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| Coronavirus Australia live updates: PM announces reopening plan as protesters in Melbourne pepper-sprayed | Coronavirus Australia live updates: PM announces reopening plan as protesters in Melbourne pepper-sprayed |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Scott Morrison announces new reopening plan and aims to get 26,000 Australians stuck overseas home by Christmas, as anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne attracts crowd of about 300 protesters. Follow live | Scott Morrison announces new reopening plan and aims to get 26,000 Australians stuck overseas home by Christmas, as anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne attracts crowd of about 300 protesters. Follow live |
| I kind of feel a little cheated that this has come through so late, there are so many more questions. | |
| Where did that missing $7,950 go? Why was the $12,000 reported instead? Did they forget how much they cost? | |
| I mean I’m certain I’d remember every cent if I spent nearly $20,000 on watches, but perhaps that’s just me. | |
| Australia Post has released a statement clarifying those infamous Cartier watches actually cost $19,950 in total. | |
| The four watches cost $7,000, $4,750, $4,400 and $3,800, and the purchases were made in November 2018. | |
| The statement also suggests that the board was not asked to approve the purchase of the watches. | |
| Apart from the startling admission of a missing $7,950 from the figure reported earlier this week, it is important to note when this statement was made: at 6.30pm, on a Friday, before the grand finals. Interesting. | |
| Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein has announced the easing of more coronavirus restrictions, including opening events to up to 10,000 people over the summer. | |
| Gutwein announced a “framework for Covid-19 safe events”, which will allow for three levels of events held after 1 December. | |
| It’ll essentially allow more people to attend events should the organisers ensure they stick to particular restrictions. Gutwein also added that dancing and standing while drinking were, unfortunately, still not allowed. | |
| Public health director Mark Veitch said the framework wasn’t a free-for-all. | |
| “You can’t, for example, have a concert and not control the mixing of people – so a large space and everyone ends up at a very large mosh pit at the front,” he said. | |
| “Say you were having a concert in a field. There are ways you could do that – you could ask people to bring blankets and have people spread out.” | |
| A little more now on that shift in emphasis away from Middle East deployments. | A little more now on that shift in emphasis away from Middle East deployments. |
| As reported earlier on the blog, the defence minister, Linda Reynolds, said Australia would reduce its naval presence there so it could deploy more resources to the Indo-Pacific – including ending the annual deployment of a Royal Australian Navy ship to the Middle East. | As reported earlier on the blog, the defence minister, Linda Reynolds, said Australia would reduce its naval presence there so it could deploy more resources to the Indo-Pacific – including ending the annual deployment of a Royal Australian Navy ship to the Middle East. |
| Australia would not also extend its “time-bound commitment” to the International Maritime Security Construct seeking to uphold security of oil supply routes beyond December this year. | Australia would not also extend its “time-bound commitment” to the International Maritime Security Construct seeking to uphold security of oil supply routes beyond December this year. |
| Asked for more detail on the current deployments, defence said: “There are currently no Royal Australian Navy ships in the Middle East region. HMAS Toowoomba was the last ship deployed on Operation Manitou and returned to Australia in June 2020.” | Asked for more detail on the current deployments, defence said: “There are currently no Royal Australian Navy ships in the Middle East region. HMAS Toowoomba was the last ship deployed on Operation Manitou and returned to Australia in June 2020.” |
| About 20 Australian defence force personnel remain as embedded staff under the command of US naval forces central command in Bahrain. Other additional ADF personnel are deployed for other operations in the Middle East. | About 20 Australian defence force personnel remain as embedded staff under the command of US naval forces central command in Bahrain. Other additional ADF personnel are deployed for other operations in the Middle East. |
| It is still grand final weekend, and what better time to reflect on the Melbourne Storm’s 18-year dynasty. | It is still grand final weekend, and what better time to reflect on the Melbourne Storm’s 18-year dynasty. |
| Will it be champion hooker Cameron Smith’s last game? Will legendary coach Craig Bellamy continue beyond this year? We still don’t know, but it’ll certainly make for a fascinating match-up this Sunday. | Will it be champion hooker Cameron Smith’s last game? Will legendary coach Craig Bellamy continue beyond this year? We still don’t know, but it’ll certainly make for a fascinating match-up this Sunday. |
| The ACT government has issued a warning on an asthma thunderstorm this weekend. | The ACT government has issued a warning on an asthma thunderstorm this weekend. |
| The statement says elevated pollen levels going into the weekend combined with potential thunderstorms could cause some people to develop asthma symptoms. | The statement says elevated pollen levels going into the weekend combined with potential thunderstorms could cause some people to develop asthma symptoms. |
| People who suffer from hay fever or asthma are being encouraged to stay vigilant. They should avoid going outside, especially during a thunderstorm. | People who suffer from hay fever or asthma are being encouraged to stay vigilant. They should avoid going outside, especially during a thunderstorm. |
| The warning comes as the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for eastern Australia. | The warning comes as the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for eastern Australia. |
| Warning are being issued for the possibility of heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and flash flooding affecting NSW and the ACT. | Warning are being issued for the possibility of heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and flash flooding affecting NSW and the ACT. |
| Back to the United States, and a photo of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is making the rounds showing bruises and a bandage on his hand. | Back to the United States, and a photo of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is making the rounds showing bruises and a bandage on his hand. |
| McConnell did clarify that there were “no concerns” about his health, but what is going on there? | McConnell did clarify that there were “no concerns” about his health, but what is going on there? |
| Reports of a Brett Sutton cover-up is not backed up by the documentary trail, revealing a less-than-sinister reading of his actions. | Reports of a Brett Sutton cover-up is not backed up by the documentary trail, revealing a less-than-sinister reading of his actions. |
| The Victorian media have painted Sutton as attempting to prevent emails that contradicted his sworn evidence to be given to the state’s inquiry into hotel quarantine. | The Victorian media have painted Sutton as attempting to prevent emails that contradicted his sworn evidence to be given to the state’s inquiry into hotel quarantine. |
| But the key document – a letter from the health and human services department’s lawyers, Minter Ellison – is more ambiguous than incriminating. | But the key document – a letter from the health and human services department’s lawyers, Minter Ellison – is more ambiguous than incriminating. |
| A testy exchange in Senate estimates today, after Greens senator Lidia Thorpe asked senator Anne Ruston, families and social services minister, how many “white organisations” receive funding intended for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities: | A testy exchange in Senate estimates today, after Greens senator Lidia Thorpe asked senator Anne Ruston, families and social services minister, how many “white organisations” receive funding intended for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities: |
| Earlier Thorpe pointed out that only 67% of the money allocated towards the federal Indigenous advancement strategy goes to Indigenous community organisations. | Earlier Thorpe pointed out that only 67% of the money allocated towards the federal Indigenous advancement strategy goes to Indigenous community organisations. |
| I just want to return to the PM’s press conference earlier today where, when asked about corporate culture and the money taxpayers are giving to heads of government agencies, he said the following: | I just want to return to the PM’s press conference earlier today where, when asked about corporate culture and the money taxpayers are giving to heads of government agencies, he said the following: |
| What does the ending there mean? Do these executives now have volunteer to receive said rocket? How should they “get it” if they did not “get it” earlier? Here’s hoping the rocket is indeed received. | What does the ending there mean? Do these executives now have volunteer to receive said rocket? How should they “get it” if they did not “get it” earlier? Here’s hoping the rocket is indeed received. |
| The government has announced it is changing its international development program to develop country-specific Covid-19 development plans worth $840m. | The government has announced it is changing its international development program to develop country-specific Covid-19 development plans worth $840m. |
| Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne and MP Alex Hawke released a joint statement saying the program, called Partnerships for Recovery, will include 27 response plans tailored to Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific and south-east Asia. They will focus on “economic recovery, health security and stability”. | Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne and MP Alex Hawke released a joint statement saying the program, called Partnerships for Recovery, will include 27 response plans tailored to Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific and south-east Asia. They will focus on “economic recovery, health security and stability”. |
| “Economies have been heavily impacted and livelihoods are being threatened,” Payne said. “Australia stands with our neighbours as we respond to the human, economic and social costs of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our shared prosperity and security across the Indo-Pacific depend on how we work together, today.” | “Economies have been heavily impacted and livelihoods are being threatened,” Payne said. “Australia stands with our neighbours as we respond to the human, economic and social costs of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our shared prosperity and security across the Indo-Pacific depend on how we work together, today.” |
| Queensland LNP leader Deb Frecklington finds it “deeply offensive” that critics have called her youth curfew plan racist. | Queensland LNP leader Deb Frecklington finds it “deeply offensive” that critics have called her youth curfew plan racist. |
| In response she says she represents an Indigenous community, and that her husband works with Indigenous people. Unsure at this stage how that’s relevant to the curfew, but sure. | In response she says she represents an Indigenous community, and that her husband works with Indigenous people. Unsure at this stage how that’s relevant to the curfew, but sure. |
| The LNP has said it will trial a night curfew for teenagers in far north Queensland for six months if it was elected. The plan is apparently aimed at “reducing crime”. | The LNP has said it will trial a night curfew for teenagers in far north Queensland for six months if it was elected. The plan is apparently aimed at “reducing crime”. |
| Anyone picked up in breach of the curfew will be fined $250. | Anyone picked up in breach of the curfew will be fined $250. |