Category Archives: Australian politics

Australia coronavirus live news: 136 new cases announced in NSW Covid update; Victoria records 14 cases; Pfizer vaccine approved for 12-15 year olds

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian says 53 of the new cases were infectious in the community; northern NSW on alert after Covid fragments found in Byron Bay sewage; national cabinet to meet to discuss vaccine rollout. Follow live

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant is back after a few days, and she is speaking to the tighter restrictions she has recommended.

Chant said:

I have advised the government today that this is a national emergency and requires additional measures to reduce the case numbers. What we are seeing is that the actions we have taken to date have averted many cases.

But what we are not seeing is the turnaround that we would have liked to see at this stage. And I’m concerned that we need to put in place urgent additional measures, what I’m recommending strongly is that our vaccination efforts are refocused on those affected LGAs. Every day, people from those LGAs have to go out to work to keep our city going.

We also know that, as I indicated that the group of workers that keep the society going is this group of workers in the 20 to 49 year old age group in south-western Sydney. Under 40s would not have been routinely eligible for vaccination, in terms of Pfizer. And what I’ve recommended to government is we urgently do mass vaccination of those workers to stem the transmission risk. We know the vaccines do that because they reduce the risk. If you’re vaccinated, even one dose, it reduces your risk of onward transmission.

Gladys Berejiklian has announced a new Covid death in her state, a 89-year-old male.

Details of the death are brief as the death is recent (it happened after 8pm last night) and authorities want to make sure family members have been notified.

I also want to say that tragically, as we see more cases, develop, we will also see more hospitalisations and more people in intensive care and regrettably, we did have an additional death overnight, which I’ve only just learned about.

I just want to foreshadow that unfortunately, we’re going to see more of this as the case numbers increase.

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Morrison offers microaggression and deflection, when all we want is an apology – and a solution | Katharine Murphy

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The ‘it’s not a race’ vaccine mantra has been discarded, but the prime minister is still running around in circles trying to evade responsibility

It was hard to keep up.

A reporter asked Scott Morrison on Wednesday whether he would consider urging the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) to change its latest medical advice on AstraZeneca, opening the inoculation up to people aged 59 and under “given more than half of the population is in lockdown and the situation in Sydney is getting worse”.

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Australia Covid live update: NSW records 78 new cases; Victoria extends lockdown after 13 cases; SA announces shutdown after two cases

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NSW records 78 local cases; South Australia lockdown to last seven days; Victoria records 13 local cases overnight; Queensland records one local case

And now for something completely different.

Via our @abcperth FB page: you're welcome!

'Sergeant Osprey' was spotted keeping an eagle-eye on #Perth drivers on Monday morning!

This snap from @Perth_Traffic caught on a traffic cam on Kwinana Fwy near Stirling Street.#BirdsOfPrey #WildOz pic.twitter.com/55Y8Z8O9E3

Just the 500-odd.

Related: Christian Porter and barrister Sue Chrysanthou may have to pay $500,000 in legal fees to Jo Dyer

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Australia Covid live news update: NSW records fifth death from Sydney outbreak amid 98 new cases; Victoria extends lockdown after 13 new cases

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NSW reports 98 new local cases, with 24 patients now in intensive care, and says vaccinating children will be a ‘key’ part of rollout; Victorian coronavirus outbreak hits construction; 1m Pfizer vaccine doses arrive in Australia. Follow updates live

We are waiting on an update from South Australia now, but in the meantime, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has released an ad campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated. It features artists such as Tim Minchin, Rhonda Burchmore and performers from the Australian Ballet.

NSW Health has confirmed that the woman found dead in Green Valley was a confirmed Covid-19 case.

It said in a statement:

NSW Health today sadly reports the death of a woman in her 50s who was a confirmed Covid-19 case. She was a resident of south-western Sydney and a close contact of a Covid case.

This is the 61st death in NSW related to Covid-19 and the fifth of the current outbreak.

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Katie Hopkins to be deported from Australia ‘imminently’ after visa cancelled

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Minister Karen Andrews says British far-right commentator entered country with support of NSW government to appear on Seven Network’s Big Brother VIP

The Australian government has cancelled Katie Hopkins’ visa after the far-right commentator boasted about breaching hotel quarantine conditions.

The cancellation was announced by the home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, on Monday – and follows a decision by Endemol Shine Australia to cancel her contract to appear on Seven Network’s Big Brother VIP. Hopkins will now be required to leave the country.

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Chinese Unesco official defends plan to list Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’

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Tian Xuejun rejects Australia’s ‘groundless accusations’ that China influenced the finding to score political points

The Chinese host of a United Nations world heritage committee has defended a proposal to label the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”, and rejected Australian government suspicion that China influenced the finding for political reasons.

It came as the Morrison government sought to use a new report by Australia’s marine science agency to argue there had been widespread coral recovery on the reef.

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Australia Covid live update: Victoria records 16 new local cases; NSW tightens restrictions on south-west Sydney

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Residents of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool local government areas barred from leaving for work as NSW tries to control spread of Delta variant. Follow the latest developments live

The NSW branches of the Transport Workers’ Union and the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation are welcoming an exemption for their workers in the three local government areas where only health and emergency workers are allowed to leave.

The groups say updated advice now includes a list of “authorised workers” permitted to go to work, “which includes freight, logistics, courier and delivery workers, bus drivers, waste workers and airport workers”.

The exemption will come as a relief to the more than 20,000 transport workers in south-west Sydney who yesterday believed they would not be able to go to work. We commend the NSW government for responding quickly to our calls for an exemption, however the advice to workers and operators is still far too sluggish.

Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce is asked about far-right media figure Katie Hopkins flying into Australia and going into hotel quarantine (maybe to appear on the local reality TV show Big Brother, as is the speculation).

I’m the one who wanted to send home Johnny Depp’s dog, so I have no problem sending home someone who wants to flout our laws. If you want to do that, pack your bongo and get out of country!

Related: Anger as Katie Hopkins posts video reportedly from Australian lockdown while thousands stranded overseas

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Covid Australia live update: Scott Morrison says four-step ‘path out’ still on agenda despite Victoria and NSW outbreaks

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Six new cases in Victoria; Sydney records 97 local cases; WA and Queensland to close border to Victoria

The Western NSW Local Health District has posted on its Facebook page that it has been notified of cases that travelled to Molong, near Orange in the state’s central west, on 16 July.

No venues of concern are currently identified and contacts of the cases are being tested while in isolation. Urgent investigations are underway and contact tracing is continuing.

As a precautionary measure, a drive-through (testing) clinic will be established in Molong and capacity in Orange and Bathurst will be increased.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has released a statement following today’s national cabinet meeting:

National Cabinet discussed the outbreak in Greater Sydney and the additional measures introduced by the New South Wales Government to stop the spread of the virus. National Cabinet has agreed to a suppression strategy for COVID-19 with the goal of no community transmission.

All leaders expressed their full support for NSW to get on top of the current outbreak. National Cabinet noted the Commonwealth’s extension of the COVID-19 Disaster Payment support for Greater Sydney and Victoria, based on Commonwealth hotspot declarations.

National Cabinet received an update from the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on the four step plan to reopening and the progress of the Covid-19 Risk Analysis and Response Taskforce report and the Doherty modelling for the National Plan to transition Australia’s National Covid Response.

All leaders reiterated the importance of Australians, especially those in vulnerable groups, to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

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Australia Covid live update: Victoria reports one local coronavirus case; Sydney lockdown to be extended

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New rules for essential workers cause chaos; Gladys Berejiklians expected to detail plans to lengthen shutdown

Hmmmm, Morrison also seems to be arguing that Australia really isn’t as far behind when it comes to vaccinations as everyone think.

He was asked if the Syndey situation could have been avoided if the vaccine rollout was on track.

But very few countries are talking single digits when we’re talking single digits when we’re talking personals. We’re at 9%.

No, no, we’re above 10%... We’re at about 11%. A third of Australians have already received their first dose.

Well over 70% of over 70s. And well over half of those over 50 and we’re scaling-up now to almost a million doses a week.

Prime minister Scott Morrison has also been out and about this morning, seemingly mostly to slam the Victorian government a little more.

Here is what he had to say on the Today show when asked if the Victorian government’s criticism were fair:

No, it wasn’t because during the Victorian lockdown without request the federal government was providing a billion dollars every week.

In the recent lockdown, which thankfully only went for two weeks, Victoria got exactly the same as what NSW got for those two weeks. NSW is going into week four of a lockdown and that means the challenges are escalating.

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Covid Australia live updates: Morrison to announce NSW support package after 89 new cases and one death; three cases in Victoria

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A man in his 70s from Sydney’s east has died of coronavirus; Queensland keeps border open for now; support package for NSW to include increased payments for people who have lost work. Follow the latest updates live

It’s a little late today, but pleased to keep up Matilda Boseley’s tradition of highlighting the bizarre graphic design choices of the Queensland premier’s social media team.

Today’s special announces 100 new Tafe scholarships. Someone has spent time etching the bloke’s arm in front of the graphic, for some reason.

100 TAFE scholarships valued at up to $5,000 are up for grabs.

The skills TAFE offers can change lives and set people up for stable and rewarding careers. pic.twitter.com/9TOHAsIbuz

Looks like we’re learning about that Covid relief package at 3.30pm.

Just enough time to take a breath, grab a coffee, watch a couple of episodes of he Office and settle in for the announcement.

Very glad @joshgnosis tweeted these together. pic.twitter.com/yCJ9AWus1o

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Australian ad showing Covid patient gasping for air ‘could increase vaccine hesitancy’

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Scare campaigns can make people more fearful of jab side-effects, expert says

A new Australian government Covid awareness advertisement featuring a young woman gasping for air in a hospital bed has been criticised for leaning into scare tactics and for urging vaccination among a group who are still not eligible for the recommended vaccine.

The federal government released two ads at the weekend, one featuring the young woman, which also carries a message for people to stay at home and get tested, and the other showing a parade of arms bearing Band-Aids after vaccination with the tagline: “Arm yourself against Covid-19.”

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Australia Covid news live: NSW expecting more than 100 coronavirus cases; government ads spark backlash

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Sydney braces for spike in cases of Delta variant as Victoria closes border to NSW. Follow the latest updates, live

We are expecting to hear from the Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in about five minutes.

Don’t think Adelaide is safe from the soccer celebrations!

pic.twitter.com/UB97AZ0A7W

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NSW records 77 new cases and one death as new mask and travel rules issued – as it happened

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Masks must be worn in all indoor construction sites across NSW and from 13 July in residential common areas as new restrictions placed on people entering greater Sydney. This blog is now closed

That’s where we’ll end today’s live coverage of Covid news.

Here are the key developments:

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association have both backed NSW Health’s call for Sydney residents to bring their second shot of AstraZeneca forward to six weeks after the first dose.

Both the RACGP and the AMA said that the six week window made sense, as it would provide quicker protection against catching, spreading and also potentially dying from Covid-19.

We will definitely will be looking at giving boosters for those who get it early.

You will actually have a benefit from coming in early, because we’ll keep you on that list.”

Related: NSW urges people to bring forward second AstraZeneca dose to six weeks from first

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China is far from alone in taking advantage of Australian universities’ self-inflicted wounds | David Brophy

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Having long encouraged universities to find funding elsewhere, politicians now home in on their ties to China to argue that they’ve lost their way

Outside the political sphere, much of Australia’s China panic centres on university campuses. This is hardly surprising, given the deep connections of the Australian higher-­education sector to China.

In 2019, before the Covid-­19 pandemic hit, higher education brought in some A$12bn in export revenue, most of it from China. With more than 150,000 Chinese international students enrolled, some institutions relied on that single revenue stream to make up a quarter of their total budget before the current drop-­off. Mandarin is the second language of campus life in most universities these days; Confucius Institutes have been established at 13 universities; partnerships and MOUs with Chinese universities proliferate in many fields. Australian academics now collaborate more with colleagues in China than in any other foreign country: one report found that an incredible 16.2% of scientific papers by Australian researchers – almost one in six – were co-­authored with researchers in China, with papers in the fields of materials science, chemical engineering and energy topping the list.

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‘Stuffed’: how Australia’s ‘unconscionable’ gamble on Covid vaccines backfired

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The prime minister jumped the gun in November 2020 when he declared ‘we can look forward to a much better 2021’

Eight months ago, Scott Morrison faced the cameras in a laboratory in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and promised hope after a torrid year.

“Today is another day when we can look forward to a much better 2021,” he said.

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Australia Covid live update: Morrison doesn’t rule out further financial support as NSW records 44 new coronavirus cases

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian says 29 of the new cases were infectious in the community as new restrictions announced for Sydney; state and territory leaders meet with PM to discuss the vaccine rollout. Follow latest updates

And just a reminder these greater Sydney restrictions came into force about an hour and 15 minutes ago...

NSW residents must now carry ID while exercising to show they are within 10km of their home if they are asked by police. Other rules set out below #COVID19nsw https://t.co/De6jiaZURT pic.twitter.com/PAIVHyV94j

Significant NDIS development. We covered the background to this in detail this morning.

Big news: NSW families minister Alister Henskens confirms the government's NDIS independent assessments plan "will not proceed". pic.twitter.com/gJByatuma2

Although Victoria's disability minister Luke Donnellan is slightly less categorical about it in his statement. pic.twitter.com/zFIYR1bIgc

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Pfizer says no change to Australian Covid vaccine doses, contradicting reports of ‘game-changing’ deal

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Prime minister Scott Morrison says pace of vaccination rollout accelerating

The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer says there is no change in the number of doses the company has contracted to deliver to Australia over 2021 – contradicting reports asserting the Morrison government had secured a “game-changing deal” to triple its access to the jabs.

The prime minister – who has been under significant political pressure because of the slow pace of the vaccination rollout, pressure that has ramped up during the lockdown of greater Sydney – embarked on a media blitz on Friday to argue the pace of the vaccination rollout was accelerating.

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Australians fear attack from China almost as much as Taiwanese do, survey finds

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More than four in 10 Australians think Chinese are coming and analysts say that’s due to government’s ‘drums of war’ rhetoric


More than four in 10 Australians are worried China may attack Australia, according to new polling, expressing a level of fear that is nearly as high as among Taiwan’s population.

The Australia Institute, a progressive thinktank that commissioned polling in both Australia and Taiwan, said the “astounding” findings may be partly explained by some government figures in Canberra “beating the drums of war”.

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Covid Australia live news: Scott Morrison provides update; NSW education department hit by cyber attack as state records 38 new cases

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New coronavirus cases for NSW and Queensland as South Australia ends border restrictions with WA and NT, and Sydney remains in lockdown. Follow the latest updates, live

Morrison says the royal commission will be able to inquire into any death by suicide, including suspected suicide, and will make recommendations about systemic issues.

Former NSW police commissioner Nick Kaldas will lead the royal commission, Morrison says.

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NSW Covid update: Sydney lockdown extended one week as state records 27 new cases

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Focus shifts from eastern suburbs to Sydney’s south-west with Gladys Berejiklian not ruling out stricter measures for three local government areas

The greater Sydney lockdown has been extended for a week after New South Wales recorded another 27 local Covid cases and health officials expressed concern about the growing spread of the virus in some south-western suburbs.

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said the decision to extend the lockdown was a difficult but necessary one.

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