PoliticsNow: Britain begins vaccine rollout, first person vaccinated
A grandmother, 90, has become the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer vaccine following its clinical approval.
- World’s first person to receive vaccine
- V-Day: Britain begins vaccine rollout
- Foreign relations bill passes
- Treasurer unveils media bargaining bill
- China extends beef export attack
- PM urges stability in recovery
Welcome to live coverage of the latest political headlines from Canberra, as well as our nation’s response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic . A grandmother, 90, has become the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer vaccine following its clinical approval as Britain’s vaccine rollout begins. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed Australia will extend its cruise ship ban until mid-March. China has broadened its attack on Australia’s $2.7b beef export trade, suspending a sixth supplier as the Morrison government was poised to pass foreign relations legislation that has angered Beijing.
Ewin Hannan 10.45pm: Union backlash over jobs shake-up
Employers will be given more power to bypass a key safeguard over pay and conditions under changes to enterprise bargaining laws that have set up a showdown between the Coalition and unions.
The government proposal was condemned by ACTU secretary Sally McManus, who said unions would “ferociously” campaign against the changes she labelled the worst attack on workers since Work Choices.
Under the industrial relations changes, backed by business, the Fair Work Commission will have greater ability to approve deals that do not comply with the Fair Work Act’s better-off-overall test.
James Madden, Geoff Chambers 10pm: Tech giants forced into media deal
Google and Facebook will be forced to pay for news content and share data collection methods with media companies and public broadcasters, under world-first laws that will deliver funding lifelines for community, regional and national outlets.
Josh Frydenberg said the government’s mandatory news media bargaining code was designed to level the playing field and ensure the “rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world”.
The Treasurer, who will put legislation into parliament on Wednesday giving him the authority to designate other companies under the code, including YouTube and Instagram, warned of the need to arrest a free-fall in traditional advertising revenue sparked by digital disruption.
Mr Frydenberg said for every $100 of online advertising spend, $53 went to Google, $28 to Facebook and $19 to other participants. “This is a huge reform. This is a world first and the world is watching what happens here in Australia,” the Treasurer said.
“Our legislation will help ensure that the rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world.
Will Glasgow 9.10pm: Beijing extends beef ban during final sitting week
China has tightened its “suspend first, ask questions later” squeeze on Australia’s $2.8bn beef export trade, blocking another supplier as the Morrison government negotiated the passage of legislation that had angered Beijing.
No reason was given for the suspension of Queensland-based abattoir Meramist, leading to speculation it was linked to the government’s Foreign Relations Bill — passed on Tuesday — that would allow Canberra to rescind Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement.
China in late August banned the family-owned meat predecessor John Dee, a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the proposed law.
Ewin Hannan 8.25pm: Kelty approves of super-union ‘divorce’ move
Laws clearing the way for the break-up of the CFMEU could be passed this week, allowing the union’s mining and energy division to split in months and leaving the militant construction division increasingly isolated.
Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has backed the right of divisions to walk away from the amalgamated Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union.
“There’s nothing wrong with divorce,” he told The Australian on Tuesday. “I think even the Catholic Church accommodates it now.”
Graham Richardson 7.40pm: Time to help the Middle East’s forgotten heroes
Islamic terrorists seem to have run out of puff.
Countries that once have supported them now turn them away.
Headlines about mass bombings and horrendous death tolls don’t appear these days.
Iraq, for example, may still be a basket case, but things are looking up with the war over and a recovery in its oil industry.
When no one is blowing up the pipelines it is not so remarkable to see the Iraqi economy show some signs of recovery.
If better times are on the way, the West may at least be able to right one of the great injustices of our times.
All the way through the conflict in Iraq the Kurdish forces fought the bad guys with purpose and ferocity. The Peshmerga, as the Kurdish fighters are called, have earned the respect and admiration of the Europeans and the Americans.
Adrian McMurray 6.48pm: Grandmother, 90, world’s first person to receive vaccine
A 90-year-old British grandmother has become the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine following its clinical approval.
Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, received the jab at 6.31am (GMT) in Coventry.
“I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19, it’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year,” she told the NHS.
She urged anyone who is offered the vaccine to take it.
Meanwhile, look who was up next …
Second patient to get the COVID jab at University Hospital Coventry - would you believe it....William Shakespeare from Warwickshire pic.twitter.com/y0LzxgbJ9w
— Hugh Pym (@BBCHughPym) December 8, 2020
READ MORE: UK aiming to ‘mix and match’ jabs
Shae McDonald 6.31pm: Aussie business fuelling virus defence
An Australian company will ship 20 million rapid COVID-19 tests overseas in the first half of 2021 after it received everyone’s favourite Christmas present, cash.
The Queensland government has thrown its weight behind the biotech sector in a bid to grow local jobs in the burgeoning industry.
It will invest in Brisbane-based businesses Ellume and Luina Bio as part of its $50 million Essential Goods and Supply Chain program.
Ellume is already manufacturing 30,000 of its 15-minute COVID-19 tests per day.
Read the full story here.
Mac Wang 6.14pm: Suburbs key to Australia’s economic recovery
COMMENT
The business landscape within Australian suburbs is typically limited to corner stores, newsagents and cafes — unlike the fast-paced, often hectic CBD areas that we might more commonly think about as the centre of a nation’s business activity. However, COVID has changed that by decentralising the economy away from CBDs.
With office workers no longer heading into the city, the pandemic has made suburbs the hot-bed of business activity. Outer suburban areas were much less affected compared to metropolitan areas.
Sydney’s CBD experienced a decline of 33 per cent in retail and recreational spending during October- November. During the same time period, suburban areas like Campbelltown, Camden and the Blue Mountains experienced increases of 12, 15 and 13 per cent, respectively across the same categories.
Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 5.43pm: Small group enters Victoria’s quarantine hotels
Just 25 people of an expected 128 have arrived on the second day of Victoria’s reset hotel quarantine program, with four of the five international flights arriving in Melbourne on Tuesday scheduled for the evening.
None of the 25 who have arrived so far on Tuesday had coronavirus symptoms, and all have therefore gone into quarantine at the Pan Pacific hotel.
Of those who arrived on Monday, six were symptomatic and ten were found to have complex health needs, with all sixteen now resident at the Novotel South Wharf “health hotel”, where suspected coronavirus cases and arrivals with other health issues are housed on separate floors.
Any positive test results from the Monday’s six symptomatic arrivals are expected to be included in daily case numbers to be released on Wednesday.
It has been 39 days since Victoria recorded any new locally acquired cases.
READ MORE: No target for ratings recovery
Jacquelin Magnay 5.35pm: Britain begins its world-first vaccine program
Britain has begun the first mass vaccination program in the world to deal with coronavirus.
V-day, as the momentous occasion has been dubbed, began on Tuesday morning across 50 hospitals and 20 other vaccination centres.
People aged over 80 and care home staff looking after the most vulnerable, as well as the thousands of people carrying out the vaccinations are eligible for the first jabs of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine which has been shown to be 95 per cent effective – but which will not be made compulsory.
Doctors are expecting as many as 400,000 people will be vaccinated within the coming days. Another four million doses are expected to be available for vaccinations of those aged in their 70s and then in their 60s by the end of the year.
Grandfather Dr Hari Shukla is one of the first to receive the vaccination and he said he was delighted to “do my bit” as he prepared for the first of two jabs, 28 days apart at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Dr Shukla, 87, said: “I’m so pleased we are hopefully coming towards the end of this pandemic and I am delighted to be doing my bit by having the vaccine.
“I feel it is my duty to do so and do whatever I can to help.”
Britain’s Prime minister Boris Johnson said he was immensely proud of the scientists who have developed the vaccine.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was now “light at the end of the tunnel”.
“We will look back on today, V-day, as a key moment in our fightback against this terrible disease,” he said.
The vaccination program is expected to continue until Easter with progressively younger age groups being eligible for the free jabs.
At the moment most of the country is under tier two or tier three lockdown measures, which severely restrict social interactions.
More than 60,000 people have died in the UK suffering with coronavirus, the Office for National Statistics says.
READ MORE: Queen the first in line for vaccine rollout
Rosie Lewis 4.15pm: Coalition MPs urge PM to make vaping accessible
Nine Coalition MPs have used the final party room meeting of the year to urge Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt to make vaping accessible to Australians, as the country moves towards a prescription-only model.
The Australian understands there was a call to delay a ban on vaping imports while the government introduces a scheme that will let people buy nicotine-based e-cigarettes at chemists with a script from their doctor.
Speaking after the party room meeting, Liberal senator Hollie Hughes, chair of the Senate’s tobacco harm reduction committee, said vaping products should be regulated similar to cigarettes.
“We have received overwhelming amounts of evidence from everyday Australians that vaping has allowed them to quit smoking,” Senator Hughes said.
“It’s improved their lives with their families, it’s improved their finances, it’s improved their mental health and wellbeing and we need to ensure that we continue to support those Australians stay off combustible tobacco and cigarettes.
“I have certainly been convinced throughout the evidence I’ve heard that a regulated market that sees vaping devices and nicotine products be considered as consumer products in the same way cigarettes currently are would be a sensible solution.”
MPs who spoke in favour of making vaping accessible included Senator Hughes, Trent Zimmerman, Eric Abetz, David Vann and Tim Wilson from the Liberal Party and Matt Canavan, Barnaby Joyce, George Christensen and Perin Davey from the Nationals.
Senator Canvan warned the government should not “experiment with people’s lives” by introducing a prescription model that no other country in the world had adopted.
“With 500,000 people using e-cigarettes, it would be madness to switch off their habit overnight,” he said.
West Australian Liberal MP Andrew Hastie expressed some caution over vaping.
Mr Hunt is a staunch opponent of vaping.
READ MORE: Prescription e-cigarettes get green light
Olivia Caisley 4.06pm: Code a ‘significant step towards fairness’: Miller
News Corp Australasia Executive Chairman Michael Miller has called Josh Frydenberg’s media code a “significant step towards fairness”.
Mr Miller said he believed the code, which will be tabled in parliament on Wednesday, will provide a framework that enables journalists and media organisations to be compensated for their work.
“All we have ever sought is a fair commercial outcome and fair payment for the valuable news content our journalists create. I believe this code puts in place the framework for this to be achieved,” he said.
“As a result of their lobbying, the tech platforms have won concessions, and there should be nothing stopping them now from reaching fair commercial agreements.”
Mr Miller said the code would benefit consumers by helping to sustain the news produced by Australian media companies.
“I understand why, in the face of the Covid crisis, the code will not be made law this year as originally planned, and I look forward to working with all participants to have the code in place in early 2021,” he said.
“I thank the ACCC, the federal government and other parties that have set Australia up to achieve this landmark piece of legislation.”
Unveiling the code on Tuesday Mr Frydenberg said the code would ensure the media landscape is “more sustainable and more viable”.
He said the terms of the contracts between the tech platforms and news organisations will be determined by both parties. However, the legislation will include a final arbitration model to resolve disputes when the tech giants and news companies fail to strike a commercial agreement.
READ MORE: Media laws: ‘World will be watching’
Adeshola Ore 3.57pm: All cruise ships banned until March 2021
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed Australia will extend its cruise ship ban until mid-March.
Mr Hunt said the government would ask the Governor-General to sign off on the extension of the country’s biosecurity laws. The three month extension, which would come into effect next week, would extend the country’s biosecurity laws until March 17.
This morning, the largest cruise ship in the country Royal Caribbean suspended Australian sailings until March.
Mr Hunt said overseas countries with surging coronavirus case numbers highlighted the need to protect the public.
“Australia won’t be fully safe until the international community is safe,” he said in Canberra.
“The risks abroad are enormous and if we don’t maintain these important protections, we won’t be protecting Australians.”
READ MORE: How a single photo inspired hyped new film
VICTORIA LAURIE 3.47pm: Perth throws doors wide open to eastern travellers
The doors of Perth airport were thrown wide open as more than 1000 travellers from New South Wales and Victoria arrived in Western Australia for the first quarantine-free visit in nearly eight months.
The arrivals on three flights from Sydney and two from Melbourne saw dozens of families reunited in emotional scenes.
Several family members, like grandmother Alison Losely, were seeing their new grandchild for the first time. Her daughter Vanessa brought her four children, including one-year-old Riley, to greet their grandmother.
The arrivals followed Premier Mark McGowan’s decision on Monday to lift the requirement for two-weeks’ quarantine for visitors and returnees from the nation’s two most populous states.
Extra police at Perth airport ensured that passengers were taken off their planes in groups of 50, processed through health checks and quickly allowed through exit gates into the embrace of waiting relatives, friends and partners.
Theology student Celeste Mitchelson, 24, was hugged by her grandparents Alan and Barbara Mitchell after she completed an internship in regional NSW and headed home.
Mr Mitchell said Premier McGowan’s delay of several days in lifting the borders last week, triggered by a NSW health scare, had caused them a few moments of concern that Celeste would not get back in time to celebrate Christmas with them.
“We were a bit panicked …(but) we’ve renovated the house while she was away.”
Celeste, who will also be able to attend a friend’s wedding on Saturday, said she noticed a big difference between WA and New South Wales in the impact of COVID-19.
“You could really see the difference our strict border had. When I left we had restaurants in Perth open, and everything was pretty normal. But over there everything was still so strict. I’m very grateful that WA stayed safe and it’s such a blessing to be able to come in without quarantining.”
The premier rejected claims that WA tourist business had suffered badly from the eight-month lockdown that had excluded all interstate and international tourists.
“Most tourist businesses have done very well this year. The inner city hotels have been the problem, and the arrivals today will give them a boost.”
“West Australians couldn’t go to Bali or Thailand, and so they spent their money here … Across the state, it’s been an extraordinarily good year for tourism.”
READ MORE: Childcare workers underpaid $80m
Greg Brown 3.32pm: Labor MP questions party on staff bullying, harassment
Labor MP Milton Dick has used caucus to question what the party was doing to help create a framework that would protect parliamentary staffers from bullying and harassment.
Mr Dick, a Right faction Queensland MP, raised the issue after an ABC Four Corners program aired concerns about the culture of Parliament House and the treatment of staff from government ministers.
There have also been unsubstantiated and anonymous allegations of bullying levelled at members of Anthony Albanese’s office.
Shadow special minister of state Don Farrell told MPs “our first obligation is to the health and safety of our staff”, according to Labor sources.
Senator Farrell said Labor was prepared to work with the government to create new standards for parliamentary staff.
Adeshola Ore 2.32pm: ‘Labor the ones who need to apologise to Rudd’
Scott Morrison says Labor are the ones who need to apologise to former prime minister Kevin Rudd, as Labor used question time to attack the Prime Minister for wrongly claiming Mr Rudd had sought border exemptions.
After the Prime Minister apologised for his error, he attacked Labor frontbenchers, including Tony Burke, who opposed Mr Rudd and led the charge to replace him with Julia Gillard in 2010.
“When it comes to the things said in offence of Mr Rudd, the Liberal party cannot compete with those opposite, Mr Speaker,” Mr Morrison told parliament.
“The member for Watson accused him of chaos, lacking temperament and inability to make decisions.”
Anthony Albanese was a loyal lieutenant to Mr Rudd throughout his time in parliament.
Mr Morrison said the Opposition Leader — who is now facing his own leadership tensions — was still in his job because the barriers Mr Rudd put up to future ALP leadership spills when he retook the top job from Ms Gillard in 2013.
“I understand the Leader of the Opposition’s affection for Mr Rudd because he has the Rudd force field around him in the protections that were put in place to keep this Leader of the Opposition in his job.”
READ MORE: Bramston — Labor at tipping point as Right bids to drive agenda
Adeshola Ore 2.18pm: Morrison: ‘I am happy to apologise to Mr Rudd’
Scott Morrison has apologised in parliament to former prime minister Kevin Rudd after he wrongly accused him of flying in and out of the country during the pandemic.
During question time, Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles said the Prime Minister had deflected attention away from stranded Australians.
On Monday, The Prime Minister sent the Clerk of the House of Representatives a letter to correct his statement on Mr Rudd when he was pressed on granting travel exemptions for Tony Abbott and former foreign minister Alexander Downer.
“Why is this Prime Minister playing politics when 39,000 Australians are stranded overseas and will not be home for Christmas?” Mr Marles asked.
Mr Morrison told parliament he had corrected the record when he was made aware of the error.
“I am happy to apologise to Mr Rudd,” he said.
“I wasn’t aware of that occasion. I was otherwise informed and I happily corrected the record to Mr Rudd
“I am always happy to treat former prime ministers with the utmost of respect and they deserve that respect.’’
READ MORE: Media laws — ‘World will be watching’
Adeshola Ore 1.56pm: Labor ‘in dark’ over media bargaining code
Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers says Labor has been left in the dark about the federal government’s proposed media bargaining code.
Mr Chalmers said Labor was open to a dialogue with the Morrison government on the proposed reforms.
“We do support efforts to get this important area of policy right,” he said.
“If the government genuinely wanted an outcome rather than another announcement, they would have engaged with us by now.”
READ MORE: Controversial courts bill shelved
Rosie Lewis 1.44pm: Foreign relations bill passes parliament
Foreign Minister Marise Payne has declared the “vast majority” of agreements between the states, councils and universities with overseas governments will not be affected by her new veto powers, after the Coalition’s final foreign relations bill passed federal parliament.
The Morrison government managed to pass its second foreign relations bill through the Senate on Tuesday with the support of crossbenchers One Nation and Jacqui Lambie.
Labor, the Greens and Stirling Griff joined with Rex Patrick to insist on an amendment that would have allowed affected entities to challenge Senator Payne’s veto decisions in court under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act.
Senator Payne said a number of transparency, scrutiny and accountability provisions had been included in the legislation, such as a review of the scheme after three years.
“There will be a register of all such arrangements. The decisions made by the foreign minister will be included on the register,” she told the Senate.
“There is an ability to claim judicial review of the decisions of the foreign minister (but not through the ADJR Act). There’s now an annual report to parliament … The rules the foreign minister makes are disallowable by the parliament.
“The scope of the bill and the level of obligations for the entities affected by the bill are carefully calibrated to the risk that may attach to foreign arrangements that they may make. Of course these arrangements are often beneficial and welcome and in the vast majority of cases will continue unaffected.”
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong lashed Senator Payne for failing to consult Labor about the laws.
“A minister in this portfolio ought to have the political maturity to engage the other party of government when it comes to these sorts of pieces of legislation. I register my disappointment that the minister consistently refused to do so. I found it mystifying,” she said.
READ MORE: Lambie clears way for foreign relations bill
Adeshola Ore 1.38pm: New media bill: Google, Facebook to pay for news
Josh Frydenberg has unveiled the federal government’s new media bargaining code, declaring the “world will be watching” the proposed reforms.
The legislation, which will be introduced to parliament tomorrow, will force tech giants like Google and Facebook to pay news publishers for their content.
The Treasurer said the laws would ensure Australian publishers were fairly compensated for their content.
“Our legislation will help ensure the rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world,” he said.
Mr Frydenberg said the terms of the contracts between the tech platforms and news organisations would be determined by the two parties. But the legislation would include a final arbitration model for resolution of disputes.
“We want deals to be struck with parties outside the code. Commercial organisations that are conducted in good faith,” he said.
The framework would also set minimum standards that digital platforms need to adhere to.
The legislation, which was flagged by Mr Frydenberg in April, will be referred to a Senate committee for further consideration
READ MORE: Paul Kelly — Holding big tech to account is the big story
Angelica Snowden 1.03pm: SA to lift restrictions after no new cases recorded
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has unveiled the COVID-19 restrictions due to be eased next Monday, after no new cases of coronavirus were reported in the state.
From December 14, residents will be able to stand up and have a drink at the pub or at a bar.
The number of people allowed to visit homes will also increase from 10 to 50 as of next Monday and the cap on private gatherings — including weddings and funerals — has been lifted to 200.
Mr Marshall also announced a change to rules on the use of masks.
“As of Monday we will be asking people in high risk or vulnerable groups to continue to wear their masks but other than that it will be up to free choice if people would like to wear them,” Mr Marshall said.
“So massive changes for South Australia from Monday,” he said.
“We have continued to do well by following the advice of SAPol and SA Health.”
Mr Marshall also said capacities in entertainment venues, like cinemas and the theatre, will be raised from 50 per cent to 75 per cent from Monday. Patrons must still wear masks.
Gyms will also be able to safely host one person per two square metres.
Aged care restrictions will be lifted too.
There are a total of 33 cases linked with the Parafield cluster – which sparked a severe lockdown in the state.
There are also no active cases in South Australia.
READ MORE: Shutdown goes into reverse
Adeshola Ore 12.28pm: Labor’s conditions of support for union bill
Labor says it will only back the federal government’s demerger bill if it does not broaden the criteria for divisions breaking away from an organisation.
The party’s backing of the draft bill would facilitate the break up of the CFMEU, with the organisation’s mining and manufacturing division expected to split from the union.
During Tuesday’s caucus meeting, Labor voted to support the draft bill if the government retained illegality and unlawfulness as the only reasons a faction could break away from a division.
If the government sought to broaden the entry point, Labor would consider amendments to the legislation.
READ MORE: Divorce of mega unions ushers in a new era in IR
Angelica Snowden 12.20pm: Hunt to make call on cruise ship ban
Health Minister Greg Hunt will reveal whether or not he plans to extend a ban on cruise ships entering Australia later in December, after the existing restrictions are due to lift.
The human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act – which has stopped cruise ships operating in Australia – has been in place since March 18 and is due to expire on December 17.
“The human biosecurity emergency declaration ensures the government has the powers to take any necessary measures to prevent and control COVID-19 and protect the health of all Australians,” a spokesman for Mr Hunt said.
“The human biosecurity emergency period is currently in force until 17 December,” he said.
“The government will complete consideration in due course and make any relevant public announcements once this has been completed.”
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the Australian Government Chief Medical Officer will provide advice to the government on whether the period should be extended.
The powers under the emergency declaration have been used “on a limited basis on expert medical advice”, the spokesman said.
The news came after Australia’s biggest cruise operator – Royal Carribean Cruises – announced it would halt services in the country until April 30.
A ban on cruise ships was implemented from late March after passengers onboard the Ruby Princess spread COVID-19 across the country.
More than 800 COVID cases and 28 deaths were linked with the outbreak which originated on the vessel.
READ MORE: Cruise industry waits for green light as passengers go luxe
Ellen Ransley 12.18pm: Six new cases: Queensland bans quarantine fresh air breaks
As global COVID-19 cases soar, six returning Australians in Queensland hotel quarantine have tested positive to the virus.
The new cases bring Queensland’s total active tally to 21, the highest it’s been since September 19 when the state was battling its last community outbreak.
It comes as Queensland’s chief health officer, in an attempt to mitigate any potential escape of the virus from the state-managed quarantine facilities, confirmed “fresh air breaks” would no longer be allowed.
Until Monday, hotel quarantine guests in Queensland were allowed three or four 15-minute breaks a day if they did not have a balcony or openable window or for a health reason.
Guests were told by police on Monday that those breaks, a lifeline for many people in quarantine, were immediately suspended.
Dr Jeannette Young confirmed the risk had become too significant to allow the breaks to continue, given Queensland on Tuesday marked 84 days without a case of community transmission. — NCA Newswire
READ MORE: Conspiracy theorists out to get each other
Angelica Snowden 11.44am: NSW goes another day without local transmission
NSW has once again recorded zero cases of locally acquired COVID-19, but health authorities have warned there are not enough residents coming forward to be tested.
There were 6040 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with 6226 in the previous 24 hours.
“This shows too few people are coming forward for testing. With restrictions being eased and borders reopening, now is not the time to be complacent,” NSW Health said in a statement.
The only other recent case of locally acquired COVID was in a hotel quarantine worker, reported on December 3.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 8, 2020
Six cases were reported in overseas travellers, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the start of the pandemic to 4,431. pic.twitter.com/l3nF7WUOkR
Six coronavirus cases were reported in returned overseas travellers.
It came after Victoria recorded no new cases of COVID-19 for 39 straight days.
READ MORE: The Covid silver linings playbook
David Rogers 11.30am: Business confidence surges to highest point since April 2018
Business confidence surged to a 31-month high and conditions hit a 20-month high, according to NAB’s monthly business survey.
Confidence rose to 9 points to 12 points — the highest since April 2018 and conditions rose 7 points to 9 points — the highest since March 2019.
Amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary support as well as coronavirus vaccines, business confidence is fast approaching the March 2019 peak of 14.7 points which was the highest since 2010.
The survey continues to suggest a rapid rebound in the economy as restrictions are eased and state borders open up, according to NAB.
While renewed optimism in Victoria drove the improvement in confidence, Victoria was one of only two states to report a deterioration in conditions, although we expect conditions to improve as the impact of its recent severe lockdown wears off,” says NAB chief economist, Alan Oster. “Overall both confidence and conditions are now above average, and stronger than the period right before the pandemic – albeit this partly reflects some ‘snapback’ following the containment of the virus.” Encouragingly, other lead indicators improved in the month, with a large rise in capacity utilisation and forward orders turning positive, the latter suggesting that the pipeline of work has begun to build, Mr Oster adds.
“That said, there is some way to go before a full recovery is reached,” he cautioned. “Capacity utilisation remains around 1.4ppt below its long-run average, while the capex and employment indexes remain in negative territory.
Even with the significant improvement in trading conditions and profitability, businesses will likely need to see a sustained improvement in forward orders and a complete recovery in capacity utilisation before renewed hiring and investment plans are put in place.”
READ MORE: Opportunity knocks in regional property
Adeshola Ore 11.05am: Defence bullish over squadron break-up: Lambie
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie has accused the Chief of the Defence Force of “bullish” behaviour over his plans to erase an Special Air Service squadron in response to war crime allegations.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has confirmed that the disbandment of the SAS Regiment’s 2 Squadron will go ahead, despite protests by serving and former SAS members.
Senator Lambie made an emotional plea to General Campbell to back down on his plans to break-up the squadron.
“This is very bullish of the CDF, the Ministry of Defence and the Prime Minister.”
“Nobody has been proven guilty yet and quite frankly you’re about ten steps ahead. You don’t even know where this will end up. It could take years,” she said in Canberra.
“To cut in early like this, quite frankly, has been a really bad decision. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Senator Lambie also criticised the federal government’s amendments to the unit citation regulations. The changes allow the Governor-General to strip a unit of its citation on recommendation of the Defence Minister or Chief of the Defence Force.
“The way this has been done in July of changing the rules and regulations around this citation is absolutely one of the lowest points I have yet seen,” Senator Lambie said.
Senator Lambie has also called for a royal commission into veteran suicides.
READ MORE: SAS squadron break-up ‘will go ahead’
Will Glasgow 10.45am: China broadens attack on beef exports
China has broadened its attack on Australia’s $2.7b beef export trade, suspending a sixth supplier as the Morrison government was poised to pass foreign relations legislation that has angered Beijing.
China’s General Administration of Customs late on Monday said it had suspended imports from Meramist, a Queensland-based abattoir.
The latest beef ban was announced in a brief notice on China’s Customs website.
No reason for the ban was given, inviting speculation it was linked to the Morrison government’s expected passage this week of its Foreign Relations Bill.
China in late August banned the family-owned meat predecessor John Dee, a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the proposed law, which would allow it to rescind Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement.
Four other Australian beef exporters were banned in May.
In 2019, Australia exported more than $2.7b of beef to China, according to the industry’s peak body Meat & Livestock Australia. The same year China became the industry’s biggest customer, buying almost one quarter of Australia’s total beef exports.
