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Not the time to ease Covid-19 rules, AMA says warning another wave is coming
Australia’s peak medical body has warned it’s “too early” to scrap Covid-19 isolation requirements, with the nation set to be hit by another wave of infections, AAP reports.
National cabinet agreed to dump the five-day isolation period for positive cases at their last meeting in September.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the changes will come into effect on October 14.
Australian Medical Association President Professor Steve Robson told AAP it was “too early” to ease these protections for the community.
All the signs are that we’re looking at another wave of Covid.
We’re coming out of one of the biggest waves of Covid yet and it has absolutely crushed hospital workforce and left us with a massive logjam and backlog in hospitals at the moment that has to be dealt with.
If we have another wave over the holiday season, then it spells bad news for the country because we can’t tackle that backlog.
Prof Robson said information from the northern hemisphere showed the newer variants won’t be affected by immunity from previous infection or from vaccinations.
We’re seeing a major wave beginning again in the northern hemisphere, we’re very concerned that this doesn’t happen in Australia.
The federal health department will release its weekly Covid-19 case notifications report on Friday.
Dutton accuses government of not giving straight answers in throwback to Rudd and Gillard
The defence minister, Richard Marles, followed by the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, spoke to Nine News this morning.
Marles was asked whether the government would “break the promise” of its commitment to stage-three tax cuts. He said:
Our position hasn’t changed. We are facing a really difficult situation in terms of the budget. Every dollar of debt that Peter left us from the former government are now costing the budget a whole lot more.
Dutton then criticised the government’s lack of a clear answer on the question:
Richard’s words this morning – he couldn’t give you a straight answer, which is exactly how Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard behaved, and we’re seeing echoes of that, which should be deeply disturbing.
Feminist writer Clementine Ford is speaking to ABC Radio about how romantic love has been oversold to women as a project to get them back into the home post-WW2. What a vibe.
Josh Butler
Australian politicians react to Thai massacre
Condolences are flowing in from the Australian parliament following the horrific massacre in Thailand overnight. Prime minister Anthony Albanese earlier tweeted “it’s impossible to comprehend the heartbreak”. Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said she was “devastated”.
I am devastated to learn of reports of a shooting at a childcare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand.
Our hearts break for the families and the community. Our thoughts are with them, and the people of Thailand, during this incredibly difficult time. https://t.co/oKb3cyZ1mN
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 6, 2022
Opposition leader Peter Dutton called it a “senseless massacre” and “difficult to comprehend”.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed in this senseless massacre at the nursery in Thailand. Thai people are peace loving with a beautiful nature, which makes this crime even more difficult to comprehend.
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) October 6, 2022
Environment minister Tanya Plibersek, shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham and Nationals MP Michael McCormack also shared messages of condolence. Assistant treasury minister Andrew Leigh called the incident “evil”.
The news from Thailand is just heartbreaking. An unimaginable pain. Sending love to all who are affected by this tragedy.
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) October 6, 2022
Many will feel immense shock & sadness at the truly awful attack in Thailand. Our hearts go out to the parents & families of those children whose lives have been cruelly taken. It is an incomprehensible act against innocents.
— Simon Birmingham (@Birmo) October 6, 2022
Awful news from Thailand. A tragedy families will never get over. Cannot even begin to understand how and why. Hearts broken but a world’s strength and sympathy with all of those whose lives have been shattered.
— Michael McCormack (@M_McCormackMP) October 6, 2022
Allegra Spender calls for tax system review ahead of budget
Josh Butler
Independent MP Allegra Spender has called for the Labor government to announce a tax system review as part of this month’s federal budget, as debate over the fate of the $244bn stage-three tax cuts continues to rage.
Spender, the member for the affluent Sydney seat of Wentworth, tweeted this morning that it would be “courageous” for treasurer Jim Chalmers to start a “balanced discussion” about tax settings. She previously told the Sydney Morning Herald she supported the stage-three tax cuts but has long called for a review of income, company and payroll taxes.
In the budget the Treasurer should announce a short sharp tax review, so we can have a balanced discussion about what tax system can set us up for productivity growth, as well as support the services we need. That would be the courageous act.
— Allegra Spender (@spenderallegra) October 6, 2022
She tweeted:
The treasurer is right to highlight cost pressures in the budget, but government also has control over how to spend money smarter.
The government hasn’t decided on any changes to the stage-three tax cuts, which will overwhelmingly benefit high-income earners when they come into effect in 2024, and may eventually decide to make no changes at all to the settings legislated by Scott Morrison’s government. However, there are some in Labor agitating for changes, with calls for some of the large benefits to the richest Australians to be pared back.
The Coalition opposition is already setting this up as a test for the Albanese government, pointing out that the now prime minister repeatedly promised not to touch the tax cuts during the election. Here’s Coalition frontbencher Dan Tehan:
Albanese says trust between Australia and Solomon Islands vital
The prime minister’s office has released some images of Anthony Albanese hosting Manasseh Sogavare at The Lodge in Canberra for dinner on Thursday night, after his formal meeting at Parliament House earlier in the day.
At that meeting, Albanese said “building up trust” between the two nations was critical. He said Australia regards itself as being part of the “Pacific family”:
Like families, we won’t always agree on every single item but what we will agree on is common interests wherever we can.
Climate Council issues pre-budget wishlist
With the federal budget less than two weeks away, the Climate Council is calling on the Albanese government to replace $11.6bn spent on fossil fuel subsidies with “structural” environmentally friendly investments that could lower costs for households, AAP reports.
In a report released today, the Climate Council claims the government could use money from fuel subsidies to install more than 72,000 electric vehicle charging stations – one for every 12km of road – or install solar panels to power 1.5 million low-income households.
Climate Council chief executive Dr Jennifer Rayner said the organisation based its figures on fossil fuel subsidies paid in the 2021-2022 financial year and five projects it considered “better bets”.
In addition to solar panels and EV charging stations, Rayner said the government could use the funds to replace all diesel buses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, create 138 renewable energy storage facilities similar to Victoria’s Big Battery in Geelong, or fund another 15 pumped hydro projects to shore up the energy grid.
Rayner said each of the projects was environmentally friendly and some would offer cost savings to households under financial pressure.
Climate Council economist Nicki Hutley, who prepared the report, said investing the funds in electric vehicle charging sites could also make it easier for Australians to avoid rising petrol prices.
Australia has a network of more than 3000 public electric vehicle charging stations but, with an $11.6bn investment, Hutley estimates the country could roll out 72,500 EV chargers – one for every 12km.
By comparison, Norway has an EV charger for every 50km of roads at 17,000.
KPMG has flagged climate change as a key concern in the October budget.
Western Sydney to receive 70mm of rain Saturday alone
‘Too important to stuff up’: inland rail to be subject of independent probe
The federal government has today announced that the budget blowout and unanswered questions of the $14.5bn inland rail project be investigated in an independent review.
This is a project which was the subject of a major investigation by Guardian Australia’s rural network earlier this year:
The federal government today announced former Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott would lead the review.
Infrastructure minister Catherine King and finance minister Katy Gallagher have released a joint statement this morning:
The Coalition left Inland Rail in a mess. We inherited a project over budget, behind schedule and with no plan for where it will start or end.
The review will consider the process for selecting the Inland Rail route, including stakeholder consultation, and assess the project’s scope, schedule and cost.
The review will also assess options for the new Inland Rail intermodal terminals to be built in Melbourne and Brisbane, and improving rail links to the ports in these cities.
The review will have regard to existing studies, such as the Toowoomba to Gladstone Inland Rail Extension Business Case.
Inland Rail is an important part of building additional capability and capacity to increase the resilience of Australia’s freight supply chain and meet our growing freight task, which is forecast to grow by up to 35% by 2040.
Moving freight off the roads and on to rail will help with the task of decarbonising while helping regional cities grow by providing more opportunities for jobs and industries.
The independent review is necessary because Inland Rail is too important to stuff up.
The project has already gone over budget and a senate inquiry was told final costs for the infrastructure project could surpass $20bn.
‘Impossible to comprehend the heartbreak’: Albanese sends condolences to Thailand
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has expressed his condolences to Thailand on behalf of Australia following the news of mass stabbing and shooting at a preschool.
Thirty-seven people have been killed, most of them young children, in an unprecedented gun and knife attack at a preschool centre in the country’s north-east.
It’s impossible to comprehend the heartbreak of this horrific news from Thailand. All Australians send their love and condolences.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 6, 2022
Bandt says systemic cost of living relief will help Australians more than stage-three tax cuts
RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas now turns to asking Greens leader Adam Bandt about the stage-three tax cuts, amid speculation the government could be reconsidering their commitment.
Bandt has been outspoken about the need to scrap the tax cuts which will largely benefit the wealthiest Australians, arguing that the savings could be better spent on Greens policies like bringing dental under medicare.
Karvelas asks Bandt if he would support changes to the stage three tax cuts so people on lower incomes keep the tax cut. However, Bandt’s argument is that the government spending on “systemic cost of living relief” is what will best serve Australians.
The proposed tweaks that the government has been floating … still result in billionaires getting thousands of dollars a year in tax cuts – our view is there are better ways of dealing with the cost of living crisis.
People who are on low and middle incomes need cost of living relief, in the form of government support to reduce the cost of living, getting dental into medicare. The concern is that with wages going up so slowly and the cost of everything rising quickly, a small tax cut today is gobbled up by energy prices tomorrow.
This is about what government can do to make peoples lives better.
Greens to push government on safeguard mechanism in the Senate
Greens leader Adam Bandt is now speaking to ABC Radio. My colleague Sarah Martin brought you the news a little earlier about that new analysis out from the Greens which shows that big emitters can easily pay for their emission offsets instead of reducing them.
Bandt:
The government has said that … they’re now going to take steps to put a new rule in place to cover the coal and gas corporations. What we’re concerned about that under the discussion paper the government has released, these big corporations that are bringing in billions of dollars a year in revenue won’t actually be forced to cut their pollution instead they’ll just be able to pay to offset it.
[Our analysis] suggest that many of these big polluters won’t have to cut their pollution at all and given that call and gas is what’s fast tracking the climate crisis, that is a real concern to us.
The government’s safeguard mechanism has to deal with this question of new coal and gas projects … the government has said it would … if we come up with a scheme that allows new coal and gas to keep opening then it’s going to make the climate crisis worse.
Are the Greens willing to hold up other legislation to strengthen the safeguard mechanism?
They’ll need the safeguard mechanism to have the support of the Senate.. so this is where we will push the government to tackle this question of coal and gas.
This is an area I think we can get the government to shift, that’s why a record number of people voted for us.
Fifty-seven flood warnings in place for NSW as SES receive 800 calls for help
NSW SES assistant commissioner Dean Story is speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning about “a concerning couple of days ahead” for the state’s weather:
There is currently 57 advice or watch and act warnings in play from the SES effecting a large part of the state. That number is set to increase in the next 24 hours as well. We’re really asking the communities and those effected areas to stay informed, monitor your local weather forecasts and the warnings.
A lot of people on the roads with the school holidays ending and events taking place around the state. Avoid unnecessary travel if you are in the effected areas. If you need to travel, plan your trip accordingly. You can use live traffic.com as a good tool to do that and never drive through flood waters.
Story says there have been “almost 800 requests for assistance” since Monday.
SES volunteers have responded to 24 flood rescues during that time also. The rainfall forecast over the next 24 hours is really concerning from a flash-flooding risk. Where the flood waters and people attempt to go drive through them, particularly in the city areas, can really ramp up that activity and increase that risk.
We’re urging the communities to stay vigilant and make the smart safety decisions for themselves and their families and one of the smartest decisions they can make is never drive through floodwaters.
Budget will see ‘difficult decisions for difficult times’: treasurer
Sarah Martin
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says Australia is facing the possibility of a new “global slowdown” and the 25 October budget must be framed to prepare for any coming economic shocks.
Amid the debate over whether to proceed with the stage-three tax cuts, Chalmers said the budget would include “difficult decisions for difficult times” amid a worsening global economic climate and spending pressures domestically.
He will say in a speech at the Queensland government’s investment showcase later today:
The right calls for the right reasons – following the responsible path; not the path of least resistance.
We must be serious about rebuilding our budget buffers – particularly given the deteriorating global outlook. So, we’ll put a premium on affordable, responsible, sustainable, spending. Not fancy or flashy – but fair and future-focused.
Above all else – this budget will be about responsible economic management at home at a time of uncertainty around the world.
The budget will show that Treasury’s global growth forecasts have been downgraded by 0.75 of a percentage point in 2022, 1 percentage point in 2023 and a 0.5 of a percentage point in 2024. He says:
This means that global output will be around $2tn lower in US dollar terms by the end of 2024 than previously expected.
We aren’t being spared from the deteriorating global outlook and we shouldn’t hope to escape further storms unscathed.
Chalmers will say that the global financial crisis became a demand shock, the Covid pandemic crisis became a supply shock, and the third would be “an inflationary shock and a hard landing brought about by rapidly tightening monetary policy.”
Each is different in meaningful ways; the response should be different too.
This time our response will be more targeted, more measured, and more supply-side focussed so it isn’t counterproductive and doesn’t put extra pressure on the independent RBA.
He will also use the speech to highlight the spending pressures facing the government, with interest payments to grow at around 14% per year on average over the next four years, defence spending to grow 4.4% each year, the NDIS 12.1%, hospitals 6.1%, and aged care 5%.
Big polluters will pay for offsets instead of cutting them, Greens say
Sarah Martin
The Greens are releasing new analysis today looking at how big polluters could “easily pay for offsets” under the proposed changes to the safeguard mechanism mooted by the government.
The analysis, informed by research from the parliamentary library, shows that at current and forecast prices of carbon permits, the biggest emitters in the coal and gas sector would only have to pay “the tiniest fraction of their profits” to offset their emissions.
This will lead big polluters to buy carbon credits rather than investing in real emission reductions at their own facilities, the party claims.
Using the Capcoal thermal and metallurgical coalmine in Queensland and the North-West Shelf LNG project as case studies, the analysis looks at two measures of possible liabilities as envisaged in the government’s consultation paper: a minimum 3.5% annual decline in emissions out to 2030 or a maximum 6% decline.
Under either scenario, the cost of abatement would range from as low as 0.014% of annual profits to 1.35% of just one year’s profit for a five-year obligation.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said the liability would amount to “just coins down the back of the couch” for these coal and gas corporations. He says:
Coal and gas are the main causes of the climate crisis, but Labor’s proposed scheme lets coal and gas keep polluting by paying a pittance.
Under Labor’s proposed scheme, new coal and gas mines can still go ahead. Coal and gas corporations make obscene profits and pay very little tax, and on the current proposal, they’ll easily buy their way out of the scheme.
Good morning!
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will today outline the five biggest pressures on the budget he is due to hand down on 25 October.
The interest payments on servicing government debt tops the list, alongside aged care, disability care, hospitals and defence.
The Australian Financial Review is reporting the treasurer will use the occasion to “escalate his push to pare back the stage-three tax cuts.”
In other political news, the Greens are releasing new analysis today showing how big polluters will choose to pay for rather than cut their emission offsets under the proposed changes to the safeguard mechanism mooted by the government.
The Greens’ leader, Adam Bandt, will be speaking with ABC Radio shortly and we’ll bring you what he has to say.
In weather news, wild conditions continues to lash eastern Australia with flood warnings in place across several states.
There are 55 flood warnings across in NSW, 14 of which are watch and act. More than a dozen rivers set to flood with concern for inland towns in the state’s north and central west.
There are also warnings for heavy rainfall, thunder and flooding in Victoria, as well as a flood watches in Queensland and Tasmania.
Let’s begin.
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