Australia news live updates: NSW Liberal candidate calls for recount of Gilmore; at least 31 Covid deaths

NSW Liberal candidate calls for recount of Gilmore

Josh Butler

The AEC is due to officially declare results in numerous House of Representatives seats today, but the result in the NSW seat of Gilmore has been delayed after Liberal candidate Andrew Constance called for a recount.

The former NSW state minister ended up just 373 votes behind Labor MP Fiona Phillips, according to the AEC’s official numbers, and the seat was to be declared officially at 2pm today.

But the AEC says that has been delayed after a formal request for a recount, which the electoral body says it will give “thorough consideration”.

Constance told Guardian Australia that his vote scrutineers had “raised concerns in relation to certain aspects of the process, particularly the scrutiny of informal votes”. Constance said he believed the close result meant there were “strong grounds for a recount”.

The AEC said its staff need time to assess the request, stressing that the delay of the declaration was not any indication of what decision it would make.

A spokesman noted the AEC’s validation processes for counting votes, including that ballots are counted more than once in a process called “fresh scrutiny”.

Andrew Constance, the Liberal candidate for Gilmore, has called for a recount of the votes in the seat. Photograph: Tamsin Rose/Twitter

National Covid-19 update

Here are the latest coronavirus case numbers from around Australia on Tuesday, as the country records at least 31 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 633
  • In hospital: 93 (with 3 people in ICU)

NSW

  • Deaths: 3
  • Cases: 5,157
  • In hospital: 1,341 (with 39 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 169
  • In hospital: 22 (with 2 people in ICU)

Queensland

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 4,190
  • In hospital: 373 (with 8 people in ICU)

South Australia

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 2,429
  • In hospital: 226 (with 8 people in ICU)

Tasmania

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 658
  • In hospital: 45 (with 2 people in ICU)

Victoria

  • Deaths: 15
  • Cases: 6,071
  • In hospital: 473 (with 28 people in ICU)

Western Australia

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 6,315
  • In hospital: 278 (with 12 people in ICU)

David Pocock thanks ‘a community I love’ after being elected to Senate for ACT

Climate change activist, independent candidate and former Wallabies captain David Pocock has been elected to the Senate as one of two upper house seats for the Australian Capital Territory.

He is the first independent candidate to win election as a territory senator. (The other ACT senator is the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, who was returned.)

Pocock received 21.18% of the primary vote. With preferences he achieved quota at the distribution of preferences on Tuesday.

Pocock thanked the ACT community for its support.

“Today, the extraordinary movement of people we brought together across the ACT made history,” Pocock said.

“For the first time, we have an independent voice representing our community in the federal parliament.

Former Wallaby player David Pocock addresses a climate change rally outside Parliament House
Former Wallaby player David Pocock addresses a climate change rally outside Parliament House Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AP

“Thank you to everyone who put their trust in me to represent you. It is an incredible honour to be able to serve a community I love.”

Pocock congratulated Gallagher on her re-election, and acknowledged the work of outgoing Liberal senator Zed Seselja, who had held the second ACT senate seat for nine years but lost out to Pocock in the final counting in this election.

Pocock said his campaign “aimed to make politics about people”.

“We built a policy platform off the back of thousands of conversations about the things that matter.

“We kept it positive. We talked about the issues and the ideas for the future we want and It clearly resonated.”

The AEC will officially declare the result tomorrow in Canberra.

I told you he was inexhaustible … (unlike east coast power supplies, it seems):

Aemo forecasts evening energy shortfall of 1,789Mw for Queensland

Afternoon fellow travellers. Thanks to the indefatigable Mostafa for his stellar first innings.

Speaking of inexhaustible: the latest dispatch (see what I did there …) from our energetic energy correspondent Peter Hannam:

… So we have an updated view from the Australian energy market operator of the forecast electricity supply gap for Queensland.

It’s 1,789 megawatts (which looks revolutionary) at 6.30pm AEST this evening, and larger than the biggest projected shortfall yesterday at 1,454Mw. No wonder Aemo is looking for a response from generators.

At this size, you’d expect the Queensland government to again ask consumers to turn off unnecessary appliances, and big power users will probably be asked to do so too (and for some, they will be paid to do so).

There are other “lack of reserve” notices for other states including NSW at level 1 or 2, which are not as serious.

Some reputable commentators smell a rat, though, as there is ample capacity in the market even taking into account the increasingly unreliable coal-fired power plants in the national electricity market.

The Australian Energy Regulator, which is supposed to keep an eye on price gouging, says it is “monitoring the market closely”, as is the competition watchdog, the ACCC.

Whether anyone will get pinged for anti-competitive behaviour remains to be seen.

And with that, I will leave the blog in the trusty hands of Ben Doherty. Thanks for reading.

Albanese suggests bosses go easy on Socceroos fans today

Earlier, prime minister Anthony Albanese was asked what is arguably the most important question of the day: will he give the nation a day off to celebrate the Socceroos?

