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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Lisa Cox and Amy Remeikis

Victoria reports four new cases as cluster grows to nine – as it happened

What happened, Tuesday 25 May

And that is where we will leave things for this evening. Here is what happened today:

  • The Victorian government announced new restrictions in Melbourne and the number of local Covid-19 cases rose to nine. The restrictions include limits on gatherings in the home to five visitors per day and a requirement for masks indoors.
  • A report by Scott Morrison’s chief of staff did not make a finding the prime minister’s office had backgrounded against Brittany Higgins’ loved ones, but Labor argued this did not amount to exoneration.
  • New Zealand paused the quarantine-free travel bubble with Victoria.
  • Western Bulldogs AFL players, the club’s football department staff and match-day staff are in isolation after a staff member reported being at the Highgate shopping centre during a Covid-19 exposure period.
  • NSW announced it would adopt affirmative consent laws.
  • The federal court overturned the government’s approval of Adani’s North Galilee Water Scheme after the government failed to apply the water trigger in its environmental assessment.

We’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Updated

Via AAP:

The Defence department has admitted breaching its duty of care to a young soldier fatally shot in the head during a live-fire exercise, saying it was a terrible and avoidable tragedy.

Victorian soldier Private Jason Challis, 25, died after he was shot in 2017 at the ADF’s Mount Bundey training area, about 120km south-east of Darwin.

The department pleaded guilty in the Northern Territory local court on Tuesday to failing to comply with its health and safety duty to private Challis.

Defence’s lawyer Fiona McLeod SC said it was recognition of “the fact that private Challis was not protected while in service”.

“[This] was a terrible and avoidable tragedy and one that should never have occurred and is deeply regretted,” she said.

Updated

The Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, has been speaking in Perth about the new Covid-19 cases in Victoria.

All arrivals from Victoria will be required to be tested for Covid-19 on arrival or within 48 hours and self quarantine until they return a negative result.

The approach is similar to what was in place in WA in December in the early stages of the northern beaches outbreak in Sydney.

I hope this additional testing regime is all we have to do, but I will do whatever it takes to keep West Australians safe and we won’t hesitate to put in place additional border controls if that is what the health advice recommends.

Updated

You might recall claims the government made last week that an electricity shortage forced a major aluminium smelter to shut down three times in a week and that building a publicly owned gas-fired power plant will fix the problem.

Here is what Snowy Hydro had to say about that in estimates this evening:

Updated

I am going to hand you over to the wonderful Lisa Cox for the night shift – she’ll take you through anything else that pops up over the next couple of hours.

Thank you to everyone who spent today with me – it was a bit of a strange way to spend a birthday, but your company and messages made all the difference.

I’ll be back on early tomorrow morning with day three of the sitting and estimates – as well as everything else that comes with it. And of course, Melbourne – we are keeping everything crossed for you.

I hope you have a lovely night – and please, take care of you.

Updated

For more on the explosion at the Queensland power plant, Ben Smee has you covered.

We are all very thankful that at this point, everyone seems OK.

Updated

Good evening all. One interesting snippet from the Coalition party room today. Three backbenchers, George Christensen, Andrew Laming and Vince Connelly expressed objections to Scott Morrison’s idea of a vaccine passport.

The idea has already copped a blast from the premiers of New South Wales and Queensland. People at today’s meeting tell me Morrison responded to the critique with a mild mea culpa.

The prime minister suggested he hadn’t sold the concept (originally suggested to him by the Australian Medical Association) that well, but he thought it was an idea worth pursuing.

The health minister Greg Hunt chimed in to back Morrison, arguing there were already border permits in place (in the spirit of what’s all the fuss about).

Updated

Adam Bandt is also asked about the 19 misconduct allegations which have been reported to AFP related to parliamentarians and parliamentary staff. As Paul reported it is 19 allegations, but seven the AFP does not believe relate to people in the building – so it is 12 of the allegations which have been identified as “sensitive” investigations.

He tells Patricia Karvelas:

It is a really shocking number but I think one of the things we are seeing here at the moment is not that all of a sudden something different is happening in Parliament House or something different is happening in society, it is that we are starting to lift the lid on men’s behaviour, including here in Parliament House.

Certainly many of the women I talked to who are members of parliament, senators and [those who] work here say that they have been hearing the stories for a very long time and is what is being revealed, yes, it is shocking but sadly for too many of the women who work here it is not surprising.

And what we have seen revealed is just how terribly men have acted and men have been acting for quite some time. We are at a point now where we can push for some significant reform and hopefully see some real changes, not only to the structures but also to male behaviour, but key to that is a bit of leadership from the prime minister, not only transparency but a bit of leadership in calling out that it is men’s behaviour needs to [change].

Updated

Adam Bandt is now on Afternoon Briefing – he is asked about the prime minister’s chief of staff report into the alleged backgrounding against Brittany Higgins’s partner.

I think it is being clever with words. When you read the full report itself is what the chief of staff says crystal clear is that he couldn’t find that it didn’t happen but he also couldn’t find that he did.

As a bit of difference there and at the end of the day when it comes to belief in this and asking whether or not we believe what Ms Higgins has said is that she has had very credible reports to her that there was backgrounding going on against her in against those close to her and now this kind of quasi- denial from the prime minister’s office that says they couldn’t find any evidence.

I know who I believe and I think this strikes me as utterly credible that there would have been backgrounding going on and when she says that I believe her.

Updated

WA reports no new local Covid cases – and updated Victoria advice

Western Australia has also released its covid update:

The Department of Health has reported no new cases of Covid-19 overnight in WA.

The state’s total remains at 1017.

WA Health is monitoring three active cases of Covid-19 ­– 1,005 people have recovered from the virus in WA.

WA Health has also issued advice for travellers who have recently returned from Victoria, as a public health alert has been issued for parts of Melbourne.

Anyone who has travelled from Victoria is asked to continue to monitor the Vic Health website for updated exposure locations.

For the latest WA vaccination figures, visit the Covid-19 Coronavirus: Vaccination dashboard.*

Yesterday, 563 people were assessed for testing and swabbed at WA Health Covid clinics.

There have been 1,162,634 Covid-19 tests performed in WA. Of those, 149,997 were from regional WA.

To date, 96 cases of variant strains have been detected in Western Australia – 53 of the B.1.1.7 strain, 15 of the B.1.351 strain, 27 of the B.1.617 strain (Indian variant) and one of the P1 variant (Brazilian variant).**

Updated

Dave Sharma on Afternoon Briefing is asked about the closure of the Kabul embassy:

I accept the advice here. I am not privy to it myself, but I understand there were very significant security considerations, as you might expect, and particularly with the withdrawal of large numbers of foreign defence personnel, the security environment changes and we don’t have an opportunity to make an assessment about what that environment looks like, or to put in place protective measures, so I would always point the safety of Australian personnel first, that has to be our highest priority, but I think it is important that we make sure that we do what we can to restore the presence as soon as possible.

Liberal MP for Wentworth Dave Sharma.
Liberal MP for Wentworth Dave Sharma. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Updated

Remember to check out the updated list of exposure sites, if you are in Melbourne, or have been to Melbourne:

Updated

We have a Top Gun answer:

Updated

Mike Bowers was in question time today and here is what he saw unfold.

The deputy leader of the Nationals David Littleproud arrives for question time in parliament house, Canberra this afternoon. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph by Mike Bowers. Guardian Australia.
The deputy leader of the Nationals David Littleproud arrives for QT. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Stuart Robert and Christian Porter arrive for question time in parliament house, Canberra this afternoon. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph by Mike Bowers. Guardian Australia.
Stuart Robert and Christian Porter arrive for QT. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison during question time in parliament house, Canberra this afternoon. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph by Mike Bowers. Guardian Australia.
Scott Morrison quotes from the 2021 budget papers. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Joel Fitzgibbon talks to george Christensen during question time in parliament house, Canberra this afternoon. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph by Mike Bowers. Guardian Australia.
Joel Fitzgibbon shares a joke with George Christensen. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison during question time in parliament house, Canberra this afternoon. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph by Mike Bowers. Guardian Australia.
Scott Morrison listens to health minister Greg Hunt defend their vaccination program. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Anthony Albanese.
The opposition leader Anthony Albanese and prime minister Scott Morrison. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Anthony Albanese during question time in parliament house, Canberra this afternoon. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph by Mike Bowers. Guardian Australia.
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese listen to minister Ken Wyatt answer a question. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

We are a very normal country that has very normal discussions on energy, including when there are reports of an explosion at a power station (all workers are accounted for):

Updated

Four cases were announced on Monday. A man in his 60s in Melbourne’s northern suburbs was the fifth person to be diagnosed in the latest cluster, health authorities announced on Tuesday morning.

By Tuesday afternoon, a further four cases had been diagnosed, all family members of that man, taking the cluster to nine cases.

The state’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, says he is concerned the fifth case may have been infectious since 17 May.

He had a meeting with one of the four cases, one of the cases announced on Monday, a man in his 30s, which is where Sutton says he believes the virus was transmitted between the two.

Three family members of the man in his 30s have also been infected, spread across two households in the Whittlesea local government area.

Updated

Labor has responded to the closing of Australia’s embassy in Kabul:

Labor notes the decision of the government to temporarily close Australia’s embassy in Afghanistan as a result of the deteriorating security situation.

The Morrison government must outline the factors that led to this decision and whether it considered alternative options to manage the changing security environment, including colocating a diplomatic presence with like-minded countries.

The prime minister said on 15 April that Australia will continue to support the stability and development of Afghanistan through our bilateral partnership, ‘including our diplomatic presence, development cooperation program, and continued people-to-people links’ and that Australia remained committed to helping Afghanistan preserve the gains of the past 20 years, particularly for women and girls.

The Morrison government should explain how it will now meet these commitments.

We are also disappointed that after 20 years of successive Australian military, diplomatic and development engagement in Afghanistan, there was no bipartisan consultation on this important decision.

This will have a direct negative impact on Australia’s ability to deliver and monitor our ongoing development partnership with Afghanistan.

The Morrison government must also ensure swift visa pathways for Afghan interpreters and local staff that have been vital to Australian government operations in Afghanistan. Australia has a duty of care to these staff – who in many cases wore Australian uniforms and helped keep our troops safe, at great risk to themselves.

Updated

Penny Wong is asking Simon Birmingham about the difference between what Scott Morrison said when tabling the report – “my chief of staff found in the negative” – and what John Kunkel says in the report – “I am not in a position to make a finding that the alleged activity took place”.

The pair remain in a stalemate on it and the committee breaks for afternoon tea.

Updated

Western Bulldogs AFL team in isolation and tested for Covid

Western Bulldogs AFL players, the club’s football department staff and match-day staff are in isolation after a staff member reported being at the Highgate shopping centre during a Covid-19 exposure period.

The group have all been tested for the coronavirus today and must isolate until a negative result is returned. The club said the move was a precautionary measure to rule out any risk and that it expected players and staff would be able to return to training on Wednesday, pending the negative test results being received overnight.

“The Bulldogs cooperated fully with the advice, in the best interests of public health and safety,” a club statement read.

The Bulldogs face Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Friday night, but the club said it expected minimal disruption to preparations for the match between the top two on the AFL ladder.

The AFL earlier announced it would suspend ticket sales for all matches this week and next, while Victoria’s acting premier, James Merlino, said authorities would monitor the situation over the coming days.

“For footy crowds and for other events there will be a public events advisory panel which will advise of any changes – we’re not making any announcements today,” Merlino said.

“We are looking at range of events, whether it’s footy or other cultural events, we will work through all of those and provide further advice.”

Updated

Craig Kelly threatens to vote against superannuation reforms

Another issue simmering away in the background is whether the government will be able to pass its superannuation reforms that are currently before the House of Reps.

The former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, who now sits on the crossbench, is threatening to vote against the reform package, announced in the budget, unless a raft of amendments are agreed to.

Kelly told Guardian Australia that when he moved to the crossbench he had pledged to adhere to Liberal values, and there were elements in the bill that “were completely contrary to Liberal party values and Liberal party principles”.

He will move amendments to change the veto test included in the package and to remove a “stapling” provision that would link a member to a superannuation account to avoid duplication.

However, even if Kelly voted against the bill, the government would still be able to pass the legislation through the lower house with the speaker having a casting vote.

Updated

Back in estimates, Tim Ayres is now asking why the song Danger Zone was played on a RAAF base when Scott Morrison arrived for an announcement (it was a reannouncement).

From memory, they had to keep playing the song (which is from the Top Gun soundtrack, and more recently from Archer) because the PM was late. Morrison made a point of mentioning Top Gun in his opening remarks to the event.

Ayres is not impressed:

“Most people don’t take themselves so seriously they require theme music. Most people don’t take themselves so seriously they require ceremonial guards and red carpets, but this guy is so full of himself ...”

Birmingham cuts him off and says he will take it all on notice.

Updated

Here is the whole release on that:

Updated

Victoria Health reports four new Covid cases

A new alert has come through from Victoria Health – four new cases of Covid have been identified.

That makes nine cases in Victoria.

Updated

Over in finance estimates, questions are being asked about the red carpet arrival Scott Morrison was treated to at the Williamtown RAAF base.

It raised eyebrows because it is not a usual occurrence for prime ministers flying domestically – even when landing on defence bases. We know about it because the PMO posted it on Morrison’s social media.

Departmental officials have admitted it is “unusual”.

“Yes, it is not what I recall seeing in the ordinary course of events,” Simon Birmingham concedes.

Updated

Again, this is not satire.

Updated

The Covidsafe contact tracing app has now found 567 close contacts not found through manual contact tracing methods, the Digital Transformation Agency has told Senate estimates.

This is a significant increase on the 17 close contacts previously reported, and on Monday night the DTA’s chief digital officer, Peter Alexander said the new number was determined through agreements made between the federal and state health departments on the correct figure.

The 567 close contacts were identified through the 779 people who agreed to upload their data from the app after testing positive to Covid-19.

DTA chief executive Randall Brugeaud said the agency was “very happy” with the performance of the app, because each one of those people could have spread Covid-19.

No data was given on whether, if any, of those 567 people later tested positive for Covid-19.

The app has cost Australian taxpayers $7.75m, excluding advertising costs which are the responsibility of the health department. DTA estimated the monthly operating costs of the app to now be around $75,000, lower than the $100,000 originally estimated.

Brugeaud said DTA had been able to reduce this further to $60,000 from 1 July.

When asked whether the app would be killed off, Brugeaud said there were “on-going discussions” with the health department about the use of the app, but it wasn’t DTA’s decision to make:

It’s not our decision to make, but we are able to do that, and there are provisions in place for us to do the necessary deletion of data to ensure that people’s privacy is protected.

Updated

This was quick.

Updated

Anyway, question time has ended for the day.

Updated

Not sure why there is the constant brag that wages are higher than when Labor was in office – that was eight years ago.

Wages should be higher. CPI is. So should wages.

Updated

Shayne Neumann to Scott Morrison:

The government’s own budget papers forecast cut to real wages over the next four years. For a construction worker, that amounts to a cut in real wages of around $8,300. How do you rack up $1 trillion of debt yet still cut worker’s wages?

Morrison:

The only cut this government is engaged in is cutting people’s taxes. That is what we are engaged in. If you’re in $40,000 since 2018, you would have saved $3,080 in taxes.

Tony Burke:

On direct relevance, the question goes to the cutting wages forecast in the budget, the prime minister is not being relevant to that, he should explain why or defend in whatever way he wants the cut to workers wages that is in the budget.

Tony Smith:

I hear the interjection about net wages, the question was not about net wages, so it can’t be about tax policy for the rest of the answer. It was a very specific question, the prime minister needs to be relevant to the question.

Morrison:

As the budget papers reveal is what we can see is that not all wages increased over the forward estimates. What I do know is as those wages do increase, Australians will be paying less tax on those wages, because our government is keeping taxes low. Those opposite want to repeal the tax cuts...

Smith:

I would just say to the prime minister, the answer can’t be about tax policy, you’ve had to compare and contrast. The prime minister needs to be relevant to the question.

So then Josh Frydenberg gets the nod:

As I said to the house yesterday, CPI is higher in 2021 because it was coming up negative inflation the year prior because a particular initiative that we undertook during Covid to cushion the blow for Australian households, including free childcare, and there were lower rents and cheaper petrol, and that saw the steepest quarterly fall in the consumer price index, and that therefore means that the CPI is higher than it the net wages price index.

Real wages is higher today than in Labor’s last year in office.

Underemployment is the lowest in seven years, and we have also seen youth unemployment at the lowest in 12 years, and the prime minister is absolutely right. If you want Australians to keep more of their hard earned money you need to support our tax cuts which we have legislated to the Parliament.

Updated

In the report tabled in parliament, Scott Morrison’s chief of staff John Kunkel also summarised Brittany Higgins’ interview with him.

When interviewed, Ms Higgins referred to journalists telling her that Mr Sharaz had been portrayed as disgruntled following his tenure at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and at Sky News, and that his alleged ‘grudge’ was behind Ms Higgins’ decision to come forward to the media with her rape allegation. While restating that she believed the PMO media team was involved in alleged backgrounding against Mr Sharaz, Ms Higgins indicated that she was not comfortable naming any journalist(s) as the source of such information beyond what was contained in her letter of 25 March.

Kunkel said no member of the press gallery interviewed as part of the process “recounted, or was in a position to substantiate, first-hand experience of such activity by the PMO media team”.

Kunkel noted that some editors and journalists “either did not respond or declined to participate” in his process.

The first-hand evidence provided to me was uniformly to the effect that there were extensive discussions in the press galley concerning the distressing allegation of Ms Higgins’ sexual assault, the awareness (or lack thereof) of the incident on the part of PMO staff, and the personal circumstances of Ms Higgins and her partner. Members of the PMO media team participated in those discussions in the context of responding to inquiries and in the ordinary course of their interactions with the press gallery.

Updated

Meanwhile, in the Senate.

Updated

Literally one week after a report was tabled on how to improve question time, and the damage dixers, particularly the “aware of any alternatives” were doing to the parliament’s standing in the eyes of the public, every single lemming has lined up today with an “aware of alternative” dixer.

The latest – Peter Dutton giving the same answer he did yesterday.

Pat Conroy pipes up to heckle.

“You dummy,” Dutton says.

He withdraws.

Updated

In the report, Scott Morrison’s chief of staff John Kunkel explained the process he had followed in investigating the allegations of negative backgrounding against Brittany Higgins’ partner, David Sharaz. Kunkel said he had:

  • Interviewed all senior members of the PMO media team.
  • Endeavoured to speak with journalists and/or editors at relevant media outlets mentioned in connection with this allegation, taking account of those referred to in the letter sent to me by Ms Higgins on 25 March 2021.
  • Interviewed members of the press gallery based on these approaches.
  • Interviewed Ms Brittany Higgins.
  • Held additional discussions with the media team following my interview with Ms Higgins.

(The meetings with staff members were held with advance notice and they were allowed to have a support person present if requested.)

Kunkel’s report says all senior members of the PMO media team “rejected the allegation of backgrounding with the purpose of undermining the reputation of Mr Sharaz”. Here is his summary of the PMO staffers’ account:

They stressed that the bulk of inquiries received and responded to following media reports of 15 February 2021 concerned knowledge of, and actions taken by, (then) members of your staff following the alleged sexual assault of Ms Higgins in March 2019, in particular in response to materials distributed within the press gallery (and referred to in subsequent media reports). Members of the PMO media team recalled that Mr Sharaz’s work history was raised by certain journalists. They stated that matters pertaining to his employment at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet were referred to that Department. It was noted further that Mr Sharaz was known to members of the press gallery based on his past employment, as a journalist and in other roles.

Updated

Immediately after that question – and another one on the same topic, Karen Andrews turns her dixer into an attack on the Labor party for not doing enough to support the vaccine program.

Our vaccination program is in fact well under way and those opposite would be much better served if they proactively got out there and encouraged Australians to take the opportunity to get vaccinated at the first possible opportunity so perhaps those opposite, Mr Speaker, may spend just a little bit of time pondering how they can actually assist in a vaccine rollout other than doing everything that they can to undermine what is in the best interests of this nation!

Let me speak further about what we are doing to keep Australians safe and secure. In terms of our border reopening, we are absolutely committed that we will do that in a very controlled and a very safe way.

Because we understand how important it is that we manage the opening of our borders in a very safe and secure way. Mr Speaker, I am very happy to spend the last 50 seconds that I have here talking about the vaccination strategy because it is so important!

Absolutely, I’m very happy now to pick up that point, Mr Speaker. We are doing all that we possibly can in conjunction with the states and territories to proactively get out there and encourage every single Australian to take the opportunity to be vaccinated at the earliest opportunity and as I said before, Mr Speaker, it would be a much better strategy to assist in promoting the need to get vaccinated because that is what we are doing.

Updated

Graham Perrett to Greg Hunt:

Christopher from Annerley has multiple sclerosis and lives in residential disability care. We were supposed to be vaccinated by Easter but has still not received his first dose and he is not being allowed out into the community as a result.

Residents in his centre have been told they need to find their own vaccination.

Does the government continue to argue that most priority populations have been vaccinated, as assumed in the budget papers?

Hunt:

I’m pleased to be able to take this question. In terms of both aged care and disability, priority populations run through both.

We begin of course with the fact that quarantine overwhelmingly around the country, a priority populations.

The frontline healthcare workers overwhelmingly done around the country and then in terms of aged care, the figures that I have before me are that so far there have been 4,194 facilities which have been dosed in terms of the priority population of which 95%, 2,442 commonwealth facilities, have received them and interestingly, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in particular in the Whittlesey area which is currently undergoing restrictions, there are 15 residential aged care facilities.

Every one of them has, not just one but two doses. In relation to disability, the advice that I have is that there have been so far 245 facilities with first doses, 36 facilities with second doses.

It is an increase of 41 in the last 24 out stop the total figures of those within that priority population which had followed and were always intended to follow the in reach in aged care facilities is that there are now 8,440 residents that have had vaccinations in one way, shape or form and that means 5,855 individuals, 8,440 vaccinations.

There are four ways, four channels, for vaccinating people within disability. One is in reach which is done by Commonwealth providers and those numbers are increasing as we have seen with over 43 done just yesterday, different facilities.

The second is general practice in reach and that is that providers themselves are seeking the opportunity to be able to facilitate the support for the population. At their request.

If the member has a different view to the providers and he is perfectly entitled to have that view but I respectfully disagree. The third of the options that is available is that facilities are able to visit general practice.

The fourth of the options that are available is that facilities are able to visit either state Pfizer clinics or Commonwealth Pfizer clinics. What we see is that we have in the priority populations that you ask about, overwhelmingly complete.

Firstly for the quarantine, overwhelmingly complete, secondly for the frontline health and medical workers and thirdly, overwhelmingly complete for the aged care workers and forth in relation to disability accelerating at a rapid pace.

Updated

Scott Morrison’s chief of staff has told staffers in the prime minister’s office to uphold “high professional and ethical standards”.

The move comes after an internal inquiry led by John Kunkel failed to find evidence to substantiate claims the prime minister’s media team had provided journalists with negative briefings against Brittany Higgins’ partner.

The four-page report by Kunkel, Morrison’s chief of staff, was tabled in the House of Representatives a short time ago. The report – which takes the form of a letter to Morrison – said the allegations of negative backgrounding against Higgins’ partner David Sharaz are “serious allegations that go to the professionalism and integrity of the PMO media team”.

Kunkel said he could make findings of fact “only where the evidence for them is clear and direct”.

Here is the key paragraph on the factual findings:

On first-hand evidence before me, however, and bearing in mind the seriousness of the allegation that you have asked me to investigate, I do not make a finding that negative briefing against Mr Sharaz of the sort alleged has taken place. In the context of my inquiry, such a finding would be based upon hearsay (in some instances, second- or third-hand). The evidence before me falls well short of the standard that would be needed to arrive at such a finding in conformity with due process.

Kunkel said he wanted to stress that he did not deny “that the beliefs of Ms Higgins are sincerely held”.

Plainly, they are. My conclusion, based upon the evidence presented to me, should in no way be taken as a reflection upon the honesty or sincerity of Ms Higgins.

Kunkel said while he was not in a position to make a finding that the alleged negative backgrounding had occurred*, “the fact that those allegations have been made serves as an important reminder of the need for your staff to hold themselves to the highest standards”.

I have accordingly reinforced with the office the paramount importance of maintaining high professional and ethical standards. I further underlined the importance of privacy issues when dealing with highly-sensitive, personal matters.

*As Paul has already pointed out, that is the key point. Kunkel didn’t find it didn’t happen. He didn’t find evidence that it did. Bit of a difference to “found in the negative”.

Updated

Just on the whole “found in the negative” conclusion from the prime minister on his chief of staff’s backgrounding report, as Paul points out here – no, he didn’t.

Updated

Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:

My question is addressed to the prime minister, and I ask, will the prime minister acknowledge this simple fact? Quarantine is a commonwealth responsibility.

Morrison:

Quarantine is a commonwealth responsibility.

The Labor benches erupt in cheers. Morrison continues:

It’s a responsibility shared with the states and territories. It may come as a surprise to the leader of the opposition. I have never known a member of this place to be here so long and know so little when it comes to these matters.

The public health orders that are issued by states and territories are administered and enforced by the states and territories, and when the combined public health orders were put in place in March of last year, following the resolution of the national cabinet, that is what was put in place to deal with hotel quarantine.

And arrangements that was worked up together with the states and territories has seen 99.99%* effectiveness around this country, which has enabled this country to have one of the most effective responses and protecting the Australian people from the impact of Covid-19. Were it not for the combined efforts and coordination of all levels of government in this country, we would have seen some 30,000 additional Australians, if you take the average mortality rate across OECD countries, fall victim to this pandemic.

Mr Speaker, as I said before, we will keep fighting this virus, Labor will keep fighting us, and when they are not done with that, they will fight each other.

*But those leaks, which have occurred in every state, have been pretty devastating for those communities.

The prime minister Scott Morrison during question time in Parliament House, Canberra this afternoon.
The prime minister Scott Morrison during question time in Parliament House, Canberra this afternoon. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Chris Bowen to Angus Taylor:

My question is to the minister for emissions reductions. The New South Wales energy minister has said of the government’s spending on a gas power plant, and I quote, “the government should be upfront with the Australian public, someone has to pay for it”.

Why would they be exposing taxpayer dollars for infrastructure that is not needed? If the government won’t listen to its own energy experts, who are universally oppose this spending, at least listen to the New South Wales Liberal colleague.

Taylor:

I thank the member for his question because I think my colleagues in New South Wales are delighted about this project going ahead, in fact the members, those members who are up there on the weekend saw what the people of the Upper Hunter had to say about the Labor party.

They saw that in person. We are going to lose 1,600 megawatts of capacity when Lindell leaves the market, in April 2023, and it needs to be replaced.

The good news is we are seeing a major new investment from EnergyAustralia, commercial investment, private sector investment from EnergyAustralia that will be on in time in 2023 to fill part of that gap in the Illawarra, and I know those members in the Illawarra welcome the project but that’s not enough because we losing 1,600.

Anthony Albanese:

It was a very specific question, it went to the comments of the New South Wales energy minister and why is it that this minister won’t listen to his New South Wales colleague in the Liberal party?

Tony Smith tells Taylor to stay relevant.

Taylor:

I know the New South Wales energy minister as all members of the New South Wales parliament, on our side of politics strongly supports jobs in the Hunter Valley, including those thousand jobs at the smelter that will not stay if the Hunter power project is not proceeding. Matt Howe, the CEO of that business has made it absolutely clear, this is for the future of those jobs in the Hunter Valley, and those opposite should support it.

Updated

Mark Butler to Scott Morrison:

The nation is experiencing another outbreak linked to hotel quarantine.

How many more outbreaks does this country have to endure before the prime minister steps up to his constitutional responsibility and creates a safe, national quarantine system?

Morrison:

The government responded to the Halton review which talked about [boosting] the resilience of the facility in Northern Territory which we did and we have invested some half $1bn in the operation of that facility, Mr Speaker, which to this point in time had 100% success rate in preventing outbreaks from that’s facility but I must say, the many other facilities run by states and territories around the country have a 99.99% success rate in the conduct of hotel quarantine and as all of the states and territories in the commonwealth.

Mr Speaker, they are one way we protect against the outbreaks of Covid but the contact tracing that has been so effectively put in place by states and territories around the country and I commend the states and territories and Mr Speaker for the great job they have been doing in concert with the federal government.

Mr Speaker, we will continue to work each and every day with the states and territories, whether it is on the rollout of the vaccination program, we are working now on a quarantine proposal with the Victoria state government which is a comprehensive and well thought proposal and we are in the midst of a quite detailed discussion with the Victorian government to bring that proposal forward.

What we will do as a government, Mr Speaker, is we will continue to fight the virus.

That is what we have been doing these last 18 months and we have been doing that together with Australians with great success.

The Labor party continues to fight the government, Mr Speaker, but now they start to fight amongst themselves, Mr Speaker. That is an indictment on the Labor party and its leadership.

Updated

The parliament has moved on to energy.

Meanwhile, in Queensland:

Updated

Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:

My question is of the prime minister and I refer to the filing of the prime minister’s chief of staff’s report and I quote, “members of the PMO media team recalled that Mr Shiraz’s work history was raised by certain journalists”.

Is it really the prime minister’s position that the undermining of Ms Higgins’ loved ones is the media’s fault? Why is it that under this prime minister, someone else is always responsible? Even when it is his own office?

Morrison:

Mr Speaker, I believe the leader of the opposition has misread the report provided by my chief of staff.

The report has been provided by all members.

Updated

We have the report into the backgrounding investigation – Hursty is looking at that for you and will have more for you very soon.

Updated

Things seem a little wild in the NSW parliament today – particularly within the Labor party.

Updated

Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:

My question is to the prime minister. The prime minister said he learned of Brittany Higgins’ reported sexual assault on 15 February but staff in his office knew about it two years earlier.

The now defence minister said he learned of Ms Higgins’ sexual assault on 11 February but revealed that his office knew about it for 15 months.

Does the prime minister expect Australians to believe that the prime minister ‘s office and now the defence minister’s office knew about the alleged sexual assault for years and didn’t tell their bosses?

Morrison:

I can only say to the house as I have said on numerous occasions, I was made aware of it on the 12 February and as the now minister for defence and then minister of home affairs became very clear, he became aware of it on the 11th, Mr Speaker. They are the facts.

Updated

Daniel Hurst tells me the report into the backgrounding investigation which was just tabled is not yet available – but we are still chasing it.

Updated

Labor’s Katy Gallagher tells Senate estimates the review into backgrounding against Brittany Higgins’ partner is a “sorry state of affairs” because it now appears the onus is on Higgins to out journalists who revealed the alleged backgrounding or the matter will go nowhere.

She said:

If Kunkel says there is no way to verify this, we know what the stitch up has been, really, from the start.

When Simon Birmingham reveals the prime minister’s office committed to release the report only in the most recent break, Gallagher said:

[Morrison] must have made that [commitment] with the comfort of knowing what Dr Kunkel has found. He’s been briefed on the findings – and all of a sudden it’s going to be a public release.

Updated

PMO finds no backgrounding against Brittany Higgins loved ones

Scott Morrison is asked about the backgrounding investigation his chief of staff carried out after allegations emerged his office had backgrounded against Brittany Higgins’ loved ones.

Morrison says “he found in the negative and I table the report”.

We are chasing that report.

Updated

NZ has suspended Melbourne travel bubble

Meanwhile, in Sydney:

A Sydney man is accused of scamming more than $91,000 from wannabe dog owners in five states before laundering the money through cryptocurrency.

Police say the man acted as a money mule for a multinational crime syndicate, receiving $91,580 in deposits from buyers into his bank accounts before converting the money into cryptocurrency.

The 53-year-old was arrested on Tuesday morning at a unit on George Street in Sydney’s CBD.

Police say the man placed fraudulent ads online, mostly for English Staffordshire bull terriers and French bulldog puppies, defrauding at least 23 buyers across Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.

The buyers paid deposits for dogs that never existed, before the fake breeders cut contact with them.

Inquiries are continuing.

Updated

David Gillespie is responsible for bringing the current deputy prime minister to the despatch box – which is enough to add him to my list.

He remembers to add in the “aware of any alternatives” end to the question Tip Top’s wrote. Which means the DPM gets to say the thing he wanted to say yesterday.

None of us are richer for it. In fact, more of my life force may have just dissipated from my soul.

Updated

Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:

This morning the prime minister issued a media release stating that he had received the report he commissioned from his departmental deputy secretary about the response to sexual assault and other incidences in this building more than three months ago.

When will the prime minister release that report and why is he keeping it a secret?

Plibersek:

I thank the member for her question, and the deputy secretary of my department Stephanie Foster has done an outstanding job over those months in compiling a report and providing advice to government and how we should be able to proceed, not just as a government, by doing that in partnership with the parliament as a whole.

As I said yesterday, Mr Speaker, that report has been received, that report will be taken to cabinet, then, it will be taken to the government members’ party room to discuss and the report will be provided to all members of this parliament, to all members of this parliament at the earliest opportunity, and I suspect that will happen next week Mr Speaker.

I suspect it will happen next week. That’s when I expected to happen.

The full report will be made available to the leader of the opposition, to the members of the crossbench, and the Senate, to the members and the leaders of the Greens and all the members of this place, we will make that report available and I will tell you why, because it contains very useful recommendations about how our parliament can work together to support our staff and ensure that the right mechanisms are in place, in particular her recommendation to establish an independent complaints mechanism which is urgently needed in this place, I have no intention of waiting for the outcome of the report of the sex discrimination commissioner’s inquiry before we introduce that.

I think we can get on with it now, the deputy secretary has given us a very good model, we will work to the normal government processes to bring that proposal to this parliament, and to the leader of the opposition, and I look forward to them engaging in good faith with the process, rather than seeking to score political points.

Updated

The first dixer is all about what the government wants to fight the election on – taxes.

Yet another question which could have been, and is, a press release.

Updated

In climate and energy news beyond the excitement of Senate estimates, Labor has announced it will attempt to block proposed changes to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to allow it to fund carbon capture and storage and “blue” hydrogen produced with fossil fuels.

Chris Bowen, Labor’s climate change and energy spokesman, said the changes would give the emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, the power to declare “that new technologies are low emissions” and that Arena should fund them.

He said this was “utterly unacceptable” to Labor and that it would move in the Senate that the regulatory changes be disallowed and ask crossbenchers to support it.

The Greens have already indicated they would try to disallow the changes.

Bowen said Labor had created Arena under Julia Gillard to back renewable energy, not fossil fuels. “The ‘R’ in Arena stands for renewable. That’s its job, and that’s the job Labor will defend,” he said.

Question time begins

Anthony Albanese to Scott Morrison:

Can the prime minister confirm today his secretary told Senate estimates he has not spoken to Ms Higgins, refused to save taxpayers who are paying for lawyers for the prime minister’s staff, refused to say when his report will finish, and refused to see if his report will be released.

Doesn’t Ms Higgins deserve much better than this?

Morrison:

I thank the member for his question, I refer the member to comments from the secretary of the prime minister and cabinet today and those matters are set out and I look forward to seeing that report as soon as it is concluded and taking action.

Updated

Prime minister to release 'backgrounding' briefing

The finance minister, Simon Birmingham, has come back into estimates with new facts about the review into whether Scott Morrison’s office backgrounded journalists against Brittany Higgins’ partner.

He said:

In relation to Dr Kunkel’s review: I have been advised that Dr Kunkel has been finalising his review and is briefing the PM in relation to the findings of his review. I’m advised in the conduct of his review, Kunkel has spoken to staff in the PM’s office including the media team. He has also spoken with journalists, members of the press gallery as part of conduct of his review; and with Ms Brittany Higgins. It is the prime minister’s intention to make that review public.

Birmingham won’t give a timeframe on this, but says he would expect it shortly. Birmingham doesn’t know if the review concluded whether or not his office backgrounded against Higgins’ partner.

Updated

The mother of a 24-year-old man with severe intellectual disability has told an inquiry how a support worker allegedly punched and kicked her son and once pulled his chair from under him so he would fall down.

The disability royal commission is this week examining allegations of violence, verbal abuse and racism at a group home in western Sydney operated by Sunnyfield Disability Services.

Sophia, whose son Carl is among three residents alleged to have been assaulted at the home, told the royal commission the company had still not apologised.

The commission heard the charges were dismissed by a magistrate because there was not enough evidence. Some allegations were later substantiated by an internal company investigation and two workers were fired.

Sophia told the inquiry that another support worker had testified that Carl had been assaulted by a staff member in the home, but that it was that person’s word against the accused.

Under questioning from senior counsel assisting, Kate Eastman, Sophia told the royal commission:

Hearing what the witnesses were saying was probably the hardest thing I could have done because I wanted to get up and say something.

Hearing that he has punched Carl, he has kicked him, he has dragged him, he’s pushed a chair over so that Carl can fall off the chair deliberately … Pulling his hair back like forcefully to force medication down.

I can only imagine how Carl would have felt in those moments when any of this was happening when there’s no mum and dad, no one else in sight to see what’s happening and who he can call out to defend him.

The company’s chief executive, Caroline Cuddihy, will give evidence this week. She has told the commission in a statement she has “deep sympathy for the pain and distress suffered”.

The inquiry continues.

Updated

We’ll head back to estimates where the prime minister’s department is answering questions because it looks like Simon Birmingham (the senator representing the prime minister) has updated the committee to say the prime minister’s chief of staff has briefed the prime minister about the internal PMO review (seperate to the Gaetjens review).

Paul Karp is watching that.

Updated

We are in the downhill slide to question time – given everything which has happened in estimates today, it should be an interesting one.

If the current deputy prime minister attempts to ‘rap’ again, I will not be responsible for my actions. There is only so much anyone can take.

Updated

For those wondering – we still don’t have an answer on crowd sizes for Melbourne.

No decisions have yet been made.

Updated

Ben Smee has an update on the courts overturning an approval for the Adani coal mine:

A key approval for Adani’s Carmichael coal project has been overturned by the federal court, which ruled the federal government made a “legal error” in the way it assessed and approved plans for the miner to pump 12.5bn litres of water a year from a Queensland river.

The court case – brought by the Australian Conservation Foundation – challenged the government’s decision not to apply the “water trigger” to its assessment of Adani’s North Galilee Water Scheme.

The trigger is an element of Australia’s environmental law that demands the government assess the water impacts of all large coal mines and coal seam gas proposals.

Anthony Albanese has told MPs that the party can beat the Coalition in arguments of national security and money. In response to a Labor MP who cautioned against maligning the businesses for keeping profits as a result of jobkeeper – citing Harvey Norman as a “popular” business – Albanese said that Labor was well positioned to argue its case.

Australians know that spending is required during a recession but if we gave the sort of money that this government did to people who didn’t need it, we would have been smashed. They are terrible at looking after taxpayers’ money, we know the value of every dollar.

He said the government would want to fight on national security and money, and “we will be able to beat them on both”.

On money, they have thrown money around like it doesn’t matter to their mates and on rorts.

In the wake of the Upper Hunter byelection result, one MP who represents a “high vis seat” said Labor’s message was getting through, on jobs, education and health.

Another MP in the Labor caucus said the party needed to be pushing harder on the government on the Covid response. In response Albanese said:

If there’s another outbreak, the blame should fall squarely on the government’s shoulders for the slow vaccine rollout.

Updated

NSW adopts affirmative consent law

This is a massive achievement – and when you think about what some people had to go through before there was action, well – it’s heartbreaking.

Sending love and power to all of those fighting these battles – publicly or not. It’s never your fault.

Updated

And after all that today, we still have question time ahead of us.

Updated

During the party room meeting, a Coalition MP also raised the issue of Afghanistan and expressed a desire for Australia to maintain a diplomatic presence there.

Scott Morrison replied that the cabinet’s national security committee had discussed the issue and made a decision to close the embassy building this Friday. It is understood he said words to the effect of “if we were stay we would be putting Australians at risk or worse”.

You can read our story about the embassy closure here:

Updated

Returning to the Coalition party room meeting briefly:

Scott Morrison touched on the issue of vaccine passports during his meeting with colleagues this morning. Morrison indicated he believed “passport” was the wrong word. He said confirmation of vaccinations already existed now, and he wanted to make it easier to confirm vaccination status.

Morrison said he had heard feedback from tourism industry that there was hesitancy among people about moving around the country because of potential state-imposed travel restrictions.

He indicated there was absolutely no intention to use the vaccine passport in relation to pubs and cafes, and noted the commonwealth would only be able to use it in relation to international borders. He also warned against imposing “additional hardship” to people who had been vaccinated.

(It’s worth noting Morrison was speaking in response to a question from a Coalition member who had ventured the view that the prime minister was responding to “bed-wetting premiers”.)

Here is the release which accompanied Lidia Thorpe’s announcement the Greens were fighting for a compensation fund for survivors of the stolen generation:

It has now been 24 years since the Bringing Them Home report recommended that a National Compensation Fund be established to adequately compensate survivors – estimated at 17,150 people – of the Stolen Generations for the harm inflicted on them by successive Australian governments.

Since then, successive federal governments have ruled out their support for a nationally consistent compensation scheme. However, various piecemeal state-based schemes have been established in Queensland, NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and WA – and more recently, Victoria. Survivors in the Northern Territory are currently suing the Commonwealth for adequate compensation.

The Greens’ plan for a nationally consistent scheme will not only provide survivors with compensation that more accurately reflects the enormous harm they experienced.

The Greens’ plan would compensate each survivor with a $200,000 lump-sum payment to support them and their families in life-changing ways, as they continue to heal, as well as a one-off ex gratia payment of $7,000 to each survivor for funeral expenses.

The Greens will also provide a separate, secondary package to support the emotional and mental health needs of survivors and their families as they continue to heal from the appalling trauma of being stolen from their families by Australian governments and their agencies.

In 2018, while a Victorian Greens MP, Senator Thorpe called on the Victorian Labor government to implement a state-based compensation scheme, as the last state to do so. In March this year, the state Labor government finally committed to implementing a state-based scheme.

In solidarity with the survivors of the Stolen Generations and their families, at and at every level of government, the Greens will continue to lead the way in the fight for First Nations Justice.

Updated

Over in environment and communications estimates, the focus has been on the Morrison government’s announcement it will commit up to $600m to Snowy Hydro for it to build a new gas-fired power plant in New South Wales.

Labor and Greens senators have zeroed in on the justification for the spending, which has been widely criticised as unnecessary by energy market analysts, and whether it could lead to Snowy Hydro having too much sway over the electricity market.

Officials were asked about comments by the head of the Energy Security Board, Kerry Schott, to Guardian Australia last month that the commercial case for a new plant “doesn’t stack up” because gas was expensive power.

Rachel Parry, from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, indicated she had a lot of respect for Schott, but the energy security board chair was not involved in the Kurri Kurri decision and not across the advice that led to the decision.

Parry said Schott did not have access to independent analysis relied on by the Snowy Hydro board before it recommended the plant or funded, or other consultant reports commissioned by the government. She said based on that advice “the government arrived at a different conclusion” to Schott and other experts.

Officials cited the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) as having supported the government’s decision.

Aemo actually said the plant would contribute to “the dispatchable generation capacity needed in the future energy system to keep prices low and power reliable. The investment will contribute to reliability for customers as the market transitions.” The market operator did not offer a view on whether it was needed to replace the Liddell coal plant in 2023, or whether it made sense for taxpayers to build it.

Both Aemo and a government taskforce commissioned to look at what was needed post-Liddell previously found new generation capacity would not be necessary in 2023 to maintain a reliable supply.

Officials were asked about whether the business case for the Kurri Kurri plant would be released, as Labor demanded last week. Officials and Senator Zed Seselja, representing the energy minister Angus Taylor, took the question on notice.

Snowy Hydro is scheduled to appear this afternoon.

And it doesn’t look like anyone has the numbers to challenge NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay, so she will be staying on as leader – at least for now.

Updated

NSW attorney general Mark Speakman is announcing changes to how the state will treat consent – it is moving to an affirmative consent model – meaning, you have to get consent before moving forward with a sexual act on someone – not just *think* you have it, or have it implied by a lack of reaction – the lack of objection is not consent.

Speakman:

There cannot be consent unless the party in question has said something or done something to communicate consent. That is a communicative model.

In other words, you can’t assume through lack of resistance or lack of process that consent has been given. It is very simple.

Consent has to be communicated by the other party, saying or doing something.

This is about holding perpetrators to account, but more than that, it is about changing community behaviour.

It is about having a society where people ask simple questions. “Are you consenting?”

Where consent is affirmative and consent is sought, not just assumed through lack of protest or lack of physical reaction.

In addition to these reforms, we will also be introducing five jury directions – a new jury directions – that a judge, at their discretion, can give to a jury.

These are about dispelling rape myths. They are about making sure that a complainant can give their evidence and that a jury will not be preoccupied with rape myths and that a jury will assess that evidence fairly and impartially.

For example, a judge can direct a jury that you can’t assume from the way that someone is dressed, or the fact that they had consumed alcohol or drugs, that they are consenting to any sort of activity.

We can’t assume from the way someone gives the evidence in the witness box that they have consented to sexual activity.

For example, you can’t assume from a lack of emotion that they are or are not telling the truth. You can’t assume from the absence of physical protest or the absence of injury or violence that there has been consent.

This is all about making sure that jurors assist evidence fairly and impartially.

Updated

The Coalition party room briefing has been suspended because of divisions going on in the House.

So we’ll bring you more when it reconvenes.

Updated

Scott Morrison has a history of embracing boat analogies. Not just the two that Hursty reported on there – he has also compared the Coalition to a rowing team, needing to work together to stay on course, and has also asked “what you are doing making our boat go faster?”

Plus there was his whole “I stopped these” boat sculpture a voter gave him, which sat in his office.

A memento is seen in Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrision’s office during a Drought Response Roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, September 19, 2018.
A memento is seen in prime minister Scott Morrison’s office during a Drought Response Roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra, 19 September 2018. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

'The election is next year,' Scott Morrison tells Coalition colleagues

Scott Morrison has told his colleagues the election will be held “next year” and urged them to adopt a “steady as she goes” approach without allowing themselves to be distracted by “internal party issues” such as preselection battles.

Addressing the Coalition party room meeting this morning, the prime minister implored his colleagues to focus on providing “secure and stable government for the country”.

And he praised the result in the NSW Upper Hunter byelection, saying: “It shows what we can do when we’re united.”

Morrison thanked his colleagues for the work they were doing on communicating the 11 May budget. Invoking yet another boat analogy, Morrison said Australians “see themselves as the captains of their own ship” and the government was focused on empowering them to take their ship forward.

Morrison contended the opposition was tearing itself apart. He said the Coalition’s policies and values were resonating with people in the suburbs and regions, describing it as “a neat fit” or a natural alliance. He said the government needed to continue to go down the path it was on, adopting a “steady as she goes” approach.

Despite speculation about an early election, Morrison said it was “still a year to the next election”.

“The election is next year.”

Morrison urged his Coalition team to keep their eyes on the prize and continue to turn up to events in their communities, even if they were tired, arguing that a party’s worst day in government was better than their best day in opposition. He said opposition could be a “desolate” and “desperate” place.

Prime minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra.
Prime minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has announced this:

The CPSU’s Melissa Donnelly has responded to the Foster report:

CPSU members are glad the government is finally taking steps to address what they have been calling for a long time. The recommendations of the Foster report go to issues our members have long advocated for.

CPSU members and Health and Safety Representatives have consistently advocated for safer parliamentary workplaces and worker led risk mitigation on sexual harassment and gendered violence.

As part of this, recommended mandatory training as a key step towards hazard reduction and we welcome the Foster review.

However, as a first step, the government must release the Foster report and consult with employees and the union about these recommendations.

This is not the last step in making Parliament House a safer place. CPSU members will be making submissions to the Jenkins review, and will continue to advocate until parliament becomes a safe workplace.

Updated

The legal and constitutional affairs committee has resumed, and Sarah Henderson confirms the reason she suspended it was because “the incident that is alleged to have occurred is an allegation only”.

Hanson-Young had slipped up by asking Reece Kershaw how quickly he can recall when he found out “a rape inside this building took place” – she forgot ALLEGED.

After the break, Hanson-Young rephrased the question, adding “alleged” rape this time. But question is taken on notice, and the hearing moves on.

Updated

And I regret to inform you that this is still happening.

You may remember Amanda Stoker raised her concerns with the AHRC over a tender for an extension of an anti-racism campaign a little earlier – now we have this.

Updated

Meanwhile, back in legal and constitutional affairs estimates.

Updated

It is also party room meeting day – we will find out what went on in those meetings and bring you all the updates.

Updated

AFP receives 19 different allegations against parliamentarians/staff

Earlier, Reece Kershaw was asked since the AFP had clarified the process for making complaints of sexual misconduct against parliamentarians or their staff, how many complaints have been made.

Kershaw said:

As at 17 May 2021, 40 reports have been received by the AFP since 24 February relating to 19 different allegations. Twelve reports were identified as sensitive investigations, 10 were referred to state and territory police for assessment, one is with the AFP for ongoing inquiries and one has been finalised.

Seven matters do not relate to electorate officers, ministerial staff or official establishments, of those five have been referred to state and territory police and two concluded with no criminal offence identified.

Updated

(Via AAP):

The family of a man who died during an altercation with prison guards in Adelaide has renewed calls for an immediate ban on the use of spit hoods.

Relatives of Wayne “Fella” Morrison said a move to phase out the restraint devices in South Australian prisons over the next six months should be replaced with an immediate prohibition.

They gathered outside the supreme court on Tuesday where an inquest into Morrison’s death is continuing.

They also plan to deliver a 20,000 signature petition to state parliament calling for immediate action.

“This partial step of an operational ban on this torture device is welcomed by us all,” Morrison’s sister Latoya Aroha Rule said.

“Legislating the ban on spit hoods is the critical move we require to ensure the weight of their use, linked to many injuries and deaths, is fully recognised and those who utilise these archaic devices are held accountable.”

Spit hoods are used in custody situations to prevent people from being bitten or spit on.

But they have also been criticised for breaching human rights guidelines with opponents describing them as primitive, cruel and degrading.

Morrison died in 2016 after being restrained with handcuffs, ankle cuffs and a spit hood and put facedown in a prison van at Yatala Prison in Adelaide’s north.

The inquest into his death previously heard he was in custody on assault charges and was being taken for a court appearance by video link when he became involved in a scuffle with officers.

The 29-year-old was lifted into the prison van but was blue and unresponsive when he was pulled out a few minutes later.

Despite resuscitation attempts, he did not regain consciousness and died in hospital several days later.

Updated

Australia to close Kabul embassy on 28 May – for now

The prime minister and Marise Payne have confirmed the story which was in the Oz this morning – the government has confirmed the Australian embassy in Afghanistan will close this Friday, a decision that comes as Australia prepares to withdraw its final troops from the country:

In light of the imminent international military withdrawal from Afghanistan, Australia will as an interim measure revert to the model of visiting accreditation for our diplomatic representation to Afghanistan, which we used from the opening of diplomatic relations in 1969 until 2006. Our residential representation in Afghanistan and the Australian Embassy in Kabul will be closed at this time.

We will close our Embassy building on 28 May 2021. DFAT officials will visit Afghanistan regularly from a residential Post elsewhere in the region.

It is Australia’s expectation that this measure will be temporary and that we will resume a permanent presence in Kabul once circumstances permit.

This form of diplomatic representation is common practice around the world. It does not alter our commitment to Afghanistan or its people.

The departure of the international forces and hence Australian forces from Afghanistan over the next few months brings with it an increasingly uncertain security environment where the Government has been advised that security arrangements could not be provided to support our ongoing diplomatic presence.

On the Foreign Minister’s recent visit to Kabul, we reaffirmed Australia’s support for the Afghanistan Government during this time of change for the country. Australia remains committed to the bilateral relationship with Afghanistan, and we will continue to support the stability and development of Afghanistan in concert with other nations.

Australia is proud to have worked over the past 20 years to assist Afghanistan in protecting itself from exploitation as a base for terrorist groups, to address inequality, and to contribute to improvements in the rights and livelihoods of women and girls. Since 2001, Australia has provided $1.51 billion in development and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Australia remains committed to supporting an Afghan-led peaceful resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan, and to helping preserve the gains of the past 20 years.

During the time Australia has been working in Afghanistan, we have seen significant improvements in school enrolments, access to basic health care and women’s representations in politics, which has risen from zero in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2020. Maternal mortality has fallen, as has child malnutrition.

We know there is more to do, and our development and humanitarian commitments will be delivered in the coming years, including a bilateral development assistance commitment of $200 million over 2021-2024. We will continue our 52-year bilateral diplomatic relationship with Afghanistan, building on our close friendship with the Afghan people which stretches back to the historic arrival of Afghans in South Australia in the 1830s.

We remain committed to supporting a just, durable and resilient peace arrangement that is led and owned by Afghanistan, and will bring stability and prosperity to the Afghan people.

Updated

NSW records no new local Covid cases

NSW Health has delivered its daily update:

NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Two overseas-acquired cases were reported in the same period, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,385.

There were 7,262 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 9,659.

NSW Health has administered its highest-ever number of vaccines in one day, with 12,524 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 5,337 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 1,111,814, with 357,917 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 753,897 administered by Commonwealth Government providers, including GPs, to 11:59pm on Sunday 23 May.

Updated

There is a lot going on here.

Updated

Back in finance estimates, Katy Gallagher is back on the case of inquiries in the prime minister’s office.

She’s moved from the Gaetjens inquiry to a separate process being conducted by John Kunkel into whether or not Scott Morrison’s media office backgrounded negatively about Brittany Higgins or her partner.

Kunkel is Morrison’s chief of staff, so the questions being posed are going nowhere at this point (because ministerial staff don’t front estimates committees, only public servants).

But Gallagher is painting a disturbing picture. She says her information is the Kunkel inquiry has gotten to the point where Higgins is under pressure to name the journalists who told her the office was saying negative things about her or her loved ones after the story broke.

Gallagher says that is pretty rough on Higgins, having to out people.

Gallagher concluded that section of the evidence by asking whether three members of the prime minister’s staff had been interviewed by Kunkel, because it was Higgins’ understanding that the three staff she named were the people backgrounding against her loved ones.

I note you’ve named those staff, I will seek what information I can,” Simon Birmingham, the minister at the table, says.

Updated

Albanese convinced miners on his side

AAP listened to Anthony Albanese’s interview with ABC radio this morning:

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has rejected suggestions blue-collar workers have turned their back on the party after a bruising result in a coal-mining seat.

Pro-coal MP Joel Fitzgibbon has argued the sharp decline in Labor’s primary vote in the Upper Hunter byelection should be a massive wake-up call.

He has threatened to quit unless Labor changes its ways, believing workers in the NSW state seat deserted the ALP because the party is not sincere about protecting their jobs.

Albanese said it would be no surprise if the outspoken backbencher did not contest the next election, having stepped down from the shadow cabinet halfway through the term.

He also hit back at prime minister Scott Morrison’s claims that Labor had lost touch with blue-collar workers.

“The evidence is there that is not the case,” Albanese told ABC radio, pointing to Labor’s recent state election wins in the resource-rich states of Queensland and Western Australia.

He also pointed out Upper Hunter voters turned their backs on both major parties at the weekend in favour of independent candidates and minor parties.

Albanese said the Coalition government was presiding over an increasingly casualised coalmining workforce and use of labour hire firms.

“The current government does not stand up for miners, doesn’t stand up for any workers, and is undermining the pay and conditions of those miners,” he said.

“I won’t cop this idea of Scott Morrison – the party of WorkChoices – somehow being the friend of the workers.

“It’s just a nonsense.”

Labor leader Anthony Albanese.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Just going through everything we learned in that Victorian press conference over the new Covid case, the reason authorities are worried is this latest case potentially predates the other cases in terms of when they were infected.

That means they spent more time in the community while infectious – up to 10 days and is potentially the person who gave the infection to the first case which was reported on Monday (the possible missing link).

So if you have any symptoms, or have been in any of those exposure sites, get tested.

Updated

James Merlino says Daniel Andrews has been kept abreast of the situation:

We have been absolutely in touch with Dan, and as I said a number of times whenever there is a big issue when we need to respond or raise, it will be raised with the premier so he is fully aware and supportive of the changes.

These are changes that are all about protecting Victorians, protecting you and your loved ones and the community.

These are reasonable and appropriate changes we need to make for a short period of time to get our contact tracers the time to get on top of this.

Andrews is still hoping to be back in June, Merlino says:

Exactly when in June I cannot tell you – that will be based on his doctor’s advice ... I’m looking forward to him getting back on his feet.

Merlino says he is not receiving the premier’s pay while he acts in his place.

Updated

Will Victoria be broadening its vaccination program?

Acting premier James Merlino says that comes down to supply – and that is a question for the federal government.

That is a question you would need to put to the commonwealth. As the minister for health indicated, we have received some additional supplies and we are encouraging people if you are eligible to get vaccinated. Obviously we want to see the supply being confirmed so we have got confidence.

And that is part of the examination of what more we can do in terms of who is eligible for the vaccination and how they can be broadened out. That comes down to what confidence we have in supply but you need to put that question to the commonwealth.

Victoria’s acting premier James Merlino speaks during a press conference on Tuesday in Melbourne.
Victoria’s acting premier James Merlino speaks during a press conference on Tuesday in Melbourne. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Updated

To catch you up:

  • Melbourne will have new Covid restrictions put in place in response to five positive cases (all linked) in recent days.
  • Gatherings in households will be limited, and masks will be required indoors.
  • The head of the prime minister’s department, Phil Gaetjens, says he will hand his report into who knew what, when to the prime minister within ‘weeks’
  • He can not guarantee it, or its findings will be made public
  • He would not answer questions, including how many people he has interviewed out of an office of 60 people, or if people have requested legal representation, out of privacy concerns
  • Brittany Higgins had to approach the department herself to be part of the process.
  • Reece Kershaw, the head of the AFP, says a brief of evidence on the rape allegation will be sent to the ACT DPP soon.

Updated

Well, that was quite the hour, wasn’t it.

At the end of Phil Gaetjens’ appearance the Labor senator Katy Gallagher asked him whether he was planning to retire soon.

Apparently there have been media reports to that effect which I confess I’ve missed.

Gaetjens characterises those reports as “fake news”.

Gallagher persists. So you aren’t retiring? Gaetjens then cautions Gallagher against putting words in his mouth.

Gallagher is confused. So are you retiring? Or not?

Gaetjens says:

Who knows what might happen soon, in a week’s time, in a month’s time, that I have no control over.

Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Phil Gaetjens.
Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Phil Gaetjens. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

All very Delphic. Gaetjens notes he’s the subject of false characterisation in the media regularly but he isn’t disturbed by that.

The minister at the table Simon Birmingham notes that everyone in the room can relate to that.

Updated

The urgent federal court hearing to decide whether barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC can represent Christian Porter in his defamation bid against the ABC may now run into Thursday.

Yesterday we told you that Porter’s lawyers lost their bid to block a last-minute affidavit from Macquarie Bank managing director James Hooke which the former attorney general’s lawyer’s had argued could “derail” the timing of his high-stakes defamation bid against the ABC.

It came on the first of what was supposed to be a three-day hearing into whether Porter’s high-profile Sydney barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, should be stopped from acting for the former attorney general in his case against the national broadcaster and journalist Louise Milligan.

Jo Dyer, who was a debater with the woman in the late 1980s, claims Chrysanthou has a conflict of interest because of a meeting the two women had late last year in relation to an article in the Australian newspaper by Janet Albrechtsen about a November ABC Four Corners episode Dyer appeared in. Hooke, a friend of both Porter and the woman who before her death accused Porter of raping her three decades ago, was also at the 20 November meeting.

After justice Thomas Thawley ruled the affidavit was “central” to the question of whether Chrysanthou could act for the former attorney general, new documents produced by the ABC and Hooke led to the case being adjourned until Tuesday afternoon while Porter’s lawyers prepare to cross-examine both Dyer and Hooke on the new information.

I should say we don’t know what is in the new Hooke affidavit, other than the comment yesterday from Dyer’s barrister, Michael Hodge QC, that it “sweeps away the last vestiges” of Chrysanthou’s argument that she does not have any confidential information from the meeting.

On Tuesday morning Christopher Withers SC, Porter’s barrister in this hearing, raised the possibility the case may now run “a little bit” into Thursday.

That could have some implications for the main Porter defamation case.

A case management hearing in that case is listed for Wednesday, after justice Jayne Jagot effectively stalled the case until it was clear whether Chrysanthou could continue to act.

Updated

Back in finance estimates, the minister at the table, Simon Birmingham, won’t answer questions about whether staff in the PMO have hired lawyers and whether the government is paying for that legal advice.

Labor’s Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher are moving to sum up. Wong lists the main points of the evidence (meaning the main points about the lack of clarity courtesy of the evidence this morning).

Wong and Gallgaher’s point is Brittany Higgins deserves better than this. Birmingham says:

I think Brittany Higgins deserves a thorough process completed with integrity.

Wong shoots back:

I think everybody watching knows what you are doing. There should be some things that should be beyond politics and this should be one of them.

Updated

Thanks for reading, Senator Henderson!

The legal and constitutional estimates committee chair, Sarah Henderson, has just clarified her earlier threat to eject media.

Responding to an earlier post on our blog, Henderson said:

Yes I certainly did suggest media would be removed if Senator Keneally did not comply with my order that she didn’t have the call. I certainly did not suggest that I would kick the media out if she continued her line of questioning. [Keneally is entitled to continue her line of questioning when she has the call.]

I did not suggest I would make the committee private, it is a public hearing. It is open to call a private meeting – that is different to making the [entire hearing] private.”

Updated

Given the Melbourne restrictions, the AFL is delaying ticket sales:

The AFL advises that the AFL Member on-sale for Round 11 and 12 scheduled for 10am this morning will be delayed.

An updated on-sale time will be advised later today.

We apologise for any inconvenience that this delay may cause and appreciate your patience and support.

Penny Wong to Simon Birmingham:

A young woman was allegedly raped in a minister’s office. The prime minister is asked what he knew, when. Do you feel no shame Senator Birmingham, about the way in which this has been dragged out and the extent to which you are going, as a man representing the prime minister here, along with Mr guidance to prevent to prevent answers to the simple question of, who knew what, when.

Do you feel no shame about that?

Updated

The prime minister’s office has released this statement in the midst of all of this:

On 16 February 2021, I commissioned Ms Stephanie Foster PSM, Deputy Secretary, Governance in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, to undertake a report into the procedures and processes relating to serious incidents in the parliamentary workplace.

I asked Ms Foster to consider:

1. The procedures and processes involved in identifying and reporting a serious incident, particularly assault or sexual assault;

2. Steps that can be taken to ensure the processes of reporting and responses to serious incidents are able to be made independent from the employer;

3. Recommendations on how to ensure that all reporting and responses to serious incidents are driven by a principle of providing empowerment to the victims; and

4. Recommendations on how to ensure that the services and support that are provided to a victim are timely, effective, and ongoing.

Initially, Ms Foster provided advice to me on measures that required urgent implementation to address some of these issues. This included the establishment of a 24/7, independent, confidential and trauma-informed phone support line for all staff and parliamentarians (1800 APH SPT).

Last night, Ms Foster provided her final report which has made a number of significant findings that address gaps in existing procedures and processes when it comes to responding to serious incidents, providing support for those impacted by them, and of a preventative nature.

Her proposals and recommendations seek to ensure that processes are independent, provide empowerment to victims, and provide timely, effective and ongoing support.

Beyond measures already put in place, her recommendations include:

· Implementation of a face-to-face education program helping managers and staff understand their obligations in relation to a safe and respectful workplace, and to recognise and respond appropriately to serious incidents or patterns of behaviour in the workplace. Work on this program is well underway.

· Development of an independent, confidential, complaints mechanism for serious incidents. This body of work is more detailed and complex and will require consultation across the Parliament.

I intend to take this report to Cabinet and respond to the recommendations on behalf of the Government. Following this, I will seek to engage with all parties and parliamentarians to implement the response.

Ms Foster’s deliberations and her report have been designed deliberately to come forward with concrete steps. Throughout this process she has worked closely with the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Ms Kate Jenkins. I hope that this report will assist the Commissioner as part of her review into longer term cultural and systemic issues.

I thank Ms Foster for her report and I look forward to working with others to ensure lasting reform is achieved on these important issues.

Updated

In Melbourne, all five of the cases have been linked. Which is good news.

This outbreak though originated as a leak from the hotel quarantine program. Hotels are not set up as quarantine facilities. It is not a foolproof system. If you can get vaccinated, please do

Here is the official release on the Melbourne restrictions:

On the advice of public health experts, from 6pm tonight private gatherings in the home will be limited to five visitors per day, public gatherings will be limited to 30 people and face masks will need to be worn indoors, unless an exemption applies.

The face mask requirement applies to everyone aged 12 years and older.

These additional measures are an important extra precaution while we await the results of testing and undertake widespread contact tracing to stamp out the virus.

Schools and workplaces will remain open with the current restrictions that are in place. Depending on the workplace, this includes CovidSafe measures and in some cases, a density requirement. There are no changes to existing density rules.

Victorians who live in greater Melbourne and need to travel to regional Victoria can still do so however, the restrictions travel with them.

For example, if you visit someone outside of metropolitan Melbourne, they must not have more than five visitors to their home in that day. If you attend a public gathering outside of greater Melbourne, it must not be bigger than 30 people.

Victorians visiting regional Victoria from Melbourne will also need to wear a face mask when indoors even when outside of metropolitan Melbourne, unless an exemption applies.

Keeping our more vulnerable community members safe is always our priority, which is why hospital and aged care visitor restrictions will also now apply state-wide.

Use of the Service Victoria QR code service will still be mandatory in all venues and facilities required to have mandatory electronic record keeping from Friday, 28 May.

However, due to the current circumstances, we will pause on the move to remove the density quotient in outdoor spaces and venues to a maximum of 200 people in spaces smaller than 400 sq m. Timing for this easing will be reassessed when public health advice indicates it is appropriate to do so.

The Public Health Advisory Panel will provide advice as soon as possible to upcoming Tier 1 and Tier 2 events if any modifications will be required for the event to proceed.

We urge all Victorians to maintain CovidSafe behaviours to keep our community safe and most importantly, if you are unwell, get tested as soon as possible and stay isolated until you receive a negative result.

All eligible Victorians are also urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Appointments are available at sites across the state and at participating GP clinics, walk-ins are also accepted at many sites. Check your eligibility and your nearest site now.

For more information about current CovidSafe settings, Victoria’s travel permit system and the vaccine program, please visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

Commuters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Commuters in Melbourne on Tuesday. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Updated

Victoria is moving to daily monitoring of its wastewater in light of the recent Covid cases.

It was the wastewater testing which alerted authorities to a suspected case in the first case, which ramped up the messaging – so now it is doing daily tests to make sure any future areas of concern (if any) are caught.

Updated

Further to Paul’s post over the questioning in legal affairs estimates of AFP head Reese Kershaw, Liberal senator chair Sarah Henderson is now threatening to kick the media out and make the committee private if Kristina Keneally continues her line of questioning.

Henderson, as she is quick to remind people, is a former ABC journalist.

Updated

Just a reminder that departmental heads are part of the public service. It’s an independent position, not a political one. Public servants are meant to work for the public.

Back in finance estimates, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong are persisting in giving Phil Gaetjens a very bracing morning. Now they are on to conflicting evidence during the last estimates hearing given by Gaetjens and the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw.

(If you’ve forgotten this, Kershaw gave the impression he had not asked Gaetjens to pause his inquiry into who knew what when in Scott Morrison’s office, while Gaetjens, appearing in another inquiry, suggested Kershaw had told him to stop).

Gaetjens says after the conflicting evidence was given the two men had a conversation.

To get your stories straight, Katy Gallagher inquires?

Gaetjens says Kershaw then issued a statement clarifying his evidence.

The secretary says he did not make a file note after his conversation with Kershaw to record their conversation (which is pretty remarkable in public service terms).

Wong expresses some astonishment about this. How could the head of the public service have a conversation with the AFP commissioner about clarifying evidence given to the Senate and not make a record of the conversation?

Gaetjens thinks a file note wasn’t necessary.

Penny Wong moves back to the investigations Gaetjens has undertaken. Have any of the PMO lawyered up, Wong asks?

“I will take that on notice,” Gaetjens says. “I want further clarification about what I can say on that.”

Updated

Back to estimates for a moment:

The AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, has just revealed that the ACT Policing chief police officer has told him “a brief of evidence is likely to be provided to the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions in coming weeks” in Brittany Higgins’ complaint that she was sexually assaulted in the defence minister’s office by a fellow Liberal staffer.

A brief of evidence is sent to prosecutors once investigators considers enough evidence has been gathered to substantiate a criminal charge.

Labor’s Kristina Keneally has been probing interactions between Kershaw and PMC secretary, Phil Gaetjens, after the pair gave contradictory evidence about suspending the PMC inquiry into what the prime minister’s office knew about the Brittany Higgins sexual assault complaint and how it was handled.

Asked to explain the inconsistency in their evidence, Kershaw said there had been “confusion in the nuance of the language used”.

Keneally takes issue with that, noting she had asked if Kershaw had asked Gaetjens to “stall, pause or alter” the investigation, and Gaetjens had replied “no”.

Kershaw also clarified who called who after the inconsistency emerged:

To be helpful, I want to clear up that issue of who rang who, when and the substantive issue. On 14 April I believed I had called Gaetjens on 22 March and not the other way around. As soon as I became aware Gaetjens initiated contact I corrected the record.”

Earlier, in his prepared statement, Kershaw said:

[Gaetjens] called me after my testimony due to different interpretations of the evidence. That is not unusual or surprising in the circumstances. If he’d not called me – I would’ve made the call. I believed that issuing a statement was the most sensible thing to do to clarify any potential for misunderstanding.”

Kershaw took a series of questions on notice about whether he had taken notes of the conversation. He doesn’t reveal what Gaetjens said, simply rereading sections of the prepared statement.

Kershaw said Gaetjens made “the right call in suspending the inquiry”, to wait for advice about whether there was a “problematic intersection” between the AFP and PMC inquiry.

He said:

The advice is from ACT policing that there is no problematic intersection, so in my view the administrative inquiry can recommence.”

Updated

Genomic testing finds five new Melbourne Covid cases linked to Adelaide hotel quarantine case

So the genomic testing has found that the five cases in Melbourne are linked to the case from a few weeks ago, which came from Adelaide. A returned traveller completed hotel quarantine in Adelaide, returned home to Melbourne, and then tested positive for the virus. Authorities believe the man contracted Covid while in quarantine. It wasn’t picked up by the test he had before he left.

Updated

Covid restrictions for Melbourne announced

To be clear, there is no lockdown. There is no discussion of a lockdown just yet. But there are new restrictions.

Acting premier James Merlino says:

On the advice of our public health experts, from 6pm tonight, private gatherings in the home will be limited to five as it is per day.

Public gatherings will be limited to 30 people and face masks will need to be worn indoors unless an exemption applies.

This mask requirement is for everyone aged 12 years and older.

Schools and workplaces remain open.

Victorians who live in greater Melbourne and travel to regional Victoria can do so. But the restrictions travel with them.

For example, if you visit someone outside metropolitan Melbourne, they must have not more than five visitors at that house in that day.

Victorians visiting regional Victoria from Melbourne will also need to wear a face mask when indoors, even when outside metropolitan Melbourne, unless an exemption applies.

As I said, this is all based on public health advice. This is about giving our contact traces the time they need to track this matter down and get on top of it.

Face masks, private and informal gatherings, a reason why we’ve focused in these areas as opposed to businesses and workplaces that will continue under the existing arrangements.

Updated

Victoria records fifth local Covid case

A fifth case has come through to Victoria Health – after midnight though, so it is not part of today’s update.

James Merlino:

He was identified as a contact from case number one and was urgently tested, producing the positive result.

This new case is a male in his 60s who we are linking to the city of Whittlesea outbreak.

He is isolating as are his household contacts. Importantly, he reports being symptomatic before case number one developed symptoms – maybe this could be a possible source case but a full investigation and interview process is under way and has to run its course.

Updated

Morning all, as Amy has flagged, Scott Morrison’s departmental head Phil Gaetjens is having a bumpy ride in Senate estimates this morning. Let’s just cover off the main points thus far.

  • Gaetjens has confirmed the inquiry into who knew what when about Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation in Morrison’s office is back on.
  • The secretary thinks the inquiry will be concluded within weeks, not days “and certainty not months”.
  • Labor wants to know how it can take more than 100 days to find out whether Morrison’s staff knew about the allegation prior to 12 February?
  • Gaetjens says he had to “pause” for two months on the advice of the AFP (police are conducting a criminal investigation) and he has “no powers of compulsion”. Understanding this observation might suggest a new line of questioning, Gaetjens adds: “There have been no signs of noncooperation.”
  • Gaetjens won’t give a guarantee that his report will ever be made public. He says this is a report he’s doing for the prime minister so it’s not his report to make public.
  • Gaetjens says he has now interviewed all the relevant people (meaning everyone in Morrison’s office relevant to the terms of his inquiry). He later clarifies he has not interviewed Higgins yet, but that interview has been “scheduled shortly”.

Labor is not making this easy for Gaetjens. The secretary does not want to answer a question about how many people he had interviewed in the office because he’s concerned about privacy. In stereo, Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong and the shadow finance minister Katy Gallagher are shouting “cover-up”.

Updated

The Australian Federal Police commissioner, Reece Kershaw, has given a brief opening statement and is now spruiking for police to get more powers to identify and disrupt criminal activity.

As we reported in August, the surveillance legislation amendment (identify and disrupt) bill 2020 would give Australian Signals Directorate officers the power to help the AFP to identify criminal activity, meaning the ASD is no longer limited to spying offshore.

Kershaw said:

What we’ve seen during Covid is an increase in traffic [in child exploitation material]. The upload and download of child sexual exploitation material up significantly, in some areas by 124% (globally). So the images, videos and the exploitation of children is on the increase. With Covid, more people were at home and spending more time on their computers – they’ve all connected up.

Updated

Just for the record – there are 60 people who work in the prime minister’s office.

Updated

Murph is following the Phil Gaetjens’s evidence and will bring you updates very soon (I’m splitting my attention between this and Melbourne at the moment) but Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher are not impressed with what they are learning.

Gaetjens won’t say how many interviews he has done “on the grounds of personal information and personal privacy”.

The number of interviews is apparently a privacy issue.

No guarantee the Brittany Higgins report will be made public

Penny Wong is in this committee. She is already disappointed with Phil Gaetjens’s answers.

Gaetjens has said he has given the people he has interviewed in the prime minister’s office an undertaken of “confidentiality”.

He says it is for the prime minister to make public, if he wishes.

So there is no undertaking the report will be made public.

Wong asks for one – so Simon Birmingham, who is representing the PM in this committee, takes it on notice.

This is a review on who knew what, when.

The prime minister delegated the inquiry to his secretary of his department – but now there is no guarantee the findings will be made public.

Wong is very unhappy.

Former political staffer Brittany Higgins.
Former political staffer Brittany Higgins. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Updated

PM&C investigation into Brittany Higgins investigations being 'finalised'

OK, over to finance and public administration estimates, and Phil Gaetjens, the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, says he doesn’t expect any “significant delay” in completing the investigations into the who knew what, when of the Brittany Higgins investigations.

The report and documentation is being finalised, he says.

Updated

Also – no lockdown, but Melbourne can expect some more restrictions. Which would make sense.

Updated

No new local Covid cases in Melbourne reported

This is until midnight and we are still waiting on the press conference update at 9.30pm.

Updated

Meanwhile, the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Phil Gaetjens, will be making an appearance at estimates.

That starts at 9am – we will bring you all the updates.

And remember: for social media and for comments, just be careful about what you post.

Updated

We are expecting the Melbourne Covid update at 9.30 today.

Updated

Going through what happened in Senate estimates yesterday after I finished up, I’ve come across this exchange between Kristina Keneally and Amanda Stoker in the legal affairs committee.

Keneally asks Stoker if she would like the opportunity to respond to Grace Tame’s comments (which we reported on yesterday) that Stoker had only attempted to get in contact with her on Instagram.

This all happened just before 6pm. Stoker says she hasn’t “seen what Ms Tame has said or done” because she has been in estimates “and haven’t been following blow by blow what others are saying outside of the [estimates] bubble”.

She then goes on to say she really cares about coming up with ways to make sure women are safer, and her offer of a meeting remains open.

But at 2.10pm, Paul Karp had sent an email to Stoker’s media adviser asking for a response to Tame’s comments in the Betoota Advocate podcast, which included a rundown of what she had said about Stoker. Other reporters also contacted Stoker’s office about the same issue.

At 3.43pm, Stoker’s adviser responded with comments attributable to the senator:

My invitation to meet with Ms Tame remains open. I would welcome the opportunity to hear her concerns and work towards common goals. I believe a direct discussion between the two of us will be far more effective than one had through the press gallery.

It’s not exactly Watergate, but still. Someone in her office was following the “blow by blow”.

Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, Assistant Minister for Women and Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations Senator Amanda Stoker before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs legislation committee in the main committee room of parliament house in Canberra.
Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, Assistant Minister for Women and Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations Senator Amanda Stoker before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs legislation committee in the main committee room of parliament house in Canberra. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

From today, anyone over the age of 16 who lives in regional South Australia is eligible for a Covid vaccination – you will have to prove you are a local.

Apologies – an earlier version of this post left off “South”, which is a very important qualifier.

Updated

Someone please just fire me into the sun. Get it over and done with.

The current deputy prime minister apparently thinks “rapping” is awkwardly moving your shoulders while holding your arms up like a zombified pterodactyl and ugh.

Updated

New exposure sites for Melbourne listed by Victoria Health

Victoria’s health department has updated its list of exposure sites after a Covid-19 outbreak in Melbourne’s north:

TIER ONE – get tested, isolate for 14 days
* Nando’s Epping, Dalton Road, 19 May, 8.30pm to 9.20pm
* Highpoint shopping centre, 20 May, 5pm to 8pm
* Jump! Swim Schools, Bundoora, 21 May, 8.55am to 10.15am
* Woolworths, Epping North, 22 May, 4.45pm to 5.45pm

TIER TWO – get tested, isolate until negative result
* Shell Coles Express, Reservoir, 18 May, 3.15pm to 4.15pm
* B.T. Connor Reserve, Reservoir, 21 May, 8pm to 11.30pm
* Epping North shopping centre, 22 May, 4.45pm to 5.50pm
* House and Party, Epping, 22 May, 5.15pm to 5.50pm
* Futsal, Brunswick, 23 May, 9am to 10am
* Urban Diner food court, Pacific Epping shopping centre, 23 May, 1.15pm to 2.30pm

Updated

AAP has some new Covid exposure sites for Melbourne readers:

Nando’s Epping and Woolworths Epping North joined Jump! Swim Schools Bundoora and Highpoint Shopping Centre as tier one sites, meaning anyone who attended those places at specified times must be tested and isolate for 14 days.

Futsal Brunswick, Epping North shopping centre, House and Party at Epping, Urban Diner food court at Pacific Epping shopping centre, Shells Coles Express Reservoir and B.T. Connor Reserve are tier two sites – meaning affected people must get tested and isolate until they have a negative result.

Updated

And Sarah Martin shares what is happening with NSW preselections within the Liberal party – and it doesn’t look pretty:

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, is facing preselection turmoil in NSW with at least four sitting Liberal MPs facing an internal attempt to overthrow them ahead of the next election.

Despite Morrison saying he wants more women in parliament, the challenge to sitting members includes a push to oust female MPs in two key marginal western Sydney seats – Fiona Martin in Reid and Melissa McIntosh in Lindsay.

The immigration minister Alex Hawke – a key ally of Morrison – is being challenged in his blue-ribbon seat of Mitchell, while Trent Zimmerman, the leader of the NSW moderates in Canberra, is also under threat.

A heavy fog settled over Parliament House in Canberra this morning. Tuesday 25th May 2021.
A heavy fog settled over Parliament House in Canberra this morning. Tuesday 25th May 2021. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Katharine Murphy has the latest Guardian Essential Poll:

A majority of voters think a sprint to an early election would be opportunistic, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.

And a significant majority worry the Morrison government either lacks a long-term plan on a range of policy fronts or is failing to communicate its plans clearly.

The latest survey of 1,100 respondents suggests most voters would be irritated if Scott Morrison went to an election later this year rather in the first half of 2022, with 61% characterising any post-budget sprint to the ballot box as political opportunism, and 39% saying that would be reasonable because a lot has changed since the last federal election.

Michael McCormack muddled his way through a bunch of talking points on ABC News Breakfast this morning. He wants you to move to the regions to take up jobs there, but when asked about the lack of rentals and accommodation in the regions – a huge problem for a lot of people, and what is there is not particularly affordable at the moment –McCormack spoke about “working on it” and how the budget has grants for first home owners. Which is great if you are a first home builder and decide to build a house in a place you have just moved to, but I am not sure where you are supposed to live in the meantime if you take that path.

So, moving on from that, he was also asked whether the federal government should open up the vaccination program to under-50s, as a lot of the states have – so more people get vaccinated. Remember, when the government talks about 3.6m vaccinations, they don’t mean 3.6 million people have been vaccinated, they mean 3.6m doses have been administered. We don’t know how many people have been fully vaccinated (two doses). It’s an important distinction.

Here is what the deputy prime minister had to say:

We’re looking at these things all the time. We have daily meetings about what we need to do and the important thing is that we’ve tweaked and altered the way we’ve done things, based on what the states have asked us, based on what the community expected us to do.

There’s no manual for Covid-19. That’s why we’ve been able to put in place the measures and adapt the measures to ensure that. Just take jobseeker, for example. We extended it. We did the right thing in that regard and that’s what we’ve done the whole way through. We’ve met community expectations and I say again – I reiterate again to those people – make sure that you get your jab.

Updated

Good morning

Welcome to day two of the sitting week and estimates.

Today should be a busy one – the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is in front of the finance and administration committee today, so that’s a chance for senators to try to find out some more information over what is happening in the prime minister’s space.

In response to a question from Kristina Keneally which had been put on notice, we now know the AFP first alerted Peter Dutton’s office it had received a media inquiry about an alleged sexual assault in parliament house in October 2019.

There was a notification that a media inquiry had been made and responded to by ACT policing.

The first recorded contact the AFP has with Dutton over the matter was 11 February 2021. That’s after changes to how AFP dealt with “sensitive matters” were put in place – and were unknowingly triggered by Brittany Higgins when she spoke to the AFP about continuing her case. It was also the day before Samantha Maiden of news.com.au put in questions to the PMO about the alleged case.

That will no doubt be followed up today.

We will also be keeping an eye on what is happening in Melbourne after four cases of Covid were diagnosed – they are from the same family, across two households and everyone is in isolation, but still. We know how triggering cases can be for people in Melbourne, so we will bring you all that information as soon as possible.

You have Katharine Murphy, Daniel Hurst, Paul Karp and Sarah Martin in Canberra. Mike Bowers is already on the case, and Amy Remeikis is on the blog.

Ready?

Grab your coffee and let’s get straight into it.

Updated

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