That's it for today, thanks for reading
Here’s the main stories on Sunday, 5 December:
- The prime minister, Scott Morrison, again says he thinks Australians have had a “gutful of governments in their lives”, repeating the phrase he used last month when commenting about anti-lockdown protests in Victoria;
- The former Gardening Australia host Peter Cundall has died, aged 94;
- Omicron cases climb in NSW, but Victorian premier Daniel Andrews say he does not expect his government, or that of his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet, will tighten restrictions despite the new variant;
- Australian children aged five to 11 are set to receive the Pfizer Covid vaccine from mid-January after the TGA grants provisional approval; and
- Victoria records 980 cases, seven deaths; NSW records 286 locally acquired Covid-19 cases, one death; the ACT records six new cases; with no new cases in Queensland, the Northern Territory or Western Australia (South Australia and Tasmania figures had not been updated).
More reactions to the passing of Peter Cundall:
Sad news, and a sad day for all gardening lovers. https://t.co/IkaIlgj1Tq
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) December 5, 2021
What a lovely man he was. https://t.co/I81SQPRZ3J
— James Jeffrey (@James_Jeffrey) December 5, 2021
Peter Cundall’s family have issued the following statement about his death:
On Sun 5th of December 2021, Peter Cundall passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by his family.
Peter’s privacy, and the privacy of his family, is to be respected during this very sad time.
Peter’s family does not wish to be contacted.
While he was loved by many, as per Peter’s wishes, there will be a private cremation and no memorial services will be held. An obituary is to follow.
Updated
Former ABC managing director Mark Scott has just posted this about the news of Peter Cundall’s passing:
What a lovely, warm and generous man he was. https://t.co/ksfc2L9oqn
— Mark Scott (@mscott) December 5, 2021
Gardening legend Peter Cundall dies, aged 94
The ABC is reporting that Peter Cundall, the much-loved former host of Gardening Australia, died earlier today.
Peter Cundall has passed away peacefully today after a short illness. He was 94 @abcnews pic.twitter.com/Fhj3Ufy5E0
— Monte Bovill (@MonteBovill) December 5, 2021
Morrison repeats that Australians have had a "gutful of governments in their lives"
Morrison was asked about doing two media events today, and whether the election campaign is already underway (he was on the track at the Bathurst 1000 earlier). He said he visited central NSW to see the flood damage and thank those who had volunteered, but noted:
Someone else is campaigning and politicking back in the inner city, and we’re here out in central western New South Wales, listening carefully to the impact of these floods on their properties and on their futures.
And it was great to be at Bathurst today, it wasn’t the first time I’ve been to Bathurst, it was great to be back at Bathurst, it was great to see everyone there, because that’s what we’ve been working towards.
That’s what the premier and I particularly have been working towards. We’ve been working towards Australians getting their lives back. What we’re about is getting governments out of your lives, because I think Australians have had a gutful of governments in their lives in the past few years, and they’re looking forward to getting back in the driver’s seat, and I want to put Australians back in the driver’s seat.
The “gutful” comments echo similar remarks Morrison made last month.
Updated
Morrison on the Labor party’s $1.2bn proposal to fund skills training shortages in Tafes and universities:
We already are putting that investment in, and you’ve got to remember it was Labor who ripped out $1.2bn out of school’s apprenticeships when they were in government, and they took 100,000 ... 100,000 apprenticeships out of work and out of the system, that’s their record.
Labor is going to say a lot of things between now and the next election, they said they weren’t going to have a carbon tax last time, and they ended up putting one in. They saw electricity prices double on their watch, whereas under our government, electricity prices have been falling by over 3% on average every year over the last three years since I was elected at the last election.
So you’ll hear a lot from Labor, there’ll be a lot of noise, but the only way you really understand what a Labor government will do is what they did last time they were in government.
Updated
Morrison wraps it up fairly quickly. Standby and I’ll unpack all that a little more in a tic.
Morrison also repeats his desire for “governments to get out of people’s lives”.
Morrison is asked about the Labor party’s announcement today about an investment in skills training. He segues into talking about how Labor will make promises they may not keep, like the carbon tax. He also is asked whether it’s the start of the election campaign, given he has done two events today, and mentions someone else politicking in the “inner city”.
Updated
Morrison is taking questions. He says partnerships with state governments will be very important when it comes to vaccinating 5-to 11-year-olds, given many of those children will attend schools. It is a tacit suggestion (as the Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said earlier) that school-based vaccination programs could be how the rollout for this age group occurs.
Updated
Perrottet says the “constructive relationship” between the state and federal government over the past couple of years demonstrates they will also be able to work together to overcome the flood damage.
He went to his first Bathurst today (with Morrison), and says he was thrilled that the high vaccination rate had allowed the event to happen.
Morrison says the rural economy has to fire, so he hopes locals can recover quickly. He says:
They have to get back on the front foot to grow the food and fibre...that the central west is famous for.
He says 2021 is in the rear-vision mirror, and his government is like the “drivers at Bathurst” looking through the front windscreen to a future after the pandemic.
Morrison is talking about his two previous visits to the central west, which were because of the drought and bushfires, and now it’s floods. He and Perrottet are joined by the local member and former Nationals leader Michael McCormack.
Morrison and Perrottet speak to media
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, and NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, are speaking to the media in Forbes, where they have visited flood damaged areas.
Updated
I’m finishing up for today, so I will once again hand over the blog to Nino Bucci!
The Bureau of Meteorology says there will be no flight interruptions caused by the eruption of a volcano in Indonesia.
The eruption of Mt Semeru, which has killed at least 13 people, could have also caused havoc with the aviation industry.
But meteorologist Sarah Scully said that unless it erupted again, it was not expected volcanic ash would cause any flights to be suspended.
She said:
Luckily the areas had fairly widespread showers and a tropical thunderstorm, which has washed the atmosphere of volcanic ash.
Unless there’s another eruption, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on it ... the danger has passed.
Updated
The Age’s state political reporter, Sumeyya Ilanbey, is reporting that the Victorian Liberal party state conference has passed a motion calling for the party to adopt a program to train, retain and mentor women.
This comes after state conference voted down a motion opposing any kind of gender or other diversity quotas.
Another motion which has called on the party to adopt a program to train, retain and mentor women has been passed. The motion was amended to drop a clause that called on the party to adopt gender and multicultural quotas for candidate training programs. https://t.co/n6Z3rAMNs6
— Sumeyya Ilanbey (@sumeyyailanbey) December 5, 2021
Updated
Clover Moore has released a video celebrating her all but certain reelection to a fifth term as Lord Mayor of Sydney.
There are more votes to be counted and preferences allocated, but trends indicate a resounding result in support of our team.
— Clover Moore (@CloverMoore) December 5, 2021
We are truly grateful for and humbled by that support.
We're off for a coffee, then it’s on with the job supporting and transforming our city. pic.twitter.com/e9ZGjLU6Gf
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has weighed in on Sky News host Peta Credlin’s apology to the South Sudanese community over incorrect reports she made last year.
This apology from Murdoch’s Credlin ran online at 10pm on Friday. SkyNews was aware of Credlin’s racist lies months ago. The strategy is clear: serve up racist red meat to the audience to do maximum damage; then wait until the story has “died” to quietly apologise. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/qpDdisRGex
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) December 5, 2021
Police investigating a fatal stabbing outside a Perth nightclub have charged two men over a second attack which happened shortly before, AAP reports.
Homicide squad detectives say they have charged a 23-year-old Aveley man with inflicting grievous bodily harm in relation to a stabbing at Northbridge on November 27.
A 20-year-old Marangaroo man will also face court accused of being an accessory after the fact to the offence.
The pair were expected to appear on Sunday in Perth Magistrates Court.
Police say the incident is linked to another stabbing that occurred a few minutes later in which a 28-year-old man died.
An 18-year-old has been charged over that attack, which happened during a brawl near the Republic nightclub.
The victim was treated at the scene but died in hospital, while a man in his 20s was also treated for non-fatal stab wounds.
Police said at the time those involved in the fighting were members of the local African community who were known to each other.
As the major parties move into campaign mode, Amy Remeikis broke down which electorates may decide the next election.
Read the full article here:
Labor rules out governing with the Greens
Labor has ruled out governing with the Greens should neither major party receive a clear majority at the next election, AAP reports:
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese believes his party’s climate change policy is a practical example of how Labor can bring Australians together after next year’s election.
In what was described as Labor’s unofficial campaign launch, Albanese delivered a speech to the party faithful in Sydney on Sunday under the banner “A better future”.
“We can put the climate wars behind us,” he promised.
Just hours earlier, deputy Labor leader Richard Marles ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to form government should the upcoming election fail to produce a clear majority for either of the big parties.
Prime minister Scott Morrison dragged up the possibility of a Labor-Greens coalition after the opposition released its long-awaited climate change policy last week...
“This is Scott Morrison lying again,” Marles told the Sky News Sunday Agenda program.
“We are seeking government in our own right. We are not going to enter into a coalition with the Greens. We have been making that clear from day one.”
Updated
A sweet story from New South Wales: locals gathered this afternoon at Kings Cross in Sydney today at a rally to save the Metro-Minerva theatre.
But, as some attendees pointed out, in true Kings Cross fashion it was less like a rally and more like a show.
Rally to save the Metro-Minerva Theatre. Very Kings Cross. pic.twitter.com/9k6Xe6phMP
— Nick Baker (@nbaker_au) December 5, 2021
More like a show than a rally to save the Metro Minerva Theatre in Kings Cross pic.twitter.com/lnRYpp4tV7
— Rosemary Bolger (@rose_bolger) December 5, 2021
Updated
Clover Moore told the Guardian that climate action would be a big focus for her fifth term in office, with the goal of hitting net zero emissions in Sydney city by 2035.
She said that more work would also be done to make Sydney more bike-friendly.
“The pop-up Covid bike lanes were about connecting up the bike networks that we have been building since 2008, and we are now working to make those permanent,” she said.
“In this term we also want to link up the network in the City of Sydney with surrounding suburbs”, Moore said, adding that she would like to see a regional bike network too.
Asked whether this would be her last term as mayor, Moore laughed, explaining that “I am always asked that question at election, and I always say I will think about that at the time”.
Hello everyone, it’s Justine here back on the blog. Thanks again to the brilliant Nino Bucci for bringing us all the news over the last few hours.
As we reported earlier, Clover Moore looks set to secure an unprecedented fifth term as lord mayor of the City of Sydney.
Moore told the Guardian this afternoon that she is “very excited about the result and grateful for the support we have had from the community”.
While Moore had secured around 43% of the vote as of Saturday night, this is down from 58% in the 2016 election.
But Moore said she “doesn’t accept” that there was a significant swing against her.
There was an increased field of candidates ... and so far it shows I have received around 44% of the vote, and my two closest rivals have 16%.
Moore also noted that the iVote remote votes have not yet been counted, and “a lot of our supporters did an iVote”.
She said she thought the outcome so far is a “resounding success” given the difficulties surrounding this election, including the fact that it was postponed twice due to Covid-19 and that the iVote platform was down for a number of hours on voting day.
Updated
And here’s Justine Landis-Hanley back to take care of you for a bit. Happy Sunday!
Warnings of flash floods in Queensland
AAP report that Queensland authorities are warning of flash flooding in already inundated parts of the state, with storms and hail predicted.
Heavy rainfall, hail and strong winds are forecast for Sunday in southern parts of the state that have already been flooded, QFES commissioner Greg Leach told reporters on Sunday.
Any of that rainfall coming down today could result in flash flooding events.
Authorities have conducted seven swift water rescues, including saving a stranded motorist in Cecil Plains, while the State Emergency Service has responded to 27 calls for help in the last 24 hours.
The Macintyre River reached 10.43 metres at Goondiwindi in the state’s south-west on Saturday before starting to recede overnight, and was at about 10.27 metres Sunday morning.
It’s the biggest flood in a decade for the town, but has not reached the 2011 flood peak of 10.64 metres.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Andy Barnes said the Macintyre River would remain above the major flood level throughout Sunday and Monday.
Emergency services are now turning their attention to the towns of Cecil Plains, Surat, Condamine and Talwood, with the Goondiwindi mayor warning some properties downstream of the town could be cut off for a month.
Mayor Lawrence Springborg said residents downstream of Goondiwindi towards Mungindi, will likely be isolated for a month.
Resilience is being cut off by floodwaters for two weeks or more than a month, and these people survive that.
Updated
Our friends over at AAP report that the ACT has confirmed a second case of the Omicron variant, a close contact of the previous reported individual.
ACT Health reported six new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, bringing its total active caseload to 110.
Of these, six are in hospital, two of which are in intensive care. ACT Health said:
ACT Health can confirm that, based on whole genome sequencing in ACT residents, there are now two cases of the Omicron variant.
The second Omicron case is a close contact of the previously reported individual.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology plan to provide an update later this afternoon on the eruption of Mount Semeru in Indonesia, and the possible impact on flights. We will bring you news about that as it comes in.
You can read more about the eruption in East Java here:
In the interests of being NEUTRAL (check the spelling on the flyer), I should also point out that the Guardian has published the odd typo in our 200 years.
Very warm reception at Sandy village this AM, and we even managed to colour coordinate my shirt with resident’s jumpers! A few issues: local car parking (funny that), climate finance (good topic) and some guy who filmed everything I said (wasn’t very nice). #FunTimes pic.twitter.com/URzDTQbWom
— Tim Wilson MP (@TimWilsonMP) December 4, 2021
Updated
Melbourne Demons fans, who missed their side break a 57-year AFL premiership drought in September when the grand final was relocated to Perth because of the Delta outbreak in Victoria, have flocked to the MCG to watch a replay of the game and see the cup.
The replay is officially underway. 📺
— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) December 5, 2021
The most calm we’ve ever been before a game. 😅 pic.twitter.com/HMChN3ycUm
Greens leader Adam Bandt tests negative for Covid
Greens leader Adam Bandt has returned a negative Covid test, after a staff member tested positive earlier this week.
The Greens said in a statement:
Aside from the staff member who has tested positive, the test results that have been returned for staff members who were in Canberra last week are also negative.
Updated
at the exact same moment Albanese was describing Morrison as "a Prime Minister whose tank is on empty", Morrison was doing laps of Bathurst with Mark Skaife https://t.co/ZjNIuhQpAY
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) December 5, 2021
NSW Health have just sent out the daily Covid bulletin. It confirms earlier news about 286 new cases of Covid-19, with 15 of those linked to the Omicron variant.
Results on “further likely cases” are due later today.
A man in his 60s from south-eastern Sydney has died, taking the NSW toll to 632. The man was fully vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
There are currently 148 Covid cases admitted to hospital, with 26 people in intensive care, five of whom require ventilation.
The vaccination rate has climbed to 92.8% of people aged 16 and over, with 77.2% of those aged 12 to 15 fully vaccinated.
Omicron variant outbreaks have been linked to Regents Park Christian School, Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym Villawood, and St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School in Regents Park.
All travellers arriving in NSW who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi during the 14-day period before their arrival in NSW must enter hotel quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their vaccination status.
Updated
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has finished speaking in Melbourne.
Anthony Albanese has invited voters to draw a comparison with Scott Morrison in a speech ticking off some of his lowest moments as prime minister, including the statements “I don’t hold a hose” and “it’s not a race”.
Albanese said:
I also want to share with you the kind of prime minister I will be. To serve as prime minister of Australia is a rare privilege – but it is also a great responsibility. And that’s what I am determined to restore to our politics – a sense of responsibility, decency, and integrity.
Of course, I can’t stand here today and promise you that I’ll get everything right. But I can promise you if I get something wrong – I’ll own up to it. I may not always be the smoothest talker – but I can promise you I’ll always tell it straight.
I won’t run and hide from responsibility. I won’t go missing when the going gets tough. I think leadership is about facing up to problems and looking for solutions. Actually, I don’t think. I know.
Updated
Andrews is being asked a few questions about his appearance on a somewhat obscure podcast.
He says of the Victorian federal MPs (who he did not name) he criticised in the podcast because of how they responded to the pandemic that “some people are from Victoria but not for Victoria”.
Updated
Anthony Albanese jokes that some attendees might've tried to get the light rail to the rally. "Made overseas - cheaper - but they don't run. We should make trains here."#auspol
— Paul Karp (@Paul_Karp) December 5, 2021
Anthony Albanese addresses campaign rally
Anthony Albanese, speaking at a Labor rally, has argued the Morrison government has “nothing left to offer but scare campaigns” as it enters its “second decade”.
Albanese has accused Morrison of choosing to “divide, to play politics, to pit Australians against each other” including “state against state”.
Albanese on leadership:
In tough times, every one of us has to hold a hose.
On Morrison’s relationship with the truth, Albanese said:
[He is] a prime minister who has no regard for what he said yesterday – so you should have no regard to what he says today.
Updated
“The notion that we try and keep this out forever...that just doesn’t make sense,” Andrews says.
He says he sympathises with Victorians who have family in South Australia and will no longer be able to see them for Christmas because of the Omicron restrictions.
Updated
Victoria and NSW won't close border due to Omicron
Andrews says on the tighter restrictions other states have brought in to tackle Omicron that he is not critical of these measures, but that Victoria will not take any steps to keep the variant out of the state.
He said he was texting his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet yesterday and the pair agreed they would not be pursuing “Omicron zero”, given the high vaccination rates in the states, and the fact the variant appeared to be less serious.
Updated
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, describes the TGA approval of Pfizer for children as an important next step. He says the state would be ready to roll the vaccines out in schools, if it aligned with the federal government’s approach.
Anthony Albanese is addressing his first rally of the unofficial election campaign.
The warm-up act was deputy leader, Richard Marles, who focused on two main attacks against the Coalition government: its long eight years in office; and Scott Morrison’s credibility.
Marles used the words “lie” or “liar” dozens of times, criticising Morrison for “lying” about going to Hawaii, how he became prime minister, to world leaders (Emmanuel Macron) and “lying about lying”.
Marles had a particular focus on the fact Morrison switched codes from rugby union to rugby league, and claimed he only picked up a Sharks scarf when he ran for Liberal preselection.
Marles argued it was “dangerous” because a prime minister who is willing to “lie about who he is” will mislead Australians.
Updated
The funding will allow 84,000 students to attend camps.
“We’re really going to target those kids who were most impacted by the pandemic,” Merlino says.
Victorian education minister James Merlino is pretty psyched. He says the package means 2022 will be the best school year ever.
I still remember my year six camp.
Updated
Daniel Andrews addresses media
Andrews is up in Victoria. He is speaking about a $113m funding package for school camps. And $700,000 for swimming lessons. Which is fine I guess but perhaps a little anticlimactic?
Updated
Peta Credlin apologises to South Sudanese community
Sky News host Peta Credlin has issued a lengthy apology to Victoria’s South Sudanese community over comments she made linking them to a Covid-19 outbreak.
Credlin apologised for claiming South Sudanese community members had spread infections last year during Ramadan dinners (the vast majority of South Sudanese are Christian) and that they did not speak English (Credlin clarifies during the apology that 84% of the community speak English at a very high level).
She also said during the four-minute apology that the broadcaster was planning on working with the community on positive stories.
Watch the apology here.
Updated
That’s it from Palaszczuk (ABC has cut away). We’re still waiting for Victorian premier, Dan Andrews (he was due at 11am).
Palaszczuk welcomes the announcement of Pfizer being made available for 5-11 year-old children, saying her niece is in that age group and has been pestering her about when she can get a jab.
78.1% of Queenslanders are now fully vaccinated, Palaszczuk says.
In the meantime, here’s Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. No new community cases in the state today.
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, is running a little late. I’ll bring you updates once he shows.
Updated
I’m handing the blog over to my brilliant colleague, Nino Bucci!
He will be bringing you updates from Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ press conference, which is expected to start in 10 minutes.
There has been a lot of talk this morning about whether South Australia will close the state’s borders as the Omicron variant spreads in Australia.
Our friends at AAP have the story:
South Australian authorities are “extraordinarily concerned” about the presence of the Omicron Covid variant interstate, but will not make any immediate changes to the state’s borders.
Premier Steven Marshall has instead indicated travellers from NSW, Victoria and the ACT could soon find themselves locked out of SA, only days after they were welcomed back for the first time in months.
“It may become necessary. I hope it doesn’t,” he said in a press conference on Saturday, before SA reported five new cases.
We would only do that if we wanted to make sure that we still enjoy a Christmas here in SA. This is a balancing act.
Chief public health officer Prof Nicola Spurrier on Saturday morning recommended to the state’s Covid-19 directions committee that borders be shut.
Clearly when you have something that is unknown, the lowest risk would be to try and keep it out for as long as possible.
But instead the committee agreed to require all arrivals from NSW, Victoria and the ACT be tested upon arrival.
They must isolate until a negative result is received – which currently takes about five hours, Marshall said – and be tested again on day six of their visit to SA.
The new rules are in addition to a requirement for travellers from those parts of the country to present proof of a negative test undertaken up to 72 hours before their arrival.
