PoliticsNow: Brendan Murphy concedes new doubts over Covid vaccine rollout
Brendan Murphy says there are ‘significant’ vaccine supply issues, and not every Australian will get two Covid jabs by October.
- Vaccine timetable ‘impossible’ to predict
- ACCC widens digital platforms probe
- Put half your holiday on us: PM
- ‘Higher bills’ from Yallourn closure
- Andrews escapes surgery
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of news from Canberra amid the ongoing pandemic.
Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy says Australia’s vaccine timetable is impossible to predict, blaming delays on EU nations. The ACCC is widening its digital platforms probe, investigating whether Australians should be given more choice when it comes to the default web browsers and search services on their devices. Daniel Andrews is facing long-term rehabilitation, but spinal surgery for his fractured vertebrae has been ruled out. Angus Taylor warns the early closure of the Yallourn coal-fired power station in Victoria could lead to higher electricity bills. Taxpayers will bankroll 800,000 half-priced airfares under a $1.2bn stimulus package aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries.
Paige Taylor, Paul Garvey10.45pm:It’s third time plucky for brave Beazley
Hannah Beazley’s quest to enter politics has spanned eight years and three frustrating election campaigns — but this time, the 41-year-old looks a certainty.
Polling now suggests that Ms Beazley will on Saturday finally begin what her famous family considers “the highest form of public service” when she succeeds retiring West Australian Treasurer Ben Wyatt in the safe Labor seat of Victoria Park.
WA Labor is capitalising on near adulation for the Premier by badging candidates as “Your local Mark McGowan representative”.
This campaign is an unfamiliar experience for Ms Beazley, who has fought and lost two difficult campaigns. In the state seat of Riverton in 2013, she was up against popular Liberal incumbent Mike Nahan who later became WA treasurer and opposition leader.
When Ms Beazley — the daughter of former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley — turned to federal politics in 2019, she gained ground against the Liberals’ Steve Irons, but two years of campaigning was not enough to unseat him.
Rosie Lewis, Robyn Ironside10pm:Cheap tickets ‘won’t save jobs’
A $1.2bn Morrison government package to supercharge domestic travel has been rejected by the tourism and hospitality industries, which say it will fail to prevent hundreds of thousands of job losses while favouring major airlines over the rest of the supply chain.
After a months-long wait for the government to outline post-JobKeeper support, there was broad condemnation and confusion about the stimulus unveiled, with industry saying it was too narrow and would “leave Sydney and Melbourne for dead”.
The centrepiece of the package will see Australians offered 800,000 half-priced airfares to more than a dozen regional centres from April, while cheap loans will be provided to small and medium businesses coming off the $90bn wage subsidy scheme on March 28.
Agencies9.15pm:Denmark halts AstraZeneca vaccine over clot fears
Danish health authorities have temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution after some patients developed blood clots since receiving the jab.
The move comes “following reports of serious cases of blood clots among people vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine”, the Danish Health Authority said in a statement on Thursday.
But it cautiously added that “it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots”.
READ MORE: Why Frydenberg isn’t hailed as ‘world’s greatest treasurer’
Greg Brown8.15pm:Bowen visits mine to win over coal workers
Chris Bowen has visited a coalmine in central Queensland as he moves to convince voters in the resources-rich state their jobs will be safe if he is energy minister.
The opposition energy spokesman, who took over the role from Left faction heavyweight Mark Butler in January, visited BHP’s Gregory Crinum mine in the Bowen Basin with Queensland Labor senator Anthony Chisholm on Thursday.
In a move that will appease environmentalists, Mr Bowen visited a mine that extracts metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel. Thermal coal is used for energy production.
Patrick Commins7.30pm:Jobs at risk after CBDs ‘abandoned’
Struggling businesses in Australia’s CBDs have emerged as the biggest losers in the Morrison government’s targeted support package, with warnings that the end of JobKeeper will trigger a new round of retrenchments in hotel and accommodation staff.
The closure of international borders, the collapse of business travel and a plunge in the number of commuters has damaged the country’s city centres.
With a lack of CBD-specific assistance in the Morrison government’s package of support measures aimed at helping COVID-affected industries and regions survive the end of JobKeeper, Accommodation Association chief executive Dean Long said the government had abandoned city hotels that continued to struggle with a collapse in international and business customers.
“Our hotels in these two major international gateways (Sydney and Melbourne) currently have a forward booking rate of less than 10 per cent for the next 90 days and desperately need immediate support,” Mr Long said.
READ MORE:Former BHP boss to chair Shell
Joseph Lam 7.05pm: Service NSW denies cyber attack
The NSW government says outage of its COVID-19 Safe Check-in software was not the result of a cyber attack.
The Service NSW outage left dozens of patrons and businesses unable to check into venues for four hours on Thursday afternoon.
UPDATE: Services have now been restored. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the outage and thanks customers for their understanding during this time. #servicensw
— Service NSW (@ServiceNSW) March 11, 2021
Service NSW apologised, saying the app was in the process of being restored.
“There is no evidence to suggest the outage was the result of a cyber attack,” a Service NSW spokesman said.
“This afternoon the Service NSW app and MyServiceNSW account experienced an unexpected outage preventing customers from accessing some services.
“The outage lasted for approximately four hours and customer services are now in the process of being restored.
“The COVID Safe Check In webform was not impacted by the outage.
“Service NSW apologises for any inconvenience caused by the outage and thanks customers for their understanding during this time.”
READ MORE: Why Frydenberg isn’t hailed as ‘world’s greatest treasurer’
Joseph Lam 6.55pm: Covid traces found in Queensland
Queensland Health is calling on anyone with flu-like symptoms to present for testing after COVID-19 fragments were found in sewage tests two weeks after vaccinations began.
The fragments were detected in sewage in two north Queensland locations, Cairns North, Marlin Coast, in south Brisbane at Fairfield and Mackay South.
MEDIA RELEASE: Positive wastewater detections across multiple catchments.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) March 11, 2021
Fragments of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected at the Cairns North, Marlin Coast (Cairns), Fairfield (Brisbane South) and Mackay South wastewater treatment plants.https://t.co/bdrxo5Q3SP
Vaccinations began in Queensland on February 22 at the Gold Coast followed by Brisbane on February 24 and Cairns on February 26.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said it was crucial that Queenslanders continued to present for testing.
