But in a blow to the government, the Opposition and crossbench were successful in amending a controversial clause of the Sex Discrimination Act allowing religious schools to discriminate on grounds including sexuality and gender identity.
The amendments will prohibit vilification of and discrimination against children based on sexuality and gender identity.
Liberal MPs Trent Zimmerman, Bridget Archer, Fiona Martin, Katie Allen and Dave Sharma voted against the government to amend the bill, with the vote landing 65-59.
Zimmerman had earlier said he would not stand by and make life for transgender people more difficult.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese vowed his party will insist on its amendments to the religious discrimination bill in the Senate.
Proposed Opposition amendments clarified a key pillar of the laws – a “statement of belief” clause designed by the government to shield people expressing religious beliefs even if they’re offensive – did not override existing discrimination protections.
The government did not agree to any of Labor’s proposed amendments.
“We support people’s right to practise their faith free from discrimination,” Albanese said.
“But this should not remove protections that already exist to protect against other forms of discrimination.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had “earnestly hoped” the bill would unite the parliament.
“Let me be very clear tonight – with the bill and the position taken by the government – that we reach out with nothing other than love, care, compassion and support to every child regardless of their sexual orientation or their gender identity,” he said.
The government made some small amendments which Labor agreed to, including that – other than the statement of belief clause – the bill will not override existing laws.
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Broad political support for review of SA’s emergency legislation
The Liberal Party, Greens and crossbenchers have all committed to a review of the state’s emergency legislation.
The commitments came in response to a Law Society election submission, with the society questioning whether the Act “is suitably equipped to deal with a pandemic that could last for years and where the risks to the public continually fluctuate”.
The Emergency Management Act was designed to allow the Police Commissioner, acting as state coordinator, to manage immediate dangers such as bushfires. However, the role has allowed Commissioner Grant Stevens to, in the Society’s words, “effectively run the state and, with little warning, issue directions severely restricting our freedoms”, over the course of the pandemic.
While broadly supportive of the way the state has been managed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Law Society wants a review of the laws “to ensure it is able to deal as best as possible with a public crisis of this magnitude”.
The idea gained broad support. Responding for the Liberals, Treasurer Rob Lucas said a Liberal Government would instigate a review of the Act. Labor didn’t respond to the idea specifically, but indicated to it was not opposed to a review.
The Greens and SA Best both indicated strong support for an overhaul with a view to increasing transparency and accountability.
Nearly 400 public school staff absent due to COVID-19
COVID-19 is continuing to affect hundreds of public school staff in South Australia, with 199 teachers and 179 support staff absent yesterday due to being infected, isolated or caring for someone with the virus.
Attendance data showed a significant rise in students learning at school, rather than home, such as vulnerable children and those of essential workers.
Yesterday, 40 per cent of pupils in year levels assigned to online learning attended schools to be supervised rather than working from home.
As part of the State Government’s staggered return to school, students in years 2 to 6 and 9-11 are doing online learning until next Monday when all students are allowed back in classrooms for face-to-face teaching.
Figures released late yesterday by the Education Department show a small drop from Monday, when 404 staff were absent from public schools for COVID reasons.
As reported yesterday, school leaders have been assured by the Department there will be enough relief staff on standby when students return in full to classrooms next week.
Across 405 public schools, 0.8 per cent of students are being reported as absent due to COVID-related reasons – a number that has so far remained steady since school returned last week.
Meanwhile, the number of new cases in SA jumped up yesterday to 1671, a significant increase from the 1296 new infections reported on Tuesday.
There were two more deaths of people with the virus – a woman in her 60s and a man in his 90s – bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 139.
There are now 14,312 active cases in South Australia.
SA Health said 210 people were now in hospital – six more than yesterday – with 18 patients in intensive care and three on a ventilator.
“Of those hospitalised, 119 people are fully vaccinated, 39 people are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, and 52 have an unknown vaccination status,” SA Health said in a statement.
“Regular genome sampling is taken to monitor the levels of Omicron within South Australia. 97 per cent of samples taken returned an Omicron result.”
SA Health said that yesterday 9,953 people received a PCR test in South Australia, “which is a 19 per cent increase on the previous 24 hours”.
“Of the test results returned yesterday, 1,298 PCR tests were positive, while 373 positive Rapid Antigen Test results were reported,” SA Health said.
The latest figures show 91.5 per cent of eligible South Australians aged 12 and over have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
ASIO warns COVID pandemic has fuelled extremism
Australia’s top spy agency says it looked at the security implications of a pandemic as far back as 2007.
ASIO boss Mike Burgess said in his annual threat assessment speech on Wednesday the finding from 15 years ago was a pandemic would see a rise in anti-government behaviour.
“And we have certainly seen that with COVID,” he said.
Burgess said the pandemic had had a number of impacts.
One was an increase in radicalisation and “spexjmtzywcific-issue grievance”, which in a small number of protester cases had turned to violence.
“We have seen threats against public office holders, an attack on a vaccination clinic, and several physical assaults on healthcare workers,” he said.
“We assess that these tensions and the associated possibility of violence will persist.”
The behaviours we are seeing in response to COVID lockdowns and vaccinations are not specifically left or right wing. They are a cocktail of views, fears, frustrations and conspiracies.
— ASIO (@ASIOGovAu) February 9, 2022
As well, COVID-19 lockdowns had led to people spending more time online, putting them at risk of radicalisation.
“Online radicalisation is nothing new, but COVID-19 sent it into overdrive. Isolated individuals spent more time online, exposed to extremist messaging, misinformation and conspiracy theories,” Burgess said.
“More time in those online environments – without some of the circuit breakers of everyday life, like family and community engagement, school and work – created more extremists.
“And in some cases, it accelerated extremists’ progression on the radicalisation pathway towards violence.”
Burgess said minors now represented around 15 per cent of new counter-terrorism investigations and their extremism was more intense.
“Children as young as 13 are now embracing extremism, and this is happening with religiously motivated violent extremism and ideologically motivated violent extremism,” he said.
“And unlike past experience, many of these young people do not come from families where a parent or sibling already holds extreme views.”
He said sports clubs, schools, parents, carers and community leaders could play a pivotal role in identifying signs of teenagers heading towards radicalisation.
“The acceleration of radicalisation, online propaganda and misinformation, single-issue extremism and minors embracing violent extremism all require a whole-of-government, whole-of-system and whole-of-nation approach.”
New boss for key South Australian department
The State Government has looked within for a new chief executive of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions.
Deputy chief executive Professor Mehdi Doroudi has been promoted to the top position.
The appointment came after Michelle Edge stepped down as chief executive of the Department in December after less than two years in the role.
Doroudi has been acting chief executive since Edge left the job.
He has been the Department’s deputy since 2016, leading industry development, science and innovation, policy and legislative activities.
Premier Steven Marshall congratulated Doroudi on his appointment.
“I congratulate Prof Doroudi on his appointment to the role of Chief Executive for the Department of Primary Industries and Regions and particularly acknowledge his hard work steering the department – and South Australians – through the management of recent fruit fly outbreaks,” Premier Marshall said.
“Prof Doroudi brings valuable leadership and knowledge to this job and has demonstrated over a long period, that he is passionate about supporting and improving outcomes for the state’s primary industries and regions.”
Doroudi has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tehran University and a PhD from the School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture at James Cook University. He holds an affiliate professorial position with the University of Adelaide.
UK police to investigate Downing Street parties
More than 50 people believed to have attended lockdown parties at British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Street will be contacted by police to explain their involvement, as they considered widening their investigation.
A statement on Wednesday from the Metropolitan Police said officers would start contacting people from the end of this week, asking them to complete a document with formal legal status on the events that have left Johnson facing the gravest crisis of his premiership.
Police are investigating 12 gatherings held at Johnson’s office and residence after an internal inquiry found his staff had enjoyed alcohol-fuelled parties in Downing Street, with the British leader attending a few of the events himself.
At the time many people could not attend funerals or say farewell to loved ones dying in hospital due to strict COVID-19 lockdown rules, and the revelations have sparked widespread anger. Some lawmakers in his own party have joined the opposition in calling for him to quit.
Johnson has apologised and promised to change the culture at the top of government after the internal inquiry found a “serious lack of leadership”.
After five aides quit, he has appointed new staff to senior roles.
The internal inquiry had found evidence of 16 parties or gatherings, with the police saying they would examine 12 that appeared to meet the threshold for criminal investigation.
