What we learned: Monday 18 July
With that, we will wrap up the blog for the evening. Here are today’s major developments:
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ANZ agreed to buy Suncorp’s banking business for $4.9bn, in what could be Australia’s biggest banking deal in more than a decade.
- A teenage boy from south-west Sydney who was taken to Syria at the age of 11 is believed to have died in an attack on the adult prison where he has been held for three years.
- Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned of a “confronting” budget update, adding that fuel excise reduction was “too expensive to continue”.
- Employment minister Tony Burke has called for an end to jobs for mates, after Grattan Institute’s report called for fundamental reform to political appointments to government boards.
- Under a new plan being launched by the ACT government, nine in 10 cars sold in the territory will be zero emissions by 2030.
- Prime minister Anthony Albanese said now is “not the time” to start winding back the Covid isolation period to below seven days, after NSW premier Dominic Perrottet floated the idea.
- NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said isolation payments should be linked to legal isolation requirements, and that if government is legally requiring people to stay home for seven days, financial assistance has to be provided.
- It comes as 31 coronavirus deaths were recorded across Australia.
Updated
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has been criticised for earlier today saying the flu is “more severe” than Covid.
Speaking on 2GB, Perrottet said that the current strand of influenza was affecting people more than the “current strands of Covid”:
In many cases at the moment, the current strand of influenza is more severe than the current strands of Covid.
As we move through the next phase of the pandemic we need to balance out the competing health issues, … mental health issues, educational outcomes for our children, allowing people the opportunity to go to work.
Government evaluating further use of defence force in aged care facilities
Aged care minister Anika Wells said the federal government is closely monitoring the Covid situation in aged care amid fears of a winter outbreak, after Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, called for the extension of a program putting defence force troops into facilities as a surge workforce.
The surge program, instituted by the former Coalition government, is to end in mid-August. With health minister, Mark Butler, warning of “millions” of Covid cases in coming months, some aged care providers have raised concerns about their workforce amid potential furloughing. On Monday, Andrews said aged care was “in difficult times now ... and I think it’s only going to be even more challenging”.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for it to end in August,” he said at a press conference.
Federal government sources said only a very small number of ADF staff were actually requested by aged care facilities at the moment, numbering in the low double-digits each day.
The federal government last week released a “winter plan” for the aged care sector, providing advice and procedures for facilities on infection control, workforce and communication. Wells said her department was closely monitoring the situation.
“The ADF is on hand to support residential aged care homes around the country based on need when requested,” she said.
The Department of Health and Aged Care is also increasing the pool of deployable surge workforce available to facilities with an outbreak. I am taking an active role in monitoring the current situation. I have made it clear that I want no stone left unturned in responding to this latest Covid wave.
Wells said she will meet with the Aged Care Advisory Group of the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee and the deputy chief medical officer on Wednesday for a status report on the government’s response.
“I am talking with all my ministerial colleagues about what is required for our older Australians in care,” she said.
Guardian Australia understands the ADF has not yet received an official request to extend the surge workforce program.
Updated
