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| Australia news live updates: Covid isolation rule changes and fourth booster shots under review | Australia news live updates: Covid isolation rule changes and fourth booster shots under review |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news live | Follow all the day’s news live |
| For context to the prime minister Scott Morrison’s assurance he is “not woke”, he was just asked on Sunrise whether he was in hiding in Lismore as Albanese earlier claimed. His media visit was largely camera free. | |
| If you missed the front page of the Daily Telegraph today, it was splashed with an image of Albanese headlined “I AM NOT WOKE”. | |
| Today’s episode of Full Story is a highly moving account of the first national map of Australia’s frontier massacres with Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam. | |
| Based on its findings, Aboriginal deaths are estimated to be 27 to 33 times higher than colonisers’ deaths. | |
| Last question for Anthony Albanese’s media round. Labor is yet to pre-select a candidate for Parramatta, a multicultural seat, with sitting member Julie Owens to retire: | |
| Guardian Australia has reported that Owens has expressed disappointment at her party’s plans to parachute the candidate into her western Sydney seat, saying local branch preselections are “the way it should be”. | |
| Albanese says he’s had discussions with the local member and has been “talking to others as well”: | |
| Here’s a fun little bit of news for residents of Melbourne’s east: | |
| Union Station has been chosen as the name for the new modern station servicing Surrey Hills and Mont Albert commuters. The name reflects the “coming together of two existing stations to form one premium station with modern, state-of-the-art facilities for locals”. | |
| The combination will allow for more train services and will reduce the amount of excavation and tree removals required. Some 52,000 trees, plants and shrubs will be planted in the project area, and new paths and cycling links through Lorne Parade Reserve will be installed. | |
| Anthony Albanese is asked to respond from comments made by Penny Wong that if Kimberley Kitching had kids she’d understand the climate emergency. Albanese says Wong has his complete confidence: | |
| Albanese is again asked why he won’t set up an independent investigation to investigate claims of bullying in the party. He says Labor already has its processesin place: | |
| Anthony Albanese was just up on ABC News Breakfast, starting with the budget, with speculation the federal government will introduce a temporary reduction in fuel excise in response to steepened gas prices. “If it does that, is it something Labor will support?” he is asked. | |
| Labor will “wait and see what they do”, he says, but the “real problem” is the cost of living is steepening while wages are stagnating: | |
| Returning to the Beetaloo Basin, resources water minister Keith Pitt appeared on RN this morning discussing a “gas-led recovery” as global prices surge amid supply uncertainty. | Returning to the Beetaloo Basin, resources water minister Keith Pitt appeared on RN this morning discussing a “gas-led recovery” as global prices surge amid supply uncertainty. |
| UN secretary general António Guterres this week said Australia’s investment in coal was “stupid” and the country was a minority “holdout” on strong 2030 emissions targets. | UN secretary general António Guterres this week said Australia’s investment in coal was “stupid” and the country was a minority “holdout” on strong 2030 emissions targets. |
| David Koch: | David Koch: |
| Anthony Albanese: | Anthony Albanese: |
| Koch: | Koch: |
| Albanese: | Albanese: |
| Anthony Albanese was just up on Sunrise, again asked about fallout over Kimberley Kitching’s death. Asked whether Scott Morrison’s suggestions he is “gutless” and “hiding from tough questions” are accurate, the Labor leaders retorts that he has fronted up for 10 media appearances in the past week: | Anthony Albanese was just up on Sunrise, again asked about fallout over Kimberley Kitching’s death. Asked whether Scott Morrison’s suggestions he is “gutless” and “hiding from tough questions” are accurate, the Labor leaders retorts that he has fronted up for 10 media appearances in the past week: |
| After a brief interlude, wet weather is returning in New South Wales. | After a brief interlude, wet weather is returning in New South Wales. |
| In the Northern Territory, Greens senators Dorinda Cox and Lidia Thorpe will appear in Darwin this morning alongside First Nations women condemning Beetaloo Basin “climate bomb” projects. | In the Northern Territory, Greens senators Dorinda Cox and Lidia Thorpe will appear in Darwin this morning alongside First Nations women condemning Beetaloo Basin “climate bomb” projects. |
| The Northern Territory government has opened up the basin south of Darwin to $50m worth of grants to oil and gas companies. | The Northern Territory government has opened up the basin south of Darwin to $50m worth of grants to oil and gas companies. |
| Traditional owners provided testimony to a Senate inquiry overnight saying they don’t consent to the projects that threaten cultural heritage, sacred sites and water supply. | Traditional owners provided testimony to a Senate inquiry overnight saying they don’t consent to the projects that threaten cultural heritage, sacred sites and water supply. |
| Anthony Albanese will be up next on Sunrise, then the ABC. It’s likely we can expect a similar line of questioning. | Anthony Albanese will be up next on Sunrise, then the ABC. It’s likely we can expect a similar line of questioning. |
| Anthony Albanese says Kimberley Kitching’s death is a “tragedy” and many MPs are under “enormous pressure”: | Anthony Albanese says Kimberley Kitching’s death is a “tragedy” and many MPs are under “enormous pressure”: |
| Anthony Albanese says there is from time to time “argy-bargy” in the Labor party – “the normal things of politics”. Turning to allegations Kimberley Kitching raised bullying complaints with Richard Marles, Albanese says it is “on the record that apparently there was a draft that was never given to Richard Marles or anyone else”: | Anthony Albanese says there is from time to time “argy-bargy” in the Labor party – “the normal things of politics”. Turning to allegations Kimberley Kitching raised bullying complaints with Richard Marles, Albanese says it is “on the record that apparently there was a draft that was never given to Richard Marles or anyone else”: |
| Albanese denies Kitching spoke to Marles about bullying inside the party: | Albanese denies Kitching spoke to Marles about bullying inside the party: |
| Labor leader Anthony Albanese is appearing now on the Today show. After the funeral of senator Kimberly Kitching, he is asked whether he will call an inquiry into her death. | Labor leader Anthony Albanese is appearing now on the Today show. After the funeral of senator Kimberly Kitching, he is asked whether he will call an inquiry into her death. |
| “No, I won’t, Karl,” Albanese replies: | “No, I won’t, Karl,” Albanese replies: |
| Former federal Labor MP Craig Thomson is facing new charges this morning after his arrest over an alleged AVO breach yesterday. | Former federal Labor MP Craig Thomson is facing new charges this morning after his arrest over an alleged AVO breach yesterday. |
| Thomson has been charged by police with fraud over his alleged involvement in seeking Covid-19 business grants, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. | Thomson has been charged by police with fraud over his alleged involvement in seeking Covid-19 business grants, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. |
| Police will allege Thomson falsified information to obtain $25,000 from the NSW state government Covid-19 small business grants. | Police will allege Thomson falsified information to obtain $25,000 from the NSW state government Covid-19 small business grants. |
| Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through today’s news, with Covid-19 again at the top of the agenda. | Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through today’s news, with Covid-19 again at the top of the agenda. |
| Australia’s top health authorities are meeting today to review isolation requirements and booster recommendations that were agreed to at the last national cabinet meeting. | Australia’s top health authorities are meeting today to review isolation requirements and booster recommendations that were agreed to at the last national cabinet meeting. |
| Scott Morrison and the premiers have agreed to transition away from mandatory quarantine for all close contacts, while medical experts are examining a second round of booster shots in the lead-up to winter. | Scott Morrison and the premiers have agreed to transition away from mandatory quarantine for all close contacts, while medical experts are examining a second round of booster shots in the lead-up to winter. |
| It comes as Covid cases again rise in several states as the Omicron subvariant BA.2 threatens to become the dominant Covid variant. Queensland reported a 15% increase in cases on Tuesday, while New South Wales recorded nearly 21,000 infections and numbers also rose in Victoria. | It comes as Covid cases again rise in several states as the Omicron subvariant BA.2 threatens to become the dominant Covid variant. Queensland reported a 15% increase in cases on Tuesday, while New South Wales recorded nearly 21,000 infections and numbers also rose in Victoria. |
| As flood cleanup continues, residents of the northern rivers are again bracing for possible flash flooding this week with heavy rain forecast in NSW. Up to 25mm of rain is expected in Sydney on Friday. | As flood cleanup continues, residents of the northern rivers are again bracing for possible flash flooding this week with heavy rain forecast in NSW. Up to 25mm of rain is expected in Sydney on Friday. |
| Still in NSW, the state MP Gareth Ward is facing threats of being forced out of parliament after being charged by police yesterday over allegations of sexual abuse of a man and a 17-year-old boy. Premier Dominic Perrottet is demanding he resign immediately. | Still in NSW, the state MP Gareth Ward is facing threats of being forced out of parliament after being charged by police yesterday over allegations of sexual abuse of a man and a 17-year-old boy. Premier Dominic Perrottet is demanding he resign immediately. |
| And in Ukraine civilians are being evacuated along humanitarian corridors from the city of Mariupol besieged by Russian military and rebel forces. | And in Ukraine civilians are being evacuated along humanitarian corridors from the city of Mariupol besieged by Russian military and rebel forces. |
| Let’s dive in. | Let’s dive in. |