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Watch live: Victoria’s COVID-19 update
By Broede Carmody
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley, the state’s Minister for Ageing Luke Donnellan and state COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar are due to provide a coronavirus update from 12.30pm.
Watch live below.
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Government defends Sophie Mirabella’s appointment
By Nick Bonyhady
Earlier this year former conservative Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella was appointed to the Fair Work Commission, which handles employment disputes in Australia, sparking fury from Labor MPs who said it was a partisan appointment in Senate estimates today.
The role is worth about $390,000 a year, or about $4.5 million if Mrs Mirabella stays until her mandated retirement age of 65.
Former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella outside the County Court in 2018. Credit:Simon Schluter
Unlike almost all other members of the commission, Mrs Mirabella does not have industrial or employment law experience.
Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash said she had been selected on merit by the cabinet and was qualified for the role.
“Mrs Mirabella obviously has experience within the law, within private business and her time in parliament,” Senator Cash said.
Labor Senators Tony Sheldon and Louise Pratt said Mrs Mirabella’s time in Parliament showed she was ill-equipped to help employers and employees compromise and resolve their disputes. They cited three incidents:
Nationals senator Perin Davey said Mrs Mirabella wasn’t responsible for the sign.
“You cannot be held responsible for a sign that someone else has drafted and comes and waves behind your head,” Senator Davey said.
Less than 10 per cent of aged care workers fully vaccinated
By Rachel Clun
Back to Senate health estimates and we’ve heard a total of 32,833 aged care workers, who were vaccinated alongside aged care residents in facilities, have received two doses.
It was previously revealed about 70,000 aged care workers have received at least first doses through those in-reach programs. There are about 366,000 aged care workers according to the federal government’s estimate.
Department of Health Associate Secretary Caroline Edwards during a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The number of vaccinated staff is still an underestimate, Department of Health associate secretary Caroline Edwards says, because staff have also been vaccinated through other channels including GPs and state hubs. The department is surveying providers for that information.
“Can we be clear, this is the minimum number based on a single program of four channels,” Ms Edwards said.
At the moment the survey results are preliminary, so the department could not provide a precise figure on vaccinated workers. That data is being collected through an online portal which will go live on Friday, Ms Edwards said.
Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck said that portal will give the government access to data it has not yet had access to.
“We can go on other figures you do have, that 32,833 aged care workers out of a total workforce of about 360,000 have had two doses, that’s 8.9 per cent,” Labor senator Murray Watt said. “Your own survey results today, tell us that it’s about 8.74 per cent.”
Australia’s history in Afghanistan will be ‘painted in different hues’: Campbell
By Katina Curtis
Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell has spoken about Australia’s achievements in Afghanistan ahead of our final troops pulling out of the country by September.
He tells a Senate estimates committee the story of Australia’s longest war is already being written and it “will be painted in different hues” with the recent focus on war crimes alleged to have been committed by a handful of Special Forces troops.
Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell during a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“It will be coloured in part by the findings of the Afghanistan inquiry report and by the work of the Office of the Special Investigator,” General Campbell said.
“But it is my hope that this important work will be understood from the perspective of a larger canvas and that the historical record also accurately documents all of the activities and achievements of the ADF and partner agencies.”
He said the decision by the United States and its NATO partners, including Australia, to draw down forces over time was a reflection that “this was not going to be a conflict that would be resolved militarily”.
Negotiations between the US and the Taliban first and then between Afghan parties were vital to returning peace to the country, he said.
“We see a continuing level of violence and of the efforts of the Afghan forces against the Taliban,” General Campbell said when asked to comment generally on the security situation in the country, where Australia is going to close its embassy.
“There are areas of the country where the Afghan security forces hold their own and they do well. There are other areas where clearly, the Taliban has initiative.”
Queensland Premier remains tight-lipped over State of Origin spend
By Felicity Caldwell
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to detail how much money the state government is spending to bring the first match of the State of Origin to Townsville, citing commercial in confidence.
Asked whether it was $8 million, as reported by sources with knowledge of the deal, Ms Palaszczuk accused New South Wales of “whinging”.
“I understand New South Wales are whinging - and you’d expect that from New South Wales - they’re good at whinging,” she said. “And that’s all I ever hear, is whinge whinge whinge from New South Wales.”
The State of Origin is heading to regional Queensland for the first time due to Melbourne’s COVID-19 outbreak. Credit:Getty
Ms Palaszczuk said she was delighted State of Origin would be played for the first time in regional Queensland.
“This is value for money,” she said.
“We are going to see people come and celebrate that historic State of Origin game next Wednesday from Mount Isa, Cairns, the Torres Strait, Mackay, Townsville, all across regional Queensland will come and celebrate that State of Origin.”
WHO gives coronavirus variants new names
By Chris Zappone
Coronavirus variants with clunky, alphanumeric names have now been assigned the letters of the Greek Alphabet in a bid to simplify discussion and pronunciation while avoiding stigma.
