Former Labor minister Stephen Conroy has blasted Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton as “star-struck” and a “clown” for describing Victoria’s coronavirus modelling as guesswork.
Former Labor minister Stephen Conroy has blasted Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton as “star-struck” and a “clown” for describing Victoria’s coronavirus modelling as guess work. Mr Conroy – who served in the Rudd and Gillard ministries – told Sky News host Peta Credlin that Professor Sutton needed to “get on and do your job” out of the media spotlight.
“He needs to stop doing media appearances and start reading files on his desk and he really does deserve to have an absolute caning behind the scenes for his loose talk,” he said. “ If I had been in the room when my chief medical officer had stood up and said ‘oh no we didn’t really do the modelling out six weeks, it was a bit of guess work’, I mean this bloke needs more than a media advisor to help him at the moment, he is star-struck, loving the media spotlight.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Labor calling on government to implement permanent increase to JobSeeker | Sky News AustraliaLabor is calling on the federal government to provide a permanent increased rate for the JobSeeker scheme before it is tapered back in December. \n\nShadow Families and Social Services Minister Linda Burney told Sky News the “planned snapback in December is cruel and the government needs to be clear about what their plans are”. \n\nShe said Labor was yet to hold talks with the government about possible “carveouts” for keeping the JobSeeker rate at a higher level in Victoria due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. \n\n“I’m not advocating a different rate at this stage but what I am advocating strongly is that the government needs to be clearer about what their plans are in relation to JobSeeker come December,' she said. \n\n“Labor is very strongly arguing that the government needs to be clear about a permanent increase to JobSeeker.\n\n“It is intolerable that children are living in poverty in Australia and our arguments I think have a lot of credibility.” \n\nMs Burney said Labor felt very strongly about the issue but had not yet proposed an amount, and would not confirm whether the party would make one clear before the election.\n\n
Read more »
The Labor Party is 'good at shutting down business' | Sky News AustraliaNationals Senator Matt Canavan says 'if there's one thing the Labor Party is good at, it is shutting down businesses'. \n\nThe Queensland government is preparing to borrow a further $4 billion, with the Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick confirming the state’s total debt is set to hit nearly $102 billion by the middle of 2021.\n\nWith the Queensland government reaching a debt of over $100 billion, and the federal government spending enormous amounts of money to support people with their jobs, people will soon start thinking of what needs to be done next, Mr Canavan said. \n\n“I think people understand that post (the lockdown) we’ll need to open businesses up again, we’ll need to manage our finances much more carefully given the debts that are there,' Mr Canavan told Sky News. \n\n“And that’s where I think the Liberal National Party can do better than some people think.”\n
Read more »
First Australian COVID vaccines could be administered by February: Health Minister | Sky News AustraliaHealth Minister Greg Hunt has told Sky News the “best in class” vaccines secured by the federal government will likely be rolled out in the first quarter of 2021 and will provide multi-year protection.\n\nA $1.7 billion agreement confirming the supply and production of over 89 million vaccine doses has been spruiked by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as another significant step towards protecting the health of the nation against COVID-19.\n\nA media release outlining the onshore manufacturing agreements for the two COVID-19 vaccines candidates said: “Under the agreement, the University of Oxford\u002FAstraZeneca and the University of Queensland\u002FCSL will provide more than 84.8 million vaccine doses for the Australian population.”\n\nMr Hunt said the Oxford University vaccine is expected to arrive and be produced in Australia from the first quarter of next year, allowing the first vaccinations to potentially occur in January and February.\n\nHe said the Oxford team has indicated that their vaccination is “multi-year protection, (but) not necessarily lifetime”.\n\n“We’re in a fortunate position to have access to these because we have the manufacturing capability in Australia,” he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.\n\n“It means we don’t have to wait, it means we can choose the best in class, but then be able to produce them here and deliver them to the Australian people on a free and voluntary basis.\n\n“My expectation and belief is that we will have a successful vaccine.”\n\nImage: Getty
Read more »
Then health minister Andrews allegedly stopped swine flu testing in 2009 | Sky News AustraliaThe Australian’s Gerard Henderson says Daniel Andrews is allegedly responsible for the decision in 2009 to stop testing for the flu outbreak along with the lack of investment in testing infrastructure.\n\nThe ABC’s Dr Norman Swan said on Tuesday, in 2009 during the swine flu pandemic, Victoria “stopped testing because their public health system couldn’t cope with it, and not a lot was invested after that”.\n\nMr Henderson told Sky News host Andrew Bolt, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was the health minister for three years during that time, but nobody in the media has reported it.\n\n“If Dr Swan was right and that decision was made … then this was done when a very strong minister like Daniel Andrews was the minister for health and dominating the department, so it’s on his watch,” he said.\n\nImage: Getty
Read more »
NT Chief Minister 'fresh off election victory' seizes control of treasury portfolio | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Peter Gleeson says NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner taking over as treasurer is definitely an “indictment” on deputy leader Nicole Manison’s performance despite assurances to the contrary.\n\n“Fresh off an election victory a couple weeks ago, he’s made himself treasurer,” he said.\n\nThe NT News is reporting Mr Gunner says his “shock decision to take over as treasurer from his deputy … shouldn’t be taken as an indictment on her performance”.\n\n“I’m going to say it’s an indictment on her performance,” Mr Gleeson said.\n\n“What is it about these Labor leaders.”\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
Read more »
Push to ditch superannuation guarantee rise 'patronising': Malcolm TurnbullFormer Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed Liberal MPs jostling to stop an increase in the super guarantee as patronising Australian workers and criticised the government's early release scheme as poor quality.
Read more »