A “road to nowhere” is how Victoria’s path out of lockdown is being described as it sparks fury from businesses.
A “road to nowhere” is how Victoria’s path out of lockdown is being described as it sparks fury from businesses. Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled the restrictions as “crushing” and urged the state to strengthen its health response to the virus.
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PM compares National Cabinet meeting to 'getting kids in the car' | Sky News AustraliaElection concerns are playing a key role in shaping the National Cabinet’s political debate on the controversial topic of borders according to Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell.\n\n“The view within National Cabinet and at senior levels of the federal government is that although Queensland and Western Australia are now very firm on their hard borders … both state governments are likely to change their minds after their elections in October and March respectively,” he said.\n\n“One thing seems certain; if the Queensland Chief Health Officer continues to insist on no community transmission from a city over 28 days it will be very hard to see Queensland every opening up again to Sydney and Melbourne”.\n\nMr Clennell also pointed out Prime Minister Scott Morrison was aware he could lose the next federal election likely to be held in late 2021 if he pushed the border debate too far.\n\nThe Prime Minister has the option of taking interstate border closures to the High Court, forcing border legislation through parliament, or threatening to withdraw JobKeeper support if Premier’s refuse to open the borders, he said. \n\nCommenting on the situation Mr Morrison said Premiers 'need to ensure they are not putting needless handbrakes on our economic recovery,” however his frustration was evident when he compared National Cabinet to “having to get kids in a car” after failing to get a national hotspot definition at Friday’s meeting.\n\n“The PM soon rescued himself from this by pointing out to the reporter they were all adults in the room,” Mr Clennell said.\n\nImage: Getty \n\n
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PM dismisses Treasurers Thatcher-Reagan economic message for an 'Aussie approach' | Sky News AustraliaSky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is under increasing pressure from the Liberals to “carry the government’s economic message” after he promoted the policies of Thatcher and Reagan.\n \n“One example of party room concerns around the Treasurer’s economic narrative was when Mr Frydenberg freelanced and said the way out of this economic crisis was a Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher style approach,” Mr Clennell said. \n \n“Thatcher and Reagan, that’s an inspiration, the supply side can actually help create and strengthen the economy and that’s what we’re determined to do,” the Treasurer said in a speech.\n \nMr Clennell said when he asked the PM afterwards “he in no way sought to back the Treasurers comments up”.\n \nInstead Mr Morrison spoke about a “uniquely Australian response” to the coronavirus induced pandemic. \n \nAhead of the upcoming budget to be handed down in early October, the Prime Minister has flagged a plan to get more Australians back to work amid ongoing financial support during the global pandemic.\n \nImage: News Corp Australia \n
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Release of emails about $10m Foxtel deal could harm minister's relationship with PM, FOI revealsIf emails between the offices of the Prime Minister and Communications Minister became public it could harm their working relationship 'now and into the future', a legal notice states.
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Anti-lockdown protesters defy Premier and Police in Victoria | Sky News AustraliaProtesters have gathered in Melbourne's CBD to demonstrate the state's stage four lockdowns despite warnings of arrests and fines from authorities.\n\nTwo people were arrested this week for posts on social media allegedly 'inciting' state residents to disobey government restrictions to attend protests.\n\nPolice were out in force, arresting one man, as anti-lockdown protesters gathered out the front of Victoria's Parliament House and Shrine of Remembrance for so-called 'Freedom March'.\n\nPremier Daniel Andrews said there would be a 'significant' police presence in the city for 'selfish, dangerous and unlawful' individuals who remained resolute in their desire to attend protests.\n\nMr Andrews confirmed a further 71 coronavirus infections and 11 deaths overnight with more than 100 historical coronavirus deaths added to Victoria's death toll in the past week.\n\nThe State's Chief Health Officer said he could not rule out further COVID-19 fatalities were yet to be reported.\n\nThe Premier will release a highly anticipated roadmap to recovery tomorrow detailing the states return to eased restrictions.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Victorian doctors argue the lockdown is 'causing more harm than good' | Sky News AustraliaVictorian surgeon Dr Geoffrey Wells says a growing number of doctors in the state believe the lock-down is “causing more harm than good”. \n\nMr Wells is one of over 500 doctors in Victoria who have signed a letter to Premier Daniel Andrews concerning the controversial State of Emergency bill which he recently pushed through parliament with crossbench support.\n\nHe said the doctors were yet to receive a reply from the Andrews government. \n\n“What we’re seeing is that the number of referrals from general practitioners to specialists has markedly decreased, it’s probably down about 70 per cent”. \n\nMr Wells also highlighted a study recently published in the Lanced which concluded there could be an increased death rate of about 4,000 people in the United Kingdom because of the delay in specialist medical support.\n\nBecause patients are coming to see specialists at a later date, the disease is more likely to have progressed making it in turn more difficult to treat. \n\nMr Wells said he supported a “two-pronged approach” which protected the elderly while acknowledging those in the general community were at far less risk of suffering a fatal outcome from contracting the virus. \n\n“If you’re under 65 years of age, then the chance of dying from the virus is markedly decreased, it’s about one in 150,000”. \n\nImage: Getty\n
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