The World Health Organisation revealed the new names on Monday amid criticism that those given by scientists such as the so-called South African variant, which goes by multiple names including B.1.351, 501Y.V2 and 20H/501Y.V2, were too complicated.
SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which cause COVID-19.Credit:AP
As such, the four coronavirus variants considered of concern by the UN agency and known generally by the public as the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India variants have now been given the names Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta according to the order of their detection.
Other variants of interest continue down the alphabet.
“While they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting,” said the WHO, explaining the decision.
with Reuters
Air Force will tackle ‘protocol creep’ after PM’s red carpet arrival
By Katina Curtis
Air Force chief Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld is answering questions in estimates about the red carpet welcome given to Prime Minister Scott Morrison when he arrived at Williamtown RAAF base early in May.
Photos the PM posted on social media have attracted some attention as people asked why other Australian leaders didn’t receive the same ceremonial welcome.
Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld in Canberra earlier this year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Air Marshal Hupfeld tells senators there has been “protocol creep” within the executives of some RAAF bases over recent times.
“I am taking steps to remedy that,” he said. He wants to see the red carpet rolled out only for regal (i.e. royals), vice-regal (the governor-general) and foreign heads of state visits.
‘Vast majority’ of employers expected to follow new casual work rules
By Nick Bonyhady
Labor senators have spent this morning in the education and employment estimates pressing the attorney-general’s department on how many workers are in the gig economy, the extent of “insecure work” in the economy and how changes the government made to casual work will play out.
One of those is a right for some casuals to convert to permanent jobs that come with annual leave and sick leave at the cost of the typical 20 per cent casual pay boost. That right has a bunch of qualifications though, around things like whether the worker is getting “regular” hours and if they have been on the job for 12 months and the size of the business.
Labor senator Deb O’Neill.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Labor’s Deborah O’Neill says that there are small business operators, like the 7-Eleven franchisees whose systematic wage theft was reported in 2015, who will use those as loopholes and low paid employees, especially those who are young or speak English as a second language, won’t challenge their bosses.
O’Neill: “Do you really, with all the skills you have as a deputy secretary and the insight that you have, do you really think casual employees are going to avail themselves of the opportunities that are being vaunted by the government as great help for casuals?”
Senior industrial relations bureaucrat Martin Hehir: “Yes Senator, I do believe that. So, certainly there are some employers who aren’t ideal, who behave badly, we’re certainly aware of that. We’ve seen them, they’ve been taken to court, so we’re conscious of those.
“We believe the vast majority of employers want to do the right thing and are looking for support to do that.”
‘Let me answer the question’: Health estimates turns to shouting
By Rachel Clun
We haven’t reached the afternoon yet but the estimates hearing on health has already devolved into shouting.
It’s all around who is responsible for aged care vaccinations. Labor says the answer to that should be simple, but that’s not so, according to Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck. Here’s just a taste of the exchange.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck and Secretary of the Department of Health Professor Brendan Murphy at today’s Senate estimates.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Senator Katy Gallagher: “You’re responsible for the residents, and now you’re saying you’re not responsible for the staff, it’s a shared responsibility.”
Senator Colbeck: “So what we’ve done is we’ve worked with the states to provide access to the vaccine, aged care.”
Ms Gallagher: “Just tell me, are you responsible, yes or no?”
Mr Colbeck: “Well it’s not a yes or no answer senator, and you know that.”
Ms Gallagher: “No I don’t know that, up until five seconds ago I thought you were responsible for age care staff.”
Senator Colbeck said the Commonwealth was running a cooperative program to roll out the vaccine with states and territories, and aged care workers could get vaccinated through state-run hubs.
Labor senator Murray Watt asked: “Isn’t the federal government responsible for making sure that aged care workers get the vaccine?”
Senator Colbeck said it was a collective responsibility.
“It is not about pitting the states against the Commonwealth in this circumstance, we are cooperatively working on this together,” he said.
Workers face real wage cut until 2025: Treasury boss
By Jennifer Duke
Back to today’s economics estimates hearing and Treasury boss Steven Kennedy has revealed workers will be slugged with a real wage cut until 2025 as a direct result of hiking the superannuation guarantee.
Dr Kennedy said the legislated super guarantee hike from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent by 2025 is a significant factor keeping expected wage growth below inflation. The first 0.5 per cent increase is due next month.
“Roughly speaking a 0.5 [percentage point] increase in the super guarantee means wages are less by about 0.4 [percentage points],” Dr Kennedy said in response to questions from Liberal senator Andrew Bragg at Estimates on Tuesday morning.
Without superannuation rises wages would instead rise by a “small positive in the forwards” on the same model, Dr Kennedy said.
“Obviously [super guarantee rises] are still people’s earnings but they go into super.”
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2021-06-01 02:30:19Z
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