Author: roymorgansocial

Low blow: Andrews’ Covid goal too hard

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Original article by Stephen Lunn, Jamie Walker
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 8-Sep-20

World Health Organisation adviser Professor Dale Fisher has questioned the COVID-19 case number targets in the Victorian government’s ‘roadmap’ for easing lockdown restrictions. He says the trigger of having fewer than five new cases per day over two weeks before most of the restrictions are eased may be too low, and a higher daily target may be appropriate. Infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon says the state government has clearly adopted a strategy of elimination rather than suppression, even though it has not admitted this. Victoria recorded just 41 new coronavirus cases on 7 September, its lowest daily total in more than 10 weeks. The state’s death toll from COVID-19 rose by nine to 675, lifting the national toll to 762.

CORPORATES
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

No conflict for journalists as spooks

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 8-Sep-20

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James says journalists who provide information to their own country’s intelligence service should not be viewed as spies. James was commenting on a report that former ABC foreign correspondent Peter Barnett may have assisted Australian intelligence services in the 1960s and 1970s. Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance president Marcus Strom contends that providing information to an intelligence agency would be viewed as a conflict of interest for a journalist that would have to be declared under their code of ethics.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA DEFENCE ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE

Stimulus sparks 15pc surge in company profits

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 1-Sep-20

Government stimulus measures such as the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme contributed to a sharp rise in gross operating profits in the corporate sector during the June quarter. Seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that operating profits rose by 15 per cent overall. However, sectors whose sales have been hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic recorded much bigger growth in profits; these include hospitality (86 per cent higher than the March quarter), arts and recreation (up 84 per cent) and retailing (up 31 per cent). Economists had expected a six per cent fall in profits.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Beijing’s bully diplomacy mushrooming

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Sep-20

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has identified 152 examples of non-military coercion by the Chinese Communist Party in the last 10 years, of which 17 were directed at Australia. The ASPI found that state-issued threats were the most common form of coercion, with trade and tourism restrictions being the second most common. The ASPI notes that the federal government’s call in April for an investigation into the origins and handling of COVID-19 was the ‘trigger’ for a number of coercive actions by the CCP, including a state-based threat of economic retaliation by Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye, and trade restrictions on barley and beef.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA)

Claimants face tough hurdles in virus class action

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 1-Sep-20

Law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is leading a class action against the Victorian government on behalf of businesses that have been affected by the state’s new coronavirus lockdown. The lawsuit will allege that the government was negligent in its handling of the hotel quarantine program. Evidence from the inquiry into the botched program will be crucial in the class action, as will the results of genomic sequencing to trace the initial source of the second wave of infections. However, prominent lawyer Julian Burnside warns that establishing causation may be difficult.

CORPORATES
QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART AND SULLIVAN LP

AGL buys Amaysim energy unit

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 18 : 1-Sep-20

AGL Energy’s customer base will increase by 215,000 to 4.2 million following a deal to buy Click Energy from listed telco Amaysim. The $115m deal will be financed via AGL’s existing debt facilities. Amaysim CEO Peter O’Connell says trading conditions in the electricity sector are challenging at present, with a further increase in bad debts likely. Meanwhile, Amaysim has posted a 2019-20 underlying profit of $600,000; this follows a $7.1m loss previously.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX AYS, CLICK ENERGY

Andrews sets date to reveal his post-shutdown plans for Victoria

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 1-Sep-20

Premier Daniel Andrews will outline a ‘roadmap’ for easing Victoria’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions on 6 September. However, he says another week of daily case numbers will be needed before any decisions are made about which restrictions can be relaxed from 13 September. Victoria reported 73 new coronavirus cases on 31 August, the lowest daily total in eight weeks. The state has reported an additional 41 deaths from the respiratory illness; 33 of these deaths occurred in aged-care facilities in recent weeks but had not previously been reported to health authorities. Victoria’s death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 565, and the national toll is now 652.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Australian TV presenter Cheng Lei detained in China

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The New Daily – Page: Online : 1-Sep-20

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has confirmed that Australian television journalist Cheng Lei has been detained by Chinese authorities. Payne says official notification of Cheng’s detention was received on 14 August, and that Australian officials spoke to her via video link at a detention centre on 27 August. The Australian citizen works for Chinese state-run broadcaster CGTN. The reason for her detention and the charges she faces are not yet known.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, CGTN

Working at home becomes flexible

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Sep-20

Fair Work Commission president Iain Ross says the growth in telecommuting has been one of the most significant changes to working arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic. He notes that the majority of modern industrial awards do not expressly include provision for working from home. Ross has released a model flexibility schedule that could potentially be inserted in some awards. Amongst other things, employees would be able to ask to work the same hours over fewer days, ‘buy’ additional leave or take twice as much leave at half-pay. Meanwhile, casual workers would be able to request flexible working arrangements after six months of ‘regular and systematic’ employment.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Cbus silent on coal in new carbon reduction policy

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Original article by James Fernyhough
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 1-Sep-20

Industry superannuation fund Cbus is seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of its investments by 45 per cent by 2030, while aiming for a net zero emissions investment portfolio by 2050. Fellow industry funds HESTA and First State have been explicit about their intention to divest thermal coal assets, but Cbus has declined to follow their example. Cbus has links to the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union, which has members working in the coal industry. Cbus’s chief investment officer Kristian Fok says its decision not to specifically divest coal assets was in part based on insight gained from members working in the coal sector.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, HEALTH EMPLOYEES’ SUPERANNUATION TRUST AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FIRST STATE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA