The headlines for Tuesday 9 November

I want to thank you for spending the time with me this afternoon/evening as we went through the news.

Let’s do a quick recap of the big stories we saw today:

  • Dylan Alcott, the first man in tennis history to complete the golden slam (winning all four major singles titles as well as an Olympic or Paralympic gold in one year), has announced that he will retire after the next Australian Open.
  • An Indigenous man was shot and killed by police after a confrontation in Seven Hills in Sydney’s west.
  • The Australian Capital Territory recorded 18 new Covid-19 cases today, NSW 224, the Northern Territory one and Victoria 1,069.
  • Scott Morrison did a full 180 on his electric vehicle stance, announcing the government will spend an extra $250m on building Australia’s refuelling and recharging network - including putting 50,000 charging stations in homes.
  • NSW hit the 90% Covid vaccine milestone.

And that’s it for today. Thanks for being with us.

Team Guardian Australia.

Updated

Santa is refusing to get the vaccine ...

The ABC is reporting a Santa shortage because some are refusing the vaccine. Santa manager Jessica Vatoff at photography agency Scene To Believe said they are short 60 Santas across the nation.

“We have about 500 Santas, but we are short 60. So we are really opening up our recruitment, and we have actually taken on a couple of Santas in their late 20s.

“You don’t have to have a beard and big belly because we can supply the belly, the beard, we can supply everything. You just need to love Christmas.”

Some really nice news for Victoria tonight.

Great news Victoria! We're about to pass 92% first dose for 12+. A massive achievement! Continues to rise. #covid19vic

— Dr Sandro Demaio (@SandroDemaio) November 9, 2021

Weak and outdated laws are allowing widespread money laundering in the property sector, making Australia a “destination of choice” for illicit funds and “locking many Australians out of owning their own homes”, a Senate inquiry has been told.

The Senate is probing the strength of Australia’s money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, and heard on Tuesday from anti-corruption group Transparency International Australia and its director, former Austrac general counsel Russell Wilson.

For anyone wondering why the Liberals are being accused of flipping on electric vehicles here is the video of Michaelia Cash attacking Labor’s electric car policy during the 2019 election.

“We are going to stand by our tradies and we are going to save their utes,” she said.

Michaelia Cash to save the utes. Johnny's car today wont be the one he drives tomorrow and claims 50% of the apprentices standing behind her will be driving an electric vehicle under Bill Shorten. #ausvotes #qldpol pic.twitter.com/Lzvd26vBGh

— David Marler (@Qldaah) April 9, 2019

Updated

There has been a lot of talk about electric vehicles today. My colleuge Royce Kurmelovs has a really good rundown of what the PM’s plan actually is and if it will work.

In Victoria, over one thousand people are expected to rally outside parliament house this evening, to protest the state government’s proposed pandemic laws.

At least three of the state’s Liberal MPs are expected to attend the protest, which is linked to the anti-mandate movement.

Some of the main changes include giving the premier the power to declare a pandemic, allowing that pandemic status to be extended for up to three months at a time with no maximum time, and up to $90,500 fines and two years’ jail time for people who don’t comply with public health orders.

Updated

Not so long ago Morrison said Labor’s electric vehicle policy would “end the weekend”. Now he’s spruiking his own plan, but there’s no substance to it, writes Sarah Martin.

Updated

In Tasmania, Opposition leader Rebecca White has revealed a homeless young person was released from the state’s youth detention centre – and given a tent to live in over winter.

“It is our understanding that a young person was exited into a situation where they didn’t have a home earlier this year and that they subsequently lived in a tent,” White said.

“That is completely unacceptable for a young person to be given a tent in the middle of winter.

“We know this government has a history of providing tents to young people on care and protection orders.”

According to The Mercury, the centre will be replaced within three years.

Updated

Anger at half-price fares!

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns says the half-price fares on offer for commuters dealing with Sydney’s light-rail fallout is not good enough.

“Look, it should be free,” Minns said.

“At the end of the day, people that use the Inner West light rail shouldn’t be paying for the government’s mistakes.

“They pay taxes, that infrastructure is in place off the back of the people of New South Wales’ hard work in terms of tax revenue, it’s completely screwed up.”

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology is busy briefing emergency agencies today, including the SES in NSW. Here’s the public message:

Parts of #NSW are forecast to receive more than a month's worth of rain over the three days from today. People who live close to the #Qld border and along the western slopes, should prepare for heavy #rain and possible #flooding now.

Latest forecasts: https://t.co/olrE8nKYXF pic.twitter.com/qM4w4NRjvz

— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) November 9, 2021

A seriously ill 66-year-old widow has taken legal action in a bid to stop Gerry Harvey evicting her from the home she shared with her late husband, a longtime friend of the billionaire retailer.

In documents filed with the NSW supreme court, Peggy Luker alleges Harvey promised her and her husband, Garry Dent, that the home would be transferred to them as the result of property development work he did, but this never happened.

And that’s it for the day from Nino Bucci. He will be back live-tweeting Victoria’s IBAC hearings on Thursday - and I will make sure you get it on the blog.

That's it for day nine. We're back on Thursday.

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Just going back to Nino Bucci - he was covering Adem Somyurek’s questioning by Victoria’s Independent Broad‑based Anti‑corruption agency today.

They've moved on to a dispute between Somyurek and the Suleymans. A 2017 text sent by Somyurek to the Suleymans appears to indicate they wanted him to organise a job for Hakki Suleyman in Anthony Byrne's electorate office for two days a week, without Hakki having to show up

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek denies that he organised this, or that there was anything in it for him. We're now in discussions about more factional "war", including between Somyurek and Stephen Conroy, who Somyurek repeatedly referred to as a gaming lobbyist

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek says he is spilling all these factional secrets now, but that Ibac is lucky he remembers them because he's been writing a book

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr is showing Somyurek time sheets again. These ones relate to a staffer who put in two time sheets on 18 June last year: one sheet said he worked for Somyurek that day, the other says he worked for Meng Heang Tak. Both MPs signed off on the time sheets.

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr: "Obviously enough, he wasn’t doing two shifts simultaneously between 9 and 5 on that day..."
Somyurek: "There’s obviously a confusion...I can’t see anything sinister in it."

Somyurek says the staffer, Salazar Youhorn, was his electorate officer and had done factional work

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Ibac plays a recording of an intercepted phone call between Somyurek and Rick Garotti from mid-2020. Somyurek makes clear he's worried the phone call is being listened to, and Garotti says: “Well it’s scary mate, the territory we’re in”

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek says he wasn't trying to get Garotti to help him hide anything. He says that when "Ibac goes into something they’re going to get everything...you can’t hide"

Redlich quips: "I wish that was true Mr Somyurek, you would be surprised how limiting the legislation is”

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Wilson said the government is “empowering people” to be part of the emissions reductions journey.

When asked how the government will choose who gets one of the 50,000 charging stations he said:

“That will go through a proper process to make sure that the allocation is done to ensure that it is empowering consumers.

“So those details have been worked through, but what we want to do is make sure that there is that infrastructure because there are huge consequences to seeing, particularly, electric vehicles go into the grid.”

... somehow I don’t think my rented sharehouse will be one of the 50,000.

Victorian MP Tim Wilson is on Afternoon Briefing on the ABC talking about the government’s new electric vehicle plan - which involves partnering with the private sector to fund 50,000 charging stations in Australian homes.

Asked about the government saying Labor’s 2019 election plan would “ruin the weekend” Wilson said:

“The volume of vehicles available in the marketplace and the range of them, the cost basis in the technology has markedly improved,” he said.

“You just need to talk to electric vehicle manufacturers and they will tell you how many more products in the marketplace.”

Hello, half-price fares! This from the Australian Associated Press just now:

Frustrated Sydney commuters forced on to replacement bus services after defects were discovered on the city’s inner-west light rail cars will be compensated with half-price fares.

The NSW government on Friday revealed the L1 Dulwich Hill line could - in the “worst-case scenario” - be out of action for up to 18 months to fix significant cracking found on all 12 trams.

Replacement buses have been running since last week, and are already transporting 5000 passengers a day.

Transport Minister Rob Stokes on Tuesday announced passengers on those services would have their fares halved to $1.90 each way.

However, Inner West Mayor Rochelle Porteous and NSW Labor have demanded the government provide free alternative transport.

“This is a half price refund for a broken service,” said Labor’s transport spokesperson Jo Haylen, who is also the MP for Summer Hill.

“Passengers shouldn’t have to pay for the inconvenience caused by the government’s light rail fail.”

Updated

The highest proportion of vacant positions was in country areas, where listings were taking, on average, up to four months to fill, prompting protests across 13 towns and regional cities this week from Wagga to Coffs Harbour, Broken Hill and Dubbo.

Almost 90% of schools in the Far West and Orana region had vacant permanent teaching positions in October, while at least 80% of schools in the Central West and Riverina had vacant positions and 67% of schools in the Richmond Tweed were hiring, new government figures showed.

“The NSW Government is ignoring the advice of its own department about the critical situation we are in,” Rajendra said.

Under the current payment scheme, NSW graduate teachers begin at a base rate of $72,263, rising to $87,157 after two years and peaking at a maximum of $114,720.

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the sector was “heading into a perfect storm,” with a 25% increase in students expected over the next five years despite downward trend of completion rates and admissions.

“We are barely graduating enough teachers to keep up, let alone continuing demand as a result of growing student population,” he said.

“The shortages are proof that if we don’t pay teachers what they are worth, we don’t get the teachers we need.”

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said the union was in an award negotiation with the department and was “actively encouraging its members to agitate and disrupt schools across the state as part of its campaign”.

In this year’s budget, the NSW government announced $124.8 million for a Teacher Supply Strategy to deliver a “sustainable pipeline” of teachings and develop a mid-career pathway into teaching.

“Schools regularly have vacancies for permanent positions. These positions are normally filled by temporary teachers while active recruitment is underway, but will still appear as a permanent vacancy,” the spokesperson said.

“This is normal for schools and for a system of NSW’s size.

A staffing crisis hitting New South Wales schools has prompted a string of protests across the regions, following warnings the state may run out of teachers within five years.

The New South Wales Teachers Federation deputy president Henry Rajendra said if the NSW government didn’t act to address shortages disproportionately impacting public schools in regional areas, country kids would “pay the price”.

Department of Education briefings provided to Guardian Australia revealed as early as 2019 the state government was aware of supply challenges in the sector, and as recently as July had been warned of a “large and growing” shortage of teachers across NSW.

One document released last year said the “demands and expectations” on teachers were increasing while rewards, pathways and learning opportunities weren’t providing “enough incentive” to pursue the career.

“On average teacher pay has been falling relative to pay in other professions since the late 1980s and this makes it a less attractive profession for high achieving students,” the briefing read.

“We cannot improve student outcomes without having a sufficient supply of high quality teachers available where and when they are needed…if we don’t address supply gaps now, we will run out of teachers in the next five years.”

Supply challenges were also leading to a greater number of teachers being required to teach outside of their speciality areas.

NSW public schools had the highest proportion of out of field teachers, with more than 100,000 young adults in public high schools being taught by teachers working outside their area of expertise.

Rajendra blamed rising enrolments, a 30% decline in people studying teaching, unsustainable workloads and non competitive salaries for the shortages of full time and casual teachers.

He said NSW state government MP’s needed to ditch a “one size fits all” salary cap in favour of a greater investment in country teachers.

“Every year teachers have been asked to do more but every year their pay has fallen in comparison to other professions...if we don’t pay teachers what they are worth, we don’t get the teachers we need,” he said.

It’s worth having a look at the big picture climate drivers nudging the eastern two-thirds of Australia into a pretty damp patch, as indicated by the Bureau of Meteorology’s outlook for coming months.

In short, conditions to Australia’s west, south and east are all conducive to a wetter than average period ahead.

The Bureau this afternoon released its updated fortnightly report on those climate drivers. To the west, cloud patterns in the eastern Indian Ocean are a sign warmer than average ocean temperatures in the region are still generating the moisture streaming across the continent now.

There’s a dinky phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole that gauges relative temperatures between the east and the west of that basin. Its negative phase, which has recently ended, was a big contributor to the damp spring in the south and east of the country. (During the severe drought, the positive phase primed the run-up to the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.)

To the south is another gauge climatologists use called the Southern Annular Mode, which tracks how far north or south a westerly band of winds is blowing.
This measure is in its positive phase - when that band is further north - and is forecast to remain so for the rest of 2021. Translation: expect wetter weather in eastern Australia but drier times if you’re lucky enough to live in western Tasmania.

Finally, to the east, there’s a La Niña forming in the Pacific (some agencies have already declared one). The main models are anyway predicting how conditions will continue to favour such an event in coming months. In short, east to west trade winds are strengthening, bringing more moisture to Australia from the east.

More on the ‘beasts to our east’ here.

As the Bureau notes, though, regardless of whether La Nina thresholds do get crossed, the fact conditions are already ‘La Niña like’ raises the odds for a wetter than usual spring and summer for Australia’s east and north.

In summary: there’s a good chance the floods we’re about to see in the next week won’t be the last before the summer’s out. Expect, though, a modest bushfire season.

Updated

I think it’s been long enough to admit - I was into the pigeon. But on the Sesquipedalian Sea Squirt ... I am really not convinced.

Move over Rundle Mall pigeon, there’s a new piece of public art leaving passers-by buzzing with intrigue. Meet Sesquipedalian Sea Squirt, the 3-metre-tall centrepiece of a new Glenelg pedestrian plaza - it even drizzles water. Hear the artist's inspiration in 7NEWS at 6pm. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/7gcgdyBy5H

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) November 9, 2021

While we’re on sports and vaccines - the NRL confirmed today that unvaccinated players will be banned from training and playing in both Queensland and Victoria.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said he was not surprised that Queensland had joined Victoria in banning players.

“We will adapt to and adhere to the public health orders and obviously that will mean that the very, very small group of players that choose not to be vaccinated, will have to adhere to those public health orders,” he said.

“The public health order is you can’t enter the stadium unless you’ve been vaccinated, then those players won’t be able to train and play.”

About 95% of players are fully vaccinated, with about 20 to 24 having not gotten the jab.

Updated

The vaccination status of sports players is becoming a hot-button issue, with the Australian Open coming up.

The federal government has said it’s open to having unvaccinated players come, they’ll just have to quarantine.

But that’s out of sync with some of the states, including Victoria. Premier Daniel Andrews was asked about it earlier today and had some strong words:

“You can’t have unvaccinated people unable to buy a ticket while unvaccinated players move their way around Melbourne Park,” Andrews said.

“I don’t know why they would be let in, frankly. That is a matter for the commonwealth.”

Updated

Checking in now with Nino Bucci - he is covering Adem Somyurek’s questioning by Victoria’s Independent Broad‑based Anti‑corruption agency today.

Back from lunch. Somyurek is being asked why "many many dozens" of time sheets for his staff have "working on project" listed as their formal duties.

"It's there, I've written it, but I've got to say I don't usually do that," Somyurek said.

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr says one time sheet related to a casual staffer who was told not to go into the office, did not do any electorate office work, and "that it was effectively just a charitable thing that he would be given free money by the taxpayer, because he was going through a hard time"

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek strongly denies the evidence given by this staffer, whose payment was authorised on a form signed by Somyurek telling Carr: "I wasn’t that desperate to have him, I could tell you. I’m not going to do that. No way"

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr: "That would be the most egregious form of corruption, wouldn’t it Mr Somyurek?"

Somyurek: "Yes...Yeah I’m not going to do that, there’s no way I’m going to do that."

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

NSW hits 90% vaccination rate

NSW hit another Covid vaccine milestone today - the big 9 0.

According to the federal government, the state hit 90.12% at the end of Monday.

NSW has just hit 90% double vaxxed - one of the highest rates in the world 💪

Thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeve!

— Chris Minns (@ChrisMinnsMP) November 9, 2021

Updated

Here is a list of questions NSW police would not comment on in relation to this morning’s fatal shooting:

Did the man suffer chest wounds?

Was he being aggressive towards police officers?

Was it just one officer who fired a shot?

Are you able to clarify anything about the sex or rank of the officer-involved?

Police said there were four officers in the house and would all be subject to “ongoing welfare care and attendance”.

The NSW police spokesperson was asked what happens now.

“Forensics will be involved but beyond that, it is a critical incident investigation that will prepare a report for the coroner. I think that is it. No more questions.”

NSW police will not answer much on this.

They will confirm the shooting took place inside the premises.

“There were four offices inside the premises but I can’t yet confirm who fired the shot and how many shots were fired,” the police spokesperson said.

NSW police update on fatal shooting

NSW police are now giving an update on the shooting this morning.

“Around 11.20am, Blacktown police attended an address in Bulah Way at seven Hills to search for a man wanted on an arrest warrant.

“They were confronted by a 45-year-old man who was armed with a knife and an axe. Officers let out a number of shots, unfortunately, the man collapsed.

“Officers used CPR but the man was unable to be revived. A critical incident investigation team has been formed and will investigate the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.”

Updated

It’s pretty clear that it won’t take much rain for sodden catchments across much of eastern Australia to start flooding.

As it happens, there’s already been a bit of rain in recent days, such as 113mm at Gunnedah in northern NSW in the past day or so, according to WaterNSW’s reports.

WaterNSW is expecting Wednesday will bring widespread rain over the NSW northwest slopes and plains, northern tablelands of about 20-40mm, with isolated areas collecting up to 100mm.

On Thursday, those in the northwest slopes and plains, northern tablelands and northern rivers regions can expect another 50mm or more of rain, with again the possibility of 100mm-plus totals.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts sizeable falls over the next eight days over a large area:

Those widespread falls over the next eight days are likely to bring minor to major flooding in a host of inland rivers, particularly in NSW. https://t.co/B0qq6ELdCf pic.twitter.com/eLvsXmDoXM

— Peter Hannam (@p_hannam) November 9, 2021


They have also issued an initial and lengthy list of rivers likely to have minor to major flooding.

As a result, parts of the NSW State of Emergency Service are gearing up for a “significant weather event moving from the north west of NSW to the east coast in coming days”.

“The system will bring heavy rainfall and potential flooding to widespread areas of NSW,” the SES said.

All SES units in the Northern Zone, for instance, will be briefed today at 6pm AEDT on the likely hazards.

For now, Warragamba, Sydney’s main dam, is not expected to spill. It’s sitting at about 97% full. That dam last spilled in March, with large flooding downstream.

Keepit dam is full and is among the inland NSW dams likely to spill. Wyangala, another big one, is at 99% full and is receiving about 30 billion litres a day. It will be spilling soon if it isn’t already.

It looks like farmers racing to get their crops in aren’t the only ones likely to be extra busy this week.

Updated

There will be a press conference in a few minutes with NSW police, after officers shot and killed a man during a confrontation in Seven Hills in Sydney’s west this morning.

Updated

Dwyer said the driver then fled the crash scene before getting into a black SUV 2.5km away.

“Police attempted to intercept .... the black SUV has driven at the police members and they were unable to engage further pursuit at that point,” he said.

The driver is described as a Caucasian male in his 30s. Police are now undertaking a land and air search in an attempt to track him down.

Updated

Dwyer said the driver was travelling above the speed limit before hitting the two workers. The driver is believed to have suffered some facial injuries.

“Eyewitness accounts indicate that he was travelling at speed in the right-hand lane and at the last moment he made an attempt to avoid colliding with the ute on the road by veering left at the very last second but it was too late,” Dwyer said.

Updated

In Melbourne, Victoria Police are giving an update on this morning’s hit-and-run in Carrum Downs.

Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who left one person dead and another with life-threatening injuries after hitting road workers in the city’s southeast.

“It is just a callous, cold act. The act of a coward,” detective acting senior sergeant Jarrod Dwyer said.

Updated

New Zealand’s parliament is on high alert after thousands of anti-vaccination mandate protesters, some threatening violence, gathered in Wellington and across the country.

As of early Tuesday, about 2,000 people had gathered in central Wellington, and almost all the gates and entrances to parliament had been shut off. According to news outlet Stuff, the Speaker of the house, Trevor Mallard, said it was the biggest increase in parliamentary security he had seen since his election in 1984.

Updated

This tweet from Luke, who is watching the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

Christina Ryan from the Disability Leadership Institute has told the royal commission: "We have actually
got, for example, an NDIA [National Disability Insurance Agency] with no disabled people on its board or in its executive leadership team."

— Luke Henriques-Gomes (@lukehgomes) November 9, 2021

At the Senate inquiry into money laundering, Transparency International Australia’s chief, executive, Serena Lillywhite, has warned Australia is “highly exposed to money laundering and the flow of dirty money”.

The Senate legal and constitutional affairs references committee is considering whether anti-money laundering laws should be extended to lawyers, accountants and real estate agents.

Lillywhite said Australia is a “destination of choice for corruption-related proceeds” from countries such as Sudan, China, Russia and Malaysia which “too often ends up in the property market”.

She said: “Money laundering is not a faceless crime. It has devastating impacts in Australia and overseas. It can reasonably be argued it is pushing up property prices in Australia and locking Australians out of owning their own home.”

Lillywhite welcomed the Australian government’s introduction of director ID numbers, but wants much bigger reforms including a register of beneficial ownership.

In April 2016, Kelly O’Dwyer, then assistant treasurer, said “we agree there needs to be a registry of beneficial ownership in our country”, but ahead of the 2019 election the Coalition backflipped and said it was not policy to create one.

Updated

Market Forces isn’t the only environmental group left unimpressed by the cap on oil and gas lending that big bank NAB announced this morning.

As we reported earlier, Market Forces said the pledge contained “tonnes and tonnes of loopholes and room for the bank to continue as usual” and amounted to greenwashing - something the bank denies.

Now, community group Lock The Gate has also taken a swing, with national coordinator Carmel Flint saying: “NAB’s new policy is so vague, we doubt it will do anything to reduce the bank’s willingness to finance polluting and destructive greenfield gas and oil developments.”

“They have left a huge loophole which allows them to fund new (greenfield) developments if companies claim the oil and gas is needed to meet domestic energy needs, despite companies regularly claiming that whilst sending most gas offshore.”

She called on NAB to rule out lending towards projects in four oil and gas areas: Narrabri in NSW, the Lake Eyre Basin in Queensland, the NT’s Beetaloo sub-basin, and WA’s Kimberley region.

“Australia is already awash with gas which we are shipping overseas - we don’t need any new development here, regardless of what gas companies claim it will be used for,” she said.

Updated

Let’s link in with Nino Bucci - he is covering Adem Somyurek’s questioning by the Victoria’s Independent Broad‑based Anti‑corruption agency today.

Back from the break. Later in the same conversation mentioned earlier, Somyurek says he will pay for the memberships of Somali members. Once he gets to this section, he says he agrees it was expected the Kumar's would pay for Indians.

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek agrees he knew this breached party rules. Somyurek: "I'm not trying to say this was anything pure or proper, I’m not trying to justify it" and later "I knew it was [a breach] yes. It was in response to hostile action from the SL [Socialist Left], but it’s no excuse."

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek is told during the conversation that there's signatures that don't match on some of the membership forms, and that it looks as if they've been forged. Somyurek firstly says "fuck" but then "do people check that much?"

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr: "Do you accept that you felt no compunction at signatures having been forged?"
Somyurek: “Well on the face of it, yes...there’s also one other explanation, it might be that I’m thinking is she [the person raising the forgery issue] being too pedantic?”

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek: "I had lost all perspective, and you can condemn me in the strongest possible terms"

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

WA’s director general of health Dr David Russell-Weisz said the recommendations will strengthen the work of the hospital.

“The inquiry team identified that notwithstanding the findings and recommendations improvements, PCH is an excellent hospital whose safety and quality is comparable to pH children’s Hospital across Australia.”

The report will be released publicly in the coming hours and tabled in the state’s parliament. There will also be a coronial inquest into Aishwarya’s death.

Updated

“I want to acknowledge Aishwarya’s parents. I spoke with them this morning because I want to apologise to them again of the tragic loss of a seven-year-old daughter. Their role in this report has been crucial,” Cook said.

Cook said the inquiry makes 30 recommendations.

“All 30 will be accepted and acted upon immediately and all of them will be acted upon.”

Updated

In Perth, WA health minister Roger Cook is talking about the release of a report following an independent inquiry into the emergency department at Perth Children’s Hospital.

The inquiry’s report comes after seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath spent two hours waiting at the hospital on 3 April after she presented with a fever. She died minutes after she was finally seen.

Updated

And in NSW – 254 people are being treated in hospital with Covid, with 42 in ICU. Almost 94% of the eligible population has received one vaccine dose, and close to 90% are fully vaccinated. An amazing number there!

Updated

Let’s bounce down to Victoria where we have a breakdown of the state’s Covid numbers. There were 1,069 new cases recorded in the latest reporting period, a slight decrease compared to the previous day. Ten more people have died from the virus.

There are 579 people in hospital. Of those patients, 90 are in intensive care. More than 92% of people aged 16 and over have received at least one vaccine dose in Victoria, and more than 84% are fully vaccinated.

Updated

Gunner says masks are still needed in Port Darwin and Katherine inside shops, bars and all public venues.

“You can exercise without a mask provided it isn’t a safe distance, but this includes the gym,” Gunner said.

Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner has just spoken, confirming lockout restrictions across greater Darwin will lift at midnight. It comes after the NT recorded one new Covid case.

“Some individuals have been identified as close contacts. We are doing final testing work with them now. These results will be back today and it is one reason why the lockout will lift at midnight.

“All other close contacts are in isolation and all have been tested and all are negative.”

Updated

Labor says Australia 'falling way behind' on EVs

Thank you, Matilda. Let’s get cracking on this afternoon’s news with Labor’s response to Scott Morrison’s announcement on electric vehicles.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese says:

They’re once again not showing the leadership that’s required. Once again, Scott Morrison is following. The truth is that all of the auto manufacturers are phasing out internal combustion engines.

There is a massive shift around the world to electric vehicles. Australia’s uptake last year was under 2%. In Norway, it was 70%. In the United Kingdom, it was 15% and rising. We’re falling way behind.

You might remember electric vehicles were a big part of the 2019 federal election campaign – Labor went to the election with the policy that 50% of new car sales would be electric by the end of the decade.

The PM warned it would “end the weekend”.

Updated

With that, I shall hand you over to the amazing Cait Kelly who will take you through the afternoon of news.

See you all bright and early tomorrow!

Updated

I want to try and goof on this old interview of Angus Taylor criticising electric cars because people would forget to plug them in to charge. But honestly, besides the huge price tag, that’s one of the biggest reasons I would hesitate to buy one.

My laptop battery has already died twice while blogging today and I’m sitting right next to a power point.

Angus Taylor raised concerns about electric vehicles at the last election because he thought people (including him) would forget to plug them in to charge

from April 2019, on 2GB: https://t.co/gNCImNmr7d pic.twitter.com/nT9i9w4AED

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) November 9, 2021

Updated

News Corp Australia has posted a $60.7m loss as the pandemic exacerbates ongoing upheaval throughout the media industry.

The company blamed a $167m hit to advertising revenues on regional and community closures or digital transitions.

More than 220 Australian newsrooms have shrunk or vanished since the start of the pandemic, while 111 have opened or expanded.

The Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) collates public data for its Australian Newsroom Mapping Project. According to that data, since January 2019, News Corp Australia has had 116 “contractions”, most of which were the closure of mastheads or the cancellation of print editions. The figures show 20 News Corp newsrooms experienced growth with new websites, and it is understood an additional four News Corp websites also launched in that time.

You can read the full report below:

And I even missed one of his pit stops! I’m getting tired just watching the prime minister’s morning!

Stop 2 for Scott Morrison. Catching up with local business owners in Malvern East. @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/QNUnwfCftC

— Sara Jones (@SaraJones_7) November 9, 2021

One new Covid case recorded in NT

One new Covid-19 case has been recorded in the Northern Territory.

A 48-year-old man who was a close contact of a previous case has tested positive, but luckily he has been in quarantine since 5 November in the Howard Springs facility.

This will not affect the lockout ending at midnight tonight.

#BREAKING A 48 year old man has tested positive, he's fully vaccinated and has been in Howard Springs since November 5 Lockout will end at midnight tonight #covid19NT

— Myles Houlbrook-Walk (@MylesWalk) November 9, 2021

Updated

Gosh this man is packing a lot into a day!

Quick 💇‍♂️ for @ScottMorrisonMP. @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/7fyjiMVAuu

— Sara Jones (@SaraJones_7) November 9, 2021

Remember yesterday when deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said that Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd should stop publically criticising the prime minister’s dealings with France?

I believe the term “dipstick” was thrown around.

Well, Rudd is not all too happy about it and has jotted his thoughts down for us here at Guardian Australia.

In the wake of Malcolm Turnbull’s witheringly accurate assessment of Scott Morrison’s character last week, conservative political operatives have become increasingly aggressive in demanding that former prime ministers observe “dignified” silence about the current government’s myriad failures.

This, of course, is a transparent effort to shield Morrison from pointed criticism, particularly from his own side, ahead of the next federal election.

It is also breathtaking in its hypocrisy. Mysteriously these political attacks by the Murdoch media and government ministers, present and former, only seem to apply to former prime ministers who dare to criticise Morrison.

You can read his full opinion piece below:

Updated

NSW Health have released further details on the four people infected with Covid-19 who died in the latest reporting period:

Sadly, NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of four people with Covid-19 – two women and two men.

One person was in their 50s, two people were in their 80s, and one person was in their 90s.

Three people were from south western Sydney and one person was from Albury.

Three people were not vaccinated and one person, a woman in her 80s, had received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

A woman in her 90s was a resident at the Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury, where she acquired her infection. She was not vaccinated. There have been nine deaths linked to an outbreak at this facility.

NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to their loved ones.

Speaking of the ACT, here are some details from AAP about the new, eased restrictions in place from Friday in the territory.

Nightclubs can reopen and visitor limits at home will be scrapped in Canberra sooner than expected, after the ACT government brought forward the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The changes were brought forward by two weeks due to the ACT’s high vaccination rate, which has passed 95%.

From midnight on Friday, indoor and outdoor entertainment venues can host events with 100% capacity, while restrictions on cinemas and swimming pools will also be relaxed.

Limits have been scrapped for visitors to the home or informal outdoor gatherings. More people will be allowed in pubs, cafes, restaurants and retail with density restrictions eased to one per 2 sq metres. Density limits will no longer apply to outdoor spaces.

Nightclubs will also be able to reopen with dancing permitted, while punters will be able to drink while standing up. Organised sport can also restart in indoor settings.

Face masks will only be required in high-risk settings such as aged care, hospitals, public transport and in schools. However, the government is still urging Canberrans to wear face masks in crowded settings.

The measures will remain in place over the Christmas period and will be reviewed by health authorities in late January. Travel exemption requirements will remain in place for high-risk areas across the country.

Updated

ACT records 18 new Covid-19 case

The Australian Capital Territory has recorded 18 new Covid-19 cases today.

ACT COVID-19 update (9 November 2021):
New cases today: 18
Active cases: 150
Total cases: 1,760
Negative test results (past 24 hours): 1,570
In hospital: 1
In ICU: 1
Ventilated: 1
Total lives lost: 11 pic.twitter.com/mwkD3gJ3nM

— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) November 9, 2021

Updated

Touching base with Nino Bucci who is covering Adem Somyurek’s questioning by the Victoria’s Independent Broad‑based Anti‑corruption agency today.

Carr is taking Somyurek to an integral point: what was his state of mind when he secured work for people within the faction in publicly-funded positions. Somyurek says he knew there would be some factional work done, but that their first responsibility was electorate office work

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Somyurek makes clear that he feels there wasn't enough factional work to occupy these staff regularly, so that he expected they would mostly be doing a mix of genuine electorate office work and doing private activities such as reading "law journals"

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

We're going through a recording of a conversation between Somyurek and another person from March last year. They're discussing how to deploy staff from the faction, and Somyurek is making clear he doesn't want them to "know the money stuff" re payments for memberships

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Back, short break. Somyurek is being asked about the Kumar brothers paying money for other people's Labor Party memberships. He says "everyone" pays for other people's memberships. Somyurek: “If they were paying for it, they were trying to get influence in the Labor Party.”

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Redlich is giving Somyurek another going over about answering the questions. Somyurek responds that he needs to be given third options, not just yes or no answers. It's too "binary", he says. With that, we're on a break.

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Is this a complicated pun about “bringing home the dough”?

ScoMo making gnocchi at Sugo restaurant in Malvern. Anyone hungry? @ScottMorrisonMP @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/1h5Yh1Bw0K

— Gillian Lantouris (@gillianlant) November 9, 2021

A driver is on the run after ploughing into several pedestrians in south-east Melbourne, with one person dead and another seriously injured.

A red Holden was driving along Hall Road in Carrum Downs about 7.15am on Tuesday when it struck a number of people near the intersection with Lats Avenue, police said.

One person, who is yet to be identified, died from their injuries at the scene, and another has been flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

You can read the full details below:

AFL legend Russell Ebert will be given a state funeral, the SA premier has just announced.

BREAKING: The Premier says Russell Ebert’s family has accepted the offer of a State Funeral.

It will be held at Alberton Oval next week. @7NewsAdelaide @PAFC pic.twitter.com/FaunQ49ETg

— Andrea Nicolas (@AndreaLNicolas) November 9, 2021

Updated

Man shot and killed by police in Sydney

There is news breaking in Sydney, where a man was shot and killed by police after a confrontation in Seven Hills in the city’s west.

Here is what NSW police have said so far:

About 11.20am, officers attached to Blacktown Police Area Command attended a home on Bulah Way, Seven Hills, to conduct inquiries in relation to an outstanding warrant.

A [alleged] physical confrontation ensued and a man was shot by police.

Officers conducted CPR until the arrival of NSW ambulance paramedics who worked on the man, but he could not be revived.

A crime scene has been established and inquiries are underway.

A number of residential streets have been closed with diversions in place.

No further information is available at this time.

Updated

OK, let’s check in with Nino Bucci who is covering Victorian Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek’s second day of Ibac hearings:

Ibac is back. It's going much as it did yesterday. Commissioner Redlich to Somyurek:

"I'm judging by that last answer you haven't reflected overnight at all...this is about your state of mind, can you focus on that please."

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 8, 2021

Carr is asking Somyurek about evidence he gave yesterday, which seemed to indicate he didn't think publicly funded staff using an hour or two once a year on factional work was corrupt. Somyurek says he doesn't want to be that specific, but it "has to pass the pub test"

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr asks Somyurek if it is only corruption if there's 25 electorate officers used for factional work (as per red shirts) but not when there's only one.

Somyurek: "I think proportionality is important, yeah."

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

Carr asks directly if it's corruption if one publicly funded electorate officer is used to do factional work on a given day. Somyurek: "I don’t think it is, I don’t think it is, no". He goes on to say that he believes it is allowed under the legislation governing the use of EOs.

— Nino Bucci (@ninobucci) November 9, 2021

You can catch up on everything that happened yesterday below:

Updated

A reporter asks the PM about his remarks on EVs in 2019: "What about all these charging stations, how much will that cost...are you going to run the extension cord down from your window?" Morrison says "there has been a massive change in technology" since then. #Auspol @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/AUyY2gtlLw

— Naveen Razik (@naveenjrazik) November 9, 2021

Alcott:

I am so proud, and proud of the work we have done, to be honest. Being a good tennis player is not the priority of my life. Being a good person is.

Being a good advocate, community and changing perceptions for people like me so they can live lives they deserve to live and get the opportunities I have had. I am so lucky.

We have all done this – my team, family, doubles partner, everybody that is a part of what we do. It is a big juggernaut but it has really changed perceptions, I hope, and I will never forget.

Updated

Tennis star Dylan Alcott to retire after Australian Open

Dylan Alcott, the first man in tennis history to complete the golden slam (winning all four major singles titles as well as an Olympic or Paralympic gold in one year), has announced that he will retire after the next Australian Open.

The wheelchair tennis star is speaking now from Melbourne:

Today I am announcing that the Australian Open in a couple of months will be my last tennis tournament. I’m going to get emotional talking about this.

There’s no way I could finish my career a few weeks ago because the US Open was not my home. This is my home and the Australian Open changed my life.

What better way to finish than in my home in front of crowds.

The time has come, I feel redundant, I feel old, washed up. It’s the next generation’s turn to dominate and get the recognition they deserve. Really looking forward to getting out there and doing my thing one more time. We will see what happens. Just enjoying the moment.

Updated

Lots of people resurfacing quotes from the prime minister from 2019 today:

Morrison has fibbed and said he didn't campaign against EVs at the last election. Here are some choice comments:

"[An electric vehicle] won’t tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family"

— Finbar O'Mallon (@finbaromallon) November 9, 2021

Just learnt the blog system allows me to include emojis in posts.

Perfect timing.

👀 👀 👀

🚗Scott Morrison says no to tax rebates for EVs:
"We don't want to drive down those costs by writing off big cheques to multinational companies. That's not the way you do this."

📍Said @ press conf. held at Toyota Hydrogen Centre, which got $3 million in govt funding.#auspol pic.twitter.com/0pz7Byosei

— Melissa Clarke (@Clarke_Melissa) November 9, 2021

Updated

Changes to the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) mean all people eligible for cervical screening will have the choice to collect their own sample from next July.

Medicare will fund self-collection of NCSP tests for everyone who is eligible for cervical screening, making it easier to participate, especially for people who screen at low rates. Self-collection will become a universal option, but those who prefer to have a screening sample collected by a doctor can continue to do so.

Prof Karen Canfell, chair of the Cancer Council’s cancer screening and immunisation committee, said funding self-collection for all program participants would be a game-changer for cervical cancer elimination.

Australia is already on track to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, but by making self-collection a universal option, we should get there sooner and in a more equitable way.

Currently only 52% of Australians eligible for cervical screening participate in the program, which is still well short of the 70% target recognised in the World Health Organization’s strategy for the elimination of cervical cancer.

Participation is significantly lower in disadvantaged groups such as Indigenous women and other communities, and in individuals experiencing socioeconomic barriers to organised screening. A universal option to use self-collection will give these people more choice and control in the screening process.

Research shows that self-collection is a safe and effective way to increase program participation, especially in the populations where we know screening rates are lower. This announcement is a huge step forward.

Updated

And here is what Annastacia Palaszczuk has to say about the future easing of restrictions in Queensland, once the state reaches 80% double-dose vaccination for their 16 and overpopulation. (This is likely to be in mid-December, compared to 80% single dose, which is expected to be reached today or tomorrow.)

This is a reward for the fully vaccinated and precaution for when what is the opening and as we see more cases. People can know that they can go to these places and know that they are safe. This is our next step in keeping Queenslanders say.

I think people want to be able to go to a music festival or stadium or cafe and restaurant and know the people that are random are fully vaccinated and that it is safe for their family to go to these venues.

It is really the time that if you are not vaccinated, go and speak to your GP about any issues you have, or your pharmacist, and please don’t get vaccinated.

These rules will come in on the 17 December when we hit the 80% double dose. And to protect the vulnerable, this is very important, only vaccinated [people] will be allowed to visit our hospitals, except in emergency situations.

Updated

New Zealand records 125 new local Covid-19 cases

New Zealand has recorded 125 new cases of Covid-19 in the community, across three different regions.

The ministry of health says there are 117 cases in Auckland, two in Waikato and six in Northland, bringing the total number of cases in the August outbreak to 4,666.

There are 79 people in hospital, including nine in intensive care. Of those in hospital, 83% are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Just over 86% of the eligible population aged 12 and over have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and 76% are fully vaccinated.

Updated

Some more detail on Queensland reopening at 80% vaccination, which is is expected to come into effect sometime in mid-December.

Fully vaccinated Queenslanders will be rewarded on 17 December or once we reach 80% double dosed ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6sN91BYM1U

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 9, 2021

Updated

Reporter:

Prime minister, you can’t really say you weren’t attacking electric vehicles just Bill Shorten’s policy.

Morrison:

No, I can, because it’s true.

Reporter:

In 2019 on 2GB you said: ‘What about all these charging stations, how much is that going to cost? I mean if you have an electric car and you live in an apartment, are you going to run the extension cord down from your fourth floor window?’

Now today you are focusing on infrastructure ,so you have to admit, it’s a fairly big conversion you have made.

Morrison:

Well, what we are seeing is a massive change in technology. Yes, yes a massive change ... particularly when it comes to hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a big game-changer for Australians, it’s a big solution for Australia.

Some years ago, when the Labor party was going to force you to go and move to a vehicle where technology had not arrived where we are at now and where it will go in the future*.

They wanted to force your choice, and make taxpayers subsidise it. We just had a different view, technology is moving, it will continue to move forward.

*Surely the future is the same now as it was in 2019 right?

Updated

Back to the present and Morrison has doubled down, saying that he didn’t ever malign electric vehicles, only Bill Shorten’s policy. I guess you have to make up your own mind on that one.

Here is Morrison:

I am against Bill Shorten’s mandates trying to tell people what to do with their lives and what they could drive and where. I still don’t agree with it, and our policy takes a different approach.

Labor loves interfering in your life, they love telling you what to do, they don’t like our plan because it does not tax you, does not force you to do anything. It does not pass laws that try to drive you out of any industries, it backs Australians to get this done because we know that they want to get it done.

Updated

For reference here are Morrison’s comments from 2019, when speaking to Sydney radio station 2GB:

I mean he reckons that 50% of the cars that we all are driving around in 10 years from now will be electric cars.

But the share of the market at the moment is 0.2%. He hasn’t thought through what that means for diesel and fuel excise, that’s around about $11bn a year.

What about all these charging stations, how much is that going to cost? I mean if you have an electric car and you live in an apartment, are you going to run the extension cord down from your fourth floor window?

Speaking the next day:

We don’t have a problem with electric vehicles ... In fact, we’ve been facilitating the development of the technologies.

So look, the point about it is not whether electric vehicles are good or bad. In fact, they have a role to play, increasingly, in the vehicle fleet of Australia over the next decade. The problem here is Bill Shorten doesn’t understand his own policy.

And in typical Labor fashion, they want to ram it down the necks of all Australians. So the cheapest car you can currently buy, as an electric vehicle, presently, my understanding is, including all on road costs and the rest of it, is about $45,000 to $50,000 a year.

That’s the cheapest car Bill Shorten wants to make available to you to buy in the future, and I’ll tell you what – it’s not going to tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family.

Bill Shorten wants to end the weekend when it comes to his policy on electric vehicles where you’ve got Australians who love being out there in their four-wheel drives. He wants to say see you later to the SUV when it comes to the choices of Australians. And this is fundamentally the difference between us and Labor when it comes to these issues.

I have no problem with the adoption of these new technologies and we facilitate it and we’re part of it. But what Bill Shorten wants to do, without seemingly even understanding what his policy does, is trying to drive people into these decisions and his policies simply don’t have the backing to explain how he will achieve the targets.

Updated

Morrison stands by 2019 'end the weekend' comments on Labor's EV policy

Morrison has been asked if he regrets stating that electric vehicles would “end the weekend” in response to Labor’s EV election promises in 2019.

I don’t think that policy was a good policy. I still don’t think it is a good policy. Labor loves to tell everybody what to do. They love telling people what to do. What cars to drive.

I trust Australians that when they are presented with good options and prices, they will make good choices. I don’t have to tell them to get rid of the car they have now, that is what Labor wants to do.

I’m not going to put up the price of petrol and families and make them buy electric vehicles. And walk away from the things they have. That is not the Liberal way and the Nationals way.

I don’t regret opposing Bill Shorten’s policy, I oppose 45% emissions reduction by 2030 as well. So did the Australian people.

I don’t have a problem with electric vehicles, [I] have a problem with governments telling people what to do and what vehicles they should drive and where they should drive them, which is what Bill Shorten’s plan was.

Updated

Minister for industry, energy and emissions reduction, Angus Taylor says this announcement is the culmination of three years of planning.

What we have seen today is the result of what this whole strategy is about.

This plan is built on the back of the core principles. Technology, not taxes. Choices, not mandates. A portfolio of technologies, not just one. Batteries, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen vehicles, all of them are part of the mix of technologies that can bring down emissions in our economy, decarbonising our transport systems and provide better products in the process. That is the heart of the strategy.

This portfolio of technologies, what we are announcing today is an extra $178m for this future brief fuels and vehicle strategy on top of the $72m we have already committed ... We expect to bring $500m total investment [which] will include private sector investments.

Updated

Hydrogen an important fuel for Australia's future due to long distances: Morrison

Morrison:

Australia has quite specific challenges here. We are not like many of the European countries where these vehicles come from, or parts of Asia.

We will see the stations put in [around] metropolitan areas. That will be done by the private sector because it makes sense for them to do that.

When you’re talking about long distances, when you’re talking trucks and ships, things like this that have to go over long distances, this is why hydrogen is so important for Australia. And why it is the fuel for Australia to enable us to achieve what we would achieve in terms of net zero by 2050.

[We have] a plan that gives back to Australia instead of legislating jobs and legislating choices.

Updated

Morrison:

A quarter of a billion dollars has been invested in this to ensure we are doing the practical things. Taking action on climate change – it is a practical challenge. An economic challenge.

It means you need to eventually have [things] in place for the hydrogen charging, just like what we’re seeing here and supporting those types of facilities.

It is making sure there are smart charging facilities available to consumers.

It is making sure you don’t crash the grid when everybody goes into plug in their vehicles in the future, which they will be doing more and more of in the future.

It is about supporting, whether it is councils to translate their vehicles into hydrogen-powered vehicles for their waste trucks.

Updated

Morrison says the new electric car funding package will be a key element of Australia’s plan to reach net-zero by 2050.

Today, we are launching our future strategy and that is all about putting this technology in the hands of Australians to make the choices they want to make.

We are not going to tell them what to buy or wait to drive or where they can’t drive, we aren’t going to tell them how to live their lives and interfere in their way of life, we’re not going to put their petrol prices up to make them by electric vehicles do anything like that, Australians will make their own choices.

We will facilitate those by putting in place the infrastructure that enables them to make those choices into the future. Cost of electric vehicles, as Angus will tell you, that will come down as it happens with all technology. Timeframes get shorter, the cost gets cheaper and that makes it possible for more and more Australians.

You don’t get people to take on new technology by forcing up their household costs on all the other things that are currently using. You do it by ensuring you have companies that are driving down the costs of their products and services to make them accessible to Australians so they can make the choices they want to make.

Today, our plan, which is another key part of the overall national plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, this is one of the keys building blocks.

Morrison says EV strategy will be driven by technology and competition, not mandates

Scott Morrison says he wants Australia’s emissions reduction plan driven by free-market competition ... which, you know, has definitely worked in the past, for sure.

Angus Taylor and I have just come back from overseas, Cop26, and there are a variety of responses and they all have impacts on Australia, and it’s important Australia has a clear plan to deal those. And a plan for securing Australia’s economic recovery has our pathway to net zero emissions by 2050 at its heart.

And that plan is driven by technology, not taxes. It is driven by backing Australia’s choices, not putting mandates on them and telling them what to do.

What we’re seeing here at Toyota and around the world, as Angus saw, and missing in our own country, is the cost of technology is coming down. The choices available to Australians and right around the world are becoming more accessible stop so our plans are all about supporting those choices. Facilitating those choices. Plugging the gaps where they needed to be plugged to ensure Australians can make the choices that they want to make.

Our plans aren’t about sending a lot of taxpayers’ money to big multinationals to get costs down. They will do that themselves. They have a keen interest in doing that, just like Toyota, to make sure the product they are offering on the market for electric vehicles is competitive.

What we want our emissions reduction plan driven by is that competition.

Updated

Scott Morrison gives press conference in Melbourne

The prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now from the Toyota hydrogen car testing centre in Melbourne. Let’s hear what he has to say:

Great to be with you. Exciting times because Australia is reopening. Just to see the feeling on the ground here in Melbourne is just tremendous. Looking forward to spending a few more days here as well. This is a really great time.

Victoria, Melbourne in particular, has done it the hardest through the pandemic. I want to thank everybody. Melbourne in particular, are right across Victoria, because we have pushed through and it is great to see Victoria reopening, New South Wales reopening, borders reopening.

The pandemic is not over yet, but we have come through this with one of the strongest economies in the world, one of the lowest fatality rates of Covid in the world, and now we are approaching one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

But the big task for us now as a country is to secure our economic recovery.

Updated

This feels relevant right about now:

https://t.co/D5aYKOu5A6 https://t.co/mUXf8FswM5

— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) November 8, 2021

Vic Premier: can't say yet when elective surgeries can re-start - but it will have to be safe & there'll have to be capacity. Apologises to those waiting but says can't do it quickly - before the system is able to cope - otherwise risk is there'd be even more cancellations.

— Heidi Murphy (@heidimur) November 8, 2021

when it's time to roll out the high-speed rail plan again, every three years, during every election season pic.twitter.com/lO7AnRbc8o

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) November 8, 2021

So Scott Morrison has just arrived at Toyota’s hydrogen production and refuelling centre in Melbourne to talk about his new electric vehicle policy. (Electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles are not at all the same, but that’s OK.)

Scott Morrison arriving at Toyota’s Hydrogen Centre in Altona North to announce the federal government’s new electric vehicle policy to get 1.7 million low and zero emission cars on our roads by 2030. @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/D7WERYkGGu

— Sara Jones (@SaraJones_7) November 8, 2021

Speaking of Toyota’s hydrogen cars through, did you know I accidentally ended up trapped with one during Melbourne’s fourth lockdown, with absolutely no way to charge it?

You can read all about my stressful adventure here:

Updated

You know it’s nearing election season when the phrase “high-speed rail” starts getting tossed around.

Don’t play with my emotions, Catherine! I’ve been stung before!

An Albanese Labor Government will kick start high speed rail by establishing the High Speed Rail Authority and updating the business case for this nation-building project. 

This is a long term project, but the time to get the ball rolling is now.

— Catherine King MP (@CatherineKingMP) November 8, 2021

Oh, I’ve been mentioning this whole Scott Morrison said that electric vehicles will “end the weekend” thing a lot this morning.

If you are so inclined, you can find our original reporting on this now infamous statement from 2019 below:

And here is our story from today on the Coalition’s electric vehicles strategy, which will extend funding for hydrogen and EV charging stations, but falls short of mandating targets for uptake or providing subsidies:

Updated

Some bad news for unvaccinated Christmas shopper from Victoria today:

Premier @DanielAndrewsMP confirms he is still intending to introduce a ban on un-vacced shoppers from (approximate date of) Nov 24.

— Heidi Murphy (@heidimur) November 8, 2021

The treasurer Josh Frydenberg is celebrating Australia’s economic rebound today.

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index rose 0.6%, the eighth gain in nine weeks, albeit with mixed results across the states.

And National Australia Bank’s business conditions index rose six points in October to 11 index points, rising back above its long-run average and with all its components rebounding. (I don’t fully understand what this means, but it’s what Colin Brinsden from AAP reported.)

#BREAKING: Business confidence up strongly today, rising by 11 points to its highest level since April.

Consumer confidence is also up today, having risen in 8 of the last 9 weeks, & 10% since early August.

Australia is on the road to economic recovery.

— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) November 8, 2021

NAB’s business confidence index also jumped 11 points to 21 points.

Meanwhile, Deloitte’s annual retailers Christmas survey found 80% of retailers are expecting to see sales growth this holiday period, 20 percentage points higher than in 2020.

More than half of respondents expect sales to bounce back rapidly post Covid-19 lockdowns, while 60% say more than half of the Christmas sales will be digital-enabled in some way.

Updated

Tasmania became the first state in Australia to open a casino in 1973, and since then, it has become a place in which the gambling lobby’s influence on Australian politics is at its most bald-faced.

Now, a bill about to head through Tasmania’s upper house has brought that influence into the open.

The bill would mark the end of a monopoly on gambling licences in Tasmania held by Federal Group – a company owned by the Sydney-based Farrell family who are worth $564m – since it established that first casino. The Liberal state government argues the legislation will deliver an additional $8.5m a year in state revenue for essential services and community needs, at the expense of Federal Group.

