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| Coronavirus Australia update: borders, airlines and outdoor gatherings on the agenda as national cabinet meets – politics live | Coronavirus Australia update: borders, airlines and outdoor gatherings on the agenda as national cabinet meets – politics live |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Queensland continues to cop brunt of federal pressure to reopen borders, but closures remain in place for WA, SA, Tasmania and the NT. Follow live | Queensland continues to cop brunt of federal pressure to reopen borders, but closures remain in place for WA, SA, Tasmania and the NT. Follow live |
| The fact that statues have taken over the debate in this country, and not the treatment of Indigenous people, really says a lot about Australia and how we just cannot let go of a cultural war. | |
| Here are Richard Marles and Peter Dutton on the Today show this morning: | |
| Q: There’s a bit of anger around at the moment. You can feel it in the air. And some of it is racially charged. There’s also a few other issues that we need to get to. Wayne Swan was on our show about half an hour ago saying Pete, Captain Cook statues and the like may be better placed in museums, what do you think? | |
| Dutton: Well, I think a museum would be a great place for Wayne Swan. I can’t think of anyone more in the past than Wayne Swan. Really, is he serious? Look, I don’t think ripping pages out of history books and brushing over parts of history that you don’t agree with or that you don’t like is really something that the Australian public is going to embrace. There are good and bad parts of our history. You learn from that. And sit down – and you see what Netflix has done and the ABC now is trying to do. I just think it is such an absurdity. You sit down with your kids, looking at some of these videos, explaining that slavery was a horrible period in the United States. There was a civil war that took place. Kids learn from all of that. But removing that sort of content from online or from our television sets, I just don’t think makes any sense. People need to learn from history. Need to appreciate those periods. And people will reflect back on us in 100 years and no doubt form their own judgments as well. But I just really think airbrushing history or pretending that something didn’t happen is such an obscure sort of leftwing cause. I don’t think the mainstream public agree with it. | |
| Q: Richard, you’re left wing, have things gone too far? | |
| Dutton: He has got two left wings. | |
| Marles: I don’t think it’s a leftwing cause. I think history matters. People need to be judged in the context of their history. And as Peter said, future generations are going to judge us. They are actually going to judge us on what we do or do not do in terms of dealing with the question of Indigenous disadvantage in this country. That’s what we have got to be focusing on. I’m not sure that we’re going to be given a lot of credit for going on a statue rampage. We actually have to be doing something about improving the lives of Indigenous Australians right now and I think that’s what should be our focus. | |
| For all the international coronavirus news, head here | |
| Anthony Albanese called in to Sydney radio 2GB, where he was asked about what is apparently the biggest issue in Australia at the moment – the tearing down of statues. | |
| For the record, they are not saying you can’t watch Gone With The Wind. They are just saying to remember the historical context in which it is set, and to think about it as you watch the movie. | |
| It’s really not that hard. Looney Tunes did it. There has been a disclaimer in front of the cartoons since about 2014 | |
| And if kids can handle it without passing out from political correctness vapours, than we should be able to watch Katie Scarlett O’Hara defend her part of the South, while recognising that in today’s world, she’d be rightly called out for her bullshit. And yes, I have read the book. | |
| Labor will move to disallow the Australia Post changes in both the House and the Senate today. | Labor will move to disallow the Australia Post changes in both the House and the Senate today. |
| The Senate is where the move has the most chance of success. These things are usually left out of the House, because the government of the day (obviously) has the numbers there, making it sort of against the point. | The Senate is where the move has the most chance of success. These things are usually left out of the House, because the government of the day (obviously) has the numbers there, making it sort of against the point. |
| So in moving it himself in the House, Anthony Albanese will be making a bit of history – it is the first time since at least the 1960s that an Opposition leader has moved a disallowance motion | So in moving it himself in the House, Anthony Albanese will be making a bit of history – it is the first time since at least the 1960s that an Opposition leader has moved a disallowance motion |
| In Brisbane, this is still happening. | In Brisbane, this is still happening. |
| The national cabinet is national cabineting as of now. | The national cabinet is national cabineting as of now. |
| You’ll hear a bit more about borders at the end of that meeting. | You’ll hear a bit more about borders at the end of that meeting. |
| Rose Bay public school in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has been closed after a probable Covid case. | Rose Bay public school in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has been closed after a probable Covid case. |
| Students will be asked to learn from home while the school is cleaned. | Students will be asked to learn from home while the school is cleaned. |
| Mathias Cormann told Sky News it was worth having “the conversation” about whether or not protesters should lose their unemployment benefits – just in case you were wondering how far down the Howard era we were going. | Mathias Cormann told Sky News it was worth having “the conversation” about whether or not protesters should lose their unemployment benefits – just in case you were wondering how far down the Howard era we were going. |
| The “conversation” is only being raised in conservative circles. | The “conversation” is only being raised in conservative circles. |
| The protests were mostly held on weekends. You can have a job and protest. You’re allowed to be unemployed and protest. | The protests were mostly held on weekends. You can have a job and protest. You’re allowed to be unemployed and protest. |
| But hey – he’s managed to put Pauline Hanson in “context”, so what a hero. | But hey – he’s managed to put Pauline Hanson in “context”, so what a hero. |
| The Greens Senator Rachel Siewert also has a few things to say about Scott Morrison’s “apology” for robodebt: | The Greens Senator Rachel Siewert also has a few things to say about Scott Morrison’s “apology” for robodebt: |
| The PM’s so-called apology in Parliament yesterday failed to show empathy and recognise the pain and trauma that the robodebt program caused to hundreds of thousands of Australians.“This Government relentlessly pursed people for years in the full knowledge that they were targeting vulnerable people for savings. “I would apologise for any hurt or harm in the way that the government has dealt with that issue,” does not cut it, the PM clearly doesn’t get how much hurt and grief robodebt has caused.“If you are sorry you say “I AM SORRY” not “I would apologise”.“How about showing exactly how sorry your Government is and put in place a Royal Commission to get to the bottom of this whole mess.” | The PM’s so-called apology in Parliament yesterday failed to show empathy and recognise the pain and trauma that the robodebt program caused to hundreds of thousands of Australians.“This Government relentlessly pursed people for years in the full knowledge that they were targeting vulnerable people for savings. “I would apologise for any hurt or harm in the way that the government has dealt with that issue,” does not cut it, the PM clearly doesn’t get how much hurt and grief robodebt has caused.“If you are sorry you say “I AM SORRY” not “I would apologise”.“How about showing exactly how sorry your Government is and put in place a Royal Commission to get to the bottom of this whole mess.” |
| Meanwhile, the Victorian Labor government will be asked to strengthen anti-racism laws in that state after advocacy groups say there was an increase in racist attacks during the height of the Covid lockdowns. | Meanwhile, the Victorian Labor government will be asked to strengthen anti-racism laws in that state after advocacy groups say there was an increase in racist attacks during the height of the Covid lockdowns. |
| From their statement: | From their statement: |
| During the COVID-19 pandemic, people from Asian backgrounds have reported almost 400 racist attacks to a reporting tool organised by the Asian Australian Alliance. This has included verbal and physical assaults, death threats, people being abused in front of their children, people being refused service in stores and property damage. | During the COVID-19 pandemic, people from Asian backgrounds have reported almost 400 racist attacks to a reporting tool organised by the Asian Australian Alliance. This has included verbal and physical assaults, death threats, people being abused in front of their children, people being refused service in stores and property damage. |
| Incidents include people being spat on, two female international students being assaulted in Melbourne, a man with Asian heritage being deliberately coughed on and being told to “go home”, a Chinese woman suffering a concussion after a person threw a bottle at her head from a moving car and multiple examples of people being subjected to racial abuse. | Incidents include people being spat on, two female international students being assaulted in Melbourne, a man with Asian heritage being deliberately coughed on and being told to “go home”, a Chinese woman suffering a concussion after a person threw a bottle at her head from a moving car and multiple examples of people being subjected to racial abuse. |
| A coalition of union, civil society and faith-based groups have made a supplementary submission to the Parliamentary committee inquiring into Victoria’s anti-vilification laws highlighting these recent incidents of hate conduct. The coalition is calling for a range of law reform measures, including stronger civil and criminal laws so that people are held accountable for conduct fuelled by hate. | A coalition of union, civil society and faith-based groups have made a supplementary submission to the Parliamentary committee inquiring into Victoria’s anti-vilification laws highlighting these recent incidents of hate conduct. The coalition is calling for a range of law reform measures, including stronger civil and criminal laws so that people are held accountable for conduct fuelled by hate. |
| The group is also calling for the Andrews Government to ban the public display of vilifying and offensive materials, like the Nazi Swastika, which is increasingly being displayed and used as a calling card for white supremacist groups across Victoria. | The group is also calling for the Andrews Government to ban the public display of vilifying and offensive materials, like the Nazi Swastika, which is increasingly being displayed and used as a calling card for white supremacist groups across Victoria. |
| Mark Dreyfus was also asked about the demands of Black Lives Matter protesters in Australia: | Mark Dreyfus was also asked about the demands of Black Lives Matter protesters in Australia: |
| This morning the ABC is running this story: | This morning the ABC is running this story: |
| It is also worth pointing out that Stuart Robert also said the debt collection would resume yesterday (something that seemed a little lost in all the “apology” talk): | It is also worth pointing out that Stuart Robert also said the debt collection would resume yesterday (something that seemed a little lost in all the “apology” talk): |
| Mark Dreyfus was on ABC radio this morning. He was asked about the prime minister’s apology for the “hurt or harm” caused to anyone by how the government carried out robodebt. Dreyfus said the apology wasn’t enough: | Mark Dreyfus was on ABC radio this morning. He was asked about the prime minister’s apology for the “hurt or harm” caused to anyone by how the government carried out robodebt. Dreyfus said the apology wasn’t enough: |
| Well, this is heartening. | Well, this is heartening. |
| From Chris Knaus: | From Chris Knaus: |
| More protests are planned for this weekend. | More protests are planned for this weekend. |
| In NSW, police have declared the planned Black Lives Matter event “unauthorised” and said they would be upholding the health control orders. | In NSW, police have declared the planned Black Lives Matter event “unauthorised” and said they would be upholding the health control orders. |
| Scott Morrison, while saying there was “no slavery in Australia” (there was) has also said any further protesters should be fined. It’s going to get very, very messy. | Scott Morrison, while saying there was “no slavery in Australia” (there was) has also said any further protesters should be fined. It’s going to get very, very messy. |
| It’s a sitting day and national cabinet, so aren’t we lucky ducks. | It’s a sitting day and national cabinet, so aren’t we lucky ducks. |
| Yesterday both the prime minister and the treasurer turned up the heat on states to reopen borders (while also condemning Black Lives Matter protesters for setting back the easing of restrictions and ignoring any contradiction in what they were saying). | Yesterday both the prime minister and the treasurer turned up the heat on states to reopen borders (while also condemning Black Lives Matter protesters for setting back the easing of restrictions and ignoring any contradiction in what they were saying). |
| The closed states have mostly pointed to July as when they’ll be comfortable reopening. That’s what Scott Morrison says was part of the national cabinet plan. But because politics is back, so is the border open push. | The closed states have mostly pointed to July as when they’ll be comfortable reopening. That’s what Scott Morrison says was part of the national cabinet plan. But because politics is back, so is the border open push. |
| Queensland, where a state election is to be held in October, is bearing the brunt of it. Even though the NT, WA and South Australia are also closed. So, good times. | Queensland, where a state election is to be held in October, is bearing the brunt of it. Even though the NT, WA and South Australia are also closed. So, good times. |
| We’ll cover that and everything else that happens today. You’ve got Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day. There may not be enough coffee in the world for this Friday. | We’ll cover that and everything else that happens today. You’ve got Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day. There may not be enough coffee in the world for this Friday. |
| Ready? | Ready? |