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| Daniel Andrews ‘won’t be deterred’ by Victoria protests; NT records eight new Covid cases; flood warnings for NSW – As it happened | |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| All the day’s news as it happened | |
| And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. As always a totally pleasure going through the day’s news with you. Before we bounce, let’s go through the big ones: | And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. As always a totally pleasure going through the day’s news with you. Before we bounce, let’s go through the big ones: |
| The New South Wales town of Forbes was flooded. | The New South Wales town of Forbes was flooded. |
| Labor announced its first election promise: to revamp the country’s broadband. | Labor announced its first election promise: to revamp the country’s broadband. |
| Residential mental health facility capacity for young people to be doubled in Victoria. | Residential mental health facility capacity for young people to be doubled in Victoria. |
| Daniel Andrews said “he won’t be deterred” by protesters’ threats. | Daniel Andrews said “he won’t be deterred” by protesters’ threats. |
| NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said he was hopeful of a breakthrough in the William Tyrrell case, after police seized a car. | NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said he was hopeful of a breakthrough in the William Tyrrell case, after police seized a car. |
| Victoria records 996 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths, NSW records 231 new cases, no deaths, and no cases in Queensland. | Victoria records 996 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths, NSW records 231 new cases, no deaths, and no cases in Queensland. |
| Many of the 12,000 people stranded interstate “are just waiting” for Queensland to scrap Covid-19 quarantine. | Many of the 12,000 people stranded interstate “are just waiting” for Queensland to scrap Covid-19 quarantine. |
| Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has dodged questions on whether or not he went “rogue” in announcing a parliamentary inquiry into the ABC. | Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has dodged questions on whether or not he went “rogue” in announcing a parliamentary inquiry into the ABC. |
| Roger Federer to miss Australian Open as he recovers from knee surgery. | Roger Federer to miss Australian Open as he recovers from knee surgery. |
| We will be back tomorrow to do it all again - until then, go well. | We will be back tomorrow to do it all again - until then, go well. |
| Roger Federer has announced he will not play in the Australian Open as he continues recovery from his recent knee surgery. | Roger Federer has announced he will not play in the Australian Open as he continues recovery from his recent knee surgery. |
| As a Country Road executive participated in a digital panel on ethical clothing for Melbourne Fashion Week on Wednesday, dozens of the company’s warehouse workers staged a protest outside a major department store selling the company’s clothing. | As a Country Road executive participated in a digital panel on ethical clothing for Melbourne Fashion Week on Wednesday, dozens of the company’s warehouse workers staged a protest outside a major department store selling the company’s clothing. |
| CRG owns a stable of high profile fashion brands, including Country Road, Witchery, Mimco, Politix and Trenery. | CRG owns a stable of high profile fashion brands, including Country Road, Witchery, Mimco, Politix and Trenery. |
| Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has dodged questions on whether or not he went “rogue” in announcing a parliamentary inquiry into the ABC’s complaint’s process during an interview with the ABC. | Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has dodged questions on whether or not he went “rogue” in announcing a parliamentary inquiry into the ABC’s complaint’s process during an interview with the ABC. |
| The Oz reported earlier this week that Bragg was “rapped over the knuckles” by the prime minister’s office for going public with the inquiry, and reported “senior coalition” figures were furious Bragg had made it a political issue. | The Oz reported earlier this week that Bragg was “rapped over the knuckles” by the prime minister’s office for going public with the inquiry, and reported “senior coalition” figures were furious Bragg had made it a political issue. |
| ABC Chair Ita Buttrose didn’t hold back in responding to the inquiry, saying it amounted to “political interference” with the national broadcaster, given it has announced an inquiry into the complaints process before an independent inquiry already ordered by the board returns its findings. | ABC Chair Ita Buttrose didn’t hold back in responding to the inquiry, saying it amounted to “political interference” with the national broadcaster, given it has announced an inquiry into the complaints process before an independent inquiry already ordered by the board returns its findings. |
| Scott Morrison backed the inquiry when asked about it earlier this week, by saying no one was above the scrutiny of the Senate (which ignores all the ministers who have failed to produce documents as ordered by the senate, by claiming ‘cabinet in confidence’). Bragg, for his part, wouldn’t answer whether or not he had gone “rogue” when pressed on the Australian report by Patricia Karvelas this afternoon. | Scott Morrison backed the inquiry when asked about it earlier this week, by saying no one was above the scrutiny of the Senate (which ignores all the ministers who have failed to produce documents as ordered by the senate, by claiming ‘cabinet in confidence’). Bragg, for his part, wouldn’t answer whether or not he had gone “rogue” when pressed on the Australian report by Patricia Karvelas this afternoon. |
| Directly asked if he had gone rogue, Bragg said: “Well, the senate is required under the constitution to perform a review function and the senate is performing that function in relation to a range of government bodies at the moment through the legislation committees. This is a new inquiry that I think can add a great deal to this. | Directly asked if he had gone rogue, Bragg said: “Well, the senate is required under the constitution to perform a review function and the senate is performing that function in relation to a range of government bodies at the moment through the legislation committees. This is a new inquiry that I think can add a great deal to this. |
| Asked again, Bragg deflected by saying: | Asked again, Bragg deflected by saying: |
| “I’m not sure what you mean about the Senate going rogue? The Senate reviews government agencies all the time.” | “I’m not sure what you mean about the Senate going rogue? The Senate reviews government agencies all the time.” |
| Asked a third time about the report in the Australian, Bragg answered: | Asked a third time about the report in the Australian, Bragg answered: |
| “I’m not going to go into private conversations. I don’t think you’d expect me to do that. Of course, I consult with colleagues. The Senate has a role under the Constitution to perform a review function. And I think you would generally welcome that, given it’s been able to provide scrutiny of government departments, scrutiny of government agencies and it does that on a regular basis most notably through Senate estimates. | “I’m not going to go into private conversations. I don’t think you’d expect me to do that. Of course, I consult with colleagues. The Senate has a role under the Constitution to perform a review function. And I think you would generally welcome that, given it’s been able to provide scrutiny of government departments, scrutiny of government agencies and it does that on a regular basis most notably through Senate estimates. |
| Scott Morrison’s ‘can-do capitalism’ is a hypocritical example of ‘do nothing’ leadership, writes Amy Remeikis. | Scott Morrison’s ‘can-do capitalism’ is a hypocritical example of ‘do nothing’ leadership, writes Amy Remeikis. |
| Human rights advocates have welcomed the inclusion of concerns about self-censorship in new guidelines against foreign interference in universities. | Human rights advocates have welcomed the inclusion of concerns about self-censorship in new guidelines against foreign interference in universities. |
| The federal government today released a new version of guidelines developed by the university foreign interference taskforce - a body that includes government agencies and the higher education sector. | The federal government today released a new version of guidelines developed by the university foreign interference taskforce - a body that includes government agencies and the higher education sector. |
| The new guidelines say “attempts to inappropriately influence academic discussions or public statements made by members of the university community can lead to self-censorship, and conflicts with the principle of academic freedom”. | The new guidelines say “attempts to inappropriately influence academic discussions or public statements made by members of the university community can lead to self-censorship, and conflicts with the principle of academic freedom”. |
| The document says universities should put in place policies and procedures to manage the risk of foreign interference, including “harassment and intimidation that can lead to self-censorship”. | The document says universities should put in place policies and procedures to manage the risk of foreign interference, including “harassment and intimidation that can lead to self-censorship”. |
| Human Rights Watch - which has previously published a report on self-censorship on matters related to China - welcomed the new guidelines. | Human Rights Watch - which has previously published a report on self-censorship on matters related to China - welcomed the new guidelines. |
| The group’s Australia researcher, Sophie McNeill, said in a statement: | The group’s Australia researcher, Sophie McNeill, said in a statement: |
| “These new efforts to ensure universities have policies in place to counter state-backed harassment and intimidation are long overdue and have the potential to make a real positive difference on the lives of students and academics. | “These new efforts to ensure universities have policies in place to counter state-backed harassment and intimidation are long overdue and have the potential to make a real positive difference on the lives of students and academics. |
| “The Taskforce’s acknowledgement of the corrosive impact of self-censorship on Australian university campuses and the need to introduce new measures to counter that, is a welcome development. We agree that new education programs highlighting the impact of intimidation and harassment on academic freedom and freedom of speech need to be put in place by universities and we call for those to be implemented as soon as possible.” | “The Taskforce’s acknowledgement of the corrosive impact of self-censorship on Australian university campuses and the need to introduce new measures to counter that, is a welcome development. We agree that new education programs highlighting the impact of intimidation and harassment on academic freedom and freedom of speech need to be put in place by universities and we call for those to be implemented as soon as possible.” |
| From AAP: | From AAP: |
| Australia’s Human Rights Commission has issued a set of guidelines designed to stamp out racism in crowds at sporting events. | Australia’s Human Rights Commission has issued a set of guidelines designed to stamp out racism in crowds at sporting events. |
| Major professional sports organisations including the AFL, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and some of the nation’s largest stadiums have already endorsed the Spectator Racism Guidelines, and more are expected to sign on. | Major professional sports organisations including the AFL, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and some of the nation’s largest stadiums have already endorsed the Spectator Racism Guidelines, and more are expected to sign on. |
| Among the 13 guidelines released on Wednesday, players will be encouraged to report racial abuse in the crowd and even stop play to alert authorities, while there is a recommendation for culturally sensitive counselling and social support services for targets of racism. | Among the 13 guidelines released on Wednesday, players will be encouraged to report racial abuse in the crowd and even stop play to alert authorities, while there is a recommendation for culturally sensitive counselling and social support services for targets of racism. |
| They include a number of proactive measures to prevent racism from occurring. | They include a number of proactive measures to prevent racism from occurring. |
| The framework is the result of consultation hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission with professional sporting codes, clubs, players, venue operators and anti-racism experts. | The framework is the result of consultation hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission with professional sporting codes, clubs, players, venue operators and anti-racism experts. |
| Race discrimination commissioner Chin Tan said the commission spearheaded the development of these guidelines in response to numerous incidents of spectator racism over the past year. | Race discrimination commissioner Chin Tan said the commission spearheaded the development of these guidelines in response to numerous incidents of spectator racism over the past year. |
| “When racist incidents happen they can have a long-lasting impact on those affected and damaging social consequences. There is no place for racism anywhere and that includes sport,” Commissioner Tan said in a statement. | “When racist incidents happen they can have a long-lasting impact on those affected and damaging social consequences. There is no place for racism anywhere and that includes sport,” Commissioner Tan said in a statement. |
| Victorian MP Fiona Patten has been pushing for a Minister for Loneliness since 2018 - and it looks like she’s finally got it. | Victorian MP Fiona Patten has been pushing for a Minister for Loneliness since 2018 - and it looks like she’s finally got it. |
| “A Minister for Loneliness will help address this issue at a state level and introduce an integrated approach to tackle social isolation,” she previously said. | “A Minister for Loneliness will help address this issue at a state level and introduce an integrated approach to tackle social isolation,” she previously said. |
| “For every policy that is introduced, we will have someone asking the questions ‘how does this impact people’s ability to connect. This is about driving action on loneliness across all parts of the community.” | “For every policy that is introduced, we will have someone asking the questions ‘how does this impact people’s ability to connect. This is about driving action on loneliness across all parts of the community.” |
| Warm oceans, unusual currents and strange weather patterns have coincided with an outbreak of disease that has forced the closure of South Australia’s Coffin Bay farms. | Warm oceans, unusual currents and strange weather patterns have coincided with an outbreak of disease that has forced the closure of South Australia’s Coffin Bay farms. |
| Health authorities have said they would now investigate whether climate change was a factor in the spread of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters, which has been linked to 45 cases of gastroenteritis since September. | Health authorities have said they would now investigate whether climate change was a factor in the spread of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters, which has been linked to 45 cases of gastroenteritis since September. |
| Undercooked shellfish and fish can carry Vibrio, which in turn can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, fever and headache. Raw oysters are often the cause of Vibrio infection. | Undercooked shellfish and fish can carry Vibrio, which in turn can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, fever and headache. Raw oysters are often the cause of Vibrio infection. |