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Greg Hunt announces retirement from politics
By Rachel Clun
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed he will retire from politics at next year’s election.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced he will leave politics at the next election.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“Earlier today, I spoke with the Prime Minister and my electorate chairman and I informed them I would not be contesting the next election. This may come as a surprise to some of you,” he joked.
The health minister’s wife and staff were allowed into the public gallery to hear his valedictory speech.
“I’m so proud of this government, this parliament, and this nation, and all the things that have been done to save lives and protect lives,” he said.
“There will be challenges, but we are well-prepared for the future.”
He paid tribute to his wife Paula, for raising the couple’s two children mostly alone.
“[My children] said to me, on Sunday, they looked at me and said, ‘dad, this is your last chance to be a proper dad, and it’s time to come home’.”
As Rob Harris wrote yesterday, Mr Hunt, who was first elected in November 2001, is one of only three Liberal MPs, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, to have served in federal cabinet since the Coalition came to power in September 2013. He has held the health portfolio since January 2017.
Victoria’s pandemic laws passed in the upper house
By Marta Pascual Juanola
The Andrews government’s pandemic bill has passed the upper house, paving the way for Victoria to become the first jurisdiction in Australia to implement tailor-made pandemic laws.
The legislation will shift the responsibility to declare pandemics and issue health orders from the state’s chief health officer to the premier and health minister once the state of emergency powers expire on December 15.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.Credit:Joe Armao
Upper house MPs debated the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021 for 21 hours from 3pm Tuesday until noon on Wednesday.
The legislation was then sent back to the lower house with minor amendments and rushed through just after 7pm on Wednesday.
It was passed in a 20/18 vote in the upper house about 3pm on Thursday.
Listen: Backlash as government fails to move on damning sex discrimination review
By Nathanael Cooper
On Tuesday, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ damning report into workplace culture at Parliament House was handed down.
The report found one in three parliamentary staffers working in Commonwealth parliamentary offices had personally experienced sexual harassment. More than half of the staff who responded to the survey said they had experienced at least one incident of bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault.
Among the recommendations made in the report is the creation of an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission to investigate complaints, and an Office of Parliamentarian Staffing and Culture, which would be a human resources department.
Today on our podcast, Please Explain, federal politics reporter Katina Curtis joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the review and the recommendations.
The PM’s full statement on Alan Tudge
As reported earlier today, federal Education Minister Alan Tudge will stand aside while the Prime Minister’s department investigates whether he has breached ministerial standards following allegations from his former staffer, Rachelle Miller, that he was abusive during a consensual affair.
Mr Tudge denies the allegations.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Former senior public servant Vivienne Thom will conduct the review.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had this to say before Question Time in the lower house:
“I rise on indulgence to refer to the statement made earlier today by Ms Miller and the allegations regarding her relationship with minister Tudge.
“Mr Speaker, these issues are obviously deeply concerning and I know deeply distressing, for Ms Miller, minister Tudge and the families affected by these events. I have discussed Ms Miller’s statement with Mr Tudge, who refuted the allegations made. Given the seriousness of the claims made by Ms Miller, it’s important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously.
“To this end, the minister has agreed to my request to stand aside while these issues are addressed by my department, through an independent and fair process, to ensure that the matters that have been raised can be properly assessed and the views put by the respective parties in relation to these issues. I’m advised by the department they’ll be seeking to do this through Vivienne Thom.
“This will enable my department to provide me with any further advice regarding any implications for the ministerial standards.
“I wish to stress that this action in no way seeks to draw a conclusion on these matters, Mr Speaker. But this is the appropriate action for me to take under the ministerial standards. I note that minister Tudge has welcomed this process ... and he looks forward to participating in this process.
“I have also asked ... for this advice to be provided directly to Ms Miller by my chief of staff. In the interim, [Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business] Minister [Stuart] Robert will act as Minister for Education and Youth.”
Alan Tudge to stand aside amid investigation by PM’s department
By Nick Bonyhady
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that Education Minister Alan Tudge will stand aside while the PM’s department investigates whether he has breached ministerial standards following allegations from his former staffer, Rachelle Miller, that he was abusive during a consensual affair.
The federal Minister for Education and Youth, Alan Tudge. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Morrison said he had discussed the matter with Mr Tudge, who entirely rejected the allegations.
Former senior public servant Vivienne Thom will conduct the review, Mr Morrison told the House of Representatives just before question time on Thursday. The Prime Minister will then review any advice from his department on whether ministerial standards have been breached.
Mr Morrison said Ms Miller’s allegations were deeply concerning and distressing for Ms Miller, Mr Tudge and their families.
“I have discussed Ms Miller’s statement with Minister Tudge, who has refuted the claims that have been made. But given the seriousness of the claims made by Ms Miller, it’s important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously.
“To this end, the minister has agreed to my request to stand aside while these issues are addressed by my department, through an independent and fair process, to ensure that the matters that have been raised can be properly assessed and the views put by the respective parties in relation to these issues.”
Mr Morrison said Mr Tudge, who was not in the chamber for Question Time, was looking forward to participating in the investigation.
“I wish to stress that this action in no way seeks to draw a conclusion on these matters, Mr Speaker. But this is the appropriate action for me to take under the ministerial standards,” he said.
Eighteen new cases of COVID-19 in South Australia
By Michaela Whitbourn
South Australia has recorded 18 new cases of COVID-19, 16 of which are linked to an event in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.
As reported earlier today, former SA premier Jay Weatherill tested positive to COVID-19 on Wednesday after attending a social function at a theatre hall in Norwood on Saturday.
SA’s Chief Health Officer Nicola Spurrier.Credit:Getty
SA Health believes attendees caught the virus from an interstate traveller.
Professor Nicola Spurrier, the state’s Chief Public Health Officer, said everybody at the event was fully vaccinated and the so-called Norwood cluster now stood at 16.
“This disease is a real leveller,” she said, and anybody could be affected by it.
The remaining two coronavirus cases reported today are interstate travellers.
Watch: SA Premier provides COVID-19 update
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall is providing a COVID-19 update. You can watch it live here.
West Australian MP charged over alleged child sex abuse
By Hamish Hastie
A West Australian upper house MP has been charged over the alleged child sex abuse of an eight-year-old girl.
James Dorrin Hayward, the Nationals member for the South West, is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court later today.
South West MLC James Hayward has been charged over alleged child sex abuse. Credit:Facebook
A WA Police spokeswoman said detectives from the child abuse squad charged a 52-year-old man with three counts of indecent dealings with a child under 13 years, one count of procuring a child under 13 to do an indecent act and one count of persistent sexual conduct.
Seventh Omicron COVID-19 case confirmed in NSW, no direct link to southern Africa
By Michaela Whitbourn and Mary Ward
A seventh case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern has been confirmed in NSW, and two COVID-positive members of their household may also have the variant.
“The person arrived on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on 23 November. The person is isolating in the Special Health Accommodation with their family,” the department said in a statement just now.
A seventh case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in NSW.Credit:Getty
Two members of the person’s household are confirmed cases of COVID-19, NSW Health said, and urgent genomic sequencing was under way to confirm they had also been infected with the Omicron variant.
“These travellers have not been in southern Africa and NSW Health is concerned transmission may have occurred on this flight.
“NSW Health is now requesting every person who was on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on 23 November immediately get a PCR test and isolate while waiting further health advice.”
The case had been staying at the Mantra Serviced Apartments at Chatswood since Tuesday.
Anyone who was at the apartments between Tuesday November 23 and Tuesday this week should immediately get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
One new case of COVID-19 in the Northern Territory
By Michaela Whitbourn
The Northern Territory has recorded one new case of COVID-19, in the remote community of Lajamanu.
It is the first coronavirus case in that community. It brings the total number of cases in the current Katherine cluster to 60.
The Howard Springs quarantine facility in Darwin.Credit:Louise Radcliffe-Smith
The fully vaccinated 45-year-old man is being transferred to the Howard Springs quarantine facility near Darwin.
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https://news.google.com/__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?oc=5
2021-12-02 04:21:47Z
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