What we learned today, Friday 5 March
And, breathe. That was quite a day to end an extraordinary week. Here’s a quick summary of everything that went down today:
- The defence minister, Linda Reynolds, has signalled she is preparing to apologise to Brittany Higgins for her “lying cow” comment.
- Italy blocked a shipment of 250,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Australia, but the Australian government insists it will not disrupt its vaccination program.
- Scott Morrison announces a significant expansion of Covid-19 quarantine facilities at Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.
- The prime minister also said he would “welcome” an inquest into the death of a woman who accused Christian Porter of rape, should the South Australian coroner rule it is necessary.
- Kate Jenkins, the Australian sex discrimination commissioner, is to lead a review of Parliament House workplace culture.
- No local cases of Covid-19 were detected in Victoria or New South Wales.
- SBS has suspended the broadcast of Chinese TV news services CGTN and CCTV after being made aware of “serious human rights concerns” surrounding the channels.
- A tsunami marine warning was issued for Norfolk Island after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake was recorded off the north-east coast of New Zealand this morning.
And with that, I’d like to thank all our readers for joining us on what was a difficult week. Here’s hoping for a weekend of healing.
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Recent events 'distressing and horrifying', Marise Payne tells International Women’s Day function
The minister for women, Marise Payne, has called for politicians to “own the failings” of workplace culture in parliament, citing what she described as the “disturbing, distressing and horrifying” events of the past few weeks.
In a speech to an International Women’s Day event hosted by UN Women Australia, Payne said the national parliament was “clearly not immune from these sorts of issues that have impacted workplaces around our country and, frankly, around the world for too long”.
“But it has to change. It must change. And the only way it will change is if we, as parliamentarians, own the problems, own the failings, and make the necessary changes ourselves. By its nature, the parliament is a highly politicised workplace, but I do know that the political system has the capacity to work together to address this issue and these challenges. And we will. And we cannot wait.”
Payne said she had been in politics for a long time.
“The events of recent weeks have been disturbing, distressing and horrifying to me and to so many Australians. But my concern, my distress, is irrelevant and nothing compared to the concern, the distress and the deep, deep damage done to those who have been assaulted or harassed.”
Payne stressed the importance of the independent review into the workplace of parliamentarians and their staff announced by the finance minister, Simon Birmingham, earlier today. It is being led by Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins.
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The Queensland government says it has detected positive fragments of Covid at multiple wastewater catchments.
The virus has been found at wastewater treatment plants at Luggage Point (servicing the Brisbane metro north area and some inner-city suburbs on the southside), Marlin Coast (Cairns) and Kawana (Sunshine Coast).
Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, says people with symptoms need to get tested in case the detections are fragments of someone’s infection:
It is very important people with symptoms come forward right away and get tested – we can’t be complacent, we’re still in this pandemic.
It is critical we detect any cases that we may not be aware of as quickly as possible through our testing system, to contain any potential spread.
We are concerned by the new variants that are emerging overseas that are more contagious than previous variants we have seen in Queensland.
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The federal government has stepped in to prevent the construction of a contentious go-kart track at Mount Panorama in Bathurst.
AAP is reporting that the environment minister, Sussan Ley, made an emergency protection declaration earlier today, three days before construction was due to begin.
The declaration, made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act, will pause construction of the track for 30 days to prevent the injury or desecration of an Indigenous site.
The Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation in 2019 lodged a protection application over concerns a sacred women’s site and endangered area would be destroyed.
“Having now received reports from the department, including those submissions received recently from traditional owners, l would like to meet with the parties involved,” Ley said in a statement.
“I will travel to Bathurst next Friday before reviewing the issues further to determine whether a declaration with longer effect should be made under section 10 of the act.”
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The Guardian’s vaccine tracker is up, allowing you to see how the rollout is progressing, compare Australia’s progress to vaccine rollouts around the world, and check when you’ll be scheduled to receive the jab:
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The Australian sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, who will be leading a review into the culture of Parliament House, is on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, and has said the review will not include a mandatory reporting system:
What we will do is make sure that everyone who comes to us has full information about the supports that are available for them, and also all of their avenues to take their complaint forward.
One of the specific parts of this inquiry is that it is about looking at the systemic nature and solutions for the future, but also it’s not to double as the complaints process for people to progress their complaints. But we will absolutely make sure people who want to do that are directed in the right avenues to do that.
Jenkins went on to explain how the review will look to navigate the traumatic experience of survivors as ethically as possible:
So one of the main things is to make sure that it is done in their timing and on their terms. Often if someone has experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment, they’ve had their trust breached and they’ve lost control and we are seeking just expert advice, particularly from rape and domestic violence services, and we always do this with our work, to make sure we are following best practice and having the right supports available.
We will seek ethics approval to make sure that we are doing it in the most ethical and appropriate way and we will have very tight confidentiality arrangements to make sure that our systems are secure and that any information we use in the report is completely de-identified.
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Covid vaccine clinic to open at Perth convention centre
A new vaccination clinic will be opened at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) this Sunday, after 21,000 doses of the the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine arrived.
The PCEC clinic will look to add capacity to the state’s vaccination program, and add to the clinics already open at Perth Children’s hospital, Royal Perth hospital, Fiona Stanley hospital and Bunbury health campus.
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Pacific workers to quarantine in home countries before coming to Australia
Today’s national cabinet also ticked off on a pilot program for Pacific workers to quarantine in their home countries before coming to Australia.
Morrison said South Australia was set to be the first to trial this system to help fill workforce shortages in the agriculture sector. He said other states would also consider the idea, based on further details of in-country testing and quarantine arrangements.
The prime minister said the government would “explore in-country quarantine arrangements for Pacific workers with eligible, low-risk Pacific neighbours”.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the prime minister confirmed that the national cabinet had received the first report from the Covid-19 Risk Analysis and Response Taskforce, which is headed by the secretary of his department, Phil Gaetjens. This group, which also includes the top bureaucrats in the states and territories, will be providing advice on how the risk in Australia is changing as the vaccines roll out and how that might change the policy settings.
Today’s briefing covered “options for changing policy settings to ensure greater consistency and coordination across jurisdictions in the management of the pandemic”.
Morrison’s statement said there remained “some unknowns in Australia’s changing risk profile” and that decisions on reopening the economy would be informed by expert advice on the economic, social and health considerations. The taskforce is expected to report to the national cabinet monthly.
“Over coming months, the taskforce will consider the changing risk environment in 2021; the impact of Australia’s vaccine rollout; economic, social and health considerations; and options to implement consistent policy settings across jurisdictions to ensure predictability and community confidence.”
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The coming end of the eviction moratorium in NSW is sparking concerns that low-income renters could be forced into homelessness.
AAP has the story:
The looming end of the NSW government’s Covid-19 eviction moratorium could force low-income renters into homelessness if they are not offered more financial support, a group of 40 organisations has warned.
The groups, which include the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Community Legal Centres NSW, Jesuit Refugee Service, Older Women’s Network and Vinnies NSW, sounded the alarm in a letter to two NSW government ministers on Friday.
The NSW eviction moratorium, introduced in April 2020 and extended in September, is slated to end in three weeks.
It will coincide with the end of the federal government’s jobkeeper scheme and jobseeker coronavirus supplement.
The NSW government on Thursday announced a six-month transition period of support once the moratorium ends, but the groups are concerned it does not do enough.
“NSW, particularly in regional areas, is in rental crisis,” the letter states.
“Our organisations are seeing first hand the financial hardship and broader impacts many in our community are experiencing.”
Even with the current moratorium in place, many households are reaching out to local community organisations for support, they say.
The groups want the government to extend eviction restrictions and rent reduction provisions for impacted tenants.
They’re also calling for additional financial support for struggling renters, like a no-interest loan scheme or rental subsidies, and more funding for tenant support services.
The groups are concerned about the immediate risk of evictions and homelessness but also argue that economic hardship caused by Covid-19 will cause problems for renters in the medium and long term.
UNSW research released last month estimates at least 75,000 renters across Australia – roughly 27,000 in NSW – are currently living with deferred rent debts between $5,600 and $8,400.
Household debt for low-income renting households is increasing, they say, as well as energy, credit and phone debts.
“Renters in regional NSW and in outer Sydney will be hit the hardest by the moratorium ending as they face increased market rents and some of the lowest vacancy rates on record,” the letter states.
The groups are particularly concerned about single mothers and older women.
The NSW government on Thursday announced the six-month transition would begin after the moratorium ends on 26 March.
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SBS suspends broadcast of Chinese TV news services CGTN and CCTV
SBS has taken the decision to suspend the broadcast of Chinese TV news services CGTN and CCTV after being made aware of “serious human rights concerns” surrounding the channels.
#BREAKING SBS is suspending the broadcast of Chinese TV news services CGTN and CCTV after becoming aware of serious human rights concerns surrounding the channels. https://t.co/mJbfcuWWsP
— SBS News (@SBSNews) March 5, 2021
CGTN is a 15-minute news services in Mandarin, and CCTV is a 30-minute English-language news service, usually aired as part of SBS’s World Watch programming.
The broadcaster was sent a letter by the UK-based human rights organisation Safeguard Defenders, saying CCTV had broadcast the forced confessions of some 56 people between 2013 and 2020:
These broadcasts involved the extraction, packaging and airing of forced and false confessions of prisoners held under conditions of duress and torture.
These offences involved the airing of ‘confessions’ extracted from suspects long before any indictment, trial or conviction, and in many instances while the victim was detained incommunicado, with no access to legal counsel, at secret locations.
A significant number of these ‘confessions’ are broadcast not only in China, but internationally via CCTV-4 and CGTN.
The suspension comes after the UK media watchdog revoked the licence of CGTN due to “serious non-compliance offences”.
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It appears the ABC’s Four Corners is not yet done with its investigation Inside the Canberra Bubble:
The ABC won’t confirm it is planning part 2 of Inside the Canberra Bubble for Four Corners, but government sources say the broadcaster has asked for interviews ahead of another program to air as early as Monday. Unusually, Four Corners has not yet announced what's on.
— amanda meade (@meadea) March 5, 2021
Read more in Amanda Meade’s column:
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Readers old enough to remember the pre-pandemic order of things may recall that we had a royal commission into banking and financial services in 2018.
One of the more exciting days of hearings was when the director of financial advice company Dover Financial Advisers, Terry McMaster, hyperventilated and collapsed in the witness stand while being grilled about a “client protection policy” that, the commission heard, actually acted to protect Dover, not customers.
McMaster quickly recovered from the health scare, but his business was referred to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for further investigation.
The federal court has now hit Dover with a $1.2m penalty and McMaster personally with a $240,000 penalty over the client protection policy, which judge Michael O’Bryan previously found “was highly misleading and an exercise in Orwellian doublespeak”.
Handing down the penalty, O’Brien said the policy “sought, perversely, to make the client responsible for failings and inadequacies in the advice provided to them”.
Dover and McMaster have also been ordered to pay Asic’s legal costs.
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NSW Police have issued a statement saying they’ve met with key stakeholders in the education sector to “discuss the issue of sexual violence.”
The statement says that representatives from the police force, the NSW Department of Education, Association of Independent Schools and Catholic Schools NSW were all in attendance.
The bodies came together and agreed to establish a statement of intent “to address the issue of sexual violence within NSW schools.”
NSW Police went on to say the statement of intent will look at key “elements” to the issue:
Some of the key elements that will be considered during this process include but are not limited to: consent education, protocols on reporting, and most importantly the safety, welfare and wellbeing of young people.
Through cooperation, collaboration and communication, the NSW Police Force and our partners in education are committed to providing schools with all available resources to create safe spaces for learning and empowerment.
The Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, has announced an increase to the international arrival caps for his state.
The cap will be lifted to 1,025 from 26 March, with the premier saying that would see WA become the state that takes in the most returning travellers per capita.
The premier also announced that bar any further outbreaks, the border with Victoria will be reclassified on Monday March 15, marking the first time that all Australian jurisdictions will be classified as low risk by WA.
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An amusing story for this Friday afternoon – it appears the Australian Greens party and former senator Rod Culleton’s Great Australian party are at odds over their near-identical animal rights policies.
The New Daily is reporting that both parties are adamant that their animal rights policies are the product of their own work, and that the other party has copied them.
