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Two possible cases at Melbourne aged care home: Shorten
By Nick Bonyhady
Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten says that one and possibly two aged care residents at the Arcare Maidstone nursing home in Victoria have contracted coronavirus after a staff member previously returned a positive test.
“Worryingly both the staff member who recorded positive but one resident, possibly two… appears to have contracted COVID,” Mr Shorten said on ABC TV.
The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have not yet confirmed that claim.
But Mr Shorten said the cases underlined why two doses were essential because the residents and worker had already received their first doses of the vaccine.
“The staff are working very hard in Arcare in Maidstone in Hampstead Road,” Mr Shorten said. “They are doing a great job.”
‘Entirely reasonable’ for Labor to attack Government’s handling of COVID-19: Chalmers
By Broede Carmody
Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended his party’s right – at a state and federal level – to criticise the Morrison government off the back of Victoria’s seven-day lockdown.
“I think that the workers and small businesses of Victoria should be front and centre,” Mr Chalmers said earlier this morning on the Today show. “And that’s why it is a problem, you know, the failures on vaccinations and quarantine and all the rest of it.
Labor’s Jim Chalmers.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“Victorians aren’t asking for too much from their federal government. They’re asking Scott Morrison for some compassion and some competence and they’re getting neither of those things and I think it’s entirely reasonable for the state government and for us to point that out.”
The Victorian and Morrison governments are currently locked in a war of words over who should provide support for businesses and workers affected by the state’s shutdown.
Morrison government trying to discourage ‘short lockdowns’: Pallas
By Nick Bonyhady
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas has accused the federal government of withholding money to support his state’s workers as part of an undisclosed plan to discourage states from using lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The incendiary comments on ABC Radio this morning are another escalation of the Victorian government’s verbal stoush with the Morrison government, which has insisted that its historical support to the state through JobKeeper and a handful of remaining emergency payments to people directly affected by the coronavirus are enough.
Tim Pallas lashed the Federal government for its lack of response to Victoria’s lockdown.Credit:Paul Jeffers
“If the Commonwealth are saying if you put in place short lockdowns then the Commonwealth won’t be the partner, then effectively what they’re trying to do is encourage states to deny the challenge that confronts them and basically allow the virus to work its way through the community,” Mr Pallas said.
“Remember it was the federal treasurer who was wandering around in breathless tones only months ago saying, ‘It’s too hard, open up the economy,’ even though the virus was spreading throughout the community,” Mr Pallas said.
He dismissed the criticism we brought you earlier from restaurateur Chris Lucas, who runs establishments such as Chin Chin, saying the Victorian government’s $250 million fund to help businesses was more than the federal government had offered.
Daley’s tilt at NSW Labor leadership opposed by Asian-Australian party members
By Alexandra Smith
Asian-Australian members of NSW Labor are warning a return to Maroubra MP Michael Daley as party leader would damage relations with multicultural communities, insisting he does not understand the gravity of comments he made about “Asians with PhDs”.
A group of Asian Australians including Labor councillors, elected party officials and rank-and-file members have signed a joint statement opposing Mr Daley’s plans to nominate as party leader after Jodi McKay’s resignation.
Former NSW Labor leader Michael Daley says he made mistakes but will never repeat them.Credit:James Alcock
Mr Daley confirmed on Sunday he would nominate for party leader, paving the way for a membership ballot against Kogarah MP Chris Minns, who will nominate on Monday.
Read our latest coverage of NSW Labor’s leadership rumblings here.
Victorian Treasurer doubles-down on federal row over worker support
By David Estcourt
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas has refused to back down from a growing row with the federal government over worker support during Victoria’s lockdown, arguing Canberra supported the shutdown and the recent outbreak came from another state.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison rebuffed pleas from the state government on Sunday, saying Canberra would not be extending additional income support to Victorians – as was the case with Western Australia and Queensland during their lockdowns earlier in the year.
But Mr Pallas claims Victoria is in a unique situation and therefore the Commonwealth should be extending payments to people out of work due to the seven-day lockdown.
“I think the first point to make is Victorians didn’t deserve this,” Mr Pallas told radio station 3AW.
“They received this out of a breach of quarantine protocol in South Australia. [The federal government] could very quickly provide relief. The fact that they’re not doing that really does worry me because you’ll recall, the Prime Minister did in fact say that it was an appropriate course of action that we locked down.”
Listen to the full interview below.
