Mask-Up ! Mask mandate as Sydney cluster grows

The Australian Financial Review - Page 6 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Finbar O'Mallon, Patrick Durkin - PortMac.News Summary

New South Wales has recorded two new-locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while another two cases will be included in the official case numbers for 21 June.

The number of cases linked to the Bondi cluster has risen to nine, prompting the state government to broaden the rules on wearing face masks.

They will now be compulsory when using public transport in the Wollongong and Shellharbour regions, in addition to Greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

The government also recently announced that face masks will be compulsory in all public indoor settings within seven Sydney local government areas.

Gladys has not ruled further restrictions if necessary to contain the outbreak. There are 44 active COVID-19 cases in the state.

'Sacré bleu' - French far right down, Southern region in play

France’s far right performed worse than predicted in Sunday’s regional elections, exit polls showed, leaving victory in the southern battleground of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur and a platform for the 2022 presidential election in the balance.

Marine Le Pen's (Above) right wing party 'Rassemblement National' expressed frustration at a record low turnout, as the centre right made its first comeback at the ballot box since a disastrous showing in the 2017 presidential election and President Emmanuel Macron's party finished fifth.

The high abstention rate in Sunday's first-round vote, projected at 68.5% by pollster Elabe, coincided with a sunny Sunday and emergence from months of tough COVID-19 curbs.

Emergency NatCab meeting to discuss vaccine rollout

The Age - Page Online : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Sumeyya Ilanbey, Cara Waters, Anna Patty - PortMac.News Summary

The federal government's vaccine rollout will be the only item on the agenda for an emergency meeting of the national cabinet on 21 June.

This follows the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation's recommendation that people aged 50-59 should be given the Pfizer jab rather than the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Victoria's Acting Premier James Merlino has described the vaccine rollout as an "Absolute shambles"; he has also announced that the state government will provide $5m in funding for phase 1 clinical trials of a locally-developed mRNA-based vaccine that will target COVID-19 variants.

Victoria has recorded no new locally-acquired cases in the last 24 hours; there are 51 active cases in the state.

Delta strain 'Increased transmissibility' warns WHO

The New Daily - Page Online : 19 June 2021 - PortMac.News Summary

The World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminatha says the Delta variant of COVID-19 is set to become the dominant strain globally, due to its increased transmissibility.

The UK has reported a steep increase in Delta infections, while Germany public health officials have forecast that it will soon become the dominant variant there.

The increase in Delta and other mutated variants of COVID-19 has been cited by German firm CureVac as the reason why its new vaccine only proved 47% effective at preventing COVID-19 infection in clinical trials.

Meanwhile a New South Wales man appears to have contracted the disease merely by being in the same shop as a limousine driver who was infected with this variant.

Revolt on China's grip over coal port

The Australian - Page 1 & 2 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly - PortMac.News Summary

A number of Coalition MPs have called for Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to declare the Port of Newcastle under the National Access Regime.

This would mean that if a user cannot agree on terms to access the port, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission can resolve the dispute through arbitration.

The Port of Newcastle is the world's largest coal export port and is 50 per cent owned by China Merchants Port Holding; the MPs are concerned that this gives "the Communist Party of China a geopolitical advantage over the export of Australian coal".

Wine tariffs battle heads to the WTO

The Australian - Page 2 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Olivia Caisley - PortMac.News Summary

Australia will take China to the World Trade Organisation over China's imposition of tariffs of up to 218% on Australian wine in November.

The move comes six months after Australia took China to the WTO over tariffs on barley, with Australian wine exports to China falling from $1.1 billion to just $20 million after the tariffs were imposed.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan says it could take up to four years for any resolution with China to be achieved in the WTO.

PM takes cyber defence international

The Australian - Page 4 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Geoff Chambers - PortMac.News Summary

Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with MI6 officials during his recent visit to the UK in order to better understand co-operation between British and Australian security agencies.

Following the meeting, he has warned that cyber attacks are a constant threat, and that Australians should view cyber security as being as "important as the locks on the front door".

Australian security agencies are continuing to warn the pandemic has lifted the threat level for Australians online, while the Australian Cyber Security Centre has recently issued a guide to help businesses combat ransomware attacks.

Deputy PM vows 'No retreat'

The Australian - Page 1 & 4 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Greg Brown, Dennis Shanahan, Geoff Chambers - PortMac.News Summary

National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack says he will not support a net-zero emissions policy that would cost jobs in regional areas, arguing that a carbon-neutral target is not a priority for people who live outside capital cities.

McCormack has also shrugged off speculation that he will face a leadership spill or no-confidence motion at the Nationals' party room meeting on 21 June.

David Littleproud, Keith Pitt and former leader Barnaby Joyce have been touted as potential leadership contenders, but the latter has stated that he will not call for a spill.

An unnamed Liberal MP says Joyce's return to the Nationals' leadership would be "Disastrous" for the Coalition's policy on the environment and climate change.

Wages stagnate as productivity falls short

The Australian Financial Review - Page 4 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Michael Read - PortMac.News Summary

Australia needs to re-boot its productivity agenda if it is to address wage stagnation, according to Brendan Coates from the Grattan Institute.

He was commenting on Productivity Commission data which indicates that the federal and state governments are unlikely to meet more than 40% of their productivity-enhancing targets; areas in which targets are not being met include skills and education.

Coates suggests that governments have perhaps set targets in too many areas, and that it might be best to focus on just a few.

Winter outbreaks blunt return to office

The Australian Financial Review - Page 7 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Patrick Durkin - PortMac.News Summary

Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently urged workers to get back to the office, and a Medibank survey has revealed that over 90% of respondents are happy to be back working in offices.

However, the requirement by the Victorian government that people must wear a face mask while in the office is expected to stymie the push to get more workers back to the office in that state, while the mandate by the NSW government that masks must be worn indoors in greater Sydney is expected to halt momentum there.

Research by Roy Morgan in collaboration with UberMedia indicates that people movement in the Melbourne CBD on the Friday before the Queens' Birthday long weekend was just 11%t of pre-pandemic highs, while it was at just under 30% in the Sydney CBD.

Public servants in line for wage boost

The Australian - Page 7 : 21 June 2021

Original article by Stephen Rice - PortMac.News Summary

The New South Wales government's Budget on 21 June will include a wage rise of up to 2.5% for public sector workers from 1 July, which is expected to cost about $2.7bn over the forward estimates period.

The state government had sought a wage freeze in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently agreed to a pay rise of just 0.3%. Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the state's economic recovery means the wage rise is justified.

Stamp duty tax adds extra billion to NSW budget

abc.net.au - Page Online : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Ashleigh Raper - PortMac.News Summary

The New South Wales government had forecast in its half-yearly Budget review in February that stamp duty revenue for 2020-21 would total $8.372bn.

However, the government now expects such revenue to total $9.379bn, due to Sydney's booming residential property market.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says the surge in stamp duty revenue to the highest level since 2016-17 is "Good news" for the state's economy after the challenges of the last year, although he still favours replacing stamp duty with a land tax.

The government will deliver its 2021 Budget on 22 June.

Policy must be as safe as houses for young

The Weekend Australian - Page 19 : 19 June 2021 - Original article by Katrina Grace Kelly - PortMac.News Summary

University of Sydney research released in 2019 argued that home ownership was becoming the new "Class divide" in Australia, rather than education levels, occupation or income.

Housing affordability is likely to become an issue at the next federal election, and presents a challenge for the government.

It needs to increase home ownership among the young without further overheating the market. However, it must do so without penalising existing homeowners, as they are the people who tend to vote for the Coalition.

AUSTRAC uses banks in casino crackdown

The Australian Financial Review - Page 13 & 16 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by James Frost - PortMac.News Summary

Australia's banks have come under scrutiny by financial intelligence regulator AUSTRAC over issues such as their compliance with money-laundering laws.

This culminated in fines exceeding $2bn for breaches of such laws, but the relationship between AUSTRAC and the banks has become much more co-operative rather than combative.

They recently worked together as part of a joint crackdown on organised crime by police in Australia and the US. AUSTRAC CEO Nicole Rose says its focus has now shifted to the nation's casinos.

Woolworths investors approve Endeavour split

The Weekend Australian - Page 25 : 19 June 2021 - Original article by Eli Greenblat - PortMac.News Summary

Woolworths shareholders voted in favour of demerging its Endeavour Drinks hotels and liquor store business on 18 June.

Woolworths shareholders will receive one Endeavour share for each Woolworths share they own, with Endeavour tipped to have a market capitalisation of as much as $15 billion when it lists on the Australian sharemarket on 24 June.

Woolworths has previously indicated it that could make a capital return of up to $2 billion to shareholders if the demerger was approved.

Casino secrecy clauses 'Must be abolished'

The Australian - Page 15 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Lachlan Moffet Gray - PortMac.News Summary

Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel has expressed concerns about secrecy and confidentiality provisions in that state's Gaming Regulation Act in a submission to the Victorian royal commission into Crown Resorts.

He says they result in there being a lack of transparency into the licensing and operation of casinos in Victoria, and he has called for them to be abolished.

Bluemmel says the provisions mean that when his office is asked to review a decision by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation not to release documents under freedom of information laws, it cannot inspect the documents in question.

Seven and Nine battle for TV ratings crown

The Australian Financial Review - Page 29 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Miranda Ward - PortMac.News Summary

The Seven Network has won 13 of the 25 calendar weeks so far in the 2021 free-to-air ratings season.

However, the Nine Network has an audience share of 38.63%t for the year to date, compared with 37.21% for Seven.

While Seven is confident that it will overtake Nine to win the ratings year, Claire Butterworth from Group M expects Nine to retain its strong lead in the key 25-54 age demographic in the second half of the ratings year.

All three commercial networks will launch new seasons of popular shows in the second

Herd mentality will mean more Australian content on radio

The Australian - Page 19 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by James Madden - PortMac.News Summary

Australian Recording Industry Association CEO Annabelle Herd says action is needed to ensure that the nation's radio stations play more songs by local artists.

Radio stations have much lower local content requirements than television broadcasters, at about 20%.

Herd notes that the federal government has proposed changes to the local content rules for subscription-based video services, but radio stations and streaming audio are not among its priorities.

Social media reined in by new laws

The Australian - Page 19 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Lydia Lynch - PortMac.News Summary

The first phase of new defamation laws will come into effect in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia on 1 July.

They see the introduction of a 'Public interest defence' to better pro­tect journalists and a 'Serious harm' test to deter long and costly litigation for trivial matters.

A second phase of reforms will target social media, and will look at how liable platforms such as Twitter and Facebook should be for defamatory publications of a third party.

Queensland shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls says more than half of all Australian cases relate to digital defamation

Cookies crumble, Astute get a slice of internet cake

The Australian - Page 19 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Michael Miller - PortMac.News Summary

Google will block third-party cookies on its Chrome web browser from early 2022, saying it is doing so as part of what it claims are new and improved measures for privacy and data.

Third-party cookies have been described as an essential building block of the internet, and with Chrome being the browser used by most Australians, Google's actions will present a big challenge for many Australian businesses.

First-party cookies are not affected by the change, and the more astute companies will be able to use the end of third-party cookies on Chrome to create even closer links with consumers.

Edward de Bono : 'Repackaging the blindingly obvious'

The Australian Financial Review - Page Online : 19 June 2021 - Original article by Jon Reid - PortMac.News Summary

Edward de Bono, the author of the book 'The Use of Lateral Thinking', died recently at the age of 88.

Released in 1967, it made him instantly famous and his success enabled him to become very wealthy.

He was described as a master of self-promotion, while his detractors accused of him of using pseudoscientific jargon to "Repackage the blindingly obvious".

One of de Bono's more interesting ideas was to suggest that English towns could prevent people from parking for too long by requiring them to leave their headlights on while they were parked.

Footy stars to kick off crypto NFT showcase

The Australian - Page 15 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by John Stensholt - PortMac.News Summary

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs - V.Big here at PortMac.News!) such as digital art and collectibles have enjoyed a rise in popularity in 2021.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider Binance is about to launch a new marketplace for NFT's.

Its 100 Creators campaign will feature eight Australians, including famous sporting moments by football stars John Aloisi and Eddie Betts.

W Sports & Media CEO John Didulica notes that audio files featuring Betts and Aloisi will accompany their NFTs, which will be sold as unique trading cards; W Sports & Media is working with Binance to launch the Australian NFTs.

Rich Listers feel the heat in 'Crazy' market

The Australian Financial Review - Page 5 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Michael Bleby - PortMac.News Summary

Preliminary data from CoreLogic shows that Sydney's residential market recorded an auction clearance rate of 82.6% in the week to 20 June, with 1,174 homes going under the hammer.

Melbourne's preliminary clearance rate was 71.5% from 786 scheduled auctions; a number of vendors elected to cancel auctions after the Victorian government kept some COVID-19 restrictions in place.

Meanwhile, a member of Melbourne's wealth Gandel family is said to have paid $5.625m for a three-bedroom home in the inner-eastern suburb of Armadale.

The property had been advertised at between $4.1m to $4.5m.

ASX Resources set to bleed in ocean of red

The Australian - Page 16 : 21 June 2021 - Original article by Cliona O'Dowd - PortMac.News Summary

Futures pricing suggests that the Australian sharemarket will shed about 1.5% when trading resumes on 21 June.

A negative lead from Wall Street in response to a more hawkish tone from the US Federal Reserve is likely to weigh on investors.

Ryan Felsman of the Commonwealth Bank expects resources stocks to be sold down following a sharp fall in the price of iron ore, copper and gold. However, local energy producers may benefit from a rise in the crude oil price.