O75 Public Administration

Victoria blasts Scott Morrison for double standard on Sydney COVID support

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Original article by Josh Butler
The New Daily – Page: Online : 14-Jul-21

The Victorian government has criticised its federal counterpart over the COVID-19 financial support package for New South Wales. A state government spokesman says Victoria had to "beg" for financial support during its recent outbreak of the Delta variant. A spokesman for Prime Minister Scott Morrison says both states received the same level of financial support during the first two weeks of their respective lockdowns, and Victoria would get the same support if it were forced into another lockdown of more than two weeks. Meanwhile, the ACTU and the federal Opposition contend that the support package is insufficient.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

NSW preparing for another four weeks of lockdown

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Original article by Alexandra Smith, Lucy Cormack
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 13-Jul-21

New South Wales has reported 89 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, including at least 21 who were active in the community while they were infectious. The federal and NSW governments have responded to the growing outbreak in Greater Sydney by agreeing to provide a combined $5.1bn in COVID-19 disaster payments for businesses and individuals who have been affected by the lockdown. The funding commitment is based on expectations that the lockdown will be extended by at least four weeks. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it is in the national interest to increase the financial support, given the severity of the Sydney outbreak, while Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the package will encourage compliance with lockdown rules.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Don’t trust Labor to cut high-income tax: Treasurer

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 14-Jul-21

Labor leader Anthony Albanese says the party will decide its stance on the stage-three income tax cuts at "an appropriate time". He adds that the COVID-19 pandemic is Labor’s top priority at present. Labor is expected to formally commit to retaining the legislated tax cuts if it wins the next federal election, after the issue was discussed by the party’s leadership group in recent days. However, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says Labor has consistently opposed the Coalition’s tax policy and it cannot be trusted to honour any commitment regarding the stage-three tax cuts.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 2.2pts to 110.0 after Government increases support to those in lockdown in NSW

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jul-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 2.2pts to 110.0 on July 10/11, after the Federal Government announced an increase in support to those impacted by the lockdown in Sydney. Consumer Confidence is now sitting just below the 2021 weekly average of 111.2; however, it remains 18.4 points higher than the same week a year ago (91.6). Now 27% (unchanged) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 27% (also unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 39% (up 2ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 14% (down 1 ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 17% (up 1 ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 18% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 43% (up 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 24% (unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

PM opens the Pfizer floodgates

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan, Yoni Bashan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 9-Jul-21

The federal government has secured a deal with Pfizer to receive about one million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine per week from 19 July. This will significantly boost the vaccination rollout program, given that Australia received an average of 300,000 to 350,000 doses of the Pfizer jab each week during May and June. The vaccination program will also be ramped up in Sydney to combat the harbour city’s growing COVID-19 outbreak; an additional 150,000 doses of both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines will be made available, with a focus on vulnerable people in suburbs that have a high case load. The state government has not ruled out a further extension of the Greater Sydney lockdown.

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PFIZER INCORPORATED, ASTRAZENECA PLC

NSW considers letting Delta variant circulate in the community

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Original article by Alexandra Smith, Lucy Carroll, Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 9-Jul-21

New South Wales has recorded 38 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, which is the highest daily total in more than 14 months. Eleven of these people were active in the community for the entire time they were infectious, while nine had only partially self-isolated. Some 21 of the new cases are located in south-west Sydney, prompting police to launch a crackdown in the region to enforce the stay-at-home order. Several senior government ministers have suggested that the state will soon need to decide whether to continue to pursue an elimination strategy via lockdowns or simply accept that the coronavirus is going to circulate within the community.

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Movement plunged in the Sydney CBD, Brisbane CBD and Perth CBD as all three were placed into lockdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Jul-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the CBDs of Sydney, Brisbane and Perth plunged over the last week as all three were placed into lockdown to deal with the latest COVID-19 outbreaks in each city. The average 7-day movement level in the Sydney CBD last week was at its lowest since the pandemic began more than a year ago, at only 11% of pre-COVID-19 averages. This is a drop of 48% points since movement levels reached a 2021 high of 59% of pre-pandemic averages during the Easter holidays in early April. There were also record low movement levels last week in both the Brisbane CBD, at only 23% of pre-pandemic averages, and Perth CBD at only 25%. The movement levels in Australia’s 3rd and 4th largest cities dropped rapidly after the respective Premiers announced snap lockdowns just over a week ago. Meanwhile, the average movement levels in the Melbourne CBD have increased by 10% points to 22% of pre-pandemic averages since the recent lockdown of the city, with mandatory mask-wearing in offices and factories only ending this week. Despite this increase, movement levels in the Melbourne CBD remain slightly below the averages in both the Brisbane and Perth CBDs. Unsurprisingly movement levels are highest in the only two State Capital Cities to avoid recent lockdowns, at 45% of pre-pandemic levels in the Adelaide CBD and at 40% in the Hobart CBD last week. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Unemployment and under-employment soar in Queensland during the pandemic but are relatively unchanged in NSW & Victoria

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Jul-21

A special analysis of Roy Morgan’s latest unemployment estimates by State during the June 2021 quarter compared to the December 2019 quarter (prior to the pandemic), shows significant changes in two States. Queensland appears as the big ‘loser’ of the COVID-19 pandemic so far; total unemployment and under-employment is now at 23.5% of the workforce, an increase of 6.6% points since the December 2019 quarter – and now clearly higher than any other State. In contrast, South Australia has handled the pandemic better than any other state on the employment front, with total unemployment and under-employment now at 17.4% of the workforce and below the national average – a decline of 6.5% points on the December 2019 quarter. South Australia has had fewer days in lockdown of any State and is the only mainland State not to experience a lockdown so far during 2021. However, despite spending more time in lockdown than the other States, the lowest unemployment and under-employment is again to be found in the two largest States. New South Wales had the lowest unemployment and under-employment of any State at 16.5% of the workforce in the June 2021quarter, an increase of 1.3% points, while Victoria was second at 17.1% (up 0.1% points). down 0.4% points on late 2019.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 4.4pts to 107.8 after multiple major Australian cities placed into lockdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Jul-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 4.4pts to 107.8 on July 3/4, after multiple Australian cities were concurrently placed under lockdown. Consumer Confidence plunged in Sydney (down 10pts) and Brisbane (down 8.7pts) and is now sitting below the 2021 weekly average of 111.2; however, it remains 15.7 points higher than the same week a year ago (92.1). Now 27% (down 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 27% (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 37% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 15% (up 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 16% (down 3ppts) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 19% (up 4ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 41% (down 4ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 24% (unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Sydney’s lockdown extended by a week

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Original article by Alexandra Smith, Lucy Cormack, Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 7-Jul-21

The New South Wales government is set to announce that the COVID-19 lockdown in Greater Sydney will be extended until at least 16 July, following a crisis cabinet meeting. Restrictions had been slated to be eased on 9 July, but the state has recorded 18 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours; just 11 of these cases were self-isolating for the entire period they were infectious. The new cases include the sixth resident of an aged-care facility, who had been fully vaccinated; four workers at the facility have also tested positive. Meanwhile, Sydney students will return to remote learning when the school holidays end on 13 July, although schools in regional areas will re-open.

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