What we learned today, Thursday 4 November
And with that, we will wrap up the blog for today. Here is what went down:
- Western Australia premier Mark McGowan said Cleo Smith is a “delightful little girl” and was adjusting well, after meeting her earlier today, and presenting her with some gifts.
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Western Australia Police have still not charged Carnarvon man but likely will “later today”.
- Labor spent the day attacking prime minister Scott Morrison, with shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong saying the tiff with the French president had revealed Scott Morrison’s character to world leaders. Albanese and Shorten also joined in the fray.
- Defence minister, Peter Dutton, has urged France to “put aside” any “hurt feelings,” and said France would’ve reacted the same if told earlier about Aukus.
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NSW recorded 308 new locally acquired Covid cases and four deaths. Victoria recorded 1,247 new cases and nine deaths. The ACT recorded 13 new cases.
- Queensland recorded three new locally acquired cases in the regional town of Goondiwindi. Queensland town Moree was also be declared a restricted border zone area.
- Sky News Australia presenter Alan Jones will leave the network, after declining an offer to return for 2022.
- Fruit pickers will be guaranteed a minimum wage, with the Fair Work Commission finding the industry’s piecework arrangements not fit for purpose.
- The federal government pledged $239m to fund 248 medical research projects, including looking into the long term effects of Covid-19 on the brain.
Updated
Moree declared restricted border zone area
After recording three cases earlier today, Queensland town Moree will be declared a restricted border zone area.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk released a statement announcing the change, which will mean residents will no longer have access across the Queensland border as part of the border bubble, except in exceptional circumstances.
It follows an outbreak that has so far spread to 33 cases in NSW. This is in addition to three cases that were reported in Queensland today.
There will also be a change to border directions, so that unvaccinated people in the New South Wales border zone, won’t be able to come to Queensland to places and services that are available only to vaccinated people in New South Wales.
Farmer groups are divided over the government’s decision to reject US president Joe Biden’s global methane pledge, with the National Farmers Federation backing the government’s stance while Farmers for Climate Action has urged Australia to commit to cut methane.
You can read their takes on the pledge in the report from Gabrielle Chan below:
Updated
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard fronted a budget estimates inquiry today, and said the state was “awash” with Covid vaccines, and indicated some are at risk of expiring.
But despite the excess vaccines, there are still 2,100 health staff that are yet to be vaccinated, with the double-dose deadline set at 30 November. 215 employees have so far resigned because of the vaccine mandate.
We’re in the process of working with each of those individuals, directly, one on one, trying to understand the context and circumstances.
Hazzard said booster shots will continue to be available at vaccine hubs, but will shift to be being solely available from GPs and pharmacists “sometime next year.”
The Qudos Bank Arena vaccination hub will close on 7 November, after administering 365,000 doses since 9 August.
Updated
The foreign minister, Marise Payne, says the government “will need to work very hard” to heal the rift with France.
In an interview with Sky News, Payne defended proceeding with the first ever “2+2” meeting of the foreign and defence ministers of France just two weeks before the Aukus partnership was unveiled.
The joint statement agreed between Australia and France underlined the importance of the future submarine program (that was cancelled two weeks later). But Payne suggested the final decision had not been made at the time at which she and Peter Dutton spoke with their counterparts at the end of August.
“I don’t think removing oneself from a meeting of that nature while no decisions had been made was an appropriate thing to do. And indeed, reviewing all of the issues that go across the full breadth of the relationship was a very important part of that discussion.”
Payne said she understood “the deep disappointment that France feels given the decision we have had to make in relation to the future submarine program, and we will need to work very hard … in moving forward and past this point in our relationship with France”.
She said Australia and France had “a great deal of history behind us, a great deal of future ahead of us, notwithstanding this very significant difficulty”.
Payne was asked whether the Australian government’s release of a private text message sent by Emmanuel Macron to Scott Morrison was diplomatic mistake. She replied:
“I’m not going to comment on a text message of which I have no particular knowledge - but claims were made and claims were refuted.”
So in somewhat irrelevant (matters how you see it) news, it appears city bin chickens (officially, the white ibis), are mutating.
Global heating, increasing drought, water extraction and habitat degradation have driven the Australian white ibis out of inland river systems.
But dumpster-diving ibis in cities thrive, meaning there are now tens of thousands of urban birds, while only about 3,000 inland.
Macquarie University researchers wanted to see if genetic differences were emerging between the “beautiful, elegant white birds” inland on one side of the Great Dividing Range and “their grubby and cheeky city cousins” on the other.
You can read the report from Tory Shepherd at the link below:
Updated
As with every day this week, South Australia has once again recorded zero new locally acquired cases. The state has hit 68.6% double vaccinated.
South Australian COVID-19 update 4/11/21. 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/b16DUfLMcT
— SA Health (@SAHealth) November 4, 2021
Updated
Sticking with Shorten for a moment, he was asked by Afternoon Briefing host Patricia Karvelas what Australia gained, if anything, from the prime minister’s trip to the Glasgow climate summit:
I think he had to go but it’s a bit like a kid going to a show and tell session with nothing to show and tell that I don’t think there is a lot to show for Australia’s reputation but really, we need to move beyond the climate change wars.
I shake my head at the three years we have lost under the current government. They have appropriated a few of the policies we took to the last election. At the last election you had Mr Morrison running around the bush saying that encouraging the take-up of electric vehicles by 2030 meant the death of the weekend.
Maybe that’s what you need to do to become prime minister, show no shame at all and this bloke seems to think Australians have the memories of goldfish and I don’t think they do and we have wasted a lot of time arguing about a scare campaign on climate when in fact, it’s the climate change which is scary as a phenomena.
Karvelas then asked why Labor is not supporting a decision to cut 30% of methane emissions this decade:
Anthony spelt out Labor’s policies and I won’t second guess it.
You’ll find that when Labor unveils its policies, we have got a much more solid basis for real action on climate than the government. The problem is you have a bloke who says he is a born-again climate conviction politician.
When he spent his adult career in parliament bargaining taking action on climate change. If you expect that now the two major parties are saying climate change is important, the question for voters to ask is who do you trust to take real action on climate?
The party who has been consistent, Labor, or the party who is sort of recently arrived at the party and says they want to do things even though they spend most of their time opposing it?
Updated
Ex-federal Labor leader Bill Shorten is on the ABC this afternoon, discussing Scott Morrison’s diplomacy, and typically sought to maintain his party’s onslaught.
He was initially asked what he makes of the claim made Morrison had to leak private texts with the French president, in light of being accused of being a liar:
Once you are in a fight, every side has a point of view. We shouldn’t have got to this position, that’s the truth of the matter. I can understand the French wanted to have a $90bn contract and they believed Mr Morrison’s act was in poor faith.
For me, the issue is the French will say what they want to say and as far as I’m concerned, a lot of Australians worked out that Mr Morrison is perpetually caught out.
Shorten was pushed on how the government should seek to rebuild relations with France, in light of the tiff:
Maybe they should stop looking at what they did wrong and admitting it. I’ve got no problem with us getting our nuclear technology for our submarines but, I mean, why is it that the government looks so shocked and stunned that the French are outraged?
I want to hear explain to Australia how long we will have to extend the class submarines? How much will the deal cost? I accept the technology we are moving to seems to be the superior technology for submarines.
I want them to explain why for eight years they have taken us up one path and then another path and then all of a sudden they discovered another way to go and in the meantime our defence has been let down?
What this does is not only leave Mr Morrison and his reputation in tatters but I think it leaves the defence credentials in tatters.
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Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy has indicated the Liberal party may reject Tim Smith’s nomination for preselection, as the stoush over Smith’s future continues.
Speaking to reporters earlier today, Guy stood by his comments earlier this week, where he urged Smith to retire at the next election.
One of the things I did say to him was to reflect on his future, and it’s fair to say, as he said yesterday, he is doing that.
Guy said he has yet to speak with anyone in the state parliamentary party who disagreed with his position.
The party can refuse to accept anyone’s nomination, whether it’s an MP or a candidate or a layperson party member.
As I’ve said, I don’t think he should stand. That’s what I said the other day and I stand by it.
Updated
Owner of Melbourne Cup winner fined for Covid breaches
A co-owner of the Melbourne Cup winning horse Verry Elleegant, Brae Sokolski, has been fined $10,000 for breaches of Covid rules at Flemington racecourse.
Sokolski, who partly owns the winning mare, pleaded guilty after an investigation by Racing Victoria (RV).
He had jumped a fence and went into the mounting yard, which was deemed a “yellow zone” under the rules at Flemington Racecourse. Sokolski was not allowed into any yellow zone.
He also admitted to not wearing a mask in the yellow zone, which was outlined by RV in a statement:
Stewards heard submissions on penalty from Mr Sokolski and after doing so took into consideration his guilty plea, his candid evidence, his unblemished record over a long period of time and that he expressed remorse.
The Stewards also took into consideration the nature of the offending, the potential ramifications that could flow from a breach of Racing Victoria’s COVID-19 Protocols, and that the penalty must be sufficient enough to deter others from breaching the COVID-19 Protocols.
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Labor senator Tony Sheldon has slammed Amazon Australia over pay for delivery drivers, following the company’s appearance at the Senate committee on job security he chairs.
The committee heard on Thursday that Amazon Flex delivery drivers are paid a minimum $108 per four-hour block, or $27 per hour, before costs and superannuation, while the average pay for drivers in October was $125 per four-hour block.
Labor senator Karen Grogan took Amazon Australia’s head of government affairs Michael Cooley to task over how this was significantly lower than the total hourly rate for courier owner drivers in Victoria at $40.71.
“We meet or exceed all relevant legal rights for our Amazon Flex delivery partners,” Cooley replied.
“The evidence we have does not support that,” Grogan said.
“That evidence would be incorrect,” Cooley replied.
Cooley said he had not had a chance to review the documents handed to him before the hearing on the Victorian rates of pay, but said the company complied with the law.
Sheldon said Amazon was “distorting the market” for delivery drivers and said Amazon’s rate of pay was being used to undermine job security at other delivery companies such as Star Track and FedEx “in order to compete” with Amazon.
“We don’t accept that,” Cooley replied.
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WA police release audio of the moment they found Cleo Smith
WA police have released audio of the moment officers found four-year-old Cleo Smith, and her now iconic first words to officers: “My name is Cleo.”
Officers in the clip can be heard saying “I’ve got you bubby” and “what’s your name, sweetheart?” before Cleo responds.
"My name is Cleo." pic.twitter.com/xiy59x4kjP
— WA Police Force (@WA_Police) November 4, 2021
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GP clinics in 'desperate need' of more support, AMA tells Senate inquiry
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has told a federal Senate inquiry of the need to provide support for GPs and related primary health services, specifically in outer metropolitan, rural and regional Australia.
AMA vice president Dr Chris Moy and AMA Council of Rural Doctors representative Dr Peter Maguire fronted the inquiry, saying GPs “desperately need help now”.
Dr Moy said the pandemic had made clear the central role of GP clinics in the health system but had also “shone a light on the significant challenges faced by GPs” as successive governments had failed to address resourcing.
Investment has not matched the increase in costs and demands. There’s a desperate need to make changes now.
Dr Moy emphasised that renumeration and support for doctors and their families in regional and rural settings was imperative to retaining and attracting GPs.
Dr Maguire told the Senate inquiry there was a “crisis” in rural Australia, and he said older GPs in regional and rural areas were finding it difficult to retire because of GP shortages.
He said three out of the four GPs in his small town in Western Australia were older but there was “a struggle to recruit young doctors”. The situation was dire, he said, “with no quick fixes, no single solution”.
Updated
So just going back on that presser – WA premier Mark McGowan mentioned that there will be announcement on the roadmap out of Covid restrictions for the state.
McGowan said he would make the announcements tomorrow, before giving a small hint:
We will make further announcements and changes tomorrow. We will have some significant detail in there.
As you all know, as you go down the Covid-19 road, nothing is certain. We do our best to provide detail, but everything is unfortunately always subject to change.
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Blaine has wrapped up his presser by asking local residents to provide any CCTV footage they may have:
We obviously have offices here for a little bit of time. The previous appeals that we’ve made to the public around CCTV has been around that particular time the Friday 15 (October), Saturday 16.
We have knowledge of a suspect. I’m asking businesses and people within Carnarvon ... to provide the investigative team any CCTV that they might have between Friday the 15 October and Tuesday the 2 November, that would be great assistance.
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Blaine has continued to give some details, saying Cleo was found with the lights on, and playing with toys:
The lights were on, and that she was playing with toys, but all about I will say. This is a go before the courts and the aspects of what we saw that our wannabe evidence and I don’t want anything is going prejudice anything.
He goes on to discuss the plans leading up to the raid to rescue Cleo:
When we left left for the day, on a Tuesday I think, as we started to settle in for the night, it was going to happen.
We had some plans around what could happen, one of them was that the suspect that we were observing would be mobile and would leave the premises so in terms of decisions, it was not harder because we said, we talk about all the different scenarios so what happened was one of the scenarios and it was clear mind what had to occur and that’s just how it went down.
