PoliticsNow: Vaccine doses exceeding demand in NSW, Greg Hunt insists travel ban ‘to prevent third wave’
Concern is mounting within the NSW government about vaccine hesitancy, as Greg Hunt insists penalties for travellers returning from India are legal.
- NSW govt worried about vaccination avoidance
- Hunt: Travel ban ‘to prevent third wave’
- NSW Libs’ open preselection nominations
- PM plays down fears over hard travel ban
- India sets new single-day case high
- Economists slam lockdown secrecy
Welcome to PoliticsNow, our live coverage of the latest headlines from Canberra as well as developments in the coronavirus pandemic.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro reportedly says there is concern that too many people are planning to avoid vaccination.Greg Hunt has defended the government’s late night decision to ban flights from India. NSW Liberal party opens preselection nominations. Scott Morrison plays down the chance of anyone going to jail if they return from India, saying tough biosecurity laws will be used ‘responsibly’. The government has refused to release Treasury documents that spell out the assumed costs and benefits of border closures, lockdowns and other COVID-19 restrictions.
Steve Jackson10.30pm:ABC firm on Porter defence
The ABC is poised to up the ante in its high-stakes legal battle with Christian Porter over allegations it defamed the former attorney-general in an online article revealing a senior politician had been accused of historic sexual assault.
The public broadcaster has until Tuesday evening to file its defences in the Federal Court. Mr Porter sued the ABC and its star reporter Louise Milligan after the story appeared on February 26. ABC insiders said it remained committed to defending the action and stood by Milligan.
Although not named, Mr Porter, 50, claimed he was easily identifiable as the cabinet minister accused of raping a young female acquaintance — now deceased — as a teenager during a school debating trip to Sydney in 1988. He strenuously denies the allegation. He publicly outed himself less than a week after the article was published but claims by then he had already suffered severe reputational damage.
Michael McKenna9.45pm:Christensen seeks to pocket $100,000
Controversial Coalition MP George Christensen, who last month announced he would not contest the next federal election, has sought to be disendorsed by the Liberal National Party in a move that could pocket him a six-figure taxpayer-funded payout.
The four-term Nationals MP, who represents the north Queensland seat of Dawson, cited family reasons for his decision to resign. And lamenting that the state of politics was “broken”, he warned he would not go quietly as he served out his term.
The outspoken social conservative had already nominated for preselection, and had been approved to stand by the LNP’s candidate vetting committee ahead of his April 21 announcement that he was leaving politics.
But Mr Christensen has since failed to withdraw his nomination, and last week his local branch — the Federal Divisional Council for Dawson — requested that LNP headquarters overturn its candidate approval and formally reject his nomination to stand at the next election.
LNP insiders said the branch request was made “at the behest of” Mr Christensen.
If he is disendorsed by the party, he could be eligible for a taxpayer-funded payment of $105,600, or six-months’ salary, as a “resettlement allowance”.
AFP 9pm:EU eyes letting in fully vaccinated travellers
The EU’s executive has proposed that travellers who are fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs be able to enter the bloc, a statement said on Monday.
The European Commission urged the EU’s 27 member countries — which make their own decisions on health matters — to “lift restrictions on non-essential travel for vaccinated persons travelling to the EU”.
It also wants to see travellers from countries that have done a good job in keeping COVID-19 at bay to be able to enter, based on how many infections they register per 100,000 people averaged over a two-week period.
The proposal would see that infection threshold raised from the “very severe” bar of 25 cases per 100,000 decided nearly a year ago to 100 cases, an EU official involved with drafting the proposal told journalists on condition of not being identified.
“So we will no longer have the choice among, let’s say, 10 to 15 countries around the world, but member states will be able to pick up countries, international countries in a list of up to 100 countries, if the situation continues to develop in a positive way,” he said.
Proof that an individual was fully vaccinated — at least two weeks before arriving in the EU, for full immunity to kick in — would not exclude member states also requiring COVID-19 tests either before or after arrival, or quarantine if authorities deemed them warranted, he added.
The proposal also says an “emergency brake” option should be kept in reserve to allow member states to quickly close travel from countries where a “variant of concern or interest is detected”.
READ MORE:India’s Covid calamity has sick caring for the sicker
Dennis Shanahan 8.35pm: Turnbull ‘took climate policy off the table’
Nationals MPs have declared that Malcolm Turnbull agreed to effectively put Coalition “climate change policies off the table” and had gripped on to coal when it was necessary for him to become prime minister and hold on to power.
In response to the former Liberal prime minister’s prediction that Nationals’ MPs could lose their seats to progressive climate change independents, the Nationals are pointing to Mr Turnbull’s signed Coalition agreement on climate change policies when he took over from Tony Abbott in 2015.
Mr Turnbull said last week that Coalition MPs should be “fearful traditional Coalition voters will not support a government they believe is failing to respond to the climate change crisis”.
“The Liberal Party appears to be less progressive on climate and more conservative on social issues. And this presents a real political vulnerability for a moderate Liberal incumbent,” Mr Turnbull told The Australian. “They may say, truthfully, that they take climate action seriously, but if they are self-evidently lacking in any influence, voters may look to a progressive liberal independent who will not be so constrained.”
But Matt Canavan, the former resources minister in the Turnbull government, said on Monday that Mr Turnbull was obviously personally against coal but had embraced Nationals’ policies and coal-fired power when he became prime minister. “When he was in charge he knew people wanted coal and backed coal-fired power to help him remain as PM,” Senator Canavan told The Australian on Monday.
Current Resources Minister, Keith Pitt, also tweeted last week a copy of Mr Turnbull’s speech to the National Press Club when he was prime minister, supporting the future of coal in Australia.
Patrick Commins8.15pm:Full employment in two years: RBA
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe is expected to reveal updated forecasts showing Australia will reach full employment in two years’ time, but he is unlikely to budge from his view that rates will stay at virtually zero until 2024 “at the earliest”.
Ahead of Tuesday’s RBA board meeting, economists said they expected no change in monetary policy settings, but that the accompanying statement would outline a sharply upgraded economic outlook, to be revealed in full in Friday’s statement on monetary policy.
Improving economic prospects are likely to reassure potential homebuyers, who pushed national house prices up another 1.8 per cent in April, according to CoreLogic figures. The new data showed home values were up 6.8 per cent over the three months, and 10 per cent since September. Over the year, prices climbed by 7.8 per cent — 6.4 per cent in the capital cities, and 13 per cent in the regions.
Still, there were signs the property boom that has followed the worst recession in a century was slowing: prices climbed 2.8 per cent in March, which was the fastest monthly pace in three decades.
Citi economist Josh Williamson expected national property prices to jump 15 per cent this year, before growth sharply slows to just 1.5 per cent next year.
“With wages growth unlikely to rise meaningfully, and interest rates not expected to move lower, we believe affordability has peaked and it will likely worsen in the coming months,” Mr Williamson said.
Geoff Chambers7.40pm: Port loan hinges on green targets
The Port of Newcastle will be required to meet world-first social and green targets — including lowering emissions and screening suppliers for slavery — to ensure its long-term viability under a $666m loan facility.
The National Australia Bank-led syndicate, which stepped in when ANZ abandoned the world’s largest coal export port after adopting a climate-change policy effectively banning loans to the coal sector, has tied $565m in loans with strict sustainability and green measures.
As part of the agreement, the Port of Newcastle will have the opportunity to earn a margin reduction over the next five years on the loans if it hits its social and environmental targets.
Rhiannon Down7pm:Political flak follows government freeze on India
The Morrison government is downplaying a backlash over its sudden temporary ban on Australian citizens returning from COVID-stricken India.
The new rules applying for about the next two weeks so far threaten citizens who travel back from India with jail terms up to five years and fines of up to $66,000.
National Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has denied he directly pushed the Morrison government to fine or jail anyone who arrives from India during the temporary pause of flights.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Sunday said the decision to dole out fines or five year jail terms to Australian citizens attempting to circumvent the flight ban – due to end on May 15 – was solely based on medical advice.
Independent South Australian senator Rex Patrick told Sky News the “government’s role is to help people when they are overseas and require assistance not to criminalise them for wanting to make the journey back to Australia”.
“I think this is hitting a nut with a sledgehammer.”
Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese says Australians in India “shouldn’t just be left stranded” and criticised the government’s threat to jail anyone who circumvents the direction and returns via another country.
Speaking to journalists in Brisbane, where he made a speech at a Labour Day rally, Mr Albanese said the government needed to do more to help Australians who remained in India, where the number of COVID-19 cases continues to escalate.
But Health Minister Greg Hunt has defended the government’s decision, saying it was vital to prevent a “third wave”.
Mr Hunt compared the decision with Australia’s move to close the border with with China at the start of the pandemic, which was widely criticised, describing them as the “most important postwar decisions” for the country’s health.
Australian National University economics professor Raghbendra Jha said there was “a lot at stake” if the ban was not eased as indicated n mid-May.
India could “rethink” its vital relationship with Australia, he said.
But the higher education sector is among those concerned about the perception Australia’s tough travel restrictions will have on the market.
Meanwhile the European Union’s executive (Commission) on Monday proposed that travellers who are fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs be able once again to enter the bloc, if they come from countries keeping COVID-19 at bay.
ALSO READ: Greg Hunt defends India ban.
Carla Mascarenhas6.30pm:Venues named in Perth in delivery alert
More than 75 food businesses in Perth were visited by COVID-affected delivery drivers over a period of two days.
McDonald’s, Hungry Jack’s, Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Chicken Treat, The Coffee Club and KFC were among the popular eateries listed by the Western Australian Health Department.
Perth is on alert after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates, both delivery drivers, tested positive for COVID-19.
“There are about 100 different locations that WA Health advised are very low risk,” Premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Monday.
Read the full storyhere.
Carla Mascarenhas5.40pm:Majority in poll backed policy on returning Australians
The majority of Australians are happy with the federal government’s broad response to Australians stranded overseas, according to a recent new poll commissioned by the Lowy Institute.
But the poll was taken before the government shut the border to India until at least May 15.
The poll of more than 2200 Australians found 59 per cent say the Morrison government has done the right amount in helping Australians overseas return home, while one third say the government has not done enough.
Australians are split over the question of exiting Australia’s closed borders however: 41 per cent agree with the current policy that only allows Australians with special exemptions to leave; 40 per cent say vaccinated Australians should be able to leave; and 18 per cent say all Australians should be free to leave.
More Australians in 2021 say China has handled COVID-19 well compared with last year, with 45 per cent saying China has handled it very or fairly well.
Eight in 10 say Australia should help Pacific Island countries to pay for COVID-19 vaccines, and 60 per cent say the same about Southeast Asian countries.
The federal government has been slammed by Labor and many expatriates who have accused it of not moving fast enough to return stranded Australians home during the pandemic.
ALSO READ: Albanese says ‘lockout’ policy not good enough
Carla Mascarenhas5.10pm:NZ to open travel bubble with Cook Islands
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will open its borders further, allowing quarantine-free travel to the Cook Islands this month.
Prime Minister Ardern said on Monday “two-way quarantine-free travel” between the countries would begin on May 17.
Critical workers and long-term residents have been able to travel quarantine-free from the Cook Islands to NZ since January, but there had been concerns about the risk of travellers taking COVID there.
“A green travel zone between the Cooks and New Zealand will allow families to reconnect, commercial arrangements to resume and tourism in the Cooks to kick off once again,” Ms Ardern said.
“This will all provide a boost to the Cook Island economy.”
Ms Ardern says the bubble is not dependent on vaccination of the Cook Islands population but NZ will be supplying the country with enough Pfizer doses to immunise its whole population.
ALSO READ: CMO denies pushing India arrivals ban
Richard Ferguson4.45pm:Aus Post chairman hits back at Holgate suing threats
Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo has accused ex-chief executive Christine Holgate and her lawyers of being “very cute” over her threats to sue her former employers over her departure from the post service.
Ms Holgate’s lawyers said on Monday that if Australia Post and the Morrison government do not agree to mediation by Wednesday at 5pm, she will consider her legal options.
Ms Holgate has said she was unlawfully stood down over the purchase of $20,000 worth of Cartier watches and claims she was bullied by both Mr Di Bartholomeo and Scott Morrison.
On Monday, Mr Di Bartolomeo said he was very willing to enter talks with Ms Holgate but said her demands over the timetable of mediation was “unreasonable.”
READ the full story
Carla Mascarenhas4.25pm:‘More vaccines than demand’ in NSW: Barilaro
Concern is reportedly mounting within the NSW government about vaccine hesitancy in NSW.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said in an interview there are more vaccines than demand in the state and people are complacent about receiving their jab.
Mr Barilaro warned that people across NSW are shunning vaccines because they believe that COVID-19 was no longer a threat in the state.
All Australians aged 50 and over are now eligible for the Astra Zeneca vaccine at state-run vaccination clinics and Commonwealth GP-led respiratory clinics.
“Right now here in NSW one of my greatest concerns is that people aren’t rolling up to vaccinated …. we have capacity and we have more vaccines than demand,” Mr Barilaro told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“And that’s because in NSW we are living in a period of normal [because] the reality is there is no virus and there is complacency.”
READ MORE:‘Outrageous’ lockdown secrecy slammed
Greg Brown4.17pm:Albanese to unveil Labor candidate for Dawson
Anthony Albanese will unveil coalmine worker Shane Hamilton as the Labor’s candidate for the regional Queensland seat of Dawson.
The Opposition Leader will travel to Mackay on Tuesday and reveal Mr Hamilton as his pick to win the seat for Labor, after the retirement of sitting Nationals member George Christensen.
Mr Hamilton, a project manager in coal mine maintenance, ran for the seat of Mirani at the Queensland state election but fell short to One Nation candidate Stephen Andrew.
On his Facebook page, Mr Hamilton says he is a third generation Mackay local who grew up on cane farms and cattle stations.
Jade Gailberger4.05pm:India could ‘rethink’ vital relationship with Australia
India could “rethink” its vital relationship with Australia if the Morrison government’s travel ban drags on, an expert haswarned.
Australian industries have been encouraged to strengthen their ties with India after significant trade tensions with China.
But the higher education sector is among those concerned about the perception Australia’s tough travel restrictions will have on the market.
Australian National University economics professor Raghbendra Jha said there was “a lot at stake” if the ban, which includes the threat of jail or fines for people returning to Australia from India, was not eased in mid-May.
“The travel ban is going to affect the cross-flow of people for the foreseeable future including investment and business investment,” Professor Jha said.
“If it drags on then there could be a rethinking in parts of India about the relationship.
“India is a very promising investment market … so that would be something to be concerned about.
“There is the whole quad relationship, it’s not just two-way trade.”
Professor Jha said how well Australia communicated the travel ban to the Indian government would be crucial to curbing any adverse effects.
He also raised concerns about Indian students who prefer face-to-face learning if Australia displays a “continued reluctance” for international students to return.
India is Australia’s second-largest higher education market behind China, and is regarded by the sector as having high-quality students.
Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said it supported the government decision about the border.
But Ms Thomson said the partnership with India in study, research collaboration and people-to-people exchanges had “never been more important than now”.
READ MORE:US will restrict travel from India on COVID-19 concerns
Carla Mascarenhas3.45pm:‘Hitting a nut with a sledgehammer’: senator
Independent South Australian senator Rex Patrick has lambasted the federal government for its ban on citizens returning from India.
The new rules threaten citizens who travel back from India with jail terms up to five years and fines of up to $66,000.
Senator Patrick told Sky News the “government’s role is to help people when they are overseas and require assistance not to criminalise them for wanting to make the journey back to Australia”.
“I think this is hitting a nut with a sledgehammer.”
He also questioned whether the rules were constitutional.
“Were someone to be charged with a criminal offence for returning to their home country there could be a constitutional defence.”
It is the role of the Australian Government to help Australians when they are in difficulty overseas, not to criminalise them for coming home. #auspolhttps://t.co/TTR123mmtt
— Rex Patrick (@Senator_Patrick) May 1, 2021
But senator Patrick acknowledged there did need to be a strengthening of Australia’s quarantine options given the severity of the Indian covid breakout.
READ MORE:Making criminals of Aussies trying to get home shames us all
Charlie Peel3.31pm: ‘Locked out or locked up’ policy not good enough’: Albo
Anthony Albanese says Australians in India “shouldn’t just be left stranded” and criticised the Morrison government’s threat to jail anyone who circumvents the direction and returns via another country.
Speaking to journalists in Brisbane, where he made a speech at a Labour Day rally, Mr Albanese said the government needed to do more to help Australians who remained in India, where the number of COVID-19 cases continues to escalate.
“We think the federal government should be doing whatever it can to assist the Indian government to deal with this crisis,” he said.
“But we also think that Australians who are in India shouldn’t just be left stranded. This Government seems to have a policy of ‘locked out or locked up’ for Australian citizens who are in India. And it’s not good enough to say, ‘You’re an Australian citizen but we will lock you out and lock you up if you try to return’.”
Mr Albanese said the issue was exacerbated because of the government’s “failure” to establish an “appropriate quarantine system” in Australia.
“They need to do much better than what they’re doing at the moment, because Australian citizenship does matter,” he said.
“There are rights attached to being an Australian citizen and the Australian Government has obligations to fulfil those rights.”
Mr Albanese stopped short of saying the travel ban to India should be completely scrapped, saying the government should “take appropriate advice from health authorities about those issues”.
READ MORE:Anthony Albanese faces women backlash over push to fast-track decision making
Richard Ferguson3.15pm:‘Full answers’ not given by Holgate: Inquiry hears
Australia Post board member and ex-Liberal Party director Tony Nutt denies he is “running the show” at the national post service, saying if he were then Christine Holgate would still be its chief executive and $20,000 worth of Cartier watches would never have been purchased for executives.
The former top Liberal Party official has called Ms Holgate an “outstanding” chief of Australia Post, but told a senate inquiry on Monday she did not give full answers on her purchase of the watches and should have had a “greater understanding” of the postal service’s regulatory framework.
READ the full story
Rhiannon Down2.55pm: Travel ban penalties ‘unprecedented, extreme’
Immigration law expert Kim Rubenstein has criticised the new heavy penalties for circumventing a travel ban with India.
“There needs to be weighty medical evidence that this is really the only avenue available,” Professor Rubenstein told Sky News.
Sky News host Andrew Bolt says we have a sacred duty to protect Australians and the ban on arrivals from India is a shame on this country.https://t.co/PUZ9ZOhhLg
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 3, 2021
“And there are serious questions about the openness of the government here, in a democratic society, if the government is exercising extreme powers that are not consistent normally with the democratic framework.
“So one question everybody should be asking their elected representatives is the parliament sufficiently satisfied that material has been shared properly.”
Professor Rubenstein said the move to criminalise travel into Australia for citizens who have been in India within the last 14 days may be a step too far.
“Ultimately what you’re doing is an Australian citizen who would otherwise be free to travel in and out of the country, will not only not be free to travel but will be criminalised for travelling into the country,” she said.
“So it is unprecedented.”
READ MORE: Threat another human rights test
Rhiannon Down2.35pm:Hunt defends travel ban to prevent ‘third wave’
Greg Hunt has defended the government’s late night decision to ban flights from India, saying it was vital to prevent a “third wave”.
