Courtesy of The Australian, the first Newspoll in three weeks is consistent with the last in suggesting the coronavirus surge in approval for Scott Morrison in translating into only a modest dividend on voting intention, on which the two parties are now tied after the Coalition opened up a 51-49 lead last time. On the primary vote, the Coalition is down a point to 41%, Labor up two to 36%, the Greens down one to 12% and One Nation down one to 4%. Despite that, Scott Morrison has gained further on his huge approval rating boost in the last poll, up seven to 68% — a level not seen since Kevin Rudd reached 70% in late 2008 — while his disapproval rating is down seven to 28%. Anthony Albanese is respectively steady at 45% and down two to 34% (I assume — the report says 36%, but this would be unchanged on last time), and Morrison’s lead as preferred prime minister is now 56-28, out from 53-29. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Saturday from a sample of 1519.
“ Mr Clennell said NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, Liberal Senator Jim Molan, and NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s names had all been floated as candidates should Mr Kelly retire. Mr Kelly’s retirement would plunge the seat into a by-election, but it is unclear if the federal government would want voters to go to the polls immediately given the current COVID-19 restrictions.”
I demand a four cornered contest. The Nat’ s Barilaro, versus the ‘modern liberal’ Andrew Constance, versus the renegade Alt-Liberal’s General Clusterfuck, versus Labor.
Edited to add: after Barilaro, Constance and Clusterfuck all resign from their seats, I’d love too see Mike Kelly run again at the very last moment to fill his own vacancy ‘having received new medical advice’ that he is go to go for another 20 years. Brilliant – end 3 conservative politicians careers in one fell swoop!
Newspoll also had Q about downloading or installing app
definite or possibly download – LNP 62, Labor and Greens 50, but even the loyal LNP voters were only 27% definite
Other big difference was men 59%, women 49% definite or possible downloads, but even then definitely are only 23% and 18% respectively.
Seems the PB dominant demographic of older men are more worried and likely to download. Makes you wonder how threatened some of them feel from covid19, with some justification perhaps. As the biggest voting bloc for the LNP it seems they might be worried about both personal and political fortunes right now.
Lucky for them perhaps that the younger demographic 18-34 seem to give more of a shit about their participation in saving the oldies at 56% definite or possible downloaders, than the oldies give a shit about the future of their children and grandchildren regarding climate change.
sprocket_,
The SMH has Barilaro for Eden-Monaro and Constance to take back Gilmore. Warren Mundine seems to have been a 5 second wonder.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-deputy-premier-john-barilaro-considers-a-tilt-at-federal-politics-20200426-p54n9k.html
Douglas and Milko says:
Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 10:28 pm
nath, this is your area, not mine, but are their parallels in the fight for universal free education in Britain from the mid-19th century, trade unionism, Engels commentary, and the eventual closing of the gap between classes in the UK after WWII?
_____________
Not really my area D&M but in India the parents have to pay for their education. This is why this school is so important. It not only pays for a superior education for ‘untouchables’ they also pay for their college education once they leave the school which is really unheard of.
https://www.shantibhavanchildren.org/
Tom the first and best says:
Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 10:18 pm
I think Shorten was a better ALP leader than Albanese is. Shorten had some fight and policy courage, Albanese seems to just want to turn the ALP into the moderate Liberals for high speed rail. The sooner the Greens win Grayndler, the better, including for the ALP.
—————————-
I’m not sure when this was because there was little policy courage shown and less fight given.
C@tmomma says:
Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 10:23 pm
….
Yes, I saw Michael O’Brien on the 9 News tonight trying to make the case for school re-opening. The Attire Attack Squadron will have a field day! He had a shirt on with no tie and the top two buttons undone to reveal untrimmed chest hair! Quel Horreur!
It is really weird.
Now I know I am never going to vote for the Liberals, Howard and Tampa cured me of that, but I do belong to the granny and grandpa age group, where are a lot of Liberal voters are to be found. Putting aside dead people don’t vote, I suspect trying to kill us off, is not going to be a popular policy..
Having participated in this YouGov/NewsPoll – the other questions were:
– postcode
– employee/ employer
– annual income
– monthly net income
– highest educational qualification
– issue most important (free form)
– approval of Morrison’s response to C19
– approval of GladysB’s response to C19
So they are collecting more demographic
nath @ #21 Sunday, April 26th, 2020 – 8:01 pm
I’m more interested in the new series of Penny Dreadful on Stan. The first episode is available now. Timed perfectly to coincide with the last episode of the latest series of Better Call Saul. While that’s running, the next series of Billions is due to drop on May 3. Then there’s the new series of After Life on Netflix out now.
I’ve also downloaded the Planet of The Humans doco from YouTube, and still have three weeks worth of Real Time to watch.
So, probably won’t get around to watching that documentary anytime soon.
I have a feeling I did this poll the other day.
I wasn’t asked that question, but from memory there were also a heap of questions about coronavirus and how I felt about it.
Given the current circumstances i’d say this is a pretty good result for the ALP. Certainly keeps them in striking distance for the “post virus” period (which is nowhere near close actually) and a few weeks where things like the deficiencies in Jobkeeper slap people in the face.
That’s supposing that we don’t have some kind of relapse from opening schools too soon or relaxing restrictions to soon.
Hopefully, if the polling stays close the Libs will be less likely to go charging off on SerfChoices II. Although, if Smoko’s personal approval holds up a while they may decide me really is the Messiah and stake their reelection prospects on him entirely?? His failures over the Bushfires may then come back to haunt. Lot of people out there not got what they were promised as yet i think??
Albo’s numbers holding ok all taken with all. Frankly, would expect the Libs to minimize their exposure to Parliament.
Another reason for Morrison’s stellar ratings is he is not as batshit crazy as this guy.. or perhaps the fact checkers aren’t as diligent..
So the Euro Mortality Monitoring site has had a big revamp and no doubt seen a lot more traffic for the covid19 pandemic.
https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/
The UK and particularly England are really seeing the biggest trouble right now.
With a weekly z-score of almost 50 England seems by far the worst, Spain is ~34 and Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium between 20-25.
All ages for whole of Europe week 16 z-score of~54, almost entirely due to +65 category. An excess of 140,000+ deaths by week 16 of 2020
Amazingly some countries in Europe (like Austria at ~ minus 10) are actually seeing overall lower or standard rates of mortality compared to usual, and lower in younger ages.
Of course all of this is with extreme shut down measures as well, for the most part, keeping a lid on some of it.
A poll asking the name of Australia’s current PM wouldn’t net Morrison 50% and a poll asking which party Morrison represents would be less again.
With the virus in its early days and parliament no longer sitting Morrison is safe from his own party.
Getting the public to sit in their houses through winter may test the public’s patience but houses equipped with whatever these days make it relatively easy.
Far too early for credit card defaults, eviction notices, reduced tax returns, overdue netflix subscriptions, mortgage arrears and heating bills to cause concern.
Getting the kids back into school is most probably Morrison’s most immediate challenge, by June it will be a whole different game as the mob starts to realize the virus isn’t disappearing.
Hunger in its different guises can’t be fed bullshit forever.
Morrison will have moved on before the next election is even talked about!
I’ve had it on good advive Morrison is doing the numbers ……. to see if there’s a chance of a challenge!
Morrison is tinned arsed enough to lose now he wants out.
With a weekly z-score of almost 50 England seems by far the worst, Spain is ~34 and Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium between 20-25.
And this is where the overly simplistic reliance on numbers falls over. To put Italy and Belgium in the same basket is disingenuous in the extreme. Belgium has been scrupulous in annotating its COVID-19 numbers, even including those who never made it to hospital and died in nursing homes with similar symptoms:
https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/coronavirus/explained-why-the-worlds-highest-covid-19-death-rate-is-in-belgium/ar-BB13cYzd?li=BBqrVLO
Just dropped in for a brief peruse.
Re the app. How does it possibly account for the wide variation between the strength of bluetooth signal generated by different devices. A Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone has a 40% stronger signal than an S8, as a simple example. Receiver sensitivity also varies widely, depending on which bluetooth PHY is installed. A typical phone will have a transmit power of between -10dBm and -5dBm. I cannot imagine how they can deduce a proximity of 1.5 metres from the fact that a phone, or other device (tablet etc) is able to connect with another. Phones released in the last 12 months are capable of 20 metres or more in many cases, earlier phones much less.
nath,
This is an incredibly important initiative, and one in which I am in a more general way contributing to. The shutdown in international travel is depressing, because I was slated to attend science and education meetings in both India and Nepal in June and July – paying my own way, just in case anyone thinks it is a boondoggle.
We need to find a way to keep the momentum for the meetings going, virtually.
I am also convinced that the study of, and interest in, science, is a great leveller. See e.g Michael Faraday, T.H. Huxley and H.G Wells.
Mr Morrison was overheard to say that his position is untenable as the kids won’t go back to school and he would like to tender his resignation.
Morrison was thought to be frustrated because the parliamentary liberal party refuse to come back to Canberra to accept his resignation.
Josh went out the side door as he’d received a better offer from the association of ex-PMs and was happy to be the barman.
In Mr Morrison’s defence he added that it’s hard to fight a war against an enemy you know so little about.
Nobody disagrees!
https://www.pollbludger.net/2020/04/26/newspoll-50-50-17/comment-page-1/#comment-3393942
I did not run the ALP`s 2019 campaign, which could and should have been run better.
The Franking credits issue was badly targeted and badly sold.
The Coalition scare campaigns were not effectively countered.
Not nearly enough was done about Clive Palmer.
Keating pro-PRC rantings at a campaign launch interview probably did a bit damage as well. He should not be invited to future campaign launces because of this.
Quoll,
According to the latest surveys 89% of Australians have a smartphone and I expect a good take up of the app of about 50% as the young people especially are desperate to get back to living and not merely existing and anything that can speed that up many will embrace.
They are realists though and are aware we need to move slowly but not as slowly as some on this blog recommend.
https://www.pollbludger.net/2020/04/26/newspoll-50-50-17/comment-page-2/#comment-3393960
Under Shorten`s leadership, the ALP stood up to the negative gearing lobby, in favour of first home buyers.
Tom the first and best
Not really because under the ALP policy negative gearing investors were channeled towards new homes which is where you find the bulk of first home buyers.
Yabba:
It doesn’t need to deduce or measure proximity in order to performs its core function.
It only needs to ensure:
– that people below a distance threshold somewhat more than 1.5m (and for significant time) are very likely to be identified as contacts
– that the probability of detecting a contact decreases inversely with distance over the threshold
– equivalent property in relation to the time threshold (which might be 15 minutes), with the obvious inversion
All of these will tend to emerge automatically from the properties of BlueTooth and the distribution of transceiver ranges. This is a very lucky break, and a strong argument in favour of BlueTooth.
The reason why distance measurement/deduction is not needed is this that the purpose of the phone based trace data is to provide input into other tracing and analysis, in particular:
– traditional tracing by public health staff
– analysis by machine learning etc (it would be good to know home post code of the phone owner for this…)
Given this is the actual application (cf. marketing bullshit) the main concern is that it simply doesn’t collect a high enough % of contacts to provide the required input. If it is the case that only 20% of phone owners in Singapore have as yet downloaded the App (after several weeks) then it seems quite unlikely that voluntary take-up will ever be enough. Taiwan made their app mandatory
For the reassurance of Pollyanna Bill I don’t give a shit about privacy in this case, and would in fact be happy to share precise location information and not just phone number* as this would greatly improve the quality of the data fed into the (more important) manual tracing and machine learning processes.
Another thing I don’t give a shit about which should also reassure Pollyanna Bill is whether the App is made compulsory (including compulsion actually to run it). Taiwan sends the boys round if someone turns their phone off (or the phone stops moving and it is suspected of being left behind). Australia can’t really do this (at least with the current delinquency of Mr Dutton), and instead needs a technical alternative, which has to be implemented by the smartphone OS providers (Apple and Google). Taiwan also provides phones to people who don’t have them, and requires them to carry them. I suspect mandatory use is the only way to ensure high enough take-up to make a big difference.
*Anyway, approx location can be determined (and has been as part of the COVID19 response) using phone number and cell tower records, though this is quite inconvenient to do routinely.
Im just going to leave this comment here then go to bed.
If the government set the lock on the COVID location app, then the government can change the lock.
This is Mr On-water matters asking for your trust…….
I work in IT. IRAP assessments take a huge amount of time and attention to detail. They go over everything top to bottom. I dont think they’d be able to do this in time.
From some of the shit I’ve heard in the media, there’s no way that a cloud hosted, multi platform, high user count and transaction count information warehouse system has the ability to meet assessment criteria.
I’m actually stunned they managed to stand it up that quickly. I wonder if they were working on something similar for some other means before this covid thing poped up.
Also, there will absolutely be metadata that links the app identity, to a phone to google or apple account to a person. Even a MAC address to a persons name would be an amazing dataset to get hold of.
The only model I can think of being safe is if all users recorded their pings against other people, like open bluetooth signals, and then if you have covid, the health department take a download of your app, and then reach out to those identities through a broadcast, and then those people could optionally come forward.
But if that’s happening in the cloud, 1 I’m fucking amazed they are able to get the analytics in order that quickly, 2. I don’t think it will work that well, or we’re going to pay a tone in lamda and EC2 billing costs and, 3. Its going to be a massive target.
Anyway. I won’t be downloading that app. and if it became compulsory, then I’ll start using a nokia again.
– https://www.ft.com/content/1e390ac6-7e2c-11ea-8fdb-7ec06edeef84
A very interesting (and free) FT article about the conflict in how epidemiology serves government, between:
– modelling for prediction and resource allocation and guidance of strategy, and
– operational epidemiology for pandemic management, including testing and tracing
What’s needed is an integrated approach that does both consistently. A working App with high take-up is the key technical enabler for this integration (by providing feedback from operational epidemiology to inform modelling) and it would have been good to have had one yesterday, or at least ASAP.
https://www.pollbludger.net/2020/04/26/newspoll-50-50-17/comment-page-2/#comment-3393986
Existing dwellings is where inflationary pressure on housing from negative gearing had the most effect on first home buyers because it does not create new supply and only drives up the cost of buying, helping the competitors to first home buyers outbid first home buyers, while new home buying does put money into the creation of housing. For the same reason, Australia bans foreign buyers from buying existing homes but allows them to buy new ones (with some restrictions).
New homes are usually more expensive than existing homes in the same category and area and first home buyers are usually aiming for the lower rung housing in their area as they generally have smaller budgets. First home owners grants being only available for new home purchases may have some effect in pushing first some home buyers towards new builds, but it can be extended back to existing dwellings if the market needs a boost (but one favourable to first home buyers).
South
That is more or less exactly the way Apps using the Apple/Google framework will work. Additionally, they seems to be modifying the BlueTooth network software stack to avoid needing to have phones arbitrarily discoverable. The Apple/Google approach is almost completely client side and sends information to the Cloud only with permission from an infectee, and does not send information that persistently or generally identifies the phone owner.
If the app is so important to our national strategy to fight the virus and the government are being truthful about the strength of the legislation to protect our rights, why haven’t they recalled parliament to legislate the privacy guarantee .
I don’t believe you can trust this government, let the opposition and the media see the legislation, debate it on the floor and then pass it.
My other concern related to the legislation related to this app is my pessimism when it comes to the Liberals.
What is the chance that the bill when it is presented won’t also contain some IR or other unrelated but very anti Union component. Labor would then again be effectively wedged.
Truth and trust will not often be used in a sentence by Morrison in his memoirs.
The public don’t care and Morrison’s colleagues are in government, so they don’t care.
At a future time truth, trust or both will be Morrison’s end.
Duplicity and deceit are his tools of trade, the bushfires and virus have interrupted his progression.
Morrison will have an exit strategy planned and will enact it to perfection. He has form.
I’m back on deck for the Dawn Patrol this morning.
BK
I hope all your KG Whiting were at least………………..
sprocket_ @ #31 Sunday, April 26th, 2020 – 10:14 pm
All this from a minute movement within MOE?! Amazing. But it would appear the other 99% of people don’t care about these things because they didn’t change their votes.
Welcome back BK, I hope you enjoyed your fishing weekend.
How long till there is a blue tooth hack on the covid app , where scammers can hook into the bluetooth
How can the government be 99% certain
There will be no fake messages by scammers on the Covid app, claiming false positive tests
or the data could be corrupted and give false reports
Someone who doesn’t trust the gov is looking for flaws.
True ?
…………………………………………………………………………………
https://twitter.com/GraemeEtt/status/1254321386958360576
Graeme Ettinger ↕️
@GraemeEtt
·
13h
Android users have to activate GPS tracking for the app to work.
@GregHuntMP
in his presser said no GPS tracking involved. He lied
I finally managed to download the app.
However reading various reports on IT forums etc and reviewing comments on PB I’ve deleted it.
Too many unanswered questions.
lizzie says:
Monday, April 27, 2020 at 7:17 am
Someone who doesn’t trust the gov is looking for flaws.
@AdvAusFair
12h
#CovidSafeApp vulnerabilities discovered so far:
– High risk to man in the middle attacks.
– File references are only deleted, not the file itself. Potential that if you delete the app, it will remain on your phone. Likely can be backdoor-ed by gov.
—————-
Lol Lizzie , that would not surprise me
Surely people knew this would be the case? It seems obvious to me.
Confessions @ #93 Monday, April 27th, 2020 – 7:24 am
No. There has been much talk here about the app only noting proximity to other app users through bluetooth technology, not recording the actual geographical location.