He also confirmed there were four officers involved in the arrest of the suspect, who was in a car at the time.
Det Sgt Cameron Blaine has stepped up and has spoken about Cleo’s condition, and was happy to see her interacting with her family:
I saw ... the family yesterday morning, early in the morning, and it was a first time to sit down in a more relaxed format and have a conversation with them and really see Cleo Smith in a home environment. And it was really heartwarming to see her interact and playing in the backyard and just being herself and around her parents.
I’m sure that it has had an impact but ... just behaving naturally like a four-year-old girl should do and just enjoying being in the presence of her little sister and a family. So it was good and nice. I don’t know, I’m not that sure.
She is a very sweet girl.
Updated
Wilde says Cleo was “awake and alert” when she was found, and confirmed that she has checked out of hospital and is physically OK.
It was amazing ... Very grateful for that and the outcome.
Wilde also confirmed the man that is being held in custody was taken to hospital for an injury:
I can confirm the man was taken to hospital for treatment and returned back to the police station.
Updated
Wilde has continued to discuss the investigation, and although he has not provided much details, he said the man will likely face a magistrate in Carnavon.
He also confirmed that police believe the man acted alone.
Like I’ve said, there is a lot of information we received and a lot of instigation. All the statements we talk from all the people, over 100 people at the campsite, thousand calls to Crime Stoppers, all the data that we were able to seize with CCTV, other things, looking through phones and other means.
It is just getting all that information together, us understanding what has taken place ... it’s a painstaking process. There are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of pieces of information, it’s really joining the dots.
Updated
WA police have still not charged Carnarvon man but likely will 'later today'
WA Police’s Det Supt Rod Wilde is now giving an update on the investigation, and began by saying the man in custody has still not been charged.
I can give you an update on the investigation, at present, we have a man in custody and those investigations are continuing. No charges laid. I will take questions.
It will probably be later today. There is some work being undertaken. I expect later today it will occur.
Updated
McGowan has gone on to discuss Cleo’s reaction to receiving the two teddy bears he flashed when he was arriving at Carnavon:
We did a few high fives. I tried on one of her shoes and broke one of them ... I gave her the police teddy bears, named Cameron and Rod.
Cameron and Rod didn’t seem to like it, didn’t think that was appropriate. I’m not sure those names will stick. Cleo didn’t seem too enamoured of those names. It was a lovely experience to me that girl.
She is bubbly, playing, friendly and sweet, she was eating an icy pole, she told me it was very sticky to eat, she was just delightful.
Updated
WA premier says Cleo Smith a 'delightful little girl'
WA premier Mark McGowan is giving an update from Carnavon after having met Cleo Smith and her family, and hearing from WA police on the investigation.
He said it was overwhelming to see how many “threads” were involved in the investigation, saying efforts by police in narrowing it down to one person were “extraordinary”.
He also talked about meeting Cleo, saying she was very well adjusted:
I met little Cleo, and I met Isla [and it] was a very nice experience. They are a very humble family, well adjusted.
Cleo was a delightful little girl. Playing in the backyard. She had two teddy bears ... It was a lovely experience to meet her. She was, I felt very well adjusted, considerate and the family were very appreciative of everything that had been done for them.
Fundamentally decent, honest human beings, they were lovely people and it was great to meet them and acknowledge what they have been through.
We have a way to go from here, but they are on the right pathway. Thank you very much everyone and can I thank everybody involved who brought this to a successful conclusion.
Updated
Only 0.1% of NSW Health workforce have resigned over vaccine mandate
One of the questions around compulsory vaccination for health workers is the impact the mandate will have on staff numbers, as those who choose not to get vaccinated or refuse to provide proof of vaccination resign or are fired.
While data is still coming through, it is clear the overwhelming majority of health workers are choosing vaccination, so there has been little disruption to the workforce.
In NSW, the data on the departure of health workers due to the mandate is being compiled by NSW Health. Last week a NSW Health spokesperson told me the data was still being gathered, but they now have enough data to provide some detail.
To date, at least 97% of NSW Health’s workforce have received at least one
dose of the vaccine and 94% have received two doses of the vaccine.
The spokesperson said of its entire workforce of more than 140,000 people, just 0.1% (215 people) had resigned due to their vaccination position as of 25 October.
“While any resignation is obviously disappointing, Local Health Districts have management plans in place to limit potential disruptions to service delivery due to staff not being vaccinated,” the spokesperson said.
“All vacancies in the NSW Health workforce are prioritised for recruitment, including any positions arising from staff members refusing a Covid- 19 vaccination.”
A spokesman for Victoria’s department of health told me data on health workforce resignations due to the mandate was not being monitored or collected by the department. I was told I would need to contact every hospital in the state individually for the figures.
Of the hospitals I contacted, only one provided data – the Royal Melbourne hospital. The hospital is down 51 staff who are refusing to be vaccinated against Covid, a requirement to work in Victorian healthcare facilities. This represents just 0.45% of the hospital’s 11,000-strong workforce.
Updated
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard has faced some questions on the government’s recent decision to delay the easing of restrictions for unvaccinated people.
Earlier this week, premier Dominic Perrottet announced that unvaccinated people would need to wait until 15 December to see restrictions ease, pushed out from the initial 1 December date.
Hazzard said the decision was made “primarily” due to concerns for public health. He said health authorities approved the move, saying it was about maintaining a “balancing act”.
The extra couple of weeks were something they were quite supportive of.
Public health would always like longer – because that’s their focus, getting everyone vaccinated.
Asked if the date would change again, Hazzard said it was unlikely.
At the moment I would say that it’s very solid.
Updated
We’re expecting WA premier Mark McGowan to step up for a press conference at the Carnarvon police station in a moment after Cleo Smith was rescued yesterday.
Updated
As part of the NSW Health Covid update, NSW deputy chief health officer Marianne Gale has urged people in Moree to get vaccinated, noting that there had been an increase in cases there.
I particularly encourage anyone who lives in the area of Moree to be particularly vigilant.
If you have even the mildest of symptoms, please get tested.
And we particularly want to see even high vaccination rates in the Moree area.
So if you live in Moree and you haven’t yet got vaccinated — either your first dose or second dose — please, now is the time.
I’d like to particularly encourage members of the Aboriginal communities living in and around Moree because we are seeing some cases among Aboriginal people in those areas.
So, please, for the Aboriginal community in that area, please be extra vigilant for symptoms and please come forward for vaccination.
