PoliticsNow: ‘Really sleazy’ — fourth woman accuses staffer after Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations
A fourth woman has come forward telling Canberra police she was sexually harassed by Brittany Higgins’ alleged attacker in 2017.
- ‘Really sleazy’: Fourth woman accuses staffer
- PM to probe staffer over lobbying
- First shot in final Covid battle
- Vaccine ads pulled from Facebook
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of news from Canberra and around the nation amid the ongoing pandemic. A fourth woman has come forward telling Canberra police she was sexually harassed by Brittany Higgins’ alleged attacker in 2017
Premiers and health officers in NSW and South Australia have turned out to assure their populations vaccines are safe, as Victoria begins administering jabs. The first Queenslander has been vaccinated on the Gold Coast.
A major advertising campaign to ease public concerns around coronavirus vaccinations has been pulled from Facebook.
Rhiannon Down11.30pm:US death toll ‘historic’: Fauci
The COVID-related death toll in the US has been labelled as “historic” by its chief medical adviser, as the country edges closer to half a million deaths.
The US death toll stood at 498,897 and the global death toll at 2.5 million on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci said the death toll could continue to climb, a month after Joe Biden warned that the pandemic could claim more than 600,000 Americans.
“It’s terrible. It is historic. We haven’t seen anything even close to this for well over a hundred years, since the 1918 pandemic of influenza,” Dr Fauci told NBC’s Meet The Press.
“It’s something that is stunning when you look at the numbers, almost unbelievable, but it’s true.”
READ MORE:PM calls for dole lift after JobSeeker ends
Joe Kelly 11.05pm:Aussies ‘value free speech’
Nearly 90 per cent of Australians believe freedom of speech is an important value, according to new polling ahead of an inquiry into media diversity and Facebook’s decision to impose a blanket ban on news content.
A poll of 1038 Australians, commissioned by free-market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, indicated 87 per cent of people agreed freedom of speech was an important value compared to only 4 per cent who disagreed.
According to the polling, conducted in December by Dynata, support for free speech was most strong among older Australians, at 95 per cent for those aged over 60, while support was most weak among the 18-29 age group, although still at 69 per cent.
Paul Garvey10.20pm:Labor donor wins $100m contract
The property developer selected by the West Australian government to build a $100m film studio in Fremantle is also a major donor to the Labor Party, prompting a broadside from Opposition Leader Zak Kirkup.
Hesperia Projects, owned by property developers Adrian Fini and Ben Lisle, donated just over $50,000 to the WA arm of the Labor Party last year in what was its only gift to any political party. The Hesperia-led consortium Home Fire Creative Industries was at the weekend named as the preferred proponent to develop the studio at Fremantle’s Victoria Quay.
Mr Kirkup savaged the McGowan government over its relationships with corporate donors, comparing it to the WA Inc era of the 1980s. “There is absolutely an issue with the Labor Party and how it deals with special interests who oddly enough also donate to them,” he said. “The Labor Party has form when it comes to making sure that they look after those donors in a particular way.
Paige Taylor 9.35pm:Miners to be tapped for cultural centre
The McGowan government will go to the private sector — particularly mining and resources companies — to help fund a centre of Aboriginal culture, history and tradition on the banks of Perth’s Swan River.
West Australian Labor on Monday promised $50m in seed funding for the cultural centre it predicts will appeal to tourists from interstate and ultimately from overseas. The centre would display art and tell stories from as far north as the Kimberley.
Data collected by the state’s tourism commissions shows interstate and overseas visitors to Perth have shown interest in the state’s most remote regions and expressed an eagerness to experience Indigenous culture on their holiday. However, most visitors to WA remain in the southwest of the state, rarely venturing further than the Margaret River wine region, 270km south of Perth.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said he expected the commonwealth to contribute to the cultural centre, to be completed by 2029.
The McGowan government also announced on Monday it would grant $20m to Indigenous tourist operators trying to expand their businesses in Perth or attract more visitors to the regions for programs including Camping with Custodians.
Ben Packham 8.50pm: Bipartisan push for Bali Nine clemency
Two federal MPs will launch a bipartisan push to seek the early release of the five remaining Bali Nine prisoners nearly 16 years after they were first arrested for drug smuggling.
Labor’s Graham Perrett will co-sponsor a motion to parliament with Liberal MP Dave Sharma urging the government to work with Indonesia to secure sentence reductions for “the five reformed Australians”.
The remaining Bali Nine prisoners, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush and Martin Stephens, are all serving life sentences.
Rhiannon Down8.05pm:Vaccine scam warning
Queenslanders have been urged to be vigilant about scam operators who may ask for money to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said requests for payment were a major red flag for anyone looking to receive the jab, in an online COVID-19 “Q and A” with Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday night.
“If you get asked for money it’s a scam, every single person will get this vaccine for free,” Dr Young said.
“In that first critical group 37,000 will be contacted. You will get a text message and a phone call… after that we’ll get messaging out to come forward.”
She said most people would go to their regular GP to receive the jab.
READ MORE:China builds global influence via vaccine
Stephen Rice7.40pm:Chemist giants are testing the rules
Health regulators are preparing to challenge the increasing dominance of Australia’s pharmacy giants, with threats to prosecute and cancel licences if franchise agreements breach strict ownership laws.
The push to test the legality of complex ownership arrangements threatens the rapid expansion of the big pharmacy chains and is set to cause further disruption in the $21bn a year sector.
The industry is already facing an imminent class action by franchisees against pharmacy giant Priceline, as revealed by The Australian on Monday, in a case that will test the pharmacy ownership laws of NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Will Glasgow7.10pm:Bracing for exodus as Hong Kong hedges its bets
A senior adviser to the Hong Kong government has said it is “anybody’s guess” how many residents will soon flee the city for Australia, Canada and Britain.
Bernard Chan, a businessman and convener of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s cabinet, said sending children to destinations including Australia for schooling, university and a path to permanent residency was a “no-brainer” for those who could afford it.
Retirement in Australia, which he last visited for a family road trip around Tasmanian just before the COVID-19 outbreak, would also be attractive. “Hong Kong doesn’t offer the best options for retirees if you don’t have a lot of money,” he told The Australian.
Rhiannon Down6.30pm:Negative tests for Victorian hotel workers
Two hotel quarantine workers who delivered “indeterminate test results” for COVID-19 have since tested negative, Victorian health authorities say.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the workers, one of whom was employed at the Novotel and the other at the Pullman, had been cleared by a follow-up nasal-swab test.
“Both staff members are now deemed negative and all public health actions have been stood down,” Professor Sutton said.
It came as health authorities continued to close in on The Holiday Inn cluster, with those linked to the outbreak undergoing day-11 tests.
Eleven people linked to Brunetti’s at Melbourne Airport have returned a negative result for their day-11 test out of 25 close contacts, with the remaining results expected on Monday.
All of the primary close contacts linked to a Glenroy kindergarten have also tested negative.
Day-11 testing for contacts linked to the Goodstart Early Learning Centre and the Queen Victoria Market also commenced on Monday.
All tests linked to the gathering at the Coburg dining venue have returned a negative result, though Day 14 testing will be carried out in the coming days as a precaution.
READ MORE:PNG’s ‘father of the nation’ in critical condition
Stephen Lunn6pm:Spotlight on dementia ahead of report
Grahame Smith first sensed something wasn’t right in 2013.
Driving home from work on the M4 to the lower Blue Mountains, his regular journey for years, a couple of times he struggled to know where to go.
Then one day he went to tie a pair of shoes, and drew a complete blank.
By 2016, the high-powered executive working with an international not-for-profit had a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. “It horrified me, quite frankly,” Mr Smith, now 69, said.
Dementia Australia chief executive Maree McCabe said the complexity of the aged-care system in Australia made it almost impossible for anyone, let alone someone with dementia, to navigate.
Her organisation is hoping the commission has picked up some of its road map for dementia care as part of its final report.
Richard Ferguson3.40pm:‘Bit of a sore arm’ PM’s only vaccine jab side effect
Scott Morrison says the only side effect of his first coronavirus vaccine jab is a “bit of a sore arm” as he continues to try and reassure Australians that the anti-COVID inoculations are safe.
The Prime Minister is due to get his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in three weeks time, where he hopes to be reunited with the first person in Australia to get a COVID jab, 84-year-old Jane Malysiak.
Mr Morrison said in a statement on Monday that the vaccines may have side effects for some people, but they have been rigorously tested by Australian drug authorities.
“I didn’t have any side effects from it, just a bit of a sore arm like you get after any vaccine.
“I’m sure there will be some people who have other side effects, just like with any immunisation program, but Australia’s medicines regulator the TGA has looked at these vaccines closely and given them the tick of approval.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing Jane again in three weeks time when I go in to get my second jab.
“My message to everyone is these vaccines are safe so when it’s your turn to put your shoulder to the jab, you can do it knowing some of the world’s leading experts have signed off on it.”
READ MORE:Nurse gets first Queensland jab
Finn McHugh3.55pm:‘When and if’: Review for mandatory aged care vaccine
COVID-19 vaccines could be made compulsory in aged care centres once Australia learns more about their long-term effectiveness.
The first vaccines in Australia were administered on Sunday, a day before the official rollout began, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison part of a small group to receive the Pfizer jab.
Nearly 700 Australians have died of COVID-19 in aged care settings, but the government has ruled out mandating the jab in high-risk environments.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the decision was based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) but remained “an open matter”.
“There remains a question as to whether the vaccine effectively prevents transmission of the virus, and that would be the reason that you would make it compulsory,” he told Sky News on Monday.
“There is more information starting to come through, and the AHPPC have said that they will keep this matter open and make a decision if that’s what the medical advice and information shows.”
Deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd confirmed that national cabinet had requested the AHPPC look into mandatory vaccines.
READ the full story here.
Adeshola Ore3.17pm:Terms of reference for review by week’s end
Scott Morrison says he anticipates that Finance Minister Simon Birmingham will have finalised the terms of reference for a review into the parliamentary workplace by the end of the week.
The independent review into the workplace of parliamentarians their staff follows an allegation of a 2019 rape made by a former Liberal Party staffer last week. The Australian has reported two other women have alleged they were sexual assault by the same man. A fourth woman has told the ABC she was sexually harassed by the same man.
“Later this week, I anticipate the Minister, Special Minister of State and the Minister of Finance, will have concluded his consultations with all parties to finalise the terms of reference and the independent process that will be followed in relation to these matters,” the Prime Minister told parliament.
Senator Birmingham said he had spoken to Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins for advice on the inquiry but had not appointed a person to run the inquiry yet. He will liaise with MPs across the political spectrum as part of the consultation process.
READ MORE: Overington — Brutal side of power, depressingly familiar
OLIVIA CAISLEY3.11pm:Alleged rape not my story to tell: Reynolds
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has said she never notified the Prime Minister’s Office about the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins because it was “not her story to tell.” Pressed over her response after she learned her former staffer had been allegedly raped in her office, Senator Reynolds said she followed the advice of sexual assault services in “always taking the lead of the individual.”
“In short, no I didn’t,” Senator Reynolds said when answering whether the PMO was notified.
“As I have consistently said in this chamber – it was not my story to tell and at all times I took my lead from Brittany Higgins,” she said. “The advice is always – (like) from 1800RESPECT and others – you always take the lead of the individual and that’s what I did.”
Asked if she had notified other Ministers, Senator Reynolds said she would not breach Ms Higgins’ confidence by disclosing details of private conversations they had following the incident.
Earlier, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said he would need to investigate whether the alleged perpetrator held a lobbyist pass and had entered Parliament House since the March 2019 incident.
The question was mirrored in the House and was answered by Scott Morrison, who said he would find out as soon as possible.
Asked whether any ministers were aware of the alleged incident, Senator Birmingham said he would have to come back to the Senate with an answer.
Following Ms Higgins’ alleged rape, the alleged perpetrator was sacked over a “security breach”.
READ MORE:Labor claims ‘cover up in alleged rape case’
Adeshola Ore2.54pm: Albanese, Bandt in line to be vaccinated
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia has recorded its fifth day out of the past six without a locally transmitted COVID case, as the formal rollout of the national vaccine program began today.
On Sunday Scott Morrison was among the first Australians to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Sydney today in a bid to provide confidence to the public that the jab is safe.
“That is a collaborative partnership, a national achievement.” Mr Hunt told parliament.
Mr Hunt said Anthony Albanese and Greens Leader Adam Bandt would also receive a COVID jab to encourage Australians to be vaccinated.
“I want to thank them for their contribution and their part. They’re playing an important role.”
READ MORE: Gottliebsen — Defence mistakes, cover-ups weaken Australia
Rosie Lewis 2.41pm: ‘Really sleazy’: fourth woman accuses staffer
A woman has made a sexual harassment allegation against the former Morrison government staffer accused of the 2019 rape of Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.
