1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Good morning, team, and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Wednesday, 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: the second of June. My name is Sam Kazlowski, and 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: helping me make sense of today's news is Mariah Lattice. 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: Making news today an update on COVID nineteen in Victoria. 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 2: Calls for reporter investigation, some. 6 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: Good news about a four day work week. 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 2: And to chat about the five day blitz in Victoria 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: to vaccinate age care workers. Here's today's Daily Digest. 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: We're all anxiously waiting for an announcement from Acting Victorian 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: Premier James Molino as to whether the Victorian lockdown will 11 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: be extended past its expiry date, which is set for tomorrow. Yesterday, 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: Victoria recorded an additional three new locally acquired cases. No 13 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: further COVID cases have been recorded in age care, which 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: is really good news after two edgecare staff members and 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: a resident returned positive tests earlier in the week. The 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: Victorian government also announced a five day blitz to vaccinate 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: workers in vulnerable settings, particularly in aged care. Three hundred 18 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: and twenty nine exposure sites have now been identified. 19 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: The federal opposition has called for a public inquiry into 20 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 2: the sexual assault allegations against Christian Porter. Labour's Shadow Attorney 21 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: General Mark Dreyfer said that Prime Minister Scott Morrison no 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: longer has an excuse to refuse to hold an independent 23 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: inquiry into these allegations. After Porter discontinued his defamation case 24 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: against the ABC. Green's deputy leader and spokesperson on women, 25 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: Senator Larissa Waters, echoed the calls for an independent inquiry. 26 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: And China have announced they will implement a three child policy, 27 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: up from the current two which was up from the 28 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: one child policy earlier in the two thousands. The Chinese 29 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: government said the decision will help improve our country's population 30 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: structure and help implement a national strategy to actively respond 31 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: to the aging population. The latest census revealed that China's 32 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: population has grown at the slowest rate in decades, that 33 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: the annual population growth dropped to zero point five to 34 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: three percent from zero point five to seven percent in 35 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: the last year and. 36 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 2: Today's good news. A study by British think tank Platform 37 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: London has found that one of the most effective ways 38 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 2: to reduce carbon emissions, as well as improved physical and 39 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 2: mental health, is to move to a four day working week. 40 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: The idea is gaining traction in Europe, with the Spanish 41 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 2: and Scottish governments launching national pilot schemes. 42 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: So today's deep dive is honestly as much for me 43 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: as it is for you. I just wanted to take 44 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: some time to break down a bit of a puzzling 45 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: idea that came across the news desk yesterday. It was 46 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: brought up in a Senate estimates hearing, which we've discussed 47 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: on this podcast before, but basically it's a time where 48 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: senators in the Australian Parliament can interrogate particular ministers and 49 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: experts in a portfolio, and yesterday was the Aged Care 50 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: Minister Richard Colbeck and Federal Health Secretary doctor Brendan Murphy. 51 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: They had some really tricky quidquestions to answer around the 52 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: vaccination of aged care workers and the responses were puzzling 53 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: to a relatively simple question, and that question was how 54 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: many aged care workers have been vaccinated in Australia. It 55 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: took me a little bit of time to understand why 56 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: there wasn't a simple answer to this, and I think 57 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: it's really worth us going through this together so we 58 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 1: can read the coverage of this issue, really understanding how 59 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: the data works behind all of the political noise. So 60 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: here's the key idea to understand. There are a few 61 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: different ways an aged care worker in Australia can get vaccinated. 62 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: The key problem here is that there's no one way 63 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: that the government can tell across all the different methods 64 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: are being vaccinated, how many in total have been vaccinated. 