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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luke Henriques-Gomes and Matilda Boseley (earlier)

South Australia and Western Australia expand vaccine eligibility – as it happened

A Covid health sign in Melbourne amid near-deserted streets during lockdown
A Covid health sign in Melbourne amid near-deserted streets on the city’s 12th day of lockdown on Tuesday. Victoria has reported two new local cases of coronavirus. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

What happened today, Tuesday 8 June 2021

We’ll leave it there for tonight.

Here’s a look at today’s main stories.

  • Victoria recorded two local cases, as authorities said the state was “on track” for an easing of restrictions by Friday.
  • However, it was also revealed that the Delta variant case has been tracked to back to Victoria’s hotel quarantine program, in the latest leak from the system.
  • The NSW government announced plans for a new mass vaccination hub.
  • Western Australia said it would open its vaccine program to people 30 years old and above, while South Australia also expanded its rollout.
  • The federal government faced criticism for the treatment of a three-year-old girl from the Biloela family who was medically airlifted from Christmas Island to Perth.
  • The federal government said it had granted 90 visas to Afghan interpreters who worked with the Australian defence force, amid growing concerns for their safety.
  • In state politics, Victoria’s acting premier said the Liberal opposition should be ashamed of attacks it launched against Daniel Andrews, who remains on sick leave.
  • And NSW Labor appointed Prue Car as deputy leader.

Stay safe and we’ll see you tomorrow.

Updated

Samantha Maiden of news.com.au reports here that the federal government has issued a military sociologist with a legal demand to prove her new book doesn’t pose a national security risk.

The reported demand related to Blood Lust, Trust and Blame, the new book by Samantha Crompvoets, whose landmark report sparked a major investigation into alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers.

I should note we have not independently confirmed this, but it seems like a pretty remarkable development.

Updated

Former AFL club executive Kelly Ryan is the new boss of Netball Australia, reports AAP.

Ryan replaces Marne Fechner, who stepped down late last year, with Ron Steiner holding the chief executive role on an interim basis for the past eight months.

With a marketing background, Ryan comes to Netball Australia after holding positions with the Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs AFL clubs and, most recently, with Marvel Stadium.

NA chair Marina Go said Ryan had been chosen from a strong field of candidates.

Kelly comes to netball at a pivotal time in our sport’s development.

While her experience and track record of leadership is impeccable, it is her drive and strategic ambition for netball that most excites us.

Ryan said she was thrilled to lead netball at such an important time of change and growth and would look to ensure it remained the leading sport for women.

I am honoured to be selected to lead netball at such an important time.

Updated

Here’s a market update at the close of play, from AAP.

A record high for the Australian share market soon gave way to timid trading as investors wait for key gauges of inflation in China and the US.

The ASX200 rose to a lofty 7315.6 points in the first hour of trade but was little changed for most of the day.

Investors are looking forward to China’s consumer and producer price indices prior to US inflation data this week.

The figures should show whether inflation is soaring as major economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index closed higher by 10.7 points, or 0.15%, to 7292.6 on Tuesday.

This was three points shy of its record closing level.

The All Ordinaries was up by 10.7 points, or 0.14%, to 7542.3.

The Australian dollar was buying US77.46c at 1623 AEST, higher from US77.34c at Monday’s close.

Updated

There is a small update to the story we reported yesterday that the Australian government was ordered to pay an Iraqi asylum seeker $350,000 in damages for unlawfully detaining him for more than two years.

The federal court on Monday found the man, identified only by the pseudonym MZZHL, had been unlawfully detained by the commonwealth from March 2019 until May this year, because the Department of Home Affairs was not pursuing the purpose of his detention, which was “removing him from Australia”, during that time.

The Department of Home Affairs did not initially comment on the case, and it has not indicated if it will appeal against the judgment.

However, today a spokesperson told the Guardian it was “aware of the judgment handed down” and “is considering the implications of this judgment”.

The spokesperson did not clarify whether the department could now reassess others currently in detention or similar cases, but Alison Battisson, director principal of the group Human Rights for All, which ran the case, believes the judgment could set a precedent for similar cases.

She said that was because unlike other detention cases before the high court, this case focused on the purpose of detention.

Battisson told the Guardian:

This decision says if you are not pursuing the purpose of detention, then the detention is no longer lawful, and it doesn’t matter if they have a visa or not.

You can read more:

Australia's coat of arm outside the federal court
The federal court awarded an Iraqi asylum seeker $350,000 in damages for unlawful detention. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

Updated

The Victorian state Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith says he thinks chief health officer Brett Sutton’s judgment could be “impaired” because of the difficulties the health system faced last year.

Smith has just told ABC Radio Melbourne that Sutton’s view of issues such as the need for restrictions in response to outbreaks was much more pessimistic than NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant.

Smith says:

I think we need a fresh pair of eyes. I think he is needlessly looking at this from a very negative perspective.

I think having a more objective and balanced approach might be in the state’s best interest.

Smith has been one of the most vocal critics of the Victorian Labor government, but his latest criticism of Sutton – a public health official rather than a politician – is particularly strident.

Updated

Just heartbreaking.

The Department of Health says 127,564 vaccine doses were administered in the past 24 hours.

The national total is at 5,203,977 doses.

The mother of a man who acquired unexplained bruises while living in disability housing was told to make a freedom of information request to see the subsequent report, an inquiry has been told.

Adelaide woman Karen Rogers gave evidence at a hearing of the disability royal commission on Tuesday about two separate occasions when she discovered bruises on her son Daniel, reports AAP.

The most serious occurred in February 2019 when a support worker phoned to say Daniel had a “large bruise on his back”, Rogers told the commissioners.

A doctor recommended he go to hospital to check that the bruise, stretching from his spine to his kidney, was not caused by internal bleeding.

That was found not to be the case, and in the days that followed Rogers decided Daniel should stay with her and her husband.

Rogers said:

Daniel seemed to be traumatised, he was very unsettled at night and if we mentioned [the disability home] in a conversation, he became very distressed and he would start hitting himself in the head.

An official at the Department of Human Services (DHS) advised her to make a complaint to police, who launched an investigation.

Daniel was aged 40 and lived with autism, epilepsy and intellectual disability, the hearing was told. He had limited speech and was unable to give a police statement.

After officers visited his former home and interviewed staff, police advised they could not take the matter further and the DHS began its own investigation, the hearing was told.

The department’s incident management unit never sought to interview Rogers or her son, Rogers said.

More than a year after the bruises were discovered, she sought a meeting with the unit’s director, Stewart Dodd.

Rogers told the hearing:

Stewart told me the DHS investigation was inconclusive and he was unable to provide a copy of the report to me.

Stewart said if I wanted to see a copy of the report, I would need to make a freedom of information application.

Staff believed the injury occurred outside the home, but no one could come to a determination, the department’s Wayne Cunningham told the hearing.

Daniel was now “very happy” after a period of readjustment, but still reacted negatively to anything to do with the disability home, Rogers said.

I still feel there are answers out there and I still would like to know what happened. I guess we’re never going to know.

The disability royal commission is holding a week-long hearing in Adelaide.

Updated

Over on the ABC, Patricia Karvelas asked Liberal MP Dave Sharma if he was comfortable with the decision to separate the youngest daughter of the Tamil family fighting deportation on Christmas Island from her father.

Tharunicaa, who is three, has been medically airlifted to Perth with her mother, but her father and sibling have remain on Christmas Island.

Sharma says:

I’ve got a lot of sympathy for her. I wasn’t part of that decision. I’d like to see families kept together wherever possible, including seeking medical treatment, but without knowing particular circumstances, that is all I can say, as a matter of principle.

Sharma repeated that he had “sympathy” for the family but noted he was not the minister.

Pressed, he would not say that the minister, Karen Andrews, should use her ministerial discretion to allow them to stay in Australia.

I don’t know them personally but we are a country that is governed by laws, not the individual ministers and make systems and processes.

But Labor MP Peter Khalil said ministers had used this discretion many times.

He said:

This argument the government puts up about this opening up the back door is utterly ridiculous.

Updated

The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has been out spruiking the virtues of Australia to international investors in a pre-recorded interview with ratings agency Fitch, released this morning.

Frydenberg’s message could be boiled down to: please don’t take away our AAA rating (Fitch has given Australia the top rating but has slapped a negative outlook on it).

Asked about the slow vaccine rollout, Frydenberg passed up the opportunity to give a target date by when the Australian population will be jabbed to the point of herd immunity.

“It’s definitely gaining pace,” he said, pointing to Australia’s ability to make the AstraZeneca vaccine at CSL’s factory.

We are not putting a specific date on it.

He said the budget contained an “assumption” that the vaccine would be available to anyone who wanted it by the end of the year, but this was not a policy position.

As the interview was for an international audience, the usual attacks on Victoria were also muted, with Frydenberg confining himself to holding out NSW as an example of a state that had dealt with outbreaks without locking down.

Nor are skyrocketing house prices a problem, Frydenberg told potential bond investors, thanks to record low interest rates.

Higher house prices also lead to people spending more, he said.

People suddenly start feeling the wealth effect, and that’s quite a good thing for the economy at large.

I’m pleased when housing prices are going up rather than going down.

So that’s all right then.

A property 'sold' sign
Booming property prices get the treasurer’s nod. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Updated

On the calls for Afghan interpreters and local staff to be granted visas, Labor says the government should fast-track the process.

It comes amid reports of direct threats against their safety by the Taliban, and with the government saying it has just granted 90 visas for Afghans who worked with the Australian defence force.

The opposition’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong says:

Australia has a duty of care to these Afghan nationals who were vital to the Australian government operations over 20 years.

They now face threats from the Taliban and we have a moral obligation to act urgently to get them to safety.

Brendan O’Connor, Labor’s defence spokesman, said:

In many cases, these interpreters wore Australian uniforms and helped keep our troops and diplomats safe, at great risk to themselves.

Kristina Keneally, the opposition’s home affairs spokeswoman, said:

Home affairs minister Karen Andrews needs to get this done. These staff are facing real risks to their safety now, they can’t afford a year-long wait for a visa.

Updated

My colleague Ben Doherty has been watching the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial.

Visas granted to Afghan interpreters, guards

The Morrison government says Australia has granted an extra 90 visas to Afghan nationals who have worked alongside Australia since the beginning of May.

Guardian Australia understands officials are now working with those nationals to assist them getting on to commercial flights to Australia in the near future. It comes amid growing calls for Australia to assist Afghan nationals, such as interpreters and guards, who now face retribution from the Taliban for their work alongside Australia.

SBS reported this afternoon that dozens of Afghans who worked alongside the Australian defence force and their families are preparing to evacuate to Australia in the coming weeks.

When contacted for confirmation, a spokesperson for immigration minister, Alex Hawke, told Guardian Australia the government had granted about 90 additional visas to locally engaged staff since the start of May.

Together with family members, that adds 200 to the total number Afghan nationals who have been resettled in Australia since this program for locally engaged workers began in 2013. Previously we knew of 1,200 such resettlements since the scheme began.

Afghan former interpreters for Nato forces demonstrate in Kabul in April
Afghan former interpreters for Nato forces demonstrate in Kabul in April. Photograph: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Santos to get up to $15m for gas project in Coalition's first grants from carbon capture fund

The Morrison government has announced the first $50m in grants from its new carbon capture, use and storage fund (CCS), including giving up to $15m to gas company Santos and $4m to an existing coal-fired power plant.

The funding is drawn from a promised $263.7m for the controversial technology announced in this year’s federal budget.

Though long promised as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, CCS has not proven commercially viable in reducing emissions from coal power and its use has been restricted to a few industrial projects. Several of those are in enhanced oil recovery – the CO2 is injected underground as a means to get access to more fossil fuels.

Two of the projects announced as receiving funding on Tuesday involve capturing CO2 from fossil fuel developments and storing them underground. Three plan to use the captured CO2 in product development, rather than store it underground. The sixth is for a “direct-air capture and storage” pilot that is intended to draw CO2 from the atmosphere and bury it underground.

The emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, said there had been “overwhelming demand” for the funding, with the government having received applications to support $1.2bn of investment.

He said it was “further proof of the viability and importance of carbon capture technologies”.

The projects we have supported through this program include a number of exciting, Australian-first technology demonstrations.

The six developments are:

  • Up to $15m for Santos’s Moomba liquifeid natural gas project in the Cooper Basin, South Australia. The company says it is expected to store 1.7m tonnes of CO2 a year.
  • Up to $14.6m for Mineral Carbonation International to help build a mobile demonstration plant on Kooragang Island, NSW, that uses CO2 to produce manufacturing and construction materials, such as concrete, plasterboard and fire-retardant materials.
  • Up to $9m for Energy Developments Pty Ltd to use CO2 emitted from the production of biomethane at landfill sites in cement carbonation curing.
  • Up to $5m for Carbon Transport and Storage Company to demonstrate the viability of CCS at a coal-fired power station in Queensland and support the development of a geological storage basin in the Surat Basin.
  • Up to $4m for Corporate Carbon Advisory Pty Ltd for Australia’s first demonstration of a direct-air-capture and storage project to geologically sequester CO2 in an existing injection well in Moomba, South Australia.
  • Up to $2.4m for Boral Limited for a pilot-scale CO2 use project to improve the quality of recycled concrete, masonry and steel slag aggregates at New Berrima, New South Wales.

Taylor said they would create “close to 470 direct jobs and deliver $412m of investment, much of this in regional areas”. No breakdown of this was provided in the initial statement.

Critics say CCS is too often used as a means to prop up fossil fuel industries when the world should be investing in genuinely clean solutions.

Santos’ Moomba gas processing plant in South Australia.
Santos’ Moomba gas processing plant in South Australia. Photograph: Santos Ltd/PR IMAGE

Updated

Kids Helpline announced today that duty-of-care interventions to protect children and young people were 99% higher nationally between 1 December 2020 and 31 May compared with the same period a year ago.

The escalation over the past six months across Australia is largely related to suicide attempts (38%) and child abuse (35%).

Kids Helpline is a service run by the youth charity yourtown. Its CEO, Tracy Adams, said the organisation had feared an increase in child vulnerability as a result of the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns.

“However, the current spike in emergency interventions on behalf of children and young people in New South Wales and Victoria is very disturbing,” she said.

New South Wales has had an increase of 40% in duty of care interventions enacted by Kids Helpline on behalf of children and young people for the period 1 December 2020 to 31 May 2021 versus the same period a year ago.

For those children and young people aged between 5 and 25 years of age, 44% of emergency interventions over the past six months in New South Wales have been in response to child abuse and 35% have been in response to an immediate intent to enact suicide.

Victoria has had an increase of 184% in duty-of-care interventions enacted by Kids Helpline on behalf of children and young people for the period 1 December 2020 to 31 May 2021 versus the same period a year ago.

Kids Helpline’s Victorian data over the last six months reveals that 75% of emergency interventions were for young people aged 13 to 18 years of age. For those children and young people aged between 5 to 25 years of age, 44% of emergency interventions over the past six months in Victoria have been in response to an immediate intent to enact suicide, with child abuse accounting for 31%.

It is very clear that the pandemic is taking a toll on the lives of children and young people, however, thankfully by young people seeking help Kids Helpline has supported 862 suicide prevention interventions nationally in the past six months.

