Australia to reopen borders to tourists on February 21

SYDNEY - Australia will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated tourists from February 21, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday, ending some of the world's strictest and longest-running pandemic travel restrictions.

"It's almost two years since we took the decision to close the borders to Australia," Morrison said after a meeting of the national security cabinet.

"If you're double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia."

Australia's borders slammed shut in March 2020 to protect the island continent against a surging pandemic.

For most of the time since then, Australians have been barred from leaving and only a handful of visitors have been granted exemptions to enter.

The rules have split families, hammered the country's large tourist industry and prompted sometimes acrimonious debates about Australia's status as a modern, open and outward-looking nation.

Little-by-little rules have been relaxed for Australians, long-term residents and students.

The latest decision will see almost all remaining caps lifted.

It comes after the country's long-standing "Covid-zero" policy was abandoned and the once stellar track-and-trace system collapsed under a wave of Omicron cases.

Agence France-Presse

Australia, largely free of COVID-19, in no hurry to reopen borders - PM

MELBOURNE - Australia is no hurry to reopen its international borders and risk the country's nearly coronavirus-free lifestyle, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.

Australia closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents in March 2020 and has been permitting only limited international arrivals in recent months, mainly its citizens returning from abroad.

The border closure, together with snap lockdowns, swift contact tracking and high community compliance with health measures, have made Australia one of the world's most successful countries in curbing the pandemic, limiting coronavirus cases to under 29,500 infections and 910 deaths.

"Australia is in no hurry to open those borders, I assure you," Morrison said at a televised briefing.

"I will not be putting at risk the way we are living in this country which is so different to the rest of the world today."

For months now, except for some short snap lockdowns, Australians have been able to dine out, gather nearly freely and stop wearing face masks in most places.

They exchanged their international forays for local trips, with government figures showing big annual increases in intra-state travel in the first months of 2021.

From Monday, Australians and neighboring New Zealanders will be able to travel between both countries without the need to apply for an exemption or spend time in mandatory quarantine.

New Zealand has had only 2,239 confirmed coronavirus cases and 26 related deaths. Morrison flagged on Sunday that vaccinated Australians could be able travel overseas "for essential purposes" and return via home quarantine in the second half of the year, but that possibility is only in "planning stages".

Australia recently abandoned a goal to vaccinate nearly all of its 26 million population by the end of 2021 following advice that people under the age of 50 take Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine rather than AstraZeneca's shot. 

-reuters-

Australian firefighter dies battling blazes, raising death toll to 28

MELBOURNE - A firefighter died while on duty on Saturday in Australia's state of Victoria, raising the toll from this season's devastating bushfires to 28 deaths as the government deploys mental health services to aid those in affected areas.

"It is with great sadness that we confirm that a ... firefighter from Parks Victoria has been involved in an incident while working on a fire in the Omeo area resulting in a fatality," Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said in a statement.

Since October, thousands of Australians have been subjected to repeat evacuations as huge and unpredictable fires scorched more than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres), an area roughly the size of South Korea.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has been heavily criticized by the opposition and environmental groups for his handling of the bushfires and his stance on climate change, was set to address the crisis on Sunday morning on ABC News television.

Meanwhile, his office released a statement saying that more mental health services will be provided for those affected by the fires.

"We need to ensure the trauma and mental health needs of our people are supported in a way like we never have before," Morrison was cited as saying.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Australian Prime Minister jeered by angry bushfire victims

MELBOURNE - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced enraged hecklers and an angry firefighter in a town ravaged by bushfires, piling pressure on the leader amid an unprecedented crisis that has killed at least 18 people.

A firefighter refused to shake Morrison's hand when he visited the town of Cobargo in New South Wales state on Thursday.

Video footage showed Morrison tried to grab the man's hand, who then got up and walked away, sparking an apology from the prime minister. A local fire official explained that the man had lost his house while defending others' homes.

Another man blasted Morrison for watching fireworks over Sydney Harbor from his official waterfront mansion, Kirribilli House, while fires raged further south on New Year's Eve.

"You won't be getting any votes down here, buddy. You're an idiot," the man shouted.

"I don't see Kirribilli burning after the fireworks," he screamed.

Morrison said on Friday he didn't take the attacks personally.

"I understand the hurt, the anger and the frustration," he said in an interview on 3AW radio.

"Whether they're angry with me or they're angry about their situation, all I know is that they're hurting and it's my job to be there to try and offer some comfort and support," he said.

Morrison had walked away from a Cobargo woman who urged him to provide more funding to the town and state firefighters.

"This is not fair. We're totally forgotten about down here. Every single time this area has a flood or a fire, we get nothing," another woman shouted as Morrison drove away.

Even a state politician from his own Liberal party whose seat is in the region took a swipe at the prime minister.

"To be honest, the locals probably gave him the welcome he probably deserved," said New South Wales transport minister Andrew Constance.

The prime minister, who won a surprise election victory last May, ended 2019 on a sour note with fires raging across 5 states while he took off on a family holiday to Hawaii. Facing criticism, he cut the holiday short and apologized for making a mistake.

He urged locals and holidaymakers, who on Thursday were forced to evacuate fire ravaged areas, to be patient, but he is facing criticism for not doing enough to fight the underlying causes of the bushfires or combating the crisis.

"The challenge now is the scale of what we're seeing across several states now. Those resources are being stretched," he said on local radio.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Australian PM confirms Trump asked for help investigating Mueller probe

WASHINGTON - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that US President Donald Trump asked him to help gather information for an inquiry into Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The New York Times, citing two unidentified US officials, earlier reported the request to assist in the investigation -- which aims to discredit the Russia probe -- was made during a recent telephone call between Trump and Morrison.

An Australian government spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that the request was made, saying in a statement Australia "has always been ready to assist and cooperate with efforts that help shed further light on the matters under investigation".

"The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the President."

The Times said the White House had restricted access to the transcript of the call, in a similar way to its handling of Trump's recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

That call -- during which Trump asked Zelensky to investigate his potential 2020 Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden -- has led to the opening of an impeachment inquiry in the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

The Washington Post reported separately that Attorney General Bill Barr has had multiple meetings overseas with foreign intelligence officials in an effort aimed at undermining US intelligence's conclusion that Russian interference helped Trump to victory in the 2016 presidential election.

In addition to contacting the Australian leader, Barr has met with British intelligence and last week was in Italy, together with US Attorney John Durham, asking for Rome's help in revisiting the 2016 Russia investigation, according to the newspaper.

The Post said Barr risked appearing to use his powers as head of the US Justice Department to help Trump politically when he is facing impeachment and, potentially, removal from office for abuse of power.

- DOJ probing 'political witch hunt' -

Former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the US election was completed in March with the identification of numerous acts of collusion or attempted collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

But after Mueller ruled there was not enough material for criminal charges, Trump called for another investigation into what he called the Russia "political witch hunt" and "hoax."

The Justice Department chose Durham to examine the roots of the Mueller probe, including the evidence that led the CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies to declare that Russia did in fact interfere in 2016 to boost Trump.

Australia and Britain were both important because the original FBI Russia meddling probe was launched in July 2016 after the bureau received a tip from an Australian diplomat in Britain about a meeting between people tied to Russian intelligence and a Trump campaign official.

But Barr's involvement in the Durham investigation has raised questions that it is a partisan political probe.

In a statement, the Justice Department defended the contacts abroad and said Trump's and Barr's role was to help Durham make contacts.

"Mr. Durham is gathering information from numerous sources, including a number of foreign countries," said Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec.

"At Attorney General Barr's request, the president has contacted other countries to ask them to introduce the attorney general and Mr. Durham to appropriate officials," she said.

cl-pmh/ft/arb-hr/jah

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Australia’s conservative government on course for ‘miracle’ election victory

SYDNEY/MELBOURNE—Australia's Liberal-led conservative government was headed for a remarkable win at the national election early on Sunday after uncovering a narrow path to victory that twisted through urban fringes and rural townships.

The results upended pre-election polls which predicted a Labor victory, though it is unclear whether the Scott Morrison-led coalition can govern with an outright majority or will need to negotiate support from independents.

The final result may not be known for some time.

"I have always believed in miracles," Morrison told cheering supporters at Sydney's Wentworth Hotel, where the government holds its official election night function.

"Tonight is not about me or it's not about even the Liberal party. Tonight is about every single Australian who depends on their government to put them first."

The conservative government has won or is leading in 72 seats in its quest for a 76-seat majority, according to the Australian Electoral Commission, with just over two-thirds of votes counted.

Several seats are still too close to call and the final result is complicated by a large number of early votes that have delayed counting.

Morrison's coalition defied expectations by holding onto a string of outer suburban seats in areas where demographics closest resemble America's Rust Belt, blocking Labor's path to victory.

This included a devastating result in the coal-rich state of Queensland, which backed the Pentecostal church-going prime minister by defying expectations and delivering several marginal seats to his government.

SOMBRE DEFEAT

Voters on Saturday cast their ballots for Morrison's message of support to aspirational voters and turned their back on Labor leader Bill Shorten's reforms.

"I know that you're all hurting and I am too," Shorten told supporters at the party's Melbourne election night function.

"And without wanting to hold out any false hope, while there are still millions of votes to count and important seats yet to be finalised, it is obvious that Labor will not be able to form the next government."

Shorten said he would step down as the party's leader.

Labor, a party with deep ties to the union movement, had promised to abolish several property and share investment tax concessions primarily aimed at the wealthy.

Both major parties suffered a decline in their primary vote, according to AEC data, which was caused in part by a well-funded campaign by Clive Palmer's populist United Australia Party.

The election sparked several high-profile local battles, including attempts to remove Peter Dutton, a senior lawmaker who has championed Australia's controversial policy of detaining asylum seekers in offshore centres.

Although Dutton has retained his Queensland seat, former conservative prime minister Tony Abbott lost his Sydney beaches seat of Warringah to high-profile independent Zali Steggall.

"So, of course, it's disappointing for us here in Warringah, but what matters is what's best for the country," Abbott told supporters in a concession speech.

"And what's best for the country is not so much who wins or loses Warringah, but who forms, or does not form, a government in Canberra."

There were also 40 of 76 Senate spots contested in the election, the outcome of which will determine how difficult it will be for the next government to enact policy. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook, Melanie Burton and Jonathan Barrett; additional reporting by Swati Pandey and John Mair; writing by Jonathan Barrett; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien, Paul Tait, Gerry Doyle and Ros Russell)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Australia vows to clean up financial sector after landmark misconduct inquiry

CANBERRA -- Australia's corporate regulators will be subjected to a new oversight body in a shake-up of the banking sector recommended by a high-powered independent inquiry into financial sector greed and malpractice.

The government-appointed inquiry known as a Royal Commission also recommended prosecutions for 24 cases of wrongdoing and advised that remuneration structures across the industry be overhauled to remove systemic conflicts of interest.

Authorities were urged to consider laying charges over behavior such as the charging of fees for services not rendered, including instances at major lenders Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank Ltd and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.

The commission's recommendations were released by the government on Monday after the public inquiry heard 11 months of shocking revelations of wrongdoing which wiped A$60 billion ($43.5 billion) from the country's top finance stocks.

Misconduct reached into the sector's upper echelons, with top wealth manager AMP Ltd engaging in board-level deception of a regulator over the deliberate charging of customers for financial advice it never gave.

Firms were found to prey on some of society's most vulnerable customers, highlighted by the case of an insurer who used aggressive sales techniques to sell an opaque product to a young man with Down Syndrome.

"The price paid by our community has been immense and goes beyond just the financial," Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said as the government promised to take action on all 76 recommendations.

"Businesses have been broken, and the emotional stress and personal pain have broken lives."