“We can’t be complacent, we’re still in this pandemic,” Dr Young said.
“It is critical we detect any cases that we may not be aware of as quickly as possible through our testing system, to contain any potential spread.
“We are concerned by the new variants that are emerging overseas that are more contagious than previous variants we have seen in Queensland.”
READ MORE:UK variant more deadly: study
Joseph Lam6.25pm: Service NSW outage leaves patrons in queue
Dozens of patrons could be seen in queues outside Sydney pubs and restaurants on Thursday afternoon after the NSW Government’s COVID-19 check-in app swiftly stopped working.
Technical difficulties saw the Service NSW app down for several hours, halting services such as the COVID Safe Check-in.
We're aware of an issue affecting multiple Service NSW transactions and services. We're working to resolve this ASAP and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. Please note the Digital Driver License should still be available as a cached version. #servicenswpic.twitter.com/Dc95xB7ZnO
— Service NSW (@ServiceNSW) March 11, 2021
Users first reported issues in the early afternoon about 2pm, complaining of being unable to sign into the mobile app.
“We’re aware of an issue affecting multiple Service NSW transactions and services, including the COVID Safe Check-in,” a statement read.
“We are working to resolve this as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience.”
Those using Service NSW’s digital driver’s license option should be able to access a cached version, they said.
The issues arrived after Service NSW launched the latest version of its app, version 6.2.2. The update is said to have “fixed a bug where feedback was not being submitted” and to prepare app users for the rollout of the state’s Dine & Discover program.
Stephen Gibbs 6.14pm:Brazil’s hero of the left is back to challenge Bolsonaro
Brazil’s former left-wing leader, celebrating the annulment this week of corruption convictions against him, has launched a blistering attack on President Jair Bolsonaro in a speech seen as the start of his campaign to return to power.
“This country doesn’t have a government,” said Luiz Inacio da Silva, known as Lula, in an address to supporters on Thursday AEDT at the headquarters of the metalworkers’ union in Sao Paulo, his political base. He called the right-wing leader an “imbecile” and attacked his economic policies and approach to the pandemic.
On Tuesday, a supreme court judge annulled all corruption convictions against the former president, who served 18 months in prison after he was found guilty in 2017 on a series of charges including receiving bribes and money laundering. The judge ruled that the court that convicted Lula, as he is commonly known, did not have jurisdiction in the case. He argued Lula should have a retrial in the capital, Brasilia. A final decision on the ruling by the entire supreme court is awaited.
Karl Rove5.45pm:Democrats spurn improvements to spending bill
It’s popular now, but voters may live to regret Joe Biden’s $2.5 trillion expense by November 2022. Read more here
Perry Williams5.30pm:State-owned hydro business goes up for sale
The state government-owned Hydro Tasmania has put its retail electricity business, Momentum Energy, up for sale a day after announcing 50 jobs cuts as part of a restructure.
Hydro Tasmania said it was reviewing options including a sale so it could focus on its generation business and accelerate a move to renewables. Momentum has 260,000 customers across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia.
“Hydro Tasmania is considering options to simplify its business and take advantage of unprecedented change in the energy sector,” Hydro Tasmania chief executive Evangelista Albertini said.
The company announced a restructure on Wednesday with 5 per cent of its workforce to be cut as it looks to deliver on the state government’s aim of doubling renewable energy generation by 2040.
READ MORE:A rush to the regions
Staff Reporters5.15pm:NSW reports Covid check-in app outage
The app that is used to check into NSW venues and show a digital drivers licence is down, the state government says.
It is working to get the app back online.
We're aware of an issue affecting multiple Service NSW transactions and services. We're working to resolve this ASAP and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. Please note the Digital Driver License should still be available as a cached version. #servicenswpic.twitter.com/Dc95xB7ZnO
— Service NSW (@ServiceNSW) March 11, 2021
Staff Reporters5.05pm:SA reports three cases, all in quarantine
South Australian health authorities have revealed that they have zero locally acquired cases.
There were three new cases, but they were all hotel quarantine.
One of those cases is a woman in her 30s who recently returned from overseas.
The other two coronavirus cases, a man aged in his 20s and a woman aged in her 50s, have been deemed ‘old’ infections.
Wall Street Journal4.45pm:Businesses that relished lockdown face struggle
As the economy starts to return to normal, companies that prospered during lockdowns brace for a shift in spending. Read more here
Matthew Clarke4.20pm:How the travel ban has hit international students
Because of the COVID-19 travel ban, Australia stands to lose PhD students from overseas who are critical to university research. Read more here
Ben Packham3.45pm:Uni list to protect against foreign influence
The PM’s department is developing a list of critical technologies and research areas that will be protected amid an espionage crackdown. Read more here
Richard Ferguson3.30pm:Aged care vaccine rollout hit by bureaucracy
Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy says the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in aged care homes has been “more complicated” than the government expected due to bureaucratic issues.
Professor Murphy told the senate’s COVID-19 committee on Thursday that some aged care homes asked vaccine workers to slow down due to the “burden” the rollout placed on staff and residents, and that vaccine providers found consent processes difficult to manage.
“The providers have found it more complicated ... even though they did lots of modelling and planning,” he told the senate hearing.
“Some of them described the challenge of having 10 relatives in a room and wanting to have a discussion with residents and their families about vaccination.
“Getting consent processes, fully documented, and making sure there was the huge logistic alignment of the provider availability and the availability of the very carefully controlled cold chain.”
“Sometimes they experienced or felt that they sometimes had to go back and do a second day because the aged care facility felt it was coming to a point where they thought it was too burdensome on the staff and residents, and they’ve decided to do it respectfully.”
Professor Murphy also said a deliberate slow down in the first week also affected the timetable, after a Queensland doctor who did not complete his vaccine training gave two residents four times the recommended dose.
READ MORE:Weighing up victory in WA poll
Perry Williams3.15pm:Yallourn power grid ‘stress test’ recommended
The Australian Energy Market Operator should run a stress test to consider how Victoria’s power grid will cope once EnergyAustralia’s Yallourn coal plant exits in 2028, consultancy Global-Roam said.