When I say “near-identical”, I really mean it. Here’s how the animal policies compare on the websites of the Greens and the GAP https://t.co/me8vpgJHxi pic.twitter.com/q64NPa3Bec
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) March 5, 2021
Culleton hit back at the claims his party had copied the Greens’ policies, saying that maybe it was coincidental.
Maybe it’s coincidental. Maybe the Greens have copied ours. I can tell you right now, all our policies are done in the party. The Greens website would be the last place I’d visit. I would think the contrary, that they’ve picked up the policies from us.
You can see the policies for yourself, with the Greens page here and the Great Australian party’s page here.
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Tsunami warning for Norfolk Island after New Zealand earthquake
A tsunami marine warning has been issued for Norfolk Island after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake was recorded off the north-east coast of New Zealand this morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued the warning, saying there is a “possibility” of dangerous rips, waves and strong ocean currents and some localised overflow into the immediate foreshore for Norfolk Island.
But the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre has also advised that there is no current tsunami threat to the Australian mainland.
The threat is expected to persist for at least the next two hours.
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New data from Uber suggests that Australians are maintaining some of the habits they’ve picked up since the pandemic began, roughly a year ago.
AAP has the story:
People are still avoiding public transport and opting for ride-share vehicles as Australia begins to recover from the pandemic, new data suggests.
One year on from the country’s first locally-acquired case, habits Australians made during the pandemic have stuck, Uber Australia’s latest Movement Index shows.
Across all states and territories the number of people ordering lunch through the app was up by more than a quarter compared to the previous year.
There was also a more than 400% increase in pick-up orders from restaurants and cafes.
Similarly, the data released on Friday shows bookings around work and social commute times were almost at or above pre-pandemic levels, despite fewer people being out and about.
“Bookings across the social and workday commute have recovered to around 104% and 94% respectively year on year to January 2021, when taking the average across Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Taiwan and Hong Kong,” the Uber Australia and New Zealand general manager, Dom Taylor, said.
Domestic travel is also on the mend despite border closures and limited flights, the report suggests, with popular vacation spots seeing traffic similar to pre-Covid levels.
Trips to and from Hobart airport grew more than tenfold in the last three months of the year, and movement around Darwin airport increased compared to the last year.
“It’s impressive to see how much can shift in six months, as restrictions across the country have largely eased,” Taylor said.
“One year on and we are witnessing the nation reconnect in myriad ways.”
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Queensland’s chief health officer, Jeannette Young, also spoke about how the cases related to the Russian variant are a “totally, totally different scenario” to the last issue in hotel quarantine in the state.
She said she was confident that this time the person who contracted the variant had caught it on the plane to Australia, not while they were in quarantine.
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Queensland Covid restrictions to ease from Monday
The Queensland premier has also announced that some restrictions are easing.
From Monday, up to 200 people can attend a wedding or a funeral, or up to one person per two square metres.
BREAKING: Restrictions are easing at weddings and funerals in Queensland.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 5, 2021
From Monday, up to 200 people or one person per 2m2 – whichever is greater – can attend a wedding ceremony or funeral service with a COVID-safe plan. pic.twitter.com/llXV1GNMYD
That translates to mean that no matter how large a venue, you can have up to 200 people in attendance, and if you have a big venue, then more people can be allowed in.
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We begin in Queensland, where the premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has said that more than 6,500 vaccines have been administered across the state.
She’s said that centres will soon be set up in Bundaberg and Logan to distribute the AstraZeneca vaccine, as long as supply allows.
The state’s chief health officer, Jeannette Young, also gave an update at the presser, saying authorities are testing a bunch of people who were quarantined with someone who tested positive to the Russian variant of Covid.
The cluster still stands at five people, but authorities are still taking precautions.
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Good afternoon and happy Friday everyone. A quick thanks to Nino for expertly guiding us through the day’s news.
I’ll be here for the rest of the afternoon – it’s still rather busy, so let’s get stuck in.
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Thanks for reading, I’m handing over to Mostafa Rachwani to take you through the rest of the afternoon.
Scott Morrison would 'welcome' inquest into death of woman who accused Porter of rape
Scott Morrison said he would “welcome” an inquest into the death of a woman who accused Christian Porter of rape, should the South Australian coroner rule that it is necessary.
But he would not comment on whether it was necessary to have any other independent inquiry, saying it would be “highly inappropriate” to intervene in the coroner’s decision.
If an inquest was held and the coroner sought evidence from Porter, Morrison expected he would cooperate fully.
Well, the coronial inquiry would be into the rather terrible events with the death by suicide of the woman at the centre of this. And if the coroner sought that [Porter evidence], then I have no doubt that the attorney general would cooperate with any coronial process.
Morrison was then asked about the rule of law, and about the enormous discrepancy between the number of women who report a sexual assault and the number of convictions.
He used the question to emphasise that Porter should be subject to the same standard as other people accused of a criminal offence, despite NSW police announcing on Thursday that no allegation relating to Porter was under investigation.
He inferred that to treat Porter differently to others accused of crimes would erode the rule of law in Australia.
Morrison said:
The rule of law is the essential process by which all Australians are subject to.
And there is an equality before the law as well. Yesterday, I spoke about the presumption of innocence, the rules of evidence, the process of courts. The equality of the law is also important. You and I face the same law. We’re subject to the same processes under that law.
There’s not one set of processes for one Australian and another set of processes for another. So, we’re all subject to that. And those laws need to be administered as effectively and as professionally and competently as possible, and that’s what we would hope in all of our jurisdictions.
And I have to say in Australia - in Australia - I think our rule of law stands up to the assessment of many other countries. And that’s an important thing for us to preserve. And we must preserve it now. We must preserve it now.
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A recap of the news so far today
- Linda Reynolds has signalled she is preparing to apologise to Brittany Higgins for the “lying cow” comments;
- Italy blocked a shipment of 250,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Australia, but the Australian government insists it will not disrupt its vaccination program;
- Scott Morrison announces a significant expansion of Covid-19 quarantine facilities at Howard Springs in the Northern Territory;
- Kate Jenkins, the Australian sex discrimination commissioner, is to lead a review of Parliament House workplace culture; and
- No local cases of Covid-19 detected in Victoria or New South Wales.
