What happened Monday 7 February, 2022
With that, we’ll finish up with our live news coverage for the day.
There was a fair bit of news about, ahead of the first federal parliamentary sitting of the year beginning on Tuesday.
Here are the day’s major developments:
- Australia’s borders will reopen to all visa holders from 21 February on the provision that they are double vaccinated.
- Up to 1700 defence force personnel will be deployed to aged care facilities to help with Covid related staff shortages, amid an Omicron crisis in the sector.
- Scott Morrison says there is still a chance to legislate a commonwealth integrity commission before the election, after the attorney general, Michaelia Cash, suggested the government would run out of time to do so.
- At least five homes have been lost in Western Australia and 60,000 hectares razed in one of the most challenging bushfire periods in recent memory, as the state’s fire and emergency services commissioner links the blaze to the climate crisis.
- Facebook has lost a major battle with the Australian regulator over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, after a court dismissed the social media giant’s claim that it neither conducts business nor collects personal information in the country.
- Covid rules in Western Australia have changed as the state moves to high case load settings, while Queensland has scrapped QR code check ins,
Have a great evening, we’ll be back to do it all again tomorrow.
Updated
Australia’s airports have welcomed the reopening of the country’s borders to tourists, with the peak body claiming airports will be ready for the 21 February reopening date.
James Goodwin, chief executive of the Australian Airports Association, said international travel levels are currently at just 15% of pre-Covid levels with only fully-vaccinated citizens and permanent residents able to leave and enter freely.
Goodwin said the reopening to fully-vaccinated tourists will not only help the international aviation and tourism sectors recover, but will boost the viability of domestic air routes because 30% of domestic flight passengers are international tourists.
He said:
International tourists don’t just visit one Australian city. They fly from state to state to see all of what our nation has to offer so it is vital all domestic borders reopen and stay open.
Airports will be critical to ensuring the logistics associated with resuming international travel will be successfully managed and look forward to working with the government agencies involved.
Updated
Some more on the new settings in Western Australia:
WA new quarantine rules #covidwa pic.twitter.com/jSQw00WsOC
— Natalie Forrest (@nat_forrest) February 7, 2022
WA Premier has poured cold water on international tourists coming to WA - unless they fit in the state’s int. flight cap #covidwa #auspol
— Natalie Forrest (@nat_forrest) February 7, 2022
Western Australia records 26 new Covid cases
Western Australia has recorded 26 new locally-acquired cases of Covid-19, as Covid rules in the state are changed.
Premier Mark McGowan said Covid growth in the state had triggered the ‘high case load’ settings, which will change the definition for close contacts and testing requirements when the new settings – which had been outlined in January – comes into effect from Wednesday.
This is our WA COVID-19 update for Monday, 7 February 2022.
— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) February 7, 2022
For official information on COVID-19 in WA, visit https://t.co/zTYXZCJrTJ https://t.co/guDoEHNSWx pic.twitter.com/0sRSzUdHQG
The quarantine period for both approved international and interstate arrivals will be reduced to seven days. Additionally, the state’s hotel quarantine cap for international arrivals will be doubled, from 265 to 530, per week.
McGowan said:
The road ahead is about to get very bumpy. The state is going to embark on a difficult period. We’re going to get more cases, and we’re going to get them sooner.
Updated
The Nine Network’s multi-million dollar deal to secure an exclusive interview with the family of Cleo Smith failed to put the program in the top ratings spot on Sunday night, although the 60 Minutes episode did win its timeslot.
The network spent weeks teasing the 60 Minutes exclusive with Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith and her stepfather Jake Gliddon, which cost it $2m.
The program took out the top spot for its 8.40pm slot, with 750,000 viewers, but lost out overall to Seven News (1.095 million viewers), Nine News (827,000) and Married At First Sight (825,000).
Nine defended the program’s ratings, saying it was the most-watched 60 Minutes episode this year. A network spokesperson said:
We are very pleased with the result and the content of the 60 Minutes interview which was compelling as Tara Brown spoke to the parents of Cleo Smith for the first time.
The show won its timeslot and performed in the key demographics and on 9Now – a record streaming audience for the program meaning last night’s episode as a total number was an increase on the equivalent episode last year, and this is what we look to, we are all extremely pleased.”
The ratings from OzTam showed that within the Smith family’s home state of Western Australia just 67,000 viewers tuned in, the same number to watch ABC’s Vera in the state that evening.
Read more:
There’s been quite a bit around today about the much-hyped federal anti-corruption commission.
This morning attorney general Michaelia Cash indicated in an interview with the Australian Financial Review, that the government would not have enough time to fulfil its election pledge before the coming federal election.
This afternoon, however, Scott Morrison said there is still a chance to legislate a commonwealth integrity commission before the election.
The prime minister suggested that Cash had only meant the commission could not be legislated this current sitting fortnight, and that it could still be passed before the election. Guardian Australia’s Sarah Martin has been following the story today and filed this report.
Morrison’s message does not appear to have filtered through his party yet.
In contrast to Morrison’s comments, Liberal MP James Stevens, speaking to ABC TV just now, appeared resigned to the idea his government had run out of time to legislate the commission before the election. Stevens said:
It is regrettable. I want to see us legislate a federal Icac.
We’ve been undertaking a process and seeking to engage with people like the opposition on that. They’ve had no interest in sitting down and talking genuinely and sensibly with us about the model that we’ve proposed.
Regrettably we’re in the situation where [we’re] close to an election [and] Labor are not interested in progressing this. They’re playing politics with it and the window has closed.”
Read more:
Updated
Bishops Philip Huggins and Paul Barker have locked themselves in a cage outside the Park Hotel in Melbourne’s Carlton, in solidarity with refugees stuck indefinitely inside.
They are part of a growing number of public figures to join The Freedom Cage campaign, which is calling for the immediate release of all refugees and asylum-seekers.
Bishop Philip Huggins from the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne meditating in @thefreedomcage1 in support of refugees detained in the Park Hotel@cait__kelly @MelbAnglican @BehrouzBoochani @Craig_Foster pic.twitter.com/rEIqP90OhY
— The Freedom Cage (@TheFreedomCage1) February 7, 2022
Last Saturday, former Socceroo Craig Foster participated in the protest by also locking himself in the cage. The Park Hotel currently holds 25 refugees, most of whom have been detained for nearly nine years.
Bishop Huggins said:
Compassion means doing to others what we would be happy to have done to us. Compassion means under no circumstances doing anything else. As a matter of compassion, these people must be freed.
It is a compassion that encompasses their faraway parents and grandparents who have loved and worried about them for eight or nine years. As a matter of compassion, we can do much better. Can we imagine these people free, flourishing, being healed, and thereafter making beautiful contributions to our commonwealth of Australia?”
Bishop Paul Barker from the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne shows solidarity with refugees in @TheFreedomCage1 outside the Park Hotel@cait__kelly @BehrouzBoochani pic.twitter.com/IF1W9gkYy9
— The Freedom Cage (@TheFreedomCage1) February 7, 2022
The Antipoverty Centre is warning the Morrison government’s proposed religious discrimination bill could allow religious charities to discriminate against vulnerable Australians who are “forced to interact” with the groups.
The centre’s spokesperson, Jay Coonan, is specifically concerned that those who rely on housing services and employment programs provided by religious organisations could be discriminated against based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
The warning follows a report finding that 26% of people who have relied on homelessness services had been discriminated against by housing services due to their age, race, appearance, disabilities, gender identity or sexual orientation.
In a statement, Coonan said:
The government is enabling discrimination that will further entrench people in poverty by allowing the very people who are supposed to help us cause further harm and distress, simply because we need to access support.
We know that people who are forced to do ‘mutual’ obligations to get a welfare payment, people in social housing, people who access disability care and others living in poverty are already being harmed by religious bigotry because we have no choice but to deal with the charities the government has outsourced our care to.”
Coonan said the bill will “only turbocharge the discrimination people already suffer and further protect the perpetrators”, and called on all MPs from all sides to oppose the legislation.
The media release specifically calls on the Labor party – which has indicated conditional support of the bill – to vote against the legislation.
Updated
In Labor’s caucus briefing, Anthony Albanese said that as the parliamentary year begins it’s the “fourth quarter” and although “games have been lost in the fourth quarter” the opposition is “at worst, competitive”.
Albanese said that Labor’s climate plan is “realistic” and said in government it will implement “our plan not fringe groups” (a dig at the Greens).
He said:
The problem is not how much they [the Morrison government] hate each other, the problem is the way they’re not doing their job - and it hurts people.”
Albanese said Labor still doesn’t know what’s in the religious discrimination bill, and the shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus similarly gave a report that the party can’t determine its final position until it’s seen amendments.
Dreyfus said the government was “not being bipartisan” in the way it has consulted. No questions were asked - a sign of Labor being determined to keep the focus on the government.
Kristina Keneally was asked about WeChat - and replied that the department of home affairs said there was “no evidence” of foreign interference or a hack of the prime minister’s account, and there was no updated advice on whether Labor members should avoid using it.
Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, has welcomed today’s announcement that Australia’s international border will reopen to tourists from 21 February, but has cautioned the sector will need time to ramp up.
Osmond said:
There’s no doubt this is a day the tourism industry has been waiting a couple of years for. We are thrilled now to have a date that we can give to the rest of the world and say we’re open for business and we’d love to see you.
There will be some issues around the technicalities of this. There’s work to be done. It’s not as simple as just turning on the tap and we see numbers of international tourists back where they were pre-Covid.
We need to build up our aviation capacity and get those international flights and routes back in that left us during the pandemic and that will take some work and energy.
We need to market Australia and the individual states very aggressively because this is now a very competitive global market with every other country in the world looking for those leisure tourists as well and many of them have the head start on us.”
Updated
This daily infographic provides the total number of vaccine doses administered in Australia 🇦🇺 as of 6 February 2022 📅
— Australian Government Department of Health (@healthgovau) February 7, 2022
Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccine information here 💻 https://t.co/lsM33j9wMW pic.twitter.com/m1m8gzo87U
Western Australia’s intense bushfire season is being linked to the climate crisis as fires rip through southern parts of the state.
Four homes have been lost near Denmark on the south coast, while the damage is not yet known from two emergency-level bushfires in the eastern Wheatbelt and south-west town of Bridgetown.
The fire in the Wheatbelt has burned through about 40,000 hectares and at one point spanned 35km.
An emergency warning remains in place for the shires of Quairading, Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Kondinin and Kulin, with residents advised it is too late to leave.
“Leaving now would be deadly,” the fire and emergency services department said on Monday. “You need to shelter in your home in a room away from the firefront and make sure you can easily escape.”
Department of Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Darren Klemm said the Wheatbelt fire was the greatest concern for authorities because of the open terrain.
Read more:
Updated
That’s a wrap from Tory Shepherd – thanks for taking us through the day’s news so far.
You now have me, Elias Visontay, bringing you news updates for the next few hours.
SA records five Covid deaths and 1,147 new cases
South Australian COVID-19 update 07/02/22. For more information, go to https://t.co/mYnZsG87wo or contact the South Australia COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. pic.twitter.com/o7OgbLWHZN
— SA Health (@SAHealth) February 7, 2022
Updated
Morrison is asked about the federal integrity bill. He says: “The term is not completed yet.” Asked if he can continue to work with Barnaby Joyce after the text messages, he says he dealt with that yesterday.
And, while the religious discrimination bill continues to divide parliament and his party, Morrison says nay, it should unite them:
It is a bill that will bring Australians together around this issue. There is nothing in this bill that seeks to prejudice others, it is a bill that is designed to protect religious expression in this country to ensure that people who have such beliefs are not discriminated against. That is something that should unite the parliament, not divide it.
