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Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria to allow five guests in home as part of plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions – latest news Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria to allow five guests in home as part of plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions – latest news
(32 minutes later)
Premier Daniel Andrews uses press conference to announce roadmap to slowly lift lockdown rules from Wednesday, saying ‘with more freedom comes more responsibility’. Follow all the latest news and updates, live Premier Daniel Andrews announces roadmap to slowly lift lockdown rules from Wednesday, while Scott Morrison says he doesn’t see China decision on barley tariffs as retribution. Follow all the latest news and updates, live
The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has responded to reports the government could cut short the six-month jobkeeper payment
He told Guardian Australia:
No word from Labor yet about whether they could support reform the payment so that people who ordinarily earn less than $1,500 a fortnight no longer get the full payment, and money could be redirected to those currently ineligible, such as shorter-term casuals.
Richard Marles, his deputy, tells the caucus room that he believes the speech was wonderful, full of hope and one of the best things he has heard during the crisis.
As you were.
Anthony Albanese finishes with:
[cont from previous post]
Anthony Albanese:
Albanese continues:
Anthony Albanese lays out some of Labor’s proposal for a post-Covid restriction Australia:
OK, now to Anthony Albanese’s speech.
The Labor leader says the pandemic response has shown the best of politics, but the economic response risks a split:
Carnival Australia’s port operations manager has told an inquiry that it did not implement 1.5m physical distancing between 2,700 disembarking passengers from the Ruby Princess because he “does not remember it being a requirement at the time”.
Paul Mifsud from Carnival Australia, which is the operator of the Ruby Princess, also said he did not know who was in charge of workplace health and safety for Australian-based cruises. Under questioning from Kylie Nomchong SC, counsel for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, Mifsud said that passengers were not kept 1.5m apart on 19 March.
“I do not remember it being a requirement at the time,” he told the inquiry.
Nomchong said this was put in place in Australia on 15 March.
Mifsud said he did not recall any information being sent to Carnival Australia about this.Earlier, Mifsud was also asked who was in charge of workplace health and safety on Australian cruises, and said he did not know because it “would be somebody in the US office” from the department of fleet operations.
What can you take from that?
Well, the signs are all there that the jobkeeper program could be tweaked with, if the economy opens up faster than anticipated. Nothing is concrete, because no one knows what the next six weeks holds, let alone the next few months.
But the hints are there that if certain sectors bounce back, the wage subsidy could be redirected from them to others which will be slower to reopen, like tourism.
Watch that space.
And the other thing? Scott Morrison really, really, really doesn’t want to talk about sports rorts. At least some things have remained constant in this weird world.
And then the press conference ends with this – if the unemployment rates drops sooner than anticipated, the Covid supplements could be wound back.And then the press conference ends with this – if the unemployment rates drops sooner than anticipated, the Covid supplements could be wound back.
Scott Morrison:Scott Morrison:
We then get this question from Paul Karp:We then get this question from Paul Karp:
That is in relation to this story, from information very handily lodged late on a Friday afternoon:That is in relation to this story, from information very handily lodged late on a Friday afternoon:
But Scott Morrison again says he has no questions to answer:But Scott Morrison again says he has no questions to answer:
Question: Prime minister, would you consider scaling back jobkeeper or ending it before the end of September?Question: Prime minister, would you consider scaling back jobkeeper or ending it before the end of September?
Scott Morrison:Scott Morrison:
Scott Morrison continued:Scott Morrison continued:
Question: Prime minister, two months ago you insisted to us, if you shut down, it had to be for six months. That was the only way you could squash the virus. How did you get that wrong and can you confirm the tertiary review into jobkeeper will assess whether to truncate or alter the program before September, given restrictions are being lifted?Question: Prime minister, two months ago you insisted to us, if you shut down, it had to be for six months. That was the only way you could squash the virus. How did you get that wrong and can you confirm the tertiary review into jobkeeper will assess whether to truncate or alter the program before September, given restrictions are being lifted?
Scott Morrison:Scott Morrison:
Question: The draft decision by the Chinese to impose the tariffs on barley, do you see that as retribution for us pushing for the review into the outbreak of the virus?Question: The draft decision by the Chinese to impose the tariffs on barley, do you see that as retribution for us pushing for the review into the outbreak of the virus?
Scott Morrison:Scott Morrison:
Scott Morrison is also holding his media conference – of course the issue of China’s tariffs came up:Scott Morrison is also holding his media conference – of course the issue of China’s tariffs came up:
The Victorian chief medical officer, Prof Brett Sutton, says handshakes and hugs are still not recommended:The Victorian chief medical officer, Prof Brett Sutton, says handshakes and hugs are still not recommended:
NSW police handed out three tickets for ignoring restrictions yesterday. Here is how they explained it:
Officers from Sydney City police area command were patrolling Sydney’s CBD when they stopped a vehicle on George Street about 1am yesterday (Sunday 10 May 2020). Police spoke with the 19-year-old female driver and three passengers. The Greenacre woman told police the group had just wanted to get out of the house but could not provide a reason for being in the city. When checks revealed she had previously been warned for being out in a group and without a reasonable excuse, she was issued a $1000 PIN. Her passengers each received warnings.
About 6.30pm, officers from Blacktown police area command were patrolling Seven Hills when they observed two men sitting and drinking on Boomerang Place. Police spoke with the men about breaching ministerial directions, with neither able to provide a reason for being there and stating to just give them a fine because they weren’t going to pay it. Checks revealed both men – aged 39 and 43 – had previously been warned for doing the same thing. They were each issued $1000 PINs.
So again, that is up to five visitors in a household (or half a Sam Newman) and 10 people for outside activities (a whole Sam Newman) in Victoria from midnight tomorrow.
Dust off those old MySpace lists, Victoria.
And “10 is 10”:
Again, if you can work from home, Dan Andrews says you should:
Beyond the next three weeks?
Dan Andrews is serious about the no overnight rule:
And if you can still work from home, you are encouraged to do so.
But camping is still out – there will be no overnight stays allowed in the national or state parks.
There are no limits to how far you can travel though, Dan Andrews says – you can drive to the beach, or your favourite hiking track, if you wish (and can still abide by physical distance rules).
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From Dan Andrews’s statement: