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Coronavirus Australia live update: jobkeeper overhauled as Victoria's downturn hits – latest news Coronavirus Australia live update: Josh Frydenberg announces jobkeeper overhaul as Victoria's downturn hits – latest news
(32 minutes later)
Coalition U-turns on tougher eligibility rules as economic impact of Victoria’s stage-four restrictions takes effect. Follow liveCoalition U-turns on tougher eligibility rules as economic impact of Victoria’s stage-four restrictions takes effect. Follow live
Freedom of speech at Australian universities is under review.
From Dan Tehan’s office:
The Morrison Government has established an independent review to evaluate the progress that universities have made implementing the French Model Code on university free speech.
The French Model Code sets out a framework for universities that protects freedom of speech and academic freedom as paramount values of Australian universities.
All universities have undertaken to adopt the Model Code this year in a way consistent with their individual legislative frameworks.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan today announced that lawyer and former Vice-Chancellor Professor (Emeritus) Sally Walker AM would evaluate the alignment of university policieswith the principles of the Model Code.
The terms of reference ask Professor Walker to:
1. Validate the alignment of universities’ suite of relevant policies with the principles of the Model Code on freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education providers;
2. Consider whether there are areas of particular strength or weakness in institutional responses and offer any suggestions to institutions where she considers alignment with the Model Code could be improved;
3. Identify exemplars of particularly good practice that could be shared or promoted within the higher education sector;
4. Provide advice to the Minister for Education on the overall alignment of universities policies with the principles of the Model Code and, if warranted, any suggestions onhow the alignment could be further improved;
5. Provide advice to the Minister for Education on whether the Code needs further refinement or change.
It’s going to be messy and confusing for quite a few people – but the Victorian childcare permits are out.
The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, will hold a press conference very soon.
Shorter AMA:
Meanwhile, the AMA wants everyone in NSW to start wearing masks when they head out.Meanwhile, the AMA wants everyone in NSW to start wearing masks when they head out.
This is already in force in Victoria. ACT residents have been warned mask wearing will become mandatory as well This is already in force in Victoria. ACT residents have been warned mask wearing will become mandatory as well.
(via AAP_ Via AAP:
Have they considered asking Scott Cam to do a PSA on this? Apparently he is very related about when it comes to the youth.Have they considered asking Scott Cam to do a PSA on this? Apparently he is very related about when it comes to the youth.
(Via AAP) Via AAP:
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging younger adults to rein in their social lives after a COVID-positive man attended a football match and six Newcastle pubs over the weekend. Politics is quite broken.
The man in his 20s is a close contact of a Newcastle teenager whose diagnosis shut down his high school and sent two football teams into self-isolation.
“We are on a knife-edge and we are about halfway through what is a really critical period,” Ms Berejiklian told Triple M radio on Thursday.
“To the young people, try and modify the number of places that you go to.”
The man attended several venues between Friday and Sunday including Bennett Hotel in Hamilton, Sydney Junction Hotel in Hamilton and the Wests New Lambton club.
NSW Health wants anyone who attended those venues between specific times to immediately self-isolate for 14 days from the day they attended and get tested.
The man also visited the Greenroof Bar and Restaurant in Hamilton, the Queens Wharf Hotel and Sushi Revolution in Hamilton, and was among 2570 spectators at the Newcastle Jets-Western United match on Sunday at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Anyone who visited those venues on those dates is considered a casual contact.
Included in 12 new COVID-19 cases reported in NSW on Thursday are another two Sydney men in their 20s who attended several venues while potentially infectious.
One dined the Jambo Jambo African restaurant in Glebe on July 31 from 7pm to 8.30pm and anyone who attended the restaurant at that time should self-isolate and get tested.
The man also visited several other inner-Sydney venues between Friday and Sunday but patrons at these places are classified as casual contacts.
The other attended Penrith Plaza, Master Hot Pot in Canley Vale and BBQ City Buffet in Bankstown on August 1 and those who were at those venues should be alert for symptoms.
The man is a close contact of a previously reported case associated with the Mounties club cluster.
Politics is quite broken
Scott Morrison also said the storage situation in Newcastle for ammonium nitrate, the chemical responsible for the Beirut blast which killed more than 100 people and completely devastated the city, was different to how it was being kept in Lebanon:Scott Morrison also said the storage situation in Newcastle for ammonium nitrate, the chemical responsible for the Beirut blast which killed more than 100 people and completely devastated the city, was different to how it was being kept in Lebanon:
Scott Morrison had a chat to Ben Fordham on Sydney radio 2GB (something which is becoming a regular engagement) this morning.Scott Morrison had a chat to Ben Fordham on Sydney radio 2GB (something which is becoming a regular engagement) this morning.
He was asked about the U-turn on jobkeeper:He was asked about the U-turn on jobkeeper:
The mayor of Grant District Council, which covers Mount Gambier in South Australia (one of the closest major centres for SA/Victorian border towns and where many of those residents do their shopping and go to the doctor etc) spoke to the ABC following reports some timber workers (one of the region’s biggest industries) with Victorian number plates are being targeted for abuse.The mayor of Grant District Council, which covers Mount Gambier in South Australia (one of the closest major centres for SA/Victorian border towns and where many of those residents do their shopping and go to the doctor etc) spoke to the ABC following reports some timber workers (one of the region’s biggest industries) with Victorian number plates are being targeted for abuse.
Richard Sage said people needed to calm their farms:Richard Sage said people needed to calm their farms:
Russell Crowe has entered the chat
Labor’s Tony Burke has an update on the government’s arts funding package, following senate hearings:
Whatever works, I suppose
The South Australian opposition leader, Peter Malinauskas (a fellow Lithuanian), will go into self-isolation, after he and his deputy leader visited the Thebarton Senior College earlier in the week.
There is talk of a virtual parliament for the upcoming sitting, scheduled for 24 August, to allow Victorian MPs to contribute. The acting chief medical officer advised the government that Victorian MPs travelling to Canberra would either need to arrive two weeks early and self-isolate, or self-isolate in Victoria for two weeks before the sitting.
Josh Frydenberg is headed to the ACT for an extra fortnight:
AAP has an update on a South Australian cluster:
Given the work restrictions in Victoria, a state responsible for about a quarter of the nation’s economy, can the treasurer guarantee supply chains across the country?
Josh Frydenberg:
Josh Frydenberg has been doing the morning interview rounds to explain the jobkeeper wage subsidy program expansion. This was what he had to say on the ABC:
The national cabinet will meet today. The meeting of the nation’s leaders and health advisers will focus on the situation in Victoria.
Yesterday Scott Morrison announced the Treasury estimates of the cost of the Victorian lockdown – up to $12bn in the September quarter.
Which put the last Treasury estimates – released about a week ago – out of date. And also meant it was time for more action.
This morning we wake to find changes to jobkeeper, the wage subsidy program set up by the federal government. As Katharine Murphy and Daniel Hurst report, it has been a bit of a U-turn:
You can find that here:
Victoria is also coming to terms with what the business and workplace restrictions mean. There has been a bit of confusion over who is allowed where and how – and that looks to continue for a little bit longer as issues are ironed out. The list of permitted businesses was only released an hour after the restrictions came into effect. The hotline set up to answer questions has been overrun. And individual problems keep coming up. It is to be expected in a situation like this but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Meanwhile, the line to get into Queensland before the Saturday border ban kicks in for NSW and ACT residents is long and growing longer. WA looks no closer to opening its borders, although the commonwealth will appear at the Clive Palmer border case hearing today, where it will unwind its original support, as an intervener, in the case.
We’ll take you through the day’s events, across Covid and politics, as they happen. You have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day.
Ready?