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EU to discuss visa ban for Russians, training of Ukraine troops at Prague meetings
By Reuters
Prague: European Union defence and foreign ministers, meeting in Prague this week, will discuss options for setting up an EU military training mission for Ukrainian forces and look into calls by some members to ban Russian tourists from entering the bloc.
Several EU countries have been training Ukrainian troops for a while, mainly enabling them to operate weapons Western nations are delivering to Ukraine to help its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The bloc’s foreign policy and security chief, Josep Borrell, has given few details of his plans so far, merely stating such a programme would not be based in Ukraine but in neighbouring countries.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.Credit:AP
Reuters
Today’s headlines at a glance
By Billie Eder
Good afternoon, if you’re only just joining us, here are today’s major news stories so far.
- The government is examining a union proposal for industry-wide bargaining as a way to give low-paid workers in female-dominated industries a pay rise with the potential to close the gender pay gap.
- The Greens and a key crossbencher want the proposed national anti-corruption commission to be independently funded and overseen by a parliamentary committee that operates at arm’s length from the federal government.
- In Victoria, peak bodies have warned that free university degrees for budding nurses could exacerbate nationwide aged care and private hospital workforce shortages and pit states against each other.
- In NSW, amid a push for a reduction in the isolation period for people infected with COVID-19, NSW pensioners and concession card holders are being offered 10 free rapid antigen tests.
- And finally, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has marked 100 days in office, delivering a speech to the National Press Club on Monday. Albanese said his government has “hit the ground running” and listed flood support, supporting a rise in the minimum wage, and putting in place biosecurity measures against foot and mouth disease as some of the achievements he is proud of so far.
Australia reports 8704 new COVID cases, 11 deaths
By Broede Carmody
All Australian states and territories have now reported today’s official coronavirus numbers.
There were 8704 cases recorded across the country today and 11 additional deaths from the virus.
There are 3036 people in hospital with COVID. Of those, 95 are in ICU.
Today’s daily case tally is the lowest since December 2021.
PM declines to state his position on five days of COVID iso
By Broede Carmody
After being asked about migration caps, Anthony Albanese was asked to comment on the reports that national cabinet may soon slash the mandatory COVID isolation period from seven days to five.
As regular readers of this blog will know, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has publicly backed such a move.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet during a joint briefing last month. Credit:James Brickwood
“[Perrottet] spoke to me about it last week,” Albanese told the National Press Club. “And the week before. It’s something that he has a position on that is very public.
“We’ll have a discussion about that on Wednesday when we hear, once again, a report and a consideration of the health response to the pandemic.”
We need to enhance our reputation among potential migrants, Albanese says
By Broede Carmody
Meanwhile, the prime minister has been asked whether he’ll soon lift the cap on migration.
The current cap for 2022-23 is 160,000 people, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
Here was Anthony Albanese’s response:
I’ll be undertaking genuine consultation with business and unions at the end of this week. I will make a couple of points though. One, it probably wasn’t the wisest decision during the pandemic to tell everyone who was a temporary visa holder to leave. And to provide them with no income and no support, which means many of them have left with ill feeling towards Australia and that spreads around. We’ve got a globalised labour market. And we need to enhance our reputation. Australia is a great place to live, or to visit, and we need to always bear that in mind and I think some of the actions that occurred then weren’t wise.
But, secondly, also I think it’s not just about numbers. It’s about how we do this beyond, yes, addressing the urgent needs which are there, in particular professions, but also in areas like hospitality. There’s massive skills shortages. Every restaurant will tell you that that’s the case. But also about the nature of the mix as well. The truth is that, unfortunately in some areas, temporary labour has been used to undercut wages and conditions. And we don’t want that either. What we need to do ... in my view, I’ve said this before ... we need more paths to permanent migration rather than just temporary labour.
Cabinet processes were ‘completely trashed’ under former government: PM
By Broede Carmody
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says cabinet processes were “completely trashed” under his predecessor.
The comments come after the PM last week announced an independent inquiry into Scott Morrison’s secret portfolio saga.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during today’s National Press Club address. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Here’s what Albanese told the National Press Club a few moments ago:
I think the independence and processes of the public service were undermined over a long period of time. I’ve been somewhat surprised because some of the detail isn’t known until you’re in government.
