Mask mandates ruled out as nation records 90 Covid deaths – as it happened

9.31am BST

What we learned: Wednesday 20 July

With that, we will wrap up the blog for the evening. Here are today’s major developments:

• Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro said “this is the job for when I get the fuck out of this place” inquiry heard. Barilaro denied the claims, calling them “fictitious”.
• The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has accepted all the recommendations from state integrity agency’s report into Labor’s branch stacking scandal, apologising and taking “full responsibility” for the conduct.
• The NSW Icac has found Drummoyne MP John Sidoti engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”. Sidoti has vowed to fight the findings, as the premier, Dominic Perrottet, called on him to resign.
• The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, announced the terms of reference of a review of the Reserve Bank of Australia, which will include examining whether changes are needed to the bank’s inflation targets.
• Viral fragments of foot and mouth disease and African swine fever have been detected in pork products at a Melbourne retailer.
• The PM said the chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, did not recommend mask mandates to him.
  
• The home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, said the government has begun prioritising offshore visas.
• The Reserve Bank governor, Phil Lowe, said inflation has increased again in the three months since March.
• The new US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy – the daughter of John F Kennedy – will arrive on Friday.
• Three children have died after a house fire in Port Hedland in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
  
• There were 90 Covid deaths today across the country.

Updated at 9.47am BST

9.00am BST

Sidoti: ‘I will continue to fight to clear my name’

Former Liberal minister John Sidoti has vowed to fight the Independent Commission Against Corruption finding that he engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”.

In a statement released shortly after 5pm, the independent Drummoyne MP raised issue with the watchdog’s methods and said the report released on Wednesday included errors.

He rejected the findings and has told his lawyers to lodge an application in the supreme court.

He said:

ICAC took complaints from a non-government majority upper house committee, they interviewed disgruntled Liberal Party members and interrogated my family to arrive at the conclusion that, as the elected local member I engaged with my local Liberal councillors, having robust communications for the sake of the community is corrupt.

Icac did not interview the people at crucial meetings to support what I had stated. They failed to chase down exculpatory evidence. This report has a number of unfounded inferences, errors and assumptions, and its findings are completely rejected.

The only positive for myself and my family is that the ICAC part of this saga is over. I will continue to fight to clear my name and have instructed my lawyers to lodge an application in the Supreme Court.

The commission found Sidoti had used his official role as a member of parliament to try to “improperly influence” Liberal City of Canada Bay councillors in relation to properties in Five Dock between late 2013 and early 2017.

Updated at 9.16am BST

8.53am BST

Pauline Hanson on Sky News, complaining Labor hasn't shown her the 43% climate legislation, wonders if she's "too far right" for them

[literally 10 seconds later]

says linking Australia emissions to natural disasters is "bunkum", claims CSIRO never linked C02 to climate change

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) July 20, 2022