Unfortunately, the PM could only offer some encouragement for bosses to go easy on employees today (booooooo):

If someone’s having a little kip in the corner, it’s understandable, because if they’ve been up since 4 o’clock watching … and then celebrating afterwards, it’s understandable that coffee can only go so far.

The Socceroos have qualified for the World Cup after beating Peru in a penalty shootout.
The Socceroos have qualified for the World Cup after beating Peru in a penalty shootout. Photograph: Joe Allison/Getty Images

NSW Liberal candidate calls for recount of Gilmore

Josh Butler

The AEC is due to officially declare results in numerous House of Representatives seats today, but the result in the NSW seat of Gilmore has been delayed after Liberal candidate Andrew Constance called for a recount.

The former NSW state minister ended up just 373 votes behind Labor MP Fiona Phillips, according to the AEC’s official numbers, and the seat was to be declared officially at 2pm today.

But the AEC says that has been delayed after a formal request for a recount, which the electoral body says it will give “thorough consideration”.

Constance told Guardian Australia that his vote scrutineers had “raised concerns in relation to certain aspects of the process, particularly the scrutiny of informal votes”. Constance said he believed the close result meant there were “strong grounds for a recount”.

The AEC said its staff need time to assess the request, stressing that the delay of the declaration was not any indication of what decision it would make.

A spokesman noted the AEC’s validation processes for counting votes, including that ballots are counted more than once in a process called “fresh scrutiny”.

Andrew Constance, the Liberal candidate for Gilmore, has called for a recount of the votes in the seat.
Andrew Constance, the Liberal candidate for Gilmore, has called for a recount of the votes in the seat. Photograph: Tamsin Rose/Twitter

Paul Karp

Paul Karp

Albanese says ‘all things are on the table’ for energy policy review

Earlier, Anthony Albanese was asked about the fact the energy minister, Chris Bowen, did not rule out price controls on gas in a morning interview.

Albanese said:

He didn’t speak about that at all, I’ve read the transcript, he was asked about that. It’s a different thing. With what Mr Bowen said in the interview … is that all things are on the table. We’ve said we will have a review of the so-called trigger, which is in place.

The so-called trigger isn’t really a trigger at all because you pull the trigger and nothing happens until January 1. So what we will do and are doing as a matter of urgency is a review and all things are on the table.

Albanese also sounded off about the failures of the Morrison government on energy.

He said:

It’s not acceptable that we have had a government previously, which was in office for three terms, announced 22 different energy policies and didn’t land one – that is not acceptable.

You’ve had a decade of neglect … you’ve had a decade where we have an energy grid that isn’t fit for purpose for the 21st century. You’ve had too many arguments taking place rather than the investment certainty which comes from having an energy policy … And what we find is the consequences of the former government’s failure to put in place an energy policy is being felt right now, with problems in the market.

Senate winners in NT announced as vote count ends

The Australian Electoral Commission has announced the count for senators in the Northern Territory has concluded, with Labor’s Malarndirri McCarthy and the Country Liberals’ Jacinta Nampijinpa Price successfully voted into the Senate.

Senators for the NT have now been decided. The successful candidates, in order of their election, are:

1. McCARTHY, Malarndirri – Australian Labor Party
2. PRICE, Jacinta Nampijinpa – Country Liberals (NT)

The full result and count will be available on our website later today. pic.twitter.com/H1yoRbCZxO

— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) June 14, 2022

Labor’s Malarndirri McCarthy has been confirmed as a senator for the NT.
Labor’s Malarndirri McCarthy has been confirmed as a senator for the NT. Photograph: Aaron Bunch/AAP

Albanese says China must remove trade sanctions to improve relationship

Paul Karp

Paul Karp

Anthony Albanese has been asked about China’s sanctions, after defence minister Richard Marles met his Chinese counterpart, ending several years of Australia being frozen out by Chinese ministers.

Albanese said:

Well it’s China that has imposed sanctions on Australia, they need to remove those sanctions in order to improve relations between Australia and China.

It’s a good thing that Richard Marles [was able to meet] with his counterpart on the sides of the conference in Singapore. We do need to engage with each other and that’s a positive step. But it’s China that has imposed sanctions, it’s China that has changed and it’s China that needs to remove those sanctions.

China needs to remove the sanctions they have put in place, there is no reason for them to be there. We are a trading nation, we have fulfilled all of our obligations as part of contracts and arrangements put in place, and we make good products as well. And those sanctions hurt Australia but they also hurt China, because of the quality of our products.

Albanese said dialogue had been “missing” in the last few years, but there need to be “concrete steps” from China. My colleague Daniel Hurst has reported similar demands from foreign minister, Penny Wong, to end trade sanctions.

Albanese also confirmed he has written back to China after premier, Li Keqiang, sent him a “congratulatory message”, but would not comment beyond saying he “responded appropriately”.

“There have been prime ministers who reveal text messages and correspondence – I’m not one of them,” he said.

Aged care Anika Wells and prime minister Anthony Albanese in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Aged care Anika Wells and prime minister Anthony Albanese in Brisbane on Tuesday. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP





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