The truth is that cabinet processes under the former government were completely trashed. Cabinet isn’t power point presentations from pollsters. It’s for serious consideration of policy based upon advice from the public service.
I think that will take time to rebuild.
Albanese declines to say if he’ll make Victoria’s free nursing degrees national
By Broede Carmody
The prime minister’s National Press Club address has now shifted to the Q&A session.
Presenter Laura Tingle asked Anthony Albanese whether his government will follow in the footsteps of Victoria and announce a national plan to service HECS debt for nursing and midwifery students.
As regular readers of this blog will know, how to not only reward but retain healthcare staff was a major talking point throughout the federal election campaign.
Here’s the PM’s response:
We’ve got Katy Gallagher here as the finance minister. So I’m not about to make multibillion-dollar commitments on the run. That’s why she attends these events, to make sure that ministers don’t go completely outside our ... [usual] process. But I did speak to [Victorian] Premier [Daniel] Andrews this morning and it’s a good initiative that he’s undertaking. But we have our own initiatives as well. Fee-free TAFE [and] the additional university places aimed at areas of skills shortage. So, the different levels of government have to pull the levers that are available to them. And we are certainly pulling those levers for across the workforce.
Jobs summit won’t fix everything, but ‘culture of cooperation’ important: PM
By Broede Carmody
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has conceded that Thursday and Friday’s jobs and skills summit won’t solve all of Australia’s economic problems.
However, he insisted that fostering a “culture of cooperation” is important.
None of us imagine a 2-day summit will entirely fix wages and job security. I know when we wrap up on Friday afternoon, there will still be $1 trillion of debt, Australian families will still be struggling with the cost-of-living pressures, businesses - big and small - will still need help with staff and skills.
But for the first time in a long time, I believe we will be moving to a agreement on how to solve these problems rather than arguing over who is to blame for them. So, yes, I want to see progress on skills and training. On wages and apprenticeships. But the biggest simple outcome I’m hoping for is the beginning of a new culture of co-operation.
Albanese says he’s not wasting a moment as he marks 100 days in office
By Broede Carmody
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stepped up to the microphone at the National Press Club of Australia.
His speech is titled “building a better future”, and is being delivered to mark his first 100 days in office.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese preparing to address the National Press Club. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Here’s a taste of the PM’s opening remarks:
I’m proud to lead a government that’s advancing the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Colleagues, the great privilege, the great opportunity, and the solemn responsibility of government is putting our ambition for the country into action. Converting the promises of a campaign into the progress of a nation.
We are focused on building a fair wage, strong growth, high productivity economy - an Australia where working hard means you can pay the bills, support your family, save for the future and achieve your aspirations. An Australia where everyone can trust in quality services. Strong Medicare, affordable childcare, decent aged care, and a National Disability Insurance Scheme that fulfils its great promise. An Australia where investments in education and training and skills and housing and infrastructure and technology mean the doors of opportunity are open to everyone, in every part of our great country.
I know a lot of people are doing it really tough. But I’m optimistic about our country. I believe in the Australian people and I’m energised by the work of building a better future. After a wasted decade, we’re not wasting a day.
Albanese said his government had “hit the ground running” and listed flood support, supporting a rise in the minimum wage, putting in place biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease and establishing a strategic defence review as some of the achievements he is most proud of so far.
Kids are all right swabbing noses: study
Staying with coronavirus news for a moment, and school-aged children are just as good at doing their own rapid COVID-19 tests as adults, a new study shows.
The research from the Emory University School of Medicine in the United States tested the ability of children and teenagers aged four to 14 to do their own nasal swabs.
Researchers tested whether children are just as good at doing their own nasal swabs as adults. Credit:Bloomberg
It found self-collected positive nasal swabs from 197 symptomatic children agreed with results from healthcare worker-collected swabs in 97.8 per cent of participants.
The study also showed the children’s own negative swabs agreed with healthcare worker-collected swabs in 98.1 per cent of participants.
Younger children struggled the most, with 13 of the 24 participants aged four to five having “significant” difficulties doing their own tests.
Children eight or older were more likely to correctly self-perform the rapid tests.
Access to healthcare workers to conduct the tests on children in school settings has been limited, with researchers looking to see if children were capable of self-testing.
AAP
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2022-08-29 04:39:06Z
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