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Australia politics live update: new Covid variant Omicron detected in Sydney as government asks for review of booster shot timings; NSW floods worsen Australia politics live update: new Covid variant Omicron detected in Sydney and NT as government asks for review of booster shot timings; NSW floods worsen
(30 minutes later)
Follow all the news liveFollow all the news live
Katharine Murphy has an update on the Kate Jenkins review into parliament workplace culture:
The Australian Human Rights Commission has agreed to brief the former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins before it hands over the much-anticipated review into whether parliament house has a toxic workplace culture to the Morrison government.
Guardian Australia understands the commission initially flagged Higgins would not be briefed until the final report was made public by tabling in parliament. This is despite the former Coalition adviser being the catalyst for the investigation.
But that position has shifted in recent days.
The briefing is imminent, because the report is due to be handed to the Morrison government on 30 November.
The Greens are again attempting to disallow the public funding for fracking in the Beetaloo Basin – Labor has not been supporting these motions in the past, so this won’t have the numbers to pass.
It is certainly a slower start to the parliamentary week than it was last Monday – looks like there has been a bit of work done behind the scenes to corral the ‘rebels’ and bring about at least the appearance of unity within the government.
The Northern Territory has reported its first case of a traveller testing positive for the Omicron Covid variant – they are in quarantine and have been since arriving in Australia on 25 November.
There have been two more local cases which have brought the local Katherine cluster to 58.
Lots of economic data out this week, headlined by Wednesday’s release of September quarter Gross Domestic Product. Since the Morrison government’s handling of the economy will likely be central come next year’s election, the pace of the recovery will be scrutinised closely.
The figures when they land will likely show Australia posted its second-biggest quarter-on-quarter drop on record, in the order of 3%. The only bigger dive came in the June quarter of 2020, when the economy shrank 7% as the first wave of Covid crested.
The quarter just finished, in other words, with be the second big dip, and the rebound now under way is the final leg of a “W-shaped” economy. Whether we get a third downward leg with the Omicron variety omniscient, we’ll have to see.
A couple of stats out today give us more of a clue how bad Wednesday’s overall GDP growth figures will look. Inventories held by companies fell 1.9% for the quarter, a not-unexpected drop but worse than the median market forecast of no change, according to Westpac (which tipped a 1.1% retreat). That discrepancy will have a few economists pencilling in a bigger September quarter GDP drop.
More promising, though, was a 4% increase in company profits. Westpac had predicted a 5% rise, but the market was only expecting 2.3%.
And who should companies address their Christmas cards of thanks to? Taxpayers, apparently, since our subsidies bolstered that famous bottom line.
“The public sector is using its balance sheet to support the balance sheet of the private sector – households and businesses – to assist them in navigating the lockdowns,” Westpac concluded in a quick note accompanying today’s numbers.
Amanda Stoker also spoke to streamed radio station Australia Today, where she was asked about why the prime minister is so against the NSW Icac (this was after his verbal explosion against the anti-corruption commission in parliament last week, while defending former NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian).
Here is what Stoker said:
Once again, Icac investigates. Not all of it is done in public. It does not pass judgement, it does not lay charges. It hands over its report and recommendations to public prosecutors, who make those decisions. It was the same process used with Eddie Obeid, who the prime minister has also been bringing up lately, but in the context of how Labor should be embarrassed.
Anyone who has been through an investigation of any kind knows how uncomfortable and public they can be. Police investigations can also play out publicly, and we have seen recent examples of that. Icac is not doing anything different.
The assistant minister to the attorney general, Amanda Stoker, spoke to Sky News overnight where she was asked about the new social media legislation Scott Morrison wants everyone to focus on.The assistant minister to the attorney general, Amanda Stoker, spoke to Sky News overnight where she was asked about the new social media legislation Scott Morrison wants everyone to focus on.
There was this bit, which states what the legislation is actually about. The government is focussing on children and women in its sell of the legislation – but it’s actually all about defamation actions. Which, given the expense, is not an option for the vast majority of people.There was this bit, which states what the legislation is actually about. The government is focussing on children and women in its sell of the legislation – but it’s actually all about defamation actions. Which, given the expense, is not an option for the vast majority of people.
Stoker:Stoker:
So no major changes as yet. It’s a watch and wait situation, as more information is gathered.So no major changes as yet. It’s a watch and wait situation, as more information is gathered.
Greg Hunt finishes on this:Greg Hunt finishes on this:
Greg Hunt:Greg Hunt:
Will there be a change in when people receive their boosters? A shorter time period?Will there be a change in when people receive their boosters? A shorter time period?
Greg Hunt on Atagi:Greg Hunt on Atagi:
Prof Paul Kelly on what they know so far about the variant:Prof Paul Kelly on what they know so far about the variant:
Chief health minister professor Paul Kelly then steps up:Chief health minister professor Paul Kelly then steps up:
So far there is nothing new in this press conference – Greg Hunt is going through what we already know:So far there is nothing new in this press conference – Greg Hunt is going through what we already know:
Vaccination rates.Vaccination rates.
Booster program.Booster program.
Quarantine for certain travellers.Quarantine for certain travellers.
National cabinet in the next 48 hours.National cabinet in the next 48 hours.
Waiting for more information on the variant.Waiting for more information on the variant.
The health minister starts his press conference with an update of Australia’s vaccination progress as well as the booster program.
He then moves into a recap of what has been done:
The Omicron Covid variant has been ruffling investors globally but it seems the panic button’s not been pressed in Australia yet despite the first cases turning up over the weekend.
The ASX200 benchmark share index did dive at the opening, losing more than 1%. But after two goes at breaking 7200 point mark, it has bounced back, paring losses to about 0.5% for the day.
Still, other markets, such as Japan’s Nikkei is due to open about 1.9% lower, according to Reuters, so there’s still some nervousness around.
Oil prices are also clawing back some of their losses, another sign that the fear factor has eased from late last week.
Of interest to Australians, or course, are interest rates. Omicron’s emergence on Friday sent US Treasury bills lower by the most since March 2020 when the threat of Covid began to emerge. That concern has also moderated a bit today.
Australians, meanwhile, have been flocking to the regions. New data from CoreLogic showed 24 of 25 areas sampled showed at least a double-digit increase in the past year in property prices. Half of the regions posted rises of at least 20%.
The best performing regional areas were the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven region in NSW, recording an annual growth rate in house values of 35.9%, followed by the Richmond – Tweed region in northern NSW (32.8%) and Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, which recorded an annual growth rate of 32.3%, CoreLogics said.
Laggards included Queensland’s Townsville, where houses rose by 8% in price in the year, while those in New England and north-west NSW took the longest to sell, averaging about 62 days on the market.
The Northern Territory rights bill debate is momentarily adjourned and the Senate moves on to a health insurance legislation amendment.
For those with one eye on the Hunter river at the moment.
Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy says she does not personally support voluntary assisted dying (which the NT rights bill focuses on) but she thinks the territory should have the rights to set its own laws.
Zed Seselja has switched the ensuring Northern Territory rights bill (Sam McMahon’s private members bill) to what it would mean for the ACT – and he is not a fan.
Greg Hunt will be holding a press conference at 11.30.
The royal commission into veteran suicide begins today in Brisbane.
AAP has a recap:
A suicidologist and the mother of an army veteran who took his own life will be the first witness to appear at the royal commission into veteran suicide at its first round of public hearings.
Nikki Jamieson will join a panel of experts to give evidence about her own experience, following the death her son Daniel in 2014 and her subsequent work as a university researcher into the impact of “moral injury” within veteran communities.
Evidence from veterans and their families will be the main focus in the first two weeks of the wide-ranging inquiry being held at the Brisbane Convention Centre from Monday.
The commission has flagged its landmark inquiry into Australia’s defence force culture will include confronting accounts of life in the service, including bullying, “concerns over the treatment of women”, sexual and physical assaults and ritual hazing of new recruits.
Evidence will also be heard about the challenges of accessing mental health support after deployment and “the loss of identity and community” after transitioning to civilian life.
Chair of the inquiry, commissioner Nick Kaldas, said on Friday he and his two fellow commissioners believe it is a “once in a generation opportunity for lasting, fundamental change” to tackle the suicide crisis.
Commissioner and psychiatrist Peggy Brown added that “while I don’t believe that any government department ... in Australia sets out to fail, or to lack compassion, there can be no doubt that systemic issues are contributing to the suicide deaths of our defence members and veterans.”
“That is something this royal commission must change – absolutely.”
Labor’s ploy worked.
Labor has worked with the crossbench to bring this forward – the bill belongs to Country Liberal party MP Sam McMahon, but it was dropped by the government last week in exchange for Pauline Hanson’s anti-vaccine mandate bill (which the government didn’t support, but five government senators, including McMahon crossed the floor on).