And with that, we will close the blog again.
We will have a news story up shortly on the news that the Australian Federal Police were notified after Scott Morrison, Labor senator Penny Wong, and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young received a letter detailing a historical allegation of rape against a cabinet minister.
Have a great weekend.
Sarah Hanson-Young releases statement
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has also released her statement regarding speaking to the Australian federal police, after she received a letter detailing an allegation of historical rape against a cabinet minister:
This morning I received information regarding a disturbing and a very serious allegation of a criminal nature against a senior member of the government.
I am aware that other members of parliament have received the same information I have, including the Prime Minister.
Following the advice given to the Prime Minister by the AFP Commissioner this week, I have spoken with the Police Commissioner today who is now taking steps in relation to this information.”
My statement on speaking to the AFP today: pic.twitter.com/VpKcWlzXTr
— 💚🌏 Sarah Hanson-Young (@sarahinthesen8) February 26, 2021
Updated
Penny Wong confirms receiving letter alleging historical rape
We’re going to briefly reopen the blog to share some more information about the historical rape allegations against a cabinet minister that the ABC have reported.
The ABC reported that Australian federal police have been notified after Scott Morrison and two senators, Labor’s Penny Wong and the Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young, received a letter detailing an allegation of historical rape against a cabinet minister.
Wong has sent Guardian Australia this statement in related to the story:
My office received an anonymous letter which was also addressed to the Prime Minister and Senator Hanson-Young.
The contents of the letter, and an attachment which appears to be a statement prepared by the complainant, relate to an allegation of rape.
I understand the complainant reported this allegation to the NSW Police Force and South Australia Police.
I have forwarded the letter to the NSW Police Force, South Australia Police and the Australian Federal Police to assist in any investigations which may be underway.
I have also written to the Prime Minister and Senator Hanson-Young to outline the steps I have taken following receipt of this anonymous letter.
It is my hope that appropriate action is taken to examine the allegation.
Guardian Australia has contacted the AFP, South Australian and New South Wales police forces for comment.
Updated
What happened today, 26 February 2021
With that, I will leave you for the day. Here’s a recap of today’s news:
- Police have found the remains of missing businesswoman Melissa Caddick on the NSW south coast months after she disappeared following raids on her home late last year. Police said that on Sunday campers at a location south of Tathra had discovered a shoe and “decomposed” foot washed up on a remote beach – which DNA tests identified as belonging to Caddick.
- The ABC are reporting that Australian Federal Police have been notified after Scott Morrison and two senators, Labor’s Penny Wong and the Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young, received a letter detailing an allegation of historical rape against a cabinet minister.
- Victims of south-east Queensland’s 2011 floods have won a partial $440m payout a decade after the negligent operation of two dams saw thousands of homes and businesses swamped.
- Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine could soon be delivered at temperatures 50 degrees warmer than currently required if Australia follows the US’s lead to ease the rollout. The potential change in storage temperature requirements is being considered as the federal health department confirmed that 25 Pfizer vaccine vials – at least 125 doses - were spoiled at St Vincent’s care services in Werribee because it was not possible to verify their temperature had been maintained.
- Billionaire Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey has defied political pressure to pay back an estimated $22m in jobkeeper after the retailer’s profits more than doubled during the pandemic, to $462m.
- Facebook has returned news to Australian users after an eight day blackout and standoff with the federal government.
- Victoria will soon ease mask rules and social gathering restrictions, while workers will be able to return to offices, despite two new Covid-19 cases. Premier Daniel Andrews said up to 30 visitors will be allowed to gather at homes each day from 11.59pm on Friday, while outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people will be permitted in public places.
- The New South Wales Department of Education has confirmed it received correspondence last year voicing concerns of some teachers in relation to the actions of Frank Zumbo, the office manager for Hughes MP Craig Kelly.
- Leading scientists working across Australia and Antarctica have described 19 ecosystems that are collapsing due to the impact of humans and warned urgent action is required to prevent their complete loss.
- The man who led Papua New Guinea to independence, the country’s Grand Chief and longest-serving prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, has died in Port Moresby, aged 84, prompting tributes from both sides of Australian politics.
Have a great weekend.
Morrison and AFP reportedly told of historical rape allegation against a cabinet minister
In some breaking news, the ABC are reporting that Australian Federal Police have been notified after Scott Morrison and two senators, Labor’s Penny Wong and the Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young, received a letter detailing an allegation of historical rape against a cabinet minister.
#BREAKING: The AFP have been notified after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and two senators received a letter detailing an allegation of historical rape against a Cabinet Minister. https://t.co/4ZvaF24ch5
— Four Corners (@4corners) February 26, 2021
We’ll bring you more on this shortly.
Updated
Airflow assessments of hotel quarantine rooms are under way in Western Australia as a result of a review into how a guard contracted Covid-19 from an infected person with whom he never had contact, AAP reports.
The checks are a recommendation from Professor Tarun Weeramanthri in his interim investigation into the adequacy of the state’s hotel quarantine system, prompted by the single locally transmitted case in January that caused a five-day lockdown of Perth and surrounds.
The security guard at the Sheraton Four Points hotel contracted the UK variant of Covid-19 then unwittingly roamed the streets while infectious, though his case did not cause an outbreak.
“Given established evidence for airborne transmission, the particular circumstances of case 903 as well as similar cases in other states, ventilation must now be seen as a key modifiable risk factor for transmission in a hotel quarantine environment,” Weeramanthri told reporters on Friday.
He recommended every hotel room being used for quarantine be inspected for airflow and that hotel quarantine workers should undergo increased testing. He also advocated for full PPE for all staff.
The WA health department has already begun ventilation assessments, chief health officer Andy Robertson said in the same press conference on Friday, starting with the Sheraton Four Points hotel.
Updated
While the aged care royal commission’s final report was delivered to governor-general David Hurley today, it is only expected to be tabled in parliament – and released to the public – by the middle of next week, according to the Morrison government.
In anticipation of the release, the aged care sector has mobilised ahead of what it sees as an important chance to massively reform the sector – including political campaigns targeting marginal electorates at the next election, calling for a doubling of Australia’s current 1.2% of GDP spend on aged care.
Ian Yates, the chief executive of the Council on the Ageing, has just told ABC TV we should be prepared for “an awful lot of recommendations, that they’re going to cost the government and the taxpayer a lot of money”.
Among these changes, Yates anticipates that if the government properly responds to the recommendations about underperforming providers, that a third of aged care providers should be forced out of the industry. Yates said:
What we are hoping to see is that the discussion that they [the royal commissioners] had about a new act based on rights and consumers having more choice and control, that that will inform their recommendations even more than it had at that time.
We need to turn this system, I think commissioner [Lynelle] Briggs used the term frequently, we need to turn this system on its head. So it’s not about the providers and it’s not about the funding system, it’s about the older people who need the support and care and how they get that at the highest quality level.
We’ve probably got a third of our providers out there in the aged care system who ought to be gone with in the next three or four years, and the government has to face up to, and have the strength of will to face up to that kind of industry transformation and I think that we will see that, we will see requirements for much greater transparency, for stronger conditions to be an aged care provider. Those kind of measures are also very important.
What we need is both carrots and sticks. So we need to reward, we actually hold back the good providers in this country by the way beds are allocated. So we need to encourage and enable that. And transforming an industry while it still has residents in it is a tricky thing but it has been done in other industries and it can be done here. Way back in ’97 when we first brought in a more robust set of standards and the first accreditation agency, a lot of poor providers left the industry. I want to see that happen again.
I also want to see by the end of next year there’s no waiting periods for home care [packages]. No waiting periods at all. That’s going to cost us all a lot of money, but it’s the way to go and in the long run, it actually reduces the need for residential care.”
For reference, the waiting list for home care packages has been stuck at about 100,000, with the royal commission’s interim report in 2019 noting 16,000 people died while waiting for a package in the 12 months ending June 2018.
Updated
Pfizer vaccine doses thrown out
About 125 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have had to be thrown out because they were stored incorrectly at a Melbourne aged care home.
A Department of Health spokesperson told the Guardian:
Aspen conducted vaccinations at St Vincent’s Care Services in Werribee on Wednesday 24 February 2021.
Aspen reported to the Commonwealth’s Vaccine Operation Centre that there were 25 vials unused and stored in an onsite refrigerator. The Pfizer vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator at 2-8C for up to five days.
While refrigeration was maintained it was not possible to verify that temperature was maintained throughout. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, a medical decision was made not to use the remaining vials.
(This represents 0.15% of week 1 doses distributed and the loss rate has been far lower than expected and assumed which is a tribute to all involved).
We particularly thank the Aspen Healthcare worker who responded resourcefully and took action to ensure both use of the vaccines and protection of the integrity of the unused vials.
Updated
Queensland government and dam operator to pay flood victims $440m for roles in disaster
Victims of southeast Queensland’s 2011 floods have finally secured a partial payout after the state government and a dam operator agreed to pay $440m for their roles in the disaster, AAP reports.
The Queensland government and state-owned dam operator SunWater have settled a class action claim by about 6,700 victims whose properties went under during a biblical rain event a decade ago.
But while victims are happy about Friday’s settlement, there is fury too for a third party found responsible for exacerbating the disaster.
Seqwater, another state-owned dam operator, is appealing the NSW Supreme Court’s decision in 2019 that all three parties failed the people of Brisbane and Ipswich and must pay compensation.
Back in 2019, Justice Robert Beech-Jones found flood engineers in control of Wivenhoe and Somerset dams did not manage them properly and did not follow operating procedures they, themselves, had helped write.
Their delayed actions worsened downstream flooding, he found.
In all, about 23,000 homes and businesses went under after huge water releases were made to make sure the dams did not fail.
Former Ipswich councillor Paul Tully’s home flooded to the roof in January, 2011. He and other class-action participants now face another long wait for the outcome of Seqwater’s appeal, which won’t even begin until May.
And there’s a lot hanging in the balance. If Seqwater loses, flood victims are estimated to be in line for another $440m in compensation, on top of Friday’s settlement.
“I would describe today as bitter sweet. Half of this claim is sorted but we need the other half,” Tully told AAP on Friday.
“This is now going to drag on through the NSW Court of Appeal, and if Seqwater loses there, it could drag on again for another couple of years in the high court.
“It’s hard to believe that 10 years later we are still waiting. It takes a toll. Not a week goes by that you don’t think of some photos, or a book, or something you want to put your hands on, and then you realise you lost it in the flood,” Tully said.
The floods case was heard in a NSW court because it was initiated before class actions were allowed in Queensland in 2017.
Updated
Billionaire Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey has defied political pressure to pay back an estimated $22m in jobkeeper after the retailer’s profits more than doubled during the pandemic.
The furniture, electrical and whitegoods retailer on Friday reported that first-half sales climbed 25% and contributed to a net profit after tax of $462.03m for the last six months of 2020 – up 116% on the same time period in the previous year.
Harvey Norman said it would pay dividends totalling $249m, of which Harvey is set to receive $78m due to his 31.4% shareholding in the company.
“Australian taxpayers gave Harvey Norman and franchisees $22m in jobkeeper,” Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh said.
“They don’t need a cent of it. Firms with far smaller profits have already paid back their jobkeeper funds.
“At a time in which 1 million Aussies are out of work, taxpayers shouldn’t be supporting a billionaire. Time to pay it back, Gerry.”
Companies that have paid back jobkeeper payments after recovering from the coronavirus crisis include Nine Entertainment, Domino’s, Super Retail Group and Toyota.
Read more:
Updated
A tropical cyclone is likely to form off the east coast of far north Queensland next week, AAP reports.
The Bureau of Meteorology says a tropical low will develop in the Coral Sea, east of the Cape York Peninsula, over the weekend.
Forecaster Kimba Wong says the system will likely intensify into a tropical cyclone next week, depending on atmospheric conditions.
“At this stage there is some uncertainty about the timing and position of this development, and the subsequent movement of the system,” she said.
The tropical low will lash far north and central Queensland with showers and thunderstorms predicted from Friday afternoon.
Wong said the location and intensity of the rainfall will depend on the movement of the system, but there will be potential flooding in saturated catchments following recent downpours.
On Thursday there was the controversy of Peter Dutton suggesting the Brittany Higgins rape allegation amounted to a “he said she said”.
Today, the minister for financial services Jane Hume and shadow aged care minister Clare O’Neil have duked it out over differing accounts of whether Higgins was supported when she came forward with the allegations.
Appearing alongside each other in a Sky News segment, O’Neil suggested Higgins concerns had been marginalised and dismissed when she came forward, prompting a warning from Hume that the comments were “bordering on the defamatory”, by implying Linda Reynolds had attempted to silence the complaint rather than support Higgins.
The exchange continued:
O’Neil: The Australian federal police ... had to take the extraordinary step of writing a letter to members of parliament telling us that it is our obligation to report a crime that we’re aware of – now who would’ve thought members of parliament would have to be provided with that [advice]? ... What Brittany Higgins has said is that she was given a choice – she could either continue in her employment and not do anything about it ...
Hume: She said that she felt she had that choice, that’s not what actually happened.
O’Neil: She felt she had that choice because that’s the way it was presented to her.
Hume argued that after every election all staffer positions are technically spilled and individuals then rehired. She noted that Higgins was rehired after the election. The suggestion seems to be that once she had her job back she could’ve gone to the police if she had wanted to with no adverse employment impacts.
O’Neil: “I can’t believe people are still arguing – that when Brittany Higgins has had her say – she has told us with her own agency what she would want to do and the choices she was basically given ...”
Hume cut O’Neil off, to say that the “politicisation of this issue against Linda Reynolds has been disgusting” – and that concludes the segment.
Updated
“Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.” The catch cry of pandemic Britain under Boris Johnson, revived last month, might sound familiar to New Zealanders now enjoying their “unstoppable summer”.
Johnson’s three-part slogan reportedly derived last March from a suggestion by Ben Guerin, a 25-year-old Kiwi who advised on the Conservatives’ social media strategy. His attention had been caught by a phrase that was increasingly prevalent in Jacinda Ardern’s messaging back home: “Stay at home, save lives.”
But there, the two countries’ strategies to fight Covid diverged. Now, one year on from recording its first case of coronavirus, New Zealand has largely eradicated community transmission. England remains in lockdown, having revived its “stay home” slogan last month ahead of its third and toughest restrictions. The two countries’ death tolls stand at 26, and more than 100,000 respectively.
Some have resisted global comparisons with New Zealand’s pandemic success, saying it could not have been replicated in a country with higher population density or land borders. Certainly, New Zealand has had some advantages, but one cornerstone of its Covid response was not at all specific to its geography: its communication strategy.
Read more:
Updated
Foreign minister Marise Payne has said she is “deeply saddened” at the death of Papua New Guinea’s first prime minister, Sir Michael Somare.
Deeply saddened by the passing of PNG’s first Prime Minister and Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare. It was an honour to see Sir Michael in Port Moresby in 2018. He was the father of #PNG independence & an enduring friend to Australia. Sincere condolences to his family & to PNG. pic.twitter.com/omeqX4zJfR
— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) February 26, 2021
Scott Morrison also expressed Australia’s “deep condolences” in a statement:
As a driving force in the development of Papua New Guinea’s national constitution, and the nation’s first and longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Michael has an unparalleled place in the history of Papua New Guinea.
He was a vital partner who staunchly defended Papua New Guinea’s independence, but always appreciated Australia’s unstinting commitment to his country. Sir Michael believed deeply in the Westminster system of government – with its separation of powers, independent judiciary, and strong democratic processes and institutions.
That commitment made Papua New Guinea’s path to Independence, secure and enduring.”
My colleagues Rebecca Kuku and Ben Doherty have filed this report on Somare’s death:
Twitter has announced it will launch a “super follow” feature, which lets users charge followers for access to exclusive content, later this year.
The move comes as Twitter is branching out from advertising to find more ways to make money — both for itself and for its most prolific users.
In an investor presentation on Thursday, the social media company announced the new feature that will let users charge for extra, exclusive material not shown to their regular followers. This can include subscriber-only newsletters, videos, deals and discounts. Users would pay a monthly subscription fee to access the extra content.
“Why don’t we start with why folks don’t believe in us,” said chief executive Jack Dorsey at the start of Twitter’s virtual presentation. “It comes down to three critiques: we’re slow, we’re not innovative, and we’re not trusted.”
Read more:
Thanks for taking us through the day so far Luke.
I’m Elias Visontay, and I’ll be taking you through the rest of the day.
If you see anything you think I should be aware of, you can get in touch with me via Twitter @EliasVisontay, via email at elias.visontay@theguardian.com, and Wickr at eliasvisontay.
I’m going to leave you now. My excellent colleague Elias Visontay will steer the ship from this point.
Have a nice weekend.
Vale Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, founding father of democratic and independent #PNG and a great friend to Australia. My heartfelt condolences to his family, Prime Minister Marape and the people of PNG. Australians stand with you in this time of sadness. May he rest in peace.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 25, 2021
Pat Dodson, Yawuru man and Labor senator for Western Australia, has said it may be time to consider a royal commission into mining in the Pilbara following a series of reports of damage at Aboriginal sites, and potential breaches of agreements.
Lorena Allam has the story.
Updated
Paul Karp, who has been carrying the blog over the past hour, also has this story on Labor’s positioning on jobseeker.
Australia’s share market is having its heaviest percentage fall since September after steep losses on Wall Street, reports AAP:
The S&P/ASX200 benchmark index was lower by 143.5 points, or 2.09%, to 6,690.5 at 1200 AEDT on Friday.
The All Ordinaries was lower by 152.1 points, or 2.14%, at 6,953.6.
In the currency market, the Australian dollar climbed above 80 US cents late on Thursday night.
Analysts have cited rising yields for the Aussie 10-year bond as a reason. The Aussie dollar is needed to buy the bonds.
Meanwhile, the two most populated Australian states, NSW and Victoria, have relaxed coronavirus restrictions further as they remained free of infections.
More people are allowed at cinemas and gyms in NSW, while Victoria has allowed larger gatherings, particularly outdoors.
On the ASX, Afterpay plunged 10.91% to $119.70 amid the technology fire sale.
AMP said US investment group Ares will buy most of its private markets business.
The two companies will form a joint venture for the business, which includes infrastructure equity and debt as well as real estate.
Ares will buy 60% of the joint venture for $1.35 billion.
AMP shares were higher by 3.94% to $1.45.
Harvey Norman continues to enjoy soaring sales through the pandemic after posting a 116 per cent rise in first-half earnings.
The furniture, electrical and whitegoods retailer on Friday reported first-half sales climbed 25 per cent and contributed to a net profit after tax of $462.03 million.
Big miners BHP, Fortescue, Rio Tinto and BlueScope Steel all lost more than 1%.
In banking, the big four as well as Bank of Queensland and Macquarie all lost more than 1%.
The dollar was buying 78.46 US cents at 1200 AEDT, lower from 79.71 US cents at Thursday’s close.
Updated
After Scott Morrison flagged the possibility refrigeration requirements for Pfizer could be relaxed, we have received this statement from the company:
Pfizer and BioNTech announced on 19 February 2021 the companies had submitted COVID-19 vaccine stability data at the standard freezer temperature to the US FDA. These data will be submitted to other regulatory agencies, such as Australia’s TGA in the coming weeks.
The proposed U.S. EUA (Emergency Use Authorisation) label update would enable the vaccine to be stored at -25°C to -15°C for a total of two weeks.
If approved by regulators such as the FDA or TGA, the new storage option could offer vaccination centres greater flexibility in managing and maintaining vaccine distribution and supply. No changes have been made to the vaccine to enable this potential storage change.
The new storage condition is the result of ongoing stability studies being conducted at a variety of temperature ranges.
Vaccine quality is determined by testing using a rigorous set of analytical methods and ensuring the results meet the product specifications. Vaccine quality has been maintained and remains within specifications after storage for 2 weeks at -25 to -15 ℃; and for 6 months at -80 to -60℃. Frozen conditions ensure the RNA and lipid nanoparticle are within specifications.”
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has been in Queensland, announcing that its candidate for Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson will once again be disability advocate and Labor left member Ali France.
She’s a charity worker. She’s a disability advocate. And now I’ve asked @alifrance5 to stand to be Labor’s candidate in the seat of Dickson.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) February 26, 2021
Ali has spent her life fighting for people. Now she’s ready to take that fight to our nation’s Parliament – because she’s on your side. pic.twitter.com/XlUJd0ieDx
Yes it’s true, I am coming for your gig...again...Peter Dutton. 💪
— Ali France (@alifrance5) February 26, 2021
Would love to have the opportunity to represent the people of Dickson. #auspol #dickson
At the 2019 election Dutton was elected with a 2.9% swing in his favour, firming up his marginal seat from a margin of 51.7% to 54.6%.
Perhaps Labor is hoping this was not down to the candidate but more a reflection of a broader swing against it in Queensland, and if the tide reverses France’s name recognition will count for something.
Updated
Earlier, Scott Morrison was asked about Facebook restoring Australian news to its feeds.
He replied:
Australia under my government will always stand up … we have a great and strong belief in Australian sovereignty. Where we think that’s being compromised or under challenge I assure you we’ll always step up.
It’s a process we’ve been engaged in for a long time, whether it’s ensuring they pay their fair share or tax, or that the rules in the digital world are the same in physical world – e-safety, children not being exposed to violent, sexual content, ensuring terrorist incitement content is dealt with – we’ve led the charge on all of these issues. As we have with the big global tech giants when it comes to not paying Australian news services what they should be paid to support our independent media sector.
The code was critical to ensuring the arrangements that have now been struck so Australia can have a free media, that was essential.
My answer to the broader question: what I want in the digital world is I want the rules there, the safety that exists in the real world to exist in the digital world.
They are changing the world but we can’t let them run the world. People in free societies like Australia go to the ballot box – that’s who should run the world. The people who citizens of the nations of the world [choose].
[The digital giants] produce amazing technology that does amazing things ... but at the end of the day all of these things must be accountable to sovereign governments. At the end of the day, Australians must be in charge.
Updated
Just one to watch out for, the WA government will provide an update about 3pm (AEDT) on its hotel quarantine review.
You might remember a leak out of hotel quarantine was blamed for the recent snap lockdown in Perth and other parts of the state.
Updated
BREAKING: Class action victims of the flood disaster in 2011 have been paid $440 million in a partial settlement by the Queensland Government and Sunwater. @abcbrisbane
— Rachel Riga (@RachelRiga) February 26, 2021
Scott Morrison also told reporters in Sydney that there was no update on when he is expecting to get a report back from his departmental secretary, Phil Gaetjens, about what his office new about the Brittany Higgins rape allegations.
The minister for women, Marise Payne, was asked when the government will respond to the sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins’s report on sex discrimination at work.
That report, released in March 2020, proposed giving workers a positive right to be free from sexual harassment and an obligation on employers to eliminate it “as far as possible”.
Payne said the government had acted on nine of the recommendations in its women’s economic security statement, but “the rest are very multi-layered, it’s a whole of Australia workplace issue”.
Attorney general Christian Porter and his assistant minister Amanda Stoker are working on a response, which Payne said she looks forward to “as soon as possible”.
Updated
Daniel Andrews is asked about the potential vaccine waste case in Werribee.
Andrews says he’s seen the reports but has no details. He says, a few times, that the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, is the person to speak to about the matter.
PM quizzed about potential vaccine waste
Scott Morrison has dodged a question about what he knows about the reported potential waste of vaccine doses in Werribee, choosing instead to discuss the progress of the rollout generally.
Morrison told reporters in Sydney:
We’re four days into the rollout, today is day five. Over 90 aged care facilities have now been supported through vaccinations, some 23,000 Australians already have received those vaccinations. In the early days where there are logistical difficulties ... they’re worked through. The vaccination program could not be more important. Where things are learned in the early phase, they will be applied.
Morrison was also asked about the potential to store Pfizer vaccines at pharmaceutical refrigerated temperatures, relaxing requirements from the current 71C below zero. The US Food and Drug Administration is moving to the less stringent refrigeration requirement on the advice of Pfizer, which will greatly ease the rollout.
Morrison said that the Australian rollout will be determined by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Pfizer has given the new information on refrigeration temperatures to the TGA chief John Skerritt, and the TGA will consider it now.
Updated
The prime minister, Scott Morrison is also speaking. Paul Karp will bring you the latest from that press conference.
More details from the Victorian government press release:
Density limits in pubs, restaurants and cafes will remain at 1 person per 2sq metres for both indoors and outdoors with no other cap, so long as electronic record keeping – a QR code – is used.
For small operations, there’ll be no density limits if the patron number is under 25 and they will still be required to keep records.
For beauty services, businesses remain at 1 person per 2sq metres – if they also introduce electronic record keeping.
For businesses where that’s not possible, density limits of 1 person per 4 sq metres will apply.
Retail businesses also remain at 1 person per 2sq metres and electronic record keeping is recommended where practical.
Funerals and weddings are subject to a density limit of 1 person per 2sq metres. The same rules will apply to nightclubs and our community facilities, like our libraries, RSLs, and community halls.
In gyms, the density limit remains 1 per 4sq metres – with exercise classes limited to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors.
The State of Emergency – which needs to be declared so the chief health officer can issue directions to respond to the pandemic and keep Victorians safe – will be extended to 11:59pm, 15 March 2021.
Updated
AFL matches at 50% capacity
As flagged earlier by the AFL, Andrews confirms that AFL matches will be played at 50% capacity.
That is a capacity of 50,000 people and just under 29,000 people at Marvel stadium.
“That’s great news as the footy season, the AFL footy season, is obviously starting soon,” says Andrews.
Updated
Restrictions to ease in Victoria
Andrews confirms that Victoria will be return to the pre-Christmas Covid-19 settings from 11.59pm on Friday.
Masks will only be required in “high-risk settings”, such as public transport, taxis and rideshares, and large retail settings such as supermarkets.
Up to 30 people will be allowed in private homes, and outdoor gatherings in public places will increase to 100 people.
Offices will also be allowed 75% capacity.
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has stepped up.
He begins by noting the two new cases announced are linked to the Coburg cluster and those individuals have been in hotel isolation.
So they pose no risk to public health more broadly. We wish them well, of course.
Finance minister Simon Birmingham has struck a cautious note in responding to Qantas’s hope that international borders will reopen in October, reports AAP.
“There are many uncertainties between now and October,” he told Sky News.
He is hopeful Alan Joyce’s target can be achieved but warned more evidence about vaccine protection against emerging strains in the UK, South Africa and Brazil would be needed.
“We’ll have to continue to be guided by the science and the health advice in terms of the protections the vaccines will offer,” he said.
Birmingham said the vaccine would change the risk profile as quarantine and frontline health workers were immunised.
“All of those different steps reduce the risk for the Australian population overall,” he said.
“Hopefully that will enable everybody to make decisions to keep things a little more open over time and ultimately see us take that leap to reopen international borders.”
Qantas posted a $1.47 billion statutory loss for the six months to December and a $6.9 billion fall in revenue due to pandemic restrictions.
