PoliticsNow: PM would ‘welcome’ inquest into rape claimant’s death
Scott Morrison is ‘certain’ Christian Porter would cooperate with a coronial inquest into the death of the woman who accused him of rape.
- PM would welcome rape claimant inquest
- Arrival caps to stay same
- Reynolds apologises to Brittany
- EU block ‘won’t affect rollout’: Dutton
- AstraZeneca rollout begins in SA
Welcome to PoliticsNow, our coverage of the latest headlines from Canberra. Live coverage has now ended, catch up on how the day unfolded below:
ScottMorrison says he’s ‘certain’ Christian Porter would cooperate with a coronial inquest into the death of the woman who accused him of rape. The PM says arrival caps across the country won’t change. Linda Reynolds has apologised to Brittany Higgins for referring to her as a “lying cow” after her former staffer threatened legal action. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says the doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that have been blocked from coming to Australia by the EU is “not going to affect the rollout” as the first AstraZeneca jab is administered in SA.
Paul Garvey6.57pm:WA adds another royal commission to Crown’s pain
Western Australia’s royal commission into gaming giant Crown will be led by the same commissioner whose work on the collapse of HIH Insurance saw several of the insurer’s executives sentenced to jail.
The WA government on Friday announced a royal commission into Crown and its suitability to continue holding a gaming licence in the state, on the heels of NSW’s Bergin inquiry.
WA Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia had previously announced an inquiry into Crown, but on Friday revealed it would instead be subject of a full royal commission.
The royal commission will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge Neville Owen, who also headed the HIH Insurance royal commission in the early 2000s. That royal commission identified 56 breaches of the Corporations Act and other legislation, and set in motion the events that saw a number of HIH executives jailed and millions of dollars in fine and compensation paid.
WA Attorney-General John Quigley said the decision to upgrade the inquiry had followed a suggestion from Mr Owen that a full royal commission was needed to provide the necessary protections and immunities to the commissioners and witnesses.
Read the full story here.
Dow Jones6.27pm:Cuomo advisers altered report on home deaths
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top advisers successfully pushed state health officials to strip a public report of data showing that more nursing-home residents had died of COVID-19 than the administration had acknowledged, according to people with knowledge of the report’s production.
The July report, which examined the factors that led to the spread of the virus in nursing homes, focused only on residents who died inside long-term-care facilities, leaving out those who had died in hospitals after becoming sick in nursing homes. As a result, the report said 6,432 nursing-home residents had died—a significant undercount of the death toll attributed to the state’s most vulnerable population, the people said. The initial version of the report said nearly 10,000 nursing-home residents had died in New York by July last year, one of the people said.
The changes Mr. Cuomo’s aides and health officials made to the nursing-home report, which haven’t been previously disclosed, reveal that the state possessed a fuller accounting of out-of-facility nursing-home deaths as early as the summer. The Health Department resisted calls by state and federal lawmakers, media outlets and others to release the data for another eight months.
State officials now say more than 15,000 residents of nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities were confirmed or presumed to have died from COVID-19 since March of last year— counting both those who died in long-term-care facilities and those who died later in hospitals. That figure is about 50% higher than earlier official death tolls.
Mr. Cuomo now faces mounting political pressure over both his administration’s handling of the pandemic in nursing homes and accusations that he sexually harassed two former staffers. Republicans and some Democrats have called for the governor to resign from office or be impeached.
READ MORE:Tide turns on Andrew Cuomo
Agencies6pm:Pope leaves Rome for Iraq in first pandemic trip
Pope Francis left Rome on Friday for a historic trip to Iraq, his first abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to an AFP reporter aboard his plane.
The Vatican has planned a packed three-day programme for the 84-year-old pope, which is intended to bring comfort to Iraq’s devastated Christian communities and will mark the high point in his continued outreach to Muslims with a meeting with reclusive Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
READ MORE:New royal commission piles pressure on Crown
Paul Garvey4.15pm:Western Australia to reopen border in 10 days
Western Australia will fully reopen its borders with the rest of the country in ten days, with the state government announcing plans to allow Victorians to enter the state without needing to go into quarantine.
Victoria will move from a ‘low risk’ to a ‘very low risk’ jurisdiction under WA’s controlled border system from March 15, as long as there are no further coronavirus outbreaks in the interim.
It will be the first time all Australian states and territories will be classified as ‘very low risk’ since the border restrictions were first introduced.
The state will also allow a host of venues - including bars and restaurants, theatres, churches and major stadiums - to increase their permitted capacity to 75 per cent.
That move will come just in time for the start of the AFL season, and will mean that Optus Stadium can host crowds of up to 45,000 people.
WA will also lift the number of international arrivals it accepts each week to 1,025 from March 26. The state had already increased the number from 512 to 900 this week, and the government said the further step will make WA the state accepting the most returning Australians per capita.
WA premier Mark McGowan said the greater number of international arrivals and the emerging new strains of the virus meant personal hygiene and checking in to venues using the SafeWA app would remain important.
“Potential outbreaks from international travellers are still our country’s biggest threat, and as we increase the number of overseas arrivals, it will make these risks even more prominent,” he said.
READ MORE: New York is reeling from a nasty case of Cuomomania
Ellie Dudley 3.00pm:Auckland lockdown lifted from Sunday
Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, will come out of lockdown on Sunday after no community transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported for five consecutive days.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the lifting of restrictions as “good news” after announcing Auckland would move from Level 3 lockdown to Level 2.
“Level 3 provided us with an extra layer of security while we addressed the unknowns,” she said, referring to the highly-transmissible UK strain which forced the city into lockdown.
The following restrictions apply under Level 2:
.• People can socialise in groups of up to 100, go shopping, or travel domestically, if following public health guidance.
• Businesses can open to the public if following public health guidance including physical distancing and record keeping. Alternative ways of working encouraged where possible.
• Hospitality businesses must keep groups of customers separated, seated, and served by a single person. Maximum of 100 people at a time.
• Sport and recreation activities are allowed, subject to conditions on gatherings, record keeping, and – where practical – physical distancing.
• Public venues such as museums, libraries and pools can open if they comply with public health measures and ensure 1 metre physical distancing and record keeping.
• Event facilities, including cinemas, stadiums, concert venues and casinos can have more than 100 people at a time, provided that there are no more than 100 in a defined space, and the groups do not mix.
• It is safe to send children to schools, early learning services and tertiary education.
• Face coverings required for most on public transport and aircraft (but not inter-island ferries).
READ MORE:NZ under tsunami alert after 8.1 earthquake
Sarah Elks2.50pm:Premier challenges PM over Toowoomba proposal
Annastacia Palaszczuk has challenged Scott Morrison to declare his support – or otherwise – for the Toowoomba quarantine proposal.
Businessman John Wagner and his family have said they could build a quarantine facility near their Wellcamp airport, near Toowoomba, which could be stood up within six weeks.
The Wagners have said they would pay for the construction, and charge travelers for quarantining there.
After national cabinet, Ms Palaszczuk said the federal government needed to say whether or not it was interested in the Wellcamp proposal.
“Are they interested or not? It’s a very simple question,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“John Wagner has provided all the details of his proposal to the Commonwealth…it’s a very fundamental, they’re the people who have to allow the airlines to land in Wellcamp. It’s a very basic 101 question. It’d be nice to get an answer one way or not.”
“We’re still not going to see the full population vaccinated until the end of October…it’s of some concern that we’re still getting these different strains popping up into our hotels.”
Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Morrison’s comments that he could not just redirect commercial flights to different locations sounded “like an excuse”.
“It sounds like an excuse to me,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“If they want charter flights to go into Wellcamp, they can make it happen.”
After the national cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was no update on the Wagners’ Wellcamp quarantine plan because he needed a “firm costed proposal”.
“I need a detailed costed proposal that the Commonwealth can consider,” Mr Morrison said.
He said Australia could not just redirect commercial flights to different airports, particularly if there was not the ground crew to support them.
READ MORE:Airport quarantine facility still up in air
Sarah Elks 2.45pm: AstraZeneca fast-tracked to Torres Strait amid PNG concerns
Queensland authorities are “concerned” about COVID-19 spreading across Australia’s porous northern border between Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait.
The AstraZeneca vaccine will be fast-tracked to the Torres Strait and Queenslanders living on Boigu, Saibai and Badu islands will be the first non-hospital and non-quarantine workers to receive it.
COVID-19 is spreading rapidly through PNG, and Queensland’s latest COVID-19 case detected in hotel quarantine came from a returned worker from the Ok Tedi gold, copper and silver mine in PNG’s western province.
The issue of the Torres Strait’s vulnerability was discussed at national cabinet, and has been spoken about between Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young and her federal counterpart Paul Kelly.
Dr Young said she was “concerned” about the Torres Strait-PNG border, and confirmed the Astra Zeneca vaccine – which does not need to be kept in ultra-cold freezers like the Pfizer jab – would be fast-tracked to the region to protect its residents.
From the northern-most islands of the Torres Strait, it is possible to see PNG. Saibai and PNG are just four kilometres apart, and it takes about 20 minutes in a small boat to travel between to the two locations.
READ MORE:Open borders ‘more essential to tourism’
Ellie Dudley 2.25pm: PM would ‘welcome’ inquest into rape claimant’s death
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he would “welcome” an inquest by the South Australian Coroner into the death of the woman who accused Attorney-General Christian Porter of raping her in 1988.
He said it would be “highly inappropriate” for any politician to interfere with an independent inquiry.
“The coronial inquiry would be into the rather terrible events with the death by suicide of the woman at the centre of this,” he said.
“If the coroner sought that, then I have no doubt that the Attorney-General would cooperate with any coronial process.”
READ MORE:Porter must not face trial by media
Sarah Elks2.15pm:Cap removed from Queensland weddings, funerals
Queenslanders holding weddings and funerals can now invite as many people as they want – provided the venue is big enough.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was 58 days since any community transmission in Queensland, so restrictions could be eased in the state.
Previously, there was a cap of 200 guests at weddings at funerals.
Now, it can be unlimited, as long as the venue is big enough.
BREAKING: Restrictions are easing at weddings and funerals in Queensland. #covid19#auspol
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 5, 2021
That means regardless of the venue size, you’ll be allowed at least 200 people.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 5, 2021
Larger venues can have more people, as long as the one person per 2m2 rule is maintained.
As well, Ms Palaszczuk said new vaccination hubs would be set up at Bundaberg and Logan, to dole out the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
She raised the issue of growing COVID-19 numbers in Papua New Guinea, and said she wanted the COVID-19 vaccine administered as quickly as possible in the Torres Strait, to protect Queenslanders in the remote island archipelago.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the spread of COVID-19 in PNG was continuing. Queensland’s latest case of COVID-19 was from the Ok Tedi mine in PNG.
Giving the latest on the Qatar Airways cluster, Dr Young said the eight people who had stayed in the Mercure hotel in Brisbane, close to a suspected superspreader, have been located and contacted. One was still in the hotel, one had returned to Victoria, and the remaining six were still in Queensland.
She said all were going to be tested for COVID-19.
There are six linked to the Qatar Airways cluster, all of which have the Russian strain of the virus.
READ MORE: Premier issues ‘please explain’ to PM on arrivals
Ellie Dudley1.55pm:Morrison defends Reynolds, pleased she apologised
Scott Morrison has again defended Defence Minister Linda Reynolds for calling former staffer and alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins a “lying cow”.
While Mr Morrison has condemned the comment, he said she “maintains my confidence.”
“This was a comment made not in a public place,” he said. “This was a comment made during a period which was very traumatic and very stressful. The minister deeply regrets saying these things and has offered an apology, as she should.”
Mr Morrison said he was “pleased” Ms Reynolds had apologised.
Mr Morrison also said the responsibility of sexual assault claims was predominantly down to state jurisdictions.
Questioned about the country’s attitude to sexual assault, he said: “It’s an important question, and it’s one that just doesn’t affect commonwealth jurisdictions,” he said.
“In fact, it is predominantly a responsibility of state jurisdictions for the administration of law and order in relation to criminal matters, particularly criminal matters such as this.”
In regards to the rape allegations against Attorney-General Christian Porter he said the “rule of law” is the “essential process” through which the Australian justice system works.
“That’s an important thing for us to preserve,” he said. “And we must preserve it now. We must preserve it now.”
READ MORE:Reynolds ‘sorry’ for lying cow remark
Ellie Dudley 1.45pm: No change on international student policy
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said there has been no change on Australia’s international student policy, despite increasing pressure from NSW leaders to begin accepting them back.
“It would be good if we could get to that point, but at this stage we’re not at that point,” he said.
“The opening of the international borders, we don’t think is wise at this time.”
The head of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) earlier this week said there was “no reason” why the Australian government shouldn’t commission charter flights to bring international students back.
“We would argue as an industry that it can be done,” Phil Honeywood, CEO of the IEAA and former MP said.
“There’s no reason why we can’t have charter flights bringing the students in, walking them across the tarmac into separate quarantine facilities that will not be competing with the hotel quarantine for Australian returnees.”
NSW Treasure Dominic Perrottet has also said it was time for the federal government to help bring as many overseas students back to the country, for the benefit of not just the university sector but the wider economy.
“If you look at last year, as COVID has run out through 2020, the significant focus for the federal government and the states was to bring back returning Australians,” he told Sky News last month.
“This year, as 2021 rolls through, we need to make sure we get as many students back as possible.”
Adding that NSW has been accepting “the lion’s share” of returning Australians since the beginning of the pandemic, Mr Perrottet said the state is asking for the federal government’s assistance to get the international student program “back off the ground.”
READ MORE: Porter must not face trial by media
Ellie Dudley1.40pm:Ministers in talks with EU over AstraZeneca
Mr Morrison said the federal Foreign Minister, Health Minister and himself have been involved in discussions with European authorities to release the Australian doses of AstraZeneca being held in Italy.
“I’ve had quite a few conversations, as has the Foreign Minister and Health Minister and others in engaging with our EU counterparts on these matters over some time,” he said.
Dr Murphy confirmed the 300,000 doses Australia has acquire from overseas will “really take us through” to when domestic production can begin.
“We plan to use them until the CSL local production comes,” he said.
The federal government was expecting 3.8 million doses of AstraZeneca to come from overseas, and Dr Murphy said he expects to see more to come in the next few weeks.
“At the moment, we’ve deployed 200,000 doses right throughout the country to
states and territories, and they’re about to stand up clinic next week,” he said. “If we get more, they can do more.”
Ellie Dudley1.35am:Vaccination rollout information shared
Scott Morrison confirmed that all states and territories received a list at the national cabinet meeting today detailing the aged care facilities that have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
This was in response to the premiers of NSW and Queensland requesting greater transparency of the federal vaccine roll out, as to not double up on aged care facilities.
“We’re happy to share the information about how the federal program is rolling out into those aged care facilities,” he said. “Today not only did all the states and territories receive a full list of all the facilities that have been visited, but they also received an indicative planning list for next week’s as well.”
Ellie Dudley1.30pm:Australia receives 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has confirmed Australia has received 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from international sources, that is currently being rolled out.
A South Australian doctor was the first person to receive the AstraZeneca jab today, with all states expected to begin the rollout of the new vaccine from next week.
Dr Murphy also announced today the “really, really, exciting news” that in the week beginning March 22, “we will start to release the onshore supply of AstraZeneca vaccine.”
He said the value of onshore production “cannot be underestimated” as CSL will manufacture “a million doses-plus a week.”
Scott Morrison blamed Italian authorities for blocking the supply
“They’re certainly responsible for exercising the veto right they had through the EU process about those supplies coming to Australia,” he said.
However, he added the federal government had “always anticipated” problems would arise, which is why they ensured “our own domestically produced vaccine.”
