PoliticsNow: NSW Police close case in rape allegation against cabinet minister
NSW Police say an investigation into a rape allegation against a current cabinet minister won't proceed due to ‘insufficient evidence’.
- ‘Insufficient evidence’: NSW police close rape case
- Identify yourself, Turnbull urges rape accused
- Qld, Vic trail on vaccine rollout
- Time’s up for JobKeeper: Power
- ‘Jabs negate need for restrictions’
Welcome to coverage of the latest political news from around the nation amid the continuing battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. Live coverage has concluded, a recap of the day’s events is available below:
NSW Police say an investigation into an allegation of rape against a current cabinet minister will not proceed, as Scott Morrison faces increasing pressure to launch an independent inquiry into the claim.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has hit back at Annastacia Palaszczuk, accusing the Queensland Premier of “grandstanding and petty politicking” over her call to extend JobKeeper. Ms Palaszczuk has meanwhile challenged Mr Frydenberg to go to Cairns and talk to people himself.
Joseph Lam11.50pm:ADF to vaccinate rural aged-care residents
Elderly Australians in rural areas could receive a knock at the door from men and women in service uniform as the Australian Defence Force ramps up its national pandemic support.
ADF medical personnel will begin moving into rural areas as early as next week with dedicated vaccine teams set to administer COVID-19 vaccines to rural Australians in aged-care facilities.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne and Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt released a statement overnight confirming Phase 1A of the ADF’s OPERATION COVID-19 ASSIST.
“As part of the continued expansion of the phase 1A COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the Australian Defence Force will provide supplementary support to the rollout of vaccines to Australians in aged care.,” the statement read.
“As we move into the next phase of the aged care vaccine rollout and continue the expansion of teams, additional nurses, pharmacists and providers are being added, with ADF vaccination teams supplementing these efforts.”
The statement said over 14,000 ADF personnel had helped with contact tracing, emergency clinical support and border control measures however the next phase would be focussing on the vaccine rollout.
“Defence’s support to the vaccine rollout will focus on vaccinating senior Australians in locations not readily accessible by other medical providers.”
Read more: ADF called in to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine rollout.`
Greg Brown 11.30pm: Treasury won’t go again to Nationals: Howard
John Howard has sparked a new round of portfolio demands from Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, after the former prime minister declared he did not think the Treasury portfolio would ever again go to a member of the junior Coalition party.
Speaking at an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his 1996 election win, Mr Howard said it was likely Arthur Fadden, who served in the Menzies government, would be the last Nationals treasurer.
“I don’t think it is ever likely in the future; it will depend on individuals, but I think it is unlikely that the Treasury would (not) be held by a Liberal,” Mr Howard told the online conference organised by UNSW Canberra. “It was held once by Arthur Fadden, but those were different times.”
David Penberthy11pm:Emergency rules ring alarm bells for Libs
South Australian Liberal MPs are refusing to back their own party’s extension of coronavirus emergency powers for fear it would permanently give the state too much authority that could be misused in the future.
State Attorney-General Vickie Chapman wants to extend a number of pandemic-related arrangements and outlined proposed legislation to cabinet and then to the partyroom on Monday.
The Australian understands that at least two MPs said they would “reserve their rights” on supporting the bill, while others questioned whether the proposed changes meant the Police Commissioner would continue to wield special powers as State Emergency Co-ordinator for the remainder of 2021.
The current emergency declaration expires on May 31 and the government said last month that it was looking at laws that would allow for snap border closures and the use of QR codes under a post-emergency COVID-19 plan.
Some Liberals are concerned about how the new laws will work and worry either SA Police or the government itself could end up being afforded powers that exceed their remit.
Geoff Chambers, Patrick Commins10.30pm: Million on dole as firms struggle to fill vacancies
Employers are reporting “significant” staff shortages and recruitment difficulties across the nation, despite more than 1.2 million Australians still relying on JobSeeker payments.
The Australian can reveal almost one in two businesses is actively recruiting workers — the highest number since the peak of the pandemic last year — with the greatest demand in regional areas.
National Skills Commission data shows that in the four weeks to February 19, 39 per cent of recruiting employers reported difficulties hiring employees.
Joseph Lam10pm:UK fears over Brazilian variant
British authorities are urgently seeking passengers who travelled from Brazil to the UK as three new cases of the Brazilian COVID-19 variant have been detected.
The Department of Health and Social Care is searching for passengers from Swiss Air flight LX318, which travelled from Sao Paulo via Zurich and landed in London Heathrow on February 10. All passengers from this flight and their household contacts will be tested.
In a statement on Tuesday, the health department raised concerns over one of the cases which remain unlinked.
“Two of the cases in England are from one household in South Gloucestershire with a history of travel to Brazil and there is a third, currently unlinked case,” the statement read.
“The cases in South Gloucestershire were rapidly followed up by the PHE Health Protection Team – cases and their contacts have been identified and retested. One case that had travelled to Brazil has been isolating at home with their household since returning to the UK.
“Further investigation is underway regarding the third case in England. The individual did not complete their test registration card so follow-up details are not available.”
The health department also raised concerns over the vaccine effectiveness against the Brazil variant.
“It is possible that this variant may respond less well to current vaccines, but more work is needed to understand this,” a statement read.
Three other cases of the Brazil variant have been identified in Scotland however these cases are not linked to the three cases in England.
READ MORE: It’s enough to drive growers bananas
Stephen Lunn9.15pm:Tax us for care, not for profits
Australians will accept a levy on their income to pay for better-quality aged care provided the money goes into services and not the pockets of providers.
National Seniors chief advocate Ian Henschke said working-age Australians, including younger generations, were open to the idea of paying more tax for better aged care, one of the key recommendations of the aged-care royal commission’s final report released on Monday.
“I think Australians are less selfish than they are given credit for. They believe our older people deserve better,” he said.
“They know people in aged care have contributed to the growth of this nation. They built the Snowy Hydro, they worked in hospitals, schools, on farms and in factories. I don’t believe they are seen as a financial burden.
“We are happy to pay extra but the government has to ensure the money goes to improving the system and not just lining the pockets of directors and shareholders of aged-care facilities.”