Updated
Good afternoon all, and a thanks for the always brilliant Matilda Boseley. Mostafa Rachwani here to take you through the afternoon’s headlines.
With that, I shall leave you with the always fantastic Mostafa Rachwani.
See you all tomorrow!
Thirteen new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the ACT as more schools in the national capital become impacted by the virus, reports AAP’s Andrew Brown.
The latest health figures show there are six Covid patients in ACT hospitals, with two of those being treated in intensive care and on a ventilator.
Meanwhile, the full vaccination rate for Canberra has climbed to 94% of those aged 12 and over.
The new virus figures come in the wake of three more schools in Canberra being visited by a positive case in recent days.
Health authorities announced on Wednesday a cluster of 17 cases had been detected at a separate campus in the city’s south.
All year groups had been able to return to classrooms from this week, following a staggered return to in-person learning after lockdown.
There are now 144 active cases in the community in the ACT.
Updated
The Premier has arrived in Carnarvon, bringing with him a little surprise for rescued Cleo Smith and her baby sister. 🐻 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/8KxnSu5SFM
— 7NEWS Perth (@7NewsPerth) November 4, 2021
Oh, just in case you were wondering if former prime minister Kevin Rudd had found a way to make Alan Jones being let go from Sky News about him, don’t worry, he has.
Murdoch’s sacking of Alan Jones tells you they know they’re on the defensive. Thank you to all those who have campaigned to expose Jones, SkyNews and Murdoch. And a special shout out to @MFWitches for their efforts. https://t.co/NYNfXKKfki
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) November 4, 2021
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Interestingly it looks like Daniel Andrews and Dominic Perrottet will join forces to push for children under 12 to be vaccinated and booster shots to be rolled out ASAP at the upcoming national cabinet meeting on Friday.
The Victorian premier held a press conference this morning and said this:
The premier of NSW and I will be putting forward a number of very important things to the PM. By the end of the meeting, if not before, he will be in no doubt about what Victoria and NSW need.
We are in very similar circumstances... There are some things we can work together on, Dominic and I, and that’s exactly what we have been doing.
Updated
New Zealand records 139 new Covid-19 cases
New Zealand has recorded 139 new cases of Covid-19 in the community, spread across three different regions.
There are now 3,871 cases in the community outbreak. Of Thursday’s cases, 136 are in Auckland, two are in Waikato and one is in Northland.
Of the day’s cases, 72 have not been epidemiologically linked, bringing the total number yet to be linked to 452 in the past fortnight.
There are 64 people in hospital, with five of those in intensive care.
On Wednesday, the country reported the death of a 40-year-old man, who had tested positive for Covid-19. The man was isolating alone at home when a family member found him. The cause of his death has not yet been confirmed and has been referred to the coroner. It is the third death of a person with Covid-19 in the current Delta outbreak, and the country’s 29th since the pandemic began.
Roughly 85.5% of the population over 12 years old has had at least one dose of the vaccine, while 73% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.
Updated
Economic figures out today from the Australian Bureau of Statistics provide a bit more reason why the Reserve Bank of Australia told us earlier this week they won’t be rushing to push up interest rates soon.
Retail sales picked up 1.3% in September from August, the ABS says, but for the September quarter they were off 4.4%. On a quarterly basis, that is the biggest dive in almost four decades of data.
Retail trade volumes fell by 4.4% in the September quarter - the largest quarterly decline in the 38-year history of the data - to be 2.2% lower than a year ago #ausbiz pic.twitter.com/jKERKR7czS
— Callam Pickering (@CallamPickering) November 4, 2021
Blame the lockdowns, of course. NSW saw retail volume plunge 11.6% for the quarter, with the ACT down 13.9%. Victoria was off a more modest 4.5% perhaps because the locals had got used to the delights of Covid curbs.
Ben James, director of ABS’s quarterly economy-wide statistics, said:
Similar to previous lockdown periods, sales volumes fell in most of the discretionary spending industries with cafes restaurants and takeaway food services (down 18.7%), clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (off 25.1%), department stores (-19.5%) and household goods retailing (-4.3 %) significantly down in volume terms.
Not surprisingly, online retail sales have continued to scale fresh peaks (unlike those locked down), with turnover for September up 3.4%, or $143m, to a monthly record of $4.34bn.
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The Greens leader is having fun on Twitter today.
When you arrive back home after tarnishing Australia's reputation at a global climate summit, and need to check if the coast is clear: pic.twitter.com/2MNpCIb1DQ
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 4, 2021
Honestly, I would rather be called a liar any day than endure this extraordinarily awkward hug.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 3, 2021
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Love to see Cleo’s sister Isla getting some love!
Premier Mark McGowan touches down in Carnarvon to congratulate WA Police on their efforts finding Cleo Smith. In his hand… two teddy bears, one for Cleo and one for her sister Isla. @10NewsFirst @10NewsFirstPER @Studio10au pic.twitter.com/djKtBb6fY7
— Steph Baumgartel (@BaumgartelSteph) November 4, 2021
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Thursday 4 November – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 4, 2021
There were 3 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 detected in Queensland overnight. #covid19 pic.twitter.com/yz53dAF7qZ
Dutton says France would've reacted the same if told earlier about Aukus
The defence minister, Peter Dutton, has urged France to “put aside” any “hurt feelings” over Australia’s scrapping of the submarine contract in order to focus on the “great uncertainty with China in our region”.
Dutton was interviewed on 2GB a short time ago.
The French government has acknowledged Australia had a sovereign right to make national security decisions but said the way it handled communications with France was not befitting a close friend and partner.
Dutton played down the idea that informing Paris sooner would have made any difference to the reaction:
The fact is, the French were going to be upset whenever they were told in any circumstance. We’ve seen the reaction now. It would have been the reaction had they been told sooner or later in between – it wouldn’t have mattered. And you can understand that. As we said before, if we had a contract cancelled on us, the Australian government would be upset at that lost revenue. And you know, the French have got an election coming up in April, you understand all of that posturing.
(A small reminder an election is due in Australia by May.)
Dutton added:
I think now we move on from it and recognise that we’ve made a decision that is in our country’s best interests, and nobody from Scott Morrison down is going to apologise for that.
The French ambassador, Jean-Pierre Thébault, yesterday denounced the Australian government’s release of a private text message from Emmanuel Macron as “an unprecedented new low”, arguing other world leaders would now worry their words might be “weaponised” against them.
Dutton played down the ambassador’s comments:
The ambassador made some comments yesterday, he’s reading from a script from Paris – he has just returned from there, I understand that. He’s got a job to do. But we move on. And it’s important for us to be allies, because they understand as we do that there is great uncertainty with China in our region. The Communist party of China has taken a particular course and we need to all work together to make sure that we have peace and stability in our region.
Any blip in relation to that, any concern, hurt feelings, frankly, needs to be put aside for us to concentrate on the bigger issue, which is making sure that we protect and defend our country. Not just now ... but into the decades to come. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Updated
We’ve seen the tweets - now here is the official readout from the American side of the call between US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Australian foreign minister Marise Payne.
A spokesperson for the US state department, Ned Price, said the two spoke “to continue our ongoing efforts to ensure a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific following September’s Australia-United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) meetings in Washington”.
They discussed the Australia-UK-U.S. (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership and the ways in which we will deepen our engagement with other key allies and partners in our collective efforts to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific. They also recommitted to our collective work in the region to build back better from COVID-19.
The readout doesn’t mention France or the pushback from some south-east Asian countries – but the fallout was likely discussed. Last week Joe Biden sought to repair the relationship with Emmanuel Macron by saying aspects of the unveiling of Aukus were “clumsy”.
Updated
The changes to the Fair Work Act passed earlier this year – which the government has trumpeted as allowing casual employees to convert to permanent staff – are “practically useless”, the Australian Council of Trade Unions has said.
The legislation, passed with the support of One Nation, changed the definition of casual, ACTU president Michele O’Neil told the Senate select committee on job security, so that employers decide whether an employee is casual, regardless of the hours worked. She said the casual conversion clause, which allows employees to request to be made permanent after 12 months, had proven to be useless.
When you look at the reality of that, it is a very, very false promise. They said that a casual employee might be able to convert to permanent employment after 12 months, but the catch is that it’s only if their employer feels like it. Employers can refuse to convert a casual to permanent on so-called ‘reasonable grounds’ – a loophole that is so big as to make the right practically useless.
O’Neil pointed to the NSW Tafe system, which reviewed all 7,700 eligible casual staff and refused to give them any permanent work.
Liberal senator Ben Small argued the Australian Bureau of Statistics data had yet to show an increase in casualisation in the workforce since the changes were passed, but O’Neil said the impact of the legislation was only just starting to take effect.
Updated
Goondiwindi will not enter lockdown despite the town recording three new local cases.
This is due to high vaccination rates in the area.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says health authorities are on alert, but high vaccination rates mean Goondiwindi will not have to be locked down.
— @MartySilk (@MartySilkHack) November 4, 2021
As of Monday, 90.9 per cent of eligible residents have had one dose of a vaccine and 81.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.
ACT records 13 new Covid-19 cases
The Australian Capital Territory has recorded 13 new Covid-19 cases overnight.
And 94% of the territory’s population aged 12 and over are now fully vaccinated.
— Andrew Barr MLA (@ABarrMLA) November 4, 2021
Updated
Sad but probably not surprising - Falls Festival has announced it won't return to Marion Bay in Tasmania, after 17 years.
— Alexandra Humphries (@alliehumphries) November 4, 2021
NSW has released further details on the four people infected with Covid-19 who died in the last reporting period.
Sadly, NSW Health is reporting the deaths of four people – three men and one woman.
One person was in their 30s, one person was in their 70s, and two people were in their 80s.
Two people were from south western Sydney, one person was from western Sydney and one person was from the Shellharbour area.
Two people were not vaccinated and two people – both in their 80s and with underlying health conditions – had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
A 38-year-old woman from western Sydney died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
A man in his 80s died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He was a resident of the Greek Orthodox Community Home for the Aged in Earlwood, where he acquired his infection.
NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to their loved ones.
There have been 530 Covid-19 related deaths in NSW since 16 June 2021 and 586 in total since the start of the pandemic.
Palaszczuk:
Now the good news about Goondiwindi is this – 93.1% of the residents living [here] have had one dose and 83.5% have had two doses. This is a highly vaccinated community.
Two of these locally acquired cases were unvaccinated, and the third case of the woman in her 30s had just received one dose of the vaccine. So my message is very clear – and I have said this – if you are unvaccinated and the virus [is in] your community, the virus will hunt you out.
It is really important in Goondiwindi if anyone has any symptoms to please be tested so there will be testing facilities set up outside Goondiwindi hospital and we are looking at transferring the people to Brisbane later on today when convenient.
Updated
Queensland records three local Covid-19 cases in Goondiwindi
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is speaking now about the three new Covid-19 cases the state recorded today, all in the regional town of Goondiwindi.
Case one is a contact of a known cluster and we are not concerned about that person.
Case two has been in the community for five days and all household contacts have tested negative.
Case three is a woman in her 30s who has been in the community for four days and has had one dose of AstraZeneca.
NEW: Queensland has recorded three new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19.
— @MartySilk (@MartySilkHack) November 4, 2021
All three are in Goondiwindi.
One is a known contact.
Another has been in the community for five days.
The third is a woman in her 30 who's been in the community for four days.
Updated
Religious groups have warned the Morrison government to retain a clause allowing discrimination against staff who don’t share their faith in the Coalition’s religious freedom bill, as Liberal MPs reserve their right to cross the floor over the draft legislation.
The attorney general, Michaelia Cash, is preparing to introduce the religious discrimination legislation to parliament in the final sitting fortnight starting on 22 November and is attempting to navigate deep divisions within the party. The bill is now in its third iteration.
Greg Bondar, a spokesperson for conservative Christian lobby group FamilyVoice Australia, said opponents of “religious freedom” legislation incorrectly claimed organisations couldn’t hold religious views.
Bondar cited Qantas’s support for the sacking of Israel Folau and banks’ decisions on climate change-related lending as evidence institutions are allowed to act on “religious and political views”.
You can read the full report by Paul Karp and Sarah Martin below:
I like that the photo has been labelled with flags, you know, just in case anyone was confused.
🇦🇺 & 🇺🇸 are the strongest of allies & friends. This morning @SecBlinken & I discussed how #AUKUS will contribute to an open, inclusive & resilient #IndoPacific. Through 🌎 partnerships, 🇦🇺 is promoting a regional balance in which all countries’ sovereignty & rights are respected. pic.twitter.com/BClNtUJNgu
— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) November 3, 2021
With rapid antigen Covid-19 tests now available to buy in Australian retail stores including pharmacies and supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths, I got a lesson in using an at-home test.
Nurse practitioner Del Hayden told me:
‘The actual testing process is designed to be simple, it’s easy to follow and it is painless.”
Check out how to do it right, below:
Updated
Fruit pickers guaranteed minimum wage
Fruit pickers will be guaranteed a minimum wage, with the Fair Work Commission finding the industry’s piecework arrangements not fit for purpose, reports Georgie Moore from AAP.