“That means that has given us sovereignty over our vaccination program, which I think is incredibly important,” he said.
READ MORE:EU blocks AstraZeneca to Australia
Ellie Dudley1.15pm: Arrival caps to remain the same: PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the capacity of the Howard Springs national resilience quarantine facility will increase, while arrival caps across the rest of the country will remain the same.
Howard Springs – a quarantine facility in the Northern Territory – will raise their arrival cap from 850 to 2000.
While NSW, Queensland, SA and WA will continue with their existing arrival caps, Victoria will continue not to accept international travellers.
“I’m looking forward soon to a decision from the Victorian Government, once they’re in a position to advise us of when they’ll be also in a position to take flights again,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison said Australia’s vaccine rollout is “on track” despite the 250,000 doses prevented from being shipped to Australia from Europe this morning
“It’s a significant program of a scale that we have not seen in this country before,” he said.
“Everybody is working together to ensure that we can deliver those vaccines all around the country.”
Ellie Dudley1.05pm: Jenkins ‘has big job ahead' on parly culture
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has said he “welcomes” the appointment of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins as leader of a review into parliamentary culture, but that she has “a big job ahead of her.”
The review has been put in place to better understand workplace culture in parliament house, and offer recommendations to improve.
“Kate Jenkins is going to have a big job ahead of her,” Mr Albanese said. “Quite clearly, we need significant reform.”
“It needs to be transparent processes in terms of complaints, including at arm’s length from those in positions of existing power so people can have confidence to go forward either on a confidential basis.”
Mr Albanese also said it was “not enough” that Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has apologised to former staffer and rape victim Brittany Higgins for calling her a “lying cow”.
“I said yesterday, “What do you have to do to lose your job under Scott Morrison’s Government?” I find her position untenable,” he said. “I think that it should be obvious to all.”
In regards to historic rape claims against Attorney-General Christian Porter, Mr Albanese said the “nation … requires a response.”
“The fact that questions will continue to be asked is one of the reasons why there should be an inquiry,” he said.
READ MORE:Woman ‘insisted we shut rape case’
Ellie Dudley12.45pm:AstraZeneca block won’t affect state rollouts: Hunt
Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed state rollouts of the AstraZeneca vaccines will not be impacted by the EU’s decision to stop 250,000 doses going to Australia this morning.
The shipment was held up by authorities after Italy received approval from Brussels to implement vaccine export laws designed to prioritise Europeans receiving vaccines before any non-EU country.
However, Mr Hunt said the blocked shipment “doesn’t delay” the distribution of vaccines to the states and territories today.
“This shipment was not included,” he said. ”We only include those doses that are actually in hand.”
Mr Hunt said the EU Ambassador has confirmed Australia would be “unaffected” by the vaccine ban, but the federal government is “intensely engaged” to see what happens.
“I am quietly hopeful and quietly confident that there’ll be more news on that shortly,” he said.
Mr Hunt described the acquisition of vaccines as “the most intensely competitive international environment since, perhaps, the Second World War.”
READ MORE:Vaccine ban a taste of what’s to come
Ellie Dudley12.30pm:Kate Jenkins to lead parly culture review
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has announced Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins will lead a review into parliamentary culture.
After numerous complaints and accusations of sexual assault in parliament over the past year, Ms Jenkins will hear submissions and evidence regarding the culture of the government offices and provide recommendations to move forward.
Mr Birmingham says it will not be an investigative review, but will follow a similar framework as that adopted for the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report completed by the commission last year.
The review will be conducted to better understand the “type of workplaces in all of our parliamentary environments” so that the government can “set a positive example for the nation”, Mr Birmingham said.
“It is so important to get this work done and to get it done properly,” he said.
“It’s important for the victims of bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault. It’s important for their loved ones.
“It is also important for the many innocent bystanders who have found themselves in workplaces or environments that are under question or under a cloud at present.”
Mr Birmingham said the review will hear examples and take submissions from any former members of parliament staff, or anyone who has worked within parliament.
“This review is about achieving systemic change,” Mr Birmingham said
Asked if Linda Reynolds should resign, he said: “Minister Reynolds has made very clear that she’s sorry.”
He added that she would be “conveying that” to “these hearings.”
In regards to rape allegations made against Attorney-General Christian Porter, Mr Birmingham said “we must uphold the rule of law.”
“We do so in a manner where the rule of law applies equally to everybody,” he said.
“That also involves maintenance of the presumption of innocence, and the proper practices and scrutiny that are entailed in investigations in conduct of the law.”
READ MORE: Public shaming can’t replace justice
Rosie Lewis 12.15pm:‘Deeply sorry’: Reynolds apologises to Brittany Higgins
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has apologised to Brittany Higgins for referring to her as a “lying cow” after her former staffer threatened legal action.
Senator Reynolds confirmed she received a letter from Ms Higgins’ lawyers on Thursday afternoon after they issued a legal demand for her to publicly withdraw the comments and apologise for the “malicious remarks”, first revealed in The Australian.
“A report in The Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins,” Senator Reynolds said on Friday.
“I have never questioned Ms Higgins’ account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter.
“In response to a letter from Ms Higgins’ lawyers yesterday afternoon, discussions are now underway through our legal representatives in an effort to resolve this matter as soon as possible, with any resolution to include an apology.
“However, in the meantime, I want to express how deeply sorry I am for these remarks and for any hurt and distress they have caused.”
Senator Reynolds, who is on medical leave until next week, was publicly rebuked by the Prime Minister after The Australian revealed she had made the slur about Ms Higgins in front of staff members in an open part of the office on the day the ex-Liberal staffer went public about an alleged rape in Parliament House.
READ MORE:No private lives under media spotlight
Ellie Dudley11.45am:Tony Nutt appointed director of Australia Post board
Former Liberal Party director Tony Nutt has been reappointed as a non-executive director of the Australia Post Board, Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham have announced.
Mr Nutt will serve a three-year term as the non-executive director of the board, following Christine Holgate’s resignation over revelations senior executives were given Cartier watches collectively worth almost $20,000.
“Mr Nutt has served on the Australia Post Board since March 2018 and brings strong leadership and expertise in governance to the Board,” Mr Fletcher and Mr Bimingham wrote in a joint statement today.
“We congratulate Mr Nutt on his reappointment and look forward to continuing to work with him and the Australia Post Board.”
READ MORE:Holgate beefed up Australia Post profit and the veges are stewing
Sarah Elks11.41am:Nurse who reacted to vaccine ‘recovering well’
A Gold Coast nurse who had an anaphylactic reaction to the COVID-19 jab on Thursday is recovering well at home, Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.
Ms D’Ath said the Gold Coast hospital worker – who had a history of anaphylactic reactions – said she was at home last night watching television reports saying she was in intensive care.
“She’s home and healthy … she was quite amused because she was never in ICU,” Ms D’Ath said.
She said the woman’s history meant she was still able to have the vaccine but had to be monitored closely and for longer for potential reactions.
“All of our training kicked in, everything that was supposed to happen, happened.”
READ MORE:This is our Dunkirk: AstraZeneca chief
Ellie Dudley11.37am:‘Conduct an independent inquiry into Porter’: HRLC
The Human Rights Law Centre have shown their support for an independent inquiry into the rape allegations agains Attorney-General Christian Porter.
Mr Porter has been accused as the perpetrator of a historic rape case from 1988, however NSW Police discontinued the investigation due to “insufficient admissible evidence.”
The HRLC today said: “Allegations of sexual assault must be taken seriously. Serious questions around the conduct, integrity and character of the person serving as Australia’s Attorney-General must be addressed.”
While the Morrison government has said it will not conduct an independent inquiry into the accusations, the HRLC said it should be undertaken “immediately”.
“It would not undermine the rule of law for the Prime Minister to establish an independent inquiry. On the contrary, it would serve the interests of justice,” a statement from the HRLC reads.
“The office of Attorney-General is responsible for the federal justice system, Commonwealth laws and recommending judicial appointments.
“The Attorney-General is required to make critical judgments about the administration of justice, including deciding in whether certain criminal prosecutions should proceed.
“There should be an independent inquiry immediately.”
READ MORE: Woman insisted we shut rape case: police
Sarah Elks11.29am:Queensland’s Qatar cluster stands at six
Queensland’s Qatar Airways cluster – believed started by a superspreader on a flight to Brisbane last month – stands at six, with genomic testing underway to see if any other patients have the Russian strain.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said no new cases had been identified, with Queensland’s only new COVID-19 patient today coming home from Papua New Guinea’s Ok Tedi copper and gold mine.
She said there were two cases linked to the Qatar flight on Thursday, both family members who had been in the same hotel quarantine room as a previous positive case.
There have been six confirmed cases off the Qatar Airways flight, which arrived in Brisbane on February 17. Five were in quarantine at the Mercure Brisbane hotel, and the sixth had travelled on to New Zealand.
On Thursday, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young warned she believed one of the travellers on the flight was more infectious than other cases, and she was concerned they were a “superspreader”.
Queensland Health is trying to find eight people who had already left the Mercure but had stayed on a particular floor of the hotel between February 18 and 21, that they should immediately get tested for COVID-19 and go back into isolation.
“We’re just checking whether those eight people have remained in Queensland, whether they’re interstate – we’ve already notified interstate and national coordination centre that we’re tracking these eight people – some may have already travelled overseas,” Ms D’Ath said.
She said she expected to get an update later today.
“We’re taking a very cautious approach … there’s a risk, it’s a small risk.”
READ MORE:‘Please explain’ demand to PM on arrivals
Ellie Dudley 11.16am: AMA study confirms ivermectin does not treat virus
A new study from the American Medical Association has confirmed the drug ivermectin does not effectively treat COVID-19.
Ivermectin was first used as a veterinary drug to kill internal and external parasites in pets and livestock. It’s currently also used as a treatment for parasite infections in people.
The drug has made headlines over the past few months as a potential treatment for COVID-19, memorably backed by controversial Australian politician Craig Kelly, who quit the Liberal party last month in order to “stay true” to what he believes in.
The AMA study aimed to deduce whether ivermectin could effectively mitigate the symptoms of COVID-19.
The findings from the randomised clinical trial that included 476 patients showed that the duration of symptoms was not significantly different for patients who received a five-day course of ivermectin compared with placebo.
The researchers on the study concluded that they do not support the use of ivermectin for treatment of mild COVID-19.
They added that larger trials may be needed to understand effects on “other clinically relevant outcomes.”
