Outgoing Tasmanian premier says time to focus on family after two years of Covid; rescue operation under way in Blue Mountains; state member for Lismore questions federal flood support effort as NSW announces relief package; changes to Victorian Covid isolation rules would be ‘premature’, Jaala Pulford says; at least 14 Covid deaths recorded. Follow all the day’s news

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NSW has reported 15,572 new cases and six deaths overnight:

Bruce Baird, the former member for Cook, Scott Morrison’s current seat, has come out and defended the PM against allegations he racially vilified a contender in a preselection battle in 2007.

He [Morrison] worked with me for two years when I was on the Tourism Council and I never heard him use racist terms.

I’m sure that people who are opponents of Scott and of the Liberal party would raise it for their own reasons, and Towke was feeling concerned because he’d lost the preselection … but in terms of all my dealings, and I was around him all the time, never once did I hear that allegation.

Scott Morrison says Bushmaster vehicles bound for Ukraine after confusion in Senate estimates; PM delaying election announcement to run political ads, Albanese claims; Michele Bullock becomes first female deputy governor of RBA; child younger than five in SA among at least 16 Covid-related deaths across nation. This blog is now closed

• Zali Steggall more likely to support Coalition in hung parliament if Scott Morrison dumped
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Independent Zali Steggall has certainly caused a stir last night after she was pushed to admit on Q&A that, if the Coalition was to change their leadership (and give Morrison the boot) she would be open to the idea of supporting them if it came down to a hung parliament.

Steggall:

Well, where it’s changed is the conversation we’ve just had around leadership. And I do have grave concerns in relation to Scott Morrison’s leadership.

I want to be clear on this. If they had a different leader, you might support them into a minority government?

Ah, that is obviously an open possibility.

Look, I think if you look at Steggall’s voting record she’s been with the Labor party and the Greens on many more occasions than she’s been with the Liberal party so we should be realistic.

I think we should look at words and actions. I know Zali, I deal with her, I like her but I would be amazed if Zali Steggall supported the Liberal party if there was to be a hung parliament.

We know that [China has] been trying to get into Papa New Guinea and elsewhere to build ports. We know that they’re already in Sri Lanka. And this is a very concerning development.

On that question of whether it’s become a done deal or whether we can you know, stop it. What’s, what’s your view on that?

Well, again, I mean, there are some things that we’ll say publicly and other things that we’re able to do privately and we’re working closely with the Solomon Islands ...

I mean, they’re a sovereign nation, and they have the ability to make decisions for themselves and we fully respect that and they will do what’s in what they believe is in their country’s best interest, but I think there are many neighbouring countries in the region who have expressed their concern, rightly, about this development.