PoliticsNow: Possible US origin for NSW infection, WA holds off on border, China ‘may extend wine tariffs’
NSW is checking whether a virus infection originated with a US air crew in quarantine, as WA leaves a border decision until Monday.
- China ‘may extend wine tariffs’
- Australia population takes a dive
- Labor to support Foreign Relations Bill
- Snag for PM on ‘key China grievance’
- Australia won’t rush vaccine: Morrison
- Genders split on working from home
Welcome to live coverage of the latest politics news in Australia, as well as the nation’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Anthony Albanese will now not oppose Scott Morrison’s final passage of the government’s Foreign Relations Bill after indicating earlier that the opposition may withhold its support — raising the stakes for Scott Morrison on an issue that China has identified as a key grievance.
Tim Dodd 10.30pm: NSW plan to bring 1000 overseas students per week
The NSW government is taking a plan to national cabinet to bring up to 1000 international students a week into Sydney starting in the new year, giving NSW universities a head start on other states in restarting the lucrative international student business.
The students, to arrive on charter flights, will use up nearly one-third of the state’s 3000 passenger a week limit on overseas entries. But the first arrivals won’t occur until after Christmas so Australians stranded abroad have a chance to get home for the holidays.
The plan is strongly backed by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian because of the economic benefit it will bring NSW. The state earned $14.6bn export revenue from international education in 2019.
University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Paul Wellings, who convenes the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, said universities were very encouraged by Ms Berejiklian’s support.
“It will give a pipeline of new and continuing students the opportunity to come in,” he said.
The students will be spread between the 11 NSW universities, as well as TAFE colleges and five private education providers, based on their share of the international student market before COVID-19.
Read the full story here.
AFP 9.30pm: Kazakhstan to produce Russia’s Sputnik V
Ex-Soviet Kazakhstan said Friday it will begin producing Russia’s coronavirus vaccine later this month, becoming the latest country to do so as a global inoculation race heats up.
Russia last month said its Sputnik V drug was 95 percent effective and would be cheaper and easier to store than some alternatives.
President Vladimir Putin has called on Moscow’s allies to mass produce the country’s vaccines.
In a statement on Friday, Kazakhstan’s presidency said the country would begin producing Sputnik V from December 22, with plans to begin inoculating vulnerable groups in early 2021.
The developers of Sputnik V — named after the Soviet-era satellite — have said the jab will be available on international markets for less than $10 (8.40 euros) per dose.
They have also said it can be stored at between two and eight degrees Celsius (between 35.6 and 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit) instead of the temperatures far below freezing required for some other vaccines.
Russia was one of the first to announce the development of a vaccine in August but before beginning final clinical trials.
The jab is currently in its third and final stage of clinical trials slated to involve some 40,000 volunteers.
Western experts have in the past expressed concern over Sputnik V, fearing that its development could be rushed.
Several welcomed the most recent efficacy figures, though they said more data was needed.
Russia’s trade and industry ministry on Thursday said it had delivered samples of the vaccine to Uzbekistan.
The ministry added that the country has agreed to production deals with countries including India, Brazil, China and South Korea.
On Friday Serbia announced it had received a 20-dose trial batch of Sputnik V. Last month Russia sent samples of the vaccine to EU member Hungary, in the face of concerns from Brussels.
Read more: Sputnik V ‘92 per cent effective’
Natasha Robinson 8.30pm: Cancer survivors offer vaccine hope
People who survive multiple separate instances of cancer are believed to hold the key to a future cancer vaccine that could be just a few years away.
Researchers at the scientific institute WEHI, RMIT University and the University of NSW, together with Cancer Council Victoria, are studying 16 “super-survivors” who have been diagnosed with a combined 61 different primary cancers across 25 different cancer types, 18 of which are rare.
The scientists believe there is something about the way these super-survivors’ bodies fight cancer that prevents the cancer from spreading.
“These patients are like the canaries in the coal mine,” said lead researcher Clare Scott, joint head of clinical translation at WEHI. “Even when they get a serious cancer diagnosis they can keep the cancer in check, and that’s what is so striking.
“They are giving us a signal that will allow us to really understand what we should be looking at in terms of potential to prevent cancer development.”
The scientists have taken tissue samples from the 16 patients and will study the DNA of their tumours in an attempt to identify common “spelling mistakes” in the genetic sequence of the tumours that cause neoepitopes, which are peptides that arise from genetic mutations.
Read the full story in The Weekend Australian.
Adam Creighton 7.30pm: Banks ‘should urge clients to refinance’
Banks would be forced to “prompt” their own customers to think about refinancing their home loan as part of a set of recommendations to government to boost competition in the booming mortgage market.
Borrowers with even modest mortgages could save tens of thousands of dollars over the life of their loan if they refinanced at the interest rate new customers received — almost 0.6 percentage points lower on average — the competition regulator has found in a report into home loan pricing.
“This is serious money, dwarfing the savings you can make on petrol or electricity,” said Rod Sims, chairman of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
“We’ve observed that banks are like synchronised swimmers when it comes to how they set interest rates.’’
A borrower with a 10-year-old, $500,000 mortgage could save more than $50,000 if they refinanced at a lower variable rate.
Read the full story here.
Imogen Reid 6.02pm: Plane crew may be link to NSW infection
An American airline crew is believed to have brought COVID-19 into Sydney and infected a woman from Minto working at a quarantine hotel, NSW Health can reveal.
In a statement released this afternoon, health authorities said the potential source may be from the international aircrew who were self-isolating in the hotel at the same time, but added investigations were ongoing.
“NSW Health can confirm the viral genome sequence from the recent COVID-19 case who works at a Sydney quarantine hotel complex does not match the virus strain seen in recent clusters in Australia,” the statement said.
“The virus may be of United States origin. NSW is working with Commonwealth agencies to identify potential COVID-19 cases among aircrew who stayed at the hotel, who may have since departed Australia.
“Testing of close contacts of the case, and other staff at the hotel complex, is continuing. No further cases have been identified so far.”
NSW Health said the case also travelled on a number of train and light rail services between the 27 and 30 November and are urging anyone on the same transport links to get tested and self-isolate until they receive their results.
“However, commuters who were in the same carriage as the case are considered close contacts,” the statement said.
“These commuters are required to self-isolate for the full 14 days, even if they initially receive a negative result.”
ALSO READ: All affected services and carriage numbers can be found on the NSW Health website here.
Angie Raphael 5.30pm: WA Premier says NSW border decision on Monday
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan says the state should still be able to reopen to Victoria on Tuesday as planned, but a final decision on NSW will not be revealed until Monday.
Christmas travel plans were thrown into chaos this week after a NSW hotel quarantine worker tested positive for COVID-19, but it so far appears to be a single case rather than a more widespread outbreak.
“It is positive news,” Mr McGowan told reporters on Friday.
“Obviously, there’s testing still to be done. The woman in question — the cleaner — spent a lot of time on trains and trams between western Sydney and her workplace, and by all accounts was a very gregarious person.
“My expectation now is that we will make a final decision on NSW on Monday so that we take every precaution possible.”
But Mr McGowan said he did not think the NSW incident would affect planned changes to WA’s border arrangement with Victoria.
“The latest advice is we don’t think that the NSW outbreak will impede the changes to the borders with Victoria at this point in time,” he said.
“If that were to change over coming days, obviously we’d let people know.”
NCA Newswire
Rachel Baxendale 5.02pm: Troops return to Melbourne for quarantine reopening
Australian Defence Force personnel have begun arriving in Melbourne ahead of the reopening of Victoria’s hotel quarantine program on Monday.
More than 100 troops have on Friday afternoon arrived in Melbourne to begin training on Saturday, after flying in from Townsville.
An Andrews government spokeswoman said the remainder of the ADF contingent would arrive by Tuesday and be inducted by police throughout the week.
“The current request to the commonwealth is for 172 ADF personnel to support the program,” the spokeswoman said.
“The original request from Victoria has been scaled back after the ADF advised that they were not able to undertake any security type work or perform floor monitoring roles in the health hotels.
“This means Victoria Police will instead play that security role in all hotels – which they are already trained, rostered and ready to do – as well as continuing to undertake floor monitoring in the health hotels.
“The ADF personnel will support Victoria Police by helping residents on entry and exit, as well as registering staff movements and temperature checking workers before their shift.”
Unlike other states and territories, Victoria did not have ADF personnel involved in key roles in its original hotel quarantine program, despite offers of assistance from the commonwealth.
Quarantine breaches among security guards led to Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus, killing 800 people and locking down the state for three and a half months.
READ MORE: Shocking issue in Vic health department
Rachel Baxendale 4.58pm: Fees for Victorian hotel quarantine revealed
Overseas travellers arriving in Melbourne will be asked to fork out $3000 per adult, $1000 for each additional adult in a room and $500 for children aged three to 18 when Victoria’s hotel quarantine program reopens next week.
The fees are the same as those charged by NSW and SA and comparable with Queensland, the Northern Territory and WA, all of which have been accepting international travellers who may otherwise have entered Australia through Melbourne since coronavirus clusters forced the closure of Victoria’s program in June.
The Andrews government said the fee would “ensure Victorian residents get home safely without other travellers trying to quarantine in Melbourne to avoid paying costs in other jurisdictions”.
“The government is continuing to fund most of the costs of accommodation, security, transport and logistics, as well as essential items and services, such as meals and medical care,” an Andrews government spokeswoman said.
However, the government will not be able to charge the fee until associated legislation passes state parliament next week.
Invoices will only be issued to travellers once they have left mandatory quarantine.
“Individuals and families experiencing financial or other hardship can apply for a fee reduction or waiver and payment plans will also be available for all residents,” the spokeswoman said.
“Children under 18 years travelling alone will be charged a co-payment of A$500. A parent or guardian joining their child in quarantine will not be charged a fee.”
More information is available at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/mandatory-quarantine.
