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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Matilda Boseley and Justine Landis-Hanley

Coalition and Labor respond to China laser incident; 32 Covid deaths in Australia – As it happened

Australia China Labor James Paterson Anthony Albanese Scott Morrison Ukraine Covid-19 NT United States
Chinese flag in Canberra near Parliament House
Both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have condemned the Chinese navy for shining a laser at an Australian aircraft. Photograph: Lukas Coch/EPA

Well, that’s where we might leave it for today, but before I go let’s have a look back at the big headlines of the day.

  • Canadian asset manager Brookfield and Australian billionaire Michael Cannon-Brookes have lodged a bid to take over AGL Energy, Australia’s largest electricity generator.
  • WA now has two Covid positive people in hospital, recording 229 new cases today.
  • The state also recorded two Covid-19 cases in the remote Indigenous community of Jameson, around 1000kms east of Kalgoorlie.
  • Protesters have marched through Melbourne’s CBD to Parliament House in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
  • Prime minister Scott Morrison accused China of “an act of intimidation” after an Australian defence aircraft was illuminated with a laser emanating from a Chinese navy ship.
  • Labor leader Anthony Albanese has backed the government’s criticism of the Chinese government over the laser incident, with Senator Penny Wong calling for a “strong bipartisan condemnation to Beijing”
  • Victoria recorded nine more deaths, 4,867 new Covid-19 cases.
  • NSW recorded 21 Covid deaths and 5,582 new infections.

See you all bright and early tomorrow!

Updated

Here is a little blog treat for those who have made it this far.

Now a word from the man of the hour, Mike Cannon-Brookes.

Canadian asset manager Brookfield and Australian billionaire Michael Cannon-Brookes have lodged a bid to take over AGL Energy, Australia’s largest electricity generator.

The unsolicited bid was lodged by Brookfield and Cannon-Brookes Grok Ventures on Saturday, according to a well-placed source who requested anonymity. AGL’s board was expected to meet later on Sunday.

The offer is understood to value AGL only marginally above the company’s closing share price on Friday of $7.16. Including AGL’s debt, the bid is in the range of $8bn, the source said.

Updated

The first tourists are on their way to Australia in nearly two years, but tourism operators say it could be more than a year before they truly return to business as usual.

Speaking at Melbourne airport ahead of the international border reopening on Monday, Morrison said flights would begin to ramp up in the coming weeks.

“They can come and we start building once again our very important tourism economy right across the country, from our biggest cities, where I am today, to our far north, Queensland, regional locations and all around the country and the Top End, where I was yesterday, up in Darwin, in central Australia, in Alice Springs,” he said.

“We are going from Covid cautious to Covid confident when it comes to travel.”

While many in the tourism industry say they are hopeful and relieved to see the border opening, they don’t necessarily share the prime minister’s Covid confidence.

You can read the rest of the article (which I wrote before jumping on the blog) below:

Brookfield and Cannon-Brookes launch joint bid for AGL Energy

The Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Times are reporting that Canadian fund manager Brookfield and Australian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes are making a bid to take over AGL, one of Australia’s major energy providers.

If successful, they would attempt to set stronger emission reduction targets which would result in the closure of all AGL’s remaining coal-fired powerplants well ahead of schedule.

Updated

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly sawing off another man’s leg in a far north Queensland park, AAP reports.

A 66-year-old man died soon after he was discovered by passers-by at Innisfail’s Fitzgerald Park early on Saturday morning.

Police believe he succumbed to his wounds after his leg was amputated by a 36-year-old man using a circular saw owned by the 66-year-old.

“Police will allege these two people were known to each other, the extent of that relationship is still forming part of our investigations,” Detective Acting Inspector Gary Hunter told reporters.

Police also believe there was an [alleged] arrangement between the two people for the amputation of the leg...

We can say this was not an unprovoked attack.

Police allege the men drove together to the park before 4am on Saturday and sat under a tree.

They said about 20 minutes later the 36-year-old allegedly cut off the older man’s leg below the knee using what is believed to be a battery-powered saw, helped him return to the car and then departed on foot.

The older man was discovered near the car at about 4.30am by two passers-by but died before emergency services arrived.

The 36-year-old man was located by police around noon at an Innisfail residence and was charged with one count of murder.

He will appear at an Innisfail court on Monday.

Det Insp Hunter could not offer any more details on the nature of the alleged “arrangement”.

The specific reasons and the arrangement are subject to inquiries by detectives.

He said a police liaison officer was assisting the victim’s devastated family.

During my 34 years as a police officer I’ve never experienced a situation as we are presented with here today.

Police are appealing for information or anyone with dash cam or CCTV footage.

Here’s an interesting look at the Covid death rate in Australia.

New South Wales will relax testing requirements for school students, despite more than 12,000 young people in the state testing positive in the second week of term.

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, said surveillance testing of schoolchildren will move to an on-demand basis from Monday week.

Parents will receive eight rapid antigen tests per student to be distributed in two drops.

The packs are there for families and staff to use at their discretion for their own peace of mind, for example, when a student is feeling unwell with a sore throat or cough, or if family members are sick.

You can read the full report below:

That wraps up my time on the blog today. I’m going to once again hand over to the wonderful Matilda Boseley, who will bring you the headlines into the evening.

Thanks so much for keeping me company!

Home affairs minister Peter Dutton and Labor frontbencher Michelle Rowland were on Sky News this morning, speaking about the likely invasion of Ukraine.

Dutton said that while he was hoping for an “11th hour miracle”, he thinks “that’s the action that Putin is intent on”.

He said that the alliance between China and Russia is “deeply concerning”.

That’s the world in which we live, and we need to respond accordingly and that will include sanctions, and it will include a coordinating act of implementing those sanctions.

And obviously we will work closely with our allies because Russia does need to understand, as does China, that there is a price to pay for those acts of aggression.

Rowland also said she was concerned about the growing situation in Ukraine, adding that “... one just prays for the people of Ukraine who are going to be collateral damage of this”.

She said that Labor would be seeking a briefing from defence on reports that a Chinese warship fired a military-grade laser at an Australian RAAF P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

Unfortunately, it comes at a time when China’s presence and its actions are continuing to cause concern right across the region and globally as well.

Updated

SA records zero new deaths, 1,118 new Covid-19 cases

This brings the total number of active cases in SA to 13,189.

There are 190 people in hospital with the virus across the state, including 13 people in the ICU. Four people require a ventilator.

Of those in hospital, 102 are fully vaccinated, 32 are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, and 56 have an unknown vaccination status.

Updated

The chair of parliament’s joint committee on intelligence and security, the Liberal senator James Paterson, has rebuked the defence minister, Peter Dutton, and other parliamentarians for referencing classified information during last week’s hyper-partisan brawling over national security.

Paterson told the ABC on Sunday he was not “being critical” of either Dutton or the Labor senator Kimberley Kitching, who both referred to classified intelligence during last week’s confrontations in the House of Representatives and Senate estimates.

Read the full article of what was said this morning:

For those who like the graphical version of WA’s Covid case numbers:

NT records one more death, 546 new Covid-19 cases

A woman in her 70s from Tennant Creek has tragically died. She had underlying health conditions and died at the Tennant Creek Hospital.

NT Health reports that there are currently 127 patients in hospital, with 16 patients requiring oxygen. Two patients are in ICU.

There were 546 new Covid-19 cases reported today, bringing the state’s total to around 6,308.

Updated

Independent candidate Kylea Tink has launched her campaign against Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman for the seat of North Sydney in the upcoming federal election, pledging to restore “integrity, accountability and transparency” to politics.

AAP reports that independent Kylea Tink has promised voters action on climate change, support for parents, the release of refugees in indefinite detention and a federal corruption watchdog if elected.

Tink addressed hundreds of supporters gathered at a Longueville bowling club wearing coral coloured T-shirts emblazoned with the message: “Let’s change the climate in Canberra”.

“You want urgent action on climate led by facts and not politics,” she said to applause.

“I will push for more ambitious binding carbon reduction targets for Australia.”

Tink said she had received support – including upwards of $680,000 in campaign donations – from the same community who were closing the margin between an independent and Liberal member in the nearby state by-election for the seat of Willoughby.

A chunk of her donations, she estimates around 30%, were from the Climate 200 non-profit, non-partisan group led by clean energy analyst and investor Simon Holmes à Court.

Zimmerman has held the seat since 2015 after his predecessor, Joe Hockey, retired from parliament.

Tink has a background in corporate communications and worked as chief executive officer of breast cancer charity the McGrath Foundation and then cancer charity Camp Quality.

Updated

WA reports two people in hospital, 229 new Covid-19 cases

Of the 229 new cases, 222 are locally acquired and seven are travel-related. This brings the total number of active cases across the state to 1,044.

The cases include 11 self-reported positive RATs.

There are two people in hospital with the virus, and no patients in the ICU.

Updated

Protesters march through Melbourne to show support for Ukraine

Protesters have marched through Melbourne’s CBD to Parliament House in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Labor MP Bill Shorten and Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, reportedly both spoke at the rally.

Updated

With that, I shall pass you back over to the wonderful Justine Landis-Hanley.

Labor is backing the government hard when it comes to condemning China’s action after a laser was pointed at a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft last week.

Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Penny Wong, has called it a “reckless act, which potentially endangered Australian lives,” stating that China was not a “responsible actor” and Labor would support a “strong bipartisan condemnation to Beijing”.

This comes after a fortnight of the defence minister and prime minister accusing Labor of somehow being in cahoots with the Chinese Communist party, despite there being no evidence to support this claim.

Updated

Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, has declared a laser incident involving a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft last week is an “act of intimidation” by China.

Australia’s defence department reported a laser emanating from a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel illuminated a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft last Thursday when the Chinese ship was sailing east through the Arafura sea.

On Sunday, the prime minister characterised the episode as “a reckless and irresponsible act that should not have occurred”. Thursday’s incident in waters to the north of Australia followed days of domestic political contention about national security.

You can read the full report below:

Good day all! Matilda Boseley here for the next little while.

Just sharing this tweet because, who in Scott Morrison’s media team let him – a man about to go up for re-election – get photographed looking forlorn in front of a “departures” sign? You are just giving the internet trolls things to work with!

Updated

I’m handing over the blog to the amazing Matilda Boseley!

In what could be an interesting sign of what is to come in Australia, the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, is set to announce the end of the legal duty to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 next week.

Downing Street said Johnson will lay out his intentions to repeal all pandemic regulations that restrict public freedoms in England as part of his “living with Covid” plan on Monday.

Read the full story abou the UK’s expected announcement here:

WA reports two Covid-19 cases in remote Aboriginal community

WA Health is working with Ngaanyatjarra Health Service on the management of two Covid-19 cases in Jameson – a remote Aboriginal community around 1000km east of Kalgoorlie.

In a statement, WA Health said:

While both cases are currently well and isolating, the community has been placed into lockdown as a protective measure.

Contact tracers have identified five close contacts linked to the cases. They have undergone testing and are isolating.

A coordinated response is being provided by the Department of Health, WA Country Health Service, Ngaanyatjarra Health Service (NG Health), WA Police and Department of Communities.

There are currently around 50 people in community – they are working with health authorities, WA Police and Department of Communities to stay safe.

Updated

Queensland authorities provided the state’s Covid-19 update at a press conference this morning, but QLD Health just posted the graphic with the full list of figures.

Our friends at AAP have more information about Labor’s $200m road infrastructure package for the Northern Territory that Albanese announced this morning.

AAP reports that federal Labor is promising a $200m roads package for the NT should it win the May election.

Labor, under its Northern Territory strategic roads package, aims to bring economic and social opportunities to remote and regional communities.

Road upgrades will be focused on all-weather access, ensuring that remote communities have more reliable year-round connections to the services and opportunities they need. Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said on Sunday:

Remote Australia is dependent on good, safe roads for accessing essential services, getting to work, or welcoming tourists.

He added:

Sadly, remote roads still have a death toll 11 times higher than those in major cities. These investments will give remote communities the connections they deserve, allowing more people to get around with greater safety.

Albanese said this funding will be included in Labor’s first budget, ensuring work can get underway as soon as possible.

Updated

Tasmania records zero new deaths, 555 new Covid-19 cases

There are currently nine people in hospital across the state with Covid-19.

Of these, six are being treated specifically for the virus, while the other three are in hospital receiving treatment for an unrelated medical condition.

There are two people in the ICU with Covid-19.

Updated

Anyway, the reason why Albanese was speaking from the NT was because to announce a Labor election promise: a $200m NT strategic roads package.

Updated

Albanese was also asked about the evolving situation in Ukraine, and whether Australia should be sending military equipment to Ukraine, as other nations like the Netherlands are doing.

On this, Albanese is vague.

Well, my understanding is that there are no requests at this stage. What we should be doing is making Australia’s position very clear that we respect Ukrainian sovereignty, we expect Russia to back off. There is no place for the intimidation and threats that we have seen from Russia against a sovereign government which should be respected. The government of Ukraine. And that was something that I indicated to the Federation of Ukrainian Organisations when I met with them in Melbourne nine days ago.

Updated

Albanese said he doesn’t think Australia is overreacting to the threat of China, saying that “I believe our response has been appropriate, considered and measured”.

Australia has been subject to sanctions by China. They weren’t initiated by Australia, they were initiated by China and they should be removed.

Updated

Albanese is asked whether he agrees with the statement that Australia is overreacting to threat of China.

Albanese says “I agree with my statements. I agree with my statements about me not to respond to every former leader of every party ...”

Updated

Reporter:

Just on the matter of China, you talked about being not happy with the process on Hong Kong but you also said China has changed. Is that a bit of an acknowledgment that Australia can’t do anything really to change China’s behaviour?

Albanese:

China has changed its ideology under Xi [Jinping’s] and its engagement in the national forums.

What Australia needs to do, though, is to continue to stand up for Australian values and that’s something that we have done. It’s important in order to do that, that there not be false distinctions raised which undermine Australia’s unity which doesn’t serve the national interest or our purpose. It’s very clear that that’s the case so when China put forward through Channel Nine newspapers, I think, its list of changes it wanted to see, that was rejected by all sides of politics. And we continue to have a common position about the South China Sea, about the treatment of Uyghurs, about Hong Kong, about Taiwan, about engagement in the region.

Updated

Albanese is also asked whether he agrees with former Labor leader
Paul Keating’s view that China is not a threat.

I have a different position from Paul Keating on China. I have said that on a range of occasions. I speak for the Australian Labor Party ... I take advice from my caucus and we’ll continue to work through the issues. Paul Keating is a great Australian, but on this, we have a difference between Labor’s position and Paul Keating’s position and I have said that before.

Updated

Albanese is asked: how would you fix our relationship with China or do you think it’s beyond repair?

Albanese:

One of the things we have to recognise is the Biden administration says that the need to recognise that there’s competition without catastrophe, needs to be the objective. That is something that we would work with the Biden administration on if we were successful just as the current government will.

Updated

Albanese condemns Chinese warship incident as 'reckless act'

Albanese says he condemns the Chinese warship shining a laser at an Australian surveillance plane.

I condemn, I’m sure the Australian government should be making the strongest possible statement about what is a reckless act.

Albanese is asked to describe Xi Jinping’s China and whether he think this is a threat?

Albanese:

Xi Jinping’s China has changed substantially since 2013.

The Coalition government welcomed Xi Jinping to Parliament House and at the time there was an effusive praise for him given by the government of the time. The truth is, though, that China has changed its position...

China is engaged is more aggressive activity of which we have seen this latest report has been just an example. China has changed its position with regard to Hong Kong. They tore up effectively the agreements that were put in place there. China is more engaged in the region. It’s changed its posture and Australia has needed to respond to that.

Updated

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese is speaking from Darwin.

ACT records no new deaths, 560 new Covid-19 cases

There are 35 people in hospital, including one in the ICU. One person is on a ventilator.

Sixteen road safety projects across South Australia are to receive a $52.69m state and federal funding boost, AAP reports.

The upgrades will be fast-tracked to help reduce trauma and save lives, with a focus on rural and regional infrastructure.

They will include treatments along the Eyre Highway between Ceduna and Head of Bight, upgrades to sections of the Stuart Highway from North of Coober Pedy and works on the Barrier Highway from Burra to Cockburn.

The upgrades will be jointly funded under the Road Safety Program, with the federal government contributing $42.15m and SA providing $10.54m.

The safety barriers, surface treatments, audio tactile line marking on edge and centre lines, shoulder sealing, lane widening and pavement treatments are all aimed at reducing crashes, particularly run-off-road crashes.

Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce says the projects will create 200 jobs and new opportunities for businesses and suppliers, delivering an important boost to South Australia’s economic recovery.

Federal assistant minister for Road Safety Scott Buchholz says the new projects are expected to be delivered later this year.

Updated

The Queensland state government has announced reforms for e-scooter regulations to make them safer for riders and pedestrians.

Minister for transport Mark Bailey said the reforms include dropping the maximum speed on footpaths to 12km an hour, to ensure that they are moving around pedestrians at a more predictable and reasonable speed.

Users will also be allowed to ride on bicycle freeways and protected separated bike paths. The government is also looking to work with local councils to create better parking options, so scooters aren’t left on footpaths.

Updated

Dr Gerrard says strong vaccination rates has prevented higher hospitalisation figures and severe illness.

Omicron is not the reason why we are not seeing large numbers of people in hospital ... and intensive care. It’s because of vaccination.

Updated

Queensland records two deaths, 4,265 new Covid-19 cases

Queensland health officer Dr John Gerrard reported that, tragically, two people have passed away with Covid-19, one in their 70s and one in their 80s. Neither of them were vaccinated.

Dr Gerrard said that case numbers are falling. There are now 365 people in public hospitals, down from 391 yesterday. The number of patients in private hospital has also dropped to 21, from 23 yesterday.

There are 1,381 cases in school-aged children between five and 17, down from 1,507.

This brings the total number of active cases in Queensland to 34,081.

Updated

Paterson did criticise a speech Marles gave, during which Paterson said he “proposed there should be closer cooperation between Australia and ... the ones who are aiming lasers at Australia’s air force right now”.

Speers:

He said in that speech that Australia should have defence cooperation?

Paterson:

I should we be cooperating with a strategic adversary that is trying to coerce and intimidate Australia.

Speers pointed out that a few months after Marles’ speech, the government launched Operation Pandaroo, for which Australian Army members travelled to China to take part in the annual bilateral adventure training.

Speers also quotes Marles speech: “We must seek to build it and not just in economic terms but also through exploring political cooperation and even defence cooperation.”

“He is not saying up the tempo,” Speers pointed out.

But Paterson disagreed:

If all he was saying was we should just continue what we have been doing, then why say it at all? Why isn’t it posted on his website? The only place you can read it is on my website, not his. Don’t you think that’s strange? He is embarrassed about that speech and doesn’t want to talk about it.

Speers countered:

Should the PM post the speech he gave to the Christian Congress?

Paterson:

That’s a matter for the PM.

Updated

There is one other moment from senator James Paterson’s interview on ABC Insider’s this morning that I didn’t have the chance to blog about in full at the time.

There was back and forth about Labor deputy leader Richard Marles. Speers asked whether Paterson agreed with the prime minister calling Marles a “Manchurian candidate”.

The phrase “Manchurian candidate” refers to a politician being used as a puppet by an enemy power.

Paterson said “of course he is not a Manchurian candidate” and pointed to the fact that the prime minister withdrew that comment.

I note that when Anthony Albanese made the same comment towards the prime minister he didn’t withdraw it, so the Labor party’s stance on this is confected.

For context, Albanese said that if the government was looking for a “Manchurian candidate” in parliament they should look at the prime minister.

Updated

Paterson said he was trying to suggest that “it is OK in a democracy to have a disagreement with a former public servant, even an eminent one like Dennis Richardson.”

He added that he had a call with Richardson on Friday, who told him that “in 2011 when he took leave from Dfat as secretary, it wasn’t to negotiate with Huawei, it was to make an initial pitch to Huawei on behalf of the Canberra Raiders for the lucrative sponsorship.”

Paterson had told Sky News Richardson had gone on leave to “negotiate” the sponsorship agreement.

Asked whether he had gotten that wrong, Paterson said “I think it was a subtle difference to negotiate a pitch.”

Paterson declined to apologise to Richardson, but said that “Dennis and I agreed we should catch up for a beer and I look forward to that”.

Updated

I want to go back to something else that Speers asked Paterson about.

Speers raised comments that Paterson made about former head of defence and former Asio boss Dennis Richardson. Richardson said the government has been manufacturing differences when it comes to China. He said this will only help China.

Speers pointed to comments that Paterson had raised concerning Richardson’s own record on Huawei, and asked what Paterson had tried to suggest.

For context, Paterson argued in the interview on Thursday that Richardson, the former head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, had publicly advocated in 2018 that the Chinese telco Huawei should be involved in the Australian 5G rollout.

The Liberal senator told Sky News the government’s decision to exclude Huawei from the 5G rollout was “one of the best decisions our government has made – and I stand by it even if Dennis Richardson disagrees”.

Updated

Finally, Speers asked Paterson about comments he made to the Guardian after he took his role as chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

The comments in question were:

It is very powerful for us to stand shoulder to shoulder across the political spectrum and send a very strong message to the world that we won’t be separated on these issues of national interest.

Speers asked Paterson: “What has changed? The looming election?”

On my watch in the last 12 months on the PJCS we’ve handed down 17 bipartisan reports on issues as critical as dark web, critical infrastructure and many of those has required painstaking hours of negotiation with the Labor counterparts. Anthony Albanese [has been] trying to paint the small target, trying to sneak into government and in a liberal democracy we are entitled to analyse their record and making claims in office. If they are not comfortable with meeting the high bar, they can justify that to the Australian people.

Updated

The back-and-forth continued over Labor’s record on national security.

Paterson also pointed to Labor’s anger over the Morrison government’s fallout with France during Aukus, and their defence spending in government.

Labor party says they support Aukus. That’s very welcome, I’m glad that they do that, but at the same time they’ve spent much more energy and effort being aggrieved on behalf of the French government being upset about cancellation of a contract than they have on the defence capability we need to acquire to defend our country. Anthony Albanese said we were gas lighting, Penny Wong accused of us of vandalism. When this government, they cut defence spending to 1.56% of GDP, the lowest level since 1938. Ripped money out of the AFT. Subjected to an efficiency dividend of 4% and it got so bad that the former head of the PJCS Anthony Byrne had to stand up in parliament and denounce his own government for it. That is their record.

Speers:

Again talking about events of 10 years ago and fair enough, defence spending as a percentage of GDP did fall and we could go through the government’s record of submarines, the helicopters that they’ve had to scrap and so on. What now tells us that Labor would do anything differently on national security?

Paterson:

David, we need to take the whole record into account. We can’t just cut it off and not look at it before then...

Updated

Speers points out that that example is from five years ago, and “there is plenty of track record from both sides when it comes to changing orders on China. What evidence is there now that AnthonyAlbanese is weak on China?

Paterson cites more examples:

[When] the list released from the Chinese embassy in which they said we would have to compromise on freedom of the press, freedom of the parliament, Anthony Albanese said it was the Morrison government’s fault that we couldn’t get a Chinese counterpart to pick up the phone and it reflected poorly on us. He knew when he said that, that the only way to get them on the phone was to sacrifice on core issue of democracy. Would he silence the press? Would he silence the parliament? Would he silence independent think tanks?

Speers said it was a bit of a reach to suggest that Albanese was saying Australia should give in to China’s demands.

Paterson argues that, a few years ago, Paul Keating said that the heads of intelligence agencies were nutters and they should be sacked if Labor came to office.

After Paul Keating made that disgraceful attack on our serving intelligence chiefs, Anthony Albanese said that Paul Keating was always worth listening to and has wise counsel.

But Speers points out that Albanese has disagreed with Keating’s views of China repeatedly.

Paterson:

I don’t think we should build up someone who has clearly insane views.

Updated

Speers asked Paterson about what evidence there is for the government’s claim that Anthony Albanese is weak on China.

Paterson:

Lots of examples, not just him as leader but the entire Labor party. I hesitate to use this example because senator Keneally is one of the members of the PJC who I work very well with, but the Chinese government accused Australia of racism and in the Bennelong byelection that year, senator Keneally said that she heard voters say that Australia was Chinaphobic and that we were scaremongering, so she was elevating the false claims against Australia.

Labor ultimately voted for that legislation, but it is a good example of how they seek partisan advantage on so-called bipartisan issues.

Updated

Speers asks Paterson about the fact that defence minister Peter Dutton publicly referred to classified intelligence that he had seen while making the case that China wants Labor to win the election.

As chair of the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security, a principle question first: do you believe it is appropriate or not to use classified information for political gain?

Paterson:

I think there have been a range of references to classified material in the parliament and in the media from a range of sources and we should be very mindful of the warning he makes and I understand why he has that anxiety as Asio director general.

Paterson did try to point out that “... Peter Dutton didn’t refer to any classified information, didn’t divulge any classified information, just indicated there was classified information.”

But when asked whether he thought Dutton’s comments had been appropriate, Paterson said “I think we all need to be careful as heeding the Asio director general.”

Updated

Liberal senator James Paterson is speaking on ABC Insiders.

Updated

NSW Health issues correction: state records 21 deaths, 5,582 new cases

NSW Health appears to have made an error in its first Covid update this morning, and has issued a subsequent tweet with different numbers.

Victoria records nine more deaths, 4,867 new Covid-19 cases

There are 358 people in hospital with Covid-19, 51 of whom are in the ICU. Twelve people require a ventilator.

Updated

Morrison says China will have to explain their actions as “... to why a military vessel, a naval vessel, in Australia’s exclusive economic zone would undertake such an act, such a dangerous act, in relation to an Australian surveillance aircraft legitimately ... doing their job...”

And that act of intimidation is not just a message that I suppose they are trying to send to Australia, a message we will respond to, but a sign of the sort of threats and intimidation that can occur to any country in our region, and that’s why we need to band together.

Updated

Morrison accuses China of 'an act of intimidation'

Morrison was asked about reports yesterday that an Australian defence aircraft detected a laser emanating from a Chinese ship.

Well of course this is very concerning. It’s no surprise we have Chinese vessels moving through the sea. I am very concerned about the actions of using the lasers on an Australian surveillance aircraft. I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one that it unprovoked, unwarranted. And Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation...

I have no doubt that if it had been an Australian vessel, British vessel, American vessel, French vessel, Japanese vessel, or German for that matter, that was going through similar waters in the South China Sea, and it was done to a Chinese surveillance aircraft, then people could guess what the reaction to that would have been. It was a dangerous act ... I thought it was a reckless and irresponsible act.

Updated

Morrison is asked about what support Australia will give to Ukraine should Russia invade.

Morrison said it’s so important that the free countries to the world give Ukraine support. He said Australia will work with partners and our actions will be announced in partnership with them.

But he said:

I’m not about to telecast to those who want to get involved in violence against another country. I think that’s the responsible thing to do ... the precise nature of what Australia’s actions will be.

Morrison did say that Australia will “follow through with sanctions [of Russia] in partnership with our allies”.

The world will be moving together to seek to counteract what would be a terrible act of violence...

Updated

Morrison says international flights will increase after border reopens to tourists

Morrison says that Australia will see international flights increase, particularly at airports like Melbourne airport. He points to the $40m Tourism Australia campaign.

Morrison also welcomes WA’s announcement that its domestic borders will open next month.

I welcome the fact that Western Australia is safely reopening, just as I welcome the fact that Australia is safely reopening and we move into this next phase of the Covid pandemic. One of the first things we did was shut the borders, starting first of all with China. That was incredibly important and it helped us achieve in this country what few others could around the world.

We had one of the lowest rates of death of Covid in the world. We had one of the strongest advanced economies coming through this pandemic anywhere in the world. We have one of the highest rates of vaccination anywhere in the world. We’ve got the treatments, we got the vaccinations, and we are here at managing this pandemic better than almost any other country in the world. And that’s why we can take this step. That’s why the wait is over, Australia, because you’ve done the hard yards. You’ve done the work, you’ve pushed through.

Updated

Morrison:

It has been tough, but Australia is pushing through. We are very excited that, from tomorrow, those international flights for visitors are able to return again. They can come and we start building once again our very important tourism economy right across the country, from our biggest cities, where I am today, to our far-north Queensland, regional locations, and all around the country, and the top end, where I was yesterday, up in Darwin, in central Australia, in Alice Springs. Tourists are coming back. That means those jobs become more certain going forward.

Updated

Prime minister Scott Morrison is at Melbourne airport talking about international borders reopening to tourists tomorrow.

Updated

Apparently prime minister Scott Morrison is set to speak very soon. As always, I’ll bring you the updates as I have them!

Updated

Good morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, ready to bring you the news today Sunday 20 February, 2022.

Let’s dive straight in:

The New South Wales government is expected to announce that school students will no longer be provided with twice-weekly rapid antigen tests as of next week.

Parents will instead be given eight test kits per child going forward to use at their discretion, ABC is reporting. School and Early Childhood staff will also receive these testing packs.

Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden believes Russia’s Vladimir Putin has made a decision to invade Ukraine and will do so within weeks or days. The US defence secretary Lloyd Austin also said yesterday that Russia is “poised to strike” Ukraine.

Prime minister Scott Morrison has said Australia won’t send troops to Ukraine in the event of an invasion by Russia but will provide “practical” assistance to allies.

Updated

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