READ MORE:Ivermectin is just for parasites
Sarah Elks 11.05am: 6500 jabs given to Qld quarantine, hospital staff
Queensland has vaccinated more than 6500 hotel quarantine workers and hospital staff in two weeks, as another Pfizer vaccination hub opens in Townsville.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said Queensland had recorded one new COVID-19 case overnight, that had been acquired overseas and was detected in hotel quarantine.
Ms D’Ath is in Townsville to open the latest of six Pfizer vaccination hubs in Queensland, with the aim to give more than 100 jabs today.
In the second week of vaccinations in Queensland, more than 6500 jabs have been given, which Ms D’Ath said was “well in excess of our target”.
This week, Queensland had aimed to give shots to 3000 frontline workers, and had already done 4500.
Queensland had been criticised for only giving out 22 per cent of its available vaccines in the first week of the rollout.
READ MORE:EU blocks transportation of AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia
Ellie Dudley10.54am:One case of Covid in Queensland hotel quarantine
Queensland have recorded no new cases of locally-transmitted COVID-19, and only one in an overseas arrival in hotel quarantine.
The state recorded 7538 tests, and now has 21 active cases.
Ellie Dudley 10.41am: SA ‘expecting hotel quarantine bill from NSW’
South Australia Health Minister Stephen Wade says the state is waiting on a hotel quarantine bill from New South Wales as served to other states and territories.
Leaders of Queensland and Western Australia have torn up the bills sent to them over the past week, refusing to pay the respective $30 million and $7 million invoices issued by NSW to cover the cost of processing interstate residents through Sydney’s hotel quarantine system.
Mr Wade said he is expecting the bill from NSW, and accepts it is not any different from other interstate medical bills.
“I appreciate that it’s not uncommon for health services to cross-charge each other, certainly that was my expectation in relation to hotel quarantine,” Mr Wade told Sky News.
“We reimburse other states and territories for the services they provide to South Australians in health all the time so I am expecting a bill.
“My understanding was that there was an expectation of cross-charging in medi-hotels as there is for health services generally”.
READ MORE:State of Origin war on quarantine bill
Ellie Dudley10.21am:Covid rules to be eased in NSW schools
COVID-19 restrictions in NSW schools will be eased next week, to allow parents back on to school grounds, dancing activities to proceed and singing groups to recommence in a COVID-safe way.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell announced today the following restrictions will be eased from Monday March 8.
– Parents and caretakers are able to enter school grounds but should continue to follow COVID-safe practices, including physical distancing.
– Parents and caretakers can attend school sporting events. School sporting should align with requirements for community sporting competitions and training activities in NSW.
– There are no recommended limits on singing groups in schools, including for in-class educational activities such as group repetition, chanting, recitation, or singing activities. Five metres is recommended between a group of performing singers and the audience, where practicable.
– Dancing activities, including dance classes, balls, formals and social events, can proceed, but organisers should select venues with adequate floor space to comply with any venue restrictions.
– Gathering of parents and community members for school events, such as P&C meetings, can continue in a COVID-safe way.
“We are grateful to parents, teachers and principals who have worked tirelessly to keep school communities safe during the pandemic and ensure students continue to receive a high-quality education,” Ms Mitchell said.
“I am pleased parents are now allowed to return to school grounds, watch school sports and be involved again in school activities.”
Teachers, students or parents who have COVID-19 symptoms should not attend school until a negative test has been received.
Ellie Dudley10.10am:Judge Cormann on his climate record: Greenpeace CEO
Australian humanitarian and environmental organisations have urged those deciding the new head of the OECD to dismiss the candidacy of Mathias Cormann, due to his failures on climate change.
The former finance minister is one of two final candidates to be the next OECD secretary-general.
Mr Cormann, 50, has survived several rounds of interviews and is pitched against former EU commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, with the OECD membership to form a consensus decision on the new leader within six days.
However, his ability to head up the body has been called into question after humanitarian and environmental groups have raised concerns about his climate change policies.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter said Mr Cormann’s attempts to erase his past couldn’t change decisions made when in the federal government.
“Like any job applicant, Mr Cormann deserves to be judged on his record,” Mr Ritter said.
“He has proven time and time again that he puts the profits of the coal and gas industry above people and planet.”
Oxfam Australia head Lyn Morgain said the role of the OECD leader was “vital” as the world faces the challenges of recovering from the pandemic and combating climate change.
“The leaders of our international institutions must act in concert with nations to avoid a climate catastrophe that will further entrench poverty and inequality,” she said on Friday.
“It is vital the next head of the OECD have a record that demonstrates a real commitment to taking action on climate change.”
The new leader will take over from Angel Gurria, the Mexican economist and diplomat who held the Paris-based post for 14 years.
READ MORE: Cormann in final two for plum OECD job
Ellie Dudley9.48am:No new local cases in Victoria again
Victoria has again recorded no new cases of locally-transmitted coronavirus.
A total of 19,846 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours to midnight, and the state currently has five active cases.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 19,846 test results were received. Thanks for getting tested - #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 4, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/eGYinJMPyF
The state also recorded no new cases in overseas arrivals, as they are not currently accepting international travellers.
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is expected to be questioned on his decision to block international flights when the national cabinet meets today.
READ MORE:Premier grounds plans for returnee flights
Ellie Dudley9.40am:Birmingham urges Victoria to accept international arrivals
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has urged Victoria to reopen their international border, saying it would be a “much fairer arrangement”.
Victorian authorities have cancelled 17 international flights since their ban on international travel began last month due to an outbreak at the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel.
The state has the capacity to receive 1100 returning Australians a week, and Mr Birmingham said “ideally” the state would begin accepting them again.
“Ideally, we see them do so, safely, through medi-hotels,” Mr Birmingham told Sky News.
He pointed out that other states are now having to accept Victorian citizens, adding that it would be a “much fairer arrangement if Victoria did it’s bit.”
READ MORE:Premier grounds plans for returnee flights
Ellie Dudley8.59am:Australia’s AstraZeneca rollout begins in SA
South Australian doctor Caroline Phegan has become the first person in Australia to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
She was administered the vaccine in the South Australian town of Murray Bridge.
JUST IN: Dr Caroline Phegan has become the first person in Australia to receive the #AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine.
— Andrea Nicolas (@AndreaLNicolas) March 4, 2021
It was administered at Murray Bridge Hospital in SA at 7:54am (CST).
She’s among 40 frontline staff getting the jab here today. â¦@7NewsAdelaideâ© #covidvaccinepic.twitter.com/iZ1LEUx7kw
When given the jab she said put up her fingers in the shape of a V, for vaccine, as did Prime Minister Scott Morrison when he received the Pfizer vaccine last month.
When asked if it hurt and she said: “No, not at all.”
READ MORE:This is our Dunkirk: AstraZeneca chief
Ellie Dudley8.44am:Dutton won’t support inquiry into Porter
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has said he would not support an independent inquiry into rape allegations made against Attorney-General Christian Porter.
“We’re resolute that the law applies here and the police are the ones with the investigative capacity,” he told Today.
“(The NSW Police) have said there’s no continuation of the matter. It’s at an end.”
However, Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles said the independent inquiry must go ahead.
“We’re talking about allegations which are hanging over the first law officer of the country, and in that context I think it is really difficult for matters to stand as they are,” he said.
“I think inevitably where this should end up is an independent inquiry and I’m surprised the Prime Minister hasn’t gone there.”
READ MORE: Porter must not face trial by media
Ellie Dudley8.38am:PM ‘rightly strong’ in rebuking Reynolds: Dutton
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has defended Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who is under fire for referring to former staffer and alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins as a “lying cow”.
Mr Dutton said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was “rightly strong” in his rebuke of Ms Reynolds for using words she’s “apologised for”.
However, Ms Higgins has said Ms Reynolds’ language was “incredibly hurtful” and that she has not yet apologised to her.
Ms Higgins is also issuing a legal demand to the minister to publicly withdraw the comments and apologise for the “malicious” remarks or face possible legal action.
Mr Dutton said Ms Reynolds “genuinely felt hurt”, and attributed comments she allegedly made to “pressure” she’s been under which has “played out publicly”.
“I think when these matters are under police investigation they’re better left with the police and not being commented on in public,” Mr Dutton told Today.
Ms Reynolds is currently on sick leave.
READ MORE:Consent and Facebook dominate Q&A
Ellie Dudley8.30am:EU block ‘won’t affect rollout’: Dutton
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has said the doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that have been blocked from coming to Australia by the EU is “not going to affect the rollout”.
A total of 250,000 vaccines have been stopped from being delivered to Australia, as the EU attempts to protect European countries crippled by the coronavirus.
“This 250,000-dose issue is not going to affect the rollout,” Mr Dutton told Today.
“I think the main message is again not that there is a problem here, but that you need to really get in early if you’re in the age group or in the category 1A, 1B, make sure you engage with your doctor and have this safe vaccine.”
Mr Dutton pointed to domestic production as “good governance” which will “give us assurance around supply”.
A South Australian resident will be the first to receive the AstraZeneca jab this morning.
Premier Steven Marshall said the state is “ready to start the roll out” on this “historic day for Australia”.
“We are doing everything we can to make sure it’s going to be a very, very successful vaccination program for our state,” he said
READ MORE:EU blocks transportation of AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia
Ellie Dudley8.14am:EU block highlights local vaccine supply: Premier
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the decision from the EU to block COVID-19 jabs coming to Australia emphasises the importance of local vaccine manufacturing.
The EU has blocked 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from being delivered from Italy this morning.
“I think what it demonstrates is the importance of us having a local supply,” Ms Berejiklian told Sunrise.
“In the future there will be supply issues.
“You need lots of jabs to be vaccinated properly, and therefore it’s really important for us to be able to have our local supply.”
The first Australian to receive the AstraZeneca jab will be vaccinated today in South Australia.
Ms Berejiklian said she felt no hostility that the other states received their supply of the new vaccine first, but said NSW was happy to “wait a few more days to make sure we get it right.”
READ MORE:EU blocks transportation of AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia
Ellie Dudley7.57am:‘The least they can do is pay their way’
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has repeated her call for states to “pay up” for hotel quarantine fees that have “put pressure” on her state.
The NSW government has sent an invoice for $7 million to WA and a $30 million bill to Qld for processing its returning residents between March 29 and September 30.
The leaders from both states have shredded the documents and are refusing to pay.
Ms Berejiklian said the “least they can do is pay their way”.
“We’re not asking much, we’re just asking them to pay their way,” she told 2GB this morning.
“When other states don’t for their bit, it puts pressure on NSW.
“What we’re asking of other states is to pay up.”
Her comments come as state and territory leaders meet today for the first national cabinet in a month.
The meeting today coincides with the first day of the AstraZeneca vaccination rollout, which is expected to be a large topic of discussion.
Both the leaders of NSW and Queensland have been calling on the federal government for greater clarity on the quantity of doses their states will be receiving.
National cabinet is also expected to discuss potential delays on doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for Australia, after the EU blocked 250,000 doses being delivered from Europe this morning.
Other topics of discussion are expected to be state border closures, lockdowns and international arrivals.
READ MORE:Premier grounds plans for returnee flights
Ellie Dudley7am:Liberal Party ‘leaking like a sieve’: Swan
Labor Party national president Wayne Swan has blasted the Liberal Party for their handling of numerous rape allegations in parliament house, saying they are “leaking like a sieve.”
Mr Swan said yesterday’s revelation that Defence Minister Linda Reynolds called her former staffer and alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins a “lying cow” pointed to a larger problem.
“What it says about this government is that it’s leaking like a sieve,” he said. “That points to a far wider problem in the government — not just to the culture, but to cohesion.”
Mr Swan also called for an inquiry into rape allegations against Attorney-General Christian Porter to be conducted, because “if he’s innocent, he has nothing to fear.”
“I don’t think Christian Porter should have anything to fear if he is innocent, and we have a properly constituted inquiry,” he said.
READ MORE:Coroner won’t look at Porter rape claim
Jacquelin Magnay6.45am:EU blocks transportation of vaccine to Australia
The European Union has banned a large shipment of AstraZeneca Oxford vaccines to Australia in a bitter escalation of “vaccine wars” which will delay Australia’s vaccine rollout.
The shipment of 250,000 doses, meant to leave the Anagni plant near Rome on Thursday, was held up by authorities after the Italians had received approval from Brussels to implement vaccine export laws.
These controversial laws are designed to prioritise Europeans receiving vaccines before any non-EU country.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Australia was “not vulnerable” because it had so few cases of COVID-19 in the country.
Read the full story here.
Ellie Dudley6.40am:Nurse suffers reaction after receiving COVID-19 vaccine
A Queensland nurse had to be rushed to hospital yesterday after she went into anaphylactic shock shortly after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
The nurse, who has a history of anaphylaxis, suffered a reaction after being given the Pfizer vaccine at Gold Coast University Hospital.
Queensland Health has confirmed the person received the appropriate care as the vaccine was administered and has since recovered.
“Anaphylaxis has been identified as a possible side effect from any vaccination. Staff are well prepared for this and stringent processes are in place to manage such reactions,” Queensland Health told the Courier Mail.
“After receiving the vaccine, recipients are observed for 15 minutes or 30 minutes if they have identified a history of anaphylaxis in the screening process.
“The response was prompt and effective and the patient received the appropriate treatment and has since recovered.”
READ MORE: COVID-19 vaccine rollout behind target
Rosie Lewis5.10am:Legal action threat over Reynolds’ ‘lying cow’ slur
Scott Morrison has attacked as “inappropriate and wrong’’ Linda Reynolds’ reference to Brittany Higgins as a “lying cow’’, but he is backing the Defence Minister to remain in cabinet as her former media adviser criticised the language as “incredibly hurtful’’.
Senator Reynolds, who is on medical leave until next week, was publicly rebuked by the Prime Minister after The Australian revealed she had made the slur about Ms Higgins in front of staff members in an open part of the office on the day the ex-Liberal staffer went public about an alleged rape in Parliament House.
There are expectations within government that Senator Reynolds will return to work and her cabinet position on Monday and it will be left to the minister to decide if she then stands aside.
Ms Higgins said Senator Reynolds’ language was inexcusable and “incredibly hurtful”, with her lawyers issuing a legal demand to the minister to publicly withdraw the comments and apologise for the “malicious” remarks or face possible legal action.
“I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable. It’s just further evidence of the toxic workplace culture that exists behind closed doors in Parliament House,” Ms Higgins said.
Read the full story, by Rosie Lewis, Sharri Markson and Tom Dusevic, here.
Rosie Lewis5am:Porter rape complainant ‘insisted case be shut’
NSW Police have revealed that the woman who alleged she was raped by Attorney-General Christian Porter more than 30 years ago said she didn’t want to proceed with a sexual assault claim because of medical and personal reasons.
The revelation came as the woman’s parents said they would support “any inquiry” into the circumstances leading to their daughter’s death and Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese clashed over establishing an independent investigation into the historical rape allegation.
According to a detailed police statement released on Thursday, the woman advised them on February 27 last year that she had a number of health issues and “dissociates”. Investigators had ongoing contact with her on at least five occasions over the next three months before she decided not to make a formal statement.
NSW Police said the alleged victim told detectives she didn’t want to proceed with a sexual assault complaint a day before she committed suicide on June 24.
Read the full story, by Rosie Lewis and Sharri Markson, here.
Greg Brown4.45am:ALP in shift towards recognising Palestine
Australia is likely to formally recognise the state of Palestine if Anthony Albanese becomes prime minister, following a change to the ALP’s policy platform.
At Labor’s online national conference later this month, the final platform will be changed from the draft version released on Sunday to include a “statement in detail” that will call on “the next Labor government to recognise Palestine as a state”.
The policy platform will also be amended to call on the next Labor government to treat the issue of Palestine as an “important priority”, bringing it in line with Labor’s policies ahead of the 2019 federal election.
Read the full story here.
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