• PM not considering fuel excise freeze amid record petrol prices
• Qantas half-year loss widens to $1.28 billion
• SA eyes restrictions lift amid COVID case spike
• Libs make $500m healthcare pledge
• Ukraine declares state of emergency
• Man killed in suspected hit-run
• Foreign Minister lashes Russian ‘peacekeeping’ claim as Australia eyes more sanctions
• Firefighters union launches state election campaign

PM not considering fuel excise freeze amid record petrol prices

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he won’t step in and freeze fuel excise to mitigate a rise in petrol prices to record highs, as unleaded fuel hit nearly $2 a litre in Adelaide today.

Global oil prices have neared $US100 a barrel on escalating tensions between the Ukraine and Russia, which has prompted a spike in petrol prices in Australia in recent weeks.

Prices for unleaded petrol at several Adelaide service stations have been at just under $2 a litre over the last two days, according to the RAA’s real-time fuel prices dashboard, while premium unleaded is selling close to $2.25 a litre.

Morrison said the price of fuel is a global issue.

“The advice we are getting particularly out of the International Energy Agency is that this impact is likely to be short-term, it’s likely to temporary,” Morrison told the Nine Network on Thursday.

“You don’t go and completely recalibrate your budget based on fluctuations in oil prices.”

Outgoing Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims told the National Press Club on Wednesday with petrol taxation in Australia the fourth lowest in the world he wouldn’t be recommending that the government step in and do anything.

Rising fuel costs have been a key driver of rising inflation in the past year, with the consumer price index currently standing at 3.5 per cent.

In contrast, the December quarter wage price index released on Wednesday showed that while annual wage growth is growing at its fastest pace since mid-2019, at 2.6 per cent it is lagging well below the rate of inflation.

Qantas half-year loss widens to $1.28 billion

Qantas has widened a half-year underlying pre-tax loss of $1.28 billion as the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and emergence of the Omicron strain weighed on its finances.

Revenue for the six months to December 31 rose 32 per cent to $3.07 billion, boosted by a record performance in its freight business and a rebound in travel demand when domestic borders reopened after lockdowns.

“Most of Australia was in lockdown for several months of the first half, so the loss we’ve announced today isn’t surprising but it is frustrating,” Group CEO Alan Joyce said on Thursday.

The carrier will not pay any interim dividend for the half year.

Qantas reported some tailwinds with travel demand strengthening and positive developments on reopening international borders in recent weeks.

However, it expects a hit of $650 million on group earnings before interest and tax in the second half of the financial year, due to the spread of Omicron.

It expects domestic capacity to be 68 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the March quarter, rebounding to 90-100 per cent in the June quarter.

International capacity is expected to be 22 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the March quarter, lifting to 44 per cent in the fourth quarter.

SA eyes restrictions lift amid COVID case spike

South Australia’s COVID-Ready Committee will today discuss a potential further easing of COVID-19 restrictions after the state yesterday posted its highest number of daily cases for a month.

SA Health reported 1958 new cases on Wednesday, up from 1378 on Tuesday, and no new COVID-19-linked deaths.

The last time the South Australia daily caseload was this high was January 26 when 2401 cases were reported.

However, the number of people in hospital yesterday dropped from 205 to 192.

Of those in hospital with the virus, 14 are in intensive care and three people are on a ventilator.

There are 14,119 active cases across the state.

SA Health said that 10,598 people received a PCR test in South Australia on Tuesday – a 20.3 per cent increase on the previous 24 hours.

The latest spike in cases comes ahead of a meeting of the COVID-Ready Committee today.

Premier Steven Marshall, who chairs the committee, flagged yesterday that further restrictions could be eased after the meeting although was coy on whether an announcement would be made on Thursday.

“Let’s wait to see what we get through that meeting,” he told reporters yesterday.

“Last time we did announce those changes on the Thursday but let’s see how far we get.

“The hospital capacity is fine at the moment … we have been very significantly reducing restrictions over the last four or five weeks and that’s going to continue come tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, the number of school students isolating – either infected with COVID or as contacts of cases – have been creeping up since all year levels returned to classrooms on February 14.

Latest data from the Education Department shows that on Monday and Tuesday this week, 1.6 per cent of public school students were away from school for COVID-related reasons, up from 1.4 per cent on Friday and 0.7 per cent at the start of Week 2.

On Tuesday, 258 teachers and 180 school services officers were absent for COVID-related reasons, either infected, isolating or caring for someone else.

That’s an increase on Monday’s figures when 230 teachers and 151 school services officers were absent for COVID reasons.

Libs make $500m healthcare pledge

The Liberal Party will commit $500 million in healthcare spending, including an upgrade of major hospitals across South Australia, if it wins next month’s state election.

The incumbent party also this morning flagged it will unveil a “significant” mental health package in the coming days.

The “centrepiece” of the Liberals’ latest election pledge is the expansion of a “series of major hospitals that were downgraded under the former Labor Government”, although it was initially unclear which facilities were included in the new spend.

Further details about the announcement were unveiled later this morning.

In a media release this morning, the Liberal Party said there would also be an investment in health spending to extend “necessary COVID ready health management measures”.

“Our management of the pandemic has kept our state safe and now we have a strong plan to boost our health system to ensure South Australians can continue to get the care they need, when and where they need it,” Premier Steven Marshall said in a statement.

But asked on ABC Radio this morning whether the $500m was all new money, Health Minister Stephen Wade said: “That’s a question for the Treasurer.”

“The Treasurer is, if you like, the custodian of the purse, but as I’ve said the details of this commitment will be made later today,” he said.

It comes as the State Government faces increasing pressure to boost investment in mental health care, with youth mental health advocates set to hold a rally at parliament this weekend calling for more child and adolescent psychiatrists in South Australia and expanded mental health services at the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The pledge also follows a string of health announcements from Labor, who have used the first week of the campaign to pledge 300 more hospital beds and 100 more doctors at a cost of $331 million, along with a nursing recruitment drive and a 50-bed expansion of the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Labor this morning branded the Liberals’ proposal a “vague push to spend millions on unspecified capital upgrades with little detail” and accused the incumbent party of “attempting to play catch up on health”.

“First, Marshall followed Labor on the Aquatic Centre and now he is following Labor on health,” shadow treasury spokesperson Stephen Mullighan said.

“Steven Marshall can never invest as much as Labor in health because Labor is scrapping Marshall’s $662 million Basketball Stadium and investing that money in health.”

Ukraine declares state of emergency

Two Ukrainian soldiers patrol a street as elderly women walk past a house damaged by artillery shelling in Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukraine has declared a state of emergency and told its citizens in Russia to flee while Russia has begun evacuating its Kyiv embassy in the latest ominous signs for Ukrainians who fear an all-out Russian military onslaught.

Shelling intensified at the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of two rebel regions this week and has ordered the deployment of Russian troops as “peacekeepers”.

But there was still no clear indication of whether he plans to follow that up with a massed assault on Ukraine involving the tens of thousands of troops he has gathered near his neighbour’s borders.

The uncertainty and a mostly incremental first volley of sanctions on Russian interests by the US and its allies have roiled financial markets.

“Predicting what might be the next step of Russia, the separatists or the personal decisions of the Russian president – I cannot say,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

The 30-day state of emergency could restrict the freedom of movement of conscripted reservists, impose curbs on the media and lead to personal document checks, according to a draft text that needs to be approved by parliament.

The restrictions would come into force from Thursday.

The Ukrainian government has also announced compulsory military service for all men of fighting age.

Ukrainian government and state websites, which have experienced outages in recent weeks blamed by Kyiv officials on cyberattacks, were again offline on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s parliament, cabinet and foreign ministry websites were affected.

Russia denies planning an invasion and has described warnings as anti-Russian hysteria, although it has taken no steps to withdraw the troops deployed along Ukraine’s frontiers.

On Wednesday, it took down flags from its embassy in Kyiv, having ordered its diplomats to leave for safety reasons.

Man killed in suspected hit-run

A man has been found dead by the side of the road after being the suspected victim of a hit-run east of the Barossa Valley last night.

Police and emergency services were called to Halfway House Road in Sedan about 9.45pm on Wednesday, February 23 after reports of a man lying on the road.

Patrols attended and located the deceased man, a 70-year-old from Angas Valley, on the side of the road.

Major Crash officers attended the scene and believe the man was a victim of a hit-run crash.

Halfway House Road was closed to all traffic for a number of hours but has since reopened.

Police are asking anyone who might have information about the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Foreign Minister lashes Russian ‘peacekeeping’ claim as Australia eyes more sanctions

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne speaks during a press conference after meeting with her Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky in Prague. February 23, 2022. Photo/Katerina Sulova (CTK via AP Images)

Foreign Minister Marise Payne says it is an “obscene perversion” for Russian President Vladimir Putin to speak of Russian soldiers acting as “peacekeepers” in Ukraine, as the Australian Government considers expanding its sanctions regime

“Any suggestions that there is a legitimate basis for Russia’s actions are pure propaganda and disinformation,” Senator Payne told reporters during a visit to the Czech capital Prague after Russia recognised the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories.

Putin has signed a decree on the deployment of troops to the breakaway enclaves in eastern Ukraine in a move he says is aimed at keeping the peace.

“The assertion by President Putin of Russian soldiers acting as peacekeepers is indeed an obscene perversion of the noble and vital role that generations of peacekeepers have played across the world,” she said.

Payne added Australia would not hesitate to impose more sanctions if Russia escalates tensions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised on Wednesday to “ratchet up” Australia’s response to the crisis, after announcing sanctions yesterday targeting eight members of the Russian Federation’s security council.

Existing sanctions in place over past aggression will be expanded, while Russian banks have also been targeted.

Morrison said he expected further tranches of sanctions against more individuals but remained tight-lipped about who would be targeted.

“We will take this step by step and I can assure you those steps will get stronger and stronger,” he said in Sydney.

Meanwhile, Russia’s ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, met with the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday afternoon following the announcement of the sanctions.

Morrison, who convened cabinet’s national security committee earlier in the day, said Russia needed to understand the world condemned its actions.

“The invasion of Ukraine has effectively already begun. They’re acting like thugs and bullies,” he said.

“Australians always stand up to bullies and we will be standing up to Russia.”

Firefighters union launches state election campaign

The United Firefighters Union is the latest from the union movement to launch a South Australian election campaign, with the group calling on all political parties to increase firefighting resourcing and address “a lack of essential equipment”.

The union campaign, titled “Don’t watch our firefighters burn – Help us protect your community”, will include a “digital marketing blitz” and community events with firefighters in marginal seats.

UFU South Australia secretary Max Adlam said the union was calling on all political parties to make six commitments to support the work of firefighters.

“Our firefighters need trucks that don’t break down and proper mechanical support,” she said.

“They need essential safety equipment and protective clothing, and proper access to training.

“Finally, we need better resources for our regions and a plan to upgrade our fire stations.”

Adlam said it was the first time in more than 20 years that firefighters would be campaigning for more resources.

The UFU is the latest within the union movement to enter the election fray, after SA Unions earlier this month launched a “digital marketing blitz” on jobs and health targeting key seats in the lead up to the state election.

The Ambulance Employees Association has also been running an ongoing TV ad campaign targeting the Marshall Government’s health spend.

-With AAP and Reuters