INVESTIGATING THE SOURCE OF COVID-19

According to the ABC, Scott Morrison has spoken to world leaders about empowering the World Health Organisation with “weapon inspector” style powers to investigate the pandemic.

While The Australian ($) reports that Labor leader Anthony Albanese  — who also hoped Morrison would bring up the whole defunding-the-WHO thing with Donal Trump — has welcomed the idea.  The ABC reports that Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson have emphasised suppression before investigating the source and spread of the pandemic.

IT’S NICE TO HAVE DREAMS: To unpack why this is probably a pipe dream, check out The Conversation’s guide (and podcast) on why China will never welcome an inquiry into the source of the pandemic.

STATES FILL IN VISA GAPS

With the bulk of visa holders excluded from the JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs, states and territories this week have stepped up, including:

• Tasmania’s $3 million support package for temporary visa holders, that, amongst other initiatives, expands eligibility for one-off Pandemic Isolation Assistance Grants of $250 per individual or up to $1,000 per family;
• Queensland’s $2.2 million package for international students, which includes both a new online hub, where counsellors will guide students through mental health, visa, crisis accommodation and other essential needs, as well as previously-announced tuition support, laptops, isolation care-packs, and pre-prepared meals;
• South Australia’s $13.8 million ‘International Student Support Package‘, which includes a $10 million fund for the University of Adelaide, Flinders University and University of South Australia to distribute to impacted international students — which the Advertiser says translates to between $500 and $1,000 payments per student — as well as a $500 emergency cash grant for other students living in the state.

Additionally, ACT has joined Victoria and Queensland in setting up a new government job portal, the $20 million ‘Jobs for Canberrans’ fund, which specifically prioritises people who are “ineligible for any Australian Government support”.

DOES FORCED QUARANTINE FOR PRISONERS MEAN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT?

Barrister Greg Barns has flagged concerns over the Victorian government’s “COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020” which is yet to appear online. Ahead of introduction tonight, the government announced that the bill will cover everything from housing support to new regulatory powers over justice processes. Mandated quarantines for new prisoners could amount to solitary confinement.

The news is especially concerning when, as the ABC reported yesterday, a string of errors led a vulnerable Indigenous man to be held in custody for two weeks, and twice denied bail, despite the warrant being issued contrary to the court direction.

COPS BARRED FROM TRACING APP: In related news, The Age reports that Attorney-General Christian Porter last night guaranteed that police would be barred from accessing the new tracing app’s metadata.

For why that’s probably a good thing, check out the unofficial COVID-19 Policing database.

TRUMP THREATENS IRAN MID-APOCALYPSE

Finally, because a pandemic that has infected at least 850,000 Americans hasn’t been enough to keep him occupied, the ABC reports that US President Donald Trump has ordered the US navy to “destroy” any Iranian boats that “harass” them at sea.

In case anyone has forgotten — and look, you’d be forgiven, it’s been a year — Trump ordered the assassination of Iran’s Major General Qassim Suleimani on January 3 this year, a move The Nation described at the time as a “colossal strategic blunder”.

STATE WRAP

Because it has, understandably, been another packed day for state and territory government announcements:

• Today, The Age reports that Victoria will announce a $77.5 million family services package that creates a new model for early intervention child protection;
• The Northern Territory has announced that 135 Home Improvement Scheme vouchers have been rolled out over just two days, with “thousands more in the pipeline” amidst a total of 19,584 applications in the first stage of the $30 million project which ended April 17; and
• The ABC reports that South Australia will urge parents to send their children to school next week.