Australia news live update: Mike Baird called to NSW Icac; Hobart quarantine escapee has Covid; Victoria records 1,571

An industry-wide strike of delivery workers planned for next week may be avoided after one courier company reached an in-principle agreement with staff over conditions and job protection, AAP’S Hannah Ryan reports.

The union hopes other companies will soon follow suit.

Union members from Toll, Linfox, StarTrack, FedEx and BevChain voted last week for a day of national strike action, an escalation after six months of stalled negotiations.

But workers at Toll have now reached an in-principle agreement with their bosses, which will go to union delegates for a vote on Friday. If the agreement is endorsed, they’ll pull out of the planned strike.

The Transport Workers’ Union is pushing for its members to get better job security, with limits on the use of outsourcing.

Contract workers are paid less, which the TWU says makes them more attractive to employers, thereby creating job insecurity for permanent staff.

The union says the Toll deal would mean outside workers are paid the same as employees, outsourcing is limited, and employees get first dibs on work before it’s sent elsewhere.

Case numbers have increased by 36% in regional NSW.

NSW Liberal MP Melanie Gibbons will quit state politics to contest preselection for Craig Kelly’s federal seat.

Prime minister Scott Morrison has been urged to put regional communities at the centre of his plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050, AAP’s Georgia Moore reports.

Morrison was meeting with cabinet colleagues on Wednesday afternoon to thrash out the final details of his “new energy economy” plan, which would set a 2050 target and update the target of cutting emissions to 26 to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030.

A cabinet-approved plan will need to run the gauntlet of a Nationals party room meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon, just ahead of a two-week parliamentary sitting and the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow later in the month.

Speaking before the meeting, cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie demanded the Nationals be “respected as the second party of government” in negotiations where calls for agriculture and resources sector concessions have been a sticking point.

This actual debate isn’t about climate change, it’s about regions. We haven’t supported anything that has been put before this parliament previously because it hasn’t been right for the regions.

Agriculture minister David Littleproud has seen the detail of the plan and indicated the junior coalition partner wouldn’t simply roll over.

Barnaby Joyce won’t be accepting any deal unless the National party room accepts it. No individual will make a determination of that. We are a party room of 21.

Energy minister Angus Taylor maintained the coalition would stick by Australia’s resources sector while talking up rural and regional opportunities for carbon abatement.

You have to make sure that you’re abating (emissions), that you’re carrying them in your soil, that you’re sequestering them under the ground so those industries can continue to have a great future.

The Morrison government has so far only expressed a “preference” for a target of net zero by 2050.

But other countries and business and industry groups have been pressing for a strong commitment from Australia ahead of Cop26.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has committed his party to legislating a net zero by 2050 target and raising the existing 2030 target, which he says has the ability to create jobs while cutting emissions.

He questioned the Liberal-National coalition’s commitment to climate action.

Some 50 Queensland schools will have on-site GPs next year as part of a pilot program to roll out from May.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:

For many young people, getting in to see a GP is often difficult and expensive. We know that one of the greatest barriers for many young people is the difficulty in finding a GP that bulk bills.

The last 18 months have affected us all. Our students, in particular, have had to overcome great challenges throughout the pandemic. This has undoubtedly had an impact on their health and wellbeing.

Victoria’s health authorities are combining Melbourne’s hatred of lockdowns with its love of sport.