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| Australia news live update: Daniel Andrews ‘won’t be deterred’ by Victoria protests; NT records eight new Covid cases; flood warnings for NSW | |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news live | Follow all the day’s news live |
| ClubsNSW has successfully restrained former employee and whistleblower Troy Stolz from making public statements that are calculated to “intimidate, harass, or otherwise bring improper pressure” on the clubs lobby as it sues him for disclosing confidential information about lax compliance with money laundering in the state’s poker machine industry.Stolz, a former ClubsNSW money laundering and counter-terror financing compliance manager, spoke to the ABC last year about what he alleged was a widespread failure to comply with money laundering and terror financing laws in the sector.ClubsNSW is now suing him for breach of confidence in the federal court.Earlier this year, ClubsNSW told the court it was victim to an “oppressive” public campaign by Stolz, who had spoken about the case to Guardian Australia and other media outlets, and in tweets, retweets and via a GoFundMe page he set up to help pay for his defence.The body said Stolz’s comments had prompted members of the public to send derogatory messages, including saying its “blood-sucking organisation is just a parasite” and accusing it of “legal thievery”.ClubsNSW said the campaign was “inflammatory and frankly misleading” and an attempt to put pressure on it during the proceedings. It said the campaign was designed to falsely imply it was suing Stolz as retribution for him blowing the whistle.The federal court earlier this year considered whether it needed to restrain Stolz using an injunction to prevent his comments from interfering in the administration of justice and causing contempt of court.Stolz’s lawyers had argued the public commentary had not interfered with the administration of justice.But Justice David Yates on Wednesday ordered Stolz be restrained.Yates said: | |
| The NT authorities have confirmed two new cases. That means there are eight new cases today, not the six that were announced at the press conference. That brings the total number to eight new cases. | |
| We reported earlier that Craig Thomson had been arrested but it was in the middle of the NT presser so I have this full rundown from my colleague Anne Davies: | |
| Police have intervened to protect a Channel Seven 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”. | 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. | 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 of Robinson River, 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. | “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. | “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.” | “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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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.” | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| The Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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.” | “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. | 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. | “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. | “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.” | “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”. | 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. | “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.” | “It would put pressure on we could handle it.” |