Prime Minister Scott Morrison Criticised as he takes a Side Trip During G7 Summit Trip
Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticized as he planned and followed through with a G7 side trip to explore his convict roots while publicly arguing Britain's risk to Australian travelers.
Prime Minister Morrison's office spent weeks planning this trip meanwhile, stranded Australians have seized on the non-official travel as evidence politicians are not subject to the same pandemic rules as others.
Nationals willing to Negotiate their Stance on their Climate Change Policy
Deputy leader of the Nationals Party, David Littleproud, says the nationals are willing to negotiate their stance on their climate change policy - but only if, "regional Australians would need to get a better deal".
Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources, Water, and Northern Australia, said talks with the government were ongoing however, any final commitments have not been made.
Quarantine Couple not Allowed to Visit Dying Relative
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has scrutinized Queensland authorities for not allowing a couple stuck in hotel quarantine, to visit a dying relative.
Mark Kilian and Anneli Gericke are stuck in isolation in Sydney after travelling from the US to visit Mr Kilian's dying father in Queensland.
A last-minute rejection from Queensland Health following successful appeals to Border Force and NSW Health exemptions prompted Mr Morrison to criticise Queenslands' authorities saying he is disappointed that they could not resolve the issue.
Queensland's MPS urged to Pass Euthanasia Laws
Queensland's MPs have been urged to pass euthanasia laws with a clear majority to avoid scaring people into choosing to end their lives early in case the laws are reversed if there's a change of government at the next election.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles stated that he hoped the Labor Government's much-anticipated legislation would pass with a sufficient majority.
Stating that he would hate it for someone to feel rushed to access voluntary assisted dying because they think there could be a change of government.
Queensland Deputy Premier calls for better Quarantine Sites
Queensland's deputy premier, Steven Miles, has challenged the federal government to provide better quarantine sites after the rejection of a suggested quarantine facility in Toowoomba.
Miles has been an active critic of the Federal Government's handling of Hotel quarantine saying "Hotel quarantine was not designed to be in place for 18 months" and, "that it is not designed to deal with the new highly contagious strains."
11am Tuesday 22/06/21 Zedlines
Your 11am Zedlines with Toni, Alayna and Lina.
Photo credits: The Guardian
Campaign to stop age discrimination of the disabled
The Disability Doesn’t Discriminate but the Government Does, is a national campaign launched this morning by Queensland’s Spinal Life Australia, aiming to prevent age discrimination against people aged over 65 living with a disability.
The campaign sheds light on the decision made in 2013 to exclude the National Disability Insurance Scheme from the Age Discrimination Act.
Spinal Life Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mark Townend, says age shouldn’t matter because disability can impact anyone at any time.
New music festival kicks off in Brisbane
The new Brisbane Winter Sessions festival will kick off in August this year to celebrate the cities’ local music scene.
Supported by the Brisbane City Council, Triple J and Q-Music, the festival aims to support Brisbane’s local music scene, featuring a mix of established and emerging artists across a wide range of genres.
This follows calls from performers, venue owners and QMusic for the state government to support the live music industry, and a $7 million funding commitment from the state budget last week.
Great Barrier Reef’s to be included on List of World Heritage in Danger
Overnight the Great Barrier Reef has been recommended by UNESCO for inclusion on its List of World Heritage in Danger.
Reports indicated the site is continuing to rapidly deteriorate, arguing that while welcome, government measures to address global warming are inadequate to protect the World Heritage site.
Greenpeace Head of Research and Investigations Dr Nikola Casule said the government has done very little to fight climate change and has consequently failed the reef.
Refresh of Australian’s vaccination plan underway
Australia’s vaccination plan will undergo a complete refresh, before the expected arrival of 3.4 million more Pfizer doses arriving next month.
Health Department secretary, Brendan Murphy said National Covid Vaccine Taskforce is reviewing the rollout strategy and timeframes, and looking for opportunities to accelerate the vaccine delivery plan.
Taskforce Lieutenant General Frewen, said possibilities include investigating other players such as pharmacists, to relieve some of the burden on GP’s.