O75 Public Administration

Travel ban ‘won’t be turned off’

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 7 : 5-Feb-20

Health Minister Greg Hunt has indicated that the federal government is likely to extend its ban on non-citizens entering Australia from the Chinese mainland, which was initially slated to last for two weeks. Wang Xining, the China’s deputy ambassador to Australia, has described it as an over-reaction and notes that the World Health Organization believes that such measures are not necessary. Wang adds that the Chinese embassy was not advised of the travel ban before it was announced, but Hunt says that senior officials in China were told of the ban as soon as the government decided to impose it.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Coronavirus outbreak not yet pandemic, World Health Organization says

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Original article by
bbc.com – Page: Online : 5-Feb-20

Mainland China’s death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 425, while Hong Kong and the Philippines have each confirmed one death. More than 20,000 people worldwide have now contracted the respiratory illness, including 13 in Australia, but the World Health Organization says the coronavirus outbreak does not yet constitute a pandemic. Meanwhile, WHO has criticised the spreading of misinformation about the coronavirus.

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Business Confidence drops to 9 year low of 101.6 in January

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

In Australia, Business Confidence fell 2.9pts (-2.8%) to a nearly nine-year low of 101.6 in January 2020, according to the latest Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey. Business Confidence is now 4.3pts lower than a year ago, and 13.6pts below the long-term average of 115.2. Only 34.5% (down 6.4ppts) of business leaders say their business is ‘better off financially’ compared to a year ago, and 44% (down 6.4ppts) expect their business to be ‘better off financially’ this time next year. Business Confidence is down on a year ago for businesses of all sizes, but the most pronounced decline is for large businesses with 200+ employees, down 18.4pts to 111.2. The latest Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for January are based on 923 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

RBA keeps faith in the economy

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 24 : 5-Feb-20

Financial markets still expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to reduce the cash rate by June, after it left rates unchanged at 0.75 per cent on 4 February. The general consensus of economists is that the cash rate will remain on hold in March. Meanwhile, economists had expected the RBA to downgrade its economic growth forecasts for 2020 and 2021 in the wake of the bushfires and the coronavirus crisis, but these have been left at 2.75 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. The central bank also expects the unemployment rate to remain at around 5.1 per cent in 2020, before easing to less than five per cent in 2021.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Despite everything ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence virtually unchanged at 108.5

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence edged 0.5% higher to 108.5 in the week ended 2 February, reversing the previous week’s decline. However, it remains well below average. Overall financial conditions were little changed, with offsetting moves in current and future finances. Current economic conditions gained 2.1%, while future economic conditions declined 2.5%. The ‘Time to buy a major household item’ subindex gained 2.7%, following a decline of 2.4% previously. The four-week moving average of inflation expectations was up by 0.1ppt to 4.0%; the weekly reading rose to 4.2%, its highest level since early September.

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

Virus crisis could cost nation $13bn

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Feb-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has conceded that events that are beyond the federal government’s control will have a significant impact on the domestic economy. Some estimates suggest that the coronavirus could potentially reduce economic activity by up to $13bn in the first half of 2020, with the tourism and education export sectors to be particularly hard hit. The coronavirus could also jeopardise the government’s revenue projections in its mid-year Budget update, due to its potential effect on the prices of commodities such as iron ore and coal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Government waives $1000 evacuation fee

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Original article by Richard Ferguson, Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 6 : 3-Feb-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has advised that Australian citizens who are evacuated from Wuhan will not be charged up to $1,000 for their flight. He says the Department of Foreign Affairs had provided the government with incorrect advice with regard to the costs associated with ‘assisted departures’. However, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton had previously stated that it is "commonsense" for the government to recoup some of the costs of the chartered Qantas flight. More than 200 of the 600 registered Australian citizens in Wuhan are expected to be evacuated to Christmas Island, where they will be quarantined for 14 days.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Employers push for Fair Work review

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 3-Feb-20

The Australian Mines & Metals Association has called for a review of the Fair Work Commission, as well as the appointment of seven new commissioners over the next year. AMMA CEO Steve Knott has outlined a number of concerns about the FWC in a letter to Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter. They include the lengthy delays in approving workplace agreements and claims that the allocation of full bench cases tends to favour Labor appointees.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Joyce circles after minister quits

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Original article by Greg Brown, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Feb-20

Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie has resigned from the portfolio and as deputy leader of the National Party, after an investigation by top bureaucrat Phil ­Gaetjens found that she had breached the ministerial code of conduct. Gaetjens concluded that sports grants had not been improperly allocated during McKenzie’s previous role as sports minister; however, he found that McKenzie’s failure to declare her membership of a gun club that received a grant constituted a breach of the ministerial code. Some Nationals MPs are believed to have approached Barnaby Joyce about challenging Nationals leader Michael McCormack at a partyroom meeting on 4 February, when they will elect a new deputy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Coronavirus: First victim dies outside China

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Original article by Jonathan Cheng, Feliz Solomon
The Australian – Page: 6 : 3-Feb-20

Chinese authorities have confirmed that the nation’s death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 304, while 14,380 people have been diagnosed with the virus. Meanwhile, the Philippines government has advised that a 44-year-old man has died from the coronavirus at a hospital in Manila. He is one of two people in the Philippines who have contracted the illness; both had arrived in the country from Wuhan on 21 January. At least 150 people in 24 countries have now fallen ill with the coronavirus, including 12 in Australia.

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