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School climate strike expected to draw crowds across Australia
Thousands of school students across the country are expected to strike today in protest over the federal government’s climate policy.
It is touted as the biggest climate protest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scott Morrison on Monday.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
On Wednesday, Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor gave the green light to the Commonwealth-owned Snowy Hydro to build a $600 million gas-fired power generator in NSW’s Hunter Valley to replace the ageing Liddell coal-fired power station that is set to shut in 2023.
The announcement was made just hours after the International Energy Agency released a report warning that it expected new and some existing gas infrastructure to become redundant in its economic lifetime should the world meet critical carbon pollution reduction targets under the Paris agreement.
Australia’s power industry has hit out at the plan, describing it as an unnecessary market intervention that risks derailing vital future investments needed to transition the energy grid.
Save the Children Deputy CEO Mat Tinkler said: “We are calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to listen to the voices of children.
“We have children telling us that gas isn’t the future, meanwhile the government has announced $600m towards a new gas-fired power plant in the Hunter Valley. It is clear that politicians are not paying attention.
Victoria ‘can more than double vaccine delivery’, but is limited by supply
By David Estcourt
Acting Premier James Merlino said the state government has the capacity to more than double the number of vaccines currently being rolled out to Victorians but is limited by available supply.
“We would love to expand,” Mr Merlino said at a press conference on Friday morning.“We’ve got capacity within our state sites of two to three times more than what we’re delivering.
Acting Premier James Merlino during the Victorian Budget lockup on Thursday.Credit:Joe Armao
“But that comes down to supply ... if we had enough Pfizer, if we had enough AstraZeneca, we could more than double what we are doing in our state sites. We want the Commonwealth vaccine programme to roll out as quickly as possible.”
‘Reduction in risk’ in COVID-19 quarantine is critical, Acting Victorian Premier says
By David Estcourt and Michaela Whitbourn
You may recall that there appeared to be a difference of opinion between the Victorian government and the Commonwealth over whether a proposed purpose-built quarantine facility in Melbourne’s north would replace hotel quarantine or supplement it.
Acting Premier James Merlino was asked about this on Friday morning and suggested there may be a place for both.
He said engagement between state and Commonwealth officials about the proposal had been “incredibly productive” and it was a “well thought through” proposal.
“We need an alternative to hotel quarantine,” Mr Merlino said.
“For example, you might have people coming from the highest-risk parts of the world that would go into the alternative quarantine hub, and low-risk countries might go through some element of hotel quarantine,” he said.“Those are the issues that are being discussed at the moment.
“The primary concern of the state is we need to see a reduction in risk.”
Last month the state government announced Victoria would invest $15 million in design work for a 500-bed quarantine facility on Donnybrook Road in Mickleham, which could then be scaled up to 3000 beds within 22 months.
Victorian government vows to ‘completely rebuild our mental health system’
By Michaela Whitbourn
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino says the state government will “completely rebuild our mental health system”, and the needs of young people are an urgent priority.
He spoke to the media on Friday morning about millions of dollars in funding for Youth Prevention and Recovery Care centres (known as Youth PARCs) for young people recovering from mental illness.
Victoria’s acting Premier James Merlino.Credit:Joe Armao
In its 2021-22 state budget, announced yesterday, the Victorian government committed to a $3.8 billion overhaul of the state’s struggling mental health system after the state’s royal commission found it had “catastrophically failed to live up to expectations”.
Mr Merlino said on Friday this was “the biggest social reform in our state’s history” and the mental health system was broken.
“We know that the only way to fix it is to follow the blueprint of the royal commission.”
A new tax on businesses with more than $10 million in wages nationally will raise more than $800 million a year to bankroll the changes to mental health to rebuild the failing system, Jewel Topsfield reports.
Mr Merlino said the tax would affect less than 5 per cent of employers.
“Many of those are multinational companies. It is very targeted,” he said. He said addressing mental health was worth “billions to our economy”.
“Mental ill health has a $14 billion impact on our economy,” Mr Merlino said.
Watch: Acting Victorian Premier addresses media
Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino addressed the media after the government handed down its 2021-22 state budget yesterday.
He spoke about funding for the state’s mental health prevention and recovery care units for young people. You can watch the press conference here.
Hamas schedules public celebrations as truce begins in Gaza
Reuters reports that a truce between Israel and Hamas began on Friday at the hour set by Egyptian mediators, and US President Joe Biden pledged to salve the devastation of the worst fighting in years with humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In the countdown to the 2am (9am AEST) cease-fire, whose timing Hamas had confirmed but Israel did not, Palestinian rocket salvoes continued and Israel carried out at least one air strike.
An Israeli soldier works and operates an artillery unit as it fires near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip on May 18.Credit:Amir Levy
Each side said it stood ready to retaliate for any truce violations by the other. Cairo said it would send two delegations to monitor the ceasefire.
Hamas, the Islamist militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, scheduled public celebrations for what it deemed a victory over a militarily and economically stronger foe.
‘Best rugby player in the world’: Palmer to sponsor Folau’s return to rugby league
By Toby Crockford and Michaela Whitbourn
Queensland billionaire businessman Clive Palmer has announced his mining company Mineralogy will sponsor Israel Folau’s return to rugby league with the Gold Coast team Southport Tigers.
Israel Folau and Clive Palmer on Friday.Credit:Toby Crockford
Mr Palmer says Folau has signed with the Tigers for the remainder of the season. Mr Palmer is a patron of the club.
Folau’s two brothers are currently with the Tigers and were a big reason for the deal being agreed. The three brothers have never played together, according to Folau.
Israel Folau said on Friday he was excited to return to the “grassroots level”.Credit:Nine
Mr Palmer said Folau was the “best rugby player in the world” and “there’s no legal reason at all that Israel Folau can’t play”.
Folau, a devout Christian, was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 after posting on social media that “sinners”, including “drunks [and] homosexuals”, would go to hell unless they repented.
Asked about his social media posts on Friday, Folau said he believed what the Bible said and he didn’t write the Bible.
“Anyway, I don’t think that’s a really big issue. We’re here to win the premiership,” Mr Palmer interjected. “This is just a beatup.”
Mr Palmer said he had “sworn on the Bible in court”. In April he was ordered to pay $1.5 million in damages after the Federal Court found he had used a Twisted Sister anthem in political advertisements without permission. Justice Anna Katzmann said he gave “false evidence” in the proceedings.
Folau last played NRL for the Brisbane Broncos in 2010. In February the St George Illawarra Dragons pursued Folau before the club backflipped.
US President calls Israel-Hamas ceasefire a victory for ‘quiet diplomacy’
US President Joe Biden says he hopes the unconditional ceasefire agreed to by Israel and Hamas after 11 days of fighting opens the possibility for a more longstanding peace between Israel and Palestine, Matthew Knott reports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said his security cabinet had voted unanimously in favour of a “mutual and unconditional” truce in Gaza while Hamas said the ceasefire would be “mutual and simultaneous”.
Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu.Credit:AP
“I believe the Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely, and enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” Biden said.
“My administration will continue our quiet, relentless diplomacy towards that end.
“I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I’m committed to working for it.”
Watch: Clive Palmer and Israel Folau
Yes, you read that correctly. Clive Palmer, businessman and former federal MP, and NRL player Israel Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 over social media posts, held a press conference in Brisbane at 9am over his sporting future. You can watch the press conference here.
Folau to make announcement on future this morning
By Josh Dye
NRL boss Peter V’landys is remaining tight-lipped on whether former player Israel Folau will be allowed to return to the game.
Folau and billionaire Clive Palmer will hold a press conference this morning where it’s expected the former footballer will announce his desire to join a local Queensland rugby league club.
Israel Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 over social media posts.Credit:Getty
“That’s a matter for the Queensland Rugby League. It comes under their jurisdiction, that’s not under the NRL jurisdiction,” V’landys said.
“They’ll determine if he’s a fit and proper person to play the game in Queensland.”
Folau, a devout Christian, was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 after posting on social media that “sinners”, including “drunks [and] homosexuals”, would go to hell unless they repented.
Folau last played NRL for the Brisbane Broncos in 2010. In February the St George Illawarra Dragons pursued Folau before the club backflipped.
“Everyone deserves due process and natural justice,” V’landys said. “We don’t currently have an application before us to consider so any judgement I make now would be premature. We want to give everyone an opportunity to have due process.”
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2021-05-21 00:40:38Z
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