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Coronavirus Australia update: Daniel Andrews gives press conference as Victoria reports 11 new cases and NSW 10 – live Coronavirus Australia update: Daniel Andrews gives press conference as Victoria reports 11 new cases and NSW 10 – live
(32 minutes later)
The number of locally transmitted cases in Sydney is growing, dashing hopes of the Queensland border reopening next month. Follow liveThe number of locally transmitted cases in Sydney is growing, dashing hopes of the Queensland border reopening next month. Follow live
Josh Taylor will be with you with his update very soon.
Here is how he saw it at the time.
Here is some of what Mathias Cormann had to say about Penny Wong.
A keen blog reader and Daniel Andrews press conference watcher has just informed me that Peta Credlin was at the Andrews press conference today.
Josh Taylor was all over it - he’ll have a report on that exchange very soon.
Penny Wong is now giving a speech in reply.
Mathias Cormann is wrapping up his final speech.
The whole chamber gives him a standing ovation.
On the 48 hour deadline - Dr Jeannette Young says it is about contact tracing (Gladys Berejiklian has criticised Annastacia Palaszczuk for setting an arbitrary deadline)
Dr Young says it is a decision of the health expert panel:
So far, it looks like NSW is on track to be able to enter Queensland from 1 November, but the situation will be monitored.
Dr Jeannette Young:
Queensland CHO Dr Jeannette Young is not restarting the clock on opening the border to NSW as yet.
She has praised NSW’s contact tracing, and says it is “unlinked” cases which worry her – so far, NSW is able to link back its cases.
Queensland has reported no new cases – that makes 28 days since Queensland’s last case, which chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has declared the last outbreak officially over.
On to Daniel Andrews.
As expected, the questions are about Jenny Mikakos’s final submission to the hotel quarantine inquiry, where she asked the commission to treat Andrews’s evidence with “caution”.
Q: Is your alleged subversion of the normal cabinet process partly to blame for some of the hotel quarantine problems?
Andrews:
Q: Should the board be cautious?
Andrews:
Q: What actions could you take?
Andrews:
Andrews says he has not spoken to Mikakos since her resignation
Q: The numbers have been dropping fairly steadily for quite some time, and since Wednesday it has sort of plateaued. If it stays there for the next week or so, would you be more nervous about opening up next Monday or when that announcement is due?
Brett Sutton:
Q: Obviously we were at 11 as a rolling average when we ended our first stint of lockdown. Things are definitely different, but why should we continue to put up with these restrictions if we ultimately were not going to see a second wave of were not for the hotel quarantine outbreaks?
Sutton:
So is Victoria still towards the end of its hard line of restrictions, even with these new outbreaks?So is Victoria still towards the end of its hard line of restrictions, even with these new outbreaks?
Professor Brett Sutton:Professor Brett Sutton:
Professor Brett Sutton says it is not just about contact tracing - people need to take their own precautions: Professor Brett Sutton says it is not just about contact tracing – people need to take their own precautions:
The tax changes have passed the senate (the cut price jobkeeper program – the labour hire credits, have been sent to a committee for review).The tax changes have passed the senate (the cut price jobkeeper program – the labour hire credits, have been sent to a committee for review).
The tax changes means the rate will change from the moment the bill becomes law – and then anything else you are owed will form part of next year’s tax return.The tax changes means the rate will change from the moment the bill becomes law – and then anything else you are owed will form part of next year’s tax return.
The finance minister is delivering his final speech to the Senate.The finance minister is delivering his final speech to the Senate.
He’s taking a light-hearted approach – Penny Wong appears to be enjoying it.He’s taking a light-hearted approach – Penny Wong appears to be enjoying it.
The pair have been sparring partners, but (usually) take the same approach – getting things done. The biggest blowups have occurred when one has disappointed the other by playing politics.The pair have been sparring partners, but (usually) take the same approach – getting things done. The biggest blowups have occurred when one has disappointed the other by playing politics.
Victorian chief health officer Prof Brett Sutton is up now:
From Monday, Victorians must wear a fitted face mask – no more face shields. (This was announced two weeks ago.)
Daniel Andrews:
Happy 99th Dan Andrews consecutive press conference day.
Daniel Andrews:
NSW CHO Dr Kerry Chant has also given an update:
Gladys Berejiklian is asking Sydney residents to get tested for Covid if they have any symptoms.
There have been 10 cases in total recorded for NSW – five are in hotel quarantine:
While the Senate is debating the omnibus tax cut bill, it’s worth noting that the second stimulus bill, to give the government power to create the jobmaker hiring credit (youth wage subsidy) has been referred to an inquiry.
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee will examine the bill and report by 6 November.
So while Labor will wave through tax cuts today, there’ll be a few days of hearings to dig into the hiring credit.
The omnibus tax bill just passed the second reading stage, 30 votes to six, a foregone conclusion because only the Greens are opposing it.
Just a reminder that childcare as an industry makes money as well.
And it should not be treated as welfare.
Dan Tehan was on ABC radio with Hamish Macdonald this morning as well, talking child care.
Macdonald: Labor is promising an extra $6bn for day care. That will work, won’t it, on two levels: helping families doing it tough in this recession. Also, though, getting Australia working again, as Anthony Albanese puts it.
Tehan:
Macdonald: They, Labor, though, is targeting a bit of a sore point, though, for this government, that it’s been a fairly blokey budget. Aren’t they?
Tehan:
Macdonald: … With respect, minister, you’re talking about the past, they’re talking about the future here and the recovery, and getting more people into work and enabling more women to return to the workforce. Why don’t you do something to support women back into the workforce, specifically?
Tehan:
Macdonald: But, you do acknowledge, though, don’t you, under the current system that we have with the subsidy cap, there is a disincentive for some individuals in a two person relationship with a kid to go back to work more than two and a half days a week. That the financial scenario under the current subsidy means there’s a disincentive. You accept that, don’t you?
Tehan:
Macdonald: … I understand that. I’m just trying to get you to speak to the disincentive that’s there. I mean, you would have read the, the figures yourself. This is not something that’s come from Labor. You acknowledge that there is a structural disincentive for people to work over three days, if they’re the second partner in the relationship?
Tehan:
Daniel Andrews will hold his press conference at 11am as well.
As previewed many, many times by the government, mental health funding was increased in the budget. More people than ever are struggling with their mental health, given *gestures wildly at everything*.
AAP reports that includes people who are dealing with it for the first time: