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| Australia politics live update: new Covid variant Omicron detected in Sydney and NT; parliament to sit for just 10 days in first half of 2022 | Australia politics live update: new Covid variant Omicron detected in Sydney and NT; parliament to sit for just 10 days in first half of 2022 |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the news live | Follow all the news live |
| And that’s where we’ll leave you today. Here’s what we learned: | |
| There have been five Omicron cases confirmed in Australia at the time of writing – four in New South Wales and one in the Northern Territory. All those diagnosed are returned travellers. | |
| We still don’t have stacks of information about the seriousness of the variant, but national cabinet is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the response to Omicron and border restrictions have tightened as a precaution. | |
| Parliament will sit for just 10 days in first half of 2022, which has given rise to all kinds of federal election date speculation, with the Labor party tipping it to be called for May. | |
| Victoria reported 1,007 new Covid cases and three deaths this morning, while NSW recorded 150 new cases and no deaths. | |
| Queensland will “proceed” with reopening its borders, even though it’s keeping an eye on Omicron, premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today. | |
| The royal commission into veteran suicide began hearing evidence today, with a suicidologist and the mother of an army veteran who took his own life the first witness to appear at its first round of public hearings. | |
| And there were all kinds of shenanigans in question time in parliament, as usual. | |
| We’ll be back at the same time tomorrow with more. | |
| Ben Doherty has been listening to the royal commission into veteran suicide today. The commission has been tasked with investigating “systemic issues” around defence and veteran suicide, and will hear 10 days of evidence in its first set of hearings this year, with a focus on people with lived experience, such as serving defence personnel, veterans and bereaved family members. Here’s the report from today’s proceedings: | Ben Doherty has been listening to the royal commission into veteran suicide today. The commission has been tasked with investigating “systemic issues” around defence and veteran suicide, and will hear 10 days of evidence in its first set of hearings this year, with a focus on people with lived experience, such as serving defence personnel, veterans and bereaved family members. Here’s the report from today’s proceedings: |
| Some more information about those new Omicron cases: both passengers arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Singapore Airlines flight SQ211 yesterday (that’s Sunday, 28 November). They are fully vaccinated and isolating. | Some more information about those new Omicron cases: both passengers arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Singapore Airlines flight SQ211 yesterday (that’s Sunday, 28 November). They are fully vaccinated and isolating. |
| Everyone on the flight is considered a close contact and will need to get tested immediately for Covid-19 and isolate for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status. | Everyone on the flight is considered a close contact and will need to get tested immediately for Covid-19 and isolate for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status. |
| That brings to the total in the state to four. | That brings to the total in the state to four. |
| Do you need a First Dog on the Moon fix? I definitely do. Here’s an absolutely true story in which only the names have been changed (and some of the details that weren’t funny). | Do you need a First Dog on the Moon fix? I definitely do. Here’s an absolutely true story in which only the names have been changed (and some of the details that weren’t funny). |
| Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said the state will move ahead with reopening its borders, even though it’s keeping an eye on Omicron, AAP reports. | Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said the state will move ahead with reopening its borders, even though it’s keeping an eye on Omicron, AAP reports. |
| Palaszczuk says it’s too early to know if the variant will impact plans to scrap quarantine for vaccinated domestic arrivals once the state hits the 80% vaccination target. | Palaszczuk says it’s too early to know if the variant will impact plans to scrap quarantine for vaccinated domestic arrivals once the state hits the 80% vaccination target. |
| “At this stage the plan is still to proceed,” she told reporters on Monday. | “At this stage the plan is still to proceed,” she told reporters on Monday. |
| The premier sidestepped a question about what could derail the plan, but she said more information about Omicron would be shared at Tuesday’s national cabinet meeting. | The premier sidestepped a question about what could derail the plan, but she said more information about Omicron would be shared at Tuesday’s national cabinet meeting. |
| A new Aboriginal heritage alliance will advise the Morrison government on possible law reform, a month on from a parliamentary report which found “countless instances where cultural heritage has been the victim of the drive for development and commercial gain”. | A new Aboriginal heritage alliance will advise the Morrison government on possible law reform, a month on from a parliamentary report which found “countless instances where cultural heritage has been the victim of the drive for development and commercial gain”. |
| The new group held its first roundtable meeting with environment minister Sussan Ley and the minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, on Monday. | The new group held its first roundtable meeting with environment minister Sussan Ley and the minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, on Monday. |
| It will look at ways to reform legislation, and at how to set standards for states and territories to follow, according to the chairman of the National Native Title Council and co-chair of the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance, Kado Muir: | It will look at ways to reform legislation, and at how to set standards for states and territories to follow, according to the chairman of the National Native Title Council and co-chair of the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance, Kado Muir: |
| Good evening. Thanks so much to the inimitable Amy Remeikis for her blog-wrangling today. | Good evening. Thanks so much to the inimitable Amy Remeikis for her blog-wrangling today. |
| If you’re just joining us and would like a quick catch-up on how our elected representatives are responding to the emergence of the Omicron variant, here is a handy 2.23-minute video on the matter: | If you’re just joining us and would like a quick catch-up on how our elected representatives are responding to the emergence of the Omicron variant, here is a handy 2.23-minute video on the matter: |
| On that note, I will be handing you over to the very lovely Stephanie Convery who will take you through the evening shift. | On that note, I will be handing you over to the very lovely Stephanie Convery who will take you through the evening shift. |
| The Senate is still going through its condolence motion, and the house is dealing with non-controversial legislation – the government hasn’t brought on voter ID yet – that is still in the house, but is listed for tomorrow. | The Senate is still going through its condolence motion, and the house is dealing with non-controversial legislation – the government hasn’t brought on voter ID yet – that is still in the house, but is listed for tomorrow. |
| The government MPs who have been threatening to withhold their votes appear to have been pulled into line, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. | The government MPs who have been threatening to withhold their votes appear to have been pulled into line, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. |
| Tuesday morning is also party room/caucus meeting day – the last one before the parliament rises, so prepare yourself for a lot more talk about unity and the like. | Tuesday morning is also party room/caucus meeting day – the last one before the parliament rises, so prepare yourself for a lot more talk about unity and the like. |
| And no, no one other than the prime minister knows when the election may be called as yet, despite what the sitting calendar for 2022 says. | And no, no one other than the prime minister knows when the election may be called as yet, despite what the sitting calendar for 2022 says. |
| A very big thank you to Mike Bowers who as always, kept us all sane and informed (and well caffeinated) as well as Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Sarah Martin and Katharine Murphy, who are still toiling away with stories. Anthony Albanese will be on 7.30 tonight, so we’ll let you know if there is any major announcements from that, but mostly, the parliamentarians are in holiday season mode, which means the (Covid safe) end-of-year events are taking up the evenings once parliament has risen. No one is going too wild though, I am not sure anyone is particularly in a celebratory mood. | A very big thank you to Mike Bowers who as always, kept us all sane and informed (and well caffeinated) as well as Paul Karp, Daniel Hurst, Sarah Martin and Katharine Murphy, who are still toiling away with stories. Anthony Albanese will be on 7.30 tonight, so we’ll let you know if there is any major announcements from that, but mostly, the parliamentarians are in holiday season mode, which means the (Covid safe) end-of-year events are taking up the evenings once parliament has risen. No one is going too wild though, I am not sure anyone is particularly in a celebratory mood. |
| Thank you to everyone who followed along with us today. I know that switching off comments gets frustrating, but it is for all of our protection in these legal climates. You can always reach me on email, or here or here if you have a burning question or comment. I’ll answer what I can. | Thank you to everyone who followed along with us today. I know that switching off comments gets frustrating, but it is for all of our protection in these legal climates. You can always reach me on email, or here or here if you have a burning question or comment. I’ll answer what I can. |
| I’ll be back early tomorrow morning – in the mean time, take care of you. | I’ll be back early tomorrow morning – in the mean time, take care of you. |
| Nationals minister David Gillespie is now on the ABC quoting WWII slogans when asked about the omicron covid variant: | Nationals minister David Gillespie is now on the ABC quoting WWII slogans when asked about the omicron covid variant: |
| Kristy McBain on the sitting calendar: | Kristy McBain on the sitting calendar: |
| Matt Canavan on the sitting calendar: | Matt Canavan on the sitting calendar: |
| Labor frontbencher Ed Husic is also asked about the debate over freedoms vs lockdowns and how it is being presented as a binary choice when it comes to public health responses: | Labor frontbencher Ed Husic is also asked about the debate over freedoms vs lockdowns and how it is being presented as a binary choice when it comes to public health responses: |
| Ed Husic is on Afternoon Briefing where he is asked about the proposed sitting calendar (which Labor is not opposing, FYI): | Ed Husic is on Afternoon Briefing where he is asked about the proposed sitting calendar (which Labor is not opposing, FYI): |
| In Victoria, locally transmitted cases (not omicron) are being linked to the recent protests: | In Victoria, locally transmitted cases (not omicron) are being linked to the recent protests: |
| For those keeping an eye on borders as we head into the holiday season (where expectations for reunions are sky high), Michael McGowan has you covered on what international travel changes have been made. | For those keeping an eye on borders as we head into the holiday season (where expectations for reunions are sky high), Michael McGowan has you covered on what international travel changes have been made. |
| Again – the omicron variant is not one anyone knows a lot about as yet, so it is watch and wait, but there is no need to panic. Health experts are still gathering data, but the early indications is that this is a more mild variant. We will bring you the updates as they come (and we’ll know more tomorrow afternoon following the national cabinet meeting) | Again – the omicron variant is not one anyone knows a lot about as yet, so it is watch and wait, but there is no need to panic. Health experts are still gathering data, but the early indications is that this is a more mild variant. We will bring you the updates as they come (and we’ll know more tomorrow afternoon following the national cabinet meeting) |
| Moving away from politics for a moment, AAP has an update on Jarryd Hayne’s appeal: | Moving away from politics for a moment, AAP has an update on Jarryd Hayne’s appeal: |
| Jailed former NRL star Jarryd Hayne should be acquitted or at least retried due to a number of issues in convicting him of sexual assault, his appeal hearing has been told. | Jailed former NRL star Jarryd Hayne should be acquitted or at least retried due to a number of issues in convicting him of sexual assault, his appeal hearing has been told. |
| Hayne’s barrister Tim Game SC told the NSW court of criminal appeal on Monday that his trial judge’s directions to the jury were “flawed in almost every possible way”. | Hayne’s barrister Tim Game SC told the NSW court of criminal appeal on Monday that his trial judge’s directions to the jury were “flawed in almost every possible way”. |
| The former representative player faced a re-trial after his first ended with a hung jury, and was found guilty of assaulting a woman in her Hunter NSW bedroom on the night of the 2018 NRL grand final. | The former representative player faced a re-trial after his first ended with a hung jury, and was found guilty of assaulting a woman in her Hunter NSW bedroom on the night of the 2018 NRL grand final. |
| Hayne, 33, only stopped the assault when the 28-year-old victim started to bleed, not when she told him to stop, the sentencing judge said. | Hayne, 33, only stopped the assault when the 28-year-old victim started to bleed, not when she told him to stop, the sentencing judge said. |
| He was jailed in May for five years and nine months with a non-parole period of three years and eight months. | He was jailed in May for five years and nine months with a non-parole period of three years and eight months. |
| Game outlined four main grounds of appeal including “the jury verdict in respect of both counts was unreasonable”. | Game outlined four main grounds of appeal including “the jury verdict in respect of both counts was unreasonable”. |
| He also said trial judge Helen Syme was in error to give certain directions to the jury he described as “highly problematic”. | He also said trial judge Helen Syme was in error to give certain directions to the jury he described as “highly problematic”. |
| Words such as “may” and “might” confuse the legal issues, and a jury could not be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt in convicting him, Game said. | Words such as “may” and “might” confuse the legal issues, and a jury could not be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt in convicting him, Game said. |
| Prosecutor Brett Hatfield did not say the judge’s directions were in error, but rather the language could have been tighter, and that “perfection is not required”. | Prosecutor Brett Hatfield did not say the judge’s directions were in error, but rather the language could have been tighter, and that “perfection is not required”. |
| Game says there was ample evidence that showed the victim had an “abiding interest in having sex with Jarryd Hayne”, and the Crown ran the gauntlet with its case. | Game says there was ample evidence that showed the victim had an “abiding interest in having sex with Jarryd Hayne”, and the Crown ran the gauntlet with its case. |
| Hayne’s appeal hearing against his conviction continues while he watches on via video link. | Hayne’s appeal hearing against his conviction continues while he watches on via video link. |
| And the big issues | And the big issues |
| Over in the Senate, a condolence motion is being held for Alex Gallacher. | Over in the Senate, a condolence motion is being held for Alex Gallacher. |