Health News at Your Fingertips

Newly elected SA premier Peter Malinauskas has promised to keep his shirt on from now on, after a photo of his muscled torso made quite a stir in the world of Australian politics, and I assume, with the mums of South Australia.

ABC radio host Patricia Karvelas:

During the campaign, you were photographed shirtless in swimming shorts, and it caused a bit of a stir. I have to ask you … the Australian’s Greg Sheridan said jokingly on [ABC] Insiders that you’re “far too good looking”. Which I thought was quite a statement. What have you made of the reaction to that picture?

Malinauskas:

Do you have any idea how much grief I’ve copped around the place as a result of that?

Karvelas:

Have they told you just to buff to be premier?

Malinauskas:

They’ve piled it on, let me tell you. I haven’t stopped copping it, and I deserve every bit of it.

We were announcing a big investment at our major aquatics centre here in South Australia and a whole bunch of us jumped in for a swim in our boardies with our kids there. And, yeah, it got a bit more attention than I anticipated, fair to say.

Karvelas:

So you’re going to keep your shirt on from now on?

Malinauskas:

Malinauskas says the federal election will revolve around the cost of living, and he continues to use his newfound national platform for Anthony Albanese.

I think we’re about to see a federal election where a cost of living is a front and centre issue. And I think Australians get the price of petrol, but they can’t control the price of groceries.

The way we address cost of living as a nation is to start having an incomes policy focus on how we improve working in small businesses to improve the productivity of their labour, so they can earn a higher income. And that’s why education, training and skills is so important.

And I only see federal labour stepping up to the plate with serious economic policy, about investing in people’s education, training and skills improving labour, workforce participation through childcare policies, and that’s why I hope they win this election.

Malinauskas has expanded on his promise not to be “Scott Morrison’s” quokka.

Scott Morrison described Steven Marshall as his quokka, and what I’ve said is I’m not going to be Scott’s quokka.

ABC radio host Patricia Karvelas:

I thought it was funny, and after I thought it was funny I thought if I get Peter Malinauskas on the show – and we have – I really want to ask him what it will look like not to be Scott’s quokka …

Malinauskas:

What that means is if the current government or even the next government does the right thing by our state, I’ll be the first to applaud it. But if they seek to undermine the standard of living of South Australians, if they seem to take away a particular source of revenue or investment that we rightfully believe should [remain], I’m gonna stand up and advocate for the state’s interests.

And like I said, that’s not [just] true for Scott Morrison, but also Anthony Albanese should he become prime minister, which I, of course, desperately hope he does. So this is about the function of leadership.

Gosh, Malinauskas really is being forced to use his victory lap to campaign for federal Labor isn’t he?

But don’t worry, he has assured the people of Australia that Anthony Albanese also shares his vision for a better future after Covid.

I think Anthony Albanese and myself have a common idea in trying to ensure that these elections that have just happened in South Australia – or better – occur federally, does deliver on that idea that we’ve got to come out of Covid better than we were when we went into it. I don’t think there’s any point in going through Covid and just going back to before.

Our economy as a nation has challenges. I think there is no real evidence to suggest that Covid has exacerbated economic equity for those people that don’t own capital, whether it be in the form of the home or equities. They have become just one that one step further removed from being able to enjoy the wealth associated with that.

By the way, if you want a quick recap on how the SA election win could affect the outcoming federal vote, check out the Guardian’s TikTok below, where I attempt to break it all down in 59 seconds.

The newly appointed SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, credits the success of his campaign to Labor’s focus on health and his plans to shape what the “legacy of Covid” will look like.

He is speaking with ABC radio now:

So there are two things. The first one is the health and hospital crisis that we have here in South Australia. We’ve got evidence ramping and record levels to the extent that it now actually hinders upon the ability for triple zero calls to be made on time. So that was the immediate concern that speaks to a lived experience.

There was a big-picture issue at play here [too]. And that is what is the legacy of Covid going to be and I think this is not just true to South Australians. My sense is that this applies equally throughout the nation. But people have made big sacrifices to get through Covid whether it be in the form of isolation, closing their own businesses, giving up their incomes giving up their capital, and they want to live a better future …

[They don’t want] the legacy of Covid just to be a massive debt and a bad memory. Our policy speaks to a vision for the future of our state and I think that’s what South Australians were particularly pleased to support.

Free tickets to Shane Warne’s state memorial service will become available from 3pm today, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says.

Good morning all, it’s Matilda Boseley here with you, somewhat red in the face after absolutely stacking it on my bike outside the office about 20 minutes ago. But it seems that I’m not the only one who should be embarrassed this morning, with Australia being called out on a global stage for its fossil fuel focus.

The United Nations secretary general has called Australia a “holdout” after Scott Morrison refused to strengthen the nation’s 2030 emissions reduction target.

António Guterres has used an address to a sustainability summit to take an extraordinary public swipe at Australia’s climate change efforts.

A growing number of G20 developed economies have announced meaningful emissions reductions by 2030 – with a handful of holdouts, such as Australia.

He said the Paris climate pact’s ambition of limiting global warming to 1.5C was “on life support” but there was still something that could save it.

Keeping 1.5 alive requires a 45% reduction in global emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by mid-century. That problem was not solved in Glasgow.

Guterres implored all G20 governments to dismantle their domestic coal infrastructure, with full phase-out by 2030 for OECD countries, and 2040 for all others. He called coal a “stupid investment” that would lead to billions in stranded assets.

Simon Bradshaw, head of research at the Climate Council, said the UN chief’s direct and veiled attacks on Australia’s climate policies were striking.

It’s very unusual for the UN secretary general to call out any country, specifically. I don’t recall a time when this has happened. It’s striking to see.

But why fix issues on Earth when we could look to space! Defence minister Peter Dutton will today launch Australia’s own command outfit for our space defence initiatives, as he warns of increased competition and conflict out there.

The command will be headed by Air Vice-Marshal Cath Roberts in a bid to protect Australia’s interests in space where “losing access would have significant civil and military consequences”.

New military space capabilities will be used to counter threats, continue access to space-based intelligence, to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance and uphold the free use of space.

He will tell an air and space power conference in Canberra on Tuesday that:

[Space] will undoubtedly become a domain which takes on greater military significance in 21st century …

It is a domain which must be used to deter aggression, rather than become a new realm for conflict.

With all that in mind, why don’t we jump right into the day? I think I need a coffee.