XI AGREES TO COVID INQUIRY

The ABC reports that, at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced support for a “comprehensive review” into the COVID-19 outbreak once the pandemic has been brought under control.

Xi, who maintains his government has acted with “openness and transparency” throughout the pandemic — give or take the arrest of Dr Li Wenliang — also committed US$2 billion ($3.09b) over two years towards the response, and has pledged that any vaccine developed in China would be made globally available.

PS: In entirely unrelated news, China has also slapped Australian barley imports with a five-year, 80% tariff that will effectively wipe-out the domestic sales.

COALITION TO DIRECT CLEAN MONEY TO DIRTY PROJECTS

According to RenewEconomy, Angus Taylor will today release a climate policy review led by former Origin Energy CEO and Business Council of Australia president Grant King.

The government has accepted recommendations for the $2 billion Emission Reduction Fund to be opened up for carbon capture and storage — which, as Crikey has reported for the past decade, remains a failed, expensive Trojan Horse for fossil fuels — and abatement payments for major industrial emitters. Taylor also agreed, in principle, for the CEFC (Clean Energy Finance Corporation) and ARENA to become “technology neutral”, despite “clean energy” literally being in the former’s name.

COVID NOT THE CURE: In case anyone was hoping that locking down roughly 4 billion people might do what governments have otherwise failed to, Scientific American reports the pandemic is forecast to shave roughly 5% off global emissions this year — which is good but still falls short of targets. 

THE TROUBLE WITH ANTIBODY TESTS

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity has found that a second batch of antibody tests purchased by the federal government are inaccurate, putting the total cost of inaccurate tests at $18.9 million.

As The Conversation explained last week, challenges with the antibody tests relate to both their accuracy and specificity — i.e. whether they detect SARS-CoV-2, and SARS-CoV-2 alone.

A BRIDGES TOO FAR

Finally, if you think the COVID-19 polls have been rough for Anthony Albanese, spare a thought for poor New Zealand National leader Simon Bridges, who, according to a new Newshub/Reid Research, has seen his support as preferred PM more than halved to 4.5%.

Conversely, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has jumped 20.8 points to a record 59.5 approval rating, while the Labour party could easily govern in their own right at 56.5% to National’s 30.6% and current-coalition partner Greens’ 5.5%.

STATE WRAP

• Victoria outlined further details on their $2.7 billion Building Works package, a plan to create 3700 direct jobs in education infrastructure, social housing, transports and more.
• In an effort to maintain social distancing as restrictions ease, the NSW government released a COVIDSafe* Transport Plan (*not affiliated with the app). The government will also send all students back to school from May 25 (SMH).
• The Northern Territory government opened the second round of their $1.3 million Sport and Active Recreation Sector Immediate Response and Resilience Package.
• South Australia has outlined that cohorts under the Active Testing Surveillance Framework will include health care workers, residential aged care workers, transport workers, homeless persons, prison inmates, and seasonal workers.
• Finally, the ACT government announced a boost in dog adoptions in April.