O75 Public Administration

Spending holds up despite outbreaks

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Jan-21

Spending by ANZ cardholders increased by 6 per cent in December over November, with spending by Victorian cardholders up nearly five per cent and spending in New South Wales up two per cent. Spending by South Australian cardholders rose by 16 per cent, while Queensland spending was up 10 per cent. Spending on entertainment was up almost 25 per cent, while spending on accommodation was up 20 per cent.

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AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Donald Trump supporters clash with police, sending US Capitol into lockdown as Congress counts votes

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Original article by Peter Marsh
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 7-Jan-21

The US Capitol has been placed into lockdown after a rally by President Donald Trump prompted his supporters to storm it. Congress was in the process of counting the Electoral College votes to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential victory, while Vice President Mike Pence had earlier defied Trump’s push to have the election result overturned. Trump has tweeted for his supporters to "stay peaceful", while there are reports that guns have been drawn inside the House of Representatives.

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PM rejects election drive as Labor clears deck for early poll

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Original article by Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Jan-21

A recent newspaper article has claimed that most Coalition MPs are expecting a federal election to be held between August and November. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on 5 January that his view on the government going full term had not changed, with Morrison noting the election is not due until 2022. He said he had enough to do in 2021 in dealing with the pandemic and helping the economy to recover to think about an election. Having recently shelved former leader Bill Shorten’s controversial franking credit policies, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has arguably put Labor on an "early election footing"

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Julian Assange’s lawyers fear offer to return to Australia would result in extradition

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 6-Jan-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could return to Australia if a US appeal against a UK judge’s decision not to extradite him to the US fails. However, lawyers for Assange claim the US could simply seek to have him extradited from Australia if he chose to return to the country of his birth, and they have called on Australia to ask the US to drop its case against him entirely. Were Assange to be extradited to the US at some point, he would be facing charges that carry a maximum penalty of up to 175 years in prison.

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WIKILEAKS

In NSW thousands in isolation as cluster threatens regions

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Original article by Kieran Gair
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Jan-21

New South Wales recorded four new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on 5 January, while an additional case will be added to the total for 6 January. The additional case is a young man who travelled some thousands of kilometres in rural NSW while unknowingly infectious, visiting towns such as Orange and Broken Hill. Shoppers who attended the Berala Woolworths between 20 December and 31 December have been urged to get tested and self-isolate until they get the result, while people from ‘hotspot’ suburbs linked to the Berala cluster will be fined $1,000 if they try to attend the Test at the SCG.

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PM powerless on border closures, defends slow rollout

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 6-Jan-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he hopes lower numbers of COVID-19 cases in Sydney in recent days could see border restrictions between Victoria and New South Wales "eased as soon as possible". However, he has conceded he does not have the power to stop premiers and chief ministers closing their borders for health reasons. Morrison rejected criticisms that the federal government was taking too long to rollout a COVID-19 vaccine, saying that the Therapeutic Goods Administration needs to rigorously examine vaccine testing data, while vaccine batches in Australia will also need further testing.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

British court blocks Assange extradition to US

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Original article by Jacquelin Magnay
The Australian – Page: 1 : 5-Jan-21

Westminster District Court judge Vanessa Baraitser has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the US to face espionage charges. Baraitser stated jail conditions for Assange in the US could be so bad that he might seek to take his own life. The charges on which the US is seeking to extradite Assange could see him face a maximum jail term of 175 years if convicted, while US prosecutors immediately filed an appeal to Baraitser’s ruling with a higher court. Assange was returned to prison until 7 January, when an application for bail and costs will be heard.

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WIKILEAKS

Wuhan biological weapons lab leaked the virus

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Original article by Didi Tang
The Australian – Page: Online : 5-Jan-21

US Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger claims there is strong evidence that the coronavirus was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology rather than developing in a Wuhan livestock ‘wet market’. The Institute is located 17 kilometres from the Wuhan market, with Wuhan reporting the first COVID-19 cases in December. Pottinger was speaking on the eve of a visit by World Health Organisation experts to China to investigate the source of the coronavirus, although some claim the investigation will be a "whitewash". A majority of scientists are of the view that coronavirus originated in nature.

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Deliveroo safety reps elected in milestone

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 5-Jan-21

Riders from food delivery company Deliveroo in Sydney recently elected seven health and safety representatives (HSRs) from among their ranks. It represents the first election of HSRs in the Australian gig economy, with the HSRs having various powers, such as being able to issue emergency stop work directions, while Deliveroo will pay them for their time when they are involved in tackling safety issues. The Transport Workers’ Union has described the election of the seven HSRs as a milestone for the gig economy, while Deliveroo has urged riders with any safety concerns to contact their HSR.

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DELIVEROO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Office staff get to keep pandemic flex time

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 24-Dec-20

The Fair Work Commission has extended flexible working arrangements for employees who are covered by the clerks award until the end of June 2021. The ordinary hours of work for clerical employees while telecommuting were extended beyond traditional working hours earlier in 2020, in response to the coronavirus. The FWC has also introduced additional flexibilities with regard to the hours of work for clerical staff while working from home.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION