Health News at Your Fingertips

And with that we are going to put the blog to bed

Thank you for spending the day with us. Let’s go though the big headlines:

We will see you tomorrow! Until then – stay safe.

Woman denies deliberately driving into cheating husband and his lover

When Christie Lee Kennedy saw her husband kissing another woman she felt her “whole life had been torn apart”, a Queensland court has been told.

But the 37-year-old has denied deliberately driving into her husband and the woman he was having an affair with just seconds later.

Josh Taylor

About 80 evacuated from fire at Paramount building in Sydney’s Surry Hills

Firefighters are at the Paramount building on Commonwealth Street in Sydney’s Surry Hills where a fire has just been put out.

Guardian Australia understands the fire is believed to have originated in a restaurant on the ground floor, and seven trucks are on the scene.

About 80 people have been evacuated from the building.

Independent senator David Pocock pushes climate bill changes

From AAP:

Further transparency measures and reporting mechanisms should be added to the government’s climate change bill, an independent senator holding a key vote says.

David Pocock has issued 11 proposed amendments to the bill as a government-chaired Senate committee recommends the legislation pass the upper house.

The committee also recommends the government undertake further consultations on additional legislation or amendments, as well as future policy responses, following the bill passing.

The government needs the vote of an independent crossbencher on top of the Greens to pass its legislation in the Senate.

Pocock’s recommendations include creating mechanisms to provide transparency on the impact of budget measures on greenhouse gas emissions and that new emissions reduction targets are automatically reflected without the need for further legislation.

He said the minister’s annual statement to parliament should include greater detail and reporting requirements should be stronger.

Josh Butler

Federal government to legislate $200m disaster fund as more flooding expected

The federal emergency management minister, Murray Watt, has told people to “be prepared” for further inundation, as the Albanese government investigates reforms to disaster relief payments and rushes to complete new mitigation projects by year’s end.

Benita Kolovos

Former Liberal Felicity Frederico to run as independent at Victorian election

Former mayor and longtime Liberal member Felicity Frederico is set to run against the party as an independent candidate in the marginal seat of Brighton at the Victorian state election, having failed to be preselected as a candidate on several occasions.

Crypto.com accidentally transfers $10.5m to woman

Crypto.com dropped $10.5m into Melbourne woman Thevamanogari Manivel’s account after her account number was accidentally entered into the payment amount field.

Amazing story from Josh Taylor:

Reaction to PM’s five-day Covid isolation announcement

People have reacted on Twitter to the news Covid isolation will soon be five days instead of seven.

The honorary Burnet epidemiologist Mike Toole:

For those wondering how it might impact cases, I have this good explainer from earlier for you:

Defence minister to visit UK shipyard for Aukus announcement

The defence minister, Richard Marles, will visit the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in the UK tomorrow for a “really important visit”, he said at a press conference earlier today.

As Josh Butler wrote earlier, the UK press was reporting that Marles will announce an agreement for Australian submariners to train on the UK boats under the Aukus agreement.

The ABC reported in July that this was already happening, while the US has an arrangement that “at least two” Australians will train with its Navy each year.

Marles said the Hunter program, to deliver nine frigates with BAE, was “getting back on track”. BAE Systems Australia said it has clawed back more than a year on the program, after previously announcing an 18-month delay.

Marles said:

Tomorrow, we’ll be at Barrow where submarines are made by Britain and BAE Systems. That’s going to be a really important visit as well, and we look forward to that very much. And, obviously, I’ll be catching up with Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, who I’ve already spoken to on the phone.

This is a really important relationship for Australia. Obviously, in the context of Aukus, but before Aukus, with our history with the UK, but through the frigate program, it is actually a relationship which, whilst being our oldest relationship, is one which is being given really significant contemporary life.

‘New era of inclusiveness’: Albanese says jobs summit is just the start

Albanese is finishing by spruiking the jobs summit:

I thank all of those who in good faith have participated in trying to search for common solutions in the national interest and I feel very positive about not just the next two days, but for what it symbolises.

This is not the end of the discussion at the jobs and skills summit. This in many ways is the start of it. The start of what I hope is a new era of collaboration. A new era of inclusiveness, one where we look for ideas and input, where we look forward genuine engagement and respect, where we were sent to each other, even when people disagree.

Albanese is pleased with cooperation in relation to jobs summit

Albanese:

The federal government sets the migration numbers and the federal government will continue to set our migration numbers. I’m very pleased at the level of cooperation which we are seeing in the lead up to the jobs and skills summit stop we are seeing genuine dialogue between business and unions and civil society. It is a positive thing.

I believe that we get a lot when we collaborate. When we maximise input and we are inclusive.

It is the sort of government that I want to lead, I said that people have conflict fatigue, people are looking for solutions and not arguments.

Migration to be addressed at jobs summit – Albanese

Albanese has been asked if national cabinet discussed allowing refugees on bridging visas to work:

There was a discussion about visas and the visa backlog … and there was a discussion about migration numbers and about skill shortages.

But also about training Australians. About those two things, clearly there is a need to look at migration issues and they will be looked out over the next couple of days. That is a task, if you like for the jobs and skills summit.

National cabinet may discuss Covid leave payments at future meeting – Albanese

Albanese is asked again if he will be cutting the paid pandemic leave in the future:

Let’s be clear. Seven days down to five days. That is what is occurring from September 9 with regard to paid pandemic leave, we want to time as well as is appropriate to consult about what we do with paid pandemic leave, we will have a meeting about that in a couple of weeks about where that goes.

The five days of leave at some time in the future, that will be reassessed but there is no timing for that. Gradually, as we come to deal with Covid a long period of time, we need to ensure that the mechanisms that have been put in place for, by government that impose restrictions on people that we reassess them at an appropriate time.

Government will ‘respond appropriately’ to Covid – Albanese

We had a discussion about people looking after each other. People looking after their own health, being responsible for the and making sure that they look up to each other.

That is what has been happening. There aren’t mandated requirements for the flu or for a range of other illnesses that people are from.

What we want to do is to make sure that government responds to the changed circumstances, the Covid likely is going to be around for a considerable period of time.

And we need to respond appropriately to it. Based upon the weight of evidence.

No change to Covid payments – Albanese

Albanese is asked if he won’t definitely extend Covid payments:

I’m saying that we made a decision today about reducing the leave, seven to five. That is a change. We haven’t changed the arrangements with regard to payments, we will have a meeting about that in a couple of weeks time.

PM signals national cabinet will work on improving childcare access

Albanese:

We agreed to commence work on the new national skills agreement in place from January 1, 2024. For state and territory energy ministers to work towards implementing the reforms to accelerate the delivery of transmission projects, people would be aware that was identified in our rewiring the nation plan. And through the work on their integrated systems plan going forward.

We will work together on the long-term vision for early childhood education and care, to better support parents’ workforce participation.

We see this as a major productivity initiative. Childcare isn’t about baby minding. It’s about growing our economy and about women’s workforce participation and will be a very positive issue going forward.

Albanese said national cabinet will meet again in a fortnight:

We’ll discuss housing affordability issues in person at the next meeting of the national cabinet.

Albanese says leaders agreed on national skills statement

Moving on form Covid regulations Albanese said they also discussed workforce issues:

Ahead jobs and skills summit, first ministers discussed the ongoing workforce shortages and skills shortages that are impacting our economy and impacting businesses’ ability to operate.

And we had a constructive discussion and agreed on a vision statement and guiding principles for a new national skills agreement that will come into effect in 2024.

First ministers discussed the essential role of early childhood education and care as part of the education system and as a powerful lever for increasing participation of women in the workforce.

We agreed on the importance of delivering nationally significant energy transmission projects. And supporting regional communities and workforces to capture the opportunities emerging from Australia’s transition to a net zero emissions economy.

Masks are no longer mandatory on flights, Albanese said:

National cabinet also agreed to remove the mandatory wearing of masks on domestic flights. This change will also come into effect from Friday September 9.