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| Australia news live: Daniel Andrews in intensive care after breaking ribs | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victorian premier says he damaged his vertebrae in a fall; former prime minister Kevin Rudd addresses National Press Club. Follow the latest updates | |
| Victorian premier Daniel Andrews will be in intensive care for the next few days after breaking several ribs and doing vertebrae damage after falling down “wet and slippery stairs”. | |
| Here Andrews’s the full statement: | |
| Sunshine hospital in Melbourne has converted its underground carpark to a vaccination hub, complete with cubicles and widely-spaced chairs of the kind chosen for their ability to be stacked neatly rather than sat on comfortably. | |
| Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said the hospital is part of increasing vaccination capacity. | |
| Let’s go back to one of the details from prime minister Scott Morrison’s press conference in Sydney earlier today, which included the news that he has spoken directly to Linda Reynolds’ doctor about her medical condition. | Let’s go back to one of the details from prime minister Scott Morrison’s press conference in Sydney earlier today, which included the news that he has spoken directly to Linda Reynolds’ doctor about her medical condition. |
| Reynolds, the defence minister, has taken extended medical leave until at least 2 April. | Reynolds, the defence minister, has taken extended medical leave until at least 2 April. |
| Morrison said her health conditions are “quite serious”. He told reporters: | Morrison said her health conditions are “quite serious”. He told reporters: |
| The head of the department of prime minister and cabinet, Phil Gaetjens, has appeared at the Covid-19 Senate inquiry. | The head of the department of prime minister and cabinet, Phil Gaetjens, has appeared at the Covid-19 Senate inquiry. |
| In addition to his work leading a taskforce to consider how Australia returns to normal as the vaccines are rolled out, Gaetjens is also currently engaged in a snap inquiry into the prime minister’s office’s handling of the Brittany Higgins rape allegation. | In addition to his work leading a taskforce to consider how Australia returns to normal as the vaccines are rolled out, Gaetjens is also currently engaged in a snap inquiry into the prime minister’s office’s handling of the Brittany Higgins rape allegation. |
| Labor senators try a few questions on the latter, but get little info except that they’ve conducted interviews, and Gaetjens is expecting to complete his report for Scott Morrison shortly. | Labor senators try a few questions on the latter, but get little info except that they’ve conducted interviews, and Gaetjens is expecting to complete his report for Scott Morrison shortly. |
| On the vaccine rollout, Gaetjens said he still believes the government is on track to meet its pledge of vaccinating all Australians by October. He dismissed issues including the overdoses in Queensland and problems with cold chain storage in Werribee as “noise” and “teething problems” that are being overcome, and even clapped back by suggesting that talking about them did more to damage confidence in the rollout. | On the vaccine rollout, Gaetjens said he still believes the government is on track to meet its pledge of vaccinating all Australians by October. He dismissed issues including the overdoses in Queensland and problems with cold chain storage in Werribee as “noise” and “teething problems” that are being overcome, and even clapped back by suggesting that talking about them did more to damage confidence in the rollout. |
| Gaetjens also dismissed as “noise” the suggestion that Pfizer had superior efficacy to the AstraZeneca vaccine, arguing that AZ is “very similar and, in some cases, delivering better results than Pfizer” with both at around 80%-90% efficacy at preventing contraction of Covid-19, “they’re very good outcomes”. | |
| Gaetjens refused to provide the terms of reference of the taskforce, although read out the national cabinet statement which he said was a “very close facsimile”. | Gaetjens refused to provide the terms of reference of the taskforce, although read out the national cabinet statement which he said was a “very close facsimile”. |
| Gaetjens described the taskforce’s job as ensuring Australia has the “data and information to give confidence that non-proportional responses are not necessary given we will be increasing vaccine rollout”. So it’s clearly all about opening up – not using lockdowns or border closures to stop Covid-19 once enough of the Australian population have been vaccinated. | |
| Here’s a video clip from that exchange between Kevin Rudd and the Australian’s Greg Brown. | Here’s a video clip from that exchange between Kevin Rudd and the Australian’s Greg Brown. |