Updated
Morrison is asked about a Melbourne aged care home, which is saying that inaccurate rapid antigen tests were responsible for an outbreak. He agrees they are not as accurate as PCR tests (this is not something anyone has been disputing, most of the upset has been around supply shortages):
Rapid antigen tests are not as accurate as PCR tests. I did make this point for many months ... they are not as good as PCR tests. But they are the test that we often need to use because of the volume of the [virus we’re] dealing with.
Updated
Mike Bowers is down at the press conference and snapped this pic.
Scott Morrison has been asked about the ongoing crisis in aged care, particularly workforce shortages, and whether the ADF will fill the gap. Morrison says it has helped that they eased the close contact rules so people can go back to work, and that they’re sourcing additional workers.
He’s also tried to tread that tricky line between “freedom” and deaths, and defining whether people have died “with” Covid or “because of” Covid:
It’s not just about trying to prevent any fatalities that may occur ... it’s about ensuring residents have a quality of life. An important part of your quality of life is being able to have access to your family and their support and their love, and particularly for those in palliative care, end of life care – so it is a very sensitive and fine balance that you have to find to try and prevent the spread. These are the very difficult issues.
When you have large numbers of people taken out of the workforce, that is very hard to deal with and there is no simple answer. You want qualified people providing care. And then that’s why we have provided the additional supports, whether it’s wage supplements and so on, to provide that recognition and support for people to do those shifts.
Updated
Morrison is asked about caps on incoming travellers, and whether he hopes the change will put pressure on WA premier, Mark McGowan, to open his borders. He said he has been talking to the states and, with declining numbers of people in intensive care, this is “the safer time to be able to move to that next step”:
The states and territories, they’ll continue to put in place the caps they have at their airports. Some have none at all, like in New South Wales. Others do. They’ll do that based on where their capacity is at this given point in time. As we know, Covid-19 is not, has not been experienced similarly in all parts of the country. WA is very different to NSW. And as a result the arrangements are different between those two parts of the country.
Updated
'Fully vaccinated' definition to remain at two doses: PM
Scott Morrison is asked whether the definition of “fully vaccinated” will change to mean three doses of a vaccine. He says no, it will stay at two doses:
For those who are coming in who are double vaccinated, they don’t present any greater risk than those who are already here in Australia. It’s a sensible and I think very important move for us to ... as best as we possibly can this year, drive Australia back to a position of as much normality as we can achieve.
Updated
The health minister, Greg Hunt, is at this press conference, as is the defence minister, Peter Dutton. All the big guns.
Hunt has given a Covid update:
Over the weekend we have passed the 51m dose mark for the vaccination program and we’re expected to pass the 9m booster mark. Three million Novavax vaccines are due to arrive today, later on from Singapore by air. And significantly we have now begun the deployment of 50,000 oral Covid treatments, on medical advice, to our aged care facilities.
And Dutton (who did not send any nasty text messages) thanked the ADF for their existing and future support.
Updated
The home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, has reinforced Morrison’s point about vaccinations:
This means that we will be able to welcome back tourists, business travellers and other visa holders who to date have been unable to enter Australia. Now, visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will still require an exemption, a travel exemption to enter here into Australia and they will be on their arrival here [subject] to the relevant state and territory quarantine requirements.
Updated
Up to 1,700 defence force personnel to assist aged care sector
And the third issue Scott Morrison said was discussed today is aged care. The Australian defence force will be called in to help – read Josh Butler’s piece here for background.
Morrison said national cabinet had agreed on “a package of measures” so the ADF can support the health department. He had asked ADF several weeks ago to come up with proposals for how they could help. He said:
Since then we’ve seen ADF personnel being there in Victoria, supporting the ambulance service and things of that nature. We’ve seen them supporting in other areas. Now they’ll be joining that effort. I want to be very clear about this. As I said several weeks ago, the defence force are not a surrogate workforce for the aged care sector.
There are around 285,000 people who work in the aged care sector. So the idea that the defence forces can come in and just replace all of the shifts that are lost because people have Covid ... we already relaxed the close contact rule and that had a real, positive impact. But the idea the defence forces could just simply come in and fill that gap is just not realistic. And [it] was never a scenario or an option that was under consideration because it’s just simply not feasible.
But they do and can and have provided quite targeted support into the aged care sector in extreme situations, some of the most difficult situations. And the teams that we will be bringing together, just four teams, will be placed at 24 hours’ notice to move from today, and that will increase up to 10 teams at 24 hours’ notice and that is to go into acute situations, working together, with the health departments and public health agencies in each of the states and territories.
These teams include a registered nurse team leader, some medical technicians and personnel to support general duties ... In each state and territory, it will begin with around 50 personnel going to support each state and [then] up to 200. So we’ll have up to around 1,700 defence force personnel assisting.
Updated
All fully vaccinated visa holders can enter Australia from 21 February
Onto tourism now: Australia’s borders will open to all remaining visa holders on 21 February – if they’re double vaccinated. Scott Morrison said “events earlier in the year” (read: Novak Djokovic) would have made Australia’s position on vaccination clear:
It’s almost two years since we took the decision to close the borders to Australia. The national cabinet has decided today Australia will reopen our borders to all remaining visa holders on February 21 of this year.
We have been progressively opening our borders since November of last year. Those programs have proceeded very successfully. Whether it was the programs we had in place with New Zealand or Singapore, and then with Japan and South Korea, opening up to international students and backpackers and economic migrants who are coming to Australia, that will now be extended to international visitors who will be able to return.
The condition is you must be double vaccinated to come to Australia. That’s the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it. And it’s very important that people understand that requirement if they’re seeking to come to Australia. But if you’re double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia.
Updated
Scott Morrison gives press conference after national cabinet
The prime minister is up speaking now, and he’s talking about concerns about Ukraine discussed during today’s national security committee. “Now is the time to leave,” he says to Australians living there:
We remain highly concerned about the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, and seeing the military build-up that’s been taking place there for some time. All Australians in Ukraine, we have endeavoured to contact them all over the last few weeks with a very clear message – now is the time to leave. We reinforce that message.
Updated
Back on Gerard Rennick, the Queenslander says he will again withhold his Senate vote from the Coalition in further protest over vaccine mandates.
Rennick also said he anticipated making a speech to anti-vaccine protesters outside Parliament House this week, joining former Coalition MP Craig Kelly in throwing his support behind the growing demonstrations.
The Coalition senator has railed against vaccine mandates in recent months, and has been collecting and publishing stories of alleged vaccine injuries on his social media pages. Following his Sky News interview, Rennick gave a brief doorstop where he confirmed he wouldn’t vote with the government this week.
He also claimed it would be “very helpful” for the Coalition’s election prospects if the prime minister, Scott Morrison, lifted vaccine mandates in the federal government’s control (which includes aged care staff). He said:
I think I am helping ... For these people who have lost their jobs or had a vaccine injury, this will be a single-issue election.
We need to move on from all these over-the-top restrictions from Covid.
Rennick later told Guardian Australia he was concerned that the Coalition may lose seats in the Senate at the coming election due to the anti-vaccine mandate protest movement, including in his home state of Queensland.
When asked by reporters if he was vaccinated, Rennick replied: “No, I’m not.”
Asked specifically about the religious discrimination bill, which the government hopes to pass in coming weeks, Rennick said he hadn’t seen “the final product”, but that he would vote on it as “a matter of conscience”.
Updated
When Scott Morrison speaks shortly, he’s likely to talk about the final shape of the reinsurance pool for cyclone and flood damage. That pool, backed by a $10bn commonwealth guarantee, will help reduce insurance premiums (especially in the cyclone and flood-prone north of the country); 880,000 residential and business properties will be eligible for coverage.
North Queensland MP Warren Entsch holds Leichhardt, which Labor is targeting. The reinsurance scheme and extra money for the Great Barrier Reef helped convince him not to retire.
Updated
It’s been a funny old day, this non-sitting day before sitting days. There’s a fair swag of questions people will be busting to ask at this presser ...
The Prime Minister will hold a press conference at 2:20pm, APH #auspol
— Political Alert (@political_alert) February 7, 2022
Updated
A gentle probing from Sky News presenter Tom Connell has put a wobble in Queensland senator Gerard Rennick’s already unsteady arguments.
Rennick put on classic Gish gallop, pulling out all sorts of vaccine-doubting guff, but under questioning from Connell was forced to confess that much of his information was from anecdotes.
He needed more information, he said, but when Connell asked if he would accept such information at face value, he said he would not.
It went on for quite some time, and was reminiscent of ex-Australian journalist Jonathan Swan interviewing former US president Donald Trump. I’d list all the logical fallacies, but there are more important things going on.
Updated
People following the implementation of the Jenkins review (this was the inquiry by Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins, into workplace culture in Parliament House) will be interested to learn the government plans to deliver a statement of acknowledgement at the opening of the parliamentary sitting tomorrow.
The sex discrimination commissioner recommended political leaders make a public statement acknowledging “the impact of the misconduct on individuals and the lack of action taken in the past” and “outline the institutional leadership commitment to change, with shared accountability for progress”.
I’m told the current plan is for the presiding officers to deliver the statement. But because Parliament House is currently closed to visitors, some of the former staff who have been active in the campaign to change the culture say they won’t be able to attend the event in person.
Rachelle Miller (who worked for minister Alan Tudge) has expressed her disappointment on social media. “So apology to victims of bullying & harassment in parliament is tomorrow. We haven’t been invited. Won’t be surprised when apology starts with ‘We are sorry, if anyone was offended …’”.
Turns out it’s closed due to covid. I’m pretty sure they could have implemented covid safe environment in the public gallery for survivors!!! We can go to restaurants and everywhere else!!!
— Rachelle Miller (@rachellejmiller) February 7, 2022
It will be a big week on the cultural reckoning front. Later this week, Brittany Higgins, the former government staffer who triggered the Jenkins review, and the former Australian of the Year Grace Tame will speak at the National Press Club.
Updated
Some more details from Sarah Martin here on the shelved federal integrity commission bill:
Last week we brought you details of a poll conducted in North Sydney which the Voices community organisation complained was too heavy on negative messages about independent candidates, but experts said was likely message testing rather than push-polling.
On Friday, this reporter (formerly a resident of North Sydney) was robo-polled by Redbridge. If the amount of positive material about Kylea Tink in the poll was anything to go by, whoever commissioned it had the independent’s best interests at heart.
After asking voting intention, some demographic information, and for the respondent’s most important issue, the robo-pollster unleashed this lengthy and glowing description of Tink:
Tink is a successful businesswoman, CEO, parent and long time local resident running as an indie candidate in the local seat of North Sydney – she’s passionate about need for decisive action on climate change to protect both the environment and economy, restoring integrity to politics, and equality and fairness for all. [Tink is] supported by hundreds of local volunteers, who see the value of an independent community leader to represent their interests in parliament.
The incumbent, Liberal Trent Zimmerman, was not mentioned by name, but the pollster wanted to know how respondents were likely to vote after being told nice things about Tink.
The poll also put a number of other propositions:
- Do you think politicians in government are looking after themselves; or can be trusted to do the right thing?
- Do you approve or disapprove of the job Scott Morrison is doing?
- Do you approve or disapprove of the Morrison government’s handling of climate change
- Should Australia increase its 2030 emissions target?
Updated
National Covid-19 update
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 46 deaths from Covid 19:
ACT
- Deaths: one
- Cases: 299
- In hospital: 57 (with two people in ICU)
NSW
- Deaths: 14
- Cases: 7,437
- In hospital: 2,099 (with 137 people in ICU)
NT
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 831
- In hospital: 156 (with 3 people in ICU)
Queensland
- Deaths: 19
- Cases: 4,701
- 43 people in ICU
South Australia
- Deaths: 5
- Cases: 1,147
- In hospital: 224 (with 16 people in ICU)
Tasmania
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 443
- In hospital: 15 (with one person in ICU)
Victoria
- Deaths: seven
- Cases: 8,275
- In hospital: 638 (with 72 people in ICU)
Western Australia
- Deaths: 0
- Cases: 26
- In hospital: 1
Updated
Canberra protests continue
Anti-vaccine protesters have raised an upside-down flag on official flagpoles outside the governor general’s residence in Canberra.
Several hundred protesters massed outside Government House in Yarralumla this morning, in the latest instalment of rallies which have taken over public landmarks across Canberra for the last week. Demonstrators yelled demands that the governor general, David Hurley, sack the federal government, and voiced criticism of the prime minister, Scott Morrison.
Protesters also raised the ‘red ensign’ flag – a version of the Australian national flag with a red background instead of blue, predominantly used by merchant ships – on a pole outside Government House. The red ensign had been adopted as a symbol by anti-vaccine and sovereign citizen groups, as part of a conspiracy theory which claims the federal government is illegitimate.
A number of federal police at the scene moved in to remove the flags, as some protesters yelled “traitors”. Other called out baseless claims that certain public officials and politicians were “paedophiles”.
Police tried to reach a second flagpole, which had been surrounded by a large number of protesters who linked arms and sat on the ground. Officers tried to physically move protesters out of their path, leading to minor scuffles as police pushed through.
ACT police have warned that “protest activity is expected to increase in the coming days”, with more demonstrators expected to arrive in Canberra. Police said in a statement:
While the key protest areas are expected to be in the Parliamentary Triangle and the airport precinct, police are aware that due to the wide range of protest groups, other areas of Canberra may be targeted.
Updated
The Morrison government talks about a “great reshuffle” when it comes to jobs, although presumably they aren’t talking about their own.
Instead, they’re hoping the booming economy would provide ballast for their otherwise sinking fortunes.
The latest retail turnover figures from the ABS add to signs the economy ended 2021 with a head of steam, Covid disruptions notwithstanding.
In the December quarter, retail sales rose a record 8.2%, almost doubling the 4.4% retreat during the September quarter when half the economy was in the midst of the Delta strain lockdown.
Sales were up 3.6% for a year earlier (although the CPI was also up 3.5%, so in real terms, little change.
Seasonally adjusted, sales were down 4.4% in December alone to just under $32bn, reflecting some of the disruptions from Omicron. but it’s been noted that “Black Friday” and other sales in November are dragging forward some of the Christmas binges of yore.
The 8.2% quarterly increase beat, for instance, the 7.7% rise predicted by CBA, which draws its projections from credit card data among other sources. ANZ had tipped a 7.8% rise, and has similar ways of watching our spending.
Clothing surged 43.1% for the quarter, perhaps as people geared up to spend 18.8% more on cafes, restaurants and takeaway food (picnics?) and 25% more at department stores.
The locked-down regions not surprisingly led the rebounds, with spending up 15.3% in NSW, Victoria 10.2% and the ACT up 12.4%.
Updated
Check out the variant switcheroo in this graph from Victoria:
Delta & Omicron in Victoria: Omicron became dominant in community in week beginning 19 December, in hospital in late December and in ICU in early January. Current health system pressures and deaths in Victoria are from Omicron. For 7-fold additional protection #GetBoosted pic.twitter.com/e729VZCit0
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) February 7, 2022
Some more details from Queensland Health:
Today we have recorded 4,701 new COVID-19 cases.
— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) February 7, 2022
Sadly, 19 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
Full details ➡ https://t.co/2vvTmlzIil pic.twitter.com/kD8IjMWXm1
ACT records 299 Covid cases and one death
The ACT has recorded 299 new Covid cases and one death. There are 57 people now in hospital, including two in intensive care, and one on a ventilator.
Updated
Craig Kelly says UAP financially supporting Canberra protests
Rogue MP Craig Kelly says his United Australia party has begun financially supporting the anti-vaccine protesters which have taken over Canberra, putting on food and drinks as well as potentially bankrolling a $10,000 sound system for further rallies this week.
Protests against vaccines and vaccine mandates continue in Canberra for a seventh straight day, with thousands of demonstrators camping across the city. Following rallies at Parliament House, Old Parliament House and the National Press Club last week, hundreds of protesters are this morning picketing outside the Governor-General’s residence.
In video from a protest campsite on Sunday night, seen by Guardian Australia, Kelly told protesters he had “friendly donors” who could help pay for food trucks, coffee carts or ice-cream for the rallies. A protest leader also requested $10,000 for a sound system, for further rallies.
Kelly said the UAP was today putting on a free BBQ and drinks at the campsite today, and was “trying to organise” money for the sound system.
At Saturday’s large protest at Old Parliament House, group leaders flagged further demonstrations as federal parliament resumed this week. A spokesman said some federal politicians would address rallies in coming days, and flagged plans to enter Parliament House in an attempt to meet Scott Morrison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese. Kelly told Guardian Australia he hoped to speak at a rally this week, and planned to sign in “a small group” to parliament on Tuesday.
One of the protesters who Kelly said he planned to sign into parliament had described the building as “Satanic” in a speech on Saturday. In response, Kelly said “everyone’s entitled to a bit of hyperbole”.
“The protesters are finalising a list of grievances or requests of the PM, basically that the PM ends the mandates,” Kelly said.
“The prime minister, the opposition leader, they’re both in this together.”
Kelly said he hadn’t approached either office yet to request a meeting. Morrison’s office said the PM had no plans to meet the protesters. We’ve also contacted Albanese’s office.
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Queensland scraps check-ins as state records 19 Covid deaths
Nineteen people with Covid have died in Queensland, and the state has recorded 4,701 new cases in the past 24 hours. There are 43 people in intensive care with the virus.
Meanwhile, premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has scrapped QR code check-ins, although proof of vaccination will still be required in some places.
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There’s more anger brewing over the federal government’s concession the anti-corruption bill will not go before parliament this term.
Independent MP Helen Haines said this morning that it was clear integrity was not a priority for the government, while shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus said the government lived “in fear of accountability”.
“All we’ve seen is scandal after scandal go unchecked, endless excuses and a weak, pathetic, desultory exposure draft,” he said.
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Political interference in research grants poses an “existential threat” to universities, the Australian National University vice-chancellor has warned.
Paul Karp reports that Prof Brian Schmidt said he was “dismayed” that the education minister had interfered in the awarding of Australian Research Council grants before Christmas:
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Victoria’s education minister James Merlino has unveiled a state-wide campaign to encourage school children to do more physical exercise each day. The “get your move on” campaign will encourage kids to do 15 minutes of physical exercise four times a day.
The campaign is part of the wider $24.2m active schools initiative that delivers grants to schools to help them get kids moving.
Merlino said:
We know that physical activity improves mental health, it improves physical health, it improves academic performance. We know that active kids are more resilient, they’re less likely to suffer depression.
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Various governments raise money in the name of climate action, and the NSW government’s Climate Change Fund is one of them.
Set up by NSW Labor in 2007, the fund collects a levy from electricity use, which is supposed to be spent on reducing emissions, building resilience to inevitable nasties of climate change (because we and everyone else are doing the emissions cutting bit), and other projects.
Anyway, the fund’s annual report for 2020-21 has just been (quietly) published. Lo and behold, the Berejikian government (as it was during that year) has finally spent more in a year than they collected. By $27m.
That’s a good thing, but as NSW Labor notes, the Coalition governments (under premiers Barry O’Farrell, Mike Baird, Gladys Berejiklian) since they came to office in 2011 have collected $492m more than they spent.
In most years, the fund’s revenue has been about $300m with expenditure lagging by tens of millions of dollars.
Labor reckons the fund’s unspent money has collected $34m in interest alone over the decade. By contrast, they overspent by $86m in the four years they ran the fund, Labor says.
Some credit, though, should go to Matt Kean, the NSW energy and environment minister during the year the fund turned into a net spender.
It remains to be seen if more of that surplus of almost half a billion dollars is further eroded this fiscal year but since Kean is now the state’s treasurer and energy minister, you’d figure he’d have some say in this year’s outlays.
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Facebook suffers blow in Australian legal battle over Cambridge Analytica
Facebook has lost a major battle with the Australian regulator over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, after a court dismissed the social media giant’s claim that it neither conducts business or collects personal information in the country.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is suing Facebook, now Meta, for breaching the privacy of more than 300,000 Australian Facebook users in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, exposed more than four years ago by the Guardian.
It sought to sue the parent company Facebook Inc, based in the United States, and its Irish subsidiary, Facebook Ireland Limited.
Facebook Inc has since attempted to have the case against it thrown out, arguing it does not carry out business or collect or hold personal information in Australia, so it cannot be sued under the country’s privacy laws.
The full bench of the federal court on Monday threw out the argument, describing parts of Facebook’s case as “divorced from reality”.
It found the social media giant’s installation of cookies onto the physical devices of Australian users was enough to show it was carrying out business in Australia, among other things. The court found:
There is a readily available inference that Facebook Inc installs cookies on devices in Australia on behalf of Facebook Ireland as part of its business of providing data processing services to it. Further, it is clear that Facebook Ireland’s use of cookies (installed and removed by Facebook Inc) forms an important part of the operation of the Facebook platform.
It is not an outlier activity. It is one of the things ‘which makes Facebook work’.
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It’s a little irksome that all this energy is being expended on internal strife, so I’m going to re-post this piece from the weekend on the crisis engulfing aged care. Melissa Davey took a look at the “atrocious conditions” inside homes:
Bob Carr says he hasn't seen text exchange but was informed by someone he trusted
Good morning all. Tory has brought you up to speed with the former NSW premier and former federal foreign affairs minister Bob Carr claiming Peter Dutton is the cabinet colleague who shared the text critical of the prime minister with Network Ten’s political editor Peter van Onselen.
Dutton has categorically denied it was him. I had a brief conversation with Carr just a moment ago to establish the basic facts.
Had he seen the text exchange himself? No. Who was his source for the information? Carr said it was someone he trusted “closer to the media end than the political end”.
Dutton has obviously denied it was him? Carr said the defence minister should “feel emboldened to clear the air” about the texts. If not him, then who was it? (Yes, it is that kind of day; that kind of week).
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Morrison government gives environmental approval to Snowy Hydro gas power plant
The Morrison government has given formal environmental approval for the construction of a controversial, publicly owned $600m gas-fired power plant at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley.
Sussan Ley, the environment minister, announced on Monday that the project – proposed by Snowy Hydro and funded by the commonwealth – had been approved after a “rigorous assessment”. It means construction of the 660MW plant can begin.
The project has been widely criticised as unnecessary to ensure the security of the electricity grid. The former head of the Energy Security Board, Kerry Schott, said the commercial case for the government funding a gas plant in the region did not “stack up” given the range of cheaper and cleaner alternatives.
Labor last week said it would support the plant if it won power at the upcoming federal election but require it to run on 30% green hydrogen, created using renewable energy, when it started operation, and to move to 100% green hydrogen as soon as possible. It estimated this could add up to $700m to the cost of the plant.
Critics have questioned whether green hydrogen will be economically viable as a fuel to generate electricity, and suggested the plant risked being redundant under either party.
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Communications minister Paul Fletcher – who was doing the rounds this morning talking up the restored ABC funding – has also defended the delay on the introduction of a federal integrity bill.
Some independent candidates for the upcoming federal election are making a brouhaha about the languishing bill. The government says it doesn’t have the support it needs to get its 2019 election pledge through (though that hasn’t stopped it introducing legislation before).
This morning Fletcher said the government’s priority was its religious discrimination bill and its anti-trolling bill, and that there’s only a limited parliamentary time left, so “trade offs” must be made.
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Sometimes only a certain phrase will do...
. @KKeneally describes the PM's comments about kids driving forklifts as a "brain fart" @ljayes not a phrase you hear everyday on the TV
— Kieran Gilbert (@Kieran_Gilbert) February 6, 2022
Labor’s shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has called on prime minister Scott Morrison to introduce amendments to protect LGBTQ+ students, but she won’t say whether she would back passing the religious discrimination bill if these were made.
Rowland told reporters in Canberra that Morrison had committed to protect LGBTQ+ students and it would get bipartisan support if he did so.
But on the religious discrimination bill itself? Rowland said it was a “complex” area that had been “deeply scrutinised” by two committees that examined the bill.
As to whether the bill gets the balance right between protection of religious people from discrimination and other protected attributes, Rowland said it would have to be considered by shadow caucus when the government produces amendments.
Labor MPs and senators in those two committees did say they were in favour of the bill being passed, subject to some minor and technical amendments.
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The New South Wales government will launch a review into boosting women’s economic opportunity, with treasurer Matt Kean frustrated by how the gender pay gap and unaffordable childcare are limiting the state’s prosperity.
Increasing workplace flexibility, as well as “empowering more female entrepreneurs”, will also be examined by the “landmark review”, with the expert reference panel to be chaired by Sam Mostyn, president of Chief Executive Women.
Kean, who announced the review at the Committee for Sydney summit on Monday morning, said if women’s workforce participation reached parity with men’s, annual household income would lift by $22,000. Kean said:
The review will be far ranging, seeking out reform options to help women enter, re-enter, and stay in the workforce.
Unleashing the full potential of half our population is going to help build a more prosperous future for our state and everyone in New South Wales.
Now is the time to make sure that a little girl born today is afforded the same opportunities as a baby boy on hospital next door.
At the summit, the NSW infrastructure and active transport minister, Rob Stokes, is also expected to announce a doubling, to $1.9m, of state government spending on improving cycleways and footpaths over the next five years.
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Naturally this focus on text messages disparaging prime minister Scott Morrison is fertile ground for the opposition, who were already attacking Morrison for his perceived dishonesty.
Labor’s Andrew Leigh this morning called it a “bad cage fight”, and listed various participants:
This isn’t a good government. It’s a bad cage fight. You’ve got Emmanuel Macron, Malcolm Turnbull, Gladys Berejiklian and now Barnaby Joyce questioning the honesty and integrity of the prime minister.
And it’s very clear now that those who are closest to Scott Morrison don’t trust him. And when you’ve lost the trust of Australians, I think you’ve lost the ability to govern effectively. Just imagine if there was a CEO of a major Australian organisation whose predecessor and deputy said that they were a liar. Their position would be untenable with shareholders, and that’s the position that Scott Morrison finds himself in now.
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Gomeroi people are set to protest over “gas-fired dispossession” today in Sydney, where Santos is challenging their native title in Narrabri to make way for a coal seam gas project.
Gomeroi man Raymond “Bubbly” Weatherall said his people had never stopped “fighting attempts by Santos and the state and federal governments to desecrate our lands with the Narrabri gas project”.
He wants the governments to withdraw their support for the project, and for Santos to withdraw its application.
“We have never ceded sovereignty and that must be respected,” he said.
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Liberal MP Bridget Archer to vote against religious discrimination bill
The federal government’s increasingly messy attempt to pass its religious discrimination bill just got... messier.
Tasmanian MP Bridget Archer has told the ABC she can’t support it in its current form because it would override that state’s anti-discrimination laws, which are in place to protect LGBTQ+ students.
“Tasmania has very strong anti-discrimination laws and as a Tasmanian I know they have been very hard fought laws,” she told the ABC.
“We should do what we can to protect them, and to continue to not discriminate or not allow discrimination against anyone on the basis of any attribute.”
She’s likely to cross the floor. We’ll bring you the latest on that bill as it happens this week. You can catch up with Paul Karp’s piece here:
– with AAP
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Cabinet’s national security committee will meet today to discuss a possible timeline for the return of tourists to Australia.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the Nine Network this morning tourists would be the next step after citizens, skilled migrants, and returning citizens were allowed in:
We will consider that today, health professionals have been looking at the border restrictions, with respect to tourists in the context of a rising vaccination rate and the rolling out of our booster program,” he said, according to AAP.
“Now our vaccination rate is higher, we have been changing our border policies.
Bob Carr has continued tweeting:
Only one way Peter Dutton can win his case: get another colleague to admit that they were the source for comments about the Prime Minister. If not you, Mr Dutton, which of your colleagues? Until then who has most to gain from undermining further a flailing PM?
— Bob Carr (@bobjcarr) February 6, 2022
🚨Bob Carr has doubled down
— Laura Jayes (@ljayes) February 6, 2022
He tells me he has a “rock solid media source” 👀
Asserting “there is only one person that stands to benefit in damaging an already damaged PM.
He also claims to know that Dutton has the numbers “an increasingly right wing party room”
Victoria records seven Covid deaths, 8,275 new cases
And in Victoria, seven people with Covid have lost their lives in the latest reporting period while the state recorded 8,275 new cases:
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 6, 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/G4qdk2cB2M
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NSW records 14 Covid deaths, 7,437 new cases
NSW’s Covid numbers are in – the state has recorded 7,437 new cases and 14 coronavirus deaths overnight:
NSW COVID-19 update – Monday 7 February 2022
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 6, 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 95.5% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 94.1% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/NHdGYnwKxT
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Anthony Albanese says text row has 'paralysed' government amid aged care crisis
The opposition leader Anthony Albanese has begun the week by saying the government is “paralysed” by the text message sagas.
Albanese did not hold back when he appeared on Seven’s Sunrise this morning:
Well, those closest to (the prime minister) have made the assessment that he cannot be (trusted).
If the deputy prime minister cannot trust the prime minister, why should Australians?
The issue here is ... this is such a distraction. This dysfunction and the dishonesty and the disunity means this government is paralysed in taking action. Like aged care, which is in crisis.
Over 600 Australians have lost their lives. Aged care workers still cannot get PPE and access to rapid antigen tests. We have older Australians that are vulnerable, locked in their rooms, not getting enough food and water.
Those are the issues that concern Australians, I think. Not this circus, as you described it.
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Communications minister Paul Fletcher is telling ABC radio about the restoration of funding to the national broadcaster (see Amanda Meade’s story, linked in a previous post).
The ABC will have to detail their levels of Australian content and other key services.
Fletcher:
We are giving the ABC secure and increased funding and with that come some increased obligations in terms of reporting.
He says asking the ABC to “live up to the high expectations the parliament has of it” is not “attacking” it.
On the texts (no politicians will get away without facing these questions), Fletcher derides them as a “soap opera” for political journalists.
(An analogy that makes the protagonists the soap opera stars, while journalists observe ... )
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Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud has also been out this morning. He told Radio National that leader Barnaby Joyce is “part of a cohesive team”, and that it’s not “earth-shattering” that some people in politics don’t like each other.
It would be “naive” for journalists or the public to think they all sit down and sing Kumbayah together, he said.
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The federal government will restore ABC funding to 2018 levels, Amanda Meade has reported. That will mean $3.3bn over three years for the national broadcaster. SBS will get $953.7m. Read all the details here:
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Here’s that text from former NSW premier Bob Carr with the (furiously denied) claims about defence minister Peter Dutton. Dutton said “Bob Carr’s tweet is baseless, untrue and should be deleted” (it hasn’t been, yet):
The minister who shared the text with van Onselen and gave permission to use it was Peter Dutton. If PM Morrison has one more week in free fall the prospect of a leadership change pre-election is real. Party rules don’t count if most MPs think you will lead them to defeat.
— Bob Carr (@bobjcarr) February 6, 2022
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Joyce 'has some explaining to do', McCormack says
Michael McCormack – the former Nationals leader who would possibly like to reshuffle into that job again – has also been on ABC television talking about those text messages.
Leader Barnaby Joyce “has some explaining to do”, he said. He also said Joyce could resign if he wanted to and that he would “seriously consider” putting his hand up again for the top job:
I’ll weigh that up at the time. If enough members of the party came to me and asked me to lead the party, I would seriously consider that. I’ve taken them to an election. I’ve retained every seat.
McCormack called the text messages Joyce sent describing Scott Morrison a “liar” and a “hypocrite” as “damaging and unfortunate”:
It’s very, very unfortunate, the fact that we’re talking about ourselves when we should be talking about Australians. We should be focused on the recovery from Covid.
We should be focused on all of those things that mean so much to ordinary everyday Australians who are doing it tough. So for those Australians out there in the suburbs, out in the regions, who are currently getting kids ready for school, about to open a business, about to go to work for the day, about to drive a tractor or truck, whatever the case may be, I want them to know I’m focused on them and so should every politician in Canberra.
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Still on treasurer Josh Frydenberg – he will announce today that pandemic financial supports must end, and that rapid antigen tests will be tax deductible for workers and businesses (plenty of people would prefer them to be free).
Read Sarah Martin’s piece here:
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Josh Frydenberg is busy this morning. He’s on ABC television now being asked about prime minister Scott Morrison’s character.
He’s swiftly segued into the federal government’s handling of the pandemic, vaccination rates and the economic recovery.
He says he has full confidence in Morrison and, asked if he would contest the PM spot if it came up, he doesn’t say no:
Scott Morrison will be the first prime minister since John Howard to go to a full term.
We’ve got a job to do. We’ve got a job to do to ensure this economic recovery and momentum continues. We’ve got a job to do to ensure Australians stay safe from Covid but there’s some good news out there. We’ve started to see the number of cases, ICU admissions and people on ventilators come down. It’s what the health experts were telling us.
The kids are back at school. Australia has fared better than nearly any other country in terms of this.
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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has dismissed those claims from former NSW premier and former foreign minister Bob Carr that defence minister Peter Dutton was behind those texts about prime minister Scott Morrison.
Carr was suffering “relevance deprivation syndrome”, Frydenberg said:
Bob Carr, when he was foreign minister, was a waste of space.
So we’re off to a grown up and civil start, then.
Updated
Good morning
Welcome to the 2022 federal parliamentary year – sort of. Today is not technically a sitting day but the pollies are flying into Canberra and girding their loins for tomorrow.
There will only be a handful of sitting days before the election but they’re sure to be jam-packed.
Speaking of jam, pop your white bread in the toaster, grab a coffee, and settle in.
There will, of course, be more discussion about the two lots of texts sent that were rather unflattering to prime minister Scott Morrison.
The National party room will sit today, so we may hear more about what his colleagues think about deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce’s text (calling Morrison a hypocrite and a liar) and subsequent apology.
Last week’s National Press Club address by Morrison was derailed by questions about the price of household goods and the revelations of texts apparently from a cabinet minister calling Morrison a “psycho”. That saw a conga line of ministers saying “it wasn’t me”.
Defence minister Peter Dutton – who has put his hand up for the top job in the past – had to furiously deny it was him, after former New South Wales premier Bob Carr accused him of being the mystery texter.
The crisis from aged care is far from over, and the political fallout will continue.
And this week we will hear more about the government’s religious discrimination bill.
With you is the tip-top Guardian Australia politics team. Now with added Josh Butler! Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin, Paul Karp and Daniel Hurst will steer you through, and Mike Bowers will bring you the pictorial highlights.
Tory Shepherd has landed in Canberra to try to keep the blog under control. Whoa, boy!
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