READ MORE: PM: We won’t rush vaccine OK
Rachel Baxendale 4.50pm: Mask rules to be relaxed in Victoria
Victorians are set for a further relaxation of rules around the wearing of masks from Sunday, chief health officer Brett Sutton has told a state parliamentary inquiry.
Currently Victorians must wear masks at all times while indoors, on public transport, and when otherwise in close contact with others.
Professor Sutton told a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing on Friday afternoon that while masks had been a good “insurance policy” it was likely rules would be relaxed.
“There will be a more limited use of masks in public,” he said.
Professor Sutton said health authorities and the Andrews government were yet to determine the exact details of Sunday’s relaxation.
Earlier this week Premier Daniel Andrews indicated the relaxed rules announced on Sunday will likely be in place for the rest of summer.
READ MORE: Economy back to pre-COVID size by June
Richard Ferguson 3.05pm: Intelligence laws long overdue: Labor
Labor has welcomed former ASIO director-general Dennis Richardson’s once-in-a-generation review of intelligence laws, saying it is long overdue.
Mr Richardson has recommended a major streamlining of Australia’s electronic surveillance laws and a new framework for ASIO’s overseas activities.
In a joint statement, opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally and opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said they would study the report before giving their full response.
“Today’s release of the unclassified report of the Richardson review of the legal framework governing the Australian National Intelligence Community is long overdue,” they said.
“Labor welcomes its release but remains deeply concerned that the Government has sat on this report since December 2019.
“Given the unclassified report runs to 1300 pages and includes 203 recommendations, and has only been provided to Labor today, Labor will now carefully study this report before providing our response.
“Labor sincerely thanks Dennis Richardson for his dedication and service in producing his review.”
READ MORE: Shut down goes into reverse
Heidi Han 2.35pm: China ‘may extend wine tariffs by 9 months’
China may extend its heavy handed tariffs on Australian wine by up to nine months, the Ministry of Commerce has declared.
The tariffs of up to 212 per cent on Australian wine imports were due to last four months from November 28, the date of implementation.
But Gao Feng, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Commerce has told reporters the duties could extend up to nine months “in special circumstances”, The South China Morning Post reports.
“In this case, the ministry is in strict accordance with relevant laws when conducting case filing and investigation, and adopted relevant measures to fully protect the legal rights of all interested parties,” Mr Feng said.
“We welcome all interested parties, including Australia, to continue to participate in the follow-up investigation procedures in accordance with the law.”
Earlier this week, the Trump administration chided China for its heavy-handed imposition of tariffs, saying it will feature Aussie labels at a White House function this week.
Australian wine will be featured at a White House holiday reception this week. Pity vino lovers in China who, due to Beijing’s coercive tariffs on Aussie vintners, will miss out. #AussieAussieAussieOiOiOi!
— NSC (@WHNSC) December 1, 2020
“Australian wine will be featured at a White House holiday reception this week,’ the White House National Security Council tweeted.
“Pity vino lovers in China who, due to Beijing’s coercive tariffs on Aussie voters, will miss out. #AussieAussieAussieOiOiOi!”
READ MORE: White House chides China over Australian wine
Heidi Han 2.00pm: China appoints new Commerce Minister
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham could have a new Chinese counterpart to negotiate with, as speculation in China’s media rises that Commerce Minister Zhong Shan could be replaced within weeks. Mr Zhong, who has offered no response to Australia’s requests for discussions over trade sanctions, is expected to be succeeded by Wang Wentao.
Mr Wang is the governor of Heilongjiang province and replaced Mr Zhong as the party chief, Secretary of the CPC Leadership group of the Ministry of Commerce, according to a ministry statement released on Wednesday.
Mr Zhong will soon reach the retirement age for ministerial level official of 65,
Some overseas Chinese media reported that the likely changeover of the post could happen within weeks when the country’s top legislature, the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress starts a new session on the 22nd of December.
According to an official resume published by the Chinese government, Mr Wang, 56, became governor of Heilongjiang in 2018 after seven years as the deputy provincial level official in China’s eastern provinces including Shandong and Jiangxi, given all three areas are China’s traditional agricultural provinces.
China also announced that Gansu Governor Tang Renjian has been made Party Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and similarly, is believed to be formally appointed as Agricultural Minister at the end of the month during the People’s Congress procedures.
READ MORE: Why China is leading national security threat
Richard Ferguson 1.45pm: Australia population dives as COVID leaves mark
Australia’s population growth has dived on the back of the coronavirus pandemic, with 1.1m fewer people expected to populate the nation at the end of the decade than previously thought.
Scott Morrison’s first annual Population Statement has found population growth in 2020-21 will be the slowest since World War One and there will be negative net migration for the first time in 75 years.
Australia’s population is now expected to reach 28m people by 2028-29 and Melbourne will overtake Sydney as the nation’s biggest city in 2026-27.
Cities Minister Alan Tudge said on Friday that slow population growth and longer life spans would underpin the government’s approach to infrastructure.
“The statement is the first of its kind to be produced by the Federal Government’s Centre for Population and provides the most comprehensive analysis of population trends and projections in our history,” he said.
“The slower population growth and faster ageing will directly impact our economic growth.
“This underscores the importance of the Government’s unprecedented $507 billion COVID-19 support and recovery package, which has provided timely support to keep Australians in work, and businesses in business.
“This includes record levels of investment into infrastructure. While population growth in our big cities has declined, infrastructure investment has increased providing an opportunity for these cities to catch up on infrastructure needs.”
READ MORE: Australian cities to shrink as COVID leaves its mark
Richard Ferguson 1.10pm: ASIO overseas activities put under ministerial control
ASIO’s overseas activities are set to be subject to ministerial warrants following a major review into Australia’s intelligence laws.
Former ASIO director-general Dennis Richardson found the need for a new legislative framework for ASIO so its foreign and domestic work are under the same ministerial controls.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Friday that Mr Richardson found the “gap” in ASIO’s legislative framework overseas could widen if new laws are not put in place.
“He has identified a gap,” Mr Porter said in Canberra.
“ ASIO does undertake activities offshore around those activities and the conclusion was that they should be a regime for ministerial approval for activities like there is for domestic activities.
“There are restrictions on the way you can get the same information you are trying to get offshore, onshore.
“The type of circumstances you can imagine is arising with greater frequency so that is a narrow gap which has the potential to widen quickly.”
READ MORE: Israel warns of Iran attacks
Richard Ferguson 12.50pm: Surveillance laws ‘need to be streamlined’
Australia’s electronic surveillance laws are needlessly complex and need a once-in-a-generation streamlining to keep up with technological change, a major intelligence review has found.
Former ASIO and DFAT chief Dennis Richardson has undertaken the biggest review of the nation’s intelligence laws in 40 years, which could rewrite laws in place since World War Two.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Friday that Mr Richardson’s review found intelligence legislation is relatively “safe and sound”.
But Mr Richardson’s review found the warrants and laws surrounding Australian authorities’ rules around telecommunications are too complex and will need a 18-month long streamlining.
“The new act that he envisioned would replace and streamline acts such as the Telecommunications Access Act, the Surveillance Devices Act and also parts of the Australian Community Intelligence Organisation Act,” Mr Porter said in Canberra.
“That in itself would be perhaps the biggest national security legislative project in recent history and it would require the repeal and rewriting of nearly 1000 pages of existing law on warrants, interception and telecommunications.
“The conclusion that Dennis Richardson reaches is that it is no longer fit for purpose in the digital world of internet smart phones and encryption. And indeed he notes that many of the foundations of the surveillance framework … (were) made by Prime Minister (Ben) Chifley in 1949.”
Max Maddison 11.30am: ‘ Massive relief’: NSW case ‘likely from overseas traveller’
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says the source of the hotel quarantine worker’s infection “appears to have come from overseas”, labelling the news a “massive relief” for the NSW community.
After the announcement a Sydney hotel worker had tested positive on Thursday, the state held its collective breath to see if the virus had been contracted in the community.
Yet Mr Hazzard downplayed the likelihood of the case being acquired locally, saying the chances were it originated from the hotel or from aircrews who stayed for a few days before flying out.
“We will do some more work and report back to the community, but it is extremely good news for all of us in Health and the New South Wales community,” Mr Hazzard told a press conference on Friday morning.
“I was literally told just a minute or two ago about this outcome, and it is a massive relief, massive relief from my point of view as Health Minister.”
But the Health Minister rejected the notion that NSW’s hotel quarantine system was becoming unsafe, saying the system represented the “gold standard”.
“As the Premier has said in the past, when we are having returning travellers coming in from some of the most virus infested countries in the world, you have to expect that on occasions we might have some challenges,” he said.
“But as long as we can trace, we can track, we can isolate, that is what our gold standard health teams do. It removes our worries.”
READ MORE: Great Aussie housing dream lives on
Max Maddison 11.20am: No new locally acquired cases in NSW
NSW has recorded no more cases other than the infected hotel quarantine worker, but the source of that case remains a mystery.
In a statement, NSW Health said no new locally acquired cases had been recorded in the past 24 hours, with the five all returned travellers in hotel quarantine, in addition to the case publicly disclosed yesterday.
NSW recorded one new case of locally acquired #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. The case, a hotel quarantine worker, was publicly disclosed yesterday and is recorded in today’s numbers. Five cases were also reported in overseas travellers. pic.twitter.com/Bk2SYStZSM
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 4, 2020
The source of the case remains under investigation. Urgent genome sequencing is underway to help determine whether this infection was acquired through work at the hotel quarantine facility or from elsewhere in the community. Results are expected in next 24 hours.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 4, 2020
The source of the hotel quarantine worker’s infection – whether from her place of employment or in the community – remained unclear.
“The source of the case remains under investigation. Urgent genome sequencing is underway to help determine whether this infection was acquired through work at the hotel quarantine facility or from elsewhere in the community,” NSW Health said.
“Results are expected in the next 24 hours.”
Health officials reported 11,128 tests in the past 24 hours.
READ MORE: Economy to recover Covid losses ‘by June’
Max Maddison 10.45am: SA eases restrictions further with no new cases
After another day without recording a case, South Australia has eased social distancing restrictions, but Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says restrictions won’t return to pre-Parafield cluster levels until December 14.
Citing the widespread use of QR codes across the state, Mr Stevens said the state was in a “much better place now than we were a week ago”, as he announced hospitality venues would return to a one person per two square metre rule.
“The QR codes have been described as a game changer in terms of contact tracing and the exceptional work that has been done to quarantine this cluster and put a ring around it so it doesn’t spread any further through the community has been exceptional,” Mr Stevens told a daily briefing on Friday morning.
“ … we’re still hopeful that other restrictions will be lifted and we will go back to where we were in mid-November on the 14 December but as we have advised previously, we constantly review the circumstances.”
However, Mr Stevens was forced to defend the choice of timing, after facing questions about whether the announcement should have been made days ago to enable venues to prepare for the change in regulations.
“We make these decisions and we announce them and in this particular case, we have determined not to wait until we have implemented the COVID-safe plans,” he said.
“It can be implemented effectively now and we will update their COVID-safe plans and send them out as soon as we can, but will be taking a compliance approach that is one person per two square metres.”
READ MORE: Strewth: New challenger for Albo?
Max Maddison 10.20am: Biden to be vaccinated in public
US President-elect Joe Biden has revealed he will be administered the COVID-19 vaccine in public and ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days of his presidency.
In a CNN interview aired on Friday morning (AEDT), Mr Biden said once Anthony Fauci declared a vaccine to be safe, he would have the coronavirus jab, similar to Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama before him.
President-elect Biden tells Jake Tapper he will ask all Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days after he takes office: "I think we'll see a significant reduction ... to drive down the numbers considerably" https://t.co/lQkT0HPc5h pic.twitter.com/PxIGzPjxP7
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 3, 2020
“People have lost faith in the ability of the vaccine to work, already the numbers are really staggeringly low and it matters what a President and vice president do. So I think that my predecessors have set the model for what should be done,” Mr Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
With the third wave of infections running rampant across the country, Mr Biden also said he’d use a standing order to mandate the wearing of masks in buildings where the federal government has authority, as well as interstate transportation.
“I think my inclination is on the first day I’m inaugurated to say I’m going to ask the public to mask for 100 days to mask … And I think we’ll see a significant reduction if that occurs with vaccinations and masking to drive down the numbers significantly,” he said.
CNN Exclusive: President-elect Joe Biden tells CNN's Jake Tapper he has asked Dr. Anthony Fauci to be a chief medical adviser and part of his administration's Covid-19 response team https://t.co/900aDJGiDX pic.twitter.com/p1aU79ngUu
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 3, 2020
Mr Biden also said he’d asked current director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci to stay on in his role, in addition to becoming the chief medical adviser to the President.
READ MORE: US faces 'worst health crisis in its history’
Dennis Shanahan 10.00am: Labor to support Foreign Relations Bill without amendments
Anthony Albanese will not oppose Scott Morrison’s final passage of the government’s Foreign Relations Bill designed to give the Commonwealth greater power over state government deals with foreign nations.
The bill debated in the Senate this week after a Labor amendment failed has to be finalised next week and is one of the key policy aims for the Coalition and is an issue China has identified as a key grievance with Australia.
The proposed bill would allow Foreign Minister Marise Payne to scrap agreements with foreign powers struck by universities and sub-national governments — including Victoria’s contentious Belt and Road Initiative deal with Beijing.
The Morrison government has rejected a proposed crossbench amendment that would subject any decisions made by the foreign minister under the new laws to judicial oversight.
Labor amendments were also rejected and some senior Labor figures considered blocking the bill.
But The Australian understands Labor will now support the final draft of the legislation through the Senate next week without its amendments.
Labor sources said it was always the intent to support the foreign relations bill but the Opposition had sought amendments on oversight.
The vote on the bill has become contentious following the Chinese Government fake tweet this week showing an Australian servicemen in Afghanistan slitting the throat of child.
The bill’s passage will remove one of the five major pieces of legislation which the Coalition wants passed before Christmas.
Costas Paris 9.45am: Pfizer halves vaccine roll-out target
Pfizer expects to ship half of the COVID-19 vaccines it originally planned for this year because of supply-chain problems, but still expects to roll out more than a billion doses in 2021.
“Scaling up the raw material supply chain took longer than expected,” a company spokeswoman said. “And it’s important to highlight that the outcome of the clinical trial was somewhat later than the initial projection.”
Pfizer and Germany-based partner BioNTech SE had hoped to roll out 100 million vaccines worldwide by the end of this year, a plan that has now been reduced to 50 million. The U.K. on Wednesday granted emergency-use authorisation for the vaccine, becoming the first Western country to start administering doses.
The two-shot vaccine also is being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., where a similar authorisation could come later this month and a rollout before the end of the year. The U.S. regulator also is considering a vaccine developed by Cambridge, Mass.-based Moderna Inc. that could begin shipping before Christmas.
