[ad_1]
Dominic Perrottet says he is not aware of any photographs taken
Tamsin Rose
The premier said he did not remember if there were any other Liberal MPs present at the party.
He said it was “not about that” and was not aware of any photos being taken at the time.
No one was involved. I was involved. It was me. I made a terrible mistake. I am not aware of a photograph. I am not aware of that. It is not about that. It is about the fact that I did it and I am truly sorry for that mistake that I made and I am going to make it good.
Key events
Filters BETA
Next mining boom to boost income mobility
The treasurer wants to see Australia’s critical minerals needed to fuel the low carbon transition lifting children out of disadvantage, as seen in the mid-2010s boom.
New government research shows the mid-2010s mining boom triggered a sharp uplift in economic mobility in Queensland and Western Australia that Jim Chalmers would like to see replicated.
He said today:
Mobility is all about how easy or hard it is for a kid from a disadvantaged background to become more prosperous themselves as an adult.
He said the new Treasury analysis revealed strong upwards mobility in WA and Queensland early in the last decade that was partly driven by mining creating good local jobs.
Now the treasurer envisions mining for minerals such as bauxite, copper and nickel to supply clean energy technologies will fuel another round of well-paid jobs.
Dr Chalmers has previously identified Australia’s rich critical mineral resources as the nation’s opportunity of the century.
The Labor government is preparing an update to the critical minerals strategy, with the former coalition government releasing a refresh to its plan earlier this year.
– AAP
The treasurer has been chatting with locals in the Northern Rivers ahead of his announcement in Lismore later today.
Virus cases in post-Christmas decline
As Australians settle back into routine following the Christmas holidays, the number of positive Covid-19 cases has dramatically declined. NSW Health data for the first week of 2023 shows a 33% decrease on the previous seven days, with 15,364 new positive tests.
The figures also reveal the number of people receiving PCR tests decreased 11%.
NSW’s acting chief health officer, Dr Jan Fizzell, said:
Key indicators show the number of Covid-19 cases in NSW are continuing to decline as expected. Flu activity is at low levels in NSW but there [are] signs activity is increasing.
According to NSW Health, there is still a “highly mixed” group of sub-variants circulating within the community, with BR.2 the most common.
The national average for daily positive tests as of January 3 was 23.3% lower than the week before, with significant reductions in almost every state and territory. The Northern Territory was an exception, with a 2% bump in the first official daily case statistics for the year.
On Christmas Day, the average number of daily cases nationally was 13,742, compared with 8,950 on January 3, the most recent date for which national figures are available.
While new cases are down, the number of people admitted to hospital and intensive care with the virus remains high and actually recorded a small increase. Over 3,500 people were hospitalised in the seven days leading up to January 3 and 120 were sent to intensive care, respective increases of 2% and 11% on the week before.
Also this week, a study by Israeli researchers found most people affected by long Covid showed no symptoms after a year. The study by KI Research Institute – published in medical journal BMJ – suggests patients with mild Covid-19 have an increased risk for a small number of health outcomes, most of which resolve within a year from diagnosis.
– AAP
NSW records 112 Covid deaths and 1,458 people in hospital
There were 14,053 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and 41 people are in intensive care.
Victoria records 149 Covid deaths and 473 people in hospital
There were 7,908 new cases in the weekly reporting period, and 18 people are in intensive care.
Perrottet: I am focused ‘on ensuring people don’t make the same mistake that I did’
A reporter has asked Dominic Perrottet what he knew yesterday that he didn’t know 20 years ago.
Reporter:
You went to the Jewish museum yesterday, which you have given $6m in funding previously. What did you learn yesterday that you didn’t know 20 years ago? You are talking about raising awareness; is this just you being contrite before the election, but not being contrite before?
Perrottet:
If you ask members of the Jewish community, I have been a very strong supporter of the Jewish community during my time in public office. I know all too well the impact that the Jewish museum has on so many young people, seeing so many school groups go through that museum, hearing from Holocaust survivors, telling their own personal stories and whatever we can do to continue to raise awareness of the atrocities of the past that occurred so collectively as a state and as a country, we ensure they don’t ever happen again, is so incredibly important.
They do incredible work and being with Darren and David and Rebecca yesterday was special on such a very difficult day.
The same reporter presses him:
What did it accomplish meeting Jewish leaders, going to the Sydney Jewish museum, knowing more about the atrocities; how is that different than 20 years ago? I know 20 years ago, people knew about the Holocaust and the museum was also around?
Perrottet:
Have you visited the Jewish museum?
Reporter:
Yes.
Perrottet:
If you go there and speak to survivors, it is important and special about sharing their stories. I met Eddie Jakku before he passed and he was someone who worked at the museum and volunteered at the museum and told his story to so many young people.
One of the beautiful things they have done at that museum is film six survivors who told their stories so young kids can come in and ask questions and learn and that is what is most important. The reason I made the investment in that Jewish museum was because I have seen firsthand the impact that that museum has on young people across our state.
I am truly sorry for that action and my terrible mistake when I was 21 and I just am focused on ensuring people don’t make the same mistake that I did all those years ago.
Tamsin Rose
Victor Dominello also backs NSW premier
The outgoing customer service minister, Victor Dominello, has also thrown his support behind Perrottet.
He said:
I absolutely back Dom in. If you want vision, look at the courage he is doing in relation to gambling reform. This is generational leadership we are talking about, courageous leadership, leadership you don’t see. I absolutely back him in every day of the week.
He added:
This is about the premier’s mistake. The premier has owned it, apologised for it and I accept what he has apologised for.
Tamsin Rose
Brad Hazzard backs Perrottet
The outgoing health minister, Brad Hazzard, has vowed to back the premier.
He said:
Dominic Perrottet is an extraordinarily good premier and without him doing the job that he did as part of the crisis cabinet, as treasurer when we went through two and a half years of our darkest times, it would have been a completely different outcome.
He has done an incredible job and that is all I am prepared to say. I am prepared to back him.
Tamsin Rose
Perrottet ‘not interested’ in if costume revelations part of internal party politics
Asked if he was worried that the internal hit that forced him to come clean about the costume was retribution for his strong stance on pokies, he said it was “not about that”.
He said:
I am not interested in that. I am focused on the people of our state and I said yesterday that I did it. That is what is important.
When asked if it was payback for attempted interventions in state preselection processes, he added:
I think I have made it quite clear, this is about a mistake that I made and I did it. I am not interested in other commentary around it. I am truly sorry for the mistake that I made and I will do everything I can to ensure that the hurt in communities across NSW is relieved. That is my focus as premier of NSW.
Dominic Perrottet says he is not aware of any photographs taken
Tamsin Rose
The premier said he did not remember if there were any other Liberal MPs present at the party.
He said it was “not about that” and was not aware of any photos being taken at the time.
No one was involved. I was involved. It was me. I made a terrible mistake. I am not aware of a photograph. I am not aware of that. It is not about that. It is about the fact that I did it and I am truly sorry for that mistake that I made and I am going to make it good.
Tamsin Rose
Perrottet has no plans to call party room meeting
The premier said he did not make any Nazi salutes while in the Nazi uniform, as far as he can remember.
He said he did not have plans to call a party room meeting, despite calls from some of his colleagues to do so.
He said:
No one has raised that with me and if they do, I’ll speak to my colleagues.
Tamsin Rose
Premier wants more education for young people about the Holocaust
Perrottet said his hope was for good to come from his mistake and wants to see more education for young people in NSW about the Holocaust.
He said:
I [had a] meeting with the Jewish board of deputies yesterday and we spoke about education, we spoke about the importance of raising awareness of the atrocities that have occurred in the past and our commitment together to ensure they never happen again. One of the best ways of doing that is through education. I’m completely committed to doing it.
Tamsin Rose
Perrottet confident in his position as NSW premier
Dominic Perrottet has begun taking questions from reporters about the revelations he wore a Nazi costume to his birthday party almost 20 years ago.
He said he is confident in his position as the NSW premier and the leader of his party after speaking with a “number” of his colleagues.
I’ve had a number of colleagues contact me over the course of the night and I appreciate their support, but ultimately, it’s not about me. It’s about the hurt that the mistake I made caused many people across our community and I’m terribly sorry for that.
Perrottet takes questions from media over costume scandal
Tamsin Rose
The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, is this morning fronting the media after yesterday revealing he dressed up as a Nazi for his 21st birthday.
He is expected to be questioned on his future as the leader of the Liberal party in the state after he speaks about the redevelopment of the Ryde hospital.
Paul Karp
Treasurer boosts call to ‘streamline’ migration
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, also spoke with Radio National earlier, including about how Labor might tweak migration settings after the home affairs department’s review.
He was asked about the Business Council of Australia’ submission to the review which called for the migration level to be set as “a percentage of Australia’s total population” – which could lift the permanent migration number (currently 195,000 in 2022-23) automatically.
Chalmers said:
I obviously listen respectfully when the BCA put forward views like that. I think there is some thinking to be done and no doubt [the home affairs minister] Clare O’Neil and [the skills minister] Brendan O’Connor and others in our team are doing that thinking about how we get the most flexible and appropriate arrangements for migration.
… what the BCA is proposing is pretty similar to what others have proposed in recent times, including at that jobs and skills summit. So if there is a way that we can streamline some of these processes to get the right mix at the same time as we recognise that migration’s not a substitute [for] training and all of the other things that we need to do, then I’m certainly personally up for that conversation. I’m sure my colleagues are too.
[ad_2]
Source link