PoliticsNow: National cabinet looks to resume India flights as soon as possible after May 15 pause
The PM and state leaders are ‘focused’ on starting repatriation flights from India as soon as possible after May 15, Greg Hunt says.
- Brisbane airport breach passenger tests positive
- Higgins to meet PM, Albanese
- Warning: don’t link clots with vaccines
- Nervous wait over 2 capitals’ travel scares
Welcome to The Australian’s rolling coverage of news in Canberra and around the states and territories amid the ongoing pandemic.
National cabinet is looking to resume flights from India as soon as possible after the May 15 pause. Brisbane International Airport has been declared a ‘venue of concern’ by Queensland Health, after a passenger from Papua New Guinea who strayed into an area reserved for trans-Tasman travellers tested positive to COVID-19, potentially exposing almost 400 passengers who flew to New Zealand from Brisbane. Meanwhile, hundreds of people in Melbourne also face an anxious wait following a sudden surge in viral fragments in wastewater in the city’s western and northwestern suburbs. The deaths of two NSW men being investigated by the TGA are ‘highly unlikely’ to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccines they received.
Ben Packham9.15pm:Vaccine rollout derailed in PNG
Papua New Guinea has administered fewer than half of 8500 AstraZeneca jabs donated to the country by Australia more than a month ago, amid rampant vaccine hesitancy.
Despite a full-blown COVID crisis sweeping PNG, Health Minister Jelta Wong said only about 3500 doses had been used because authorities were having difficulties convincing frontline workers to be vaccinated.
Australia, which delivered 8480 vaccine doses to PNG in late March, has pledged to donate a further one million European-made AstraZeneca doses to PNG, plus 10,000 jabs a week from Australia’s domestic supply.
PNG has also received more than 100,000 vaccine doses from the World Health Organisation-backed COVAX facility.
Read more here.
Robyn Ironside8.30pm:Green-zone breach an ‘innocent mistake’
A near disastrous breach of health protocols at Brisbane International Airport has failed to dent the trans-Tasman travel bubble after the COVID-19 risk posed by an errant passenger was assessed as being low.
In what Brisbane airport described as an “innocent mistake”, two passengers arriving from Papua New Guinea were directed into the airport’s green zone on Thursday instead of the red, mingling with close to 400 travellers heading for New Zealand.
Green zones are intended only for travellers in the trans-Tasman bubble; red zones are designed for all other overseas arrivals who are heading into hotel quarantine.
The pair spent at least 90 minutes in the terminal, at Hudson’s coffee shop, the bathroom and another retailer before airport staff tracked them down.
Read more here.
Jamie Walker7.45pm:Campbell Newman’s comeback to the LNP
Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman has made a stunning comeback to the Liberal National Party with his election on Friday to the powerful organisational post of trustee.
The man who won one of the biggest election victories in political history in 2012 and then lost government and his own seat barely three years later has been given the job of protecting and building the party’s $40m in cash and assets.
Mr Newman declined to comment when contacted by The Australian.
But LNP acting president Cynthia Hardy said: “Campbell is a successful investment and property manager, and he will bring significant skill and experience to the LNP’s investment portfolio.
“As Lord Mayor, he established the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation, which has now grown to be worth more than $300 million. As Premier he started the long and difficult job of reversing Labor’s economic vandalism in Queensland.
“He will give great impetus to our fundraising and asset-building. Labor will complain and criticise, as they always do, but the LNP will be much better off for his contribution.”
Mr Newman was installed as one of the party’s three trustees at a state executive meeting in Brisbane attended by Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and former deputy state opposition leader Tim Mander.
It comes ahead of a crucial meeting of the LNP State Council on Saturday which will decide the makeup of the party’s Senate ticket for the upcoming federal election, and choose between rising stars James McGrath and Amanda Stoker for the top spot.
- with Michael McKenna
Paige Taylor5.55pm:Doctor fined over Aboriginal woman’s death
ER doctor who sent dying Aboriginal woman in police custody back to her cell after failing to take her temperature found guilty of misconduct. Read more here
Rosie Lewis5.20pm:Higgins says meeting with PM was ‘difficult’
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has spoken of her meeting with Scott Morrison following rape claim. Read more here
Robert Gottliebsen4.30pm:Treasurer’s radical plan for the economy
All investors need to understand the radical strategy that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is mapping out for the Australian economy. Read more here
Ben Packham3.40pm:Violence flares in crisis-hit PNG
Australia’s nearest neighbour Papua New Guinea is experiencing a surge in violent crime as it struggles under the weight of an economic and health crisis.
New video obtained by The Australian shows the murder of a man, seen running from machete-wielding men in Koki, Port Moresby, about 4.30am on Friday.
PNG security providers said the Milne Bay Province capital of Alotau was also under siege from gangs, known as “raskols”, who burned down police houses.
“Reports received that the thugs have the police outnumbered and have more fire power than police at this stage and are standing off police,” one security company said.
“All shops in Alotau are closed and there is a call for a state of emergency at this stage.”
The East New Britain capital of Rabaul was also facing a surge in gang-related violence, according to a security alert.
“Rabaul is kicking off again, might want to let your people in ENB know to avoid it. Two stabbed 5mins ago and about 100 boys coming thru the main St looking for revenge,” the alert said.
PNG’s hospitals are overwhelmed by COVID cases, while the country’s economy is facing unprecedented challenges, amid rampant corruption and stalled resources projects.
Rhiannon Down2.55pm:India flights to resume as soon as possible
Greg Hunt has revealed the government’s plans to resume repatriation flights from India after the temporary pause has elapsed, after national cabinet convened today.
“The figures we know are reaching extraordinary levels and so we have put the pause on the flights from India,” the Health Minister said.
“But in particular, the Prime Minister and national cabinet were focused on making sure we have a pathway for repatriation flights from India to begin as soon as possible, after May 15, once we have seen a reduction in the number of cases in Howard Springs. And the same is the case with regards to commercial flights.”
Mr Hunt said the importance of the nation’s vaccination drive had been affirmed in the Cabinet Meeting, the nation records a day with no new local transmissions.
“The point that came out, and from the head of the TGA, was a strong, united commitment to reaffirming the importance of safety of the vaccines, and the importance of being vaccinated,” he said.
Robyn Ironside2.35pm:Airport reviews Covid measures after breach
More on the Covid-positive passenger who was directed into the wrong part of Brisbane International Airport on Thursday.
Brisbane Airport Corporation is undertaking a review of the breach, after two travellers from PNG were directed into the Covid-free “green zone” rather than the red zone.
One tested negative but the other returned a positive test, however Queensland’s chief health says he posed little risk to others because he was considered to be near the end of his illness, with little of the virus in his body.
Dr Jeannette Young said people were most infectious in the 48-hours before becoming symptomatic, and she was quite confident he would not have transmitted the virus to anyone else at the airport.
“He’s right at the end and he’s well so the risks are all adding up to be less and less and less,” Dr Young said.
“We have asked the staff who were in the cafe at that time to quarantine, but we haven’t asked customers.”
She did appeal for anyone who was at the international terminal on Thursday between 9.45am and midday to get COVID tested if they developed even mild symptoms, and self-isolate until a result was returned.
“I don’t expect there to be any consequences but we always in Queensland take a very cautious approach,” said Dr Young.
“I must admit Brisbane Airport Corporation right from the start of this pandemic has been brilliant. They’ve worked with us every step of the way and their response here has been superb.”
The man with COVID was now in a Brisbane hospital while his travelling partner was in hotel quarantine.
Rhiannon Down2.20pm:WA records no new cases
West Australia has recorded another day of zero local transmission, with one case discovered in hotel quarantine.
It comes just a week after WA was plunged into a snap three day lockdown after a returned traveller tested positive for the virus, visiting a number of locations in Perth and infecting two others.
The state remains under heightened COVID-19 restrictions with new rules coming into effect at midnight.
Mandatory masks will remain for residents when indoors, with a 30 person limit in homes. Gyms will also reopen and sit-down only service at restaurants and pubs will end.
READ MORE:Supply chain issues widespread
Rhiannon Down2.10pm: SA opens mass vaccination centre
SA has opened its first mass vaccination clinic at the Adelaide Showgrounds.
The Wayville clinic will initially open as a Pfizer-only clinic focused on essential workers including health care staff, police and fire and emergency workers aged under 50.
It is expected to begin operating as a ‘dual clinic’ with both AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines It will also begin offering the AstraZeneca vaccine from May 10, with the clinic opening to anyone over 50.
Steven Marshall said the clinic will see 3000 people receive the jab a week, as the state ramps up its vaccination efforts.
“The COVID-19 vaccination program is a vital part of the Government’s plan to keep South Australia safe and strong in response to the pandemic, and that is why we are continuing to scale up the roll out of more hubs across the State,” the SA Premier said.
READ MORE:Warning not to link clots to vaccines
Rhiannon Down 2.00pm:Brisbane airport case ‘likely not infectious’
Queensland health authorities say a man who tested positive for COVID-19 after he breached the ‘green zone’ at Brisbane airport was at the end of his illness.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the fact the returned traveller from PNG had tested inconclusive before returning a positive result, suggested he was not likely to be as infectious.
“We know that the risk is always in that 48 hours before someone develops symptoms, at the start of their illness,” she said.
Dr Young said the failing of health protocols was the result of human error but she was “confident” the infection risk was low.
“We don’t have genome sequencing yet on this man. And we may not get that because the amount of virus was so low, which is a good thing,” she said.
“But we know that in PNG at the moment they don’t have variants of concern, such as the B117.
“But we do know that with variants of concern they can be very transmissible, which is why I can never, ever be 100 per cent confident that even when people have followed all processes that there isn’t some remaining risk.”
READ MORE:PM responds to India travel loophole
Rhiannon Down1.50pm: Berejiklian defends vax delay for over 50s
Gladys Berejiklian has defended the government’s decision to push back vaccinations for the 50s aged group.
The NSW Premier said over 50s wanting to get vaccinated through NSW Health would need to wait until May 24, rather than May 3 on the national timeline.
“We want to get through all the categories of key workers and their families and the aged care workers,” she told 2GB.
“If there is community transmission we need to make sure those most vulnerable aren’t in a position to get it but don’t spread it to the rest of the community.”
Ms Berejiklian said it was important centres weren’t overwhelmed and it was a “good experience” for those looking to get the jab.
“In NSW there are 2.9 million of us over 50 years of age. Can you imagine if everybody rang on the same day and wanted to get a booking through us?,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of vaccinating the population to reopen international borders.
“The rest of the world will start opening up, people will start travelling and start trading and I can’t afford for Australia to be left behind,” she said.
READ MORE: Call for cruises to set sail
Rhiannon Down 1.25pm:Govt ‘doing what’s necessary’ for economic recovery
Simon Birmingham says the government is doing “what’s necessary” to support the country’s economic recovery, amid concerns the government is embracing debt ahead of the federal budget.
Finance Minister @Birmo has told Sky News the government will not be embracing debt with the upcoming budget but “doing what’s necessary†to support the nation’s economic recovery.https://t.co/puSRb3GFSr
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 30, 2021
The Finance Minister said the government was working with the Reserve Bank of Australia to make sure the debt was sustainable with the government’s focus now on moving people from “welfare into jobs”.
“We’re working with them, we’re understanding what their assessments say in relation to the future projections around the management of debt levels,” Mr Birmingham told Sky News.
“Those future projections show very much that the rate at which we can grow the economy should enable us to continue to sustainably service the debts that we have.
“And to do so indeed at rates and costs lower than Australia’s faced at times in the past due to the very low levels of interest rates that are there right now.”
READ MORE:Trading Day: ASX set for big fall
Rhiannon Down12.50pm:NSW Treasurer calls for timeframes on reopening borders
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has called on the federal government to set targets on reopening international borders.
Mr Perrottet said Australia needed to open up from being a “hermit kingdom”, or else be left behind economically.
“We’re going to need to get to a point where we set a target, a strong target, to get these borders open by this period of time and resume life living alongside the virus because it’s not going away,” he told Sky News.
He said vaccinations would be key to reopening international borders, with the government yet to address the vaccine requirements to allow travel to resume.
“We still haven’t received advice yet in relation to what percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated before Health is confident to open international borders,” he said.
“This is a very complex discussion to have with the Australian people because unlike other countries around the world we’ll be opening our borders and letting the virus in.”
READ MORE: Tourism next in Beijing’s crosshairs
Perry Williams12.45pm:Taylor ‘dead against’ carbon border taxes
Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said he was “dead against” potential carbon border taxes being imposed by the US and Europe on Australian exports as he defended Australia’s reluctance committing to a net zero emissions target by 2050.
The US and Europe are weighing whether to impose a carbon border tax on climate laggards, potentially knocking Australia given its lack of ambition on tackling climate change.
“We’re dead against that,” Mr Taylor told The Australian’s Ticky Fullerton in a Live Q&A event for subscribers.
A similar US border scheme is also being considered by President Biden, posing another threat to Australia.
“The Americans have been less enthusiastic about that idea. A carbon tax that is being imposed from one country to another is effectively a tax being imposed by another government. That is not something that is in line with any principle,” Mr Taylor said.
“It’s not our policy and it’s not something we agree with. There’ll be lots of sabre rattling on these issues but this is certainly not Australian government policy. We don’t accept the idea that one government in another country should impose their policies on us.”
US President Biden has committed the United States to a target of a 50-52 per cent cut compared with 2005 – double the size of Australia’s target while Japan, one of Australia’s big trading partners, and will now aim for a 46 per cent cut by the end of this decade compared with its previous 26 per cent goal.
Australia said it may even beat the net zero target before 2050 but through a technology-led approach rather than through taxes or hiking bills for consumers.
“We want to get to net zero and we want to get there as soon as possible, preferably before 2050,” Mr Taylor said.
“There’s no ambiguity about that. What we’re not going to do, that other countries may choose to do, is raise the cost of energy, raise the cost of electricity for middle Australia. That is the danger if you move too aggressively without a plan then the default is to impose a tax.”
“We have met and beaten our Kyoto targets. We have outperformed all of those countries including Japan, Germany and many others. We’ll continue to deliver on this.”
READ MORE:No time for energy complacency: Taylor
Frances Vinall12.40pm:Clive Palmer to pay $1.5m after losing copyright fight
Controversial billionaire Clive Palmer has been ordered to pay an 80s hair metal band $1.5 million after he ripped off one of their songs without permission.
Palmer was ruled the loser against Universal Music and Twister Sister in the Federal Court on Friday, after they sued him for ripping off song ‘We’re Not Going to Take It’ for a political parody song, ‘Aussies Not Gonna Cop It’.
FROM THE JUDGES DECISION IN FAVOR OF YOURS TRULY AND @UGM:
— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) April 30, 2021
“The chorus of WNGTI, like the work as a whole, indisputably originated with Mr Snider and it has originality. A not inconsiderable amount of skill, judgement, time and effort was involved in its production.†– [270]
The lawsuit was filed in February 2019 and resolved on Friday with Palmer coming out $1.5 million poorer.
Judge Anna Katzmann also ordered Mr Palmer remove his parody knock-off from the internet.
The song was used in video advertisements for Mr Palmer’s political party United Australia Party, infringing Twister Sister frontman Dee Snider’s copyright as he wrote the music and lyrics.
READ the full story
Rhiannon Down12.25pm:Brittany Higgins on ‘positive’ Albanese sit down
Brittany Higgins has described her sit down with Anthony Albanese as positive, as she left the meeting in Sydney today.
“It was a very constructive meeting and I was very grateful for their time,” she told reporters.
Ms Higgins said she would make further comments after her meeting with Scott Morrison.
WATCH: Brittany Higgins says her meeting with Labor Leader Anthony Albanese was a constructive one. I'll have the latest on @Studio10au in 15 minutes. @10NewsFirstpic.twitter.com/Hi2Wpd65KT
— Stela Todorovic (@Stela_Todorovic) April 30, 2021
Rhiannon Down12.20pm:Albo praises Higgins’ courage amid ‘constructive discussion’
Anthony Albanese has described his meeting with Brittany Higgins as a “constructive discussion”.
Ms Higgins will sit down with Scott Morrison later today to present her suggestions on how to improve the workplace culture for parliamentary advisers.
“She has shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to be a voice, to be a voice standing up for women, standing up for issues that need real solutions,” the Opposition Leader said.
“Brittany Higgins will be putting forward to the Prime Minister a range of reforms that are necessary, that she had a discussion with me. But the first thing that I’d say about today’s meeting was that it was an opportunity for me to listen.”
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has praised Brittany Higgins' "courage" after a meeting between the two.
— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) April 30, 2021
Albanese said he hoped the PM will listen to reforms Higgins will put to him in a meeting today.#auspolpic.twitter.com/OuH2rfbIUC
Mr Albanese confirmed Ms Higgins will go to the Prime Minsiter today with suggestions for a number of changes including tweaks to the Members of Parliament Staff (MOPS) Act under which political staffers are employed.
“The way that the Parliamentary Services Act operates is to really give no power for members of staff to be able to raise issues,” he said.
“There are provisions their four employers, ministers, senators which are different from other workplaces. And so Ms Higgins will put forward those issues and we hope that the Prime Minister listens to her.”
READ MORE:Brittany Higgins to meet PM, Albanese
Rhiannon Down12.06pm:Albanese calls for national quarantine strategy
Anthony Albanese has called on the government to establish “fit-for-purpose” quarantine facilities, as the states and territories convene for the National Cabinet meeting.
The Opposition Leader said it was essential the federal government establish a national standard for quarantine, and move away from the hotel model, in light of the recent leaks in WA.
“Enough is enough,” Mr Albanese said.
“We know that every time there has been an issue with regard to hotel quarantine, it has had consequences not just for people’s health but for our economy.
“With shutdowns of state borders, shutdowns of particular regions, such as most recently that we saw with Perth and the Peel region.
“It is time for the Prime Minister to commit to national standards for hotel quarantine.”
National Cabinet meets today. This is Scott Morrison’s opportunity to finally take responsibility for quarantine.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 30, 2021
The PM must establish dedicated, fit for purpose national quarantine facilities.
The best time to do this was last year. The second best time is right now.
READ MORE:Hotel quarantine inquiry legal bill blows out to $8.6m
Rhiannon Down11.57am:Lib senator defends government’s ballooning spending
Liberal senator Jane Hume has defended the government’s economic management during the pandemic, despite the ballooning of government’s spending.
“We can all be very grateful the budget was in such good shape before we went into the covid 19 crisis, that is what allowed us to do those three significant economic support packages,” Ms Hume told Sky News.
“The package of economic stimulus, the second was a safety net and the other was JokKeeper, a bridge to the other side.
Ms Hume said despite the low unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent, she said the country wasn’t out of the woods yet.
“We know we’re not there yet and COVID continues to rage around the world all you have to do is look at India,” she said.
“The risks are still very great which is why the economic recovery must continue, we’re not going to pivot to austerity just yet.”
Ms Hume said despite the heavy spending, which the party had attacked Labor for since the GFC, the party still retained its “core values”.
“We’re always going to be the government of lower taxes,” she said.
“We’re always going to be the government of fiscal responsibility and the government trying to reign in the size of government and always going to want to guarantee the services Australians deserve and need in a sustainable way.”
I don't need a thread to summarise Labor's economic 'plan' for Australia: higher taxes, fewer jobs, more waste. #auspol#sameoldlaborhttps://t.co/Ghv8nY9koH
— Jane Hume (@SenatorHume) April 29, 2021
Labor senator Clare O’Neil hit back at Mr Hume, calling out the government’s “hypocrisy”.
READ MORE:BCA digital economy plan would ‘save $210bn’
Rhiannon Down11.44am:NSW and Victoria record zero local cases
NSW has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and 13 new cases in hotel quarantine up to 8pm.
The figures bring the state’s total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5288.
The state has also continued its vaccine rollout efforts, administering 4100 vaccines in 24 hours on Thursday.
The total number of vaccines administered in NSW has now reached 634,318.
“NSW Health thanks everyone who has come forward for testing, and urges anyone with even the mildest of symptoms isolate and be tested immediately, and remain in isolation until a negative result is received,” NSW Health said.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) April 30, 2021
Thirteen new cases were acquired overseas to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,288. pic.twitter.com/scE7nnODY6
Victoria has also recorded zero cases of community transmission with two cases in hotel quarantine.
Some 4123 vaccine doses were administered and 15,656 test results were recorded in 24 hours.
Yesterday there were no new local cases and 2 new cases acquired overseas (currently in HQ) reported.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) April 29, 2021
- 4,123 vaccine doses were administered
- 15,656 test results were received
More later: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/xOUZlUmuJG
READ MORE:Should Olympic athletes be vaccinated first?
Rhiannon Down11.31am:Defence spending increase to secure Indo-pacific: PM
Scott Morrison has disputed recent remarks made by a senior government security official who said the “drums of war” were beating earlier this weekend.
The Prime Minister denied that tensions were ratcheting up with China, saying that the government’s goal behind a recent increase in defence spending was to secure the region.
“That’s not what I’ve been saying,” Mr Morrison told 2GB.
“Our defence force is here to secure peace, they’re there to secure a free and open Indo-pacific and they work particularly with our US allies on that.
“I was at Darwin up at Robinson Barracks the other day where Marines train with Australian forces and we’ve just upgraded with $747m all the training fields and bases that they operate up there in the Northern Territory. That’s there to secure a stable region and peaceful region.”
READ MORE:Military upgrades: peace and freedom the Morrison way
Ticky Fullerton11.20am: LIVE | Ticky Fullerton interviews Angus Taylor
Coal-fired power stations will be paid for their generation capacity to keep them operating and the government is considering building a new 660MW gas-fired generator in the Hunter Valley in an overhaul of the electricity system aimed at keeping the lights on.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor will on Friday deliver the government’s response to a shortlist of options from the Energy Security Board to redesign the electricity system as the threat to grid security and the economics of coal and gas plants posed by the rapid growth of wind and solar reaches unacceptable levels.
Under the government’s preferred strategy, electricity retailers would pay the owners of dispatchable generators such as coal-fired, gas-fired and hydro plants as well as batteries to guarantee future capacity when the grid is facing periods of peak demand that threatens reliability.
Under current rules, generators are paid on an “energy only’’ basis for the power that is used by consumers. When wind and solar power is operating at full capacity the coal and fuel plants operate at a loss, undermining their economic sustainability.
Mr Taylor insisted that energy prices, which have fallen more than 11 per cent in the past 12 months, will not rise to help pay for increased security.
READ the full story
Rhiannon Down11.10am:Vic quarantine plan ‘political smoke, mirrors’: Dutton
Peter Dutton has savaged the Victorian government’s plan to construct a new purpose-built hotel quarantine facility.
The Defence Minister blasted the proposal for the federal government to fund a facility in Melbourne’s north, saying the hotel quarantine system was running smoothly.
“I have seen some political smoke and mirrors over my time and I think this is right at the top of the list,” he told Today.
“This is a $15m generous donation from the Victorian government to do the planning for a $700m bill that they want the Commonwealth to pick up.
“As we are seeing in NSW where 3000 people a week are coming into hotel quarantine, as we have seen around the rest of the country, hotels are working very well.”
Meanwhile, Richard Marles has hit back at Mr Duttons remarks, accusing the federal government of washing its hand of quarantine which he said was a commonwealth responsibility.
“Hotels are not fit for purpose,” the deputy opposition leader said on Today.
"Go and read the constitution. Quarantine is the government's job."
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 29, 2021
There are reports travellers from India are still able to enter Australia, despite the Federal Government’s pause on flights from the country. #9Todaypic.twitter.com/nxRqXO5Bc5
“And the reason why the Victorian government is calling upon the Commonwealth to pay for the facility that it’s earmarked in Mickleham in Victoria is because it’s the Commonwealth’s job.
“I mean, go and read the constitution. Quarantine is the government’s job. The federal government’s job. And they have had advice from the middle of last year that they should have purpose-built facilities to deal with quarantine.”
READ MORE:Build of Victoria’s quarantine hub needs federal cash
Rhiannon Down10.51am:Hotel quarantine is a state issue: NSW Treasurer
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has hit out at the states calling for the federal government to take control of hotel quarantine, saying it was a responsibility for the states and territories.
“I think we can handle that and we’ve been handling it I think pretty well,” he told Sky News.
“It’s a service I think is probably better looked after by states and obviously we’ve got our hotel quarantine program and are working very closely with health (authorities) and the police.
“I would think it’s more of an issue that the state governments would take ownership of and it seems to be working pretty well to date.”
Mr Perrottet also revealed NSW was in the progress of developing its own quarantine system to support the return of international students.
“We just can’t stop doing things when there is an outbreak of the virus,” he said.
“The system we want to set up will run alongside the hotel quarantine system and we have gone out to tender for sites on that. And they have been received and we are working thoroughly with the health and police departments.
“Once it’s been signed off by appropriate bodies we will take that program to the federal government.”
READ MORE:$54m for education providers hit by the pandemic
Robyn Ironside10.42am:Brisbane airport declared ‘venue of concern’
Brisbane International Airport has been declared a “venue of concern” by Queensland Health, after a passenger from Papua New Guinea who strayed into an area reserved for trans-Tasman travellers tested positive to COVID-19.
The man and his travel partner were mistakenly directed into the green zone which is supposed to be restricted to Australian and New Zealand passengers in the trans-Tasman bubble.
Brisbane International Airport green zone breach update
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) April 30, 2021
A passenger involved in a green zone breach at Brisbane International Airport yesterday has tested positive to COVID-19.https://t.co/1xEWkRbTOr
The pair spent about 90-minutes in the area, sitting at a table in Hudson Cafe, using the bathroom and visiting another retailer.
CCTV footage from Brisbane Airport showed they had minimal interaction with other people who were wearing masks. The footage also showed their table was cleaned once they left.
Staff who came into contact with the man have been placed into quarantine and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the international terminal had been declared a value of concern.
“Anyone who was in the terminal between 9.45am and midday on Thursday, 29 April 2021, should monitor their symptoms and get tested immediately if they feel unwell,” Dr Young said.
“We have advised the New Zealand Ministry of Health of the latest results and they are taking their own protection measures.”
She said the incident highlighted the importance of wearing masks at airports.
“Both international and domestic airports are higher-risk environments,” said Dr Young.
“We need people to wear masks in terminals at all times. We have kept that direction in place and we need people to comply.”
The other traveller tested negative to COVID, and Dr Young said they were awaiting the results of serology tests on the man who tested positive, to determine if the infection was “historical”.
Brisbane Airport has taken responsibility for the breach, which it attributed to human error.
PNG has been the most significant source of COVID-19 cases in Queensland since the start of the year, with 86 people hospitalised after testing positive in that period.
Rhiannon Down10.37am:PM backs TGA’s advice on Astrazeneca jab
Scott Morrison has backed the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s safety advice on the Astrazeneca Vaccine, as the government prepares to ramp up the vaccine rollout from Monday.
The progress of the vaccine rollout is expected to dominate talks with state and territory leaders at the National Cabinet meeting today.
The cabinet will also discuss updated health advice and issues around travel arrangements and flights, which were restricted earlier this week, as the India coronavirus outbreak exploded with daily cases surging.
The Prime Minister said the rollout, which would extend to Australians in their 50s on May 3, was reaching its targets and set to ramp up.
“Once we’ve got the GPs online, and more than a million of those vaccinated of the two have been done by GPs... that will continue to grow,” Mr Morrison told 2GB.
“From the 3rd of May the states and territories will use their distribution arrangements, and our GP respiratory clinics, to vaccinate people over 50s and from the 17th of May that will be done through GPs as well.
