O75 Public Administration

Roy Morgan Business Confidence down 2.7pts to 120.5 in January – Majority of businesses expect good times for the next 12 months

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

In January 2021, Roy Morgan Business Confidence was down 2.7pts (-2.2%) to 120.5 – the first decline in the index since August 2020, after four straight months of gains. Despite the fall Business Confidence is now 7.1pts above the long-term average of 113.4, and 18.9pts higher than it was a year ago (101.6). A clear majority of 61.7% of businesses expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, and 52.9% of businesses said the next 12 months is a ‘good time to invest in growing the business’. On a State-based level Business Confidence is higher in all States than a year ago and significantly higher in NSW, Victoria, WA and SA – up by at least 15% in all four States compared to January 2020. Business Confidence is now highest in Western Australia at 140.6 in January and has increased by 27.6pts (+24.5%) from a year ago. Victoria is also in a far better position than a year ago according to the State’s businesses, with Business Confidence up 25.1pts (+25.5%) to 123.7. In 2021 Business Confidence in both New South Wales, up 18.8pts (+18.7%) to 118.9 and South Australia, up 26.7pts (+29%) to 118.7 is starting the year in a much stronger position than 2020.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Work Aussies won’t do: market mismatches

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Feb-21

The federal government has convened an inquiry into Australia’s skilled migrant program, to be headed by the Liberal Party’s Julian Leeser. One aspect of the program it will look at is whether any adjustments are needed in the light of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of work. The inquiry comes as employers say they are struggling to find Australians who are willing to do certain jobs; it has been suggested that visas for overseas workers should be rolled over so that they do not have to return to their own country when their visa expires. Welfare programs such as JobKeeper and JobSeeker are also seen as a constraint on employment by some employers.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Fair Work president resists Porter IR plan

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 8-Feb-21

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has rejected criticism of the federal government’s proposal for the Fair Work Commission to approve enterprise agreements within 21 days. FWC president Iain Ross has argued that this requirement is unnecessary and could result in unintended consequences, such as giving approval to workplace agreements that are subsequently found to contain technical or substantive defects. Justice Ross also warns that more applications for enterprise agreements may be withdrawn or rejected under the proposed reforms. The Senate will begin an inquiry into the omnibus industrial relations bill on 8 February.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Unemployment down to 11.7% in January – lowest since March 2020, but under-employment increases again

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Feb-21

The latest Roy Morgan employment series data shows that 1.68 million Australians (11.7% of the workforce) were unemployed in January 2021 (down 44,000 on December). In addition, 1.44 million Australians (10.0% of the workforce) were under-employed – working part-time but looking for more work. This was an increase of 81,000 on a month ago and an increase of 154,000 over the last two months. Meanwhile, some 12,675,000 Australians were employed in January (up 26,000 from December). The rise in employment was driven by an increase in full-time employment, up 46,000 to 8,197,000; part-time employment was down 20,000 to 4,478,000. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 11.7% for January is over 5% points higher than the current ABS estimate for December 2020 of 6.6%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Vaccination certificates needed for travel, work and play

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Original article by Josh Butler
The New Daily – Page: Online : 8-Feb-21

The federal government has revealed plans to issue digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates via the MyGov website and the Medicare app, while a hardcopy certificate of vaccination will be available from Services Australia. Government Services Minister Stuart Robert has indicated that proof of vaccination is likely to be required to travel overseas, while international visitors will also need proof that they have been vaccinated in order to enter Australia. He adds that the states and territories may also require proof of vaccination in some circumstances, such as to access some workplaces.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Released traveller tests positive for coronavirus in NSW

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Original article by Nicholas Jensen
The Australian – Page: 5 : 8-Feb-21

New South Wales health officials have advised that a returned traveller from the Wollongong region has tested positive for COVID-19 two days after leaving hotel quarantine. The returned traveller returned two negative tests and had no symptoms of the coronavirus during their 14-day quarantine period. The infection was detected via the state government’s ‘day 16’ testing regime. The person is believed to have contracted the virus before returning to Australia. It is the first case of COVID-19 in NSW outside of hotel quarantine for 21 days.

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NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Victorian coronavirus hotel quarantine worker tests positive to COVID-19

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Original article by
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 8-Feb-21

Victorian health authorities have advised that a second worker at a Melbourne quarantine hotel has tested positive for COVID-19. The authorised officer at Melbourne Airport’s Holiday Inn tested positive for the coronavirus on 7 February, after testing negative three days earlier. Close contacts of the woman, including other workers at the hotel, will be required to be tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate for 14 days. The state government reimposed some coronavirus restrictions on 4 February after an employee at the Grand Hyatt quarantine hotel contracted the highly-contagious UK strain.

CORPORATES
HOLIDAY INNS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GRAND HYATT MELBOURNE, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Motor neurone disease: Researchers hope existing drugs can reverse deadly nerve damage

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Original article by John Elder
The New Daily – Page: Online : 25-Jan-21

Motor neurone disease sufferers gradually lose the use of their limbs and ability to speak, swallow and breathe, although their mind and senses generally remain unimpaired. The average life expectancy of someone with MND is 2.5 years, while over 2,000 people in Australia currently have MND. MND causes damage to the nerve cells, but Scottish researchers may have found a way to reverse this damage, by increasing the energy output from the mitochondria, the nerve cells’ "power supply". They believe that this can be achieved with existing drugs

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China talks only if no conditions

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Original article by Greg Brown, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 25-Jan-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is happy to meet with China’s leaders to discuss how the strained relationship between the two nations could be improved, as long as there are no conditions attached. The Chinese embassy released in 2020 a list of 14 grievances that China has with Australia; Morrison says that if they are to be the conditions then any meeting will be a long time coming. He says that the relationship between Australia and China has been changing for some years, "not over any one thing but over time". Morrison says he is confident new US president Joe Biden will support Australia in its handling of the China relationship.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Calls to expand vaccine portfolio

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Original article by Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-Jan-21

Australians are likely to be to access three probable COVID-19 vaccines over the coming 12 months, but the Moderna vaccine is currently not one of them. It and the Pfizer vaccine, which five millions Australia are due to receive, have shown the highest efficacy in clinical trials, but Australia has not been able to come to an agreement with Moderna over the supply of its vaccine. Epidemiologist Zoe Hyde says Australia should seriously consider using the Moderna vaccine in preference to the Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccine; Hyde says the Moderna vaccine will better prevent disease and is more likely to deliver herd immunity, which she contends should be Australia’s aim.

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MODERNA INCORPORATED, PFIZER INCORPORATED, ASTRAZENECA PLC