The ABC reports the woman, who has asked to remain anonymous and becomes the fourth person to make an allegation against the man, says she was sexually harassed by Ms Higgins’ alleged perpetrator in 2017 while they were out socialising after work at Public Bar in Canberra.
She was startled when the man reached his hand under a table and stroked her thigh, the report says.
The woman made a formal report to police in Canberra on Sunday and felt compelled to come forward after learning of Ms Higgins’ alleged rape last week and the identity of her alleged perpetrator.
She remembered the man as being “really sleazy”.
The woman has been asked to make a formal statement later this week. Ms Higgins is due to provide a formal statement to the Australian Federal Police at 2pm on Wednesday.
A Coalition volunteer and a former Liberal staffer have also alleged the man sexually assaulted them in 2016 and 2020 respectively after nights out, as revealed in The Australian.
READ MORE: Women must feel safe working in our halls of power
Adeshola Ore 2.33pm:PM to investigate accused staffer over lobbying
Scott Morrison says he will investigate whether the man alleged to have raped a former Liberal Party staffer has attended lobbyist meetings with ministerial staff in Parliament House since the alleged incident.
On Monday morning, Labor ramped up its attack against Mr Morrison over the alleged 2019 rape of Brittany Higgins, with Senate leader Penny Wong accusing the government of being complicit in a “cover up.”
During question time on Monday, Greens leader Adam Bandt asked the Prime Minister if the accused perpetrator had held a lobbyist pass, attended lobbyist meetings with ministerial staff or visited Parliament House since the time of the alleged incident.
“I can’t confirm those matters but I will be very happy to confirm these matters to you and have it attended to as quickly as possible.” Mr Morrison replied.
Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by a colleague while intoxicated inside then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds’ office after a night of drinking on March 23, 2019.
Following Ms Higgins’ alleged rape, the man was sacked due to the incident being treated as a security breach and employed in the private sector.
Jack Paynter2.01pm:TGA investigates doctors over Covid misinformation
A group of Melbourne doctors critical of the Andrews government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have been hit with a “cease and desist” notice from the nation’s medical goods regulator.
The Covid Medical Network (CMN) – which has labelled the banning of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as an early coronavirus treatment option “unwarranted” – received the notice from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The CMN, which is based in Melbourne, has also raised doubts over the use of PCR tests, as they only give a positive or negative result rather than how infectious someone is.
The group has also claimed prolonged mask use could be harmful to someone’s health.
The Covid Medical Network confirmed on its website that it had received a formal “cease and desist” letter from the TGA to take down the “Early Treatments” section from its website.
“They have construed the information to be a form of advertising,” the doctors said.
“We are currently consulting with our lawyers and the TGA regarding how best to provide the information in a manner that would not reasonably be construed as advertising the medications associated with the safe and effective treatment of early COVID illness.”
The network also has a disclaimer on its website that advises people that any medical information is “merely information – not advice”.
It says the information on its website was for “educational purposes only” and should not be “construed in any way … (as) providing medical advice, promoting or advertising medications such as Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin and Doxycycline”.
“Research into potential treatments and preventatives for COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving space and there is a genuine need to keep consumers informed of research and advances in a balanced and measured way,” the doctors said.
The group of senior medical doctors and health professionals was formed during Victoria’s second crippling lockdown due to concerns over the health impacts of lockdowns in response to coronavirus outbreaks in Victoria and Australia. — NCA Newswire
Jess Malcolm 1.41pm:Quarantine nurses first in WA to get vaccine
Two hotel quarantine nurses have become the first West Australians to receive the Pfizer vaccine as part of the state’s vaccination roll out on Monday.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said 4500 vaccines arrived yesterday in Perth and were stored overnight at the Perth Children’s Hospital.
More than 330 people will receive the jab today, with hotel quarantine workers, aged care residents and border control staff the first in line.
West Australian Chief Health Officer Dr Andy Robertson said it was a “momentous day” for the state.
“This is a logistically complex operation. The fact it’s being done simultaneously across the country highlights the complexity of this,” Dr Robertson said.
“As more doses arrive we will then ramp up the vaccinations and increase the number of clinics available — including logistical hubs at PCH, and those in Albany, Broome, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland as well as the regional ports.”
Over 5000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will arrive each week for the next three weeks.
The vaccine is not mandatory for residents, but the Premier urged everyone to get it when it is their turn.
READ MORE: Prospect of Liberal collapse sets alarm bells ringing
Cliona O’Dowd 1.37pm: Waste company holds on to JobKeeper payments
Waste management company Bingo Industries says it has no immediate plans to pay back the $800,000 it has received in JobKeeper payments despite, posting a $15.85m profit in the first six months of the financial year and paying out millions of dollars in dividends to shareholders.
“We’ll revisit and make a decision at the end of the financial year to see where our results for the full year end up,” Bingo managing director and CEO Daniel Tartak told The Australian.
“But our profits are down so we’ve definitely taken a hit this past six months compared to where we were 12 months ago, and the market is still volatile.”
While first-half profits were down 58.5 per cent on the year prior, revenue slipped just 1.5 per cent to $239.6m over the same period.
With its revenue holding up through the crisis — and even rising strongly in the 2020 financial year — Bingo as a whole was not eligible for JobKeeper. But 90 employees in two of its subsidiaries did qualify. This “generated some minor relief for the group, totalling $0.8m,” Bingo said.
Of the $800,000 it received in COVID-19 government assistance payments, $500,000 was paid in the 2020 year, with the remaining $300,000 paid out between July and September.
Its top executives, meanwhile, were paid a combined $892,000 in bonuses in 2020, with Mr Tartak pocketing a little over $300,000.
READ the full story here
Jess Malcolm 1.04pm: Israel eases restrictions as vaccination rates grow
Restrictions are easing across Israel where almost a third of its population have received both recommended doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
This has been recognised as the world’s quickest inoculation rate per capita.
The Israeli government decided to gradually ease restrictions, including re-opening shopping malls and stores, but has said that some limitations on crowd gatherings will remain.
Gyms, swimming pools, hotels and some cultural facilities are re-opening, but will only be open to those who have been fully vaccinated and obtained a “green” pass.
The green pass scheme is being closely watched as a possible model for how other economies might reopen once a substantial portion of the population is vaccinated.
Its scheme has been met with some controversy over unequal access for those who opt out of the jab.
Israel was able to secure a substantial stock of the in-demand Pfizer jab, by paying above market price and striking a data-sharing deal with the drug giant.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that the successful vaccine procurement will boost support ahead of the country’s March 23 elections.
READ MORE: Rex cuts routes, blames Qantas
Jess Malcolm 12.50pm:UK set to review lockdown as infections fall
The UK government is expected to outline a review of its hard lockdown in parliament on Monday, as infection rates begin to fall showing early evidence that its vaccination campaign is working.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he is seeking to offer the first dose to everyone over the age of 50 by mid-April.
This is earlier than expected, with previous targets for the age group were initially outlined for May.
“We will now aim to offer a jab to every adult by the end of July, helping us protect the most vulnerable sooner, and take further steps to ease some of the restrictions,” Mr Johnson said, while stressing the exit would be “cautious and phased”.
More than 17 million people have at least received their first dose, which is one third of the adult population.
Mr Johnson is expected to outline a careful easing of restrictions, mostly for outdoor activities. Restrictions on retail and pubs are expected to be delayed until later.
The UK government is careful not to repeat mistakes made in its last round of easing of restrictions which saw infection rates and hospitalisations soar over Christmas.
The government and expert advisors are also watching carefully for the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, such as ones first detected in Brazil and South Africa, which may be more resistant to vaccines.
READ MORE:Catalano to cash in on city surge
Rosie Lewis 12.30pm:Labor claims ‘cover-up’ in alleged rape case
Labor has ratcheted up its attack against Scott Morrison and his government over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins, with Senate leader Penny Wong claiming the Prime Minister “at worst was part of the cover-up”.
As Mr Morrison pushes ahead with three internal reviews and one independent review in a bid to prevent further cases of sexual assault, bullying or harassment at Parliament House, Senator Wong declared Ms Higgins was treated as a “political problem” and there was no culture of accountability inside the Coalition.
Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by a colleague while intoxicated inside then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds’ office after a night of drinking on March 23, 2019.
Two other women have also come forward and told The Australian they were allegedly raped by the same alleged perpetrator in 2016 and 2020 respectively.
“There remain big questions over what was spoken about (regarding Ms Higgins’ matter) inside the Morrison government and indeed inside Mr Morrison’s office,” Senator Wong told the Senate.
“Questions, about who knew what, and when – and whether their response was appropriate. We have been told that the alleged rapist was terminated over a security breach.
“We are told that the two most senior staff in the Prime Minister’s office, the chief of staff and principal private secretary, were notified of that termination.
“The alleged perpetrator was terminated for a security breach. Ms Higgins was not. The obvious inference is that the sexual assault was known at the time these decisions were made.”
READ the full story here
David Swan12.24pm: Local Facebook rival soars as boycott grows
A new Australian Facebook rival has spiked in popularity after Facebook blocked news from its platform, with more than 15,000 users signing up to LITT since Thursday, a membership surge of 50 per cent.
LITT co-founder Peter Salom says the last few days have seen unprecedented growth for his platform, which is undergoing a national roll out and a capital raise with investors via Birchal equity crowd-funding.
He describes his platform as an app that combines social media with digital payments and augmented reality advertising, and he’s calling on more businesses and media companies to sign up.
READ MORE at the Download
Adeshola Ore12.00pm: Vaccine campaign turns back on Facebook
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the government will reallocate future funds for its COVID vaccine campaign away from Facebook in response to the social media giant’s sweeping ban of news content in Australia.
On Sunday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said neither his office nor his department would advertise on Facebook in response to the social media giant’s sweeping ban of news content in Australia.
“All of our funds will be used. Some may be reallocated temporarily but there are multiple channels – televisions, radio, newspapers, multiple forms of online,” he said on Monday.
“We will continue to post on that particular channel, we just won’t be boosting.”
Facebook was also forced to apologise for temporarily taking down some state public health accounts and those of charities and other government organisations in response to the Morrison government’s media bargaining code, which is due to be legislated within days.
READ MORE:Doctor who confronted Australia’s first cluster
Adeshola Ore11.50am:Hunt: Vaccine won’t speed up return of stranded Aussies
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the beginning of Australia’s vaccine rollout will not change the pace of bringing back citizens who are overseas.
States and territories have today begun administering inoculations as part of the largest vaccine rollout in Australia’s history.
Mr Hunt said the COVID vaccine program would not change the timeline for the almost 40,000 Australians overseas and wanting to come home.
“Our goal is to bring them home and the vaccination will not change the pace at which they come home from overseas,” he said.
“As we see around the world, more data, that may change the equation, both in terms of how long and if people are quarantine when they come home.
This morning, Mr Hunt watched the first Pfizer jab given in the ACT alongside the territory’s health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.
Mr Hunt said it was a “day of hope and protection.”
READ MORE:‘Ready to go’: staff set for vaccinations
Jess Malcolm 1.35am: ACT starts vaccination rollout with nurses
Two nurses were the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Canberra on Monday morning, marking the beginning of the ACT vaccination roll out.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said these nurses were emblematic of “Australian heroes” who helped protect the nation during the course of the pandemic.
Mr Hunt also advised that the early data on the vaccine’s efficacy in the UK and Israel was “more positive” than expected.
Mr Hunt also thanked the hard work of the ACT Chief Health Officer Karen Coleman, and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Doctor Nick Coatsworth.
“We know that around the world this pandemic continues and so we have to ensure we take every step to continue our contentment, our COVID safe measures continue, please, keep being tested,” Mr Hunt said.
Australia’s vaccination rollout will not change the pace at which the nation accepts overseas arrivals, Mr Hunt confirmed.
READ MORE:Frontline focus on vaccination
David Rodgers11.25am:Travel stocks up on vaccine hopes
Australian travel stocks are outperforming after positive news on COVID-19 vaccinations over the weekend.
Webjet is up 6.9pc, Corporate Travel is up 4.8pc, Flight Centre has risen 3pc, Qantas is up 2.6pc and Sydney Airport is up 2pc.
As well as the start of vaccinations in Australian, preliminary reports from Israel showed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 89.4pc effective a preventing infection and 99pc effective at preventing deaths from the virus.
Separately, new results suggested the vaccine no longer needs to be kept at super-cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute.
FOLLOW live ASX updates at Trading Day
GREG BROWN 11.23am:Keneally v O’Neill amid franchisee bill push
A private-members bill, sponsored by opposition senator Deb O’Neill, that would give franchisees more rights is likely to pass the Senate amid a push to effectively dump the NSW Labor senator from the upper house of parliament.
With leading union leaders set to descend on Canberra this week, there will be a vote on Senator O’Neill’s bill that would increase fines for exploitative behaviour of franchisors from $133,000 to up to $10 million.
The bill is supported by Labor and the Greens, with crossbenchers Stirling Griff, Rex Patrick, Jacqui Lambie and One Nation also considering backing it.
If the bill passes the car dealers lobby is likely to pressure the government to bring on a vote in the House of Representatives.
Supporters of Senator O’Neill, who is aligned to the powerful Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, will use her advocacy of small business owners as part of their push to ensure she prevails against a challenge to her position on the Senate ticket by opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally.
READ the full story here
Jess Malcolm11.17am:NSW marks 36th day of no local transmission
NSW has recorded no new cases of locally acquired COVID-19, which marks 36 days with no community transmission.
The state recorded over 12 thousand tests in the last 24 hours to 8pm last night.
This is a slight drop in testing, following 13,586 tests recorded on the previous day.
There are currently 19 active cases in the state.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 22, 2021
One new case was acquired overseas, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,961. pic.twitter.com/zWdPN3zIn7
NSW Health has urged residents to continue to be vigilant, warning there was still a risk of the virus spreading into the community.
“With new cases being regularly detected among overseas arrivals, there is still a risk of COVID-19 spreading into the NSW community,” NSW Health spokesperson Dr Christine Selvey said.
Dr Selvey also announced three vaccination hubs are operational now in NSW, at Liverpool, Royal Prince Alfred and Westmead hospitals.
Over 35 thousand front line workers are expected to be vaccinated over the next three weeks.
Lilly Vitorovich 11.06am:Guardian follows other publishers with Google deal
Guardian Australia has secured a multi-year deal with Google for its Showcase product following similar deals with News Corp, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media.
No financial terms have been disclosed, but The Australian understands that the deal represents a substantial proportion of the news publisher’s investment in journalism.
Public broadcasters ABC and SBS are also talking to Google about similar agreements to provide content for the tech giant’s Showcase product, which was launched locally at the start of the month.
Google’s push to lock in deals with Australian publishers comes as the federal government pushes ahead to pass the mandatory media bargaining code by the end of the month.
In stark contrast, Facebook last Thursday switched off domestic news feeds, along with public health, weather, charity and community pages, for Australian users of the service.
The surprise move triggered a government and public backlash, with the Morrison government yanking a major vaccine advertising campaign from Facebook.
READ MORE: News Corp signs historic deal with Google
Jess Malcolm 10.59am:Melbourne airport cafe contacts reclassified
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley has announced that over 500 people who were thought to be exposed to coronavirus at Terminal 4 in Melbourne Airport have now been reclassified and are now out of isolation.
Health authorities continue to work though the remainder of people who were thought to be exposed with results of the testing expected in the coming days.
There were also no new exposure sites listed in Victoria in the last 24 hours and health authorities breathing a sigh of relief that the Holiday Inn outbreak is under control.
“We continued to work through the remainder of the terminal for large people over the next few days,” Mr Foley said.
“We are also now well and truly into a whole range of day 11 and day 14 tests for those clusters.”
Nearly half of the 25 employees associated with the Brunetti’s cafe case have tested negative on day 11 of testing, and authorities are expecting the other half of the results at some point today.
Victoria has recorded no new cases for the third consecutive day, as it begins its vaccination roll out.
There are currently 25 active cases in the state, with one person in hospital being treated for coronavirus.
READ MORE: Google fires AI ethics researcher
Adeshola Ore10.32am:When vaccinations may be mandated
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck says the Morrison government could mandate vaccines in nursing homes if evidence revealed it prevented transmission, as the national rollout of vaccinations begins today.
The federal government has not made COVID vaccines for aged-care workers compulsory.
Senator Colbeck said the decision was based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee but was an “open matter”.
“There remains a question as to whether the vaccine effectively prevents transmission of the virus, and that would be the reason that you would make it compulsory,” he told Sky News.
“If you continue to get strong uptake, which is what the indications that I’ve seen so far from the providers that have given some indication, strong levels of interest and desire, that protects the residents against serious illness.”
READ MORE: No dancing past fact we’ll have to live with Covid
Lachlan Moffet Gray10.22am:Rex to revamp regional network as Qantas competes
Regional Express (Rex) airlines will revamp its regional route network “in response to aggressive predatory moves by Qantas into thin regional routes serviced by Rex,” and has called on the ACCC to take enforcement actions against the national carrier.
Deputy Chairman John Sharp said Qantas has in recent months established competing services in routes serviced only by Rex and only capable of supporting one carrier.
“Qantas has clearly embarked on a deliberate strategy of moving into Rex’s routes that can only support one regional carrier in an attempt to intimidate and damage Rex in its traditional regional market, hoping that Rex would be a less formidable competitor in the domestic market,” he said.
Mr Sharp said that Rex would “stand its ground” and not withdraw from these routes, but to do so the airline would have to cancel the following services by the end of March:
Sydney – Bathurst, Sydney – Cooma, Sydney – Lismore, Sydney – Grafton, Adelaide – Kangaroo Island.
However, Rex will also move into markets where Qantas is the sole operator such as:
Sydney – Coffs Harbour, Sydney – Port Macquarie.
And potentially:
Sydney – Tamworth, Perth – Geraldton, Melbourne – Devonport, and Sydney – Canberra.
FOLLOW Live ASX updates at Trading Day
Charlie Peel10.16am:Gold Coast nurse first Queenslander to get jab
Gold Coast nurse Zoe Park has become the first person to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in Queensland.
She was among 180 people, mostly medical staff, to receive the first of two jabs of the Pfizer vaccine at the Gold Coast University Hospital on Monday morning.
About 1000 Queenslanders are scheduled to be given the vaccine this week.
Speaking at the hospital on Monday, Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath congratulated Ms Park on becoming the first recipient of the vaccine.
“I want to put a big shout out to the amazing team here who have worked tirelessly to get this vaccination unit ready for today,” Ms D’Ath said.
“Of course, it’s the first of six hubs and it will be the first of many sites that vaccinations will be delivered right across this state this year.
“We want as many people coming out and getting vaccinated as possible.”
Two new cases of the virus were detected in hotel quarantine overnight.
“That is why our first vaccinations, our priority group, are those working on the frontline those at our borders those in our hotel crime team and those here at our hospitals who are actually working in the COVID wards managing patients with COVID.”
Ms D’Ath said social distancing measures and other restrictions were still important and the vaccine rollout should not allow Queenslanders to become complacent.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the first vaccinations marked a significant step in the return to normal life.
“We will now be able to look at the way forward,” Dr Young said.
“How do we then work with this virus going forward.”
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Jess Malcolm 10.03am: ‘Normal reactions’ to vaccines pass quickly
Managing director of Pfizer Australia Anne Harris said recipients of the vaccine could expect some flu-like symptoms in response to the jab, but assured Australians they are a normal reaction and will pass quickly.
“What you tend to see are the responses that the body is having from mounting its defence system.
“Generally you will see some pain in the arm after maybe a day after having the vaccine, so that is a local reaction that is happening as the body mounts its defence system, you might see some fatigue, muscle aches.”
“They are transient and generally often mild so they will pass on a couple of days.
The Pfizer vaccine – which is being rolled out officially today – has been distributed across sixty countries. The first doses are being rolled out to front line health care workers, people in aged care, workers in quarantine hotels and emergency services.
Ms Harris said today is a “momentous occasion” after the hard work of Pfizer employees worked towards it for months “day in and day out”.
READ MORE: Frontline focus on critical protection
Adeshola Ore 9.53am: ‘PM’s office has more questions to answer over assault’
Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland says a third woman alleging assault by the same Morrison government adviser accused of the 2019 rape of a female colleague raises further questions about when the Prime Minister’s office was aware of the alleged incident.
The Australian has reported a Coalition volunteer during the 2016 election campaign alleged she was assaulted after a night drinking with the then political staffer. The new claim comes as Brittany Higgins — who alleges she was raped in the office of Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019 — prepares to make a statement to the Australian Federal Police on Wednesday.
“It is deeply disturbing,” she told Sky News.
“There now appears to be an alleged serial rapist on the loose in the ministerial wing of Parliament House. How on earth have we gotten to this position where we now have the Prime Minister saying he didn’t know and no one thought it was prudent to tell him?”
“I worked in the private sector before coming to this place. There is no way the managing partner of my law firm would not have known that an alleged crime had been committed on his premises.”
“The questions of who knew what when really need to be answered.”
Mr Morrison has repeatedly said his office found out about the alleged rape on February 12 while he did not know about it until it was made public last Monday.
READ MORE: Focus on main issue keeps PM in front
Adeshola Ore9.40am:JobMaker scheme sparks sacking concerns
Companies could sack full-time experienced employees and hire cheaper, part-time workers using the federal government’ JobMaker program.
The $4 billion scheme revealed in the 2020 Budget was implemented as a way to help create jobs for young people in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the JobMaker scheme would support 450,000 jobs, but according to the ABC, Treasury documents show it will only create an extra 45,000 jobs.
The documents show companies could fire an employee earning $75,000, and replace them with workers earning a third of the salary, and receive the grant to do it.
The ABC reports the hiring credit received by the employer could mean that they end up with $7500 extra.
The scheme which was intended to create new jobs has created concerns that it could discriminate against older job seekers.
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Adeshola Ore9.27am:Labor backs Facebook advertising halt
Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland says she supports the Morrison government pausing Facebook advertising after the tech giant blocked Australians from accessing news on its platform.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the federal government would “pull back” from advertising on Facebook in response to the company’s sweeping block of news content, which also included public health accounts and charities.
“I think that there are other mechanisms by which these messages can be gotten out,” she told Sky News.
“I wouldn’t say that it should be a blanket issue that the government should take up. There will be very sound reasons why they would choose to advertise in some aspects and not others.”
“It is unfortunate that this has come about at a time when we’re in the midst of the pandemic”
Facebook was also forced to apologise for temporarily taking down some state public health accounts and those of charities and other government organisations in response to the government’s media bargaining code, which is due to be legislated within days.
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Jess Malcolm 9.00am:Zero cases as Victoria commences vaccine rollout
Victoria has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, following over 8000 tests.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 8,277 test results were received. Got symptoms? Get tested. #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 21, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/7VAlFNuVMX
There were also no new cases recorded in hotel quarantine.
This brings the total number of active cases in the state to 25.
READ MORE: Daniel Andrews loses TV big bucks as shows flee Melbourne
Jess Malcolm 8.57am:80pc of Australians ‘determined to get vaccinated’
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd says that research shows over 80 per cent of Australians are “determined” to get the vaccine, calling the start of the vaccine roll out a “milestone” for the country.
Addressing concern that rates of vaccine hesitancy might be high in Australia, Professor Kidd assured all Australians that it is safe and effective.
“Today is a real milestone in our collective response to tackle COVID-19 and bring things, as rapidly under control as we can,” Professor Kidd told the ABC.
“This is a very important day and I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everybody who has brought us to this point.”
Professor Kidd said it is important people have confidence in the vaccine, considering its efficacy relies on the majority of the population receiving the jab.
“The other things we don’t yet understand about these vaccines, we know they are very
effective at preventing the development of serious illness from COVID-19 but we don’t know if people can still become infected and be at risk of asymptomatic transmission to other people and we don’t yet know how long the immunity conferred by the vaccine will last.”
READ MORE: Credibility key as negotiators walk a fine line
Adeshola Ore 8.48am: Blanket halt on all federal advertising on Facebook
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says the federal government will halt Facebook advertising across all departments after the tech giant blocked Australians from accessing news on its platform.
On Sunday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said neither his office nor his department would advertise on Facebook in response to the social media giant’s sweeping ban of news content in Australia.
“It is my understanding that we will pull back from advertising on Facebook while they undertake this type of terrible act of pulling down sites inappropriately,” he told the ABC.
“We’ll be standing firm on the legislation and also looking at all those advertising points.”
Facebook was also forced to apologise for temporarily taking down some state public health accounts and those of charities and other government organisations in response to the Morrison government’s media bargaining code, which is due to be legislated within days.
READ MORE: Rollout battling ‘way-out theories’
Jess Hill8.38am:‘Historic day’ for SA as premier gets state’s first shot
South Australian Premier Stephen Marshall has announced the vaccine roll out for South Australia on Monday morning, calling it a “historic” day for his state.
Mr Marshall will be receiving the shot today, as well as his police commissioner Grant Stevens and Health Minister Nicola Spurrier, in order to send a “clear message” to residents that the vaccine is safe.
“Less than a year ago we first started really ramping up our response to the global pandemic and here we are with the vaccine roll out,” Mr Marshall said.
“Many people were telling us that this vaccine roll out would take many years to even begin. Here we are, less than a year from a major emergency declaration in South Australia,
“The simple facts of the matter are that the vaccination is safe and it is really important to get it. The more people that are vaccinated the safer we will be in South Australia.”
Over 4000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in South Australia yesterday, which makes up a third of the total doses set to arrive in the coming weeks.
READ MORE: Who’ll get vaccine early on
Jess Malcolm8.26am:NSW to administer 500 vaccines today
Gladys Berejiklian says more than 35,000 vaccines will be administered in the first three weeks in NSW across three vaccination hubs.
The rollout began this morning at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, with over 500 vaccines set to be given today. The NSW Premier said this number is expected to double in the coming days.
“I want to thank the teams in all those three hospitals for working so hard to make it to a hospital today to have that mass production,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“As we walk past the building there will be people getting vaccinated all throughout the day.”
The NSW Premier said she will be waiting to receive her dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, in a bid to ensure people know it is just as effective as the Pfizer vaccine.
“Most of us in New South Wales will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine and for that reason I will get the AstraZeneca as soon as it is available to demonstrate that both vaccines are as good as each other, they are as effective as each other.”
“I am looking forward to having the overwhelming majority of our citizens getting the vaccine in the next few months.”
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Adeshola Ore8.21am: ‘Promising signs’ in Facebook standoff
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says there are “promising signs” of Facebook negotiating with the federal government’s media bargaining code, ahead of the legislation set to be debated in the Senate this week.
Last week, Josh Frydenberg spoke to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg after the social media giant’s sweeping ban of news content in Australia in response to the code which it said “fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers”.
“The Treasurer had further conversations with Mark Zuckerberg and I think there are some promising signs,” he told the ABC.
“We urge Facebook that it should behave as we would expect any other re-publisher of content to behave.”
“We think the bill as it stands, that has passed through the House of Representatives, is a bill that meets the right balance,” he said.
The code is designed to ensure media companies are compensated for the use of their content on search engines and social media platforms.
READ MORE: Facebook’s nuclear option marks a shift
Adeshola Ore 8.16am: Minister calls for review of staffer conditions
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says he wants a review into the conditions for ministerial staffers in the wake of the alleged rape of a former Liberal Party staffers to proceed “as quickly as possible.”
The Australian has reported a third woman alleges she was sexually assaulted almost five years ago by the same former Morrison government adviser accused of the 2019 rape of Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.
Last week, Scott Morrison announced an independent review into the workplaces of parliamentarians and their staff, which Senator Birmingham will co-ordinate with parties across the political spectrum.
Senator Birmingham said he had spoken to Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins for advice but had not appointed a person to run the inquiry yet.
“I want complete independence and I want people to have full confidence that this inquiry is genuinely an independent, multi-party process,” he told the ABC.
“I want to make sure we get it underway as quickly as possible.”
Ms Higgins said she expected a “voice” in shaping the terms and reference of the review. Senator Birmingham said he would welcome Ms Higgin’s input and would be reaching out to her.
“I want current and former staff to feel that they have a voice in the design of the review and a very crucial voice in terms of input into that review,” he said.
READ MORE: Third woman alleges sex assault by former staffer
Jess Malcolm 8.02am:First vaccines administered in Victoria, NSW
The first dose of the Pfizer vaccine has been administered this morning in Melbourne, Victoria.
The head of infection control Rhonda Stewart received the first vaccine. She was part of the team that treated the first COVID-19 patient in January last year.
Her vaccine was administered at the Monash Medical Centre, which is one of 16 vaccination hubs across the country.
Victoria is expecting to administer over 50,000 vaccines in the first month as part of the 1a phase of the vaccine roll out.
The first vaccine in NSW is also expected to be administered this morning, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant to address the media at 8.15am.
READ MORE: Confidence vital in nation’s Covid comeback
Jess Malcolm:7.52am: ‘Better to get jab than be in intensive care’
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack is encouraging all Australians to get vaccinated, emphasising the safety and importance of the rollout.
“It is good to go, we know it is safe, it has been through the Therapeutic Goods Administration, world leading experts in academia and knowing that this vaccine is good for all Australians, we encourage them to get it,” Mr McCormack told Sunrise this morning.
“Better to get the jab than to be in an intensive care unit bed in a few weeks time, breathing your last breath and wondering why you didn’t do it.”
Mr McCormack refused to answer whether there would be government restrictions to enforce people to get the jab, but warned that companies had a right to refuse customers without it.
“You may not be able to fly,’’ he said. “I think do it for not just yourself but for loved ones around you. Do it for people you don’t know. Those elderly people who you may come into contact with. This is so important. It really is essential.
“Some companies may well exercise their right. Some companies may well say, if you don’t have that vaccine, then you can’t fly.”
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James Madden 7.42am: Rudd falls short in media probe bid
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s campaign for a royal commission into media diversity has failed, with the federal government formally advising the Governor-General that the inquiry should not proceed.
A petition calling for a royal commission was launched by Mr Rudd in October, and by the time it was tabled in parliament three weeks later it had garnered 501,876 signatures, although it was later discovered that the e-document was littered with fake names.
Royal commissions are not established by the parliament. Rather, they are initiated by the Governor-General, based on advice from the federal government.
Petitions for royal commissions are submitted to the Standing Committee on Petitions; if they are procedurally sound, the document is referred to the relevant government minister — in this case Communications Minister Paul Fletcher — for their advice to the Governor-General on whether to proceed.
Today, Governor-General David Hurley will receive a letter from Mr Fletcher advising him not to green-light the proposed inquiry.
READ the full story here
Jess Malcolm7.30am:Canavan: people shouldn’t lose jobs over vaccination
Queensland senator Matt Canavan said he does not support compulsory vaccination in workplaces, considering there is no such precedent for such a law.
Vaccination in Australia will not be mandatory, however there will be some circumstances where having a vaccine will be compulsory.
Mr Canavan said that while there are some clear industries who need to get the Covid vaccine — such as air travel — he questioned whether businesses should be able to force their workers to get the jab.
“In terms of liability, I think we’re jumping at shadows a little bit here,” Mr Canavan said on Today. “Yes, the coronavirus is a concerning pandemic. But it’s hardly as significant as some other diseases we have faced like AIDS in the past.
“I’m with the unions on this. I don’t think people should be losing their job for not getting the vaccination. Unless there’s some absolutely essential reason.
“But it’s not up to the company to force people or do that. I can’t see it happening, there isn’t any precedent about this at all. There are other deadly diseases around but there has never been a precedent here that accompanies a job.”
READ MORE: Employers call for leadership over vaccination
Jess Malcolm6.55am:This is not freedom day, health expert warns
Public health strategist Bill Bowtell has warned the vaccination rollout will be a massive logistical undertaking, urging Australians to maintain COVID-19 safe practices until it is complete.
As the US fast approaches 500,000 deaths, while the UK recorded over 100,000, Mr Bowtell warned this is not the time to become complacent.
“It’s not freedom day,” Mr Bowtell told Today. “This is not a cure. It’s no miracle victory day. It’s going to be a long slog. It won’t be until October it seems that all Australians are able to be vaccinated.”
“These are shocking figures. And we averted that. We’ve got to maintain that and if we do, and we keep to zero, we use masks, we do all the things that we have become used to doing which have worked extremely well, then we can come out of this pretty well.”
Mr Bowtell also called on the governments to use advertising and clear messaging to convince all Australians to get vaccinated, in light of high rates of vaccine hesitancy in Australia.
“It’s important that our political leaders are on television, out front, making sure
that the Australian people understand that these vaccines are safe. That the concerns that people have can be put to one side. But that will be a continual process as well.”
READ MORE: Vaccination a workplace minefield
Jess Malcolm 6.35am:US coronavirus deaths approach 500,000
The US is fast approaching half a million deaths from COVID-19, meaning more Americans have now died from coronavirus in the past year than two World Wars and the Vietnam War combined.
The country’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci reflected on the milestone on CNN, struggling for words to describe the moment.
“It’s terrible and really horrible,” Dr Fauci said on CNN. “It’s something that is historic and nothing like we’ve ever been through in the last 102 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic.
“People decades from now will be talking about this as a terribly historic milestone in the history of this country to have that many people die from a respiratory borne infection.”
Case numbers in the US have started to fall, with new infection rates down 45 per cent in the past fortnight and deaths down five per cent.
Despite this, there is concern that the new variants of COVID-19 are becoming more prevalent, with Dr Fauci predicting the UK strain will become the dominant strain in the US by next month.
READ MORE:No dancing past fact we have to live with Covid
Jess Malcolm6.20am:First Pfizer vaccine doses distributed today
The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be distributed today, which marks the beginning of what is expected to be the largest vaccination campaign in Australian history.
Vaccination hubs will open their doors on Monday morning, with the first doses given to health workers, aged care residents, hotel quarantine workers and emergency services.
The rollout will begin across 16 hospital vaccine hubs, while 30,000 vaccines are set to be delivered to aged care residents across 240 facilities.
More than 600,000 people are expected to be vaccinated in the first phase which is expected to take six weeks.
A World War Two survivor Jane Malysiak became the first to be vaccinated on Sunday, alongside Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly, and Chief Nursing Officer Professor Alison McMillan.
Mr Morrison called it “a historic day” and encouraged all Australians to be vaccinated.
It is hoped the second AstraZeneca vaccine will be ready for distribution in March.
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Michael McKenna6.15am:Third woman alleges sex assault by former staffer
A third woman alleges she was sexually assaulted almost five years ago by the same former Morrison government adviser accused of the 2019 rape of a female colleague in Parliament House.
The woman, a Coalition volunteer during the 2016 election campaign, alleged she was assaulted after a night drinking with the then political staffer.
The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity but supported her allegations with a statutory declaration, said she was barely out of school when she went out with campaign volunteers just days before the election.
The Australian has agreed to withhold the city and location of the alleged incident to prevent the woman from being identified.
The new claim comes as Brittany Higgins — who alleges she was raped in the office of -Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019 — prepares to make a statement to the Australian Federal Police on Wednesday.
READ the full story
Stephen Lunn5.50am:Old friends get out and about after vaccine
Fay Harris, 84, is keen for the twice weekly outings from her nursing home in Sydney’s south to resume. With aged-care residents so vulnerable to COVID, they stopped during 2020 and haven’t started again.
Her friend Julie Rankin, 67, is also in the home due to Alzheimer’s. A keen knitter, she is looking to again feeling safe enough to go and buy wool from the store down the road in Engadine.
Fay and Julie will be among the nation’s first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the Moran Aged Care facility in Engadine beginning to roll out its vaccination program from Monday.
It is one of 240 nursing homes across the country to receive the Pfizer vaccine this week. They join aged-care staff and border and hotel quarantine workers, and frontline health workers most likely to be exposed to the virus as first in line for the jab.
“I think it will make a big difference, not just for us but for the whole community,” great-grandmother Fay said. “Last year was hard. For three months we couldn’t go out and couldn’t have visitors.”
While the home has resumed taking residents out on the bus, they aren’t stopping for a morning tea or lunch like they used to. “When you are out of your community it is really hard to feel part of that community,” she said.
“The vaccination will make me feel protected so I’ll have confidence in going out.”
Former maths teacher Julie, a grandmother to five, said she hoped getting the vaccine would allow things to “get back to normal”, especially for her group of knitters and weavers in the home.
“I want to feel good about going out and I think this will help,” she said. “Normally I go shopping for wool so I can knit. I make blankets for people.
“So I’m happy to be part of this. It will be a good thing.”
READ the full story
Jamie Walker5.30am:First shot in final Covid battle
Scott Morrison has embraced the “big game-changer” of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, declaring it to be a turning point in containing the virus and restoring the prosperity and wellbeing of Australians.
More than 60,000 frontline medical staff, quarantine workers and aged-care residents will be vaccinated this week to kickstart the historic drive to immunise most of the adult population by October.
Business sought assurances from the federal government that the program would avert further border closures by the states and territories at a crippling cost to the economy.
The Prime Minister rolled up his sleeve on Sunday to become one of the first to receive the Pfizer shot to boost public confidence in the newly arrived vaccines.
Describing them as safe and important, Mr Morrison urged people to “join us on this Australian path” out of the pandemic.
“This changes how we manage the risk of COVID,” he said. “Today is the beginning of a big game-changer, there’s no doubt about that.
READ the full story
Ben Packham 5.15am: Vaccine ads pulled from Facebook
A major advertising campaign to ease public concerns around coronavirus vaccinations has been pulled from Facebook amid the widening fallout over the government’s battle with the social media giant.
Health Minister Greg Hunt revealed on Sunday his department would no longer use paid Facebook posts to give its vaccination campaign greater prominence in users’ feeds, relying instead on other platforms and traditional media.
The move follows Scott Morrison’s decision on Friday to halt his paid Facebook posts, setting in motion what is expected to become a whole-of-government advertising shift away from the platform. Federal cabinet will consider a formal Facebook advertising ban if the platform continues to refuse to pay Australian media organisations to use their news content.
The Department of Health campaign features more than a dozen animations offering information on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, and providing reassurance on Australia’s process for approving therapeutic goods.
The Prime Minister said his government would use “all the communication mechanisms” available to it, including Facebook, to inform the public about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. But Mr Hunt said his department’s use of Facebook would be restricted to free social media posts.
READ the full story
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