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| Australia news live updates: deputy PM to face party room after leaked text message furore; NSW records 28 Covid deaths, Victoria six; fire threatens WA towns | Australia news live updates: deputy PM to face party room after leaked text message furore; NSW records 28 Covid deaths, Victoria six; fire threatens WA towns |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news live | Follow all the day’s news live |
| Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said that there has been a “substantial reduction in the number of in-patients in public hospitals” with Covid-19. | |
| He said that the number in public hospitals has gone down from 727 to 663. The number of people in intensive care there has gone down from 46 to 45. | |
| The number of patients with the virus in private hospitals has stayed the same, at 63. | |
| Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles is providing today’s Covid-19 case update. | |
| There are 5,746 new cases and nine deaths. This brings the total number of deaths reported in the state to 277. | |
| Environment minister Susan Ley told Sky News Sunday Agenda this morning that, while it’s been a tough week this morning, said that it’s been a tough week for the prime minister, but insisted that their cabinet is united. | |
| Our friends at AAP have the story: | |
| “The most important issue is the unity in the Morrison government,” Ley said. | |
| Asked whether there was any prospect of Morrison or Joyce being rolled as leader of their respective parties, Ley said: “Not at all, absolutely none.” | |
| But shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said there is no salvaging this government. | |
| Finally, Speers asked about the $60m in extra funding to combat violent extremism, announced last week. He wanted to know whether any of this funding was in response to the anti-vax, anti-mandate protests gathering in Canberra and other places. | |
| Andrews said “not specifically”, but added that “our intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies certainly keeps a very close eye on who is attending those rallies, what the activity is...” | |
| She said that the funding announced will go towards “countering violent extremism particularly in rural and regional Australia to stop it before it starts”. | |
| Speers pointed out that Andrews’ colleague, George Christensen, was among the protesters this week. He asked Andrews whether Christensen’s actions were “helpful”? | |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Speers asked why “those who have been found to be refugees, don’t pose as a security risk, are still stuck in that hotel?” | |
| Andrews: | |
| Speers moved on to ask the home affairs minister when the international border is going to open. | |
| Andrews said that is a priority for the government, and that “the prime minister and I know that I have been working over the last few weeks in particular to make sure that we are ready to open to international tourists as soon as it is safe to do so.” | |
| But she stopped short of setting a date, saying that “we don’t have all the information that we need to be able to make the decision to open, but we are very close.” | |
| Speers asked whether tourists could be turned away after arriving in Australia, like Novak Djokovic. | Speers asked whether tourists could be turned away after arriving in Australia, like Novak Djokovic. |
| Andrews said that it is possible that tourists could be turned back. | Andrews said that it is possible that tourists could be turned back. |
| Andrews said that the government is “doing absolutely everything we can to bring the workforce that is needed” to aged care homes, but said she doesn’t believe it’s possible to guarantee that some aged care homes won’t have to shut down due to workforce shortages. | Andrews said that the government is “doing absolutely everything we can to bring the workforce that is needed” to aged care homes, but said she doesn’t believe it’s possible to guarantee that some aged care homes won’t have to shut down due to workforce shortages. |
| Speers: | Speers: |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Speers turned the conversation to discuss the aged-care Covid-19, noting that the Jetta Gardens Home, where 15 residents have died from the virus, is not far from Andrews’ electorate. He asks what the government is doing? | Speers turned the conversation to discuss the aged-care Covid-19, noting that the Jetta Gardens Home, where 15 residents have died from the virus, is not far from Andrews’ electorate. He asks what the government is doing? |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Speers starts listing the leaders who have accused Scott Morrison of being a liar: Barnaby Joyce, the former Prime Minister, French president Emmanuel Macron. He asks whether this, plus problems in managing the pandemic, will make it harder to campaign with Scott Morrison at this year’s federal election? | Speers starts listing the leaders who have accused Scott Morrison of being a liar: Barnaby Joyce, the former Prime Minister, French president Emmanuel Macron. He asks whether this, plus problems in managing the pandemic, will make it harder to campaign with Scott Morrison at this year’s federal election? |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Speers jumps in to point out that personal attacks are coming from within the Prime Minister’s own government, though, and ask whether Morrison will be as much of an asset on the campaign trial this year as he was in 2019? | Speers jumps in to point out that personal attacks are coming from within the Prime Minister’s own government, though, and ask whether Morrison will be as much of an asset on the campaign trial this year as he was in 2019? |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Andrews adds that “we need to get him out”, before quickly clarifying that she means “out into the community”. | Andrews adds that “we need to get him out”, before quickly clarifying that she means “out into the community”. |
| Speers doesn’t let up. | Speers doesn’t let up. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Speers: | Speers: |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Speers asks Andrews whether she has spoken to Barnaby Joyce about why he felt Scott Morrison was a liar, referring to the Deputy Prime Minister’s leaked text message. | Speers asks Andrews whether she has spoken to Barnaby Joyce about why he felt Scott Morrison was a liar, referring to the Deputy Prime Minister’s leaked text message. |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| First question: have you ever known Scott Morrison to tell a lie? | First question: have you ever known Scott Morrison to tell a lie? |
| Andrews says “that’s not been my experience of him at all”. | Andrews says “that’s not been my experience of him at all”. |
| Home affairs minister Karen Andrews is on ABC Insiders and you bet the questions have immediately turned to the prime minister’s character. | Home affairs minister Karen Andrews is on ABC Insiders and you bet the questions have immediately turned to the prime minister’s character. |
| As I mentioned in my first post, the ABC’s Sunday morning political commentary show Insiders has announced Joyce had pulled out of a scheduled interview with the program. The home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, would take his place. | As I mentioned in my first post, the ABC’s Sunday morning political commentary show Insiders has announced Joyce had pulled out of a scheduled interview with the program. The home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, would take his place. |
| The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said on Saturday it is “untenable” for Joyce to continue as deputy prime minister following the texting scandal, saying Joyce had been in the same cabinet as Morrison for half a decade when he sent the text. | The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said on Saturday it is “untenable” for Joyce to continue as deputy prime minister following the texting scandal, saying Joyce had been in the same cabinet as Morrison for half a decade when he sent the text. |
| See here the full story of what happened and where we are up to in the Joyce texting scandal: | See here the full story of what happened and where we are up to in the Joyce texting scandal: |
| Good morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here to bring you the news today, Sunday 6 February 2022. | Good morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here to bring you the news today, Sunday 6 February 2022. |
| Let’s dive straight in: | Let’s dive straight in: |
| Barnaby Joyce has cancelled his appearance on ABC Insiders this morning, following reports that he called Scott Morrison “a hypocrite and a liar” in a private text message. The leaked text was forwarded to former Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins by a third party before Joyce returned to the leadership of the National party last year. | Barnaby Joyce has cancelled his appearance on ABC Insiders this morning, following reports that he called Scott Morrison “a hypocrite and a liar” in a private text message. The leaked text was forwarded to former Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins by a third party before Joyce returned to the leadership of the National party last year. |
| Nine newspapers are reporting that Nationals MPs will tell the deputy prime minister to “lift his game” at a party room meeting tomorrow. | Nine newspapers are reporting that Nationals MPs will tell the deputy prime minister to “lift his game” at a party room meeting tomorrow. |
| Meanwhile, WA emergency services have issued an emergency warning for the 100 or so residents of Hester, urging them to seek shelter before the fire arrives. | Meanwhile, WA emergency services have issued an emergency warning for the 100 or so residents of Hester, urging them to seek shelter before the fire arrives. |
| An emergency warning is also already in place for southwest WA, including Hester Brooke and Bridgetown in the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes. | An emergency warning is also already in place for southwest WA, including Hester Brooke and Bridgetown in the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes. |