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Morrison has moved on from Covid-19 and is being asked about other matters, including Linda Reynolds’ comments about Brittany Higgins.
Minister Reynolds has offered an apology, as she should, and as I said yesterday. And I didn’t find that acceptable, the comments that were made within her office at that time. They weren’t public statements, of course. These were comments made not in a public space ... That doesn’t excuse them. And it was relating ... she was not talking about the allegations of sexual assault.
Linda Reynolds is returning. She’s currently on leave and will return to her duties when her leave is finished. She maintains my confidence.
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Morrison is also asked about the education sector, and whether that was a consideration when discussing international arrival caps and quarantine facilities. In short, no change, but if universities want to reach agreements with government, they’re willing to chat.
No, there’s no change on that front. It would be good if we could get to that point, but at this stage we’re not at that point. The opening of the international borders, we don’t think is wise at this time, and for the period that we’ve suggested, and that’s totally consistent with the medical advice. And we’ve always been happy to work with the international education sector if they want to put in place supplementary, self-funded quarantine arrangements and flight arrangements.
That has always been there for the international education industry, the large universities and others to go down that path. They haven’t chosen to go down that path. Our focus has remained on the responsibilities we have as a commonwealth.
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Morrison is asked about whether NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian raised the closure of international borders today. He used that question to pivot into discussions of Australian border closures.
Well, there’s no disagreement amongst any of the premiers or the chief ministers about the closure of international borders and the current arrangements we have for that, which extends out to the end of June. That is a unanimous position.
The discussion we had today about how we get open, stay open, is really about how we inform those choices in response to any events that may occur along the way. What I want to see – and I know the New South Wales Premier wants to see – is that we fully realise the capability of our national economy, reconnecting all of our states and territories. And there’s been a lot of progress done on that in the last few months.
We’ve seen more of the commonwealth open up over these last few months, and we want to see that stay that way, and it not fall back. And there is every reason to have the confidence of that as the vaccination program continues, as the success right across the country of the quarantine program continues.
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Morrison says it is the wet season in the Northern Territory at the moment, but it is hoped the Howard Springs expansion would be completed in April or May.
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Morrison says he asked Victorian premier Dan Andrews today when the state would start accepting international arrivals again. Victoria again suspended flights last month as the state battled a fresh Covid-19 outbreak.
Morrison said:
I mean, the second-highest number of Australians on that [overseas] list are from Victoria, over 10,000 Victorians are wanting to come home.
So I’m sure they would welcome their home state receiving those flights as soon as possible.
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Prof Brendan Murphy has announced CSL-produced jabs will start rolling out in the week of 22 March.
But the really, really exciting thing is that in the week beginning 22 March we will start to release the onshore supply of AstraZeneca vaccine; a million doses-plus a week, which gives us the capacity to really ramp up and broadly vaccinate our population as quickly as possible.
The value of having onshore production cannot be underestimated. Every country in the world is depending on international supplies.
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Morrison says that will happen over several months, and international arrival caps are likely to otherwise stay the same. Howard Springs will receive people on chartered flights.
That is an important addition to the capacity of those quarantine facilities, to receive those return chartered flights that Australia has been putting in place for many, many months. That is where people will quarantine.
The other arrival caps remain as we had them before. I want to thank New South Wales, who are taking more than 3,000 a week. Both Western Australia and Queensland are also now back over a thousand per week, and South Australia at 530.
And I’m looking forward soon to a decision from the Victorian government, once they’re in a position to advise us of when they’ll be also in a position to take flights again.
So, all in all, a rather routine meeting of the national cabinet today.
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Howard Springs Covid quarantine facility to be expanded
Morrison is speaking post the national cabinet meeting. He says an agreement has been reached with the Northern Territory government to expand the Howard Springs national resilience quarantine facility to 2,000 travellers a fortnight, up from 850.
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Scott Morrison speaking in Sydney after national cabinet meeting
The prime minister starts his press conference by saying today is “another V-Day for Australia ... another vaccination day”.
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Simon Birmingham understands he met woman who accused Christian Porter of historical rape
Simon Birmingham says he believes he has met the woman who has accused Christian Porter of a historical rape – an allegation Porter denies – but says he has few recollections of the meeting.
Birmingham said:
I understand that I had met her in 2010 at a book launch. I remember the book launch. I don’t remember any particular conversations at the time, and I’m not aware of any subsequent engagement of meeting or otherwise with her. I’m only aware of that [meeting] by virtue of a tweet where I congratulated her for the work that she had done at that book launch.
Birmingham said it was tenable for Porter to remain attorney general.
It is important that, in Australia, we uphold the rule of law, and we do so in a manner where the rule of law applies equally to everybody. That also involves maintenance of the presumption of innocence, and the proper practices and scrutiny that are entailed in investigations in conduct of the law.
Look, it’s an unfortunate part of public life that allegations, speculation, can linger in that regard. But I think Australians are also fair-minded, and do expect that all individuals should have the right, the presumption of innocence, the right to be able to have their case put and heard.
These claims in relation to the attorney general that date back to 1988 had had engagement with different independent, impartial investigative bodies in police services. They’re still subject, of course, to coronial processes here in South Australia, and all of those independent processes should be allowed to do their job with full independence and without political interference.
When asked if the government supported the wishes of the woman’s family and friends for an independent inquiry into her death, Birmingham said that was “precisely” what was already happening.
That’s what South Australian police and the South Australian coroner will do, free of political interference and with the independence guarantee under their legal frameworks.
We have independent processes. Police in Australia are independent. The coronial investigative bodies are independent. Our courts are independent. They operate in independent ways with all of the appropriate safeguards as well that a good judicial system needs and has.
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Labor leader Anthony Albanese welcomes Kate Jenkins’ appointment to lead a review into workplace culture in parliament, but says she has a big job in front of her.
Quite clearly, we need significant reform. We have forwarded our view that there should be very wide terms of reference. It should include changes to the...ministerial and parliamentary staff act.
It needs to have proper services so that people know where to get assistance. It needs to be transparent processes in terms of complaints, including at arm’s length from those in positions of existing power so people can have confidence to go forward either on a confidential basis, if they wish, or on the basis of it not being confidential if that’s appropriate and if the people agree.
So this is a big job. It’s important that it be done and that there be confidence in the system.
The health minister, Greg Hunt, has sought to assure the public that the government had “more than enough” doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to bridge the gap between now and the expected beginning of domestically produced CSL jabs at the end of March.
But he also signalled his displeasure at Italy’s decision to block exports of 250,000 AstraZeneca jabs to Australia. Hunt noted that the European Union ambassador to Australia had previously “made a very strong and clear statement that Australia would be unaffected” by the vaccine export review procedures that were introduced.
Hunt said:
Obviously one country for one shipment has made an announcement, and so Australia has raised the issue with the European Commission through multiple channels, and in particular, we have asked the European Commission to review this decision.
The health minister confirmed the Australian government was first notified of the plans on Wednesday evening this week. He said notification was “subject to a request from Australia for review” and “we have not received the response as yet in relation to the request for review”.
Hunt emphasised that AstraZeneca had a global supply chain, and had reaffirmed in a conversation this morning that “there’s been no change in their guidance to us”.
Asked whether the company had committed to supply Australia with the same number of doses from other parts of the world instead, Hunt said he would not pre-empt the dates for security reasons.
But I am confident that, in the near future, there may be more announcements in relation to the arrival of both vaccines.
Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP
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Just back to Simon Birmingham briefly. He made these remarks when asked if he was concerned whether the events of the past month would discourage people from being involved in politics.
I worry, as I said in my concluding remarks, that the way in which these events have been promoted over recent weeks will deter good people from offering themselves to parliamentary service or offering themselves to work in our parliament.
That’s why our parliament, Australia’s parliament, should and must set the example in terms of providing the best possible policies to prevent harassment, sexual harassment, bullying or sexual assault, and to ensure we respond to it in the best and most possible and effective ways where it does occur.
And if we can set that example and be an exemplar for the nation, then hopefully that can give people the confidence to step forward and to work in our parliament in whatever way they see fit so that we can continue to attract good, capable, well-meaning individuals, as are the vast majority of those who I have had the privilege of serving alongside of through my time in the parliament.
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At the same time Birmingham has been speaking, the health minister, Greg Hunt, is addressing reporters in Victoria.
Hunt is addressing Italy’s decision to block the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia.
Hunt began his presser by saying he was delighted the first AstraZeneca doses had been delivered today in Murray Bridge in regional South Australia – “a very important milestone”.
He said the reports today related to “one particular shipment from one particular country”.
We are very clear that this does not affect the pace fo the rollout. That shipment had not been factored in to our distribution to the states and territories.
Hunt said the first shipment of 300,000 doses arrived in Australia earlier this week.
He said AstraZeneca had a “deep, broad global supply chain”, and the Australian government had been reassured today that the company would continue to draw on that global supply chain.
Hunt said of Italy’s move:
It’s a reminder it’s a very very competitive world.
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Western Australia government will hold royal commission into Crown Perth
The state had previously announced an inquiry with royal commission-like powers, but it has just announced that a royal commission will delve into the company’s fitness to hold a licence.
The government says it consulted with the opposition about the need to establish a royal commission, despite the decision being made in the caretaker period ahead of next weekend’s election.
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Simon Birmingham has finished speaking in Adelaide. He had a few things to say about the allegations made against Christian Porter too, which I’ll post about soon.
Birmingham was asked if Linda Reynolds should resign for her comments about Brittany Higgins.
He responded:
Minister Reynolds, I understand, has made very clear that she’s sorry for the statements that were reportedly made, and she will be conveying that, I understand, to these hearings as well.
Birmingham is now talking about the rule of law.
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Birmingham says the report and its findings will be made public, subject to the confidentiality of participants being respected.
Updated
Birmingham says it will not be an investigative review, but will follow a similar framework as that adopted for the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report completed by the commission last year.
Birmingham continues:
Our desire is that this is a long enough time for it to be a thorough and comprehensive piece of work, but also to get a response back this year, such that we can then act on the recommendations, provide the positive examples for the future.
It is so important to get this work done and to get it done properly.
It’s important for the victims of bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault. It’s important for their loved ones. It is also important for the many innocent bystanders who have found themselves in workplaces or environments that are under question or under a cloud at present.
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Jenkins will report by November. Birmingham said:
We have developed clear terms of reference that will give Kate every capability to hear the experiences of former and current parliamentary staff, former and current parliamentarians, those who have worked in the parliament.
And, in hearing those experiences, to consider how to change the culture, how to change the practices, and how to ensure that, in future, we do have the best possible environment for prevention and response to those instances.
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Sex discrimination commissioner to lead review of parliament culture
Birmingham announces that Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, will lead the review.
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Senate leader Simon Birmingham is speaking in Adelaide about one of several reviews announced after former Coalition staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in parliament house.
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Linda Reynolds preparing to apologise to Brittany Higgins
The defence minister, Linda Reynolds, has signalled she is prepared to apologise to Brittany Higgins after the former staffer raised the prospect of defamation action.
It follows a report in the Australian that Reynolds had described Higgins as a “lying cow” in front of staff when the first reports were published last month. Reynolds issued the following statement moments ago:
A report in the Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins.
I have never questioned Ms Higgins’ account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter.
In response to a letter from Ms Higgins’ lawyers yesterday afternoon, discussions are now underway through our legal representatives in an effort to resolve this matter as soon as possible, with any resolution to include an apology.
However, in the meantime, I want to express how deeply sorry I am for these remarks and for any hurt and distress they have caused.
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The Victorian government will privatise some registration and licensing services currently performed by VicRoads.
In a statement released on Friday morning, the government said it was confident the move would not lead to job losses, and it planned to approach private operators later this year.
Treasurer @timpallas and @BenCarrollMP announce joint venture model for VicRoads rego and licensing.
— Kieran Rooney (@KieranRooneyCM) March 5, 2021
"This is not a privatisation in the sense that we are going to remain the owners of this asset." #springst pic.twitter.com/Yf1xbuwUZk
The government said it would retain all registration data to ensure privacy, and the exact functions to be performed by its private partner in the joint operation were not disclosed.
Treasurer Tim Pallas said:
We are focused on delivering a better customer service experience for motorists and protecting jobs for VicRoads workers.
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A Darwin-based Aboriginal health service has filed legal action in a bid to block the construction of a Dan Murphy’s store.