The recommendations also include banning trailing commissions for third-party mortgage brokers, forcing financial planners to disclose any fees they receive for selling products, and banning banks from charging default interest for farm businesses affected by drought.

Regulators also needed greater oversight after they were accused of working too closely with the banks. When misconduct was revealed, it either went unpunished or the consequences did not reflect the seriousness of what had been done, the inquiry found.

Australia's corporate regulator said in response to the report that it would prioritize serious matters referred to it by the Royal Commission for possible prosecutions.

BANK SHARES RISE

Ahead of the report's release, which came after the close of market trading in Sydney, shares in the "Big Four" banks closed up about 1 percent as investors looked forward to some certainty around the new regulatory framework.

However, wealth managers, whose reputations were shredded in the inquiry, were punished with IOOF Holdings Ltd stock closing down 4.5 percent and AMP sliding to a record low. The broader market closed 0.5 percent higher.

"The key macro issue we have been interested in is if this was going to further reduce the banks' willingness to lend, which would be a further headwind to the economy which is already under some pressure," said Andrew Ticehurst, a strategist at Nomura.

"At this stage, it does not appear to be the case. It would be a bit milder than expected."

Fallout from the Royal Commission has already prompted banks to tighten lending practices in their core mortgage businesses, contributing to some of the biggest housing price falls in a generation.

The report comes ahead of an election expected in May in which falling house prices could be a hot-button issue.

The conservative government, which for months defended the banks and rejected calls for an inquiry, is fighting for its survival with opinion polls suggesting an election victory for the center-left Labor party.

Labor says it expects to adopt all the commission's recommendations.

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also said he will take up the recommendations, he has warned against overreaching and cutting off credit flows.

FAIR GO

The report from Commissioner Kenneth Hayne, a former High Court justice, found that the industry's problems were exacerbated by an unwillingness to accept responsibility.

"That is, there remains a reluctance in some entities to form and then to give practical effect to their understanding of what is ethical, of what is efficient, honest and fair, of what is the right thing to do," the report said.

National Australia Bank Chairman Ken Henry came in for particular criticism after appearing dismissive during his public interrogation by the commission's barristers.

"I thought it telling that Dr Henry seemed unwilling to accept any criticism of how the board had dealt with some issues," Commissioner Hayne wrote, adding he was "not as confident as I would wish to be that the lessons of the past have been learned".

Australian Banking Association chief Anna Bligh said banks "accept full responsibility for these failings and they know that they must now change to ensure that this never happens again".

"Banks are determined to learn the lessons, to fix the problems and to make it right," she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'We failed them': Australia apologizes to child sex abuse victims

CANBERRA - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a national apology to thousands of victims of institutional sex abuse Monday, admitting the state utterly failed to stop "evil, dark crimes" committed over decades.

"This was done by Australians to Australians, enemies in our midst, enemies in our midst," Morrison said in an emotional address to parliament, designed as a belated apology to the 15,000 known survivors of child abuse.

"As a nation, we failed them, we forsook them, and that will always be our shame," he said, recounting abuse that a government inquiry has shown was virtually endemic to schools, churches, orphanages, sports clubs and other institutions across the country over decades.

Morrison's voice cracked and trailed off as he recounted a history of exploitation, cover-ups and state failure. He declared a new national credo in the face for future allegations: "We believe you."

The state apology comes after a five-year Royal Commission that detailed harrowing child sex abuse claims involving once well-trusted institutions.

"Today, we say sorry, to the children we failed. Sorry. To the parents whose trust was betrayed and who have struggled to pick up the pieces. Sorry. To the whistleblowers, who we did not listen to. Sorry," Morrison said.

"To the spouses, partners, wives, husbands, children, who have dealt with the consequences of the abuse, cover-ups and obstruction. Sorry. To generations past and present. Sorry."

In parliament, lawmakers stood for a moment of silence following the remarks, as hundreds of survivors looked on or watched in official events across the country.

Outside the parliamentary chamber, relatives of victims who have died wore tags with the names of daughters and sons, brothers and sisters, for whom the apology came too late.