AEMO’s most recent electricity outlook indicated no supply shortfall out to 2028-29 but should be revisited given the loss of the 1480 megawatt Yallourn station, which supplies 22 per cent of Victoria’s electricity and 8 per cent of the national electricity market.
Blackouts in energy-rich Texas had served as a warning for power grid operators.
AEMO said it will model changes in its next electricity statement of opportunities in August, including both the early retirement of Yallourn and the planned addition by EnergyAustralia of a big 350MW battery due 2026.
READ MORE:The big surprise with Yallourn
Mackenzie Scott3.05pm:Sydney property prices hit record high
The housing boom in 2016 and 2017 caused property prices in the nation’s largest capital city to surpass $1m for the first time. Now, the post-COVID slump has made way for surging prices, with values in Sydney surpassing earlier highs. Read more here
Adeshola Ore2.55pm:Darwin added to tourism support package list
Northern Territory Senator Sam McMahon has confirmed Darwin will now be included in the list of eligible destinations for the federal government’s $1.2 billion tourism and aviation support package.
The federal government has today unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue scheme that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions.
The stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
Darwin was previously not included in the list of 13 tourism-dependent regions.
The Country Liberal Party Senator said it was a major win for the Northern Territory. She said she spoke to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack last night and “demanded” that Darwin be added to the list.
“He has confirmed to me today that it will be part of the package,” she said in a statement.
“I am delighted to have been able to secure this important addition to the list, which will benefit the whole of the Northern Territory.
READ MORE:Lockdown delivers a tasty boost
Nicholas Jensen2.40pm:Study reveals infectious extent of UK strain
New research concludes the highly infectious UK variant is between 30 and 100 per cent more deadly than previous variants. Read more here
Richard Ferguson2.20pm:Not every Australian will get two jabs by October
Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy says every Australian may not get their two shots of COVID-19 vaccine by October.
Health data showing it is better to stretch the time between AstraZeneca doses from four to twelve weeks has threatened the Morrison government’s pledge to fully vaccinate Australians by October.
In a senate committee hearing on Thursday, Professor Murphy said the aim is now to give every willing Australian their first dose and said that would offer enough protection until the second shot.
“We don’t know if we will be able to deliver two doses by the end of October,” he said.
“We may get everybody two days as by the end of October, but the original modelling was done on the four week interval.
“If we get better access to vaccines and the rollout goes better it may well be possible to have everyone have two doses ... the AstraZeneca vaccination puts at a level of uncertainty into it.”
Adeshola Ore2.05pm:Tourism groups issue warning over flights plan
The Australian Tourism Industry Council has warned the federal government’s post-JobKeeper support package has left too many tourism companies on the sidelines and says it will need to consult with the government further.
The federal government has unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
“It’s just not touching the immediacy of the problem. The immediacy of the problem is that JobKeeper and other programs are coming to their end point,” the council’s executive director Simon Westaway told Sky News.
“This package is the first shot but we’re going to have to sit down again with the government.”
READ MORE:How to get your cheap flight
Remy Varga1.50pm:Daniel Andrews ‘will return as Premier’
Victoria’s acting premier says Daniel Andrews will return to lead the state after he recovers from a spinal injury, moving to dismiss leadership speculation.
As Mr Andrews remained in hospital following a bad fall over the weekend, James Merlino told reporters on Thursday he would remain leader until his recovery.
“He’ll [Mr Andrews] return as Premier,” he said. “On that day, I’ll be pleased to hand back the keys to the Premier of this state.”
When asked if he could rule out ever running for leadership, Mr Merlino said: “I appreciate the question, because the answer clearly is no.
“It’s been an honour to be deputy premier, it’s been an honour for more than nine years to be deputy leader. It’s an honour to have the role of acting premier while Dan is recovering.
“He will recover, he will return as Premier, I couldn’t be clearer than that.”
Similarly, Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said she wished Mr Andrews a speedy recovery and expected him to return to the premiership.
“We’re all just wishing him the very best, he is getting the very best of care and we’re all wishing him a safe and healthy return to the job,” she said.
“That’s his [Mr Andrews] expectation and that’s our expectation.”
Mr Merlino said he’d exchanged text messages with Mr Andrews, speaking with him on Thursday morning.
“We’ve exchanged texts and I’ve spoken personally with Dan this morning, he’s fine as well as you can be,” he said.
“He’s getting great care but it was really great to have a chat with him this morning.”
Mr Merlino said the conversation with Mr Andrews was personal in nature and as acting premier he assumed all responsibilities of the premier, including managing hotel quarantine and the return of international flights to Victoria.
Richard Ferguson1.40pm:‘Impossible to say’ when 4 million doses hit
Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy concedes it is “impossible” to now say when the first four million Australians to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be inoculated.
On Wednesday, Professor Murphy said the original 4m vaccinations by April goal was now unlikely to be met. He has blamed global supply issues with European countries for that delay.
The Health Department chief said questions over vaccine supply now mean he cannot predict what the vaccine timetable will be.
“It would be impossible to predict exactly when we will hit 4 million until we know what the CSL production capability will be like, what the further international supplies will be like,” he said.
“But that will be as quickly as we can, safely as we can with the available vaccines.”
Richard Ferguson1.30pm:EU to blame for slow vaccine rollout
Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy has blamed the slow start of the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout on delays and roadblocks put up by European Union countries.
The federal government has conceded it will not meet its goal to vaccinate 4m Australians by April – with only more than 100,000 inoculated to this point – and it has raised concerns from business.
Professor Murphy told a senate committee on Thursday “sovereign vaccine issues” in Europe was responsible for the Commonwealth having millions fewer vaccine doses than it planned for in the first phase of the rollout.
“We thought we would get 3.8 million AstraZeneca doses – and for the issues that our committee is well aware of, with sovereign vaccine issues in Europe – we’ve only had 700,000 AstraZeneca vaccines which we’ve deployed as soon as they’ve been tested,” he said.
“The Pfizer vaccine supply chain has also been limited but it’s predictable, but something over 100,000 doses a week has come in since we started our program.
“So that that vaccine supply has been a significant issue.”
Italy blocked 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines last week under EU trade rules, and argued Australia did not need the vaccines to the extent it did.
READ MORE:How the PM can save himself
Ellie Dudley1.20pm:Unions criticise government’s tourism package
The ACTU has condemned the federal government’s tourism package, claiming that it will not protect jobs.
The $1.2 billion package was announced today to support the tourism sector, including 800,000 half price flight tickets, a recovery loan scheme for eligible businesses and an aviation plan to help airlines keep up.
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said: “This package will just line the pockets of employers, who’ve proven that they can’t be trusted to use taxpayer’s money to support their employees.”
“The Morrison government has returned to trickle-down economics, where there are no protections or guarantees for jobs – just hope employers will do the right thing,” she said.
“The package will not help workers. It contains no obligation on employers to keep workers employed. It won’t even be seen by them.”
The ACTU and aviation unions are appealing to the federal government to introduce Aviation Keeper, which they believe would ensure aviation jobs are secured.
In addition, they are asking for strict salary capping for executives, a ban on bonuses and dividends, and a ban on the outsourcing of jobs overseas.
READ MORE:‘Qantas package’ comes under fire
Charlie Peel1.10pm:Palmer faces electoral probe after secret mediation talks fail
EXCLUSIVE
Secret mediation talks between Clive Palmer and the Electoral Commission of Queensland have been abandoned and the ECQ will continue with legal action to determine whether the businessman is a property developer and subsequently a banned political donor.
The negotiations between Mr Palmer and the ECQ took place over the past few weeks after a hearing last month in the Supreme Court of Queensland where a judge ruled the commission needed to proceed with its case by formal statement of claim.
Last year the ECQ launched legal action to have Mr Palmer’s company, Palmer Leisure, declared a property developer.
The matter will be a test of the Palaszczuk government’s laws banning property developers from donating to political parties.
Ellie Dudley12.55pm:Tourism package overlooks capital cities: ACCI
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has said the federal government’s tourism support package “doesn’t go far enough” due to lack of support for capital cities.
The federal government today announced a $1.2 billion package to support the tourism sector, including 800,000 half price flight tickets, a recovery loan scheme for eligible businesses and an aviation plan to help airlines keep up to 8600 employees in work.
Head of the ACCI John Hart said the scheme ignores the struggling CBDs, who are over $22 billion down in revenue.
“For our CBDs and our capital cities … they’re $22.2 billion down in revenue,” he told ABC News.
“That’s a huge amount of money, and this package isn’t going to help them.”
Mr Hart said money should be “targeted” at the CBDs because they are international gateways.
“That’s where international visitors arrive, and that’s where they disperse from,” he said.
“With the international border shut, that’s where we’re feeling this really enormous impact, particularly in accommodation but also all the way through our hospitality sector.”
He added that the tourism package will not succeed without “free-flowing travel” through open borders across Australia.
READ MORE: ‘No help’: Flights package slammed
Remy Varga12.40pm:Tourism package ‘unfair’: Acting Victorian Premier
Victorian acting Premier James Merlino says it’s disappointing only one location in the state was included in the federal government’s aviation and tourism package.
He said the state government would push for more Victorian destinations to be included, saying the current package was “unfair”.
“At this stage, this is a disappointing outcome for Victoria,” he said.
“You’ve got five locations in Queensland, three in Tasmania, two in the Northern Territory (and) just one in Victoria.”
When Mr Merlino was asked if locations had been selected due to their proximity to marginal seats, he said: “I think those questions should be put to the commonwealth.”
The federal government will subsidise flights to 13 tourism reliant regions, including flights from Sydney and the Gold Coast to Avalon in Victoria.
Victoria was worst hit by the pandemic after a COVID-19 second wave in 2020 saw Melbourne in hard lockdown for more than 100 days.
READ MORE: WorkSafe Victoria closer to Covid probe
Ellie Dudley12.36pm:Queensland health minister plays down Code Yellow alert
Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath has quashed any panic surrounding a Code Yellow alert at Cairns Hospital announced yesterday.
The Code Yellow was declared after six COVID-19 patients arrived from Papua New Guinea, forcing the facility to near capacity.
Ms D’Ath has dismissed any concerns about the alert, saying it is “not something the community needs to be alarmed about”.
“In the last week, a number of metro north hospitals experienced brief periods on Code Yellow,” she said.
“Cairns hospital was placed on Code Yellow yesterday amid unprecedented demand.”
A total of 263 people arrived at the emergency department of Cairns Hospital on Thursday – shy of the record 280 – but Ms D’Ath said many didn’t require emergency treatment.
“Many of these cases can be more effectively managed in non-emergency settings,” she said.
“Too often we are finding that people are turning to the local emergency department for medical care that could be provided by our excellent local general practitioners.”
READ MORE: Premier defends slow pace of vaccine rollout
Adeshola Ore12.27pm:‘They have a few weeks to deliver 3.9m vaccinations’
Anthony Albanese says the opposition will hold the Morrison government to account for its aim to vaccinate four million Australians by early April, despite federal bureaucrats suggesting the target will be missed.
It comes as NSW pushes for the states to take greater control of the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as concerns grow over the speed of delivery. By day 16 of the national rollout, about 100,000 Australians had received a COVID jab. The government previously said it would begin administering 80,000 coronavirus vaccines a week.
“They’re only on 100,000 and it is now March 11. They have just a few weeks to deliver 3.9 vaccinations,” the Opposition Leader said.
“This isn’t a target that was set by anyone other than this government”
READ MORE:All you need to know about the COVID-19 jab
Ellie Dudley12.18pm:Australian Republic Movement to present model later in 2021
The Australian Republic Movement will present a model for an Australian republic in the second half of this year, in hopes the country will make the move within a year of the Queen stepping out of power.
Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive tell-all interview on Monday evening which reignited the debate surrounding Australia’s independence from the Crown, the ARM said they have been working on a model that would “attract strong bipartisan support”.
“What we’ve been doing in the last year is consulting and talking to parliamentarians and getting out in the community to understand public opinion,” Sandy Biar, national director of the ARM told The Guardian Australia.
“We’ve been working to develop a consensus position on a model (for Australia to become a republic) to ensure there is common ground for these reforms. And we will be announcing this model in the second half of this year, which we think will get up on a referendum.”
A slight majority – 51 per cent – of Australians support Australia’s part in the Commonwealth, according to a 2019 study from Australian National University.
READ MORE:Interview may boost calls for Australian republic
Adeshola Ore12.16pm:Tourism package ‘targets marginal seats’: Albanese
Anthony Albanese has accused the government of targeting marginal seats in its aviation and tourism package, as Labor slams the scheme for being too narrow.
Scott Morrison has dismissed claims the government targeted marginal seats with its post JobKeeper package, calling the suggestion “absurd”. The government’s $1.2bn tourism and aviation rescue package includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month. Many destinations on the selected routes are in marginal seats.
“They always look at one thing and it’s not who needs support the most, it’s not regional economic development and priorities and how we go forward, it is the electoral map,” the Opposition Leader said.
“In Tasmania, northern Tasmania gets support, southern Tasmania does not. I wonder what the distinction is between the two. It is the two marginal seats that are in northern Tasmania.”
READ MORE:Airlines urge states to keep borders open
Adeshola Ore12.05pm:Post-JobKeeper plan a ‘selective aviation’ package: Albanese
Anthony Albanese says the government’s post JobKeeper plan is a “selective aviation” package, as he slams the government’s new scheme.
The federal government has unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
“There is nothing in this package for hotel operators. There is nothing in this package for those people, for example, who are tourism operators who will take people out on day trips,” the Opposition Leader said.
Mr Albanese said the package would “magnify the fact” that the JobKeeper wage subsidy would end at the end of the month.
“I think it is very disappointing that for tourism operators around the country, there is not a single dollar in today’s announcement.”
READ MORE:Put half your holiday on us: Morrison
Ellie Dudley11.05am:Another day of no local cases in NSW
New South Wales has recorded no new local cases of COVID-19 and six in overseas arrivals.
State health workers conducted 14,135 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
NSW now has 56 active cases, none of whom are in intensive care.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 11, 2021
Six new cases were acquired overseas bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,037. pic.twitter.com/LBhpfqEJS1
READ MORE:Covid savings a ‘big tailwind’
Adeshola Ore10.58am:Dutton slams move that would ‘destroy’ businesses
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says domestic border closures will harm businesses the federal government’s new tourism support package aims to support.
Queensland’s Treasurer Cameron Dick has slammed the government’s $1.2bn scheme for not supporting intrastate travel. He also said the Queensland government would not guarantee its state borders would remain open.
“We don’t want to see border closures. We don’t want to see Queensland closed down over one case because that would really destroy these businesses,” Mr Dutton said.
The federal government has unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
READ MORE: Airlines urge states to keep borders open
Ellie Dudley10.52am:Restrictions set to ease in Queensland
Queensland has recorded no new cases of locally transmitted COVID-19, and five in overseas arrivals.
The state conducted 8033 tests over the past 24 hours, and now has 41 active cases.
Thursday 11 March – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 10, 2021
• 0 new locally acquired
• 5 overseas acquired
• 41 active cases
• 1,373 total cases
• 2,020,693 tests conducted
Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,321 patients have recovered.#covid19pic.twitter.com/hin2LGb9Nh
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced restrictions will ease further in Queensland from 1am on Saturday March 13.
Gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed in homes, and up to 500 people will be permitted to gather outdoors.
The limit on people allowed at campsites will also be removed, and the number of people in a lift will increase from four to six.
BREAKING: Restrictions will ease further in Queensland from 1am on Saturday, 13 March.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 10, 2021
Gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed in homes and up to 500 people can gather outdoors.
The limit on people allowed at camp sites will also be removed. #covid19pic.twitter.com/EsF3UNLRrt
READ MORE:Anzac Day to be a healthy sign of post-Covid recovery
Ellie Dudley10.44am:Andrews to spend ‘some time’ away from parliament
Acting Premier James Merlino has described Daniel Andrews’ injury as “very serious” and said he will not be participating in next week’s parliamentary sitting.
Mr Andrews is facing long-term rehabilitation after taking a fall earlier in the week, but spinal surgery for his fractured vertebrae has been ruled out for now.
Mr Merlino said they are unaware when he would return to work.
“It will be some time,” he told reporters this morning. “We won’t know until exactly his treatment plan and a definitive decision is made on surgery.”
He added that he would “be in Dan’s chair” for the parliamentary sitting next week.
READ MORE: Surgery ruled out for Andrews
David Swan10.33am:ACCC widens digital platforms probe
The competition and consumer watchdog is widening its digital platforms probe, investigating whether Australians should be given more choice when it comes to the default web browsers and internet search services on their devices.
ACCC chair Rod Sims says a new issues paper, released today, would examine whether tech giant Google should be forced to introduce a ‘choice screen’, which would give users more options around what search and browsing applications they use. He said Google substantial market power in search services in Australia, in part due to default settings on devices which customers often leave unchanged.
“We know that, in general, setting a default option substantially increases the likelihood that consumers and businesses will stick with that option. This can have the effect of reducing competition and consumer choice in the supply of these services,” Mr Sims said.
“We would like to hear from consumers and businesses about the impact of the pre-installation of services and default settings on devices on their use of these services. We’re also interested in how the design of user interfaces on devices, such as widgets, search bars, and the steps required for a consumer to change a default search service, can affect how consumers use these services.
“We’re also interested in competition in the supply of web browsers in Australia and the linkages between search services, web browsers, operating systems and devices. The relationships between suppliers, through vertical integration or contractual arrangements, may impact the supply of search services and browsers to Australians.”
Submissions are due by April 15.
READ MORE: The Download: Facebook tries to torpedo monopoly cases
Ellie Dudley10.26am:Palaszczuk calls for greater support for Queensland
Annastacia Palaszczuk has called on the federal government to provide more funds to support intrastate travel in Queensland, after a $1.2 billion tourism package was announced today.
A major part of the $1.2 billion package is 800,000 half-price plane tickets to popular tourism destinations, however, the subsidised tickets will only be available to those travelling interstate.
After many weeks of lobbying from the Queensland Government, I welcome the new support for the aviation and tourism sectors just announced by the Prime Minister. It will assist getting more Australians to Queensland's many tourism destinations. #auspol#qldjobs
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 10, 2021
While the Premier said she “welcomed” the support, she has requested further subsidised funds be provided from Brisbane to Cairns.
“After many weeks of lobbying from the Queensland government, I welcome the new support for the aviation and tourism sectors just announced by the Prime Minister,” she wrote on Twitter.
“But much more direct support is still needed for our tourism operators impacted by JobKeeper ending on 28 March and international border closures.
“I’m also calling on the federal government to provide subsidised flights from Brisbane to Cairns (a greater distance than Melbourne to Brisbane) to help further stimulate tourism demand in Tropical North Queensland.”
Five of the thirteen regions who will benefit from the subsidised flights are in Queensland, the most of any state.
One region will benefit in NSW, one in SA, one in Victoria, one in WA, three in Tasmania and two in the NT.
READ MORE:How to get a half-price seat for your next escape
Ellie Dudley10.07am:One year today since pandemic was declared
Today marks one year since the World Health Organisation labelled the fast-spreading coronavirus a “pandemic”.
On March 11 2020, 114 countries had reported that 118,000 people had contracted COVID-19 and nearly 4300 people had died.
Now, a year on, over 18 million cases of the virus have been reported, along with over 2.5 million deaths. A total of 221 countries and territories have been affected by the virus.
While the global vaccination rollout is causing the case numbers and death tolls to drop, WHO has said the pandemic is not over, due to inequality of vaccine distribution between poor and rich countries and further information needed on the length of immunity the vaccine provides.
READ MORE:Fauci praises Australia’s virus response
Adeshola Ore9.43am:Tourism package won’t make up for JobKeeper loss: Burke
Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke says the Morrison government’s post-JobKeeper scheme will not compensate for the loss of the wage subsidy for the majority of employees in the tourism sector.
The federal government has today unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The $1.2bn stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends at the end of this month.
Cheap loans will also be offered to small and medium businesses coming off JobKeeper on March 28, with the federal government increasing its exposure to help keep employers afloat.
“There’s no doubt that some parts of Australia will benefit from this. The thing we need to remember is the context in which this is being announced, which is the government getting rid of JobKeeper at the end of the month,” Mr Burke told Sky News.
“While the economy is recovering, that’s not compensation for the individual who’s being told today that because you work in the wrong part of Australia, the government’s going to let your job fall off a cliff at the end of the month.”
READ MORE: Qantas to offer 32,000 cheap flights a week
Ellie Dudley9.39am:Queensland Treasurer slams tourism support package
The Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has slammed the federal government’s tourism support package this morning, claiming it doesn’t support intrastate travel.
A major part of the $1.2 billion package is 800,000 half-price plane tickets to popular tourism destinations.
The subsidised tickets will only be available to those travelling interstate.
Mr Dick said this was “bizarre”.
“Why can’t Queenslanders be supported to travel to Queensland, why can’t they go to Cairns,” he said on ABC radio.
“People want to go, in Brisbane and in the southeast, they want to go to Cairns but this scheme says no. Instead, we have to go to places like Launceston, or Merimbula.”
Mr Dick also would not guarantee the Queensland borders would remain open, despite the federal scheme relying on interstate travel.
“No, we will act on the health advice,” he said.
“That’s been consistent with the position we’ve taken all along and of course, that was endorsed by the people of Queensland in the election last October.”
READ MORE: Qantas to offer 32,000 cheap flights a week
Ellie Dudley9.10am: Covid still detected in SA wastewater
South Australia is continuing to detect COVID-19 fragments in wastewater samples in the Adelaide CBD.
COVID-19 symptoms? Get tested.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) March 10, 2021
COVID continues to be detected in wastewater from Adelaide CBD North B11 catchment area. We do not believe the detection is from medi-hotels. Positive results could be due to people with historic cases shedding the virus.https://t.co/dhlkAuC2fjpic.twitter.com/Dq88HO1Zpx
Health authorities do not believe the results are linked to medi-hotels.
While the detection could be from a historic case of the virus, health authorities have not ruled out the possibility that it is linked to new cases of community transmission.
Anyone who is displaying symptoms for the coronavirus has been asked to get tested immediately.
Yesterday, only 2191 tests were conducted.
READ MORE: Law firm CEO exits over Porter email
Adeshola Ore 9.00am:Lambie: no negotiation on IR while Porter away
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie says she will not negotiate with the Morrison government’s industrial relations bill while Attorney-General Christian Porter is on sick leave, as crossbenchers cast doubt on the Coalition’s ability to get the proposed laws passed next week when parliament returns.
The Australian has reported that crossbench Senator Stirling Griff has called for significant changes to the bill before he would consider supporting it. Fellow crossbencher Rex Patrick, who along with Jacqui Lambie wants a Senate vote on the bill delayed until May, said it would be “impossible” for the government to get agreement on the complex legislation while Christian Porter was on leave. Last week, Mr Porter announced he would take leave to improve his mental health after he publicly denied a historic rape allegation against him.
“We’re really concerned that this is so important, but I have to be honest with you, the Attorney hasn’t come to see me, hasn’t come to see Senator Patrick, we haven’t seen the people from their office,” Senator Lambie told Sky News.
“That’s been really disappointing in itself that he hasn’t even come to try and sell it to us. This is his bill and we will wait for him to come back to deal with it.”
READ MORE: Doubt over IR with calls for changes
Adeshola Ore 8.50am:Qantas plans for international travel end of October
Alan Joyce has said Qantas was planning for international travel to begin after the end of October, when the government aims to have the entire population vaccinated.
The federal government has today unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The $1.2bn stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier today said it was too early to predict when international travel could begin. But Mr joyce was more positive.
“This program allows people to stay connected with Qantas so we don’t lose them,” he said.
Mr Joyce said he hoped 22 of the airline’s 25 regular international destinations would be running by the end of October.
READ MORE:Quad summit collective step in security
Adeshola Ore8.35am: Aviation package another ticket to recovery: PM
Scott Morrison says the federal government’s aviation and tourism support package is “another ticket to recovery for Australia.”
