PoliticsNow: WA Premier Mark McGowan won’t ease lockdowns despite zero cases
Premier Mark McGowan refuses to ease strict lockdowns despite another day of no new community COVID-19 cases.
- Zero cases, but no early end to lockdown
- PM’s election warning: ‘Keep eyes in the boat’
- Three in four to step up for jab
- Aus Ellume in US Covid test deal
- Quick to lock down, slow to ’fess up
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling politics coverage from Canberra and around the nation amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
WA Premier Mark McGowan says there won’t be an early end to strict lockdowns despite a second straight say of zero new cases.
Scott Morrison has told his MPs to “keep their eyes in the boat” on the first day of the parliamentary year, as Josh Frydenberg warns the next election is loseable.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says the government will consider evidence to determine targeted support for industries when JobKeeper and JobSeeker end next month.
Both NSW and Victoria have recorded no new locally acquired cases of Covid today.
Jess Malcolm 11.30pm: Wuhan probe going ‘very well’: WHO
The World Health Organisation says its probe into the origins of COVID-19 is going “very well” after the team visited an animal disease control centre in Wuhan.
China has faced criticism at home and abroad for playing down the initial outbreak and concealing information when it first emerged in Wuhan in December 2019, raising doubts over the usefulness of the WHO trip.
The investigative team arrived at the Hubei province animal disease prevention centre in Wuhan on Tuesday, where the group donned white hazmat suits for a tour of the facilities.
A WHO spokesperson said the trip was “excellent” and proceeding “very well” as the group was driven into the facility.
The team of scientists toured a propaganda exhibition celebrating China’s recovery from the pandemic in Wuhan on Saturday, with some suggesting Beijing is keen to put the focus on its recovery from the outbreak.
Over the weekend, the team went to the market in Wuhan where one of the first reported clusters of infections emerged over a year ago, which one team member tweeted was a “critical” stop.
READ MORE: China stands ready to use its muscle
Jess Malcolm 11pm: EU economy defies gloomy forecast
The eurozone economy shrank by a less-than-expected 6.9 per cent in 2020.
Though catastrophic, this was much better than the EU’s November forecast of 7.8 per cent.
The result has been largely put down to a stonger performance in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, as well as a rapid vaccination rollout and continued coronavirus-related restrictions.
An unprecedented stimulus package funded by the European Central Bank has also helped in keeping the European economy afloat, allowing European nations to cheaply borrow money on the markets.
But early indicators show that the 19 countries that use the Euro are now facing the prospect of a fresh recession after a recovery last summer was cut short by a second wave of the pandemic.
READ MORE: China may back down on coal crackdown
Simon Benson 10.15pm: Morrison’s highwire climate act
Scott Morrison is tilling the political soil for a climate change pivot that will see him take a 2050 net-zero target to next year’s election.
This is the subtext to his subtle rhetorical shift this week, and it will require a highwire act by the Prime Minister to keep the ¬Coalition show on the road.
It also presents a fatal proposition for Labor.
Morrison knows how precarious the journey will be — he has to take the party with him, slowly and without fanfare.
As one Liberal MP said: “He is boiling the frog.”
Rosie Lewis 9.35pm: ALP taskforce to have party campaign-ready
Labor has re-established a national campaign committee to thrash out and sharpen the party’s election strategy, as Scott Morrison warned his MPs not to get distracted and “keep your eyes in the boat”.
The campaign committee, recommended by Labor stalwarts Craig Emerson and Jay Weatherill after they reviewed the party’s 2019 election campaign and its “many and complex policies”, has had its first meeting and will convene regularly in the lead-up to the next poll.
There are more than a dozen committee members, including Anthony Albanese and representatives of the parliamentary leadership group and caucus team, party officials and some national executive members.
Jess Malcolm 8.50pm: Bowen avoids emissions target
Chris Bowen has refused to announce Labor’s position on a 2030 emissions target, but promised “thousands” of jobs through its climate policy.
The new opposition spokesman for climate change and energy said: “Good energy policy will create thousands of jobs across the country by getting emissions down, having a pro-investment, pro-jobs climate change policy.”
Noting that Australia will export coals for many years, Mr Bowen committed to investing in renewable energy whilst also reinvigorating traditional manufacturing industries.
“My message to coal workers and to coal mining communities around Australia is that coal mining is good and noble work and our economy has in many senses been built on it.
“It’s been dangerous and dirty work for many years but the world is changing and we do need to be honest about that.”
“I see climate change policy and energy policy as a remarkable opportunity to invest in communities, to create good jobs, not just in regional areas but including in regional areas, but across the suburbs and regions of Australia.”
Mr Bowen recently assumed the position after longtime climate change spokesperson Mark Butler was shifted out of the portfolio. Before the last election, Labor pledged to get emissions down by 45 percent by 3020.
READ MORE: NDIS sex services ban rejected
Paul Garvey 8.25pm: ‘Brazen’ party name change approved
A brazen “experiment” by a micro party trying to win a seat in WA‘s parliament by causing voter confusion has been formally signed off by the state’s Electoral Commission.
A name change by the policy-free The Flux Party to Liberals for Climate was formally announced in the WA Government Gazette on Tuesday.
Flux — which advocates for the introduction of “direct democracy”, where citizens vote on individual issues — expects to attract a small percentage of votes at next month’s state election on the strength of the party’s new name alone.
“Quite simply, doing this will increase our chances of getting a candidate elected in the upcoming WA election,” Flux secretary Daithi Gleeson said in a statement on the party’s website.
Without such a move, he said the party’s prospects of electoral success was effectively zero.
He said the name change was “an election experiment, and a statement on the dysfunction of the general political landscape” and acknowledged that the move could be seen as a cynical one.
“It’s a level of cynicism we believe is justified given the challenges of contesting elections and trying to participate in Australian politics,” he said.
“We are trying to do something about the dysfunction of politics, and in doing so we may sometimes have to take some unconventional actions. This is one of those times.”
The confirmation of Flux’s name change drew a fierce response from WA Liberals leader Zak Kirkup, who described the switch as “a terrible undermining of our democratic process” and an exploitative move.
“It is a dangerous path to tread down and I don’t think that name change should have been allowed,” he said.
Flux is not the only party looking to incorporate “Liberals” into its name ahead of the WA election.
A separate application has been made by the Daylight Saving Party to change its name to The National Liberals. The electoral commission is yet to formally approve that move.
David Leyonhjelm famously won a seat in the senate in 2013 after changing the name of the Liberty and Democracy Party to the Liberal Democrats. Combined with a favourable position on the ballot paper, the Liberal Democrats’ vote increased by 50 times the levels recorded under its old name.
Flux’s name change drew condemnation from ABC electoral analyst Antony Green, who described the move as “totally farcical”.
“In law the change had to be allowed, but it demonstrates that sometimes the law is oblivious to reality,” he said on Twitter.