The doses are among an array of vaccines that have been developed this year as the coronavirus pandemic has raged across much of the world. Authorities estimate nearly 1.5 million people worldwide have died from the virus, including 273,836 in the U.S. as of Dec. 2.
Pfizer had its 100-million dose goal in place until mid-November, when it became clear the supply-chain hurdles were too great for the end-of-the-year timeline.
The Wall St Journal
READ the full story
Greg Brown 8.45am: Taylor to outline priorities for emissions reductions investments
Energy Minister Angus Taylor will outline the government’s five priority areas for emissions reductions investments next year, including carbon-capture and storage and developing technology so soils can be used to store carbon.
Mr Taylor will use a speech to the Carbon Market Institute to outline a revamped remit for the Emissions Reduction Fund, which was bolstered by $2bn ahead of last year’s budget and will soon be rebadged the Climate Solutions Fund.
The five areas of focus will include low emission “green gas”, created through injecting biogases to pipelines.
Other measures include plantation forestry, soil carbon, mangrove planting and carbon-capture and storage.
Mr Taylor will also task the Clean Energy Regulator with halving the time to register new projects through the fund to less than 12 months.
The fund allows the proponents of projects to secure Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs), which can be sold to the federal government and businesses to offset emissions.
Through the fund auction, sellers can choose whether to deliver abatement to the federal government at a contracted price, or sell some or all their carbon credit units elsewhere.
Mr Taylor will flag a new exchange platform for carbon credits under the fund.
“Right now, ACCUs are mostly sold in a fairly shallow ‘over the counter’ market,” Mr Taylor will say.
“Private demand for ACCUs is suppressed by a lack of real-time information on units and their transaction costs.
“Exchange trading will make it easier for buyers and sellers to find one another, to identify the origin of units as well as making it easier to identify co-benefits and market these.
“A more efficient market will benefit all parties, and the regulator expects that these reforms will save industry $100m over the decade to 2030.”
READ MORE: Paper bags all the fashion in quarantine
Max Maddison 8.35am: Palaszczuk ‘not concerned’ over Sydney case
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s “not concerned” about the infected Sydney hotel quarantine, with a “really large outbreak” needed to declare Western Sydney a hot spot.
With the state’s respective health officials “speaking regularly”, Ms Palaszczuk said there was no need for alarm about the prospects of the Queensland border closing again.
“ … They are very comfortable with the contact tracing that’s been happening at the moment with the person impacted,” Ms Palaszczuk told Seven’s Sunrise.
Thousands of Sydney rail passengers have been told to get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive for the virus.
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) December 3, 2020
More on this story: https://t.co/dZRo0rQMwc pic.twitter.com/I71Ed32yaW
“We are not concerned, we are watching very carefully, there would have to be a really large outbreak for any suburbs or sections of Western Sydney to be declared a hot spot.”
However, Ms Palaszczuk wouldn’t be drawn on the topic of how many cases would be required before the border was shut, saying the matter was significantly more complex than simply a number, but added she was “very comfortable” with NSW’s response.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of how many cases, it’s the type of cases and who’s impacted by the potential spread of those people that have worked,” she said.
“It would depend on a whole range of factors, the testing rates health officers have all of that under control, they’ll be talking regularly, but people have to be absolutely certain the virus is being contained, and New South Wales has good contact tracing methods.”
READ MORE: Genders split on working from home
Rachel Baxendale 8.30am: Victoria records 35 days with no new cases
Victoria has recorded its 35th straight day with no new known cases of coronavirus, and its 11th day with no active cases.
The numbers come after 8,784 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Friday.
Yesterday there were 0 new cases and 0 deaths reported. There are no active cases. There were 8,784 test results received. Thank you to all who came forward for testing #EveryTestHelps #StaySafeStayOpen
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 3, 2020
Info: https://t.co/pcll7ySEgz #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/H5RFk7Um2C
However authorities are asking people in regional areas to come forward for testing after traces of the virus were found in wastewater in Daylesford.
UPDATE FOR DAYLESFORD, HEPBURN & HEPBURN SPRINGS
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 3, 2020
Coronavirus fragments have been detected in wastewater at Daylesford. If you are a resident or have visited Daylesford, Hepburn or Hepburn Springs from 28 November to 1 December (1/2) pic.twitter.com/UGdLxu6hKP
Max Maddison 8.15am: Belt and Road against national interest: Dutton
Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton has called out the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, saying the Belt and Road Initiative deal he signed with China goes against the nation’s interest.
Speaking at a door stop in Canberra, Mr Dutton reiterated his opposition to the deal signed by Mr Andrews, one which would be vetoed under the new Foreign Relations Bill if it passes through parliament.
“We don’t support it. I don’t think it’s in our national interest, it’s against our foreign policy and Mr Andrews should’ve reflected on that by now,” Mr Dutton said on Friday morning.
“The other state premiers and territory chief ministers haven’t entered into these agreements.”
With fractures appearing across the opposition on how to handle China, Mr Dutton said the divide was “bad for the Labor Party and … bad for the country”.
“At the moment our country needs a united Labor Party, but under Anthony Albanese we have a divided Labor Party,” he said.
READ MORE: Ergas: China’s calculated show of contempt
Erich Shwartztel 8.00am: Warner Bros in dramatic streaming change
AT&T Inc.’s Warner Bros. will release its entire 2021 slate of theatrical films simultaneously in theatres and on its HBO Max streaming service, the studio said, taking the most drastic step yet in eliminating the exclusivity theatre chains have enjoyed for decades.
Warner Bros movies will play on HBO Max during their first month of theatrical release before leaving the service while staying in theatres.
The hybrid model will apply to all of Warner Bros films next year, from smaller-scale releases to big-budget movies that traditionally require gargantuan box-office sales to turn a profit. That includes the science-fiction adaptation “Dune,” a movie version of the musical “In The Heights” and a new instalment of the “Matrix” franchise.
Warner Bros. last month said it was going to release “Wonder Woman 1984” on HBO Max Christmas Day for a month at the same time the movie went into theatres. The announcement Thursday covers 17 films that are scheduled for release next year.
“It’s threading a needle in the middle of a pandemic,” said Carolyn Blackwood, the studio’s chief operating officer. “We weren’t comfortable sitting on our hands or punting these movies into oblivion.”
READ the full story
Max Maddison 7.50am: Dutton: Albanese China comments cringe-worthy
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has labelled Anthony Albanese’s comments on China “cringe worthy”, as the opposition leader’s prospects come under the spotlight.
After early bipartisan support for Scott Morrison’s handling of the tweet by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, Mr Albanese came under fire for his attempts to attack the Prime Minister on the issue.
“I think the comments of Anthony Albanese were cringe worthy, to be honest. Most of the Labor Party, to go to Richard’s point, were very responsible,” Mr Dutton told Nine’s Today Show.
“And there was a voice of unity, which is incredibly important at this point in time. This is a very serious situation. And for Anthony Albanese to go off script, as he did, I think really sent a shudder across the Labor Party and certainly across the press gallery here.”
Despite persistent uncertainty about Mr Albanese’s long-term leadership prospects, opposition deputy leader Richard Marles said the incumbent would be leading Labor at the next election.
“It’s been hard during COVID, obviously governments have dominated, as you would expect, the air waves and the band width at a time where people are looking for authoritative information.
“That is not an easy time to lead an Opposition. We will present an alternative at the next election and Anthony will be doing that.”
READ MORE: Editorial: Foreign bill presents new China headache for ALP
Max Maddison 7.20am: WHO warns against travel ‘immunity passports’
The World Health Organisation is investigating the use of electronic vaccination certificates for international travellers, but has warned against countries issuing “immunity passports”.
“We are looking very closely into the use of technology in this COVID-19 response, and one of them is how we can work with member states towards an e-vaccination certificate,” WHO’s Europe program manager for vaccine-preventable diseases Siddhartha Datta said.
Sorry I missed it @harryhalpin. But I did read thru yr analysis of COVID-19 immunity passport tech & the process of standardization. Excellent questions, overview of digital ID innovation, case study, accessible to non-techies like me. @CosicBe https://t.co/YA2h7hQnWI https://t.co/RNPjJRXpML pic.twitter.com/xFA3czErKx
— Kirsten Sandberg (@kikisandberg) December 2, 2020
The WHO recently signed a deal with Estonia to work on “digital innovations in the COVID-19 response” earlier this year, with the use of vaccination certificates for those who had received a coronavirus vaccine, one avenue explored by the Baltic country.
However, the WHO’s senior emergency officer Catherine Smallwood, said the agency’s guidance remained against the implementation of immunity passports, instead urging countries to base travel guidance of COVID-19 transmission data.
“We do not recommend immunity passports, nor do we recommend testing as a means to prevent transmission across borders,” Dr Smallwood said.
"We cannot say we’re in a stable situation across the whole region at the moment," said Dr Catherine Smallwood with the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme at a press conference. https://t.co/q8aYkUeEcl
— euronews (@euronews) December 3, 2020
READ MORE: Plenty of challenges to come, leading economist says
Max Maddison 6.55am: Facebook to remove vaccine misinformation
Facebook has begun to target vaccination misinformation, with the company announcing it will remove false claims about COVID-19 vaccines.
With high levels of vaccine hesitancy across the globe, spurred on by the proliferation of misinformation online, public health experts have expressed their concerns about the effectiveness of any vaccination if a significant proportion of the population refuses.
The move by the social media giant is a bid to remove anti-vaccination rhetoric from the site, as the UK begins to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
“Given the recent news that COVID-19 vaccines will soon be rolling out around the world, over the coming weeks we will also start removing false claims about these vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts on Facebook and Instagram,” the company said in a blog post.
“This is another way that we are applying our policy to remove misinformation about the virus that could lead to imminent physical harm.”
READ MORE: Vaccine ‘the key to flight recovery’
Max Maddison 6.30am: China says Belt and Road ‘embarrassed’ Canberra
The state-affiliated Global Times says the Belt and Road Initiative deal signed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has “embarrassed” the federal government, as the barrage against Australia shows no sign of slowing down.
After a week of editorial and opinion pieces slamming Scott Morrison and apparent Australian hypocrisy, two pieces on Thursday night proved to be much of the same, claiming Australia’s allies were attempting to “spiritually colonise others” with “democracy and human rights”.
One opinion writer, Ruan Zongze, claimed the proposed Foreign Relations Bill proved Australia was in an “abnormal state of political madness and paranoia”, before lasering in on the BRI agreement signed by Mr Andrews.
#Opinion: Australia's passing of Foreign Relations Bill 2020 shows anti-China forces are gaining momentum in the country. Australia now seems to be in an abnormal state of political paranoia, with a distorted mind-set confusing right and wrong.https://t.co/1aa21XfAlF
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) December 3, 2020
“As China-Australia relations began to spiral downward this year, co-operation between China and Victoria on the BRI has embarrassed the Australian federal government. Victoria, therefore, has become a target of the federal government,” Mr Ruan wrote.
“The fact that the legislation could be passed in the parliament shows that anti-China forces in Australian political circles are gaining the momentum. Political prejudices are coming first, overwhelming their consideration for actual interests.”
#Morrison's latest article, which was removed by WeChat, was an attempt to woo the Australian-Chinese community but failed as Australian-Chinese called it "hypocrisy." https://t.co/6w7JQu44pJ pic.twitter.com/wn5e3vi2Ut
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) December 3, 2020
Another opinion piece by Mu Lu said Australia’s ongoing call for an apology over the tweet was akin to the colonisation of China by Europeans in the 19th century, condemning the “West’s narrow-minded moralistic tricks”.
“In the eyes of some Western elites, adopting a non-Western system and ideology and refusing to be a vassal of the West is the sin of China,” the piece read.
“As they cannot hold colonies anymore, they attempt to spiritually colonise others with their so-called universal values of democracy and human rights.”
#Opinion: In the future, more people like Chinese cartoonist Wuheqilin and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian will stand out to tell the truth to the world and have dialogue with the West on a completely fair and equal status. https://t.co/Jo126Mg4Sk
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) December 3, 2020
READ MORE: Editorial — Foreign bill presents fresh China headache for ALP
Ben Packham 5.30am: Snag for Morrison on ‘key China grievance’
Labor sources have indicated that the opposition may withhold its support on the government’s Foreign Relations Bill — raising the stakes for Scott Morrison on an issue that China has identified as a key grievance.
The proposed bill would allow Foreign Minister Marise Payne to scrap agreements with foreign powers struck by universities and sub-national governments — including Victoria’s contentious Belt and Road Initiative deal with Beijing.
The Morrison government has rejected a proposed crossbench amendment that would subject any decisions made by the foreign minister under the new laws to judicial oversight.
It now faces a battle to have the bill passed when parliament returns next week.
Read the full story here.
Adeshola Ore 5.15am: Australia ‘won’t rush vaccine’, despite UK rollout
Australia will not follow Britain in approving an emergency-authorised coronavirus vaccine after the UK became the first country to green-light the rollout of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine from as early as Monday.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration is aiming to authorise a vaccine early next year, and TGA deputy secretary John Skerritt says an approval before March was possible if the regulatory body received full submissions from leading vaccine producers in the next week.
Scott Morrison said Britain faced a more serious challenge in curtailing the virus and stressed the federal government would prioritise the approval of a safe vaccine for Australians.
“It must be safe for Australians and that is what they would expect of us,” the Prime Minister said. “The vaccine strategy is now in its advanced stage of preparation and that will further be considered by the cabinet, the federal cabinet, we are working with the state and territories closely and the rollout plans that extend from that strategy.”
Read the full story here.
Stephen Lunn 5am: Genders split on work from home, return to work
More women are keen to keep working from home as the COVID-19 threat recedes, while men are increasingly happy to return to the workplace.
But there has been a significant improvement in rates of mental distress and financial distress for both genders, Melbourne University research reveals. The Melbourne Institute’s Taking the Pulse of the Nation survey also finds women in Melbourne and regional areas of Australia have suffered significantly more in terms of loss of work or reduced hours than women in other capital cities.
The proportion of people working from home fell from half of Australians in September to 43 per cent in the most recent survey, taken between November 16-20.
Over that same period the number of women who said they would prefer to work from home spiked from 67 per cent to 84 per cent. For men it fell from 72 per cent to 68 per cent.
'Big jump in satisfaction with government, while mental distress and financial stress declines'. Read the latest results from the Melbourne Institute's 'Taking the Pulse of the Nation' survey: https://t.co/lbmPWxCAWy #auspol #Mentalhealth pic.twitter.com/vWeWmaQ6M6
— Melbourne Institute (@MelbInstUOM) December 3, 2020
Read the full story here.
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