Nationals Senator senbmckenzie says city centric premiers are “drunk on political polling numbers” rather than relying on medical advice.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie says city centric premiers are “drunk on political polling numbers” rather than relying on medical advice. “It’s incredible how the response to COVID-19 is rolling out in our home state of Victoria,” Ms McKenzie said.
She criticised the Victorian government’s response to the pandemic’s second wave in the state by locking down its citizens. Ms McKenzie told Sky News there is a “politicisation of what should be a swift response” on behalf of the state government. Image: Getty
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.
Facebook threatens to ban Australian users from sharing links to news stories | Sky News AustraliaFacebook has threatened to ban Australian users and publishers from sharing news stories in a bid to avoid paying for news under the draft news media bargaining code.\n\nResponding via a blog post, Facebook accused the federal government of 'misunderstanding the dynamics of the internet'.\n\nThe government announced they were seeking to make giant tech companies like Google and Facebook compensate Australian media companies for content published on the platforms.\n\nFacebook warned if the draft code became law, they would 'reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news' on both Facebook and Instagram.\n
Read more »
Facebook faces taxes over Aussie news ban | Sky News AustraliaThe former chairman of the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission has warned Facebook could face retaliation for its threats to remove and ban news content from its platforms in Australia.\n\nAllan Fels said the social media giant could be hit with a general tax on all internet transactions if it went ahead with the ban.\n\nFacebook's pushback followed a government proposed mandatory code of conduct which would force tech giants to share their revenue with media companies for use of their content. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n
Read more »
The prominence of state leaders is 'dreadful for our national coherence': Latham | Sky News AustraliaOne Nation leader Mark Latham says the prominence of Australia’s state premiers has wound the county back to pre-federation times, which is “dreadful for our national coherence.”\n\nHis comments come regarding the harsh border lockdowns across the country which are dividing families and preventing people from receiving the medical help they need. \n\nMr Latham said the harsh closure was “not only cruel, it’s ludicrous.”\n\n“It’s become a different country,” Mr Latham told Sky News host Alan Jones. \n\n“The prominence of these state premiers means we’ve gone back to being six colonies.\n\n“We’ve rewound to pre-federation times which are dreadful things for our national coherence, and our national unity and our national compassion.”\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
Read more »
Vic state of disaster extended to Sept 13 | Sky News AustraliaPremier Daniel Andrews has confirmed Victoria’s state of disaster will be extended and brought into line with the state of emergency but warned the slated September 13 end date didn't necessarily mean either emergency declarations would come off.\n\nThe Premier said he received the advice to extend the state of disaster, which came into effect on August 2, from the Minister for Emergency Services and the Emergency Management Commissioner. \n\n“There was always going to need to be an extension,' Mr Andrews said.\n\nHe said while the state of emergency could be extended for an additional six weeks, the Victorian government was only capable of extending a state of disaster for four weeks. \n\n“We think having both of those frameworks on the same timetable is important and will serve us well when we get to announcements on the weekend about the road map,… about what the weeks and months ahead will look like,” Mr Andrews said.\n\n“I just want to caution that doesn't necessarily mean that either the state of emergency or the state of disaster will automatically come off on the 13th, so I don't want people to read into the alignment that those measures will all of a sudden expire on the 13th.\n\n“Those decisions and that road map out, indeed multiple roadmaps for regional Victoria as well as metropolitan Melbourne, will be driven by the data.”\n\nThe state reported 90 new infections and six deaths in the past 24-hour-period, with three of the deaths occurring before Tuesday. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n
Read more »
Australian journalist detained in China increasingly vocal about border closures prior to detainment | Sky News AustraliaSky News understands an Australian journalist detained in China while working for an English language news channel in Beijing, had become increasingly vocal about the country's border closures as she struggled to get her children into the country.\n\nCheng Lei was an anchor at Chinese state-owned broadcast channel CGTN where she worked for eight years.\n\nIn a statement, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian Government was 'informed that an Australian citizen, Ms Cheng Lei, has been detained in China”.\n\n“Formal notification was received on 14 August 2020 from Chinese authorities of her detention”.\n\nChina's government allows individuals to be detained by authorities for up to six months without legal aid, even before a formal charge is laid under 'residential surveillance at a designated location' powers.\n\nAustralian officials made contact with Ms Cheng via a video link on August 27.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n
Read more »
Revised Andrews govt emergency powers extension expected to pass Vic parliament | Sky News AustraliaDaniel Andrews is today expected to secure an extension of Victoria's state of emergency powers by six months if he can secure the support of three cross-benchers as the legislation heads to the upper house.\n\nIn an apparent compromise, the Premier initially pushed for a 12-month extension to the powers as an 'insurance policy', met with backlash from Opposition MPs as well as the Victorian community.\n\nThe plan allows the Victoria government to extend a state of emergency in four-week blocks for up to 12 months as well as greater powers to enforce mandatory quarantine, COVID safe plans for businesses and mandatory mask-wearing.\n\nSome MPs indicated they supported a revised version of the plan that reduced the extension of powers to three months, however Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said his party would not support it.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
Read more »