“This is a matter of keeping those clinic doors open, booking the jabs, getting them through.
“My mum has had it and my mother-in-law has had it as well.”
Mr Morrison also hit back at vaccine hesitancy over reports of a rare blood clotting disorder being linked to the jab.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration make those calls,” he said.
“They’re investigating those issues now and they have not advised of a link. And they’re the right ones to give (that) medical advice and they’re the best medical regulators in the world.”
READ MORE:Warning not to link blood clots with Covid vaccines
Rosie Lewis10.24am:Morrison stands by Laming
Scott Morrison continues to stand by embattled Liberal National Party MP Andrew Laming following new allegations of inappropriate behaviour, saying he expects the Queenslander to serve his electorate until the next election.
The ABC’s 7.30 reported on Thursday night that Dr Laming made an academic feel uncomfortable during and after a domestic flight and on another occasion repeatedly asked local female staff on an overseas delegation for their phone numbers.
Another woman said she felt uncomfortable when the MP asked her if he could add her on Facebook, and proceeded to do so, when she was 19 years old. He also suggested through a Facebook message meeting up with an academic who liked skateboarding.
“I’m happy just to meet skaties one at a time – starting with you (wink emoji),” he reportedly said.
Dr Laming has undertaken “empathy training” via an online course and revealed this week he had been diagnosed with ADHD, which he claims could account for his social media addiction.
“He said he would arrange to undertake appropriate training. As you know, Andrew has also advised that for some period of time now he’s been affected by ADHD,” the Prime Minister told 2GB radio.
“Andrew is not running for the LNP at the next election. The LNP have made that decision. And in the meantime, I expect him to serve his community that elected him on many occasions and to do that job between now and the election.”
“He undertook to me to be correcting and changing his behaviour and getting help for that and I know he has been doing that. I mean, I haven’t seen the exact course that he’s undertaken. I mean, there’s been a few other things that I’ve been a bit focused on.”
Dr Laming has defended his behaviour in the most recent allegations.
READ MORE: Laming’s pay packet
Rhiannon Down10.06am:Higgins arrives at Albanese meeting
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has begun her meeting with Anthony Albanese in Sydney.
The former adviser turned advocate, who went public with her rape allegation against a fellow staffer, will advise the opposition leader on how to improve the culture of parliament house.
Ms Higgins will meet with Scott Morrison in Sydney later today.
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins arrives for talks with Labor's Anthony Albanese in Sydney. She'll sit down with the PM this afternoon. It's their first meeting since she went public with rape allegations. She's now lobbying for reform @7NewsAustraliapic.twitter.com/PbMjXtwDGN
— Olivia Leeming (@olivialeeming) April 29, 2021
Robyn Ironside10.03am:Brisbane airport breach passenger tests positive
A traveller from Papua New Guinea who spent almost two-hours in the “green zone” of Brisbane international airport on Thursday in a serious breach of health protocols has tested positive to COVID-19.
Another traveller returned a negative test but the other person’s initial test was inconclusive.
Queensland Health has now confirmed the second test was positive.
Two of today’s new cases were detected in hotel quarantine. One case was detected in Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal. #covid19au
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) April 29, 2021
After arriving from PNG the travellers somehow were allowed into the green zone, created for the trans-Tasman bubble operating for Australians and New Zealanders.
During the red passengers time in the green zone, up to 390 other people passed through the area, to board three flights to New Zealand.
Brisbane Airport officials said CCTV footage showed only a relatively small number came into close contact with the passengers from PNG who spent most of their time seated at one retailer.
They also used the bathroom and visited another retailer.
READ MORE:Travel scares in two capitals result in nervous wait for hundreds
Peter Van Onselen9.40am:Whistleblower an ‘agent of change, not revenge’
Comment: So the staffer who masturbated on the desk of a female MP – which led to Scott Morrison calling a teary media conference promising to tackle bad behaviour towards women – has made a report to police, alleging he’s the victim of revenge porn.
The whistleblower who came to me with images and video of the said staffer – who was the most senior adviser to the Liberal Whip in charge of party discipline ironically – always made it clear he was revealing what had gone on because enough was enough when it came to poor conduct in the nation’s capital.
He first approached me after the Brittany Higgins allegations became public. I have never revealed his name nor identity. Nor did I name the staffer in question, pixelating the images. As part of the actions that have followed various revelations in recent months, today Ms Higgins is meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss how to improve things in parliament.
That can only be a good thing.
But get this: Liberal MP Warren Entsch has now come out swinging, defending the staffer (who used to work for him once upon a time), attacking the whistleblower (who Senate leader Simon Birmingham amongst others has praised for his courage in coming forward). Entsch has even claimed that the sacked staffer shouldn’t have lost his job for what he did.
A reminder, the staffer masturbated on the desk of his then female boss. He sent lewd pictures, even pointing at the desk describing things he wanted to do on it. And he did a whole lot more on it that was way too graphic and frankly disgusting to even show, as noted in the story.
But Mr Entsch thinks he never should have been sacked. Fortunately the PM and the staffer’s most recent boss at the time the story aired disagreed. As, I suspect, does most of the country.
Mr Entsch, armed with his lack of legal training of course, has publicly declared what happened: “revenge porn”. Without even talking to the whistleblower or his colleagues who have.
READ the full story
Rosie Lewis9.25am:PM vows to slam shut India travel loopholes
People returning from India to Australia will no longer be able to transit through Doha after the federal government belatedly closed a loophole that was allowing passengers in.
Scott Morrison earlier this week announced flights from India to Australia would be paused until May 15 as the coronavirus outbreak there overwhelms the country, with daily cases surging to more than 362,000.
But travellers from India were still able to enter Australia via Doha, Qatar, until Wednesday night.
Two Australian cricketers who had been in India arrived on a flight from Doha on Thursday.
“It (the loophole) was closed off at 7pm Wednesday evening,” the Prime Minister told 2GB radio.
“That flight that those cricketers were on managed to get away just before that. We had information on Monday that that wasn’t possible. I’m advised there is a 14-day requirement when someone goes into Doha, but that wasn’t being applied to transit passengers.
“That was different from the advice we had on Monday night that came to our attention. We acted, we had it changed on Wednesday night. And we’ll be taking some more action there regarding transport of transit passengers today and I’ll be speaking to the premiers about that and when we meet at national cabinet.”
“We’ve already directly dealt with the airlines in Qatar and so those transit passengers – the airlines advised us – are no longer coming through from Doha,” he said.
“The places they are potentially coming from are Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and our advice is that those routes are closed off.
India’s healthcare system is at breaking point with millions of infections raging across the subcontinent – the country recorded 379,459 COVID-19 cases on Thursday
READ MORE:Concerns Australian cricketers trapped in COVID-ravaged India could suffer bubble fatigue
Rhiannon Down 8.35am:Brittany Higgins to meet PM, Albanese
Brittany Higgins will sit down with Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese in Sydney today, to discuss how to change the toxic workplace culture in parliament house.
Ms Higgins, who two months ago went public with allegations she was raped in parliament by a colleague in 2019, will meet with the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader in separate meetings after her requests to convene in Canberra were stymied.
It’s believed Ms Higgins will suggest a number of changes including tweaks to the Members of Parliament Staff (MOPS) Act to make it harder for staffers to be fired without solid reasoning.
Ms Higgins’ meeting with Mr Morrison has been an ongoing national subject since he offered to meet with her during an interview Nine’s A Current Affair in late March.
Ms Higgins sent a letter to the prime minister’s office earlier this week outlining her request for the meeting to focus on the current lack of “protections, resources and confidential reporting mechanisms to address any workplace issues” for political advisers.
READ MORE: Scott Morrison:You matter, you make the difference
Rhiannon Down 8.10am:Risk from Brisbane airport breach ‘low’
Health experts have moved to allay fears over a breach at Brisbane airport on Thursday, after two travellers from PNG were accidentally allowed into the departures area of Brisbane’s international airport.
Queensland University infectious disease expert Paul Griffin said the risk of infection remained low, despite the passengers wandering the terminal for several hours, visiting a bathroom and mingling with travellers bound for New Zealand.
“What is clear is while these people have come from an area of high transmission, they’ve tested negative so far with one perhaps having an indeterminate test so far,” Dr Griffin told Today.
“We are not dealing with positive cases but it’s important to look at how this happened and make sure there’s less of a chance of it happening again.”
Though hundreds of contacts have been identified in relation to the breach, Dr Griffin said the likelihood of transmission in the cavernous departure lounge was remote.
“What is clear is that it’s a fairly open space and those people weren’t in particularly close contact and the people in question have tested negative so far,” he said.
“So putting all of that together the risk is very low but Queensland Health are taking a cautious approach and doing the right thing in terms of contacting who needs to be contacted.”
READ MORE:Travel scares result in nervous wait
Rebecca Urban7.35am: Christian heritage erased in curriculum shakeup
Australia’s Christian heritage has been erased from a proposed new national school curriculum that promotes Indigenous history, culture and perspectives and teaches children that British colonisation was an “invasion”.
Secondary school students will no longer be taught that Australia is a secular nation and a multi-faith society with a “Christian heritage”, according to the revised curriculum documents released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority on Thursday.
Instead, they will learn the nation is a “culturally diverse, multi-faith, secular and pluralistic society with diverse communities, such as the distinct communities of First Nations Australians”.
Experts, including Australian Catholic University research fellow Kevin Donnelly who oversaw an independent review of the national curriculum in 2014, expressed alarm at the proposed direction for school education, which includes a significant cut to humanities content across both primary and secondary years.
“The entire curriculum is awash with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture and spirituality to the detriment of teaching students about Australia as a Western liberal democracy with a Christian heritage,” Dr Donnelly said. “It smacks of cultural relativism.”
READ the full story
Rhiannon Down 7.15am: Eurovision to go ahead as planned
The Eurovision song contest will go ahead before a crowd in Rotterdam next month, Dutch authorities have confirmed.
Organisers had previously said it was not clear whether the popular talent contest’s semifinals and finals on May 18 to 22 would be able to go ahead with a live audience, Reuters reported.
Australian musician Montaigne will be unable to travel to the Netherlands for the Eurovision Song Contest but will instead compete in the contest from home, using their ‘live-on-tape’ performance.
SBS announced the decision not to send an Australian delegation last week citing difficulties in travelling due to the state of the pandemic in Europe.
Montaigne will compete in this year’s event with her anthem Technicolour.
Last year’s event was cancelled as Europe battled rising COVID numbers.
READ MORE:Tourism next in Beijing’s crosshairs
Rhiannon Down6.45am: France begins to emerge from lockdown
France had begun to emerge from lockdown with cafes, restaurants and cinemas set to reopen in stages next month
President Emmanuel Macron announced hospitality and cultural venues would begin reopening from May 19 on Thursday.
Mr Macron also gave a timetable for lifting an unpopular curfew from 7pm, in the highly anticipated announcement.
France recorded 31,582 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, significantly down from it’s all time high of 117,900 on April 11 this year, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, the UK is also undergoing a phased reopening of its economy as vaccination numbers remain strong.
The country recorded just 2131 cases yesterday with its record high of 68,192 on January 8 well behind it.
However, new data has revealed the economic losses suffered during the period, with Heathrow Airport announcing on Thursday that its COVID-induced losses have hit £2.4 billion since the start of the pandemic.
The mega airport cut its full-year forecast for passenger numbers from 37 million passengers to 13 million to 36 million as the pandemic continues to affect the travel sector. Heathrow recorded 81 million passengers in 2019.
READ MORE:PM’s plea from the heart
Rosie Lewis6.15am:Tourism chief warns: CBD hotels half full
The hotel accommodation industry has warned occupancy rates in Sydney and Melbourne CBDs are half what they used to be and cites anecdotal evidence of “significant” job losses as a result of JobKeeper ending.
Appearing before the Senate’s COVID-19 committee, Tourism Accommodation Australia chief executive Michael Johnson said that across hotels in NSW about 25 per cent of staff were let go when the pandemic first hit and a further 15 per cent lost their jobs in March. The federal government’s $90bn JobKeeper scheme ended on March 28.
Mr Johnson said in the month before it finished, staff in “fixed-cost areas” like sales, administration and finance were let go amid ongoing revenue concerns and impacts from state-imposed restrictions and border closures.
“There is no financial safety net from commonwealth, state or territory governments to aid the hospitality industry absorb these losses. This has a devastating financial, emotional and mental cost to businesses and workers.”
Sydney and Melbourne CBDs, which have still not recovered because there is no corporate or international travel, had occupancy rates of 54 per cent and 53 per cent respectively compared to pre-COVID levels as of a week ago. Hotels being used for quarantining returned travellers make up 10 per cent of those bookings, meaning the occupancy rate for domestic guests is more like 44 per cent and 43 per cent.
READ the full story
Rosie Lewis5.45am: Warning not to link clots with vaccines
The deaths of two NSW men being investigated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration are “highly unlikely” to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccines they received, despite both suffering from blood-clotting disorders.
TGA head John Skerritt sought to assure people that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine – meant to be the “workhorse” of the national rollout – far outweighed the risks for those aged over 50 after reports of the men’s deaths triggered renewed hesitancy.
Senior government sources told The Australian that while investigations continued, there were no early signs of the deaths being caused by the vaccination and any link was “highly unlikely”.
The sources said there was increasing concern within government that unrelated events were being prematurely reported, after national cabinet decided Pfizer would become the preferred vaccine for under-50s because of an extremely rare blood clot disorder associated with the AstraZeneca jab.
“The current evidence does not suggest a likely association,” Mr Skerritt said. “We believe the two individuals so mentioned did have the AstraZeneca, but we are still doing investigations with them. Unless we decide to live in a country that will never open our borders, unless we decide to never return to our normal activities of daily living, the vaccine still remains, along with other measures, the best way out of this pandemic.”
READ the full story
Remy Varga5.30am:Nervous wait over travel scares in two capitals
More than 500 people in Melbourne and Brisbane face an anxious wait to determine their COVID-19 status after separate travel-related incidents.
In Melbourne, 246 people have been told to urgently undertake a coronavirus test after a sudden surge in viral fragments in wastewater in the city’s western and northwestern suburbs.
“This additional action is being taken due to the strength of the wastewater detection and because a known positive COVID-19 case, from Flight QF778, has been in Victoria in the past 14 days,” Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, said.
“The 246 people who have been contacted today include four primary close contacts of that case and 242 recently returned red and orange zone travel permit holders.
“All of these primary close contacts have recently been tested and have returned negative results. All of the 246 people are being asked to test again out of an abundance of caution.”
Melbourne now has a long list of suburbs named as potential exposure sites with fragments detected in four additional catchments in Melbourne’s western, northern, northwestern, and outer eastern suburbs.
“It is most likely that these new detections are due to a person or persons continuing to shed the virus after the infection period; however, it could also be due to a person living in or travelling through the area in the early active infectious phase,” Professor Sutton said.
READ the full story
Luciana Maghalaes 5.15am: Aggressive Brazil variant rampant in South America
An aggressive coronavirus variant from Brazil that has been detected in more than 30 nations is now raging across South America, prompting deaths and hospitalisation to soar even in countries that have widely administered vaccines.
Elmiria Camilo, a 53-year-old seamstress in the tranquil city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay, had already received her first shot of the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine when she came down with a sore throat earlier this month. A week later she was dead.
Doctors said they believe Ms Camilo was one of the latest victims of the P.1 variant that has turned Uruguay, a nation of 3.5 million, into one of the world’s worst COVID-19 hot spots.
“I never thought I would lose my mother like that,” said Ms Camilo’s daughter, Nancy Lefebre, who bid farewell in a video call before her mother died at a hospital’s intensive-care unit. “I wish I could have seen her just one more time.”
The surge offers lessons for the rest of the world. The P.1 variant has spread to countries including Canada, where in the province of British Columbia, officials have recorded 2062 cases of P.1 as of April 26, up from 974 as of April 9. Turkey and Hungary have struggled with large surges partly fuelled by the more infectious UK variant. Doctors in India are studying whether new variants there might be adding to a record rise in cases and deaths. One variant, B.1.617, has already popped up in the US and 18 other countries.
READ the full story
More Coverage
Crisafulli dodges ‘please explain’ on nuclear
LNP leader David Crisafulli has been unable — or unwilling — to say why he opposes federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear power policy as Queensland’s pre-polling booths open.
Rising productivity loss from early Alzheimer’s diagnoses
Lost productivity has outstripped the cost of aged care as the biggest price paid for from Alzheimer’s in Australia – but it shouldn’t have to be this way.