PoliticsNow: Christine Holgate appeals for apology from Scott Morrison
The ex-AusPost boss calls on Scott Morrison to apologise for humiliating her and help resolve a contract dispute.
- Holgate appeals for PM apology
- Aus Post chair denies urging Holgate to quit
- Holgate breaks silence over AusPost
- Australia ‘may lose economic war’
- PM getting warmer on net-zero
- Job vacancies hit 12-year record
Welcome to live coverage of the latest political headlines from Canberra, as well as news on Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former Australia Post chief Christine Holgate has called on Scott Morrison to apologise for humiliating her and help her resolve a contract dispute with Australia Post. Earlier, Ms Holgate broke her silence on her departure, telling a Senate inquiry that she was bullied out of her job and was suicidal after Mr Morrison ‘humiliated’ her in parliament. Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo denies urging her to quit.
Australia will “lose the economic war” unless the Morrison government commits to a new timeline for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and reconsiders taxpayer-funded industry support, key business groups have warned.
Jess Malcolm9.35pm:FDA calls for US Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause
Federal US health agencies are calling for an immediate pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose coronavirus vaccine after reports of six cases of blood clots within two weeks of vaccination.
All six recipients were women between the ages of 18 and 48. One woman died and a second woman in Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition, the officials said.
“Today FDA and @CDCgov issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson #COVID19 vaccine. We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” the FDA said on Twitter.
As of 4/12, 6.8m+ doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC & FDA are reviewing data involving 6 reported U.S. cases of a rare & severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) April 13, 2021
Seven million people in the US have received the Johnson & Johnson jabs, with nine million more doses already having been shipped out to the country.
The federal government will pause administration of the vaccine to all federally run vaccination sites, and hope the statement will trigger state health officials to follow suit.
READ MORE:Getting back to our BC (before Covid) world
Jess Malcolm9.30pm:Australia surpasses 1.2m COVID-19 vaccinations
A total of 1,234,681 vaccines have been administered as part of the federal government’s vaccination rollout, with 56,379 doses given in the last 24 hours.
The commonwealth has administered 656,809 with 40,241 given in the 24 hours to Monday night.
The states and territories have given 577,872 with 16,138 completed in the last 24 hours.
NSW has administered the most with 155,894, followed by Victoria with 147,798, Queensland with 112,419, WA with 68,895, Tasmania with 24,614, South Australia with 39,206, ACT with 18,059 and the Northern Territory with 10,987.
A total of 508,478 shots have been administered in primary care clinics by the commonwealth, and 148,331 given in aged and disability facilities.
The figures are part of the new commitment by the commonwealth to release daily numbers in a bid to increase transparency in its rollout.
READ MORE:Jab delays bring out holiday shorts
Joe Kelly8.23pm:‘Utter disgrace’: Holgate appeals for PM apology
Christine Holgate has appealed to Scott Morrison to call her, apologise for publicly humiliating her on the floor of parliament and help her resolve her contract dispute with Australia Post.
Ms Holgate, who said she was considering legal action against Australia Post and others, accused the Prime Minister of “one of the worst acts of bullying I’ve ever witnessed” for telling parliament in October that she had been instructed to stand aside as chief executive over the Cartier watches saga.
Speaking on the 7:30 program after being played his comments, Ms Holgate said Mr Morrison’s remarks to the House on October 22 were an “utter disgrace” and questioned why he had never contacted her before publicly humiliating her.
“I think it’s one of the worst acts of bullying I’ve ever witnessed. And even now I have to take myself out of myself to watch it,” she said. “It is an utter disgrace.”
“Nobody at ever point said ‘hold on a minute’. This was two years ago. Not in the pandemic. This was for actually getting a lifesaving investment that many could have argued the government should have been giving to us to save those post offices.
“I didn’t just run Australia Post. I co-chair the trade board for the country. And I still do that today.
“I think you would have rather hoped that before someone publicly hung you and humiliated you, that they may pick up the phone and call you and ask you directly, what happened and why.”
Ms Holgate suggested Mr Morrison call her and said she would “love an apology.” She confirmed she was contemplating legal action against Australia Post but had not yet made a final decision.
“It certainly is not settled,” she said. “So maybe if the Prime Minister’s watching he can give me a call and I’d love an apology and but he could help me resolve my contract.”
Addressing the Canberra culture, Ms Holgate also said that bullying and harassment probably “happens more in this Canberra bubble than it does outside” and argued that changes needed to be made.
“It (Canberra) seems to be a special place with its own rules. But they are not good rules and they need to be changed and there needs to be real authenticity in that desire to change them,” she said.
“I’ve had a bit of a shocking five months ... And I hope that going forward I will be a stronger leader than this. I will be a more compassionate leader ... I’m ready to jump back in again.”
READ MORE:Long read – Who is Christine Holgate?
Jess Malcolm6.32pm:WA woman ‘recovering well’ after blood clot
Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles has confirmed a woman who developed blood clotting after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine is “recovering well”.
The woman in her 40s is the second case of blood clotting linked to the vaccine after the Therapeutic Goods Administration today confirmed today she developed a rare clotting disorder after receiving the jab in Western Australia.
She was transferred to Darwin earlier this month after presenting with stroke-like symptoms in a regional north WA hospital.
“She is recovering well in Royal Darwin Hospital and we wish her and her family all of our thoughts,” Ms Fyles said.
“First and foremost with medical care, and it’s not uncommon to see patients from northern Western Australia come across to the Northern Territory as the closest tertiary hospital.
“She was cared for in Royal Darwin Hospital and it was upon her care and clinical presentation that they realised there may be a correlation with the vaccination, so we have seen the TGA confirmed today that her clinical incident was as a result of being vaccinated.”
Ms Fyles reiterated that the rates of blood clotting associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine are still very low.
“It’s important for people to note that this is only the second presentation in Australia and around 400,000 people have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, but still very concerning for her family and we wish her all the best.”
READ MORE: Second clots case ‘likely linked to AZ’
AFP6.18pm:Fancy a pint? Britain opens for business
Britain has hit a target to offer a COVID-19 vaccine dose to all over-50s by mid-April, as England’s lockdown-weary population toasted a significant easing of restrictions with early morning pints and much-needed haircuts.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain had passed “another hugely significant milestone” after confirming a jab had been offered to all over-50s, the clinically vulnerable and health and social care workers, ahead of a self-imposed April 15 deadline.
“That means more than 32 million people have been given the precious protection vaccines provide against COVID-19,” he said, adding efforts would focus on delivering second doses and offering all adults an initial shot by August.
Adeshola Ore 5.50pm:Holgate hearing wraps for day, but more to come
The Senate committee investigating the ousting of Australia Post’s former chief executive Christine Holgate has concluded for the day.
Chair of the inquiry Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young confirmed there would be another day of hearings after today’s session ran overtime.
Ms Holgate told the inquiry she had been bullied out of the job and humiliated by Scott Morrison in parliament in the wake of the Cartier watches scandal.
She said board member Tony Nutt told her the Prime Minister had requested she stand aside.
She also called for Australia Post chairman Lucio Bartolomeo to resign after she accused him of fabricating evidence about her departure. But he told the inquiry he would not leave the postal service.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said neither he or the board had encouraged Ms Holgate’s resignation and pointed to intense media security as a key reason behind her departure. He said Communications Minister Paul Fletcher had contacted him on the day the purchasing of the Cartier watches had been revealed at Senate estimates and requested Ms Holgate should step aside — an instruction he said he did not interpret as a direction.
He conceded Ms Holgate had been treated “abysmally” but said Australia Post did not owe her an apology.
Adeshola Ore 4.36pm:Record corrected, but I didn’t lie to Senate: Aus Post chair
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo says he has never lied to Senate estimates after former chief executive Christine Holgate accused him of fabricating evidence about her departure.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said he had never lied when giving evidence to Senate estimates. He said Ms Holgate had picked up comments he had given to a hearing where he gave evidence that was “not 100 per cent accurate.” But he said the record had been corrected.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said one instance related to a letter that was sent by Ms Holgate to Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and whether he had seen it. Mr Di Bartolomeo previously said he had not seen the letter, but had since corrected the record.
He said in relation to a report by Boston Consulting Group, he had in fact seen it despite previously claiming he had not read the report.
Adeshola Ore 4.23pm:Aus Post board ‘did not leak’ resignation: chairman
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo says the organisation’s board did not leak the news about Ms Holgate’s resignation to the media in November.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan pressed Mr Di Bartolomeo on how he could claim her resignation was dealt with “delicately” when it was reported on Sky News 30 minutes after he had informed Communications Minister Paul Fletcher about her departure.
“Senator we did not leak any information to Sky News or anyone else,” Mr Di Bartolomeo said.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said the small number of people who knew of resignation were “tied up” when the news was first reported on Sky News.
Australia Post’s General Counsel Nick Macdonald said the organisation had not undertaken an internal investigation about the leaking of the news.
Jared Lynch 4.14pm:I take exception to the word ‘bonus’: Di Bartolomeo
Australia Post doesn’t pay “bonuses” to staff, chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo told a Senate inquiry into Christine Holgate’s ousting from the postal service.
“I take exception to the word bonus being used because it tends to imply … we’ll give out money for the heck of it,” Mr Di Bartolomeo said.
“The reality is we recruit people, largely from the private sector, in a marketplace with people who have the experience to deal with what we have to do.
“The contract we enter into is quite clearly laid out and says ‘this is your fixed annual remuneration’, whatever the number is, and a proportion of that — and that varies on what level you sit in the organisation — is the STI measured against a number of KPIs (key performance indicators).”
READ MORE:‘Humiliated’: Holgate felt suicidal after ousting
Jared Lynch 3.57pm:I won’t resign: AusPost head refuses Holgate’s call
Australia Post chief executive Lucio Di Bartolomeo says he won’t resign from the postal service’s board, despite Ms Holgate calling him for do so after accusing him of misleading the Senate.
“I think that Australia Post has been taken through a very difficult patch and my view is, and until I believe differently, I will not be resigning,” he said.
“I certainly don’t believe it would help. I think it would further hinder the organisation going forward.”
Adeshola Ore 3.55pm:Search for new CEO began as soon as Holgate resigned
Australia Post began searching for a new chief executive immediately after Ms Holgate resigned last November, chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo says.
On Monday, Australia Post announced it had appointed Woolworths Group executive Paul Graham as its new chief executive. He will begin his new role in September.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said Mr Graham’s announcement was approved by the government last week.
He said Australia Post had hoped the process would have been completed earlier so there would have been “more air” between the announcement and the commencement of the Senate inquiry.
READ MORE:AusPost finds new CEO at Woolies
Adeshola Ore 3.45pm:Fletcher’s request to stand down Holgate ‘not a direction’
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo says he did not interpret a pre-Question Time phone call from Communications Minister Paul Fletcher requesting he stand down Christine Holgate as a direction.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said a board meeting was held at 4pm on that day.
“I said it will be far better for both her and us if she stood aside and just simply for four weeks as we dealt with the investigation that was going to take place,” he said.
Labor Senator Kim Carr has pressed Mr Di Bartolomeo on why he didn’t interpret Communications Minister Paul Fletcher’s request that Ms Holgate be stood down as a direction.
On the day the purchasing of the Cartier watches was revealed in Senate estimates, Scott Morrison told parliament that Ms Holgate could “go” if she didn’t wish to stand aside.
“We didn’t take it as a direction but we understood what was said,” Mr Di Bartolomeo told the Senate inquiry.
He said there are formal processes for a direction to be given and Mr Fletcher had not activated the formal process when he requested Ms Holgate be stood down.
Adeshola Ore 3.28pm:‘I didn’t speak to PM’: Aus Post chairman
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo has faced questioning over his phone calls with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher on the day the purchasing of the watches were revealed in Senate estimates.
He told the inquiry Mr Fletcher called him on October 22, before Question Time, and requested he stand down Ms Holgate.
He said Mr Fletcher did not indicate to him that he had spoken to the Prime Minister.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said he has never spoken to Mr Morrison about the issue or any other matter.
Adeshola Ore 3.15pm:Australia Post doesn’t owe Holgate an apology: chairman
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo has refused to offer former chief executive Christine Holgate a public apology after she claimed she was bullied out of her job.
Ms Holgate has also accused Mr Di Bartolomeo of fabricating evidence about her departure, disputing his claim that she agreed to stand aside via a phone call.
“I think Christine Holgate has been treated abysmally, but I believe the board and management did the right things by her,” Mr Di Bartolomeo said.
“I don’t believe Australia Post owes her an apology but I do believe she’s been badly treated.”
Nicholas Jensen 3.05pm:‘No ‘significant’ drop in AstraZeneca appointments: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt says revised advice on AstraZeneca vaccine did not lead to a large drop in appointments.
“We had anticipated potentially a significant drop, but that’s not what we’ve seen at this stage.”
Mr Hunt also responded to questions related to the supply and use of the Novavax vaccine, saying “they still need to complete their trials but there are early promising results”.
Adeshola Ore 3.00pm:‘Exceptional’ Cartier watches didn’t contravene reward policies
Australia Post chair Lucio Mr Di Bartolomeo says “increasingly acute public scrutiny” contributed to Christine Holgate’s resignation.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said Australia’s Post was in a “better” position than when Ms Holgate arrived.
He said the purchasing of the four watches, totalling more than $20,000, was an “error of judgment, made in good faith.”
Mr Di Bartolomeo said the value of the four Cartier watches was “unique”.
He said he was not aware of incentivised gifts given by former chief executive Ahmed Fahour.
Licensed Post Office Group executive director Angela Cramp previously told the inquiry that Mr Fahour had gifted employees a “five-star, luxury jaunt” to the Olympics in 2012.
Jared Lynch 2.58pm:‘Exceptional’ Cartier watches didn’t contravene reward policies
Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo says Christine Holgate didn’t “contravene” any policies in rewarding four senior executives Cartier watches in recognition on securing a $66m a year banking deal.
But Mr Di Bartolomeo said the watches were exceptional.
“The investigation that we looked at shows that there are rewards being given. Most of our policies very much limit those rewards,” Mr Di Bartolomeo said.
“These (Cartier watch) gifts were exceptions to that.”
Adeshola Ore2.56pm:AusPost chair denies ‘encouraging’ Holgate to quit
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo is now in front of the Senate inquiry into former chief executive Christine Holgate’s departure.
Ms Holgate has accused Mr Di Bartolomeo of unlawfully standing her down to protect his position from “political peril.”
But Mr Di Bartolomeo told the Senate inquiry that neither he or the board had encouraged her resignation.
He said Ms Holgate was a highly valued and dedicated CEO at Australia Post.
He said when Ms Holgate “agreed to step aside” last October the objective was, subject to the findings of the investigation, for her to resume her role.
Mr Di Bartolomeo said the “increasingly acute public scrutiny” had contributed to Ms Holgate’s resignation.
Nicholas Jensen2.41pm: Hunt ‘pleased’ with 56,379 shots in past day
Health Minister Greg Hunt has provided an update on the national vaccination program after saying he was saddened by yesterday’s death of an Australian with COVID-19, adding “it reminds us of the extraordinary difference between Australia and overseas.”
Mr Hunt said there have been 56,379 vaccines administered in the last 24 hours, which “the government was particularly pleased about”.
“That makes a national total of 1,234,681 vaccines administered, with approximately 577,000 administered through the states. 16,000 vaccines have been administered in the last 24 hours and 656,000 throughout the commonwealth, with 40,000 delivered across primary care and aged care in the last 24 hours.
“For aged care doses we now have 1152 facilities with first doses and another 555 that have had a second dose,” he said.
Mr Hunt said the government was continuing to modify its under 50s vaccine rollout, saying: “We have already held one workshop with states and territories last week and there is a further meeting today … that is about making sure we prepare options for the under 50s.”
“But for the central part of phase 1B, the over 70s and 80s, and for the central part of phase 2A, the over 50s and 60s, that remains at its core continuing in that same manner of process.”
Therapeutic Goods Administration deputy secretary John Skerritt also confirmed a second blood clotting case believed to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying the case occurred in a woman aged in her 40s, who was vaccinated in Western Australia.
Professor Skerritt said that the “initial imaging was a bit ambiguous and some of the blood tests were redone to confirm results” but it did confirm that we have a second case of this syndrome that we call thrombosis clotting, a short and low level of platelets that is unusual.
“To put this in perspective, of the more than 1.2 million doses of vaccine administered, 700,000 or more have been administered AstraZeneca”.
“That means that two from 700,000 or one in 350,000 … that is an extremely remote and unlikely event,” he said.
“It is a very rare finding.”
Professor Skerritt said there does not appear to be any other clotting related cases related to the vaccine in Australia.
While he did not discuss the woman’s specific conditions, he said she was stable and that pre-existing conditions related to blood clotting could well explain the adverse reaction.
Asked whether an accelerated rollout would open the borders sooner, Mr Hunt said even full vaccination was no guarantee to opening borders immediately.
“Vaccination alone is no guarantee that you can open up, and this is a discussion I had with Professor Brendan Murphy in just the last 24 hours, that if the whole country was vaccinated, you couldn’t just open the borders, we still have to look at a series of different factors.”
“Transmission, longevity and the global impact are factors which the world is learning about.”
Professor Skerritt said refrigeration changes will help avert delays, allowing the Pfizer vaccine to be shipped at a higher temperature and to be rolled out “quicker particularly in rural and remote areas”.
READ MORE: Second clots case ‘likely linked to AstraZeneca’
Jared Lynch2.22pm:AusPost HR boss says Holgate sacked unlawfully
Australia Post human resources boss Susan Davies has backed Christine Holgate’s claim that chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo stood her down unlawfully.
Ms Davies appeared before a senate inquiry into Ms Holgate’s ousting from Australia Post, wearing a white blazer, appearing to support the Wear White 2 Unite campaign, that licensed post offices have organised in support of Ms Holgate.
Ms Davies said she was not aware of any conversations Ms Holgate had with Mr Di Bartolomeo in which she agreed to stand down.
Ms Davies was with Ms Holgate in a private car travelling from Canberra to Sydney after appearing at a senate committee in which the Cartier watch gifts to executives were revealed. It was in that time frame in which Mr Di Bartolomeo said Ms Holgate agreed to step aside.
“She was still quite adamant that she didn’t want to stand down at that stage,” Ms Davies told the senate hearing.
