O75 Public Administration

Beijing’s espionage, tech-theft has global reach

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 9-Jun-20

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has released a report on the Chinese Communist Party’s ‘united front system’. The report discloses how China’s global influence network extends well beyond the CCP’s United Front Work Department, and has been issued at a time of increased concern about the CCP’s influence in Australia, including Victoria, where Premier Daniel Andrews has advisers with United Front links; Victoria has previously signed up to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The report was written by ASPI analyst Alex Joske, whose previous paper stressed the risks of scientific collaborations with Chinese military researchers.

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AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA)

Wall St in the driving seat

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Original article by Terry McCrann
Sunday Herald Sun – Page: 57 : 7-Jun-20

Wall Street is now just eight per cent below its record high of late February, while the Australian sharemarket is still about 15 per cent off its pre-coronavirus peak. Wall St continues to drive the entire global financial system, in addition to sharemarkets across the world. Although Wall Street will drag the Australian market higher, the local bourse lacks the 21st century stocks that are leading the rebound. Meanwhile, a second wave of coronavirus infections would be devastating for the Australian economy; despite data from Roy Morgan showing that jobless numbers fell by 69,000 in May, the domestic economy will not quickly return to its pre-pandemic levels.

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Business Confidence jumps in May, up 13pts to 89.9 – highest in Western Australia & South Australia

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Jun-20

In May 2020 Roy Morgan Business Confidence was up 13pts (+16.7%) to 89.9 and recovering significantly from the record low reached in April. Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says: "For the first time in 2020 a majority of 50.5% of businesses expect the business will be ‘better off’ this time next year. The turnaround has been quickest in SA & WA. However, for the Australian economy to really get moving, the Governments of NSW and Victoria must improve their low Business Confidence by encouraging businesses to invest and seek opportunities for growth in the year ahead."

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

No time for protests alert as jail rates surge

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Original article by Richard Ferguson, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 6 : 5-Jun-20

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has urged people to stay away from Black Lives Matter protests planned for Melbourne on 6 June. Black Lives Matter protests have already been staged in Sydney and Perth, and thousands are tipped to attend the Melbourne protest. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for people not to "import" racial tension from the US, but indigenous leader and acad­emic Marcia Langton says protests need to occur while indig­enous Australians remain in jail in such high numbers and they continue to die in custody. Langton says indig­enous Australians are the most incarcerated people in the world.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Tighter test for foreign investors

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Jun-20

The federal government will announce a revamp of Australia’s foreign investment regime on 5 June; the government wants to close what it contends are ‘national security’ gaps in the current rules. One of the changes will see the Foreign Investment Review Board apply a National Security Test to assets defined as a ‘sensitive national security business’; such assets include water, telecommunications and energy. The government intends to legislate the changes in July, with the intention of having them come into effect in January.

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AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Worst slump in history decimates retailing

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 5-Jun-20

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that retail turnover fell by an unprecedented 17.7 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms during April. Clothing and footwear sales fell by 50 per cent as coronavirus lockdown restrictions took effect, while turnover at cafes and restaurants was down 35 per cent. Food retailers’ sales fell by 17 per cent after being boosted by panic buying in March. Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra says the worst may not be over for retailers, given that the economy is officially in recession and the unemployment rate is set to rise in coming months.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

The Government’s HomeBuilder scheme offers $25k for home renovations – but not everyone will qualify

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Original article by Jordan Heyne
abc.net au – Page: Online : 5-Jun-20

People wanting to apply for grants of $25,000 to build a new home or renovate an existing one under the federal government’s HomeBuilder scheme must meet a range of criteria. They income thresholds and limits on the value of homes to be newly built, including the land. Contracts for new homes or renovations must be entered into before the end of 2020, and construction must begin within three months of the contract date. People wanting to use the money for a renovation must spend at least $150,000 of their own funds, and the home being renovated must be worth less than $1.5 million prior to the renovation. Investment properties do not qualify for the scheme.

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2.09 million Australians unemployed in May, down 69,000 on April

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Jun-20

In May 14.8% of the workforce (2.09 million Australians) were unemployed and 9.7% (1.37 million) were under-employed. This is a total of 3.46 million (24.5%) unemployed or under-employed as Australia begins to open up, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment estimates – obviously an under-estimation as 3.5 million are currently subsidised on JobKeeper. Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says: "Australia has entered its first recession for three decades and a quarter of the Australian workforce is unemployed or under-employed. To emerge from recession quickly businesses and unions must work together to forge sensible and equitable solutions that encourage employers to hire new workers. A Roy Morgan survey this week showed the Federal Court decision to award extra entitlements to certain casual employees will effect up to 794,000 Australian businesses. 567,000 businesses say they will be deterred from hiring casual employees and 123,000 say the decision will ‘force them to close’. This shows if businesses and unions don’t work together hundreds of thousands of Australians will struggle to find new jobs."

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Cost of beating virus: recession

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Original article by Patrick Commins,Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Jun-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has confirmed that the Australian economy is in recession for the first time in 29 years. GDP data shows that the economy contracted by 0.3 per cent in the March quarter, while economic growth slowed from 2.2 per cent to 1.4 per cent in the year to March. Frydenberg has also warned that the economic contraction in the June quarter will be much worse; economists expect GDP growth to fall by 6-9 per cent as the full impact of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions took effect. Meanwhile, the federal government has delayed its mini-budget until 23 July, which will allow it to assess how the economy fares after lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Bearish start to IR reform talks

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-Jun-20

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter held the first meeting with representatives of the union movement and employers’ groups on 3 June, as part of a collaborative approach to workplace reforms. He said that both groups appreciate the need for change. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott said employers and unions must be prepared to make compromises, while ACTU secretary Sally McManus said unions are open to changing the ‘better off overall test’. Meanwhile, the Treasury warned that it could take 5-7 years for the economy to recover from the pandemic, and that the unemployment rate could be 8-9 per cent by 2021.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS,BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA,ACTU