#AceDailyNews NPC Report: As hundreds of anti-vaccine mandate protesters surrounded the building during his address, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was grilled on a range of topics — from the rising cost of petrol and bills, to whether women working in Parliament are any safer now than they were a year ago.
Scott Morrison said he wished he had called in Defence to run the vaccine rollout sooner.(ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
But when asked if he would apologise for some of his decisions — including leaving to go to Hawaii during the 2019/2020 summer bushfires and not securing enough rapid antigen tests ahead of last Christmas — Mr Morrison sidestepped the question.
Instead, he said: “We’re all terribly sorry for what this pandemic has done to the world and to this country.”
Here are some of the other key topics he was asked about.
Defence involved in vaccine rollout
While the Prime Minister didn’t say the “s” word (sorry), he did concede that if he had his time again he’d have done the vaccine rollout differently.
“If I had my time over, I would have put [the rollout] under military operation from the outset, and not later in the year,” he said.
“As we went through those early months and we had the challenges that we had with the Health Department … I took the decision to send in General (John) Frewen and change the way we did it.
“[We] set up a change in the command structure, how logistics were managed, how it was planned.
“And it worked but I wish I’d done that earlier, and that’s a lesson.”
Mr Morrison also said the confusion around whether and when aged care patients could be taken to public hospitals was another issue that proved difficult during the outbreaks in 2020.
Lieutenant General John Frewen was brought in to oversee the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.(ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
Treatment of women
Another question directed to the Prime Minister was what changes had been made to make parliament and political offices safer this year than they were last year.
It’s timely given Parliament is set to resume for the first time this year next week, and how the revelations by Brittany Higgins at the beginning of 2021 put the treatment of women in the highest offices front and centre.
Mr Morrison said that to him, the most important difference this time around was the independent complaints body that was in place for anyone who was previously too worried about coming forward.
“That, I think, assists everybody who works in that building,” he said.
“That process that we examined closely, that let down so many a year ago and before, has been significantly changed and for the better.
“We have learnt from those times and I believe it’s safer today than it was a year ago.”
He said he would continue to make sure the processes the government had adopted, including additional counselling support, were working, and that he would tweak them if need be.
Mr Morrison said that was why good economic management “was more important than ever”.
“How you manage inflation, principally, is particularly how you manage the national finances — they are things we have control over,” he said.
“On home ownership, it’s always hard to buy your first home, it’s terribly hard.
“That’s why, at the last election, we came up with, I think, some very effective programs.
“We can’t manage what happens to house prices, but we can help people get into homes.”
When asked whether he could say how much a loaf of bread, a litre of petrol and a rapid antigen test cost, Mr Morrison replied that:
“I’m not going to pretend to you that I go out each day and I buy a loaf of bread and I buy a litre of milk.”
“The point is that I do my job every day to ensure that those things are as affordable as they possibly can be for Australians every single day.”
#AceNewsDesk report ………..Published: Feb.03: 2022:
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceNewsReport – Jan.31: PM Scott Morrison argued the new investment would have broad benefits: There are 64,000 jobs that depend on that reef,” Mr Morrison said on Friday: And so its health is about the economic health of that region, as well as the natural health of that region.”
#AceDailyNews BBC (Australia) News Report: Scientists have welcomed the money but warn it does not tackle the reef’s overriding threat of climate change: A climate laggard among rich nations, Australia is often criticised for not doing more to prevent coral bleaching caused by warmer seas
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems
It will fund projects that reduce erosion and pollutants entering the sea, and other conservation efforts – such as combating illegal fishing and coral-eating starfish.
Mr Morrison is expected to call a general election in May and will hope to retain key seats in Queensland, where the reef is located. He said the new money added to A$2bn in existing commitments.
But Friday’s announcement also comes days before Australia is due to update Unesco on its plans to preserve its natural wonder.
Last year the government successfully lobbied to keep the reef off Unesco’s official list of World Heritage sites “in danger”, drawing controversy after unprecedented back-to-back coral bleaching events.
Renewed criticism followed Friday’s announcement. The Australian Conservation Foundation said improving water quality was important “but without climate action the reef is doomed”.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society said tackling erosion was “a gap that needed to be addressed” but called on the government to “drastically increase their climate ambition”.
“Currently areas of the Great Barrier Reef are on high alert for a major bleaching event, which is unprecedented during the La Nina weather pattern,” it said in a statement.
Bleaching occurs when under-stress corals expel the algae living within them that gives them colour and life. They can recover but only if conditions allow it.
Australia has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions, but its 2030 commitment – a 26% cut on 2005 levels – has been criticised as weak.
It has defended itself by arguing it is on track to meet its commitments – a claim previously disputed by the UN – and that climate change is a global issue.
Stretching over 2,300km (1,400 miles) off Australia’s north-east coast, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world.
#AceNewsDesk report ………..Published: Jan.31: 2022:
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceNewsReport – Dec.08: Last year he was arrested in Queensland and extradited to New South Wales, where he allegedly went on the run after being given bail: He was arrested in the state of Victoria on Tuesday……
#AceDailyNews says that according to BBC (Australia) News Report: Peter Foster an Australian conman caught after six-month manhunt: Mr Foster, 59, is accused of defrauding a Hong Kong man of A$1.7m (£900,000; $1,2m) in cryptocurrency: Mr Foster has previously been involved in high-profile previous scams, most notably involving former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair, in 2002.
Australian conman Peter Foster, pictured in 2006
Mr Foster is accused of posing as a man called William “Bill” Dawson as part of an online scam.
Police have alleged he received money from the Hong Kong man in several tranches between April 2019 and January 2020, in amounts ranging from about A$125,000 to $890,000.
He faces multiple charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and publishing false or misleading material to obtain an advantage.
At the time he went missing, he was on strict bail conditions that required him to surrender his passport, wear an electronic ankle bracelet, and not use the internet or a mobile phone.
He was also barred from leaving his Sydney home unless it was a medical emergency or he was seeing police or his lawyers.
Mr Foster was declared a fugitive after failing to appear in court on 20 May.
The Australian Federal Police arrested him on Tuesday near the town of Gisborne, about an hour north-west of Melbourne.
#AceNewsDesk report ……….Published: Dec.08: 2021:
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceNewsReport – Oct.31: Nine’s Director of Television Michael Healy described Newton as a “giant of our industry, entertaining generations of Australians across our television screens”.
Bert Newton has been remembered as an icon of Australian television.(Kristian Dowling: Getty Images)
“He brought unbridled joy and laughter into our homes as part of so many programs, partnerships and formats.
“He was loved by us all at Nine and we wish Patti, Lauren, Matt and their families our sincere condolences at this sad time.”
Veteran broadcaster John “Burgo” Burgess said Newton was an icon who would leave an “immeasurable” void behind.
Comedian Adam Hills said it was “sad news for any Australian”, adding that Australian television would not be where it is now without the larger-than-life entertainer.
“Bert Newton was the ultimate entertainer. Australian TV wouldn’t be what it is without Bert,” he tweeted.
“It’s up to us all to take what he taught us, and keep his spirit alive. Enormous love to his family. Take a bow, Bert. You deserve the applause.”
Bert Newton dressed up as the Fat Controller to entertain children in Melbourne in 2015.(AAP: Tracey Nearmy)
TV presenter Rove McManus also paid tribute, saying he had “lost a mentor and a friend” as Australia “lost an icon”.
Stand-up comedian Denise Scott said Newton had made fun of himself years ago to raise money for a friend who was dying of cancer, describing him as “the best”.
Australia’s political leaders have also paid tribute to Newton, with former Labor leader Bill Shorten noting his legendary status as a “world class entertainer” in their shared home of Melbourne and current leader Anthony Albanese saying his heart went out to his family.
Health Minister Greg Hunt also tweeted, saying Newton lit up Australian screens with laughter and joy for decades.
“He was a part of very fabric of our television landscape and a key part of the continuing evolution of the silver screen.”
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceNewsReport – Aug.28: A man has faced court over the murder of Melbourne woman Maryam Hamka: Ms Hamka, 36, was last seen on April 10 as she was leaving a supermarket on Albert Street, Brunswick at 5:30pm: Her family reported her missing five days later……
#AceNewsDesk reports that a man faces court over the murder of Melbourne woman Maryam Hamka: Toby Loughnane, 41, from Brighton, faced a short hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with murder: Court documents show Mr Loughnane is accused of murdering Ms Hamka in Brighton on April 11.
Maryam Hamka was reported missing five days after she was last seen.(Supplied: Victoria Police)
The court heard Mr Loughnane is charged with separate family violence offences against Ms Hamka, which his lawyer, Sam Norton, described as “serious allegations of violence”.
He said those charges “have a nasty element to them”.
Mr Norton applied for those charges to be suppressed, but the request was denied.
Mr Loughnane did not apply for bail and is due back in court in December.
Missing Person Squad detectives on Wednesday have charged a man following the suspicious disappearance of Brunswick woman Maryam Hamka.
A 41-year-old Brighton man has been charged with one count of murder.
He will face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 27 August.
Maryam was last seen leaving a Woolworths store in Albert Street, Brunswick at 5.30pm on Saturday 10 April.
She is described as being 165cm tall, with a thin build and long black hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion.
The 36-year-old was last seen wearing a black dress and had told family she was intending to visit a friend in Brighton.
Maryam was reported missing to police on the Thursday 15 April.
She is yet to be located and the investigation remains ongoing.
Police are also continuing to appeal for information in relation to a red 2015 Mazda 3 hatchback with distinctive damage to the front left guard.
The vehicle has been seized by investigators, however police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the car between Tuesday, 13 April through to Thursday, 15 April 2021.
Investigators believe that during this period, the vehicle made a number of trips to and from the Brighton area and was being driven by a sole male occupant during this time.
An image of a similar vehicle, as well as photos of Maryam, have also been re-released.
Detectives are appealing to anyone with information about the vehicle or regarding Maryam’s whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Natalie Webster: Media Officer: 96655
Reviewed 25 August 2021
#AceNewsDesk report ………Published: Aug.28: 2021:
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceHealthReport – Aug.24: But the growing outbreak in Sydney has some leaders concerned, and they say even once that target is reached, they may continue to use lockdowns as a tool to suppress the growth of #COVID19 cases.
#CoronavirusNewsDesk says Federal, state and territory governments agreed to a national plan last month to begin reopening the country and end large-scale lockdowns once 80 per cent of the eligible population was vaccinated.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the states must be prepared to allow COVID-19 cases to rise.
“Once you get to 70 per cent of your country that is eligible for the vaccine and 80 per cent, the plan sets out that we have to move forward, we cannot hold back,” he said.
“We must adjust our mindset. Cases will not be the issue … dealing with serious illness, hospitalisation, ICU capabilities, our ability to respond in those circumstances, that will be our goal.”
Mr Morrison said the scientific modelling provided to government suggested lockdowns did more harm than good once vaccination goals were reached.
However, he stopped short of setting a ‘freedom day’ similar to the UK.
“A day is not going to change it — 70 per cent is going to change it, 80 per cent is going to change it. That is the day you get to.”
WA Premier calls for new vaccine target modelling after Sydney outbreak
“We still reserve the right to lock down in specific locations if absolutely necessary,” he said following the national agreement.
He is also one of several leaders who has expressed a desire to continue pursuing zero COVID cases, even with 80 per cent of the country vaccinated.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments this morning, Mr McGowan said his approach was in line with the national plan, which allowed for targeted lockdowns.
“We still agree with the plan,” he said.
But he said the modelling that established the 70 and 80 per cent vaccination targets was out of date, and needed to be updated following Sydney’s outbreak.
“There’s thousands if not tens of thousands of cases out there and so therefore the modelling needs to be redone,” he said.
Modelling not out of date, expert says
The director of the Doherty Institute, which did the modelling for the vaccination targets, said even with a larger outbreak, the targets remain unchanged.
But Sharon Lewin acknowledged more people would die from COVID-19 if states and territories began to ease restrictions and open up while they still had high case numbers.
The modelling found that if restrictions were eased when 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated, 16 people would die from the disease within six months if testing and tracing was also maintained.
“If you open up with more cases, you reach that peak quicker,” she said.
“If you open up at tens of cases versus hundreds of cases, we will reach many, many cases of COVID, hundreds of thousands of cases, and some deaths, similar to what we would see with flu … meaning hundreds of deaths over a six month period.
“What we’re trying to avoid are thousands of deaths, or tens of thousands of deaths.”
Professor Lewin also said the original modelling did take into consideration the Delta strain and the impact of vaccinating children aged 12 to 15.
“The modelling looked specifically at the benefits on transmission and on hospitalisations and deaths of targeting adults in the range of 16 to 39-year-olds,” she said.
“[Vaccination rates] had a very significant impact in reducing transmission, hospitalisations and deaths by getting higher rates in that group.
“The additional benefit from vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds was much lower. That doesn’t mean there’s no vaccination of that group, but that can come later and it won’t make a big difference to the modelling based on vaccinating eligible adults.”
Financial support on the line for states that break agreement
The Prime Minister said the country must be prepared to live with COVID-19 as it lives with other infectious diseases.
“We should not fear it, we should embrace it and we should move forward together,” he said.
The government has warned it will not continue to provide the same levels of financial support to states and territories if they continue to lockdown once vaccination targets are reached.
Earlier on Monday, government frontbencher Amanda Stoker said financial support was being made in good faith but that might not continue if states refused to honour the national plan.
“I think it’s fair to say that the Prime Minister and the federal government have played a really cooperative, Team Australia kind of approach to dealing with this problem,” Ms Stoker said.
“That is something that won’t be able to be sustained if the states aren’t acting in the interests of Australians.”
Ms Stoker said anti-lockdown protests at the weekend were evidence Australians were growing tired of heavy restrictions and wanted a pathway out.
Shadow health minister Mark Butler criticised the government’s threat to remove funding from states that break from the national agreement.
“The Australian people want our nation’s leaders to come to a plan which all of us can agree,” he said.
“It’s not going to help to have Scott Morrison sending his ministers out, threatening the Australian people with a withdrawal of support.”
30 per cent of Australians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#CoronavirusNewsDesk says #COVID19 Latest News: NSW records its worst day of the COVID-19 pandemic so far against a backdrop of curfews, police and protests with 830 new local cases, Victoria records 65 cases so if you want tokeep upto date with all the coronavirus case numbers updates check back here ….
Kindness & LoveX❤️ says be safe and protect others wear a mask God Bless Amen 🙏’s
A man in his 60s died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a man in his 80s also died, and a woman aged in her 80s died at Wollongong Hospital: NSW has delivered 750,000 doses of the vaccine in the past seven days.
The new cases were identified from 44,147 test results received yesterday.
Fifty-five of the new cases are linked, 10 are under investigation.
There were 26,149 doses of vaccine administered at state-run sites.
Zero-case day in Queensland and they have recorded another day of zero community COVID cases, and no cases in hotel quarantine. Just 39 cases remain active and in 24 hours, 9,918 tests were completed across the state.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said 2,715 vehicles were intercepted under new border restrictions requiring essential workers to have at least one vaccine dose before entering from New South Wales: He said 142 vehicles were turned away, 12 of those were essential workers who had not received a vaccination.
ACT records 19 new locally acquired cases and six of the new cases were infectious in the community and 17 cases are linked with the Territory having 121 active COVID-19 cases.
A cluster of 10 to 12 cases has been identified in the Territory’s disability community, which includes people with disabilities and disability support workers.
Delta outbreak grows in New Zealand and has recorded 21 new cases of COVID-19, as the Delta outbreak linked to a traveller from Sydney continues to grow with new cases bringing the country’s total number of active cases to 72 with one million New Zealanders having now been fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the nationwide lockdown, due to end on Tuesday night, will probably have to be extended.
WA has reported no new cases however a cargo ship carrying 16 crew members suspected to be infected with COVID-19 is due to arrive in Perth tomorrow.
The grain carrier, which was last at port in Thailand, is due to arrive at Cockburn Sound off the cost of Perth at 1:00am.
“The authorities have instructed the ship to sail for Cockburn Sound where we can do a better analysis of the people,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said.
He said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority wanted the ship to stay for “a period of time”.
Tasmania will reopen to all of the NT from midnight tonight following the lifting of the lockdown in Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine as no new cases of COVID-19 were reported in either Tasmania or the NT today.
Tasmania has now designated the NT a low-risk area: Tasmania’s border will remain closed to all of New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand.
South Australia records no new cases and there are just two active cases remaining in the state with a total of 4,502 tests were conducted in SA yesterday.
PROTEST NEWS: Eight arrested as 1,000 gather on NSW-Queensland border to protest #COVID19 restrictions
New South Wales Police say eight people were arrested and more than 50 infringement notices issued during a protest on the NSW-Queensland border on Sunday.
Those who crossed the border between Tweed Heads and Coolangatta were likely to be charged, police said.
Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliot said most NSW residents were “sick and tired of the abhorrent actions of the minority”.
“We have seen this sort of behaviour result in further lockdowns — the very thing these individuals are protesting against,” he said.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we risk seeing lockdowns extended, affecting the entirety of NSW, because of actions such as what we’ve seen this afternoon.
“This is such a critical time for communities to adhere to the health orders and to limit movement.
“Actions like what we have seen this afternoon pose a significant risk to the community.”
Anger and confusion has been ramping up since the Delta strain sent NSW into lockdown.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
The ABC estimated that about 1,000 people attended the Tweed Heads protest, including a man riding a horse, in the latest of a series of mass, anti-lockdown gatherings in the country’s south-east.
Tweed/Byron Police District Commander Superintendent David Roptell said police were “taking the threat of unauthorised protest activity extremely seriously”.
“It is disappointing that people in our community continue to put others’ lives in danger by attending mass gatherings in the current climate,” he said.
“It is in the best interest of the health and safety of everyone across the state and around Australia, to comply with the Public Health Orders, so we may see the end of lockdown.
“Further inquiries will be made to identify those who were in attendance at today’s protest and appropriate action will be taken.”
About 1,000 people gathered at Tweed Heads and Coolangatta to protest COVID restrictions.(Supplied: Kimberley Bernard)
‘Direct attack on my freedom’
Up to 50 police were monitoring the mostly peaceful protest, few in the crowd were wearing masks and many were seen hugging and kissing.
Mark Westley from the Tweed area was among the crowd and said the public health directives were a “disgrace”.
“It’s a direct attack on my freedom of liberty, freedom to move,” he said.
“It’s affecting people’s businesses and social lives.”
Hundreds have taken to the streets to protest border restrictions in northern NSW.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
Mr Westley said it was a “direct challenge” to the fabric of Australia.
“This will be the break-up of the Commonwealth of Australia, it will be the fragmentation of Australia into disparate, fighting, disputing groups and the end of democracy as we know it,” he said.
John from West Tweed said crossing the border was part of daily life in his community.
“To stop people being able to do that — particularly in the situation where there’s no cases in our area — is hypocrisy,” he said.
There are no active cases listed for northern NSW but a man and his two teenage children tested positive in Byron Bay after travelling there from Sydney last month.
COVID was detected in the Byron Bay sewage system on Tuesday but no new cases have been found.
Scores of police are at the protest.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
‘Really, really distressing’
Kelsey from Pottsville said the border restrictions meant she could no longer provide for her family.
“I was working [across the border] and now my source of income has been cut off, so I’m forced to be dependent on the government,” she said.
“It’s really, really distressing and we’re angry — we’re angry about our government.”
She said a border bubble was the ideal solution.
“They did it initially, we should be doing it now,” she said.
Protesters say COVID-19 restrictions are causing deep divisions.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
‘Riskiest place right now’
The protest follows demonstrations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne over the past few days and comes against the backdrop of NSW’s worst day so far with 830 locally acquired cases — the highest number recorded by any Australian jurisdiction in a 24-hour period.
Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles says the protests are “shameful and reckless”.
“That’s not the kind of behaviour Queenslanders do, it’s very un-Queensland like,” he said.
The Deputy Premier said the border was at the most risk of infection due to the worsening situation in NSW.
“The border is our riskiest place right now,” he said.
“By having a protest there, we make the jobs of our police harder, they put their own safety at risk as well as the safety of the community and I’m frankly pretty disgusted.”
#AceHealthDesk report ……Published: Aug.23: 2021:
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceHealthReport – Aug.22: We will keep you up to date with coronavirus updates and this story will be updated, so if you don’t see your state or territory yet, check back later on here……
The protesters were met with pepper spray outside Flinders Street Station.(AAP: James Ross)
#CoronavirusNewsDesk says #COVID19 Latest News: With NSW breaks national record for daily cases; of 825 all of Victoria in lockdown and Queensland cove closed with shops & restaurants: Only 149 were linked to known cases or clusters: The isolation status of 637 cases remains under investigation, while 58 were infectious in the community….
Kindness & LoveX❤️ says be safe and protect other by being a ‘Good Samaritan’ wear a mask my friends, followers and readers Shalom 🙏’s
The Health Department said an additional 16 cases were recorded on a rapid PCR testing platform and would be reported in Sunday’s numbers.
Several new exposure sites in Shepparton were listed on the health department’s website last night, including a 24-hour gym.
Childcare centres will also be restricted to essential workers after a number of cases at centres over the past week, including 27 cases at the MyCentre Child Care venue at Broadmeadows in just two days.
#COVID19 UPDATES: NSW police block transport into Sydney CBD to avoid repeat of lockdown protests — as it happened
Police arrest a man in central Sydney during an anti-lockdown protest.(Supplied: Christopher Lynch)
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says the state’s health system is stretched and healthcare workers are being put in a precarious position by COVID restriction rule-breakers.
The Northern Territory has declared all Victoria as a COVID hotspot
Today’s case numbers and press conference times
This section will be updated throughout the day. If you don’t see your state or territory yet, don’t worry — press conference times may not be confirmed yet (or there may not be one), and case numbers often filter in through the day.
One person called it an “epic fail” while another asked where the protest organisers were.
“Where are our leaders?!” one Sydney user wrote into the group.
“Where the f*** are people who promised to lead it?”
South Australia records zero cases
Indigenous leaders commended for efforts during the vaccine rollout
Professor Kidd made special mention of the work of leaders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities during the vaccine rollout.
He said their work had been vital in getting Australia’s Indigenous population vaccinated.
Currently, any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island person aged 12 and over is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
More than 51 per cent of eligible Australians have had their first vaccine dose
Australia’s deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd says 16.8 million doses have been administered in Australia since the start of the rollout.
He said 51.8 per cent of eligible Australians have had their first dose.
Professor Michael Kidd is now speaking in Canberra
Melbourne protest has simmered down
There are still plenty of people on the street, but since the earlier flashpoint they have dissipated heavily. Still a heavy police presence in the CBD too.
More than 100 protesters have gathered in the Darwin city centre as part of nationwide rallies against government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some attendees wore masks while police attempted to hand out disposable masks to those without them.
Greater Darwin is no longer in lockdown but restrictions remain including mandatory masks where there is not enough room to safely distance.
NT Police have been contacted for comment
Protesters clash with police in Melbourne.
Thousands attend Brisbane protests
ABC News: Jim Malo
More than 2,000 anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens before a planned march through the city.
Protesters held signs opposing vaccination and the government.
Some rounded on the media, yelling “fake news”. A sign in the crowd read, “the truth variant is here”.
No one was wearing a mask except for reporters and police who stood on the perimeter of the crowd.
Restrictions on mask-wearing in Greater Brisbane eased on Friday afternoon.
Masks are not required to be worn outdoors, unless people can’t put 1.5 metres between themselves and others.
Queensland didn’t record any new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Saturday, as health authorities urged people to get vaccinated.
Reporting by Jess Rendall and Jim Malo
Pepper spray used as protesters charge police line in Melbourne
A number of people engaged with the first line of police physically, leading to a pretty significant scuffle and copious amounts of pepper spray being unleashed.
FYI: As some have pointed out in a previous image we had in this post, the News Channel super was changing at the exact moment the screenshot was taken, leading to a rather unfortunate combination of two titles.
Protesters approaching lines of police on Flinders St
Some are throwing flares at and confronting the police.
Protesters in Melbourne clash with police.
WA records zero new cases today
There are still four active cases in the state, according to WA Health.
NT will declare all of Victoria a COVID hotspot
The Northern Territory will declare all of Victoria as a COVID-19 hotspot from 2:00pm ACST today, the Chief Minister’s office says.
Currently, Greater Melbourne and Greater Shepparton are the only parts of Victoria considered hotspots.
Approved travellers arriving in the NT from declared hotspots are required to undertake 14 days of supervised quarantine.
Northern Territory records zero new cases
There has been no change to NT COVID-19 case numbers.
Zero new cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, according to the government’s website.
Melbourne protesters charge through the police line
ABC News
After a standoff between a line of police and protesters there was a charge at police, footage from the ABC shows.
Police horses were startled as a line of protesters ran with their arms linked towards the police.
This broke the police line which led to several protesters storming through and down the street.
Police making arrests at anti-lockdown protests in Sydney
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceNewsReport – July.25: The Australian Federal Police, together with Services Australia, launched Operation IRIS REDWOOD in November 2020 after Services Australia identified a number of suspicious claims.
#AceDailyNews reports on Operation IRIS REDWOOD that brought a Melbourne man and woman to be sentenced after intending to flee country, over $50K+ #COVID19 payment fraud
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Services Australia
The AFP executed search warrants in the Melbourne suburb of Deer Park earlier this year (3 February 2021) and seized a range of items, including bank cards, bank statements and electronic material for evidentiary analysis.
On Thursday, 11 February 2021, authorities became aware that two two people of interest to the investigation had purchased airline tickets and were intending to leave the country on a flight from Melbourne to Dubai.
AFP officers subsequently arrested the pair at a residential property in Deer Park on 11 February 2021.
They appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, via video link from the Sunshine Police Station charged with one count each of General Dishonesty Causing a Loss contrary to section 135.1(5) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)
On 6 May 2021, the pair pleaded guilty to the charges.
They were granted strict conditional bail, which included the requirement to surrender their passports to police.
On 19 July 2021, the 27-year-old woman was sentenced to three months imprisonment and will be required to pay back $12,000 in reparations.
On 20 July 2021, the 25-year-old man was sentenced to six months imprisonment and will be required to pay back $42,000 in reparations.
The court heard the group dishonestly claimed Commonwealth Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments using multiple bank accounts, along with accounts allegedly belonging to other people who were aware of the fraud, in order to claim an estimated $54,000 dollars.
As part of the offending, the group organised 44 false and dishonest claims for support, in order to receive the pandemic payments, which are designed to assist people in isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The lump sum payment provided by Centrelink was created to help workers during their 14 day COVID-19 self-isolation period, if they were required to stay home from work by health officials and did not have access to sick-leave entitlements.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent James Cheshire said: The sentence was a warning to those seeking to exploit Australian taxpayers and steal from the Commonwealth and by extension steal from Australian Taxpayers: These payments were designed to assist people to isolate during a pandemic and in turn, protect our community,” Detective a/Supt Cheshire said: With so many Australians doing it tough – but doing the right thing – it is more important than ever that we seek out those who heap the burden of crime on the public.”Let this be a clear reminder to anyone seeking to illegally take advantage of the emergency support designed to keep all Australians safe – it will not be tolerated and you will be prosecuted.”…..The Australian Federal Police together with our partner agencies will continue to identify and target these fraudsters attempting to exploit our support networks and steal from taxpaying Australians.”
Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen said: The sentence should serve as a warning to anyone looking to commit fraud: We take fraud extremely seriously and have a responsibility to stop people taking advantage of payments that support those who are genuinely in need during these tough times,” Mr Jongen said: Our strong relationship with our AFP partners means we’re able to quickly find, investigate and disrupt fraud.”
Anyone with information about suspected fraud of Government benefits can make a report via the “Reporting Fraud” page on the Services Australia website at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/contact-us/reporting-fraud, or by calling the Australian Government Services Fraud Tip-off Line on 13 15 24.
#AceNewsDesk report ………Published: July.25: 2021:
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceHistoryReport – June.27: It’d be the equivalent today of a giant spaceship pulling up over the city,” Bunurong man Dan Turnbull said: And I know, that’s outrageous. But it was outrageous, what happened at the time.”
AUSTRLIA: Melbourne’s birth destroyed Bunurong and Wurundjeri boundaries. 185 years on, they’ve been redrawn after the formal founding of Melbourne, the Wurundjeri and Bunurong people have reasserted their status as traditional owners over the heart of what is now a sprawling city home to more than five million people
Over just a few decades, Bunurong and Wurundjeri people were pushed off their land to make way for Melbourne: Languages, cultural practices and access to important sites were banned: In some instances, there were contemporary accounts that Aboriginal women effectively terminated pregnancies, such was their despair at the world their children would grow up in.
A drawing by surveyor, architect and artist Robert Russell from 1840 illustrates how the Melbourne settlement swiftly displaced Aboriginal people.(State Library of Victoria: Robert Russell)
“You probably struggled to find anything that could have had a greater impact, apart from maybe a natural disaster at a huge level,” Mr Turnbull said.
In the space of 185 years, the Birrarung has become badly polluted, as the city of Melbourne has been built around it.(ABC News: Ron Ekkel)
After four years of close discussions, the two groups were not able to reach agreement on where a boundary line should be drawn across the city’s centre.
So the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council stepped in with a proposed border to mark Wurundjeri country to the north and Bunurong country to the south — and this week, both groups agreed on that proposal.
The new line means both traditional owner groups, who already held responsibility over large tracts of land, will have their recognised land expanded.
It’s the process of years of work piecing back together knowledge that, before colonisation, had been shared between generations of Bunurong and Wurundjeri people for tens of thousands of years.
The new boundary line runs from west to east across the city, placing the CBD, Richmond and Hawthorn in Wurundjeri territory, and Albert Park, St Kilda and Caulfield on Bunurong land.
The boundary (purple line) will take effect from July 1, with Wurundjeri country (yellow) to the north, and Bunurong (pink) to the south.(Supplied: Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council)
The decision clarifies who councils, businesses and communities in the most densely populated parts of the city should recognise as traditional owners from July 1.
Mr Turnbull, who is the CEO of the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, said his people were “deeply excited” by the outcome, which required concessions from both traditional owner groups.
“I’m only speaking for our group, but I think both groups would agree that in order to reach this outcome, that we’ve all had to be quite flexible,” he said.
Bunurong man Dan Turnbull says the boundary agreement is the product of long-running and respectful discussion.(ABC News: Joseph Dunstan)
But Mr Turnbull said his community was at peace with that and believed the result was “a better future state for everyone”.
The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, which has also agreed to the boundaries, declined to comment.
Reviving ancient boundaries is a complex exercise
Trying to resolve the question of where the boundary should be drawn was a task fraught with complexity.
For one thing, the borders as they were practiced before colonisation were not legalistic, explicit lines, but commonly understood landscapes and markers including plains and rivers.
Many of those have been concreted over and waterways diverted to build Melbourne, meaning the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, which developed the agreed-upon proposal, had to consider other markers.
That includes man-made elements such as roads, with Bank Street to become part of the boundary running through South Melbourne.
In outlining the boundary, the council acknowledged how the forces of colonisation had warped and bent the boundaries.
Barely 30 years after colonisation had begun, Prince Alfred was laying the foundation stone at the Melbourne Town Hall in 1867.(State Library of Victoria: Charles Hewitt)
“Today, as modern people living an ancient Culture, we are comfortable enough in ourselves to draw a line on a map,” the council said.
“We are strong enough in the old ways to know, in our hearts, that the line it is as accurate as we can make it today.
“To identify a road or a new waterway as a boundary is our answer to a problem not of our creation.”
The written records of colonisers also played a key role in understanding where the boundaries lay before colonisation.
In particular, the diaries and recollections that quoted two prominent Aboriginal leaders during the early years of colonisation — Bunurong elder Derrimut, and Wurundjeri elder William Barak.
Derrimut was a key Bunurong elder during the early years of colonisation.(State Library of NSW: Benjamin Duterrau)
The council found Wurundjeri land was largely defined by the Birrarung (Yarra River), including country surrounding waterways which flowed into the freshwater Birrarung.
Council took the “crucial indicator” for Bunurong land to be if the water on it flowed into saltwaters.
Council chair Rodney Carter, a Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta man, said every decision to recognise traditional owners was really significant.
“But I think what’s really present in all our minds, is such a populous place, our capital city in the state of Victoria … it’s fantastic that we can now hand that over to the traditional owners to sort of lead what should happen to the protection of cultural heritage,” he said.
Mr Carter said it was important to acknowledge the line required in today’s Australia to manage land affairs did not reflect the historical boundaries, which were “more blurred because they’re the places that bring us together, make us stronger”.
“The boundaries are the places that define us, in our strength towards each other and our relationship,” he said.
Cultural responsibility to care for Mount Cottrell, a traumatic site of massacres, will be shared between Wurundjeri and Bunurong.(Wikimedia: Mattinbgn)
“And that’s not always clearly understood and even applied today, because we need these boundaries, really as borders.
“And they weren’t that in a past sense.
“So going forward, I think another brilliant thing is how groups actually collaborate at these points of strength, these boundaries, where they come together.
“And I feel really positive about that, because it’s an important value for us to instill in future generations on their governance.”
Caring for country responsibilities will grow
For the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, the new boundary means its responsibilities will increase after July 1, when they will take on formal responsibility for protecting cultural heritage over the vast tract of land.
“There are now 22 local government authorities that will be seeking to engage with Bunurong people for decision making within their boundaries,” he said.
The corporation is often contacted by schools, too, who are keen to ensure they are sharing culturally appropriate lessons with their students on Bunurong land.
Mr Turnbull says the corporation is looking to expand so it can meet its obligations across the new area.(ABC News: Joseph Dunstan)
From July, the group will also need to be across more significant construction sites, where they have a duty to ensure that harm to any Aboriginal heritage discovered while digging is minimised.
“What we’re finding now in the city, which is the first built place in, in what is now known to be Melbourne, is often when they’re knocking down a building and they’re doing excavation into the new car parks that they’re proposing to put under the ground, they’re finding new heritage, that is still very much intact,” Mr Turnbull said.
“There will be probably 50 per cent of the city, that when you go down under that subsurface, you still find the historical stuff on top, marbles, buttons, even the rooms of the buildings, doorways, fireplaces, their rubbish pits are still there.
“And then you dig underneath that, and then all our stuff’s still there.”
Some traditional owners yet to be formally recognised
While the complete boundaries over Victoria’s capital city are now settled, the struggle for other traditional owners continues.
There are just 11 formally recognised traditional owner groups, who cover around 75 per cent of the state’s land.
As the state’s treaty process marches on, Victoria is coming closer to a point in time where individual nations may seek to negotiate agreements with the state government.
The First Peoples’ Assembly, which is laying the groundwork for treaties, is concerned about a lack of progress on the recognition of those groups, despite multi-million-dollar investments from the Andrews government in recent years.
At a meeting this month, the Assembly called on the government to urgently fast track those applications, so those groups could gain Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) status, which confers legal rights to speak for country.
The Victorian government has said it is reviewing its program aimed at supporting Aboriginal nation-building and recognition, to see how it could more closely support traditional owners.
Back on Bunurong land in Frankston, Mr Turnbull hopes news of the boundary will awaken more curiosity in Melburnians to seek out the full story of their city’s history, directly from the books of settlers like John Fawkner.
“Because it’s a beautiful story, and it’s also a very sad story, as well,” he said.
“With more rollercoasters than any Hollywood blockbuster that’s out at the moment — the stories of warriors and leaders and things that have been lost, things that have been found.
“We’re still here and we’ll always be here.”
Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
