O75 Public Administration

Vaccine passports risk a two-class country

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-May-21

Business leaders have questioned the merits of the federal government’s proposed ‘vaccine passport’ system for domestic travellers. It would allow fully vaccinated people to travel interstate and return without being subject to COVID-19 restrictions. Restaurant & Catering CEO Wes Lambert says it would be "very cumbersome" and create more red tape; he adds that it might also create two classes of Australians, based on their vaccination status. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian both oppose the scheme. Meanwhile, five new COVID-19 cases have been reported in hotel quarantine nationwide in the last 24 hours.

CORPORATES
RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

50 is the new 60 when defining older worker

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 17-May-21

Seventeen per cent of business leaders now classify people aged 51-55 as ‘older’ workers, compared to just 11 per cent in 2018. This is according to a survey by the Australian Human Resources Institute and the Human Rights Commission; just under 50 per cent of those surveyed stated that they would be reluctant to hire someone over a specific age. Age Discrimination Commissioner Kay Patterson contends that businesses should be looking at the value of "multi-generational workplaces"; she notes the most important thing is the ability to do your job, rather than your chronological age.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Refinery rescue will cost $2.35bn

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-May-21

The federal government’s rescue package for the nation’s oil refineries was designed in consultation with Ampol and Viva Energy. The two companies will receive up to $2bn in direct taxpayer funding over the next decade. The variable payments system means that Ampol and Viva will receive greater taxpayer support during periods when their refineries’ margins are low. The government will also provide $302m for the refineries to shift to higher standards three years ahead of schedule. Australia’s two remaining oil refineries employ more than 1,200 people.

CORPORATES
AMPOL LIMITED – ALD, VIVA ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX VEA

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.

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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.

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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