The day that was, Monday 31 January
That’s where we will leave the live blog for today. Here’s some of what made the news:
- There were 91,289 vaccine doses administered in Australia on Sunday, with 49.6m administered in total.
- More than 95% of people aged 16 and over have had at least one dose, and 93.3% are double vaccinated. A total of 7.7m adults have received more than two doses, with 65,620 being administered on Sunday.
- There were 33,869 new cases reported on Monday: 13,026 in NSW, 10,053 in Victoria, 7462 in Queensland, 1,505 in South Australia, 537 in the ACT, 504 in Tasmania, 760 in the Northern Territory and 22 in Western Australia.
- The death toll is 3,760, up 44 on the previous day: NSW 1,393 (+27), Victoria 1,996 (+ eight), Queensland 199 (+ three), South Australia 117 (+ six), ACT 26, NT two, Tasmania 18 and WA nine.
- Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg has said the government’s slump in Newspoll (44-56) sends a message that people are still doing it tough during Covid-19, while NSW treasurer Matt Kean says small business will be very disappointed that the federal government declined to partly fund a support package for small businesses.
- The prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, returned a negative Covid-19 test after she was deemed a close contact of a positive case.
- Country Liberals senator, Sam McMahon, confirmed she resigned from the party on Friday.
- Queensland has announced that Tony Fitzgerald will lead a six-month inquiry into the state’s corruption body.
- The HMAS Adelaide, currently assisting with recovery operations in Tonga, has suffered a power outage, however Defence says back-up power is on for critical systems and it has not disrupted the recovery effort.
We will be back with you again tomorrow.
Updated
Aged care workers will receive two pre-election bonus payments worth up to $800, as the government seeks to claw back public support for its troubled pandemic response.
Ahead of a major speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, has announced that the bonus will be paid to more than 230,000 aged care workers in government-subsidised home care and to residential aged care staff providing “direct care, food or cleaning services”.
The first payment will be made this month, and the second in early May. The latest date the election can be held is 21 May.
Administrative Appeals Tribunal president Justice David Thomas has resigned from the role, AAP reports.
Thomas was appointed president of the tribunal and a judge of the federal court of Australia in June 2017.
He will remain as a judge of the federal court.
Attorney general Michaelia Cash said Thomas, who has been on leave, had provided strong leadership at the tribunal.
Federal court judges Susan Kenny and Berna Collier will act as AAT president.
The tribunal has not been without controversy in recent years, with claims Coalition-appointed members had been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars despite failing case finalisation benchmarks.
There have also been concerns about conflicts of interest not properly being disclosed.
The AAT provides independent merits review of a wide range of administrative decisions made by the federal government.
Updated
Defence confirms power outage on HMAS Adelaide
The Department of Defence has confirmed the ABC’s reporting that HMAS Adelaide, currently assisting the recovery efforts in Tonga, suffered a power outage.
Defence said back-up power has been activated to restore essential systems.
The department has disputed reports that refrigeration and sanitation systems were down, and says food supplies have also not been adversely affected. It said the HMAS Adelaide is not under tow, and air-conditioning is operational in most areas of the ship.
Defence said that the outage did not affect Australia’s ability to support requests for assistance from the Tongan government, and civilian specialists are en route to conduct an assessment.
Updated
My colleague and live blogging extraordinaire Amy Remeikis appeared on The Project last week and, as she put it, her “rage bubbled to the surface” as she took the Australian’s Peter van Onselen to task about his much-criticised opinion piece slamming former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame for not smiling in a photo op with the PM.
Remeikis told PVO the column was “devastating to so many people”.
The clip went viral, and now PVO has had some time to reflect. According to the New Daily, in a podcast, Critical Line Item with Tom Ravlic, PVO says while his opinion hasn’t changed, if he had his time again, he wouldn’t have written the column:
I think it was probably unnecessary for me to bother to write the opinion piece. To say all of those things. I can just think it.
They didn’t change my mind. I’m still very firm, personally, of the view that [Tame’s actions were] uncalled for, if I could put it that way. And inappropriate, and she shouldn’t have done it.
That’s different I should say to saying that on reflection I wouldn’t have written the opinion piece because I didn’t like the blow back that I got, I don’t care about that. That’s not a reason I wouldn’t write it on reflection.
Seeing how strongly people feel about it doesn’t change my view. But it probably has changed my view on whether it needed to be written.
Updated
Lightning strikes from storms over the weekend caused a number of fires across the state, igniting trees that spread to the nearby grassland.
— cfa_updates (@CFA_Updates) January 31, 2022
This is a timely reminder that grass fires can occur anytime, if you see fire or smoke - call Triple Zero (000). pic.twitter.com/Fq4ROS8rum
Tasmania over-reported 1,333 Covid cases
Tasmania has over-reported coronavirus cases by more than 1,300 because of data errors, as well as infections being counted twice, AAP reports.
The island state’s cumulative tally will be corrected and shifted downwards by 1,333, about 4% of its overall number of recorded cases, in Tuesday’s figures.
Premier Peter Gutwein said the miscalculations were due to a system error, plus “some double counting” that occurred when rapid antigen positive test results began to be included in daily numbers.
“We actually had some people that were logging in twice with both a PCR result and rapid antigen test result,” he told reporters on Monday.
“It doesn’t change our understanding of transmission in Tasmania.”
The health department says duplications occurred from 15 December to 23 January.
“[The errors] didn’t affect any of our referring on of individuals for appropriate medical care,” deputy public health director Julie Graham said.
“The main result was some people did get extra messaging related to being cases and related to being released from isolation. I do apologise for this.”
Graham said the wrong numbers didn’t impact any public health decisions.
“It didn’t have any effect on what we call our ‘epi curve’, whether our cases are increasing, decreasing or plateauing,” she said.
Tasmania reopened to mainland hot spots on 15 December and has recorded five Covid-19 deaths since.
Updated
The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, says 4 million people in Australia are now eligible to receive their booster shot, and there are 18m doses waiting to be used.
From today, over four million additional Australians are now eligible for their COVID-19 booster dose. pic.twitter.com/pkteN9T0yX
— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) January 31, 2022
Updated
Man and child die after being swept off rocks in Sydney
NSW police have confirmed a man and child have died after being washed off rocks while fishing at Little Bay Beach, Little Bay.
The statement:
A man and child have died after being pulled from the water in Sydney’s eastern suburbs this afternoon.
Just after 3pm (Monday 31 January 2022), emergency services were called to Little Bay Beach, Little Bay, following reports a man and a boy had been washed off rocks while fishing.
The man – believed to be in his 40s – was pulled from the water by Surf Lifesavers and a nine-year-old boy was winched from the water by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
Paramedics performed CPR; however, both died at the scene. They are yet to be formally identified.
A crime scene has been established by officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command and an investigation commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.
Updated
AAP reports Australians stashed more money in the bank at the beginning of the Omicron outbreak and federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg hopes it will be used to revitalise the nation’s economy.
A sharp rise in household deposits of 1.7% ($20.7bn) occurred in December, APRA figures published Monday show, as the number of Australians sick with the latest coronavirus variant reached record levels.
The increase in deposits came as people shied away from going out in fear of catching the virus and reduced their spending, consumer surveys have shown.
NAB economist Taylor Nugent said deposits increased at the same time as previous virus outbreaks.
Asked on Melbourne radio about the increased savings, Frydenberg said this was due to a number of factors.
He credited the government’s tax cuts and income support, as well as people’s reduced travel, for the greater savings.
Frydenberg claimed people would use their savings to help businesses struggling from the Omicron wave.
“There is that money there that will be spent and will generate economic activity and of course jobs,” he said.
The increased deposits have not stopped people taking advantage of low interest rates, however.
Credit growth for December rose 0.8% on the previous month, Reserve Bank data showed.
This was only a little down on the upwardly revised figure of 1% for November.
Updated
2022 federal election to be most expensive ever, AEC says
The Australian electoral commissioner, Tom Rogers says on ABC News that due to the pandemic, this upcoming federal election will be the most expensive ever, and could cost up to $400m, up from about $300m in 2019.
Part of that additional cost will be due to more staff, and more equipment. He said, for example, the last election used 100,000 pencils, and now there will be 4.5m. There will also be 34,000 litres of hand sanitiser.
Early voting has also been reduced to just two weeks before election day, and in combination with the social distancing and other Covid-19 measures, Rogers predicts there will be some delays when people go to vote, but the Australian Electoral Commission is doing its best to reduce the wait times.
He says based on recent byelections, the AEC is expecting an increase in postal voting, and this could mean it could take slightly longer to determine the outcome in close seats. Rogers says he has met with Australia Post twice, and they’re working to receive the postal votes quickly so they can process them.
By law, the AEC needs to wait 13 days after polling for postal votes to come in.
Updated
Marles would not say whether Labor would support a royal commission into the pandemic response, but said once we get through the pandemic, then it will be time to consider it. He said for now the focus is on getting to the other side, and supporting people getting tests and vaccines.
The ABC is reporting that the HMAS Adelaide, one of the navy’s largest vessels, a landing helicopter dock, has experienced power failures on its humanitarian aid mission to Tonga.
The article quotes an email reportedly sent by HMAS Adelaide’s commander Captain Stuart Watters:
Marine Technical Department have worked throughout the past few days to restore power and get us operational again.”
“We are still experiencing issues with external communications and wanted to let you know that everyone onboard is safe.
“We want to thank the technical team for their hard work in hot and difficult conditions which is enabling us to complete our task and restore services and communications.
Guardian Australia has contacted the defence department for comment.
Marles says Labor leader Anthony Albanese has been doing an incredible job leading the party:
He has been very strategic in the way he has gone about it and has been very focused on one thing and that is election day and making sure that we are ready for that day which we expect to occur in April or May this year and that has been a focus.
Whatever is in opinion polls will be there - we get that they feed a lot of the media cycle - but for us in terms of what we are doing, the one thing we are focused on is the election day and making sure that we are ready for it and we are confident about that. We are confident that we will put an alternative to the Australian people that we want so we think we are in a close fight but we think we feel that we will be able to give Australians the choice that they want.
Asked to refute the government’s claims that Labor’s policy to offer free rapid antigen tests to people in Australia would cost $10bn, Marles says the government was doing back of the envelope costing, but wouldn’t say how much it would cost - saying the real issue is the lack of supply is causing massive disruption across the country.
The consistent message you are getting from everywhere is an inability to get all the personnel that people need in their businesses working. And we are seeing in some places a quarter, half of people not being able to work in any given business. You just need to go to the supermarket to see the impact on supply chains that is having. For the first time in my lifetime I am seeing shelves in my supermarket empty without the commodities you would expect to buy there.
Updated
Labor’s deputy leader Richard Marles is now on ABC News and is also asked about Newspoll and whether Labor’s lead accords with his anecdotal evidence.
Marles says Labor politicians and supporters feel like they live in a “post-poll world” after the events of the 2019 election, and it is a “close contest”. He says the prime minister, Scott Morrison, is a “very crafty and capable politician”:
We know that he is going to bring a lot to bed during the election campaign and our focus quite genuinely is on trying to make sure that we are developing the policies, the propositions for the Australian people so they have a choice at the next election which we think they badly want and we are going to be working very hard each and every day and we’re not going to be particular focus on whatever the news is in the polls between now and then.
Tehan is asked why the commonwealth wouldn’t fund the latest business support in NSW with the NSW government. He points to the pandemic leave support, and investment tax measures as federal support for business, but shrugs it off as states making decisions about “individual needs”.
The questions then turn to his portfolio, and when there will be a full re-opening to international travellers.
He says he hopes it is sooner rather than later, and repeats comments from the PM that it’ll hopefully be around April for Easter.
“We will take the advice from the medical authorities as we seek to expand on those markets,” he said.
And finally on why Australia is joining a trade dispute between Europe and China, Tehan says it is a principled stand.
We have always taken a very principled stand in addressing current trade disputes that we face with China, taking those trade disputes to the WTO where we think we have a strong case to do so. Eventually the European Union have sought consultations with China regarding trade disputes that they have currently got ... and that is also impacting exports from European Union countries as well, and we think that we have a real interest in this dispute that the EU and Lithuania are taking against China. Once again, a very principled stand in addressing the issues that we are confronting with our relationship with China.
Trade and tourism minister Dan Tehan is on ABC News, and is asked about the “mood of the nation” ahead of the election, and whether the government has lost a lot of paint according to Newspoll.
Tehan says the government has been dealing with the pandemic, and the current thinking is about having a clear plan coming out of the pandemic:
When the time comes, we will be able to step back and put a very strong case to how Australia, as a nation has been able to deal with this pandemic, compared to countries right across the world. There has been difficulties and there continues to be difficulties but, when the time comes we will be able to present a case for not only how we have gone about dealing with the pandemic but what our plan is as we come out of the pandemic, to make sure Australia set up for the next five to 10 years.
Will incumbency be a liability for the government now? Tehan says no. The election will be decided by whoever presents the best plan. He seems to indicate the federal government will contrast itself with the states.
In the end will be what the contest will be at the next election. You have to remember the next election will be a contest. At the moment the Australian people, obviously, are looking at how they have been governed at the state and territory level, how they have been governed at the national level, and how governments at those two levels are dealing with the pandemic.
Obviously, when asked they are making choices. The next federal election will be about the Coalition government, our record and what our plan is versus Anthony Albanese, his record, through what he has during the pandemic, which hasn’t been a lot, and his plan going forward. Once we get on that real contest I think we will see a very different mood in the electorate.
Back at the anti-vaccine protests outside Parliament House, some demonstrators have left in the face of a severe thunderstorm which is setting in over Canberra. A large number of police have arrived, and appear to be preparing to move the protesters on.
A still-large group of protesters have taken shelter under a covered area at the front of Parliament House; some bearing merchandise and flags bearing the logos of Donald Trump, the United Australia Party and the Melbourne Freedom Rally.
Police are still forming a line between the protesters and the doors of Parliament House, and have gradually started shepherding demonstrators away from the front of the building.
Some of the protesters were convinced that Anthony Albanese is in Parliament House and have been demanding he come out. His office says that Albanese – who has been in Melbourne for the last few days – is definitely not in Canberra.
Fighting amongst themselves over that to do next pic.twitter.com/C5dvDvsB4Z
— Elise Thomas (@elisethoma5) January 31, 2022
Looks like a small group left now at the anti-vax protest. Persistent #auspol pic.twitter.com/GAlHWLYvHO
— Katharine Murphy (@murpharoo) January 31, 2022
Updated
A few showers and storms for central/eastern Vic this afternoon, becoming more extensive across the east tomorrow. Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is possible with severe storms. #VicWeather
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 31, 2022
Stay up to date with forecasts/warnings here:https://t.co/bEoMO8PWfD pic.twitter.com/lLRsVJ9AsZ
Healthcare workers have been protesting outside AGL’s Melbourne office today, calling on the energy company to close its coal-fired power stations and move to renewable energy by 2030.
AGL is Australia’s largest corporate greenhouse gas polluter and the Age reported on Saturday the company’s remaining coal-fired power stations in Victoria are likely to close earlier than expected.
The protest was organised by the activist organisation Healthy Futures which focuses on the health effects of the climate crisis and the air pollution caused by fossil fuels.
Dr Simon Judkins, an emergency physician at Echuca Health says the health effects of the climate crisis are becoming more visible:
As an emergency physician, the health impacts of the climate crisis hit home during the Black Summer bushfires treating patients suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation, or huddling in distress amidst the charred landscape surrounding them, while just this month we saw the Flying Doctor Service unable to take off due to extreme heat in Western Australia.
Today healthcare workers staged a dramatic 'Die-in' outside @AGLAustralia. They urge Australia's biggest polluter to replace coal with renewable energy by 2030 to save lives. Are u in health? Sign @HealthyFuturez open letter: https://t.co/apeTAA2heM #CleanUpAGL #ClimateHealth pic.twitter.com/8SsPXUHHp3
— Healthy Futures (@HealthyFuturez) January 31, 2022
Updated
SA reports six more Covid-19 deaths
South Australia has reported another 1,505 Covid-19 infections amid ongoing concerns for the state’s indigenous communities, AAP reports.
Premier Steven Marshall said six more people had died, taking the state’s toll since the start of the pandemic to 117.
He said 281 people were in hospital with the coronavirus including 25 in intensive care and four on ventilators.
The new cases on Monday took the total number of active infections to 19,847 with the seven-day average falling to 1,849.
Marshall said a meeting of the state’s Covid Response Committee had focused on providing support for Indigenous communities with Aboriginal people over-represented among the state’s total virus cases.
There are currently more than 1,000 positive cases among Indigenous communities with 29 people in hospital and three in ICU.
Cases on the APY lands in the state’s north had stabilised but concern remained for communities on the west coast, the premier said:
We are seeing those numbers increase but we are seeing a massive response and we are learning more and more about the most appropriate way to respond to this particularly vulnerable community.
Vaccination rates among SA’s remote areas are considered good, but more resources are being sent to assist in specific regions.
The continued fall in virus cases came as SA’s school year began for some students.
From Monday, children of essential workers and others considered vulnerable returned to schools across the state.
They will be followed on Wednesday by students in reception and years 1, 7, 8 and 12 with other years learning online until February 14.
Officials are still working to roll out rapid antigen tests to schools along with air purifiers, which will provided to some older sites and those with specific issues, including schools in Port Pirie where the local industry impacts on air quality.
Updated
WA records 22 new Covid-19 cases
WA has recorded 22 new cases of Covid-19 in the state, with 12 of those locally-acquired, and the rest either from people coming from interstate or overseas who have been put into quarantine.
This is our WA COVID-19 update for Monday, 31 January 2022.
— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) January 31, 2022
For official information on COVID-19 in WA, visit https://t.co/zTYXZCJrTJ https://t.co/LMImtqdUl3 pic.twitter.com/7dRFP5chL7
I feel like we were doomed to this sort of response after Newspoll and the Australian Open men’s final within hours of each other.
On Sky News, Trade Minister Dan Tehan has sought to liken PM Scott Morrison to Australian open tennis champion Rafael Nadal. “Experience, belief & hard work” are the common threads says Tehan.
— Karen Middleton (@KarenMMiddleton) January 31, 2022
Anti-vaccination protest outside parliament
A large anti-vaccine protest on the front lawns outside Canberra’s Parliament House has seen hundreds of people mass outside the front doors of the building, demanding all politicians be “sacked”.
Protesters are currently singing, drumming and playing musical instruments. Police have assembled lines in front of the glass Parliament House doors, to stop protesters reaching the entrance to the building.
The demonstration has been building for several hours, with participants claiming to have come from all around the country. The protest – which had been supported online by Coalition politicians George Christensen and Gerard Rennick, and which originally was set to feature a speech from Craig Kelly – was inspired by a truck drivers’ protest in Canada over the weekend, with supporters encouraging “convoys” of trucks and cars to assemble in Canberra.
There were traffic jams and delays in the streets around Parliament House earlier on Monday, as protesters arrived. Police had initially blocked roads around the building, but more than a dozen trucks and cars managed to drive up onto grass opposite Old Parliament House.
A group of speakers, including members of prominent anti-vaccine groups, gave speeches raising debunked medical claims around vaccines, as well as claims relating to the Qanon conspiracy theory.
Protesters have variously held a minute’s silence, played the Last Post, and sung Amazing Grace.
“I’m surprised we haven’t been surrounded with police yet,” one man said on a live stream video, posted to Facebook by an anti-vaccine group.
Another man said he was surprised there were not more officers.
More than 98.6% of Canberra’s population aged over 12 has received at least two doses of Covid vaccine.
Protesters are demanding politicians come out of the building to address the crowd. Federal parliament is not sitting this week, generally meaning there would be very few or no politicians in Parliament House.
Police holding the line pic.twitter.com/M86w9hs0vh
— whatsdoinmedia (@whatsdoinmedia) January 31, 2022
Updated
Palaszczuk was asked about whether cabinet discussed if Australian Open champion and Queenslander Ash Barty should get a statue in her home state. The premier said she thinks it would be great but she will speak to Barty about it:
We’ll talk to Ash about what she wants. I’m just so proud of her. Everyone in cabinet is, and I don’t think there was a cabinet minister that didn’t watch the match.
The new Fitzgerald inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commission in Queensland has had $5m allocated for the six-month review, premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
Looks like it may be easing off.
Sort of feels like the forward momentum is ebbing away, fortunately. They're into the chanting and selfie-taking phase, everyone's got their phones out pic.twitter.com/BPeCXV9UKI
— Elise Thomas (@elisethoma5) January 31, 2022
There’s another protest outside parliament today. My colleague Josh Butler will have more on the protest soon.
Again, it's not a huge crowd, it's nowhere near the crowd size of Jan 6th, but there really do not seem to be many police here. pic.twitter.com/g4grL57DAC
— Elise Thomas (@elisethoma5) January 31, 2022
anti-vax protesters from a truck convoy event on the front lawn of Parliament House have now swarmed at the front door of APH, yelling about "freedom" and "sack them all"
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) January 31, 2022
speakers at the protest suggested people walk up to the doors - one joked "I’m not inciting anybody" pic.twitter.com/wf4iWZll47
Tony Fitzgerald to lead inquiry into Qld corruption commission
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Tony Fitzgerald, the man whose landmark inquiry into police corruption in Queensland in 1989, will head up an inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commission, following a parliamentary committee review late last year.
The committee’s recommendations to government have all been accepted by the state cabinet, and Palaszczuk said Fitzgerald is the best person to lead the review into the CCC, given he was the architect of the CCC following the Fitzgerald inquiry.
The inquiry will last for six months and will look at its investigation and charging functions and the role of seconding police officers to the CCC, among other things.
Queensland health minister Yvette D’ath says the state government has reviewed the suspension of elective surgery until the start of March and decided to keep the suspension in place as planned.
She said:
It’s a day-by-day, week-by-week proposition. We are not through the wave as far as across the state.
You know, we’re still seeing some higher numbers in the north. And we want to make sure that we’re through that wave before we look at pulling back any of those beds that we’ve secured in the private hospital sector.
And as we said, we had suspended elective surgery until the start of March. And I said we’d review that at the end of January. There will be no change to that suspension at this time. So we will still suspend that elective surgery until the start of March.
Updated
Queensland records three Covid deaths
The Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says there were 7,462 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with three deaths.
There were 2,849 positive rapid antigen tests, and 15,586 total PCR tests.
Queensland’s vaccination rate now sits at 91.98% having at least one dose, and 89.53% fully vaccinated. 55.17% of the eligible Queensland population have had their booster shot.
For 5-11 year olds, 33.37% are fully vaccinated. In 12-15 year olds, it sits at 67.29% double dosed, with health minister Yvette D’ath noting the vaccination rate has slowed, and urging vaccinations to continue as this cohort returns to school.
The three deaths are a person in their 60s, one in their 80s, and one in their 90s. Two had two doses of vaccines and one had three, but the chief health officer said not to look at one day’s data, but to look at the trend.
There are 744 people in hospital being treated for Covid-19, that includes 46 patients in hospital and in intensive care.
Updated
Melbourne Airport’s long-held plans for a third runway are being released to the public, AAP reports.
The plans for the 3000m north-south runway will be released Monday and made available for consultation until May 16.
The $1.9bn project is expected to increase the airport’s capacity by about 40%, with around 136,500 more take-offs and landings each year.
Planning maps show noise from the extra flights will be heard in Melbourne’s north and west, and the airport has developed an online tool that will calculate the impact on residents at different times of day.
Melbourne Airport chief executive Lyell Strambi told reporters on Monday some suburbs may experience less noise.
“There is no doubt that additional activity does bring more noise to the surroundings, but it really depends on where you live,” he said.
Melbourne Airport says the extra runway will make it easier for flights to depart and arrive on time, and prevent shutdowns in high winds.
It’s also expected to attract new international airlines to Tullamarine, which will lead to more direct flights to international cities.
Passenger numbers at Tullamarine reached 37m in 2019, and are forecast to reach 83m by 2046.
There are still fewer flights than usual due to Covid-19, with activity on the weekend at half the usual levels.
“I think Covid has been obviously a huge impact on the travel industry here and abroad and we are still in the throes of recovering from it,” Strambi said.
But he said the existing two runways were nearing capacity before the pandemic, with their cross-shaped runway configuration causing congestion and delays at peak times.
The ultimate scheme for the airport, conceived in its initial planning 60 years ago, is to build four runways in a hashtag configuration.
It’s estimated the new runway will create 37,000 jobs for the state and add $4.6bn to GDP by 2046.
During construction, it will create jobs for about 650 people over the four- to five-year build.
Building work could start as early as 2023 with planes taking off from the runway in 2027 at the earliest.
The runway plans are yet to be approved by the federal government.
Updated
Turning back to the Victorian parliamentary hearing on the pandemic powers.
Liberal MP Kim Wells is questioning Sutton. He asks if Sutton knows who was on the panel that gave Novak Djokovic a medical exemption to compete in the Australian Open. (This was before his visa was cancelled twice by authorities.)
Sutton says he doesn’t. He goes on:
It is of no relevance to me whatsoever in my role as chief health officer or in the making of pandemic orders as to how that panel is constituted.
Wells asks Sutton if he or an acting chief officer gave advice on the medical exemption. Sutton says they didn’t.
Updated
Children and young people need more support to deal with the impacts of Covid-19, new research reveals.
A survey of 1,500 parents and more than 1,000 children by Save the Children Australia found the past two years have placed intense pressure on learning, social connections, mental health and wellbeing, with disadvantaged students most affected. AAP reports:
Children in Victoria and NSW who have experienced extended lockdowns have been hit hardest when it comes to the impacts on learning and development as well as mental health and well being.
The research found more than half of parents surveyed were worried about the long-term effects of the pandemic on their children.
Only 17% of parents surveyed believe governments have done enough, and more than 80% think the federal government has a responsibility to support children’s recovery from the pandemic.
Getting kids back into sport and initiating mental health programs were highest on the list of support measures parents want from the government.
Save the Children Australia is calling on the government to to deliver a comprehensive national Covid recovery plan for children and young people.
Executive director Matt Gardiner says the government must listen to young people.
“Their experience is unique and their recovery - physically, mentally and socially - is critical,” he said in a statement.
“We cannot afford for students to disengage further from school. This would create a disastrous ripple effect for children, communities and the economy.”
Children and young people will also have the chance to share their pandemic experiences as part of a national government survey.
The survey for people aged nine to 17 - and their parents, carers and grandparents - asks for stories about how Covid-19 has affected them and how they are coping.
National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds says children and parents sharing their experiences will help governments improve support services.
“The surveys will consider the social, emotional, educational, and other impacts children and young people have experienced over the past two years,” she said.
In addition to the children’s survey, parents, grandparents and carers are being invited to complete a second survey, to capture their experiences and perspectives about the pandemic’s impact on children and their families.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
Updated
With that I’ll pass over to Josh Taylor, who will expertly guide you through the afternoon.
Here is an update on the saga of the former WeChat account of prime minister Scott Morrison. Story via AAP:
The prime minister’s office has confirmed WeChat’s parent company Tencent has reached out after months of snubbing.
The office had repeatedly tried to contact the company since July 2021 – including the CEO – after Scott Morrison lost control of his account.
A Tencent executive reached out to the office on January 24 after the story went public.
“The prime minister’s office is now in direct discussions with the company about the matter and looks forward to a resolution,” a spokesperson for the prime minister said.
Liberal senator James Paterson, who chairs parliament’s intelligence and security committee, said the blocking of Mr Morrison’s account was sanctioned by the Chinese government and amounted to foreign interference.
“What the Chinese government has done by shutting down an Australian account is foreign interference of Australian democracy in an election year,” he told 2GB.
The office didn’t confirm whether any referrals to intelligence agencies were made when access to the account was lost.
Updated
ADF flies flood relief food supplies into Coober Pedy
The team over at AAP have just filed this update on the flood situation in South Australia:
The Australian Defence Force has begun flying relief food supplies to Coober Pedy, in South Australia’s north, after heavy rains cut road and rail links to the region.
Four RAAF flights will leave Adelaide on Monday with two more scheduled on Tuesday carrying 20 tonnes of groceries and other essentials. More could be sent depending on the prevailing conditions and the needs of locals.
Brigadier Graham Goodwin said the force was ready to help out in any way it could.
“Our principal duty here is to assist the local community of Coober Pedy and the outlying areas, giving them surety and certainty of their food supplies,” he said.
With train tracks washed away in parts and roads underwater, including the Stuart Highway, the inland drenching has also disrupted food and other supplies to both the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
More rains are forecast across SA’s north this week, with up to 100 millimetres possible in some parts.
On Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for the region, saying dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding was possible.
It said the intense rainfall was the result of a trough extending from a low-pressure system embedded over northern WA.
State Emergency Service Deputy Chief Officer Liz Connell said locals should be prepared for more severe conditions and should keep clear of floodwaters.
She also urged travellers to delay any travel plans to the area with many roads still closed.
“We are expecting more rain over the next 72 hours and are expecting that will create more challenges in getting vehicles through and getting supplies to that community,” she said.
“It will be good in the long run for pastoralists in the area, but we just need to get through this initial damage.”
Ms Connell said current estimates suggested regular rail freight routes would be re-established between February 14 and 17, but that timeline could be reassessed depending on how much rain fell this week.
She said damage reports for roads across SA north continued to be hampered by high water levels making full assessments impossible at this stage.
A 14-day major emergency was declared in South Australia on Friday, allowing the state’s Police Commissioner Grant Stevens to direct the movement of freight, ensure food security and co-ordinate relief efforts.
Updated
Hospitalisations for Omicron have 'probably' peaked in Victoria: CHO
The Victorian chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, is giving evidence before a parliamentary committee.
Asked if Covid-19 hospitalisations and intensive care admissions have peaked, Sutton replies:
I think it’s unlikely to go above 1,500 hospitalisations and I think it’s probably already peaked
He said there may be “up and down days” but hospitalisations “won’t significantly increase from the position we’re in right now”.
Updated
Back to the pandemic hearing in Victoria, where chief health officer Brett Sutton is being questioned by Liberal MP Georgie Crozier. She asks him if he provided advice to the government to increase the crowds for the Australian Open finals from 65% capacity to 80%. Sutton:
I had a request for a public health view and I provided no recommendation for or against. I said that it was primarily a matter of social licence and social considerations.
He says the pandemic legislation that passed parliament last year gave the health minister the opportunity to make decisions based on “broader considerations”.
Crozier also asked if the government had sought his advice on mandating third vaccine doses. He replied that they hadn’t. Sutton:
When and if I get a request from the minister for advice on those potential measures, I’ll be very happy to assess the epidemiological actuation of that time and to provide my recommendations.
Asked about the role of QR code check-ins, given contact tracing is no longer happening, Sutton said their role was under review by the public health time.
Sutton:
I’ve asked the team to complete it [the review] by mid-February. It’s already informing those settings that appear to be at higher risk, where QR codes really should continue. The QR code system has also supported the vaccines certification process, so that’s another element that we need to consider with the use of QR codes and the Service Victoria app.
Here is a story we did last week about the way QR code check-ins are being used during the Omicron wave.
Updated
An update from the parliamentary committee where the Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton is giving evidence.
The @VictorianCHO tells the Pandemic Oversight Committee the decision to increase crowd capacity at the Aus Open was made by the Health Minister. Brett Sutton provided no recommendation for or against the "significant public event"@abcmelbourne #springst
— Bridget Rollason (@bridgerollo) January 31, 2022
He also reportedly said earlier that it was not his decision to stop IVF in Victoria because of the Omicron wave, but that he was consulted on it.
Updated
I mean, “Lithuanian foreign minister” would be a fair way down my list of must-see public speakers, but this looks like it could be pretty engaging.
As Lithuania continues to face economic coercion from China, the country’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis will travel to Australia next month, where he’ll address the National Press Club on the
— Andrew Greene (@AndrewBGreene) January 31, 2022
“The Rules-based World Order Under Attack: The Cases of Ukraine and Taiwan”
Updated
Ok then.
Govt attacks Labor for flagging tax crackdown on multinationals pic.twitter.com/dBu2yYKR8L
— Daniel Hurst (@danielhurstbne) January 31, 2022
Updated
This is worth your time over lunch: sport and AFLW have elevated conversations about inclusion and diversity, but what does that really mean?
A seven-day lock-in has begun for residents in the remote community of Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory amid a spike in Covid-19 cases.
The lock-in, which allows locals to move around but not leave the island, will continue until 5 February and comes after the end of a more restrictive lockdown in the area.
It comes after coronavirus cases in the area grew to 319 since 10 January, with 285 of those still considered active infections.
The full story on the outbreak is here:
Thank you for another stellar turn Matilda.
With that, I shall hand you over to the always incredible Nino Bucci who will bring you all the news updates for the next little while.
Over at the Victorian Covid press conference, the deputy premier, James Merlino, is on back to school challenges:
I think the biggest challenge will be in relation to staff absences and we’re seeing that across the board ... [in] any industry, we can see the impact of the Omicron variant, primary close contacts, those who are positive – we are going to have staffing challenges.
That’s why it was so important to establish a pool - a job opportunity pool of retired teachers ... we’ve got 350 former teachers and 30 former principals who are ready and able to support schools if they face some challenges in relation to staffing.
Updated
Jumping back to the public pandemic hearing in Victoria and Liberal MP Kim Wells raises a point of order before Sutton begins his presentation to the committee. He seems to be taking issue with the fact Sutton is appearing via video link.
Wells:
Can he see that these hearings have been held in a Covid safe way and that is that we are socially distant and we have our masks on. Can we just get confirmation that he can see that?
Sutton:
Yes, looks pretty Covid safe to me.
Wells:
Why aren’t you in the room with us? And why are you doing it via Zoom? If we’re following all the Covid safe plans I don’t understand. You’re very keen to stand next to the premier giving press conferences but when it comes to a public hearing, you’re not here.
Labor’s Harriet Shing raises her own point of order. She says there is no requirement for Sutton to be present.
Lots of yelling ensues.
Chair Suzzanna Sheed says she already ruled that it was okay for Sutton to appear via video link and that they’re wasting time. Sutton begins his presentation.
Tasmania records 504 new Covid-19 cases
Tasmania has also released their Covid-19 numbers, recording no deaths but clocking up an additional 504 new Covid-19 cases overnight.
There are now 16 Covid positive people in hospital in the state, down from 20 yesterday, with one person in the ICU.
The former primer minister (and long time Murdoch critic), Kevin Rudd, has weighed into The Australian pie chart controversy.
The biggest '43%' I've ever seen. I wonder what it'd look like if they make a graphic of Murdoch’s 70% market share. https://t.co/EyOmWOiVgr
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) January 31, 2022
Updated
Victoria’s newly established Pandemic Declaration Accountability and Oversight Committee is holding its first public hearing this afternoon, with chief health officer Brett Sutton and the health department deputy secretary Nicole Brady its first witnesses.
The committee was established when the state’s new pandemic laws came into effect late last year and is chaired by Suzanna Sheed, an independent MP, and deputy chaired by Jeff Bourman from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers. It also has four Labor members and three Coalition.
The committee has the power to recommend changes to pandemic orders and refer any matters to Victorian ombudsman Deborah Glass for investigation.
They have two hours today to question Sutton and Brady.
Updated
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning that there is a chance of flash flood flooding across NSW, Victoria and inland South Australia.
Damaging winds and hail could also be on the agenda for the day.
Stay safe everyone.
Showers & storms forecast for large parts of #NSW, east #Vic & inland #SA. Chance of heavy rain leading to #flashflooding, with damaging wind & large hail possible. Forecasts & warnings on https://t.co/jlOoTZL1iF. pic.twitter.com/875T7gmuOw
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) January 31, 2022
ACT records 537 new Covid-19 cases
The Australian Capital Territory has recorded another 537 new Covid-19 cases in the latest reporting period.
There were no deaths, and 62 Covid-positive people are now in hospital, including two in the ICU and one person requiring a ventilator.
ACT COVID-19 update (31 Jan 2022)
— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) January 31, 2022
💉 COVID-19 vaccinations
Aged 5-11 years (1 dose): 68.1%
Aged 12+ (2 doses) 98.6%
Aged 18+ (3 doses): 47.6%
New cases today: 537 (331 PCR and 206 RAT)
Active cases: 4,175 (2,730 PCR and 1,445 RAT)
Total cases: 35,952 (27,547 PCR and 8,405 RAT) pic.twitter.com/Jxs3NbQWDf
Updated
A heads up for my beautiful South Australian readers:
The @BOM_au have issued an update to the Generalised Flood Warning for the Cooper Creek
— SASES (@SA_SES) January 31, 2022
People living or working along rivers and streams should monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings. For the latest SA Warnings refer to https://t.co/Vh6CNPhcDm pic.twitter.com/QEsfVs1fia
Here is Merlino on Victoria’s Covid hospitalisations:
873 people are in hospital – that’s down from yesterday’s 889 and the seven-day average of 963.
102 people are in ICU - that’s down from 111 yesterday. 33 are on a ventilator, down from 35. Sadly, we are reporting eight people with Covid have passed away.
Updated
James Merlino:
38.9% of Victorians 18 and over have had three doses - up from 38.1% yesterday. More than 2 million Victorians have had a third dose but that means roughly 2.2 million are eligible for their third dose and have not yet had it. This is really critically important ... There are currently more than 250,000 bookings available for people 12 and above at state sites over the next 30 days.
Merlino also touched on the on five-to-11-year-old vaccination rollout:
44% of that age group that have had one dose – up from 42% yesterday. And remember this age group only became eligible three weeks ago so this is a huge effort.
Updated
James Merlino:
All of the 51,000 air purifiers are out at schools as we promised. More than six million rapid antigen tests will be delivered by today, as we promised. So, all the rapid antigen tests that schools need to conduct that surveillance testing are available in schools for the next couple of weeks and then we’ll continue with the delivery of rapid antigen test kits for the next couple of weeks – we provide that supply for that four-week period.
Updated
The deputy premier and education minister for Victoria, James Merlino, is holding a press conference to speak about the beginning of the school year today:
It’s a special day today – back to school, day one, term one. This week more than one million students return to school including 77,500 prep students for their very first day of school. We made a commitment that we’d get students back to school, day one term one and that’s exactly what is happening.
Updated
'Son of Omicron' sub-variant 'not cause for concern': CMO
A new Covid sub-variant circulating in Australia is not yet causing concern among medical experts according the deputy chief medical officer, reports Maeve Bannister from AAP.
Prof Michael Kidd says although the Omicron sub-variant – known as BA.2, or colloquially as the “son of Omicron” – appears to have a higher “growth advantage” than the original variant, it is not yet known whether it is more severe.
He also says it is too early to tell if there is any impact on the vaccine effectiveness against the sub-variant.
We are not picking up anything that is causing concern at the moment.
The sub-variant was first detected in southern Africa and is quickly becoming the dominant strain in a number of countries.
It was first detected in Australia in December last year in a Queensland patient.
Updated
I have no reason for actually sharing this on the blog, I just think it’s really funny and we could all use a laugh on a Monday morning.
Really makes you think…. pic.twitter.com/QHU9MDvrB2
— Matilda Boseley (@MatildaBoseley) January 31, 2022
Treasurer Matt Kean wrote to fed Treasurer Josh Frydenberg yesterday warning the NSW economy was at risk of contracting by 4% if more wasn’t done. Continues calls for more economic support. #auspol pic.twitter.com/mltN01wman
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) January 31, 2022
⚠️ #Flood Warning issued for #LachlanRiver, minor flooding at #Booligal continues. See https://t.co/AdztI2rqg1 for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES. #NSWFloods pic.twitter.com/NhuGifxFH9
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) January 31, 2022
Of course the big talk of the town today is the NSW Liberals going to war with their federal big brother over the latest round of business support payments.
Here is what the state treasurer Matt Kean has to say about that this morning:
This government is absolutely focused on reducing the cost of living for families right across New South Wales ...
Yesterday, I wrote to treasurer Frydenberg and officially told him that the risk to the New South Wales economy was a 4% contraction if case numbers go up over the next quarter.
This is such a huge burden that will be borne by our small and medium businesses and they need the commonwealth government’s help now more than ever.
The New South Wales government is stepping up to the plate. We want to ensure that small businesses in New South Wales, particularly those who have been hardest hit – retailers, tourism, hospitality, restaurants, cafes – are able to keep trading so we can ensure that we see our economy bounce back stronger on the other side.
The New South Wales government is doing its bit and we continue to call on the commonwealth to stand by small businesses, don’t step aside from small business.
Updated
Of course with kids all around NSW prepping to go back to school today the education minister Sarah Mitchell is at the press conference today talking about this new $500 after school care scheme.
This is a really exciting day for many families across New South Wales with the announcement of this new $500 per child before and after school care voucher.
We know a lot of working families, and particularly our essential workers, rely really heavily on these before and after school and vacation services and this is about helping with that affordability, helping with household budgets, knowing you can apply for this voucher through Service NSW at the end of February and get that $500 credit that you can then give to your provider and have that come off the cost of your early childhood education cost when it comes to before and after school care.
For parents and families, it will be a really simple process ... we’ve set the service up well.
Updated
Okay, enough with the politics, here is the chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant with the Covid numbers for the day.
In terms of the number of cases in hospital, we have 2,779 people in hospital, including 185 people in ICU of whom 67 are ventilated. There were 13,026 positive test results including 5,664 positive rapid antigen tests and 7,362 positive PCR tests.
Sadly today we’re reporting the deaths of 27 people with Covid, 17 men and 10 women, and I extend my condolences to the family for their loss. Of the 27 people died, five were in their 60s, six were in their 70s, 10 were in their 80s and six were in their 90s.
Eight people had received three doses of the vaccine, 16 people had received two doses and three were not vaccinated.
And of the four who died under the age of 65, three were men and one was a woman. Three had received two doses of the vaccine and one person was unvaccinated. All four had significant underlying health conditions.
Updated
Oh wow, the NSW government is really making the most out of the federal government refusing to match their latest round of business funding, with the premier stating that “over the last two years but our success in this state has been putting businesses and people before the budget and will continue to do that”.
Which like...
Yeah.
Perrottet:
We’ve always said we want to make sure that parents come first in the state, we know cost of living is a challenge for many, many families. And this support today we believe will make a real difference. We spoke about ... the importance of greater support for childcare, greater support for early childhood education, and we have ideas around that in terms of taking greater responsibilities here in NSW. We believe that is the best approach going forward.
But for the levers that we do have, we do everything that we can as a state to help mums and dads right across NSW. And I believe these payments through his vouchers will provide that important support for those moms and dads across the state who use before and after school care to help balance work and family life.
It will also provide important support for the industry. We know that before and after school care, just like childcare, just like early child education has also gone through a difficult time over the last two years and providing this extra support for parents will support providers as well.
That’s going to happen through Service NSW, like the Dine & Discover vouchers apparently. More details in a bit.
Updated
NSW announces $500 school care vouchers for primary school parents
OK, let’s jump across to NSW where the premier is announcing a $500 voucher to all primary school parents for before and after school care.
Dominic Perrottet:
Today, we are making an important announcement for mums and dads, parents right across the state. We are providing $500 vouchers for before and after school care.
We know that for parents this pandemic has been incredibly tough, balancing homeschooling with work, and we want to do whatever we can to improve the daily juggle. So this announcement today, this $500 voucher, will put downward pressure on family budgets but importantly, help mums and dads balance work and family life.
We know it’s been a challenge. We know in a modern environment, getting up and going to work, getting the kids to school, doing those things can become enormously challenging and difficult.
Updated
NSW Health has released some additional information about the 27 people who died over the latest reporting period:
Sadly, NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of 27 people with Covid-19; 17 men and 10 women.
Of the 27 people who died; five were in their 60s, six were in their 70s, 10 were in their 80s and six were in their 90s. Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for Covid-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.
Eight people who died had received three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, 16 people had received two doses and three people were not vaccinated.
Of the four people who died who were aged under 65, three were men and one was a woman. Three people had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and one person was unvaccinated. All four people had significant underlying health conditions.
Six of the 27 people were from southern Sydney, six people were from south western Sydney, two people were from northern Sydney, two people were from Sydney’s Inner West, two people were from the Central Coast, two people were from Wollongong, two people were from Maitland, two people were from the Riverina region, one person was from the Northern Beaches, one person was from the Northern Rivers region and one person was from the Tweed Heads region.
NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to their loved ones. This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,394.
Updated
The first flights delivering food and essential supplies to Coober Pedy are about to take off from the Edinburgh RAAF base. Road access to the town has been shut off for more than a week because of flooding. @theTiser pic.twitter.com/5J3XhO415Y
— Kathryn Bermingham (@KatBermingham) January 30, 2022
The RATs are in. My twins started kindergarten today and we were supplied with the first week’s worth of RATs. Parents of primary school kids will need to attend school each week to collect RATs for the first 4 weeks. #CBR pic.twitter.com/Q3O7M6qcGJ
— Dr Liz Allen (@DrDemography) January 30, 2022
Thank god SOMEONE is taking a stand! Good on ya Micky and Liz!
Our very own @BreakfastNews election year pledge:
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) January 30, 2022
We promise to be a 'Scomo' & 'Albo'-free zone. Nicknames for political leaders have no place on our show. Someone has to maintain standards.
And pollies using nicknames for us face the instant dump button!
Thank you.😀 #auspol
Sam McMahon confirms resignation from Country Liberals
The Country Liberals senator, Sam McMahon, has confirmed in a statement that she resigned from the party on Friday.
McMahon said:
This has not been an easy decision and I have wrestled with it in recent times. It brings to an end a 30-year association. I feel I no longer have the confidence of or in the CLP. There are a number of unresolved issues beyond the pre-selection. These issues include formal complaints lodged with the management committee that have not garnered a response let alone an acknowledgement.
My intentions regarding the next election will become clearer as the date draws closer. Speculation regarding the next parliamentary sittings in a week’s time, will also become clearer. I currently don’t have any plans for my future, political or otherwise.
I intend to vigorously pursue my private Senator’s bill ‘Ensuring Northern Territory Rights’ when parliament returns and continue working hard for the Territory.
Last week, we reported that McMahon had been approached by the Liberal Democrats to defect to the cross-bench and run for the minor party at the next election after losing preselection to Jacinta Price.
McMahon seems to be ruling nothing out with this mysterious statement promising things will become clearer but she also has no plans for the future. Keep ‘em guessing.
Updated
Four million additional Australians eligible for their booster dose @GregHuntMP #COVID19 #auspol pic.twitter.com/C7LiIxnw6i
— Political Alert (@political_alert) January 30, 2022
Ardern returns negative test for Covid-19
The prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, has returned a negative Covid-19 test after she was deemed a close contact of a positive case.
Ardern went into self-isolation on Saturday after she was exposed to a case during a flight to Auckland from the town of Kerikeri on 22 January. She took a PCR test on Sunday and returned a negative result on Monday morning.
Ardern is fully vaccinated and received a booster shot on 17 January.
The prime minister’s office says Ardern will continue isolating until the end of Tuesday in line with ministry of health guidance.
Ardern will chair Tuesday’s cabinet meeting remotely and the deputy prime minister, Grant Robertson, will attend post-cabinet on her behalf, the office said.
Updated
Queensland government plan unclear on boarding schools
An independent schools body in Queensland is concerned entire boarding schools could be ordered into quarantine as Covid-19 close contacts under the state’s back-to-school plan, reports AAP’s Marty Silk.
Under the state government’s plan, face masks will be mandatory for all high school students and staff, and provided and strongly recommended for students in years three-to-six, when classes return on 7 February.
Schools must ensure adequate ventilation by opening classroom windows and doors, relocating classes outdoors or providing mechanical ventilation.
The chief executive of Independent Schools Queensland, Christopher Mountford, backs the plan but has called for more details about quarantine and isolation rules, particularly for boarding schools.
So if you think about a boarding facility with ... lots of students living together – the way that the close contact rules would work at the moment, we might see whole boarding school facilities considered close contacts, and you might see some students therefore quarantine for a long period of time...
The state government is very much aware of this issue, and they’re working through at the moment to find some more reasonable and practical solutions for boarding schools to ensure we don’t see those boarding students in quarantine for an unnecessary period of time.
For the first four weeks of term, the government will also provide rapid antigen tests to schools while students and staff will have priority access to tests at Queensland Health clinics.
Mountford said schools, particularly boarding facilities, expect the RATs to be delivered this week so they are at schools and ready to roll out from 7 February.
The state will also provide RATs to staff entering remote communities and all school camps, excursions, assemblies, and large gatherings will be suspended.
Mountford also said it was possible that some schools may still have to close due to Covid-19 outbreaks in coming months.
He said the pandemic remains unpredictable and staff shortages could lead to temporary shutdowns, more likely at a local level.
That would be of last resort, it would be something that everyone would be working very hard to avoid ...
But we do need to realise, I think, that over the next few months it’s going to be a challenging period for schools, It’s not going to be easy and smooth, and some of those things might come up.
Updated
Albanese:
The industry minister said some 18 months ago that we’d be making mRNA vaccines within 9-12 months and we still don’t have it. This government’s failure on the big grand slam of failures during this pandemic of tracing, testing, quarantine facilities and vaccinations is there for all to see.
And the pattern of behaviour is that the government is complacent. The government sits back and says, ‘She’ll be right, mate!’ And doesn’t put in place the mechanisms and the planning that would ensure that economic restrictions weren’t ramped up because of the consequences for people’s health.
Updated
Labor woke up to some good news with the latest Newspoll placing them comfortably ahead of their Coalition rivals. Why don’t we listen in to the opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, who has been out and about at a RAT production site for his mini-victory lap.
We need to act right now and that means, at the moment, to ramp up the purchase of rapid antigen tests overseas, but also right now we could be backing Australian businesses to make these products here. What we’ve seen is an Australian Government that has just refused to engage.
We saw the first orders from the Australian Government for a rapid antigen test placed in January – this month. It’s extraordinary that three years into the pandemic, in spite of the fact that Scott Morrison some five months ago, as well as Greg Hunt, were saying that this would be an important part of the process of dealing with Covid.
We saw no action from this government. And that’s why businesses like this one and businesses across this sector are just incredibly frustrated because they could have been making things right here just like we could have been right now, making mRNA vaccines here.
Updated
If you were wondering when we will be hearing from the Victorian authorities, wonder no more.
The answer is 11am AEDT.
Victorian Minister for Education, James Merlino, and Deputy State Commander Adam Horsburgh, to provide COVID update and mark the return to school for 2022 at 11:00am #springst #COVID19Au
— Political Alert (@political_alert) January 30, 2022
Updated
It seems that Hunt is on a damage control mission this morning, trying to drive home that the federal government have been supporting the aged care sector throughout the pandemic (after some in the sector came out to say the opposite).
At the commonwealth level we have already delivered over 9.2m rapid antigen tests directly, of which 7.6m have gone to aged care, continuously and consistently since August of last year.
The pharmacies programs, the concessional rapid antigen test program – I’m pleased to be able to report what we have seen is over 2,800 pharmacies deliver over 2.4m rapid antigen tests, well over double of what we had expected by this stage to over 563,000 pensioners and concession card holders. Over double of what we expected, again.
They are getting strong supplies. It will vary from pharmacy to pharmacy and strong take-up but there is more capacity for those that are looking, please contact Find a Pharmacy.
Updated
Hunt:
Another very important thing is that we have seen a consistent decrease in cases, hospitalisations and ICU.
When we look at the last 10 days, it is a decrease in hospitalisations around the country for people with Covid of 487 and people with Covid in ICU is down 50 over that period to 367 as of yesterday. Today’s figures will be updated and a decrease on those who are ventilated by 12, down to 133. Well within the capacity in the system.
The challenge here in Australia has been workforce but the results are significantly below even the best-case projections that we saw back in early December and mid-December and that has been shown both through the states and more generally at the national level. That is important.
Updated
Hunt has started the press conference encouraging Australians to get their booster vaccine dose, now that the eligibility requirements have officially changed from four months since someone’s second dose to three.
We know that there are approximately 18m doses available and we have the capacity to inoculate everybody who is eligible and we would encourage people to come forward. The simple message is if ... you are eligible and you haven’t come forward for a first or second dose or your booster, now is the time, please don’t wait.
We encourage everything to come forward and an extra 4.2 million people are eligible for boosters as of today, moving from a four-month eligibility to a three-month nationwide eligibility since the second dose.
Updated
OK, let’s jump over to Greg Hunt now who is live now in Canberra.
Updated
Doctors and nurses stage AGL climate protest in Melbourne
Dozens of nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers will protest outside AGL’s Melbourne headquarters calling for the energy giant to replace coal with renewable energy by 2030, reports AAP.
The action kicks off at 11am on Monday and will feature a mock medical ward to demonstrate the health impacts of air pollution and climate change.
Protesters will deliver an open letter signed by 25 health organisations and 600 healthcare workers, calling for AGL to commit to the World Health Organisation’s recommendation.
Australian Federation of Medical Women president Magdalena Simonis said:
As frontline healthcare workers, we’ve seen the deadly impacts of Covid-19 but we’ve also seen the health impacts of climate change as heatwaves and bushfires continue to get more frequent and more severe ...
As Australia’s biggest climate polluter, AGL must put people’s health first and commit to replacing coal with renewable energy this decade if we are to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
Echuca emergency physician Simon Judkins said without rapid action to replace coal “our already stretched health system will struggle to provide the high-quality care that we all need deserve”.
AAP has contacted AGL for a response.
Updated
The foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, says she looks forward to welcoming the US secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Japan and India to Australia next month.
The foreign ministers of the “Quad” diplomatic grouping are due to meet in Melbourne in mid-February. The foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, India and the US have previously met in the Quad format in New York (2019), Tokyo (2020) and virtually (2021). The first leader-level summits of the Quad were also held last year, as the four countries seek to coordinate their responses to the rise of China.
Payne told the Australian newspaper:
We are a vital network of liberal democracies cooperating to give our region strategic choices, with a focus on practical steps to build the resilience and sovereignty of all states. This is a further demonstration of the Morrison government’s efforts to actively shape and influence our region and world by deepening partnerships at a time of strategic competition, threats to liberal international order and increasing uncertainty.
Updated
Australia has distributed 18m doses of Covid-19 vaccine to neighbouring countries but is being urged to dedicate money and resources to Covax – the global vaccination mechanism – so that the world’s least-inoculated countries can access vaccines.
Australia’s “vaccine diplomacy”, focusing on bilateral donations to the Pacific and south-east Asia has come at the expense of commitments to the global Covax facility, to which it has committed zero doses and only $130m.
The Delta variant emerged from highly unvaccinated India, and Omicron from Africa, which has the world’s lowest vaccination rates. With major new variants detected, on average, every four months, there are concerns that persistently laggard vaccination rates in the developing world will allow new variants to keep emerging, sparking new global waves and prolonging the pandemic.
You can read the full report below:
Looks like we will be hearing from the health minister Greg Hunt in about 35 minutes.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd will hold a press conference at 9:50am #auspol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) January 30, 2022
OK, let’s chat about hospitalisation numbers.
In NSW the overall hospital number is up by 116, now sitting at 2,779. There are now 185 people in the ICU which is an increase of three.
Victoria has actually seen a small drop with 873 in hospital, down 16 from Sunday. ICU numbers are also down, by nine this time, now sitting at 102. Of course, the state also recorded eight deaths in the latest reporting period so, tragically, this likely accounts for some of this decrease.
Updated
Victoria records eight Covid deaths and 10,053 new cases
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) January 30, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/4piBv20vul
NSW records 27 Covid deaths and 13,026 cases
NSW COVID-19 update – Monday 30 January 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 30, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:
- 95.4% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 94% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/aPNAP1GUxk
Updated
Australia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, has invested more than $90m in weapons manufacturer Raytheon Technologies, whose laser-guided bomb was allegedly used in an airstrike on a detention centre in Yemen this month killing nearly 100 civilians.
Documents released under freedom of information laws show the Future Fund, which invests on behalf of the Australian government, had $91.22m invested in Raytheon as of December last year.
Amnesty International claims that a laser-guided bomb was used in an attack by the Saudi-led coalition on a detention centre in Sa’adah in north-west Yemen on 21 January that killed at least 91 people and injured 200 more. It was described by the UN as “the worst civilian-casualty incident in the last three years in Yemen”.
You can read the full report from Ben Doherty and Ben Butler below:
Treasurer @JoshFrydenberg tells @BreakfastNews, PM @ScottMorrisonMP's job is safe.
— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) January 30, 2022
"He will be the first Prime Minister since John Howard to serve
a full-term and to go to an election".#auspol
Australian Winter Olympian cleared of Covid ahead of Beijing Games
A member of Australia’s Winter Olympics team who received a positive PCR test on arrival ahead of the Beijing 2022 Games, has now tested negative, reports AAP.
The unnamed person, who went into isolation after the airport test, underwent a second test in Beijing, which has come back negative.
The team member, believed to be an athlete, will now undergo a final test today (AEDT), which if again negative, will allow the member to return to their usual routine.
The positive news come a day after alpine skier Madi Hoffman was ruled out of the Games after suffering a serious knee injury.
Hoffman, 21, has vowed to fight back after the heartbreak of being ruled out due to an ACL injury incurred when competing in the US just days out from the Games.
Hoffman won’t be replaced in the Australian team, which now drops to 43 athletes.
Australian team chef de mission Geoff Lipshut said from Beijing:
Madi had been having a fantastic season and earned her Olympic selection. She is a great alpine talent and this isn’t the end of her Olympic story...
I know this is a devastating moment for any young athlete, but Madi has the strength and support network to come back from this ahead of Milan Cortina 2026.
Hoffman shared her disappointing news online, but vowed to be back on the slopes soon.
I guess this is how my cookie crumbles … I tore my ACL racing the Utah Invitational after getting named to the Olympic team. The universe just gave me a pretty big kick in the gut but alas, ski racing I will see you soon.
Updated
US coalmining giant Peabody Energy has repeatedly submitted incorrect greenhouse gas emissions reports to the Australian government, prompting questions about the reliability of national climate data based on company assessments.
The Clean Energy Regulator found Peabody had a history of filing inaccurate reports required under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act due to calculation errors, poor record-keeping and inconsistent data collection and analysis.
The mistakes were in both directions, leading to significant under- and over-reporting of emissions from the underground Wambo coalmine in New South Wales. The total error was large – when added up, out by more than 51% of the total emissions from the site – but the under- and over-reporting largely cancelled each other out. It meant the submitted total was 5.4% lower than what it should have been.
You can read the full report below:
Coalition drops to 44-56 in Newspoll
The Coalition has recorded its worst result in the Newspoll since the September 2018 leadership spill that saw Scott Morrison become prime minister.
The Coalition recorded a primary vote of 34% in the poll (down two points) to Labor’s 41% (up three). The Greens attracted 11% of the vote, One Nation 3%, and other independents and minor parties 11%.
On a two-party-preferred basis Labor leads 56% to 44%, which points to a decisive victory if an election were held today and is a massive deterioration in the government vote from the previous poll in December (which Labor led 53-47).
Morrison’s net satisfaction has dropped by 11 points to negative 19, his lowest since the 2020 summer bushfire crisis.
Anthony Albanese’s approval is 43% (up four points), together with a two-point decline in disapproval he has reached net zero.
Morrison has a narrow lead as preferred prime minister, 43% to 41%, although the incumbent traditionally leads this measure and the result is another substantial deterioration in support for Morrison.
Labor now leads the Coalition on the question of which party is best to tackle Covid (33% to 32%), and has improved on a range of other policy measures.
Of course this poll is only a snapshot and there is plenty of time for the Coalition to recover before a May poll, but it seems Australians did not have the hot vaxxed summer Morrison hoped would put them in a better frame of mind about the direction of the country.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg has confirmed that Scott Morrison’s position as prime minister is safe ahead of the upcoming federal election.
Rowland:
Is Scott Morrison the best person to lead the Coalition to the election?
Frydenberg:
Yes, he is. He will be the first prime minister since John Howard to serve a full term and to go to an election. And Australians know that he’s working hard every day to deliver the best health and economic outcomes. Now, of course, he’s been subject to some pretty hard personal attacks and obviously that – that’s taken its toll, but I know he is very resilient and I know he’s also very focused to work hard for the Australian people.
Rowland:
I asked that question, the Liberal party has a pretty brutal history about dispatching leaders who aren’t worked for them, so his job is safe, is what you’re saying?
Frydenberg:
Yes, I am.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg isn’t done with his media rounds this morning and is being questioned over those worrying Newspoll results on ABC News Breakfast now.
Host Michael Rowland:
You have only got four months until the election and voters have been hearing your message certainly on the economy for weeks now, but they’re still, according to this poll, they’re not buying what you’re selling. That’s a worry, isn’t it?
Frydenberg:
Well, as you just said, you know, polls will come and go and we know that there is still a number of months to the next election and the Australian people will make their decision then and there after what will be, no doubt, a hard-fought campaign.
But many political obituaries were written ahead of the 2019 election and many false prophecies were made by those in the media, dare I say it, and our political opponents and they turned out to be wrong.
So no one should get ahead of themselves. We know what needs to be done, we have an economic plan that we’re rolling out and some of those numbers where we see people going into work, 1.7 million more Australians in work today than when compared when the Coalition came to government including 1 million more women is something to celebrate, something not to be complacent about either.
Updated
Health officials in New South Wales warned vaccines “may be less effective” against the Omicron variant and could lead to an increase in hospitalisations, just days before premier Dominic Perrottet announced Covid-19 restrictions would be scrapped.
On 10 December, NSW Health’s Covid-19 critical intelligence unit published a briefing note on what was then the emerging Omicron variant, which had been discovered in South Africa in late November.
Based on emerging data at the time, the unit warned of early evidence suggesting that vaccines could be less effective against the strain, and of “enhanced transmissibility” which suggested Omicron had a “substantial growth advantage over Delta”.
It also flagged preliminary evidence suggesting “an increased risk of reinfection” from the variant, and pointed to increased hospitalisation rates in the Gauteng province of South Africa.
You can read the full report below:
Fed Treasurer @JoshFrydenberg "welcomes" NSW business support package but notes SA also announced help for business and didn't ask for commonwealth support. "We have done the bulk of the heavy lifting with respect to business support." #nswpol #auspol
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) January 30, 2022
Matt Kean doesn’t 'have much hair left to pull out' over federal government inaction
The Liberal NSW treasurer Matt Kean really isn’t pulling punches against his federal counterpart this morning, stating he doesn’t “have much hair left to pull out” out of frustration.
Kean:
We’re not saying splash money willy nilly across the economy. This is a very targeted package to those parts of the economy that need the most help because we want to get them through to the other side. So they can continue employing people, continue serving customers and continue to grow our economy.
And as I said, it’s not just the NSW economy that will benefit from this investment that the NSW government is making. It’s the national economy.
So I don’t have much hair left to pull out, because I’m struggling to understand why the Commonwealth government doesn’t want to support the national economy by investing in the small businesses that will drive it.
Updated
NSW treasurer says small business 'would be very disappointed' in the federal government
Speaking of the fairly miffed NSW government, here is the state treasurer Matt Kean on ABC radio to chat about the federal Coalition’s refusal to match the latest round of state business support payments.
Kean:
I think [the people of NSW] would be very disappointed.
What we’re seeing is small businesses doing it particularly tough at this time. I mean, you just need to walk down the main street of any suburb across the state; and particularly some parts of the economy, restaurants and tourism operators, those personal services industry in the personal services industry [ such as] hairdressers and beauty salons are doing it particularly tough.
And they need not only their state government stepping up to help them but they also need the national government stepping in to help them ...
There’s no question that we need to transition to a world where business and government can learn to live with this, however, we need to have the systems and processes set up to deal with it.
What we’re seeing because of the Omicron wave is new challenges around labour shortages around consumer confidence, that haven’t been factored in.
I mean, we welcome the commonwealth support of the $60bn [across the pandemic], but let’s not forget that Ash Barty didn’t win the Australian Open saying “I don’t need to try the final because I’ve had a good semi.” You have to address each of the challenges as they come along.
And I think a lot of small businesses across the country would say that they’re doing it tougher than before Omicron ... I don’t think now is the right time for austerity. Now’s the time to make sure that we protect the fabric of the economies that we can bounce back on the other side.
Updated
The federal government has declined to match the latest round of NSW business support payment, much to the annoyance of the NSW government.
ABC radio presenter Patricia Karvelas has asked treasurer Josh Frydenberg if this “is this a signal to all other states and territories that there is no more commonwealth support that they must stand on their own two feet”.
Now, we will continue to provide economic support through various initiatives that we have in place but I do want to move away from those emergency settings, which saw a record amount of spending at a time when the economy really needed it.
So for example the cash flow boost from the job keeper program which the Reserve Bank said saved over 700,000 jobs and underpinned the economy at the very worst of the time. But we do need to move back to normalise settings, and so therefore off those emergency support payments.
Updated
Karvelas:
You say there is a message in this Newspoll and it’s been a summer of frustration for many people over the lack of rapid antigen tests, the food shortages in supermarkets, the high death toll from Omicron; a lot of this can be [chalked up] to poor planning by your government. Why would voters give you another chance at the election in May?
Frydenberg:
Look at the key numbers in response to this pandemic where we are now with our vaccination rates at over 95% single dose and more than 93% double dose. The rollout of the booster program that has already gone to more than two-thirds of the people who are eligible.
Schools are now are reopening, more than 4 million students over the next two weeks going back to school in a Covid-safe way.
One of the lowest mortality rates anywhere in the world, indeed, in populations in the United States, the death toll ... has been more than 24 times what we’ve seen in Australia, and the United Kingdom 21 times.
And then of course the economic recovery. In the United States there are more than 3 million fewer people in work today than they were at the start of the pandemic. In Australia, there is more than 250,000 more people who are working today than at the start of the pandemic.
So yes, there are challenges. Yes, people are doing it tough. We’re not through it. We haven’t locked in the recovery. But if you look at the key statistics, vaccination rates, mortality rates and the unemployment rate there is a positive there. There is a there is reason to be positive at the year ahead.
Updated
Josh Frydenberg responds to Coalition's Newspoll slump
There’s been bad news for the Coalition this morning, with the latest Newspoll showing them slump eight points behind Labor ahead of the federal election.
On ABC radio this morning host Patricia Karvelas asked the treasurer Josh Frydenberg if “the government has blown it?”
Frydenberg:
Well, the answer to that will be determined on election day, and as you know, that’s the single poll that counts. And before the 2019 election, there were many in the media, indeed, many political pundits who had called it for the Labor party and then were proven to be wrong.
Ultimately, the Australian people make that decision and there’s a long way to go between now and election day.
That being said, there is a message in this Newspoll that is that Australians continue to do it tough through Covid. The pandemic has gone on for some two years, Omicron disrupted many people’s summer plans holiday plans and there is that frustration out there. So we’ll continue to work hard for the public both on the health front and the economic front.
Updated
Good morning
Good morning everyone, Matilda Boseley here ready to kick off the week with a morning full of news.
Both Victoria and NSW have confirmed cases of a new Omicron subvariant, described as “son of Omicron”, leading Victoria’s Covid commander Jeroen Weimar to urge double-vaccinated Victorians not to consider themselves fully immunised.
He said on Saturday:
We’re adjusting our thinking that to be complete from a vaccine point of view … we now need to have three doses.
On Sunday NSW confirmed they also had four “son of Omicron” cases, with chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant stating there was “likely to be more”.
This is a sublineage, a sort of breakaway from the Omicron variant. We know that it is circulating in countries and we have seen it grow significantly.
Unfortunately, the regular virus is still wreaking havoc as well, with infections once again ripping through aged care.
Chant revealed yesterday that 31 of the 52 people who died from Covid in NSW were aged care residents, only two of whom had received the booster jab.
While speaking to the ABC, Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive officer Paul Sadler placed the blame on the federal government.
We know that the booster program was really important to give an added layer of protection for older people ...
The federal government has failed to reach all aged care services both across NSW and the country by its own deadline at the end of January.
In slightly cheerier news public school students in Victoria and Catholic school students in NSW head back to school today (NSW public school students will join the cohort tomorrow).
Parents in NSW will reportedly also get a $500 voucher for each primary school child to help with before and after school care costs. We should be confirmation of that when the premier stands up later today.
OK, with all of that in mind, why don’t we jump right into the day!
Updated
