VIRUS DISEASES – AUSTRALIA

Now for second wave – of protests

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 12-Jun-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says people who choose to attend upcoming protest rallies should be charged with breaching social distancing rules. Refugee activists have indicated that they still hope to stage a rally planned for Sydney on 13 June, even though the New South Wales Supreme Court has ruled that it cannot proceed. Black Lives Matters rallies have also been organised in Sydney, Darwin and Perth over the coming weekend. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has cautioned people against attending rallies after a man who attended the BLM rally in Melbourne tested positive to the virus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN HEALTH PROTECTION PRINCIPAL COMMITTEE

Survivor firms can pay $30 rise: ACTU

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 11-Jun-20

The Fair Work Commission will shortly hand down its decision on a minimum wage increase. The ACTU is pushing for a four per cent increase in the minimum wage, which equates to $30 a week. Trevor Clarke of the ACTU has told the FWC that businesses which are still operating as the economy emerges from the pandemic have the capacity to absorb this increase, as the demise of rivals means they have less competition. Employer groups contend that the economy is yet to feel the full impact of the coronavirus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Qld border closure irrational, discriminatory: silk

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Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Jun-20

A Brisbane-based travel agency is the lead plaintiff in a High Court challenge to the legal validity of the Queensland government’s coronavirus-induced border closure. The six plaintiffs want the government to disclose the information it relied upon when deciding to close the state’s borders. Amongst other things, they contend that the border closure breaches their constitutional right to travel freely within Australia and goes beyond what is necessary to control the virus’s spread.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Don’t go, Beijing warns students

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Original article by Richard Ferguson, Tim Dodd
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 10-Jun-20

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has rejected the Chinese government’s claim that Australia is not a safe destination for international students. China’s Ministry of Education has advised the nation’s students against studying in Australia, claiming that people of Asian appearance have been targeted in ‘discriminatory attacks’ during the coronavirus pandemic. Shadow education minister Tanya Plibersek has supported Tehan’s comments, stating that Australia is one of the safest countries for international students. Beijing also recently advised Chinese tourists against visiting Australia due to allegations of racist attacks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, CHINA. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Less gloomy Treasury flags faster recovery

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Jun-20

Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has told a Senate inquiry that Australia’s unemployment rate is now likely to peak at around eight per cent as the economy begins to re-open and coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased. The Treasury had previously forecast that the impact of the pandemic would cause the jobless rate to reach 10 per cent by June. Australia’s official unemployment rate is currently 6.2 per cent. Kennedy also said the impact of the pandemic on GDP growth will also not be as severe as initially forecast.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Protests cost economy $1bn

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Jun-20

The timetable for the further easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions may be pushed back due to the recent Black Lives Matter protests across Australia. The national cabinet meeting on 12 June had been expected to approve the easing of stage two restrictions, but the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee believes that it will take up to 14 days to determine whether the protests have caused a fresh outbreak of the virus. Meanwhile, ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the potential for a second wave of infections means that lockdown restrictions must remain in place until medical professionals advise that it is safe to lift them.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH PROTECTION PRINCIPAL COMMITTEE, ACTU

More than 2 million thwarted overseas holiday-makers ready to be wooed by domestic tourism

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

With Australians unable to holiday overseas for the foreseeable future there is a huge opportunity for local travel and tourism operators to win ‘bonus’ business from nearly 2.2 million people. That’s how many who, as recently as March, were planning to head off on an international jaunt in the next 12 months. The data comes from the latest Roy Morgan Leading Indicator Report: Holiday Travel Intention, which also captures the difference in length of domestic and overseas holidays planned pre-pandemic, revealing millions of nights which were to be spent elsewhere and are now potentially convertible into travel within Australia.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

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.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

Qantas triples flights to nose ahead of Virgin

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Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 15 : 5-Jun-20

Qantas has advised that it will be operating at 15 per cent of its domestic capacity prior to the coronavirus pandemic from 22 June, and it aims to lift this to 40 per cent by the end of July. The progressive increase in flights will enable about 2,000 of the carrier’s employees to resume working. CEO Alan Joyce says a growing number of customers are starting to plan and book flights for coming months. Failed rival Virgin Australia is currently operating about 76 return flights each week, which are being subsidised by the federal government.

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH

Catalano flags return of regional newspapers

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 16 : 5-Jun-20

Antony Catalano has indicated that Australian Community Media is looking at digital opportunities, but it has no plans to adopt a digital-only model for any of its regional titles. ACM put the print editions of some titles on hold in April in response to the coronavirus-induced downturn in the advertising market; Catalano says publication of these titles will resume as soon as possible, but it will depend on factors such as the pace at which lockdown restrictions are eased. He adds that there are signs of an upturn in the advertising market.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA