The Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary, Sally McManus, has explained that unions are taking part in IR consultation because they want to hear what employers and the government have to say, arguing unions lose nothing by keeping an open mind because the government could always “do it on their own anyway”. Indeed, the attorney general, Christian Porter, was already consulting on changes. She told Radio National: “All the things they’re talking about they were examining anyway. The only difference now is we’re at the table. In the end they may try to put [reforms we disagree with] through the Senate – they will – and if we disagree with them, we’ll fight them.” McManus suggested unions believe changes could be made to the bargaining process – but did not give much ground on workers being left worse off. She said: “Bargaining is on the table and the bargaining process. There is a lot of discussion around the idea there are too many hoops [to get an agreement approved]. We’ve got some sympathy for that – there are five barriers for employers and 16 for working people when they bargain.” But the sorts of changes the ACTU has pushed for is industry-level bargaining or multi-enterprise bargaining, which McManus returns to by suggesting a bargaining system that “suits all those small workplaces like childcare centres where enterprise bargaining is beyond reach”. Asked if any worker should be worse off, McManus replied: “The principle that bargaining is about improving conditions – and yes, [improving them] for everyone – is a good one.” But McManus suggested the evidence requirements to show everyone is better off could be made more efficient, if unions and employers have already reached agreement on a workplace pay deal. She said it was “absolutely” fundamental that nobody is worse off, promising “we’re always going to have [workers] back”. “We’re never going to go into negotiations and see them go backwards, lose pay and conditions.” In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. The fact is, there’s a problem in the economy which is wages, wages have been stagnant. That is a problem for the national economy. And one of the things we know is that every time this coalition government has engaged in industrial relations, what they call reform, it has been aimed at driving down wages and conditions for working people. Every time. And the fact is that they have been engaged in that process and it shouldn’t have taken a pandemic for the government to say that unions and business should have common interests, and that they do in fact have common interests. Workers have an interest in employers and businesses being profitable. Scott Morrison says all sides need to “put down their weapons” as the nation attempts IR reform, which has raised some eyebrows, given the concerted campaign the Coalition has conducted against unions for the past six or seven news. Anthony Albanese isn’t impressed (that is saying it mildly) What they’ve done is establish working groups. This government has been in office for seven years. And for seven years what they’ve done is denigrate workers organisations, attack trade unions, and said that they’ve been a promoter of conflict. They passed the ensuring integrity bill through the House of Representatives last year without allowing a single word of debate. Not one word. Unprecedented. Since Federation. That that would occur. But it occurred on the last sitting day of 2019. Since I’ve been the leader of the Labor party, I, on the day I was elected unopposed as leader, one year ago to the very day today, one of the first things I said, was that Australians were suffering from conflict fatigue. One of the first things I said was consistent with what I said for years previously, that business and unions have common interest. There should be nothing remarkable about that statement. It’s something I put into practice as well as a minister in the former Labor government with the creation of organisations like Infrastructure Australia, with the creation of organisations like the major cities unit and others to drive change through the agenda, to get people sitting around a table and talking about that change. It’s something I’ve always conducted myself in, it’s something that Jim [Chalmers] and I have been participating in meetings, not just with the ACTU, but with the Business Council of Australia. Since I became the leader of the Labor Party. Yesterday, I had a round table that was scheduled some time ago with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It’s something that we do on a regular basis. It’s not a front page story because it’s what we do. Unlike Scott Morrison, where it is remarkable that he’s prepared to talk to a worker. The Queensland’s man death takes the nation’s total to 103. At 30, he is one of the youngest Australians to have died of the virus. He had several underlying health complications, but it is unsure where he had contracted the virus. Queensland"s seventh Covid death recorded So to recap, a 30-year-old Queensland man has tested positive for Covid after his death. His partner returned home from work in the small western Queensland town of Blackwater at 4.30pm and found the man unresponsive. An ambulance immediately responded, but the man could not be revived and was declared deceased at the scene. The man had been displaying Covid symptoms in the week leading up to his death, but had many other health complications A post-mortem Covid test returned positive and authorities were alerted around 11pm on Tuesday. There had been no other recorded cases of Covid in Blackwater prior to the man’s death. The man had not travelled overseas, or left Blackwater since February. He is believed to have spent most of the past few weeks at home. Contact tracing is under way. All residents of Blackwater are being urged to get tested if they are showing any signs of the virus. Testing units have been set up in the town. The man’s partner is showing Covid signs and has been isolated. The emergency service workers who responded to the man’s death have also been isolated. The man’s partner returned from work yesterday at about 4.30pm and found him unresponsive. An ambulance was called immediately, but he was declared dead at the scene. The Queensland chief medical officer, Dr Jeannette Young, says the man is believed to have spent most of his time at home while he was ill, but had not travelled overseas, and had not left Blackwater since February. That’s part of the reason the contact tracing team are now urgently working to see where he may have contracted the virus. Queensland health minister Steven Miles says authorities were made aware of the man’s post-mortem result at around 11pm: This does appear to be Queensland’s seventh COVID-19 related death. We have deployed public health experts and additional contact tracing resources from Brisbane to Blackwater today. The case will now be referred to the coroner and we expect a post-mortem will be conducted. We have set up additional fever clinics that will be ready and operational in Emerald and in Blackwater shortly and we urge anyone, anyone in Queensland, but particularly anyone in Blackwater, who is suffering symptoms to please go and get tested. This message is particularly important for all the blokes out there. I know that men sometimes fob off their illnesses, they don’t go and get medical assistance, but it’s incredibly important right now that anyone with symptoms goes and gets tested. It appears this gentleman who has passed away was ill for some time. And did not get tested. And so I want anyone, anyone in Queensland, who is unwell, to go and get tested today. Especially if they’re from Blackwater or been in Blackwater. Blackwater, in the Queensland central highlands, had not recorded any cases of Covid prior to this man’s death. Health authorities have set up a fever clinic. The man’s partner is also showing Covid symptoms now, and has been isolated, as have the emergency services staff who responded to his home, following his death. The Queensland health minister, Steven Miles, says the man tested positive for Covid after his death: The news today is absolutely tragic and while we are working to finalise all of the facts, we’re sharing with you today what we know. Late yesterday afternoon, the Queensland ambulance service was called to a home in Blackwater, there they found a man who was deceased, he was later tested for COVID-19 and that test was positive. The paramedics and police officers who attended the scene are now in quarantine and we thank them for the assistance they provided to this man and his partner. Of course our thoughts are with a Queensland family that today will be grieving. This does appear to be Queensland’s seventh COVID-19 related death. 30-year-old Queensland man tests positive for Covid after his death. Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says a man from Blackwater, who was showing Covid symptoms, as well as suffering from other illnesses, has died overnight. The coroner is investigating. Palaszczuk: He’s a 30-year-old man and the coroner is investigating the death. He was showing symptoms prior to his death but also had other illnesses that [health minister] Dr Young will talk about. He positive at the post-mortem and his partner is now sick with symptoms. And she has been transferred to the Rockhampton Hospital where she’s being isolated and further tests are being done. Blackwater has never had a case of COVID before. Contact tracing is extensively underway. The police and ambulance officers who attended the scene are also now in quarantine. And Dr Young can also provide further details and measures being undertaken in Blackwater. If anyone is sick in Queensland, please stay home. Do not go to work. But also too, if you’re showing any symptoms I urge you to go and get tested. There will be fever clinics set up at Blackwater and also at Emerald and if anyone has any flu-like symptoms, we urge you in these two communities to please go and get tested. So, once again, we extend our condolences and it’s a timely reminder for all Queenslanders that - this COVID is real, it’s out there, and it has impacts on Queenslanders and in this case, we have lost another Queenslander today. The deans of the nation’s university business schools say the government needs to act to stop universities from “being damaged irreparably”. The president of the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC), David Grant, has laid out six issues which the council says needs to be addressed urgently: 1. The need to fund more domestic places so young people, and the thousands of other Australians whose jobs have disappeared, have tertiary education as a viable option. Past recessions have shown that, as unemployment rates soar, those who cannot earn enrol to learn. 2. The proposed “safe corridors” to bring international students into Australia needs to be implemented as soon as is safely possible so there is at least some chance of international students getting to Australia and clearing quarantine for the second part of this year. Failure to do this swiftly will add to the devastation of our international education, which contributed $40 billion to our economy each year before COVID-19. 3. International students, who are already in Australia, should be supported and encouraged to remain here. Community groups, state and local governments and have stepped up to support those who have been hard hit by job losses and exclusion from JobSeeker and JobKeeper. They do however need practical, ongoing help, coordinated at the national level that shows how we value them for their contributions to the Australian economy. 4. Cuts of up to 21000 jobs are underway as universities yet the Federal Government has ensured that universities – unlike other large businesses and some private universities – are ineligible for the JobKeeper subsidy. This does not make sense. 5. Researchers urgently need government assistance to ensure that they can continue and not waste work already done. Many research projects have already been suspended. International researchers, who are very important to the sector, may not return to Australia to finish their work. Much of the $4.7 billion that universities put into research each year has been funded by revenue from international education. That revenue has now evaporated from a sector that is likely to take years to recover. 6. There is a need to re-start infrastructure projects that have been suspended as universities try to stop their financial haemorrhaging. The Victorian Government has allocated $350 million, which will greatly assist universities with capital projects in that state, but what about the rest of the nation? Hundreds of masks and plastic containers have washed up on Sydney’s eastern beaches overnight. It’s believed to be contents of some of the 40 shipping containers that fell off Singaporean cargo ship APL England on Sunday. Coogee locals have begun trying to clear the debris this morning. “The beach looked like a rubbish tip,” said Aliy Potts. “I’ve been trying to clean things up this morning. I’ve got a two rubbish bags full already.” Angus Taylor has used the 2020 Australian Energy Statistics to push the government’s case for more gas This latest data also demonstrates the continuing importance of coal and the significant and growing reliance on gas to back our significant renewable capacity. Gas is flexible and provides the dispatchable capacity we increasingly need to balance intermittent renewables and deliver a secure, reliable and affordable electricity system to power our homes, businesses and industries. This has never been more important – particularly as we begin our recovery from the impact of the COVID19 pandemic. This is why the Australian Government believes a gas-fired recovery will drive jobs and economic growth. We now need state and territory governments to do their part to unlock more gas for the domestic market and encourage investment in reliable generation which will put downward pressure on wholesale prices.” Well whisk me round and call me hollandaise, I wonder why *thinking face emoji*