Joyce said the airline was planning international travel to restart at the end of October when the vaccine rollout is due to be effectively complete.
“We’re confident that there should be a good case for it opening up in October,” he said.
With jobkeeper wage subsidies set to end in a month, Birmingham flagged an announcement about sector-specific relief packages, including for aviation, in coming weeks.
“What we want to do is limit as much as we possibly can limit the degree of taxpayer support,” he said.
“But we do realise there will be some targeted support necessary.
“Obviously the aviation sector is one that has very strong and credible arguments as to how the continue border restrictions and impacts of Covid play out for them.”
Updated
Scott Morrison will be speaking shortly in Sydney. Coming up soon.
Josh Frydenberg also commented on the report, which will made public next week.
This is a very important report and we are going to be focusing on safety, respect and the sustainability of the system. The health minister, the aged care ministers, will have more to say next week. As they consider this report over the course of the weekend. But there are clear issues that we need to respond to.
The aged care royal commission report has now been handed to Morrison government.
Anthony Albanese, the Labor leader, spoke about the inquiry just now.
He said:
We know the interim report was titled Neglect, because that’s what the system is in, one of neglect. Whether that is the aged care residents who we know have had horrific stories about a failure to have appropriate nutrition, about a failure to look after simple issues, like we’ve had maggots and ants in wounds, we’ve had aged care residents during the pandemic not be looked after by the federal government, even though it was a clear federal government responsibility. And we saw some 685 aged care residents lose their lives.
When it comes to home care, there’s still something like 11,000 people who had their home care packages approved [but] died on the waiting list over the last financial year. That’s not good enough. And this is a direct result as well of Scott Morrison’s cuts that he put in place to aged care.
Updated
And there it is, Daniel Andrews will speak at 11.30am. We’ll bring that to you when it begins.
We are expecting the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, to step up sometime in the next few hours. He’s also expected to announce an easing of restrictions.
The Victorian State Government will make the announcement today that will see the biggest crowds at a sporting event since March, 2020. @cleary_mitch breaks down what's set to happen ⬇️
— AFL (@AFL) February 25, 2021
Updated
WA leaders debate
Western Australia held its leaders election debate last night, roughly 24-hours after the West Australian newspaper previewed a front page on which the opposition leader, Zak Kirkup, preemptively conceded defeat.
It was always clear that the Liberal party would be lucky to just hold on to the 13 (plus nine National) seats that they have in the lower house, and also clear that Kirkup — who turned 34 this week, hasn’t he been busy — was in danger of losing his own seat of Dawesville, which is held on a margin of just 300 votes.
But declaring that on the front page of the state newspaper 16 days out from an election is certainly an interesting strategy.
The first 10 minutes of last night’s debate were taken up by premier Mark McGowan berating Kirkup for this choice. He said:
“If the Liberal party don’t believe in themselves and the policies they put forward ... if they’re going to give in before election day, why should anyone support them?”
McGowan then contrasted this with his own record, which he characterised as a series of fights won against the federal government in defence of WA: over GST distribution, over the state border issue, and over blocking cruise ships with Covid-positive passengers.
Kirkup says that he is now lobbying for the ability of the Liberal party to retain enough seats to still be able to hold the government to account, which conveniently would mean saving his own seat. He also raised the spectre of WA Inc, saying that was what happened last time a Labor premier had too much power. Which is a fairly sternly abridged history of that scandal: Brian Burke was not the only figure with too much power in that scenario.
His only real dig at the premier was criticism of McGowan’s reliance on notes, which has been a feature of his public delivery for a while and especially this year, where he has been reading slowly off a piece of paper at every press conference since the pandemic began. It’s an interesting quirk but one the voting public is well aware of. And if his 88% approval rating is anything to go by, they don’t seem to mind.
The election is on 13 March.
Updated
This is some unpleasant news from AAP.
Ross River virus cases in Victoria are already more than double the average, prompting another warning from health authorities.
The state has had 448 cases of the mosquito-borne virus to 25 February, according to Victoria’s executive director for communicable disease, Dr Bruce Bolam.
The Health Department said that would be around 200 in a typical year, although it ballooned to 2,000 in 2017 after spring floods.
Most of the cases this summer have been in the Surf Coast, Bellarine and East Gippsland areas.
The virus can cause symptoms including joint pain and stiffness, headache, fever, rash and fatigue. Medical advice is recommended.
Updated
Embattled Defence Minister Linda Reynolds is out of hospital. Her staff say she is well enough to go home and she will be back in Canberra for the next sitting fortnight. @politicsabc @abcnews
— James Glenday (@jamesglenday) February 25, 2021
On Q&A last night, Labor’s aged care services spokeswoman, Clare O’Neil, criticised the 100,000-strong waitlist for home care packages to prevent older Australians entering residential facilities.
Notably, Liberal MP Katie Allen broke down when emotionally recounting her late father’s battle with dementia. She called for a conversation on voluntary assisted dying:
Actually having watched my father descend into dementia, he was a doctor himself and he knew what was ahead, and he couldn’t speak for the last year of his life, he couldn’t walk, his only words that were left were ‘thank you’.
It’s a terrible disease, it’s a terrible disease. To be able to have the choice and the control, and I think the voluntary assisted dying laws in Victoria have been, I have to say, well handled, and I think we need to have this sort of conversation, particularly for dementia.
Is it time to have a meaningful discussion about end-of-life choices for older Australians? #QandA pic.twitter.com/J207Bn41fP
— QandA (@QandA) February 25, 2021
Updated
Morrison and Japanese PM discuss Myanmar
Scott Morrison and the Japanese prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, have shared concerns about the military coup in Myanmar and China’s regional aggression.
The Australian prime minister discussed the two countries’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific in a call late on Thursday, reports AAP.
The leaders expressed concerns about China’s actions in curtailing democracy in Hong Kong and human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority in Xinjiang.
Morrison and Suga also noted China’s conduct in the East and South China seas amid increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Australia and Japan have resolved to strengthen their special strategic partnership in security, trade, science and energy technology.
The leaders spoke about the post-pandemic global economic recovery being driven by multilateral organisations.
Morrison also congratulated the prime minister for Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open victory and welcomed preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.
Updated
No cases in the Sunshine State.
Friday 26 February – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) February 25, 2021
• 0 new locally acquired cases
• 4 overseas acquired cases
• 11 active cases
• 1,328 total cases
• 1,942,186 tests conducted
Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,310 patients have recovered.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/I6GLojOo4B
Simon Birmingham and Ben Morton have announced $24.4m in additional funding for the Australian Electoral Commission to further modernise election processes. It will pay for expanded use of electronic electoral rolls and secure communication tools for polling place staff #auspol
— Tom McIlroy (@TomMcIlroy) February 25, 2021
Some details on the federal government’s response to the Western Australian bushfires earlier this month.
A government statement says more than $715,000 has been paid in Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payments (AGDRP) and Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) in the two declared local government areas.
Services Australia has processed more than 630 claims for affected residents.
For more information on support available, go to www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/disaster.
Updated
Further to what’s going on in Werribee.
The Health Dept is assessing whether unused 25 vials of vaccine at a Werribee Aged Care centre can still be used after they were thawed and refrigerated. (Clarifying earlier tweet) @abcmelbourne
— Richard Willingham (@rwillingham) February 25, 2021
As we noted before, the ABC is reporting there has been another bump in the national vaccine rollout with a shipment of vaccines spoiling before they could be administered at a Werribee aged care home in Melbourne’s west.
The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at sub-zero temperature and can not be used if they are left in room temperature conditions for more than six hours collectively.
The Guardian has contacted the federal health department for confirmation but has not yet received a reply.
Updated
There’s been another stuff up with the vaccine rollout. A batch of injections have spoiled at an aged care centre in Werribee. @abcmelbourne @abcnews
— Richard Willingham (@rwillingham) February 25, 2021
This story on Melissa Caddick has been updated with more details.
The NSW police assistant commissioner, Mick Willing, says Melissa Caddick’s body was found in the water at Tathra, on the south coast.
Her remains were found by campers, Willing says.
Willing says police have always kept an open mind about Caddick’s disappearance, but that it is now a matter for the coroner.
Melissa’s family are distressed after they were informed last night. There has been a lot of commentary and speculation in relation to the disappearance of Melissa Caddick and that is understandable. The circumstances of Melissa’s disappearance have been distressing for many people, including her alleged victims and her family and friends. I can say that exactly how Melissa came to enter the water is still a mystery.
Police have always kept an open mind in relation to what the circumstances were for her disappearance, including the fact that Melissa may have taken her own life. A definitive decision in relation to the manner, time and cause of death is a matter for the coroner.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14.
Updated
Two locally acquired cases recorded in Victoria
The two new locally acquired cases are primary close contacts of pre-existing cases and have been quarantining during their infectious period.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 25, 2021
Police find remains of Melissa Caddick on NSW south coast
Police have found the remains of missing businesswoman Melissa Caddick on the NSW south coast months after she disappeared following raids on her home last year.
NSW police will hold a press conference shortly.
Updated
Reports Melissa Caddick found dead
The ABC is reporting the body of missing businesswoman Melissa Caddick has been found on the NSW South Coast.
We’ll have more details on this for you shortly.
Political staffers say harassment rife
A Community and Public Sector Union survey of nearly 100 political staffers, released today, finds one in eight workers said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted in the past year.
Yet two-thirds were too afraid to report it in the fear it might harm their career.
It also found more than half of respondents had witnessed others being bullied or harassed. Two in five said they had personally been a victim of bullying or harassment.
More than three-quarters said they were not convinced the Department of Finance would adequately support them if they made a report.
Melissa Donnelly, CPSU national secretary, said:
The CPSU has raised the issues of sexual harassment and bullying in every WHS meeting with the department over the last 2 years with almost no action taken by the Department of Finance.
All workers deserve and should expect safe workplaces. Political staffers should be no different. That’s why the CPSU has been pushing for an independent review of work practices and culture and mandatory sexual harassment and bullying training for parliamentarians and senior staff.
The environments that MoPs staff work in are complex, staff often feel that reporting incidents will go nowhere and would have detrimental effects on their career prospects. The clunky and opaque reporting structures provide little support or confidence to staff that complaints will be followed up appropriately.
The government and the department must take the workplace health and safety of all staff seriously, and our members will continue to advocate on these issues until they do.
Updated
One to watch.
#BREAKING Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing to provide an update on the disappearance of Sydney woman Melissa Caddick at 0830am @nswpolice - police sources expect a “major development” @abcsydney
— Mark Reddie (@ReddieNews) February 25, 2021
Updated
The aged care royal commissioners, Tony Pagone and Lynelle Briggs, will present their final report into the sector to governor general David Hurley today.
However, the Morrison government does not plan to immediately table it in parliament, meaning the report and its recommendations – which have been formulated following testimonies from 641 experts, residents and families over almost 100 hearing days – won’t be released to the public today.
Greg Hunt, health and aged care minister, when speaking on Thursday, suggested the report may only be tabled by the middle of next week:
The government will review it carefully. Obviously we have been preparing for a range of possible contingencies, but we’ll review it carefully over the weekend.
We will release the report and provide an interim response by the middle of next week, and we will provide a full response during the course of the budget, because it will actually be a major initiative, as the prime minister and the treasurer have previously indicated.
A spokeswoman for Hunt also told the Guardian on Thursday night that the report would not be tabled today.
Despite this, aged care has featured in the opposition’s question time attacks this week, and last night, aged care was the subject of ABC’s Q&A program, in anticipation of the royal commission’s final report.
Appearing on the panel was Mike Baird, the former New South Wales premier and chief executive of aged care provider HammondCare, and Jane Halton, health expert and former head of Australia’s finance department.
While the discussion heard from families, friends and others who had horror stories from the aged-care system, panellist Professor Joseph Ibrahim, who heads Monash University’s ageing research unit, was scathing about successive governments’ failures to address recommendations for the sector, and pessimistic that change can come out of this royal commission.
Updated
Australian news back on Facebook
You might have noticed your Facebook timeline looked a bit different this morning.
As AAP reports, news has returned to Facebook in Australia with the social media behemoth dropping its ban after reaching a deal with the federal government.
Facebook pages for News Corp and Nine newspapers, TV networks, ABC and SBS were restored on Friday morning, less than a day after the news media bargaining code passed parliament.
Guardian Australia’s Facebook page is also sharing news.
The government agreed to change the code after the tech giant banned Australian users from accessing news.
Google has struck deals worth millions of dollars with news organisations before the code comes into force.
Facebook looks set to do the same after signing a letter intent with Seven West Media and returning to negotiations with other outlets.
Under the code, the treasurer can designate platforms which would then be forced to pay for news content after arbitration.
Facebook last week pulled news in Australia before a tense stand-off with the government ended on Wednesday.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the restrictions that eased overnight in NSW.
From today, 50 visitors will be allowed in homes, while 30 people can dance at weddings. Guests will be allowed to swap on and off the dance floor.
The limit for gym classes will be 50 people, subject to the four-square metre rule.
Up to 30 people will be able to sing indoors in a choir, such as but physical distancing must be maintained.
For places of worship, worshippers can sing while wearing masks and obeying the four-square-metre rule.
Cinemas are back to 100% capacity.
Michael Somare, PNG's longest-serving PM, dies
Big news from Papua New Guinea overnight: The man who led the country to independence, the its Grand Chief and longest-serving prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, has died in Port Moresby, aged 84.
Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby and Ben Doherty Pacific Editor have the story.
Vaccine willingness high, study shows
Willingness of Australians to get vaccinated against Covid-19 is high, according to new University of Melbourne research, findings which are in line with other polls conducted in recent months.
In January 2021, the University of Melbourne’s policy lab surveyed more than 1,000 Australians to gauge their attitudes to various Covid-19 policies, including vaccination.
The ‘Public attitudes to COVID-19 policies and vaccination’ survey found strong public approval of Covid-19 policies and high levels of trust in information coming from the federal government, the Chief Medical Officer and medical scientists. The survey also found many Australians (76 per cent) reporting that they are likely to get vaccinated. Other surveys have found approximately 85% of Australians will ‘very likely’ or ‘probably’ get vaccinated.
Co-director of the policy lab, Associate Professor Aaron Martin said:
In Australia we are seeing high levels of support for Covid-19 policies at both the state and federal level.
We also find that when it comes to Covid-19 information citizens trust information coming from government almost as much as they trust information coming from scientists. This is not always the case in other comparable democracies.
Martin said that it was important to look at levels of trust in government because this has important consequences on social compliance, adherence to future policy decisions and overall effectiveness in responding to the pandemic.
We had 84 per cent of respondents state that they trusted information coming from the federal government ‘a lot’ or ‘a little’.
When looking at these polls on vaccine acceptance a lot of people only focus on the number of people that say they will ‘definitely’ get the vaccine, rather than also looking at those who will ‘likely’ get the vaccine. People may also read too much into those who are ‘unsure,’ but it is normal especially with a new vaccine for people to want to wait for more information - it does not follow that they are necessarily anti-vaccination.
Good morning. My name is Luke Henriques-Gomes, welcome to the Guardian Australia live blog. It’s Friday 26 February.
Let’s take a look at some of the main headlines this morning.
- Environment editor Adam Morton has a story about leading scientists describing 19 ecosystems that are collapsing due to the impact of humans. They warn urgent action is required to prevent their complete loss.
- A raft of Covid-19 restrictions have been eased in New South Wales today, while Victorians are awaiting news of a possible easing of restrictions to be announced by the premier, Daniel Andrews, this morning.
- Christopher Knaus has examined some of the early teething problems affecting Australia’s vaccine roll-out
- In a new development, Anne Davies reports that education authorities in NSW have confirmed teachers raised concerns last year about the actions of Frank Zumbo, the office manager for Hughes MP Craig Kelly
- My colleague in Canberra Paul Karp reports that renewable energy zones and dispatchable energy storage have been listed as “high priority initiatives” by Infrastructure Australia for the first time.
- Ben Butler and Nino Bucci has taken a deep dive in to the world of ‘buy now, pay later’, and Australia’s struggle to regulate the sector
- Not to spruik my own work, but I’ve had a look at the perks enjoyed by federal politicians, following the $50 a fortnight increase to the jobseeker payment we revealed on Tuesday.
The weekend is nearly upon us, so let’s get into it.
