- Three SA COVID deaths as hospitalisations drop
- Leaders use debate as campaign springboard
- Rising SA Liberal stars elevated to frontbench
- Coroner to rule on SA child murders
- Man dies in Kangaroo Island crash
- Solomon Islands PM defends China pact
- ‘Major tech malfunction’ takes 9 News off air
- Wimbledon’s Russia ban prompts controversy
Three SA COVID deaths as hospitalisations drop
South Australia has recorded three COVID-19 deaths, 4079 new cases and a drop in hospitalisations.
SA Health reported a short time ago that the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has dropped to 241 from 252 yesterday.
There are 11 people in intensive care and three on a ventilator.
Today’s deaths include a man in his 60s, a man in his 90s and a woman in her 90s.
The 4079 cases reported today is slightly down on the 4256 infections recorded yesterday and is despite an 8.2 per cent increase in testing over the last 24 hours.
The number of people to have died with COVID-19 in South Australia now stands at 306, including 302 since the state’s borders opened on November 23 last year.
Leaders use debate as campaign springboard
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has claimed a narrow win from the first leaders’ debate, as he seeks to use the performance as a springboard for the rest of week two of the election campaign.
During Wednesday night’s televised debate between Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Brisbane, the Opposition leader won more of the support from the group of 100 undecided voters.
Albanese received 40 per cent of the vote, compared with 35 per cent for Morrison, as 25 per cent of the crowd remained undecided.
Both leaders will start the day in Brisbane before heading to campaign in marginal seats on day 11 of the campaign.
While the prime minister used Wednesday’s debate to spruik his economic record, he copped criticism for saying he and his wife were “blessed” to have children who did not have disabilities.
The comments came after an audience question over NDIS funding from the mother of an autistic child who had their support on the scheme slashed by 30 per cent.
The two leaders also traded blows over stances on boat turnbacks.
Morrison accused the Opposition leader of being inconsistent on the issue and brought back Labor’s policy from when they were last in office.
Following news of the Solomon Islands signing a security pact with China, Albanese criticised Morrison on foreign policy failings, while also labelling Pacific Minister Zed Seselja a “junior burger”.
“This isn’t so much a Pacific step up, it’s a Pacific stuff up,” he said.
The prime minister said the issue in the Solomons was serious and one the government had been conscious of for a long time.
Both leaders received questions from the audience on a federal integrity commission, support for small business, and housing affordability, as well as trust in politics.
Prior to the debate, Morrison flew to Adelaide to campaign in the seat of Boothby, where he pledged one thousand defence manufacturing jobs in a partnership with the University of Adelaide.
[solstice_jwplayer mediaid=”1MG08jbu” caption=”VIDEO: PM campaigns in Adelaide” sponsoroption=”352624″ /]
Rising SA Liberal stars elevated to frontbench
Up-and-coming Liberal MPs Matt Cowdrey and Heidi Girolamo will take on two key economic portfolios as part of a new-look Opposition frontbench set to be announced later today.
Cowdrey – a former Paralympian who was elected to represent the seat of Colton in 2018 – will take over the treasury portfolio from retired former Treasurer Rob Lucas.
He will be joined on the frontbench by Girolamo, who will assume the new role of finance spokesperson after her appointment to the upper house in August last year.
In a statement last night, Opposition leader David Speirs said the pair brought “significant financial experience to the roles”.
“(They) will be a critical part of delivering our shadow cabinet’s positive vision for South Australia but also holding (Premier) Peter Malinauskas and the Labor party to account,” he said.
The full Opposition frontbench is set to be announced later today before parliament sits from May 3.
Cowdrey described himself as a “fresh face with fresh ideas” who would “present a strong and stable Liberal Party alternative for the March 2026 election”.
Matt Cowdrey has been appointed the Liberals’ treasury spokesperson. Photo: Tony Lewis/Indaily
The second-term MP and former backbencher chaired parliament’s Economic and Finance Committee for the past two years and said he had a background in management consulting.
“My father ran a small business for 25 years and, as a father of two, I understand the cost-of-living pressures that families face and the challenging environment that small businesses operate in,” he said.
“South Australians deserve an Opposition Treasurer who will hold the government to account for its actions and decisions.”
Meanwhile, Girolamo, who took retired MLC and current Agent General David Ridgway’s seat in the upper house, said she would draw on her past experience as a chartered accountant and small business owner in her new role as Shadow Finance Minister.
“We know the economic pressures of life impact all people and we must dedicate ourselves to investigating and implementing new ways to lessen the load on families and small businesses in South Australia,” she said.
Heidi Girolamo has been appointed the Liberals’ finance spokesperson. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily
Former Education Minister John Gardner was appointed as the Liberals’ deputy leader on Tuesday, while Nicola Centofanti was elected to lead the party in the upper house, with Jing Lee as her deputy.
Alongside serving as Opposition leader, Speirs will also assume the small business portfolio.
“Labor has a horrible track record when it comes to the management of money and its election spending spree was out of control, and we all know when Labor spends, it’s regular South Australians who pay,” he said.
In a statement to InDaily, Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said Speirs and Cowdrey needed to outline which Labor spending initiatives they did not support.
“It is bemusing to see new Liberal Leader David Speirs repeating the same old stale attack lines the Liberals were using during their unsuccessful election campaign,” he said.
Coroner to rule on SA child murders
A coroner is set to deliver his findings into the deaths of two South Australian children who were murdered by their mother’s partner in killings previously described as preventable.
Deputy State Coroner Anthony Schapel has been conducting an inquiry into the deaths of Korey Lee Mitchell, five, and his six-year-old sister Amber Rose Rigney.
Steven Graham Peet is serving a 36-year non-parole period after pleading guilty to killing both children and their mother, Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney, in May 2016.
At the opening of the inquest last year, counsel assisting Ahura Kalali said before the murders another child of Ms Wilson-Rigney had been removed from her care after being deemed to be in a situation of serious danger.
“So why then were not Amber and Korey removed too?” Kalali said.
“Had Amber and Korey been removed from the care of their mother, their deaths would also have been prevented.”
Kalali outlined a long history of abuse, care and neglect notifications to authorities over the care of all three children.
There were also concerns related to the development of the children, their sporadic attendance at school and in relation to their mother’s drug abuse.
The inquest heard that Families SA had difficulties with continuing to intervene in the family’s case because of a lack of resources.
Schapel will hand down his findings today.
Man dies in Kangaroo Island crash
A 79-year-old man has died after his van crashed and rolled in Kangaroo Island last night.
Police were called to the Playford Highway near Bark Hut Road at Kohinoor just before 7.30 last night following reports a Mitsubishi van had crashed and rolled.
The only person in the vehicle – a 79-year-old Parndana man – died at the scene.
The Playford Highway was closed for several hours last night as major crash officers investigated the incident. The highway has since reopened.
Twenty-four people have lost their lives on South Australian roads this year, compared to 37 at the same time last year.
Solomon Islands PM defends China pact
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP
The Solomon Islands prime minister has confirmed his government has signed a new security agreement with China, insisting it would not “undermine the peace and harmony of our region”.
The security pact allows China to send police and military personnel to the Solomon Islands “to assist in maintaining social order”, while also opening the door for Chinese warships to stop in port there for “logistical replenishment” – giving rise to worries of a possible Chinese naval base on the doorstep for Australia and New Zealand.
In his address to parliament, Manasseh Sogavare defended the security agreement as being directed entirely to “our internal security situation”.
He said it it complemented a 2017 security arrangement with Australia, under which Australian police peacekeepers have been in the capital, Honiara, since riots in November.
“I ask all our neighbours, friends and partners to respect the sovereign interest of Solomon Islands on the assurance that the decision will not adversely impact or undermine the peace and harmony of our region,” he told parliament.
A draft of the agreement leaked online last month, and China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday it had been signed “the other day”.
Sogavare was equally vague, telling parliament it had been signed “a few days ago”.
Australia had urged the Solomon Islands not to sign the pact, and sent Senator Zed Seselja, the minister for international development and the Pacific, for talks with Sogavare last week.
Two top US officials – Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific co-ordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs – are due to visit the country this week for talks.
Sogavare has said his government would not let China build a military base, and Beijing has denied seeking a military foothold in the South Pacific.
After China announced the agreement had been signed, Seselij and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a joint statement they were “deeply disappointed”.
“Our consistently stated view, including from the perspective of Australia’s national interests, remains that the Pacific family is best placed to meet the security needs of the region,” they said.
‘Major tech malfunction’ takes 9 News off air
Channel 9 has blamed a technical fault for missing Adelaide’s 6pm bulletin on Wednesday night, with local viewers instead receiving Melbourne news.
In a statement last night, Nine Adelaide news director Jeremy Pudney said the broadcaster experienced a “major technological malfunction” in the newsroom and studio at 5.19pm, making it impossible to air the local 6pm bulletin.
He said the fault impacted the broadcaster’s primary technology but also many of its backup systems.
“We will have experts working on the issue during the night and expect to resume local Adelaide news broadcasts as usual tomorrow,” Pudney said.
“Tonight’s main local news stories will be posted on the Nine News Adelaide social media platforms.”
Several viewers took to social media last night to question why they missed the local bulletin.
In a post on Facebook, 9 News Adelaide thanked viewers for their patience and reiterated that it would resume its normal programming on Thursday night.
Wimbledon’s Russia ban prompts controversy
Wimbledon has barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s championships due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The decision from the All England Club (AELTC) organisers has been condemned swiftly by the men’s and women’s tours.
The move is the first time players have been banned on the grounds of nationality since the immediate post-World War Two era when German and Japanese players were excluded.
The world’s most celebrated tournament is the first tennis event to ban individual competitors from the two countries, meaning men’s world No.2 Daniil Medvedev, from Russia, and women’s fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, will be banned from the June 27-July 10 tournament.
In a statement on Wednesday, the AELTC said it had to play its part in the efforts of government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to “limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible.”
“We recognise that this is hard on the individuals affected, and it is with sadness that they will suffer for the actions of the leaders of the Russian regime,” AELTC chairman Ian Hewitt said in the statement.
The players have also been banned from the UK grass-court tournaments held in the build-up to Wimbledon.
The ATP, which governs men’s tennis, said the “unilateral decision” by Wimbledon to exclude players from Russia and Belarus was “unfair” and could potentially set a damaging precedent for the game.
“Discrimination based on nationality also constitutes a violation of our agreement with Wimbledon that states that player entry is based solely on ATP Rankings,” the men’s governing body said.
“Any course of action in response to this decision will now be assessed in consultation with our board and member councils.”
The Women’s Tennis Association said it was “very disappointed” with the decision and was now “evaluating its next steps and what actions may be taken regarding these decisions”.
“Individual athletes should not be penalised or prevented from competing due to where they are from, or the decisions made by the governments of their countries,” said the WTA.
“Discrimination, and the decision to focus such discrimination against athletes competing on their own as individuals, is neither fair nor justified.”
Both tennis governing bodies had banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion, but allowed players from the two countries to continue competing on their respective tours as neutrals.
-With AAP and Reuters
