Day: March 15, 2020

Baby kissing and handshakes are out of style. Radio station RPPFM goes to emergency broadcasting. IBAC hearings closed to the public. Mornington Centrelink protest on hold. Hands-off way needed to win votes News that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton tested positive for novel coronavirus three days after attending a Cabinet meeting in Sydney on Tuesday 10 March, turned apprehensive eyes towards his ministerial colleagues, including the Member for Flinders, Greg Hunt. Read the article here. RPPFM to suspend regular broadcasting due to virus Mornington Peninsula based community broadcaster, RPPFM, have announced they will suspend regular broadcasting from 9am…

OLD habits die hard, but kissing babies and shaking hands may become a lost art for politicians. The advent of COVID-19 is seeing a rewriting of the rules when it comes to greetings. Bodily contact is out, and keeping a social distance is in. News that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton tested positive for novel coronavirus three days after attending a Cabinet meeting in Sydney on Tuesday 10 March, turned apprehensive eyes towards his ministerial colleagues. Had they been infected? The Prime Minister Scott Morrison was quick to say he wouldn’t be tested and had every intention of going to…

PUBLIC hearings being undertaken by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) into allegations of serious corrupt conduct concerning planning decisions at Casey Council, will be closed to the public because of COVID-19. The commissioner for IBAC, The Honourable Robert Redlich QC, has taken the decision to bar the public from tomorrow (Monday 16 March) “as a precautionary measure in consideration of public health”. The public can freely watch the hearings online as they are streamed each day on the IBAC website www.ibac.vic.gov.au. Transcripts will continue to be shared on the website. The hearings are being held at the Fair Work…

Mornington Peninsula based community broadcaster, RPPFM, have announced they will suspend regular broadcasting from 9am tomorrow (Monday 16 March) in response to Coronavirus. “With the escalating COVID-19 threat, and its likely arrival on the Mornington Peninsula, the Leadership Group had no option but to exercise its right to guarantee the health and safety of its members,” said the president of RPPFM, Peter Susovich. “Many of our volunteers are in the vulnerable COVID-19 cohort and under the circumstances, until the threat is lifted, it is better to be safe. All programming will therefore stream remotely through our newly installed online system.…

Organisers have called off next Wednesday’s rally to stop the closure of the Mornington Centrelink and Medibank offices because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The rally was scheduled to be held outside the Centrelink offices in Main Street but an update issued by Mornington Community Information and Support Centre last Friday (13 March) stated: “Unfortunately, due to concerns about the Coronavirus, we have cancelled the public rally planned for Wednesday”. A petition on change.org to “Stop the closure of Mornington Centrelink Office” was by Saturday morning nearing the required 2500 signatures.