We’re going to bring this blog to a close now, thanks for your company today.
A quick recap of today’s events for you:
- Handwringing continues about the ongoing closure of the Western Australian border. The AMA, business groups and others have lined up to criticise the state, which has indefinitely pushed back the date for its planned reopening.
- The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said he sympathised with separated families but that the border was “a matter for WA”. He’s previously said the way the closed Queensland border kept people from their loved ones was “a profound moral failure”.
- There are seven Covid cases in the Perth area; despite the closed border, there is some concern that Omicron may have already taken hold in the west.
- New South Wales recorded 20,148 new cases and 30 deaths. The premier, Dominic Perrottet, says the state is working on a school reopening plan.
- There were 16,016 new cases recorded in Victoria; 15,050 in Queensland; 2,193 in South Australia; 726 in Tasmania; 666 in the ACT; and 314 in the Northern Territory.
- 30 people died in NSW; 20 in Victoria; 10 in Queensland, three in South Australia and one in Tasmania.
- Anti-vaccination rallies were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
- The organisers of Melbourne’s Invasion Day rally announced they had cancelled the march this year, saying the risk of spreading Covid through the Aboriginal community was too high.
Read our Covid full report here:
Updated
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, is in Queensland this weekend and talking up the party’s chances in two Brisbane lower house seats.
Wait, what? In Queensland? Isn’t that the place where all the far-rightwingers come from?
Well, yes, but it’s not as far-fetched as it might seem.
In fact, the party itself believes it’s a very good chance of an upset in Griffith, once the seat of the former PM Kevin Rudd and now held by the very well-regarded Labor frontbencher Terri Butler.
They are throwing serious resources at the seat and claim to be on track to doorknock 35,000 homes by election day.
The Greens also have an eye on Ryan, in Brisbane’s west, which is held by the LNP’s Julian Simmonds.
Parts of both electorates have elected Greens MPs at state level.
“Queensland is set to be a three-cornered contest in the next election, and we’re feeling a massive swell of support on the ground for action on climate change and economic inequality,” Bandt said.
“The lower house pushes in Griffith and Ryan are huge, ambitious and energetic people-powered campaigns, and they’re seeing results.”
Updated
