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PM calls on Grace Tame to name institution behind phone call
By Angus Thompson
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is calling on Grace Tame to name the institution behind the threatening phone call the 2021 Australian of the Year said she received, citing the Australia Day Council’s denial.
He has told Parliament the government would be “pleased to pursue the matter” if provided with more information and has said he has personally “made no criticism of Ms Tame, her statements or her actions”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame. Credit:AFR
He said Ms Tame had declined to name the person who called her to urge her not to make future criticisms of the PM, “I would at least invite her to name the institution”.
“If anyone has any information on that I would encourage them to bring it forward so the matter can be properly addressed,” Mr Morrison said.
On Wednesday the National Australia Day Council denied having “threatening” conversations with Grace Tame after the 2021 Australian of the Year said a senior member of a government-funded organisation had urged her to refrain from criticising Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Mr Morrison hit out at the unnamed person who Ms Tame claimed spoke to her last August, calling on them to apologise for their “unacceptable” behaviour while insisting he was not aware of any moves to silence her.
Ms Tame and former ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins appeared at the National Press Club on Wednesday to decry the slow progress in acting on violence against women and child sexual abuse, and make specific calls for better action.
Ms Tame said she received “a threatening phone call” from a senior member of a government-funded organisation on August 17 last year asking her not to say anything damning about the Prime Minister in the lead-up to the next Australian of the Year awards.
“‘You are an influential person. He will have a fear,’ they said... And then I heard the words, ‘with an election coming soon’,” she recounted.
This evening’s headlines at a glance
Good evening and thank you for following our coverage of today’s events. I’m David Estcourt and if you’re just joining us, this is what you need to know:
- The federal government will push for a Senate inquiry into key parts of its package of religious discrimination bills in a decision that avoids a vote in the upper house after NSW Liberal senator Andrew Bragg told the government he was prepared to cross the floor to protect the rights of transgender children. Attorney-General Michaelia Cash is seeking the inquiry rather than an immediate vote based on legal advice from the Australian Government Solicitor, who warned the amendments passed in the Parliament in the early hours of Thursday morning had “unintended consequences” that could harm students.
Question time at Parliament House, Canberra on Thursday.Credit:James Brickwood
- The announcement came after debate persisted for more than 10 hours overnight, with the contentious Religious Discrimination Bill passing through the House of Representatives after a marathon session of Parliament. However, in a significant blow to the government, five Liberals crossed the floor just before 5am to vote with Labor and crossbenchers in support of independent MP Rebekah Sharkie’s amendment to abolish the right of religious schools to discriminate against gay and transgender students.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison is calling on Grace Tame to name the institution behind the threatening phone call the 2021 Australian of the Year said she received, citing the Australia Day Council’s denial. He told Parliament the government would be “pleased to pursue the matter” if provided with more information and that said he has personally “made no criticism of Ms Tame, her statements or her actions”. Mr Morrison said Ms Tame had declined to name the person who called her to urge her not to make future criticisms of the PM. “I would at least invite her to name the institution,” he said. “If anyone has any information on that, I would encourage them to bring it forward so the matter can be properly addressed.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame. Credit:AFR
- In another blow to the government on Thursday afternoon the Australian Christian Lobby urged the government to dump the amended Religious Freedom Bill. “The bills were intended to help faith-based schools but they now do more harm than good,” the group’s national director of politics, Wendy Francis, said.
- In a statement released late on Thursday afternoon, Labor leader Anthony Albanese took aim at the federal government’s push for a Senate inquiry. “It is extraordinary that the Prime Minister has walked away from his commitment to extend anti-discrimination laws by not debating the legislation in the Senate today,” he said.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House on Thursday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
- In coronavirus news, NSW has recorded 10,130 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths, slightly down on yesterday’s 10,312 cases. Victoria’s reported 9391 new cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths. Tasmania recorded 637 new cases of COVID-19 with one death.
- NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says the state is on track to lift most of its current restrictions on February 27, while 40 state-run clinics will offer walk-in COVID-19 booster vaccination doses this weekend. “As we approach that date, we’ll be meeting to reassess that situation,” he told Seven’s Sunrise earlier this morning. Current NSW rules include mandatory masks indoors, QR code check-ins at certain premises, a one person per two square-metres rule at indoor hospitality venues, a ban on singing and dancing and people encouraged to work from home where possible.
- In further NSW news, revised guidelines for visitors to hospitals will focus on end-of-life patients and women giving birth, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said. “I’m not saying that there might not be further changes along the way, there might have to be,” he said. The guidelines for visitation on the basis of compassionate care include if the patient is at end-of-life, has a life-threatening condition or diagnosis, a mental illness, dementia or a cognitive impairment, or if “it is beneficial for the patient’s emotional or physical wellbeing, including for women who are giving birth”. You can read the full list here.
Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten, a longtime advocate for Victorian sex workers. Credit:Eddie Jim
- In Victoria, the state is likely to become the third jurisdiction in the country to decriminalise sex work, a move advocates say will safeguard workers and reduce stigma. The upper house is expected to pass the bill late on Thursday with the support of at least five crossbench MPs. The proposed legislation would repeal offences for consensual sex work between adults, abolish the licensing system and legalise street-based sex work in some areas. “This is a momentous day for Victorian sex workers,” said Matthew Roberts, from Sex Work Law Reform Victoria. “For the first time in Victoria, sex work will no longer be treated as a crime, it will be treated as a legitimate business, and sex work will be recognised work.”
Join Kate Rose tomorrow morning at 6am for more live news coverage.
‘Extraordinary’: Albanese takes aim at religious discrimination bill delay
By Marta Pascual Juanola
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has taken aim at the federal government’s push for a Senate inquiry into key parts of its religious discrimination bill.
As we reported earlier today, the decision avoids a vote in the upper house on the package and makes it unlikely the legislation will advance through Parliament before the federal election.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House on Thursday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
In a statement released this afternoon, Mr Albanese described the legislation put forward by the Morrison government as flawed, and said his party had successfully amended the package “to prohibit discrimination against school children because of who they are”.
Here is what the Opposition Leader had to say:
Sadly, discrimination on the basis of faith is all too real.
It might be a Muslim woman or a Sikh man being vilified on the streets because of what they are wearing. It might be a group of Jewish or Christian students being attacked because of their faith.
Labor is committed to ending this vilification and discrimination.
In doing so we must not diminish protections for other people in our society.
That is what good legislation would have done.
Instead, the flawed legislation offered by the Morrison-Joyce government was produced at the last minute, and failed to deliver on commitments the Prime Minister made to protect children.
Labor was successful in amending the legislation to prohibit discrimination against school children because of who they are. This is a critical step towards ensuring their ongoing protection.
It is extraordinary that the Prime Minister has walked away from his commitment to extend anti-discrimination laws by not debating the legislation in the Senate today.
As a result of this government’s decisions, it appears this legislation will not proceed.
NT records 1161 cases, two deaths
By Marta Pascual Juanola
The last COVID-19 figures for the day have come through.
The Northern Territory has recorded 1161 new cases of coronavirus and two deaths in the latest reporting period, bringing the total number of cases in the jurisdiction to 7411.
Health authorities say both fatalities were women aged in their 60s with underlying health conditions. The first died at Royal Darwin Hospital on February 8, while the second died in an intensive care unit at the hospital on February 9.
The latest deaths bring the total number of COVID-related fatalities in the territory to seven since the pandemic began.
There are currently 168 patients with COVID-19 in hospitals across the territory, including 30 that require oxygen. Of those, three are in intensive care.
Most of the new COVID-19 cases reported by health authorities this afternoon came from positive rapid antigen tests.
A total of 659 were recorded in the Top End, 265 in Central Australia, 74 in East Arnhem, 59 in Big Rivers, and 29 in the Barkley region. Another 75 are under investigation.
Nationally, Australia has recorded 29,451 COVID-19 cases and 58 deaths.
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg says he would have ensured transgender children were protected
By Angus Thompson
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has said he would have ensured transgender children were protected when asked whether he would have crossed the floor over the religious discrimination package.
Senator Bragg had earlier been singled out as the Coalition’s weak link in trying to wrest back control from Labor in the upper house, given his reservations about the proposed legislation.
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg in his Sydney CBD office.Credit:James Brickwood
“I did have a significant concern about the separation of gay students from trans students, as well as the ongoing issues around teachers,” he told the ABC this afternoon.
Asked whether he would have crossed the floor to uphold his view, Senator Bragg said: “I would have ensured that vulnerable transgender children were protected”.
To learn more about the religious discrimination package click here.
Tourism, hospitality workers bear brunt of sluggish January
By Jennifer Duke
Turning now to a look at the economy, and one issue that could impact the upcoming election: employment and wage growth. Tourism and hospitality businesses were slow to put on more staff in the new year as Omicron dashed their hopes for a strong lift in holiday spending, leading to a drop in wages paid over the first fortnight of 2022.
But demand for workers in construction and manufacturing boosted wages and jobs in those sectors, complicating the picture for the Reserve Bank as it considers the timing of any future interest rate rise.
The construction industry was one of the strongest for jobs and wages at the start of the year.Credit:iStock
Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed payroll jobs rose only 1 per cent in the two weeks to January 15 after sinking 6.8 per cent in December, while total wages paid fell 0.1 per cent. Last January, payrolls bounced back 3.7 per cent following a 6.4 per cent decline in December 2020.
ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said the first two weeks of January were slower than a year ago for a range of reasons, including businesses and employees delaying their return from holidays, coronavirus disruptions and weather events in some parts of the country. Payroll jobs figures can be volatile as they are affected by seasonality.
KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne said while the January data was relatively weak, jobs were up 0.8 per cent over the year, with the impact of coronavirus largely seen in the hospitality and services sector.
“This data reaffirms what we have seen throughout the whole of the pandemic – the Australian economy is very resilient, which is fundamentally aided by the strong flexibility of our labour market,” Dr Rynne said.
Lithuania urges Australian sanctions
By Anthony Galloway
Moving now to the unfolding situation in Ukraine.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says Australia should impose tough sanctions on Russia and send resources to Ukraine if it invades the country, warning there would be consequences all over the world unless Moscow was punished.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, Mr Landsbergis said the Russians “have what they need for a full-scale invasion, the likes that we haven’t seen since the Second World War”.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said it was in Australia’s interests for Russia to not invade Ukraine.Credit:James Brickwood
It came on the same day Defence Minister Peter Dutton said China and Russia were forming an “unholy alliance” that “should cause great concern right across the world but in particular in our own region”.
There is growing concern that Russia will invade Ukraine in the coming weeks after it has amassed more than 100,000 troops near its border and sent warships towards the Black Sea.
Ms Landsbergis said Europe and its allies needed to impose “unbearable” sanctions on Russia to make Vladimir Putin think twice about any invasion, adding he believed the Russian president was a “rational actor”.
“So what’s in Putin’s mind? Some sort of calculations that we’re not aware of. And the only way we can convince him [to not invade] is actually to show him the price that he would need to pay,” Mr Landsbergis told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after delivering his speech.
“The price would have to be larger than any benefit they see from the incursion.”
Asked whether Lithuania expected Australia to join in sanctions and contribute resources to Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion, Mr Landsbergis said “all of those”.
Elderly could get vaccinated by their facilities in move to boost rates before winter
By Rachel Clun
Returning briefly to coronavirus news, aged care providers will soon be able to vaccinate their own residents and staff against the coronavirus to increase vaccination coverage ahead of winter, as COVID continues to sweep through the sector.
More than 80 per cent of eligible aged care residents have now had a booster as COVID taskforce teams revisit facilities across the country, ahead of the nation’s leaders preparing to discuss visitation rights and the vaccine rollout in a national cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Aged care facilities can apply to vaccinate their own workers and residents.Credit:Getty Images
Operation COVID Shield co-ordinator Lieutenant General John Frewen said allowing aged care providers to do the work of vaccinating is a “prudent measure” to ensure all 190,000 residents are offered boosters.
“This builds on the work already being done by Commonwealth in-reach clinics to help make it as efficient and easy as possible for staff and residents to get vaccinated and bolstered,” General Frewen said.
“Enabling residential aged care facilities to administer vaccinations also provides them with flexibility to do so at a time that suits them and their residents, without needing to coordinate with a third party vaccination provider.”
The federal government and Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck have come under sustained fire for their handling of aged care during the Omicron wave, with more than 600 residents dying since the variant started to spread through the country late last year.
Victorian government extends booster deadline for key workers
By Marta Pascual Juanola
The Victorian government has pushed back the deadline for key workers to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by a month just days before the mandate was due to come into effect across the state.
Victorians working in healthcare, aged care, disability support, emergency services, correctional facilities, quarantine accommodation, and food distribution who became eligible to receive a third dose by January 12, will now be required to get the shot by March 12 or risk being barred from attending work.
Premier Daniel Andrews.Credit:Eddie Jim
Those who were not eligible to receive a third dose on January 12 will have until March 29.
February 12 had previously been set as the cut off date for workers to get their booster shot but health authorities announced in a statement this afternoon the deadline had been extended by four weeks.
Staff will need to provide evidence of their vaccination status or a medical exemption by an authorised medical practitioner to their employer by March 12, who will confirm and record the information.
WA breaks daily COVID-19 case record as new support measures announced
By Hamish Hastie
Western Australia has recorded 139 new COVID-19 cases overnight.
Of the new cases, 37 occurred in the community, 29 of those were linked to close contacts while eight were still being investigated.
Interstate or international travellers made up 102 of the new cases.
The big increase in coronavirus cases in WA is being driven mostly by travellers returning from the eastern states and testing positive while in seven-day home isolation.
The local cases were the highest number recorded in the state but WA Premier Mark McGowan said it was not a cause for concern.
“This is no cause for panic. It’s what we have been predicting as we adjusted our border controls and it reinforces why we delayed the full opening of our hard border based on high transmission rate of Omicron and our third dose vaccination rate,” he said.
Mr McGowan also announced further pandemic support measures.
On Wednesday, the Cygnet residential aged care facility in Bentley closed to all visitors after a resident and staff member tested positive to COVID-19.
The resident tested positive after showing COVID-19 symptoms and is currently isolating, the statement said, while the staff member tested positive on Wednesday afternoon.
Key moments in the debate over the Religious Discrimination Bill
Producers Nicole Precel and Tammy Mills have compiled some of the key moments in the debates on the amendments of the Religious Discrimination Bill in Parliament over the past couple of days.
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2022-02-10 07:51:53Z
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