Editor Brian Harrod Provides Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, with aggregated news from sources all over the world from the Roundup Newswires Network
Commonwealth needs to prepare for new argument former human services minister knew scheme was unlawful, court says
A federal court trial set to decide whether robodebt victims are entitled to compensation has been delayed after fresh claims were levelled against government minister Alan Tudge.
The court heard at a pre-trial hearing on Monday that Gordon Legal plans to argue Tudge, who was human services minister in 2016-17, either knew or was “recklessly indifferent” to the fact the botched program was unlawful.
The Australian economic miracle may have seen real net wealth triple over three decades, but it hasn’t been shared evenly – thanks to the housing market
The house in West Hoxton is about as far west as you can go from Sydney before you hit cow paddocks. It is further west than Parramatta and Lakemba, further than Liverpool. Just getting there without a car takes an hour-plus train ride, a 30-minute-plus bus trip and a 10-minute walk along a network of six-lane highways. Head another few kilometres west and the sheer cliff of urban sprawl dissolves into open fields.
A sign out front says the auction will be held in four weeks’ time as the flag of the real estate agent flaps in the breeze on this warm winter’s day. The house, in all honesty, is nothing special. Though it boasts two of everything and five separate bedrooms, at any other time, in any other place, you would drive right by without giving it another thought.
Greg Hunt says Melbourne curfew should be lifted if ‘there is no medical basis’ for it as two more Sydney healthcare workers test positive. Follow live
The woman who was at the centre of Scott Morrison’s plea today will be allowed to attend a private viewing of her father to say goodbye after her family has held their funeral.
She will be escorted to the funeral home, and then escorted back, a spokeswoman has confirmed.
John Barilaro, who is rumoured to have his eye set on Canberra and the federal Nationals leadership, has effectively removed the Nationals from the NSW coalition, plunged the Berejiklian government into minority after vowing to abstain from government votes (unless its to do with regional NSW), and removed itself from joint party room and leadership meetings – unless the koala protection legislation is scrapped.
Thanks for following our live coverage of the coronavirus coverage in Australia. You can continue to follow our rolling global coverage here.
A quick recap on what happened today:
Asked if he would step down as premier if the hotel quarantine inquiry laid the blame for the outbreak on his office, Andrews said his responsibility was to keep going.
My position and the responsibility I have is to see our state through this. What is what I’m focused on.
Let me be as frank as I can be: Politics has never mattered less to me. Leadership is not able doing what’s popular, it is about doing what’s right.
The politics of this, that is of no value. The only thing that matters is we all stay the course. We all keep following the data, the science and the doctors and get this done. Then move to the biggest economic repair job that our state has ever seen.
Victoria reports nine deaths in the past 24 hours and 50 people added to total who died in aged care facilities in July and August. Follow live news and updates today
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who was celebrating the AFL’s decision to stage the grand final in her state just two days ago, has called for tough penalties to be meted out to the two Richmond players arrested on the Surfers Paradise strip in the early hours of this morning.
With the AFL and police investigating the incident, which left Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones with facial injuries, Palaszczuk wants the pair thrown out of the state.
AFL players caught breaking Covid rules should be sent home,.
Queensland won’t tolerate it. I know the AFL takes these issues seriously and will take appropriate action.”
One of the announcements out of national cabinet was that leaders “agreed that we needed to further boost the capacity for inbound arrivals into Australia, particularly for those Australians seeking to come home”.
However, Scott Morrison did not outline any detail of exactly how the arrival caps – which currently allow for about 4,000 passengers to enter Australian quarantine hotels each week – would be further boosted to help repatriate the 23,000 Australians (at least that’s how many have registered with Dfat) who want to come home but can’t.
Security firms involved in guarding Melbourne quarantine hotels continue giving evidence at the state’s inquiry into the program. Follow live news and updates today
This is also very interesting, given what we have seen play out this pandemic:
Our Parliamentary Library has published its latest research note that provides a brief overview of the size, operation and recent history of residential aged care in Victoria. It’s available at https://t.co/DonHd6SQ4g#springst
The auditor-general has responded to Stephen Jones’s request to have the early superannuation access scheme audited.
He has said no, as there are other priorities at the moment:
Dear Mr Jones
I am writing in response to your letter of 5 August 2020 requesting that I review the integrity and performance of the Government’s early release scheme for superannuation, as established through the Coronavirus Economic Response Omnibus Package Act 2020.
Officials acknowledge ‘clear differences’ exist in Australia’s relationship with China as they prepare to spell out how Covid-19 is reshaping the global order
Covid-19 has fuelled protectionist and authoritarian trends around the world as some countries take advantage of the pandemic to erode the rule of law, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warns.
As officials prepare to face a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, Dfat has also acknowledged “clear differences” exist in the relationship with China, while insisting Australia seeks a constructive partnership “that is not defined by those differences”.
Brisbane watches hotspots after youth detention centre outbreak, Victoria’s hotel inquiry continues and politicians gather in Canberra for the first time in 10 weeks. Follow today’s latest updates
Andrews thanked all Victorians for the role they played in getting the daily coronavirus numbers down below 100.
I’d simply say that, whilst tomorrow’s numbers will be for tomorrow, we are all pleased to see a ‘1’ in front of these additional case numbers, and to a certain extent it is perhaps at that level a little quicker than I thought it might be.
Of course, this Sunday marks the three weeks since the curfew was imposed. Next Wednesday marks three weeks since the most significant workplace restrictions came into effect. To be at this point shows that the strategy is working....
I want to thank each and after Victorian who is making a big contribution to this strategy working. I want to thank them and their families. I want to thank people from all backgrounds, from all parts of the state. No matter your perspective, this is a challenge that none of us are immune from. We’re all in this together. We say that a lot, but it’s true. It’s absolutely true. And because I think more and more Victorians are making the best choices and looking out foreach other, and therefore everybody, we are seeing these numbers come down.
We’ll see what tomorrow holds. But there’s no room for complacency, there’s no way we can assume that this is over. It is an ultra-marathon, and we’re not halfway yet.
The Victorian and federal governments have set up a $15m joint disability response centre, which Andrews said is “essentially mirroring the arrangements we have in aged care”.
There are currently 62 active Covid-19 cases in disability care sectors, across 60 different sites.
We’re grateful to them. That’s not easy. But with that payment, that’ll mean that we can support them to, in turn, keep their clients safe. We all know that, in that sector, that’s what they’re motivated to do – to provide the best care and support to their clients.
Again, I thank the prime minister and the federal government for their partnership. This is yet another example of us working together to deal with a common challenge. And it’s really important that, given the vulnerability of many people across these settings, it’s very, very important that we have a singular focus, and all the senior people around the table at the same time, and that funding to be able to limit the amount of workers who are going to multiple sites.
The ABC has announced the 2020 Boyer Lectures to be delivered by the philanthropist and business leader Andrew Forrest will be delayed due to ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions and border closures.
The Crown Resorts casino empire controlled by the billionaire James Packer received more than $110m in jobkeeper payments from the Australian government, propping up the group’s profit.
Crown’s full-year results, filed today with the ASX, show the $111.3m the group received to pay both working and stood-down employees was almost two-thirds of its profit before tax of $153m.
This was close to a quarter of the profit before tax the previous year – no surprise, as Crown’s gaming floors largely shut down during the first wave of the pandemic. Crown hasn’t paid a dividend.
Opposition steps up attacks on coronavirus support measure that allows people in financial distress to withdraw up to $20,000
Young people will bear the brunt of the Covid-19 economic crisis, Labor has said, as it estimates a 25-year-old who withdraws $20,000 from superannuation may be left up to $100,000 worse off in retirement.
The opposition is stepping up its attack on the government’s handling of the early access to superannuation scheme, which allows people dealing with the adverse economic effects of Covid-19 to withdraw up to $10,000 this financial year. People were also able to access up to $10,000 last financial year.
Australian Defence Force personnel to doorknock close contacts of confirmed cases in Victoria as Western Australia delays easing of restrictions. Follow live
McGowan describes the WA border case as “our war” with Clive Palmer.
He says that WA is disappointed that the Commonwealth did not support their submission to have a fresh trial.
McGowan also announces that the national cabinet today agreed on “a code of practice for the regular testing of interstate freight drivers”.
He says that new arrangements will come into place next week which means “any truck driver entering WA will have to show evidence of having received a negative Covid-19 test result in the past seven days”.
Ahead of Friday’s national cabinet meeting, the expenditure review committee signs off on changes that will cost $15.6bn
The Morrison government has tweaked the eligibility requirements for the jobkeeper wage subsidy only three weeks after cutting the payment in an attempt to save businesses and jobs at risk because of the deteriorating outlook in Victoria.
Ahead of Friday’s national cabinet meeting, and after new Treasury analysis underscored the hit to the national economy from the second wave of coronavirus infections in Victoria, the expenditure review committee of cabinet signed off on the jobkeeper overhaul late on Thursday.
Economists say stage-four restrictions will take a heavy toll, while business groups are urging changes to the permit system and the Andrews government is under pressure to answer questions about hotel quarantine failures. Follow live
Work levels from big construction sites to trade businesses set to be pummelled amid predictions new curbs will ‘knock wind out of’ state
Victorian builders say they will take a hit to revenue totalling up to $456m a day from sweeping new restrictions on construction in the state, forcing some companies to close their doors entirely.
Under tough restrictions announced on Monday that are designed to slow the spread of the state’s coronavirus outbreak, the number of workers on large building sites such as apartment complexes and office towers is to be reduced to a quarter of the normal number.
The National Retail Association wants all businesses to have greater flexibility, not just those receiving jobkeeper
Australia’s retailers are calling on the Morrison government to broaden the power of employers to cut workers’ hours and change duties, as Labor signalled it will oppose the move to extend flexibility linked to the jobkeeper wage subsidy.
The National Retail Association chief executive, Dominique Lamb, told Guardian Australia the government should consider granting all businesses the flexibility to vary work hours – not just the firms in receipt of the jobkeeper wage subsidy.
The Morrison government will reduce the level of income support paid out under the jobkeeper and jobseeker payments from 28 September, and create two payment tiers for the wage subsidy to ensure the rate aligns more closely with people’s pre-Covid income, rather than giving part-timers and casuals a pay rise.
The overhaul will be unveiled by Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg on Tuesday ahead of an economic statement the government will deliver on Thursday. As well as lowering the rate of both the jobkeeper wage subsidy and the $550 coronavirus supplement in jobseeker after September, the government will tighten the eligibility requirements for both payments – including retesting businesses in October.
Exclusive: Masterclasses promise to improve work mindsets and link programs to Covid-19 response
Australian government agencies have spent more than $230,000 on “innovationish” training – the latest management fad promising to improve work mindsets – and linked the programs to the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spent $180,000 with the US company People Rocket LLC, which suggests it can replace traditional management consultancy by developing “cultures that champion innovation through cross-functional collaboration”.
Pop-up testing facility to be set up in Sydney hotel car park as Victorian premier says 37,588 tests were conducted in the state yesterday. Follow live news and updates
Victoria is preparing two-million reusable masks for people in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire by the end of July, and a million single-use masks, but in case you want to go and make your own now, you can find a CDC guide on how to make one here.
The Victorian government is going to prepare its own how-to guide for masks in the coming days.
Due to the heightened public health risk with the current outbreak in Victoria, we are asking ALL South Australians with symptoms (fever/chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell) to get tested for COVID-19. https://t.co/daEpRqXyQVpic.twitter.com/lccT3Rvwef