What we learned today, Tuesday 2 November
And with that, we will wrap up the blog for today. Here is what went down:
- Former prime minsters Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd laid into Scott Morrison’s handling of the French submarine deal, with Turnbull urging Morrison to apologise, and Rudd saying he is “out of his depth”.
- The federal opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, accused Scott Morrison of “gaslighting and backgrounding” against the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
- Victoria recorded 989 new Covid cases and nine deaths, NSW recorded 173 new cases and four deaths, and the ACT recorded eight new cases.
- NSW brought forward a series of freedoms, but delayed easing restrictions for the unvaccinated, as the state aims to hit 95% double dose.
- The Queensland government will forge ahead with its Covid-19 quarantine camp near Toowoomba despite reports the federal government wants to scale down a facility being built in Brisbane.
- The Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has advised the former shadow attorney general, Tim Smith, that he will not return to the frontbench and should resign at the next election.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia announced it is keeping the official cash rate at 0.1%, while downplaying the threat of inflation.
Updated
The federal shadow climate minister, Chris Bowen, earlier joined the ABCs Patricia Karvelas on Afternoon Briefing, and typically began by taking a swipe at the PM.
Karvelas initially asked him about a discrepancy between what the PM had told the Cop26 summit about Australia’s climate targets, and what he has announced as government police. Bowen said it was “extraordinary”:
He says one thing at home and another thing abroad and one thing to one audience at home and another thing for another audience. It is an indicator on climate, he has no policy, he’s just trying to find a way through, it points to his fundamental lack of honesty both at home and abroad.
Updated
The NSW Liberal senator Hollie Hughes is performing paid consulting work for a for-profit biofuels company, as disclosed on her register of interests through a trust assisting “charitable organisations”.
Hughes has insisted she properly declared her interest as a potential beneficiary of the SLN Services Trust, claiming her work for PBFH Pty Ltd will help the Australian company setting up in Papua New Guinea to “reinvest in local communities”.
You can read more in the report from Paul Karp here:
Updated
South Australia has happily recorded another day with zero new cases:
South Australian COVID-19 update 2/11/21. For more information, go to https://t.co/mYnZsGpayo or contact the South Australia COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. pic.twitter.com/eKvmD3duyj
— SA Health (@SAHealth) November 2, 2021
The NZ Herald is reporting that the top of Northland will go into alert level 3 from tonight, after concerns emerged of undetected transmission.
#BREAKING | The top of Northland will move into alert level 3 tonight after fears of undetected community transmission of Covid-19.
— nzherald (@nzherald) November 2, 2021
It will stay that way until at least Monday night.
🔗 https://t.co/ioNWXdLwDu pic.twitter.com/mFWQE0WzTr
Philip Lowe, governor of the RBA, has been holding a webinar to explain the board’s decisions at its monthly board meeting today.
The central bank chief has made it clear the RBA is not about to lift its cash target rate, dismissing market predictions of a rise as soon as next March “as a complete overreaction to the recent inflation data”.
That refers to the CPI data for the September quarter that came in at 3% for the headline rate, and 2.1% for the underlying rate.
“Given our forecasts it’s still entirely plausible that the first increase in the cash rate will not be before the maturity of the current target bond [with a maturity date of April 2024],” Lowe said.
It is also now plausible that a lift in the cash rate would be appropriate in 2023.
In our central scenario, underlying inflation reaches the midpoint of the 2%-3% range only in late [20]23.
Wage rises had not been in the 2%-3% range for about a decade, and “things would have to change dramatically” for the bank to revise its view.
“We really want to be sure we can deliver this 2.5% rate of inflation” before the RBA acts, he said, adding the bank does not have a specific target for wage growth itself.
One reason for caution is that the Covid pandemic might not have finished in terms of its ability to throw the economy off track.
“One source of such a shock would be a new strain of the virus or a decline in vaccine effectiveness,” Lowe said.
In this case, the cash rate would need to remain at its current level for longer than otherwise.
Lowe added that today’s meeting was focused on the decision to drop its yield curve control for the 2024 bond, and it did not discuss the housing market “in any detail”, he said.
“At the moment, I don’t have any concerns about the deterioration in lending standards” for home loans, Lowe said.
Updated
About 5,000 teachers in NSW have not advised the education department of their vaccination status, the department’s chief people officer Yvette Cachia told a budget estimates hearing earlier today.
The deadline for teachers being vaccinated is Monday, when all school staff are required to be double vaccinated or risk being banned from school.
They also risk being investigated for non-compliance, with disciplinary action and termination possible outcomes.
The department has also engaged a recruitment agency to hire 30 full-time investigators, who will work alongside the internal investigations unit, to examine complaints against school staff.
Cachia said it was, to some degree, a pre-emptive move:
We are engaging with an external recruiter to provide a small surge capacity, pre-empting that we may … have a number of non-compliance episodes or incidents to investigate.
A lot of these times we can work things out and that teachers where possible will be able to go back to the classroom. There’s a number of reasons for non-compliance, and there are some small sharp investigations required.
Restrictions will ease further in schools from Monday, with assemblies and presentations allowed outdoors, day excursions and sport permitted, with music ensembles allowed only for those wearing masks.
Updated
Rudd: Morrison out of his depth
Rudd did not stop there.
Speaking to the ABC’s Patricia Karvelas, Rudd was asked if Morrison had done enough to advise France of his decision, with the former PM indicating Morrison should have leaned on his diplomatic apparatus.
Rudd:
Mr Morrison is now digging an even bigger hole for himself, not just in relation to the French, by effectively himself accusing the French president of lying, but also [in] extraordinary background briefing about the failure in Mr Morrison’s view of American officials to properly apprise the United States president of the nature of the consolation of the French deal’s cancellation.
With all these backgrounding efforts, we have a far worse set of diplomatic consequences in terms of Australia’s good standing in Washington and Paris and our good name as a reliable international partner whose name can be trusted.
Rudd echoed the other active ex-PM, Malcolm Turnbull, who has been calling on Morrison to issue an apology, and went a step further in saying the road forward is to re-tender the deal:
They should go to the next necessary thing to get this show back on the road which is to reopen the tender.
If you are saying you need nuclear powered boats, the bottom line is, the French make these nuclear powered boats, in fact the French tender or the French company builds nuclear powered boats for the government of France, for which the Australian conventional vote was supposed to have been an adaptation.
Mr Morrison [has said] he is reluctant to do that because he has promised a sweetheart deal to the British, to his Conservative mate, Boris Johnson, so the British get the edge over the French or anybody else in terms of the supply of future nuclear powered vessels to the Royal Australian Navy.
The bottom line is our national security interest should be attended to by a proper, sober decision-making process over time, not this series of random political acts by a prime minister who finds himself, in my judgement, increasingly out of his depth on ... questions of foreign policy.
Updated
Kevin Rudd addresses French tensions
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, and has been typically scathing in his assessment of current PM Scott Morrison’s handling of the French submarine deal.
Rudd was asked what he thought of the ongoing tension between Morrison and French president Emmanuel Macron:
I think we have had a vote of short-term political interest, in terms of Mr Morrison’s government, as opposed to the long-term national security interests of Australia.
If you are prosecuting a serious national security agenda on the question of next-generation submarines, there are professional diplomatic channels through which these matters should be dealt with.
Rudd goes on to discuss the leaks of private messages between the leaders, and his opinion of the “backgrounding” done in the name of the PM:
The bottom line is the continuation or cancellation of a $90bn submarine contract is not to be the stuff of text messaging.
That’s why you have formal correspondence between heads of government, on matters of such fundamental importance to both countries, that’s why we have this rolling ambiguity about who said what and when.
If Mr Morrison is serious about this, let him produce a letter he wrote to Mr Macron prior to his public announcement of the so-called Aukus arrangement and explained why he wouldn’t have welcomed the French to participate in a re-tendering given the French are capable of providing nuclear powered submarines as well.
Had that been done based on normal, professional diplomatic advice in dealing with matters of high national security involving our country, the French and the United States, we wouldn’t be in this extraordinary mess we are today where we now have heads of government, effectively, leaking against each other, in order to establish a what transpired in these informal text messages between heads of government.
Updated
After the RBA’s statement, the dollar fell against the US currency and the stockmarket rose as investors were relieved the central bank was not more aggressive in its comments about the outlook for inflation and the potential for an early rise in interest rates.
Maxime Darmet, the director, economics at Fitch Ratings, said “it’s really like the first step we think towards the normalisation of [Australia’s] monetary policy settings, which had been very loose since the pandemic”.
Darmet said the indications the bank would wait until as late as the end of 2023 to be sure inflation would remain in the 2-3% target range was “not a big change” from previous comments about waiting until 2024.
However, he said should the recovery remain strong we could expect more adjustments sooner than the RBA forecast.
“It’s very possible that in the next meeting they would think it would be 2022,” he said.
The RBA had been relatively “dovish” in its signalling that it was not worried about inflation. However, it also couldn’t be seen to be too slow either in responding as central banks in the US, Canada and soon the UK prepare to wind back support for the economy.
“You’re seeing so much pressure on prices at a global level with energy prices spiking, with supply bottlenecks persisting and so on,” Darmet said. “It’s a very dovish central bank but starting gradually to come around to the new reality that inflation is going to be probably higher than they expected.”
While mortgage holders can take some relief from today’s RBA comments that an interest rate rise isn’t around the corner, Australia and other nations have allowed housing prices to rise too far too fast for the overall health of the economy, not to mention housing affordability for those not in the market.
“Low interest rates are the main channel through which people are taking on more debt,” Darmet said.”[It] can become a concern in terms of not only affordability for low-income households, but also it creates a lot of potential financial instability and risk.
“And this is something many central banks are not taking too seriously,” the Fitch analyst said.
Updated
Western Australia police are getting closer to identifying every single person who was in the area when Cleo Smith disappeared, and have said they believe an “opportunistic” abductor kidnapped her.
The acting police commissioner, Col Blanch, was on ABC Radio earlier today, and said police were getting closer:
And we’ve tracked down people that we didn’t know, we’ve found them and we have eliminated them, and that’s our focus at the moment – eliminate as many people as possible.
Blanch continued, saying extensive forensic work was under way to map out every inch of the area:
Now we’re in a stage where we need to forensically go over that ground inch by inch to see what disturbances might be in nearby areas for any sort of evidence which might give an inkling as to what happened.
It could be tyre tracks, it could be the sleeping bag, it could be anything.
Blanch said that there were many ways in and out of the camping area Cleo was taken from, but conceded that hopes were not high:
It is difficult to keep the hope up, there is no doubt about it, the longer it goes, but I know those investigators are still focused absolutely on this case trying to bring Cleo home.
This has absolutely hit the heart of everyone in Western Australia, the Australian community, it’s gone international.
Updated
Verry Elleegant wins Melbourne Cup
Verry Elleegant has won the race over favourite Incentivise. You can read all the updates at our live blog:
Updated
As expected the Reserve Bank of Australia has left the official cash rate target unchanged at its record low annual rate of 0.1%.
The focus of the markets and pundits alike, though, has been on the language of the accompanying statement by the RBA governor, Philip Lowe.
As expected, the recent pickup in the consumer price index has given the central bank cause to bring forward its prediction that the underlying inflation will only be “sustainably” within its 2-3% target range by 2024.
While emphasising that it remains “prepared to be patient” with rising prices, the RBA’s “central forecast” is now for underlying inflation “to be no higher than 2.5% at the end of 2023 and for only a gradual increase in wages growth”, Lowe said.
Not a huge change but one the markets will focus on.
“The Delta outbreak caused hours worked in Australia to fall sharply, but a bounce-back is now under way,” he said. “The central forecast is for the unemployment rate to trend lower over the next couple of years, reaching 4.25% at the end of 2022 and 4% at the end of 2023.”
The encouraging comments about the economy will likely mean interest rates rise sooner than that 2024 scenario previously stated by the bank.
No wonder people have been rushing to lock in fixed-rate mortgages even as those too start to come with higher rates attached.
Markets, too, will focus on the RBA’s decision to ditch its yield control curve, or the measure used to keep the yield on the benchmark bond due in April 2024 to 10 basis points, or 0.1%. That confirmation matches what traders had seen in the market for the past few days with no RBA buying to keep that yield down.
Updated
RBA holds official cash rate at 0.1%
The Reserve Bank of Australia has announced it is keeping the interest rate at 0.1%, while downplaying the threat of inflation.
AUSTRALIA: Country's Reserve Bank keeps interest rate at 0.1%
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) November 2, 2021
Updated
Our Melbourne Cup live blog is up, if you’re looking to keep up:
So earlier today, the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, was asked about work from home rules, confirming that the government will continue to advise employers to allow employees to work from home until 1 December.
After that, however, it appears it will come down to employers’ discretion.
Perrottet indicated the government would provide advice from there, but didn’t say what that would look like:
It’s under review.
You’d have to say that people have voted with their feet – they’re staying at home anyway.
We’re looking at that and we’ll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.
Updated
NSW police have provided an update on the police operation under way in Gladesville, saying a man has been arrested.
Police released a statement, saying they attended to a call from Punt Road, Gladesville, following reports of a domestic violence incident.
When officers arrived, a 38-year-old man – armed with two knives – allegedly attacked a 26-year-old male probationary constable.
The injured officer – attached to Ryde police area command – suffered lacerations to the back of his head and a dislocated shoulder.
He has been taken to Royal North Shore hospital for treatment to non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers attached to Ryde police area command attended and, with the assistance of the tactical operations unit, police negotiators and other specialist commands, arrested a 38-year-old man without incident a short time later.
He has been taken to Ryde police station where he is assisting police with inquiries.
Updated
Albanese says Morrison is 'gaslighting' Macron
The federal opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has accused Scott Morrison of “gaslighting and backgrounding” against the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Albanese told reporters the PM was using Australia as a “human shield” in his attempts to hit back at Macron, who accused him of lying with regards to the submarine deal.
The attempt at damage control by selectively leaking private text messages is quite an extraordinary step for an Australian prime minister to take.
The leaking of this text message is a considerable escalation of the conflict.
Diplomacy requires trust and it requires sombre engagement between leaders.
Updated
Queensland’s deputy premier, Steven Miles, spoke earlier to reporters, and said the state was getting closer to the 80% vaccination rate, having hit 64.12% double dose and 77.83% first dose rates.
Asked if more resources needed to be allocated to regional aeras, to supercharge the vaccine rollout, Miles said he didn’t think that was the problem:
To be frank, I don’t think the problem here is insufficient resources.
We have clinics all over the place and our problem now is people.
People need to go and get vaccinated and that’s why we’re working so hard to get that message out – it’s very, very easy to get vaccinated now.”
Updated
So, Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy had earlier told reporters that he has advised MP Tim Smith he should not contest the 2022 election, but added that Smith had not yet made a decision.
I made it very clear to Tim that he wouldn’t find his way on to the front bench of any parliamentary Liberal party that I lead. And I made it clear that I didn’t want him to nominate at the next election and that I didn’t believe he should nominate for the seat of Kew.
Tim has and will reflect on my advice to him, he will then make a statement in his own time. I hope sooner rather than later.
Guy also said that he hoped Smith would remain in government until the next election, avoiding a by-election:
I think enough damage has been done.
Updated
Interest rates in spotlight at today's RBA meeting
It’s really impressive that along with a day off for the AFL grand final, Victorians also get one for the November Reserve Bank of Australia board meeting. Plus they throw in the Melbourne Cup horse race as a bonus.
So, all those binoculars will be focused at 2.30pm on the central bank’s rates call. I previewed it here if you want a primer.
The RBA used to be a regular spoiler or enhancer on the first Tuesday of November, lifting or raising rates on race day. From 2006 to 2011, it altered the cash rate at each of its November board meetings, disturbing the afternoon’s festivities for traders and financial journalists alike.
The 2010 November decision to lift the cash rate by 25 basis points (aka 0.25%) to 4.75% was the last time the RBA moved the rates dial upwards.
A year ago, the November cut of 15 basis points to 0.1% is the most recent of any RBA move, and the rate has sat at its record low ever since.
Today’s interest is not in a rate change. Markets would swoon if they went up, and that hasn’t been flagged.
What will be of note, though, is the change in the language of the statement, particularly as to when the RBA thinks it will have to lift rates next.
Up to now, it’s been “not until 2024” or words to that effect. But the pick up in core inflation as reported last week, and the absence of RBA buying of a short-term bond since, has prompted analysts to predict the bank will detail today some of the end of its emergency efforts to keep the economy afloat during the Covid lockdowns.
With the US equivalent, the Federal Reserve, also meeting for two days from today and the Bank of England later this week, the RBA’s comments will be parsed more carefully than usual for hints of how these counterpart banks will be thinking.
So watch out for some action from the trading jockeys half an hour before the horses start their race at 3pm AEDT.
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you to take you through the afternoons headlines. A quick thanks to Matilda Boseley for her expert guidance this morning.
With that, I shall hand you over to the effervescent Mostafa Rachwani to take you through the afternoon of news.
See you bright and early tomorrow morning!
BREAKING: Darwin shooter, Benjamin Hoffmann, has pleaded guilty to three charges of murder and one of manslaughter, ending his 9-week murder trial in the NT Supreme Court. The jury has been discharged. @abcdarwin
— Melissa Mackay (@_melissamackay) November 2, 2021
Tim Smith to front media tomorrow, @MatthewGuyMP says.
— Simon Love (@SimoLove) November 2, 2021
The opposition leader says he told the Kew MP he has no room for him on his front bench and shouldn’t nominate for the next election. @10NewsFirstMelb #springst pic.twitter.com/AChJkSrCrk
Tim Smith told not to run for re-election by Vic Liberal leader
According to Nine Newspapers, Victorian opposition leader Mathew Guy has advised the former shadow attorney general, Tim Smith, that he will not return to the front bench and should resign at the next election.
Smith resigned from his shadow cabinet position after crashing his car into a home after driving at more than double the legal drug-alcohol limit.
Matthew Guy has told Tim Smith he will not return to the frontbench and that he should resign at the next election in November 2022 #springst
— Annika Smethurst (@annikasmethurst) November 2, 2021
Updated
Police officer allegedly slashed with a knife in Sydney
A police officer in Sydney has allegedly been attacked with a knife, with the back of his head slashed by the blade.
The incident is ongoing at a unit on Punt Road in Gladesville.
NSW police says:
About 11.20am today an officer who was responding to a domestic violence incident nearby [allegedly] received lacerations to the back of his head from a knife.
He has been taken to hospital for treatment.
Police negotiators are currently at the scene.
As the operation is ongoing, no further information is available at this stage.
They have urged motorists to avoid Punt Rd as traffic diversions are currently in place.
Updated
Save the Children Australia has criticised the prime minister’s pledge of an additional $500m in climate financial aid to Australia’s Pacific and south-east Asian neighbours.
This brings Australia’s total commitment to $2bn over the next five years, but Save the Children’s principal climate change adviser Paul Mitchell says we still aren’t pulling our “fair share”:
The additional climate finance allocation announced by the Prime Minister is underwhelming, like Australia’s whole approach to COP26.
Adding an extra $500 million to an already mediocre pledge is really lowering the bar and seeing Australia fail to contribute our fair share to this global crisis.
While any additional climate finance for our region is welcome, Australia needs to do much more to genuinely support Pacific nations on the frontline of the climate crisis.
At a minimum, we should be doubling our existing commitment to $3 billion.
Mitchell said he was concerned by the “lack of transparency” about exactly where these funds are headed.
It’s almost impossible to track how much is spent, where it is allocated and what it is doing.
What we do know is that these funds are being drawn from the existing aid program. There is no new money here.
Updated
A quick run down of what today's changes mean. https://t.co/ruEXeTY9M6 pic.twitter.com/btdQTmRcmP
— Dom Perrottet (@Dom_Perrottet) November 2, 2021
There is no Covid-19 in Queensland by the way!
Tuesday 2 November – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 2, 2021
There were no new cases of COVID-19 detected in Queensland overnight. #covid19 pic.twitter.com/hev9HeD6WN
Qld government to forge ahead with quarantine camp
The Queensland government will forge ahead with its Covid-19 quarantine camp near Toowoomba, despite reports the federal government wants to scale down a facility being built in Brisbane, reports Marty Silk from AAP.
The state is building a 1,000-bed facility at Wellcamp, while the federal government is building another 1,000-bed quarantine camp in Brisbane, like similar camps in Melbourne and Perth.
However the federal government is considering downsizing those facilities with as states progressively open their international borders, according to News Corp.
Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said the state-funded facility at Wellcamp will be needed for foreign and unvaccinated travellers for the foreseeable future and there’s no plans to scale it down.
I understand that our plan is still on track for 1000-bed facility by around March-April next year...
Once again, you only need to look at the fast track of how this facility has been built, we’re well on track to achieve that.
Meanwhile, the state’s vaccination continues as it prepares to open home quarantine to all fully-vaccinated domestic arrivals who test negative when 70 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are vaccinated on November 19.
Quarantine will be scrapped for all domestic arrivals when 80 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated, or December 17 at the latest.
Updated
Queensland Health will set up a special pop-up vaccination clinic after up to six people were given an ultra-low dose of the Pfizer vaccine in error at clinic at Flagstone in southern Logan on Saturday, AAP reports.
The mistake means any of 175 people who were vaccinated at the clinic that day may not have been given enough vaccine to give them immunity.
Metro South Health’s Dr Michael Cleary apologised for the error and said it was detected following the conclusion of the pop-up clinic as part of the due diligence process.
I apologise for any distress this has caused to those 175 people and their families. We will, of course, be supporting every single person impacted.
Updated
The New South Wales government will be forced to correct and resend 44,000 letters to returning travellers demanding payment for hotel quarantine, due to a basic error explaining its legislative power to recover debts.
The state government has issued more than 134,800 invoices charging inbound travellers thousands of dollars for hotel quarantine since the pandemic began.
Where the invoices are not paid, Revenue NSW issues debt recovery orders demanding payment, and warning recipients it has the power to take money from wages or a bank, seize property, or issue a charge on land.
But the debt recovery order letters contain a small, but potentially, consequential error.
You can read the full report below:
Netflix has removed two episodes of the spy drama Pine Gap from its streaming service in the Philippines, after country rejected scenes involving a map used by China to assert its claims to the South China Sea, Reuters reports.
The Philippines on Monday asked Netflix to remove certain episodes of the six-part Australian series, saying the map depicted on the show was a violation of its sovereignty.
The second and third episodes of the show were no longer available in the Philippines by late Monday, with Netflix announcing on its platform that those episodes had been “removed by government demand”. It did not elaborate.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
China lays claim to most of the South China Sea waters within the so-called nine-dash line, a U-shaped feature used on Chinese maps. Parts of the resource-rich waters are also contested by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
After a thorough review, the Philippines’ movie classification board ruled that certain episodes of Pine Gap were “unfit for public exhibition”, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Earlier this year Netflix removed Pine Gap from its services in Vietnam following a similar complaint from the country’s broadcast authorities.
The Philippine films board, acting on the DFA’s complaint, handed down its ruling on 28 September. It was not clear why the decision was only made public now.
The board, according to the DFA, noted that the appearance of the map was “no accident as it was consciously designed and calculated to specifically convey a message that China’s nine-dash line legitimately exists”.
Updated
White House official declines to clarify Biden's France comments
A senior White House official has declined to clarify exactly who Joe Biden was referring to when the US president said he had been misinformed about France being notified about the cancellation of the French submarine contract.
Last last week, in a meeting with the French president Emmanuel Macron in Rome and with television cameras present, Biden said the Aukus partnership had been handled in a “clumsy manner”. Biden told Macron:
I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through. I, honest to God, did not know you had not been.
In his public remarks, Biden did not elaborate on whether he was talking about the Australian government or his own staff.
The White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was asked about the matter during a “press gaggle” on the way to Glasgow overnight.
Here is the exchange:
Journalist:
President Macron pretty bluntly said that he thought that prime minister Morrison had lied to him about the deal. We know that president Biden also said that he was misinformed about, you know, had the French been notified of the deal. Did Morrison lie to president Biden?
Sullivan:
I would — here is my view on this. President Biden spoke to this issue on Friday night about what had happened. He said what he said. It made headlines in a number of your publications.
And I think we should look forward and not backward. So, I don’t want to get into characterising one way or another what happened before. I think we’ve — president Biden has addressed it. I thought he addressed it very effectively. And I’ve got nothing to add.
Updated
New Zealand records 126 new Covid cases
New Zealand has recorded 126 new cases of Covid-19 in the community across three regions, bringing the total in the Delta outbreak to 3,634.
Of Tuesday’s cases, 107 are in Auckland, 18 are in the neighbouring region Waikato, and one is in Northland, the ministry of health confirmed.
About half of the day’s cases have not yet been epidemiologically linked, bringing the total number yet to be linked to 432 in the past fortnight.
There are 49 people in hospital, with three in intensive care.
Twelve of the active cases are connected to Edmonton Meadows care home in west Auckland and the source of the infection is under investigation. The ministry said it is also aware of a small number of cases in an Auckland corrections facility.
Roughly 85% of the population over 12 years old has had at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 73% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.
Updated
It seems Victorians unhappy with the government’s pandemic powers bill have gathered near the Melbourne Cup’s Flemington race track to protest.
Around 200 people are marching to the Hill Stand Gate at Flemington racecourse chanting “Kill the Bill” @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/G55SMfLJhz
— Gillian Lantouris (@gillianlant) November 2, 2021
Updated
Here are the ACT Covid-19 numbers I mentioned before.
ACT COVID-19 update (2 November 2021):
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) November 2, 2021
◾New cases today: 8
◾Active cases: 153
◾Total cases: 1,664
◾Negative test results (past 24 hours): 1,638
◾In hospital: 7
◾In ICU: 4
◾Ventilated: 4
◾Total lives lost: 10
COVID-19 vaccinations in the ACT: 93.2% of 12+ fully vaccinated pic.twitter.com/ctMSxuemzd
We're bringing forward our reopening roadmap for the double-vaccinated.
— Dom Perrottet (@Dom_Perrottet) November 2, 2021
From next Monday, it means more friends and family at home, more capacity for hospitality venues, more people at events - more enjoying what makes NSW great. pic.twitter.com/qM1DD4aQMv
Reporter:
The Icac copped a lot of criticism around it. Now we’ve had the hearing. Do you back Icac? There have been colleagues saying maybe we need to look at it?
Perrottet:
Of course I support the independence of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. They have an important job to do. They’ve concluded their public hearings. There has not been a public report finalised.
The independent commission needs to have, free from political interference, the opportunity to conclude its work and to provide a public report and when they provide a public report, we’ll consider that report.
Updated
The current NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has been asked if the public Icac hearings made him reflect on former premier Gladys Berejiklian’s judgement.
I didn’t follow it yesterday. I was in Dubbo* with the people of regional New South Wales as we opened up. That’s what is front and centre and I’ve said from the outset we won’t provide ongoing commentary in relation to these proceedings.
Every single person in my team is focused on one thing and that’s the people of our great state.
There will be a report handed down in due course. If there are any actions the government needs to take, we will...
What is important from the government’s perspective is that Icac has the independence to conclude its inquiry. Once they conclude its inquiry and provide a public report, if there’s anything the government needs to do, it will.
*In fact he was busy hand-feeding giraffes in Dubbo. It was very charming.
Updated
Questions at the NSW press conference have now turned to yesterday’s public Icac hearings, where the former premier Gladys Berejiklian was questioned about her relationship with the former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.
But Perrottet isn’t saying much.
Reporter:
I know you said you won’t give a running commentary on matters before Icac, but disturbing issues came up yesterday with Daryl Maguire suggesting to Gladys Berejiklian that she got a private phone and download apps.
Do you think it’s time to change the rules regarding private phones and encryption apps? Is that something you’ll look at?
Perrottet:
Look, once the report is handed down in relation to the Icac inquiry currently underway, I’ll consider any outcomes in relation to it. In relation to the code of conduct, I think the code of conduct we have in New South Wales is incredibly strong and that is important because the public expect the highest levels of integrity in public office.
The premier was then directly asked if he possesses a private phone.
I have a private phone and I think many ministers and many members of parliament would do that to keep your professional work separate from your private discussions.
Updated
ACT records eight new Covid cases
The Australian Capital Territory has recorded eight new local cases of Covid-19 in the last reporting period.
There are currently seven Covid-19 positive patients in hospital in the territory, four of whom are in intensive care and ventilated.
Updated
Interestingly it seems there won’t be much formal enforcement of the returned travellers’ testing requirement.
Reporter:
Who is checking that? Day seven negative tests, who is checking that?
Chant:
Basically, there is a responsibility for the individuals to take responsibility for those results. I think we’re moving into an era where people are having to take that responsibility.
There are penalties for making false declarations and for not acting. Obviously, if there’s any positive test and there will be probably some auditing process in place.
But I think we are moving with the return of international travellers in the volumes we’ve seen prior to the pandemic, very much an individual responsibility.
Updated
Hmmm, it seems there is a little confusion, even within the government, about what exactly fully vaccinated international arrivals are allowed to do in their first week back in Australia.
Reporter:
On that. If you’re a fully vaccinated traveller, are you allowed to go to a pub or restaurant as soon as you get off the plane?
Perrottet:
I think there’s been some confusion in relation to that. Obviously, there’s got to be a negative test on day three and day three on arrival, and also to avoid high-risk settings.
Reporter:
But in the New South Wales Health regulations, it does say high-risk settings are hospitality venues and sporting. Did you know about this before the pamphlets went out?
Perrottet:
We certainly made it clear from the decision making perspective that it would be in place for high-risk settings, such as...
Reporter:
Is that a restaurant?
Perrottet:
No, I don’t believe so. I understand that. But what I can say ... is we are looking at that. The change was in relation to high-risk settings. From time to time when we are making these decisions, changes do need to be made.
Clearly, there will be omissions from time to time.
Updated
Now it’s time for a little victory lap about the reopening of international borders.
Perrottet:
It was great to see so many returning Australians being reunited with their families and loved ones and not have to be in hotel quarantine for two weeks.
I think that I really want to applaud the work the federal government* has done as well because I think the clear direction from the commonwealth government and in support of the New South Wales government’s position is that we need to rejoin the world.
It’s pleasing to see the discussion now with bubbles and countries like New Zealand, which we’re seeing obviously come back, but also Singapore. I think this is a great path forward, not just for New South Wales, but for the country. I think if anyone saw the scenes on the news last night of family members reunited for the first time in a long time, what a great thing that is.
*Remember like three weeks ago when Perrottet low-key tried to unilaterally open up the international border for all arrivals, not just citizens and permanent residents.
Updated
NSW premier says 95% vaccination rate in sight
Reporter:
You said a moment ago that we are aiming to get as close to 95% [vaccination] as possible. You obviously get modelling on this. Do you think we will get 95% double dose, and if so, when?
Perrottet:
I don’t want to make any predictions in relation to that. What I will say is we have exceeded where we believe we would be, and that is a great thing.
We were discussing this six months ago and to be in a position where we could potentially reach 95% fully vaccinated, I would not have believed that would have happened, and I think we are on track to do it, it is one last push and I believe that we can get to that 95% mark, plus a strong booster program which we were already undertaking.
I think we can continue to ensure we don’t go backwards, we open up, provide freedom and opportunity for every single person across our state.
Updated
Perrottet says increased restrictions are not off the table if case numbers skyrocket in particular areas in the state.
We have always said as part of the national plan from time to time ... the government might have to look at targeted restrictions.
That has always been part of the plan, but ultimately we believe we have landed today, and over the course of this period ... been able to open in a sensible way that keeps people safe.
Every time we do this I understand there will be concerns. There were concerns ... we brought forward the opening up of schools a week early. We understand that will occur.
There is still a long journey ahead of us, a long journey, many challenges that are going to come our way. We weigh up the economic and health advice, we make the decision that we believe keeps people safe and opens up the economy and that’s where I believe we have landed today.
Updated
It that Victorian MP Tim Smith’s political future may be announced today at 12.30pm, with the state opposition leader Mathew Guy fronting up to a press conference.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy will be holding a press conference at 12.30pm. At 11.40am yesterday, he said he would give Tim Smith 24 hours to consider his political future. Sounds like Smith won’t be there.
— Sumeyya Ilanbey (@sumeyyailanbey) November 1, 2021
I should clarify this: By Tim Smith not being *there* I meant he won’t be at the press conference. No word yet on whether he has decided to resign as the member for Kew or fight it out. Those who were furious with him on Sunday are now privately lobbying Guy to let Smith stay on.
— Sumeyya Ilanbey (@sumeyyailanbey) November 1, 2021
Updated
When asked, Perrottet acknowledges that the delay to the easing of restrictions for unvaccinated people was partially a trade-off for bringing additional fully vaccinated freedoms forward.
That was a balancing act and we believe that in circumstances where we could bring some of those changes forward to 8 November, we need to consider all aspects around it.
Updated
Perrottet has been asked if QR check-ins will still be required after reaching 95% vaccination.
We have not made any decisions in relation to that. Today’s decision is specifically in relation to the roadmap and we will speak to the health community as we move through the challenges that arise into the future.
A QR code check-in will not be here forever, but at the moment they play a crucial role in ensuring that our health teams are equipped with the information they need to keep on top of the virus.
The Service NSW app, the effort that people have made to download data download their vaccination status, has played a crucial role in ensuring we can open up businesses as quickly as possible and get people back into work.
Updated
Perrottet:
We have always wanted to open up in a measured way and incentivise vaccination rates and we have seen an extraordinary effort from people across our state.
From the outset we have said we put a roadmap in place, we wanted to stick to that roadmap as much as we could but ultimately, in circumstances where people have made an extraordinary effort across our state, we have been able to move some of those changes forward.
And as the health minister has stated, this is a great day for New South Wales, recognition of the effort that everyone is made but at the same time we want to make that as we open up we do so safely, mobility will increase as we moved to this period of time, and we believe we can get as close to that 95% rate as possible.
That will ensure that we are able to keep the hospitalisations down.
Updated
NSW has 'faced down this enemy' of Covid to get freedoms back: Hazzard
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard seems to be announcing the state’s victory over Covid-19 with an optimistic speech at today’s press conference.
(Although all leaders have warned people to still be hyper-vigilant for Covid-19 symptoms and get a PRC test immediately.)
I think it’s a great day. A year and a half ago we all wondered whether we would get vaccinated or whether we would ever get our freedoms back, and as little as three or four months ago when things were looking dark, we were all wondering [if we’ll] be able to get through this in the next few months, or how long will it take us?
I want to thank the community because the community had not been with us on this journey, we would not be enjoying the freedoms that we are seeing coming earlier today.
This really is a giant step for all of us, for all of us are New South Wales, and how good is it that we have actually faced down this enemy of this hidden virus and managed to get our freedoms back.
Updated
Chant has given additional details of the four NSW residents who lost their lives to Covid in the last reporting period.
We currently have 333 Covid cases admitted to hospital and 72 people in intensive care and 35 of whom require ventilation.
In terms of death, sadly we report the death of four individuals, two men in their 50s, one man in his 60s and one man in his 70s. One man was from Western Sydney, one man was from south-western Sydney, one man was from Wollongong and one man was from Newcastle. Three had received one dose of Covid vaccine and one had received two doses of the Covid vaccine.
The gentleman in his 70s died at the Tarrawarra aged care facility north of Wollongong where he acquired his affection and he received two doses of Covid vaccine and it is the fifth death link to this outbreak.
I would like to extend my condolences to those who have lost loved ones.
Updated
The NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has confirmed that indoor mask-wearing restrictions will not be relaxed early and are still required until 15 December.
We need you to continue to wear a mask and the indoor mask-wearing settings will be maintained until December 15, and I extend my appreciation to the community for understanding that this is a really important risk mitigation strategy for indoor settings.
Updated
Perrottet has encouraged everyone over 18 who had their second dose more than six months ago to go get their booster shot of Pfizer.
Updated
Freedoms for unvaccinated NSW residents pushed back
NSW has pushed back the date at which unvaccinated people will gain similar freedoms to the vaccinated cohort to 15 December, or when the state hits the 95% vaccination rate milestone.
Perrottet:
We want to ensure that as we open up we open up safely and we will be pushing back that date from 1 December for those who are not fully vaccinated. That will go back to December 15, or 95%, whichever happens first.
... Our vaccination rates have been key and, ultimately, we want to get to a point where New South Wales is open, one and free and we believe the changes we have made today enable that to occur.
Updated
NSW brings forward freedoms for vaccinated people to Monday
Here is Dominic Perrottet announcing the reopening changes now, including no limits on home visits for vaccinated people. He says these changes will come in from 8 November.
I want to thank everybody across New South Wales for the effort they have made in getting vaccinated.
We said from the outset that this was the key to be able, for our state open up safely and an extraordinary effort from every person across New South Wales has today allowed us to bring a number of changes forward from the roadmap from December 1, initially set out.
For those fully vaccinated there are some changes we are pleased to announce today.
- Density limits will shift to 2 sq metres right across the board.
- Capacity limits will be lifted for all settings other than gym classes which will keep at 20 per class.
- Visitors to the home will be uncapped. Outdoor gatherings will increase as well for those who are fully vaccinated and for those outdoor gatherings of more than 1000, you will need a Covid safe plan in place.
- Indoor halls will reopen for all purposes.
- Hospitality will move to 2 sq metres indoors and amusement centres and play centres will open in major events.
- And major recreation and obviously stadiums, for example, will go to 100% capacity.
Updated
By the looks of it, many of the scheduled roadmap changes scheduled for 1 December will be moved forward to Monday, 8 November.
These include no limits on visitors to the home and indoor swimming pools completely reopening.
#BREAKING From Nov 8 on NSW no limits in homes, 1 person per 2sqm rule applies & indoor pools completely open, with State Govt bringing forward the Dec 1 date pic.twitter.com/mV9CQrjwKu
— Chris Reason (@ChrisReason7) November 1, 2021
Updated
Hey, it’s I, Matilda Boseley, back on the blog. Thank you so much Caitlin for keeping this baby safe and up to date in my absence.
We are just standing by now to hear from the NSW premier who is set to give details about the continued reopening of the state.
Updated
With that, I will hand the blog back to the capable hands of Matilda Boseley.
The prime minister of India has described the Scott Morrison experience as “never a dull moment”:
Never a dull moment when you are meeting the one and only @ScottMorrisonMP. pic.twitter.com/YL5lWo3iAR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2021
The Guardian has not independently verified this but it looks like Covid restrictions for unvaccinated people will be extended in New South Wales.
changes to NSW roadmap, per @abcnews:
— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) November 1, 2021
* Restrictions which were due to lift for vaccinated people on Dec 1 will come forward to Nov 8
* Restrictions for unvaxxed people, which were to lift on Dec 1, will stay in place until Dec 15 (or whenever NSW reaches 95% of the 16+ popn)
Updated
Oil and gas giant Santos will proceed with a $220 million carbon capture and storage project in South Australia’s north, in a move hailed as a major milestone in Australia’s push towards net zero emissions by 2050, AAP reports.
Santos and joint venture partner Beach Energy say the Moomba plan has been successfully registered with the Clean Energy Regulator allowing it to qualify for carbon credits over a 25-year period.
Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher said the project would be globally significant:
This carbon reduction project in the South Australian outback will be one of the biggest and lowest cost in the world and will safely and permanently store 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year in the same reservoirs that held oil and gas in place for tens of millions of years. This decision is a critical step in decarbonising natural gas on our path to new low-emissions and clean-burning fuels such as hydrogen.
Federal energy minister Angus Taylor said the project was the first to be registered under the government’s emissions reduction fund:
This is the first time a national government will award tradable, high-integrity carbon credits to large-scale projects that capture and permanently store carbon underground.
The carbon to be stored represents about 7% of SA’s emissions and will cut emissions from gas production at Moomba by 70%.
Updated
Victoria’s opposition leader Matthew Guy will also be fronting the media at 12.30pm today.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy will be holding a press conference at 12.30pm. At 11.40am yesterday, he said he would give Tim Smith 24 hours to consider his political future. Sounds like Smith won’t be there.