Children and young people who want to talk to someone about any issue of concern to them can contact Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or use email or web-counselling services at kidshelpline.com.au.

Updated

The Aged and Community Services Association says other states and territories should follow Western Australia’s decision to make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for aged care workers.

The association’s chairperson, Sara Blunt, said:

Vaccinating aged care residents and the workforce is an essential protection for older Australians, particularly as Covid circulation and outbreaks continue in the community.

Victoria, NSW, South Australian and Queensland have made positive moves towards giving aged care workers priority access at their vaccination hubs, but we must step up the effort.

We support the introduction of mandatory Covid vaccines for both residential and home care workers, with appropriate exemptions on medical and other significant grounds.

This must be done in a way that increases vaccination rates without adversely impacting on workforce numbers, at a time when the sector needs more workers to support the extra demands of Covid and the implementation of the royal commission reforms.

Governments showed during the pandemic how quickly and co-operatively they could work during a crisis. Let’s see the same ingenuity and urgency applied by Australian governments to safeguard tens of thousands of lives with greater vaccination of aged care residents and workers.

Updated

National business conditions hit record high amid 'rapid rebound'

Business conditions struck a fresh record high in May, pointing to an extension of the rapid economic recovery from last year’s recession and a drop in the jobless rate in coming months, reports AAP.

However, the Victorian Covid-19 lockdown continues to sap consumer confidence, particularly, and unsurprisingly, among Melburnians.

National Australia Bank’s monthly survey posted a second consecutive record peak for business conditions in May, rising five points to 37 points.

Index components for trade, employment and profitability also hit new highs.

NAB chief economist Alan Oster said overall the survey was another very strong result for the business sector and forward indicators pointed to ongoing strength in the near term.

The economy now appears to be entering a new period of growth after a very rapid rebound.

Updated

McGowan says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 and over will also now be eligible to be vaccinated.

He says:

State-run clinics like Claremont Showgrounds, Joondalup, Kwinana and Redcliffe will be scaled up from next week to administer the Pfizer vaccine to the eligible younger demographic. Claremont will begin with appointments from the 30- to 49-year cohort from this Thursday.

Updated

WA opens up vaccines to people aged 30 and older

Western Australian premier Mark McGowan has just announced the government will open up the Covid-19 vaccine rollout to people 30 years old and older.

He says:

Western Australians between 30 and 49 will be able to get the Covid-19 vaccination with bookings opening today. We are fast-tracking the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program offering the vaccine to all eligible Western Australians over the age of 30.

This means those aged between 30 and 49 will receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at state-run clinics, starting this Thursday 10 June. And people aged over 50 will continue to receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

Updated

Productivity chief warns on national debt

The Productivity Commission chair, Michael Brennan, has warned that Australia shouldn’t continue debt-and-deficit fiscal policy even if low interest rates allow the country to (for a time).

In a speech to the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, Brennan rejected the view that “debt and deficit no longer matter at all” – a rebuttal of modern monetary theory.

Brennan said:

In the economists’ language, the view that growth rates will outpace interest rates provides some comfort about the sustainability of existing, steady state debt levels, but it gives no guidance as to which steady state debt level we should choose. In choosing a debt level, there is both a macroeconomic and a microeconomic case for caution.

The macro case is, first, that we need to rebuild fiscal buffers for the next emergency. Second, that if inflation did re-emerge, or if bond yields exceeded nominal growth for a period – not impossible for a resource exporter like Australia – then, by implication, we would need a fiscal consolidation.

Successful fiscal consolidations in history are rare. They are not often popular. And they would likely be even less popular in a period of rising inflation or falling terms of trade or slow real growth or rising interest rates, but those are the very circumstances in which our currently favourable debt dynamics would reverse.

The second microeconomic argument against debt and deficit is that the government spending would crowd out private investment.

Brennan also argued that despite Covid-19’s interruption to global supply chains, self-sufficiency was unlikely to work in the Australian context, after an unhappy 80 years protecting domestic manufacturing at great expense.

Brennan suggested firms should aim for bigger inventories and Australia should diversify trading relationships rather than aim to make everything itself.

Updated

This is happening next week in NZ.

My colleague Josh Taylor has the latest on the youngest daughter of the Tamil family from Biloela. She has been airlifted to hospital in Perth.

You can read Josh’s wrap of home affairs minister Karen Andrews’ comments below.

It includes this paragraph:

According to evidence provided to Senate estimates from the department in May, the cost to detain the family on Christmas Island between August 2019 and the end of January 2021 has been $6.7m, including $2.3m in detention, food, cleaning and school costs, $1.2m for travel costs, $100,000 for medical costs, $1m for legal and translation costs and $2.1m in staffing costs.

Updated

South Australia expands vaccine rollout

South Australia has expanded its Covid-19 vaccine rollout to all people aged 40 to 49 ahead of the allocation of $86m in this month’s budget to further expand the program, reports AAP.

The state has also extended access to the Pfizer vaccine to all disability workers, while SA Health has granted an exemption for the Geelong AFL team to enter the state for the game against Port Adelaide on Thursday night.

The chief public health officer, Prof Nicola Spurrier, said the travelling group would be limited to 50 people and testing requirements would be rigorous, with players required to return a negative result before being allowed to travel into South Australia.

The Geelong team has also been placed in quarantine from Monday night and will need to sign a declaration that they have not visited any sites of concern in Victoria.

They will fly in on a charter plane and leave immediately after the game, as Collingwood did for their match against the Adelaide Crows last weekend.

Spurrier said:

We’ve got SA Pathology on board to do the rapid turnaround of tests.

The premier, Steven Marshall, said giving every South Australian access to the vaccine was a key priority and the budget allocation would allow efforts to be maximised.

He said:

This $86 million investment will mean SA Health will have the resources they need to be able to pivot where required to get this vital vaccine into the arms of South Australians.

South Australia’s health and economic response to the pandemic has led the world, and we will continue to scale up the state’s vaccine rollout in a way that maximises our vaccine supplies, protects South Australians and aligns with the latest health advice.

Nicola Spurrier
Nicola Spurrier says Covid testing for the visiting Geelong AFL team will be rigorous. Photograph: Sue McKay/Getty Images

Updated

This is quite a statistic.

Just to let you know, we are expecting a vaccine update from the Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, shortly.

Updated

Thousands of people have already applied for the federal government’s Covid-19 disaster payment after claims opened today.

The government said in a statement that “thousands of claims have been successfully lodged and Services Australia has already started granting claims”.

Linda Reynolds, the government services minister, said:

Services Australia staff are now processing Covid-19 disaster payment claims and prioritising payments and services to support Victorians through this current lockdown period.

Once a claim has been lodged, using a Centrelink online account through myGov, customers do not need to do anything else.

When their claim is approved, customers should get their payment the next business day.

Customers will receive an SMS when their claim is submitted. People don’t need to call to check on their claim.

We expect significant interest in this payment and ask that people be patient, especially during the first few days as Services Australia processes these claims for support.

Payments will also be backdated to the date someone first became eligible, rather than the date the claim was lodged.

You can make a claim through your MyGov account. Those who can’t claim online can call 80 22 66 for support. Phone lines are open 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Eligible visa holders will need to call Services Australia on 180 22 66 to claim.

For more information on the Covid-19 disaster payment go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/covid19.

Updated

Matilda mentioned some terrible news out of Queensland earlier.

Here are some more details.

A woman has been mauled to death by three dogs she was minding in the Queensland city of Maryborough, reports AAP.

The woman, aged in her 30s or 40s, suffered horrific injuries when the animals turned on her at a Milton Road property about 9am on Tuesday.

The three mixed-breed dogs have been seized by the local council and are expected to be destroyed.

Acting inspector Wade Lee says the woman suffered head chest and arm injuries.

Police believe the dogs belong to someone else and the woman had been taking care of them.

Paramedics were called but she died at the scene.

Lee told reporters:

The dogs were in an enclosed yard. At this stage it is just a very tragic accident.

Police have not named the woman.

Updated

AAP also has more on the new NSW Labor deputy leader.

Londonderry MP Prue Car has been appointed deputy leader of NSW Labor, putting an end to weeks of party instability.

The former shadow education minister was elected unanimously on Tuesday, when the party also selected Penny Sharpe and John Graham as joint upper house leaders.

In a statement, Car said she was excited to work with newly minted leader Chris Minns. Carr said:

Like Chris, I understand the pressures on family budgets and the impact of the outrageous cost of [road] tolls.

Like Chris, I want to see our schools properly funded and staffed.

It will be an honour to serve as deputy leader of my party and to help take a positive vision for NSW to the 2023 election.

With all leadership positions filled, the party is hoping to put a damaging few weeks behind them.

NSW Labor was thrown into turmoil when Jodi McKay resigned as leader on 28 May, alleging destabilisation within the party.

Prue Car
Prue Car: ‘I understand the pressures on family budgets.’ Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Updated

Let’s take a quick look at the markets, via AAP.

Shares have climbed to a record high on the Australian market, with property and information technology stocks faring best.

The ASX200 had peaked at 7315.6 points by 1200 AEST, although gains were relatively tame across the market.

Property shares led the way and were higher by 0.82%.

Information technology stocks were next best and higher by 0.69%.

Shares in materials, financials and energy were little changed.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was higher by 8.9 points, or 0.12%, to 7290.8 at 1200 AEST.

The All Ordinaries was up by 11.8 points, or 0.15%, to 7543.4.

There were slight falls on US markets amid a lack of market-moving news.

Updated

Thanks Matilda. Luke Henriques-Gomes here. I’ll be with you for the next short while.

You can contact me on Twitter @lukehgomes with tips and suggestions, or via email at luke.henriques-gomes@theguardian.com

On that note, applications for the federal government’s Covid-19 disaster payment opened today. Claims can be made via Services Australia, so if you’re in Victoria and trying to apply, do let me know how you’re getting on with the process.

Updated

With that, I shall leave you, but the fantastic Luke Henriques-Gomes is stepping in to take you through the afternoon.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg says he believes Australians will support a legislated voice to parliament and an amendment to the constitution that obliges the commonwealth to ensure that Indigenous peoples are heard.

Bragg – the backbencher who is leading efforts to persuade colleagues to adopt the Uluru statement – will use a speech to the Sydney Institute on Tuesday night to try and map a pathway through the Coalition’s internal differences.

Bragg’s efforts have also been backed by the New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, who used remarks at a book launch earlier this week to argue the Uluru statement contains “deeply liberal ideals”.

In endorsing Bragg’s campaign, Berejiklian also noted “a growing mood for change on the issue of reconciliation”.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

An 18-year-old man from NSW is fighting for his life in a coma after he was crushed by a whale in a freak accident on the state’s south coast, reports Tiffanie Turnbull from AAP.

Friends Nick and Matt were fishing in waters off Narooma on Sunday when the whale surfaced and landed on their boat.

Both men were injured, but 18-year-old Nick was rushed to hospital in Canberra with a broken neck and severe head injuries. He remains in a coma.

Family friend Carmen Bartley said the pair had no warning and no idea the whale was nearby.

A GoFundMe appeal for donations was started to help cover Nick’s medical expenses. Here Bartley wrote:

At this stage, we don’t know when he will wake up, or how this has affected his brain.

Police on Tuesday issued an appeal for boaties to be alert, with whale migration season bringing scores of the animals to NSW waters.

Updated

If, like me, you are struggling to keep up with where all the exposure sites are, Guardian Australia have you covered.

(Not even speaking as an employee but just a Melburnian, can I just say the explainers below have been a lifesaver!)

Here are all the Victorian sites:

And don’t worry, we have NSW covered for you as well:

Updated

Wild winds are easing after battering Victoria overnight, prompting more than 100 calls for help, as a large air mass from the Antarctic brings damaging weather across several states.

A severe weather warning for parts of the Victoria’s north-east and Gippsland regions was cancelled early on Tuesday morning following strong overnight winds.

Alpine areas including Mount Buller and Mount William recorded wind gusts over 100km/h to 8am on Tuesday. Closer to Melbourne, Kilmore (91km/h) and Fawkner (72km/h) north of the city were also hit by the strong gusts.

You can read the full report below:

NSW Labor appoints deputy leader

After the ousting of NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay, MP Chris Minns was elected by the party to the top job.

This morning he officially announced his deputy leader has now been appointed, the member for Londonderry and the current shadow minister for education Prue Car.

Updated

The Department of Home Affairs has issued a statement denying allegations of inaction or mistreatment of the youngest daughter of the Tamil family from Biloela on Christmas Island.

Tharnicaa Murugappan was evacuated from Christmas Island with her mother, Priya, on Monday evening to get medical treatment after Tharnicaa had been unwell for 10 days, with a fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and dizziness.

Family friend Angela Fredericks told ABC News Breakfast Tharnicaa was being treated for a blood infection, sepsis, potentially caused by untreated pneumonia, questioning why it had taken so long for the three-year-old to get treatment from health officials on Christmas Island.

The Department of Home Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday strongly denying any delay in medical care:

The minor has been receiving medical treatment and daily monitoring on Christmas Island consistent with medical advice. This has included an IHMS general practitioner and the Christmas Island Hospital.

As soon as the ABF was advised by the treating medical practitioners that the minor required medical treatment in Western Australia, the minor was transferred to a hospital in Western Australia.

The Australian Border Force strongly denies any allegations of inaction or mistreatment of individuals in its care.

Updated

OK, there will be a police press conference about the woman who was killed by dogs in Queensland at 11.45 am where we should get some more updates.

But for now, Queensland police have confirmed they were called to a Milton Road address in Maryborough just after 9am.

They had received reports that several dogs, they believe three, were attacking a person.

Updated

Victorian testing commander Jeroen Weimar says a vaccination hub has been made a tier-three exposure site, with those who were there asked to monitor for symptoms.

We had two cases that tested positive yesterday. Both existed in primary close contacts. We identified, as a result of that, a number of additional exposure sites.

To correct the earlier statement, one positive case had a brief visit to the vaccination centre at Jeff’s Shed yesterday afternoon. That is now a tier 3 exposure site.

They completed their test and they went off and got – tried to get a vaccination. They were advised to go back to isolation. We have two primary close contacts at the exhibition site now who dealt with the individual.

It is a tier 3 PPE environment. It is well controlled. We’re confident there is no wider risk to the public but out of caution, we have listed it as a tier 3 site.

Updated

7 News is reporting that a woman has died after being mauled by a pack of dogs in Queensland.

I’ll bring you more updates as soon as I can.

Merlino says Vic Liberals should apologise to Andrews

Acting premier James Merlino has come out swinging against the Victorian Liberals after they spent the morning demanding Daniel Andrews release details of his back injury in March, fuelling the flames of a number of conspiracy theories currently circulating.

We are dealing with a global pandemic, for goodness sake. I treat it with the contempt that it deserves. This is more about how the Liberal party treat people. No decency, no respect, they should be ashamed of themselves.

I am honestly not going to spend much time on this. I think it is a disgraceful act by the Liberal party ... They should be ashamed of themselves, quite frankly.

You can’t put to bed conspiracy nutters and if the Liberal party want to act disgracefully, that is a matter for them.

Updated

Merlino has said again that developments today haven’t changed the timeline when it comes to the lockdown.

I can’t foreshadow anything today, other than to reassure all Victorians that today doesn’t change our plans. We remain on track to provide further easing of restrictions in regional Victoria and careful easing of restrictions in Melbourne. We remain absolutely on track to deliver that. That is by virtue of the excellent work of our contact tracers.

Merlino noted that the government was is considering easing the travel restrictions between Melbourne and regional Victoria on Friday.

It remains the public health advice that for a period of time, we will have different settings between regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne. That will extend beyond any announcements that we will make later in the week.

We wanted to be upfront and honest with people at the earliest opportunity, particularly because we’re coming up to the long weekend, so we are on track for an easing of restrictions, as planned this week, but there will be different settings for a period of time between regional Victoria and Melbourne.

Updated

No local Covid-19 cases in NSW in case you were wondering!

The home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, has said the government is looking at a “range of resettlement options” when asked about the fate of Tamil family from Biloela.

The three-year-old, Australian-born youngest daughter of the family, Tharnicaa, was airlifted out of Christmas Island on Monday evening after 10 days of symptoms including a fever and taken to Perth Children’s hospital, where advocates say she has been provided antibiotics and could potentially have sepsis.

In her role, Andrews has the power to intervene at any moment and allow the family to remain in Australia, but she said on Monday she could not comment on their future because negotiations on resettlement for a number of asylum seekers in Australia is currently under way:

We are going through the process now of investigating a range of resettlement options in relation to a number of different circumstances here in Australia. I can’t make public commentary on that at the moment because I don’t want to disrupt those negotiations.

It is the first time resettlement has been floated as an option by the government, previously Andrews had indicated the family could be put into the community on Christmas Island while their legal process is still ongoing.

The family has been held in detention on Christmas Island since late 2019, after an emergency court injunction prevented their removal from Australia to Sri Lanka while a court case was underway.

Updated

Gosh, we got so caught up on the Delta link I forgot to mention where those two local cases of Covid-19 today came from. Here is acting premier James Merlino from before with that information.

One is a child linked to the west Melbourne outbreak, one is a household contact of a worker linked to the Arcare Maidstone outbreak. Both have limited community exposure and Jerome can speak to that later in terms of answers any questions.

A number of exposure sites were put onto the website last night and we encourage all Victorians to continue to check that website and follow that health advice.

While we never want to see new cases, it is reassuring that we are again seeing these cases with clear links to existing outbreaks.

Prof Cheng said the returned traveller lives in the Glen Ira local government area, but confirmed that as he only returned there after being clear of his Covid-19 diagnosis and left hotel quarantine it’s unlikely he has spread the virus to the area.

Again, just as anyone in Victoria, if you are unwell, please get tested. We are not particularly concerned about his movements after he was discharged from hotel quarantine because we don’t think he was infectious but for the abundance of caution we are obviously following up his contacts as well.

Cheng says there may be a missing link between the returned traveller and the family infected with the Delta variants of Covid-19.

Reporter:

You are working on the fact there is probably a missing link between the west Melbourne family and this man?

Cheng:

At this stage that’s the hypothesis we are working on but obviously if there was any direct interaction we would want to know that. We don’t know that at this stage.

Reporter:

Just one missing link with those dates do you think it would just be the one?

Cheng:

We can’t really tell. I think in terms of timing, yes, that probably is about right but we didn’t – the first person in the North Melbourne cluster became symptomatic probably around the 25th.

One of those cases was thought to be historical by that time so there is still a little bit of uncertainty about which exactly was the first case and therefore that determines how many people might be in between.

Updated

Last week the Australian reported that a hotel quarantine facility has stored dirty linen from positive cases inside bins in an underground car park that local residents also has access to. This was at the Ibis in Melbourne.

This most recent hotel quarantine breach case spent time in an Ibis hotel but Prof Cheng could not confirm which location.

Reporter:

Have you guys been examining whether or not that situation may have contributed to this leak?...

Correction Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar:

We have investigated those allegations and can confirm that there is no sharing of entries with the residents. The residents actually enter on the opposite side of the building and myself and two of our deputy state controllers of health inspected that and we are satisfied with the controls in place.

If you are wondering when this hotel quarantine case might have infected someone in the community, deputy chief health officer Prof Allen Cheng has you covered:

The first possibility is that the case transmitted to or was infected by another passenger on the plane and that that person has gone on to infect someone in the community.

The second possibility is that the case transmitted after he left hotel quarantine.

The third is that the case transmitted to a staff member somewhere along their journey from the airport to transport to the first hotel to transport to the second hotel and then out to the community.

And then the fourth possibility is that the case transmitted to a hotel resident who has then transmitted to the community after their quarantine stay.

We have addressed all of these and some of these are still ongoing investigations.

The government services minister, Danny Pearson, says health authorities are still trying to work out how the returned traveller accidentally spread Covid-19 into the community.

The traveller arrived from Sri Lanka on 8 May and tested positive that same day. He was transferred from the Novatel Ibis quarantine hotel to the Holiday Inn health hotel on 14 May.

He completed his quarantine and was released on 23 May.

Pearson investigations remain ongoing but he can so far confirm the following:

  • There were 24 people on the traveller’s plane including crew, all passengers tested negative.
  • All Skybus crew from that shift tested negative. 268 CQV staff worked at the hotel IBIS on 8 and 9 May and 360 staff at the health hotel.
  • No positive tests have been identified to date and staff surveillance testing is being examined.
  • All 12 residents housed on the same floor in the Novatel Ibis health hotel have tested negative. None of the residents in the health hotel during this period had the virus.
  • All CQV staff at the hotel Ibis and Holiday Inn were vaccinated by 3 May.

Updated

And Merlino hasn’t missed a beat using the news of yet another hotel quarantine break to attack the federal government’s reliance on the system.

Hotels are built for tourists, not for managing infectious diseases. There have been at least 21 breaches in hotel quarantine right around this country. Just in the last month, we have seen three outbreaks, one in South Australia and two in WA.

Despite all the protections that we put in place, appropriately put in place, vaccination of staff, daily testing of staff, PPE, N95 masks, ventilation works just to name a few, we cannot eliminate risk in this environment.

The fact that Howard Springs is the only system in the country that has seen no breaches really speaks for itself. That’s why we pushed so hard to get a purpose-built quarantine facility. Howard Springs is the only facility in this country that has not seen a breach and that’s exactly why we have been pushing for this purpose-built facility.

The best-case scenario was that this was done a year ago. The next best scenario is that we get it done immediately. I am very pleased, as we have heard over the last few days, that that’s received the support of the federal government.

We will get this facility built – this purpose-built facility – built as quickly as possible and in the mean time we will do our absolute best within our hotel quarantine system to reduce risk as much as is humanely possible.

Updated

Melbourne 'on track' to come out of lockdown

While Merlino was certainly making no promises, he sounded cautiously optimistic about Melbourne’s ability to at least partially come out of lockdown at the end of the week, and for further restrictions to be eased in regional Victoria.

Thanks to their outstanding work we remain on track to later in this week announce, as we have said we have planned to do all along, further easing of restriction in regional Victoria and careful easing of restrictions in Melbourne.

This cluster was discovered after the lockdown was in place and nothing about today changes our plan. So I just want to send that very reassuring message to all Victorians. Nothing about today changes our plans. Thanks to the outstanding work of our contact tracing team, we remain on track to deliver a further easing of restrictions in regional Victoria and easing of restrictions in Melbourne.

Updated

Victoria links Delta Covid-19 variant outbreak to returned traveller

Huzzah! Victorian officials have finally linked the mystery Delta variant outbreak to a returned traveller from hotel quarantine (and not from NSW).

As we advised last week with assistance from the Doherty Institute, we have been checking all known positive cases against the genomic sequencing for the cases in this cluster.

I can confirm today that we have now found a match between a returned traveller who entered hotel quarantine in Melbourne on 8 May and this cluster. While we have a genomic link, we do not currently have an ep deem logical link, further investigations are underway to see if we are able to establish any contact between the returned traveller and these families.

There’s currently no definitive understanding of where a transmission events may have occurred but we are investigating all possibilities from the plane to travel to hotel.

Updated

Speaking of Victoria, acting premier James Merlino is speaking now to give a Covid-19 update.

Updated

Ambulance service publishes details of Victorian premier's fall in March

Oh my gosh. The “Daniel Andrews falling conspiracy theory” drama in Victoria keeps getting funnier today!

With permission from the premier, Ambulance Victoria has released the details of their call out for his injury.

Updated

'Resettlement options' being considered for Biloela family

The home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, says the department is considering “a range of resettlement options” for the Biloela family. This is a considerably softer approach than other government figures have indicated today.

We are going through the process now of investigating a range of resettlement options in relation to a number of different circumstances here in Australia.

I can’t make public commentary on that at the moment because I don’t want to disrupt those negotiations.

Andrews was then asked why she won’t make a captains call on the Biloela family and allow them to return to their home in regional Queensland.

As the prime minister already said, there is already a matter before the court in relation to the issue with the young child. That child is now receiving appropriate medical care in Perth.

(Worth remember that those court cases absolutely do not stop Andrews from using ministerial discretion to bring them home straight away.)

Updated

Questions have turned now to the Biloela family, with Morrison being asked when a decision on their case will be made.

As you know, this is a matter going through the court’s process that they’ve initiated and there are some present medical issues involving the family.

And they will continue to receive every medical care and that care and where they are treated will continue to be determined by doctors, by the medical professionals who advise us on these matters.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney, June 8, 2021.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney, June 8, 2021. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Updated

Kershaw is laying out why the APF need the extended telecommunication security bill passed in order to tackle crime on the dark web.

We’re really encouraging the parliament to pass that bill in particular and the IPO bill. Because we need to be ahead. We need to be a step ahead and encrypted comms and going dark on the dark web. As you know, there’s multiple crimes.

If you go on there right now, you can purchase whatever you want. There’s proliferation of child sexual abuse material on the dark web. It’s an absolute disgrace. So for us, that’s a criminal marketplace that we can’t actually penetrate without that legislation.

Updated

According to AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw, underworld kingpins are turning on each other after the arrests.

Well, they all turn on each other. The other thing that we learnt is that they actually do a lot of business behind each other’s backs, including the presidents of various groups and organisations for personal wealth.

So there’s going to be a whole lot of disruption there, and our state police colleagues are on alert for that. Because there’s no doubt going to be some tension within the whole system about who owes what drug debt and so on. So that was pretty brazen to see that they were actually disloyal to their own groups.

Updated

OK, so we have got through all the cool things the AFP has down. Scott Morrison is now coming in full force with his pitch for getting his increased police powers bill.

There are three things that we need to do.

One of them does relate to air and the transport security laws that are in this country. The first one is that there’s is surveillance legislation amendment which is about identifying and disrupting, and the AFP and the ACIC powers to combat serious crime on the dark web, and in circumstances where anonomising technologies with detection of serious crime.

We have law in the parliament at the moment which does not have bipartisan support, which we need support for, to give them powers to do that.

The telecommunications legislation amendment – international production orders bill ... That does not have bipartisan support and we need it passed.

And the third one is the Transport Security Amendment of Serious Crime bill. That is the bill that is needed to stop organised criminals getting access to our walls and to our airports. We have sought to have this bill passed through three successive parliaments. And it still continues to be opposed by Labor.

Now, this is critical to ensure that criminals don’t get on to our walls. That they can’t access security credentials and things of that nature. I don’t know why they’re being protective. I can’t give you an answer to that. We want to shut it down.

Updated

AFP says operation prevented suburban mass shooting

Kershaw says the infiltration into this encrypted app allowed authorities to prevent a mass shooting, although he did not go into details as to where this would have taken place.

He said this was not intended as a terrorist act.

It’s organised crime. So that particular case will come out later on where they were using a machine gun and potentially at a cafe where people would have been no doubt harmed. We were able to, with the cooperation of that particular state police force, take out that individual before they were able to do that.

Kershaw said he could not give more details as arrests into that incident were still being carried out.

Updated

OK, now we are getting some of the details of this fake FBI app.

Reporter:

Do you think that the people you were targeting had any idea that you were listening and watching?

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw:

No. Let me be clear. When you get access and it will come out in court, you’ll see that all they talk about is drugs, violence, hits on each other, innocent people who are going to be murdered.

A whole range of things ... It would be like, “I need 1,000 kilos at this price”. Very brazen. No attempt to hide behind any kind of codified kind of conversation.

Including we’ll have a speed boat to meet you at this. And this is who will be doing that?

Updated

Heads up, we are expecting to hear from the Victorian government and health authorities at 10.30am.

OK so that’s the achievements, here comes the “war on drugs” rhetoric from prime minister Scott Morrison.

People sitting at home might be thinking – what can we do to help the AFP? In this battle against organised crime in this country.

I want to make a few comments about illicit drug use in this country. There’s nothing social about illicit drug use in this country.

It fuels organised crime in this country. It fuels human misery in this country and in many parts of the world. There’s nothing social about it. It’s dangerous.

And all of us have a responsibility, all of us have a responsibility in our own relationships and our own families, in our own communities, to be doing what we can to encourage positive behaviours, positive behaviours that don’t indulge illicit drug use. Illicit drug use ruins lives and it fuels organised crime.

Cue the appeal to the children:

The AFP will do their job and we’ll make sure that they’re resourced to do their job. We also have a job to do. Let’s keep Australia safe. Let’s ensure that illicit drug use in this country doesn’t take our children.

Updated

Kershaw:

This was brought out of the close long-standing relationship between the AFP and the FBI. Our relationships and international networks were mobilised and it is these partnerships which have made this operation a success.

Partnering with the AFP, the AFP had access to a new encrypted application named ANOM. And began running it without the knowledge of the criminal underworld. And the AFP provided the highly skilled technical staff and capability to decrypt and read these encrypted communications sent over ANOM in real time. Giving law enforcement an edge that it had never had before.

Essentially, we have been in the back pockets of organised crime and operationalised the criminal takedown like we have never seen.

The Australian federal police commissioner, Reece Kershaw, says 224 people have been charged so far.

As the minister stated, more than 4,000 officers from law enforcement in Australia have been involved in executing over 525 search warrants in every mainland state in Australia.

We have arrested the alleged kingmakers behind these crimes. Prevented mass shootings in suburbs and frustrated serious and organised crime by seizing their ill-gotten wealth.

As of today, we have charged 224 alleged offenders, including 525 charges laid. Shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five. And seized 104 firearms and weapons and almost $45m in cash. And these figures are likely to increase over the coming days. Collectively, these alleged offenders are facing jail terms that could run into hundreds of years and some of the charges they are facing carry life imprisonment.

Updated

It looks like the prime minister is using news the massive drug to try and gain support for giving the Australian federal police, and law enforcement in general, greater powers.

(A line of rhetoric that always make me really nervous.)

But what’s important as we go forward from this point is not just the support that we continue to provide that we see in the budget, but we need to continue to provide our law enforcement authorities with the powers and the authorities that they need to do this job.

I’ll going into this later in questions, but there is a series of legislation, not just in this term, but in some cases over three terms. They need these powers to do their job.

The AFP and our law enforcement agencies who support them need the support of our parliament to continue to do the job that they do to continue to keep Australians safe. Our government won’t shirk from that and we call on all of those in the parliament to do that as we have done for such a long time and to get the results that in particular we’ve seen today.

Updated

Morrison:

Operation Ironside has now charged hundreds of alleged offenders. Seized millions of dollars in criminal processes. Removed weapons from our streets and saved lives. And we’ll continue to. It is an ongoing operation.

The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe. More than 4,000 police officers across Australia have been involved in this operation.

There’s not a day that goes past when I am not thankful for the work of all of our police. All of our police all around the country. They step up for our protection. They take upon themselves great risks. They see things. They’re involved in these things that the rest of the citizens don’t have to see. And for that, we owe every single police officer our great thanks and afford them our great respect.

Updated

So let’s talk about this drug bust news.

The Australian federal police hasn’t put out a full statement yet but media reports today suggest more than 100 members of Australia’s underworld including the “mafia” and bikie group have been arrested in a huge international crime sting.

For years the AFP worked with the FBI to trick underworld figures into communicating via an encrypted app known as AN0M. Unfortunately for the underworld figures, the police created the app.

Authorities say they were able to read up to 25 million messages and uncovered 21 murder plots, seized more than 3,000kg of drugs and found $35m in cash.

The prime minister is speaking about the operation now:

Today, the Australian government, as part of a global operation, has struck a heavy blow against organised crime – not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world. This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history.

Updated

Youngest Biloela family child diagnosed with pneumonia

This has not been independently confirmed by Guardian Australia as of yet but advocates for the Bioela family say three-year-old Tharnicaa has been diagnosed with pneumonia after been medically evacuated from detention in Christmas Island to Perth.

Updated

It’s been a bit of a heavy morning so far, so here is some dinosaur news from the Guardian’s amazing new science reporter Donna Lu:

A new species of dinosaur discovered in south-west Queensland has been officially recognised as the largest ever found in Australia and among the biggest in the world.

The Australotitan cooperensis, a plant-eating dinosaur of the family known as titanosaurs, likely lived between 92m and 96m years ago, during the Cretaceous period.

It was between 25m and 30m long, stood between 5m and 6.5m from the ground to its hip and had a very long neck and tail, making it similar in appearance to well-known dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus.

You can read the full story below:

Less than 3% of Australians over 16 have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus but health chiefs are tipping numbers will soar in coming weeks.

The sluggish national rollout of jabs continues to spark concern with Melbourne in the grips of another lockdown-inducing outbreak, reports Matt Coughlan from AAP.

While the immunisation program is ramping up, just 613,000 people, or about 2.9% of the nation’s adults, have received both doses.

Chief nursing officer Prof Alison McMillan told Sky News on Tuesday she is confident that figure will grow significantly with many people nearing the 12-week gap between AstraZeneca shots.

Case numbers have remained relatively low in Victoria but an emergence of the Delta and Kappa strains prevalent in India are causing authorities concern.

McMillan declared vaccination would be the only way to counter emerging variants.

There are multiple strains and we will continue to see Covid adapt and mutate – that’s what these viruses do.

We’re likely to see other strains emerging. The sooner we can get the world vaccinated, the less likely it is that it can mutate.

It mutates and finds it easier to do when there’s a significant population infected at any one time.

More than 5 million doses have been administered nationwide including more than 1 million over the past 10 days.

Updated

We are just waiting on a press conference from the AFP and prime minister on massive international drug bust operations and arrests across Australia and New Zealand.

We heard from the NZ police just before:

[There were] 37 search warrants resulting in the arrest of 35 people who are appearing before the court today on serious drug dealing, money laundering and other conspiracy-type charges.

To date we’ve seized during the course of these operations about 8.6kg of meth that came in through the border. Yesterday, we recovered about 20kg of methamphetamine, over $1 million in cash, four firearms, multiple kilos of iodine and we restrained about $3.7 million of assets to date.

Warrants are coming in and we expect a number of other arrests to be undertaken.

The prime minister is expected to speak to the media about this around 9.30 am.

Updated

Support for Coalition’s Covid handling lowest since outbreak began

Support for the Coalition’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has fallen to its lowest level since the outbreak began, as almost half of all voters view the federal government less favourably than they did a year ago.

But the findings, contained in the latest Guardian Essential poll, also show that voters in locked-down Victoria are spreading the blame for the latest outbreak, with both the Coalition and the Andrews government losing ground over the past month among voters in the state.

Overall, one in four voters now believe the Morrison government is doing a “very poor” or “quite poor” job of managing the pandemic, the highest level since March last year, and six percentage points higher than when the same question was asked a fortnight ago.

You can read the full story below:

Updated

Updated

Oh, and no new local cases in Queensland in case anyone was wondering. (They weren’t.)

Updated

Two local Covid-19 cases in Victoria. Both are linked to current outbreaks

The daily numbers are out and it seems there are two new locally acquired cases.

Updated

A former defence chief has blasted the approval of a $500m redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, reports AAP.

Retired admiral Chris Barrie has been a vocal opponent of the major project, fearing it will completely undermine the national institution.

On Tuesday he told ABC radio:

I guess the game is over in terms of the fact it is going to happen, but I’m afraid it won’t be a memorial for very much longer.

It might be a place of entertainment but in my view it will not be the place of remembrance that I grew up with.

Barrie said the redevelopment would turn the memorial into a theme park.

I recall the place of remembrance that I used to take visitors to as being unique around the world.

To try and turn it into a theme park or a place of entertainment, whatever words we want to use, is not right.

Barrie said he is most concerned that in the pursuit of a “bigger and better” attraction, future generations of Australians will lose the opportunity to quietly reflect on the country’s military history.

The National Capital Authority has given the nod for early works at the memorial, including the demolition of Anzac Hall.

At least 140 trees will be removed as part of the redevelopment, which will eventually be replaced by 250 native trees.

The NCA, which has published a 1200-page consultation report, received 601 submissions during its consultation process, of which just three were in support.

Key concerns were the need for the expansion, tree removal, the impacts on heritage values and the cost.

The memorial argues the project will address constraints to the existing use of the building, improve the overall visitor and veterans’ experience and maintain its significance as a national cultural institution.

Updated

Nearly one in three aged care residents have not agreed to Covid-19 vaccination

Up to 30% of residents in some aged care homes have not taken up a Covid-19 vaccination, according to new data that has prompted an investigation into the high rates of non-uptake.

Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates said the most recent data shared with stakeholders was collated last week and showed most homes reported a refusal rate of between 5% and 15%.

The data does not reveal why residents had declined the vaccine, but Yates said doctors would not have recommended it for a significant number due to underlying health conditions.

The federal government was now focusing on homes with the highest levels of non-uptake to uncover why so many residents had chosen not to get vaccinated against Covid-19, he said.

The minister for senior Australians and aged care services, Richard Colbeck, said:

The department of health is examining overall consent data to review instances where consent rates are significantly low as part of planning for any required follow up activity with these facilities.

But he said aged care facilities are responsible for supporting and obtaining residents’ consent to receive both doses of the vaccine.

This includes early discussions on consent, including engagement with family and guardians, and treating general practitioners, as required.

Updated

I’m sorry, I’m still laughing at the idea that Daniel Andrews would have been filming himself when he slipped on the steps. That’s wild.

Vaccines for all NDIS participants over 16

Coronavirus vaccines are being made available to all National Disability Insurance Scheme participants aged over 16, reports Daniel McCulloch from AAP.

National cabinet has approved the rapid expansion to speed up the sluggish vaccine rollout across the vulnerable disability sector.

It comes after dedicated vaccination hubs for people with disabilities, support workers and primary carers were given the green light.

The disability minister, Linda Reynolds, made a statement this morning:

We are working quickly to provide more locations for people to receive their vaccination in safe, accessible settings ... It is a particularly important step forward that both paid and unpaid carers of NDIS participants are now able to get the vaccination as soon as possible.

The number of vaccinated NDIS participants is slowly growing.

Almost 40,500 NDIS participants (16%) have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

More than 7,800 NDIS participants living in group homes and aged care settings – 28% of the population – have been given at least one jab.

However, people in disability care were considered the highest priority group and the vaccine rollout is still months behind schedule.

Updated

Now, this fairly bold move by the Victorian opposition hasn’t gone unnoticed by the state government.

Treasurer Tim Pallas has called for them to make a public apology and labelled the theories “QAnon craziness”:

This is nonsense ... we know it’s nonsense. What happened to Daniel Andrews was an unfortunate but very serious spinal injury. There’s nothing more to it ... Perhaps they [the Liberals] need to issue a public apology.

Updated

Oh, and by the way, the leader of the Victorian opposition, Michael O’Brien, is also involved:

Updated

Victorian Liberal stokes Daniel Andrews injury conspiracy theories

Yikes, some weird stuff is going on in the Victoria parliament this morning.

So the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has been off for a number of months now after falling on some wet steps and fracturing his spine.

Since this happened a number of conspiracy theories have been bubbling away. But now it seems the state opposition is willing to play into these bizarre rumours publicly.

Here is what the shadow treasurer, Louise Staley, had to say at a press conference this morning:

Nobody’s got footage of the stairs. Nobody’s got really any idea where it happened and this is a very visual world these days where we seem to have everything out there on the media but not this.

(I know personally I often film myself getting ready for work. If you’re lucky I’ll release the video of me making a cup of tea at 6.45am.)

When asked by AAP reporter Benita Kolovos why she was “fuelling conspiracy theories”, Staley said:

Well, the easiest way to stop any of these conspiracy theories – which I’m not playing into – is for these questions to be answered.

Updated

Just staying on that ABC radio interview with Nationals MP Matt Canavan for a moment.

He has been asked his views on the Biloela family’s situation, saying he believes the multimillion-dollar effort to keep the family in detention is worth it to protect Australia’s borders:

I think what is “worth it” is that we do have strong border protections in this country that has made sure that we don’t have the atrocious and tragic trade of people that we saw around 10 years ago ...

Of all of the courts, none have found that this family has refugee status. Therefore, they do not have a right to stay in this country.

Now, they have chosen with their lawyers to fight and contest that. Now that’s their right, but of course, that leaves them ... in a place of limbo, if you like ...

It’s certainly tragic what’s happened here to this young girl, but, given they have been found not to have refugee status ... they really cannot stay in this country. But they also have rights here, because we are a country of rights and laws of rights to challenge and contest that, but that does take time.

Updated

NSW nationals MP Matt Canavan has labelled the idea of vaccine passports “un-Australian” after the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday that the government should seriously consider them.

The passport proposal suggests certain activities, most centrally international travel, would require proof of vaccination, but Canavan told ABC Radio this morning that this went against Australian’s human rights:

The idea that [being] free to go to the movies to travel to other states of Australia is somehow a gift to be given from the government is absolutely the wrong way around.

In this free and fair country that we have, we have those freedoms, they are ours, they’re not given to us or gifted to us by the governance I say, they’re rights at birth as Australian citizens. They should never or only very rarely be restricted.

And I don’t see any reason why at this stage we need to introduce vaccine passports. I’m confident that we will get to a high level of vaccinations as we do with other vaccines in this country, and then we’ll be able to get on with their lives. Not everyone will be vaccinated, but it will probably cover almost all vulnerable people.

Updated

New mass vaccination hub to open in NSW

A former Bunnings Warehouse on the NSW north coast will be converted over the next six weeks into the state’s second Covid-19 vaccination hub.

The centre, at Belmont in Lake Macquarie, is expected to be ready to administer up to 20,000 jabs a week from mid-July.

The hub is the second for NSW, which already has a centre at Homebush in Sydney’s west delivering up to 5,000 injections a day, reports AAP.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian made the announcement in a statement this morning:

We are planning to replicate that model in the Hunter region, so we can quickly and safely vaccinate as many people as possible across NSW.

The Lake Macquarie centre will employ up to 100 nurses, 25 pharmacists or pharmacy technicians plus about 200 other support staff.

About 150 people will be hard at work converting the former Bunnings site over the next six weeks before it opens to residents in the region.

The centre will administer both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, with bookings required.

Updated

Labor Senator Kristina Keneally, who visited the Biloela family on Christmas Island this year, has fronted media this morning calling on the government to “bring them home”.

She spoke to ABC News Breakfast just before:

The family’s lawyers have put information in front of the minister about [older daughter] Kopika and Tharnicaa’s ongoing physical and mental health impacts of detention.

And this latest emergency – this acute medical emergency – is unfortunately just a most recent example of the ongoing impacts that detention is having on these two little Australian-born girls.

Today, I say to the minister for home affairs, and the minister for immigration, it’s time to bring this sorry saga, what we as a country are doing to these two little Australian-born girls to an end. Bring them home to Biloela, a town who wants and loves them.

Keneally said the whole family should have been allowed to travel with the three-year-old on the medevac flight, rather than just her mother, Priya:

All of this heartbreak for this family. The last thing they need right now is to be separated from one another and the last thing of course is this little girl, Tharnicaa, needs, is this type of medical emergency.

Updated

Just back on the Biloela family, there is some controversy about the level of medical care three-year-old Tharnicaa may have received.

Advocates for the family are alleging the detention centre staff didn’t take Tharnicaa to the hospital on Christmas Island until Sunday, despite multiple requests from her mother.

A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said both the department and Australian Border Force were committed to the welfare of detainees in immigration detention:

Healthcare services for detainees on Christmas Island are broadly comparable with those available within the Australian community under the Australian public health system ...

The ABF facilitates access to nurses, doctors and specialists for all members of the family.

Updated

Welcome to Tuesday

Good morning all,

It’s Matilda Boseley here, ready to dive into this very lovely Tuesday with you.

First up, it’s worth talking about what’s happening to the Biloela family, the Tamil family of four being held in immigration detention on Christmas Island.

The youngest daughter, three-year-old Tharnicaa, has been medically evacuated to Perth with a suspected blood infection, renewing calls from advocates for the government to let the family return to their home in rural Queensland.

A medical evacuation flight carrying Tharnicaa and her mother Priya landed at Perth airport on Monday evening, advocates for the family confirmed.

They say Tharnicaa had been unwell for 10 days and might have septicaemia, experienced vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness and a temperature of more than 40 degrees.

Her mum Priya has released a short statement about the situation:

I am feeling very scared and worried for my little girl ... She has been sick for many days, it took a long time for her to get to the hospital.

She is already asking for her papa, it is going to be very hard being away from her Dad and sister. It is very hard for our family to be separated when our daughter is sick.

Back in Victoria, the state is entering its 12th day of lockdown (I type from lockdown), and all eyes are on today’s numbers.

Yesterday people were alarmed to see the state record 11 new locally acquired cases on Monday, fearing this would almost guarantee a third week of “stay-at-home orders”, but it was quickly clarified in the daily press conference that new cases are all close contacts of existing cases or people who are in quarantine, and there weren’t even any fresh exposure sites relating to these cases.

We usually get word on the daily number before 9am, so I’ll keep you in the loop.

In the meantime, if there is something you reckon I’ve missed or think should be in the blog but isn’t, shoot me a message on Twitter @MatildaBoseley or email me at matilda.boseley@theguardian.com.

Updated

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