Essential Research coronavirus latest

Confidence in the federal government and other institutions on the rise, but state governments in New South Wales and Queensland appear to lag behind Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.

The Guardian reports Essential Research’s latest weekly reading of concern about coronavirus finds satisfaction with the government’s handling of the crisis up two points to 65%, its best result yet out of the five such polls that have been published (no sign yet of the poor rating, which hit a new low of 17% – the full report later today should reveal all).

Last week’s question on state governments’ responses was repeated this week, and with due regard to sample sizes that run no higher than around 320 (and not even in triple figures in the case of South Australia), the good ratings have been 56% last week and 61% for New South Wales; 76% and 70% for Victoria; 52% and 63% for Queensland; 79% and 77% for Western Australia; and 72% and 66% for South Australia. Combining the results gives New South Wales 58.5% and Victoria 73% with error margins of about 3.7%; Queensland 57.5% from 4.6%; Western Australia 78% from 5.5%; and South Australia 69% from 6.9%.

Also included are Essential’s occasion question on trust in various institutions, which suggests that all of the above might be benefiting from a secular effect that has federal parliament up from 35% to 53% and the ABC up from 51% to 58%. The effect is more modest for the Australian Federal Police, up two points to 68%. In other coronavirus-related findings, the poll finds “half of all voters think it’s too soon to even consider easing restrictions“, with a further 14% saying they are prepared to wait until the end of May; that 38% said they would download the virus-tracing app, with 63% saying they had security concerns and 35% being confident the data would not be misused.

UPDATE: Full report here.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,133 comments on “Essential Research coronavirus latest”

Comments Page 11 of 23
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  1. I hope I don’t sound callous, but why does Nine present as “Breaking News” a news flash telling us one more person has died in NSW from the virus tonight?

  2. Cat

    just realised that today, April 21, was also Queen Elizabeth’s birthday. She is now 94
    ———-
    Yes, it shows the value in having a real NHS! 🙂

  3. PuffyTMD

    England tried “Let here rip” and now they can’t pull back. They will by far suffer the most deaths and the biggest economic hit.

  5. Rakali says:
    …
    Sadly Sweden has replaced its Nordic rationality with imported neo-liberalism

    Sweden has a center left government and Grease a right wing government. Success and failure seems to depend on the people running the show.

  8. frednk

    Sweden has a center left government and Grease a right wing government. Success and failure seems to depend on the people running the show.
    ———-
    Sweden had a right wing Government in the recent past. I have no idea it’s current regime.

    Your valiant defence of neo-liberalism is noted and dismissed.

    It is not a coincidence that the anti-public service USA and the UK are basket cases. The LNP and Labor right want Australia to be in the same dystopian hell hole.

  9. From Wikipedia
    “The 2018 general election saw the Red-greens lose seats to the right-wing Sweden Democrats and to the centre-right parties of the former Alliance. Despite holding only 33% of the seats in the Riksdag, the Social Democrats and the Greens managed to form a minority government in January 2019, relying on supply and confidence from the Centre Party, Liberals and the Left Party.”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden#Recent_history

    So the Social Democrats are the main ruling party, but appear to have little real power.

  11. I think frednk confuses a Swedish “center” left Government with a Government which is not centre left!!.

    I suspect frednk is a yankee!

  13. This:

    shows the layout of a restaurant with the seating location of 10 people who got COVID19 – A1 and nine people go got COVID19 at the restaurant. Tables A and B overlapped for 53 minutes, tables A and C for 73 minutes. There were 81 other guests and staff who did not get COVID19. This was a floor of a restaurant with no windows and strongly flowing air conditioning (with direction shown in the plan).

    Paper is here:
    – https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0764_article

  14. A reminder about how unreliable some experts can be. This is an article from March 16.

    https://www.theage.com.au/national/should-we-be-locked-down-experts-split-on-hardline-covid-19-measures-20200315-p54a8y.html

    Associate Professor Julian Rait, president of the Australian Medical Association’s Victorian chapter, agreed. Campaigns calling for people to lock themselves down, like the widely circulating online “Stay The F–k At Home” push, were “probably a bit drastic”.

    “There may well be a time for that,” Professor Rait said. “But this is a staged approach – we agree with the Chief Medical Officer at this stage about the advice. We completely feel confident in it.”

    Seems the “Stay the fuck at home” push was right.

  15. Not all economists are heartless, narrow minded idiots…

    http://covid19openletter.net/

    19 April 2020

    Dear Prime Minister and Members of the National Cabinet:

    The undersigned economists have witnessed and participated in the public debate about when to relax social-distancing measures in Australia. Some commentators have expressed the view that there is a trade-off between the public health and economic aspects of the crisis. We, as economists, believe this is a false distinction.

    We cannot have a functioning economy unless we first comprehensively address the public health crisis. The measures put in place in Australia, at the border and within the states and territories, have reduced the number of new infections. This has put Australia in an enviable position compared to other countries, and we must not squander that success.

    We recognise that the measures taken to date have come at a cost to economic activity and jobs, but believe these are far outweighed by the lives saved and the avoided economic damage due to an unmitigated contagion. We believe that strong fiscal measures are a much better way to offset these economic costs than prematurely loosening restrictions.

    As has been foreshadowed in your public remarks, our borders will need to remain under tight control for an extended period. It is vital to keep social-distancing measures in place until the number of infections is very low, our testing capacity is expanded well beyond its already comparatively high level, and widespread contact tracing is available.

    A second-wave outbreak would be extremely damaging to the economy, in addition to involving tragic and unnecessary loss of life.

  16. Can someone please tell me what is the logical difference between a Chinese restaurant in Guangzhou with diners from Wuhan, and a Chinese restaurant in Sydney, also with diners from from Wuhan (from any of several planeloads of travellers who came to Sydney from Wuhan, for Lunar New Year) and why you can catch coronavirus circulated in droplet form circulated between tables in Guangzhou, but you’re a racist bigot who doesn’t understand that you can’t catch the virus from just sharing air in a restaurant, if you’re in Sydney?

    Do Australian air-conditioners perhaps have better filters than Chinese ones?

    From January 26 through February 10, 2020, an outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVD-19) affected 10 persons from 3 families (families A–C) who had eaten at the same air-conditioned restaurant in Guangzhou, China. One of the families had just traveled from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. We performed a detailed investigation that linked these 10 cases together. Our study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

    https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0764_article

    This appears to be pretty conclusive support for the thousands of restaurant customers (most of them Chinese) who boycotted Australian Chinese restaurants, starting at Lunar New Year, when Australian cities had thousands of tourists from Wuhan.

    If the diners at tables B and C couldn’t tell who was infected, and who was from Wuhan, what chance would anybody, anywhere?

    And why would that same uncertainty somehow not apply in Australia?

  17. Well I’m opposed to the the casual accusations of racism that have been circulated here and have said so in the past; I won’t repeat that here.

    In my post on the Wuhan restaurant (including the floorplan thereof) I noted that the restaurant had no windows (despite being on the fifth floor). This is possible in Australia (I have dined in a Chinese restaurant with no windows in Adelaide) but uncommon (said restaurant had no windows because it was in a basement). It’s likely the lack of windows and outside air had an adverse effect. Further to this, the authors recommend “improving ventilation” as a means to reduce COVID19 transmission in restaurants.

    This leads me to suspect that due to the absence of windows the ventilation in that restaurant was terrible and that consequently the air-con fans had been been dialed up to the maximum possible. The latter will increase long-range droplet spread (and possible aerosol spread) and may have been the critical enabler of that infection cluster. I suspect that a restaurant with such inadequate ventilation would be shut down were it to be running in Australia.

  18. E. G. Theodore
    An article about the virus surviving longer in the air than thought . A snippet relevant to that non ventilated restaurant………………..
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
    But that still doesn’t mean you’ll catch it just from passing someone on the street. Like cigarette smoke, the virus will disperse in open spaces. And, just like smoke, it can build up in enclosed areas without ventilation.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/warning-light-coronavirus-can-last-longer-in-air-than-first-thought-20200420-p54li8.html

  20. I’m surprised at the resistance to the wearing of masks. I would have thought it a no brainer for kids to wear these at school in closed spaces. There are fabric ones that are more comfortable and less clinical looking and the noble motive of not spreading the germs to others surely teaches a lesson of social responsibility. Have lived in Japan where this concern for others was touching.
    Much easier than remembering to social distance all the time and it would also reduce transmission of colds and flu .

  21. Singapore’s fabulous response to covid-19 was just that – fabled.
    In fact, they weren’t testing their migrant workers who are housed in dormitories.
    Those chickens have now come home to roost.

    Singapore has reported a record daily jump of more than 1,400 coronavirus cases, taking its total to over 8,000, with almost all new infections linked to dormitories housing foreign labourers.

    The city-state was initially successful in keeping its outbreak in check with a strict regime of testing and contact-tracing but is now facing a fast-moving second wave.

    Health authorities in the financial hub, which now has the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, reported 1,426 new cases on Monday, taking its total to 8,014, including 11 deaths.

    Cases have surged since authorities started carrying out widespread testing of foreign workers living in crowded dormitory complexes, many of whom are construction workers from South Asia.

    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/singapore-reports-biggest-single-day-coronavirus-spike-in-second-wave-outbreak

    In fact, in Singapore, new cases per day per 100,000 people are 3 times higher than the UK’s (who are also under-reporting).
    https://coronavirusgraphs.com/?c=dpp&y=linear&t=bar&f=0&ct=&co=1,206

  22. So much for Donald Trump ‘solving’ the oil problem between Russia and Saudi Arabia!

    A week ago Donald Trump was being lauded, and patting himself on the back, for brokering a deal that saw an historic agreement between OPEC, its associate members and the US to cut global oil production. On Monday the oil price plunged below zero.

    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/oil-price-plunge-shows-trump-s-deal-with-opec-and-russia-was-hopelessly-na-ve-20200421-p54lqk.html

    Honestly, Trump thinks the laws of physics and economics don’t apply to him. And, in this instance, not even Mnuchin’s mates on Wall St could save him:

    Wall Street has tumbled for a second straight day as a collapse in US oil prices and glum forecasts by companies foreshadowed the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.

    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/wall-street-tumbles-as-oil-crash-adds-to-pandemic-fears-20200422-p54lze.html

  23. “Siri, show me ‘complacency’.”

    For the first time in six weeks, NSW has relinquished the grim title of most confirmed cases of COVID-19 per resident.

    The dubious distinction has passed to Tasmania, which has passed 200 confirmed infections — the equivalent of 37.3 per 100,000 residents.

    NSW has a total of 2,969 confirmed cases or 36.6 cases per 100,000 residents.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/coronavirus-cases-data-reveals-how-covid-19-spreads-in-australia/12060704

  24. But I thought Tasmania was supposed to represent one of the better state responses, at least according to some PBers. What happened?

  25. Even as states move ahead with plans to reopen their economies, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that a second wave of the novel coronavirus will be far more dire because it is likely to coincide with the start of flu season.

    “There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in an interview with The Washington Post. “And when I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/21/coronavirus-secondwave-cdcdirector/

  27. So much for the hoax, fake news.

    The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

    Tuesday’s bipartisan report, from a panel chaired by North Carolina Republican Richard Burr, undercuts Trump’s years of efforts to portray allegations of Kremlin assistance to his campaign as a “hoax,” driven by Democrats and a “deep state” embedded within the government bureaucracy.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/senate-intel-report-confirms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

  28. Lol.

    “You’ve received a new message regarding CORONAVIRUS guidelines in your geographical area.”

    BE ON THE ALERT FOR TEXTS FROM SCAMMERS PRETENDING TO BE THE GOVERNMENT. IF YOU RECEIVE A HALF-BAKED MESSAGE WITH UNCLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FROM ‘AUS GOV’ … RELAX, THAT’S PROBABLY THE REAL THING.

  29. C@t
    ”We in Australia have been in Lockdown at least twice as long as America and we are handling it at least twice as well.”

    Per capita, the USA has over nine times the number of cases that Australia has, and nearly 50 times as many deaths.

    It’s still early days of course.

  31. Steve777

    Per capita, the USA has over nine times the number of cases that Australia has, and nearly 50 times as many deaths.

    It’s still early days of course.

    Probably due to
    a) the US (and UK) are under-reporting case numbers
    and
    b) too many patients for available hospital beds / ICU beds, which leads to higher death rates

  32. I don’t really understand the protests in the US. It reminds me of the Tea Party movement 10 years ago – incomprehensible each day sees more crazy.

  33. It is entirely unnecessary to have accused “our” bill of racism in his early call that common sense dictated avoiding Chinese restaurants in Aus. It was undoubtedly the case that at the time of the call ethnic Chinese were sensibly avoiding Chinese restaurants. It was sensible since visitors from Wuhan (the international vectors) were more likely to be diners at restaurants ethnic Chinese eat at.

    If it turns out inadequate ventilation potentiates the risk (which seems obvious) this doesn’t destroy our bill’s point.

    OTOH the risk factor in going to a Chinese restaurant back at the time of our bill’s call was negligible. True, it might have been 100 times greater than going to a French restaurant but 100 times next to zero is next to zero. Our bill, worried about the risk of catching C19 whilst dining, need not have restricted his call to Chinese restaurants. After all, as he rightly observed at the time, the Chinese had stopped going so our Wuhan infected would be epicurean was eating elsewhere also.

  34. ‘fess, those protests are astro-turfed by RW supporters of Trump, groups such as the Proud Boys and Republican PACS in those Democrat-led States.

  36. ”I don’t really understand the protests in the US. It reminds me of the Tea Party movement 10 years ago – incomprehensible each day sees more crazy.”

    The Tea Party movement was largely astroturfed by the oil billionaire Koch brothers.


  37. Cud Chewer says:
    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 11:19 pm

    As I said before, I’ve been in Sweden in 2003 and 2012 and have friends there. Its gone way backwards.

    For me it was 1981, a far different place then.

    I’d agree, it is not what it was, since then they have had their period of right wing governments, however the current mess was created by a Social Democrat and Greens alliance.

    Perhaps adding weight to the thesis, you need extremists (left or right) to really stuff things up.

  41. Jaeger @ #523 Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020 – 6:52 am

    “Siri, show me ‘complacency’.”

    For the first time in six weeks, NSW has relinquished the grim title of most confirmed cases of COVID-19 per resident.

    The dubious distinction has passed to Tasmania, which has passed 200 confirmed infections — the equivalent of 37.3 per 100,000 residents.

    NSW has a total of 2,969 confirmed cases or 36.6 cases per 100,000 residents.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/coronavirus-cases-data-reveals-how-covid-19-spreads-in-australia/12060704

    Just ask MB. It’s all Dan’s fault. And StoppedclockBill keeps telling them to stay away from Chinese restaurants.

  42. This says it all about mealy-mouthed purists. Black Dems aren’t bothered by the party’s presidential candidate being a white male. But nearly half of white Democrats are bothered by it!

    Steve Kornacki@SteveKornacki
    ·
    6h
    In a new Pew poll, 41% of Dems say it bothers them that their nominee will be a white male in his 70s and 59% say it doesn’t. By race:

    White
    Bothers 49%
    Doesn’t bother 51%

    Black
    Bothers 28%
    Doesn’t bother 72%

    Hispanic
    Bothers 30%
    Doesn’t bother 70%

  43. poroti @ #539 Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020 – 7:41 am

    How bad has Tory Toff BoJo’s government full off Old Etonians been ? Another illustration. Makes Trump look competent…………………..by comparison.
    .
    Coronavirus Deaths per 1,000,000 Since 0.1 Deaths per 1,000,000 in 4 Countries
    https://coronavirusgraphs.com/?c=dd10&y=linear&t=line&f=0&ct=&co=1,2,21,165

    It’s because the person who’s supposed to be running the country, Dom Cummings, er, Boris Johnson, is still sick with COVID-19. And if the reports of Chris Cuomo about the progress of his disease are anything to go by, thenBoJo still has a long road to recovery to travel before he returns to anything approaching ‘normal’.

  44. It’s Time

    And StoppedclockBill keeps telling them to stay away from Chinese restaurants.

    😆 On a unity ticket with teh Reichspud…………………………

  46. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. Another monster today!

    Former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague says that huge decisions and great controversies that might only have come to a head over the next couple of decades are suddenly upon us. We are about to experience the next 20 years in 12 months, and we need to get ready for it. Very interesting.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/coronavirus-is-accelerating-eight-distributing-mega-trends-20200421-p54lnn.html
    John Hewson says that coronavirus is a dress rehearsal for what awaits us if governments continue to ignore science.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/22/coronavirus-is-a-dress-rehearsal-for-what-awaits-us-if-governments-continue-to-ignore-science
    Epidemiologist Bob Douglas gives us plenty to ponder in this alarming contribution.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6729991/learning-to-survive-and-thrive-in-our-mega-threatened-world/?cs=14258
    Kate Aubusson reports that every Sydneysider will be tested and retested for coronavirus before the pandemic abates, as rapid and widespread detection emerges as a crucial factor for easing restrictions.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-health-says-covid-19-testing-for-anyone-is-inevitable-20200421-p54lw9.html
    Treasury forecasting indicates Victoria’s jobless rate will double to 11% and house prices will slide as a result of the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/unprecedented-in-our-lifetimes-victoria-issues-grim-economic-warning-20200421-p54lwf.html
    The true number of people infected with COVID-19 in Australia is likely to be much higher than the official government tally, experts say, with one estimate putting the figure as high as 30,000 reports Liam Mannix.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/official-covid-19-figures-underestimate-spread-by-order-of-magnitude-20200421-p54lnm.html
    Beijing has imposed new restrictions on an upscale diplomats district that is home to 3.5 million people, as it guards against the threat of a second wave of coronavirus cases. Asia is facing a second wave.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-greatest-challenge-asia-catches-coronavirus-second-wave-20200421-p54lsk.html
    If Australia lifted all restrictions in the pursuit of herd immunity we should expect cycling epidemics of COVID-19, increased absenteeism, and ultimately more deaths, one of Australia’s leading pandemic experts has warned.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/herd-immunity-is-a-myth-infectious-disease-experts-warn-20200415-p54k0c.html
    The virus behind the pandemic can stay infectious in the air for possibly more than 16 hours, research has found.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/warning-light-coronavirus-can-last-longer-in-air-than-first-thought-20200420-p54li8.html
    Mike Foley tells us that that Angus Taylor wants Australia to capitalise on depressed global oil and gas markets to deliver cheap energy for industry and boost the strategic oil reserve during the coronavirus crisis.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/gas-to-fire-economic-recovery-and-capitalise-on-cheap-oil-prices-20200421-p54lw8.html
    David Crowe reports that a new federal stimulus program will fast-track spending on road projects in a bid to save jobs over the next six months, pouring money into proposals from more than 400 local councils.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/spending-boost-will-bring-forward-construction-for-local-councils-20200421-p54lts.html
    According to Fergus Hunter Australia Post will reduce letter deliveries to every second day in metropolitan areas under a major overhaul during the COVID-19 crisis as chief executive Christine Holgate warns the postal service is responding to a decade’s worth of transformation in the space of a month. (I had a package posted in suburban Adelaide take more than three weeks to arrive 45 km up the hill recently).
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-post-hit-with-a-decade-s-worth-of-disruption-in-a-month-ceo-says-20200421-p54lsh.html
    Shane Wright refers to a study that shows companies that take on extra debt are more likely to cut corners and put their workers’ safety at risk and warns governments will have to lift scrutiny of businesses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/risky-business-sharp-debt-increases-can-hit-worker-safety-study-finds-20200421-p54lqc.html
    All available evidence suggests COVID-19 originated in animals in China and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory, the World Health Organisation says.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/coronavirus-likely-of-animal-origin-not-made-in-a-lab-who-20200422-p54lzb.html
    Paul Bongiorno reckons Turnbull’s book provides some clues on Scott Morrison’s recovery strategy.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/04/20/book-scott-morrison-coronavirus-recovery-strategy/
    According to Shane Wright data is showing 800,000 jobs disappeared in three weeks as shutdowns aimed at stopping coronavirus hit the economy.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/job-disaster-800-000-jobs-go-in-three-weeks-amid-depression-warning-20200421-p54ltd.html
    A discussion paper on how to most efficiently get Australia working again points to Scott Morrison’s suggested formula of corporate tax cuts, deregulation, and industrial relations reform to be precisely the wrong way to go about the next phase of pandemic recovery. Michael Pascoe says of The Australia Institute’s comprehensive paper that the government now has a more useful framework than anything on offer from the Business Council of Australia or the Institute of Public Affairs.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2020/04/21/coronavirus-employment-michael-pascoe/
    The holders of Virgin Australia’s $1.8 billion of bonds are preparing for a major fight with the company amid concerns that they will not be treated fairly in a restructure to resuscitate the failed airline.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/virgin-s-bond-holders-could-be-a-1-8-billion-thorn-in-restructure-20200421-p54luf.html
    Meanwhile airline specialist Neil Hansford says that no reasonable person could argue for a taxpayer bailout of Virgin.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/no-reasonable-person-could-argue-for-a-taxpayer-bailout-of-virgin-20200421-p54lqm.html
    And the SMH editorial declares that the nation needs two airlines but not at any price.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/the-nation-needs-two-airlines-but-not-at-any-price-20200421-p54lx6.html
    But here is a view to the contrary.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/the-government-should-bail-out-virgin-or-consumers-will-suffer-20200421-p54lnk.html
    Phil Coorey says the Morrison government will provide the regulatory environment necessary to ensure Virgin survives, including preventing rival Qantas from abusing its market power to “crush” the restructured airline as it tries to re-establish itself.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/accc-to-watch-qantas-as-virgin-fights-to-survive-20200421-p54lne
    For a country with supposedly some of the most profitable domestic air routes in the world, Australia has a surprisingly poor record in sustaining a competitive airline industry writes Adrian Rollins who says Virgin is putting the government’s faith in markets to the test.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6730006/virgin-puts-the-governments-faith-in-markets-to-the-test/?cs=17318
    The argument that we should lift the coronavirus restrictions for the sake of the younger generation is nonsense and offensive writes Caitlin Fitzsimons.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/don-t-sacrifice-the-old-but-we-must-repay-our-debt-to-the-young-20200420-p54llk.html
    Unsurprisingly, Tony Abbott has launched an impassioned defence of his former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, after Malcolm Turnbull accused the pair of sharing a bizarre dynamic.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/books/2020/04/21/malcolm-turnbull-book-tony-abbott/
    Isabelle Lane examines the significant changes in spending patterns being observed during the shut down.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/consumer/2020/04/21/coronavirus-online-shopping-consumer/
    Already stretched domestic violence services around the nation need government money to flow faster as coronavirus lockdowns take an increasing toll on vulnerable families implores Andrew Tate.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/04/21/coronavirus-lockdown-domestic-violence-help/
    The Reserve Bank says major reforms to tax and industrial relations need to be delivered by governments in a cooperative effort to help the economy recover.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/biggest-economic-contraction-since-1930s-rba-20200421-p54lqf
    To build an economy with a strong advanced manufacturing sector, we need to turn around the decline in the nation’s investment in research and development says Kim Carr. This is an excellent contribution.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/time-to-revitalise-our-manufacturing-sector-20200421-p54lr6.html
    ACCC chairman Rod Sims says it is important for the ABC to be part of a new code governing how Google and Facebook share revenue with news organisations.
    https://www.afr.com/technology/abc-could-see-payday-from-big-tech-giants-20200421-p54ltp
    It’s more than just a virus: there are culture wounds and abscesses of leadership says John Lord.
    https://theaimn.com/its-more-than-just-a-virus-there-are-culture-wounds-and-abscesses-of-leadership/
    A potential coronavirus vaccine will be trialled on humans this week by researchers at the University of Oxford, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2020/04/22/uk-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-humans/
    COVID-19 has forced some of the largest changes inside the federal public service in at least 30 years, accelerating reforms that might have otherwise been slowed in bureaucracy, a leading public servant has said.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6729565/coronavirus-changes-are-some-of-public-services-largest-in-30-years/?cs=17318
    Plans to welcome larger ships and more frequent visits to Australia are now in limbo amid uncertainty about when – or if – the business will recover writes Ben Smee.
    https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/apr/22/bad-neighbour-will-the-cruise-industry-ever-be-the-same-again-after-coronavirus
    Turnbull has given an exclusive interview to Malcolm Farr who concludes that the former PM is in no mood to retreat from public life, or return to politics.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/apr/22/im-an-activist-malcolm-turnbull-plots-his-post-politics-path
    Richard Ackland looks at the effects of the shut down on the justice system and sees some potential trouble ahead.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/21/lines-dropped-out-witnesses-didnt-know-where-to-go-justice-in-times-of-coronavirus
    The final act in the landmark “Palace letters” case seeking access to the Queen’s secret correspondence with the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, relating to Kerr’s dismissal of the Whitlam government will play out in the High Court later this month.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/secret-palace-letters-could-illuminate-whitlam-dismissal-if-finally-released,13811
    Offers to reduce mortgage payments or defer them for six months are a ploy by lenders to collect interest on interest. If you have been paying more than the minimum amount, keep it up to save tens of thousands of dollars advises Noel Whittaker.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowing/why-lenders-don-t-mind-if-you-cut-your-mortgage-payments-20200420-p54le8.html
    John Collett writes that economists and analysts don’t know what the likely future holds, but a quick economic recovery is probably the least likely.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/alphabet-of-economic-recovery-plots-emerge-from-the-great-lockdown-20200417-p54kqj.html
    The cost of neoliberalism – which prioritises the dollar over human worth and has enshrined inequality – is seldom calculated in lives lost or plundered, writes Lyn Bender.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/grieving-in-the-time-of-covid-19,13815
    Stephen Bartholomeusz says that the oil price plunge shows Trump’s deal with OPEC and Russia was hopelessly naïve.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/oil-price-plunge-shows-trump-s-deal-with-opec-and-russia-was-hopelessly-na-ve-20200421-p54lqk.html
    The death toll from the deadliest shooting spree in Canada’s modern history has risen to 22, forcing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to move quickly to ban the sale of military-style assault weapons.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2020/04/22/gun-laws-nova-scotia-massacre/
    Congressional leaders have agreed to provide another $500m to help small businesses, after an initial $US350 billion fund ran out of cash almost instantly.
    https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/congress-and-white-house-agree-nearly-us500b-extra-bailout-20200422-p54lzf
    The ‘anti-lockdown’ protests are about more than just quarantines. It’s about Trump and his push for re-election.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2020/apr/21/anti-lockdown-protests-trump-right-wing
    The governors of several US states – including close allies of President Donald Trump – are moving to rapidly reopen businesses and churches as protests against government-mandated lockdowns spread throughout the country. What a bunch of bloody idiots!
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/trump-allied-states-ready-to-reopen-for-business-from-this-week-20200421-p54lpw.html

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe


    Alan Moir

    Peter Broelman

    Cathy Wilcox

    Matt Golding







    Glen Le Lievre

    Simon Letch


    Andrew Dyson

    John Spooner
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/d8ae12a08898ba8f8c7390ba48348a20?width=1024

    From the US













  47. The dangers of voting in Milwaukee- from WaPO

    “At least seven Milwaukee residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus since Wisconsin’s April 7 elections either stood in line or worked the polls that day, Milwaukee health officials announced Tuesday.

    Officials have not yet established whether the individuals contracted the virus as a result of their activities on Election Day. The individuals were identified through a state questionnaire that added “election activity” to its list of questions posed to infected residents after the April 7 elections to screen for a potential link to the vote.

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s controversial decision ordering the state to proceed with the elections over the objections of the governor and public health officials led to snaking lines in several cities as determined voters waited for hours to cast their ballots.“

  49. “Resources Minister Keith Pitt said mining and gas projects should be prioritised to help economic growth, arguing they are “being held up by activists using our court system to employ green ‘lawfare'”. Opposition resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said there needs “to be a discussion about further incentives for exploration” and “a rational discussion about the rise and rise of environmental activism”.

    I’d imagine/hope that many Labor supporters would not much like their party being on this unity ticket….

  50. Thanks BK.

    Former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague says that huge decisions and great controversies that might only have come to a head over the next couple of decades are suddenly upon us. We are about to experience the next 20 years in 12 months, and we need to get ready for it. Very interesting.

    I can’t remember who it was, but someone on Qanda the other night made a similar point. Although they didn’t use the examples Hague has, but were speaking more from an economics point of view.

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