News
  • The suicide rate in Australia could increase by 50 per cent over the next five years due to economic social impacts of Covid-19, University of Sydney research finds. (Australian)
  • PM in Facebook interview last night says of Covid-19: ’It won’t be eradicated. There will still be outbreaks.’
    • This is a shift from April, when the PM had said that elimination ‘could happen.’
  • Treasurer Frydenberg says JobKeeper will be reviewed after three months as ‘some industries will recover quicker than others (Sky)
  • Chairman of National Covid-19 Commission says that universities and government could consider charter flights for international student and use two week quarantine periods. (AFR)
  • The Australian Industry Group has called on govt to use emergency powers to prevent new class actions being filed during the Covid-19 crisis. (Australian)
    • The Parliamentary Joint Committee on corporations and financial services will investigate global litigation funding firms activities in Australia.
  • Dave Sharma MP says that any ‘Trans-Tasman bubble’ should be extended to Pacific Islands to form a ‘Trans Pacific Bubble’. (Australian)
  • NSW Business chief Stephen Cartwright is urging the federal govt to give employers the right to require employees to download COVIDSafe app. (Australian)
  • Leaked memo from ALP leader Albanese to caucus suggests wariness of big-spending platform going into next election. (SMH)
    • Says ALP ‘must acknowledge constrained fiscal situation that will likely confront an incoming Labor government.’ 
    • Says ALP is setting up four working groups, each led by two shadow cabinet ministers to analyse post-Covid responses
  • ALP shadow industry Minister O’Connor urges govt to consider equity injections into crucial manufacturing businesses to get through crisis. (Australian)
  • NSW government to amend legislation next week to give local councils more power to increase rates. (SMH)
  • There are ‘widespread suspicions in the intelligence community’ that a staff member of the US Embassy in Canberra has been leaking material to Daily Telegraph’s Sharri Markson to push a narrative hyping up the Wuhan lab story. (SMH)

Senate Select Committee on Covid-19 meets today (10am). Witnesses will be Treasury and ATO.