The Health Minister compared the decision with Australia’s move to close the border with with China at the start of the pandemic, which was widely criticised, describing them as the “most important postwar decisions” for the country’s health.
“With regards to the biosecurity order in relation to India, that was actually published when it was completed,” he said.
“We work 24 hours. That is, sadly, what’s required in a pandemic. But it’s no less than Australians would expect of the government. I know I signed it off at about 11.50pm, once we had worked through the evening.”
He added: “The Prime Minister made the announcements in relation to the pausing of flights from India, both the direct commercial flights and also the repatriation flights, and that was done to protect against a third wave in Australia, let’s be very clear.
“Our decisions, just as they were with 1 February 2020 ban on flights from China, which was roundly criticised at the time and which has turned out to be one of the most important postwar decisions in terms of Australia’s health and safety.”
In response to criticism over the legality of the new penalties for travellers who breach the ban – a potential five year jail and $66,000 fine – Mr Hunt said it was the government’s “strong, clear, absolute belief” that it was legal.
He insisted the government had followed medical advice in regards to rising case numbers.
“The Chief Medical Officer’s advice was very clear. It is public,” he said.
“And, importantly, if I may, what’s critical here is that we have seen in Australia cases from India which are positive go from 14 in a 28-day period largely covering February, to 38 in a 28-day period largely covering March, to 210 in a 28-day period largely covering April.
“In Howard Springs alone we saw a seven-fold increase in cases.”
READ MORE:This policy too heartless for words
Richard Ferguson2.20pm:Holgate warns PM, Post: mediate or I’ll sue
Former Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate has warned the Morrison government she will consider suing it and Australia Post over her termination if they do not agree to mediate by the middle of the week.
Ahead of a senate hearing involving the entire Australia Post board today, Ms Holgate’s legal representative Rebekah Giles said in a statement that the government and the board have until Wednesday 5pm to agree to mediation talks with Ms Holgate.
The former Post chief has accused Scott Morrison and the board of bullying her out of a job after it was revealed she signed off on $20,000 worth of Cartier watches for top Australia Post executives.
Ms Holgate told the senate last month she had been unlawfully stood down after the Prime Minister said she could stand aside or go in parliament last year.
“We have been advised the Government requires more time to consider the offer to mediate
and that Australia Post will not be able to meet the deadline,” the statement from Ms Holgate’s representatives said.
“It is very disappointing to Ms Holgate that it appears neither the Government nor Australia Post have been able to prioritise an amicable resolution of this matter, particularly as they are very aware of the ongoing damage this matter causes my client and in light of the fact that it took them only hours to unlawfully stand her down.
“Given there appears to be an absence of agreement to mediate this matter expeditiously, Ms
Holgate will now have no option but to consider her legal options after the Senate Communications and Environment Committee’s report into these matters is released on May
17.
“This was not her preferred method of dealing with this issue, but the ball is in the court of
Australia Post and the Government to resolve this matter.”
Former Liberal Party director Tony Nutt will front the senate hearing in the next hour.
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher’s office has been approached for comment.
READ the full story
Rhiannon Down2.10pm:WA on high alert over new at risk venues
WA remains on high alert as the state awaits thousands of test results after hundreds of people were potentially exposed, after two food delivery drivers worked shifts while infected.
Some 76 food outlets have been identified as being linked to the cluster, with anyone who visited the outlets in the time window asked to get tested if they experience any symptoms, as the locations were deemed low risk.
The venues identified included Basil and Mint Greenwood Vietnamese Restaurant, Landsdale Fish and Chips and Kallaroo Seafood with the full list available on the WA Health website.
Eight Hungry Jacks, six McDonald’s, four Subways and four Nando’s outlets were implicated in the list.
This is in addition to the 17 potential exposure sites linked to the three cases.
No new cases of local transmission were recorded on Sunday or Monday.
READ MORE: How quarantine guard got Covid
Max Maddison1.50pm:Former One Nation candidate endorses SSF
A former star One Nation candidate in the Hunter has endorsed the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party for the upcoming NSW by-election.
After almost taking down federal Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon during the 2019 election, many expected Stuart Bonds to run for One Nation in the looming by-election for the seat in the NSW legislative assembly left vacant by the departure of disgraced former Nationals MP Michael Johnsen.
But after recently voicing criticism of Pauline Hanson’s stance on the Coalition’s industrial relations bill, Mr Bonds was dumped by the party, and will instead throw his weight behind SSF candidate Sue Gilroy, the President of the Singleton Business Chamber.
“Following a falling out with One Nation over their support for the controversial federal industrial relations reforms, Stuart will be endorsing Sue as she commits to improving standards and compensation for coal miners within the region,” a SSF statement said.
As part of the endorsement, the Shooters said they had agreed to move a motion to propose changes to mining workers compensation, ensuring casual workers are compensated like full-time employees. Mr Bonds had been critical of the One Nation bill due to fears it would increase casualisation in the mining industry.
In the 2019 federal election, Mr Bonds recorded an over 21 per cent primary vote, causing an almost 15 per cent swing against Mr Fitzgibbon. The Hunter seat has been held by the Australian Labor Party since 1910.
READ MORE: Gutwein’s early election gamble pays off
Evin Priest1.40pm: Smoke haze causes travel chaos in NSW
Several ferry services were temporarily cancelled, a flight turned around mid-air and outdoor workers were encouraged to drop the tools, as a blanket of smoke haze wreaked havoc in Sydney.
Passengers on-board a Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne to Sydney were told the weather was not suitable to land in the Harbour City on all runways.
The conditions and a lack of fuel forced the plane to turn back around to Melbourne after it travelled as far as Canberra.
The smoke haze came after NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) used a break in the weather to carry out hazard reduction burns.
Controlled burns have taken place on the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Sutherland Shire.
Department of Primary Industries has issued a statement on Monday morning classifying the air quality as “poor”.
READ the full story
Richard Ferguson1.15pm:COVID-19 Commission wraps up after a year
The Morrison government’s COVID-19 Commission has wrapped up its work nearly a year after its creation in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
The COVID-19 Commission advisory board was led by former Fortescue Metals chief Nev Power and was charged with finding solutions to logistical issues created by the pandemic.
The Prime Minister said the board’s work had helped the nation recover from coronavirus and the economic damage it caused.
“We have moved past the emergency phase of the COVID-19 response and are now on the path of economic recovery. Australia’s strong health and economic circumstances and our strong outlook make it the right time for the Board to conclude its work,” he said.
“A hallmark of our response to COVID-19 has been the way we have listened to a wide range of trusted, expert voices. The Board provided a real-time business perspective on critical aspects of our COVID-19 response.
“They used their experience and networks to help with troubleshooting in the crisis management phase of the pandemic, helped businesses safely reopen with COVIDSafe plans, and provided a business perspective to help inform our policies for economic recovery.
“I want to thank the Chair of the Board, Mr Nev Power, and each of the current and former Commissioners for their work. They answered the call for their country when they were needed and have worked hard to support the Government’s plans for managing the virus and economic recovery.”
READ MORE:Australian recovery ‘red hot’
Rhiannon Down1.00pm:Hazzard defends NSW vaccine hub delay
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has defended the state government’s move to delay the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to the over 50s at the vaccine hub until May 24.
Mr Hazzard said bookings for the hub would open on May 10, a week after the rollout had begun for stage 2a.
“We want to make sure that there are nearly three million people over 50 in NSW alone,” he told Channel 9’s Today.
“If they all got on the phone at the same time, frustration would be supreme.
“So we will have a booking system that is double checked and works well as we have done every time, with everything else that we have managed in terms of COVID.”
Mr Hazzard said the vaccine would still be available through the GP network, urging older Australians to have a conversation with their doctor before getting the jab.
“What I would want to stress, though, is that in the first instance people with a GP
should go to their GP,” he said.
“Obviously most of us over 50, as we were just talking about, have some sort of health issue and it is far better that you be able to talk to your GP. And GPs via the Federal Government … can certainly give you the AstraZeneca vaccine and (have) a proper health discussion.”
READ MORE:Mega rich sal away from pandemic
Max Maddison12.40pm: NSW Libs open preselection nominations
The NSW Liberal party has opened nominations for electorate preselection across the state, as it ramps up preparations for the federal election.
In February, Scott Morrison strongly hinted that there would be an election after August.
Nominations for safer Liberal House of Representative seats opened earlier on Monday morning and will close on May 21, including North Sydney, Macquarie, Reid and Wentworth.
Others – such as Kingsford Smith and Sydney – will close on the recommendation of the State Director
“Nominations for preselection in these divisions will close on the recommendation of the State Director,” the email says. “Please note that the preselection and endorsement of candidates nominating for non-Liberal held seats will be subject to a finalised Coalition Agreement.”
With the earliest date for a standard half-Senate election August 7, the Prime Minister and his confidants have been coy about the prospects of an early-election, suggesting in October last year that he was a “full-termer”.
The latest possible date for an election is May 21, 2022.
However, with the political turmoil from February dissipating, and the rate of vaccinations slowly increasing, Mr Morrison may be poised to strike while his approval rating remains high.
READ MORE:Albanese intervenes in Victoria preselections
Rhiannon Down12.25pm:NSW, Qld record no new local cases
NSW has recorded no new cases of community transmission and five cases of COVID-19 acquired overseas in hotel quarantine in the past 24 hours.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) May 3, 2021
Five new cases were acquired overseas to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,300. pic.twitter.com/rkC3kCiYHA
It comes as the state processed 7920 tests up to 8pm last night, down from the previous day’s total of 9000.
One patient is currently in ICU in NSW out of 101 COVID-19 cases.
Queensland also recorded zero local cases and three cases in hotel quarantine.
Queensland #COVID19 update 3/5/21
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) May 3, 2021
Queensland has recorded 3 new cases of COVID-19 today.
These new cases were acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine. pic.twitter.com/ELYDYcBmWk
Rhiannon Down12.00pm: WA guard likely infected by returned traveller
Genomic testing has revealed a hotel quarantine security guard who contracted COVID-19 was likely infected by a returned traveller.
Mark McGowan said the returned traveller had tested positive for the US variant and was transferred to the hotel on the same day as the guard was working.
“We expect he acquired the virus from that person,” the WA Premier said.
“We don’t know how. The advice we have is at this point in time it was not related to ventilation issues in the hotel.”
WA Health Minister Roger Cook said another “working theory” was that a returned traveller from Indonesia who had the same variant could also have been the source.
“I’ve got a working theory that it’s as a result of the other traveller from the US. The – there’s another traveller as part of that cohort that was on that floor that day from Indonesia who also has the US variant. So, it would suggest that it was a spread from that particular individual.
“As you know, security guards are kept away from the doors of any rooms where we know we have positive travellers,” Mr Cook said.
“But in this particular case the security guard was required to be in the proximity of the lift and potentially via that or by buttons and so on, that’s an opportunity for the transmission to have occurred.
“We will continue to examine that situation to get better at understanding. And every time we have an incident like this, and every time we have a successful quarantining arrangement, we learn from it and make sure that we continue to tighten the arrangements to make sure there’s no spread of the disease.”
READ MORE:McGowan kicks a goal with no lockdown
Heidi Han11.50am:China editor lashes officials for mocking India Covid deaths
China’s most high-profile media editor has urged Chinese media not to “mock India” and instead show “sympathy and support” for India’s fight against the virus after government officials drew controversial comparisons between the two countriesa.
Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a government mouthpiece, on Sunday criticised “certain Chinese official institutions or other influential forces” for making inappropriate comparisons on social media.
“There are many voices and the public has their right to express various sentiments toward India,” Mr Hu said in an opinion piece on Sunday.
”But our public opinion, especially mainstream opinion, needs to follow the Chinese government’s narratives and moves as a whole, forming the tone of sympathy and support for India’s fight against the virus.
“This is an indispensable part of China’s national image,” said Mr Hu.
His comment came after the official Twitter account of the CCP’s Political and Legal Affairs committees published images mocking the death of Covid victims in India. The post compares the use of fire in the two countries, saying while China ignited fire to send rockets into space, India used fire to cremate coronavirus victims’ bodies.
A post of the official account of #CCP's Political & Legal Affairs Committee and its English translation. The post says while CCP ignites fire to send rockets to space, #India ignites fire to burn bodies with more than 400K new cases. I've never such disgusting comparison. pic.twitter.com/M9kSV7c2K0
— Jennifer Zeng 曾錚 (@jenniferatntd) May 1, 2021
India is currently the world’s worst affected country, with over 400,000 new cases recorded on Saturday. In April the country reported 7 million new infections.
It came as US presidential medical adviser Anthony Fauci reportedly told Indian newspapers that India could learn from China’s experience fighting COVID-19, including building temporary hospitals and a national lockdown to stop the disease spreading.