The federal government has today unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The $1.2bn stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
“To keep people in their jobs, we’ve got to put planes in the air and we’ve got to put tourists on the ground,” the Prime Minister said.
“The Australian tourism industry needs more tourists... They don’t want to stay at home. They don’t want to be sitting there just receiving taxpayer’s money endlessly. They want to be running their businesses.”
READ MORE: Half price travel
Adeshola Ore8.30am:Tourism scheme great news for aviation: Joyce
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the government’s tourism and aviation support package will incentivise states and territories to keep domestic borders open.
The federal government has today unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The $1.2bn stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
Mr Joyce said the scheme was “great news for Australian aviation.”
“This package, for us, ticks all the boxes. It’s met all of our concerns and it’s put in something that is truly comprehensive and I think gets us through to when borders open,” Mr Joyce said.
“It is also an incentive for the states to keep their borders open. And that’s important, because we can’t keep on going through the yo-yo of the ups and downs of that.”
READ MORE:PM must sacrifice ministers
Ellie Dudley8.25am:Victoria records no new community cases
Victoria has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 in the community or from overseas travellers.
A total of 20,039 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to midnight last night.
The state now has three active cases.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 20,039 test results were received. Thank you to everyone who got tested - #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 10, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/6ekRxLmgWn
Adeshola Ore8.15am: Lambie: Regional tourism won't survive
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has warned that some tourism businesses in regional areas not covered by the federal government’s post-JobKeeper scheme will not survive when the wage subsidy ends at the end of March.
The federal government has today unveiled a tourism and aviation rescue package that includes 800,000 half-priced airfares to 13 tourism-dependent regions. The $1.2bn stimulus package is aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
Cheap loans will also be offered to small and medium businesses coming off JobKeeper on March 28, with the federal government increasing its exposure to help keep employers afloat.
“Some businesses can’t afford to get loans.... I think this will finish a lot of them off for those who do rely on those international travellers,” Senator Lambie told Sky News.
“I don’t think you’ll see them getting those loans because they’ll say if we go under, how will we pay this money back?”
“A lot of those rural and regional areas where a lot of Australians just don’t visit, rely really heavily on international tourists.”
READ MORE:Airlines urge states to keep borders open
Ellie Dudley 8.05am: NSW ‘on track’ for vaccine target
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has said the state is “totally on track and committed” to hitting their target of 35,000 people by the end of the week.
A total of 27,000 people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far in NSW, as two new AstraZeneca hubs were set up in Sydney yesterday.
Ms Chant said on Sunrise this morning Australia was “very privileged” to be able to take a careful approach to the vaccines, due to low levels of community transmission.
“Towards the end of March, our own production line at CSL in Victoria will come online to give us that certainty of supply,” she said.
“You’ll see a ramping up significantly of our vaccination efforts once that secure supply comes online.”
READ MORE: Plan needed for foreign students
Ellie Dudley8.00am: ‘What did NSW do wrong on cheap travel?’
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has defended fierce accusations that the federal government has“dudded” New South Wales in providing significantly more discounted flights to Queensland.
The federal government will subsidise a 50 per cent discount on domestic fares to 13 tourism-dependent regions.
While only one of the regions is in NSW – Merimbula – five are in Queensland, sparking vicious criticism of the scheme from radio host Ben Fordham.
“I’d love to know what we did wrong,” Mr Fordham told Mr Tehan on 2GB this morning.
Mr Tehan said the list of destinations is “preliminary” and will continue to be updated.
“We’re going to continue to be updating it, working with the airlines,” he said.
Mr Tehan said the regions in Queensland that are being supported are “a distance of three to four to five hours away from capital cities” and need to be supported.
“We’ve had to step in and support those locations, which predominantly have international tourists fly to them,” he said.
READ MORE: How to find cheap flights
Ellen Ransley 7.55am: How to get your half price flight
Hundreds of thousands of half-price airfares will be available to Australians within weeks, as part of the Federal government’s billion-dollar bid to get domestic travellers back in the air.
Between April 1 and July 31, 800,000 flights will be available to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Whitsundays/Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Lasseter and Alice Springs, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, Broome, Avalon, Merimbula, and Kangaroo Island.
To book a flight, people simply have to log onto major airline websites, including Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin, from April 1.
Other smaller operators may opt in on the serviced routes chosen by the government, but they must have been running the route for at least two years.
There are expected to be about 46,000 half-price tickets available per week for the 13 destinations, chosen based on their historical reliance on aviation tourism between the months of April and July.
READ the full story
Ellie Dudley7.45am:PM defends Reynolds’ extended leave
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticised claims Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ position is untenable, after she took an extended period of medical leave in the wake of accusations from former staffer and alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins.
“Linda Reynolds has on cardiologists’ advice been asked to take the month,” he told Sunrise.
“If that happened to any other Australian, I am sure they would want a person to get well and listen to the doctor.”
When asked about the controversial tell-all interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which aired on Monday, Mr Morrison said: “We have got far more important things.”
“I have voiced support for the constitutional monarchy but that will not change anything when it comes to coming out of the Covid recessional pandemic,” he said.
He added that he and his wife Jenny watched the interview together, and when they met the royal couple when they were in Australia, they were “just lovely.”
READ MORE: Ex-staffer pursues defamation claim
Ellie Dudley7.30am:‘Too early’ to predict return to international travel
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said it’s a “bit too early to say” whether international travel will restart by October.
The federal government on Wednesday announced a $1.2 billion package to support the tourism sector, including 800,000 half price flight tickets, a recovery loan scheme for eligible businesses and an aviation plan to help airlines keep up to 8600 employees in work.
However, Mr Morrison was hesitant to say when international travel would begin again.
“We will take this one step at a time,” he told Sunrise today.
“We are leading the world out of the COVID-19 recession and the reason we have been able to do this, great strength of the Australian people, doing it carefully, targeted, and proportionate.”
Mr Morrison also defended his government against criticism of the slower-than-expected vaccine rollout, saying: “This is not a race.”
“What is most important is the health and safety of Australians in the vaccination program and that is what we are principally focused on.”
He added that the rollout would “gain speed” towards the end of March.
READ MORE:‘Put half your holiday on us’
Ellie Dudley7.05am:Beijing accuses Australia of genocide
The editor of Beijing’s media mouthpiece has accused Australia of genocide in retaliation to a damning report that found China’s persecution of its Uighur ethnic minority violated every article in the UN genocide convention.
Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the Global Times, took to Twitter to say the US and Australia’s treatment of Indigenous people was the real genocide.
“What’s genocide?” he wrote. “Massacring native Americans and Aboriginal Australians, forcing people colonised to speak English, French, Spanish, transforming their way of life, these are genocide, right?”
What’s genocide? Massacring native Americans and Aboriginal Australians, forcing people colonized to speak English, French, Spanish, transforming their way of life, these are genocide, right?
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) March 10, 2021
The inquiry by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, a non-partisan think tank based in the US, found that China has detained up to two million Uighurs in 1400 camps across Xinjiang.
The 25,000 page report released yesterday said the government under President Xi Jinping bears responsibility for an “ongoing genocide”.
Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, claimed the accusations that his country had conducted a genocide “could not be more preposterous”.
READ MORE:Beijing’s treatment of Uighurs ‘genocide on all counts’
Ellie Dudley 6.30am:‘No indication’ vaccine caused jab patient’s death
A batch of AstraZeneca vaccines used in Austria was likely not to blame for the death of a nurse who received the shot, Europe’s medicines watchdog has said.
On Monday, Austria announced it would stop using the doses from the batch after a nurse died of “severe blood coagulation problems” days after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
A second woman was also hospitalised after developing a pulmonary embolism and is now recovering, the European Medicines Agency said.
Two other reports of “thrombo-embolic event cases had been received for this batch,” the Amsterdam-based EMA said.
However “there is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine,” it said in a statement.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg have also suspended vaccinations from the same batch, which was sent to 17 European countries and consisted of one million doses.
“Although a quality defect is considered unlikely at this stage, the batch quality is being investigated,” the EMA said.
READ MORE: States volunteer to get jab rollout up to speed
Geoff Chambers 6.05am:Put half your holiday on us: PM
Taxpayers will bankroll 800,000 half-priced airfares under a $1.2bn stimulus package aimed at shielding the aviation and tourism industries, and throwing a lifeline to regional economies when the $90bn JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme ends this month.
Cheap loans will also be offered to small and medium businesses coming off JobKeeper on March 28, with the federal government increasing its exposure to help keep employers afloat.
Scott Morrison on Thursday will announce the government will subsidise a 50 per cent discount on domestic fares to 13 tourism-dependent regions, including the Gold Coast, Cairns, the Whitsundays, Alice Springs, Broome, Kangaroo Island and Merimbula.
Qantas and Virgin will also be provided monthly retention payments that will be used as part subsidies for the wages of 8600 international aviation employees and ensure planes are flight-ready in anticipation of overseas travel resuming when the vaccination rollout concludes in late October.
The government has not released how much it expects to spend on the subsidised flights or the cost of retention payments for international flight staff, which will support wages and retraining. The tourism and aviation recovery package is expected to fall short of industry expectations, given the tourism sector last month demanded nearly $8bn in wage-subsidy payments for more than 100,000 of the worst-affected businesses when JobKeeper ends.
READ the full story
Greg Brown 6.00am:‘Higher bills, blackouts’ from Yallourn closure
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has warned the early closure of the Yallourn coal-fired power station in Victoria could lead to higher electricity bills and more blackouts, and demanded energy companies build new dispatchable generators in time for the plant’s shutdown in 2028.
Mr Taylor left the door open to the government stepping in and building a new generator, such as a gas-fired power plant, if the private sector did not fill the void, after EnergyAustralia announced it would close Yallourn four years earlier than expected.
The 1480-megawatt plant in the Latrobe Valley supplies up to 22 per cent of Victoria’s electricity and 8 per cent of the national market. “We need to see industry making investments to replace power stations that leave the market,” Mr Taylor said.
The decision, driven by low wholesale power prices caused by rapid growth in renewables generation such as wind and solar, will leave a gap in generation capacity of more than 1000MW and comes on top of AGL’s decision to close the Liddell power station in NSW in 2022-23.
READ the full story
John Ferguson5.30am:Andrews escapes surgery, faces long recovery
Daniel Andrews is facing long-term rehabilitation that will undermine his ability to return quickly to work, but spinal surgery for his fractured vertebrae has been ruled out for now.
The Victorian Premier fractured a vertebrae in his thoracic spine during a crushing fall after a long weekend spent at a rental holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula. The government was stunned on Wednesday when it emerged that Mr Andrews’ injuries were worse than expected, with potentially months of recovery ¬required to deal with his fractured T7 vertebrae.
This vertebrae is in the middle of the chest between the seventh and eighth pairs of ribs, helping support the ribcage, spinal cord and chest muscles.
The recovery will be further hampered by multiple broken ribs after Mr Andrews slipped on wet steps on Tuesday morning before work.
The Premier is in intensive care after being transferred to The Alfred hospital trauma centre overnight on Tuesday, when doctors expressed alarm about the potential long-term nature of his injuries.
On Wednesday night, associate professor Steve McGloughlin, director of ICU at The Alfred, said Mr Andrews was in a stable condition.
READ the full story
Ewin Hannan 5.15am: Fresh doubt on IR bill amid calls for changes
Senate crossbencher Stirling Griff has called for significant changes to the Coalition’s industrial relations bill before he would consider supporting it, casting fresh doubt on the ability of the government to get the proposed laws passed next week.
Fellow crossbencher Rex Patrick, who along with Jacqui Lambie wants a Senate vote on the bill delayed until May, said it would be “impossible” for the government to get agreement on the complex legislation while Christian Porter was on leave.
Senator Patrick told ABC television that he could almost guarantee that the bill would not be dealt with during next week’s sitting.
One Nation ‘won’t be rushed into vote’
One Nation, which has two crossbench votes, said it would seek amendments related to casuals, greenfields agreements, protections for workers in enterprise agreements, awards and compliance.
One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts said he had doubts about the government’s commitment to comprehensive debate on the bill given a vote was expected just days after a Senate inquiry report into the bill was released on Friday.
READ the full story
Additional reporting: David Swan
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