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| Australia news live updates: 16 Covid deaths recorded; NZ loosens restrictions | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news live | Follow all the day’s news live |
| Demand for workers remains strong, even as the unemployment rate hits historic lows and is destined to go even lower, AAP reports. | |
| The National Skills Commission said job advertisements posted on the internet rose by a further 3.6% in February to stand at 269,700. | |
| Job ads are now 36.2%t higher than a year earlier and massive 60.4% above levels prevailing before the pandemic. | |
| Advertisements increased in all eight occupational groups monitored by the commission, with community and personal service workers leading the way with a 7.6% increase in the month. | |
| Recruitment activity rose in all six states and the ACT, but declined 0.5% in the Northern Territory. The sharpest increase was in Tasmania, up 6.6%. | |
| The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed the jobless rate had fallen to 4%, a level not seen for almost 14 years. Federal finance minister Simon Birmingham on Wednesday hinted next week’s federal budget will point to an unemployment rate below 4% in 2022/23. | |
| However, rising cost-of-living pressures and a downturn in consumer confidence is raising concerns over the outlook for household spending – a key plank for economic growth. | |
| Figures released on Tuesday showed confidence has now sunk to levels last seen in September 2020 when Victoria was enduring the second Covid-19 wave. | |
| At the same time, consumer inflation expectations have also hit their highest level in 11 years at 6%, almost double the current annual rate at 3.5%. | |
| Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has warned inflation could hit at least 4%, while economists believe it could reach 5% or more. Fitch Ratings believe the outlook for global growth has deteriorated significantly as inflation challenges intensify. | |
| In Queensland, the health minister, Yvette D’Ath, will speak with the media at 12.30pm Brisbane time. | |
| Vaccine-induced T-cells provide a long-lasting immune response to Covid-19, new research from the Doherty Institute has found. | Vaccine-induced T-cells provide a long-lasting immune response to Covid-19, new research from the Doherty Institute has found. |
| Tracking the responses of Covid patients following 15 months after infection, researchers have shown that the body’s T-cells provide memory against the virus following vaccination or infection. | Tracking the responses of Covid patients following 15 months after infection, researchers have shown that the body’s T-cells provide memory against the virus following vaccination or infection. |
| Dr Jennifer Juno, a senior research fellow at the Doherty Institute, said despite an initial contraction of the immune response immediately following infection, the T-cells stabilised at six months and remained level after 15 months of monitoring: | Dr Jennifer Juno, a senior research fellow at the Doherty Institute, said despite an initial contraction of the immune response immediately following infection, the T-cells stabilised at six months and remained level after 15 months of monitoring: |
| While B-cells are responsible for producing Covid antibodies, T-cells support the development of the B-cell response. Juno said vaccination boosted the T-cells by up to 30 times: | While B-cells are responsible for producing Covid antibodies, T-cells support the development of the B-cell response. Juno said vaccination boosted the T-cells by up to 30 times: |
| Ongoing protests are again disrupting transport in the nation’s capital. | Ongoing protests are again disrupting transport in the nation’s capital. |
| The member for Goldstein, Tim Wilson, has responded to the supreme court’s ruling allowing the independent candidate Zoe Daniel’s campaign signs to be erected before the federal election is announced: | The member for Goldstein, Tim Wilson, has responded to the supreme court’s ruling allowing the independent candidate Zoe Daniel’s campaign signs to be erected before the federal election is announced: |
| Scott Morrison is asked if there would be any avenues for the government to pursue allegations of bullying following Kimberley Kitching’s death after Anthony Albanese said no formal complaint had been made. | Scott Morrison is asked if there would be any avenues for the government to pursue allegations of bullying following Kimberley Kitching’s death after Anthony Albanese said no formal complaint had been made. |
| He doesn’t answer directly: | He doesn’t answer directly: |
| Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison are asked whether Bob Katter’s opposition to a dam proposal below 395 metres will be a worry as they head into the federal election. | Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison are asked whether Bob Katter’s opposition to a dam proposal below 395 metres will be a worry as they head into the federal election. |
| The dam would be Queensland’s largest, sitting at 2,100 gigalitres. | The dam would be Queensland’s largest, sitting at 2,100 gigalitres. |
| Joyce: | Joyce: |
| The prime minister and deputy prime minister have said in today’s press conference that nobody has ever tried to tear down a dam. | The prime minister and deputy prime minister have said in today’s press conference that nobody has ever tried to tear down a dam. |
| Were they right? | Were they right? |
| Attached is Worldwide Attacks Against Dams, a snapshot historical overview of attempted and successful attacks against dams around the world. | Attached is Worldwide Attacks Against Dams, a snapshot historical overview of attempted and successful attacks against dams around the world. |
| Scott Morrison is asked when he expects work will begin on the dam once the business case has been approved. He says he is “very confident” the case “stacks up”: | Scott Morrison is asked when he expects work will begin on the dam once the business case has been approved. He says he is “very confident” the case “stacks up”: |
| Asked why it wouldn’t be approved if the business case was so strong, Morrison says he can’t speak for the Queensland government but it’s “taken a long time to get Adani under way”: | Asked why it wouldn’t be approved if the business case was so strong, Morrison says he can’t speak for the Queensland government but it’s “taken a long time to get Adani under way”: |
| Barnaby Joyce continues: | Barnaby Joyce continues: |
| Barnaby Joyce is getting a little philosophical here – from what I can gather he is discussing how dams broadly contribute to the global supply chain and strengthen Australia’s economy: | Barnaby Joyce is getting a little philosophical here – from what I can gather he is discussing how dams broadly contribute to the global supply chain and strengthen Australia’s economy: |
| Scott Morrison throws to Barnaby Joyce, saying: | Scott Morrison throws to Barnaby Joyce, saying: |
| Joyce is up and about straight away, chatting dams. He says the $5.4bn in funding is a “marvellous outcome”: | Joyce is up and about straight away, chatting dams. He says the $5.4bn in funding is a “marvellous outcome”: |
| Prime minister Scott Morrison is fronting the media now in Townsville alongside deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. | Prime minister Scott Morrison is fronting the media now in Townsville alongside deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. |
| After the announcement of $5bn for Hells Gates Dam, Morrison assures “nobody has ever tried to tear down a dam” (would love a fact check on this): | After the announcement of $5bn for Hells Gates Dam, Morrison assures “nobody has ever tried to tear down a dam” (would love a fact check on this): |
| Rain and thunderstorms are forecast to return to eastern Australia, including over flood-hit regions of northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland, ending the longest dry spell many areas have had for a month. | Rain and thunderstorms are forecast to return to eastern Australia, including over flood-hit regions of northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland, ending the longest dry spell many areas have had for a month. |
| A frontal system will move through Sydney this morning, bank around the Blue Mountains and form a line of storms up through the Hunter Valley and the mid-north coast. Tomorrow the unstable conditions will shift further north, with the northern tablelands rather than Lismore likely to get a soaking. | A frontal system will move through Sydney this morning, bank around the Blue Mountains and form a line of storms up through the Hunter Valley and the mid-north coast. Tomorrow the unstable conditions will shift further north, with the northern tablelands rather than Lismore likely to get a soaking. |
| Friday, though, is where the “problem comes in”, as uncertainties between weather models create a range of projections about the location and quantity of rain. | Friday, though, is where the “problem comes in”, as uncertainties between weather models create a range of projections about the location and quantity of rain. |
| My colleague Josh Taylor has brought up an interesting aside. | My colleague Josh Taylor has brought up an interesting aside. |
| Technically this reads as though Liberal MP for Goldstein Tim Wilson – a vehement opponent of the signs – would need to get permission to erect his own signs. The ruling only refers to Zoe Daniel’s. | Technically this reads as though Liberal MP for Goldstein Tim Wilson – a vehement opponent of the signs – would need to get permission to erect his own signs. The ruling only refers to Zoe Daniel’s. |
| He brought the weather with him! | He brought the weather with him! |