You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Pauline Hanson – she of the “I didn’t flip-flop, I said no originally, then I said yes. Then I have said no, and I’ve stuck to it” fame – is attempting to cover off all sides of the superannuation debate.
The One Nation leader supports a 0.5% increase to the super compulsory rate, but only if people don’t cash it all out and spend it on Landcruisers and caravans.
If they do, then she wants the whole super scheme clarified.
And if it turns out you can cash it out, then maybe a wage increase would be better.
One Nation’s leader Pauline Hanson Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
“While the money belongs to the employee, it wasn’t designed to be cashed out as a lump sum and blown, only to leave a person on a government pension for the rest of their lives,” she said.
“People should not be encouraged to squander their superannuation. It defeats the purpose of the scheme.
“If we don’t reclarify the purpose of superannuation now, we might as well just give these increases to people through their pay packets.”
Everyone clear? Yup. It’s a bet both ways. Which is standard for One Nation.
Pauline Hanson ??
(@PaulineHansonOz)
MEDIA RELEASE | Statement From Senator Pauline Hanson on Superannuation.https://t.co/y9F9v3Jg4l
Updated
at 1.32am GMT
Sir Michael Fallon, a former British defence secretary, asked Scott Morrison how it would be possible to persuade China that it would be in its own interests to abide by the Law of the Sea Convention and independent rulings on its South China Sea claims.
Sir Michael Fallon Photograph: Penelope Barritt/REX/Shutterstock
Morrison said this was “the $64,000 question, really”. It was very difficult to “understand the mind of China and their outlook, but it is our task to seek to do so”.
Of course, there are tensions. I won’t deny that. But I do feel that many of the tensions are based on some misunderstandings. And I think one of the key misunderstandings is a level of confidence about what we see is the end result.
Our end result from Australia’s point of view as I said, is not containment. Our end result is happy coexistence, respecting each other’s sovereignty and systems and being able to happily coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship.
And I believe that’s where both parties of this relationship have a lot more work to do to get to that shared understanding of what we see the ultimate goal as being.
Morrison suggested the incoming Biden administration may have an impact on the Washington/Beijing ties: “Perhaps the atmospherics of that relationship will change following the most recent election.”
Updated
at 1.27am GMT
Scott Morrison: Australia will be ‘patient’ and ‘consistent’ with China
Scott Morrison says his government will remain “patient” and “consistent” as it seeks to navigate the current tensions with China.
The Q&A portion of the prime minister’s virtual appearance at a British thinktank event last night has arrived in journalists’ inboxes.
As reported by Katharine Murphy overnight, Morrison called on major powers such as the US and China to try not to force their allies and partners into binary choices, as middle powers like Australia needed some more latitude or “room to move”.
Morrison took a few questions after his Policy Exchange speech, including from Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the UK House of Commons foreign affairs select committee, who asked about how Morrison saw the UK’s role in working with Australia, Japan, India and others in defending the international order.
Prime minister Scott Morrison Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Morrison claimed Australia’s policies when it comes to the rules-based order and the Indo-Pacific “are no different today than they were in John Howard’s time” – although he suggested there were “some things that have changed, of course, to our north”.
Alluding to this year’s trade actions by China, Morrison said all countries should take seriously their obligations to comply with the letter and the spirit of World Trade Organization rules “because that’s what makes it all hang together”.
“We’ve just got to be patient about this, and we just need to be consistent in holding to these positions and pursuing them in a way that seeks to get to where we all want to be at the end of the day.”
The aim was to ensure countries in the Indo-Pacific could freely trade and enjoy economic growth and prosperity.
China’s advance was “good” and it was not the objective of Australia or other regional players to contain China economically. It was important to be as clear in delivering that message as possible, including in partnership with like-minded countries like the UK.
Updated
at 1.36am GMT
South Australia records one new case
South Australian chief health officer Nicola Spurrier has said she hasn’t “popped the cork on the champagne bottle yet but the champagne is on ice” as the state announced one new Covid-19 case on Tuesday.
Spurrier said the case is a close contact of a returned traveller who previously tested positive.
It is a man in his 20s who is in a quarantine hotel, but it is unclear if he is a returned traveller or if this was locally acquired.
Guardian Australia contacted SA Health to clarify this, but it was unable to provide more information.
South Australia’s chief health officer, Nicola Spurrier, urges people to wear masks even as restrictions are being eased. Photograph: David Mariuz/EPA
Spurrier said there are 27 cases linked to the Parafield cluster, and 39 active cases in SA.
There is one person in hospital, a woman in her 50s. A 30-year-old man was recently discharged from hospital.
Spurrier also said there are 4,100 close contacts, or contacts of close contacts, linked to the Parafield cluster who are quarantining.
There were 6,822 Covid-19 tests taken in SA on Monday.
“I haven’t popped the cork on the champagne bottle yet but the champagne is on ice. We haven’t finished the job yet and every South Australian still has their part to play,” Spurrier said.
She also urged South Australians to begin wearing masks, even as restrictions eased.
Updated
at 12.43am GMT
SA plans to lift all restrictions on 1 December
The South Australian premier, Steven Marshall, says authorities remain focused on lifting restrictions in the state by next Tuesday 1 December.
I said yesterday what a difference a week makes. South Australia is continuing to rise to the challenge of this particular cluster and I believe that we are now in a very good position to stare down this second wave.
This could have been a potentially catastrophic situation in South Australia but the swift and decisive action taken following that unequivocal health advice has put us in a very good position.
The transition committee met this morning. They will meet again on Friday. We have our eyes firmly fixed on next Tuesday. We have signalled that, next Tuesday 1 December is the day that we will go back to where we were before the Parafield cluster and further lift those restrictions.
We do not want to have any restriction in place for one day than we need to.
The South Australian premier, Steven Marshall. Photograph: Kelly Barnes/Getty Images
Updated
at 12.25am GMT
No decision yet on SA border, says Queensland’s chief health officer
Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, also spoke about South Australia’s outbreak and what it would take for Queensland to fully reopen to people from SA.
Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young. Photograph: Darren England/AAP
Young:
They’ve had a really good, rapid response down there. So they had another case yesterday, which was eight days after that person had been exposed.
We just need to wait for a little bit longer before we can decide what needs to happen.
Updated
at 12.14am GMT
Queensland’s deputy premier Steven Miles on the border relaxation:
Queensland’s deputy premier Steven Miles. Photograph: Glenn Hunt/AAP
This is indeed a great day for Queensland … a day I have been looking forward to for a very long time. I know it is a day that many Queenslanders and their family and friends, particularly in Sydney, have been looking forward to.
Our tourism and hospitality sectors have struggled while some of our traditional sectors like mining and agriculture have held up throughout the entire pandemic, and this is a chance for particularly our tourism and hospitality sectors to get more people back to work.
I know there are lots of Sydneysiders who have been wondering whether they could plan a Christmas holiday on the Gold Coast or Cairns or all of the wonderful places in between or north of there.
Now we know that they can, and that means when they come here they will be spending money here, creating jobs here, helping businesses here, to get more people back to work.
Updated
at 11.40pm GMT
Michael Kaine, national secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union, is speaking about the death of a food delivery rider in inner Sydney on Monday, the fifth in two months.
Kaine said he had previously urged industrial relations minister Christian Porter to set up an urgent inquiry into Uber Eats and gig delivery platforms, and is renewing his calls now.
Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Michael Kaine. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
The fifth rider in total to have been killed on our roads in two months. This is carnage. That’s one every 11 days.
These companies don’t care whether riders live or die. All they care about is getting food on time delivered.
These companies don’t train riders. These companies don’t provide appropriate and proper protective equipment. These companies put these riders under incredible time pressures.
They’re to answer a call for a delivery within seconds, and if they’re late by one or two minutes, then those riders can be kicked off the platform, often by an algorithm with absolutely no recourse.
These riders have been the heroes of the pandemic. They have worked to deliver food to households and businesses as they’ve been locked down. It’s been an important part of the safety mix that has allowed us to have control over this virus. And they are treated like fodder. They are treated like machines.
Updated
at 11.34pm GMT