The commission’s final report, which recommends sweeping changes to the system in Australia, including an entirely new Aged Care Act, cites research on the willingness of Australians to pay more for aged care.
Olivia Caisley8.30pm:Aged-care homes ‘must lift their game on food’
More than half of the people in nursing homes in 2019 had a diagnosis of one of the forms of dementia, the aged-care royal commission has found, and 68 per cent of residents were either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Food and nutrition was one of four areas singled out by the royal commission as requiring urgent attention, along with dementia care, the use of restrictive practices and palliative care.
Commissioners Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs recommended the standards of meals in aged-care facilities be reviewed and that government expenditure on residents be increased by $10 a day by July to help pay for an annual review to show how providers have met basic needs and nutrition requirements.
“Food is also important to wellbeing, providing enjoyment through taste and smell,” it said in the final report, titled Care, Dignity and Respect. “Too often we heard that residential aged-care providers failed to meet the nutritional needs of people for whom they care and that they provided poor quality and unappetising food.”
Under the proposal, nursing homes would also be forced to report the number of instances of unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Simon Benson 7.45pm: National appeal to rescue children from sex abuse
Federal authorities have launched an unprecedented national appeal to the community for help in rescuing several unknown Australian children from being sexually abused online in a world-leading “shock and awe” operation to combat what investigators have warned was violence and abuse on an “industrial scale”.
In an aggressive step up by the Australian Federal Police, non-confronting images captured from the dark web and open source material will be released publicly for the first time to help identify objects that may reveal the identity of the children and their location.
The Australian is today publishing images provided by the Australian Centre for Countering Child Exploitation, which will issue a plea today for the community to act as sentinels in trying to crack child abuse cold cases.
The nine images involve an unspecified number of children who are being sexually abused online within Australia and who are being subjected to the most extreme acts of abuse and violence as police desperately seek to identify them.
Peter Hutchison7pm:Third woman keeps Cuomo in hot water
A third woman has accused Andrew Cuomo of inappropriate behaviour, less than 24 hours after the New York governor formally referred himself for investigation over similar allegations from two former aides.
Mr Cuomo has faced growing criticism, including from within his own Democratic Party, for suggesting the two ex-aides had “misinterpreted” him.
Anna Ruch, 33, told The New York Times she met Mr Cuomo at a wedding in September 2019. During the reception, he put his hand on her bare lower back — which she pushed away — and asked if he could kiss her.
“I was so confused and shocked and embarrassed,” Ms Ruch told the NYT. “I turned my head away and didn’t have words in that moment.”
Mr Cuomo became a national star last year with his straight-talking yet empathetic coronavirus briefings that contrasted sharply with then-president Donald Trump’s dismissive approach to the pandemic.
Agencies6.20pm:UK to extend virus support
Britain is expected to keep vast emergency financial support propping up the UK’s virus-battered economy when unveiling its annual budget, but could also raise tax to fight surging debt.
“The key thing is right now to keep supporting the economy... but also level with people,” Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said, as Britain from next week begins to exit its third Covid lockdown.
Britain is the worst-hit country in Europe with more than 120,000 COVID-19 deaths and four million cases but its economic recovery hopes have been boosted by its vaccination of millions of adults.
Reports suggest that Mr Sunak will pump out extra billions of pounds to help save jobs and businesses in the budget early on Thursday (AEDT).
But he is expected also to increase corporation tax, or a levy on company profits, from a UK record-low 19 per cent while sticking to the Conservative government’s pre-pandemic pledge not to increase income tax or value added tax.
“An increase in corporation tax is likely to be, intentionally or not, the flagship measure,” Barclays said in a client note.
“Put in perspective, corporation tax is not a main lever in terms of revenues -- around 10 percent of tax receipts — but probably the path of least resistance as the government explores ways to fix its revenue shortfall.”
READ MORE:RBA ‘to do what it takes’ to keep rates low
Sharri Markson 5.50pm: Accused minister to identify himself
The cabinet minister who is the subject of the historic rape allegations is planning to identify himself on Wednesday, The Australian understands. The minister will give a press statement addressing the claims now that the NSW Police investigation has closed.
Max Maddison4.50pm: Daryl Maguire investigation ‘ongoing’: ICAC
The investigation into disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire is ongoing, says the Independent Commission Against Corruption, flagging potential further public hearings on the matter.
A brief statement published to ICAC’s website on Tuesday afternoon said: “The Commission’s Operation Keppel investigation is ongoing. No further comment will be provided at this stage.”
After an explosive month of hearings at a corruption inquiry culminated in revelations the former Wagga Wagga MP and Premier Gladys Berejiklian were in a “close, personal relationship”, the corruption watchdog was supposed to hand down its preliminary submissions on December 7 last year.
However, three days before that deadline, ICAC put its timeline on hold, before later stating it would expand the probe and take “further investigative steps”.
Since the decision to delay the inquiry, several further pieces of information have come to light. The Australian revealed Ms Brerejiklian was personally briefed that two ministerial advisers were making disclosures to ICAC about Mr Maguire — two years before the Premier was forced to disclose their relationship.
One Nation leader Mark Latham also referred Mr Maguire to ICAC for failing to obtain approval to travel overseas from Ms Berejiklian. While claiming to represent the NSW government, Mr Maguire allegedly used the trips to try and stitch together business deals on behalf of Chinese property developers.
The Premier is required under ministerial guidelines to personally approve all travel for ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
Despite sacking Mr Maguire in 2018, Ms Berejiklian came under intense scrutiny after it was revealed they had been in a relationship for several years. During that period, Mr Maguire told Ms Berejiklian he was trying to clear his debts by pulling together a property deal on behalf of Louise Waterhouse.
The preliminary submissions for the original Operation Keppel inquiry will be handed down at an undisclosed point this year.
READ MORE: Berejiklian warned years ago of boyfriend’s conduct
Adeshola Ore3.35pm: Hunt ‘won’t pre-empt’ AFP process on rape claim
Health Minister Greg Hunt says he does not want to pre-empt the police process about the alleged historic rape by a current cabinet minister, despite NSW Police closing the case.
The police said there was “insufficient admissible evidence” to proceed with the allegation, as Scott Morrison faces increasing pressure to launch an independent inquiry into the allegation.
An anonymous letter sent to Mr Morrison, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young alleges a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988, a claim briefly investigated by NSW Police before the complainant asked for the inquiry to be dropped and later died.
“It was referred the Federal Police by the Prime Minister last week, that is a matter of public record,” Mr Hunt said.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to try to pre-empt police processes, I would want to follow the advice of the Australian Federal Police Commissioner.”
The allegation falls outside the jurisdiction of the Australian Federal Police who were referred to the letter alleging a 1988 by a frontbencher. Those close to the matter said they expected it would likely become a coronial inquiry in South Australia, where the woman lived.
READ MORE: Teenage friend was the sharpest of all
Adeshola Ore3.22pm: Emergency biosecurity powers extended until June
Australia’s emergency biosecurity powers have been extended until June 17.
The laws grant the federal government sweeping powers that can force Australians to provide body samples for diagnosis, undertake treatment or receive a vaccination and remain in their homes or in isolation at a government facility.
“The Governor-General has considered and approved the recommendation that the biosecurity emergency powers be extended for three months,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday.
Mr Hunt said “given the scope and scale of the global pandemic” the decision would not be a surprise.
The Biosecurity Act, introduced in 2015, gives the government special powers to try and stem global pandemics such as COVID-19, including imposing a human biosecurity control on any person displaying symptoms and any other person they have been in contact with.
‘Our country is committed to open borders’
Meanwhile, Mr Hunt has played down Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan’s proposal to extend state border controls, declaring that Australia is a “unified country.”
Mr McGowan flagged he is looking to extend the state’s border controls beyond the pandemic, signalling approvals and tracking of interstate arrivals may become permanent.
He said he was in discussions with the state’s police commissioner over whether the ‘G2G’ system — under which the entry of visitors into the state is logged — could remain indefinitely.
“Our history has been of a single united country since Federation,” Mr Hunt said.
“I think we should all be aware that we belong to a country which under its constitution, is committed to open borders.”
READ MORE:WA Premier looks to enforce border rules beyond pandemic
Adeshola Ore3.15pm:States to be delivered more vaccines, Hunt says
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the federal government will ramp up its distribution of COVID vaccines to states, as the commonwealth faces criticism from premiers about the lack of certainty around dose numbers.
Mr Hunt said more than 443,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine had now arrived in Australia. Additionally, 300,00 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Sydney on Sunday in the first shipment.
Mr Hunt said over the next 10 days, the commonwealth would make 300,000 doses of the two vaccines available to the states.
Mr Hunt said the allocated dose numbers were based on population size.
“We particularly thank them for the work on the rollout,” he said.
Earlier today, Mr Hunt defended the slow rollout of the COVID vaccine in Queensland and Victoria after state premiers called for certainty from the commonwealth on future doses.
The latest Department of Health data showed Victoria administered only 30 per cent of the available doses at state Pfizer hubs to quarantine and hospital workers in the past week, while Queensland — where two people were injected with four times the recommended amount last week — administered only 22 per cent.
Nationally, almost 34,000 Australians were vaccinated in the first week of the national rollout — just above half of the government’s target of 60,000.
“You’ve had some states that have started cautiously and slowly and I was speaking with some of the health ministers last night and they’re ramping up. They’re focused on safety,” Mr Hunt told Sky News.
READ MORE: Time to get back to the office, Covid chief says
Will Glasgow 2.56pm: Warning as envoy defends ‘panda huggers’
A senior Chinese diplomat in Canberra has blamed the Australian media and “totally ridiculous” security concerns for the breakdown in Australia’s relationship with China.
Addressing an audience of business people at a Chinese Lunar New Year dinner in Canberra, China’s deputy head of mission Wang Xining said the rising power would remember who was on its side during the bilateral dispute.
“History will prove that it is wise and visionary to be China’s friends,” said Minister Xining in the first lengthy address given by China’s embassy in Canberra since he spoke at the National Press Club six months ago.
Mr Wang also delivered a warning to those “people in Australia [who] choose to make enemies to sustain a living”.
“Those who deliberately vilify China and sabotage the friendship between our two countries … will be [cast] aside in history,” he said.
“Their children will be ashamed of mentioning their names,” he said, according to a transcript of the speech posted on the Embassy’s website.
The combative speech was the fourth major public intervention by China’s Canberra embassy since the already strained bilateral relationship spiralled to historic depths last April after the Morrison government called for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus without forewarning their Chinese counterparts.
READ the full story here
Patrick Commins 2.35pm: RBA sticks to its plan, leaves rates on hold
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has reiterated that rates would stay low for years, and that the central bank was prepared to do whatever it takes to keep borrowing costs low through the COVID-19 economic recovery.
READ the full story here
Ellie Dudley2.21pm: SA allocated just 20,000 AstraZeneca doses
South Australia has been allocated only 20,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which will arrive in Adelaide tomorrow, the state health minister has announced.
A total of 300,000 doses which were first flown into Australia at the weekend and the federal government released 200,000 to the states.
“The AstraZeneca is a great addition to our suite of vaccines,” SA health minister Stephen Wade said.
“The great benefit to AstraZeneca is it doesn’t have the high cold chain requirements that the Pfizer has.”
The state has also opened a new vaccination hub in Adelaide at the Women’s and Children’s hospital.
The AstraZeneca vaccines are expected to be rolled out nationally this coming Monday.
READ MORE: Vaccine rollout ramped up after target missed
Patrick Commins 2.09pm: HomeBuilder hangover triggers approval plunge
The end of the Morrison government’s $25,000 cash grant to build a new home sent the number of dwelling construction approvals crashing by nearly 20 per cent in January.
Approvals to construct stand-alone houses surged to record highs in December as Australians rushed to qualify for the first phase of the HomeBuilder program. This created a hangover that sent house approvals down by a sharp 12 per cent, Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed.
Approvals to build townhouses and apartments extended a downward trajectory which began in mid 2016, dropping by a further 40 per cent in January to the lowest level in nine years, the ABS reported.
In total, the number of home building approvals dropped by 19.4 per cent to 15,926 in the month, including 12,124 houses and 3434 apartments and townhouses.
Despite the reversal, approvals to build houses remained 38 per cent higher than a year earlier, the ABS seasonally adjusted figures revealed.
READ the full story here
Adeshola Ore2.05pm:Australians ‘willing to pay levy for aged care’
Anthony Albanese says he believes Australians are willing to pay a levy to repair the country’s broken aged-care system after a damning royal commission report was handed down on Monday.
The commission recommended the income of every working Australian should be levied to repair an aged-care system “besieged by neglect”.
“I think Australians want our older people to be dealt with properly. To live with dignity and the respect that they deserve. And I think they know that it just hasn’t been good enough,” the Opposition Leader said on Tuesday.
“What we need to make sure is that every Australian gets the care they deserve.”
Mr Albanese also called on the federal government to hold aged-care providers to account.
“The idea of inspections is just a joke. We know this government has been given essentially a heads-up before inspections occur. That’s not a real inspection. That’s not holding them to account.”
READ MORE: Editorial — Medicare-style aged care an issue for taxpayers
Adeshola Ore 1.46pm:NSW Police close case in rape allegation against minister
NSW Police say an investigation into a rape allegation against a current cabinet minister will not be proceeding, as Scott Morrison faces increasing pressure to launch an independent inquiry into the claim.
The police said there was “insufficient admissible evidence” to proceed with the allegation.
The matter has now been closed with NSW Police.
An anonymous letter sent to Mr Morrison, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young alleges a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988, a claim briefly investigated by NSW Police before the complainant asked for the inquiry to be dropped and later died in. The alleged rape took place in Sydney.
In a statement, NSW Police said it had been the lead agency investigating the case since February 2020.
“For various reasons, the woman did not detail her allegations in a formal statement to NSW Police,” it said.
While the AFP has begun making inquiries, those close to the matter said they expected it would likely become a coronial inquiry in South Australia, where the woman lived, because federal police lack jurisdiction.
In November 2019, the 48-year old woman went to a police station in Adelaide to seek advice about the 1988 alleged rape. The matter was then referred to NSW Police.
The woman passed away in June 2020.
NSW Police said after the woman’s death, the agency obtained a “a personal document purportedly made by the woman previously.”
They said it sought legal advice in relation to these matters, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the investigation.
READ MORE: Minister must go public on rape claim, Turnbull says
Paul Garvey 1.41pm: McGowan eyes extending WA border closure beyond pandemic
WA premier Mark McGowan is looking to extend the state’s border controls beyond the pandemic, flagging that approvals and tracking of interstate arrivals may become permanent.
Mr McGowan said he was in discussions with the state’s police commissioner over whether the ‘G2G’ system – under which the entry of visitors into the state is logged – could remain indefinitely.
He said the border rules had had a dramatic impact on the importation of drugs into the state.
‘We have obviously had a significant reduction in meth usage in Western Australia, part of that is the measures we’ve already taken, our meth action plan but also the border measures,’ he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
‘The police commissioner and I will continue to talk about what can be done to protect the state from the scourge of meth and other drugs and if necessary we will look at measures we can bring in should we be re-elected.’
He said drug use in WA had reduced markedly over the course of the pandemic due to disruptions of supply, and expanding the border restrictions could help maintain that progress.
‘If civil libertarians and the like don’t like that, my argument would be that keeping meth out of Western Australia is very, very important,’ he said.
The High Court ruled last year that WA’s border restrictions were constitutional due to the pandemic, and Mr McGowan said he would seek legal advice as to whether stopping the import of drugs would be similarly valid.
‘Meth is a threat to people’s health and we’ve had a 25 per cent or thereabouts reduction in meth usage, so some of the measures we’ve put in place have worked so we will continue to look at what can be done to keep the people safe from meth across WA.’
He said vehicles crossing the border into WA were already searched for fruit and vegetables, and searches could be expanded to illicit drugs.
The comments come ahead of the March 13 state election.
READ MORE: Jabs blow hole in case for restrictions
Adeshola Ore 1.25pm:Albanese: Untenable for PM not to resolve rape accusation
Anthony Albanese says it is untenable for Scott Morrison not to investigate and “resolve” the accusation of rape against his cabinet minister.
An anonymous letter sent to Mr Morrison, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young alleges a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988, a claim briefly investigated by NSW Police before the complainant asked for the inquiry to be dropped and later died.
“The idea that this can just be allowed to drift and just stay where it is in my view untenable,’’ the Opposition Leader said today. “There is a dark cloud now over the government. And Scott Morrison needs to recognise that.
“Of course the Prime Minister needs to do more.”
Mr Albanese refused to say if he believed an MP should step down if they faced a rape allegation, but said there needed to be “some resolution.”
Mr Morrison has rejected calls to stand down the accused minister and hold an independent inquiry about the allegation which has engulfed the government. He said the minister had “categorically” denied the allegations, made public on Friday.
Mr Morrison said the minister should not have to stand aside because allegations had been raised in the media. He said he had raised the allegations with the Australian Federal Police.
Senator Hanson-Young, who also received the anonymous letter last week and referred the matter to the AFP, said police would be unable to investigate the accusation now the woman was dead and called on the minister to stand aside.
READ MORE: Paul Barry, Louise Milligan do battle
Ellie Dudley 12.43pm: Blueprint to change lives on mental health
Daniel Andrews has said the Victorian government now has a “clear blueprint” to change the lives of Victorians living with mental illness, after his government committed to accept the 65 recommendations that came from today’s royal commission findings.
The Premier said the “profound investment in the system” is already underway through changes being made in regards to the nine changes outlined in an interim report from November.
“We are rolling out beds, opening up additional services and dealing with the nine recommendations that were provided in the first report,” he said.
“It will take some time, but I think that this is not a cost. This really is a profound investment in the system.”
Mr Andrews said he has spoken to Scott Morrison “many, many times” about a partnership between the state and federal government to support mental health reform.
He said “by the end of this year” there would be a national partnership between the two governments that will be “the best practice model that all the other states and territories can follow.”
“I’m very grateful to the PM for a genuine and heartfelt commitment to working together,” he said.
READ MORE: New stadium eyed for 2032 Olympics
Charlie Peel12.19pm: Palaszczuk to Frydenberg: Go to Cairns and talk to people
Annastacia Palaszczuk has challenged Josh Frydenberg to visit Cairns to speak with tourism operators crying out for JobKeeper to be continued.
The Queensland Premier’s comments on Tuesday were the latest in a tit-for-tat between her and the Federal Treasurer over the government’s subsidy scheme, which is due to end this month.
“When JobKeeper ends there are going to be a lot of people in the tourism industry that are really going to be feeling the effects of it,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I notice that Josh Frydenberg said some words today. I’d like to say one thing to Josh Frydenberg: go up to Cairns and talk to people.
“I’m repeating what people are saying to me. It’s about listening to people. Yes, people can have opinions and you can have facts, but when you listen to people first-hand and you hear how they’re feeling and what they’re worried about, you only get to know that if you sit down and talk to them.”
Her comments referred to an op-ed written by Mr Frydenberg in which he accused her of “grandstanding and petty politicking” and said the Morrison government had done the heavy lifting when it came to stimulus during the coronavirus pandemic.
READ MORE: Flyers in a flap over Birdsville nap ban
Adeshola Ore 12.06pm: Rape allegations lie with state jurisdictions: AFP chief
Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw says the agency is liaising with South Australian and NSW police about the rape allegation against a current cabinet minister, as Scott Morrison rejects calls to stand him down and hold an independent inquiry.
An anonymous letter sent to Mr Morrison, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young alleges a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988, a claim briefly investigated by NSW Police before the complainant asked for the inquiry to be dropped and later died. The federal police have also been sent an email which alleges a historic rape by a current Labor MP.
Mr Kershaw said the role of the AFP in these matters were to “liaise and support” state police.
“The jurisdiction, as you are aware, doesn’t rest with the AFP, and they are historical matters, which we are liaising with the various state jurisdictions on those matters,” he told 2GB radio.
Those close to the matter said they expected it would likely become a coronial inquiry in South Australia, where the woman lived because federal police lack jurisdiction. The alleged rape took place in Sydney.
Ms Hanson-Young, who also received the anonymous letter last week and referred the matter to the AFP, said police would be unable to investigate the accusation now the woman was dead and called on the minister to stand aside.
READ MORE: Minister must go public on rape claim, Turnbull says
Lachlan Moffet Gray12.00pm: JobKeeper cuts drive down deficits
Australian governments more than halved their combined operating deficit in the December quarter, falling from more than $90bn to $39.75bn as taxation revenue lifted 16 per cent to $147.5bn, according to the ABS.
The improvement in the total government financial position was driven mostly by the federal government’s JobKeeper scheme moving to a reduced rate in its second phase, alongside an $18.7bn increase in taxation revenue.
But total state and local general government net operating balance was -$9.9bn, a decrease of approximately 30 per cent from the September quarter’s $6.3bn.
All states recorded a decline due in part to payroll tax relief measures, with the exception of WA.
“Western Australia was the only state to record a positive net operating balance due to continued strength in revenues from royalties and stamp duties on conveyances,” the ABS said.
READ MORE: Federal Liberals stay away as WA rout looms
Ellie Dudley 11.52am: ‘Great opportunities’ for reform in mental health
The chair of the royal commission into the mental health of Victorians said the inquiry has revealed both the impact of a “broken system” on people, as well as “great opportunities” to reform.
“The contributions we received left us in no doubt that the system had, indeed, failed, and had been failing for decades,” Chair Penny Armytage said.
Ms Armytage also referenced a statement given by a witness before the commission who said it “wasn’t until I worked in advocacy that I started to understand that a big part of what I was struggling with was a broken and traumatic system. I had, up until that point, thought … I was a broken and ill person.”
The commission has concluded that the system reacts to mental health crises, rather than preventing them.
READ MORE:Editorial — Crunch time for our universities
Ellie Dudley11.42pm:Queensland records zero new local virus cases
Queensland has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, and four from overseas travellers which were detected in hotel quarantine.
Tuesday 2 March – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 2, 2021
• 0 new locally acquired cases
• 4 overseas acquired cases
• 14 active cases
• 1,335 total cases
• 1,962,878 tests conducted
Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,313 patients have recovered.#covid19pic.twitter.com/t7WnlnFjJ1
The state conducted 5852 tests over the past 24 hours.
There are now 14 active cases in Queensland.
READ MORE: Super assets top $3 trillion for first time
Ellie Dudley11.36am:Andrews ‘recognises profound mental health failures’
Premier Daniel Andrews has said his government is committed to “implementing every single one” of the 65 recommendations outlined in the royal commission into the mental health of Victorians released today.
“The truth is, that suffering just isn’t being taken seriously enough,” he wrote in a statement released shortly after the report was released.
“These big gaps in the system mean that people are falling between the cracks.”
Mr Andrews said his government recognised “the profound failures” of the system, and committed to implementing all of the recommendations made.
The statement concluded with a promise from Mr Andrew to take “ongoing action” to remedy the system, as “lives are counting on it.”
Mr Andrews is expected to give a press conference at 12.30pm alongside the Minister for Mental Health, James Merlino.
READ MORE: Victorian mental health system ‘catastrophically failed’
Ellie Dudley 11.31am: ‘Unrealistic’ to think pandemic will end this year
A World Health Organisation Official has said it would be “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the COVID-19 pandemic would be over this year.
Michael Ryan, director of WHO’s emergencies program, told a briefing today that the virus is “very much in control.”
It comes as it emerged the number of new coronavirus infections globally last week rose for the first time in seven weeks.
“If we’re smart, we can finish with the hospitalisations and the deaths and the tragedy associated with this pandemic [by the end of 2020],” Dr Ryan said.
“If the vaccines begin to impact not only on death and not only on hospitalisation, but have a significant impact on transmission dynamics and transmission risk, then I believe we will accelerate toward controlling this pandemic.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the rise in case numbers this week was “disappointing, but not surprising.”
He said that if countries rely solely on vaccines “they are making a mistake”, pleading with people to continue to implement public health measures.
READ MORE: Creighton — How the West became more like China
Ellie Dudley 11.16am:NSW records no new local virus cases
New South Wales has recorded no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19, and three in overseas arrivals in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, the 44th consecutive day without a locally acquired case. Three new cases were acquired overseas, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,994. pic.twitter.com/GEQtWH7Lwm
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 2, 2021
Testing rates dropped from the numbers of the day prior, to 7576 tests compared to 10,652.
“With new cases being regularly detected among overseas arrivals, there is still a risk of COVID-19 spreading into the NSW community,” Dr Christine Selvey from NSW Health said today.
It is critical that everyone continues to come forward for testing if they have even the mildest of cold-like symptoms.”
The state currently has 39 active cases, one of whom is in intensive care.
READ MORE: ‘Astonishing’ borrowing binge hits $28bn
Finn McHugh10.58am:‘Petty’: Brawl erupts over JobKeeper
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has hit back at Annastacia Palaszczuk, accusing the Queensland Premier of “grandstanding and petty politicking” over her call to extend JobKeeper.
Ms Palaszczuk branded Mr Frydenberg “completely out of touch” over issues affecting Queenslanders, as the federal government stands firm on a plan to end its JobKeeper payment by the end of the month.
But Mr Frydenberg has hit back in an editorial for The Courier Mail, accusing the Queensland Premier of “grandstanding and petty politicking”.
“The reality is the Morrison government has already delivered to Queenslanders more than three times the amount of economic support than the Palaszczuk government has committed to,” he wrote.
“No amount of grandstanding and petty politicking by the Queensland Premier will detract from the indisputable fact that when it comes to the economic response in Queensland, the Morrison government has done the bulk of the heavy lifting.”
Ms Palaszczuk warned on Monday one in twenty Queenslanders would be cut off from support when JobKeeper ended, claiming “Queensland is not getting a fair go from Canberra”.
But Mr Frydenberg said Queensland had provided the lowest level of economic support of any state or territory since COVID-19 began.
He said the Palaszczuk government had spent just 2 per cent of Gross State Product on support, compared to 9 per cent in Victoria and 7 per cent in NSW.
“Unfortunately for Queenslanders, when it comes to the level of state government support, this is one State of Origin contest their government doesn’t win,” he said.
Queensland’s tourism industry has been slow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear date for the reopening of international borders.
Ms Palaszczuk has consistently called for JobKeeper to be extended for the sector, but said those demands “had fallen on deaf ears”.
— NCA Newswire
READ MORE: Boom times for housing in the regions
Ellie Dudley 10.49am:Vaccine rollout ‘should end snap border closures’
The Business Council of Australia has said now that the government has finalised the vaccine rollout plan, there should be “no more knee-jerk reactions” that have caused “monumental” costs to the country.
“Now that we know much more about the virus and have a clear vaccination rollout plan, there should be no excuse for knee-jerk reactions,” Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.
Domestic border closures cost Australia $2.1 billion a month and over 52 per cent of Australians say they won’t travel because they fear snap border closures, according to a statement released by the council.
Ms Westacott described the vaccine rollout as “our best opportunity to open key sectors of the economy.”
She also said the Business Council is using the vaccine rollout as an opportunity to call on the national cabinet to give people the ability to plan and “get on with opening the country back up.”
“National cabinet must adopt a risk based approach to opening the economy in line with the vaccine rollout, monitoring vaccine take up and effectiveness as we go,” she said.
READ MORE: JobKeeper subsidy ‘distorts’ employment market
Ellie Dudley10.34am: PM must ‘live by his words’ over rape accusations
Federal Labor MP Andrew Leigh has said Scott Morrison needs to “live by the words that he uttered” when asked about the allegations of historic rape by a current cabinet minister in Parliament House.
“The Prime Minister needs to live by the words that he uttered when the issue of sexual assault in Parliament House came up, saying that we need to take this seriously,” Mr Leigh told 2SM radio this morning.
Mr Leigh added that the minister should potentially step down from his position while a full investigation is conducted.
“We need a full investigation of what’s gone on and potentially the minister should also stand aside during the course of that investigation,” he said.
READ MORE:Bramston — PM manages Libs with shrewdness of Howard
David Swan 10.05am:Will Zoom thrive after lockdown?
The video calling company’s shares are up 10 per cent on strong results, but key questions remain.
Zoom – the leader in modern enterprise video communications – once again delivered an earnings beat with $1.22 per share on revenues of $888.25 million, compared to analyst expectations of profits of 78 cents per share on revenues of $810 million.
Zoom’s share price has already reacted out of hours, climbing more than 10 per cent.
FOLLOW live tech news updates at The Download
Michael McKenna10.00am: ‘End infighting plaguing Queensland LNP’
Queensland’s Liberal National Party is ramping-up its fundraising ahead of the next federal election as its acting president conceded internal tensions has plagued the party.
In an email to LNP members on Sunday, Cynthia Hardy said the infighting between the organisational and parliamentary wings had been repeatedly raised as an issue during a tour of branches for a review of last year’s state election campaign.
The LNP was comprehensively defeated at the October 31 state election, with some members partly blaming the loss on an unsuccessful move from headquarters to oust then Opposition leader Deb Frecklington just months before polling day.
It led to the resignation of then LNP president David Hutchinson, already under pressure over his links to party rival and then employer Clive Palmer.
In her email Ms Hardy said the LNP was gearing-up for the federal election, which isn’t due until next year, and that officials were working on putting an end to the infighting.
READ the full story here
Ellie Dudley9.48am:Aged services body sorry for ‘unacceptable’ behaviour
Aged and Community Services Australia has apologised on behalf of the 1000 organisations the group represents for the “unacceptable” behaviour of providers.
Chief Executive Patricia Sparrow said that the group “apologise to those who have had less than the care they deserve.”
“We acknowledge and accept there are instances of substandard care,” she told the ABC.
However, she also said that there were a range of “systemic issues” raised in the royal commission that need to be addressed to “make sure we can deliver the quality of care that people are expecting.”
“Both governments, successive governments, both sides of politics, have picked and tinkered around the edges and made some changes, but we haven’t actually undertaken fundamental reform,” she said.
“What is really critical now is the Royal Commission laid out a blueprint for reform.”
Ms Sparrow was not able to commit to the proposed star rating system for aged care facilities, saying that “we are looking at all of the recommendations.”
“At this stage I can say to you we’re open, we’re willing, we’re wanting to work with government,” she said.
She said the group was not focused on how funding was acquired for the recommendations, but said it “needs to be increased.”
“However we do that, we’ll be supportive of that move,” she said.
READ MORE: ‘Chance to make up for years of neglect’
Ellie Dudley 9.26am:Tourism suffering because of snap border closures: Frydenberg
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has once again condemned “short, sharp” state border closures, identifying them as the reason the tourism sector is suffering.
“We need those short sharp border closures to come to an end,” he told radio show Tasmania Talks.
In January, the federal government took aim at Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for closing the borders when small numbers of COVID-19 cases were recorded in other states.
Ms Palaszczuk defended her decision to protect the state, and called on the government to provide more support to the struggling tourism sector.
Mr Frydenberg reignited the debate today, when he said it was the “short sharp border closures that mean people cancel their holidays and flights.”
He added that he hopes the introduction of the vaccine will mean there will be “more tourism activity.”
In regards to the rollout, Mr Frydenberg said the government was “going as quickly as possible” adding that his foreign counterparts “marvel” at Australia’s capacity to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine on shore.
READ MORE: Dear Australia, we need to talk
Adeshola Ore 8.52am:Hunt defends slow vaccine rollout to states
Health Minister Greg Hunt has defended the slow rollout of the COVID vaccine in Queensland and Victoria after state premiers called for certainty from the commonwealth on future doses.
The latest Department of Health data showed Victoria administered only 30 per cent of the available doses at state Pfizer hubs to quarantine and hospital workers in the past week, while Queensland — where two people were injected with four times the recommended amount last week — administered only 22 per cent.
Nationally, almost 34,000 Australians were vaccinated in the first week of the national rollout — just above half of the government’s target of 60,000.
“You’ve had some states that have started cautiously and slowly, and I was speaking with some of the health ministers last night and they’re ramping up. They’re focused on safety,” Mr Hunt told Sky News.
On Monday NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Queensland leader Annastacia Palaszczuk called on the federal government to provide them with more data on the number of doses that will arrive in Australia at the end of the month.
But Mr Hunt said Pfizer had yet to tell the government how many doses it would deliver in week four of the vaccine rollout.
READ MORE: Premier feels heat on emails scandal
Adeshola Ore 8.39am: Needs-based funding model for aged care
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck says the federal government will consider an open-ended needs-based funding model for aged care after a damning royal commission report was handed down on Monday.
The commission recommended the income of every working Australian should be levied to repair an aged-care system “besieged by neglect”. It also called for the system to be overhauled, and two decades of legislation underpinning its operation to be torn up, but was split about how to ensure a universal entitlement to quality and safe care.
A comprehensive response to the royal commission’s recommendations is expected to be released in the May federal budget.
Senator Colbeck told the ABC the federal government would consider a needs-based funding model for the sector.
“Of course we have to consider all of the implications of that, and how we found it. And who pays. So there are a number of elements that go into this,” he said.
“The commission has made a number of recommendations around all of these matters. And it’s now our responsibility to consider those.”
Scott Morrison said the government would start work immediately on new aged-care legislation and allocate an additional $452m to support improvements in the sector.
READ MORE:Call for transformation, not tinkering
Ellie Dudley 8.36am: Victoria records another day of zero local cases
Victoria has recorded no new cases of locally transmitted coronavirus, and none acquired overseas.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 13,525 test results were received. Thanks for getting tested - #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 1, 2021
More later: https://t.co/2vKbgKHFvv#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/nxweDyyOdM
A total of 13,525 tests have been conducted in Victoria over the past 24 hours.
The state now has 10 active cases.
READ MORE: James Kirby — History suggests property bounce has further to go
Ellie Dudley8.29am:Hunt: delayed aged response due to split recommendations
Health Minister Greg Hunt has defended the government against claims that they’re acting too slowly when it comes to aged care reform, while refusing to say when the Medicare levy will begin.
Mr Hunt said the federal government was making “profound decisions about the future of the country” but said due to the size of the report, it must be handled carefully.
“[The report is] monumental work two years in the making, eight volumes, 2500 pages, 148 recommendations,” he told the ABC. “That deserves to be treated with the utmost gravity.”
Mr Hunt was asked twice when the proposed Medicare levy to assist funding the reforms would begin. But he said he was “not providing our final response” due to a “split recommendation from the commissioners.”
However, this morning, Chief Executive of the Council on the Ageing Ian Yates said he didn’t think the commissioners were “in conflict.”
Mr Hunt said the “good news” was that everyone involved “agrees on the cultural change.”
READ MORE: Practical measures won’t come fast or cheap
Adeshola Ore8.19am: Turnbull urges rape accused minister to identify himself
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged the cabinet minister accused of a historic rape to identify himself, as Scott Morrison rejects calls to stand him down and hold an independent inquiry.
On Monday, the Prime Minister said the accused minister had “vigorously rejected” the allegations and said it was a matter for the police.
An anonymous letter sent to Mr Morrison, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young alleges a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988, a claim briefly investigated by NSW Police before the complainant asked for the inquiry to be dropped and later died.
Mr Turnbull, who said he was contacted by the victim in December 2019, said the accused minister should come forward and publicly address the allegation.
“The fact is, he owes it to his colleagues and the country to step out, to step forward and say right I’m the person referred to, and then set out all the details,” he told ABC radio.
Mr Turnbull has also called for a coronial inquiry into the woman’s death.
“He should provide a comprehensive statement of what he knows about the allegations. If he’s vigorously denied them to the Prime Minister, he should vigorously deny them to the public,” he said.
“He should describe when he knew the woman, how he knew the woman, what dealings he had with the woman after the events.”
Mr Turnbull said it was “vitally important” the accused minister addressed what he knew about the complaint and when he was made aware of it.
On Monday, Mr Morrison said the minister should not have to stand aside because allegations had been raised in the media. He said he had raised the allegations with the Australian Federal Police. There are, however, growing doubts police will be able to investigate because the woman who alleged the rape died in June.
Mr Turnbull said it was “not good enough” for Mr Morrison to say it was a matter for the police.
“The Prime Minister cannot outsource his responsibility for composing his ministry to the police.
“We are seriously going to have a question time where the opposition asks every single minister whether they are the person named in the complaint,” he said.
READ MORE: ‘My teenage friend was the sharpest of them all’
Ellie Dudley8.06am:Victoria to release mental health findings
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s “broken” mental health system will release its final report this morning.
The findings from the report will be handed down during a joint sitting of parliament, after they were delayed by a month due to the coronavirus.
Commission chair Penny Armytage, leading psychiatrist Patrick McGorry and a community member with experience of mental illness are expected to address the state parliament today.
Premier Daniel Andrews, Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien and Mental Health Minister James Merlino will also speak.
The inquiry was called in 2019 and has held public hearings and responded to the submissions from hundreds of people across the state.
Early findings from the commission found Victoria spent less per capita on mental health than any other Australian state or territory, and more than 100,000 Victorians seeking professional mental health assistance could not access it.
In November 2019, an interim report said the system was “broken” and made nine recommendations.
READ MORE: Report fails to map out clear path
Ellie Dudley 7.35am:Aged care sector lacking governance, leadership
Chief Executive of the Council on the Ageing Ian Yates says the aged care sector “does not have the proper governance and leadership” it needs, adding that the sector also needs much more money.
The Aged Care Royal Commission released its final report yesterday, revealing 148 recommendations for the industry.
Mr Yates said the sector needs better leadership, regulation and rewards for providers who are treating their staff well.
“We need a good kind of leadership and we need strong regulation but we also need rewards for the good providers,” he told Today.
“We need more allied health staff. We need more carers. We need more nurses. We need an awful lot more staff overall and that’s 70 per cent of the cost of the aged care system.”
Mr Yates called some of the findings of the report a “disgrace.”
The two commissioners in charge of the report — Gaetano Pagone and Lynelle Briggs — differed in some of their recommendations and observations, but Mr Yates said “they can be worked through.”
“I don’t think they’re in conflict,’’ he said. “They have different views on how the government should raise the money that will be needed, and how the system should be managed.’’
He also called on the federal government to share their timetable for the recommendations, and the budget surrounding them.
READ MORE:Sarah Holland Batt — Appalling treatment of elders has to stop
Ellie Dudley7am:‘Something big has to be done on aged care’
Bill Shorten has urged Scott Morrison to take the “opportunity” to reform the aged care system, adding that “something big has to be done”.
After yesterday’s Aged Care Royal Commission made 148 recommendations to fix the “flawed” system, the former Labor leader said Mr Morrison was “under more pressure than any other leader before him”.
“He’s the one who has to say ‘We are going to fix this, and fix this once and for all’,” Mr Shorten told Today.
Mr Shorten didn’t directly support Mr Morrison’s proposed Medicare-style levy to fund the system, saying Labor did not have a “final view” on it.
“We have to make big, big change,” he said. “You can’t do this system on the cheap. Will we need to have a Medicare Levy to help pay for the system? What we’ve got to do, if we
say that, is not turn it into a left-right tit-for-tat political Punch and Judy show and say it is a new tax.”
READ MORE:Editorial — Medicare-style aged care an issue for taxpayers
Richard Ferguson5.10am:Queensland, Victoria trail nation on vaccine rollout
Queensland and Victoria are lagging behind the rest of the nation in administering COVID-19 vaccines as state premiers demand Scott Morrison give more certainty on future doses.
New data from the federal health department shows Victoria administered only 30 per cent of the available doses at state Pfizer hubs to quarantine and hospital workers in the past week, while Queensland — where two people were injected with four times the recommended amount — only administered 22 per cent.
Both NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Queensland leader Annastacia Palaszczuk are now calling on the federal government to provide them with more data on the number of doses which will arrive in Australia at the end of the month.
But Health Minister Greg Hunt said Pfizer had yet to tell the government how many doses they would deliver in week four of the vaccine rollout. Mr Hunt said the recent arrival of AstraZeneca doses in Australia and greater numbers of the Pfizer vaccine would see more Australians being vaccinated in the next few weeks.
Read the full story here.
Glenda Korporaal5am:Time’s up for JobKeeper, COVID-19 tsar insists
The continuation of JobKeeper beyond its current end date would risk distorting the job market, discouraging workers meeting increasing job shortages in agriculture, food processing, health care, tourism and hospitality, the chair of the national COVID Commission Nev Power has warned.
“The time has come for JobKeeper to end because of the risk of it distorting the labour market,” he said in an interview with The Australian ahead of a speech to the Australian Institute of Company Directors governance conference on Tuesday.
He said the continuation of JobKeeper, which provides a subsidy for employers of businesses hit by COVID to retain workers, meant that some businesses were still hanging onto workers they would ultimately lay off one the allowance stopped at the end of March.
Read the full story here.
Patrick Commins4.45am:COVID-19 jabs blow hole in case for restrictions
Big business has called on leaders at Friday’s national cabinet meeting to commit to progressively removing restrictions in line with the national rollout of vaccines over the coming months.
Business Council of Australia boss Jennifer Westacott said that “every time a vaccine is administered, the risks diminish, so it makes sense to phase out restrictions as our vaccinated population grows”.
In a new report, the BCA has laid out a framework for a progressive removal of the restrictions to match the Morrison government’s national vaccine strategy, which projects that all Australian adults will be inoculated against the virus by October.
Ms Westacott called on state and territory leaders to “permanently” reopen their borders and to lift all capacity caps for venues and workplaces by the time 6.8 million vulnerable Australians and high-risk workers are vaccinated under the second of the rollout strategy’s five steps.
“Domestic border closures cost Australia $2.1bn a month,” Ms Westacott said, while more than half of Australians say they won’t travel, “not because of fear of the virus, but because they fear snap border closures”.
Read the full story here.
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