NSW Covid hospital numbers surge 42 per cent in a week, but worst to come in October

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Original article by Lucy Carroll, Lucy Cormack, Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 2-Sep-21

New South Wales has recorded 1,116 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while the state’s toll from the current outbreak has risen to 100 after another four deaths; none of them were vaccinated and they all had underlying health conditions. Some 917 people are in hospital with COVID-19 across NSW, including 150 in intensive care. The hospitalisation rate has surged in the last week, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that this is likely to peak in October. However, she has reiterated that lockdown restrictions will be eased when 70 per cent of the state’s eligible population is fully vaccinated; this target is expected to be reached in mid-October.

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NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Fess-up time: top-performing super funds put duds to shame

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 17 : 2-Sep-21

The superannuation performance test data shows that Active Super was the best default MySuper fund over a seven-year period, with an average return of 9.46 per cent. It is followed by AustralianSuper (9.44 per cent) and Hostplus (9.33 per cent return). The lowest average return for the 10 best performing funds was 8.75 per cent. In contrast, EISS had the lowest average return among the 10 worst-performing funds, at just six per cent.

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ACTIVE SUPER, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, EISS SUPER

Andrews abandons zero hopes as cases soar

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Original article by Mitch Clarke, Kieran Rooney
Herald Sun – Page: 9 : 2-Sep-21

Victoria has recorded 120 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours; only 20 were self-isolating for the entire period in which they were infectious, while there are 56 new mystery cases. The state government has formally abandoned its ‘Covid-zero’ strategy, and Premier Daniel Andrews says the focus has shifted to reducing the spread of COVID-19 until vaccination targets are reached. This means lockdown restrictions in Melbourne will not be eased until about 23 September, when 70 per cent of eligible Victorians are expected to have had at least one vaccine dose. Andrews adds that some form of lockdown will remain in place until at least the end of October, when the proportion of Victorians who are fully vaccinated is slated to reach 70 per cent. However, he has flagged an easing of lockdown restrictions in most regional areas in the next week.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Lachlan Murdoch asked to appear at parliamentary inquiry into YouTube’s suspension of Sky News Australia

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 2-Sep-21

A Senate committee has invited News Corporation’s co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch to appear before an inquiry into media diversity. The inquiry has been reconvened in the wake of a recent move by YouTube to temporarily suspend Sky News Australia content from its platform for allegedly breaching its Covid misinformation policy. Sky News CEO Paul Whittaker and presenters Alan Jones, Rita Panahi and Rowan Dean have also been asked to front the inquiry. YouTube executive Leslie Miller will also appear before the inquiry.

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NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SKY NEWS, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Minister pans ABC complaint procedure

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 3 : 2-Sep-21

The ABC has attracted further scrutiny in the wake of a controversial documentary on the 1979 Luna Park ghost train fire in Sydney. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher says the fallout from the documentary should prompt the public broadcaster’s management and board to review its policy for handling audience complaints, in order to determine whether it is functioning effectively. The ABC’s audience and consumer affairs division has rejected all complaints received with regard to the documentary.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Virgin to reward the fully vaxxed

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Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 15 : 2-Sep-21

Virgin Australia will offer incentives for both staff and customers to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Virgin wants all of its frontline staff to be fully vaccinated by 15 November, and they will be given the opportunity to win prizes such as business-class flights and a holiday on Hamilton Island, as well as extra annual leave. Virgin customers will in turn be offered rewards such as business-class flights and Velocity frequent-flyer points. Winners must have proof of vaccination to claim a prize.

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VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED

Forrest speech on handouts earns rebuke

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Original article by Brad Thompson, Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 2-Sep-21

Iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest says welfare and mining royalties have contributed to the "wanton destruction" of the culture and livelihoods of indigenous Australians. He has told a conference that Fortescue Metals Group is focused on giving indigenous people a hand up rather than a hand out, by providing them with training and employment opportunities. However, his comments have been criticised by Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation CEO Michael Woodley, who says Fortescue’s priority should be fair compensation for indigenous communities.

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FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

BHP flags improved offer for Noront

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 16 : 2-Sep-21

The board of Canadian nickel miner Noront Resources has noted that Andrew Forrest’s Wyloo Metals has not yet made a binding offer for the company, and it may never make such an offer. Noront is continuing to back the $C325m ($351.5m) takeover bid from BHP, arguing that is the only binding offer that has been made. BHP’s bid values Noront at $C0.55 per share, and the resources group has not ruled out matching or topping Wyloo’s non-binding offer of $C0.70 a share.

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NORONT RESOURCES LIMITED, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, WYLOO METALS PTY LTD

ALP (54.5%) increases lead over L-NP (45.5%) for third straight interviewing period

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Sep-21

The latest Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention shows that ALP support has increased to 54.5% (up 0.5% points since mid-August) cf. L-NP on 45.5% (down 0.5% points) on a two-party preferred basis. This was the third straight increase in support for the ALP and they are now up 4% points since having a narrow lead in mid-June (ALP 50.5% cf. L-NP 49.5%). It is the largest two-party preferred lead for the ALP since the national bushfires crisis of last year when the ALP enjoyed a maximum lead of 10% points on a two-party preferred basis in early February 2020 (ALP 55% cf. L-NP 45%). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be easily elected with the largest share of the vote since the 1977 Federal Election won by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser with 54.6% of the vote. Primary support for the ALP is up 1% point to 38.5% since mid-August and has now moved ahead of the L-NP which is unchanged on 37.5%. ALP support increased at the expense of the Greens, who were down 1% point to 11.5%. Support for One Nation was down 0.5% points to 3%, while support for Independents/Others was up 0.5% points to 9.5%. Interviewing for the latest Roy Morgan Poll was conducted over the weekends of August 21/22 & 28/29, 2021 with a nationally representative cross-section of 2,735 Australian electors using a combination of telephone and online interviews.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Home quarantine should be widespread once vaccination target is hit, PM says

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Original article by David Crowe, Rachel Clun
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is continuing to urge the states and territories to support the national plan for reopening the economy when the COVID-19 vaccination target has been reached. He contends that Australians who are returning from overseas should be allowed to quarantine at home rather than in a hotel once 70-80 per cent of eligible adults have been vaccinated. However, he has conceded that internal border closures are a matter for the states; Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan is maintaining a tough stance on border closures.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET