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Australia coronavirus news: NSW reports eight new cases of community transmission as Victoria records 11 – live updates Coronavirus Australia live news: NSW records 12 new Covid cases and Victoria 11 as parliament debates budget measures
(32 minutes later)
Victoria reports no new deaths as NSW Health warns of several new Sydney locations linked to Covid-19. Follow all today’s newsVictoria reports no new deaths as NSW Health warns of several new Sydney locations linked to Covid-19. Follow all today’s news
The Senate has passed the jobs ready graduate bill by 28 votes to 26.The bill was amended to implement Coalition deals including:
A commitment to One Nation for a 10% discount for students who pay upfront; and
A commitment to Centre Alliance to include legislated protections to excuse students who fail more than half their students in extenuating circumstances.
So, from 2021 future university students in disciplines such as law and humanities will pay up to 113% more than current students, while those studying science, engineering and maths will get fee cuts.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she is on “high alert” over mystery cases in NSW.
News of the eight community transmission cases has prompted warnings from Queensland that it may not re-open its borders. The state wants a 28-day Covid-19 community transmission free period in NSW before lifting border restrictions.
It also wants NSW to find the sources of the community transmissions within 48 hours.
Asked whether Queensland is ruling out lifting border restrictions on November 1, as planned, the premier responded:
Kevin Rudd says there are “two giant buckets of bullshit” in the Coalition’s budget.
AAP reporter Colin Brisden has filed this report on the looming passage of the tax cut reforms through the Senate.
Personal income tax cuts will soon pass the Senate after breezing through the lower house with the backing of Labor.
The tax office says workers will start receiving the tax relief as soon as practicable.
Labor has thrown its support behind the bringing the cuts forward by two years, in a bill which also includes tax concessions for small business and more instant asset write-offs.
Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers told parliament on Thursday:
But the Greens says the money to implement the tax cuts could be better spent to stimulate the economy.
Greens leader Adam Bandt told parliament:
Chalmers wrote to tax commissioner Chris Jordan on Wednesday to confirm Labor’s support for the tax cuts, which are backdated to July.
There is a longstanding practice that tax measures are implemented as soon as bipartisan support is confirmed.
The tax office said:
In Queensland election news, Katter’s Australian Party and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party have struck a preference-sharing deal ahead of the Queensland state election.
AAP reports that the minor parties will put each other second and the Greens last on their how-to-vote-cards for the 31 October poll.
It is understood that KAP and One Nation will preference either Labor or the Liberal National party differently across individual electorates.
Rex Patrick is attacking his former Centre Alliance colleagues for gagging debate on the higher education reforms.Rex Patrick is attacking his former Centre Alliance colleagues for gagging debate on the higher education reforms.
The Senate has just voted to gag debate on the higher education reforms (the jobs ready graduate bill) at 12.45 – so we should expect the final, third reading stage and vote very soon.The Senate has just voted to gag debate on the higher education reforms (the jobs ready graduate bill) at 12.45 – so we should expect the final, third reading stage and vote very soon.
The Senate will also come back on Friday to consider two government bills implementing the biggest budget programs: one, an omnibus bill rolling the income tax cuts together with most business measures; and the second giving the government the power to create programs to incentivise job creation and labour market participation. The second allows them to create the jobmaker hiring credit.The Senate will also come back on Friday to consider two government bills implementing the biggest budget programs: one, an omnibus bill rolling the income tax cuts together with most business measures; and the second giving the government the power to create programs to incentivise job creation and labour market participation. The second allows them to create the jobmaker hiring credit.
Labor supported the part of the motion to consider the budget bills, although its preference is for the budget measures to be considered separately.Labor supported the part of the motion to consider the budget bills, although its preference is for the budget measures to be considered separately.
It opposed the gag on higher education changes, but the government won the day with support from One Nation and Centre Alliance.It opposed the gag on higher education changes, but the government won the day with support from One Nation and Centre Alliance.
The Greens were very upset about the gag:The Greens were very upset about the gag:
The Australian Council of Social Service, the peak body for welfare and social service groups, has issued a detailed statement with further analysis of Tuesday’s budget.The Australian Council of Social Service, the peak body for welfare and social service groups, has issued a detailed statement with further analysis of Tuesday’s budget.
Cassandra Goldie, the council’s chief executive, says the budget leaves millions of people stranded and gives “the least to people who already have the least”.Cassandra Goldie, the council’s chief executive, says the budget leaves millions of people stranded and gives “the least to people who already have the least”.
Goldie said the budget should have included adequate and permanent increases to jobseeker and related payments and a bolder plan for job generation, investment in aged care and childcare, social housing, closing the gap services, and comprehensive unemployment support.Goldie said the budget should have included adequate and permanent increases to jobseeker and related payments and a bolder plan for job generation, investment in aged care and childcare, social housing, closing the gap services, and comprehensive unemployment support.
Goldie said she was strongly opposed to the cashless debit card extension and cuts to asylum seeker support services, the drop in the humanitarian refugee program, and the English test proposal for partner visas.Goldie said she was strongly opposed to the cashless debit card extension and cuts to asylum seeker support services, the drop in the humanitarian refugee program, and the English test proposal for partner visas.
For those wanting to follow the vice-presidential debate in the United States, you can do so here:For those wanting to follow the vice-presidential debate in the United States, you can do so here:
And for global coverage of the Covid-19 crisis, my colleague Helen Sullivan is live blogging here:And for global coverage of the Covid-19 crisis, my colleague Helen Sullivan is live blogging here:
Some lovely pictures from Mike Bowers in Canberra this morning, as Anthony Albanese prepares his budget reply.Some lovely pictures from Mike Bowers in Canberra this morning, as Anthony Albanese prepares his budget reply.
The Senate has just voted 30 to 28 in favour of the Coalition’s jobsready graduate package, which hikes fees in some university courses like humanities and law to pay for cuts to the government contribution to degrees from 58% to 52%.
This is what we expected – because on Tuesday Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie revealed her party, which holds the swing vote, would pass it.
The bill passed the second reading stage but still has to go through committee stage (to consider amendments) and a third reading. The vote confirms the government has the numbers.
OK, once again, the press conferences were taking place simultaneously there. A live blogger’s dream.
Let’s take stock:
NSW has announced 12 new cases, eight of which were locally acquired, one is under investigation and seven are linked to a known case or cluster.
NSW’s result means for the first time in a long, long time, it has recorded more new cases than Victoria. It is looking at two clusters, both involving healthcare workers. Authorities are investigating whether the two are linked.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her patience with businesses not doing the right thing is wearing thin. It comes as authorities try desperately to work out who may have attended the Ripples restaurant in Milsons Point on Saturday 3 October, from 8pm to 10:30pm. Health minister Brad Hazzard said a sense of “complacency”. and “apathy” is creeping into the state.
Victoria recorded 11 new cases. Daniel Andrews said its strategy is working. More targeted testing of high-risk industries will be rolled out this week. The government is also looking at rapid saliva testing as a means of broader surveillance.
Andrews said the 14-day rolling average, key to relieving restrictions, is 9.7 cases in metro Melbourne and 0.4 in regional Victoria.
Queensland has recorded another day of zero cases. It wants NSW to find the source of its mystery cases within 48 hours or it will keep the border closed. Berejiklian said she will not be pressured by other states.
Health minister Brad Hazzard says a level of “complacency” and “apathy” is on show in NSW. He said the 12th day without cases had led to people “getting a little overexcited”.
Berejiklian says the clusters, both centred around healthcare workers, show how important it was for healthcare settings to “do well in the way that they manage PPE”.
Berejiklian says NSW will consider whether to make the government’s QR code check-in system mandatory.
The chief health officer, Kerry Chant, is urging anyone who attended Ripples Restaurant in Milsons Point on Saturday 3 October, from 8:00pm to 10:30pm, to get tested and self-isolate.
She also suggested Ripples has not been keeping proper records of people at the venue.
She says the focus is on contact tracing from the venue, but that “full compliance with the Covid safety requirements” will also be looked at.
Gladys Berejiklian is less circumspect.
Health minister Brad Hazzard says NSW currently has two clusters, but they may be linked.
The first cluster is linked to the Liverpool dialysis cluster. One person involved in that cluster, a female in their 30s who works at Liverpool hospital, hosted a social event at home. She had no symptoms.
Two of her household contacts became infected – a man in his 80s and a woman in her 60s. Another two people who went to the social event – one woman in her 30s and another in her 50s – were also infected.
Hazzard then talks about the second cluster and says there are investigations into whether it is linked to the first.
Berejiklian says NSW’s contact tracers are working around the clock to find the source of the locally-acquired cases. But she warns some businesses are not doing enough to be Covid safe, which is making their job harder.
NSW says a new cluster of three people is likely linked to an existing cluster. The premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is also warning that the public will be told of “additional venues, additional locations” to respond to during the day.
She says residents will need to be on “high alert”.
In NSW, another four cases were recorded from returned travellers.
Of the eight locally-acquired cases, one is under investigation and seven are linked to a known case or cluster. NSW Health said:
NSW conducted 12,498 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 5,970 in the previous 24 hours.
Authorities said the drop in testing numbers is a concern,