Millions of travellers criss-cross China as the Labour Day holiday gets underway, packing out tourist sites, thronging restaurants and visiting family as the vast country edges towards life after Covid https://t.co/QU2UlKqN6Gpic.twitter.com/MqjgRheboC
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 1, 2021
In China, a former epicentre of Covid at the early time of the pandemic, millions of people are travelling to destinations across the country over the extended Labour Day break, following a Covid-restricted Chinese New Year holiday.
The Ministry of Transport of China predicts that the national passenger volume during the May 1st holiday will reach 265 million passengers, an increase of 120.1 per cent over the same period in 2020 and close to their pre-Covid level in 2019.
READ MORE:Ardern: NZ won’t be bullied by China
Rhiannon Down11.35am:WA records zero new local cases
Hundreds of people have been implicated as close contacts in WA, after two infected delivery drivers worked several shifts while infectious.
The warning comes as WA recorded zero cases of community transmission and three cases in hotel quarantine, as hundreds of hot spot locations were also added to the list.
Mark McGowan said the new locations were restaurants and venues which were visited by the delivery drivers who were infected by a hotel quarantine worker, as well as people to whom food was delivered.
“There are about 100 different locations that WA Health advised are very low risk,” he said.
“The people to whom food was delivered, of which there is a 100, are required to get tested.
“The 100 people to whom food was delivered are required to get tested. They are considered a casual contact.
“If you are in one of the restaurants from which the food was picked up, you should have a look at the site and you are encouraged to get tested.”
READ MORE:Battling virus outbreaks
Rhiannon Down 11.20am:Tudge backs hard ban on travel from India
Education Minister Alan Tudge has backed the government’s decision to introduce penalties for any Australians that breach the travel ban with India.
“This is a temporary measure which we will relook at in a few week’s time but it’s just to ensure that we don’t get COVID outbreaks here in Australia on a very significant scale,” he told Channel 9’s Today.
“About 15 per cent of our Howard Springs facility now has COVID in it, and nearly all of that has been from returning Indians in recent weeks.
“The medical experts are saying that you only want a maximum cap of 2 per cent of people with COVID in your quarantine system.
“So we are giving those quarantine systems a breather so that they can have surety that they will be safe, and infections won’t spread throughout the Australian community.”
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly this morning denied he directly pushed the Morrison government to fine or jail anyone who arrives from India during the temporary pause of flights.
Mr Tudge said the measures were temporary only and the decision would be reviewed on May 15.
“We want it to be temporary. We understand the difficulties,” he said.
“Indians can still come to Australia by quarantining somewhere else in transit before they come here, but let’s re-evaluate the middle of May.
“Get that medical expert advice and make sure that all Australians are safe.”
READ MORE: ‘The number of bodies is jaw-dropping’
Rhiannon Down10.40am:WA hotel quarantine ‘hopeless’: AMA chief
Australian Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller has slammed the state’s hotel quarantine system, describing it as “hopeless”.
Dr Miller said he had no faith in the quarantine program, after a second leak was uncovered on the weekend when a worker infected two housemates.
“We only have 30 positive cases in our system out of 2100, and that has been enough to cause the whole thing to shut down,” he told Channel 9’s Today.
“And we can’t have people coming back from India, which is a complete disgrace. So it is not a quarantine system. It is a waypoint where you stop on the way home and hopefully you don’t have COVID.
“But if you are one of the 30 who does, then one in 200 of those is going to leak to the community. It is a hopeless system.”
Dr Miller hit back at suggestions by Scott Morrison that the hotel quarantine system was overworked and in need of a rest.
“If our system is overworked, it is not fit for purpose, because if you can’t run a system where less than two per cent of your people have COVID and still not keep COVID out of the community,” he said.
“It is not quarantine. You should be able to have thousands of people with the disease in quarantine and it not be a problem.”
READ MORE:Premier resists lockdown
Richard Ferguson10.30am:Morrison plays down fears over India flight ban
Scott Morrison has played down the chances of anyone going to jail if they return from India, saying tough biosecurity laws will be used “responsibly” and the alternative is tougher restrictions.
The Prime Minister on Monday said that direct flights from India were needed to strengthen quarantine facilities – amid COVID spikes in Howard Springs and hotels due to Indian cases – and prevent a third wave of coronavirus in Australia.
Labor, legal experts and human rights groups have slammed the flight ban under which people can face fines or five years in jail for attempting to return from India directly.
Mr Morrison said the powers under the Biosecurity Act will be used sparingly.
“I understand the measures have strong sanctions with them but we’ve had the Biosecurity Act in place now for over a year, and no one’s going to jail,” he told 2GB radio.
“There hasn’t been any irresponsible use of those powers. They’ve been used very, very carefully, and I can assure people that they will be used appropriately and responsibly.”
“I want to get those repatriation flights running safely again and these are the things we have to do so I can ensure we can do that.”
Under the India flight ban, people can return from India via a third country if they wait 14 days.
Mr Morrison said the alternative to the current policy of making arrivals from India wait 14 days via a third country was a total ban on all flights to Australia.
READ MORE:McGowan backs ban on India arrivals
Rhiannon Down 10.15am:Mass vaccination hubs key to success
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness chair Jane Halton says mass vaccination clinics will play a central role to the rollout, after Victoria and SA recently opened major vaccine clinics.
“Look, we definitely will need to have an approach which includes mass vaccination,” she told the Today program.
“Certainly at the moment when we probably have a little under million doses coming
through probably not so much but towards the end when we have more available.
“But in those states where they have already opened these hubs, they are a good way for people to come in, sometimes even without an appointment.
“I know here in Victoria you can turn up from 9am in the morning without an appointment if you would like to be vaccinated.”
Ms Harton, who conducted a review of Australia’s quarantine system, said the jab would be key to reopening international borders and restoring vital work forces.
“If we want to be able to travel, but importantly if we want those chefs who usually work in your local cafe, the people who pick the fruit, the people who help us sheer all the sheep, if we want them to be able to come in we need to get to get to herd immunity,” she said.
“We need to catch up here, which we can do if we go and get vaccinated. It is not our day to just sit here thinking that we will all be fine.”
READ MORE:Planets aligned but watch for meteorites
Richard Ferguson10.10am:Canavan attacks India hard travel ban
Nationals senator Matthew Canavan has attacked the Morrison government’s hard ban on Australian citizens returning from India, saying the government should not jail people.
The government has faced a strong backlash from human rights groups, legal experts and the Indian Australian community for threatening anyone who tries to enter Australia from India with fines and potential five year jail terms.
We should be helping Aussies in India return not jailing them. Let's fix our quarantine system rather than leave our fellow Australians stranded.
— Matthew Canavan (@mattjcan) May 2, 2021
Senator Canavan said on Twitter on Wednesday morning that the government should be helping Australians in India instead. He is the first Coalition member to publicly rebel against the ban.
“We should be helping Aussies in India return, not jailing them. Let’s fix our quarantine system rather than leave our fellow Australians stranded,” he tweeted.
READ MORE:Threat to retrning Aussies a human rights test
Elise Shaw 9.55am:Premier Investments to repay $15.6m in JobKeeper
Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments retail chain says it will repay $15.6m in JobKeeper, after earlier holding on to the government payments amid thriving profits.
Premier said in March the $15.6m in JobKeeper would be “quarantined and utilised” to fund the wages of employees who may be stood down under future state COVID lockdowns.
Since then there had been short snap lockdowns in Queensland and Western Australia.
“Critically, following the lockdowns and upon reopening, increased trading from the combined states has fully offset the cost of supporting our teams through these lockdowns. Therefore, the “JobKeeper 1” funds were ultimately not required to support our teams,” Premier said.
Premier’s board had now determined it was now “appropriate” to refund the net JobKeeper benefit of $15.6m to the Australian Tax Office.
Premier had faced criticism for not repaying JobKeeper, as many other companies had done, and Mr Lew got into an angry row with federal Labor in March after it accused him and other billionaires of relying on corporate welfare to “buy another yacht.”
READ MORE:Trading Day live blog
Rhiannon Down9.45am:Queen caught in 2 security scares within 6 days
The Queen has been caught up by two security scares in six days, after three intruders were caught in the grounds of Windsor Castle in two separate incidents.
A man aged 31 and a woman aged 29, believed to be his girlfriend, were arrested after they were discovered in the grounds of the Royal Lodge, in Berkshire on April 25, UK media reports.
The Royal Lodge is home to Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah Ferguson, who were believed to be home at the time of the incident. The intruders were discovered near where the Queen walks her dogs.
The breqach came just days after a security incident where a Spanish national was caught in the lobby of the lodge, after she claimed she was Prince Andrew’s fiancee and they had lunch plans.
The Queen has spent much of the past year at Windsor Castle with the late Prince Philip, where they had been isolating from the coronavirus.
READ MORE: Top earners do heavy lifting for Treasury
Richard Ferguson9.25am: CMO denies pushing for India arrivals ban
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has denied he directly pushed the Morrison government to fine or jail anyone who arrives from India during the temporary pause of flights.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Sunday said the decision to dole out fines or five year jail terms to Australian citizens attempting to circumvent the flight ban – due to end on May 15 – was solely based on medical advice.
On Monday, Professor Kelly said he was only asked for medical advice and was not approached on whether to impose penalties as allowed in the Biosecurity Act.
“To understand the Biosecurity Act, what was asked for was public health advice and once a decision is made by government as it was done on Friday night” he told ABC News
“There is another section of the act which talks about what happens if you breach those things.
“So that is in the act itself, I didn’t advise anything in relation to fines or any of those other matters, that is the law.”
READ MORE: Peter van Onselen:Heartless policy shames us all
Rhiannon Down9.15am:Kelly refuses be drawn on vax timeline
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has refused to be drawn on a timeline for the vaccine rollout, as the program expands to the over 50s age group today.
“I’m not going to get into timelines for that but all I can say is this is not a linear program,” he told Sunrise.
Professor Kelly said the vaccine rollout was progressing significantly, in response to estimates it could take 18 months to vaccinate the entire population.
“We had over 60,000 on one day last week, and close to 80,000 on another day, (who were) vaccinated,” he said.
“Our GPs in particular are doing a fantastic job in terms of vaccination, they have now got well over half the vaccinations done in primary care and so we will continue to increase.
“And as you are getting more supplies now of both the locally produced CSL AstraZeneca product as well as Pfizer coming in from overseas, we will continue to increase the speed.”
READ MORE:More jobs return in ‘red hot’ market
Rhiannon Down8.45am:Hazzard: get vaccinated as soon as you’re eligible
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has called on Australians to get vaccinated as soon as they can, as case numbers continue to soar overseas.
“People should understand the world out there at the moment is a dangerous place,” he told Sunrise.
“Of course, as we saw just in WA in the last few days, it can still, unfortunately, break out from time to time, it is a human system.
“I would be strongly recommending, as the NSW Health Minister, that people get their vaccine as soon as they can, subject of course to their medical advice and talking with their GP which is the preferred way of getting a vaccine if you can.”
Mr Hazzard said NSW had seen a decline in vaccine hesitancy in recent weeks, but the numbers had started to pick up.
“But we are seeing some come back now and I think it’s important to understand that having this vaccine available, the AstraZeneca vaccine or in some cases, the Pfizer, is a much better option than what we are seeing overseas,” he said.
“We are still an oasis at the moment but at any time that could change.
“My advice to people is, having seen what can happen, as I and others have seen what happens to people with COVID, for heaven’s sake go and get your vaccine as soon as you are eligible.”
READ MORE:Lockdown secrecy slammed
Rhiannon Down8.35am:Scrapping Port of Darwin deal ‘terrible risk’
Joel Fitzgibbon has criticised suggestions a $500m lease for the Port of Darwin between the NT government and Chinese company Landbridge, could be ripped up over national security concerns.
The Labour MP said despite the increased scrutiny of the deal amid rising tensions with China, the government couldn’t risk discouraging private investment.
Federal MPs @Barnaby_Joyce and @Fitzhunter discuss criticism of Australia's India travel ban and whether a Chinese-owned company's 99-year lease of the Port of Darwin should be torn up by the government. pic.twitter.com/xVyv809Xdp
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) May 2, 2021
“The problem is, we’re talking about tearing up property rights,” he told Sunrise.
“This is going to be a terrible risk issue for this country … If we send a message that if you come and invest in Australia, we can’t be sure that the government is not going to rip up your contract after the event, we’re going to run into all sorts of problems.
“So this is another mess created by coalition governments which now pose a great dilemma for the community and for the Australian economy.”
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said national security would always come first, and suspicions about China which were once deemed “racist” or “paranoid” were now widely viewed as legitimate concerns.
“We have to understand that the regime in China is overt,” he said on the program.
“It’s reaching out, it’s projecting power. It’s displaying the capacity to force and stamp the power with military weight and we’ve just got to wake up.
“Unfortunately we have to prepare to make Australia as powerful as possible, as quickly as possible, and having the Chinese port in the northern part of Australia was never a wise move.”
READ MORE:Quarantine flaws put us on tightrope
Rhiannon Down8.10am:Jail, fines for India arrivals ‘excessive’
Human rights experts have criticised the government’s move to criminalise arrivals from India, saying the fines introduced to stop the virus spreading to Australia may be illegal.
Lawyer Michael Bradley said new penalties of five years jail or a $33,000 fine announced on the weekend could be invalid due to the excess of the measures.
“Within the terms of the Biosecurity Act itself, which is the legislation that allows the minister to make declarations like this, it contains constraints the minister has to take into account around the appropriateness of the measure that he’s taking,” he told ABC News Breakfast.
“Whether it’s excessive, how long it will last for and he has to consider, you know, what is the least intrusive way of achieving the purpose.
“And I think it’s very difficult to say that he appropriately applied that discretion. On top of that, there are real question marks about the constitutional validity of this exercise of power.”
Mr Bradley said it may also breach Australia’s obligations under international human rights law. “Unfortunately those don’t form part of Australian law, so there’s no ground of challenge there, but yes they do breach one of the conventions we’re a signatory to,” he said.
The ban was introduced after cricketers Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa arrived back in Australia from India after transferring through Qatar.
READ MORE: Battling virus outbreaks
Rhiannon Down7.20am:Lambie questions childcare package’s start date
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie has slammed the government’s childcare package, saying its start date should be brought forward.
The Morrison government on Sunday unveiled a $1.7bn package that will increase the childcare subsidy for families with more than two children.
The funding, part of next week’s federal budget, will also abolish the $10,560 annual subsidy cap for high-income earners.
However, the major overhaul of the childcare system has come under fire after it was revealed the reform wouldn’t come into place until the next financial year.
Senator Lambie said although she was supportive of measures to get people back to work, she questioned the delayed timeline.
“If it’s so important, get it out on 1 July this year,” she told Channel 9’s Today.
“That’s my first point. Is there going to be before and after school care?
“Is it going to make sure it’s for day carers that aren’t in the childcare centres and how will you stop the childcare centres who are making a nice amount (from) us already from putting their fees up? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered.”
READ MORE:Women’s security ‘a major focus’ in 2021 federal budget
Rhiannon Down7am:India records almost 400,000 new COVID-19 cases
India recorded just under 400,000 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the total cases to 19.5 million. The official death toll also rose to 215,000.
India’s health system has continued to struggle under the rising case numbers, as oxygen and other equipment shortages remain widespread.
Aid from France arrived overnight (AEST), including eight oxygen generator plants and 28 ventilators, with ventilators from Germany arriving on Saturday.
The US and Russia also sent emergency supplies including oxygen generators, face masks and vaccines, with the UK providing 495 oxygen concentrators and 200 ventilators with promises of a further thousand ventilators.
Social media has been flooded with distraught families searching for oxygen supplies, hospital beds and other supplies, with reports of patients dying while they wait to receive medical care.
“People are sometimes dying in front of the hospitals,” Germany’s ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner, said.
“They have no more oxygen. Sometimes (they are dying) in their cars.”
The lockdown has been extended by a week in New Delhi, one of the hardest-hit regions, as the government resists calls to impose a nation wide lockdown.
READ MORE:US restricts travel from India
Rhiannon Down6.15am:Protesters, police injured at anti-lockdown flare-up
Belgian police have arrested more than a hundred people and deployed tear gas and water cannons to break up an illegal “anti-lockdown” party in Brussels.
More than 1000 protesters gathered at a park on the weekend to protest against COVID-19 restrictions.
One partygoer was knocked out by a water cannon and 14 other protesters suffered mild injuries, while three police officers were hospitalised, as tensions flared.
Authorities had urged protesters to stay away with 600 riot police deployed, along with mounted units, to break up the gathering.
Belgium recorded 3205 COVID cases in the past 24 hours, significantly down from its all time high of 23,921 on October 29.
READ MORE:Covid spears the white tiger — and it may bite us too
Adam Creighton5.15am:Economists slam ‘outrageous’ lockdown secrecy
The government has refused to release Treasury documents that spell out the assumed costs and benefits of border closures, lockdowns and other COVID-19 restrictions, a decision prominent economists have slammed as “outrageous”.
The federal government has classed 38 different estimates of the costs of various restrictions, including borders closures, school closures and Victoria’s series of extra lockdowns as “cabinet documents”, which excludes them from public access under Freedom of Information laws, The Australian has learned.
Economist Saul Eslake said it was “outrageous that the government won’t share with the public any of the basis for the decisions it has made”.
UNSW professor Peter Swan said the decision was “absolutely outrageous”.
“The fact that not a single word can be revealed on the impact of Victorian COVID-19 restrictions on the Victorian and Australian economy even now, long after they have cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and forced thousands of Australian small businesses to close, indicates the damning nature of the contents of these documents,” he said.
“It would seem highly likely that the government has ignored advice from Treasury and elsewhere that lockdown is almost entirely unproductive and ineffective, as well as being economically crippling.”
Read the full story here.
Richard Ferguson5am:More jobs return in ‘red hot’ labour market
More than 90,000 people have come off welfare since the JobKeeper scheme ended in March, quashing fears the withdrawal of government wage subsidies would push up unemployment, and delivering major savings to the budget bottom line.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the figures — in which at least 30,000 people came off welfare benefits in the week ending April 30 on top of 63,000 in the first weeks of the month — showed ending JobKeeper was the right decision.
The stronger-than-predicted labour-market recovery means the JobKeeper scheme will cost the nation $12.5bn less than originally estimated. The strong recovery also saw the jobless rate fall to 5.6 per cent in March compared with Treasury estimates in the mid-year economic review of 7.5 per cent.
The stronger jobs figures come as Deloitte Access Economics predicts next Tuesday’s budget will reveal a $100bn boost to the bottom line thanks to a “red hot” economic recovery.
Read the full story, by Richard Ferguson and Patrick Commins, here.
Paul Garvey4.45am:McGowan kicks a goal by resisting WA lockdown
Mark McGowan has resisted the urge to again confine two million West Australians to their homes following the latest COVID-19 leak from hotel quarantine.
The Premier on Sunday said there would not be another lockdown at this stage, after the second quarantine-linked outbreak in the state in as many weeks — with one hotel worker and two housemates infected — but he did ban spectators at the AFL derby between Fremantle and West Coast.
While his decision not to call another lockdown won praise from the business community, the Premier bristled at suggestions Western Australia was moving towards a NSW-style model that prioritises contact-tracing and health precautions over snap lockdowns. He said the state would have “definitely” entered another lockdown had it not been for the residual safety precautions still in place after WA’s Anzac Day weekend lockdown.
Read the full story here.
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