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| Australia news live update: Daniel Andrews ‘won’t be deterred’ by Victoria protests; NT records six new Covid cases; flood warnings for NSW | Australia news live update: Daniel Andrews ‘won’t be deterred’ by Victoria protests; NT records six new Covid cases; flood warnings for NSW |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news live | Follow all the day’s news live |
| Police have intervened to protect a Channel 7 news crew, after anti-vaccination mandate protesters surrounded them and began hurling abuse. | |
| The crew was singled out by protest organisers, who stopped a street march initially to demand an interview.But many in the crowd quickly turned on the crew, some hurling abuse and chanting “tell the truth”. | |
| Police intervened when a woman, who earlier spoke to protesters about “satanic ritual treason government”, appeared to block the journalists from filming a piece to camera. | |
| NT Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, who revealed yesterday her sister was the first case in the remote community Robinson River. | |
| She was talking on the ABC earlier about the spread of misinformation in remote communities and the struggle to get the vaccine messaging out to people. | |
| “As you know, we have over 100 Aboriginal languages just here in the Northern Territory. More across Australia. | |
| “The first time that First Nations media received funding was in September so there was this massive gap between February and September when there should have been messaging out there. | |
| “In the meantime, that gap was being filled by misinformation from overseas, right-wing extremists and also from the backbenchers of Scott Morrison’s government.” | |
| Most of the roughly 2000 ground-handling workers whose roles Qantas outsourced in part due to their union links want the airline to offer them their jobs back, according to a survey that will be provided as evidence to a federal court process to determine a remedy to their unlawful dismissal. | |
| The figure was revealed by the Transport Workers Union on Wednesday, who were responding to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation which found worker inexperience to be the cause of an incident where a Qantas flight took off with locking pins still in place. | |
| An independently conducted survey found that 78% of Qantas workers want to return to the jobs they were sacked from when the airline outsourced almost 2000 jobs, in a move that was later ruled by the federal court to have been in part driven by the fact that many of the axed workers were union members with stronger bargaining capabilities. About 82% of the affected workers completed the survey. | |
| The TWU – which the federal court found in favour of in its legal challenge of Qantas’ outsourcing earlier this year – commissioned the survey. The union sent a letter to Qantas board members informing them of the workers’ preference, and urged the airline to offer the axed workers their jobs back. | |
| Michael Kaine, national secretary of the TWU, pleaded with Qantas to rehire the sacked workers and “reverse this enormous misstep”. The TWU suggested | |
| This survey is explicit. More than three quarters of those outsourced just want to go back to the jobs they loved. Many workers gave decades of hard work, dedication and loyalty to Qantas. Despite everything, they want to put this awful period behind them and get back to work.” | |
| Kaine said the impact of this outsourcing decision has been “colossal”, and that “marriages have broken down, families have had to leave their homes, and many have required medical help to cope with the mental and emotional toll” as a result. | |
| Qantas has previously requested a stay on the remedy proceedings while it appealed the federal court’s July decision. However Justice Michael Lee has indicated his intention to reach an outcome before the end of the year to give certainty to affected workers. Reinstatement hearings will commence on 13 December. | |
| Alan Joyce, Qantas chief executive, was asked last month if he regretted outsourcing the workers, and said: | |
| “Not at all. We were in the middle of the biggest crisis in our history, we had to make dramatic action for us to survive. We fundamentally disagree with the ruling, we’re going to appeal it.” | |
| And that is the end of the NT presser. There are now a total of 19 cases. | |
| Anyone who has visited Robinson River since 11 November or who has left Katherine since 7 November, needs to come forward for testing. | |
| Gunner said he has spoken to people in remote communities who say they don’t need to get the vaccine because the closed border has kept Covid out. | |
| He said modelling shows people will change their minds when there is a case in their communities. | |
| “I don’t want a case to be what changes your mind. That’s when we get into the too late category.” | |
| Gunner is asked who is responsible for the low vaxx rate in the NT and if he should take some responsibility. | |
| “I am the leader. It’s my job. I want to get vax rate as high as we can everywhere. I doing everything I can to get the message across repeatedly that this is incredibly important. | |
| “There are a number of remote communities where the message hasn’t cut through. | |
| “I’ll keep working at this and doing everything I can but people have the right to make a decision and some people have made the decision to not get vaccinated and I think that’s where we are now in the vaccine rollout when you look at how long the vaccine has been available.” | |
| Gunner said if the NT population is 80% vaccinated the healthcare system should be OK - but modelling is not real life and the Territory needs to “stay on the conservative side”. | |
| “We note from the Doherty modelling, if we are double dosed 80% in the territory and have 30 to 100 cases a day in the territory, we have the low public health measures that we can handle in our current system. | |
| “It would put pressure on we could handle it.” | |
| Gunner is saying they are concerned because they don’t know how the cases are linked. | Gunner is saying they are concerned because they don’t know how the cases are linked. |
| “We do not know how those two outbreaks are linked and so there is a concern for seeding. | “We do not know how those two outbreaks are linked and so there is a concern for seeding. |
| “Any person who has left Katherine, Robinson River, on those dates, come forward and get tested. | “Any person who has left Katherine, Robinson River, on those dates, come forward and get tested. |
| “We are concerned about potential seeding and that missing gap between that outbreak. There is a chance it is a separate and new incursion. But we do not have a source case if that is so. We are concerned. | “We are concerned about potential seeding and that missing gap between that outbreak. There is a chance it is a separate and new incursion. But we do not have a source case if that is so. We are concerned. |
| “We are a bit worried at the moment beyond Katherine and Robinson River.” | “We are a bit worried at the moment beyond Katherine and Robinson River.” |
| Gunner is asked about WA closing the border, despite the fact Darwin is not in lockdown. | |
| “Leaders will do what they need to do to look after that jurisdiction and I think Mark has had a fairly consistent approach all the way through this. I am not here to criticise other leaders. | “Leaders will do what they need to do to look after that jurisdiction and I think Mark has had a fairly consistent approach all the way through this. I am not here to criticise other leaders. |
| “I am concerned about the nine-day gap between the fourth and 13 November.” | “I am concerned about the nine-day gap between the fourth and 13 November.” |
| Gunner is back and he is asked what the reality of life will be for people who do not get the vaccine. | Gunner is back and he is asked what the reality of life will be for people who do not get the vaccine. |
| He says he wants to avoid a result where unvaccinated Territorians are separated from normal life. | He says he wants to avoid a result where unvaccinated Territorians are separated from normal life. |
| “I think there will be the inconvenience of the mask. | “I think there will be the inconvenience of the mask. |
| “If we get to a place where Covid is endemic in the NT, this is hypothetical so I will be very careful about doing hypothetical - there is enough going on with COVID to deal with the reality is that we may have to have other public health measures. | |
| “But at the moment it is about testing rules and must mandate to reduce the risk of incursion and try to catch it as soon as possible.” | “But at the moment it is about testing rules and must mandate to reduce the risk of incursion and try to catch it as soon as possible.” |
| Pain says the healthcare system just cannot cope with widespread community outbreak if vaccine rates are not higher. | |
| “Our system is prone to being overwhelmed if we cannot get people protected. | “Our system is prone to being overwhelmed if we cannot get people protected. |
| “The modelling we have seen, if we have a widespread outbreak in the community, we cannot manage that. However, we are not there yet. And we must get vaccinated at higher levels to avoid the health system being put under unacceptable and potentially unsustainable pressure. | “The modelling we have seen, if we have a widespread outbreak in the community, we cannot manage that. However, we are not there yet. And we must get vaccinated at higher levels to avoid the health system being put under unacceptable and potentially unsustainable pressure. |
| “So I do not want to sugarcoat that. That is a significant risk we are very concerned about that. | “So I do not want to sugarcoat that. That is a significant risk we are very concerned about that. |
| “The government is concerned about that and so, again, I would just like to appeal to people, help us now. | “The government is concerned about that and so, again, I would just like to appeal to people, help us now. |
| “Your way of helping us is to prevent that is to come forward and get vaccinated.” | “Your way of helping us is to prevent that is to come forward and get vaccinated.” |
| Dr Charles Pain is up now. He is talking about how many health workers are in isolation. | Dr Charles Pain is up now. He is talking about how many health workers are in isolation. |
| He says it’s “a small number.” | He says it’s “a small number.” |
| “No one is in isolation at this point. We were able to keep people working.” | “No one is in isolation at this point. We were able to keep people working.” |
| He says the health system is already under strain. | He says the health system is already under strain. |
| “We have been planning this for a very long time but I do acknowledge that we are under pressure already. | “We have been planning this for a very long time but I do acknowledge that we are under pressure already. |
| “Our health system is under significant pressure all of the time. We have high demands of our system into the territory. | “Our health system is under significant pressure all of the time. We have high demands of our system into the territory. |
| “The important point I wish to make an appeal to community, we need your help to prevent those admissions to hospital.” | “The important point I wish to make an appeal to community, we need your help to prevent those admissions to hospital.” |
| Gunner is back up – he has been asked about rough sleepers – he says many people are choosing not to take up accommodations. | |
| “We had a meeting yesterday to coordinate welfare support, education, vaccination, mobile testing. | “We had a meeting yesterday to coordinate welfare support, education, vaccination, mobile testing. |
| “We are happy to work with anyone who wants to relocate we have discussed this in the past and obviously the solutions that we have for normal emergencies, cyclones, floods, are not appropriate during a Covid emergency. | “We are happy to work with anyone who wants to relocate we have discussed this in the past and obviously the solutions that we have for normal emergencies, cyclones, floods, are not appropriate during a Covid emergency. |
| “You do not bring all people into a single spot. I will double-check the Katherine situation but we are happy to work with rough sleepers. | “You do not bring all people into a single spot. I will double-check the Katherine situation but we are happy to work with rough sleepers. |
| “I want to be clear, unfortunately, it is a choice. People will (not) want to leave those circumstances ... I will mask. | |
| “In Darwin, in the past, we have had rooms available not taken up by rough sleepers. We have the offer and they choose not to take it.“ | “In Darwin, in the past, we have had rooms available not taken up by rough sleepers. We have the offer and they choose not to take it.“ |
| Chalker: | Chalker: |
| “To all key leaders, to the strong family members out that I urge you to pull recalcitrant people in line so we can focus on saving lives in the territory. Thank you.” | “To all key leaders, to the strong family members out that I urge you to pull recalcitrant people in line so we can focus on saving lives in the territory. Thank you.” |
| Chalker says there was a homicide in Darwin last night and two serious robberies. | Chalker says there was a homicide in Darwin last night and two serious robberies. |
| “I need to return to Darwin. Unfortunately, there was a homicide that tied up police resources, a very severe domestic violence incident where a female was lying on a mattress and her partner kick to multiple times in the face resulting in serious facial injuries. | “I need to return to Darwin. Unfortunately, there was a homicide that tied up police resources, a very severe domestic violence incident where a female was lying on a mattress and her partner kick to multiple times in the face resulting in serious facial injuries. |
| “This behaviour in the backdrop of what the NT is currently dealing with is completely unacceptable. The demands on our frontline resources, not just police but our health resources should not be impacted in this way. | “This behaviour in the backdrop of what the NT is currently dealing with is completely unacceptable. The demands on our frontline resources, not just police but our health resources should not be impacted in this way. |
| “It is very clear all the work we are doing is to serve and protect this community.” | “It is very clear all the work we are doing is to serve and protect this community.” |
| NT police commissioner Jamie Chalker is now talking: | NT police commissioner Jamie Chalker is now talking: |
| “Within Katherine, the compliance has been very good although behaviour could be better. | “Within Katherine, the compliance has been very good although behaviour could be better. |
| “A number of residents unfortunately where it appears alcohol consumption is appearing, probably beyond the realms of what would be considered normal social interaction and that is impacting police services so to those members Katherine of the mindful of the factor that police resources are out there trying to protect people of the Katherine community.” | “A number of residents unfortunately where it appears alcohol consumption is appearing, probably beyond the realms of what would be considered normal social interaction and that is impacting police services so to those members Katherine of the mindful of the factor that police resources are out there trying to protect people of the Katherine community.” |
| Back to the NT – five of the new cases are in Robinson River and one is a three-week-old baby girl. | Back to the NT – five of the new cases are in Robinson River and one is a three-week-old baby girl. |