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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/sep/30/australia-coronavirus-latest-updates-victoria-wa-borders-nsw-qld-morrison-budget-live-news
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| Coronavirus Australia live update: state debt set to soar during Covid crisis, says Standard & Poor’s | Coronavirus Australia live update: state debt set to soar during Covid crisis, says Standard & Poor’s |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victoria reports four deaths and 13 new Covid cases while NSW records no new locally acquired cases for fifth day as pressure mounts over border closures. Follow all today’s updates | Victoria reports four deaths and 13 new Covid cases while NSW records no new locally acquired cases for fifth day as pressure mounts over border closures. Follow all today’s updates |
| And that’s where we’ll leave the blog for today. | |
| We’ll be back tomorrow with all the news as it happens. Here’s what happened today: | |
| Victoria will ramp up asymptomatic testing of people in key industries, including aged care staff and meat processing plants. | |
| The NSW planning commission approved the controversial $3.6bn Narrabri coal-seam gas development. | |
| Ratings agency Standard and Poor’s said state debt would soar as a result of the pandemic. | |
| NSW reported no new locally acquired cases for the fifth day in a row, but four new cases among returned travellers. Queensland reported no new coronavirus cases | |
| Victoria recorded 13 new cases and four deaths | |
| Regional airline Rex announced it would start flights between capital cities in 2021, as a competitor to Qantas and Virgin, and lease six Boeing 737 planes. | |
| Travel agency Flight Centre said it would close another 91 Australian stores and further cut its staff numbers, having already closed 330 of its 740 stores due to the pandemic. | |
| Deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said young people should be encouraged to pick fruit in regional areas because it “would be a great Instagram moment for them to get up the tree to pick some fruit”. | |
| Thanks for reading and stay safe. | |
| Senate crossbencher Jacqui Lambie has indicated she will vote against the government’s proposed changes to universities. | Senate crossbencher Jacqui Lambie has indicated she will vote against the government’s proposed changes to universities. |
| In a statement from her office, Lambie said it would “make university life harder for poor kids and poor parents”. | In a statement from her office, Lambie said it would “make university life harder for poor kids and poor parents”. |
| “I’ll be damned if I’m going to be the vote that tells the country that poor people don’t get dream jobs.” | “I’ll be damned if I’m going to be the vote that tells the country that poor people don’t get dream jobs.” |
| Breaking news from Ben Butler: | Breaking news from Ben Butler: |
| Travel agency Flight Centre will close another 91 Australian stores and further cut its staff numbers, after it already closed 330 of its 740 stores due to the pandemic earlier. | Travel agency Flight Centre will close another 91 Australian stores and further cut its staff numbers, after it already closed 330 of its 740 stores due to the pandemic earlier. |
| The government has been asked to “show a bit of backbone” over the Indigenous voice to parliament. | The government has been asked to “show a bit of backbone” over the Indigenous voice to parliament. |
| Pat Turner, the co-chair of the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, told the National Press Club today that Scott Morrison had to do better. | Pat Turner, the co-chair of the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, told the National Press Club today that Scott Morrison had to do better. |
| According to the Press Association in the UK, oil company Shell will cut 9,000 jobs globally. | According to the Press Association in the UK, oil company Shell will cut 9,000 jobs globally. |
| We’re covering the news in our global business blog if you’d like to follow that as well: | We’re covering the news in our global business blog if you’d like to follow that as well: |
| The deputy PM, Michael McCormack, has insisted that the government doesn’t want fewer audits, even as the auditor general’s office says it doesn’t have enough funding. | The deputy PM, Michael McCormack, has insisted that the government doesn’t want fewer audits, even as the auditor general’s office says it doesn’t have enough funding. |
| Earlier today, Guardian Australia’s Paul Karp revealed that budget constraints have resulted in the Australian National Audit Office conducting six audits fewer than its target, and the auditor general, Grant Hehir, wrote to Scott Morrison pleading for more funding in next week’s budget. | Earlier today, Guardian Australia’s Paul Karp revealed that budget constraints have resulted in the Australian National Audit Office conducting six audits fewer than its target, and the auditor general, Grant Hehir, wrote to Scott Morrison pleading for more funding in next week’s budget. |
| Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has again pressured Australia to commit to net zero emissions by 2050, labelling it a matter of life or death. | Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has again pressured Australia to commit to net zero emissions by 2050, labelling it a matter of life or death. |
| “Any later than 1st January 2050 will be too late to achieve net zero emissions,” he told a Smart Energy Council forum today, AAP reports. | “Any later than 1st January 2050 will be too late to achieve net zero emissions,” he told a Smart Energy Council forum today, AAP reports. |
| “These aren’t aimless targets, they are life or death deadlines backed by science.” | “These aren’t aimless targets, they are life or death deadlines backed by science.” |
| Bainimarama also urged countries to use the coronavirus recovery to transition to clean energy, saying its far-reaching benefits will span generations. | Bainimarama also urged countries to use the coronavirus recovery to transition to clean energy, saying its far-reaching benefits will span generations. |
| He praised Jacinda Ardern for pledging to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030. | He praised Jacinda Ardern for pledging to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030. |
| “Our neighbours in New Zealand get it,” Bainamarama said. | “Our neighbours in New Zealand get it,” Bainamarama said. |
| An update on a story from earlier. We reported today that Macquarie University was preparing to cut its gender studies major, which has been in place since 1984, as part of huge course cuts across Australia. | An update on a story from earlier. We reported today that Macquarie University was preparing to cut its gender studies major, which has been in place since 1984, as part of huge course cuts across Australia. |
| The university also earmarked whole degrees in maths and science to be phased out, and 30 out of the current 56 majors offered in arts. | The university also earmarked whole degrees in maths and science to be phased out, and 30 out of the current 56 majors offered in arts. |
| Academics teaching gender studies have just confirmed the 36-year-old major will now be saved, after management emailed them this afternoon. | Academics teaching gender studies have just confirmed the 36-year-old major will now be saved, after management emailed them this afternoon. |
| Earlier, Macquarie said it would “preserve” gender studies subjects “albeit as part of curriculum innovations where the experiences will be embedded within broader domains”. | Earlier, Macquarie said it would “preserve” gender studies subjects “albeit as part of curriculum innovations where the experiences will be embedded within broader domains”. |
| From my colleagues Christopher Knaus and Michael McGowan. | From my colleagues Christopher Knaus and Michael McGowan. |
| The government is hiding the self-declared conflicts of interest of six departmental and contracted staff who worked in the unit responsible for the $30m Leppington Triangle purchase scandal. | The government is hiding the self-declared conflicts of interest of six departmental and contracted staff who worked in the unit responsible for the $30m Leppington Triangle purchase scandal. |
| Read the full story here: | Read the full story here: |