READ MORE: Myanmar coup leaders digging in
Natasha Robinson 7.45pm: TGA clears Pfizer jab
Australia’s medicines regulator says there is no causal link between the deaths of about 30 very frail elderly people in Norway and the Pfizer vaccine.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration launched an investigation last month after Norway’s medical regulator reported the deaths of the frail elderly people, many of whom had only weeks or months to live, shortly after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.
The TGA was working with Norway and the European Medicines Agency to establish whether the deaths were caused by adverse reactions following administration of the vaccine.
“The case reports were discussed at a recent meeting of the European Medicines Agency Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee, which concluded there was not a specific safety concern, and no causal link between vaccination and deaths could be established,” the TGA said in a statement.
“In addition, wider discussions with regulators in North America, the UK and Europe reached a similar conclusion.
“The TGA therefore has concluded that there is no specific risk of vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in elderly patients.”
Jess Malcolm 7pm: Fires destroy 56 homes
Firefighting and emergency services say 56 homes have been destroyed in the fires burning northeast of Perth, saying the strong, dry winds have hampered firefighting efforts.
Strong, dry winds since early this morning have made efforts to contain the blaze difficult, and cast smoke and ash across Perth CBD.
There were no reports of loss of life, or people unaccounted for. Six firefighters received minor injuries.
Authorities said “a lot of work” still had to be done to ensure the fire is safe, urging people to be cautious in their movements.
“At the moment, we are still in really difficult conditions,” DRES Commissioner Darren Klemm said.
“The southern flank of the fire and its proximity through to the top of Brigadoon and Upper Swan are still a great concern for us. Our warnings reflect that.”
People who lost homes were being notified and supported.
“It is terrible news for the owners of those homes, and our thoughts are with them all,” Mr Klemm added.
“A process now will be undertaken. DFES will assist local governments to work through a process to notify those homeowners of the loss of those homes. The rapid damage assessment team will continue.”
Gerard Cockburn 6.15pm: Virgin Australia suspends some flights
Virgin Australia will suspend all flights to New Zealand, Bali and Fiji until at least June due to ongoing uncertainty about when international travel can resume.
The major airline announced on Tuesday all short-haul international services would be cancelled until June 19.
This covers flights to New Zealand, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu.
Virgin’s decision comes after the federal government decided to halt the travel bubble with New Zealand after the detection of a locally acquired case of COVID-19.
— NCA NewsWire
Jess Malcolm 5.40pm: Former PM weighs in on Myanmar unrest
Former Prime Minister and foreign minister Kevin Rudd has called on the federal government to dispatch military personnel to intervene on the escalating political situation in Myanmar, in the hopes that democracy is restored.
Mr Rudd, who is also the president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said he is “deeply concerned” for the security and wellbeing of Aung San Suu Kyi who was detained yesterday over allegations of election fraud.
“I think the first step should be to have a laser sharp focus on Aung San Suu Kyi’s personal safety,” Mr Rudd said on the ABC.
“The military in Burma are ultimately a corrupt conglomerate and even under the celebrated transition to democracy, some six or seven years ago, it still retains the whip hand in terms of Burmese domestic politics.”
“My experience over the years suggests there are only effective lines of communication with the military are from other foreign including western militaries, the Americans, the British, the Australians.
“What I would recommend to our government and other governments is to dispatch our military attache, go and see the military leadership, military to military to demand the safety and security of the democratically elected government of Burma be guaranteed.”
Richard Ferguson 4.45pm: Labor calls on PM to review defence ties with Myanmar
Labor is calling on Scott Morrison to review Australia’s defence ties to Myanmar after the military coup toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government this week.
After five uneasy years of democracy, a military junta arrested Suu Kyi – the nation’s de facto leader – and a raft of her National League for Democracy’s officials, and declared they would take full control of Myanmar for a year.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and opposition defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor said on Tuesday a military co-operation program must be examined.
“The Australian government must stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and ensure the bilateral relationship won’t return to business as usual until democracy is restored and political prisoners are released,” Senator Wong and Mr O’Connor said in a joint statement.
“The Australian government has maintained a defence co-operation program with Myanmar with the stated objective ‘to talk to them about how a professional military behaves’.
“Following yesterday’s events, the government needs to explain whether this co-operation is consistent with Australia’s strategic interests, review other areas of bilateral co-operation and consider additional targeted sanctions as appropriate.”
READ MORE: Suu Kyi’s highwire act ends in coup
Jess Malcolm 4.38pm: McGowan expects lockdown to end on Friday at 6pm
Premier Mark McGowan said he expects Perth to be out of lockdown by Friday 6pm if Western Australia continued to record zero locally acquired cases.
“For now until Friday 6pm, stay home and stay safe,” Mr McGowan said.
“We cannot be sure that the virus is not out there in the community, so by taking every extra precaution, we give ourselves the best chance of crushing this virus and getting back to normal, sooner rather than later.”
Mr McGowan also gave reassurance that schools will go back as normal by January 8 on the condition that Western Australia contains the virus this week.
“I share your encouragement by today’s numbers. The fact that we have had zero cases, two days in a row, particularly given the extensiveness of testing, is encouraging.”
“We are going to continue to monitor the situation. The Chief Health Officer is monitoring it closer than anyone else, and he will advise us on the next steps.”
READ MORE: Aussies flee cities in record numbers
Jess Malcolm 3.58pm: ‘Use common sense’ when fleeing fires
Authorities have urged people in Perth to “use common sense” when deciding to leave their homes to get themselves to safety despite lockdown restrictions.
This comes as firefighters in suburbs east of Perth continue to battle uncontrolled fires threatening more than 30 houses.
“There are no restrictions on any emergency services,” Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said.
“If your home is under threat, you leave. You go to a suitable place where you will be safe.
“If you’re in that fire zone, don’t hesitate. Take the most pragmatic solution.
“What we don’t want is people in that affected area all moving at the same time. We can’t have a panic situation.”
READ MORE: Up to 30 properties, homes feared lost in Perth fires
Jess Malcolm 3.39pm: WA quarantine hotel CCTV results ‘not in yet’
West Australian Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said CCTV footage of the security guard working in the infected hotel has been obtained, but authorities “don’t have the results” yet.
“I don’t have the results,” Mr Dawson said. “You have got to understand, this only happened yesterday. I have been briefed they have collected CCTV.”
WA Health Minister Roger Cook said authorities also “don’t know” if the security guard was wearing a mask, raising questions of PPE protocols in Western Australian medi-hotels.
“We are aware of this incident. We haven’t had the opportunity since getting that information because it is quite fresh about the circumstances of that interaction.”
He confirmed that security guards working in medi-hotels did not necessarily have to wear masks while on guard in some parts of the hotel.
“Security guards or any personnel in a hotel quarantine don’t need to wear masks at every point of that building and at every point to carry out their duties,” Mr Cook said. “There are particular circumstances in which they are required to wear PPE. At other types they may not be.”
READ MORE: Three in four to get jab
Rachel Baxendale 3.34pm: Gay conversion bill targets people of faith ‘in unprecedented way’
The Islamic Council of Victoria and Victorian Catholic Bishops have joined forces in a letter to Premier Daniel Andrews, accusing his government of targeting people of faith “in an unprecedented way” through a proposed gay conversion therapy bill, which is being debated in state parliament this week.
“Unfortunately, this bill doesn’t just ban outdated and insidious practices of coercion and harm, which we firmly reject,” the state’s most senior Islamic and Catholic leaders say in their joint letter.
“The bill also criminalises conversation between children and parents, interferes with sound professional advice, and silences ministers of religion from providing personal attention for individuals freely seeking pastoral care for complex personal situations.
“It includes ill-conceived concepts of faith and conversation, vague definitions, and scientifically and medically flawed approaches. It places arbitrary limitations on parents, families and people of faith.
“People change for all kinds of reasons, and should feel free to do so, whether it be on matters of personal identity, gender, sexuality, family association, or religion. Contrary to its intent, this bill obstructs people’s freedom by limiting, restricting and removing options for their good, thereby creating undesirable possibilities of harm.
“If a simpler, clearer bill had been tabled, with adequate consultation, then we would be able to give full support to a focused and practical way to protect people from harm.
“At present the bill appears to target people of faith in an unprecedented way, puts limits on ordinary conversations in families, and legislates for what prayer is legal and what prayer is not.
“Various amendments can be made to rescue the bill from taking Victoria into strange new territory, in which prayerful advice and guidance, freely sought by one adult from another, is criminalised.
“We are working together as faith leaders to offer a constructive opportunity to prevent such a step from taking place, and seek your active support.”
The faith leaders have requested an urgent “pause” on the passage of the bill, and a meeting with the Premier and Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes.
READ MORE: Victoria’s gay conversion bill ‘to make counselling illegal’
Adeshola Ore 3.30pm: Labor lacks carbon plan: Morrison
Scott Morrison has accused Labor of lacking a plan to reduce carbon emissions as the opposition pressed the government on committing to carbon neutrality by 2050.
During question time, Chris Bowen, who was appointed to Labor’s climate change and energy role in a shadow cabinet reshuffle last week, criticised the government for not committing to a 2050 target.
The Prime Minister said the Coalition was committed to reaching net zero as quickly as possible but would not commit to a set timeline.
“We will get to net zero by technology. The Labor way is always higher taxes,” he said.
Mr Morrison also took a swipe at Mr Bowen, who briefly served as Treasurer in 2013 in Kevin Rudd’s government.
“My minister for emissions reduction has a background in energy technology,” he said.
READ MORE: Time to tackle taboos on emissions
Jess Malcolm 3.27pm: WA security guard case linked to returned traveller
Genomic sequencing results have now confirmed that the Perth security guard case is linked to a person in hotel quarantine who was infected with the UK variant.
One of the travellers was accommodated on the same floor as the security guard was working.
It is understood that the security guard delivered medication to the door of the infected person who was in hotel quarantine.
This incident has triggered health authorities to shut down the facility.
“Existing arrivals in quarantine at the Four Points Hotel which were due for release in coming days will remain in quarantine until they complete an additional negative test,” Mr McGowan said.
“Anyone who has been recently released from this facility going back to the 25 January is being contacted directly by our health teams to instruct them to remain in self quarantine until they receive a further negative test result.”
Further investigations are now underway to track down exactly how this case was transmitted.
READ MORE: Quick to lock down, WA slow to ‘fess up
Rachel Baxendale 3.15pm: Crossbench support for Victorian Labor on gay conversion
Key Victorian upper house crossbenchers Andy Meddick from the Animal Justice Party, the Reason Party’s Fiona Patten and Greens leader Samantha Ratnam have declared their strong support for the Andrews government’s bill to ban gay conversion therapy, despite concerns from medical professionals, religious leaders and radical feminists.
Australian Medical Association Victorian president Julian Rait has said that while the AMA supports a ban on coercive practices, the Andrews government’s bill as it is currently drafted “has the potential to compromise the legitimate practice of medicine”, “unfairly targets psychiatry and psychotherapy specifically” and “has the potential to be detrimental to clinical practice”.
The bill was set to be debated in state parliament on Tuesday, but with less than an hour’s notice, the government on Tuesday shifted the debate to Thursday.
Outside parliament, Mr Meddick, who is the father of two adult transgender children, said the bill would “save lives”.
“I will clearly be supporting this bill when it comes before us in the (Legislative) Council this week,” Mr Meddick said.
“And for all of those who are detractors to this bill, I have a message: this bill will pass.”
Mr Meddick said he was confident the concerns of medical professionals had been “allayed in the bill”.
Ms Ratnam said it was “hard to fathom that we are even debating this matter in this parliament because it implies that there are valid arguments on either side of this debate, when clearly there aren’t”.
“After hearing feedback, hearing a lot of the criticisms of the bill it’s quite clear that a lot of the arguments against the bill are inherently homophobic and wrong,” she said.
Ms Patten said she had met with survivors of conversion therapy, religious organisations and medics and was “certain” the bill struck the “right balance”.
“Freedom of speech does not allow you to harm people, freedom of religion does not allow you to harm people, and this bill says that it is not OK to harm someone,” she said.
READ MORE: Victoria’s gay conversion bill ‘to make counselling illegal’
Jess Malcolm 3.11pm: No new local cases recorded in WA
Western Australia has recorded no new cases of community transmission following 15,496 tests.
Health authorities have identified 151 close contacts, and 68 casual contacts in the last 24 hours. So far 104 of these contacts have returned negative results.
Premier Mark McGowan thanked everyone for coming forward, noting that the number of tests was over double recorded the day after the northern beaches outbreak in Sydney.
“We are constantly updating the government of Western Australia website with information on the lockdown,” Mr McGowan said.
“I urge Western Australians to please check the website for information on what you can and cannot do during this time. We know the situation is not perfect, but it is designed to keep everyone safe.”
Mr McGowan also reiterated changes to rules around exercise which were introduced late last night.
Only two adults from the same household and their children are allowed to exercise in their neighbourhood for one hour each day.
“This is a commonsense approach and I hope it will assist families. Can I again stress my strong advice to everyone unless it is absolutely necessary, please stay home.”
West Australians will remain in harsh lockdown until Friday at 6pm.
“We cannot be sure that the virus is not out there in the community, so by taking every extra precaution, we give ourselves the best chance of crushing this virus and getting back to normal, sooner rather than later.”
There were also no new overseas cases recorded, but one historic case already in quarantine.
READ MORE: WA records no new local virus cases
Patrick Commins 2.47pm: Aussies flee cities in record numbers
Australians fled the capital cities in ever greater numbers in the three months to September, as net migration to regional areas reached a record 11,250 and more people moved to COVID-free Western Australia than away from it for the first time in seven years.
The health crisis has triggered a shift in internal migration patterns as households have looked to get away from more heavily populated urban areas and apartment living in favour of smaller towns which have largely avoided the pandemic.
Climbing demand for country properties is reflected in booming regional property markets, where house prices have jumped by 7.9 per cent over the year to January, against a 1.7 per cent rise in city home values, according to CoreLogic data.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ internal migration data released on Tuesday also reflected a trend during the pandemic of lower overall interstate migration, with 76,205 Australians making the move in the quarter, 12 per cent lower than the same period in 2019 and the lowest in six years.
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 2.39pm: Getting to net zero won’t cost Australians: PM
Scott Morrison says he will “never put a cost on Australians” for getting to carbon neutrality by 2050.
During question time today, the Prime Minister reiterated that he wanted Australia to reach net zero emissions by 2050 “as soon as possible” and preferably by 2050.
“If you don’t get there by technology, you get there by taxes,” he said.
“I will never put a cost on Australians for getting to net zero by 2050”
Mr Morrison also took a swipe at Labor which has not revealed whether it will take medium-term emissions reduction targets to the next election.
“I call on others to nominate what their 2030 targets are,’ he said.
Patrick Commins 2.31pm: RBA keeps interest rates on hold
The Reserve Bank of Australia has held rates steady at a record low of 0.1 per cent at its first meeting of the year.
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 2.30pm: Labor attacks on IR reform ‘desperate, untrue’
Attorney-General Christian Porter has defended the government’s industrial relations package, saying Labor’s warning that the legislation will lead to pay cuts is “desperate” and “untrue.”
Labor has kicked off the first question time of the year by pressing the Coalition on its reforms.
The party’s criticism of the bill has focused on changes to the Fair Work Act’s “better off overall” test which it says will cut the take-home pay of workers.
Mr Porter said Labor’s prediction that workers would be faced with wage cuts before Christmas had not occurred.
“The difficulty with not telling the truth is that when the things don’t become true, people lose faith in what you’re saying,” he said.
Mr Porter declared that the proposed legislation will create “more jobs and better jobs.”
Earlier today, Labor confirmed it will oppose the Morrison government’s industrial relations package. The party will block the proposed legislation which is currently before a Senate inquiry that is due to report in March.
Ben Packham 2.22pm: Australian intelligence watching far-right groups
One of the nation’s top security chiefs has warned the threat posed by violent right wing extremists is “no different” to that by Islamist terrorists, saying far-right groups drawing support and inspiration from counterpart groups in the United States and Europe.
Speaking just weeks after the storming of the US Capitol by armed, pro-Trump rioters, Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo said Australia’s intelligence and security services were looking closely at the relationships between violent, far-right groups in Australia and overseas.
“There are online platforms, there are transnational groupings here. They support one another. They share material et cetera,” he told Sky News in a rare media interview.
“And it’s no different in some respects to any other form of violent extremist ideology, whereby technology, which is so otherwise beneficial in our lives … can also be used to connect people whose purposes are very nefarious.”
His comments come ahead of a parliamentary inquiry that will consider whether Australian laws are sufficient to address right-wing terror threats, which ASIO has warned now make up 40 per cent of its counter-terrorism caseload.
Mr Pezzullo said the inquiry would “shed more light” on the problem, in both public and confidential hearings.
The inquiry, by the parliament’s powerful intelligence and security committee, will for the first time examine the domestic threat posed by right-wing terrorists.
READ MORE: Pezzullo avoids quarantine row
Richard Ferguson 1.48pm: Celebrate Lunar New Year, MPs told
Scott Morrison has called on government MPs to participate in Lunar New Year events this year as much as possible, as the government works to ensure Chinese Australians of their support.
In a meeting of the Coalition joint party room, the Prime Minister told MPs, while there may be political issues between governments, that Lunar New Year was an “important opportunity” to reinforce “positive relationships” with Chinese-Australian communities.
Government sources said on Tuesday that Lunar New Year participation – where COVID safe – would also reinforce the friendship between the Australian and Chinese people.
Richard Ferguson 1.32pm: PM’s election warning: ‘Keep your eyes in the boat’
Scott Morrison has told his MPs to “keep their eyes in the boat” on the first day of the parliamentary year, as Josh Frydenberg warns the next election is loseable.
As speculation over an early election in the second half of this year continues and Newspoll shows a 50-50 dead heat between the Coalition and Labor, government MPs were told in today’s joint party room meeting to continue to stay focused.
Government sources on Tuesday said the Prime Minister used a rowing metaphor to get MPs to work together and stay the course towards re-election.
“Keep your eyes in the boat, no matter what else is happening around you,” the Prime Minister told MPs.
The Treasurer told his colleagues journalists had previously written before John Howard and Mr Morrison off before their election victories, and they should ignore commentators who say the government has the next election “in the bag.”
Mr Frydenberg reminded MPs that the government faces some difficult redistributions in the upcoming redraw of Victorian and West Australian federal seats, and most federal elections are tight.
READ MORE: Creighton — Health advice is making us sick
Jade Gailberger 1.23pm: Coalition shuts down Labor push to condemn Kelly
Labor’s bid to denounce Coalition backbencher Craig Kelly for using social media to spread “damaging mistruths” about coronavirus in the parliament has failed.
The opposition kicked off the federal parliamentary sitting year by trying to move a motion calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to condemn Mr Kelly’s “irresponsible and dangerous” comments.
The move follows Mr Kelly doing a 90-minute chat with controversial conspiracy theorist and chef, Pete Evans.
“The member for Hughes is a dangerous menace to the national COVID-19 response,” Labor health spokesman Mark Butler told the parliament.
The motion stated Mr Kelly’s claims about coronavirus were “repeatedly refuted” by health experts and could undermine public confidence in the vaccine rollout.
It also attacked the Mr Morrison for not condemning the online behaviour, after he was asked about it during his speech at the National Press Club on Monday.
But the motion was quickly shut down by the government, which holds a majority in the lower house.
In the wake of the Pete Evans podcast featuring Craig Kelly, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Karen Price has urged Australians to listen to the advice from medical experts.
“It is unacceptable that Craig Kelly is persisting in disseminating misinformation concerning COVID-19 and to appear on this podcast with a disgraced former celebrity chef is very unhelpful,” Dr Price said.
“We are still in the middle of a pandemic that is leaving many people feeling understandably anxious and exhausted.
“Those like Pete Evans are preying on that anxiety to peddle false information and he should not be enabled by anyone, especially a federal Member of Parliament.”
Dr Price has demanded the all public figures act responsibly and encouraged Australians to heed expert advice.
READ MORE: Shanahan — Covid judgment cooks federal Labor’s goose
Richard Ferguson 12.53pm: Craig Kelly: I’m no anti-vaxxer but …
Liberal MP Craig Kelly says Australians need to weigh all the evidence before they take a coronavirus vaccine and will not commit to getting an anti-COVID jab himself.
Labor is targeting Mr Kelly over a host of controversial comments on unproven treatments for coronavirus, attacks on government medical officers, and his recent podcast interview with anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist and television chef Pete Evans.
Scott Morrison on Monday urged Australians to look to official government channels and not Mr Kelly for medical information on COVID, but has refused to condemn the MP.
Mr Kelly told The Australian on Tuesday he was not anti-vaccination and disagreed with Mr Evans on the safety of COVID jabs, but he would not commit to supporting government calls to vaccinate as many Australians as possible.
“I’ve made that clear in discussions with Pete and on my Facebook posts that I’m not (anti-vaccination). I want to expand coronavirus treatments, not limit them,” he said.
“On getting a vaccine, I’m going to tell people to make up their own mind. The government has not made it mandatory.
“I’ll look at all the evidence and make up my own mind when it comes to taking the vaccine myself.”
READ the full exclusive story here
Adeshola Ore 12.11pm: Labor moves to suspend standing orders over Kelly
Labor has moved to suspend standing overs over comments made by Liberal MP Craig Kelly it says are “irresponsible” and “dangerous” views about COVID.
Mr Kelly will feature on a podcast hosted by former celebrity chef and COVID conspiracist Pete Evans due to be published today.
Speaking in the House of Representatives on the first siting day of the year, opposition spokesman for health and ageing Mark Butler called on Scott Morrison to condemn the “dangerous” views of the rogue MP which he said undermined the country’s health response to COVID.
The Coalition shut down the order and moved that Mr Butler no longer be heard in the chamber.
READ MORE: South Africa Test tour in doubt
Rachel Baxendale 12.04pm: Andrews dismisses concerns over gay conversion bill
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has dismissed concerns from medical professionals who say his government’s gay conversion therapy bill could criminalise conversations between young people and their parents or medical professionals regarding gender transition.
The bill — which goes further than all other comparable legislation worldwide — is being debated in Victoria’s upper house this week and is almost certain to pass with the support of key crossbenchers Fiona Patten from the Reason Party, the Animal Justice Party’s Andy Meddick and Greens leader Samantha Ratnam.
Asked whether he was open to amendments to the bill in light of concerns from health professionals, including psychiatrists who say it would criminalise counselling by mental health professionals for people experiencing gender dysphoria, Mr Andrews said: “I don’t believe those concerns have merit.”
“People are free to disagree with me. That’s the thing about our democracy. We’re very clear about what we do, we’re doing it, and others can make their own judgments about whether they support the bill or not, and then they can be accountable for whether they support the bill or not,” Mr Andrews said.
“It’s not for me to provide advice to people, but you wouldn’t want to, I would have thought you’d want to be pretty clear about this. You’re either voting for it, or you’re not.”
The Victorian Opposition has indicated it will vote in favour of the bill but move amendments, prompting speculation some Liberal MPs are likely to cross the floor.
Asked whether his government had done a sufficient job of outlining any safeguards contained within the bill to MPs who may have concerns, Mr Andrews said: “Yes, I do.”
“But again, some of these views, that’s the thing with prejudice, it’s often very deeply held. We said we would do this and we are doing it, and that’s the government I lead,” he said.
“The time has come for this sort of bigoted quackery, and some of the support that sits behind that to go. It’s simply not fair. It’s not fair to say to people, ‘you’re broken’, ‘you’re a sin, ‘you’re the work of the devil’.
READ MORE: Gay conversion bill ‘to ban counselling’
Adeshola Ore 11.43am: Labor to block industrial relations package
Labor has confirmed it will oppose the Morrison government’s industrial relations package.
A caucus spokesman confirmed that the party will block the proposed legislation which is currently before a Senate inquiry that is due to report in March. .
The party’s criticism of the bill has focused on changes to the Fair Work Act’s “better off overall” test which it says will cut the take-home pay of workers.
READ MORE: Editorial — Expand strategic, trade alliances
Adeshola Ore 11.36am: Butler joins criticism of PM over Craig Kelly
Opposition health and ageing spokesman Mark Butler has lashed out at Scott Morrison for failing to condemn rogue Liberal MP Craig Kelly for what he says is a “relentless campaign” to undermine the country’s health response to COVID.
Mr Kelly will appear on a podcast hosted by COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Pete Evans that is due to be published today. He has touted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, despite the Therapeutic Goods Administration “strongly discouraging” its use on patients and questioning the effectiveness of masks.
“Craig Kelly is a dangerous menace and a threat to the nation’s COVID response and it’s about time the Prime Minister developed a backbone to call him into line,” Mr Butler said.
Asked about the views promoted by Mr Kelly at a Press Club speech on Monday, Scott Morrison replied “he’s not my doctor and he’s not yours” and said the MP was doing a “great job” in his electorate of Hughes in Sydney.
“He actually gave him a pat on the back and said Craig Kelly was doing a good job,” Mr Butler said.
READ MORE: 1m vaccines a week, CSL pledges
Rachel Baxendale 11.25am: Dan stands with Eddie over Collingwood racism
Daniel Andrews has backed Eddie McGuire after a report found Collingwood suffered from systemic racism, the Victorian Premier using the same language he used to defend his own position amid the state’s second wave of coronavirus.
Asked today whether Mr McGuire should resign in light of evidence of systemic racism at the AFL club at which he has presided for more than 22 years, Mr Andrews said: “I don’t think running away from challenges is leadership, whether it’s in a footy club or any other role.”
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 11.20am: Albanese launches attack on Morrison at first caucus meeting
Anthony Albanese has used his first caucus meeting of a possible election year to launch a negative attack on the Morrison government’s agenda which he says will cut wages and wage subsidy programs.
The Opposition Leader said workers and businesses will feel the effect of the cuts when JobKeeper and JobSeeker ends in March. On Monday, the Prime Minister said the government would weigh the impact on jobs from January’s “step-change” in the JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs before deciding on how to “adjust” the welfare payment.
Mr Albanese said at the next election, the Coalition would be campaigning to have more time in office than the second longest serving prime minister of Australia John Howard.
He added that Queensland voters had not forgotten that Scott Morrison had opposed the border restriction imposed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last year, that he said were designed to keep people safe.
READ MORE: Editorial — Sloppy errors lock down two million
Nicholas Jensen 11.11am: NSW goes another day without local Covid cases
NSW has recorded another day of zero locally acquired cases, with 2 cases recorded in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 4,923 since the beginning of the pandemic.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 2, 2021
There were two cases acquired overseas, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,923. pic.twitter.com/fVuPDmazMZ
There were 6686 test results received across the state in the past 24 hours.
NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Jeremy McAnulty announced the 16th day of 0 cases, with NSW Health treating 48 COVID-19 cases, none of whom are in intensive care.
With fewer than 7000 tests recorded across the state in the past 24 hours, Dr McAnulty said “these low testing numbers continue to be of great concern”.
“NSW Health is urging people across the state to come forward for testing even with the mildest symptoms”.
Regarding West Australia’s COVID-19 case, Dr McAnulty said “if you have been in any of the named local government areas in Perth, Peel and South West regions since Monday January 25, you must get a COVID-19 test within 48 hours and stay home until 9pm Friday February 5”
“If you choose not to get tested you should stay home for 14 days.”
“This case is a timely reminder that COVID-19 can emerge at any time,” he said.
“By coming forward for testing, you’re playing an important role in containing the threat of the virus, and protecting your family and friends.”
READ MORE: No virus camp for us, says Gladstone
David Swan 10.43am: Canada to force tech giants to pay for news
Canada is readying legislation that would force social media companies to compensate Canadian news publishers, following Australia’s looming world-first media bargaining code, as the regulatory push expands internationally.
Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault told his MPs of the plans last week, according to The Globe and Mail, and said that Canada was ‘looking closely’ at developments in Australia.
He’d tweeted last month that “we stand in solidarity with our Australian partners” and that “when facing the web giants, we must stand united.”
The Canadian government has reportedly not settled on whether to follow Australia’s approach, which deals with a market power imbalance with an arbitration process, or France’s path which has been to force Google to pay for news by deeming news snippets at copyrighted material.
Canada is also proposing to create a new regulator to oversee how Google and Facebook grapple with illegal content like hate speech and child pornography, reports say.
READ MORE live tech updates in The Download
David Rogers 10.30am: Share market rises in early trade
Australia’s share market rose solidly as expected in early trading after big gains on Wall Street.
The S&P/ASX 200 was 0.8pc at 6717.9 and S&P 500 futures edged up 0.2pc at the start of APAC trading.
The Technology sector was strongest after a strong showing from the NASDAQ, with Afterpay surging 4pc.
Other outperforming sectors included Industrials, Energy, Materials and Financials.
In those sectors Transurban rose 1.7pc, Woodside rose 1.8pc, BHP was up 1.6pc and CBA rose 1pc.
Credit Corp stood out with a 13pc rise after upgrading its FY21 earning guidance.
Treasury Wine, Healius, ALQ, Treasury Wine and Janus Henderson rose more than 4pc.
FOLLOW live ASX updates at Trading Day
Rachel Baxendale 10.27am: Andrews relaxes workplace rules, flags extending powers
Up to 75 per cent of office workers in Victoria will be able to attend work from next Monday, the Andrews government has announced.
The change represents an increase from the current limits of 50 per cent for private sector workers and 25 per cent for public servants.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was making the decision to ease restrictions based on 27 days with no known locally acquired cases of coronavirus.
Mr Andrews also flagged that he would be introducing legislation in state parliament this week to extend Victoria’s State of Emergency.
“A number of key health protections required to manage this pandemic are only available when a State of Emergency has been declared under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 — such as hotel quarantine, mandatory face coverings in certain settings, and other restrictions to help slow the spread of the virus,” Mr Andrews said.
“A State of Emergency is only ever declared or extended on the advice of the Chief Health Officer and the Emergency Management Commissioner.
“It allows the government to run Victoria’s traffic light permit system, which provides invaluable information about who has entered Victoria from where and the ability to identify areas of risk in Australia and prevent travel from those areas when they are deemed a risk to public health.”
The current State of Emergency has a maximum period of 12 months, which will expire at 11.59pm on March 15. The new legislation would permit the government to extend the State of Emergency for an additional nine months in four-week increments, expiring at 11.59pm on December 15.
The Victorian Coalition and some crossbenchers last year opposed the Andrews government’s six month extension of its State of Emergency powers, arguing it was a “power grab”.
READ MORE: Ex-Andrews minister snared in ALP purge
Robert Gottliebsen 10.14am: Time to tackle taboos on emissions
If Australia is to take carbon reduction to a new level and start aiming at zero carbon emissions then a large number of our largest public companies will need to look much more closely at their fundamental processes.
To date, most of the concentration has been on the development of wind and solar power, aimed at reducing coal usage. As we look much harder at carbon reduction new areas will be impacted, led by steel and concrete, which are each responsible for about 8 to 10 per cent of carbon emissions.
READ Robert Gottliebsen’s full commentary here
Richard Ferguson 10.03am: China not a security threat, says Home Affairs chief
Home Affairs department secretary Mike Pezzullo says he would not describe China as a security threat and that it is a “great power” Australia will have to deal with.
Scott Morrison in the National Press Club speech on Monday said the government was committed to engaging with Beijing and that Australia would have to adapt to the superpower’s changing nature.
In a rare TV interview with Sky News, Mr Pezzullo said China and Australia had issues to deal with, but denied Beijing was now specifically a security threat.
“China’s a great power. The Prime Minister is making the point it’s rising,” he said.
“I wouldn’t necessarily use that language (of threats). It’s self-evident … there are some issues of concerns to the Chinese side and frankly some issues on our side.”
READ MORE: Morrison ‘abdication hurts federation’
Adeshola Ore 9.55am: Union campaign ad ‘outrageous, misleading’
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has criticised a joint union anti-IR bill advertisement, accusing the campaign of peddling “outrageous, misleading lies.”
The CFMEU and ETU have defended the advertisement which depicts Scott Morrison driving a bus into a group of workers after it was condemned by Attorney-General Christian Porter as “shamefully insensitive”.
“We’re seeing some outrageous, misleading lies and scare campaigns being run in relation to the industrial relations reforms,” Senator Birmingham told the ABC.
“These are very modest reforms which simply seek to achieve some greater levels of efficiency and flexibility. They do not pose a threat to people’s wages and conditions.”
Labor’s criticism of the government’s proposed industrial relations changes has focused on the changes to the Fair Work Act’s “better off overall” test which it says will cut the take-home pay of workers. Under the proposal, businesses which have been affected by COVID would be exempt from the better off overall test in enterprise agreements.
Senator Birmingham said the government would not consider any amendments to the bill until a senate inquiry hands down its report on the proposed legislation in March.
READ MORE: Unions stand by anti-IR bill ad
Nicholas Jensen 9.36am: British pop singer granted quarantine exemption
British pop singer Rita Ora has been granted an exemption from Australian border force and is currently undertaking hotel quarantine in Sydney.
Ora was seen arriving in Sydney International Airport on Monday ahead of working as a judge on the TV program, The Voice.
Despite caps on returning Australians, the singer was allowed to leave the UK during its lockdown for work commitments in Sydney.
Her visit comes after Ora was described as “selfish’’ by British police for holding a birthday party in November, breaking the country’s strict lockdown rules.
READ MORE: Lockdown hero Captain Tom battles Covid
Adeshola Ore 9.08am: Craig Kelly ‘a problem for the government’
Anthony Albanese has attacked Scott Morrison for not calling out Liberal MP Craig Kelly for promoting misinformation after he appeared on a podcast hosted by COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Pete Evans.
The former celebrity chef described Mr Kelly as a “a beautiful and beyond courageous man” in a social media post promoting a podcast interview with the rogue MP. Mr Evans announced that the pair held a 90-minute conversation for a podcast that would launch today.
The Opposition Leader said Mr Kelly had promoted views on Covid which endangered people’s health.
“Those mixed messages will undermine our response to Covid,” he said.
“Scott Morrison has a member of his caucus who is undermining the health response to this pandemic and yet he won’t even say anything to distance himself from Craig Kelly.’
“Craig Kelly is a problem and it’s a problem for the government and it’s a problem for the country. Leadership requires you to make tough decisions, including tough decisions with regard to the way that you run your political organisation.”
Asked about the views promoted by Mr Kelly at a Press Club speech on Monday, Mr Morrison replied “he’s not my doctor and he’s not yours” and said the MP was doing a “great job” in his electorate of Hughes in Sydney.
Mr Kelly has touted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, despite the Therapeutic Goods Administration “strongly discouraging” its use on patients. He has also questioned the effectiveness of masks and likened them being mandated in schools to child abuse.
READ MORE: Bramston — Sharks circle as Albanese dead in water
Adeshola Ore 8.55am: PM defends position on net zero emissions
Scott Morrison has defended his government’s position to not commit to a timeline for net zero emissions reductions by 2050.
On Monday, the Prime Minister used a speech at the National Press Club to outline his government’s priorities for the year ahead. He said he would like Australia to be carbon neutral by 2050 but would not commit to a rigid target.
“When I know how we can get there, then I can tell Australia when we’re going to get there,” he said on Tuesday.
“If you don’t get there by technology, you get there by taxes and I will not make Australians pay higher taxes to get to net zero.”
READ MORE: Five reasons markets bounced back from Covid crunch
Nicholas Jensen 8.52am: Victoria records another day of zero local cases
Victoria has recorded another day of zero locally acquired Covid cases, with 1 case recorded in hotel quarantine.
Yesterday there were 0 new locally acquired cases reported, and 1 in hotel quarantine. 8,480 test results were received - #EveryTestHelps. More info will be available later: https://t.co/lIUrl1hf3W #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData #StaySafeStayOpen pic.twitter.com/M14Kum2T7A
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 1, 2021
There were 8480 test results received across the state in the past 24 hours.
Victoria currently has 22 active cases.
More information will be provided by Victorian health authorities later today.
Adeshola Ore 8.44am: Morrison speaks to Germany’s Merkel
Scott Morrison has spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel overnight, in a conversation focused on energy technology and vaccine strategies.
The Prime Minister said he had a “warm discussion” with the Chancellor Merkel on Monday evening.
“We spoke about many, many issues — energy and hydrogen in particular because we’ve been working with them on that for some time now,” he said.
Mr Morrison also expressed concerns to the German Chancellor about the military coup in Myanmar.
READ MORE: Three in four step up for Covid vaccine
Remy Varga 8.38am: Labor MP backs AFL player over Collingwood racism
Federal Labor MP Peter Khalil has thrown his support behind Heritier Lumumba, saying racism has run through Collingwood since he was a kid.
“Racist remarks were rife in the 80s when I used to watch footy at Vic Park,” he said on Twitter on Monday night.
“On the occasions I ventured to it call out, I was treated like an alien, patronised, or worse had the bile redirected at me.
“And of course when I played junior and amateur footy I copped the sprays regularly and directly during pretty much every game I was on the receiving end copping vile racist abuse.
The comments come as Lumumba broke his silence, saying he was “disturbed” by Collingwood’s attempts to minimise a damning review that found the club suffered from systemic racism.
The Brazillian-Australian player said Collingwood’s response to the report was “bizarre”.
“It was painful to watch the club dig itself deeper into delusion and dishonesty at today’s press conference,” he said.
“Eddie McGuire’s inability to let go of the illusion he’s constructed of himself does not serve the Club, the code, or the community … It’s a pity his final year looks like it will be marked by yet another self-inflicted racism scandal.”
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore 8.25am: ‘We want to keep pursuing net zero goal’
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has defended the government’s decision to not commit to a net zero emissions by 2050 target.
On Monday, the Prime Minister said his goal was to reach net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, preferably by 2050, but said his government would not “tax our way” to a target.
Senator Birmingham said the government was focused on how to reduce emissions rather than a rigid timeline.
“We have seen an 11 per cent increase in renewable energy available in Australia,’’ he told the ABC this morning. “So, the growth and change is significant. And what we want to do is keep pursuing that, to get to that net zero goal.”
READ MORE: No taxes to hit net zero, says Morrison
Adeshola Ore 8.08am: Birmingham warns on future support for businesses
Finance Minister Simon Birmingam says the government will consider evidence to determine targeted support for industries when JobKeeper and JobSeeker end next month.
On Monday, Scott Morrison said an analysis on how the wage subsidies were affecting the workforce would help determine which industries could be in line for further support when the wage subsidy expires in March.
Senator Birmingham warned that businesses would need to adapt to a post-Covid world to remain viable in the future.
“The comeback has been enormous across our economy with some 800,000 jobs being generated. More than 90 per cent of those who have lost their work back in work,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News.
“Looking forward, there are going to be lasting changes as a result from Covid. Some businesses won’t find that their business models from before are as viable in the future as they might have to be so they’ll have to make structural changes.”
READ MORE: Jobs data review to determine support
Nicholas Jensen 8.01am: McGowan team in series of stuff ups, says Perth mayor
Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas has criticised Mark McGowan and the West Australian government, saying there were undoubtedly a “series of stuff ups” in the management of hotel quarantine.
“The way the quarantine worker’s case was handled was not ideal,” Mr Zempilas told Sunrise this morning. “You do not want a security guard at a quarantine hotel working as an Uber driver.”
However, the Lord Mayor praised the resilience and patience of the state, saying “most West Australians say if this is what it takes – we have been so safe – let’s do the five days, get it done and get back to normal life.”
“It was a surprise … although the reality has settled in that a five-day lockdown period is nothing compared to what our cousins in the rest of Australia have had to endure,” he said.
The state’s five-day lockdown comes after a hotel quarantine security guard tested positive for COVID-19.
READ MORE: New year delivers record house prices
Jack Paynter 7.56am: Twist in suspected second WA case
A man who presented at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth and posted on social media he had COVID-19 has been revealed as a historical case.
Western Australia health authorities confirmed late on Monday night investigations had determined the man’s infection was historical.
It means the man was not infectious in Australia and at no time posed a public health risk, WA Health said in a statement.
“Members of the public who attended Fiona Stanley Hospital and the same entertainment venues as the individual can be reassured he did not pose a public health risk,” WA Health said.
Authorities believe the man contracted the virus in Mexico in December last year.
The man returned to Australia from overseas travel and his completed two weeks hotel quarantine in NSW before returning to Western Australia.
“Initial PCR tests were very weak, in keeping with him being non-infectious and having infection some time ago,” WA Health said.
“Subsequent test results received (on Monday) confirm the person is now PCR negative, but serology positive.
“This provides confirmation that the case was historical and non-infectious in WA.”
The man has now been released from hotel quarantine in Perth.
The suspected case, which turned out to be historical, caused quite a stir in Perth after the man took to Facebook on Sunday to urge people he had been in contact with to get tested.
— with Rebecca Le May, NCA Newswire
READ MORE: Festival presses pause, with regret
Nicholas Jensen 7.30am: PM: we’ll have election in 2022
Scott Morrison has distanced himself from the prospect of a 2021 election during an interview with Sky News host Paul Murray last night, saying that the “election is due in 2022”.
