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WATCH: The Prime Minister addresses the nation
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National cabinet to replace COAG
By Max Koslowski
The Council of Australian Governments will be abolished in place of national cabinet, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced.
COAG was founded by the Keating government in 1992 as a forum from premiers and chief ministers to debate with one another, and the federal government, on matters of national importance.
Mr Morrison convened the new national cabinet in March in response to the coronavirus crisis. States and territories have met with the Prime Minister, sometimes several times a week, to coordinate key messages and debate policy responses to the pandemic.
Mr Morrison has shifted national cabinet's focus from an initial consideration of social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the virus, to focussing on reopening the economy and recreating jobs.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall revealed after national cabinet on Friday that the forum would continue beyond the coronavirus crisis.
The Prime Minister flagged as early as mid-April that national cabinet may continue to meet after coronavirus, describing the process as "more responsive and more coordinated than we've seen in many years".
"The processes we've established for the national cabinet may prove to be a better way for our federal system to work in the future, but this will be a matter for another time," he said.
WATCH: The Prime Minister addresses the nation
Today's big stories
The Prime Minister is now due to address the nation at 1.45pm. We will be bringing video of that to you live and Max Koslowski from the Canberra bureau will be writing updates for the blog. In the meantime, let's recap what's happened so far today.
- The global coronavirus death toll has passed 360,000 and there are more than 5.8 million known cases of infection, according to Johns Hopkins University. In Australia, the death toll stands at 103.
- There have been seven new cases in Victoria, including one in a school student. There were two new cases in NSW, both in hotel quarantine.
- National cabinet has met this morning for the first time in two weeks. On the agenda was reopening the economy, public transport, tax reform as well as the future of the national cabinet itself. We await Prime Minister Scott Morrison's updates, but South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has just announced that the national cabinet is set to continue.
- Up to 20 people will be able to attend weddings and 50 people funerals and their places of worship in NSW from Monday, a date on which a number of restrictions in NSW and Victoria are set to be eased.
- In Western Australia, a quarter of the foreign crew due to sail 56,000 sheep to the Middle East have tested positive for coronavirus.
- There has been some conflict in the cabinet over whether JobKeeper should be extended beyond September, with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton expressing this view on breakfast television this morning.
- Abroad, there is now just one active case in New Zealand, where residents are now allowed to gather in groups of 100.
- And in sport, the NRL has returned to action, with the Parramatta Eels defeating the Brisbane Broncos 34-6 last night. Souths will play Easts this evening for the second game back. No clue when those life-size fan cutouts will be making an appearance in stands, although apparently 250 people ordered them on the first day they were available.
This is Mary Ward pre-emptively signing off the blog to get it out of the way before Mr Morrison's address. My fellow Souths supporter, Matt Bungard, will be joining at 2pm to carry our live coverage through to the evening. Glory, glory etc.
National cabinet to continue, confirms SA Premier
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has confirmed the national cabinet will continue into the future, speaking ahead of the Prime Minister's address following today's national cabinet meeting.
Mr Marshall noted that it was a "long agenda" for the national cabinet's 20th meeting.
He said the meeting of state and territory leaders with the Prime Minister discussed safety on public transport.
"This is an area of real concern, not only in Australia but right around the world," he said.
Although the group discussed mandating the wearing of masks, Mr Marshall said they ultimately decided this should be "up to individual commuters" and instead the message should be that people should stay home and avoid public transport if they are unwell.
South Korea worries about a COVID-19 resurgence
South Korea has reported 58 new cases of the coronavirus, all in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, as officials scramble to stem transmissions linked to a massive e-commerce warehouse near the capital.
The figures announced on Friday by the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention brought national totals to 11,402 infections and 269 deaths.
Workers spray disinfectant in Seoul.Credit:AP
Public institutions including museums, theatres and multifunctional halls in the greater Seoul area would again be shut down immediately until June 14, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said.
WATCH: South Australian Premier gives a coronavirus update
Straight out of the national cabinet meeting and in before the Prime Minister, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall is due to address the media.
Australians searching for the Queensland holiday they can't yet have
Australians are searching for a holiday in the sunshine state, even if Queensland's border restrictions mean it isn't feasible just yet.
Search data from several major travel booking sites shows that international destinations have all but disappeared from Australians' travel plans this winter, replaced by holidays closer to home, Craig Platt reports.
People swimming at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast on May 16, 2020.Credit:Getty
Expedia hotel search data for the July school holiday period (June 27 to July 20) shows why Queensland may want to reconsider keeping its borders shut to interstate visitors, with three of the top five destinations in the state: the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Cairns.
This year, the only international destination in the top 10 is the New Zealand adventure holiday destination Queenstown, which did not make the list last year.
National cabinet and COAG: what's the difference?
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to address the nation after today's national cabinet meeting. We were originally told that would be around 1.30pm, although it is now looking like it could be later.
On the agenda today was reopening the economy, tax reform as well as the future of the national cabinet itself following calls from multiple state and federal personalities to keep the meetings going after the pandemic.
If you're asking – isn't that just COAG? The answer is: sort of yes. COAG meets two to four times a year and also includes local government representation, whereas national cabinet has been occurring much more frequently and doesn't have the LGA President. But a cynic would say the real difference between the two is just that national cabinet is occurring in a time of crisis, when bipartisan cooperation is essential.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said earlier this week national cabinet should be considered to replace the COAG forum which had become clumsy, overly bureaucratic and mired in red tape.
However, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall is in favour of keeping COAG as it and the national cabinet are "two different beasts".
with AAP
Coles returns to packing customer bags, lifts all product restrictions
It was only a couple of months ago that there were product restrictions on long lists of items and empty shelves in the nation's supermarkets.
But, in the latest sign of normality, Coles has announced this morning its staff will return to packing customer bags from Monday.
Coles has announced its staff will return to packing customer bags from Monday.Credit:Sasha Woolley
The supermarket has also removed all product restrictions, and will be replacing old reusable bags with fresh ones on request.
Customers can still pack their own bags, if they would prefer.
“We are grateful for the way customers have adapted to some big changes in our stores including packing their own bags," said Coles CEO Steven Cain.
"We hope that our team offering to pack them again makes life a little easier and that a replacement Coles ‘Better Bag’ will provide some peace of mind at a time when good hygiene practices and social distancing are as important as ever.”
Social distancing and hand sanitising practices will remain in place.
Women executives demand three month extension of free childcare
By Wendy Tuohy
The Federal Government's $1.6 billion free childcare scheme should be extended for three months to ensure women are not put at risk, according to the national organisation for senior women executives.
Sue Morphet, president of Chief Executive Women, said if women lose access to childcare when the scheme ends on June 28 as well as suffering longer-term financial disadvantage they could be prevented from exiting unsafe situations such as domestic violence at home.
"Women are most likely to suffer more and suffer longer as a result of this particular crisis and they are likely to be suffering for three years and more," she said.
"If they do they will lose their financial security which enables them to make social decisions ... such as against family violence and the like."
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2020-05-29 03:42:00Z
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