You can read the full report below:

Pfizer approval for young children imminent

Pfizer vaccines for children as young as five are expected to be approved by Australia’s medicines regulator by the end of the year, AAP reports.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly indicates the green light is imminent from the Therapeutic Goods Administration on vaccinating children aged between five and 11.

The TGA has received their advice from Pfizer. In terms of an application for that age group they are going through that process.

That is a really important factor that will come through in the coming weeks, by the end of the year.

It follows prime minister Scott Morrison stressing caution is needed on whether to approve the jab for younger children.

We won’t take further steps unless there is clear medical advice that we should proceed.

Updated

QUEER NEWSSSS 🌈🌈🌈 The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will be broadcast on ABC Radio and ABC Television from next year in a three-year deal announced today.
The ABC has also been given broadcast rights to WorldPride, to be held in Sydney in February and March 2023.

— Patricia Karvelas (@PatsKarvelas) November 8, 2021

Seems like Scott Morrison will not be making an appearance on ABC breakfast radio during his trip to Melbourne!

Virginia Trioli notes Scott Morrison is in Melbourne and says ABC Melbourne had hoped he'd come on the show. But, "as ever, we never get any joy there."

— Luke Henriques-Gomes (@lukehgomes) November 8, 2021

Updated

Here is an excerpt from Kieran Pender’s beautiful read about the struggle to rebuild for the survivors of the black summer bushfires in NSW.

As the early morning sun rises over the hills of Wandella, a small hamlet of farms and rural properties near Cobargo, it is possible to momentarily overlook the devastation that tore through the area almost two years ago. Birds chirp, dairy cows roam the valley and a wet winter has left the area carpeted in verdant greenery. The national gaze has long since moved beyond Australia’s black summer bushfires, and even here at ground zero it is possible to imagine that day can be forgotten.

But only for a brief moment. When the sun pokes above the adjacent ridge, it illuminates row after row of barren trees that betray the tranquillity. A potent reminder of the fire’s enduring impact, the trees are upright but still yet to recover. The same is true of those who inhabit this beautiful but now melancholy part of far-south New South Wales. For many, the long road to recovery has only just begun.

As he surveys this vista from the construction site that is his home, Graeme Freedman is insistent. “I wasn’t going to be burnt off this site by a fucking bushfire,” he says.

You can read the full story below:

Updated

Jumping back to the unfolding drama in the New South Wales education sector for a second, with the state’s teachers’ union calling for better pay and conditions to address the teacher shortage:

The NSW Teachers Federation deputy president Henry Rajendr has blamed rising enrolments, a 30% decline in people studying teaching, unsustainable workloads and non competitive salaries for the shortages of full-time and casual teachers.

He said NSW state government MP’s needed to ditch a “one size fits all” salary cap in favour of a greater investment in country teachers.

Every year teachers have been asked to do more but every year their pay has fallen in comparison to other professions ... If we don’t pay teachers what they are worth, we don’t get the teachers we need.

Every parent in country NSW wants to be reassured that in every classroom there will be a teacher with the time and resources to meet their child’s needs. Yet the government’s inaction has seen the shortages grow and it is only going to get worse without real action.

The highest proportion of vacant positions was in country areas, where vacant positions were taking, on average, up to four months to fill, prompting protests across 13 towns and regional cities this week from Wagga to Coffs Harbour, Broken Hill and Dubbo.

The NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the sector was “heading into a perfect storm”, with a 25% increase in students expected over the next five years despite downward trend of completion rates and admissions to teaching degrees.

We are barely graduating enough teachers to keep up, let alone continuing demand as a result of growing student population.

The government knows this, but kids are missing out and their right to a qualified teacher is being compromised.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said the union was in an award negotiation with the department and was “actively encouraging its members to agitate and disrupt schools across the state as part of its campaign”.

Updated

The NSW government has funded its first project from a $750m program to reduce emissions with a $13m grant for a company at one of the state’s biggest industrial sites in Newcastle, reports AAP’s Jack Gramenz.

Commercial explosives maker Orica will use the money to install emissions reduction systems that NSW environment minister Matt Kean says are expected to cut emissions at the company’s nitric acid plants by up to 92%.

It is the “first of many” projects to receive funding from the net zero industry and innovation program “which will help businesses accelerate their transition to net zero while remaining competitive and creating jobs”, Kean says.

He expects the project to cut the equivalent of 567,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, which is similar to the emissions of 50,000 homes.

The Orica plants sit in one of the state’s biggest industrial sites at Kooragang Island in northern Newcastle.

NSW parliamentary secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin says “a small number of existing high emitting industries, including manufacturing” present one of the biggest decarbonisation opportunities in the state.

The $13m grant from NSW will add to funds Orica borrowed from the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Updated

Restrictions to ease in the ACT on Friday

The ACT has announced a number of restrictions will ease at 11.59pm on Thursday.

These include masks no longer being required anywhere but high-risk indoor environments, school classrooms and public transport.

There will no longer be any gathering limits on informal outdoor gatherings, no density limits for outdoor spaces within businesses, and eating and drinking while standing will once again be allowed.

Dancing at nightclubs will be back and cinemas, theatres and outdoor venues with fixed seating will increase to 100% capacity.

Huzzah!

📢 Restrictions easing from 11:59pm 11 November 2021
Current restrictions are easing from 11:59pm Thursday, 11 November. Here’s an overview of what’s changing: pic.twitter.com/2l899kxPrd

— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) November 8, 2021

Updated

I mean technically it was “breaking” about two hours ago, but let’s let D’Ath have this one!

BREAKING: Masks will no longer be required when Queensland reaches 80% single dose.

— Yvette D'Ath MP (@YvetteDAth) November 8, 2021

NSW records 222 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths

NSW has recorded a slight bump in cases with 222 new infections in the latest reporting period.

Sadly four people with Covid-19 have died.

NSW #COVID19 update – Tuesday 9 November 2021

In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:

- 93.9% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 89.9% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 66,680 tests pic.twitter.com/kuSNde7IhI

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) November 8, 2021

Updated

Victoria records 1,069 new Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths

Victoria has recorded 1,069 new Covid-19 cases in the latest reporting period.

Sadly 10 people infected with Covid-19 have died.

We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.

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/TsgOQ6gBMl

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) November 8, 2021

Updated

About 800km north of Adelaide in the middle of the South Australia desert, an oil and gas company is working on a high-profile project to capture and store carbon dioxide.

It’s claimed to be one of the world’s biggest carbon capture projects and lauded by the federal government, but what is actually going on at Moomba?

Can this $220m project led by Santos really live up to the hype and will it store enough CO2 to make a difference?

To find out all the answers, check out the explainer below:

Updated

Queensland will scrap domestic home quarantine caps from November 19.

It will be available to all travellers with a suitable residence, not just Queenslanders.

They will need a negative PCR test because, the govt says, rapid antigen tests aren't accurate enough.

— @MartySilk (@MartySilkHack) November 8, 2021

Kelly says rapid antigen tests are “certainly” a component of the education system’s Covid-19 plan.

I have been working closely with colleagues in New South Wales, ACT and Victoria over the last few weeks to prepare for exactly the issues that have been faced and that is a rapidly moving space, in terms of how rapid antigen tests can be used in those circumstances, what is the minimum amount of disruption that can be done safely and that is important.

The other important thing: two things to say about children, particularly in the primary school age group. Firstly, the TGA has received their advice from Pfizer, in terms of an application for that age group and they are going through that process, that independent process. That is a really important factor that will come through in the coming weeks, by the end of the year.

The other thing is in that age group, even though the cases are in large numbers, it is a very small percentage of that age group that gets severe disease; 0.1% of the almost 40,000 children that have had Covid this year have ended up in the severe end of the spectrum in intensive care. For those few families that is difficult, but most of these cases are mild or even asymptomatic.

Updated

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly has been out and about this morning chatting about how we shore up our school systems to ensure Covid-19 outbreaks disrupt learning as little as possible.

Here he is chatting to ABC News Breakfast:

It is wonderful to be in this reopening phase. We are one of the most vaccinated populations in the world now. Double 80% vaccinated across the nation yesterday and rapidly rising in all states, even those that are a bit behind New South Wales, Victoria and ACT.

In terms of schools, we do expect school children who are essentially under the age of 12, currently unvaccinated, to be exposed to the virus. We are seeing that now in schools in those three states.

The Doherty Institute modelling is clear, there are some things we can do to prevent that and respond in ways that have an important outcome, which is about keeping schools open and having kids at school, having face to face learning.

Updated

The Northern Territory government is set to impose new health restrictions for 54 remote Aboriginal communities where less than 70% of the population has had one Covid-19 vaccine dose, reports Aaron Bunch from AAP.

Anyone entering those communities from outside the NT, Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine from 19 November must return a negative virus test 72 hours before entry.

They’ll also need to wear a mask in public areas for seven days from Monday, with testing of symptomatic residents stepped up.

The new rules were mandated after Doherty Institute modelling set a higher benchmark for remote communities and the previous 80% double dose target was extended to include people aged five to 11.

It comes as a lockout of unvaccinated people in Greater Darwin is extended 24 hours until 11.59pm on Tuesday amid the NT’s first community outbreak.

No new cases were recorded on Monday but health workers remain concerned after the traveller who brought the virus to the Top End confessed about the extent of her movements before she was located.

Health restrictions were imposed in Greater Darwin and Katherine, 320km to the south, late on Thursday after an unvaccinated man in his 20s contracted the virus without leaving the NT.

The diagnosis alarmed authorities when they realised the origin of his infection was potentially roaming about the territory.

Katherine was fully locked down, along with unvaccinated people in Greater Darwin, until the source was found to be the woman who had flown to the NT from Cairns.

Updated

NSW teachers to protest over staff shortages

A staffing crisis hitting New South Wales schools has prompted a string of protests across the regions, with warnings the situation is so dire the state may run out of teachers within five years.

The New South Wales Teachers Federation deputy president Henry Rajendra said if the NSW government didn’t act to address shortages disproportionately impacting public schools in regional areas, country kids would “pay the price”.

Department of Education briefings provided to Guardian Australia revealed as early as 2019 the state government was aware of supply challenges in the sector, and as recently as July had been warned of a “large and growing” shortage of teachers across NSW.

One document released last year said the “demands and expectations” on teachers were increasing while rewards, pathways and learning opportunities weren’t providing “enough incentive” to pursue the career.

The briefing read:

On average teacher pay has been falling relative to pay in other professions since the late 1980s and this makes it a less attractive profession for high achieving students …

We cannot improve student outcomes without having a sufficient supply of high quality teachers available where and when they are needed … if we don’t address supply gaps now, we will run out of teachers in the next five years.

Updated

Oh, just in case you wanted to see how much Shorten was BEAMING during that interview:

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. #scomo must be reading my old playbook as his bedtime reading. #ElectricCars pic.twitter.com/kWQ7FI9THc

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) November 8, 2021

Now does former opposition leader and Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten has something to say about this electric car funding announcement from the federal government? Well, yes, of course he does.

Here he is chatting to the Today show:

You did hear about electric vehicles at the last election. Listen, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery in politics.

It is correct that I proposed putting charging stations on the National Highway. Australia is in danger of becoming automotive third world.

The rest of the world is moving towards electric vehicles. One of the big drawbacks on electric vehicles people are worried there are not enough charging stations on our roads.

Labor proposed it and Mr Morrison must read my policy book at night-time for ideas and Labor is also proposing to reduce taxes on electric vehicles.

I got one recently and one thing I hadn’t fully appreciated is that the cost of petrol disappears. Charging is so much cheaper. It is a cost of living benefit for Aussies.

Updated

Masks to come off in Queensland this week

The Queensland premier has announced that once Queensland reaches the 80% single-dose vaccination milestone masks will no longer be required indoors.

“That means no masks indoors including schools, cafes, pubs, clubs, hairdressers and workplaces,” Annastacia Palaszczuk posted on Twitter this morning.

The premier said people will be able to put away their masks as soon as Queensland reaches the target, which could be by Wednesday.

BREAKING: Masks will no longer be required when 80% of eligible Queenslanders have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine 😷😁

That means no masks indoors including schools, cafés, pubs, clubs, hairdressers and workplaces. pic.twitter.com/NM1MHQMn2g

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 8, 2021

Queensland is lagging behind other eastern states in terms of vaccination rates with just 67% of its population fully vaccinated and 79% having received one dose. The state is not expected to reach 80% double dose rate until mid-December.

Updated

The expansion of Afterpay and other buy-now-pay-later products into pubs and restaurants could lead to bigger debts for people already struggling financially, consumer advocates warn.

Concerns were raised last week after news that pub giant Australian Venue Co had partnered with buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) monolith Afterpay to roll out the facility in the 160-plus venues it operates nationally.

Afterpay and other similar products like Zip Pay and PayPal have been available in retail outlets for some time but the latest development heralds the arrival of the biggest BNPL provider into the Australian hospitality industry.

Katherine Temple, the director of policy and campaigns at the Consumer Action Law Centre, said her organisation was already working with an increasing number of people struggling with BNPL debts.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

When will Australia see Labor's interim net zero emissions target?

"We need to see the outcomes of Glasgow and we need to see the government's modelling and we need to know what kind of system we would inherit."

- @JEChalmers, Shadow Treasurer

— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) November 8, 2021

While we are on the topic of Labor ministers appearing in the media this morning, why don’t we have a look at what shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers had to say on ABC radio an hour or so ago?

I welcome an election on the economy because an election on the economy is an election about eight long years of wage stagnation and flat living standards and weak business investment.

We are not going to be taking lectures about fiscal responsibility from a treasurer and a government that wasted $38bn on a jobkeeper payment to companies that didn’t need it.

Chalmers was asked also asked about the government’s new electric vehicle plan.

How humiliating for a prime minister who said electric vehicles would end the weekend now trying to pretend all of a sudden, because we’re on the eve of an election, that he cares about electric vehicles.

[Our] policies are tax cuts for electric vehicles ... We know that a few thousand dollars off the price of an EV will make a material difference to people being prepared to buy EVs.

Updated

Voter approval of Scott Morrison is at its lowest level since before the outbreak of the pandemic, while the government’s handling of international relations has also taken a hit over the past month, the latest Guardian Essential poll suggests.

After a torrid week on the international stage that saw Morrison’s feud with the French president dominating the agenda and Australia’s climate policies under the spotlight, the survey of 1,089 people tracked a six percentage point drop in the prime minister’s approval rating since October.

The survey, which was taken while Morrison attended the G20 summit in Rome and the United Nations Cop26 conference in Glasgow, found 48% of those surveyed approved of the job he was doing as prime minister while 42% disapproved.

This continues a gradual decline in voter satisfaction with Morrison, which has fallen from a high of 65% in February and is at its lowest level since the 41% recorded in March 2020 after the black summer bushfires.

You can read the full report below:

Updated

Albanese was asked if Australia can make the transition to electric cars without the subsidies and tax incentives that the prime minister has just annouced.

What we would do is to eliminate the taxes, both in terms of the excise but also fringe benefits tax to make sure that companies could take up electric vehicles.

That is the way a whole lot of new cars enter the system is through the take up by corporates, by local governments, state government and federal government and then you have the on sale of those cars.

This government is doing nothing about reducing the cost of electric vehicles and that is a policy that we announced a year ago.

In case you missed it, it seems Scott Morrison is a big electric vehicle fan now, despite once famously saying that they would end the weekend.

The prime minister has announced $250m in federal “future fuels” funding (which he hopes will be matched by private investment) to install 50,000 charging stations and get 1.7 million electric vehicles on roads by 2030.

But the opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, isn’t going to let this policy flip slide that easily. He is speaking with ABC News Breakfast now.

Another day, another pamphlet from this government. A government that, during the last election campaign, were saying electric vehicles would end the weekend, a government that had a violent opposition to the use of electric vehicles and now we would have it believe they have converted.

The same government whose fuel security strategy consisted of having fuel storage in the Gulf of Mexico.

The same government that has been in denial and what’s occurred here, just a couple of weeks after they released their climate pamphlet, is they are once again not showing the leadership that’s required.

Scott Morrison is following. The truth is that all of the auto manufacturers are phasing out internal combustion engines. There is a shift around the world to electric vehicles.

Australia’s uptake last year was under 2%. In Norway it was 70%. In the UK it was 15% and rising. We are falling behind and this is once again a government that was in denial about change, rather than shaping change in the interests of people.

Updated

Good morning everyone! It’s Matilda Boseley here, ready to take you through all the most important news of Tuesday.

Let’s start the day by wishing luck to the nearly 70,000 HSC students in New South Wales who will be taking their first written exam today, in less than ideal circumstances.

They will be required to wear masks the entire time, will not be allowed to borrow or share equipment such as pens, pencils or calculators, and shaking hands or hugging other students is also banned.

After the exams, students will be required to wipe down their chairs, and no mingling will be permitted before or after.

Education minister Sarah Mitchell said the cohort “are some of the most resilient students we have ever seen”.

The past 18 months have been challenging, but I know that HSC students across the state will walk into their exams [on Tuesday] determined to smash their goals.

We are all behind the class of 2021 as they head towards the finish line.

Written exams were pushed back by the state’s major Covid-19 outbreak this year, with major project deadlines also extended.

As a result, Atars will also be published a week later than usual.

OK, why don’t we jump right into the day!

Updated

Contributors

Cait Kelly (now) and Matilda Boseley (earlier)

The GuardianTramp

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