More than 270 Victorian exposure sites
By David Estcourt and Broede Carmody
The Victorian health department’s list of exposure sites has swelled to more than 270 locations with bus lines, display homes and shops at Chadstone among the dozens added over the weekend.
There are dozens of new exposure sites in the suburb at the heart of the Greater Melbourne outbreak, Epping, and, worryingly, aged care facility Arcare Maidstone was added and is now in lockdown.
Additional outlets at Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre have been listed as exposure sites. Credit:Joe Armao
A pub in the beachside suburb of Brighton, and a cafe in nearby Elwood, were also named as exposure sites. Clothing outlet Zimmermann and Breadtop at Chadstone shopping centre were also added to the list of possible areas of concern.
In total, authorities added almost 100 new venues and times to their list of exposure sites on Sunday. Five new cases were detected in the community, with the total number of cases in the Greater Melbourne cluster now numbering in the dozens.
We’ll bring you this morning’s case numbers as soon as they land.
‘Almost childish’: Restaurant owner slams state and federal funding feud
By Broede Carmody
Another major thread with Victoria’s lockdown this morning is the stoush between the state and federal governments over the question of financial support.
The Morrison government has rebuffed a plea from Victoria to help provide financial assistance for workers and small businesses affected by the state’s seven-day lockdown. Victorian Acting Premier James Merlino has described the knockback as “disgraceful”. The feds, meanwhile, have called on Victoria to take full responsibility.
Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino. Credit:Paul Jeffers
Chris Lucas, the chief executive behind well-known restaurants such as Chin Chin, was scathing of the Victorian government this morning.
“We’re now facing our fourth lockdown and it’s very, very devastating,” he told the Today show. “The mental harm and the economic consequences to this state are enormous.
“In fact, we’ve got to ask ourselves: why is this happening again and again? Why is it that the state government constantly reaches out for the lockdown mechanism when states like NSW are able to quarantine properly, are able to cordon off small suburbs or areas of the city?”
Mr Lucas urged the state government not to attack its federal counterpart and instead focus on “the real issues”.
“Their behaviour yesterday, it’s almost childish,” he said. “This government seems to be addicted to deflecting the blame.”
Victorian Treasury costings forecast a seven-day lockdown will cost businesses $700 million. Some business estimates put that cost at $1 billion.
New strategy to motivate younger people to get the jab
By Rachel Clun and Lucy Carroll
A major advertising campaign by ad agency BMF will be launched in July to encourage under 40s to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The campaign, which is yet to be finalised, will run across social media as well as traditional media and shopping malls, and include celebrities, jokes and songs to emotionally entice younger Australians to get a jab.
Australia’s fact-based COVID vaccination ad has faced criticism.Credit:YouTube
The government’s current COVID-19 vaccination campaign, launched six months ago, has come under fire for being boring, unemotional and unconvincing.
Read the exclusive story here.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka told to meet her media obligations or face consequences
By Broede Carmody
In overseas news, tennis star Naomi Osaka could be thrown out of the French Open.
That’s if she continues to not show up to post-match press conferences. The Japanese player was slapped with a $15,000 fine following her victory over first round win against Romania’s Patricia Tig.
Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Patricia Maria Tig during their first round clash.Credit:AP
Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who is also competing in the French Open, has reminded Osaka that “pressers are a part of the job”.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
By Broede Carmody
Good morning and thanks for reading our live coverage. It’s Monday, May 31. I’m Broede Carmody.
It’s set to be a busy day, with Melburnians waking up to their fourth day of a seven day lockdown. Here’s what you need to know:
- Victoria’s contact tracers are scrambling to identify the source of a ‘mystery’ case in a Melbourne aged care facility. Residents who previously turned down a vaccine will be encouraged to accept a dose of Pfizer today after a staff member, who had been given her first vaccine shot, tested positive to COVID-19. Victorian COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar says the positive case is of “extreme concern” because it is not yet known how the staff member caught the virus.
- In NSW, former Labor leader Michael Daley has confirmed he’s once again throwing his hat in the ring for the role of opposition leader. It comes after Jodi McKay’s resignation. Her former transport spokesman Chris Minns is expected to put up his hand, which could lead to a divisive ballot.
- In federal politics, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will hold talks with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern in Queenstown in just a couple of hours. Relations with China are set to dominate the talks.
- And 20 people have been hospitalised in Tasmania after a gas leak at a salmon processing facility. Authorities continue to investigate the cause, but the Tasmania Fire Service says carbon monoxide from forklifts is most likely to blame.
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2021-05-30 22:33:57Z
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