Australian Politics

It may have shaped as the most important policy implementation in a century.

According to BofA: Foreign firms looking to move their manufacturing processes outside of China in the wake of coronavirus could face $1 trillion in costs over five years, according to new Bank of America research.

Really?

Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon has expressed concern that the party could eventually split due to the growing divide between its traditional working-class and socially-progressive supporters.

Via the AFR: Treasurer Josh Frydenberg secretly shunned the Foreign Investment Review Board and Treasury which advised him to approve China Mengniu Dairy Co’s proposed $600 million acquisition of Lion Dairy & Drinks, but he hasn’t publicly announced the rebuff.

Chaos is as chaos does.

It’s not lockdowns.

Via Bernard Keane at Crikey: Initially one of the success stories of the global pandemic, the island monarchy of Australia is now struggling to contain a COVID-19 outbreak that has shuttered a major town and torn through the nursing homes along the east coast of the country.

Let’s rewind a week or so to AUSMIN: Australia and the US have established a top-secret defence co-operation framework to counter Chinese military aggression, and put Darwin at the centre of future military plans with a new strategic fuel reserve for the city.

Via News: Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he intends to make a COVID-19 vaccine “as mandatory as possible” for all Australians once it becomes available.

Magnificent stuff from the Actuaries Institute today with the launch of a new Intergenerational Equity Index: Falling rates of home ownership, government spending that skews to older Australians and deteriorating environmental factors are some of the factors that have driven a wider gap in equity between Australia’s young and old.

Nobody ever accused the Nats of being the brains trust but this is a new low, at Domain: The federal government is blocking three in four applications from Australians wanting to travel overseas.

Welcome back to Hawaii, Australia.

Yesterday the competition regulator said: Recommendations to address price concerns The ACCC recommends the extension of the existing Commonwealth Government’s Heads of Agreement with LNG producers, due to expire at the end of 2020, because of the demonstrated capacity of LNG producers to supply additional gas into the domestic market when needed.

Bravo QLD!

Via The Guardian: Fewer than 250 people have applied for the Morrison government’s homebuilder scheme, officials have revealed, despite the hype from an industry association that it was the “most effective stimulus in decades”.

Via The Australian: Health Minister Greg Hunt says he is “genuinely optimistic” a COVID-19 vaccine will be internationally available by next year, declaring the nation is close to reaching a deal to produce it in Australia.

A big coming out for the excellent Salvatore Babones at The National Interest: The parallels between 1930s Germany and 2010s China are profound.

Conservative political organs representing vested interests dialed the whaaambulance on the weekend.

The Morrison Government continues to cling to an election winning lead, according to the latest Newspoll: The Coalition is leading Labor 52% to 48% on a two-party preferred basis.

Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick has quit the party claiming it will fail to win a single seat at the next election.