2020 in Australia

Incumbents

State and Territory Leaders

Governors and Administrators

Events

January

February

March

Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

  • 13 March – Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces the formation of the National Cabinet, made up of the prime minister, premiers and chief ministers, to manage the impacts of the coronavirus.[17]
  • 15 March – Morrison announces that all travellers arriving in or returning to Australia from overseas must self-isolate for 14 days, mirroring a similar requirement imposed by New Zealand.[18] Cruise ships will also be barred from docking in the country for 30 days.[19][20]
  • 18 March – Scott Morrison announces that all non-essential indoor gatherings of a hundred people or more will be banned. Schools, universities, workplaces and essential services such as retail stores will be exempt from the new measures.[21]
  • 19 March –
    • Premier of Tasmania Peter Gutwein announces that non-essential travellers arriving in Tasmania from must self-isolate for 14 days.[22]
    • Scott Morrison announces that from 20 March all non-residents will be forbidden from entering the country.[23]
  • 21 March – Chief minister of the Northern Territory, Michael Gunner announces the Northern Territory will introduce strict border controls from 4:00pm on 24 March. Anyone arriving from interstate or overseas will have to self-isolate for 14 days.[24]
  • 22 March –
    • South Australia and Western Australia also follow suit of the Northern Territory and Tasmania to close off their borders starting from Tuesday 24 March. Anyone arriving from interstate and overseas will also have to self isolate for 14 days.[25][26]
    • Scott Morrison announces that from midday Monday 23 March all pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and indoor sporting venues across the country will shut down indefinitely in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.[27]
    • The cruise ship Ruby Princess disembarked passengers in Sydney despite several of them, and some crew, showing symptoms of coronavirus. As of 6 April 2020 at least 12 deaths and more than 700 cases of coronavirus in Australia in Australia are now linked to this incident.
  • 23 March –
    • As a result of the indefinite closure of venues within the hospitality, tourism, leisure, fitness and entertainment industries, the Centrelink and myGov websites crashed when too many people simultaneously try to apply online for unemployment benefits. Huge lines of newly unemployed people are seen outside Centrelink offices across the country.[28]
    • The Australian Parliament sits to debate and pass an economic stimulus package to attempt to mitigate the economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, then adjourns until August 2020.[29]
  • 26 March –
    • From midnight further measures and restrictions on social gatherings and certain businesses are put in place. Weddings will be limited to 5 people including the bride, groom and celebrant. Funerals will be limited to 10 people. All food court seating areas are to be closed. Social gatherings of more than 10 people are discouraged as well as house parties with police to enforce these new restrictions. Auctions that require persons to be present are now banned. Open houses within the property market are now banned. Beauty Parlours, tattoo Parlours and other businesses with the health and beauty industry that require close physical contact between individuals and are not deemed essential are now banned. Hairdressers are exempt from these new measures.[30]
    • Queensland follows other states and territories and closes its borders from midnight. Only those who work in essential services are permitted to enter. Exceptions are made for those who commute to work across the state border, such as residents of Tweed Heads.[31]
  • 31 March –
    • From midnight 31 March 2020 new national restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus are put in place through the Public Health Act 2010, via Sect 7 of the Act, where a Ministerial Order was signed by the Minsiter for Health, however, as it is only an order and not law it is up to the states and territories as to whether these are enforceable. The new measures include a two-person limit on public gatherings (excluding members of your own household), the banning of all indoor gatherings in households and the closure of playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor gyms. [32]

April

  • 7 April – The High Court unanimously quashes Cardinal George Pell's convictions and substitutes verdicts of acquittal; the Court's summary of its judgment states that there was "a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted because the evidence did not establish guilt to the requisite standard of proof".[33][34][35][36]
  • 19 April – The Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is working to create a mandatory code of conduct that would require Facebook, Google and other tech giants to pay news outlets when they use its content.[37]
  • 24 April – Perth Airport blocks runways with bulldozers in order to pressure Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd to pay its $16 million debt.[38]

May

  • 1 May – South Hedland stabbing attack
  • 10 May – Jackie Trad resigns as Deputy Premier and Treasurer of Queensland and is replaced by Steven Miles and Cameron Dick, respectively.[39]
  • 19 May – A Queensland man is fined for saving the life of a whale.[40]

June

  • 6 June –
  • 19 June - A large-scale cyber attack against the Australian government is believed to have occurred; Scott Morrison holds a press conference at the Parliament House. [44]

Future and scheduled events

Music, arts and literature

Sport

Future and scheduled events

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

See also

Country overviews

References

  1. "'The number of lives lost will climb': Seven dead, 176 homes destroyed in NSW bushfires". ABC News. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  2. "Victorian Premier declares state of disaster". ABC News. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. Hope, Zach (2 January 2020). "State of disaster: Premier invoked powers for first time amid bushfire crisis". The Age. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  4. (ABC News, 5 January 2019, Eden evacuation ordered as blaze poses imminent risk
  5. "Gutwein premier, Rockliff deputy, after Tasmanian Liberal rivals quit contest". ABC News. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  6. Murphy, Katharine (2020-02-03). "Richard Di Natale resigns as Greens leader and announces he will leave politics". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  7. Karp, Paul (2020-02-04). "Adam Bandt pledges to push for Australian Green New Deal after being elected Greens leader". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  8. General Motors is killing off the Holden brand and pulling out of Australia By Michelle Toh, CNN Business, 17 Feb 2020
  9. Australia's bushfire royal commission to focus on preparing for future emergencies, but not climate change policy By Helen Regan, CNN, 20 Feb 2020
  10. "National Royal Commission into Black Summer bushfires established". Prime Minister of Australia (Press release). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  11. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/24/rightwing-extremism-a-real-and-growing-threat-asio-chief-says-in-annual-assessment
  12. "NT by-election: Ex-AFL star Joel Bowden wins seat of Johnston". news.com.au. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  13. "Australia records first coronavirus death as authorities review Italy travel advice". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. Khadem, Nassim; Pupazzoni, Rachel (3 March 2020). "AAP newswire service closes after 85 years with 500 job losses, blames free online content". ABCNews. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  15. "Coronavirus: Woolworths moves to ration toilet paper as panic buying empties shelves". The Guardian. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
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  34. Pell v The Queen [2020] HCA 12 (7 April 2020)
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  38. "Perth Airport has resorted to blocking Virgin Australia planes with a bulldozer in an attempt to get the airline to pay its debt". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved Apr 26, 2020.
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  40. "Australian man fined for rescuing whale from sea nets". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
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