READ the full story on China’s extended beef suspension here
Adeshola Ore 10.39am: Senator lashed over abstaining on cashless vote
Tasmanian Labor Senator Helen Polley has lashed out at Liberal MP Bridget Archer for abstaining from voting on the federal government’s cashless welfare card legislation.
The government’s bill to make cashless welfare cards permanent at trial sites passed in the lower house on Monday. But it needs the support of South Australian Senator Rex Patrick to pass in the Senate. The scheme will expire if the government cannot get over the line in the upper house this week.
Last week, Liberal backbencher Ms Archer criticised her party’s welfare scheme and described it as a “punivite” program that perpetuates stigma.
Senator Polley said the Tasmanian MP showed a lack of commitment by abstaining from voting after criticising the scheme.
“You can’t say one thing to the electorate of Bass and to the people of Tasmania and then come to Canberra and not vote,” she told reporters on Tuesday morning.
“It’s so disappointing. It’s disappointing because she will be responsible for when the cashless debit card is rolled out in Tasmania.”
The program quarantines 80 per cent of a welfare recipient’s payments on a debit card that cannot be used to buy alcohol or gambling products. It is being trialled in Ceduna, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, East Kimberley and the Goldfields.
READ MORE: Senator makes play for cashless card changes
Lachlan Moffet Gray 10.34am: Aston v Stead: defamation trial continues
Joe Aston has returned to the witness box to be questioned by Elaine Stead’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC on the evidence he gave yesterday.
Ms Chrysanthou asked Aston to look at his affidavit where he stated that Dr Stead’s time at CM Capital reflected poorly on her, despite stating the opposite yesterday and expressing some contrition over writing about CM Capital’s liquidation in his columns in a way that could reflect on Dt Stead.
“I think I thought at the time with the amount of time I put into the CM capital issue, that is what I considered at the time very, very briefly,” Aston said.
Ms Chrysanthou suggested that the fact the column remains online and unedited means Aston’s regret is “disingenuous.”
FOLLOW Aston v Stead proceedings live here
Richard Ferguson 10.26am: PM to Rudd: I apologise over flights statement
Scott Morrison has apologised for incorrectly claiming Kevin Rudd flew in and out of the country throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to the House of Representatives Clerk sent on Monday night, the Prime Minister said his claims Mr Rudd was using travel exemptions was wrong.
“I have subsequently been advised that Mr Rudd has not travelled internationally during the pandemic,” Mr Morrison states in his letter.
“I also apologise to Mr Rudd for the statement and am pleased to correct the record.”
Labor is now demanding Mr Morrison apologise to Mr Rudd in person in the House of Representatives.
Mr Rudd said on Monday after the question time claims — which were made when Labor questioned why Tony Abbott was flying in and out of Australia — that he has not left Brisbane since March.
READ MORE: Ghosts of PMs past but no sign of Scrooge
Angelica Snowden 10.14am: Crew member isolating in cargo ship off Perth
The risk of importing COVID from overseas remains high in Western Australia amid news a crew member onboard a cargo ship off Perth is isolating due to COVID like symptoms, WA president of the Australian Medical Association Andrew Miller says.
“We are by tonnage the busiest port in the world and Port Headland (has) lots and lots of international crews coming from places with very high COVID at the moment as are all of our international flights coming in,” Dr Miller told the Nine network’s Today Show.
“We do need to be very careful around the ship, it’s not a surprise,” he said.
“This is business as usual for us … (it is) not a surprise at all that there will be someone COVID positive turning up.”
Dr Miller said the state needed to “remain agile” after Western Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan yesterday confirmed a crew member onboard the BW Matsuyama — a cargo ship docked at the CBH grain terminal in Kwinana — reported COVID symptoms.
The crew member’s COVID test results are expected today.
Mr McGowan told 6PR radio authorities were not concerned local residents had mixed with the crew.
“The issue is whether the virus has spread among the crew members so they are unwell and unable to sail,” he said.
WA Health said in a statement there are 19 crew and one has exhibited flu-like symptoms.
All crew boarded the ship in the Philippines. It’s last port was Singapore.
READ MORE: Outback grocery bills 60pc higher
David Swan 10.10am: Amazon picks Melbourne for new hub
US tech giant Amazon has chosen Melbourne for a new AWS cloud infrastructure region, an investment it says will likely contribute billions of dollars to the Victorian tech economy in the next 10 years as the state moves to recover from the devastating coronavirus pandemic.
The company‘s Melbourne data centre will open in the second half of 2022 and create 90 jobs in the immediate future, joining its existing Sydney region – launched in 2012 – and eight regions in total across Asia Pacific.
READ the full story plus more live tech updates in The Download
Adeshola Ore 9.57am: Morrison urges stability on long road to recovery
Scott Morrison has sought to highlight his government’s achievements during COVID, but warned the country has a long recovery from the pandemic ahead.
During the Coalition’s last party room of the year, the Prime Minister told his party it must continue being guided by unity.
“Despite the challenges of this year I believe Australia is stronger today than it was a year ago,” he said.
“Of course, the comeback has begun but the recovery has still got a journey ahead of us.”
“It’s never about us. It’s always about those that we continue to serve.”
He said the government had returned stability to Australia, maintained economic strength and kept Australians safe during the pandemic.
READ MORE: ALP Treasurer has no target for ratings recovery
Richard Ferguson 9.52am: Labor demands PM apologise over Rudd comment
Labor is demanding Scott Morrison apologise in parliament for incorrectly saying former prime minister Kevin Rudd has been flying in and out of the country during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister has written to the Clerk of the House of Representatives correcting his statement on Mr Rudd during question time on Monday, when he came under pressure for granting travel exemptions to Tony Abbott and former foreign minister Alexander Downer.
Mr Rudd immediately put out a statement on Monday clarifying he has not left Brisbane since he returned to Australia from New York — the base of most of his work — in March.
Morrison claimed in the parliament today that I have obtained exemptions to travel in and out of Australia, taking quarantine places from other Australians. That is an utter falsehood. I haven't left Queensland since March. Morrison has misled the parliament & he should apologise pic.twitter.com/O7x6l3Q3qq
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) December 7, 2020
“Morrison claimed in the parliament today that I have obtained exemptions to travel in and out of Australia, taking quarantine places from other Australians. That is an utter falsehood. I haven’t left Queensland since March. Morrison has misled the parliament & he should apologise,” Mr Rudd tweeted.
On Tuesday, manager of opposition business Tony Burke said Mr Morrison now had to go to the House in person and apologise.
“ Mr. Morrison usually has a view that the rules that might have been good enough for John Howard, he’s too good for. So we’ll see how he handles that,” Mr Burke said in Canberra.
“But the correct thing to do is to have the decency to go back to where you made the error which was in that room and apologise for it.”
The Prime Minister’s Office was approached for comment.
READ MORE: Labor MP flew to Murdoch drinks
David Rogers 9.51am: ASX set to end winning streak
Australia’s sharemarket is set to end a 5-day winning streak after Wall Street slipped.
Overnight futures relative to fair value suggest the S&P/ASX 200 will open down 0.3pc at 6655.
That follows a 0.2pc fall in the S&P 500 amid record US COVID cases and stay-at-home orders in California.
The local market may be vulnerable to a short-term pullback after a minor false break above the November peak at 6713.3 on Monday.
Last week’s low at 6511.4 looks like an important short-term support level and the potential trigger for a minor double-top pattern.
But while WTI crude oil fell 1.4pc, making Energy by far the worst sector in the S&P 500.
Crude fell as Iran said it’s preparing to raise exports, a sign that it expects a Joe Biden presidency to ease sanctions.
But spot iron ore rose 1.5pc to a fresh 7-year high of $US147.55 a tonne and spot gold rose 1.3pc to $US1862.73.
The US Financials sector also underperformed as US 10-year bond yields fell 4bps to 0.923pc.
Focus turns to NAB’s monthly business survey for November at 1130am.
FOLLOW live ASX updates at Trading Day
Anthony Piovesan 9.46am: Traveller lands in Victoria with symptoms
Victoria has maintained its streak of no new coronavirus cases despite the first international arrivals touching down in Melbourne on Monday
Despite an international traveller landing on Monday with symptoms of COVID-19, the state recorded its 39th straight virus-free day on Tuesday.
Yesterday there were 0 new local cases and 0 new cases acquired overseas. There were 0 deaths reported. There were 7,043 test results received. #EveryTestHelps #StaySafeStayOpen
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 7, 2020
More info: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/tkg8JChpCg
The person was transferred to South Wharf’s Novotel hotel, which is being used as a “hot hotel” for complex medical cases.
The suspected positive case was among the first international flights to touch down in Melbourne in nearly six months and one of 253 passengers to test the state’s reset hotel quarantine program.
Eight other international arrivals were transferred to the Novotel due to their complex health needs but were not suspected of having the virus.
The Holiday Inn on Flinders will be the city’s second “hot hotel”, while passengers without special medical attention were transferred to the Pan Pacific hotel at South Wharf and the Park Royal at Melbourne Airport.
Five international flights carrying about 155 passengers from Singapore, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Tuesday.
There were 7043 tests for coronavirus on Monday.
— NCA Newswire
READ MORE: John Ferguson — Labor’s largesse comes back to bite it
Angelica Snowden 9.27am: WA ‘obsessed, paranoid’ about Covid spread
Western Australia has been “obsessively” watching the spread of COVID-19 across Australia and “paranoid” about keeping it out of the state but now is the time to reunite with the rest of the country, the WA president of the Australian Medical Association Andrew Miller says.
“We have been very paranoid about keeping (COVID) out, but now it’s time to allow families to get back together,” Dr Miller told the Nine network’s Today Show.
“It is very important at this time of the year. People have done it tough, they have earnt the right to come back,” he said.
“Our biggest risk is not from these flights coming across the Nullarbor but from our hotel quarantine.”
Dr Miller defended Premier Mark McGowan’s claim he would slam borders shut once more if an outbreak occurred.
“Unfortunately it is the right approach for this disease,” he said.
“The alternative is to try and track and trace it and we know the problems associated with that.
“The thinking is borders (are) the way to go … some people will be inconvenienced, but we can see the vaccine on the horizon. Stay the course now so we get the least amount of this disease in the community.”
He also said the state would “rather not” test it’s contact tracing capacity and said “with the vaccine not far away, the responsible thing to do is to keep this as close to zero as possible.”
READ MORE: Wealth — This year’s X factor a surprise to nobody
Angelica Snowden 9.12am: Cruise industry ‘unaware’ of ban extension
Cruise Lines International Association say they are not aware of a government decision to extend a biosecurity order to ban cruise ships from entering Australia for a further three months.
“At this time CLIA is not aware of any decision to extend the existing biosecurity order,” a spokesman said in a statement.
“However, the cruise industry has outlined extensive new health protocols to uphold safety in response to COVID-19 and will continue to work with governments to progress a phased and carefully controlled resumption of domestic operations in 2021.”
The ban was due to end on December 17.
It came after Royal Caribbean Cruises announced it would suspend operations in Australia until the end of April.
READ MORE: Ready to cruise again?
Agencies 9.05am: Canada to start vaccinating next week
Pfizer and BioNTech will deliver the first doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to Canada this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced, with inoculations to start as early as next week.
Another vaccine candidate developed by Moderna could also be shipped “as soon as December,” the American company said.
At a news conference, Mr Trudeau said a deal was signed with Pfizer and BioNTech “to begin early delivery of doses of their vaccine candidate.”
“We are now contracted to receive up to 249,000 of our initial doses of Pfizer BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in the month of December,” he said.
Pending regulatory approval expected this week, the prime minister said the first shipments to 14 sites across Canada could be delivered next week, with millions more doses to follow in 2021.
Health care workers and vulnerable populations including the elderly would be the first to receive it.
Major-General Dany Fortin, who is leading Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, said it will take only one or two days after the doses arrive to “unpack, thaw, decant, mix” and inject them into the arms of Canadians.
He and his team are doing a “dry run” to test the ultra-cold storage delivery chain, flying boxes this week from Belgium and handing them off to health care workers.
The federal government has concluded pre-orders with several pharmaceutical companies — including AstraZeneca, Pfizer and BioNTech, Sanofi and GSK, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, Medicago and Moderna — for 400 million doses, to ensure it eventually gets what it needs for its population of 38 million. — AFP
READ MORE: Vaccines arrive but Jokowi is waiting
Angelica Snowden 8.41am: Spread stopped by ‘myriad of safety nets’
Australia’s former deputy chief medical officer has stopped short of describing Western Australia’s requirement for South Australians to isolate for two weeks if they travel to the state as overkill and says there are “relatively few” cases of COVID in SA.
Nick Coatsworth, who is now executive director for medical services at the Canberra Hospital, said WA had a low risk tolerance and hoped Australia could move towards an open border policy with a small number of cases.
“I think there has been a very low risk tolerance in Western Australia, driven by the fact that they have remained COVID free for the best part of this year,” Dr Coatsworth told the Nine network’s Today Show.
“We haven’t quite got to one whole incubation period since there was a last community transmission in South Australia,” he said.
“So it is still relatively early days in terms of the virus and I would suggest that that’s why the cautious approach is being taken with regard to the South Australian borders.”
After two German travellers — who bypassed hotel quarantine in Sydney and returned to Melbourne on a domestic flight — returned a second negative COVID test, Dr Coatsworth said they were stopped in time due to a myriad of “safety nets” designed to halt COVID in Australia.
“We have built all these systems and processes,” he said.
“The last safety net is the community still doing the social distancing, the washing of hands and most importantly getting themselves tested.”
Dr Coatsworth warned Australians against becoming complacent as the country opens up its borders, with South Australia hopeful Queensland will allow travellers in this weekend.
READ MORE: Border opens but it’s risky to leave
Adeshola Ore 8.33am: Burke confirms Labor will back CFMEU break-up
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke has confirmed that Labor is set to back the federal government’s bill to break up the CFMEU.
The Australian has reported that Labor was likely to support the bill that would clear the way for the Coalition to get the union demerger proposal passed by parliament this week. If passed, it would lead to the union’s mining and energy division, as well as its manufacturing division, splitting from the CFMEU after a falling out with construction and maritime officials.
Mr Burke said Labor had not finalised its processes, but confirmed there was support for the bill in the shadow cabinet on Monday evening.
“Those reports are accurate in terms of the shadow cabinet last night,” he told the ABC.
“I suspect there will be some changes before the government introduces the final legislation which I expect will happen sometime today.”
READ MORE: Divorce of mega unions ushers in new IR era
Adeshola Ore 8.15am: Burke changes tune on IR bill support
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke says he has hope that Labor could support the government’s proposed industrial relations changes if it is open to tweaking the legislation.
The bill, which will be revealed tomorrow, would allow retail and hospitality employers to offer part-time employees additional hours without having to pay overtime.
Mr Burke said Labor was committed to ensuring that employees were guaranteed “secure jobs with decent pay.”
“I do have some hope as to how this will unfold. Yesterday Christian Porter at his media conference said the government was still listening and still not locked in to what they were putting forward,” he told the ABC.
“If the government went a different way to what they flagged yesterday and a take it or leave it approach, we won’t vote for people to be less secure at work.”
Mr Burke said Labor was concerned the bill could result in part-time workers being offered the minimum number of part-time hours and other hours being offered on a casual basis.
READ MORE: Post-virus flexibility for bosses
Adeshola Ore 8.05am: Labor sees path to JobKeeper extensions
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke says he can see a way forward for Labor supporting the government’s proposed extension of JobKeeper-related exemptions — a measure in its industrial relations reforms.
The Australian understands the government’s proposed industrial relations changes would extend the flexibilities that that give employers the power to change employees’ duties and locations of work. The exemptions were due to expire when JobKeeper ends in March.
Mr Burke said Labor would conduct consultation with industry on the matter once details of the bill are unveiled tomorrow.
“Certainly yesterday I spoke harshly yesterday when I thought they were going to extend the cut to take home pay which we’ve opposed the whole way through,” he told the ABC.
“The fact that they’re not doing that means that there may be a way forward.”
READ MORE: Ratings wallop for states over pandemic debt
Angelica Snowden 7.50am: Cruise company suspends sailings for another three months
Royal Caribbean Cruises has again suspended Australian sailings until at least March, the largest cruise ship company in Australia has announced.
The ban was due to expire on December 17 after ships were stopped from docking in Australia from March 27 in the wake of the Ruby Princess debacle.
Important update on sailings through February 28, 2021.  🔗 https://t.co/t9930nMmcH pic.twitter.com/B5jzik4LG0
— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) December 2, 2020
But Royal Caribbean Cruises announced global sailings would be suspended until February 28 next year and trips in Australian waters, due to restart from January 1, 2021, would be suspended until April 30, 2021.
Twitter seriously needs a dislike button. Another cancelled cruise for me. I'm so frustrated. It's to the point I feel we are never cruising in America again. There seriously is no end in sight pic.twitter.com/9EWQ13u8LG
— Adventures w/ Chris (@AdventureChrisS) December 2, 2020
The move comes after the Federal Government recently extended its ban on cruise ships in Australia waters from September 17 to December 17.
READ MORE: No target for ratings recovery
Angelica Snowden 7.20am: 20 million Californians placed in lockdown
Millions of Californians were locked down on Monday as the US continues to battle record COVID deaths.
California’s lockdown – which put 20 million people under stay-at-home orders – forced most offices to close and banned gatherings among different households, while bars and services such as hair salons were shut and restaurants only allowed to serve takeaways.
#COVID19 UPDATE:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 7, 2020
Current ICU capacity by region:
- Northern California: 28.2%
- Bay Area: 25.7%
- Greater Sacramento: 20.3%
- San Joaquin Valley: 6.3%
- Southern California: 10.9%
“We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California’s hospital system from being overwhelmed,” governor Gavin Newsom said before the measures took effect.
US efforts to quell the COVID-19 pandemic have been widely criticised, with a daily death toll of over 2,500 for five days in a row last week.
Nearly 15 million people have contracted coronavirus in the US since the start of the pandemic, with 283,010 deaths reported.
The number of infections and deaths in the US is more than anywhere else in the world.
Dr. Fauci isn't just one of our foremost experts on combating viruses—he is a good man and a tireless public servant. He has served six presidents and led us through some of our toughest challenges.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 7, 2020
Our administration, and our country, will be stronger because of his guidance.
US President elect Joe Biden on Monday vowed his incoming administration would be “ready on day one to mobilise every resource of the federal government … and restore the belief that there is nothing beyond America’s capacity.”
When Mr Biden takes office on January 20, he will be immediately responsible for an immunisation drive set to launch this month in a bid to gain control of the pandemic.
The US is expected to grant emergency authorisation for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines this week and it hopes to vaccinate millions of people by the end of the year.
READ MORE: Rollout vital to success of vaccine
Angelica Snowden 6.55am: Vaccine rollout set to start in the UK
The world-first rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is due to start on Tuesday in the UK as daily COVID-19 infections appear to be rising.
Dubbed “V-Day” by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, he has volunteered to take it live on television.
The Queen, 94, has also said she will take the vaccine as has Monty Python star Michael Palin, 77, campaigning singer Bob Geldof, 69, and 73-year-old Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones.
According to the World Health Organisation there were 17,271 new infections reported on December 7 up from 15,539 reported the day before.
The number of deaths appeared to track downwards, with 231 reported today compared with 397 the day before.
Denmark has also announced new shutdown measures in 38 municipalities covering almost half of the country’s population, including the closure of middle and high schools, bars, cafes and restaurants.
The spread of the infection “is too high and the situation is too worrying. As a result, we have to adopt measures to control the infection and the epidemic,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters.
Public health officials on Monday registered a daily record of 2,046 cases in 24 hours, expressing concern that they could rise to 4,000 a day by Christmas in the country of 5.8 million, public television DR reported.
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged German regions with high coronavirus rates to tighten social contact restrictions before Christmas, after the country’s infection levels plateaued at a high level for more than a month.
Ms Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters as a result the government welcomed a move by Bavaria on Sunday to step up its shutdown rules and limit New Year’s Eve gatherings.
“These are worrisome days,” Seibert said, noting infection rates “are not consistently going down” but rather rising in some areas and that Germany was “far from turning the corner”.
“It is obvious and also necessary for individual states to think about which measures they could use to curb new infections,” he said.
The eastern state of Saxony, coping with its own infections spike, followed suit with an announcement it would meet Tuesday to agree stricter rules.
Under Germany’s federal system, states are given leeway to set their own rules making co-ordinated action from the top more complicated.
Italy’s Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese tested positive for coronavirus on Monday but is asymptomatic, local news reports said.
Lamorgese submitted to a routine test after which she attended a meeting of government ministers, Italian media reported, citing government sources.
The news came after 18,887 new infections were reported on December 7 according to the WHO.
With AFP
READ MORE: COVID-19 silver linings playbook
Angelica Snowden 6.25am: Princess Mary’s son Christian tests positive
The Danish Royal Family is self-isolating after Prince Christian of Denmark, the son of Australian born Princess Mary, contracted COVID-19.
The 15-year old was reportedly tested for coronavirus amid news of an outbreak at his school, Tranegårdskolen in Hellerup.
The family is isolating at Frederik VIII’s Palace in Amalienborg – the home of the Danish royal family in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Son of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Christian is the second in line to the throne after his father.
READ MORE: Queen first in line for vaccination
Anne Barrowclough 6.15am: Giuliani ‘recovering quickly, keep up with everything’
Rudy Giuliani has assured wellwishers that he is getting better and is “keeping up with everything” from his hospital bed.
Donald Trump’s personal lawyer tested positive for coronavirus on Monday (AEDT) and was taken to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC.
He tweeted later on Monday: “Thank you to all my friends and followers for all the prayers and kind wishes,” his post read.
“I’m getting great care and feeling good.
“Recovering quickly and keeping up with everything.”
Thank you to all my friends and followers for all the prayers and kind wishes.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) December 7, 2020
I’m getting great care and feeling good.
Recovering quickly and keeping up with everything.
His son, Andrew, who works at the White House and tested positive for the virus last month, tweeted that his father was “resting, getting great care and feeling well”.
My Dad @RudyGiuliani is resting, getting great care and feeling well. Thank you to all the friends who have reached out concerned about his well being. https://t.co/0FVceiNnHc
— Andrew H. Giuliani (@AndrewHGiuliani) December 6, 2020
It is not clear if Mr Giuliani is experiencing symptoms or when he caught the virus.
READ MORE: Trump campaign suffers double blow
James Kirby 6.05am: China gets its coal comeuppance as prices surge
New trade figures strongly suggest China’s bans on Australian coal have backfired economically, with coal import prices surging.
Prices paid by China for imports of the two main types of coal — heating and steelmaking — have jumped by at least 40 per cent since low points earlier this year.
Paradoxically, the informal bans — issued verbally — on Australian coal coincided with a string of drivers that were set to push coal prices higher in any event. Cutting out Australian supplies has turbocharged price rises.
Some months before current trade tensions escalated, China introduced a plan to reduce the amount of coal it imports from all countries. However, new trade data for October shows steelmaking coal imports from Australia fell 21 per cent year on year, while imports from the rest of the world rose.
Overall, China’s coal imports are down to a third of levels struck earlier this year, but imports from Australia are down to one-tenth of normal levels.
The unwanted price rise in a key commodity for China just as the country enters the northern hemisphere winter should be a clear warning to Beijing that any wider plan to cut iron ore would also backfire economically: China has a higher dependence on Australian iron ore than it has on Australian coal.
READ the full story
Agencies 5.50am: Persuasion, not mandatory jabs best for vaccination: WHO
The World Health Organization has advised that persuading people on the merits of a COVID-19 vaccine would be far better than trying to make the jabs mandatory.
The WHO said it would be down to individual countries as to how they want to conduct their vaccination campaigns against the coronavirus pandemic.
But the UN health agency insisted making it mandatory to get immunised against the disease would be the wrong road to take.
“I don’t think that mandates are the direction to go in here, especially for these vaccines,” Kate O’Brien, director of the WHO’s immunisation department, told a virtual news conference.
“It is a much better position to actually encourage and facilitate the vaccination without those kinds of requirements.
“I don’t think we envision any countries creating a mandate for vaccination.” Ms O’Brien said there may be certain professions in which being vaccinated might be required or highly recommended, such as respiratory technicians and intensive care medics in hospitals, for the safety of both the staff and the patients.
But WHO experts admitted there was a battle to be fought to convince the general public to take the vaccines as they become available.
The organisation’s emergencies director Michael Ryan said people needed to ask themselves what they were willing to do in order to protect themselves and those around them.
“We need to convince people and we need to persuade,” he said. As for making vaccines mandatory, he said: “I think all of us who work in public health would rather avoid that as a means for getting people vaccinated.
“We are much better served to present people with the data and the benefits and let people make up their own minds.
“There are certain circumstances … where I would believe that the only responsible thing would be to be vaccinated,” he added
AFP
READ MORE: Borders open but ‘it’s risky to leave’
Geoff Chambers 5.05am: ‘China does not control all the leverage’: Sharma
Dave Sharma says the Morrison government must be more “frank and honest” in its approach to the turbulent relationship with China and call out attempts by Beijing to interfere in Australia, including cyber-attacks and intimidation of diaspora communities.
The Liberal MP, who warned tensions with the communist nation were likely to remain over the next two decades, has outlined an eight-point strategy to manage and repair China relations, including resisting calls for “wholesale decoupling” from Beijing.
Highly predictable and yet still deeply disappointing:
— Dave Sharma (@DaveSharma) December 3, 2020
âž¡ï¸ Chinese MFA uses platform banned in China (Twitter) to propagate a falsified image.
âž¡ï¸ PM of Australia responds factually on WeChat and Chinese censors delete the post. https://t.co/CvGsrEgn6N
Mr Sharma — who served as ambassador to Israel — said “we need public support for the difficult road ahead”, which would require greater frankness from political leaders.
“We should be more open and truthful with the public about the challenges of the relationship, rather than seeking to shield them from it,” he wrote for the China Matters think tank. “This includes being more willing to disclose attempts by the PRC to interfere in Australia, from large-scale cyber attacks to attempts to intimidate Chinese-Australian communities.”
Mr Sharma said China “does not control all the leverage in this relationship” and Australia must be prepared to “clearly define our red lines”.
Read the full story here.
Patrick Commins 5am: Commonwealth’s AAA credit rating safe, Treasurer says
NSW and Victoria have been stripped of their coveted AAA credit ratings after ratcheting up debt levels in big-spending budgets, forcing S&P to deliver the first downgrades for the two states in more than 30 years and triggering expectations the commonwealth could follow suit.
S&P Global Ratings on Monday lowered Victoria’s debt rating two “notches” to AA from AAA and NSW’s one notch to AA+, prompting CBA senior bond analyst Martin Whetton to say a commonwealth downgrade was now a likely scenario within the next 12 months.
Josh Frydenberg yesterday dismissed the prospect, arguing that S&P had reaffirmed the commonwealth’s AAA rating in October following the federal budget, and the ratings agency had said the NSW and Victorian downgrades would have “no direct or immediate effect on the sovereign rating at this stage”.
Read the full story here.
Remy Varga 4.45am: Race to settle bill as Victorian quarantine resumes
More than 250 people landed in Melbourne yesterday as Victoria quarantined international travellers for the first time since June after the original program’s failure sparked a deadly coronavirus second wave.
Legislation allowing the government to charge travellers for their stay in the rebooted hotel quarantine program will be introduced in state parliament on Tuesday.
Police Minister Lisa Neville, now directly responsible for the program, said there were currently no provisions that allowed returned travellers to be charged for detention.
“As soon as we get it through (parliament) and get royal assent that’s when we can commence charging people,” she said.
Read the full story here.
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