Federal Government backs down from charging coronavirus evacuees from China | ABC News

Australians evacuated from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China will no longer be charged $1,000, with the Treasurer blaming "incorrect advice" from bureaucrats for the mix-up. Josh Frydenberg said the Government would not be seeking to recover the cost of the Qantas flights from China to Christmas Island, contradicting statements given by senior ministers and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) in recent days. "They're not going to be charged," he told the ABC's Insiders program. Read more here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-02/government-blames-dfat-for-coronavirus-charge-mix-up/11921846 For more from ABC News, click here: https://ab.co/2kxYCZY You can watch more ABC News content on iview: https://ab.co/2mge4KH Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://ab.co/1svxLVE Go deeper on our ABC News In-depth channel: https://ab.co/2lNeBn2 You can also like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/abcnews.au Or follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/abcnews_au Or even on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abcnews