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/2021/mar/09/australia-news-live-apprentice-wage-subsidy-scott-morrison-christian-porter-julie-bishop-linda-reynolds-meghan-harry-oprah-republic
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 9 | Version 10 |
|---|---|
| Australia news live: Kevin Rudd says he has ‘a genuine, deep anxiety for Australia’s future’ | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Harry and Meghan interview prompts calls for republic. Follow the latest updates | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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.” | |
| 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. | |
| 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: | |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
| Good afternoon everyone. | Good afternoon everyone. |
| Kevin Rudd has just begun his address at the National Press Club, which is hinged off the publication of an essay called “The Case for Courage”. | Kevin Rudd has just begun his address at the National Press Club, which is hinged off the publication of an essay called “The Case for Courage”. |
| Rudd keeps referring to the essay as a book. I am delighted to report that it is considerably slimmer than his previous published works. Please feel free to yell at me on Twitter @callapilla if you disagree with my correct opinion that nonfiction books (including memoir) should not be more than 250 pages without some sort of special approval. | Rudd keeps referring to the essay as a book. I am delighted to report that it is considerably slimmer than his previous published works. Please feel free to yell at me on Twitter @callapilla if you disagree with my correct opinion that nonfiction books (including memoir) should not be more than 250 pages without some sort of special approval. |
| Good lord it’s getting late in the day and it’s about time I start making another Tiktok (I’m not joking, that’s part of my job in the afternoon). | Good lord it’s getting late in the day and it’s about time I start making another Tiktok (I’m not joking, that’s part of my job in the afternoon). |
| So with that, I will give you over to Calla Wahlquist to guide you through Rudd’s speech. | So with that, I will give you over to Calla Wahlquist to guide you through Rudd’s speech. |
| A reminder that we are expected to hear from former prime minister Kevin Rudd at a National Press Club event in about 10 minutes. | A reminder that we are expected to hear from former prime minister Kevin Rudd at a National Press Club event in about 10 minutes. |
| Wowzzahs! Nearly 77,000 Queenslanders have already entered the draw in just one day for a $200 holiday voucher offered by the state government. | Wowzzahs! Nearly 77,000 Queenslanders have already entered the draw in just one day for a $200 holiday voucher offered by the state government. |
| The premier annouced yesterday that the government would provide 15,000 vouchers to be used on tourism experiences in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region, in an attempt to bolster the flagging tourism industry. | The premier annouced yesterday that the government would provide 15,000 vouchers to be used on tourism experiences in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region, in an attempt to bolster the flagging tourism industry. |
| Today she also announced a $150 per student grant program to allow thousands of school excursion groups to visit the reef. | Today she also announced a $150 per student grant program to allow thousands of school excursion groups to visit the reef. |
| For those wondering, there is no update on Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ condition after he fell and injured himself while getting ready for work this morning. | For those wondering, there is no update on Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ condition after he fell and injured himself while getting ready for work this morning. |
| Andrew went to hospital as a precaution for injuries and his deputy leader James Merlino stepped in as acting premier today. | Andrew went to hospital as a precaution for injuries and his deputy leader James Merlino stepped in as acting premier today. |
| I’ll let you know when we get more clarity on the severity of the premier’s injuries and if he is expected to be off work for additional days. | I’ll let you know when we get more clarity on the severity of the premier’s injuries and if he is expected to be off work for additional days. |
| About 85% of people receiving the jobseeker payment will be living below the poverty line when the base rate is set at $43 a day next month, a Senate inquiry has been told. | About 85% of people receiving the jobseeker payment will be living below the poverty line when the base rate is set at $43 a day next month, a Senate inquiry has been told. |
| Ben Phillips, of ANU’s Centre for Social Research and Methods, told an inquiry into the government’s jobseeker bill the decision to increase the base rate by $50 a fortnight would see a small reduction in poverty compared with before Covid. | Ben Phillips, of ANU’s Centre for Social Research and Methods, told an inquiry into the government’s jobseeker bill the decision to increase the base rate by $50 a fortnight would see a small reduction in poverty compared with before Covid. |
| This meant 85% of people in households whose main income was jobseeker would be living in poverty, rather than 88% as was the case before Covid. | This meant 85% of people in households whose main income was jobseeker would be living in poverty, rather than 88% as was the case before Covid. |
| However, Phillips noted that when the $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplement was in place at the height of the pandemic unemployment, the same figure was 26%. The supplement, now $150 a fortnight, expires at the end of March. | However, Phillips noted that when the $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplement was in place at the height of the pandemic unemployment, the same figure was 26%. The supplement, now $150 a fortnight, expires at the end of March. |
| The inquiry was told the jobseeker payment was closer to 55% of the minimum wage in the early 90s, compared with about 40% now. | The inquiry was told the jobseeker payment was closer to 55% of the minimum wage in the early 90s, compared with about 40% now. |
| Yet Phillips said the most recent data showed more than 75% of people had been on jobseeker payment longer than 12 months, compared with 48% in 1994. | Yet Phillips said the most recent data showed more than 75% of people had been on jobseeker payment longer than 12 months, compared with 48% in 1994. |
| That is despite the government arguing that more generous welfare payments would disincentive people from taking up work. | That is despite the government arguing that more generous welfare payments would disincentive people from taking up work. |
| If you caught the Four Corners Bursting the Canberra Bubble story last night, you would have seen the revisiting of the meeting then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull held with Christian Porter in December 2017. | If you caught the Four Corners Bursting the Canberra Bubble story last night, you would have seen the revisiting of the meeting then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull held with Christian Porter in December 2017. |
| As was shown in the first Four Corners story Inside the Canberra Bubble, which went to air in November 2020, Turnbull said he held a meeting with Porter to discuss some rumours he had heard about Porter’s alleged conduct with a staffer at a Canberra bar.This is what Turnbull had to say in that November piece: | As was shown in the first Four Corners story Inside the Canberra Bubble, which went to air in November 2020, Turnbull said he held a meeting with Porter to discuss some rumours he had heard about Porter’s alleged conduct with a staffer at a Canberra bar.This is what Turnbull had to say in that November piece: |
| In a statement given to Four Corners in November, Porter rejected the allegations: | |
| As part of an introduction to last night’s story, Turnbull’s account, and Porter’s refuting of it, were both repeated. | As part of an introduction to last night’s story, Turnbull’s account, and Porter’s refuting of it, were both repeated. |
| Porter had also rejected the Canberra bar allegations in an interview with Perth radio 6PR shortly after the original Four Corners story aired. | |
| Turnbull has stood by his version of events. | Turnbull has stood by his version of events. |
| Victoria also recorded no local Covid-19 cases today, but one overseas case. | Victoria also recorded no local Covid-19 cases today, but one overseas case. |
| Given international passenger flights and the hotel quarantine program have been suspended in the state this is perhaps a crew member on international freight flights. | Given international passenger flights and the hotel quarantine program have been suspended in the state this is perhaps a crew member on international freight flights. |
| It’s worth noting that testing number for the state have dipped below 10,000 as the state records its 11th doughnut day. | It’s worth noting that testing number for the state have dipped below 10,000 as the state records its 11th doughnut day. |
| Also, here is a bit more info on the NSW Covid-19 number for today. | Also, here is a bit more info on the NSW Covid-19 number for today. |
| Scott Morrison is sticking to the government’s population-wide coronavirus vaccine October goal despite delays and doubts from medical experts. | Scott Morrison is sticking to the government’s population-wide coronavirus vaccine October goal despite delays and doubts from medical experts. |
| Logistical issues and minor bungles put the jabs behind schedule, with around 86,000 people receiving their first injection in the first fortnight of the rollout. | Logistical issues and minor bungles put the jabs behind schedule, with around 86,000 people receiving their first injection in the first fortnight of the rollout. |
| But Morrison said he is still confident all Australians who wanted a vaccine would have access to one by the end of October. | But Morrison said he is still confident all Australians who wanted a vaccine would have access to one by the end of October. |
| Later in the month, doses of the AstraZeneca jab produced in Melbourne are expected to be added to the network at a rate of about one million a week. | Later in the month, doses of the AstraZeneca jab produced in Melbourne are expected to be added to the network at a rate of about one million a week. |
| GFG Alliance, the owner of the Whyalla steel mill, has responded to our inquiry about how the collapse of its financier, Greensill Capital, affects the operation – and the thousands of jobs there. | GFG Alliance, the owner of the Whyalla steel mill, has responded to our inquiry about how the collapse of its financier, Greensill Capital, affects the operation – and the thousands of jobs there. |
| It’s not a big comment but points to more trouble (at the mill) ahead: | It’s not a big comment but points to more trouble (at the mill) ahead: |
| Guardian Australia understands GFG has been in talks with both the South Australian government and the union that covers the site, the Australian Workers’ Union, over the past week. | Guardian Australia understands GFG has been in talks with both the South Australian government and the union that covers the site, the Australian Workers’ Union, over the past week. |
| We’ve gone to both to see what they have to say. | We’ve gone to both to see what they have to say. |