A series of Australian institutions have already apologized for their failings, including Australian Catholic leaders who have lamented the church's "shameful" history of child abuse and cover-ups.

According to the Royal Commission, seven percent of Catholic priests in Australia were accused of abuse between 1950 and 2010, but the allegations were rarely investigated, with children ignored and even punished.

Some senior members of the church in Australia have been prosecuted and found guilty of covering up abuse.

POWER OF APOLOGY

The Australian government has previously issued formal apologies for the mistreatment of Aboriginal Australians, for forced adoptions and homosexual convictions.

There are growing calls for an apology for the military's treatment of gay, bisexual and transgender personnel.

For many Australians there will still be questions about how the child sex abuse and cover-ups took place.

And for some of the victims, the government's atonement rings hollow -- a step short of removing public funding for offending institutions, or far-ranging legal reforms.

At an event attended by the leaders of both major political parties, protestors shouted demands that the government do more to punish the guilty and dig into the past of other institutions like the military.

"Today's apology to victims of institutional child abuse highlights the power of a public apology to heal past wounds," said Professor Noah Riseman of the Australian Catholic University.

"But in the midst of today's acknowledgement there was a reminder that other victims of institutional trauma remain unacknowledged."

arb/grk/sls

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Australia seeks to ban schools from expelling gay students

MELBOURNE - Australia aims to ban private or religious schools from expelling students on the basis of their sexuality, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.

Debate over personal rights is growing ahead of a crucial by-election for Morrison's ruling Liberal-National coalition in the blue-ribbon Sydney seat of Wentworth on October 20.

"I will be taking action to ensure amendments are introduced as soon as practicable to make it clear that no student of a non-state school should be expelled on the basis of their sexuality," Morrison said in a statement.

The statement, which urged parliament to tackle the issue over the next two weeks, follows an offer of support by the largest opposition party, Labour, to repeal legal exemptions that allow religious schools to discriminate.

Archbishop Mark Coleridge, the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, called this week for equality in school employment and enrollment.

"Once employed or enrolled, people within a Catholic school community are expected to adhere to the school's mission and values," the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper quoted him as saying.

Australia's parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage in December after a nationwide postal survey returned an overwhelming majority in favor of the unions.

Morrison said the government was working through its responses to the recommendations of a review panel to examine if the change to the law had restricted religious freedom. The recommendations have not been publicly disclosed.

"Our government does not support expulsion of students from religious non-state schools on the basis of their sexuality," he added.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Deposed Australian PM Turnbull quits parliament

SYDNEY- Deposed Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull officially resigned from parliament Friday, sparking a by-election for his Sydney seat that could threaten the government's slim one-seat majority.

Moderate Turnbull, 63, was ousted a week ago in a Liberal party coup driven by a hardline conservative faction and he indicated at the time he would not move to the backbench.

New Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to his "legacy of great achievement."

"Malcolm Turnbull's retirement draws to a close 14 years of committed service to the Australian people and his beloved electorate of Wentworth, culminating in his term as prime minister," he said.

"The Liberal Party thanks him for his commitment to our values and calm stewardship of our great institution, even in times of difficulty."

Turnbull was unseated after almost three years by a determined challenge from his own Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who himself lost out to a stealth campaign by Morrison, a Turnbull ally, in a party ballot.

His transition to civilian life should be smooth. Turnbull was one of Australia's wealthiest parliamentarians and he went to Canberra after previous stints as a journalist, banker, lawyer, and businessman.

His departure will trigger a by-election for his Sydney seat, potentially in early October, leaving Morrison in a precarious position with no majority for two sitting weeks of parliament.

The seat is traditionally a Liberal safe haven, although a backlash against the government's political infighting could make this less certain.

Several Liberal candidates have already emerged, including former Business Council of Australia executive director Andrew Bragg and Dave Sharma, who used to be ambassador to Israel.

The Greens and Labor are also expected to field candidates.

source: news.abs-cbn.com