This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/oct/22/australian-politics-live-melbourne-school-covid-victoria-nsw-

The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 14 Version 15
Australia Post CEO stood aside over Cartier watches, and Victoria reports five new coronavirus cases – live Australia Post CEO stood aside over Cartier watches, and Victoria reports five new coronavirus cases – live
(32 minutes later)
A school student in Melbourne’s north tested positive to coronavirus. Follow live Suburbs in Melbourne’s north on high alert after school student tests positive. Follow the latest
Liberal senator Claire Chandler is on the attack over Australian Human Rights Commission guidelines about transgender people’s inclusion in sport.Chandler’s concerns seem to be: After high court officials told Senate estimates that eight former associates and one former staff member had come forward to give more information to the inquiry into Dyson Heydon, we’ve clarified how many of these were new complaints.
The AHRC concluded that participatoin should be based on a person’s affirmed gender identity not their sex as assigned at birth A high court spokesman said:
A statement that there is “limited research on impact of testosterone on transgender athletes performance”, which she disagrees with Australia Post paid dividends of about $28m in the last financial year to its one and only shareholder: the government (therefore part of taxpayer consolidated revenue).
Sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, said that the document is not a medical document, it is advice to sporting clubs and codes about the Sex Discrimination Act. We heard in estimates that it paid close to $100m in bonuses. Of that, just over $21m went to frontline workers – the posties. Most of the rest went to managers and executives.
She said: That’s the problem with government business enterprises: they are run as if they are part of the private sector. But they are owned by the taxpayer.
Jenkins says there is an exemption relating to allowing discrimination for participation in sporting activity where “strength, stamina and physique are relevant” which “does allow for single sex sporting activities”. So it’s a weird grey zone where people from the private sector are brought in to run the organisation, and they run it as if it were a private corporation – which is what it is set up to run like – but it is accountable to the government.
Meanwhile, in Macquarie Street ...
Kath Sullivan does great work in this space (as does Lucy Barbour).
Victoria Health has released its official update:
More than 500 people in a number of northern suburbs have been advised to isolate to assist in controlling an outbreak of coronavirus.
In addition, any residents of the northern suburbs including Dallas, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Preston and West Heidelberg who are experiencing symptoms are being urged to be tested for coronavirus.
All of today’s five new cases are linked to these northern suburbs.
This advice follows the notification of a positive test result of a student who attended the East Preston Islamic College.
The college has taken positive steps to manage this situation and has been closed for deep cleaning. Staff and students who are close contacts - and their households - have been identified and are quarantining for 14 days.
A number of people related to the outbreak are observing quarantine requirements either at home or as part of the Covid-19 accommodation program and are being monitored by Austin Health and Banyule Community Health.
Extensive contact tracing is underway and we expect that as part of this work, additional cases will be detected.
Testing in the northern suburbs is available at:
Broadmeadows Central shopping centre at north carpark 1099–1169 Pascoe Vale Rd, Broadmeadows, from 9am-5pm.
Coolaroo Respiratory Centre at 512 Barry St, Coolaroo, from 9am–5pm.
Melbourne airport, terminal 4, level 2 (Mercer Dv exit off Tullamarine Fwy) from 9am–5pm.
Craigieburn Health Service, 274–304 Craigieburn Rd, from 9am–5pm.
Highlands Hotel at 301 Grand Blvd, Craigieburn, from 9.30am-4.30pm.
Austin Hospital at 145 Studley Rd, Heidelberg, from 8am–8pm.
Banyule Community Health at 21 Alamein Rd, Heidelberg West, from 10am–4pm.
Banyule Community Health at 14–32 Civic Drive, Greensborough, from 9am–4pm.
Northland shopping centre at Target carpark via Murray Rd, Preston, from 9am-5pm.
CB Smith Reserve at 79 Jukes Rd, Fawkner from 9am–4pm.
Tim Watts is asking on behalf of the Victorian MPs what the arrangements are for Victorian MPs in the coming sitting.
If they are to come, they will have to go into quarantine at home, now.
Tony Smith says it is under discussion – and the parliament is following the health advice.
Liberal senator Claire Chandler is on the attack over Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines about transgender people’s inclusion in sport.Chandler’s concerns seem to be:
The commission concluded that participation should be based on a person’s affirmed gender identity not their sex as assigned at birth.
A statement that there is “limited research on impact of testosterone on transgender athletes performance”, which she disagrees with.
The sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, said the document was not a medical document, it was advice to sporting clubs and codes about the Sex Discrimination Act.
Jenkins said there was an exemption relating to allowing discrimination for participation in sporting activity where “strength, stamina and physique are relevant”, which “does allow for single-sex sporting activities”.
It’s also Labor WA MP Patrick Gorman’s last day in the chamber for a while - he is about to take paternity leave.It’s also Labor WA MP Patrick Gorman’s last day in the chamber for a while - he is about to take paternity leave.
Scott Morrison calls time on question time.Scott Morrison calls time on question time.
He then, on indulgence, sends well-wishes to all the teams playing grand finals - yes, including the women.He then, on indulgence, sends well-wishes to all the teams playing grand finals - yes, including the women.
Anthony Albanese does the same thing.Anthony Albanese does the same thing.
Richard Marles to Scott Morrison:Richard Marles to Scott Morrison:
Can the prime minister confirm, the [Leppington triangle sale] was referred to police, Home Affairs is investigating a scandal, taxpayer funded research by an ex- Liberal Party pollster has been shared with his office, his office recommended a long-term Liberal Party associate for a lucrative government contract and Australia Post spent $12,000 on Cartier watches?Can the prime minister confirm, the [Leppington triangle sale] was referred to police, Home Affairs is investigating a scandal, taxpayer funded research by an ex- Liberal Party pollster has been shared with his office, his office recommended a long-term Liberal Party associate for a lucrative government contract and Australia Post spent $12,000 on Cartier watches?
Morrison:Morrison:
Anthony Albanese:Anthony Albanese:
Morrison:Morrison:
Tony Smith: I just say to the Prime Minister you are now moving away from relating your material to the question.Tony Smith: I just say to the Prime Minister you are now moving away from relating your material to the question.
Morrison:Morrison:
You can lead a horse to water ...You can lead a horse to water ...
ShotShot
ChaserChaser
Terri Butler asks Scott Morrison how there has been no time for a national integrity commission, but there was time for him to campaign for the LNP in Queensland for a week, including attending fundraisers.Terri Butler asks Scott Morrison how there has been no time for a national integrity commission, but there was time for him to campaign for the LNP in Queensland for a week, including attending fundraisers.
Morrison was very thrilled to go to Queensland and talk the budget, don’t you know. It was all very important work.Morrison was very thrilled to go to Queensland and talk the budget, don’t you know. It was all very important work.
Because Thursdays are the worst, we get more Michael McCormack.Because Thursdays are the worst, we get more Michael McCormack.
Catherine King:Catherine King:
Are there any probity, integrity or corruption issues relating to western Sydney airport land?Are there any probity, integrity or corruption issues relating to western Sydney airport land?
McCormack:McCormack:
That last line has been said so many times this week, I was able to speak along with it.That last line has been said so many times this week, I was able to speak along with it.
God Dolly.
Andrew Gee just stood up. He’s the minister for decentralisation, apparently. Would not have been able to pick him out of a lineup if my life depended on it.
“Can’t anyone see that there is something fishy here?” the Labor senator Don Farrell says, back in Finance estimates, still prosecuting the Ashurst-investigating-a-former-employee issue.
Mathias Cormann counsels Farrell not to reflect on the integrity of the departmental officers. “You are reflecting on their motivations.” Farrell says he is trying to “reflect community views”.
Rosemary Huxtable says Ashurst dealt with conflict-of-interest questions in its public statement.
“Ashurst has assured themselves and us that there is no conflict,” the secretary says. “I think there is no conflict on the information that Ashurst has provided to us.”
Asked again about the delay in the federal integrity commission – based on the law firm used to review the branch stacking allegations, that Murph has been reporting on, Christian Porter says the government was too busy focusing on the pandemic.
I am just going to leave these words from Murph, here, in answer to that – the government managed to do plenty not related to Covid.
We’re expecting a written statement from Australia Post shortly. We’ll bring it to you when it arrives
Christian Porter is asked about the federal national integrity commission.
Anthony Albanese:
In the budget, the government established or announced extra money for more than 30 different grants and fun programs with at least $5.7bn. Given the writing that occurred with sports rorts, community development grants in the building better regions fund, in the absence of a national integrity commission, what guarantee is there that decisions will be made on merit instead of colour-coded spreadsheets designed to target marginal seats?
Porter answers by pointing to what Mark Dreyfus said about Labor’s proposed integrity commission, ahead of the election – that it would need a year.
The government proposed its integrity commission two years ago.
Who has an Australian record...
Tony Smith:
Porter:
He is sat down.
Scott Morrison is taking credit for the Australia Post investigation.
Anthony Albanese to Morrison:
How is it that on his watch, in the middle of the worst recession in almost a century, with 1 million Australians unemployed, businesses collapsing in $1tn of Liberal debt, this government is taking action against the Liberal appointed Australia Post board, which spent $12,000, taxpayers money, on Cartier watchers.
A very cranky Morrison:
Back in estimates, Finance officials confirm that two contracts worth $25,000 were let to the law firm Ashurst to conduct the investigations into Michael Sukkar and Kevin Andrews.
Don Farrell wants to know why the investigations were outsourced?
Rosemary Huxtable says the department was keen the reviews happen “expeditiously”.
The secretary notes the Victorian branch-stacking controversy was in the public domain and it was viewed as helpful to conduct an independent investigation.
Farrell notes that Sukkar was “previously employed by Ashurst”.
Huxtable corrects that Sukkar was previously employed by Blake Dawson Waldron.
Farrell points out that the firm is now Ashurst. Huxtable says she’s not across the intricacies of that, but concurs that’s likely right.
Farrell asked why Sukkar’s previous employer was engaged to conduct the review?
David Da Silva says proper processes were followed.
Huxtable says Ashurst has addressed any conflict of interest or bias claims in a public statement.
Farrell persists: Did the department know that the law firm it engaged to conduct the review was “Mr Sukkar’s own law firm”?
Farrell notes this is a simple question. Da Silva says it’s up to Ashurst to manage any conflict of interest.
Farrell escalates, declaring Sukkar “used his own law firm” to investigate. Outrage ensues. Mathias Cormann says this is “false”.
“[Sukkar] didn’t make any decisions on who was conducting that independent review and I approached this with a completely straight bat,” Cormann says.
Outrage is continuing. Farrell says he didn’t mean Sukkar personally engaged the law firm, but he says this is a simple question requiring an answer: did Finance know Sukkar had worked at Ashurst previously?
Huxtable wants to take that question on notice.
Da Silva volunteers that he was part of the decision to appoint Ashurst, with the legal and assurance branch.
Farrell asks how many law firms were on the panel that could have conducted the inquiry instead of the law firm that was chosen.
Huxtable says she’ll take the question on notice.
The secretary says Ashurst had the skills to conduct the inquiry.
Labor’s Kim Carr has been asking race discrimination commissioner Chin Tan about whether there has been an increase in racism and rightwing extremism during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chin Tan said there had been a “substantial rise in race activities, particularly directed at some communities including Asian communities”. He said both racism and rightwing extremism had increased, and the two are “entwined”.
AHRC president Rosalind Croucher said the commission had “opened up a conversation around a national anti-racism framework” and the discussion was “ongoing”.
Attorney general department secretary Chris Moraitis said he had expressed “full support” for “working out the parameters of that”.
This is significant – because Labor has called for an anti-racism strategy. And whether you call it a strategy or a framework, it sounds like the wheels are in motion.
Liberal chair Amanda Stoker quotes previous years’ statistics to suggest there hasn’t been a large increase in race complaints. Chin Tan said the number “varies” but there has been an increase during Covid-19.
Paul Fletcher was also the cities minister when the Leppington triangle sale was made – the $30m purchase of land valued at $3m, 30 years before it was needed – and said he received a deficient brief from his department, and learnt only learnt key details of the sale in the auditor-general’s reports.
Anthony Albanese asks Paul Fletcher when he asked about the watches.
Fletcher says he only found out during the estimates hearing.
Labor interjects – Fletcher says he has concluded his answer.