The Australian Workers’ Union said the decision to set a minimum hourly casual pay of $25.41 was a victory for underpaid and exploited workers.
The Fair Work Commission rejected industry arguments, including from the National Farmers’ Federation, that paying workers based on the amount of fruit picked or vegetables harvested incentivised productivity.
In its decision the commission said:
The existing pieceworker provisions in the horticulture award are not fit for purpose; they do not provide a fair and relevant minimum safety net as required.
It amended the award to set a minimum floor for piecework pay arrangements and require employers to keep records of pickers’ hours to ensure monitoring and enforcement.
The commission found widespread non-compliance with the award and a majority temporary migrant workforce vulnerable to exploitation.
It said piecework rates were usually presented on a “take it or leave it” basis rather than being the product of genuine negotiation with the worker.
There was often no written pay agreement.
The AWU labelled the industrial decision one of the most significant in modern times, with national secretary Daniel Walton saying:
Fruit pickers in Australia have been routinely and systemically exploited and underpaid
Labor spokesman Tony Burke said some fruit pickers had earned as little as $3 an hour.
This exploitation should now become a thing of the past.
Updated
Alan Jones, who was hired last year to host a flagship After Dark show on Sky News Australia, has been dumped after failing to attract a significant audience.
The ratings for his 8pm show have been falling since he launched last year and are regularly behind those of Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin, despite a big marketing campaign that accompanied his hiring.
Jones has been a lightning rod for Sky News management with his controversial statements about Covid-19, which contributed to a YouTube ban for a week, and a series of errors and apologies.
The ending of his contract with Sky comes months after the Daily Telegraph ended his regular column amid controversy about his Covid-19 commentary, including calling the NSW chief health officer, Kerry Chant, a village idiot on his Sky News program.
You can read the full report below:
Yes! Team Pelican has another high profile supporter!
Perhaps pelican voters can take heart in the fact that they have an ally in Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath:
— @MartySilk (@MartySilkHack) November 3, 2021
"Watching all the pelicans bob around there last night, they just looked gorgeous."#BirdofTheYear @GuardianAus
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has discussed Indo-Pacific security (read “the threat of China”) with the Australian foreign minister Marise Payne.
He tweeted about the country’s share “mateship” this morning:
I was glad to speak with Australian foreign minister Marise Payne today about our easy #mateship, our shared commitment to a peaceful, secure Indo-Pacific, and our efforts to support Covid-19 economic recovery and resilience.
I was glad to speak with Australian Foreign Minister @MarisePayne today about our easy #mateship, our shared commitment to a peaceful, secure Indo-Pacific, and our efforts to support COVID-19 economic recovery and resilience.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 3, 2021
So much Facebook boomer energy pic.twitter.com/5RZR0hClSd
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) November 3, 2021
Alan Jones says Sky News Australia not renewing his contract
Alan Jones has published a lengthy Facebook post following the news that Sky News Australia would not be renewing his contract for 2022.
Here is an expert on what the commentator has to say:
I write in my regular Thursday column to advise you that the management at Sky News have indicated to me that they will not renew my contract, which ends on November 30.
It is, of course, the prerogative of any employer to make such a decision; but, given this is the case, I feel an obligation to my viewers to make some observations to avoid certain misconstructions.
In all my broadcasting life, the ratings performances have been scrutinised. I have no problem with that.
It may seem immodest to point out that the meeting I had with management on Friday, October 29, occurred the day after our program won the ratings in the 8pm slot.
Updated
The Victorian premier is talking about trains again. Nature is healing.
Hard hat Thursday again for Premier @DanielAndrewsMP #springst
— Simon Love (@SimoLove) November 3, 2021
He says the Cranbourne Line duplication is a year ahead of schedule, ready at the end of next year.@10NewsFirstMelb pic.twitter.com/TJYwiine37
Updated
Fans without blades, a wasteful composter and a sugar-laden children’s snack are among products named by the consumer advocacy group Choice in its annual Shonky award.
The chief executive of Choice, Alan Kirkland, said he was amazed the organisation had to keep giving out the awards, now in their 16th year.
“Healthy toddler food should actually be healthy. An expensive compost bin shouldn’t generate more waste … a smart fan should cool you down.”
A bladeless fan sold under a number of different brand names and put through its paces by Choice expert tester Adrian Lini was assessed as performing seven times worse than the average tower fan, and 70 times worse than the best fan.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
Alan Jones: “Sky News have indicated to me that they will not renew my contract, which ends on November 30.” His final show on @SkyNewsAust is tonight.
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) November 3, 2021
Man arrested in Cleo Smith case taken to hospital for second time
Western Australia police deputy commissioner Col Blanch told Melbourne radio station, 3aw, that the 36-year-old arrested in relation to the alleged abduction of four-year-old Cleo Smith has returned to hospital this morning for a second time since entering police custody.
He says the man was not injured during his arrest.
We’ve got to look after his welfare and make sure he’s fed, rested, medically and mentally sound before we can interview him properly, otherwise the integrity of that interview won’t stand up in court.
Updated
Just announced. Alan Jones is departing Sky News.
— Jonathan Lea (@JonathanLea10) November 3, 2021
The renowned broadcaster will host his final show tonight.
Sky News Australia presenter Alan Jones to leave network
Sky News Australia presenter Alan Jones will leave the network, after declining an offer to return for 2022. The conservative commentator made the announcement this morning and will and will farewell viewers on his show tonight.
Updated
Regional and remote Aboriginal housing is not able to withstand climate change and will be unsuitable for future living, forcing people to consider migrating away from their traditional lands if nothing is done, research says.
Even the best-kept housing will not be enough to protect people from the worst impacts of climate change, according to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
The researchers also warned that even if existing housing is improved to deal with the heat, widespread over-crowding in Aboriginal communities would cancel out the benefits.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
NSW records 308 new local Covid-19 cases
The NSW numbers are also out, with the state recording 308 new infections in the last reporting period.
Sadly four people have died.
NSW COVID-19 update – Thursday 4 November 2021
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) November 3, 2021
In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:
- 93.7% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 88.7% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 94,661 tests pic.twitter.com/xzmPddsQn1
Updated
Victoria records 1,247 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths
Victoria has broken its streak of sub-1000 Covid days, recording 1,247 new cases overnight.
Sadly nine people infected with Covid-19 lost their lives in the last reporting period.
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) November 3, 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/YLuGhFetWy
Australia pledges $239m for medical research, including effects of Covid on the brain
The federal government has this morning pledged $239m to fund 248 medical research projects, including looking into the long term effects of Covid-19 on the brain.
