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| Victoria reports five new infections and 400 Melbourne residents given stay-at-home order – as it happened | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Suburbs in Melbourne’s north on high alert after school student tests positive. This blog is now closed | |
| To recap: | To recap: |
| Watch-gate dominated news today, with Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate to stand down after it emerged that the organisation spent $12,000 on Cartier watches as a reward for four senior managers. | Watch-gate dominated news today, with Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate to stand down after it emerged that the organisation spent $12,000 on Cartier watches as a reward for four senior managers. |
| An outbreak is feared at a north Melbourne school after a grade five boy at East Preston Islamic College tested positive. Two schools are closed and more than 100 social housing residents have been told to isolate. Residents across the city’s northern suburbs have been told to monitor for symptoms. | An outbreak is feared at a north Melbourne school after a grade five boy at East Preston Islamic College tested positive. Two schools are closed and more than 100 social housing residents have been told to isolate. Residents across the city’s northern suburbs have been told to monitor for symptoms. |
| The royal commission into aged care, in its final hearing, heard today that there are reports of 50 sexual assaults a week against residents. A report said “allegations reported to the federal health department rose from 426 in 2014-15 to 790 in 2018-19”. | The royal commission into aged care, in its final hearing, heard today that there are reports of 50 sexual assaults a week against residents. A report said “allegations reported to the federal health department rose from 426 in 2014-15 to 790 in 2018-19”. |
| Mark Latham told the NSW parliament today that disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire had a key to premier Gladys Berejiklian’s home for many years. | Mark Latham told the NSW parliament today that disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire had a key to premier Gladys Berejiklian’s home for many years. |
| Victoria police are investigating an employee at the Victorian health department who allegedly leaked the state’s restrictions roadmap. | Victoria police are investigating an employee at the Victorian health department who allegedly leaked the state’s restrictions roadmap. |
| The ABC is reporting that the department reported the matter to Victoria police, as it is against the Victorian public service’s code of conduct. | The ABC is reporting that the department reported the matter to Victoria police, as it is against the Victorian public service’s code of conduct. |
| A document that outlined the state government’s roadmap out of restrictions was leaked to the Herald Sun in September, but it is not clear if the investigation is linked to that leak. | A document that outlined the state government’s roadmap out of restrictions was leaked to the Herald Sun in September, but it is not clear if the investigation is linked to that leak. |
| Magda Szubanski was targeted by a coordinated “avalanche of hate” from rightwing extremists online after she starred in an ad for the Victorian government encouraging mask use. | Magda Szubanski was targeted by a coordinated “avalanche of hate” from rightwing extremists online after she starred in an ad for the Victorian government encouraging mask use. |
| Australia’s e-safety commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, told a Senate estimate hearing that the abuse Szubanski received after the ads aired was “volumetric cross-platform online abuse, which is coordinated by ostensibly white extremists [and] conspiracy theorists”. | Australia’s e-safety commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, told a Senate estimate hearing that the abuse Szubanski received after the ads aired was “volumetric cross-platform online abuse, which is coordinated by ostensibly white extremists [and] conspiracy theorists”. |
| Inman-Grant said attacks on Szubanski and the Australian human rights activist lawyer Nyadol Nyuon were all “coordinated rightwing extremist attacks”. | Inman-Grant said attacks on Szubanski and the Australian human rights activist lawyer Nyadol Nyuon were all “coordinated rightwing extremist attacks”. |
| Szubanski, who revived her fan-favourite Kath & Kim character Sharon Strzelecki for the ad, had initially responded to the hate on Twitter. | Szubanski, who revived her fan-favourite Kath & Kim character Sharon Strzelecki for the ad, had initially responded to the hate on Twitter. |
| You can watch the ad here: | You can watch the ad here: |
| “Volumetric attacks” are commonly organised in closed groups on Facebook or other platforms. | “Volumetric attacks” are commonly organised in closed groups on Facebook or other platforms. |
| Guardian Australia has previously reported that politicians were targeted by one such group earlier this year as disinformation spread online about the Victorian lockdown being imposed for another year. | Guardian Australia has previously reported that politicians were targeted by one such group earlier this year as disinformation spread online about the Victorian lockdown being imposed for another year. |
| Guy Sebastian is back in the news. | Guy Sebastian is back in the news. |
| The Australian Idol winner (I haven’t forgotten) was widely criticised in June for standing next to the prime minister as he announced $250m of emergency funding to the arts, widely viewed as too little and too late. | The Australian Idol winner (I haven’t forgotten) was widely criticised in June for standing next to the prime minister as he announced $250m of emergency funding to the arts, widely viewed as too little and too late. |
| The singer took to Twitter today to push Scott Morrison to explain the delay in the delivery of the funds, after it emerged yesterday that only $49.5m of the rescue package had been allocated. | The singer took to Twitter today to push Scott Morrison to explain the delay in the delivery of the funds, after it emerged yesterday that only $49.5m of the rescue package had been allocated. |
| Sebastian was tweeting in response to Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who was reminding everyone of that June press conference. | Sebastian was tweeting in response to Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who was reminding everyone of that June press conference. |
| A spokesman for Morrison told Guardian Australia the singer had made contact with the prime minister’s office on Thursday and the PM would respond to Sebastian personally. | A spokesman for Morrison told Guardian Australia the singer had made contact with the prime minister’s office on Thursday and the PM would respond to Sebastian personally. |
| Victoria police has defended the use of drones this grand final weekend, saying they’ve already been using them to monitor crowd numbers in public places, and that they won’t be using them to spy on people’s homes. | Victoria police has defended the use of drones this grand final weekend, saying they’ve already been using them to monitor crowd numbers in public places, and that they won’t be using them to spy on people’s homes. |
| The assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius told the ABC that the use of drones was a “specialist capability”. | The assistant commissioner Luke Cornelius told the ABC that the use of drones was a “specialist capability”. |
| “We are not going to have drones hovering above pizza ovens in people’s backyards,” he said. When asked if helicopters would be used, he said the police had “bigger fish to fry”. | “We are not going to have drones hovering above pizza ovens in people’s backyards,” he said. When asked if helicopters would be used, he said the police had “bigger fish to fry”. |
| The drone unit said the force would use the drones in places of public gathering, such as beaches and parks, to provide police with “situational awareness of crowd numbers and any potential breaches”. | The drone unit said the force would use the drones in places of public gathering, such as beaches and parks, to provide police with “situational awareness of crowd numbers and any potential breaches”. |
| Mathias Cormann and Paul Fletcher have released a statement saying they have instructed the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, together with the Department of Finance to investigate senior managers at Australia Post receiving expensive gifts. | Mathias Cormann and Paul Fletcher have released a statement saying they have instructed the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, together with the Department of Finance to investigate senior managers at Australia Post receiving expensive gifts. |
| This comes after Senate estimates today heard Australia Post bought four Cartier watches in October 2018 worth $12,000 as a reward for four senior managers who helped secure a deal to allow more people to do their banking at post offices. | This comes after Senate estimates today heard Australia Post bought four Cartier watches in October 2018 worth $12,000 as a reward for four senior managers who helped secure a deal to allow more people to do their banking at post offices. |
| The statement says the investigation will involve an external law firm, and is due to be completed in a month. | The statement says the investigation will involve an external law firm, and is due to be completed in a month. |
| Muslim community leaders in Victoria say they fear a “fresh wave of hatred” after a student at an Islamic school tested positive to Covid-19. | Muslim community leaders in Victoria say they fear a “fresh wave of hatred” after a student at an Islamic school tested positive to Covid-19. |
| Two schools have been shut down, and more than 100 social housing residents told to isolate after a grade five boy who was meant to be quarantining attended classes at East Preston Islamic College for several days. | Two schools have been shut down, and more than 100 social housing residents told to isolate after a grade five boy who was meant to be quarantining attended classes at East Preston Islamic College for several days. |
| Adel Salman, a spokesperson for the Islamic Council of Victoria, said the community was preparing for racial backlash. | Adel Salman, a spokesperson for the Islamic Council of Victoria, said the community was preparing for racial backlash. |
| Thanks Amy, and thanks again for your stellar work. | Thanks Amy, and thanks again for your stellar work. |
| And on that note, I am going to hand you over to Mostafa Rachwani for the evening. | And on that note, I am going to hand you over to Mostafa Rachwani for the evening. |
| Everyone is still beavering away at the Guardian office, so make sure you check back for the news and analysis coming your way. | Everyone is still beavering away at the Guardian office, so make sure you check back for the news and analysis coming your way. |
| But it has been a GIANT week on the blog, and news land in general, so I also hope you get a small break from it all sometime soon. I’ll be back on Monday – but the blog will be up and running as usual tomorrow in what will most likely be even better hands, so I hope you join along. | But it has been a GIANT week on the blog, and news land in general, so I also hope you get a small break from it all sometime soon. I’ll be back on Monday – but the blog will be up and running as usual tomorrow in what will most likely be even better hands, so I hope you join along. |
| Have a lovely weekend. Smell a flower if you can. Or not. If eating is your thing, do that. This year doesn’t count. | Have a lovely weekend. Smell a flower if you can. Or not. If eating is your thing, do that. This year doesn’t count. |
| In the meantime, take care of you. | In the meantime, take care of you. |
| Annastacia Palaszczuk has responded to Gladys Berejiklian’s earlier demand that Queensland repay NSW the $35m NSW has spent on hotel quarantine for Queenslanders: | Annastacia Palaszczuk has responded to Gladys Berejiklian’s earlier demand that Queensland repay NSW the $35m NSW has spent on hotel quarantine for Queenslanders: |