| Western Australia has reported one new case of Covid-19 in hotel quarantine, and none in the community. | Western Australia has reported one new case of Covid-19 in hotel quarantine, and none in the community. |
| The new case is a man in his 30s. There are currently eight active cases in WA. | The new case is a man in his 30s. There are currently eight active cases in WA. |
| Some 1,449 people were vaccinated in WA yesterday. To date, 9,289 West Australians have received their first dose. | Some 1,449 people were vaccinated in WA yesterday. To date, 9,289 West Australians have received their first dose. |
| I wanted to share one more part of the Q&A from Kevin Rudd’s national press club address, on Australia’s climate policy. | I wanted to share one more part of the Q&A from Kevin Rudd’s national press club address, on Australia’s climate policy. |
| Pablo Viñales from SBS asked whether Labor should be bolder in its climate ambitions at the next election, and at the very least set a mid-term target? | Pablo Viñales from SBS asked whether Labor should be bolder in its climate ambitions at the next election, and at the very least set a mid-term target? |
| The short answer is: yes. | The short answer is: yes. |
| Here’s the long answer: | Here’s the long answer: |
| A brief correction to an earlier post: Lachlan, Australia’s biggest Youtuber, is not a teenager. | A brief correction to an earlier post: Lachlan, Australia’s biggest Youtuber, is not a teenager. |
| Brown attempted to bring Rudd back to the question, and Rudd criticised him for not having read his autobiography which “goes through that particular accusation in detail”. | Brown attempted to bring Rudd back to the question, and Rudd criticised him for not having read his autobiography which “goes through that particular accusation in detail”. |
| This is, frankly, a Gilderoy Lockhart of an answer. For further details, see my published works. | This is, frankly, a Gilderoy Lockhart of an answer. For further details, see my published works. |
| Rudd then said: | Rudd then said: |
| Laura Tingle interjected, saying, “well, Greg Brown doesn’t, so I think we can try not to personalise it here”. | Laura Tingle interjected, saying, “well, Greg Brown doesn’t, so I think we can try not to personalise it here”. |
| The next two questions were from the Australian’s Greg Brown, who first was asked to explain where his other News Corp colleagues were (“there’s usually a bunch of them!”). | The next two questions were from the Australian’s Greg Brown, who first was asked to explain where his other News Corp colleagues were (“there’s usually a bunch of them!”). |
| He was then taken to task by Rudd for the way he summarised Rudd’s statement that he was not made aware of any sexual assault allegations against any of his MPs or staff while he was prime minister (“Don’t paraphrase me already. I said I cannot guarantee that that is the case,” says Rudd). | He was then taken to task by Rudd for the way he summarised Rudd’s statement that he was not made aware of any sexual assault allegations against any of his MPs or staff while he was prime minister (“Don’t paraphrase me already. I said I cannot guarantee that that is the case,” says Rudd). |
| Brown asked Rudd about allegations concerning his treatment of staff, which did not go to sexual misconduct but did allege that he yelled a lot. | Brown asked Rudd about allegations concerning his treatment of staff, which did not go to sexual misconduct but did allege that he yelled a lot. |
| Rudd said he was waiting for someone from News Corp to ask about this issue, and then said: “I presume that’s why so many of them came back to work for me when I came back as prime minister.” | Rudd said he was waiting for someone from News Corp to ask about this issue, and then said: “I presume that’s why so many of them came back to work for me when I came back as prime minister.” |
| Brown countered, “quite a few quit, too!” and then said Rudd was accused of undermining Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister. | Brown countered, “quite a few quit, too!” and then said Rudd was accused of undermining Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister. |
| Rudd asked: “Did you write that question or did Boris [Paul “Boris” Whittaker, the former editor-in-chief of the Australian]?” | |
| Brown: “I wrote the question. Did your behaviour as a leader, in retrospect, fall short of appropriate workplace standards?” | Brown: “I wrote the question. Did your behaviour as a leader, in retrospect, fall short of appropriate workplace standards?” |
| Rudd: | Rudd: |
| Rudd continued to say that “your organisation,” being News Corp, was running a campaign parallel with the Morrison government in pushing a rule-of-law argument in defence of Christian Porter. | Rudd continued to say that “your organisation,” being News Corp, was running a campaign parallel with the Morrison government in pushing a rule-of-law argument in defence of Christian Porter. |
| He then said: | He then said: |
| Next question was from David Crowe from the Sydney Morning Herald/the Age, who suggested that Rudd’s government “got a fair hearing from the media, by and large” and that his criticism of the Murdoch media and the media more generally had an element of “scapegoating”. | Next question was from David Crowe from the Sydney Morning Herald/the Age, who suggested that Rudd’s government “got a fair hearing from the media, by and large” and that his criticism of the Murdoch media and the media more generally had an element of “scapegoating”. |
| Crowe said: “Because Labor failed in 2010 on your leadership because, I think it had a failure of nerve. On climate change, on your leadership in general.” | Crowe said: “Because Labor failed in 2010 on your leadership because, I think it had a failure of nerve. On climate change, on your leadership in general.” |
| Rudd said his argument was “not against Murdoch, per se. My argument is against monopoly.” | Rudd said his argument was “not against Murdoch, per se. My argument is against monopoly.” |
| He said that he did not blame the Murdochs for the loss of the prime ministership, acknowledging that was a result of factions within the Labor party. | He said that he did not blame the Murdochs for the loss of the prime ministership, acknowledging that was a result of factions within the Labor party. |
| Back to Kevin Rudd at the press club, where the floor has opened up to questions. | Back to Kevin Rudd at the press club, where the floor has opened up to questions. |
| The first question is from host Laura Tingle, who asked Rudd for his opinion on whether the attorney general, Christian Porter, should stand aside pending an independent inquiry into allegations of sexual assault. She asked: “If we can take a step back from what you say is the prime minister’s political management, what should be the test, and what should be the framework in which this issue, which is unresolvable for everybody involved in a criminal law sense, but what should be the test in a political sense?” | The first question is from host Laura Tingle, who asked Rudd for his opinion on whether the attorney general, Christian Porter, should stand aside pending an independent inquiry into allegations of sexual assault. She asked: “If we can take a step back from what you say is the prime minister’s political management, what should be the test, and what should be the framework in which this issue, which is unresolvable for everybody involved in a criminal law sense, but what should be the test in a political sense?” |
| Rudd gave a lengthy reply. He said the allegations made against Porter are “among the most serious that can be made”. | Rudd gave a lengthy reply. He said the allegations made against Porter are “among the most serious that can be made”. |
| He says the options are: recourse to the normal process of the criminal law, which is “exhausted” in this case because the police have said they cannot proceed, with the complainant having tragically died before giving a formal interview. | He says the options are: recourse to the normal process of the criminal law, which is “exhausted” in this case because the police have said they cannot proceed, with the complainant having tragically died before giving a formal interview. |
| The second option is to wait for the coronial inquiry, which would have limitations. | The second option is to wait for the coronial inquiry, which would have limitations. |
| The third option is an independent judicial inquiry “short in duration, quite focused in its terms for reference”. | The third option is an independent judicial inquiry “short in duration, quite focused in its terms for reference”. |
| Rudd says that is the “appropriate course of action under these circumstances”. | Rudd says that is the “appropriate course of action under these circumstances”. |
| Rudd said he would not advise Porter on whether or not he should remain attorney general, saying “I don’t wish to have double standards here and say that it was fine for Shorten to remain in position but it’s not fine for Porter to do so”. | Rudd said he would not advise Porter on whether or not he should remain attorney general, saying “I don’t wish to have double standards here and say that it was fine for Shorten to remain in position but it’s not fine for Porter to do so”. |
| Queensland has reported five new cases of Covid-19 in hotel quarantine and none in the community. | Queensland has reported five new cases of Covid-19 in hotel quarantine and none in the community. |
| Rudd has been setting out the five mega-challenges, which are, I think: the economy, the climate, lowering incomes, the relationship with China and the risk of pandemics. | Rudd has been setting out the five mega-challenges, which are, I think: the economy, the climate, lowering incomes, the relationship with China and the risk of pandemics. |
| He says the risk of pandemics was canvassed at the 2020 summit in 2008 (remember that?!?! It was a hook in a song by the Herd) and his government ran a test response. | He says the risk of pandemics was canvassed at the 2020 summit in 2008 (remember that?!?! It was a hook in a song by the Herd) and his government ran a test response. |
| And so we’re back to the main subject of the speech: Murdoch. With props, including Daily Tele front pages. | And so we’re back to the main subject of the speech: Murdoch. With props, including Daily Tele front pages. |
| There is, as always, a fair dose of legacy management in Rudd’s discussions of perceived bias against his government, and towards the Morrison government. I’m saying perceived because I haven’t read an independent qualitative analysis of media coverage of both governments. If you have one, do send it over. | There is, as always, a fair dose of legacy management in Rudd’s discussions of perceived bias against his government, and towards the Morrison government. I’m saying perceived because I haven’t read an independent qualitative analysis of media coverage of both governments. If you have one, do send it over. |
| Anyway. | Anyway. |
| Rudd says the Murdoch media monopoly – good alliteration – is the “greatest cancer of all on our democratic institutions.” | Rudd says the Murdoch media monopoly – good alliteration – is the “greatest cancer of all on our democratic institutions.” |
| He’s also sure they’re watching, saying “Greetings Boris and the team watching from Sydney.” | He’s also sure they’re watching, saying “Greetings Boris and the team watching from Sydney.” |
| But we must fact check. Rudd says Murdoch controls 70% of all Australian print media and “the biggest YouTube channel in the country”. | But we must fact check. Rudd says Murdoch controls 70% of all Australian print media and “the biggest YouTube channel in the country”. |
| That honour actually goes to Lachlan, a teenage gamer from Brisbane who has 14.6m subscribers. Sky News Australia, News Corp’s biggest YouTube channel, has a mere 1.32m subscribers. It may be the biggest channel of any news producer in Australia, but the Fortnite kids have that beat. | That honour actually goes to Lachlan, a teenage gamer from Brisbane who has 14.6m subscribers. Sky News Australia, News Corp’s biggest YouTube channel, has a mere 1.32m subscribers. It may be the biggest channel of any news producer in Australia, but the Fortnite kids have that beat. |
| Rudd says he wrote the essay with reference to the courage necessary to call for political change, but that he has seen courage of a greater order this year in women calling out sexual assault and harassment in Parliament House. | Rudd says he wrote the essay with reference to the courage necessary to call for political change, but that he has seen courage of a greater order this year in women calling out sexual assault and harassment in Parliament House. |
| He says he was not aware of any such complaints against staff or MPs when he was prime minister. | He says he was not aware of any such complaints against staff or MPs when he was prime minister. |
| He says: | He says: |
| Rudd encouraged anyone who had experienced sexual assault or harassment within any party at Parliament House to seek help from support services and tell their stories to the sex discrimination commissioner, who is conducting an inquiry. | Rudd encouraged anyone who had experienced sexual assault or harassment within any party at Parliament House to seek help from support services and tell their stories to the sex discrimination commissioner, who is conducting an inquiry. |
| He then says he expects News Corp to re-air his trip to a New York strip club, but said he was there as a guest of a News Corp executive. | He then says he expects News Corp to re-air his trip to a New York strip club, but said he was there as a guest of a News Corp executive. |
| The essay is basically about the overreach of the Murdoch press, and therefore so is the speech. | The essay is basically about the overreach of the Murdoch press, and therefore so is the speech. |
| He opens with a joke about how short the book is, which as already discussed, is a good thing. | He opens with a joke about how short the book is, which as already discussed, is a good thing. |
| Rudd says the book “deals with what I describe as the five mega-challenges for Australia” which he says have been “swept aside” in recent years. | Rudd says the book “deals with what I describe as the five mega-challenges for Australia” which he says have been “swept aside” in recent years. |