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Coronavirus live updates Australia: Victoria records 12 new Covid cases and two deaths as SA reopens NSW border
Coronavirus live updates Australia: Victoria records 12 new Covid cases and two deaths as SA reopens NSW border
(32 minutes later)
Jenny Mikakos will give evidence in the hotel inquiry, while Queensland considers easing restrictions in the state’s south-east. Follow live
Jenny Mikakos will give evidence in the hotel inquiry, while Queensland considers easing restrictions in the state’s south-east. Follow live
The Queensland election is on October 31, which means there is another 37 days of back and forth between the federal government and state government over borders and goodness knows what else.
Elias Visontay has been following the stories of the more than 23,000 Australians unable to get home (it could be up to 100,000) from the beginning.
He’ll be watching today’s Senate committee:
Austrac CEO Nicole Rose will also give a statement on the Westpac fine. Which makes sense, as it is the biggest in Australia’s corporate history.
Westpac was put aside $900m for the fine, so $1.3bn is a big deal.
Daniel Andrews will address the media at 10.30am.
The senate committee looking at the Covid response is dealing with the issues of Australia’s stranded overseas today
The Queensland election is on 31 October, which means there is another 37 days of back and forth between the federal government and state government over borders and goodness knows what else.
This morning, it is over the withdrawal of ADF troops from the Queensland border. Josh Frydenberg said Queensland didn’t ask for an extension. Steven Miles says that’s not true, and like Kim Kardashian on national snake day, he has the receipts.
This morning, it is over the withdrawal of ADF troops from the Queensland border. Josh Frydenberg said Queensland didn’t ask for an extension. Steven Miles says that’s not true, and like Kim Kardashian on national snake day, he has the receipts.
Miles:
Miles:
Miles said it was time for the “conga line” of federal ministers and MPs criticising Queensland’s border controls and no one elses, to stop.
Miles said it was time for the “conga line” of federal ministers and MPs criticising Queensland’s border controls and no one else’s, to stop.
Queensland’s deputy premier (and health minister) Steven Miles says with 14 days passing since the last infectious case in the Queensland community, this means additional restrictions in place in Brisbane and western Morton can be lifted:
Queensland’s deputy premier (and health minister) Steven Miles says with 14 days passing since the last infectious case in the Queensland community, this means additional restrictions in place in Brisbane and western Morton can be lifted:
On Sydney, Queensland CHO Dr Jeannette Young says the “risk is decreasing” but it is still “not ideal”.
On Sydney, Queensland CHO Dr Jeannette Young says the “risk is decreasing” but it is still “not ideal”.
She’ll be making the decision on whether or not to open the border to NSW as a whole at the end of the month - but given her language, I wouldn’t expect the border to open anytime ahead of November.
She’ll be making the decision on whether or not to open the border to NSW as a whole at the end of the month – but given her language, I wouldn’t expect the border to open anytime ahead of November.
Queensland has announced no new cases of Covid today.
Queensland has announced no new cases of Covid today.
That is from more than 5000 tests, which is the number that state’s CHO wants to have the numbers sit around.
That is from more than 5,000 tests, which is the number that state’s CHO wants to have the numbers sit around.
Victoria Health has released it’s daily total.
Victoria Health has released it’s daily total.
Metropolitan Melbourne’s rolling 14 day average is now 26.7.
Metropolitan Melbourne’s rolling 14 day average is now 26.7.
Christian Porter and Peter Dutton have responded to the Westpac settlement.
Christian Porter and Peter Dutton have responded to the Westpac settlement.
From the joint release:
From the joint release:
The last line of the statement says the settlement will not be tax-deductible, which is not even something I had considered, but there you go.
The last line of the statement says the settlement will not be tax-deductible, which is not even something I had considered, but there you go.
Remember the Westpac money laundering scandal?
It’s going to cost the bank $1.3bn in penalties (if the federal court gives the agreement its approval).
From Austrac’s statement: (read to the end for a OMG moment)
Queensland’s deputy premier, Steven Miles, will give an update on the Covid situation there, at 9am.
Josh Frydenberg finishes his interview with the ABC with a question on Paul Keating’s RBA intervention - and he gets very, very cranky with the last man to sit in his chair and guide Australia through a recession.
Q: The JobSeeker supplement will be reduced tomorrow. A lot of people are worried about that. Labor wants to know what is the treasury modelling saying about how many jobs will go when you are cutting the payment.
Josh Frydenberg:
Yes, but the payment is going down. (As is Jobseeker, which is significantly more impactful. People on Jobkeeper are eligible for top up payments from social services. People on Jobseeker just see their payments cut.)
Frydenberg:
Josh Frydenberg will give a speech at the Australian chamber of commerce and industry today (hence the morning media blitz) where basically, he admits the budget is fukt.
It’s all about the “pivot” from concentrating on delivering a budget surplus (which the government promised last year with a whole black and white photo shoot, declaring ‘back in the black’, complete with coffee mugs) to the economic recovery.
Frydenberg is asked whether or not we will see debt paid off in our lifetimes.
Although I would argue that is the wrong question. Focussing on debt and deficit is something we have been taught to care about, but good government’s should be spending money to fill in the caps of the private sector. A budget surplus takes spending power away from the economy.
A big part of the reason for the insolvency changes is because we are headed to a massive cliff of insolvencies because of the pandemic. The government put a pause on any penalties for trading while insolvent at the beginning of the pandemic - something they have just extended, but when Jobkeeper comes off, many of these businesses will never re-open.
The number of companies entering external administration is down 46% compared to the same time last year, if that gives you any indication of what we are about to see happen when the stimulus is cut.
Josh Frydenberg:
Josh Frydenberg is the latest with an all-round announcement today.
Murph details it here:
But it essentially boils down to creating a two-tiered system for insolvency - big businesses will continue to work under the old system (creditors take control) but smaller businesses, with liabilities under $1m, will have a ‘simpler’ system - the owners will hold on to the company for 20 days, to come up with a restructuring plan - and then creditors will have to vote on whether or not they accept it shortly after that.
Here is how Frydenberg explained it to ABC News Breakfast this morning:
Meanwhile, internationally, the pandemic risks undoing what gains there have been towards equality lower-income countries have made.
As CARE Australia reports:
Yesterday, Paul Keating released a statement, accusing the central bank of “indolence”:
Josh Frydenberg had a few things to say in response, in defence of the bank, this morning. This was him talking to Sky News:
It’s another not-Friday, in another week of 2020. But there is some normality on the horizon.
South Australia is once again open to people from New South Wales, after NSW went 14-days, under SA’s definition, with no community transmission.
NSW would say it has gone two days. But that’s because it counts people who are part of known clusters - and therefore in isolation - as part of its community transmission definition. Other states only count the ‘mystery’ cases as community transmission.
It’s been 14 days since NSW has had a case of unknown origin, so SA is opening up. Queensland wants an extra couple of weeks of no community transmission before it does the same, although it will open its borders to northern NSW on 1 October.
Meanwhile, Queensland will consider whether it eases some of the gathering restrictions on south-east residents, after coming through its latest cluster fairly OK. There were only five active cases in the state as of yesterday.
In Victoria, health minister Jenny Mikakos is up at the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry. That comes after police minister Lisa Neville’s appearance yesterday. So far, from the evidence, we are no closer to learning whose decision it was, to use private security guards to lead the quarantine program. Daniel Andrews will appear tomorrow.
And federally, Josh Frydenberg has done the morning interview rounds, on his budget announcement, which amounts to - we need to move into coronacession recovery mode. That’s ahead of the coming October budget, which everyone is hoping will have some actual answers on how we are going to do that. It also comes after former treasurer and prime minister, Paul Keating, intervened yesterday to criticise the reserve bank for not thinking bold enough in getting Australia out of its economic crisis.
We’ll bring you all of that and more, as it happens. You have Amy Remeikis steering you through most of Thursday, which continues to be, the worst day of the week.