Maurice Blackburn’s Social Justice Practice is running the case on behalf of Danila Dilba health service, the law firm said in a statement.
The case will focus on having the decision to grant a liquor licence for the controversial store overturned.
Danila Dilba CEO Olga Havnen said the decision to approve the liquor licence failed to properly weigh up the risks and benefits of the new store.
She said:
There’s no harm caused to the community by taking the time to properly consider the public interest and community impact of the proposal, but there is a lot of potential harm in a rushed process that neglects the public health impact.
This area is already awash with takeaway liquor. We don’t need another store, especially one located so close to three dry Aboriginal communities.
The rushed decision to approve a Dan Murphy’s megastore is likely to unwind much of the good work we have achieved in reducing the harm caused by alcohol.
Woolworths owns the liquor store chain. It has previously said through a spokesman for its subsidiary, Endeavour Group, which operates Dan Murphy’s, that the store would have the “most stringent set of alcohol control policies anywhere in the country”, with further voluntarily restrictions.
The store would have full-time security and a minimum unit price higher than government and not sell casks or fortified wines, high-alcohol cider or high-strength RTD (ready to drink) beverages.
There had been almost five years of objections to the store before it was approved in December.
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No local Covid cases in NSW but a dozen found in quarantine
New South Wales has recorded a 47th straight day without a locally acquired Covid-19 case, but 12 people who acquired the virus overseas are in hotel quarantine.
The increase in overseas acquired cases is significant. There have only been 36 cases recorded in the past week, so to record 12 in a day is quite the leap.
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The Human Rights Law Centre has released a statement about the rape allegations against Christian Porter.
Statement on allegations against the Australian Attorney-General https://t.co/qROQz8SRAr pic.twitter.com/b4xDBjhvoC
— Human Rights Law Centre (@rightsagenda) March 4, 2021
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Simon Birmingham has made clear Italy’s decision to withhold a vaccine shipment will not mean the Australian government is caught with its pants down (I think that’s what he’s saying).
The finance minister told Sky News on Friday:
We are obviously disappointed and frustrated by this decision, but it is also why we took a belt and braces approach.
We’ve contracted up to 150 million doses of vaccines, including 50 million doses to be produced in Australia.
The world is in quite uncharted territory at present, it’s unsurprising that some countries will tear up the rule book.
Peter Dutton and Greg Hunt were slightly less colourful in their comments this morning, but equally dismissive of the decision having an impact on the vaccination program.
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Johnson & Johnson loses court appeal in pelvic mesh case
Here is the full story from AAP about the appeal in the Johnson & Johnson pelvic mesh case being dismissed:
More than 10,000 women are due to share in hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation after Johnson & Johnson failed to overturn a landmark ruling finding it concealed the true extent of complications of damaging medical devices.
A federal court judge in 2019 found Johnson & Johnson Group firms acted negligently and concealed the true extent of complications from the pelvic implants.
Hundreds of the synthetic implants eroded, extruded or caused infection without warning – leaving women in chronic pain and with damage to surrounding organs.
But Johnson & Johnson appealed against the judgment, saying it had numerous legal errors, including a reversal of the onus of proof.
The full court of the federal court dismissed the appeal on Friday.
Justice Anna Katzmann in 2019 found the “instructions for use” handed to surgeons minimised harm and exaggerated the benefits of the devices.
Her judgment ran to 1,500 pages after an eight-month trial examining three patients’ experiences, 48 witnesses and more than 164,000 pages of written evidence.
But Johnson & Johnson said the court failed to hear from the three patients’ surgeons.
A lawyer for the manufacturers told the appeal court the information brochures about the pelvic implants were not the be-all-and-end-all of warnings and a finding that product brochures were deficient – leading surgeons astray – was also wrong.
The class action over the implants was launched by Shine Lawyers in 2012 and has been joined by more than 10,000 Australian women.
Shine Lawyers’ class actions practice leader, Rebecca Jancauskas, said before the appeal was dismissed:
It has been a long journey to get to this point in a case which has been vigorously defended by Johnson & Johnson at every turn.
We have fought hard to ensure the voices of these incredibly brave women are heard, as they’ve struggled with the chronic pain and life-altering complications from their mesh and tape implants.
Before the judgment, the three lead litigants were awarded a total of $2.6m in damages, paving the way for full payout in the hundreds of millions.
Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
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I’m not sure if we got to this thread from Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton in last night’s blog, but in light of all the Oxford/AstraZeneca news around since, I think it’s worth posting.
Basically he said that he hoped to get that version of the vaccine, to counteract perceptions it was less effective than the Pfizer vaccine. These comments were posted before the Italy developments.
Q: When should I, as CHO, get my COVID vaccine? And which vaccine should I get?
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) March 4, 2021
A: Whenever it’s offered to me, probably a few weeks from now. And whatever vaccine is offered. The Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine are both excellent. Personally I hope I get the AZ. 1/4
An appeal against a court ruling in the pelvic mesh case has failed, AAP is reporting.
Johnson & Johnson hoped to overturn a 2019 federal court decision that found they were responsible for the injuries caused by women who received mesh implants.
BREAKING: Johnson and Johnson has lost its bid to overturn landmark pelvic #mesh implant ruling.
— Luke Costin (@LukeCostin) March 4, 2021
Hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation is now likely to be paid to more than 10,000 women who joined the class action
More to come @AAPNewswire
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If you are interested in the situation in New Zealand, where residents on the North Island have been urged to evacuate because of a tsunami warning, our live blog coverage is here:
Updated
There has been quite a lot on this week. But it is worth taking some time to chew over the state of Australia’s aged care system. We did just that in this episode of the Full Story here:
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The chief executive of the Sydney Mardi Gras insists his organisation remains centred on social justice but won’t support a protest planned for Saturday, saying safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic remains paramount.
AAP reports that protesters planning the LGBTQI rights march on Saturday afternoon to mark Mardi Gras will soon learn if their gathering will be declared illegal.
The New South Wales supreme court will on Friday consider a bid by the state police commissioner to stop this weekend’s gathering in inner Sydney.
The march is due to take place ahead of the official Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, moved to the Sydney Cricket Ground due to Covid-19.
