Noise surrounding the transparency of decisions made by the Queensland Government on behalf of the public is becoming louder as senior bureaucrats leave and publicly criticise the public service, including the resigning of the QLD Crime and Corruption Commission Chairman Alan MacSporran last week.

Outgoing Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov and independent and opposition state parliamentarians are calling for reviews of the integrity of government agencies and for a reform to the funding of the Crime and Corruption Commission and Office of the Integrity Commissioner.

At the resumption of school on February 7, high school students and teachers in Queensland will be required to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced on Sunday that rapid antigen tests (RATs) will be given to both students and school staff who present with coronavirus symptoms.

Elaborating on the school restrictions, Minister for Education Grace Grace explained school visitors would be limited and excursions and assemblies would be suspended for the first 4 weeks of term.

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$1,000,000,000 has been allocated to small and medium businesses in a New South Wales (NSW) state run Jobkeeper type welfare scheme.

Last Sunday, NSW premier Dominic Perrottet provided some detail on the scheme, which will provide payroll support to businesses with turnovers of between $75,000 and $50m that had a decline of at least 40% in turnover in January.

Despite requests from the state government, the Commonwealth is not contributing to the scaled down Jobkeeper program that can cover 20% of the payroll costs of the qualifying enterprises.

The leader and founder of the Hillsong Church vacated his position as head of the church.

Brian Houston announced yesterday he would be stepping down as he defends criminal charges of alleged covering up of child sexual abuse.

His decision has been made based on legal advice provided to the church.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/30/hillsong-founder-brian-houston-steps-down-as-leader-of-church 

A shark bite resistant wetsuit is about to become commercially available in Australia.

The wetsuit was the idea of a northern New South Wales resident who, after testing by scientists from Flinders University, designed it to be made of a cut and stab proof polymer fabric.

The wetsuits will be available after the company’s funding campaign is finished in February.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-30/shark-suit-new-polymer-material/100788180 

Yesterday, residents of Northern Ireland commemorated the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Commemorators remembered the 14 marchers shot dead by British soldiers at a protest organised by Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association against the internment without trial of Catholic nationalists.

Victims of the shootings and their relatives continue to demand justice.

Brisbane is partly cloudy today with a medium chance of rain, a forecast high of 32 degrees and an anticipated extreme level of UV.