in April, but Ms Mikakos told the inquiry on Thursday she did not learn of their use until the end of May, when a coronavirus cluster was identified in guards working at the Rydges on Swanston hotel.
On Friday afternoon a spokeswoman issued a statement on Ms Mikakos’s behalf, saying: “The Minister categorically denies that she has misled the board in any way and has sought leave to provide information to the board to that effect.”
READ MORE: ‘I knew nothing about guards’
Remy Varga 3.01pm: Operational matters ‘out of character’ for Premier’s office
Mr Andrews said it would be “deeply out of character” for his office or department to decide on operational matters such as food and security.
Mr Andrews was shown a text sent from an employee of his office sent at 1.19pm at March 27 that said “we will also need something on food and security for people in hotels, in addition to transport.”
Mr Andrews said this was for: “the purposes of what I would be announcing them, not so much to be determining them.”
Mr Andrews was shown a text from former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton that said using private security was a deal set up by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
He said: “I am not aware of anything personally given rise to graham Ashton drawing those conclusions.”
Mr Andrews said he would assume the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner would be consulted before any decision on security or enforcement was made.
“It would certainly be very unusual … unprecedented in some ways,” he said.
READ MORE: PM plea to Premier to accept soldiers
Remy Varga 2.56pm: Enforcement not a ‘matter I would turn my mind to’
Mr Andrews said enforcement was not “a matter I would turn my mind to.”
Shown a transcript of his remarks of when he announced Victoria’s hotel quarantine program at 3pm on March 27 that mentions private security, Mr Andrews said: “I have given this quite some thought.”
“I’m not certain why I mentioned police, private security and our health team … I can’t clarify for you or outline for you why I chose those three groups,” he said.
READ MORE: As usual, the buck doesn’t stop here
Ewin Hannan 2.53pm: Andrews ‘does not know’ who made security call
Daniel Andrews says he does not know who made the decision to engage private security guards in quarantine hotels.
Asked by the inquiry who made the decision to engage private security contractors in the hotel quarantine program, Mr Andrews said in his written statement tendered to the inquiry: “I do not know who made that decision.”
In his statement, Mr Andrews said after national cabinet made the quarantine decision, he “expected there that there would be a mix of different personnel playing different roles” in the program, including police.
“But the way in which that decision was to be implemented, including the mix of personnel that would be engaged and their respective roles, was an operational matter,” he said
“The decision to engage private security contractors, and many decisions like it, were of an operational nature. That is similarly so in the management of other disasters. For example, I have no role in determining the mix of staff and allocation of tasks during a catastrophic bushfire event.
“The program was part of our response to a public health emergency caused by a highly infectious virus. I believed that those directly involved in the design and delivery of the program would carefully consider infection control protocols as part of their deliberations.”
READ MORE: ‘I knew nothing about guards’
Remy Varga 2.48pm: Andrews briefed on quarantine recommendation
Mr Andrews has told the inquiry on the morning of March 27, he was briefed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet that anticipated the Chief Medical Officer may recommend returning travellers be quarantined in at a national cabinet meeting.
Mr Andrews said his personal definition of a “high risk” traveller was: “Anybody returning from a country with little to no public health response posed in my judgement a very serious risk perhaps an unacceptable risk for community transmission here.”
The inquiry was shown an extract from the briefing he received.
READ MORE: Warning vaccine may only ease symptoms
Remy Varga 2.32pm: Andrews appears at quarantine inquiry
Mr Andrews said he became aware through media and enforcement reports that returned travellers were not complying with at home quarantine orders around March 23.
The Premier was shown a video of a press conference given by former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton discussing incidents where returned travellers were found to not be at home.
Mr Andrews is shown another press conference given by former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on March 25 on improving returned international traveller non-compliance.
“I can’t specifically recall whether I watched that press conference but it seems familiar.”
In the video, Mr Ashton says returned travellers are becoming more aware of their obligations.
He is asked about the Ruby Princess, the NSW fiasco, and whether he was aware of how the pandemic was wreaking havoc overseas. Mr Andrews answers “Yes”.
Mr Andrews is being represented at the hotel quarantine inquiry by Stephen O’Meara QC, Kathleen Foley and Olaf Ciolek.
READ MORE: Victoria will never forget
Rachel Baxendale 2.20pm: Andrews on hotel quarantine ahead of appearance
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has refused to answer more than a dozen questions regarding his government’s management of hotel quarantine ahead of his appearance at the inquiry into the bungled program this afternoon, claiming that he does not want to cut across the work of the inquiry.
The Premier has indicated that he intends to attempt to wait until the inquiry hands down its report on November 6 before publicly addressing the issues raised, despite serious questions emerging over whether his Health Minister Jenny Mikakos may have misled the inquiry when she appeared on Thursday.
Ms Mikakos was present at a press conference in late March where Jobs Minister Martin Pakula mentioned the use of private security guards in hotel quarantine, and Labor Caucus was briefed on the practice in April, but Ms Mikakos told the inquiry she did not learn of their use until the end of may, when a coronavirus cluster was identified in guards working at the Rydges on Swanston hotel.
Asked how it was possible that Ms Mikakos would not have known about private security guards until May, Mr Andrews told his Friday press conference: “What people knew, when they knew it, what people did and the degree to which that was right, wrong or indifferent, that is a matter that the board is actively examining today, and every day until they produce a report, which will be in early November.”
“I cannot and I will not pretend to be the chair of the inquiry. That’s not why it was set up,” Mr Andrews said.
Asked whether Victorians should be satisfied with a his health minister not being across key infection control measures as part of the government’s pandemic response, Mr Andrews said: “Again, it is not for me to draw those conclusions today. Those matters and many other matters, they will be matters that the chair of the board of inquiry could possibly make findings on.”
“That is a matter for (Justice Coate). I know everyone wants answers, I want answers as well.
“That’s why the inquiry was set up, but when you set up an inquiry, you need to be respectful of the work that’s being done by that inquiry, and I don’t believe it is appropriate for me to attempt to make findings.
“It is not appropriate for me to pretend to be running the inquiry. I am not. The inquiry is being run by others as it should be and I know it’s frustrating that the final report doesn’t come on the final day of evidence, but that’s not the way these things work.”
Some of the questions the Premier says he won’t answer until November
Mr Andrews offered variations on the same obfuscatory responses to the following questions at his press conference on Friday morning:
- “Will Victorians today finally be given the answers as to (who) the key decision-makers (were) in the hotel quarantine scheme?”
- “Is it acceptable to you that your health minister says she wasn’t briefed on the hotel quarantine scheme and the infection control in the hotel quarantine scheme, given that infection control was a crucial part of that?”
- “How would answering (questions about hotel quarantine) directly and factually now have any impact on (the inquiry) this afternoon?
- “(This) goes to the broader issue of whether the health minister should have been better across her portfolio. Yesterday she said that she did not seek updates on the hotel quarantine program until two months later. Is that acceptable?”
- “(Is it) appropriate for a health minister to wait two months to be updated on a program that essentially her department is the lead agency on?”
- “The Victorian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza, which also applies for when there are other novel viruses, (states): ‘The Department’s response priorities to a pandemic form the basis for the state controllers’ strategic intent, which is to limit the morbidity and mortality from pandemic influenza, and to limit the impact on the health and wellbeing of the community by ensuring rapid and early detection of the novel virus in the community and controlling the spread of influenza through various containment strategies, including but not limited to isolation and quarantine.’ Clearly with hotel quarantine, the isolation and quarantine was the responsibility of the Department of Health and Human Services, was it not?”
- “(DHHS and Emergency Management Victoria pandemic plans have) identified DHHS as the lead agency for controlling a novel virus outbreak including the isolation and quarantine, why wasn’t the Department of Health and Human Services, right at the very beginning, been given the lead agency role?”
- “Why weren’t those pandemic plans weren’t followed from the beginning?”
- “Premier, the words ‘shared accountability’ and ‘shared responsibility’ have been used multiple times. Does this mean that Victorians should expect that multiple heads will roll?”
- “With all due respect, I am not asking you to comment on the hotel quarantine inquiry. I’m just asking you why you have confidence in your Health Minister?”
Challenged over the fact that the inquiry is not a court of law where the principle of sub judice or any risk of prejudice could apply, Mr Andrews said he was not indicating that he could not answer, only that he would not.
“I’m not indicating that I can’t, I’m indicating to you in the most respectful terms possible that I won’t, because they don’t believe that is appropriate,” Mr Andrews said.
“I am not writing the report of the board, I am appearing before the board, and I will not in any way make any comments that might be interpreted by anyone as trying to direct the findings of this inquiry, to direct the line of questioning.”
‘Even one death is a tragedy’
Challenged over the fact that more than 750 people have died as a result of the second wave of coronavirus infections, Mr Andrews said: “The fact that Victorians have died, even one death, is a tragedy. That is a matter of great concern to me. It is a matter of great concern to every single Victorian.”
“But it is appropriate for us to wait until the board has reported and made whatever findings they see fit to make, whether that be findings in fact, commentary, observations and as well as any recommendations that they might see fit to give to us, and then it will be my responsibility at that point to take the action necessary to ensure that mistakes do not occur again. That is the responsibility I have,” he said.
Victorians won’t know for more than a year how much government has spent on lawyers
The Premier confirmed Victorians will have to wait more than a year to find out how much money has been spent on legal representation for him, his ministers and their departments at the inquiry.
Each department has hired its own legal team, with some of Victoria’s top barristers appearing on behalf of Andrews government ministers and departments, in a lawyers’ picnic for Labor-aligned law firms.
This money will be additional to the $3m spent on establishing the inquiry.
Mr Andrews said the amount of money spent would be disclosed “in the usual way” through departmental annual reports.
“When those annual reports will be tabled is not a matter that I determine,” Mr Andrews said.
The Premier said he retained confidence in all his ministers.
“Yes. And if that were to change, then ministers would not be ministers. That is why they’re ministers, because I have confidence in them, and if that at any point changes, then that changes.”
Andrews apologises to Australian taxpayers
Mr Andrews said he did apologise to Australian taxpayers, given the disproportionate cost Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus has imposed on the nation’s economy.
“I have apologised on multiple occasions. I am very sorry that we find ourselves in a situation where we have had to put restrictions in place to bring these numbers down. I have been very clear about that,” Mr Andrews said.
“So what I would say is that the best thing we can do, whether it be in terms of income support, our economy getting back to that point where we drive the national economy, which is the story of this state in recent years, the best thing we can do is continue to drive these numbers down, don’t open too much too soon and find ourselves back in this circumstance in just a few months time or maybe even in a few weeks’ time.”
“That is why it is so pleasing, no doubt not just for Victorians but for everybody across the country to see these numbers falling.”
Asked how he could be confident in his ministers and public servants while waiting until the hotel quarantine report is handed down in November, given their role in administering the hotel quarantine scheme, Mr Andrews reasserted his confidence in his ministers, but indicated the inquiry did have the option of handing down an interim finding.
“If I didn’t have that confidence then they wouldn’t be ministers. Simple as that,” he said.
“It is open to the board, my understanding is it is open to the board to produce interim findings.”
“It is open to the board if they felt there was a matter of some urgency.”
Olivia Caisley 2.15pm: Business backs relaxed loan standards
The Business Council of Australia has joined other industry leaders in supporting the Morrison government’s move to relax loan standards, declaring the easing of restrictions will be critical to creating jobs.
Jennifer Westacott, BCA’s chief executive, on Friday said a strong banking and finance system had been critical to Australia’s success during the COVID-19 crisis, however it needed to “remain strong into the future to secure our recovery”.
“Changes announced today get the balance right to protect consumers and ensure those that need it can get credit, invest in their homes and businesses and grow,” she said.
“These changes will ensure that small businesses can access credit and that means they can plan and prepare for the future.”
On announcing the Budget Outlook on Friday Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the regulatory lending framework was not fit for purpose and had become overly prescriptive in the wake of the banking royal commission.
“Crucially, these changes remove unnecessary duplication and include strong new protections against predatory behaviour from some debt management firms,” Ms Westacott said.
READ MORE: Unshackled banks told — go for loans
Rachel Baxendale 1.50pm: Premier pays tribute to Dean Jones
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he would discuss the issue of a funeral or memorial service with Dean Jones’ family, describing the cricketer as an “absolutely fantastic Victorian”.
“I think every Victorian is saddened to see such a great Victorian lost to us so young. Dean Jones was not just a great cricketer, but a great person,” Mr Andrews said.
“I had opportunities to meet with him and I always found him to be an absolutely fantastic Victorian and I want to extend on behalf of all Victorians our condolences and our best wishes, our love and support to all of Dean Jones’ family and of course to all of his many, many fans.
“A great Victorian has been lost to us and we all mourn that loss.
“I will at the appropriate time speak with his family about arrangements that they think would be suitable.
“Obviously COVID-19 restrictions do have a direct impact on the number of people who can attend a funeral service, but there may be a time, subject to the wishes of his family, where we as Victorians can celebrate a life well lived and a life that we are all diminished by the loss of. His passing is something that is a cause of great sadness.”
READ MORE: The innings that defined Jones
The Times 1.30pm: Virus punches a hole in Queen’s finances
The Queen is facing a $63.3 million shortfall in her finances as a result of the pandemic, but her staff need not fear for their jobs. Read more here
Remy Varga 12.50pm: Footage clouds Ministers’ denials on guards
Both Jenny Mikakos and Martin Pakula appeared at a press conference together on March 29 where the use of private security at hotel quarantine was discussed.
This appears to contradict the testimony of Mikakos, who told the hotel quarantine inquiry on Thursday that to the best of her recollection, she learnt private security was being used in late May following the Rydges on Swanston outbreak.
“All of those passengers returning will now undergo mandatory two week quarantine at those Melbourne hotels with security guards in place,” Mr Pakula said.
On Thursday, Ms Mikakos told the inquiry: “I would have had no reason to turn my mind to issues around security guards until we had that first case and the first outbreak at the Rydges hotel.”
DHHS was the lead agency of the scheme.
Similarly, Jobs Minister Pakula told the inquiry he couldn’t recall how he learnt private security were being used, saying it could have been through media reports or through conversations.
His department was responsible for procuring the security companies.
At the March 29 presser, Ms Mikakos said: “It is very difficult to come back from overseas and to be bussed to a hotel and have to stay there for fourteen days without being able to have physical contact with their family members,” she said.
“But we ask for their understanding because we know they are a high risk group: this is why they have been quarantined.”
Rachel Baxendale 12.40pm: Slight dip in Victorian tests processed
Victoria’s 14 new cases on Friday come after 12,460 tests were processed in the previous 24 hours, compared with 13,686 processed in NSW over the same period.
This brings to 2,635,282 the number of coronavirus tests processed in Victoria since the pandemic began.
Victoria’s positive test rate for Friday is 0.11 per cent, up only very slightly from Thursday’s 0.09 per cent, which was the lowest positive test rate since June 19.
There have been 4268 cases in Victoria since the pandemic began where contact tracers have been unable to establish a source of infection - an increase of one since Thursday.
The number of active cases linked to aged care is 247 - of 51.2 per cent of Victoria’s total 482 active cases - a decrease of 27 since Thursday.
There are 77 active cases linked to health workers, including those working in aged care and disability settings, down from 83 on Thursday.
The number of cases linked to residential disability accommodation remains four - all of whom are staff - the same number since Monday.
Of Victoria’s 14 new cases on Friday, 12 have been attributed to people with addresses in metropolitan Melbourne, while two are in people with addresses in regional Victoria.
However, Premier Daniel Andrews said both those people had acquired the virus in Melbourne, and had not returned to regional Victoria.
The 14 new cases include four cases in Greater Dandenong and one in Casey, in Melbourne’s outer southeast, although Mr Andrews was unable to say whether these five cases were linked to an outbreak across at least seven households in Casey, which on Thursday totalled 44 cases, 18 of which remained active.
There are 11 active cases in people with addresses in regional Victoria - one more than on Thursday - although this number includes the two people previously mentioned who have not been in regional Victoria while contagious.
Mr Andrews said their cases would not be included in regional Victoria’s 14-day daily average - used as a threshold for relaxing restrictions.
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Hannah Moore 12.20pm: Alert issued over Sydney supermarket
NSW Health have issued an urgent virus alert for a supermarket in a popular shopping mall as the state records a new mystery case of coronavirus.
The patient is a man in his 50s living in a supported care facility with two other people, and the course of his infection is unknown.
Dr Kerry Chant announced on Thursday he has underlying health conditions and is in ICU at Campbelltown Hospital.
The man’s housemates were tested for the virus on Thursday and staff working at the facility have been contacted and will isolate if they are determined to be a close contact.
Anyone who attended Woolworths at Campbelltown Mall on Thursday September 17 from 1.30pm to 2.30pm is considered a casual contact of this case, and urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested if they develop.
There were four new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in NSW up to 8pm on Thursday, with the other three patients returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
Jack Paynter 11.55am: Cyclist cops massive fine for breaking curfew
A Melbourne cyclist who claimed he fell asleep at a mate’s house has been hit with a massive fine for breaching the coronavirus lockdown.
Police caught the man riding his bike without a helmet, with no mask and after the 9pm curfew in the Dandenong area on Thursday night.
He told police he had “fallen asleep at a friend’s house” but that didn’t stop officers hitting him with a $1652 fine for breaching the chief health officer’s directions.
The man was among 104 Victorians caught breaching the restrictions in the past 24 hours, which included another 50 busted outside during the 9pm to 5am curfew.
In another breach police also fined five people from different households who were caught in the same car more than 5km from home in Wyndham.
READ MORE: Australia’s researchers recognised
Rachel Baxendale 11.25am: Details of Victoria’s cases revealed
Victoria has now had 20,118 known cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began, following 14 new cases reported in the 24 hours to Friday, and the reclassification of a previously reported case.
Of the 14 new cases, nine have so far been linked to known outbreaks, while five remain under investigation.
The total number of active cases is now 482 - a decrease of 50 since Thursday and the first time Victoria’s number of active cases has been below 500 since July 3.
Victoria’s active case number peaked at 7880 on August 11.
Eight deaths reported in the 24 hours to Friday have brought Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 781.
The eight deaths include those of a man in his 60s, a woman in her 70s, three women and a man in their 80s, and a man and a woman in their 90s.
Seven of the eight deaths have been linked to aged care.
The number of coronavirus deaths linked to aged care facilities in Victoria is now 619.
There are 58 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Friday, including eight in intensive care, of whom six are on ventilators.
This compares with 67 in hospital on Thursday, including eight in intensive care, of whom six were on ventilators.
READ MORE: Virus tipped to give us a migrant migraine
David Ross 11.15am: NSW records 4 new Covid cases
Four new cases have been identified in NSW, including one in a man in his 50s from south-west Sydney who is currently being treated in ICU.
Three cases were in travellers in hotel quarantine.
The new case was identified in a man in his 50s from South West Sydney who attended Campbelltown hospital before being placed in ICU.
Contact tracing is now underway and NSW Health has issued an alert for Woolworths in the Campbelltown Mall on Thursday September 17 between 1.30pm and 2pm.
Anyone who attended at that time is considered a casual contact of this case 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.
NSW Health reported 13,686 tests in the 24 hour test period and is calling for more people to get tested after numbers declined from the 17,392 reported yesterday.
Residents of South West Sydney and the Campbelltown area are urged to come forward as there have been a handful of mysterious cases arising in the area and concern is growing given the state is soon to enter the school holiday period.
NSW Health is treating 71 COVID-19 cases, including two in intensive care.
READ MORE: Victorians won’t forget
David Ross 11.05am: NSW-Victoria border crossings almost double
Murray River Police District Commander Superintendent Paul Smith said police were recording 50,000 crossings a day on average, well up from the 20-30,000 at the start of the month.
Superintendent Smith said he was very pleased with the crossing times, noting additional resourcing in Albury-Wodonga coupled with residents spacing out their travel had seen delays improve.
“Compliance has been good,” he said, “but we’ve got some people who disregard the permits or are conducting criminal activity”.
He said police appreciated freight operators crossing the border diverting via Barmah on the Murray.
“Logistics companies transport, if you can continue to take that route it’s certainly taking a lot of pressure off that internal pressure in Echuca-Moama for local residents,” he said.
But he warned motorists that as NSW entered school holidays delays would likely increase.
He said with the reopening of the SA-NSW border motorists who travelled via Victoria needed to be aware that they still needed valid permits or could be refused entry.
The Sturt Highway, which runs west through NSW crosses the Victorian border at Mildura before heading into South Australia.
The only other main road heading into SA via NSW that does not cross into Victoria is the Barrier Highway via Broken Hill 260km north.
READ MORE: A fighting plan for jobs growth
The Times 10.50am: Warning vaccine may only ease symptoms
K scientists have cautioned the first COVID-19 vaccine is unlikely to enable an immediate return to normal life. Read more here
Rachel Baxendale 10.30am: Premier Andrews set to kick off busy day
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino are due to address the media at 11am.
The press conference comes ahead of the Premier’s scheduled appearance as the final witness at the hotel quarantine inquiry at 2:15pm.
Olivia Caisley 10.15am: Plan to ease lending laws comes under fire
Consumer groups have slammed the Morrison government’s proposal to remove responsible lending laws, declaring the move will remove bank responsibility to customers and open up new opportunities for banks to aggressively sell debt.
Consumer groups slam move to remove responsible lending laws #auspol pic.twitter.com/bldPt6Dvo3
— Political Alert (@political_alert) September 24, 2020
A consortium of groups including CHOICE and Financial Counselling Australia said removing credit protections for borrowers is not the right move when people need more income and not more debt.
Karen Cox, CEO of the Financial Rights Legal Centre asked how the government could have so quickly forgotten the hard lessons of the GFC and Banking Royal Commission.
“The problem people are having right now is too much debt and not enough income. The Government’s solution is to take on more debt with fewer protections,” she said.
“Unsustainable debt hurts real people and is a short-sighted fix for a flailing economy.”
Ms Cox said that watering down credit protections would leave individuals at severe risk of being pushed into credits arrangements that hurt them in the long run.
READ MORE: Workers dudded by Qantas ‘theft’
Olivia Caisley 10am: Frydenberg defends cutting JobSeeker
Asked if the nation can afford to take the JobSeeker payment away given the need for economic stimulus Josh Frydenberg said the Morrison government had “doubled” the safety net.
The Treasurer flagged the government would make a decision later this year about extending its wage subsidy packages, declaring “we’re leaning in on continuing to provide support and provide support.”
On Friday Australians on the JobSeeker payment and those on full-time JobKeeper payments will lose $300 a fortnight.
Those on part-time JobKeeper payments will see $750 less in their bank accounts each fortnight.
“We doubled the safety net going into this crisis, with the $550 JobSeeker coronavirus supplement,” Mr Frydenberg said. “Now, that’s transitioning down, just as the JobKeeper payment is transitioning down, from $550 to $250.”
Mr Frydenberg said the government had many initiatives that would roll-out following the budget and would boost aggregate demand, put money into the economy, increase spending and economic activity and create jobs.
READ MORE: Jobs hangover revealed
Olivia Caisley 9.55am: Fiscal policy ‘main game in town’
Josh Frydenberg has said the Morrison government doesn’t have the luxury that previous governments and banks had in terms of reducing cash rates, but said he will rely on monetary policy to provide economic stimulus.
Asked if low interest rates were putting pressure on the government to extend fiscal support, the Treasurer said fiscal policy was still “the main game in town.”
He said the Reserve Bank had played a key role in different ways during the COVID-19 crisis, including injecting $75 billion of liquidity into the banking system, providing a stable financial system through this crisis and purchasing $60bn of bonds.
“That’s an important role for the Reserve Bank to play in terms of targeting the yield for the 3-year bond rate at 25 basis points and so the monetary policy is working in different ways than it has in previous crises.”
Mr Frydenberg said the October budget would show how important fiscal policy is.
“Whether it’s bringing forward infrastructure spending or encouraging business investments to boost aggregate demand to get people in work, and we’ve made significant announcements in the last two days, around the flow of credit and the responsible lending laws around insolvency reform changes, both of which don’t hit the budget bottom line, but both of which help create jobs and be an important part of our recovery.”
READ MORE: Budget repair jettisoned for jobs
Olivia Caisley 9.45am: Cormann declares budget ‘challenging’
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has declared the budget outcome a “challenging set of numbers”, but said the deficit was a necessary price to pay to keep Australians a float when the coronavirus hit.
Senator Cormann reiterated Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s comments that Australia was faring better because it entered the crisis from a position of economic strength, declaring it “gives us a very strong foundation from which to rebuild.”
“This is a challenging set of numbers, as we said then (June Economic and Fiscal Update - JEFU), but we know why we’re here,” Senator Cormann said.
“We’re here because of the economic and fiscal impact of the coronavirus pandemic, we’re here because of the cost of the fiscal support, we necessarily had to provide to our health system to the economy, to businesses, to working Australians and to those Australians who lost their job through no fault of their own, as a result of this pandemic.”
Senator Cormann said the government had a clear plan to facilitate a strong economic and jobs recovery, while also repairing the budget.
“The budget on October 6 will provide the next instalment of our plan to help ensure that happens,” Senator Cormann said. “Despite all of the challenges that we’re facing as a nation, and despite the challenging set of numbers we’re formally reporting today in this final budget outcome, Australia remains in a better, stronger more resilient position than just about any other country in the world.”
READ MORE: Simpler credit will kickstart economy
Olivia Caisley 9.30am: Frydenberg reveals budget deficit
Josh Frydenberg has unveiled the final position of the federal budget after the 2019/20 financial year, with the deficit hitting $85.3bn and gross debt increasing to $684.3bn.
The Treasurer said it was important to recognise that Australia had approached the global pandemic from a position of economic strength, declaring the Australian economy is “fighting back against the virus.
“Today’s 2019-20 final budget outcome shows a fiscal result that was broadly consistent with the economic and fiscal update the government released in July,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“The underlying cash balance was a deficit of $85.3 billion, or 4.3 per cent of GDP, compared to the forecast surplus of $5 billion, or 0.3 per cent of GDP at MYEFO.”
Mr Frydenberg said this was a half a billion dollars improvement from what was estimated in terms of the deficit, but a $93 billion deterioration based on forecasts at the end of the last year.
He said Australia’s GDP fell in the June quarter by 7 per cent, which was a better result than other nations such as France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Mr Frydenberg said that Australia’s economy had approached the pandemic from a position of economic strength.
“Unemployment had fallen to 5.1 per cent in February, down from 5.7 per cent when we came to government,” he said.
“The numbers in MYEFO showed that GDP will grow by 2.25 per cent in 19/20. And we delivered the first balanced budget in 11 years.”
Charlie Peel 9.30am: Palaszczuk: Queensland singled out over ADF
Queensland has recorded no new coronavirus cases overnight, leaving the state’s total number of active cases at five.
The announcement came as residents from the ACT were permitted to fly into Queensland from Friday morning, and visitor restrictions to aged care homes were lifted.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that a number of gathering restrictions in outdoor venues would be lifted from October 1, allowing pubs and clubs to double their patron density in outdoor areas.
BREAKING: From 1am on Thursday, October 1, we’re increasing the number of people who can gather at venues and events, as long as it’s outdoors. #covid19au pic.twitter.com/Z8S0NRFGLq
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 24, 2020
It means businesses like outdoor dining, beer gardens, theme parks and zoos, can increase the number of patrons outdoors from one per 4 square metres to one per 2 square metres.#covid19au
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 24, 2020
Stadiums will also be permitted to operate at 75 per cent capacity, up from 50 per cent.
Functions with up to 1000 people will be allowed if the event organisers have checklists in place.
Restrictions will also be eased for the state’s theme parks.
“Hopefully we will see people back to work as part of our economic plan for recovery,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
The premier was critical of Scott Morrison over the federal government’s decision to withdraw Australian Defence Force troops manning Queensland borders.
She said the withdrawal singled out Queensland while troops were left in place in other border crossings around the country.
“I am still very concerned the ADF through the federal government is withdrawing resources at the end of September,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable that Queensland has been singled out here.”
Ms Palaszczuk also criticised Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton over comments he made about the border restrictions for NSW residents.
“Peter Dutton said yesterday he does not support Queensland’s position on the borders,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“To Peter Dutton I say this, there is a federal court case … that says Western Australia and Queensland borders have kept community transmission out of their states.”
READ MORE: Virus tipped to give us migrant migraine
David Ross 9.10am: Elderly and vulnerable prioritised for vaccine
Plans to prioritise the elderly and vulnerable for the first doses of vaccines are being drawn up by the World Health Organisation and America’s National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The WHO this week released its preliminary guidance for vaccine distribution, urging disadvantaged groups receive the first doses of vaccines.
The WHO suggests the elderly, groups with comorbidities or in vulnerable health states – like pregnant women – as well as healthcare workers and those working in essential industries or industries that would struggle to social distance be at the head of the line, the journal Nature reports. .
The WHO also calls for richer countries ensure poorer countries receive vaccines in the earliest days of the distribution
Australia recently signed on to the WHO backed coronavirus vaccine effort COVAX with 150 other countries to collaborate on, fund and distribute a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
The United States National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) also released a report this month that called for minority racial and ethnic groups to be prioritised due to their worse health outcomes from the pandemic.
The NASEM guidance ranks priority groups it believes should be inoculated first.
Healthcare workers are at the top of the list, followed by high-risk medically vulnerable people, and older people living in densely populated settings.
High-risk essential service workers, teachers and school staff, the homeless and imprisoned, and older adults who have not been treated or those with moderate-risk underlying conditions, come next.
They are then followed by young adults, children, and other essential workers before everyone else not already vaccinated.
READ MORE: Saluting invaluable researchers
Rachel Baxendale 8.40am: Victoria cases rise slightly to 14
Victoria has recorded 14 new cases and eight deaths in the 24 hours to Friday.
The 14 new cases follow 12 new cases on Thursday, 15 new cases on Wednesday, 28 new cases on Tuesday and 11 new cases on Monday – the lowest daily case number since June 16.
The eight deaths bring Victoria’s coronavirus death toll to 781.
#COVID19VicData: Yesterday there were 14 new cases & the loss of 8 lives reported. Our thoughts are with all affected.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) September 24, 2020
The 14 day rolling average & number of cases with unknown source are down from yesterday as we move toward COVID Normal. Info https://t.co/pcll7yB2RZ #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/an69qNYRxU
All but 19 of these deaths have occurred as a result of the state’s second wave of coronavirus cases, sparked by breaches in the Andrews government’s hotel quarantine program.
Mebourne’s 14 day daily average number of new cases is now 25.1, down from 26.7 on Thursday and 42.7 last Friday.
This compares with a 14 day daily average of 0.8 in regional Victoria – down from 1.1 on Thursday.
There have been 34 cases with an unknown source of infection in metropolitan Melbourne in the most recent fortnight for which this statistic is available, compared with 37 in Thursday’s figures.
Regional Victoria has had no unknown source cases over the same fortnight, which spans September 9 to September 22.
In order for Melbourne to move to its next step of relaxing coronavirus restrictions by Sunday, the Andrews government’s roadmap dictates that the city’s 14-day daily average needs to be 30-50 – a threshold already surpassed.
This will enable public outdoor gatherings of up to five people from up to two households, the resumption of childcare, and a staged return to the classroom for Prep to Grade Two and VCE students.
For the following step, which would see Melburnians released from a stay-at-home lockdown and a curfew by October 26, the statewide 14-day daily average needs to fall below five cases, with fewer than five cases with an unknown source over that fortnight.
READ MORE: Saluting our invaluable researchers
David Ross 8.30am: Chalmers warns over loans easing
Opposition treasurer spokesman Jim Chalmers has expressed concern over plans announced today by the federal government to relax lending restrictions.
“Obviously, we want people who can afford to repay loans, whether it’s ordinary workers or small businesses. We want them to be able to access finance if they have got the capacity to pay it. We want to make sure that any lending is responsible,” he said on ABC News Breakfast.
“The government does have a bit of form, unfortunately, at going easy on the banks and loan sharks at the expense of ordinary people. We will have a look at it. If it makes sense we’ll support it but if it tips the balance too far in one direction we’ll have something to say.”
Mr Chalmers said the government’s aim to stimulate the economy was coming at the same time it was walking back from economic support.
“We’re in the teeth of the deepest recession we had in almost a century and when times are tough, the government should step in and should support jobs and people,” he said.
“The government says they think it is time to support people in the economy. At the same time, they are actually withdrawing support from the economy.”
“JobSeeker will be cut today. JobKeeper will be cut on Monday. And that means billions of dollars less circulating in the shops and small businesses and local economies of this country.”
“So they say they want to support people, at the same time they’re actually withdrawing support and I don’t think that makes a lot of sense when we have got high unemployment, almost 1 million people unemployed and in the teeth of the recession.“
READ MORE: Budget repair jettisoned for jobs
David Ross 8.20am: Frydenberg slaps down ‘bumbling lightweight’ Miles over borders
Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg has re-entered the fray in the border spat with Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles.
Mr Miles yesterday called for the Treasurer to apologise for his attacks on the Queensland state government for its border restrictions.
Speaking on Today Mr Frydenberg called Mr Miles “a stumbling, bumbling, lightweight that no-one’s ever heard of who’s just made it up as he goes”.
He said the suggestion that the decision to withdraw troops from the Queensland government was political was “absolute rubbish”.
Queensland Police deputy commissioner Steve Gollschewski has said officers stood ready to replace defence force members who will be withdrawn from the Queensland border today.
Mr Gollschewski, speaking on Today, said he understood the need for the troops to withdraw ahead of potential extreme weather events.
“Of course we wanted them to stay longer because they add so much value,” he said.
Mr Gollschewski said Queensland police were now preparing for the expansion of the border bubble with New South Wales communities as well as the removing of quarantine requirements for ACT arrivals which would free up resources for the borders.
“That will start to ease the pressure on our quarantine we hope as time goes on we’ll start to see pressure eased off it,” he said.
“It is really important that people coming from the ACT realise they can only fly in. At this stage, you can’t drive through the remainder of NSW. It’s still a hotspot, except for the declared areas.”
Home affairs minister Peter Dutton said criticism of Queensland was right as the border restrictions were only in place because of the upcoming election.
“We had people who couldn’t go to their dad’s funeral and the same time the Premier was approving people from Hollywood to come in and lay by the pool for two weeks,” he said on Today.
Fair enough if you’re acting on health advice, I have no problem but I have called the Queensland Government out where they’ve made political decisions have negatively impacted on the lives not just of Queenslanders but people who want to visit a sick spouse or a child who’s in hospital.”
“There was no commonsense there was no compassion and the Premier has been caught out, and the Premier has been caught out, and we were right to, I think, point it out on behalf of people who are contacting us, saying that their lives were being devastated by these silly decisions.”
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David Ross 8.00am: Kennett, Dutton call for Mikakos to go
Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennet has joined the call for the resignation of Victorian health minister Jenny Mikakos and the state’s premier Daniel Andrews, who appears today before the commission into the failure of the state’s hotel quarantine system.
“This is the most amazing thing about the inquiry. These ministers, eight of them including the Premier, were put together to address and manage the coronavirus response and all of the ministers and heads of the public service have not been saying before this sham inquiry, we know nothing.,.” he said on Sunrise.
“Can you imagine people running departments and spending billions of dollars getting up and saying, “We know nothing. We remember nothing of what we have done in the past eight months?
“No one is accepting any responsibility, over 700 people have died, businesses have collapsed and our state debt has gone through the roof. So today is going to be a fascinating day.”
Former Victorian MP @Jeff_Kennett and One Nation's @RealMarkLatham joined us with their take on the plight of Aussies stranded overseas and what they expect from Victorian Premier @DanielAndrewsMP when he fronts the hotel quarantine inquiry today. pic.twitter.com/IgDynhB9oI
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) September 24, 2020
Speaking later on the Today show home affairs minister Peter Dutton echoed the call for Jenny Mikakos’ resignation.
“I think she does need to go, and look if this wasn’t so serious, and the consequences so dire, it would be funny,” she said.
“People’s lives and businesses are being devastated and people need to be held to account.”
“We don’t want to see Victoria locked down but when you have the Health Minister saying she has no idea what’s going on in the health system she presides over, you know there’s a big problem in Victoria.”
But deputy leader of the Labor Party Richard Marles said criticism of the Victorian crisis by members of the federal government ignored the role of government in controlling international borders and providing quarantine.
“All we see from the Federal Government is heckling the states. Literally, the slogan of the Morrison Government now is “It’s the states’ fault”,” he said on Today.
“I have never seen a Federal Government avoid so much responsibility and relegate itself so much to simply be hector in chief.”
“Let’s see what evidence Daniel Andrews gives, but you can’t have a go at Daniel Andrews for his government not being open.”
READ MORE: As usual, the buck doesn’t stop here
Jack Paynter 7.50am: ‘Hope protesters run out of puff: police chief
One of Victoria’s top cops says he hopes anti-lockdown protesters “run out of puff” as the force prepare for a fourth straight weekend of illegal rallies.
Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said police were preparing for the demonstrations to continue every weekend until Melbourne’s lockdown was over as he revealed the group had been whittled down to about 40 protesters.
The freedom day rallies have been marred by ugly clashes between police and protesters and dozens of arrests, as demonstrators try to outsmart police by using encrypted messaging to move around the city.
“I hope they run out of puff and they don’t bother, unlikely I suspect,” Mr Nugent said.
“At the moment they’re down to 40 or thereabouts so (our) tactics we do continue to evolve and review and look at other ways to prevent it.”
But Mr Nugent said it was “really disappointing” the illegal protests to continued occur.
“It’s large numbers of police we’ve got to put together from across police stations everywhere to respond,” he said.
NCA NewsWire
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David Ross 7.25am: Swan – Never forget global financial crisis
Former Australian treasurer Wayne Swan said the relaxation of lending laws announced today by the Morrison government demanded a careful approach.
“These regulations were put in place after the global financial crisis, never forget that that crisis, internationally, was caused by poor bank lending, particularly in the United States,” he said on Today.
“We didn’t have that sort of bank lending here. We strengthened our regulations then and they served us well. If there is a problem, let’s hear about it and see it clearly. But I would be very wary.”
Mr Swan was treasurer of the Rudd government during the Global Financial Crisis.
He said the government should fund the economic recovery rather than relying on consumers to take out debts and spend up big.
I love the idea of the stimulation but it needs to come from Federal Government fiscal policy,” he said.
“We shouldn’t see this as a substitute for a jobs plan which the government doesn’t have at the moment.”
READ MORE: Simpler credit will help kickstart economy
David Ross 7.20am: Easng lending ‘critical for economy’
Josh Frydenberg has called the government’s moves to relax credit and lending rules as “absolutely critical” to Australia’s economic recovery.
“Right now, we have a regulatory approach that is too costly, that is overly prescriptive, that is one size fits all model,” the Treasurer said on Sunrise.
Treasurer @JoshFrydenberg has announced major changes to make it easier for Australians to apply for credit in a move he says is "critical" to the nation's recovery from the coronavirus recession.
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) September 24, 2020
More on this story: https://t.co/HKKEu9U3sY pic.twitter.com/aCZ9RttPu1
“We are going to move that culture from the lender being that culture from the lender beware to a borrower responsibility.
“Now, a lender will only want to lend money where it is going to be profitable to do so and the hope is that then the client will pay that money back.”
Mr Frydenberg said current lending laws were such that banks were “so concerned about getting on the wrong side of these regulations” and were not lending as a result.
“The system and the pendulum has swung too far one way and is not in the interest of the consumer services, it’s a really significant change and will make it easier to get credit which is going to be critical to our COVID recovery,” he said.
READ MORE: Banks told – go for loans
David Ross 7.10am: Singapore robots take temperature of hospital arrivals
Robots in Singapore will soon be taking the temperature of hospital arrivals and can deny entry to those who fail temperature tests or are not wearing face coverings or complying with social distancing rules.
The robots will be rolled out from October and will welcome people at three major local hospitals.
If robots detect rule-breaking behaviour an alert will be sent to in-house security teams at hospitals.
Cases in Singapore have now reached 57,654 after outbreaks in migrant worker accommodation saw two waves of infections strike the island nation.
Global cases of COVID-19 have reached 32m, lead by the United States, India and Brazil but limited testing coupled with the rapid spread of the virus in poorer countries leaves its true extent unknown.
Several European countries are threatening to impose even harsher lockdowns as cases rise.
French authorities reported 16,096 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, up on the previous record of 13,498 and comes after days of cases above 10,000.
More than 1000 people are in intensive care in France.
But the French Open tennis tournament will go ahead, with crowds to be limited to 1000 people a day, down on the earlier proposed 5000, after health restrictions were rolled out across ten cities.
The French government has warned it could lockdown areas if COVID-19 cases continue to escalate.
In recent days France relaxed its self-quarantine requirements for close contacts of COVID-19 cases, only requiring seven days isolation instead of 14.
Ireland has imposed restrictions across Dublin and the northwest region of Donegal, banning non-essential travel and restaurant dining after a new wave of cases.
Areas of Spain’s capital Madrid remain under lockdown after troops were called in to keep residents in their homes.
Madrid accounts for a third of all infections registered in Spain since the start of the pandemic
Portugal has extended its anti-viral restrictions until mid-October with gatherings to be limited to 10 people and businesses required to close at 8pm.
While Israel’s government has warned it may extend and increase restrictions on social gatherings as the country entered its second week of lockdown as COVID-19 cases continue to grow across the state.
READ MORE: Wall St gains after volatile session
Ewin Hannan 6.00am: Mikakos denial piles pressure on Andrews
Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has said private security guards were working at quarantine hotels for two months before she found out, a damaging admission that increases pressure on Daniel Andrews as he prepares to give evidence to the hotels inquiry.
Ahead of the Victorian Premier’s appearance at the inquiry on Friday, Ms Mikakos joined an array of ministers, senior bureaucrats, police and emergency services chiefs who claimed not to know who made the decision to deploy guards to the hotels. The much-anticipated appearance of Mr Andrews, who will be the inquiry’s final witness, shapes as a major test of his leadership and comes as he prepares to announce an expected easing of Melbourne’s lockdown restrictions on Sunday.
During evidence to the inquiry on Thursday, Ms Mikakos said she did not find out about the guards at the hotels for two months after they were deployed by the government, despite her department being the lead agency for the troubled quarantine scheme.
The Department of Health and Human Services assumed lead responsibility for the quarantine program in late March but Ms Mikakos said she became aware of the use of private security guards only after a COVID-19 outbreak at the Rydges hotel in late May: “That’s to the best of my recollection … because I would have had no reason to turn my mind to issues around security guards until we had that first case and the first outbreak at the Rydges hotel.”
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Damon Johnston 5.45am: ‘Dan, drop your virus detention law’
Australian business leader Malcolm Broomhead has launched a strong attack on Daniel Andrews’s pandemic detention laws, branding them heavy-handed and warning that they imperil Victoria’s democratic freedoms.
In an open letter on Thursday, the chairman of mining, oil and gas giant Orica and BHP board member calls on the Victorian Premier to abandon the new laws.
“I am compelled to raise my objection to what I believe is a fundamental threat to core democratic and legal tenets … the bill is neither necessary or desirable,” Mr Broomhead writes in the letter.
“During these times, it is important the values upon which our community has thrived, and weathered previous crises, remain as our guide.
“They should not be set aside under any circumstances.”
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Robyn Ironside 5.30am: Qantas workers dudded by ‘OT JobKeeper theft’
Qantas could be forced to reimburse its workers thousands of dollars after a court found it was misusing the JobKeeper scheme to cover overtime payments.
The Federal Court was told that instead of paying overtime in the fortnight when the employee had worked, Qantas made the payment the following fortnight when the worker was stood down and on JobKeeper.
By doing so, Qantas was able to cover the wages and overtime earned by an employee in a fortnight over a monthly period using the JobKeeper allowance.
The decision could have a significant impact on other companies receiving JobKeeper and paying staff in the same way.
The Federal Court action was brought by the Flight Attendants Association, the Transport Workers Union and Australian Services Union. They alleging Qantas was abusing JobKeeper to the detriment of employees.
While Federal Court judge Geoffrey Flick said there was no suggestion Qantas had an “ulterior motive” in making the arrangements, ASU assistant secretary Linda White said it was a clear example of wage theft.
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Misconduct finding over WA ombudsman’s globetrotting
Chris Field created a ‘sham’ process to approve his own extensive travel to destinations around the world, WA’s Corruption and Crime Commission finds.
Why should an arts degree cost more than medicine?
Everyone agrees arts courses cost too much. But imagine how increasing what students pay to become teachers and nurses to subsidise humanities courses would go down in the electorate.