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Australia Covid live news update: Victoria records 2,297 cases, 11 deaths; NSW records 406 cases, six deaths ahead of plan for 80% opening | Australia Covid live news update: Victoria records 2,297 cases, 11 deaths; NSW records 406 cases, six deaths ahead of plan for 80% opening |
(32 minutes later) | |
Follow all the day’s news live | Follow all the day’s news live |
Bruce Lehrmann’s criminal case for the alleged rape of former Morrison government staffer Brittany Higgins has been adjourned until 5 November. | |
Lehrmann remotely appeared before the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday via telephone, but the matter was delayed before it is expected to be committed by consent to the ACT Supreme Court. | |
Lehrmann intends to plead not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent and denies that any form of sexual activity took place. His appearance on Thursday was limited to brief greetings confirming his appearance, greeting the magistrate and confirming he could hear via audio link. | |
Lehrmann’s lawyer, John Korn, sought an adjournment, revealing that the brief he had received from police contained “material in it that I shouldn’t have had”. | |
Korn told the court he undertook not to read the material, and has not done so. Korn received a hard copy of the correct version of the brief on Tuesday, necessitating a delay of three weeks. | |
Korn said he would need two weeks to get across the material and would schedule one conference with his client, who is currently in Queensland. | |
The ACT director of public prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, said it remains “ready to commit” the matter but did not oppose adjournment. Justice Campbell adjourned the matter to 5 November. | |
The summons, seen by Guardian Australia, alleges one breach of the Crimes Act by Lehrmann for “sexual intercourse with Brittany Higgins, without her consent, and [that he] was reckless as to whether she had consented”. The offence is punishable by up to 12 years in prison. | |
Higgins alleges that Lehrmann raped her in the parliament house office of the former defence industry minister, Linda Reynolds, in the early hours of 23 March 2019. | |
In August Lehrmann’s lawyer, John Korn said in a statement: | |
Australian federal police began investigating the allegation Higgins had been raped by a colleague at Parliament House in 2019 after she made a formal complaint in February. | |
A brief of evidence was passed to the director of public prosecutions in June. | |
A quick update from Tasmania. | |
The Northern Territory government remains in the dark about potential moves by the federal government to scrap a Chinese company’s lease over the Port of Darwin amid national security concerns. | |
With the defence department edging closer to finishing a review ordered five months ago, Guardian Australia understands the federal government is considering options that go beyond the binary choice of keeping or scrapping the lease. | |
A third option is to keep the 99-year lease in force but impose additional requirements on the operator, Landbridge Group. | |
Under critical infrastructure laws that passed the parliament in 2018, the federal government has the power to require a port operator to take specific actions based on security risks. | |
You can read the full report below: | |
Just touching on that CSL news. There has been a bit of chatter around that the company, which is responsible for Australia’s domestic AstraZeneca production, may be suspending operations, but the company says this is not the case. | |
A CSL spokesperson released the following statement: | |
Now, let’s talk about how we are going to helping our Pacific neighbours. | |
Greg Hunt: | |
The health minister is asked what he plans to do if the TGA approves the use of Pfizer for five- to 11-year-olds but the vaccination advisory body Atagi says no: | |
Greg Hunt has been asked what the government is doing to increase vaccination rates in Indigenous communities, which have generally fallen behind the Australian average: | |
Oh and Greg Hunt also has some non-Covid-19 health news for us (I know! I forget that other diseases existed as well!): | |
Hunt has confirmed the Australian vaccination rate (the 16 and over population) now sits at 83.6% first dose and 65.4% double dosed. | Hunt has confirmed the Australian vaccination rate (the 16 and over population) now sits at 83.6% first dose and 65.4% double dosed. |
Greg Hunt: | Greg Hunt: |
Federal health minister Greg Hunt has confirmed that Pfizer will be allowed to make its case to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to allow five- to 11-year-olds to be vaccinated with its Covid-19 vaccine: | Federal health minister Greg Hunt has confirmed that Pfizer will be allowed to make its case to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to allow five- to 11-year-olds to be vaccinated with its Covid-19 vaccine: |