Updated
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and deputy premier, James Merlino are expected make an announcement at 11am.
We will be watching and bringing you updates as they happen.
Updated
Australia has 15 known Omicron cases
Federal health minister Greg Hunt said there are now 15 known cases of the Omicron variant in Australia.
In a press conference announcing the Pfizer vaccine had received TGA approval for five to 11 year olds, Hunt said that the government is “reviewing daily and weekly travel restrictions” but that there are “no plans to change the current proposals”.
Hunt said:
But our message is very clear. Safety and medical advice first ... if the medical advice changes then we change the rules in accordance with that.
Prof John Skerritt said that “early indications are that it provides a milder case of disease. Although usually there is a two-week lag to work out whether there are going to be cases of hospitalisation and severe disease. So that’s why the lead up here into Christmas and exercising caution is so important.”
Skerritt added that the TGA is looking at how well vaccinations work against the Omicron variant. He reassured that, while we thought that we might need a new vaccine against the Delta variant, “the current vaccines held us in good stead”.
Updated
Finally, Speers asked Frydenberg about the Jenkins inquiry into parliamentary culture handed down this week.
Frydenberg said that “what Kate Jenkins said in this report was that there was a normalised culture of misconduct. That is completely unacceptable”. He added that the government will “be taking action on all the recommendations. We’re absolutely leaning into this”.
Speers asked Frydenberg about that Liberal party is doing to ensure more women are elected to parliament, and whether the party should adopt a 50% target. There was a lot of back and forth, and Frydenberg pointed to the fact that the number one candidate on the Victorian Liberal party’s senate ballot is female.
But the treasurer eventually admitted that “we’ve got to do more”.
Updated
Speers asked Frydenberg about wages growth (or lack thereof).
Speers:
Wages have been relatively flat for the eight years you have been in government. Have you worked out why and how to fix it?
Frydenberg:
This is the key point. This is the key point, we saved more than 700,000 jobs. And as a result, unemployment now is at 5.2%, lower than when we came to government. Now, the way to get higher wages is to get a tighter labour market. We’re starting to see workforce shortages which will have some positive impact on wages
... we have the RBA forecasting, David, that unemployment will get down into the fours and sustainably be there, and we’ll be only the second time in the last 50 years that this has happened. So if you ask me, what has been the most significant economic achievement through this pandemic, it’s been saving jobs and getting the unemployment rate down, and avoiding the long-term unemployment we saw in Australia after the 80s and 90s recessions.
Updated
Speers turned conversation to the government’s mid-year budget, asking Fryenberg whether the outlook for growth for the economy is stronger than at the last budget?
Frydenberg:
Well, yes. And I’m talking about for next year, obviously. We were hit by the Delta variant and it was something not forecast, have your two biggest states going into lockdown. But we have seen the OECD increase their economic outlook forAustralia. You have the RBA forecasting growth up to 5.5%. We’ll make those updates to our forecasts on MYEFO.
Speers:
You’ll be forecasting stronger growth?
Frydenberg:
We will be. Again that comes as a result of the fact that we now have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, one of the lowest mortality rates in the world. The market is coming back strongly. We’ve seen 350,000 jobs since the start of September. Retail sales at the Black Friday sales was over $5bn.
Updated
Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg told David Speers on ABC Insiders this morning that he has spoken to South Australia premier Steven Marshall this morning and has been told that he is keeping his borders open, despite concerns around the Omicron variant in Australia.
He’s taken that decision himself. He understands the importance of the economy of keeping those borders open. Let’s not forget, though, South Australia is the first non-Covid state to effectively reopen. So he’s watching it closely. As he should.
Updated
Speers points out that members of the of the Australian industry group, the business council are backing Labor’s 43% emissions reductions target.
Speers:
Are you saying that business groups have got it wrong, Reputex have got it wrong, Liberal state governments have got it wrong, but you and Barnaby Joyce, and he’s the one who pushed you to your 2030 target, you’ve got it right?
Frydenberg:
We’ve got a 2050 goal as well. But we think we have got it right. Again, look at our track record. Emissions are down by more than 20% on 2005 levels. That’s ahead of Canada, that’s ahead of New Zealand, that’s ahead of the United States, a lot of other comparable countries. We have identified the new technologies, not tax, that we’re focusing on, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, low cost solar.
Speers:
You’re happy to say to your constituents in Kooyong, these groups are all wrong, and Barnaby Joyce and you are right.
Frydenberg:
We’ve got the right plan, we’re going to see emissions down by up to 35% by 2030, we’re committed to net zero by 2050, this is an important environmental but also economic objective. I spoke quite publicly by the need from an economic perspective...
Updated
Speers:
Let’s look at the plan [Labor] do have on the table. This modelling has been done by RepuTex, they also advised the government on its target. It found the policy would create 640,000 new jobs, lower electricity bills. Are you suggesting they’ve got that wrong?
Frydenberg:
What I’m suggesting is the Labor party is using the safeguards mechanism. When we put it in 2016, it was designed to safeguard the emissions reductions we were getting from the Emissions Reduction Fund, and not see a growth in the emissions coming out of the large industrial players. It wasn’t meant to be this stick to mandate, to push these industrial players to force them to reduce their emissions by a certain amount...
I’m saying that Labor is using the safeguards mechanism in away that would punish, force these large industrial companies, some of the biggest companies in Australia, regardless of their growth, regardless of their plans for expanding their presence.
Updated
Frydenberg tells Speers that the Coalition, if in opposition, would vote against Labor’s emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030.
We’re not about to support Labor’s policy. We’ve got our own policy and that’s what we’re looking to implement. But reducing emissions is an absolute focus for our government. We have deployed $20bn, we’ve got a technology investment road map, we’re ahead of other comparable countries, don’t look at what Labor says, look at what Labor does. They gave us a carbon tax.
Updated
ABC Insiders host David Speers starts by asking what Frydenberg thinks of Labor’s recently announced climate policies, which includes an emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030.
Speers points out that “the business council, the Australian industry group, they both backed Labor’s policy. Has business got it wrong?”
Frydenberg starts by talking about the government’s commitment to net zero by 2050, before responding to Labor’s policy:
... what Labor has announced is simply a reheat of the target they took to the 2019 election which Anthony Albanese said was an actual mistake. Now, Labor can’t be trusted, David, on this important economic transition. The last time they had a go at climate policy, we got a doubling in electricity prices, we lost one in eight Australian jobs.
Updated
Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg is speaking on ABC Insiders.
NSW records 286 locally acquired Covid-19 cases, one death
NSW #COVID19 update – Sunday 5 December 2021
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 4, 2021
In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:
- 94.6% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 92.8% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/mpqc9hMZGm
Updated
Victoria records 980 new local Covid-19 cases, seven deaths
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) December 4, 2021
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/fnT5kpBemK
Clover Moore is set to secure an unprecedented fifth term as lord mayor of the City of Sydney following New South Wales council elections on Saturday, AAP reports.
Moore, an independent, will speak to reporters at 11am in Sydney.
By late on Saturday night, she was sitting on 43% of first preference votes, well ahead of her two nearest competitors, fellow independent Yvonne Weldon and Labor’s Linda Scott, who were both on 16%.
The early results suggested a swing against Moore of nearly 15% – but that’s compared to her landslide win in 2016 when she won almost 58% of the vote.Moore has four decades of public service under her belt, 17 of them as Sydney’s lord mayor.
“We have been able to achieve so much but we have a lot more to do,” she said on Saturday night. Moore’s plans include a council goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2035, growing green spaces across the city, improving access to social and affordable housing, and repairing the CBD’s economy and council’s own coffers post-Covid.
The race to become Sydney’s mayor was one of more than 120 council elections across the state on Saturday.
It was an all-female field in the City of Sydney with many of Moore’s opponents arguing it was time for change at Town Hall.
Moore was first elected as lord mayor in 2004 which was 16 years after she was elected to state parliament in 1988.
She managed both responsibilities until 2012 when new legislation forced her to choose between the roles.
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Hunt is asked whether states, like Queensland, will hold off opening state borders until at least 80% of kids aged five to 11 are vaccinated given today’s announcement.
Hunt:
There is no reason for that. The Doherty modelling was set out very clearly on the 80% rates for double dosed across the country for 16 plus, and what we have seen now is that in terms of the 12 to 15-year-olds, we have now had an extra 1.8 million vaccinations over and above the Doherty modelling. The Doherty modelling was based on an 80% national rate for double dosed and didn’t include 12 to 15-year-olds.
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Prof Skerritt has also explained why it is important for children to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
A bit over a fifth of all cases of Covid are actually in the under 12s. Indeed, some of the early data with Omicron suggests it may actually be higher for the Omicron variant ... While most kids to get fairly mild infection and only a limited number end up in ICU, is great, there are bigger impacts.
Unfortunately about one in 3,000 of the kids who get Covid actually end up with this funny immunological condition called multi-system inflammatory condition. Those kids can end up being very sick for months. It is not the same as long Covid but it has some things in common, and it has a whole range of symptoms where the kid is just not well. That is one of the things we are protecting against by vaccinating children...
We do know that kids often transmit the virus back to their families. About two-thirds do, and at a lower rate they also transmit the virus within the broader school context.
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Prof John Skerritt has spoken more about the Covid-19 vaccine that will be administered to children aged five to 11.
Skerritt says that this age group will be given one-third of the dose given to other age groups and that “often with vaccines you can offer a smaller dose for younger children”. He says their vaccine dose will be in a vial with an orange lid, rather than the adult doses while are in vials with grey or purple lids.
Skerritt turned to speak about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in children.
It has extensively been clinically tested. It was tested in a trial of almost 2,500 children aged five to 11, and in the trial over 1,500 received vaccine. The response of the body, the immune response, was identical to that in young adults.
More recently, there have actually been results published in one of the world’s top three medical journals, the New England Journal of Medicine. In that journal the result showed that 91% vaccine efficacy. Efficacy is essentially the same in adults as it is in this group, so we are confident the performance. There were no safety signals, as we call them, no safety problems identified in those trials. The children had some of the same things that adults get, tiredness, sore arms, headache and so forth, but these tended to be brief and fairly short lived. We are confident in the safety of this.
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Federal health minister Greg Hunt has praised the millions of Australians who have come forward to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He says that over 39.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Australia. Currently, 92.8% of eligible Australians have received their first dose, and 88% are fully vaccinated.
Since vaccines have been approved for 12-15 year olds, 76.7% of this age group have already received their first dose, and 67.8% are fully vaccinated.
So Australian teenagers have stepped forward to be vaccinated.
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Hunt says that the TGA’s provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 is the first of four steps “focused on the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating children”.
The second is the recommendation of Atagi. We are expecting that in the coming weeks.
The third then is training in relation to the use of the Pfizer vaccine in paediatric cases or for children five to 11. And then finally it is the batch testing, which is done by the TGA. Our batch testing team, our TGA team, will be working right through Christmas, right through the new year and a provisional expectation at this stage is that we have been able to bring forward the commencement of the paediatric doses or the children’s doses to 10 January.
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Hunt:
We announced today that the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia’s medical regulator, has approved access for five to 11-year-olds to the Pfizer vaccine. They have made a careful, thorough assessment, determined that it is safe and effective and that it is in the interests of children and Australians for children five to 11 to be vaccinated.
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Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking live from Canberra about the government’s plan to rollout Covid-19 vaccinations for children.
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Labor says it will fund up to 20,000 extra university places over 2022 and 2023, and provide access to 465,000 free Tafe places in nominated areas of skills shortages, if Anthony Albanese wins the next federal election.
The new skills and higher education commitments, worth $1.2bn, will be unveiled by the Labor leader at a campaign-style rally in Sydney on Sunday. The Tafe initiative will cost $621m over the forward estimates, and the university commitment costs $481.7m.
Read the full story here:
Adam Bandt staffer tests positive for Covid-19
Parliament House has been closed to the public after a staffer for Greens leader Adam Bandt reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.
Bandt and the staffer were in Canberra for sitting week last week. The staffer tested positive for Covid-19 upon returning to Melbourne.
A spokesperson for Bandt told ABC News that the Greens leader has “been tested and is isolating until he receives a result. He is fully vaccinated and not symptomatic”.
The spokesperson added that other members of Bandt’s team have tested negative for Covid-19.
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Good morning
It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, bringing you the blog today, Sunday 5 December 2021.
Let’s dive straight into some breaking news:
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11.
The government will begin rolling out the vaccine to the approximately 2.3 million children in this age group from 10 January 2022, the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said in a statement this morning.
The decision is subject to final considerations and recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi).
Children aged five to 11 will be given one-third of the dose approved for those aged 12 and over. Their vaccine dose will be clearly differentiated with an orange cap.
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