Government Services Minister Stuart Robert has slapped down Barnaby Joyce for threatening to not download the federal government’s COVID-19 tracking app, saying the former deputy prime minister just doesn’t understand it. A number of federal politicians, including Mr Joyce, have cited privacy concerns about the Covid tracker, which will be available in the next couple of weeks, and helps to …

Australia’s effort to slow the spread of coronavirus is earning praise from the federal Health Minister but it’s coming with a warning that there’s no end in sight to the restrictions that have shuttered swathes of the economy. Greg Hunt lauded Australians for adhering to the Prime Minister’s demand to stay home at Easter, amid fears travel could lead to …

Australia could be “on the cusp” of slowing the infections of coronavirus to the point that the epidemic “dies out”, Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer says. Professor Paul Kelly said the number of people infected by one person with COVID-19 was a key component in understanding how it spreads. “Ideally where you want to be is below one, so less …

Embattled New South Wales cabinet minister Don Harwin has resigned after being fined $1,000 for breaching the ban on non-essential travel due to coronavirus. The NSW Arts Minister was photographed at his Central Coast holiday home, but he argued his travel happened before the strict rules were in place. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said no-one was above the law …

As the Easter weekend approaches, there is a great temptation to hit the road, but authorities have warned drivers to think carefully before grabbing their keys. Conscious of keeping coronavirus under control, police across the country have redoubled their efforts to crack down on non-essential travel. So what is essential? Can you drive to see a partner or a relative? …

Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral has been vandalised, with the words “rapist” and “no justice” graffitied across its doors a day after Cardinal George Pell was acquitted on child sex abuse charges. “Rot in hell, Pell” was also scrawled across the doors of the cathedral at the centre of allegations the cardinal abused two choirboys in the 1990s. The words “the …

As the coronavirus crisis continues, Australia now has more than 5,800 cases of COVID-19 and 46 fatalities. And with the Easter holidays upon us, it’s more important than ever that we continue to practise social distancing. “We’ve seen this amazing community response to the call to social distance and to stay home, and people have really rallied around that call,” …

NSW residents can’t just go for a drive during this period of social distancing, with the state’s top cop saying it’s not a reasonable excuse for being out and about. It comes after a learner driver was slapped with a $1652 fine – later revoked – in Victoria as she drove with her mother in the passenger seat. NSW Police …

Cardinal George Pell will be released from prison after the country’s highest court quashed his child sexual abuse convictions. The decision has been handed down less than a month after the High Court of Australia heard two days of intense legal arguments from the Cardinal’s lawyers and Victorian prosecutors. The full bench’s ruling was handed down by Chief Justice Susan Kiefel …

NSW Police Minister David Elliott has assured domestic violence victims they will still be able to access essential services during the coronavirus outbreak. There has been no recorded increase in domestic violence incidents so far, but authorities have concerns about potential victims being trapped in houses with their alleged abusers. “All the ingredients for a tinderbox situation are there. We’ve seen a …