Australia news LIVE John Barilaro resigns as NSW Deputy Premier Melbourne lockdown becomes worlds longest as state records 1377 new local COVID-19 cases four deaths

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Victoria’s daily coronavirus numbers are in.

The state has recorded 1377 new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.

That’s up from yesterday’s 1220 new cases.

The Department of Health has not said how many cases are linked to known outbreaks or how many people were already isolating when they tested positive.

Zero cases were detected in hotel quarantine.

There are now 12,711 active cases of coronavirus across the state.

Today’s numbers are off the back of yesterday’s 67,789 coronavirus tests.

John Barilaro has resigned as NSW Deputy Premier, three days after Gladys Berejiklian resigned as Premier.

In a statement this morning, Mr Barilaro said the state’s imminent release from lockdown restrictions presented an opportunity for a “refresh”.

He will hold a press conference at 9.30am where he is expected to announce he is retiring from politics. Stay tuned for that.

“The next Premier has big shoes to fill, but I wish them well and the best of luck, I will be cheering from the sidelines and I am excited for what is ahead under their stewardship,” Mr Barilaro said in a statement.

The NSW Nationals leader will call a party room meeting on Wednesday, October 6 to formally resign from that role and call for a leadership ballot.

Mr Barilaro says following the ballot, he will work with the NSW Speaker and Electoral Commission “in relation to a byelection for the seat of Monaro”.

Outgoing NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who has quit State Parliament for a tilt at federal politics, says agencies such as the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption and its powers should be “looked at”.

Gladys Berejiklian resigned as NSW Premier on Friday after the ICAC announced it was investigating whether she breached public trust or encouraged the occurrence of corrupt conduct during her secret relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.

Outgoing NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance. Credit:Renee Nowytarger

Speaking on Seven’s Sunrise earlier this morning, Mr Constance said he felt “the worst thing” was that Ms Berejiklian wasn’t privy to the exact allegations that would be put to her ahead of the public inquiry to be held from October 18.

“In terms of Glad, I think if it’s in terms of declaration of relationships, I think the state, particularly with this pandemic that’s on, we’re seeing this outpouring from the community, which is justified,” he said.

Asked whether the way ICAC works needed to be reassessed, Mr Constance said the following:

I think with an integrity agency like this which has been in place now for many, many years and has incredible powers, I think there probably is, from time to time, the need to look at it.

Personally, I’m a believer in having an integrity agency like the Hong Kong model which is about having in-camera [private] hearings and prosecutorial powers, rules of evidence, and going from there.

Then, of course, if someone is found guilty through that appropriate process, then ultimately they get charged.

The ICAC in NSW, in essence, makes referrals to the Director of Public Prosecutions and then they make a decision as to whether it goes to court.

So it’s something which, from time to time, as with any agency, it’s got to be looked at in a reform process.

But at this stage, Glad has got some hearings and invariably, everybody will be watching those.

As for whether Dominic Perrottet is the right choice to lead the NSW Liberals, Mr Constance said the party room would decide on Tuesday morning, but described him as a “stand out guy” and “super bright”.

Read more about Mr Constance’s bid for a federal seat here.

The boss of Victoria’s biggest business organisation says it’s a “sad day” for Melbourne as it claims the title of the world’s most locked-down city.

By some counts, Melbourne will have been locked down for 245 days on Monday.

“This was a once-vibrant state, a once-vibrant city,” Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra told Radio National’s breakfast program.

“You only have to walk through the CBD of Melbourne over the past couple of months and sad is the overriding emotion.

“We’ve been able to bounce back out of this previously â€" let’s see if we can come back out of this one, but we need to get to the 70 per cent double and the 80 per cent double vaccinated status to even give us a chance to be able to do that.”

Mr Guerra said while the city was slated for a soft opening on October 26, the easing of restrictions then would probably be of “very little” help to the economy.

“Most of the activity will be outdoors, there will be limited ability to trade indoors, and that’s not what businesses want to hear,” Mr Guerra said.

“We look north to NSW and they actually get quite a good easing at 70 per cent of double-vaccinated people, and that’s the model that, ideally, we were advocating for.”

Social media posts supporting Donald Trump, comments describing climate change measures as “gratuitous waste”, and his voting record on social issues were being circulated by political opponents of Dominic Perrottet on Sunday afternoon.

Ever since Gladys Berejiklian first appeared in the grip of the corruption watchdog in October last year, the government’s opponents have been readying their war chest against the alternative, Mr Perrottet.

Labor has been preparing to launch a targeted campaign against Mr Perrottet, previously considered by many as the most likely to replace Ms Berejiklian.

Part of the opposition attack will focus on the Coalition government’s record of tolling, WestConnex and privatisation.

The Labor attack will also be personal, with the opposition set to hone in on Mr Perrottet’s conservative values and his record on issues like abortion, which he voted against removing from the state’s criminal code in 2019. The vote ultimately passed 59 to 31.

Read the full story here.

Childcare providers are seeking legal guidance on whether they can exclude children whose parents aren’t vaccinated against coronavirus as the sector looks at how to protect workers and families when the nation reopens.

NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory have already mandated vaccines for childcare workers. Last week, the nation’s largest early learning provider, Goodstart, said it would require its 15,000 staff to get the jab.

The childcare sector is considering whether restrictions should be placed on unvaccinated parents to protect workers and other families from COVID-19.Credit:iStock

Victoria has gone a step further, with its road map to reopening saying when the population is between 70 per cent and 80 per cent double dosed, childcare will be available only to children of fully vaccinated parents or essential workers.

Australian Community Children’s Services national convenor Prue Warrilow said providers were seeking legal advice about what the requirements should be for families who weren’t vaccinated.

Read the full story here.

University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely was speaking on Sunrise earlier.

He was asked why NSW and Victoria’s lockdowns haven’t managed to crush coronavirus this time around while Queensland has managed to record low case numbers.

His response?

“They have been bloody lucky, to be blunt,” he said.

“They have dodged a few bullets. It is true that they have had good compliance, but there is a lot of luck with this virus.

“Sometimes a person can spread to 20 and sometimes 10 people can spread it to no one. Queensland has had some luck there.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was speaking on Seven’s breakfast show Sunrise earlier this morning.

He was asked for his assessment of NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet who, as we reported earlier, is most likely to replace outgoing premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Here’s what Mr Joyce had to say:

Gladys has an incredibly warm feeling with the people of New South Wales. [It’s] an incredible loss and shame.

Dominic Perrottet is a straight shooter. He will have a different style, but I think he will be good for NSW and he will work with the Prime Minister.

The queen is dead, the king is there, and that’s politics. Nasty, brutish, and short.

[Gladys] had a good career in politics and shall go on to another one.

In case you missed it, Victorian health authorities identified more than a dozen new COVID-19 exposure sites late last night, including a gym and cinema in the regions.

MFS 24/7 Gym at Shepparton, in northern Victoria, was declared a tier-1 or close contact exposure site between 4.30pm and 5.45pm over three days: from Monday, September 27 through to Wednesday, September 29.

Anyone who attended the gym during those timeframes has to immediately get tested for COVID-19 and quarantine for 14 days from the date of potential exposure, regardless of whether they receive a negative test result.

Meanwhile, a screening of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at Village Cinemas, Morwell â€" in the Latrobe Valley â€" was declared tier-1 for Sunday, September 26 between 7pm and 10.30pm.

Morwell’s Pets Domain has also been declared a tier-1 site for Tuesday, September 28 between 12pm and 2pm.

A full list of Victorian exposure sites can be found here.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet will nominate to be premier with Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres his surprise running mate, but a ballot of Liberal MPs will be needed with Planning Minister Rob Stokes digging in and remaining in the race.

Liberal factional bosses struck a deal late on Sunday that will likely see Mr Perrottet replace Gladys Berejiklian and become NSW premier with Mr Ayres to be deputy Liberal leader. The Nationals’ leader John Barilaro will remain deputy premier.

Dominic Perrottet on Sunday.Credit:Dean Sewell.

Under the deal, Environment Minister Matt Kean will be given a significant promotion to the position of treasurer to reward him for delivering moderate votes to the right-wing Mr Perrottet.

Read the full story here.

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