Morning mail: cost of Cormann OECD tilt revealed, third Covid vaccine, Destiny Deacon’s art

Good morning, this is Tamara Howie bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Tuesday 24 November.
Top stories
Mathias Cormanns travel around Europe to campaign for the top OECD job may be costing Australian taxpayers as much as $4,300 an hour. The Morrison government is supporting the former finance minister, who quit the Senate this month, in his bid for the job with the use of an RAAF Falcon. Records from the final six months of 2019 indicate flying the plane comes at a cost of $4,305 a flying hour, which suggests a return trip between Australia and Europe could cost more than $100,000.
A third Covid vaccine candidate has produced up to 90% efficacy results at a fraction of the cost of those previously announced. The vaccine, developed in the UK by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, is also fridge-stable and easy to transport, unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that require ultra cold storage. It is also substantially cheaper, at about $3 a dose instead of more than $20. It will be sold to developing nations at cost price in perpetuity. These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives, said Prof Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group. Prof Sarah Gilbert from the University of Oxford said: The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [Covid-19].
Australias use of handcuffs to transfer mentally ill asylum seekers to medical appointments is unlawful, inhumane, traumatising and illegally restricts access to healthcare, a landmark new case alleges. I fled to Australia to seek protection but detention is a new nightmare when I got here, says Yasir, the asylum seeker at the centre of the test case. Being constantly handcuffed here is doing more and more damage to my mind. The practice has already faced criticism from both the Australian Human Rights Commission and the commonwealth ombudsman, who have warned force and mechanical restraints are being used indiscriminately, in a manner disproportionate to the risk, and as a first resort rather than last.
Australia
Another food delivery worker has died in Sydney, in what is the fifth death among food delivery workers across Australia in the past two months. The death comes two days after another food delivery rider, Bijoy Paul, was killed in Sydney on Saturday. On average, one food delivery rider has died in Australia every 11 days since 27 September. The death puts the focus on safety for riders, as well as poor pay and conditions, and the lack of compensation for families.
The South Australian community has formed a grassroots campaign to challenge a Coalition incumbent. The movement to find independent challengers to Coalition MPs has spread beyond NSW and Victoria into SA, with Voices of Boothby emerging in the marginal Adelaide seat held by Nicolle Flint.
The ABC chair, Ita Buttrose, labelled an escalating campaign targeting the public broadcaster that claims it runs agendas and campaigns against free enterprise as malicious garbage.Buttrose dismisses detractors while saying federal police raids on the ABC headquarters were clearly designed to intimidate, in a speech published on Monday.
The Pizza Bar worker at the centre of controversy over South Australias lockdown is unaware of the growing public focus on him as he remains in hotel quarantine without his devices. The Spanish nationals devices were seized by SA police as they continue to investigate his failure to disclose information about working at the Woodville Pizza Bar to contact tracers.
The world
More than 100 Republican national security experts urge Trump to concede, saying his refusal to do so is a serious threat to Americas democratic process and to our national security. The calls come as Joe Biden has unveiled several key appointments to his national security and foreign policy team. But the nominees will have to be approved by the Senate, control of which will be determined by the two January runoff races in Georgia.
Nicolas Sarkozy has become Frances first former president to appear in the dock as he went on trial accused of corruption and influence peddling. The hearing was adjourned until Thursday after one of Sarkozys two co-defendants requested it to be postponed because of coronavirus.
The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, flew to Saudi Arabia in an unannounced trip to meet with Mohammed bin Salman and the USs Mike Pompeo. The Sunday night visit would mark the first reported meeting between leaders of the longtime foes.
A French man has been fined by police for breaching the nations Covid lockdown to smash a guys face in. The man had reportedly correctly filled in the legally required declaration but instead of ticking a legitimate reason like shopping or visiting the doctor the man had written his more honest intentions.
Recommended reads
Everyone thinks that Gods a white man but actually its a black woman, says the Indigenous artist Destiny Deacon, who descends from Kuku (Cape York) and Erub/Mer (Torres Strait) people. A retrospective showcasing three decades of Deacons work is on at the National Gallery of Victoria. The artist took Guardian Australias Stephanie Convery through the exhibition and shared her thoughts on humour in art, racism, Koori kitsch and why dolls are better than people. Im a political person, Deacon says. Most artists are. We have to be political, especially Indigenous artists. The politics in Deacons work arrive hand-in-hand with a dark comedy. Im glad people find it funny. I get people saying, Oh thats not art, but I am a funny person, I am a bloody comedian, really. Im hilarious. If you watch those videos, youll see the comedy.
My belly is laughing when I try some curry. Even the smell makes me happy, says Nigethan Nige Sithirasegaram, who learned to cook in immigration detention. Now hes teaching Australians his recipes through a new national meal-kit service, Free to Feed, which shares the stories and cuisines from chefs of refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. While in detention at Villawood and Mita, Nige was permitted one supervised grocery shop a week and would call his wife and ask her to teach him the recipes she used to cook back home. I would think about my wifes food, my mums food, he says. Every day, I would cook and cook and cook, and keep learning. That would make me happy.
The latest employment figures were a pleasant surprise but we have a long way to go,writes Greg Jericho. The latest labour force figures were that weird occurrence of the unemployment rising being met with applause. And yet while the jobs growth in October was much better than expected, nothing in the figures suggest the recovery is close to completed.
Listen
Black and Latino voters overwhelmingly favoured the Democrats in the 2020 US election and without their huge margins in key states Joe Biden could not have won. By 2045 white voters will be in the minority and these changing demographics are a concern for the Republican party. Gary Younge looks at the history of US voting rights and what the changing demographics of the country mean for Republicans.
Full Story is Guardian Australias daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
After placing third at the final race of the UCI Track World Championships in early March, Stephanie Morton told the press: It is slowly coming together. For the sprinter, the prospect of Tokyo triumph was particularly enticing. But last week, Morton announced her retirement. The 29-year-olds premature exit is yet another Covid-induced blow for the Australian Olympic program.
Media roundup
Private schools are freezing tuition fees in 2021 and many will continue to provide relief to families impacted by the pandemic, the Australian reports. South Australians will be able to order booze with their takeaway meals, under proposed new Uber-style delivery laws, says the Advertiser. And the Daily Telegraph reports that Sydney locals are outraged the iconic Freshwater Class ferry could be retired from service in place of smaller, faster ferries from Circular Quay to Manly, with claims the smaller boats wont handle large swell across Sydney Harbours heads.
Coming up
Victoria will release its state budget with billions to be borrowed and spent in an effort to power its economy out of pandemic recession.
Queenslands 57th parliament with officially open with the returning Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuks new-look cabinet taking the reins.
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