NSW police assistant commissioner Gelina Talbot told reporters on Friday the protest was unauthorised as it would exceed the maximum number of people allowed at political gatherings under health rules.
The current limit on political gatherings is 500. More than 1,100 people have already RSVPed to attend the march, with another 3200 interested.
But Talbot said the police would accept Friday’s court outcome.
Mardi Gras chief executive Albert Kruger told reporters that his organisation remained a social justice organisation at its core but could not condone protests in violation of NSW’s public health orders.
About 10,000 people are expected at the Mardi Gras parade at the SCG.
Kruger said:
We’ve given every single float a 45-second dedicated spot on our broadcast to get their message across ... it’s not just about walking around in fancy costumes, it’s a social justice event.
We support protest, absolutely do, no other way to put it.
[But] we want to make sure whatever event we put on, we can safely do so and confidently say our patrons coming to this event will be safe.
Kruger also said revellers should either attend ticketed events and afterparties or host gatherings of up to 50 people at home.
Activist group Pride In Protest is among those organising the march, which plans to take the route of the original 1978 march down Oxford Street.
Organisers say the march down Oxford Street had been planned because the SCG event didn’t represent the Mardi Gras’ true purpose.
The march would go ahead regardless of the court outcome, Pride In Protest spokesman Toby Walmsley told AAP this week.
National Justice Project lawyers representing the organisers say police have no reasonable basis to ban the protest and a Covid-safe plan is in place for people to register, wear masks, sanitise and practice social distancing.
Meanwhile, Talbot said police would be out in force on Saturday across Oxford Street, Hyde Park and Moore Park to ensure reveller safety.
Revellers should also wear masks on public transport, Talbot said.
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Sydney theatre venue moves to 100% audience capacity in NSW first
The Sydney Theatre Company has become the first live performance venue in New South Wales to move to 100% capacity audience, following an exemption granted by the state’s health minister, Brad Hazzard.
The move marks almost one year to the day since the entire live performance sector was shut down due to Covid-19.
The current season of Ruth Park’s Playing Beatie Bow, adapted by Kate Mulvany, will move into full house mode next week, while coming seasons of Appropriate and Fun Home will open at full capacity in March and April.
Additional tickets for all three productions will go on sale from Tuesday 9 March.
STC’s executive director, Patrick McIntyre, said the exemption was granted in response to the company’s “exemplary” Covid-safe policies and procedures that have been in place since it returned to the stage in September 2020 with its production of Angus Cerini’s Wonnangatta.
McIntyre said the ability to sell to full capacity was a crucial next step on the road to recovery.
Sydney is more or less the theatre capital of the world right now and we are incredibly heartened by the strong demand we are seeing from audiences.
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Fears 'superspreader' may have passed on virus in Queensland hotel quarantine
There is some interesting Covid-19 goings-on in Queensland: a nurse with a history of severe allergic reactions took a turn after receiving the vaccine, and health authorities are trying to find eight people who may have come into contact with a “superspreader” in hotel quarantine.
AAP reports that the nurse had an anaphylactic reaction after being given the Pfizer jab at Gold Coast University Hospital on Thursday afternoon, but has since recovered.
Queensland Health is also racing to track down eight people who may have been infected with Covid-19 while staying on level eight of Brisbane’s Mercure hotel between 17 and 21 February.
Two people on that level tested positive for the Russian strain of the virus. The pair arrived on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha on 17 February, and another four passengers on the flight also tested positive.
Chief health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says a “superspreader” may have passed the virus on to others in the hotel.
She said on Thursday:
It could have happened – unlikely – but it could have happened in the hotel, because this person was in the room next to the person who was positive.
Young said authorities were tracking down those eight people but until they found them they had been asked to self-isolate for 14-days and get tested.
She said some of those people could be interstate residents and the National Incident Room has been alerted.
I just need to find out where the eight people have gone.
It’s unlikely that it’s a risk, but it is a risk, no matter how small, so I just want to work that through.
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Australia’s netball team is in New Zealand at the moment, and the skipper felt this morning’s earthquake.
My first New Zealand earthquake! It woke me up which was surprising seeing as I am known to sleep through alarms... hope everyone on the North Island is safe x
— Caitlin Bassett (@CBassNetball) March 4, 2021
Australian humanitarian and environmental organisations have urged those deciding on a new head of the OECD to reject the candidacy of Mathias Cormann.
AAP reports that the organisations want the former finance minister to be judged harshly for his record on climate change.
Cormann is one of two final candidates in the international race to head the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, facing off against Sweden’s Cecilia Malmstrom.
Cormann has repeatedly come under fire for actions on climate change since announcing his candidacy.
Oxfam Australia head Lyn Morgain says the global community is facing the twin challenges of recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and tackling accelerating climate change.
She said on Friday:
The leaders of our international institutions must act in concert with nations to avoid a climate catastrophe that will further entrench poverty and inequality.
It is vital the next head of the OECD have a record that demonstrates a real commitment to taking action on climate change.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter said Cormann’s attempts to airbrush his record couldn’t change his actions in government.
He said:
Like any job applicant, Mr Cormann deserves to be judged on his record.
He has proven time and time again that he puts the profits of the coal and gas industry above people and planet.
The successful candidate will succeed current secretary general Angel Gurria for a five-year term beginning on 1 June.
Updated
Here is another voice emphasising that Italy’s decision to block a vaccine shipment to Australia will not throw our vaccination program out of whack.
But this time it’s not a federal government minister but Victoria’s deputy chief health officer, Prof Allen Cheng.
He told Melbourne radio station 3AW that he wasn’t concerned (while he was waiting for a jab of his own).
We have more vaccine than our capacity to deliver it at the moment.
Cheng says the blocked shipment “just reinforces just how lucky we are to have local production” of the vaccine.
Updated
Home affairs minister Peter Dutton also says Italy’s move to block an export of vaccine to Australia will not impact the vaccination program.
Health minister Greg Hunt made similar comments earlier.
“This 250,000-dose issue is not going to affect the rollout,” Dutton told the Nine Network on Friday, AAP reported.
Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles welcomed the government’s confidence the program would not be affected.
“We are far from leading the world in terms of vaccinating our population, but it’s good news to hear from Peter this won’t stall the rollout,” he told Nine.