Well, the Millennials in my son’s circle won’t be downloading the app. The fact of having to have your phone on all the time and it being done via Bluetooth which sucks your battery dry means that their phones might run out of power at a critical moment when they are out and about, for example when they see an Instagram-worthy photo moment or they are in the middle of a WhatsApp, Snapchat, facebook or Tinder session. Plus, they aren’t, in a general sense, in the target group for COVID-19 so they can’t see the point. Also, I might add, many, many years of the Right discouraging trust in big government, and you can’t get bigger than government wanting to track your movements, is bearing fruit now.
GPS tracking sucks your phone battery dry as well.
This is a very important comment that some may have missed:
south @ #76 Monday, April 27th, 2020 – 1:37 am
There has not been 1 million people tested in Australia yet.
So there will be a lot of false security in relying on an app , with very limited data
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Michael Koziol writes about how the IPA and certain shockjocks were sidelined by the government as the restrictions were put in place. I doubt, however, the same will apply to the framing of the economic recovery response.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/inside-the-failed-efforts-to-dismantle-australia-s-coronavirus-response-20200423-p54mjb.html
And right on cue Nick Bonyhady reports that Liberal backbenchers are urging the government not to back down on its industrial relations agenda and push through a union-busting bill to spur economic growth after the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberals-push-government-to-stay-the-course-on-industrial-relations-20200424-p54mxg.html
Michael Pascoe describes the gaping hole between Scott Morrison’s short- and long-term policies.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/04/27/coronavirus-scott-morrison-recovery-policies-hole/
Amy Remeikis writes that Labor has warned the government against using the Covid-19 crisis to bring in “ideological” economic reforms, such as a company tax cut, which it says are not based in evidence and won’t lead to economic growth.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/26/coronavirus-no-excuse-to-push-ideological-changes-such-as-company-tax-cuts-labor-says
The nation could sidestep economic catastrophe if COVID-19 restrictions are eased within weeks but will need to embrace sweeping economic reforms to avoid the risk of consigning a generation of older workers to permanent unemployment writes Joe Kelly in The Australian.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/coronavirus-relaxation-a-tonic-for-economic-recovery/news-story/2bc4e19b5c8ce0b34eb0f4443ff0eb82
John Kehoe writes that Morrison has shelved talk of a six-month economic “hibernation” and is nudging the states to allow more businesses to reopen before an official review of restrictions in less than three weeks.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-ditches-hibernation-as-recovery-speeds-up-20200426-p54n9o
Health authorities are expecting more than half of all Australians to download the voluntary COVIDSafe contact tracing app as employer bodies urge workers to download it.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/workers-urged-to-download-app-to-kick-start-post-covid-19-economy-20200426-p54nda.html
But Jennifer Hewett expresses her concerns about the app.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/hunt-starts-from-a-long-way-back-with-app-pitch-20200426-p54nbz
On this subject John Lord provides a layperson’s guide to lying.
https://theaimn.com/a-laypersons-guide-to-lying/
This is how the app actually works.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/04/27/coronavirus-app-australia-how-to/
Death toll doesn’t mean we’re overreacting. It means shutdowns help, explain a couple of experts for the AFR.
https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/death-toll-doesn-t-mean-we-re-overreacting-it-means-shutdowns-help-20200427-p54nf5
Anthony Galloway tells us that a senior World Health Organisation official has welcomed the government’s move to push for a global review of the COVID-19 outbreak.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/who-backs-australian-move-to-ease-restrictions-20200426-p54na9.html
In a very good editorial, the SMH says that the road back to recovery will be years in the making. But it must start somewhere and with the COVID-19 curve flattened for the moment, it’s time to start mapping out the way forward.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/time-to-start-mapping-out-a-road-to-recovery-20200426-p54ndm.html
According to Penny Wong we need to rethink our China relationship, but disengagement is no option.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-need-to-rethink-our-china-relationship-but-disengagement-is-no-option-20200426-p54nbq.html
Meanwhile China’s envoy in Australia says the Morrison government risks economic repercussions over ‘politically motivated’ calls for an inquiry into the virus outbreak.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/china-consumer-backlash-looms-over-morrison-s-coronavirus-probe-20200423-p54mpl
The Morrison Government’s JobKeeper scheme is in trouble. By privatising the administration of JobKeeper to businesses and privatising its funding to the banks, millions of workers are in limbo. Millennial industrials relations lawyer Daniel Anstey reports.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/jobreaper-flaws-in-jobkeeper-scheme-leave-businesses-and-workers-high-and-dry/
There is emerging evidence that COVID-19 infection may cause onset diabetes in normally healthy patients. But it may be more common among people at risk of metabolic disease writes John Elder.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/wellbeing/2020/04/27/coronarivus-diabetes-risk-research/
Cara Waters reports that business owners are battling staff demanding JobKeeper payments but refusing to work.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/it-s-not-money-for-jam-staff-refusing-to-come-to-work-but-demanding-jobkeeper-payments-20200423-p54mka.html
Sean Kelly outlines why Morrison will try to sideline Albanese as we come out of the virus crisis and enter the economic crisis.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-morrison-needs-to-keep-albanese-sidelined-20200426-p54nbb.html
And Shaun Carney reckons Morrison now has a chance to be the Libs’ stand-out PM. IMHO he didn’t make a great job in supporting his proposition.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/morrison-now-has-a-chance-to-be-the-libs-stand-out-pm-20200424-p54n2r.html
Andrew Charlton is concerned that the virus will broaden financial inequality.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/virus-to-broaden-financial-inequality-20200426-p54nay.html
Patrick Hatch and Sarah Danckert explain how Virgin Australia’s administrators face a mammoth task dealing with owners of the collapsed airline’s planes
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/virgin-australia-administrators-face-mammoth-task-with-aircraft-owners-20200426-p54n9m.html
Inequality and poverty make the coronavirus more difficult to manage, which should make us rethink the world’s social and economic order, writes Tomo McKinnon.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/coronavirus-demonstrates-that-global-poverty-hurts-all-of-us,13836
Michael McGowan tells us that rising substance abuse and treatment restrictions are pushing an already over-burdened rehab system to breaking point.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/on-top-of-everything-coronavirus-is-making-australias-drug-crisis-a-whole-lot-worse
Dana McCauley reports that aged care operators ordered by Morrison to stop locking out visitors have hit back, saying the restrictions are saving lives and demanding updated national guidelines enshrining a right to control access to facilities during the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/aged-care-operators-push-back-at-pm-s-order-to-allow-visitors-20200426-p54nc1.html
News Corp Australia has hired consultants to cut costs at the organisation by centralising some editorial and commercial functions, cutting print production of some smaller newspapers and reviewing its regional business. Have at it boys (and girls)!!!
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/news-corp-calls-in-deloitte-for-major-restructure-20200426-p54n9y.html
Tammy Mills reports that Victorian Magistrates Court statistics released to The Age show the family violence contact centre is on track for a 50 per cent increase in phone calls in April, compared to February before lockdowns began. This was not unexpected.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/family-violence-perpetrators-threaten-to-expose-children-to-covid-19-20200424-p54n1y.html
The Australian Government must reassess its international student intake, both for the good of the nation and the students themselves, writes William Bourke.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/covid-19-raises-doubts-about-our-reliance-on-international-students,13830
Dominic Powell explains how the long simmering stoush between shopping centre landlords and tenants could be heading to an ugly end.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/retailers-and-landlords-seek-common-ground-as-negotiations-threaten-to-turn-ugly-20200424-p54mxb.html
The Daily Telegraph explains the trouble the EU is finding itself in.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/cough-up-covid-trillions-or-lose-single-market-macron-warns-eu-20200426-p54nd5.html
Robert Reich explains how the Covid-19 pandemic shines a light on a new kind of class divide in the US and its inequalities.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/25/covid-19-pandemic-shines-a-light-on-a-new-kind-of-class-divide-and-its-inequalities
David Smith tells us that Trump had been intending to campaign on a strong economy and facing a socialist opponent, but scapegoating foreigners has worked for him before.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/26/donald-trump-xenophobia-re-election-campaign-2020
US President Donald Trump’s erratic handling of the coronavirus outbreak, the worsening economy and a cascade of ominous public and private polling have Republicans increasingly nervous that they are at risk of losing the presidency and the Senate if Mr Trump does not put the nation on a radically improved course. Here’s hoping!
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2020/04/27/coronavirus-trump-disinfectant-republicans-reaction/
Cartoon Corner
Peter Broelman
David Rowe
Mark David
Jon Kudelka
Glen Le Lievre
Jim Pavlidis
John Shakespeare.
Michael Leunig
Matt Golding
John Spooner
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6bb9d22818389e75aee1c2bc08dc4e11?width=1024
From the US