News Corp to issue Ruby Princess inquiry apology as unemployment jumps to 6.2% – as it happened

And with that, we’ll be closing the blog tonight. Thanks for reading and stay safe. We will be back covering all the developments tomorrow.

You can follow the continuing international liveblog here:

Here is what happened today:

• Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 6.2% for April, and underemployment increased to 13.7%, in the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That is the highest unemployment rate since September 2015, and does not include the six million people on jobkeeper.
• Millions of doses of experimental Covid-19 drug hydroxychloroquine, imported by Clive Palmer, will not be available to non-Covid-19 patients. The drug is currently used in Australia to treat autoimmune conditions, and isn’t yet proven to work on Covid-19. But the new shipments of the drug won’t be given to those patients with autoimmune conditions.
• Queensland is considering partnering with other bidders for Virgin Australia, with $200m on the table from the state government.
• In-person school attendance will be compulsory in Western Australia from Monday for all except students with medical vulnerabilities or family members with chronic health issues.
• Beaches in eastern Sydney will reopen tomorrow, with 500 at a time allowed onto the iconic Bondi Beach and enforced social distancing.
• The anti-vaccination NRL player Bryce Cartwright has obtained a medical exemption to getting the flu vaccination, meaning he can play in the upcoming season unvaccinated.
• The Australian will have to publish an apology to the special commission into the Ruby Princess, after an article it published potentially constituted contempt against the inquiry.
• Mutual obligation requirements for jobseeker will be suspended further – until 1 June. But the minister for employment, Michaelia Cash, said they will be brought back “in stages”.

From midday tomorrow, pubs in the Northern Territory will be allowed to reopen – albeit with a time limit of 2 hours for each patron.

The front page of the NT news is, you could say, quite happy.

And there’s a big dig there at NSW, where the dining areas of pubs can reopen tomorrow, but with a limit of 10 patrons.

Google Australia has paid $133m in back taxes (covering multiple years) after a push from the ATO.

Ben Butler has the story:

14 May 202005.02 EDT

Helen Davidson

China has announced it will immediately begin allowing US barley imports.

The trade decision, which comes amid growing concern in Australia that China is cutting back its trade, has been framed as a potential Australia v US problem by state media.

China’s recent trade decisions have dominated Australian media this week, with Chinese authorities telling Australian producers they could impose tariffs on barley exports of 80%, and delisting four Australian abattoirs. Australia has exported several million tonnes of barley to China in recent years, compared with about 100,000 tonnes from the US.

The Chinese government insists its decision about Australian imports are all legitimate trade responses and not the “economic coercion” Australian politicians were worried about last week. But they come at a time when bilateral relations are very low, and with Beijing voicing some hefty warnings to Australia about the damage it is doing in pursuing an investigation into the source and spread of the virus.

Hawkish Chinese media outlet, the Global Times, has reported on the US barley announcement this afternoon, couched with several warnings for the Australian government.

The Global Time article, published in the last hour, says the decision to allow US imports “suggests a delicate situation” for the Morrison government.

“If US agricultural products take over Australia’s share in the Chinese market, then who is the antagonist of Australian businesses, China or the US?” it said.

The article then says – simultaneously – that the trade practises are normal and Australia shouldn’t be politicising them, but also that the Morrison government should “halt the further decline of its relations with China”.

“Moreover, it is likely Australia will face competition from US agricultural products in the future, which may put US-Australia friendship to the test. One can’t help but wonder what Australian politicians would do to protect their businesses under those circumstances and whether they would take a hard line against the US.”

And that has just been confirmed by the club, the Gold Coast Titans.

In a statement, the club said that player Brian Kelly had received “both the influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccinations” and is cleared to play.

Bryce Cartwright has obtained a medical exemption and will be able to play without taking any vaccines.

The club said:

Bryce Cartwright provided the club with medical documentation seeking an exemption from the influenza vaccine protocol.

This was subsequently passed on to Queensland’s chief medical officer Jeannette Young for review.

Dr Young has granted Cartwright an exemption based on medical grounds.

Cartwright is now eligible to return to training with the playing squad in preparation for the season restart.

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And in further sport news, the anti-vaccination NRL player, Bryce Cartwright, was initially given a deadline of 5pm today to decide whether he will get a flu vaccination, or walk away from his playing contract.

According to reports from Channel 7, Cartwright has written to the Queensland health officer and obtained a medical exemption to the vaccine, claiming that he has previously had a bad reaction.

This means he should be free to train and play.

We’ll bring you more when it has been confirmed.

Channel 7 are reporting that the AFL have picked an official date for the season to resume: 11 June.

Earlier, we mentioned that Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman had hinted he was in favour of permanently increasing jobseeker (formerly known as Newstart).

The government has previously said they won’t make it permanent. Newstart/jobseeker has not been raised above the inflation rate since 1994.

Here are his full comments on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.

Host Patricia Karvelas asked him: “Do you think it should be a higher rate than the old Newstart payment?”

Zimmerman: “I do have views on that but I haven’t communicated them to the treasurer so it would be wrong for me to do so via your program.”

Karvelas: “Alright, you’ve given us a hint your views are it should be higher?”

Zimmerman: “You could say that, my dear PK, but I couldn’t comment.”

Karvelas: “You can call the treasurer after the show finishes at 5.00pm, no problem. Tell me now, you think there should be a higher rate?”

Zimmerman: “We will see a lag of [more] people moving to unemployment and I will leave it at that.”

My colleague Josh Taylor’s latest report on the Covidsafe app looks at the legal questions over whether US law enforcement can access its data.

Earlier today, WA premier Mark McGowan announced that school will be compulsory again in the state from next week.

Students with medical vulnerabilities or family members with chronic health issues will be granted exemptions, but otherwise, the standard absence rules will apply from Monday.

It will apply to public, independent and Catholic schools.

Previously, parents had the option of keeping kids home and learning remotely.

“People need to reorganise themselves and we’re going to sensibly allow that transition to happen,” the education minister, Sue Ellery, said. “But attendance is mandatory.”

Parents are still prevented from entering school grounds when dropping off or picking up children, while school assemblies, camps and interschool activities will not be held.

On Wednesday, in-person attendance was already above 85%.

Teachers and school staff over 70, and those over 65 with a health condition, are encouraged to seek medical advice before returning to work.

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Hi all, it’s Naaman Zhou here, taking over from the wonderful Amy Remeikis.

In some good news, legislation has passed parliament today that will allow aged care residents emergency leave to move out of nursing homes, without extra fees or losing their place.

The legislation has created a new category of emergency leave for aged care, AAP reports.

Under current arrangements, permanent residents are entitled to 52 days a year of social leave.

When that’s exceeded, providers no longer receive government subsidies, meaning significant costs are passed on to residents.

The federal government will now continue paying providers during emergencies like a pandemic or bushfires if the 52-day social leave cap is broken.

The legislation also bans providers from charging residents to reserve rooms while on leave during emergencies, with changes backdated to April 1.