Former Federal Court judge Barbara Baker appointed 29th Governor of Tasmania

Former Federal Circuit Court judge Barbara Baker will become Tasmania’s 29th governor, replacing Kate Warner when her term ends next month, as she reveals the issues most important to her.

FORMER Federal Circuit Court judge Barbara Baker will become Tasmania’s 29th governor, replacing Kate Warner when her term ends next month, Premier Peter Gutwein announced on Thursday.

Ms Baker’s appointment was made after consultation with the leaders of the three political parties and with the approval of Queen Elizabeth II, Mr Gutwein said.

Tasmanian Governor Designate Barbara Baker at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

The governor-designate had enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the law, as well as a being state representative in hockey and real tennis, the premier said at a media conference in Hobart to announced the appointment.

“Ms Baker, as a committed Tasmania, comes the role following a distinguished career as a judge in the Federal Circuit Court in Australia, as well as having extensive service in the administration of justice and the law more broadly,” Mr Gutwein said.

Mr Gutwein paid tribute to Ms Warner and thanked her for remaining in the role during the COVID pandemic and acknowledges the high regard in which she was held.

Ms Baker said she was looking forward to performing the role, saying Ms Warner left big shoes to fill.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be selected as governor-designate and I look forward to the opportunity to serve and work hard for the people of our state,” she said. “As an enthusiastic Tasmanian, also to undertake the important role of safeguarding the Tasmanians constitution and the democratic parliamentary system of government for Tasmania.”

Tasmanian Governor-Designate Barbara Baker and Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

She said she hoped to draw on her legal expertise and experience as a judge.

“I’m particularly interested in issues that affect women, such as gender equality and family violence,” she said.

“Through my role, I hope to raise awareness of the devastating impact of family violence, loss of housing and the financial impacts on women and children, and the impact of addictive behaviours on them.”

Ms Baker is married to Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers. The couple have two daughters and two grandsons — as well as two dogs who the governor designate said she was relived would be allowed to join them at Government House.

She will take up her position Ms Warner finishes in the role after June 9.

Major milestone keeps Tassie ahead of the nation

TASMANIA is leading the nation in the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations, Premier Peter Gutwein says.

Marking one year since the last case of COVID in the local community, Mr Gutwein said the state was making excellent progress in protecting people against the virus.

“Now we know that getting vaccinated is a key safeguard and over the weekend we reached another milestone with 100,000 doses of the COVID vaccine now administered to Tasmanians,” he said.

“As a result, Tasmania is leading the way in Australia’s vaccination efforts.

“We now have 19 per cent of our eligible state’s population having received their first vaccination compared to the current national total of only 13 per cent.”

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said having the majority of the population vaccinated was the key to being confident that any outbreaks could be contained without further lockdowns.

“We really want to keep cracking on with our vaccination uptake to push the vaccination coverage as high as we can get, probably somewhere in the range of 80 per cent or higher population, that we really need to have immunised to have a reasonable degree of confidence that the virus is less likely to spread through the community,” he said.

Premier Peter Gutwein hailed the 100,000 vaccinations. Picture: Eddie Safarik

Health Department secretary Katherine Morgan-Wicks said the state had reached the 100,000 dose mark in 12 weeks — and another are 50,000 doses expected to be delivered in the next three weeks.

She said of the doses delivered to date, 49,739 had been administered in state clinics, 8674 had been delivered in aged care and almost 42,000 delivered by GPs.

Federal Labor MP Julie Collins said evidence before the Disability Royal Commission had revealed just eight Tasmanians in disability residential care had received vaccines.

Federal Labor has labelled the figure a “shameful and heartbreaking failure” for some of the state’s most vulnerable people.

Nationwide, just 834 people out of an estimated 26,000 Australians in disability care homes had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of May 6 despite being a priority group along with aged care residents and frontline workers.

Health Minister Greg Hunt later confirmed 999 disability care home residents had been vaccinated, along with 1527 support workers as of Monday.

The state government has denied claims just eight disability aged care residents had received a COVID-19 vaccination. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Labor frontbencher Julie Collins and Senator Carol Brown have called on the Commonwealth to act immediately to ensure Tasmanians in disability care homes were vaccinated.

“It should not take a royal commission hearing to embarrass the Morrison government into doing its job,” they said in a statement.

But Ms Morgan-Wicks said far more than eight disability care residents had been vaccinated — and the state had offered help with the federal vaccination program

“We’ve looked into that number and we understand actually eight disability homes have been vaccinated,” she said.

“We’ve spoken here before about the Commonwealth being responsible for the rollout to the disability sector, however, we’ve offered to the Commonwealth that support and we are actually outbound calling, for example, our disability sector workers to assist in vaccinating.”

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Victorian locations high-risk after COVID case

TASMANIA has declared a number of Victorian locations as high-risk following a case of COVID-19 in a recently returned traveller who had completed quarantine.

Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr Julie Graham, said effective from 12.01am Wednesday, 12 May anyone who had been in those locations needed to isolate.

“This decision has been made in response to an announcement by Victoria of a case of COVID-19 in a recently returned traveller who had completed 14 days quarantine in South Australia.

“Authorities in both Victoria and South Australia are investigating the source of the infection.

“Anyone who arrived in Tasmania from Victoria on or after 5 May has been contacted

and advised to review the list of high-risk premises.”

The locations are in the areas of Altona North and Epping.

TIC Group at 232 Blackshaws Rd, Altona North is an initial exposure site linked to a new COVID-19 positive case in Melbourne. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Anyone who has been at these sites at the time and date specified is required to isolate immediately and call the Public Health Hotline … for further advice and to arrange testing.

“A person who intends to travel to Tasmania who has been at a high-risk premises at the dates and times specified will not be permitted to enter Tasmania unless approved by the Deputy State Controller as an Essential Traveller.

“The list of high-risk premises may change as the Victoria public health response progresses and it should be checked regularly by anyone who has recently been in Victoria.

Dr Graham said anyone with cold or flu symptoms, even mild should contact the Public

Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange a test.

Further advice will be issued as Victorian authorities continue contact tracing. Visit www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au for the latest Tasmanian information and a list of these premises.