Unis could fly in foreign students
Universities could fly in thousands of foreign students under strict quarantine conditions to stem their mounting financial losses and reboot a vital sector of the Australian economy, the expert committee advising the government suggests. The Fin
Single virus case could shut us down: mine boss
Northern Star Resources boss Bill Beament has sounded another dire warning about mine shutdowns as Western Australia moves to test about 30,000 fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers for COVID-19. The Fin
Landlords in retail therapy push
Retailers around Australia are stepping up store re-openings as major shopping centre landlords prepare to resume full trade despite simmering tensions over rental payments during the crisis threatening to boil over. The Aus
Foster’s flat at Ascot pub
The run of fizzers has continued for hotel promoter Roger Foster, with his International on the Water operation collapsing less than three years after the implosion of his Leighton plans. The West
Macca’s bid for flexibility deal rebuffed
The Fair Work Commission has refused to waive overtime rates and set shifts for part-timers in the fast-food industry due to a lack of evidence that major franchisors like McDonald’s are struggling during the pandemic. The Fin
Domestic tourists moving by July
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham is aiming to free up domestic travel within Australia by the next school holidays in July. The Fin
Fiscal stimulus is almost the world’s biggest
Australia is outspending every country – except Qatar – with the government’s $214 billion fiscal response to COVID-19 pandemic, a new analysis found. The Fin
Sky high demand for international food flights
Pent up demand from desperate farmers and fishers has seen about 350 flights locked in to send high-end meat, seafood and produce overseas under the federal government’s air freight lifeline for exporters. The Fin
Employers want power over app
Employers are seeking the right to require employees to download the COVIDSafe app as a condition of returning to work, claiming the Morrison government had been “timid” in not obliging workers to have the app on their mobile phones. The Aus
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Universities could fly in thousands of foreign students under strict quarantine conditions to stem their mounting financial losses and reboot a vital sector of the Australian economy, the expert committee advising the government suggests.
Page 2: Hutchison Ports (HPA) is pushing for roster changes that will see wharfies take pay cuts of up to $13,000 a year in order to avoid job losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Page 3: The Fair Work Commission has refused to waive overtime rates and set shifts for part-timers in the fast-food industry due to a lack of evidence that major franchisors like McDonald’s are struggling during the pandemic.
Page 4: Australians are likely to maintain frugal spending habits even after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, according to consumer research, which also shows a nationwide shift towards a simpler lifestyle that eschews luxury products.
Page 5: Household income has collectively plunged $102 billion because of the economic shockwave from the coronavirus, with one in four workers fearful they will lose their job over the next year, new research reveals.
Page 6: Government officials have admitted the coronavirus tracing app has ‘‘variable’’ performance at registering contacts despite the importance political leaders have staked on it to help lift restrictions that have crippled the economy and social life.
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham is aiming to free up domestic travel within Australia by the next school holidays in July.
Page 7: Australia is outspending every country – except Qatar – with the government’s $214 billion fiscal response to COVID-19 pandemic, a new analysis found.
Page 9: Pent up demand from desperate farmers and fishers has seen about 350 flights locked in to send high-end meat, seafood and produce overseas under the federal government’s air freight lifeline for exporters.
Page 11: Donald Trump has put Americans on notice: hiding from the pandemic is no longer an option.
Page 13: JB Hi-Fi boss Richard Murray believes consumers could support local retailers rather than head back to the big malls as sweeping government restrictions put in place to fight the spread of COVID-19 are slowly lifted.
Virgin Australia is headed for another financial disaster under new ownership unless it is totally restructured – including rewriting its enterprise bargaining agreements – according to Regional Express executive chairman Lim Kim Hai.
Page 15: Wesfarmers’ Kmart Group has hired a former Amazon executive from the United States to super charge its Catch online business acquired for $230 million last year, with plans to expand it to ‘‘many multiples’’ of its current size.
Page 18: Northern Star Resources boss Bill Beament has sounded another dire warning about mine shutdowns as Western Australia moves to test about 30,000 fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers for COVID-19.
Page 19: Blackmores’ boss says sales of the group’s ‘‘immunity products’’ have boomed over the past months in the pandemic, but cautioned they only make up about 10 per cent of the overall range.
The Australian
Page 1: Suicide rates in Australia are forecast to rise by up to 50 per cent due to the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus and tipped to outstrip deaths from the pandemic by as much as four times.
Page 3: Two-thirds of Australians say they are anxious or worried about COVID-19, with nearly 40 per cent fearing they are “likely” to get the virus in the next six months, a new study says.
Page 5: Employers are seeking the right to require employees to download the COVIDSafe app as a condition of returning to work, claiming the Morrison government had been “timid” in not obliging workers to have the app on their mobile phones.
Page 9: China has announced a big advance in its space program, with the launch of its most advanced rocket and tests of a crew capsule for lunar and space station missions.
Page 13: Retailers around Australia are stepping up store re-openings as major shopping centre landlords prepare to resume full trade despite simmering tensions over rental payments during the crisis threatening to boil over.
Woolworths is slashing the size of its popular weekly specials catalogue by a third and diverting resources to online promotions as the coronavirus pandemic drives a record boom in internet shopping for the supermarket giant.
Page 15: Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson has backed calls for a “massive” wave of green energy-focused stimulus measures to help global economies out of the coronavirus crisis.
The West Australian
Page 8: New Zealand may not be the only nation to establish a “travel bubble” with Australia, with China, Japan and South Korea also options, according to the man tasked with leading Australia’s COVID recovery.
Most businesses will be up and running by July but visiting the beautician or a massage business is likely to be a very different experience.
Page 11: Regional travel bans are likely to be relaxed in time for the winter school holidays, paving the way for a reboot of WA’s tourism sector.
Business: The run of fizzers has continued for hotel promoter Roger Foster, with his International on the Water operation collapsing less than three years after the implosion of his Leighton plans.
Scrapping payroll tax and replacing stamp duty with an annual land tax top an extensive suite of measures proposed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA to kick-start the post-COVID economy.
Perth Airport has hit back at claims by Qantas that it has engaged in “aggressive” tactics in its long-running feud over passenger fees and charges.
Medibank Private says only one per cent of customers have suspended policies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and it expects them to return.