Health minister Greg Hunt wants Australia to be at the forefront of long Covid research.
We do know that many people experience after-effects of Covid and the world is still learning, but we want to be right at the front of the research into the long-term impacts.
Many people recover and then move forward from Covid, but there is a proportion that have what is known as long Covid and that can take different forms, but the fog of the brain that you are talking about is a real phenomenon.
And so the University of Queensland ... they are looking at the brain. How do you do block the impacts on the brain, and then more generally how to block the impacts of Covid? So really important research.
Updated
The number of people in NSW jails has dropped by almost 10% in the past two years due to the impact of Covid-19, reports AAP.
In September, there were 12,254 adults in NSW jails – a drop of 1268 from 13,522 in the pre-pandemic period of September 2019 – according new figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
During that period, the number of male prisoners fell by 8.6% and the number of women prisoners dropped by nearly 20%.
The number of Indigenous male prisoners fell 2.3% and the number of women Indigenous female prisoners fell 9.2%.
Bocsar executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said in a statement on Thursday:
We saw a sharp drop in prisoner numbers during both the 2020 and the 2021 NSW lockdowns.
This is an abrupt change from pre-pandemic patterns during which prisoner volumes increased steadily for many years.
The suspension of court operations and concern for prisoner welfare in relation to Covid-19 means fewer people have been incarcerated.
The prison population was now at its lowest level since 2015, Ms Fitzgerald said.
As offending levels and the criminal justice system return to normal, BOCSAR anticipates the adult prison population will return to pre-Covid-19 levels during the next 12 months.
Unfortunately, the Covid-related fall in the prison population has been less significant for Aboriginal men and women.
This means that the problem of Aboriginal over-representation remains very concerning.
Updated
HUGE. Fair Work rules every farm worker on every farm entitled to take home a minimum rate of pay https://t.co/AHsQrrrMTO via @ABCaustralia
— Kellie Lazzaro (@kellazzaro) November 3, 2021
Western Australia police minister Paul Papalia says four-year-old Cleo Smith is in good spirits after being rescued 18 days after disappearing from her family’s campsite.
I haven’t seen her today at all. It’s very early in the morning. But the police commissioner confirmed, as has everyone who’s met little Cleo, that she’s an extraordinary little girl, full of energy and love, and the family are all back together again, which is a wonderful thing.
Look, it wasn’t a random tip or a clairvoyant or any of the sort of things ... that you might hear. It was just hard police grind. There were a huge number of officers involved in this taskforce, more than 140.
They sifted through all manner of information and some analysts in Perth, in particular, brought together a few different elements of their investigation and ended up with this result where they rescued Cleo from the house and also, at about the same time, arrested the individual concerned.
I couldn’t be more proud. Everyone in Western Australia is. And everyone around the country should be.
Updated
Inquiry into gay hate and transgender hate crimes between 1970 and 2010 announced @Dom_Perrottet #nswpol pic.twitter.com/gjrPBCQUDX
— Political Alert (@political_alert) November 3, 2021
I wonder if Yvette D’ath will mention this at the Queensland Covid update today?
OK, but can we talk about Queensland Health’s message to residents of the sunshine state this morning?
The department is encouraging people to “give [themselves] a hand” by promoting the mental and physical health benefits of masturbation.
Updated
Millar:
The French ambassador is sending a message to other countries, saying, ‘Beware. Beware of how they deal with Australia.’ That’s not entirely diplomatic either, is it?
Albanese:
No, it’s not at all. But that’s why you don’t leak a private text message from the president of another nation to your private phone. You don’t do that. And that’s why you need to, I think, engage in a diplomatic way. And that hasn’t occurred here. And it is a real concern.
I’ve expressed my concern about the briefing-out that occurred from the prime minister’s office on the day that I received a national security briefing about the submarines issue.
I travelled to Canberra for a national security briefing with the heads of all the agencies and with Scott Morrison. And I didn’t detail any of what occurred in that room. I kept it there and didn’t even tell anyone, of course, that that was happening. That was appropriate.
But the prime minister’s office briefed out that we had been briefed and been informed about a major announcement at 7am the next day. And that put us in a position then of being asked was that true and refusing to comment on any of those matters. We didn’t breach the confidence that was given. And you’ve gotta engage in a fair dinkum way with people.
When it comes to national security, you can’t play short-term politics. And I’m sure that that’s what Penny Wong’s comments went to. That’s why Penny Wong will make an outstanding foreign minister for Australia if we’re successful after the next election.
Updated
Albanese has been asked about his frontbencher, Penny Wong’s, comments comparing Scott Morrison to former US President Donald Trump.
Well, Scott Morrison, of course, went to the US and went to a Donald Trump campaign rally.
And part of the problem, I think, with politics and the alienation that people feel is that you can say anything based upon a 24-hour timeframe and not be accountable for what you’ve said.
And there is a pattern with Scott Morrison of firstly denying that there’s a problem, then eventually, when it’s acknowledged, blaming someone else, then changing positions, and then pretending that he never held the counterposition previously for a long period of time.
Updated
ABC news breakfast host Lisa Millar:
What would you be doing right now? What needs to be done to get this relationship back on track?
Albanese:
Well, I wouldn’t be leaking private text messages, for a start.
Millar:
Barnaby Joyce says that’s not as bad as calling a leader a liar?
Albanese:
Well, Barnaby Joyce, I wouldn’t be taking any lessons from on diplomacy, frankly. Barnaby Joyce, as acting prime minister, is something that should concern most Australians, frankly. And he probably still is in that position at the moment.
What we need is diplomatic arrangements between countries, and leaking private text messages don’t come into that. I can’t recall something like that occurring ever between an Australian leader and the leader of another major country.
Updated
And here is the opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, joining the condemnation of Scott Morrison, speaking now to ABC News Breakfast.
Well, [the Australian and French relationship] needs some repair done, quite clearly.
It’s quite extraordinary for the leader of a major nation, like France, to say the Australian prime minister lied to them. And it’s quite extraordinary for them, in response, for the Australian prime minister to release a private text message that doesn’t really show much.
But it’s an extraordinary breach of protocol for that to occur. As is the dispute over whether the United States was properly informed about what had occurred between Australia and France, and president Biden’s comments are also, I think, pretty serious. As is the then leaking of the security information and details and timeline from the United States.
I think that the prime minister really needs to engage in a more diplomatic way with our friends and allies. And the United States and France have been great friends of Australia for a long period of time.
Updated
Wong has labelled Scott Morrison’s response to French president Emmanuel Macron “vandalism”.
Now ultimately, this is the decision [to exit the French submarine deal to pursue nuclear options with the US and UK] that the government took and we [Labor] backed in the national interest, that is to move to the down the path of nuclear-propelled submarines.
That’s a big decision and, for the French, it was always going to be difficult to manage, but the job of the leader of the country is not to behave in this way ... it’s to deal with the inevitable negative response of the change in a mature and responsible way.
I mean, this is, it’s vandalism. It is vandalism, the way in which this has been dealt with by the government. It is a wanton disregard for our international reputation.
Updated
Flu deaths drop significantly during Covid pandemic
Deaths from flu and other respiratory infections in Australia have dropped significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new data.
The latest release of Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data shows that two people died of influenza in July – the first deaths from the viral infection in Australia for an entire year.
The figures come as research by Doherty institute scientists suggests one of the four main kinds of influenza virus that cause seasonal epidemics may have become extinct due to Covid-19 health measures.
As of 10 October, there have only been 550 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza recorded by the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System this year, with the federal health department noting that “activity in the community remains at historically low levels in 2021”.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
More Morrison criticism to come, no doubt, with the opposition leader Anthony Albanese to appear on ABC News Breakfast just after 8am.
Coming up on @BreakfastNews, Opposition Leader @AlboMP. 8.05am. #auspol pic.twitter.com/fJKpQQrLx1
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) November 3, 2021
Wong has compared Scott Morrison’s actions this week to former US president Donald Trump, while speaking to ABC radio, saying the Australian prime minister is “prepared to damage relationships” and “doesn’t want to acknowledge that he’s done anything wrong”.
The problem is this man’s character, which Malcolm Turnbull, I think has witheringly assessed from his own experience, is on display internationally. And that is a problem because it’s undermining the country’s reputation.
You don’t make a country more secure by demonstrating that you’re prepared to damage, at any cost, partnerships and alliances.
We’ve seen another leader who followed that trend, and that person was Donald Trump.
Host Fran Kelly:
You’re comparing Scott Morrison’s behaviour to Donald Trump?
Wong:
I am simply saying that we have seen in recent articles, a leader who was prepared to damage alliances and partnerships, and that was Donald Trump and we are seeing Mr Morrison being prepared to damage relationships in the way I’ve described by the provision of private information ... he doesn’t want to acknowledge that he’s done anything wrong.
Updated
Labor attacks Morrison over leaked texts
Shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong says the ongoing spat with French president Emmanuel Macron has revealed Scott Morrison’s character to world leaders.
French government officials have expressed their fury over the leaking of private text messages between the two leaders, which appear to show Macron did have some awareness that the future of the countries’ submarine deal was in some doubt.
Wong says this has done serious damage to Morrison’s international reputation.
Morrison’s character has been on the show, and we’re seeing the consequences to Australia’s interests and international standing as a consequence.
His character is one of somebody, frankly, who’s dishonest, and someone whose reflex is spin rather than sincerity and always reaches for background and leaking, and someone who stubbornly refuses to say, ‘Yes, we could have handled this better’.
And there are really two things that stand out this week, and that goes by relationships. First for the United States and secondly, our relationship with France.
We saw president Biden’s public comments undermined or sought to be undermined by someone providing an American National Security Council document to a journalist. An extraordinary act against an ally.
And secondly, a text message between two leaders. Now if I had done that to you, I’d leaked a personal text message, you wouldn’t trust me again, and neither would anyone who knew that I’ve done that.
And the problem is by ... refusing to take responsibility, or refusing to acknowledge he could have done better – Mr Morrison has not only made himself ... untrustworthy, he’s putting Australia in a very bad position, in a dire position.
All because he doesn’t want to take responsibility for his behaviour.
Updated
The company contracted by the federal government to run the controversial cashless debit card claimed $2m in jobkeeper payments before increasing its revenues during the pandemic.
Payments firm Indue, which was handed a $26m, two-year extension to its contract to keep running the scheme late last year, received about $2.1m in jobkeeper wage subsidies in total. That comprised $632,700 in June 2020 and $1.49m between July and September 2020, according to its annual report.
The company’s revenue increased in 2019-20 and 2020-21, leading to profit of $2.1m and $2.5m, the report shows.
Under the jobkeeper program, businesses were required to estimate whether their turnover would decrease by 30%-50% when compared to the previous year, depending on their size. There is no suggestion Indue did not qualify for the payments under the rules of the scheme.
You can read the full report below:
Updated
Frydenberg has been asked how federal tax cuts are expected to affect the Australian economy and the budget’s bottom line.
They are a significant contributor to the overall economic health of our country. More than 11 million people getting more than $10bn of that in the September quarter...
It is part of our broader plan to cut this whole tax bracket out of the equation, the $0.37 to the dollar out of the tax bracket and as a result we will see the majority of taxpayers pay less on the dollar.
Updated
The country is still rejoicing today after the discovery of four-year-old Cleo Smith, alive and well, after going missing 18 days earlier.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is speaking on Sunrise now, has been asked to recount the moment he heard the news.
When I came out of the building and was told by federal police that she had been found, I had goosebumps up my arms and I think the country just had a massive collective of sigh of relief yesterday because as the search had gone on and on, people fear the worst.
Our smiles were all a bit brighter yesterday and my wife is telling me about how all of our friends are crying over the course of the day as everyone felt a personal connection to this, not only as a dad but a member of the community.
I’m sure there are lots of grandparents out there and sisters and brothers [who] felt the raw emotion of this most beautiful little girl who has been found.
Updated
Good morning everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley here and let’s jump straight into Thursday.
The big news the morning, NSW premier Dominic Perrottet will establish an inquiry into a series of brutal gay and transgender hate crimes committed in Sydney between 1970 and 2010.
This inquiry follows the recommendation of a parliamentary committee report tabled in May. This committee heard months of testimony from victims, their families and legal representatives about suspected hate crimes against 88 men.
Some 23 of the cases remain unsolved.
Perrottet said this morning:
These crimes represent one of the darkest times in our recent history...
They were callous, brutal and cowardly.
He said members of the LGBTQI community suffered grave injustices which “were not acceptable in the past and they are not acceptable now”.
This is the first step to address them.
The inquiry’s final report found the NSW police force had historically failed in its responsibility to properly investigate cases.
But the committee stopped short of recommending NSW police issue a public apology, although it noted acknowledgement by those who failed to protect and deliver justice for LGBTQI people was necessary for healing.
The report recommended the inquiry be run by a judge and have the power to investigate unsolved cases.
OK, with that, why don’t we jump right into the day.
