O75 Public Administration

Call for medevac-style repatriation flights for Australians with Covid from India

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Original article by Calla Wahlquist
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 17-May-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended the federal government’s policy on repatriating Australian citizens and permanent residents in India. The first repatriation flight arrived in Darwin on 15 May, with just 80 returned travellers aboard; they are now at the Howard Springs quarantine facility. Another 42 people who tested positive for COVID-19 and 30 close contacts were barred from the flight. Morrison says it does not make sense to import COVID-19 into Australia by allowing people who have tested positive to board repatriation flights. However, epidemiologist Catherine Bennett contends that vulnerable Australians abroad who have the coronavirus should be treated as medical evacuees rather than returned travellers. Some of the people who were barred from the flight have since tested negative.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Federal public service boom

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Original article by John Rolfe
Herald Sun – Page: 8 : 13-May-21

The May 2021 Budget papers show that the ranks of the federal public service will swell to 174,300 in 2021-22, with almost 5,400 new staff to be recruited during the coming financial year. Government agencies that are taking on additional staff include the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and the Productivity Commission. Public servant numbers peaked at 182,500 under the former Labor government, and the Coalition had reduced this to 165,600 by 2015-16. The public service’s operating expenses will rise from $76bn in 2020-21 to $78.1bn.

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Battle over high-income tax cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-May-21

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has defended the decision to extend the low and middle income tax offset for another year in the May 2021 Budget. He argues that the tax offset will support aggregate demand and job creation, while he has not ruled out extending it again if circumstances warrant such a move. However, Frydenberg contends that the tax offset was never intended to be permanent and must end before the legislated stage-three income tax cuts take effect in 2024. Labor has not yet committed to supporting the tax cuts, which will benefit people on high incomes in particular.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Revolving door – Thousands cleared to jet in and out of Australia multiple times during pandemic

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Original article by Tom Minear, Miles Proust
Herald Sun – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-May-21

The Budget papers show that the federal government does not expect the majority of Australians to be able to travel overseas until at least mid-2022. However, Australian Border Force data shows that 134,758 citizens and permanent residents have received exemptions to travel overseas since the pandemic began. This includes 37,456 people who received a travel exemption on compassionate or humanitarian grounds, while 13,762 were allowed to leave Australia and return on multiple occasions. An ABF spokeswoman says the latter includes Australian Defence Force members and airline staff. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says the federal government will review the exemptions process.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS

Nursing home reforms set to raise standards

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 13-May-21

Changes announced in the May 2021 Budget will shift aged-care funding out of the hands of providers and give older Australians greater choice of nursing homes. Aged-care experts contend that this will increase competition in the sector and force poorly-performing aged-care facilities to lift their standards. Aged-care homes will also be required to provide each resident with a minimum of 200 minutes of care each day from October 2023. However, unions contend that the sector will continue to face staff shortages unless the government takes action to increase the wages of aged-care workers.

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AAA rating likely to be downgraded

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 13-May-21

S&P Global Ratings placed Australia’s triple-A credit rating on negative outlook in April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commonwealth Bank has warned that Australia could potentially be downgraded to AA+ when S&P undertakes its annual review of the nation’s credit rating in September. Fixed income strategists Philip Brown and Martin Whetton attribute this to Australia’s rapidly growing net debt. However, ratings agencies are generally positive about Budget measures aimed at further stimulating the economy.

CORPORATES
S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Pfizer warns that a Covid vaccine patent waiver could harm supply and safety

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-May-21

Australia is continuing to resist a global push to waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer has used its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into vaccine fraud to argue that rather than increasing global supply of vaccines, a waiver may in fact make it more difficult to manufacture vaccines due to increased competition for raw materials. Pfizer has also highlighted the increased risk of Australians being offered counterfeit vaccines by scammers. Meanwhile, Moderna has advised that the federal government has agreed to buy 25 million doses of its mRNA-based vaccine, including 10 million doses in 2021. It is also holding talks about manufacturing the two-dose vaccine in Australia.

CORPORATES
PFIZER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PFIZER INCORPORATED, MODERNA INCORPORATED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 1.6pts to 112.4 as Greater Perth enters three-day lockdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Apr-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.6pts to 112.4 on April 24/25. Despite the fall, Consumer Confidence is still above the 2021 weekly average of 111.0 and 27.4pts higher than the same week a year ago (85.0). Now 28% (up 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 26% (up 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 37% (down 2ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 13% (unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 21% (down 2ppts) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 15% (unchanged) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 44% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 23% (down 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since March 1, 2020).

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

JobKeeper aid helped prevent 500 suicides

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 28-Apr-21

Ian Hickie, the joint director of Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Centre, says the best thing the federal government can do to reduce mental health stress and preventable suicide is to maintain economic and jobs growth. The centre’s latest modelling suggests that COVID-19 support measures such as the JobKeeper wage subsidy will prevent 469 suicide deaths and 4,226 hospitalisations for self- harm between 2020 and 2025. It is also likely to avert more than 51,000 mental health presentations at hospitals’ emergency departments over the same period.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. BRAIN AND MIND RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Australia examines modern slavery laws amid concerns over products linked to Uyghur abuse

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 28-Apr-21

Australian Border Force official Vanessa Holben says the federal government will review the Modern Slavery Act in 2022. The legislation has been criticised over its lack of financial penalties for companies that fail to deal with the use of slave labour in their supply chains. Holben says the government is "deeply concerned" about reports of human rights abuses against the Uyghur people in China’s Xinjiang region. Independent senator Rex Patrick has proposed legislation to ban imports from Xinjiang and other parts of China that are produced by using forced labour. The bill is being scrutinised by a Senate committee.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE