Labor will today join the Greens’ call for a royal commission into the Coalition’s robodebt program, which saw 470,000 unlawful demands for money made to welfare recipients. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will pledge to initiate a public inquiry into the scheme if it wins the next election, arguing “the Prime Minister himself was the architect of this cruel scheme designed to extract $1.5 billion in unlawful debts from the Australian people”. Labor is calling for an inquiry into the origins of the program, when the government first learned the scheme was unlawful, and into allegations people took their own lives after being pursued over debts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this month apologised for any “hurt or harm” caused. The Coalition has agreed to pay back 373,000 people $720 million, and a class action is being prepared involving hundreds of thousands of claimants. Lifeline: 13 11 14
A New South Wales police officer tasered an Indigenous man who did not appear to be resisting arrest in Sydney on Monday. Footage showed the man on his knees asking the officers to stop, saying “I’m not even fighting you”. Police said officers were on patrol in Oxford Street when they encountered a man and a woman. “As officers approached, the pair split up and the 32-year-old man – who was carrying a bag – fled on foot,” the statement read. Police later located a bag, containing allegedly stolen items, on Oxford Street. It comes as Guardian Australia reports an internal Western Australian police investigation into the violent arrest of a handcuffed Indigenous boy in 2018 found the level of force used was “necessary and not excessive”.
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on Monday decided a review of hotel quarantine arrangements around the country was needed, following multiple breaches linked to the rise in cases in Victoria. Prime Minister Scott Morrison offered military assistance to enforce hotel quarantine after infection-control breaches at two state-run quarantine hotels. Morrison backed Victoria’s approach of targeting “hotspots” rather than the entire state, with Victoria Police to enforce strict stay-at-home directions in specific areas if the spread of COVID-19 cannot be suppressed before July 19. It comes as Western Australia unveiled plans to remove all restrictions in the state from July 18, but keep hard border closures in place due to the situation in Victoria. NSW residents have been advised to avoid travel to Victoria unless essential.
Coronavirus cases reaching record numbers globally are not just the result of more testing, according to the World Health Organisation. The number of new cases reported to WHO on Sunday increased by more than 183,000, “easily” the most in a single day so far. President Trump on Monday refused to confirm whether he told staff to slow down COVID-19 testing to make it look like the US had fewer cases, as he claimed in a weekend rally in comments later dismissed as a joke. “If we did slow it down, we wouldn't show nearly as many cases,” Trump said on Monday.
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