65 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: So let's slow that down a little bit. There's three 66 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand age care workers in Australia. The aim, 67 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: of course, is to get all of them, or all 68 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: who want to vaccinated. Federal government and state governments have 69 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: both been running programs to administer vaccines at the same time, 70 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: and it sounds to me like that's where the confusion 71 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: is coming from. So in an agecare setting, the federal 72 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: government has been rolling out a program to vaccinate age 73 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: care workers and they say they're vaccinated about seventy thousand 74 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: age care workers. Agecare workers can also get their vaccines 75 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,799 Speaker 1: from a number of other places in society. These include 76 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: GP clinics, special pop up sites and state run hubs 77 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: like the one in Homebush which is run by the 78 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: New South Wales government. In order to understand how many 79 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: age care workers have been vaccinated, across these many avenues. 80 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: The Minister for Age Care Services, Richard Kolbeck, told the 81 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: Senate Estimates Committee yesterday his department is now rolling out 82 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: a survey to establish the overall figure. As we said 83 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: at the top of the podcast, Victorian health officials have 84 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: announced their own initiative, a five day blitz where any 85 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: agecare a worker can rock up to a vaccination site 86 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: in Victoria, essentially skip the queue and get their vaccination 87 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: as soon as possible. Let's just take a minute to 88 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: take a breath, it's early in the morning, and make 89 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: sure that all those numbers make sense, because then I 90 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: want to throw even another number at you. And that's 91 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: even another way that agecare workers could get the vaccine, 92 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: and that's from leftover vaccines sent to facilities for residents 93 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: being used on staff members. So picture an age care 94 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: home that gets sent one hundred vaccines then in need 95 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: ninety eight, so two staff members got vaccinated as well. 96 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: The government is trying to figure out a way to 97 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: record those numbers. Even this week alone, there's been a 98 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: lot of tension at a federal and state level around 99 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: this issue. We started the week with a number of 100 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: Victorian age care homes saying that they hadn't received any vaccines, 101 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 1: and the government was able to stand up in question 102 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: time yesterday saying that they had rectified that in a 103 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: matter of days. Unsurprisingly, we've heard a lot from the 104 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: federal opposition on this issue. Here's a little bit of 105 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: what Opposition spokesman Bill Shorten, and he's the former leader, 106 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: remember that had to say on Channel nine yesterday about 107 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: the situation. 108 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 3: Well, I think every Australian should be asking it, not 109 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 3: just every Victorian. My hometown's locked down yet again. And 110 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 3: yet we find out in this vaccine roll out and 111 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 3: I found out our caare is a real time example. 112 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 3: On May the twelfth, vaccinations were sent for the residents 113 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 3: and fortuitously, luckily there were thirty four extra vaccines all 114 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 3: that amount, so some of the workforce were able to 115 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 3: get the JAB. The rest of the workforce have had 116 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 3: to sort of bring up GPS sort it out themselves. 117 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 3: And that's a common story across age care and disability. 118 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 3: So the only reason why people have had any vaccinations 119 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 3: who were workforces because they put too many in the truck. 120 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,799 Speaker 1: Aged Care Services Minister Richard Kobeck is under increasing pressure 121 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: to resign because of the perceived failure of the government 122 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: to not have the data on how many aged care 123 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: staff are vaccinated, with Lisa Fitzpatrick, Victorian Secretary of the 124 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: Australian Nursing and Midwiffery Federation, having this to say on 125 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: ABC Radio Melbourne yesterday. I don't know what the plan is. 126 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: I just know that it's not happening. 127 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 3: So if it is the plan, then there needs to 128 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 3: be communication for Commonwealth to say we are coming back 129 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 3: to vaccinate the staff. That isn't the case. 130 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: To round out this pod, I wanted to actually and 131 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: by just saying thank you, thank you to the age 132 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: care workers for not only their work with our most 133 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: vulnerable citizens during the COVID nineteen pandemic, but throughout their 134 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: entire careers and I hope they and in fact everyone 135 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: listening from Victoria are feeling okay on day six and 136 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: are reaching out for support if you need it. That's 137 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: all we've got time for on today's podcast. But if 138 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: you're looking for news throughout the day, especially around any 139 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: lockdown updates, follow us on Instagram over at the Daily Os. 140 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: It's where over one hundred and ten thousand Australians get 141 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: their news throughout the day and we'd love you to 142 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: become part of our community.