Ashleigh Gillon

Breaking - Sky News understands Libby Mettam will remain as WA Liberal leader, in the end there was no spill, no vote in the partyroom meeting.

Can also add former Defence minister Linda Reynolds to this - she also had no idea.

I’m told a joke was made during one Covid focused NSC meeting about Greg Hunt now being the most powerful person in the country. Despite daily meetings, Morrison’s extra portfolios were never raised.

Former cabinet colleague of Morrison’s tells me they are “gobsmacked,” saying extra portfolio appointments are “unbelievable on so many levels” and “a complete subversion of cabinet and ministerial responsibility”

Can add Michaelia Cash to the list of former colleagues who didn’t know anything about Morrison’s extra portfolios - I’m told she knew nothing about it until she read it in the paper on the weekend.

Anyone who watched Morrison’s pressas over the years knows he is a man of great recall, he was very much across policy detail. Baffling to hear him say today he doesn’t have any recollection of further appointments when in fact he’d also been sworn into Treasury & Home Affairs.

Covid vaccines for children 6 months - 5 yrs is one step closer in Australia after TGA granted provisional determination for Pfizer, meaning the company can apply to give the vaccine to younger children here as in the US. TGA would then assess safety & efficacy before approving.

Horrific. 3 people arrested after 46 bodies were found in the back of a truck outside Sam Antonio in Texas. US authorities giving a live update now, live @SkyNewsAust

Right now in Curtin Celia Hammond trails Kate Chaney by 3350 votes. Just over 11000 received postals are yet to be counted and there could be up to another 6000 yet to arrive back. Libs saying they need a 65/35 split on received postals to even up, a big ask.

AEC figures show that 74,255 Covid affected people voted by phone on Saturday. Will need to wait for final postals to be received to assess how Covid may have impacted total voter turnout.

Celia Hammond yet to concede Curtin.. but Sportsbet is paying out on the seat.

Grim outlook for WA Libs. Swan & Pearce gone as expected but on top of those, Ken Wyatt gone, Ben Morton, Ian Goodenough & Celia Hammond in strife. Andrew Hastie’s margin dramatically reduced. Comes on top of state election wipeout & departures of Bishop, Cormann, Keenan, Porter.

A woman in her 80s died overnight with Covid in WA. The state recorded 7151 new Covid cases with 150 ppl in hospital, 4 people in icu. News conference with McGowan live now @SkyNewsAust

5 free RATs announced for every WA household. West Australians - it’s a simple process - register for you free RATs here: wa.gov.au/government/covid-1…

Bidyadanga is WA’s biggest remote indigenous community, south of Broome. It’s in lockdown with 17 cases recorded so far.

WA has reached a booster rate of more than 60% of those aged above 16. The state now has 2147 active cases with 617 new cases today.

Step up in local cases for WA today - 643 compared with 258 yesterday. Still no clarification as to what numbers we need to move to the next “high caseload” settings.