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| Australia news live update: Morrison says Christensen should retire ‘quietly’; new Queensland Covid cases include first reports of Omicron | Australia news live update: Morrison says Christensen should retire ‘quietly’; new Queensland Covid cases include first reports of Omicron |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Five people on board a Sydney Harbour cruise on Friday night have tested positive to Covid, with two likely the new variant. Follow all the day’s news | Five people on board a Sydney Harbour cruise on Friday night have tested positive to Covid, with two likely the new variant. Follow all the day’s news |
| The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, says her government’s officials will abide by a federal diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. | |
| Brisbane is the chosen host of the 2032 Summer games and it had been expected that Queensland officials - including Palaszczuk - would attend as guests of the International Olympic Committee to assist in ongoing preparations. | |
| Palaszczuk said in a statement: | |
| So Perrottet’s thesis today is a relatively interesting one - that state government’s should take a more proactive and collective approach to both working together, and toward federation reform. | |
| He cites the “success” of the Board of Treasurers as a blueprint for the reinvigoration of the Council for the Australian Federation, which he says last met in 2018. | |
| Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, with thanks to the always brilliant Matilda Boseley for her shift this morning. | |
| We begin with NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, who is speaking at the National Press Club this afternoon. He is discussing the “future of federation in a post-Covid world”, beginning by pointing out the pandemic had acted as a “stress test” for the federation. | |
| With that, I shall hand you over to the fantastic Mostafa Rachwani who will bring you all the updates from the NSW premier Dominic Perrottet’s National Press Club speech. | |
| Thanks. I hate this. | Thanks. I hate this. |
| Australia has reported another annual drop in the number of registered births, with a 3.7% drop in 2020 from the previous year to 294,369 bubs. | Australia has reported another annual drop in the number of registered births, with a 3.7% drop in 2020 from the previous year to 294,369 bubs. |
| That was a bigger decrease than the 3% decline in 2019. | That was a bigger decrease than the 3% decline in 2019. |
| As Matilda Boseley, your blog host, noted earlier this year, 2021 may snap the decrease in births as Covid conceptions kick in, so to speak. | As Matilda Boseley, your blog host, noted earlier this year, 2021 may snap the decrease in births as Covid conceptions kick in, so to speak. |
| Demographers will be crawling over today’s data but some longstanding trends seem clear. The total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.58 babies per woman, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. | Demographers will be crawling over today’s data but some longstanding trends seem clear. The total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.58 babies per woman, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. |
| ABS director of demography Beidar Cho said the low rate may have been linked to the first year of the pandemic: | ABS director of demography Beidar Cho said the low rate may have been linked to the first year of the pandemic: |
| The median age for parents is also at a record high, at 33.6 years for males and 31.6 years for females. The two-year age gap between females and males has been pretty much steady since the ABS began releasing figures for both genders in 1975. | The median age for parents is also at a record high, at 33.6 years for males and 31.6 years for females. The two-year age gap between females and males has been pretty much steady since the ABS began releasing figures for both genders in 1975. |
| The total fertility rate has gradually declined since 1990, when it was 1.9 babies per woman. The biggest reduction has been for those aged 15-19 with a two-thirds drop to 7.8 per 1,000 women over the period. The rate for women aged 40-44 has gone the other way, tripling to 15.2 per 1,000. | The total fertility rate has gradually declined since 1990, when it was 1.9 babies per woman. The biggest reduction has been for those aged 15-19 with a two-thirds drop to 7.8 per 1,000 women over the period. The rate for women aged 40-44 has gone the other way, tripling to 15.2 per 1,000. |
| For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, the total fertility rate was 2.25 births per woman, compared with 2.32 in 2019. | For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, the total fertility rate was 2.25 births per woman, compared with 2.32 in 2019. |
| You can read our full coverage on the newly announced Australian diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games below: | You can read our full coverage on the newly announced Australian diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games below: |
| Prime minister Scott Morrison says he suspects former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian may not run for the blue-ribbon seat of Warringah at the forthcoming federal election. | Prime minister Scott Morrison says he suspects former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian may not run for the blue-ribbon seat of Warringah at the forthcoming federal election. |
| Berejiklian, who stood down as a result of an Icac investigation which is yet to deliver its findings, is being lobbied by federal Liberals to run for Tony Abbott’s former seat, to win it back from independent MP Zali Steggall. | Berejiklian, who stood down as a result of an Icac investigation which is yet to deliver its findings, is being lobbied by federal Liberals to run for Tony Abbott’s former seat, to win it back from independent MP Zali Steggall. |
| In recent days, a string of senior Liberals, including Abbott and former prime minister John Howard, have publicly backed Berejiklian to make the switch to federal politics despite the incomplete Icac investigation. | In recent days, a string of senior Liberals, including Abbott and former prime minister John Howard, have publicly backed Berejiklian to make the switch to federal politics despite the incomplete Icac investigation. |
| A Guardian Essential poll published on Tuesday found NSW voters were sympathetic to the former premier, with most agreeing with Morrison’s criticism of the anti-corruption probe. | A Guardian Essential poll published on Tuesday found NSW voters were sympathetic to the former premier, with most agreeing with Morrison’s criticism of the anti-corruption probe. |
| You can read the full report below: | You can read the full report below: |
| A man in his 80s with Covid-19 died yesterday in the Australian Capital Territory, taking the territory’s total death toll during the pandemic to 12. | A man in his 80s with Covid-19 died yesterday in the Australian Capital Territory, taking the territory’s total death toll during the pandemic to 12. |
| This comes as the ACT records eight new Covid-19 cases overnight. | This comes as the ACT records eight new Covid-19 cases overnight. |
| A pause on the return of visa holders to Australia will likely end on schedule next week, the prime minister has indicated, reports AAP. | A pause on the return of visa holders to Australia will likely end on schedule next week, the prime minister has indicated, reports AAP. |
| Scott Morrison said it was likely visa holders would be allowed to enter from overseas without the need for a travel exemption from December 15. | Scott Morrison said it was likely visa holders would be allowed to enter from overseas without the need for a travel exemption from December 15. |
| Their return was delayed by two weeks from the initial date of 1 December, following concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. | Their return was delayed by two weeks from the initial date of 1 December, following concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. |
| Morrison told reporters in Sydney on this morning: | Morrison told reporters in Sydney on this morning: |
| The government estimates more than 233,000 visa holders will be allowed to come into the country under the border reopening plan. | The government estimates more than 233,000 visa holders will be allowed to come into the country under the border reopening plan. |
| While the pause was initiated following worries about the Omicron variant, experts have indicated the new strain causes milder symptoms despite being more transmissible. | While the pause was initiated following worries about the Omicron variant, experts have indicated the new strain causes milder symptoms despite being more transmissible. |
| The prime minister said vaccination rates in every state and territory would likely pass 80% fully vaccinated by the end of the week, while national rates were also set to reach new milestones. | The prime minister said vaccination rates in every state and territory would likely pass 80% fully vaccinated by the end of the week, while national rates were also set to reach new milestones. |