“This year I’ve got to get people back into jobs, I’ve got to get businesses back open, I’ve got to roll out a vaccine, and I’ve got to keep delivering the services in hospitals.”
However, if Mr Morrison’s ratings continue on a positive trend, he will come under pressure to bring the forward the election to 2021.
But popular support for Mr Morrison has plateaued as Labor continues its attack on the government over the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic. A new opinion poll shows competition between the two parties has tightened after the Coalition lost its one point lead to Labor.
Asked about New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor’s comments on the Australia-Sino relations, Mr Morrison said “I don’t take the view that every system is as good as the other … if that were the case we would flip a coin each day and decide which way we run the country”.
“Liberal Democracy all the way
“We’ve got to continue to maintain our vigilance over this and to do that we’ve got to stick together on this stuff. It’s very important,” Mr Morrison said.
READ MORE: Majority ‘no worse off than before’
Nicholas Jensen 6.30am: UK ramps up testing over S Africa variant
UK health officials have said they will ramp up testing across England where 11 South African variant cases have been detected in the last week.
The cases – identified through genomic sequencing carried out on random samples of positive results – cannot be traced back to international travel, prompting fears of localised transmission.
The approach in the areas, which is home to around 80,000 people, covering parts of London and the southeast, will see mobile and door-to-door testing capacity rolled out.
Even those not showing virus symptoms can get tested in the affected places.
“It is vital that we do all we can to stop transmission of this variant and I strongly urge everyone in these areas to get tested, whether you have symptoms or not,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement.
“We continue to closely monitor new variants, here and around the world, and in addition to our already extensive testing service, we are making surge testing capacity available to affected areas.”
The highly transmissible variant first identified in South Africa is spreading around the world as it was detected in the US last week.
Britain has so far detected 105 cases of the strain since it emerged late last year.
It imposed a travel ban on flights from South Africa in December, as well as bolstering quarantine measures for all travellers entering the UK.
Officials had hoped the moves would prevent the variant being imported, but the 11 new cases without travel links have heightened concerns that the strategy may have failed.
READ MORE: Covid health advice is making us sick
Nicholas Jensen 6.10am: EC shifts strategy away from AstraZeneca
The European Commission has indicated it will shift its early vaccination strategy away from AstraZeneca after the firm fell short in its delivery of doses.
The Commission’s health directorate, Sandra Gallina, told MEPs the pharmaceutical company has been able to guarantee only 25 per cent of the more than 100 million doses, posing major problems for the 27 countries in the EU bloc.
“AstraZeneca was going to be the mass vaccine for quarter one,” she said, referring to the beginning of 2021.
“The fact that AstraZeneca is not there in the quantities that were stipulated in the contract is quite problematic for all member states.”
Ms Galina added that the Commission was now looking to the vaccines made by BioNTech/Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson to fill the gap.
“There will be many more quantities in quarter two because there will be a new contract that will spring into action. So we will not have only BioNTech and Moderna but we will have BioNTech with a new contract, so it’s double the quantities.” Her comments highlighted growing bitterness between AstraZeneca and Brussels since the company unexpectedly announced on December 22 that it would not meet its scheduled deliveries.
Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, has defended the business saying it only promised its “best efforts” to meet its contract.
But Ms Gallina said this did not apply to producing and storing doses in the period before the vaccine was authorised.
She also intimated suspicion that the company had funnelled some of its production meant for the bloc to Britain, with which it had a separate supply contract, stressing that “audits” were under way.
She noted that under the EU contracts with vaccine-makers, “we have an ability either to receive the materials back or to receive … the amounts that we have paid”.
The European Commission has allocated 336 million Euros to AstraZeneca, though not all of that has been paid as part of it is contingent on delivery.
READ MORE: GP alliance wants shots in all clinics
Stuart Parker 5.45am: Australia’s Ellume in US Covid test deal
Australian biotech Ellume has won a $300m deal with the US Departments of Defence and Health and Human Services to produce at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, President Biden’s coronavirus response team announced.
Ellume is expected to produce 19 million tests a month by the end of the year. Based on the agreement, 8.5 million tests will be guaranteed to the US government.
Ellume’s test is expected to cost around $US30 and requires a smartphone, the company has said. The test is authorised to be used by people both with and without symptoms. It can also be used on children as young as two years old.
To run the test, a person uses a nasal swab and inserts their sample into the analyser. The test’s results are then transmitted to the person’s phone via Bluetooth, where the person can choose to share the results with a healthcare provider. The result can’t be accessed without downloading the app, the company says.
The mobile application requires users to input their zip codes and dates of birth. Names and email addresses are optional. The information is sent to public-health authorities.
READ MORE: Life support needed ‘to keep tourism ticking’
Simon Benson 5.30am: Three in four to step up for jab
An overwhelming majority of Australians plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when it is rolled out within weeks and back making it mandatory for teachers, health, aged-care workers and international passengers.
However, there was only soft support for forcing employees to get the jab as a condition of work or making it a requirement for children attending daycare.
As exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian revealed 75 per cent of voters said they would either definitely or probably get vaccinated yet the fact one in four said they would refuse vaccination or were undecided about it indicated there was still a significant level of scepticism in the community.
Announcing a $1.9bn logistical rollout of the vaccine, Scott Morrison on Monday urged people to stay off Facebook where conspiracy theories about the dangers of vaccines have been circulating.
“We’ve been very clear to point out where you get your information from,” the Prime Minister said. “You don’t get it from Facebook. You get it from official government websites. And that’s what I encourage everybody to do. And that’s what we’re doing. And that’s what we’re investing in. Don’t go to Facebook to find out about the vaccine; go to official government websites.”
READ the full story here
Paul Garvey 5.00am: Quick to lock down, slow to ‘fess up
West Australian officials took more than 11 hours to inform the commonwealth and other states that it had detected community COVID-19 transmission, a possible breach of pandemic protocols.
The Australian has confirmed that despite confirming a positive test result at 3am AEDT (midnight on Saturday, Perth time), WA health officials told an Australian Health Protection Principal Committee meeting on Sunday morning that the state had not recorded any community infections.
The length of time taken to disclose the transmission is a sign of further strain on WA’s public health system, with the failure to introduce safety protocols already in place in other jurisdictions allowing an infectious quarantine security guard to wander the streets of Perth for up to five days.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd was informed about the infection at 2.30pm AEDT (11.30am Perth time), hours after he had announced it had been “two weeks since we had a case of COVID-19 in our community”.
READ the full story
More Coverage
‘Amazing mate’ of G-G rants and rages
A prominent Sydney charity leader and a self-described ‘amazing mate’ of Governor-General Sam Mostyn leads Sydney’s pro-Palestine rallies.
100,000 overshoot in ALP migration target
With arrivals outstripping expectations and departures less than anticipated, economists and immigrations experts say Labor will oversee a net migration intake as high as 495,000.