Thread by @iMusing

good morning from unceded Darug lands 🌧🌧today on #Insiders are TSP corro Karen Middleton, ABC Canberra newsreader Dan Bourchier and murdoch reporter Clare Armstrong. The interview is with health minister Mark Butler.

opening spiel is foreign relations - with China, in the Indo Pacific, the Wong meeting with Chinese foreign affairs minister and Albanese talking China threats at NATO #Insiders

the montage is floods to a soundtrack of these days by Powderfinger. Lots of opposition sniping and journalistic voice from nowhere “Albanese facing criticism” etc #Insiders

not sure we need vox pops on dam wall decisions. The wall is the greatest risk to residents downstream. #Insiders

#MakingNews opens with anti-viral covid treatment for over 70s. Truth in advertising inquiry following Palmer ad blitz during the election. #Insiders

#MakingNews also reports Greens looking to expand function of a federal integrity commission and poor old Constance still trying to get into federal parliament, this time via a potential future vacancy created by Marise Paine leaving. #Insiders

Speers editorialises on China trade relations and NATO foreign relations. Longing clip of Wong, who at least was able to secure a meeting with relevant officials, which Paine and Tehan etc were not able to do. Coalition criticism tho, says Speers. #Insiders

clip of Albanese saying dialogue is a good thing and a first step. Sanctions remain in place plus detention of Australians in China on what Speers calls “spurious grounds”. #Insiders

how many first steps are there going to be asks Armstrong. There are a lot more firsts to come. To talk is better than to not but issues are not remotely near being resolved, she says.
Her confidence is just gobsmacking to me. #Insiders

NATO powers are not usually focused on the Pacific says Armstrong and NATO specifically called out China. She says Labor is responding to international settings, not Coalition talking points. Clips of Taylor and Littleproud being utterly ridiculous. #Insiders

the Coaltiin lines of attack fell flat, says Speers, and Dutton “might” still be on holidays but let’s goss on about the narrative anyway. Bourchier gets the horse race Q for his debut comment on #Insiders

all it did was remind people that Morrison went on holidays during the bush fires says Middleton. It shows the opposition do not have much. Armstrong picks up on the speed of emergency support delivery critique attempted by Sussan Ley. #Insiders

does the Coalition not know how to attack the government? asks Speers.
Who cares? Could we give petty pointless partisan attacks a rest during yet another climate disaster? #Insiders

we should talk about victims, says Speers. Bourchier raises zoning and development and also insurance - a lot of properties are now uninsurable. Middleton says a higher dam wall could encourage more development. #Insiders

the re-structure of the emergency payments fund is a priority for Labor, says Armstrong, and she also comments on dam wall options, noting there have been 4 floods in 2 years in the Hawkesbury Nepean valley. #Insiders

interview. Opens on what we are calling another wave even tho it never went away. Butler says the re-infection period has been shortened from 12 to 4 weeks with this variant. #Insiders

he has announced much broader access to anti-viral medicines, tablets and capsules that can be taken at home, for all over 70s and on the PBS ($6 per) says Butler. Previously only available via IV at a hospital. #Insiders

we have 2 million doses of anti-virals and they have an 18 month shelf life? Butler says the orders placed by the previous government are currently warehoused and need to be distributed. So the shelf life might be expended? Watch that space. #Insiders

this third Omicron wave is the official designation. Should people over 30 go get their 4th dose or wait for next Gen Moderna vax? Butler says a lot of people have not have the booster - their third dose - and that the third dose is “the real kicker”. #Insiders

what will you do? There is an awareness campaign is being rolled out, says Butler (a third dose ad played immediately prior to #Insiders btw) why not the incentive payment? asks Speers. We have an information campaign says Butler.

