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Coronavirus Australia live update: parliament resumes as Victoria details plans to reopen schools – latest news
Coronavirus Australia live update: treasurer delivers 'sobering' economic update – latest news
(32 minutes later)
Daniel Andrews says Victorian schools to start returning from 26 May; NSW records no new cases of Covid-19 and Josh Frydenberg to deliver an economic statement in lieu of the federal budget. Follow the latest news live
Josh Frydenberg says in statement in lieu of the federal budget: ‘There is no money tree. What we borrow today we must repay in the future.’ Follow the latest news live
This part of the speech is a recap of the jobkeeper wage subsidy, as well as the loans and other economic responses the government has rolled out during the pandemic.
Josh Frydenberg has now drunk the parliamentary chamber out of water as he attempts to get his speech back on track.
Josh Frydenberg breaks his speech for a three-minute coughing fit that has Theresa May suddenly clenching in sympathy – without knowing why.
The cough is ongoing. There have been tears. There is no voice.
“Too long a speech,” he chokes out.
He then takes his hands which he has been coughing into back on to the despatch box.
That sound you hear is the parliamentary cleaners whirring up the disinfectant blaster.
Josh Frydenberg throws back to the “back in balance” (that sound you hear is the last of the “Back in black” Liberal party budget mugs being smashed for a mosaic of what could have been.
And then we get to the money tree line:
Josh Frydenberg:
The treasurer continues:
Josh Frydenberg has laid out the state of the June quarter:
Oh look, we might actually find out what is happening with our democracy.
It’s supposed to be budget day, but it’s not, so instead we are listening to Josh Frydenberg deliver an economic update in the chamber.
We are all just waiting for the “team Australia” reference.
Labor is making a very big point of the NRL coming back before parliament did, with Tony Burke pointing out that it is working out how to abide by the 1.5m rule in tackles so how can the parliament not work out how to come back.
I mean, anyone who has seen Ashley Taylor’s defensive plays would know that attempting tackles from 1.5m away is not the issue some think it is (I said attempt, not carry through, obviously).
Questions are being put in the negative, so no one has to move sides for the divisions.
Questions are being put in the negative, so no one has to move sides for the divisions.
The motion to suspend standing orders is under way.
The motion to suspend standing orders is under way.
Labor supports it, but Tony Burke is using the opportunity to talk about the need to reinstate parliament sittings as usual.
Labor supports it, but Tony Burke is using the opportunity to talk about the need to reinstate parliament sittings as usual.
Still no date for the Eden-Monaro byelection.
Still no date for the Eden-Monaro byelection.
The bells have rung and the parliament is once again sitting (just in a very socially distant way).
The bells have rung and the parliament is once again sitting (just in a very socially distant way).
Prayers are being said, and then it will be into the Josh Frydenberg statement.
Prayers are being said, and then it will be into the Josh Frydenberg statement.
For those who have asked, Scott Morrison’s children are back at school, for on-site learning.
For those who have asked, Scott Morrison’s children are back at school, for on-site learning.
Bryce Cartwright and Brian Kelly, the Gold Coast Titans pair who have refused to have a flu jab, are unlikely to play again this season with the Queensland government standing firm on its “no jab, no play” policy.
The state’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, said on Tuesday flu shot exemptions would be granted for NRL players but only on medical grounds. That would appear to rule out Cartwright and Kelly, who have been stood down since they refused the vaccination for philosophical reasons.
“I sent a letter to the NRL yesterday in which I did exempt them for medical contrary indications, no different to the exemptions I provide for children who are attending childcare or for people going to aged care so they have those same exemptions,” she said. “If they have got medical reasons for not being vaccinated [they will receive an exemption]. If they have had an anaphylactic reaction to previous flu vaccine or any component of a flu vaccine, you do not need to be vaccinated so I have provided that exemption.”
Young said an exemption on any other grounds is “not covered”.
Labor is taking advice on whether the $130bn jobkeeper wage subsidy can be improved by disallowing bits of the rules they disagree with in the Senate. Guardian Australia understands one of these elements is changes excluding universities.
Today the Greens will give notice of a disallowance motion in the Senate that would allow universities to access the more generous 15% downturn test enjoyed by other charities and to count their losses over one month, rather than six, in line with other employers.
Universities were incensed by the changes to the wage subsidy program which have left them technically eligible to access the $1,500 per work fortnightly payment but in practice removed all of them from contention.
The Greens are confident the Senate can disallow rules that disadvantage universities without also scrubbing out provisions that benefit other charities – but Labor is not sure and taking advice.
The Greens education spokeswoman, Mehreen Faruqi, told Guardian Australia:
“Through multiple changes to the rules, universities have been targeted by this government and deliberately excluded from the jobkeeper wage subsidy scheme.
“30,000 jobs are on the line, with impacted staff in every corner of the country.
“The unfair treatment must end this week. Parliament has the opportunity to reject this malicious exclusion of universities.
“The government keeps shifting the goalposts and the madness has to stop. The failure to support universities through this crisis jeopardises not just our recovery but also our long-term future.”
The Australian meat industry has responded to the delistings, and also says it is a “technical matter”.
Yes. Yes it is.
Simon Birmingham has confirmed the Weekly Times story we posted a little earlier about the Chinese government delisting Australian abattoirs.
The trade minister says it is four abattoirs due to “technical issues”.
The international borders are still closed.
You’ll find more information on why the security at regional airports became an issue, here:
With parliament back in something approximating normal fashion, angst has also resumed. Regional Coalition MPs raised concerns pre-Covid about regulations imposed by the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, that will make regional airports do more security screening.
The government is covering the costs of the new screening equipment for small airports but I gather not the operating costs, or the staff to do the security checks and perform the screening services.
This will mean the small airports will have to seek cost recovery through increases in landing charges.
Government MPs, including Rowan Ramsey and Barnaby Joyce, have spoken against the proposal.
There have also been objections from Labor senators. We are getting to the sharp end of this now because Rex Patrick will seek to disallow the regulations tomorrow.
I’m told that Labor (despite the internal objections) has resolved to oppose the Patrick disallowance this morning.
But its home affairs spokeswoman, Kristina Keneally, says Labor “remains concerned about the Morrison government’s implementation of airport security upgrades to date, which have caused confusion and led to the potential loss of airports, airline services and jobs in regional Australia”.
Labor’s caucus meeting has broken – we’ll bring you an update on that a little later.
The privacy app legislation will be entered into parliament just after Josh Frydenberg’s statement to the house.