“She was very distressed when we left the Senate and she became more distressed obviously as the afternoon went on and the event started to unfold.
Ms Davies said she was the “primary person” to support Ms Holgate during the “harrowing” time.
Asked by Labor Senator Kim Carr how well Australia Post had provided a duty of care to Ms Holgate, Ms Davies replied “that’s a difficult question.”
Ms Davies says the ousting of Ms is an “unprecedented situation”.
Ms Davies has revealed that the media coverage the day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison stand aside “or go” over the Cartier watch saga, in particular a cartoon in the Australian Financial Review depicting Ms Holgate as a prostitute.
“The media attention that she got on that Saturday morning, which I would describe as her very lowest point when she was depicted in the media as a prostitute,” Ms Davies said.
“That was her lowest point and I was there. I was extremely concerned for Christine on that Saturday morning and I organised for her to have support, medical support and counselling support.”
When asked by Senator Carr about Australia Post’s duty of care to staff, including the chief executive, Ms Davies said it was an unprecedented situation.
“All I can say is that we do care for our employees greatly.
“We have many policies, procedures in place to care for our people and to make sure that our people have the right to care and support.
“This is an unprecedented situation with, certainly the CEO of the organisation. But I certainly feel that Australia Post absolutely supports people and has a duty of care”.
— With Adeshola Ore
READ MORE: Holgate to wear white to back ‘suffragette’ protest
ROSIE LEWIS2.08pm:Government needs to get its act together on rollout
Anthony Albanese says the government “needs to get its act together” on the vaccine rollout, accusing it of releasing confused information and not being transparent.
“This is a government that isn’t telling people how many people have been vaccinated with Pfizer or with AstraZeneca. This is GPs don’t know when they’re getting their vaccine and how many,” the Opposition Leader said.
“We have people with disabilities who should have been included in the first wave of people getting access to a vaccine that haven’t been getting it. We have people working in the aged care sector, essential workers, who are being told that now they’re not being given the vaccine by the commonwealth, they have to just go to their GP.
“This government needs to get its act together. The information needs to be clear and transparent and I think that the decision by the government to walk away from that transparency is a major issue.”
READ MORE: Australia rules out one-jab vaccine
Anthony Piovesan2.02pm: Lawyers to rule on quarantine exemptions
Under new rules, international arrivals entering quarantine will have their exemption requests reviewed by a team of lawyers, with the process expected to take just 24 hours.
READ the full story here
Nicholas Jensen 1.25pm: WA Covid case transferred to Perth hospital
Western Australia has reported no new local cases of COVID-19, with two cases detected in hotel quarantine and a third in seaman transferred from the Pilbara to hospital in Perth.
The two hotel quarantine cases were detected in a female in her 20s and a male in his 40s.
The third case was a Filipino seaman in his 50s, who was transferred from a bulk carrier anchored off the Pilbara. He is currently in isolation in the Royal Perth Hospital.
WA Health is currently monitoring 11 active cases of COVID-19, with 417 people getting tested for the virus.
WA Health has administered 68,895 COVID-19 vaccinations, including 12,963 people who have received both doses.
Yesterday, 1751 people were vaccinated across the state.
READ MORE: Dreams destroyed in cyclone nightmare
Jared Lynch1.18pm:Review into watch gifts ‘a sham’
Christine Holgate has labelled a review into the Cartier watch saga and other Australia Post expenses was a “sham”.
The review, commissioned by the Communications and Finance departments and completed by law firm Maddocks, found no examples of dishonesty or fraud from Ms Holgate. But she still criticised the process.
She said the investigators did not look at any of the other executive team expenses, despite been in the scope of the investigation.
“It was a sham the whole review. It was supposed to be, in fact the Prime Minister, I think is quoted in Parliament as saying ‘if there are issues with the board, they will look at them’, then it was not just about me. It was looking at governance,” she said.
“Yet on the day I was interviewed, they (the investigators) hadn’t even met the general counsel or the chief financial officer (of Australia Post).
“I was the only person who was subject to that interview. Obviously my EA (executive assistant) was interrogated and harassed. We were treated like criminals.”
Adeshola Ore1.03pm:Board had a duty to ‘test’ Holgate resignation
Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate says no board member “tested” whether her resignation was authentic while she was on sick leave.
Ms Holgate said the board members, many who are lawyers, would be aware of the Fair Work obligation to “test” someone’s resignation during sick leave.
Earlier she revealed she was contemplating she was contemplating suicide and was taking temazepam, a medication to treat insomnia after Scott Morrison “humiliated” her in parliament in October.
“They have an obligation of duty to, if somebody offers to resign, to test if that resignation is real. There was no testing. The chair never called me,” she said.
Jared Lynch12.59pm: ‘I should have given staff Seiko, not Cartier watches’
Christine Holgate has scotched rumours that somebody was out to get her, leaking to Labor Senator Kimberly Kitching that she rewarded four senior executives Cartier watches.
Her comments were in response to questions from Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson who asked if she had any “suspicion as to the identity of any current or former Australia Post employee who would have access to that sort of information about the watches”.
“Just about everybody on the 19th floor of (Australia Post’s) Bourke Street (headquarters), and the top 100 managers of Australia Post,” Ms Holgate said, adding thousands of people knew and it was “unfair to speculate” on where the information came from.
The Cartier watches were gifted in 2018 to the executives who secured a banking deal worth $66m year.
Ms Holgate said the watches were “probably the cheapest of the Cartier watch range” but conceded she would have been better off if she had bought Seiko watches for the executives.
Asked by Nationals Senator Matt Canavan if in hindsight she would have purchased the Cartier watches, Ms Holgate said she “probably” would have gifted Seiko watches.
“But am I proud of the moment that I gave those people recognition for working 24 hours a day? I think that’s what you would want your CEO to do,” Ms Holgate said.
Jared Lynch 12.43pm: ‘Lying AusPost chair must be sacked’
Christine Holgate has called for Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo to be sacked or resign, given he “continues to lie”.
“You cannot have a chair who misleads the executive, misleads ministers and misleads the board,” Ms Holgate said.
“It’s not just executives having somebody, or the government having somebody, all of us in this room need somebody that we can trust is telling the truth.”
Ms Holgate claims Mr Di Bartolomeo lied about her agreeing to stand down from Australia Post, about reading a “secret” Boston Consulting Group report commissioned by the government, and over executive bonus payments.
Mr Di Bartolomeo is listed to give evidence at the senate inquiry this afternoon.
READ MORE:Holgate felt suicidal after ousting
Adeshola Ore12.16pm: Australia Post board ‘lacks independence’
Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate says the board of Australia Post lacks independence.
Asked by Labor Senator Kimberly Kitching if she was saying she did not believe the board was independent, Ms Holgate replied “yes.
“There is only one person on the board who was appointed independently and that’s Jan West,” Ms Holgate said.
“Everybody else was appointed by the current government.”
Ms Holgate said board member Andrea Staines was appointed by Communications Minister Paul Fletcher.
“I am aware that it was Minister Fletcher’s direction that she was appointed.”
She said Mario D’Orazio was a “personal friend” of former finance minister Mathias Cormann.
Ms Holgate said board member Tony Nutt, who was an adviser to John Howard, had told her she needed to stand down.
“I was told: ‘Christine, you need to understand it was the Prime Minister’.”
But she said Mr Nutt was the “most balanced” board member despite being a senior adviser to Mr Howard for more than a decade.
READ MORE: No more rock star CEOs for AusPost
Jared Lynch 12.07pm: I was suicidal after PM’s comments, Holgate says
Christine Holgate has confirmed that she was contemplating suicide after Prime Minister Scott Morrison humiliated her in parliament last October.
She told senators she was taking temazepam, a medication to treat insomnia.
“I was seriously ill. I was on temazepam. I was suicidal, you know.”
Lifeline 13 11 14
Nicholas Jensen12.04pm: Second blood clot case ‘likely’ linked to AstraZeneca
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has concluded that a recently reported case of blood clots is likely linked to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The case has been reported in a woman in her 40s who was vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Western Australia.
The report marks Australia’s second case of a “thrombosis with thrombocytopenia” following the administering of the vaccine.
The TGA confirmed this morning that the woman remains in hospital receiving ongoing treatment and remains in a stable condition.
READ the full story here
Jared Lynch 11.59am:Holgate calls for Telstra records to back her story
Christine Holgate has disputed Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo’s claim that she agreed to stand aside via a phone call, and asked Telstra to provide evidence to support her version of events.
Ms Holgate asked Senators to instruct Telstra to provide audio recordings of her phone calls with Mr Di Bartolomeo which she said would reveal that she never agreed to stand aside over the Cartier watch saga.
“I used to be a senior executive at Telstra. We used to work with the police very closely. I think what would be extremely helpful if we could ask Telstra if they have the recordings,” she said.
“There was no phone call with me agreeing to stand down.”
Ms Holgate also said she was silenced from speaking out against a government-commissioned report that would have led to 8000 job losses at Australia Post and 190 post office closures.
Ms Holgate appeared before a Senate inquiry into her ousting from the postal service last November. In response to questions from Senator Kim Carr over a “secret” review that Boston Consulting Group completed on behalf of the government, Ms Holgate said she was forbidden by Mr Di Bartolomeo and the government from speaking out against the report.
Adeshola Ore11.53am:No questions raised when Fahour lavished gifts on staff
Licensed Post Office Group executive director Angela Cramp said former Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour had given gifts instead of bonuses during 2012 at taxpayer’s expense.
Licensed Post Office Group has previously backed Ms Holgate, claiming that if she had not made changes to Australia Post they would be out of business.
Ms Cramp told the senate inquiry that Mr Fahour had gifted employees a “five-star, luxury jaunt” to the Olympics in 2012.
Ms Cramp said “there was not an eyebrow raised.”
Adeshola Ore11.37am:AusPost staff ‘proud’ of Cartier watches deal
Christine Holgate says no Australia Post employees or board members raised concerns with her about the purchasing of the four Cartier watches. The watches were gifts following Australia Post’s securing of a deal with three major banks.
“On the contrary, everybody was very proud. It was a defining moment in our history. It was the largest capital investment into the company by an outside organisation,” Ms Holgate said.
She said she did not know who had told Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching about the purchasing of the watches.
Asked by Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie what it would take for Ms Holgate to return to Australia Post as the chief executive, she said “the chair would have to go.”
“I cannot work for a chair that lies in the Senate and does not have integrity.”
Ms Holgate said it was “absolutely” in her authority to gift four managers the Cartier watches which totalled almost $20,000.
“There is no question that it wasn’t in my authority. They were rewards for four people,” she said.
She said chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo was aware of the purchasing of the watches.
READ MORE: Business conditions hit record high in March
Adeshola Ore 11.22am: Media ‘depicted Holgate as a prostitute’
Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate says gender played a role in her ousting.
Speaking in front of a Senate inquiry about her departure, Ms Holgate pointed to double standards over the treatment she had received in the wake of the Cartier watches scandal compared to MPs accused of sexual assault and harassment.
“Members of Parliament who have been accused of the most terrible atrocities to women, proven with one of them, and they’re allowed to stand and still remain in their jobs and represent our country. I was forced to stand down,” she said.
Ms Holgate said she had been depicted as a “prostitute” in the media following the revelations.
“I have never seen any male public servant depicted in that way. So do I believe it’s partially a gender issue? You’re absolutely right I do,” she said.
“But do I believe the real problem here is bullying and harassment and abuse of power? You’re absolutely right I do.”
Labor Senator Kim Carr asked if the “real reason” Ms Holgate experienced the treatment she described was due to her opposition to the privatisation of Australia Post.
Ms Holgate replied: “I think it would be fair to say, Senator, I wasn’t popular.”
READ MORE: Philip knew real suffering, unlike Sussexes
Nicholas Jensen11.17am:NSW records zero local virus cases
NSW has recorded no local cases of COVID-19, with five cases detected in hotel quarantine.
There were 5510 test results received across the state in the last 24 hours.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) April 13, 2021
Five new cases were acquired overseas, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,155.
There were 5,510 tests reported to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/D88C3yFxio
Health officials are currently monitoring 54 active cases, none of whom are in ICU.
94 per cent of these cases are being treated in non-acute, out-of-hospital care, including returned travellers in the Special Health Accommodation
NSW Health said 4359 vaccinations were administered yesterday, bringing the state total to 155,894.
READ MORE: War of words over Scrabble slurs
Adeshola Ore10.58am:‘I was bullied out of my job at AusPost’
Christine Holgate says she lost her job at Australia Post because she was “humiliated” by Scott Morrison for “committing no offence.”
Ms Holgate has begun giving her opening remarks in front of a Senate inquiry.
She accused Australia Post chairman of bullying and lied by providing fabricated evidence about her departure.
“Lucio Di Bartolomeo unlawfully stood me down under public direction of the Prime Minister,” she said.
“The simple truth is, I was bullied out of my job.”
She said this made her position at Australia Post untenable and resulted in her deteriorating health.
Ms Holgate accused Mr Di Bartolomeo of fabricating evidence after her departure.
“I believe he did so to save his own position from political peril.”
“He also lied about very important matters relating to the future of Australia Post,” she said.
“This must not be allowed to stand. Australia Post is a vital national asset and one which I passionately believe serve the Australian people, their economy and their individual communities in hugely important ways.”
Ms Holgate said he hoped the legacy of the Senate inquiry would be to stamp out “bullying, lying and intimidation.”
Ms Holgate says she was “unlawfully stood down” from her role as Australia Post chief executive after Scott Morrison called for her to stand aside.
After the revelations about the gifting of four Cartier watches in October, the Prime Minister called for Ms Holgate to go if she didn’t “wish” to stand aside.
Ms Holgate said she was “unlawfully stood down” because of Mr Morrison’s instruction.
She said the Prime Minister had never spoken to her directly, despite his office being provided with evidence she gave to the Senate.
Ms Holgate said she did believe Mr Morrison was “briefed properly” about the revelations about the Cartier watches.
“You would have hoped I may have deserved the opportunity for either the ministers or the Prime Minister to speak to me. Neither did,” she told the inquiry.
Adeshola Ore10.44am: Holgate set to break silence on AusPost exit
Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate is due to give evidence before a Senate inquiry this morning to examine the issues surrounding her departure.
On the eve of the inquiry, Australia Post announced it had appointed Woolworths Group executive Paul Graham as its new chief executive. He will begin his new role in September.
Ms Holgate resigned from the role in November after it was revealed four managers had been given Cartier watches totalling almost $20,000.
Last week, Ms Holgate broke her silence on her ousting and claimed she had been bullied out of her role following the revelations. She accused Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo of lying to parliament and “humiliating” her.
READ MORE: Ousting of Australia Post chief ‘a precedent’
Charlie Peel 10.42am: Queensland records another Covid death
Queensland has recorded its seventh death due to COVID-19 after an 80-year-old man who returned to Australia from the Philippines died in hospital.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the man had tested positive for the virus during his fifth day in hotel quarantine and was admitted to hospital on March 25.
He had returned to Australia via Papua New Guinea, but Dr Young said he acquired the virus in the Philippines, where he had been living.
Sadly, a seventh person with COVID-19 has died. The 80-year-old returned traveller died in hospital, after contracting coronavirus overseas. He was diagnosed while in hotel quarantine and admitted to hospital on 25 March.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) April 13, 2021
Queensland recorded two new cases of the virus overnight, both in hotel quarantine.
The extra restrictions put in place since the lockdown of Brisbane before Easter are due to be lifted on Thursday if no new community acquired cases of the virus are found.
READ MORE: Kerry seeks green pact with Beijing
Jade Gailberger 9.48am: ‘Sooky la-la’: Barnaby Joyce lashes Malcolm Turnbull
Barnaby Joyce has slammed Malcolm Turnbull as “sooky”, after the former prime minister claimed a ferocious media campaign led to his ousting.
The take-down comes after Mr Turnbull on Monday fronted a Senate inquiry into media diversity.
There, he aired his grievances about News Corp – the publisher of The Australian – saying the media company contributed to his dumping.
“A ferocious campaign was launched by the Murdoch media … and the government crumbled, they could not take the heat,” Mr Turnbull told the committee.
But Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who served as deputy prime minister in the Turnbull government, accused Mr Turnbull of having a selective view of history.
“Malcolm was not removed by a paper, he was removed by his colleagues,” Mr Joyce told 2GB on Tuesday.
“This is just sooking. It’s sooky, sooky, sooky, la land. The people make decisions.”
Mr Joyce and Mr Turnbull’s relationship turned sour in early 2018 amid revelations he had an affair and was now expecting a baby with his former staffer.
“A lot of his colleagues might talk about Malcolm’s bullying,” Mr Joyce said.
“When he went out and gave a speech about Barnaby Joyce, the woe to all women, on public radio and at a press conference.
“I mean what do you call that, looking out for one of your colleagues?” — NCA Newswire
READ MORE:Turnbull tucks in for a busy week
Nicholas Jensen 9.45am:Victoria records no new virus cases
Victoria has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
Victorian health officials received 10,338 test results yesterday and are currently monitoring three active cases.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) April 12, 2021
- 2,426 vaccine doses were administered
- 10,338 test results were received
Got symptoms? Get tested.
More later: https://t.co/0xmnS4N9DN#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/zohPmDYrss
Yesterday health officials administered 2426 vaccine doses, bringing the state’s total to 147,798 inoculations.
READ MORE: Asthma drug ‘speeds Covid recovery’
Nicholas Jensen9.24am: Upper Hunter ‘not open to reconsidering coal mines’
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has rejected claims that the Upper Hunter is open to reconsidering coal mine approvals after a new poll released by the Australia Institute said 57 per cent of voters in the region supported Malcolm Turnbull’s call for a moratorium on new mines.
“If that position was so popular in the Hunter,” Senator Canavan told Sky News, “why does almost every political party try and pre preselect a coal miner in the region?”
“And if that was really the case why doesn’t Malcolm Turnbull run (in Upper Hunter) on that platform?”
Senator Canavan said he regretted the circumstances that triggered the by-election in the Upper Hunter, but added “the Nationals have done the right thing to suspend Michael Johnsen as these allegations came to light.”
Senator Canavan said the Nationals remained determined to support the jobs and prosperity of the Upper Hunter Region.
“Regional Australia desperately needs voices in government that stand up for their jobs, fight for their industries and always speak the truth,” he said.
Senator Canavan also criticised the prospect of a net zero emission target, describing it as a “scam that only helps the Chinese Communist Party”.
“I’m dead set against zero because it’s the biggest scam since you last received an email from Nigeria,” he said.
“I don’t think we should put massive, big Chinese red handcuffs on our industry and our jobs, and give a free ride to a country that is threatening the security and democracy of our region.”
READ MORE: Editorial — Softly, softly on climate may deliver elusive results
Adeshola Ore9.08am:Nation ‘held hostage’ by botched vaccine rollout
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten says Australians are being “held hostage” by the vaccine rollout.
The federal government has refused to set fresh vaccine rollout targets after it changed its health advice to state that the Pfizer COVID vaccine is preferred for Australians aged under 50 due to rare blood clotting linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Australians are being held hostage by a botched vaccine rollout. The Morrison Government must restore confidence and vaccinate our frontline workers. #auspolpic.twitter.com/ENR8BZOCUc
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) April 12, 2021
Mr Shorten said the delays in the vaccine rollout had undermined the confidence of Australians, particularly young people.
“People were hoping that the vaccines were a path or a ticket back to normal. But now we find out that travel might not be a thing until 2024,” he told Channel 9.
“A lot of people are saying well, “if there’s a problem with one vaccine or if there’s a cloud over it, maybe I just shouldn’t get vaccinated at all”. That has really undermined the whole process.”
“The reality is that Australians are being held hostage to a botched vaccine rollout”
READ MORE: Creighton — Getting back to our BC (Before Covid) world
Adeshola Ore8.37am: New AusPost boss timing ‘beggars belief’
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has lashed Australia Post’s announcement of its new chief executive the day before its former boss appears before a senate inquiry as “appalling.”
On Monday, Australia Post announced it had appointed Woolworths Group executive Paul Graham as its new chief executive. He will begin his new role in September.
The former boss, Christine Holgate, will today appear before a Senate inquiry that will investigate her departure. She resigned from the role in November in the wake of Cartier watches saga and has since claimed she was bullied out of the role following the revelations.
Senator McKenzie, who is part of the inquiry, said the timing of Australia Post’s announcement about its new chief executive was “appalling”.
“It’s hard not to view that announcement cynically given the timing,” she told ABC Radio.
“It beggars belief.”
Senator McKenzie said it was a “tragedy” that Ms Holgate was no longer the chief executive of Australia Post.
“Ms Holgate acted within her authority as CEO and it is right and proper that senators have a chance to prosecute those questions and to actually hold the chair of Australia Post to account.”
Ms Holgate is expected to appear at the Senate inquiry from 10.30am today.
READ MORE: AusPost shops at Woolies for new CEO
Adeshola Ore 8.04am: Single-dose vaccine ruled out for Australia
The Australian government has ruled out purchasing Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose COVID vaccine for the nation’s rollout, citing its similarity to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The federal government had been in talks with Johnson & Johnson about acquiring its doses to boost the rollout after rare side blood clotting effects were linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
A spokesperson for Health Minister Greg Hunt said the vaccine would not be purchased because of its similarity to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“The government does not intend to purchase any further adenovirus vaccines at this time,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Last week the federal government secured an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The commonwealth has deals in place with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Novavax, but the Novavax vaccine has not been approved yet.
READ MORE: Brisbane biotech gets green light for rapid Covid test
Nicholas Jensen7.52am:Regeneron ‘reduces risk of infection within households’
Pharmaceutical giant Regeneron is seeking US approval for its COVID-19 “antibody cocktail” as a preventive treatment for the virus, after it helped reduce the risk of symptomatic infections in households where someone else is infected.
According to the company’s trial data, its product REGEN-COV protects household contacts from exposure to COVID-19, with 72 per cent protection against symptomatic infections in the first week and 93 per cent thereafter.
Regeneron said the treatment reduced the overall risk of progressing to symptomatic COVID-19 by 31 per cent, and by 76 per cent after the third day.
The drug maker has engaged Swiss company Roche, as it plans to use its biotech facility in South San Francisco to make approximately two million doses annually.
While the “antibody cocktail” already holds emergency US approval for COVID-19 patients, the company is hoping the latest trials will convince regulators to expand its approval to other products.
“These data suggest that REGEN-COV can complement widespread vaccination strategies, particularly for those at high risk of infection,” US COVID-19 Prevention Network director Myron Cohen said.
READ MORE:Qantas eyes October takeoff as planned
Nicholas Jensen7.35am: ‘No business certainty without jab schedule’
Opposition health spokesman Mark Butler has attacked the government’s decision to abandon its vaccination schedule, saying it’s refusing to provide the support and certainty businesses require during a pandemic.
“The main problem is Australians and Australian businesses are having right now is that communication channels from the government have shut down,’’ Mr Butler told the ABC this morning.
“The government is raising the white flag on producing a plan with clear timelines and clear targets that give businesses the confidence about when they’ll be able to restore their interaction overseas.’’
Mr Butler also criticised the “limited range” of vaccines available, saying the government should have made more decisive steps to broaden and diversify its vaccine portfolio.
“We (Labor) have been making this point now for some time now, Australia needs more vaccine options on the table. Most other countries have been looking at five or six vaccines,” he said.
Mr Butler said the government was failing to articulate a clear and transparent message regarding the rollout, suggesting government ministers were hiding from the media.
“It’s simply not good enough for Australians to receive this information from the minister’s spokesperson,” Mr Butler said. “We’ve got a leader who’s retreated to Facebook and a minister who’s making announcements through a spokesperson without clear background information.”
“This is a critical juncture the nation faces at the moment. We’ve got a vaccine rollout that’s run off the rails and the Prime Minister needs to come clean with Australians about what the new plan is.”
READ MORE: Covid cash cow worth $10bn in business deals
Nicholas Jensen7.15am:Extra help for Michigan as virus spikes in state
The US government is preparing to dispatch more COVID-19 tests, medical supplies and personnel to the state of Michigan to help accelerate its vaccination program, as a spike in cases threatens the region’s recovery.
For more than two weeks Michigan has averaged more than 7300 new infections per day, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 database.
Hospitalisations and daily deaths have also risen.
In late November, at the height of its last surge, the state was averaging approximately 7500 cases a day.
However, Joe Biden’s administration has decided not to commit more vaccines to the state, with national distribution predicated on a state’s adult demographic.
“In states like Michigan, where we are seeing troubling metrics, we are taking action by deploying resources in four critical areas: shots in arms, personnel, testing and therapeutics,” Mr Biden’s senior COVID-19 adviser Andrew Slavitt said.
Mr Slavitt said the administration is sending Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel to help administer vaccines.
“I think if we tried to vaccinate our way out of what is happening in Michigan, we would be disappointed that it took so long for the vaccine to work, to actually have the impact,” Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said.
Dr Walensky said vaccinations could take two to six weeks to have an effect, suggesting that the best way to stop the spread was to use methods such as testing and contact tracing.
“We have to remember the fact that in the next two to six weeks, the variants we’ve seen in Michigan, those variants are also present in other states,” he said.
READ MORE: UK to examine Greensill contracts, Cameron role
Nicholas Jensen6.45am:Ireland limits AstraZeneca vaccine to over-60s
Ireland’s vaccine taskforce has recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine be limited to people over 60, following European research indicating a potential link between the vaccine and rare blood clotting events.
The taskforce’s recommendation follows several other European countries which have paused or permanently halted use of the jab among younger people following the European regulator’s ruling earlier this month.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee said the AstraZeneca vaccine was “not recommended for those aged under 60 years” after the European Medicines Agency recorded “unusual clotting events as a very rare side effect”.
Breaking: Ireland's National Immunisation Advisory Committee has recommended only people over 60 years of age should get the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine: pic.twitter.com/nSPJzmPBUZ
— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) April 12, 2021
NIAC Chair Karina Butler said the jab was “highly effective and substantially reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 disease across all age groups”, but added the committee had decided to change its advice.
“NIAC realises the need to balance the significant benefits of a national vaccination program with the very rare risk of these reported events,” Professor Butler said in a statement.
“While this is an extremely rare condition, consideration must be given to the fact that it has a very high risk of death or severe outcome.”
READ MORE:Peter Collignon — AstraZeneca jab benefits outweigh risks
Nicholas Jensen6.30am:India forced to turn to Russian COVID-19 vaccine
India’s peak drugs regulator has approved use of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use as infections surge.
India has now passed Brazil to become the nation with the second highest number of infections after the US, as the country combats a second tidal wave of infections.
The country’s panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation recommended authorisation of the vaccine earlier this week, with India administering approximately 105 million doses among a population of 1.4 billion.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is responsible for promoting the vaccine abroad, received confirmation from the Indian drug authority on Monday.
The RDIF is believed to have signed deals to produce more than 750 million doses of Sputnik V in India, potentially providing India’s third approved vaccine.
READ MORE:Coronavirus has India in its grip
Nicholas Jensen6.15am:COVID-19 infections strain Canadian hospital resources
Health officials in the Canadian province of Ontario may be forced to assess who can and cannot receive treatment for COVID-19 in ICU, as the region’s infections continue to mount, threatening hospital capacities.
The sharp increase in hospital admissions is also straining supplies of Tocilizumab, a medicine often administered to patients seriously ill with the virus.
Last week the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario told doctors that the province was considering “enacting the critical care triage protocol,” introducing new triage protocols to help doctors decide who to treat in the crisis.
However, in a statement, the province’s health ministry said it had not enacted this protocol. A September draft suggested doctors could withhold life-sustaining care from patients with a less than 20 per cent chance of surviving 12 months, with a final version not available to the public.
Ontario’s Science Advisory Table had been forecasting the surge for months.
READ MORE: COVID-19 crisis a pep pill for image of Big Pharma
Rosie Lewis5.10am:Australia ‘will lose economic war’ without timeline
Business is demanding the Morrison government commit to a new timeline for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and reconsider taxpayer-funded industry support, warning Australia “risks losing the economic war” as other countries plan their reopening.
Peak bodies whose sectors have been decimated by the coronavirus said business confidence and the return of workers to CBDs could be derailed after a rare blood clot disorder linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine saw Scott Morrison abandon an October target for Australians to have their first jab.
There were nearly 1.2 million vaccines distributed nationwide as of Sunday as the government recalibrated its vaccine program.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the absence of a vaccine timeline was more difficult to manage than a delayed one and made it very tough for businesses to plan.
“If we can’t expect specific dates, we should at least be aligning our restart plans to milestones in the vaccine rollout,” ACCI’s acting chief executive Jenny Lambert said.
Read the full story, by Rosie Lewis and Natasha Robinson, here.
Greg Brown5am:Scott Morrison getting warmer on net-zero target
Scott Morrison’s department has created a senior position to co-ordinate the government’s climate strategy and provide advice about emissions reductions, raising expectations within Coalition ranks that the Prime Minister will endorse a target of net-zero by 2050 within months.
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Philip Gaetjens last month quietly appointed James Larsen, a long-time bureaucrat, to the position of deputy secretary and climate co-ordinator, elevating the issue. He will co-ordinate the work being done on the issue by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
Mr Larsen, a former ambassador to Turkey and Israel and key adviser to former foreign minister Bob Carr, is expected to use his connections to try to alter international perceptions that Australia is a laggard on climate action.
Government sources said no decision had been made on whether Australia would adopt a target of net-zero emissions by 2050. But there is a growing expectation among Liberal MPs that Mr Morrison will commit to the target before the November UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
Read the full story, by Greg Brown and Perry Williams, here.
Patrick Commins4.45am:Australian employment vacancies hit 12-year record
National job vacancies are at a 12-year high even though the number of people on JobSeeker is 500,000 more than before the arrival of COVID-19.
Job vacancies surged by 19 per cent — or 38,200 — to 238,700 in March, new data from the National Skills Commission shows.
That was more than double the 117,200 recorded a year earlier, and more than triple the roughly 69,000 job vacancies in April.
The new data emerged as hospitality businesses said they were struggling to fill job vacancies, which would undermine their ability to expand as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Read the full story here.
Jewish leaders: put Greens last on ballot
Two of the nation’s leading Jewish groups have sought public commitments from Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton for the major parties to preference each other over the Greens at the next election.
Diplomat’s partner in post-rugby slur at cops
Footage has emerged of an Australian diplomat’s partner apparently yelling a homophobic slur at police during his arrest after the Bledisloe Cup rugby match in New Zealand last month.