is that enough? The second dose uptake is much higher because it was a requirement, says Speers. Sure, says Butler. In this stage - the third year of a pandemic - we are making sure people have access to medicines they need, to the information they need. #Insiders

what about mask mandates? There are mask mandates in place, says Butler. They are targeted. In aged care, on public transport and planes. Recommendations do not work, says Speers. People are not wearing masks at the movies as the footy. #Insiders

pandemic leave. If people have to isolate - unlike any other illness - why not pay them? Butler recites the eye-watering debt line. Should casuals with covid isolate and go without an income? There are health requirements to isolate says Butler. #Insiders

at some point emergency payments simply have to be wound up, says Butler. He claims the wrap date of 30 June is owned by the former federal government and the states. So no emergency payment, no mask mandates? Butler repeats the awareness campaign line. #Insiders

what if things get worse? Will you revisit the end of emergency payments? Butler says they will keep an eye on all elements of a “fluid pandemic”. End of telehealth? Butler says telehealth is a permanent feature and some doctors agree it should be limited. #Insiders

the limit is on telehealth consults to be 20 minutes and longer more intricate consultations should F2F. Why not just do longer consults on the phone? For older Australians? Butler says 6/7 telehealth consults are under 20 minutes. #Insiders

back to panel. Let’s talk about where we are at with covid, says Speers. Does it make sense that pandemic leave payment is brought to end end? Middleton says she gets paid when she is crook and Butler “seems unmoved” on the point. #Insiders

a lot of people will do their at home RAT and see the two lines and decide they can not afford to not work, says Armstrong. Or not do a test at all, says Bourchier. There is low compliance, says Armstrong, even people on planes have their masks around their chin. #Insiders

the one thing we could do on compliance is pay people to stay home when they have covid, says Armstrong and Middleton says mandates do not really work anymore. On the anti-virals, Armstrong says the announcement for over 70s lowers the threshold for access to doses. #Insiders

clip of AG Dreyfus QC announcing he has decided the prosecution of Colliery will end. Why? Bourchier says it is about removing barnacles and shoring up relations with Timor Leste; and asks how whistleblower legislation should be reformed. #Insiders

there are other cases on the books that Dreyfus does not want linked to this decision, says Middleton. She says the spying is the worse transgression than whistleblowing - and being lawyer for a whistleblower - and protections are needed. #Insiders

he has effectively used his discretion to end the prosecution and to say this is not a precedent, says Armstrong on Dreyfus and ending prosecution of Colliery. The Coalition did not back away from its decision to refer it to prosecution. #Insiders

NAIDOC. Blak excellence, says Bourchier, and where the country is at. He acknowledges the show is on lands of the Kulin nation. Clip of Aunty Pat Anderson on what can be inserted, by enabling legislation (the ref draft statute). #Insiders

we are looking at simple language, says Bourchier, with a simple Yes answer for the referendum question, which is drafted into the enabling legislation. Will the Coalition oppose that model? Middleton says if they oppose they oppose, whether general or specifics. #Insiders

they will seize on the specifics if it is specific and they do not want to vote for it, says Middleton on the Coalition. She says the republic Q was too specific and set republicanism back for over two decades. #Insiders

there are millions ofAustralians who have not turned their minds to the First Nations voice yet, says Armstrong. Albanese speaking to the Uluṟu Statement in Paris - on a global stage - was amazing she says. #Insiders

the historic failure of most referenda - Armstrong and Bourchier (it is 8 out of 44 got up) - and big conversations about who we are, Bourchier says. He says Auntie Pat and others are flagging the 67 referendum anniversary (26 or 27 May) next year. #Insiders

Bourchier says May next year might be a very short lead in time; and that constitutional conservatives have expressed - through Leeser, the shadow AG and shadow referendum envoy - concern that the language (detailed or general) could have unintended consequences. #Insiders

too soon? Middleton says if the date is put off then opponents will always find reasons to put it off. Speers says both Yes and No cases are “traditionally” publicly funded. Nobody seems to know if the Coalition parties will run a No campaign. #Insiders

somebody mentioned the Greens’ priority of a Treaty but I missed who sorry #Insiders

#FinalObservations 1 is Armstrong on Albanese going to the pacific islands forum next week and says there is some suggestion Abbott will attend the Abe funeral on behalf of Australia #Insiders

#FinalObservations 2 is Bourchier saying the NAIDOC theme this year is Get Up Stand Up Show Up and this is an invitation to the Australian people, as is the Uluṟu Statement, to review and act on our relations with Indigenous Peoples, in our orgs, at the table #Insiders

#FinalObservations 3 is Middleton highlighting findings from the Summers report on DV on huge numbers of women forced into poverty or forced to stay with violent males #Insiders

the outtake is the Benny hill theme being played as tories talk at Westminster #Insiders

this has been another edition of watching #Insiders so you don’t have to👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