Australia news live update: NSW records 623 Covid cases, six deaths; Victoria reports 1,377 cases, four deaths; one new local case in Qld



10.22pm EDT22:22

A Queensland police officer who leaked the address of a domestic abuse victim to her violent former partner has resigned, more than five years after first admitting to hacking into a confidential police database.

Neil Glen Punchard had a criminal conviction for computer hacking and two-month suspended prison sentence reinstated by the state court of appeal in August.

Punchard’s subsequent decision to quit – before having his salary suspended – finalises a long saga that has deeply embarrassed the Queensland police service.

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10.18pm EDT22:18

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9.50pm EDT21:50

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9.31pm EDT21:31

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9.29pm EDT21:29

Not helpful: Andrew Barr takes on Morrison over hospital funding

The ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, has taken on Scott Morrison over the issue of hospital funding, describing Morrison’s comments that states were engaged in a “shakedown” of the commonwealth as “not particularly helpful”.

Barr noted that all states and territories had asked the commonwealth for an extension of equal cost-sharing, including Liberal governments in NSW, Tasmania and South Australia, so it was “not party political – it’s not Labor vs Liberal”.

Barr made a number of arguments for a 50-50 funding agreement with the commonwealth, including noting that the federal health department secretary, Brendan Murphy, had acknowledged the problem of “bed blocking” – that people are being kept in hospital when they should be in aged case or the NDIS, which are commonwealth responsibilities.

Barr said that 50-50 funding of mental health should continue for at least 12 months and it is a “sound principle” to continue to share the costs of Covid, including by temporarily lifting the 6.5% cap on activity based funding.

Barr said he didn’t think the door was closed, despite Morrison’s comments, and called on the likely incoming NSW premier Dominic Perrottet to “lead engagement” with the commonwealth.

The ACT chief minister Andrew Barr.


The ACT chief minister Andrew Barr. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

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9.26pm EDT21:26

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