— Sumeyya Ilanbey (@sumeyyailanbey) November 1, 2021
“A start,” Fiji says of Australia’s climate targets.
Australia's pledge is a start. I've now urged @ScottMorrisonMP to show us a concrete plan to halve emissions by 2030.
— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) November 1, 2021
I've given him a copy of Fiji's Climate Change Act as a guide –– it is our uniquely Fijian way of following the science to keep faith with future generations. pic.twitter.com/8c3UZIfFNg
It comes as Australia has donated one million vaccines to the pacific nation.
No announcement in Canberra (yet) but it looks like Australia has now donated one million vaccines to Fiji. Those vaccines have been the backbone of Fiji's vaccination program, which has driven COVID cases down from 1000 a day in early August to a bare handful now https://t.co/HaI4jRINj5
— Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) November 1, 2021
Updated
I’ll be back in a little while but for now I’m handing you over to the amazing Caitlin Cassidy to bring you all the latest updates.
Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh has accused the prime minister of “gaslighting” in relation to his ongoing spat with French President Emmanuel Macron.
He spoke to 2SM radio earlier this morning:
You think about your advice to any teenager would be don’t break up with somebody by text, but Scott Morrison is the kind of guy who not only breaks up by text but then lies about it afterwards and pretends he didn’t.
This is classic gaslighting from the prime minister. He says he won’t accept sledging of Australia - but there’s no sledging of Australia. There is a direct criticism from a major world leader that Scott Morrison lied.
Emmanuel Macron doesn’t think Australians are liars. He thinks Scott Morrison is a liar.
Updated
Please know, as a Victorian who is working throughout today’s public holiday I share these tweets of people picnicking in the sunshine with extreme spite and bitterness.
Things are heating up near Footscray Park. The sausages are sizzling, the beers are flowing, all for the Melbourne Cup. What a day! 🌞 @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/IXckivdPbd
— Gillian Lantouris (@gillianlant) November 1, 2021
Updated
Ummmmmm $10 Messina vouchers and a Nando’s dinner, all for the small price of a free and lifesaving vaccine? Pretty darn good deal for people who live near Richmond in Melbourne, by the sounds of it.
POP-UP VAX CLINIC @ Richmond Youth Hub
— North Richmond Community Health (@NRCHaus) October 31, 2021
📍110 Elizabeth Street, Richmond
Friday 5 November, 3pm - 6pm
Free, walk-in Pfizer vax for age 12+ and parents!
PLUS…
Post-vax slushies 🥤
Free takeaway Nandos dinner 🍗
$10 Gelato Messina vouchers for the first 20 people to get vaxxed 🎉 pic.twitter.com/JOBg05L1yW
Updated
Oh, and we will be hearing from Anthony Albanese at 12.30pm AEDT:
Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, is in Sydney today and will hold a press conference, 12:30PM #auspol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) November 1, 2021
Updated
The Melbourne Cup will be run with 23 horses this afternoon after Future Score was scratched, having showed signs of lameness on the eve of the $8m race. Future Score failed mandatory Racing Victoria inspections yesterday and was given until this morning to confirm fitness.
But the horse, one of the genuine outsiders after finishing worse than midfield in three spring appearances, again presented with lameness in his right foreleg and was scratched before the 7.30am deadline.
There was better news for Delphi, who was also lame on Cup eve but passed race morning veterinary checks.
Delphi has fallen from favour as a Cup chance after running his worst race of the spring in the Caulfield Cup. The import was well-backed to beat Incentivise at Caulfield but was the first horse beaten when 13th of 18 runners.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
Heads up, everyone, it looks as though we will be hearing from the NSW premier with more details about the state’s reopening roadmap at 10.30am.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, Minister for Jobs and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant will discuss the Reopening Roadmap and vaccination rates, 10:30am #nswpol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) November 1, 2021
Updated
Victoria's Covid numbers finally drop below 1,000
For the first time since 29 September Victoria has recorded fewer than 1,000 daily Covid-19 cases, with 989 new infections.
Sadly, nine people infected with Covid-19 have lost their lives.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) November 1, 2021
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/i4KnVkHynn
Updated
NSW Vaccinations
— CovidBaseAU 🦠📊🇦🇺 (@covidbaseau) November 1, 2021
6,453,9701️⃣st💉(🔼1,345)
•16+: 93.58%(+0.0)
•50+: 97.81%(+0.0)
•70+: 100.52%(+0.0)
6,009,5742️⃣nd💉(🔼9,648)
•16+: 87.82%(+0.1)
•50+: 92.71%(+0.1)
•70+: 95.13%(+0.1)
227,666💉past 7d
80% (>16s) fully💉at current rate:
✅ pic.twitter.com/iA0cjjGKmn
NSW records 173 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths
The NSW numbers have finally come through and they are low, with just 173 new cases recorded overnight.
Sadly, four people infected with Covid-19 have died in the last reporting period.
NSW COVID-19 update – Tuesday 2 November 2021
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) November 1, 2021
In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:
- 93.6% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 87.8% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 58,988 tests pic.twitter.com/uhHsjg19lo
Updated
Borrowers are rushing to lock in low interest rates amid gathering expectations Australia’s central bank will declare an end to its record low cash rate earlier than its current prediction of 2024.
Economists say the Reserve Bank of Australia has little choice but to revise its rate rise timing given mounting evidence the economy is recovering quickly from the lengthy Covid-triggered lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
It’s one year since the RBA lowered its official rate to just 0.1% and today’s board meeting is under pressure to state when it expects to raise it. No increase is imminent – and it’s now 11 years since the last rate rise – but markets are anticipating the bank will bring forward the timing of that move.
You can read the full report below:
Shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has tweeted this morning criticising Scott Morrison’s decision to accuse French president Emmanuel Macron of “sledging” Australia:
Mr Morrison is treating leaders of other countries like he treats state premiers – as political opponents.
His furious attempt at damage control will only make world leaders trust him even less.
This mess is a reflection of Mr Morrison’s character – not a sledge against us all.
Updated
National vaccine rollout status
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) November 1, 2021
(% of 16yo+ population):
Fully vaccinated: 77.5%
(or 62.1% of the general population)
#covid19aus #auspol
Cancer patients and those with acquired brain injuries were among the worst affected by Coalition reforms to the disability support pension that saw an overall increase in denied claims and a blowout in processing times, a new report shows.
The report by management consultants Health Outcomes International, commissioned by the federal government in response to an audit office report, examined the revised pension assessment process brought in under Tony Abbott’s prime ministership in 2015.
The changes included using “government-contracted doctors” to assess applicants and requiring them to provide existing medical evidence rather than a report from their own doctor. These followed sweeping changes to the eligibility criteria introduced by the Gillard government in 2011.