Dutton stressed there was no problem as he urged people to speak to their doctors to see when they could be vaccinated, saying:
We need to get to herd immunity that way we can get our borders open and get back to normal life.
The Australian Medical Association’s Chris Moy said the government’s decision to lock in local manufacturing would protect against “vaccine nationalism”.
“It may have a slight delay because the first 3 or 4 million were destined to come from overseas,” he told Nine.
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No new Covid-19 cases recorded in Victoria
It has now been a week since the state had a community-transmitted infection.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 19,846 test results were received. Thanks for getting tested - #EveryTestHelps.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) March 4, 2021
More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/eGYinJMPyF
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Australia’s first jab of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine administered
Australia’s first jab of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been administered in Murray Bridge.
The first AstraZeneca jab has been administered in Australia! This is Dr Caroline Phegan she’s one of the frontline workers at the Murray Bridge Hospital to receive the vaccine. @abcadelaide @BreakfastNews pic.twitter.com/AlvMmFTDbc
— Sarah Mullins (née Hancock) (@sarahmullins) March 4, 2021
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The Biloela family has been detained for three years today.
There have been some entertaining discussions at Guardian Australia this week regarding cryptoart, culminating in this piece published this morning.
Updated
As we have seen, health minister Greg Hunt isn’t too concerned about Italy blocked 250,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from being exported to Australia. But if you’re just wondering where we’re up to with the vaccination program, check in with our interactive tracker.
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The New Zealand tsunami warning has been reissued, after we earlier reported it had been withdrawn. The warning is here and our updated story is here.
The national emergency management agency is expecting coastal flooding across a huge part of the country.
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Greg Hunt says blocked shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine won't affect distribution plan
Health minister Greg Hunt has had something to say about Italy blocking the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia.
And he’s making it sound like it’s not a big deal.
Greg Hunt 2/: "This is one shipment from one country. This shipment was not factored into our distribution plan for coming weeks. Domestic production starts with one million per week of deliveries from late March and is on track."
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) March 4, 2021
This is one shipment from one country.
This shipment was not factored into our distribution plan for coming weeks. Domestic production starts with one million per week of deliveries from late March and is on track.
Updated
A QUITE SHOUTY tsunami warning has been issued by the New South Wales bureau of meteorology for waters (but not land) near Norfolk Island, following that magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck off the New Zealand coast this morning.
THERE IS A MARINE TSUNAMI WARNING CURRENT FOR NORFOLK ISLAND. Not expecting land areas to be affected.https://t.co/2GB6xf8zaV
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 4, 2021
Tasmania is on the verge of becoming the third state to legalise euthanasia.
The Australian Associated Press report that late last night, voluntary assisted dying legislation passed the state’s lower house.
Members voted 16-6 in favour of the bill late on Thursday night after lengthy debate throughout the week.
To become law, the bill must be given a second green light by the upper house, where it was introduced and passed unanimously late last year.
Premier Peter Gutwein was among a handful of Liberals to support the bill in a conscience vote, which allowed all MPs to vote along personal preferences.
All nine Labor members voted for the legislation as did both Greens MPs.
It is the fourth time proposed euthanasia laws have come before Tasmania’s parliament.
Similar laws exist in Western Australia and Victoria.
Gutwein, who has voted against voluntary assisted dying in the past, said it had become “easier to say yes than no” as the debate progressed over the years.
Labor leader Rebecca White said it was a proud day for the state, while Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said it was a step to making Tasmania a kinder and more compassionate place.
A court will decide on Friday whether a landmark ruling that found a pharmaceutical giant concealed the true extent of complications of damaging medical devices will stand, the AAP reports.
A federal court judge in 2019 found Johnson & Johnson Group firms acted negligently and concealed the true extent of complications from the pelvic implants.
Hundreds of the synthetic implants eroded, extruded or caused infection without warning – leaving women in chronic pain and with damage to surrounding organs.
But Johnson & Johnson appealed the judgment, saying it had numerous legal errors, including a reversal of the onus of proof.
The full court of the federal court is due to hand down its decision on Friday morning.
Justice Anna Katzmann in 2019 found the “Instructions for Use” handed to surgeons minimised harm and exaggerated the benefits of the devices. Her judgment ran 1,500 pages after an eight-month trial examining three patients’ experiences, 48 witnesses and more than 164,000 pages of written evidence.
But Johnson & Johnson said the court failed to hear from the three patients’ surgeons.
The information brochures about the pelvic implants weren’t the be-all-and-end-all of warnings and a finding that product brochures were deficient – leading surgeons astray – was also wrong, a lawyer for the manufacturers told the appeal court.
The class action over the implants was launched in 2012 and has been joined by more than 1,350 Australian women.
Pending the appeal judgment, the three lead litigants were awarded a total of $2.6 million in damages – paving the way for full payout in the hundreds of millions, should the primary judgment stand.
Updated
Morning all, it’s Friday 5 March. Here is what is making news today:
Italy has blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia in the first such intervention under the EU’s controversial export authorisation scheme – alarming those concerned that the EU is moving towards a protectionist approach to vaccine supply.
The intervention, questions about the vaccination program and the broader pandemic response will be discussed when prime minister Scott Morrison meets state and territory leaders at national cabinet today.
As new data suggests local attitudes to the vaccine may fall along political lines, the medicines regulator has said a full-page advertisement signed by Clive Palmer in The Australian yesterday questioning Covid-19 vaccination “contains factual inaccuracies”.
Morrison faces a growing clamour for an independent investigation into the contested rape allegation against Christian Porter, as the attorney general acknowledged he may have had contact with his accuser after 1988. A panel of influential women used their Q+A appearance last night to add to the calls – and decried a misogynistic culture in parliament, in light of reports that defence minister Linda Reynolds referred to alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins as a “lying cow” (in comments unrelated to the alleged rape). Higgins has demanded an apology from Reynolds, who did not deny the comments.
Australia has called on Myanmar’s security forces to cease the violent response to protests, condemning the killings of minors as “indefensible” – but stopped short of outlining any additional sanctions against military figures, even as 38 people were killed on the deadliest day since last month’s coup.
And a severe 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the east of New Zealand’s North Island this morning, prompting a tsunami warning that was later withdrawn – although residents have been asked to stay alert and keep away from beaches and marine areas.
