O75 Public Administration

Prepare to be hit but we’ll ease blow: RBA

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 4 : 8-Apr-20

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe has indicated that the cash rate will remain at 0.25 per cent until inflation returns to its target range of 2-3 per cent and the unemployment rate falls to around 4.5 per cent. The central bank will also maintain its bond-buying program until these targets are achieved. Lowe has warned that the domestic economy faces a "very large economic contraction" due to the coronavirus, while he says the unemployment rate will rise to its highest level in many years. The RBA left the cash rate on hold at its April board meeting.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

JobKeeper flexibilities give employers power to alter hours, ask staff to take leave

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 8-Apr-20

Labor will support the federal government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy package when parliament reconvenes for a one-off sitting on 8 April. Attorney-General Christian Porter says the temporary changes to the Fair Work Act will allow employers to reduce an employee’s agreed hours of work for six months due to the pandemic. However, he stresses that any such reduction in agreed hours must be reasonable. The changes will also allow employers to request that staff use some of their annual leave entitlements during the pandemic.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

Nearly two-thirds of Australians (65%) now say Australian Government is handling COVID-19 well – up 22% in a week

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-20

A special Roy Morgan web survey shows that 65% of Australians aged 18+ now say the Australian Government is handling COVID-19 well, up 22% in a week. Just 29% (down 20%) of Australians disagree that the Australian Government is handling the Coronavirus well. While previously only 38% of those in New South Wales agreed that the Australian Government was handling COVID-19 well, this has increased to 59% (up 21% in a week). This is similar to clear majorities in other states: Queensland 70% (up 28%), Victoria 66% (up 21%), Western Australia 75% (up 22%) and South Australia 58% (up 11%). Meanwhile, 59% of Australians now say the ‘worst is yet to come’ over the next month in regards to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic – down 26% in a week. The survey of a cross-section of 987 Australians aged 18+ was conducted over the weekend of April 4-5.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Cardinal George Pell leaves prison after High Court quashes abuse convictions

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 8-Apr-20

Victoria’s Office of Public Prosecutions has declined to comment on the High Court’s unanimous decision to quash Cardinal George Pell’s conviction on historical child sexual abuse charges. The full bench ruled that the evidence had failed to establish his guilt to the requisite standard of proof. Cardinal Pell had spent 400 days in jail after being convicted on five charges in December 2018. He has released a statement saying that a "serious injustice" had been remedied and reiterated that he is innocent of all charges. The father of one the alleged victims intends to pursue a civil case against Cardinal Pell.

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VICTORIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence bounces from historical low to 71.9

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-20

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 10.1% to 71.9 in the week to 5 April; this was the biggest gain since the survey shifted to a weekly basis in 2008. Current economic conditions rose by 24.6%, although this subcomponent is still 50% below its level of six weeks ago. Current financial conditions gained 8.8%, while future financial conditions rose 11.4%. The Time to buy a major household item subcomponent gained 17.5%, following a drop of 23.8% previously. The four-week moving average for inflation expectation was stable at 4.1%, but the weekly reading dipped to 4.1% from 4.3%.

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

Australia has flattened the curve – for now

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Original article by Edmund Tadros, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 6-Apr-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 74,395; more than 1,339,000 people worldwide have now been diagnosed with the respiratory illness, including 5,795 in Australia. The nation’s death toll from the virus has risen to 41, including a 12th passenger from the ill-fated ‘Ruby Princess’ cruise ship. However, Australia’s rate of infection has slowed to 1.7 per cent, with just 104 new confirmed cases on 6 April. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has reiterated the need to keep complying with social distancing rules in order to continue to curb the virus’s spread.

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Economy the great unknown in viral era

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Original article by Nick Cater
The Australian – Page: 10 : 7-Apr-20

New Zealand and Australia have adopted vastly different strategies in their efforts to combat COVID-19. Many have urged Scott Morrison to adopt NZ Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern’s comprehensive lockdown, but he has preferred to adopt social distancing rules that aim to minimise restrictions on economic activity. Australians were asked by Roy Morgan recently if they believed things would get worse before they get better; 85 per cent said yes. It is starting to appear they are wrong so far as COVID-19 goes, but perhaps not so the economy. Modelling suggests adopting the NZ strategy would have a much more negative impact on the economy that those measures adopted by Morrison, while it is forecast that unemployment could rise by 1.2 million if the federal government’s current measures remain in place for six months or longer.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Business Confidence hits a record low of 95.1 in March – declines accelerated throughout the month

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Apr-20

In Australia, Business Confidence fell 9.5pts (-9.1%) to a new record low of 95.1 in March 2020, according to the latest Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey; this is more than 4pts below the previous bottom of 99.8 the decade-old index hit in July 2011. Business Confidence is now 11.6pts lower than it was year ago, and 19.8pts below the long-term average of 114.9. Analysing Business Confidence by dividing March into fortnights reveals a tale of two distinct halves. In the first two weeks of the month the index continued its recovery from the summer bushfires and averaged 107.5, an increase of 2.9pts from February. However, this recovery was halted in mid-March, with the index averaging only 71.4 over the last half of the month. It plunged day-by-day through to the end of March as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic hit Australia and prompted increasing government restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. The latest Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for March are based on 885 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Covid casuals: money for jam

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Apr-20

The federal government has reached a compromise with the ACTU regarding the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter negotiated a deal with ACTU ­secretary Sally McManus to address the union movement’s concerns about draft legislation to amend the Fair Work Act. Labor still favours implementing the scheme via the Fair Work Commission, but it intends to vote for the legislation when parliament reconvenes for a one-off sitting on 7 April. Meanwhile, new data suggests that some casual workers may be paid significantly more under the JobKeeper scheme than they earned prior to the pandemic.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Unions push for reasonable test in JobKeeper compromise deal for casuals

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Apr-20

Attorney-General Christian Porter has indicated that he is open to a compromise regarding casual workers’ access to the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. All eligible employees will be paid $1,500 per fortnight, regardless of their current income; this may include some part-time casuals who earned less than $750 a week prior to the pandemic. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has urged the federal government to introduce a ‘reasonable test’ for casual employees who had expected to work over the next year but had been with their current employer for less than 12 months.

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AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ACTU