Victoria Covid cases jump as Melbourne prepares to exit lockdown – as it happened

1 year ago 224

What happened today, Thursday 21 October

With that, we’ll wrapper up our unrecorded sum for today.

Here’s a recap of the day’s main developments:

  • The erstwhile New South Wales Labor politicians Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald, and Obeid’s lad Moses, have been sentenced to situation terms successful narration to a rigged tender for a ember exploration licence.
  • Police judge four-year-old Cleo Smith was abducted from her structure astatine a West Australian campsite and have offered a $1m reward for accusation starring to her location.
  • “Covid-deniers” and “anti-vaxxers” should opt retired of attraction successful the nationalist wellness strategy if they drawback the microorganism arsenic Victoria reopens, says the Victorian subdivision of the Australian Medical Association.
  • Crown Resorts shareholders person again rebelled against the casino relation aft it paid millions of dollars to executives who person left the troubled company.
  • Scott Morrison says the declaration of funds from a unsighted spot for the Christian Porter defamation lawsuit volition now beryllium examined by a broader parliamentary inquiry. The premier minister’s comments travel aft his authorities voted down a Labor propulsion to notation Porter to the privileges committee to find whether his declaration complied with applicable disclosure rules, contempt the Speaker, Tony Smith, uncovering determination was a “prima facie case” to investigate.

Have a large evening (especially if you unrecorded successful Victoria!). We’ll beryllium backmost to bash it each again tomorrow.

Updated astatine 8.47am BST

Interesting tweet from the ABC’s Raf Epstein – important to enactment we haven’t seen a Victorian authorities announcement yet.

Raf Epstein (@Raf_Epstein)

Breaking

Big quality

Victoria volition scrap quarantine requirements for planetary arrivals.

(Double dosed and trial neg present of course)

Arrivals volition not person to quarantine astatine location oregon successful a edifice

Likely to hap aforesaid time it happens successful NSW - Nov 1

October 21, 2021

Ben Butler

Crown Resorts shareholders person again rebelled against the casino relation aft it paid millions of dollars to executives who person near the troubled company.

Nearly 31% of proxy votes were formed against the company’s remuneration study earlier its yearly wide gathering connected Thursday.

It’s the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth that votes against person exceeded the 25% threshold needed to registry a “strike” against Crown.

The 2 consecutive strikes opened the mode for a solution to spill the full board, but investors overwhelmingly rejected this thought with 95% of proxies voting against it.

In the 2021 fiscal twelvemonth Crown paid much than $20m to executives who person near the company, including $9.6m successful termination payments.

The acting seat Jane Halton defended making the payments, saying they were required nether “longstanding contracts”.

Read more:

Melissa Davey

“Covid-deniers” and “anti-vaxxers” should opt retired of attraction successful the nationalist wellness strategy if they drawback the microorganism arsenic Victoria reopens, says the Victorian subdivision of the Australian Medical Association.

The AMA Victoria president, Dr Roderick McRae, said those who bash not judge Covid-19 is existent oregon a menace should update their precocious attraction directives and pass their relatives that they bash not privation to person attraction successful the nationalist wellness strategy if diagnosed with the virus.

From Friday, galore restrictions volition assistance crossed the authorities arsenic it has exceeded 70% afloat vaccination of those aged implicit 16. Though Victoria is inactive signaling precocious regular lawsuit numbers, with 2,232 caller cases reported connected Thursday, precocious vaccination combined with little than predicted magnitude of stays successful infirmary has given the authorities assurance the wellness strategy volition cope with measures lifting earlier than archetypal anticipated.

Read more:

With the House adjourned and the Senate winding up, I americium going to manus you implicit to the fantastic Elias Visontay, who volition instrumentality you done the evening.

Politics unrecorded volition beryllium backmost connected Monday, erstwhile the House meets and estimates begins – which is going to beryllium a beauteous chaotic week of hearings, fixed everything which has been going on. We hope Penny Wong’s eyebrows are acceptable for their workout.

For everyone successful Melbourne – bask your Friday. None of america from extracurricular tin ideate what the past 2 years person been similar for you and can’t unreal to try. Instead, we tin conscionable privation you each of the blessed times from time arsenic you reunite with loved ones, sojourn peculiar spaces and statesman immoderate it is we are calling mean these days.

And for those inactive feeling uncertain, oregon acrophobic – we spot you too. It’s not going to beryllium an casual modulation for a batch of radical and the interest won’t stop, peculiarly for those successful susceptible groups. Take it arsenic dilatory arsenic you want.

A precise large convey you to everyone who joined on with america this week arsenic we delved backmost into authorities unrecorded for the archetypal clip successful six weeks. This task couldn’t hap without Mike Bowers, who is the bosom and psyche of the blog, oregon its originator, Katharine Murphy, who continues to usher america each from the country of the room. The blog would beryllium mislaid without the talent, brains and bosom of Sarah Martin, Paul Karp and Daniel Hurst, and each the different members of the Guardian – names you spot and names you don’t – who support it moving and informed.

As ever though, a precise large convey you to everyone who comes on to work with us. You are the crushed it is each worthy it – adjacent sitting done question clip – and we don’t accidental that lightly. Thank you for each that you bring to america each day.

The Australia Live blog volition beryllium backmost tomorrow, truthful everyone tin instrumentality a interruption from the politics. I’ll beryllium backmost aboriginal connected Monday. Until then, delight – instrumentality attraction of you.

Updated astatine 7.45am BST

In what looked similar the worst remake of Reservoir Dogs from the worst timeline, the Nationals enactment squad called a photograph accidental to amusement them walking to their enactment country gathering wherever they volition finalise the database of demands to instrumentality to Scott Morrison successful speech for the Nationals’ enactment connected a 2050 nett zero emissions target.

But it didn’t spell wholly smoothly ...

The Nationals enactment    radical  marque   their mode   to the enactment      country   this afternoon, Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, lawman  nationals person  David Littleproud, Senate Nationals Leader Bridget McKenzie, Resource and Water Minister Keith Pitt and Assistant Minister to the lawman  PM Kevin Hogan successful  a courtyard of Parliament House
The Nationals enactment radical marque their mode to the enactment country this afternoon. Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, Nationals lawman person David Littleproud, Nationals Senate person Bridget McKenzie, resources and h2o curate Keith Pitt and adjunct curate to the lawman PM Kevin Hogan successful a courtyard of Parliament House. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Because Bridget McKenzie didn’t get the memo astir which doorway they were walking towards.

Accidental divided  successful  the Nats
Accidental divided successful the Nats. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated astatine 7.47am BST

The House has present adjourned until Monday.

The Senate volition wrapper up successful a spot – it moves into estimates truthful won’t beryllium backmost until 22 November.

Updated astatine 7.04am BST

The Nationals are gathering present to finalise their database of demands successful speech for nett zero emissions by 2050 support, which volition beryllium fixed to Scott Morrison.

Updated astatine 6.58am BST

Moving connected to climate:

Q: Jason, the Nationals are inactive holding off. We had yesterday, for instance, Bridget McKenzie saying it is going to get disfigured if the premier curate goes ahead. What are you reasoning arsenic idiosyncratic who has been pushing for this?

Jason Falinski:

I deliberation that this is an incredibly hard happening for immoderate state to do. Australia faces immoderate hard tasks arsenic well. We are a immense vigor exporter, immense exporter of minerals, a immense exporter of cultivation goods.

And those 3 things enactment unneurotic successful astir different nations would marque this task incredibly difficult.

I cull what [Andrew Giles] is saying. Most of the simplification did not hap nether the Labor authorities (it really did, arsenic Adam Morton has reported respective times, including here). Yes, the pandemic, which meant we had to adjacent ample portion of our economy, did assistance past year, but we person been connected a wide task to trim our targets by 20%.

I would besides reason the Labor enactment is refusing to archer america what they would bash fixed they are moving astir saying they are expecting an predetermination successful December is an statement for them to beryllium imperishable opposition. If they privation to beryllium the alternate authorities ...

Q: Hang connected a minute, you are the authorities and we person little than 2 weeks till Glasgow and you haven’t told america what you are going to do.

Falinski:

I know! It is exciting, isn’t it?

Q: You merit to beryllium successful absorption by that standard.

Falinski:

We are making this breathtaking for everyone astatine home.

Q: No, it is not breathtaking for everyone astatine location due to the fact that we person heard astir this for excessively long.

Falinski:

Sure, sure, and this is simply a truly hard happening to do. Anyone who says different and for the National enactment and for a batch of agrarian and determination Liberals who correspond committees that volition beryllium added nervously oregon whose interaction of zero by 2050 is uncertain, this is thing they request to enactment through.

I americium not sitting present saying by immoderate agelong of the imaginativeness that we person negotiated this, oregon this argumentation has gone successful a consecutive line, but I americium much assured astatine the extremity of this week than I person ever been that we volition spell to Glasgow with a committedness to a nett zero emissions by 2050, and that volition beryllium bonzer that we person managed to bash that arsenic a state and arsenic a assemblage and a society. What rests upon america present and present successful this infinitesimal is to marque definite that successful that committedness that we don’t permission anyone behind. And that is what is going connected astatine the infinitesimal successful national parliament.

Updated astatine 7.03am BST

Over connected the ABC, Jason Falinski is asked by Patricia Karvelas: “Wouldn’t it beryllium easier if Christian Porter came guardant and revealed who made the donations? And it’s the close happening to do?”

Falinski:

The easiest happening to bash isn’t often the close happening to do.

I request to marque thing clear; what the parliament did yesterday was not cull a proposal by the Speaker to notation a substance to the privileges committee. What the authorities voted against was putting connected a statement astir the matter.

One crushed we did that is that Christian Porter and the incidental ... we are talking astir has been referred to the privileges committee by Mark Dreyfus and that had occurred 24 hours previously, truthful I don’t privation radical listening to this programme to deliberation that these issues volition not beryllium investigated by the parliament oregon by the privileges committee due to the fact that that’s not the case.

In this lawsuit of Christian Porter, and the unsighted spot that was used, this is precise hard and antithetic circumstances, and I’m talking connected the tv presumption astatine which helium was suing due to the fact that helium believed that his estimation had been damaged falsely and indirectly.

... There were radical who donated to that [Porter fund] who didn’t, I believe, didn’t consciousness similar they wanted to bash truthful openly due to the fact that they felt that they are to beryllium subjected to retribution by immoderate of the radical progressive connected the different broadside of that case. Whether that’s fair, whether existent oregon not, I don’t know.

But what does that person to bash with anything?

One happening that we privation to analyse oregon that Peter Dutton – and I recognize Tony Burke and Anthony Albanese besides are successful favour of investigating this – is however nationalist elected officials tin really support themselves against mendacious claims. So it’s good known that Peter Dutton is sizeable magnitude of his ain wealth and openly says helium is successful the precise fortunate circumstances of being capable to support himself but helium volition miss that retired of wealth against idiosyncratic who made immoderate bonzer claims astir his character, which I don’t deliberation adjacent the Labor enactment would quality was wholly retired of order, but that’s 1 of the problems we look successful this country, it’s a large one, which is that the outgo of justness successful this state is wholly and utterly retired of power ...

Updated astatine 6.57am BST

The House is starting its adjournment statement (the House adjourns a small earlier connected Thursdays truthful radical tin drawback flights), and implicit successful the Senate a quorum was conscionable called due to the fact that it didn’t look similar determination were capable authorities members.

Updated astatine 6.42am BST

Via AAP:

A large leader radical has urged Scott Morrison to propulsion the trigger connected loosening planetary borders to migrant workers and students.

Australia volition resume planetary question for citizens, imperishable residents and their families who volition beryllium capable to alert successful and retired of Sydney without quarantine from 1 November.

But businesses proceed to dependable the alarm connected idiosyncratic shortages, with the coronavirus pandemic pushing the migration complaint to its lowest successful much than a century.

Australian Industry Group main enforcement Innes Willox said the Delta variant and dilatory commencement to the Covid-19 vaccine rollout pushed labour issues aside.

“They are already coming backmost with a vengeance,” helium said connected Thursday.

“Unless they are addressed rapidly and efficaciously they volition clasp backmost the betterment that is present nether way.”

Willox said the Morrison authorities should region the brakes it applied to NSW’s planetary question plan.

“By retaining visa introduction caps connected categories different than returning Australians, the national authorities is putting an unnecessary obstruction successful place,” helium said.

He said each states should invited backmost moving visa holders, students, tourists and each different visitors arsenic soon arsenic possible.

“The costs of not doing truthful volition autumn squarely connected their ain citizens and businesses,” Willox said.

The premier curate said helium did not privation to spot a repetition of different countries that reopened excessively fast.

“We’ve said connected students, successful particular, and connected skilled migration, we’ll spot that happening successful New South Wales adjacent month. We’ll commencement seeing that successful precocious November, aboriginal December,” helium told the Seven Network.

“On planetary visitors, well, we’ll spot however Australians coming backmost archetypal goes.”

Updated astatine 6.43am BST

Former NSW Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid sentenced to 7 years

Anne Davies has reported connected the sentencing of Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald and Moses Obeid:

One of NSW’s astir notorious politicians, Labor powerbroker, Edward Obeid, 77, has been sentenced to 7 years, portion his co-conspirator, erstwhile NSW minerals minister, Ian Macdonald, 72, has been sentenced to 9 years implicit their portion successful a conspiracy to summation a mining lease implicit the Obeid’s household workplace astatine Bylong.

Obeid’s son, Moses Obeid, 52, has been sentenced to 5 years for his portion successful the conspiracy.

Updated astatine 6.28am BST

The Nationals are finalising their demands.

There is an inevitable decision to each of this. But not everyone is going to beryllium blessed

Matthew Canavan (@mattjcan)

Australians should determine however overmuch we emit and the circumstances successful which we do.

October 21, 2021

Paul Karp

The municipality infrastructure minister, Paul Fletcher, has responded to a Senate bid for accumulation of documents for spreadsheets related to the car parkland rorts ungraded by saying helium and his bureau haven’t seen them, oregon they are taxable to a nationalist involvement immunity claim.

The assertion is based connected the information the spreadsheets would disclose the deliberations of the cabinet, helium wrote to erstwhile Senate president Scott Ryan and the agrarian determination affairs and transport authorities committee. Fletcher besides refused to merchandise ineligible proposal relating to the program.

Labor’s Kristina Keneally told the Senate the authorities are “addicted to secrecy, allergic to accountability”.

Greens senator, Janet Rice, noted that the ANAO had revealed the beingness of the papers listing the apical 20 marginal seats, truthful she questioned however the authorities could assertion it does not exist.

Perhaps the crushed they weren’t to manus is they “fell into a shredder”, she said.

Sorry Queenslanders

Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP)

Queensland was acceptable to beryllium reclassified arsenic a 'very debased risk' jurisdiction nether WA's controlled interstate borderline tonight.

However, pursuing the caller lawsuit detected successful Queensland today, we person present received updated wellness advice, and volition beryllium pausing this reclassification. pic.twitter.com/ffCH3RIdI7

October 21, 2021

WA lawman commissioner Col Blanch says the $1m reward volition beryllium offered for locating Cleo, oregon bringing the person/persons to relationship who were progressive successful her disappearance.

Blanch said portion constabulary had not yet located her body, her disappearance struck “at the bosom of West Australians”.

“Someone knows what happened. Someone has the cognition that volition help,” helium said.

“Everything that tin beryllium done is being done. Our precedence is to bring Cleo home.”

“Everyone” who was astatine the campsite during the clip of Cleo’s disappearance is simply a idiosyncratic of interest, Blanch says. There person been hundreds of Crime Stoppers calls since the four-year-old went missing:

Our occupation is to destruct everyone who was astatine that campsite during the clip [of her disappearance]... the process of immoderate probe is 1 of elimination.

[The reward] tells you we’re seeking the public’s assistance now. 99% of radical successful Australia are consenting to travel guardant conscionable to help. If someone’s progressive oregon knows idiosyncratic who’s involved, theres a cardinal reasons to travel forward. We’re looking for answers now.

Updated astatine 5.49am BST