Australia news LIVE: Thousands of NSW nurses to strike over pay and staffing ratios; COVID-19 cases continue to grow across the nation
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Key posts
- Independent MP says she made a mistake but defends coal investor donation
- Thousands of NSW nurses to defy eleventh-hour order to halt strike
- This morning’s headlines at a glance
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Independent MP says she made a mistake but defends coal investor donation
Federal independent MP Zali Steggall has admitted a mistake in recording donations totalling $100,000 from the family of coal millionaire John Kinghorn but insists she was right to accept the money, declaring in a fiery television interview she had nothing to hide.
Challenged on whether she had met her own standards for integrity and transparency, Ms Steggall said her team had corrected the record at the Australian Electoral Commission as soon as necessary to report the donation.
Independent MP Zali Steggall has been an advocate for political donations reform.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The member for Warringah, who toppled former prime minister Tony Abbott in the key Sydney seat at the last federal election, acknowledged the money had been split into eight donations below the reporting threshold even though it was paid in a single cheque.
“The difficulty is there was a mistake made from an accounting point of view by the team,” she told Network Ten last night.
“The cheque was provided to Warringah Independents and as soon as I was made aware of it, it was rectified.”
However, she added it was “not a mistake” in any failure to disclose the money because the team at Warringah Independent, the company that supports her, updated the records when the AEC identified the problem.
Read the full story here.
Thousands of NSW nurses to defy eleventh-hour order to halt strike
Thousands of nurses across NSW will push ahead with their first mass walk out in almost a decade today, defying orders from the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to call off the planned strike.
Nurses and midwives at some of Sydney’s biggest hospitals, including Royal North Shore and Royal Prince Alfred, will strike for 24 hours after crisis talks between unions and Health Minister Brad Hazzard failed to reach a breakthrough.
Nurses and midwives are set to strike today over pay and working conditions.Credit:Rhett Wyman
The strike action, the first of its kind since 2013, will intensify pressure on the health system and could lead to delays and disruption for patients.
However, staff will remain at public hospitals to provide life-preserving care.
Read the full story here.
Victorian Opposition Leader, MPs fined for not wearing masks
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and four colleagues have been fined by police for not wearing masks inside state Parliament during an address delivered by AFL legend Kevin Sheedy.
Mr Guy, Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh, shadow treasurer David Davis, Gary Blackwood and Melina Bath were pictured maskless at the event last Tuesday, prompting a police investigation.
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy.Credit:Luis Ascui
The Liberal leader, who has called Victoria’s indoor mask rules “confusing”, released a statement yesterday afternoon confirming fines had been issued. Victorians are required to wear masks indoors – excluding private homes – and MPs are bound by these rules inside Parliament.
Mr Guy says the fines will be paid promptly.
“The Victorian Liberals and Nationals will continue to advocate for the removal of face mask mandates in low-risk settings, so we can begin to recover, rebuild and move forward,” he said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was fined $400 last year after he was filmed walking into state Parliament without a mask.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Tuesday, February 15. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- In federal politics, Sydney-based independent Zali Steggall says her team made an accounting mistake when recording $100,000 in donations from the family of a wealthy coal millionaire. While one cheque was received (from a family trust), the money was recorded as separate donations because it was pledged on behalf of individual family members. Ms Steggall says she did not fail to disclose the money because Warringah Independent, the company that supports her, updated its records when the Australian Electoral Commission identified the problem.
- Thousands of NSW nurses are expected to go on strike today over pay and staffing ratios. That’s despite the Industrial Relations Commission asking for the strike to be called off. The NSW government says it’s open to talks, but the nursing union says it’s time for action not words. NSW yesterday reported 1649 cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths.
- Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says fines issued to himself and fellow state Coalition MPs for not wearing masks inside state Parliament will be paid promptly. However, he says his side of politics will “continue to advocate for the removal of face mask mandates in low-risk settings, so we can begin to recover, rebuild and move forward”. Yesterday, Victoria reported 7104 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths.
- More than a quarter of Queensland’s latest coronavirus cases are school-aged children. Students in the Sunshine State have been back in classrooms for a week. Queensland yesterday recorded 3750 cases of COVID-19 and six deaths.
- And in international news, the United States is relocating its Ukraine embassy from the capital Kyiv to Lviv (in the country’s west) amid Russia’s build-up of troops along the Russia-Ukraine border.
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