Health Outcomes International found all disabilities had “higher rejection rates post implementation of the 1 July 2015 changes”.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
Victorian Liberal MP Tim Smith is set to learn his political fate after being caught driving at more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit and crashing into a house, reports Benita Kolovos from AAP.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy says he will meet face-to-face with the state member for the blue-ribbon seat of Kew on Tuesday “to discuss his future with him”.
Smith crashed into a Hawthorn house on Saturday night after a dinner with friends, narrowly avoiding a child’s bedroom.
The 38-year-old returned a breath test reading of 0.131, prompting the immediate suspension of his licence for 12 months. He also faces a fine.
Smith tendered his resignation from shadow cabinet to Guy on Sunday, describing his decision to drive home as a “serious error of judgement”.
Pressure is now mounting on him to quit politics altogether. Several Liberal MPs have told AAP Smith’s position is untenable.
Guy told reporters on Monday:
I am bitterly disappointed that any member of parliament, let alone one of my colleagues, would get behind the wheel after drinking.
He said while Smith’s actions were inexcusable, alcohol abuse had become an increasing problem amid Victoria’s repeated lockdowns:
I do think that’s obviously been an issue, particularly for single people living by themselves and their own mental health ... but that is in no way an excuse for what has occurred.
He said Smith had apologised to the home owners and offered to pay to repair the damage caused by the crash.
Guy also confirmed the car Smith was driving – a white Jaguar – was not funded through a parliamentary allowance.
Smith is one of Guy’s closest political allies and was instrumental in his return to the leadership of the party after a successful spill against Michael O’Brien in September.
Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is also close with Smith, said he should “take some time to consider his future”.
Smith is now in the Mornington Peninsula but is expected to front the media “within days”.
Updated
Scott Morrison said “technology will have the answers to a decarbonised economy” at the UN climate summit in Glasgow. On the first day of the two-week Cop26 summit, Morrison said these new technological solutions must “out compete existing technologies” especially “in developing economies”.
Updated
Australia's National Statement @ScottMorrisonMP #COP26 #auspol pic.twitter.com/adMnW8uBqh
— Political Alert (@political_alert) November 1, 2021
Malcolm Turnbull has told ABC radio that the tense relationship with France is “all a product of Scott [Morrison]’s duplicity”.
The former PM was asked about leaked material that suggests Australia, the UK and the US had all agreed not to inform France of the new nuclear deal until the day before the public announcement:
Well, this was how Scott Morrison is enhancing his reputation for being untrustworthy. He’s, he’s leaking selectively, no doubt, text messages between him and Emmanuel Macron. And now perhaps leaking selective selectively secret material to embarrass the United States.
I mean, you know, this is the problem, you know, when first you practise to deceive, you just get caught in one web after another. How much simpler would have been if we had if it had been straightforward?
I mean, the nuclear issue was always an option. I wrote about it my book um, and I discussed it with Emmanuel Macron. It was always a possibility that we would move to nuclear propulsion – it needs a long lead time because we have no nuclear industry here. We have no nuclear skills in Australia. And so you need to do that very carefully.
But if he had had an honest and open discussion we wouldn’t have had any of these problems. I mean, this is all the product that Scott’s duplicity. I mean, you know, he can twist and turn and leak a text message here and leak a document there to his stenographic friends in the media, but ultimately, the failure here was one of not being honest.
Updated
Malcolm Turnbull says Scott Morrison should have spoken to France about adapting the old submarine deal to include nuclear-powered options:
You know, when you’re dealing with people honestly – and Scott Morrison did not do that – you don’t drop hints. You actually tell the truth.
What we should have done is look for nuclear propulsion for submarines has always been an option for us. You know, there are all sorts of issues associated with it, but the least of which we don’t have nuclear industry to support those subs. But what we should have had was an honest and open conversation. That’s what an honest person would have done ...
The French submarine that we were working on was actually a nuclear submarine, designed as a nuclear submarine by France and it was at Australia’s request that it had conventional diesel-electric propulsion.
So the reality is that all we needed to do, or Scott needed to do, was to be honest and open. And that’s exactly what Biden has implicitly criticised him for because there wasn’t that open consultation.
Updated
'Shameful': Turnbull says Morrison should apologise to French president
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed Scott Morrison’s handling of the French submarine deal, stating that he should apologise to French president Emmanuel Macron:
I think Scott Morrison should apologise. Firstly, because he did very elaborately and duplicitously deceive France.
You know, we had a relationship of the deepest trust and confidence of France. France shared with us some of their most [prized] secret technology on submarines. It was a partnership between two nations and it was the cornerstone of France;s Indo-Pacific strategy, and to be double dealing that the way Morrison did was shameful. I mean, Joe Biden has acknowledged.
You know, Morrison’s conduct has done enormous damage to Australia’s relationship with France, to America;s relations with France, I mean, Biden – you can imagine how much Biden has enjoyed apologising for what has essentially been the conduct of Mr Morrison.
Updated
Scott Morrison has used his national statement at the Cop26 to emphasise that Australia will probably overachieve on its 2030 emissions reduction target in an effort to blunt international criticism about his government’s lack of climate ambition.
While the lead-up to the Glasgow summit was dominated by Morrison’s negotiations with the National party to land a net zero commitment by 2050, the UN-led event is focused on ambition for the 2030s.
Australia – part of a bloc of big emitters and exporters at last weekend’s G20 summit in Rome attempting to water down commitments in the final communique to phase out coal – has been criticised for not increasing its ambition in the critical decade.
Morrison used his set-piece address to the Glasgow conference to tell his peers that Australia had submitted a new nationally determined contribution, noting that Australia’s emissions would “fall by 35% by 2030, far exceeding our Paris commitment”.
You can read the full story below:
Updated
Good morning
Good morning, everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley here, ready to jump into the day’s news.
Scott Morrison has kicked off his first day at the Cop26 in Glasgow by telling the assembly of world leaders it will be scientists, not politicians, who come up with the solution to climate change, and announcing an additional $500m in climate financial aid to Australia’s Pacific and south-east Asian neighbours, bringing its total commitment to $2bn over the next five years.
But the main headlines have stemmed from his response to the French president’s accusation that he lied about Australia’s intention to withdraw from a $90bn diesel submarine deal. He said:
I’ve got broad shoulders, I can deal with that. But those slurs, I’m not going to cop sledging of Australia, I’m not going to cop that on behalf of Australians. I can deal with whatever people throw at me. But Australia has a proud record when it comes to our defence capability.
This is interesting because I’m pretty sure Emmanuel Macron was sledging Morrison, not Australia, but anyway!
A little closer to home, economists say the Reserve Bank of Australia will probably have to revise its rate rise timing given mounting evidence that the economy is recovering quickly from lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
A year ago the RBA lowered its official rate to just 0.1%, with the intention not to raise it until 2024. But today’s board meeting is under pressure to state if and when it expects to back down from this plan.
And with all that, why don’t we jump into the day!
Updated
