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| Australia live news updates: Pfizer provisionally approved for five to 11-year-olds; Victoria records 980 new Covid cases and seven deaths | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow live updates | Follow live updates |
| Speers: | |
| Frydenberg: | |
| Frydenberg tells Speers that the Coalition, if in Opposition, would vote against Labor’s emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030. | |
| ABC Insiders host David Speers starts by asking what Frydenberg thinks of Labor’s recently announced climate policies, which includes an emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030. | |
| Speers points out that “the business council, the Australian industry group, they both backed Labor’s policy. Has business got it wrong?” | |
| Frydenberg starts by talking about the government’s commitment to net zero by 2050, before responding to Labor’s policy: | |
| Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg is speaking on ABC Insiders. | |
| Clover Moore is set to secure an unprecedented fifth term as lord mayor of the City of Sydney following New South Wales council elections on Saturday, AAP reports. | |
| Moore, an independent, will speak to reporters at 11am in Sydney. | |
| By late on Saturday night, she was sitting on 43% of first preference votes, well ahead of her two nearest competitors, fellow independent Yvonne Weldon and Labor’s Linda Scott, who were both on 16%. | |
| The early results suggested a swing against Moore of nearly 15% – but that’s compared to her landslide win in 2016 when she won almost 58% of the vote.Moore has four decades of public service under her belt, 17 of them as Sydney’s lord mayor. | |
| “We have been able to achieve so much but we have a lot more to do,” she said on Saturday night. Moore’s plans include a council goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2035, growing green spaces across the city, improving access to social and affordable housing, and repairing the CBD’s economy and council’s own coffers post-Covid. | |
| The race to become Sydney’s mayor was one of more than 120 council elections across the state on Saturday. | |
| It was an all-female field in the City of Sydney with many of Moore’s opponents arguing it was time for change at Town Hall. | |
| Moore was first elected as lord mayor in 2004 which was 16 years after she was elected to state parliament in 1988. | |
| She managed both responsibilities until 2012 when new legislation forced her to choose between the roles. | |
| Hunt is asked whether states, like Queensland, will hold off opening state borders until at least 80% of kids aged five to 11 are vaccinated given today’s announcement. | |
| Hunt: | |
| Prof Skerritt has also explained why it is important for children to get vaccinated against Covid-19. | |
| Prof John Skerritt has spoken more about the Covid-19 vaccine that will be administered to children aged five to 11. | |
| Skerritt says that this age group will be given one-third of the dose given to other age groups and that “often with vaccines you can offer a smaller dose for younger children”. He says their vaccine dose will be in a vial with an orange lid, rather than the adult doses while are in vials with grey or purple lids. | |
| Skerritt turned to speak about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in children. | |
| Federal health minister Greg Hunt has praised the millions of Australians who have come forward to be vaccinated against Covid-19. | Federal health minister Greg Hunt has praised the millions of Australians who have come forward to be vaccinated against Covid-19. |
| He says that over 39.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Australia. Currently, 92.8% of eligible Australians have received their first dose, and 88% are fully vaccinated. | He says that over 39.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Australia. Currently, 92.8% of eligible Australians have received their first dose, and 88% are fully vaccinated. |
| Since vaccines have been approved for 12-15 year olds, 76.7% of this age group have already received their first dose, and 67.8% are fully vaccinated. | Since vaccines have been approved for 12-15 year olds, 76.7% of this age group have already received their first dose, and 67.8% are fully vaccinated. |
| Hunt says that the TGA’s provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 is the first of four steps “focused on the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating children”. | Hunt says that the TGA’s provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 is the first of four steps “focused on the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating children”. |
| Hunt: | Hunt: |
| Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking live from Canberra about the government’s plan to rollout Covid-19 vaccinations for children. | Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking live from Canberra about the government’s plan to rollout Covid-19 vaccinations for children. |
| Labor says it will fund up to 20,000 extra university places over 2022 and 2023, and provide access to 465,000 free Tafe places in nominated areas of skills shortages, if Anthony Albanese wins the next federal election. | Labor says it will fund up to 20,000 extra university places over 2022 and 2023, and provide access to 465,000 free Tafe places in nominated areas of skills shortages, if Anthony Albanese wins the next federal election. |
| The new skills and higher education commitments, worth $1.2bn, will be unveiled by the Labor leader at a campaign-style rally in Sydney on Sunday. The Tafe initiative will cost $621m over the forward estimates, and the university commitment costs $481.7m. | The new skills and higher education commitments, worth $1.2bn, will be unveiled by the Labor leader at a campaign-style rally in Sydney on Sunday. The Tafe initiative will cost $621m over the forward estimates, and the university commitment costs $481.7m. |
| Read the full story here: | Read the full story here: |
| Parliament House has been closed to the public after a staffer for Greens leader Adam Bandt reportedly tested positive for Covid-19. | Parliament House has been closed to the public after a staffer for Greens leader Adam Bandt reportedly tested positive for Covid-19. |
| Bandt and the staffer were in Canberra for sitting week last week. The staffer tested positive for Covid-19 upon returning to Melbourne. | Bandt and the staffer were in Canberra for sitting week last week. The staffer tested positive for Covid-19 upon returning to Melbourne. |
| A spokesperson for Bandt told ABC News that the Greens leader has “been tested and is isolating until he receives a result. He is fully vaccinated and not symptomatic”. | A spokesperson for Bandt told ABC News that the Greens leader has “been tested and is isolating until he receives a result. He is fully vaccinated and not symptomatic”. |
| The spokesperson added that other members of Bandt’s team have tested negative for Covid-19. | The spokesperson added that other members of Bandt’s team have tested negative for Covid-19. |
| It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, bringing you the blog today, Sunday 5 December 2021. | It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, bringing you the blog today, Sunday 5 December 2021. |
| Let’s dive straight into some breaking news: | Let’s dive straight into some breaking news: |
| The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. | The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. |
| The government will begin rolling out the vaccine to the approximately 2.3 million children in this age group from 10 January 2022, the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said in a statement this morning. | The government will begin rolling out the vaccine to the approximately 2.3 million children in this age group from 10 January 2022, the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said in a statement this morning. |
| The decision is subject to final considerations and recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi). | The decision is subject to final considerations and recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi). |
| Children aged five to 11 will be given one-third of the dose approved for those aged 12 and over. Their vaccine dose will be clearly differentiated with an orange cap. | Children aged five to 11 will be given one-third of the dose approved for those aged 12 and over. Their vaccine dose will be clearly differentiated with an orange cap. |