O75 Public Administration

Players give Open a serve: Stars angry as third flight locked down

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Original article by Alanah Frost, Sharon McGowan, Marc McGowan
Herald Sun – Page: 7 : 18-Jan-21

The number of COVID-19 cases linked to the upcoming Australian Open has increased to four, after a case was detected on a third in-bound charter flight. All passengers on the three flights have been placed in hard quarantine for two weeks; this includes 72 tennis players, who will not be permitted to leave their hotel rooms to undertake training until shortly before the Australian Open begins. Some players have criticised the lockdown rules and alleged that they were changed ‘overnight’, but Tennis Australia contends that the rules were made clear from the outset. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has rejected suggestions that the Australian Open will be cancelled.

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, TENNIS AUSTRALIA

Nearly four in five Australians working from home suffered from burnout last year

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Original article by Matt Johnson
The New Daily – Page: Online : 15-Jan-21

An international study undertaken on behalf of work management app Asana has found that 77 per cent of Australians and New Zealanders experienced burnout while working from home in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. This compares with 71 per cent of respondents globally. The study also found that working from home resulted in more employees putting in longer hours, yet productivity was negatively affected. Jim Stanford from the Centre for Future Work contends that working from home is not sustainable.

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Back to work on Monday: Melbourne’s CBD revival can begin

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Original article by Shannon Deery, John Dagge
Herald Sun – Page: 11 : 15-Jan-21

The Victorian government has advised that 50 per cent of private sector employees will be able to return to working in offices from 18 January, while 25 per cent of public sector workers will be permitted on-site. The government expects to further increase the capacity limits in late February, subject to public health advice. Meanwhile, office staff will no longer be required to wear face masks at work, but employers will have to keep a record of all workers and visitors who attend their premises for more than 15 minutes. Victoria has recorded an eight successive day with no new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases; there are 29 active cases across the state.

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Chaotic presidency doomed to end in disgrace

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Original article by Cameron Stewart
The Australian – Page: 1 & 9 : 15-Jan-21

The US House of Representatives has voted 232-197 to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting insurrection. Ten members of the Republican Party voted in favour of impeachment, and Trump will now face a trial in the Senate. However, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the trial is unlikely to proceed before the inauguration of Joe Biden on 20 January. Trump could be barred from running for president again if he is convicted in the Senate. Meanwhile, a new poll shows that Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 34 per cent, while a record 63 per cent of voters now disapprove of his performance.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES)

Mining camps for overseas travellers

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Original article by Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 5 : 15-Jan-21

The Queensland government has confirmed a proposal to house returning international travellers in remote mining camps due to growing concern about the high-contagious UK variant of COVID-19. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says this is a "rational option" given that the new variant is up to 70 per cent more infectious than the original strain. Palaszczuk intends to put the proposal to the upcoming meeting of the national cabinet on 22 January. Queensland has recorded four new cases of COVID-19 among people in hotel quarantine, and there are 27 active cases statewide.

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QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Qld ready to impose short lockdowns

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Original article by Tom Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 12-Jan-21

The Queensland government’s three-day lockdown of Greater Brisbane ended at 6pm on 11 January, after the state recorded a third consecutive day with no new cases of community transmission of COVID-19. However, four new cases in hotel quarantine have been confirmed; the partner of a quarantine hotel cleaner who contracted the highly-contagious UK variant has also been diagnosed with this strain of COVID-19. The government will maintain some coronavirus restrictions across Brisbane until at least 22 January, while Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has not ruled out further snap lockdowns if they are deemed necessary.

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QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

You need a permit to go home, Victorians told

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 4 : 12-Jan-21

Victoria’s Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien has criticised the state government’s new travel permit system for people who are returning from interstate, describing it as an ‘overreach’. He contends that the system will require Victorians to apply for permission from the government to enter the state even if they have been in a region that has never had a COVID-19 case. Failure to comply with the permit system will attract a fine of nearly $5,000. The government has also launched a ‘traffic light’ advisory system for people intending to travel interstate. Victoria has recorded five consecutive days with no new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases.

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No-go zones: a nation divided

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Original article by Patrick Commins, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 12-Jan-21

Business leaders have criticised Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan after he acknowledged that the state is pursuing an elimination strategy for COVID-19. This is at odds with the national cabinet, which adopted a suppression strategy in 2020. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says an elimination strategy will merely "kill investment and job creation", while Council of Small Business Organisations CEO Peter Strong has warned that an elimination strategy would destroy the economic recovery. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian contends that the total elimination of COVID-19 is impossible while Australians continue to return from overseas, adding that the goal should be zero community transmission.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

WA flags battle over GST split

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 12-Jan-21

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan says other states and the federal government must not seek to change the existing arrangement for distributing goods and services tax revenue. WA’s share of GST revenue is currently $0.70 in the dollar, having fallen to a low of about $0.30 in the dollar during the last mining boom. New South Wales in particular has criticised the GST equalisation deal, but McGowan argues that NSW now receives more than $0.90 in the dollar from GST revenue. He has also urged the federal government to resolve the ongoing trade tensions with China.

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Coronavirus restrictions tipped to stay in Australia until mid-2022

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Original article by Josh Butler
The New Daily – Page: Online : 11-Jan-21

Infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon has warned that Australians should expect to be subject to COVID-19 restrictions until at least the end of 2021. He adds that restrictions could potentially be in place for up to two years if governments adopt an elimination strategy. He also says that further restrictions may be necessary during the coming winter months, as the coronavirus spread more and survives for longer in colder weather. There is also uncertainty about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines that the federal government has committed to buying.

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