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Mark Butler says fifth dose of Covid vaccine not reccommended
The health minister Mark Butler says Atagi has not recommended a fifth dose:
Atagi has considered international evidence as well as the local data around the vaccination numbers as well as case numbers in the pandemic. And decided not to recommend a fifth dose or a third booster, if you like. At this point in time. They have said they anticipate new booster recommendations being made in early 2023 in preparation for the southern hemisphere winter.
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Christopher Knaus
Lawyers claim Catholic church is pressuring survivors into smaller payouts
The Catholic church has been accused of using recent rulings to pressure child abuse survivors to accept “paltry” amounts in cases where alleged perpetrators have died.
We reported this morning that the Catholic church had taken an increasingly aggressive approach in civil cases where alleged paedophile priests had died. That followed rulings in the New South Wales courts that permanently stayed cases where clergy had died. In those cases, the courts found that the church could not have a fair trial.
The child abuse royal commission found that, on average, survivors took more than 20 years to come forward, meaning that many cases involve alleged perpetrators who have since died.
But multiple law firms told the Guardian that the church was using the recent rulings to try to pressure survivors in such cases.
The head of Arnold Thomas & Becker’s abuse case team, Kim Price, said:
We have absolutely seen a change in the behaviour of defendants since these rulings were delivered, in particular the Catholic church.
Defendants now frequently threaten to stay a claim on the basis that they cannot have a ‘fair trial’ because of the delay taken by a survivor to come forward. Including, astoundingly, cases where the alleged paedophile has multiple victims. The threat usually relates to the perpetrator being deceased and unable to assist the defendant with their investigations or defence.
Rightside Legal, based in Victoria, said it expects the church to use the tactic as its latest strategy to discourage survivors from pursuing civil action. Partner Grace Wilson said the NSW cases had not yet been mirrored in Victoria, but said:
It’s pretty galling to survivors that a religious order can say, ‘Our paedophile priest, whom we did nothing to deter, is dead and we can’t properly defend the claim because of that.’
Peter Hannam
Mike Cannon-Brookes congratulates new AGL board members
As noted in earlier posts, Mike Cannon-Brookes – the billionaire climate activist – has had some more success in shaping AGL’s future.
Against the wishes of the board, all four of his picks for directors got the nod from shareholders at today’s annual general meeting for AGL.
A spokesperson for Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures (his slightly discordantly named family company – one shareholder asked, “what’s a Grok?”) – said they congratulated Kerry Schott, Christine Holman, Mark Twidell, and Prof John Pollaers. Plus added a bouquet to Miles George who was also re-elected to the AGL board.
AGL shareholders clearly believe that these five directors bring essential experience and credentials to the board.
This represents another majority vote by AGL shareholders pointing to their desire for change, fresh thinking and more execution capacity to realise the potential of this great company.
The AGL board has Grok Ventures’ full support to deliver on the monumental task ahead, of rebuilding the company to lead Australia’s green energy transition, for the benefit of all stakeholders.
That sounds like a “get on with it” message, rather than “let’s shake things up more”. Let’s see if that’s the way it pans out.
Here’s our article on the gathering:
Victorian independent candidate to appeal against how-to-vote card rejection
As Benita reported a little while ago, Sophie Torney, an independent candidate for Kew, has decided to appeal against the Victorian Electoral Commission’s rejection of her how-to-vote cards:
Today the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) rejected our how-to-vote cards on the basis that the VEC believes they will mislead voters. This decision ignores significant evidence from the federal election where blank boxes on how-to-vote cards were used by several independent candidates.
In the 2022 federal election, Kooyong independent candidate, Dr Monique Ryan, had blank boxes on her how-to-vote card with instructions to number every box. At that election, the informal vote in Kooyong was 2.89% – lower than the national average of 3.4%, lower than Victoria’s average of 3.5%, and lower than Kooyong in the 2019 federal election at 2.97%.
The VEC’s position is that in order for us to display a replica of the ballot on our HTV card we must direct preferences, as the political parties do. That is undemocratic, party-centric and not supported by legislation.
Due to the VEC’s decision today, we will not have any how-to-vote cards at mobile polling booths. The VEC’s decision unfairly discriminates against our campaign, prevents us from sharing information with Victoria’s most vulnerable voters, and will cost us votes.
Victoria’s Electoral Commissioner, Warwick Gately, has failed to respond to our urgent letter of inquiry of Thursday 10 November. The VEC has failed to provide a rationale and evidence for their claim that our how-to-vote card could mislead voters. The VEC has offered only a subjective view on the matter.
Our campaign has engaged legal representation and will challenge the decision in VCAT.
Medical experts concerned ‘hospitals have relaxed or removed mask requirements’
On some of the confusion around mask use in hospitals, Mel Davey has this story:
Chief health officer says to consider wearing masks
The chief health officer asks people who are at risk of Covid complications to consider wearing masks. That is good advice for anyone.
Kelly also says he thinks Australia is in the middle of this latest wave.
Two shipments of the new Pfizer vaccine are due in Australia in the next two weeks.
Chief health officer says antivirals important to prevent severe illness
Prof Paul Kelly expands on the need to have an anti-viral plan if you are 50 and over with two risk factors or over 70:
For example, a person over 70 who, even those that have three or four dose of vaccine, can halve the rate of death by taking the tablets. Halve the rate of death. It is incredibly important to get those treatments as quick as possible within a day of being diagnosed as best but up to five days, it would also make a difference in both your chance of severe illness lengthy hospitalisation or indeed of dying from Covid.
Vulnerable people should speak to GP about antivirals – Butler
People over the age of 50 with two risk factors are being encouraged to have a plan with their doctor to be able to access antivirals in the case they test positive with Covid.
Mark Butler:
We know even from recent evidence from Victoria, just again, how important antivirals can be in protecting vulnerable Australians from severe disease, hospitalisation or even worse.
Mark Butler says fifth dose of Covid vaccine not reccommended
The health minister Mark Butler says Atagi has not recommended a fifth dose:
Atagi has considered international evidence as well as the local data around the vaccination numbers as well as case numbers in the pandemic. And decided not to recommend a fifth dose or a third booster, if you like. At this point in time. They have said they anticipate new booster recommendations being made in early 2023 in preparation for the southern hemisphere winter.
Tamsin Rose
Liberal MP says report of bullying and harassment in NSW parliament was ‘not surprising’
The leader of the New South Wales parliamentary advisory group of MPs, and current and former staff, Leslie Williams, has followed up O’Dea’s statement with one on behalf of the group.
She acknowledged the harms that had occurred including abuses of leadership positions, the progress that had been made and what was still to be done following the Broderick report.
The Liberal MP said while the extent of bullying and harassment claims captured in the report was “both disturbing and confronting” it was also “not surprising” for many.
She told the parliament:
We as an advisory group want to convey to all survivors, we stand with you, and we look forward to working collaboratively to address the recommendations to ensure that the NSW parliament and elected offices are safe and respectful places to work. We make a strong and unequivocal commitment to work towards change that will ensure a positive professional supportive culture for all.
She explained the plans of the advisory group moving forward:
We will recognise the unique and escalated risks of misconduct experienced by people of diverse gender, race and sexuality, Aboriginal people and people with disability. We will value and respect the role of survivors and their representatives in designing and monitoring responses to the risks of misconduct and we will ensure that the contributions of underrepresented voices are actively sought out and taken into account.
Government approves Pfizer’s Omicron-specific booster vaccine
Here is the media release for those who can’t read the tweet:
Atagi has found this next generation vaccine triggers a modest improvement in the immune response against both strains. This vaccine and the original vaccines still provide significant protection from severe disease against Omicron subvariant infections.
The first doses of the bivalent vaccine have arrived in the country and are undergoing batch testing by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Rollout of this vaccine will commence from 12 December 2022.
This is the second bivalent vaccine approved for use in Australia. The Moderna Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 vaccine has been available for people aged 18 years or older since 14 October 2022.
A separate recommendation from ATAGI to make the paediatric Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine available for certain at-risk children aged 6 months to under 5 years has also been accepted. This vaccine will become available for eligible children from mid-January 2023.
The Pfizer vaccine is being restricted to children who are severely immunocompromised or who have other specific conditions that put them at increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
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