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Coronavirus Australia update: Victoria records four new cases as health association says protests can be held safely – politics live Coronavirus Australia update: Scott Morrison press conference as Queensland sticks with 10 July border open date – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Victoria records four new cases, none linked to protests, as Queensland continues to cop brunt of federal pressure to reopen borders. Follow liveVictoria records four new cases, none linked to protests, as Queensland continues to cop brunt of federal pressure to reopen borders. Follow live
On the protests planned for this tonight and this weekend, Scott Morrison says there “shouldn’t be a double standard”
Scott Morrison also welcomes Queensland’s July 10 border re-open date.
Scott Morrison then moves on to the issue of international students:
On international students we’ll be working closely on states and territories, firstly on a pilot basis, to enable, in a very controlled setting, for international students to be able to come to Australia but only on pre-approved plans for particular institutions worked up between federal authorities and state and territory authorities.
I’m not suggesting this is going to happen soon. There’s still a lot of work to do and that needs to get in place. We’ve received some very, I think, well thought-through proposals from states as to how this can be done, particularly here in the ACT.
This is something that I’m sure we would all welcome happening again, but it has to be done with the appropriate quarantine entry arrangements and biosecurity, and all of those matters, being addressed.
That’s something that I know Border Force is working on. Our Federal Cabinet than considering that now for some time. We’re still a little way away on being able to advance on those proposals. But I made clear to the states and territories today, if someone can’t come to your state from Sydney, then someone can’t come to your state from Singapore.
That means stadiums should be able to have 25% capacity (from July, if all goes well).
Funerals and churches and other gatherings will also be able to have more people, as long as the four-square-metre rule is maintained.
But nightclubs will still be out.
Step three, which is set down for July, will lift the 100 people in a gathering cap and move to a four square metre rule, which means that larger venues can have more people.
Scott Morrison on the national cabinet outcomes:
The prime minister says it won’t be a long press conference, and apologises to those who have had their midday movie interrupted.
Yup.
Musician, record label owner, actor, one half of AB Original and Guardian culture desk fav Briggs can now add “bestselling author” to his collection of achievements after his picture book, Our Home Our Heartbeat, shot up the sales charts this week.
Our Home Our Heartbeat had been a quiet seller since its release in May, a spokesperson for publisher Hardie Grant Egmont told Guardian Australia, but sales more than doubled this week in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests around the country.
While it wasn’t enough to stop the Bluey juggernaut (can anything?) – Bluey has been dominating children’s bestseller lists since the first book in the franchise series was released late last year – Briggs’ picture book is the top-selling authored title in the children’s charts this week.
The book is adapted from Briggs’ song The Children Came Back, and illustrated by Kate Moon and Rachael Sarra.
This is in MelbourneThis is in Melbourne
More information may be needed here, Mr Falinski:More information may be needed here, Mr Falinski:
The whole roadmap, which has been out for a while, and includes the July 10 date, is here:The whole roadmap, which has been out for a while, and includes the July 10 date, is here:
For those still screaming for a date on when the greatest nation on earth, Queensland, will be reopening its borders for domestic travel, the deputy premier and health minister, Steven Miles, gives a pretty big hint here:For those still screaming for a date on when the greatest nation on earth, Queensland, will be reopening its borders for domestic travel, the deputy premier and health minister, Steven Miles, gives a pretty big hint here:
And just in case there is anyone who follows the same twisted logic of the former foreign affairs minister (who seems to be vying for the title of the whitest man in Australia – a big call, given we already have Michael McCormack) read this:And just in case there is anyone who follows the same twisted logic of the former foreign affairs minister (who seems to be vying for the title of the whitest man in Australia – a big call, given we already have Michael McCormack) read this:
This is why people heap shit on Queenslanders (of which I am one):This is why people heap shit on Queenslanders (of which I am one):
The Coalition and Labor have again combined to prevent a One Nation stunt on race politics.The Coalition and Labor have again combined to prevent a One Nation stunt on race politics.
Malcolm Roberts has put forward a motion noting the rates of death in custody of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and accusing people of quoting the 437 Indigenous deaths in custody figure without further context, of “distorting” debate.Malcolm Roberts has put forward a motion noting the rates of death in custody of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and accusing people of quoting the 437 Indigenous deaths in custody figure without further context, of “distorting” debate.
He has selectively quoted the sort of data that might make everything look fine if one didn’t realise that Indigenous people are incarcerated at a much higher rate, so a similar (or slightly lower) rate of deaths applied to a much higher imprisoned population = way more deaths, relative to the proportion of Indigenous people in the population.He has selectively quoted the sort of data that might make everything look fine if one didn’t realise that Indigenous people are incarcerated at a much higher rate, so a similar (or slightly lower) rate of deaths applied to a much higher imprisoned population = way more deaths, relative to the proportion of Indigenous people in the population.
Mathias Cormann proposed that the motion be dealt with in general motions not formal motions – essentially kicking the can down the road – and Labor’s Katy Gallagher agreed.Mathias Cormann proposed that the motion be dealt with in general motions not formal motions – essentially kicking the can down the road – and Labor’s Katy Gallagher agreed.
Gallagher said:Gallagher said:
Pauline Hanson had a big spray accusing the government and opposition of “shutting this down” because they “don’t want the truth” to get out.Pauline Hanson had a big spray accusing the government and opposition of “shutting this down” because they “don’t want the truth” to get out.
Greens senator Larissa Waters expressed concern that although the Greens disagree with One Nation the precedent does allow the government and opposition to gang up to shut down minor parties’ motions.Greens senator Larissa Waters expressed concern that although the Greens disagree with One Nation the precedent does allow the government and opposition to gang up to shut down minor parties’ motions.
The manoeuvre worked, and they’re moving on with other motions now, so we’re spared the One Nation race vote.The manoeuvre worked, and they’re moving on with other motions now, so we’re spared the One Nation race vote.
The national cabinet meeting has broken for the day.The prime minister has called a press conference for about 12.40.The national cabinet meeting has broken for the day.The prime minister has called a press conference for about 12.40.
It’s in the main committee room, so not a fancy one then.It’s in the main committee room, so not a fancy one then.
Sadly, this is not a parody account:
Labor’s Australia Post campaign has hit a nerve. Paul Fletcher and Mathias Cormann have put out a release disputing Labor’s concerns:
Labor’s claims are untrue in multiple respects:
It has been claimed that Australia Post will cut jobs and remove one in four posties. This is not true. Australia Post has said there will be no forced redundancies or plans to cut posties’ take-home pay due to the new temporary arrangements. Many posties will continue delivering letters on bikes, and others will be retrained to deliver parcels in vans, putting them where the work is, securing their job with Australia Post, and better meeting the increasing needs of Australians for parcel deliveries.
It has been claimed that Australia Post wants to cut delivery services in half. This is not true. Australia Post is permitted to adjust its delivery frequency, in metropolitan areas only, from every business day to every second business day. Delivery frequency in rural, regional and remote areas will not change.
It has been claimed that wait times for letters will more than double, from three to seven days. This is not true. Mail speed standards for regular interstate letters (mail travelling around the country) have not changed. Whether measured in business days or actual days, the speed of delivery for intrastate mail has changed by only one or two days for regular intrastate letters, not out by four days as suggested.
It has been claimed regional Australians and small business will be disadvantaged compared to metropolitan areas. This is not true. While the delivery frequency of regular mail has been adjusted in metropolitan areas, the delivery frequency for regular mail for rural, regional and remote areas was protected and remains unchanged. Licensed post offices – which, together with community postal agencies, represent about 2,300 small businesses in regional and rural communities – have come out in active support of the temporary regulatory changes.
It has been claimed that vulnerable Australians will be most impacted by the changes. This is not true. The temporary regulatory changes give Australia Post flexibility to provide additional services that better support vulnerable Australians, such as delivering medicines and grocery boxes.
It has been claimed that the changes are permanent. This is not true. The regulations are written such that changes will automatically end on 30 June 2021. The government will assess the effect of these temporary arrangements before the end of the year, and decide if they are to stay in place for the full period expected. Any extension of the temporary relief measures will be informed by relevant consultations. Such an extension would also be subject to a new disallowance period.
It has been claimed that the government wants to privatise Australia Post. This is not true. The Morrison government is fully committed to Australia Post remaining in government ownership. There will be no change to Australia Post’s ownership, which will remain government owned.
The Morrison government is committed to supporting Australia Post to provide important postal services to all Australians.
Bill Shorten also spoke on the government’s reaction to robodebt:
And your reminder that just yesterday, Stuart Robert said debt collection by the commonwealth, will be resuming.
Bill Shorten has held a press conference and is asked about the conservative call to take unemployment benefits from people who received them and went to a protest (because free speech can only be free when its something power agrees with, apparently).
Q: Are you against taking away the payments from people who protest this weekend?
Shorten:
I am a Collingwood fan – but the club needs to work on this.
And yet the Queensland election will be going ahead in October (and local government elections and two byelections were held in the midst of the lockdowns) and the federal government and the NSW premier are pushing for state borders to be brought down (and I can tell you, there are more people on a Queensland beach than in line at any one time for a local government election).
Plus – postal votes are a thing?
I’ve spoken to a bunch of Coalition MPs about what they think should happen to the jobkeeper wage subsidy and jobseeker coronavirus supplement come the end of September.
The main fault lines of the debate seem to be that everyone agrees industry assistance will be needed for sectors such as tourism but only some want jobkeeper to be extended. Others want a more specific bailout package.
The Nationals MP for Cowper, Pat Conaghan, told Guardian Australia:
On jobseeker, some including Llew O’Brien want the higher rate of $1,100 to continue if unemployment persists.
Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey also wants consideration of incentivising jobseeker recipients to join the cashless debit card by offering those who agree a higher rate.
While the debate over the protests in Australia in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the treatment of Indigenous and First Nations people in this country continues to focus on statues and whether or not American streaming services removing movies so they can put the same educational disclaimer on them that cartoons have had for years, while asking people to think about whether or not black and brown face has ever been funny (it hasn’t), it is worth remembering the history of some of the people driving the debate.
Like Peter Dutton, who is one of the loudest and often most visible people on these issues but often without any caveat that he left the chamber when the national apology was delivered to Indigenous people.
If we are going to remember history, we should probably remember that too:
(from Q&A on 15 March 2010)Tony Jones: to Peter Dutton: why did you choose not to attend the apology to the stolen generations?”
Dutton: Well, for pretty much the same reasons. I support any legislation whatsoever that would go through our parliament that I thought would provide a tangible outcome for, particularly, Aboriginal children. I ...Jones: Well, hang on, when you say for the “same reasons” you mean you regarded the apology as tokenism?Dutton: I regarded it as something which was not going to deliver tangible outcomes to kids who are being raped and tortured in communities in the 21st century. Now if I thought for a moment that it was going to deliver positive outcomes to those kids, to their families, to those communities, then I would support it in a heartbeat. But I thought it distracted us from that.Jones: But you were on your own on the Liberal frontbench. Did you make a deliberate decision to be the only Liberal frontbencher who didn’t participate in the apology?Dutton: I made a decision what was right for me and what I believed in and that I stayed true to. Now at the time I offered my resignation to Brendan Nelson and that was part of my thinking at the time. I ...Jones: What, you though so strongly about not wanting to see an apology you offered your resignation?
Dutton: Well I knew that that would be a difficulty for Brendan and I respected that. But what I said to him at the same time was exactly what I said before. If legislation comes through, you know, regardless of cost – if there’s a benefit that’s going to be provided to lifting people out of poverty, to changing the future for our generation, then I would do that. If it’s going to lift life expectancy. If it’s going to deliver better health outcomes.
That statement ends with: