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Victoria reports three new Covid cases and no deaths as federal parliament resumes – politics live Victoria reports three new Covid cases and no deaths as federal parliament resumes – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Emails tendered during extraordinary hearing appear to contradict the Victorian chief health officer’s earlier testimony. Follow liveEmails tendered during extraordinary hearing appear to contradict the Victorian chief health officer’s earlier testimony. Follow live
Just what the beleaguered NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian needs! Ahhhh, it never stops. If you can repay it, great. But given all the changes that keep being made to the university sector, and student loans - including now more than doubling the cost of an arts degree - sigh. We inch closer to America every day.
Her mercurial deputy, John Barilaro is back from three weeks’ mental health leave. From Dan Tehan’s office:
And the house is off
Meanwhile, over in legal affairs estimates, the committee has heard that Christian Porter was given the draft legislation for the national integrity commission in December 2019 (which we kinda knew)
Just a reminder though – this isn’t anything like Icac. The entire thing would be done in secret. You wouldn’t know who was under investigation, when, what the allegations were or if any charges were laid until after a successful prosecution in the court. It would be an offence to make public a charge or that someone was under investigation or in front of the commission.
So yup.
Criminal jury trials are back in Melbourne.
Amanda Rishworth stopped by doors this morning, because she had something to say on childcare:
The Hillsong founder, Brian Houston (yup, him) went on Sydney radio 2GB this morning to complain about the discrimination he said Christians were facing under the NSW restrictions.
As AAP reports:
Christians are being discriminated against with numbers at church services strictly limited while other coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed, Hillsong founder Brian Houston says.
The number of people allowed to worship in churches is capped at 100, regardless of the size of the building, Houston says.
The pastor told 2GB radio on Wednesday all his congregation wanted was consistency as the government announced this week 300 guests would be allowed at weddings from December.
“[At] the grand final this week, 40,000 to 45,000 people (will be) hugging, shouting, spitting, high-fiving – it’s just the inconsistency of it,” he said.
“Churches seem to be left behind.”
Houston said he was not asking for permission to “pack out” churches again but churches could abide by Covid-safe plans just like other venues.
“Community and connection is so much of what churches provide, and I think there’s a lot of people out there desperate for that sense of community and connection again after a long time of isolation,” he said.
NSW deputy chief health officer Jeremy McAnulty told Nine that relaxing restrictions was a decision for the government.
It comes just 7401 people were tested for the virus on Monday, far below the average of 20,000 health authorities want to see.
The two new locally acquired infections reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday were linked to known cases and clusters.
McAnulty said testing rates needed to triple in order to contain the spread of the virus.
“NSW is at a critical point and the only way to find undiagnosed cases and prevent further transmission is to increase testing,” he said on Tuesday.
“Get tested on the day you get those symptoms – don’t wait until they go away.”
Just what the beleaguered NSW premier needs!
Gladys Berejiklian’s mercurial deputy, John Barilaro, is back from three weeks’ mental health leave.
The loyal deputy just did a press conference at Parliament House in Macquarie Street to report on his condition.The loyal deputy just did a press conference at Parliament House in Macquarie Street to report on his condition.
“You think you can’t get out of it,” Barilaro said before announcing that he felt much better.“If you had asked me three weeks ago, I felt like I was never coming back.” “You think you can’t get out of it,” Barilaro said before announcing that he felt much better. “If you had asked me three weeks ago, I felt like I was never coming back.”
Hard to say what the koalas will think.Hard to say what the koalas will think.
The Berejiklian government made changes to koala protection laws while Barilaro was on leave in a bid to smooth over the rift the issue had caused in the Coalition. The Berejiklian government made changes to koala protection laws while Barilaro was on leave in an attempt to smooth over the rift the issue had caused in the Coalition.
Lawyers acting for the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services have defended the omission of emails about the use of private security from the hotel quarantine inquiry, stating the emails did not shed light on who made the decision for the hotel quarantine program. Lawyers acting for the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services have defended the omission of emails about the use of private security from the hotel quarantine inquiry, stating that the emails did not shed light on who made the decision for the hotel quarantine program.
The inquiry on Tuesday has sought an affidavit from the chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, after DHHS discovered an email chain from the day the hotel quarantine program was announced where a senior DHHS officer outlined to a Commonwealth official at the behest of Sutton how the program would operate. The inquiry on Tuesday has sought an affidavit from the chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, after DHHS discovered an email chain from the day the hotel quarantine program was announced in which a senior DHHS officer outlined to a commonwealth official at the behest of Sutton how the program would operate.
Sutton replied to the email with “thanks so much”. Sutton has maintained that he was not aware private security was being used in the program until the outbreak in late May, and did not remember seeing this detail in the email. Sutton replied to the email with “thanks so much”. Sutton has maintained that he was not aware private security was being used in the program until the outbreak in late May and did not remember seeing this detail in the email.
In a letter from DHHS’s lawyers made public by the inquiry late on Tuesday evening, that the emails were not provided to the inquiry earlier because, among the 500,000 documents reviewed, it was deemed not relevant because the decision at the time of the email had already been made. A letter from DHHS’s lawyers made public by the inquiry late on Tuesday evening said the email had not been provided to the inquiry earlier because, among the 500,000 documents reviewed, it was deemed not relevant because the decision had already been made at the time it was sent.
“The email does not add in any way to the range of other evidence on the issue of who determined that security guards should be used in the program, but refers to a decision already made to use private security by 6.43pm. “The email does not add in any way to the range of other evidence on the issue of who determined that security guards should be used in the program, but refers to a decision already made to use private security by 6.43pm,” the letter said.
The email only records that ‘private security [was] being contracted to provide security at the hotels with escalation arrangements to VicPol as needed’” “The email only records that ‘private security [was] being contracted to provide security at the hotels with escalation arrangements to VicPol as needed’.”
The law firm also said that even if Sutton was aware private security, it wouldn’t have given him enough information about the suitability of private security in such an environment, and Sutton did not believe the emails needed to be provided to the inquiry The law firm also said that even if Sutton was aware of the private security, it wouldn’t have given him enough information about the suitability of private security in such an environment, and Sutton did not believe the emails needed to be provided to the inquiry.
“In short, the effect of Professor Sutton’s evidence was that even if he had been aware of the use of private security in the hotel quarantine program at that time, based on what he knew at the time, he would not have been in a position to foreshadow issues with the workforce,” the firm said.“In short, the effect of Professor Sutton’s evidence was that even if he had been aware of the use of private security in the hotel quarantine program at that time, based on what he knew at the time, he would not have been in a position to foreshadow issues with the workforce,” the firm said.
“Professor Sutton further instructed us that he did not consider he needed to clarify his evidence and therefore the email did not need to be provided to the Board for that reason.”“Professor Sutton further instructed us that he did not consider he needed to clarify his evidence and therefore the email did not need to be provided to the Board for that reason.”
Sutton is likely to face questions again on this matter at the daily Victorian government press conference later this morning. Sutton is likely to face questions again on this matter at the daily Victorian government press conference this morning.
Martin Pakula has admitted he was at fault for the Cox Plate racing crowd decision which lasted all of four hours last night.Martin Pakula has admitted he was at fault for the Cox Plate racing crowd decision which lasted all of four hours last night.
He told ABC radio he had made the decision, and then had made the decision to reverse it, using language we last heard from Stuart Robert after he blamed hacking for the Centrelink system crashing – and later had to admit it was just overwhelmed.He told ABC radio he had made the decision, and then had made the decision to reverse it, using language we last heard from Stuart Robert after he blamed hacking for the Centrelink system crashing – and later had to admit it was just overwhelmed.
About half of the 52 people on board the livestock vessel Al Messilah docked at Fremantle port have tested positive for Covid-19.About half of the 52 people on board the livestock vessel Al Messilah docked at Fremantle port have tested positive for Covid-19.
Two Australians who were onboard the ship had been granted permission to disembark before the outbreak – one drove alone to her property in regional western Australian to self-isolate but has since been placed in hotel quarantine.Two Australians who were onboard the ship had been granted permission to disembark before the outbreak – one drove alone to her property in regional western Australian to self-isolate but has since been placed in hotel quarantine.
The other boarded a flight to Sydney and is isolating – both have tested negative for the virus.The other boarded a flight to Sydney and is isolating – both have tested negative for the virus.
Christian Porter’s department is in estimates this morning.Christian Porter’s department is in estimates this morning.
The Attorney General’s Department can expect a lot of “where is the federal integrity commission”-type questions, given it has been two years since it was promised.The Attorney General’s Department can expect a lot of “where is the federal integrity commission”-type questions, given it has been two years since it was promised.
Porter has blamed Covid. But it was delayed even before the pandemic.Porter has blamed Covid. But it was delayed even before the pandemic.
Alan Jones broadcast his radio show from his southern highlands home when the pandemic was at its peak in Australia. But sure, go off.Alan Jones broadcast his radio show from his southern highlands home when the pandemic was at its peak in Australia. But sure, go off.
All three of those cases have had contact with a previously known case.All three of those cases have had contact with a previously known case.
That is excellent news – it shows that the number of unknown/ mystery transmissions is also dropping.That is excellent news – it shows that the number of unknown/ mystery transmissions is also dropping.
The 14-day average for metro Melbourne is now 6.2.The 14-day average for metro Melbourne is now 6.2.
We have the tweet.We have the tweet.
This petition is certainly gathering pace.
In terms of the border bubble with Victoria, Steven Marshall says:
South Australia’s premier, Steven Marshall, wants New Zealanders to be able to come to South Australia without having to quarantine on their way back.
He tells the ABC:
Further to that AFR story, Lindsay Fox is speaking to the ABC’s Radio National.
A short story:
6.11pm
6.47pm
10.08pm
The Australian Financial Review is reporting that the CEOs of some of Australia’s largest companies have written to Daniel Andrews saying current restrictions are “not sustainable”, and the lockdown is taking too great a toll on people.
From the AFR:
A state funeral will be held for the Honourable Susan Maree Ryan on 23 October in Sydney.
You can read more about this remarkable woman here:
The New South Wales upper house has taken the unusual step of expelling a minister, Don Harwin, over the government’s failure to produce documents relating to the $252m Stronger Communities grants scheme.
The removal of Harwin from the house, which has not happened for two decades when Labor’s Michael Egan was removed, marks a significant escalation of tensions between the government on the one hand and Labor and the minor parties on the other.
It comes as the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, faces her most significant political challenge over her secret relationship with the disgraced MP Daryl Maguire, who is under investigation by the Independent Commission against Corruption.
Harwin is one of Berejiklian’s most loyal supporters. The changed numbers in the upper house mean she could face another no-confidence motion, which would be likely to succeed without Harwin’s vote in the chamber. While an upper house vote would not prevent her attending parliament because she is a member of the lower house, it would be a significant blow to the government’s attempts to fend off discussion of the Maguire affair.
The expulsion of Harwin was due to the government’s failure to produce any paperwork to justify how $252m in grants were allocated. So far the government has produced a handful of emails from the premier’s staff directing how the grants should be madehanded out.
More than 90% of the money went to Coalition seats.
At Senate estimates on Tuesday afternoon the Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells asked Austrac about the “alleged transfer of 700,000 euros from Vatican funds to person or persons in Australia” in connection with the Pell court matters.
Nicole Rose, Austrac’s chief executive, replied:
We’ve contacted Victoria police and the AFP to ask if there are active investigations.
Happy 43rd hump day!
We move into Wednesday with Victorian chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, asked to provide an affidavit about why he said he was unaware of the decision to use hotel security until late May, when he was part of an email chain that included the information in March. Those emails were not originally included in the information the Victorian health department gave to the inquiry. Their discovery, first printed in the Age newspaper, prompted an extraordinary session of the hotel quarantine inquiry yesterday afternoon.
Sutton now has a week to explain what happened.
Daniel Andrews will be up again today – we should learn more about whether or not Victoria had it first zero infection day yesterday (the one locally acquired case may actually have been shedding dead virus) as well as what happened with the Moonee Valley Cox Plate decision. First it was on, with people, then it was still on – but without the crowds. Five hundred people at a horse race when you can only have 10 at a funeral doesn’t exactly sit right. And anyone who says you get close at a funeral has obviously not spent a lot of time at the races, if you don’t think people get close there too. There should be a bit more information on when restrictions are being eased again, as well.
The House of Representatives is sitting and budget estimates resumes – we will bring you all of that, and more, as it comes.
You have Amy Remeikis with you for most of the day. Ready?