crikey--2020-06-03--Worm: New charges for the killing of George Floyd

Good morning , early birds .
New charges are set to be announced for all four police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd , and Boris Johnson has slammed China 's planned national security overhaul of Hong Kong .
It 's the news you need to know , with Chris Woods .
According to Minnesota senator and former presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar , state Attorney General Keith Ellison will today announce additional charges against all four police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd , including lifting charges against Derek Chauvin , who kneeled on Floyd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the news comes following two separate autopsies that determined Floyd ’ s death to be a homicide .
Incidentally , Klobuchar , a former county attorney , last week was forced to reject allegations she declined to pursue Chauvin herself over his killing of a stabbing suspect in 2006 .
PENTAGON TUT-TUTS OVERT FASCISM : Elsewhere , CNN , Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has defied Donald Trump by , graciously , declining to support the use of active duty troops against large-scale protests .
Trump is reportedly , predictably unhappy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday whining on Twitter about how great he ’ s been to black people and telling Fox News Radio he was simply “ inspecting ” the White House bunker .
In yet more low-lights from ongoing protests : • Six Atlanta police officers have been charged for tasering two students as they sat in their car , before forcefully dragging them out to arrest .
• A Nebraska County Attorney will not press charges against a white bar owner for killing a black man James Scurlock , determining the shooting death an act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the St John ’ s clergy has written about being tear gassed for Trump ’ s photo-op .
• Following the macing of a protester , a member of the Grand Rapids Police Department has been shown on film firing a tear gas canister directly into the man ’ s face .
• Richmond police were also filmed firing tear gas at a crowd holding their hands up ; another Richmond resident has recounted , in fairly horrifying detail , the process of being arrested for driving Tuesday night .
• Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of black protesters , warning them to leave , and then firing non-lethal ammunition into their backs as they run in the opposite direction .
• Finally , federal law enforcement figures outside the White House have reportedly refused to identify themselves and have removed insignias and nameplates .
STILL SOME GOOD OUT THERE : In a reminder that humans can still be pretty great , check out the DC resident , Rahul Dubey , who sheltered about 70 protesters to protect them from arrest .
According to the ABC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned national security overhaul of Hong Kong as “ in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration , a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations , ” and has promised not to abandon residents if Beijing proceeds with the now-passed legislation .
As The Sydney Morning Herald reports , the news comes as the Morrison government considers a request from the UK government to take in Hong Kong refugees ; for the political and economic perspectives on that proposal , check out Crikey ’ s explainer .
Finally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian reports that the Morrison government will finally launch their $ 688 million home buyers and renovation scheme today .
While days of media drops mean we ’ ve had most of the basics since Monday , final figures mean we can also officially label it a failed opportunity to address Australia ’ s 30-year decline in social housing spending .
For more , check out former AFR property editor Robert Harley ’ s op-ed ( $ ) .
PS : Because not everyone is planning $ 50,000 worth of renovations between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that more than 1.4 million Australian households are now in mortgage stress and almost 100,000 could default on loans when JobKeeper ends .
• Yesterday , the Northern Territory government announced the Central Australian Economic Reconstruction Committee ( CAERC ) to provide advice to the newly-created Minister for Central Australian Reconstruction , Dale Wakefield .
• ACT hospitals will , from today , allow patients to have up to two visitors per day , although only one visitor will be allowed with a patient at any one time .
• The Queensland government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the $ 200 million “ COVID Works for Queensland ” program , to be delivered during 2020–21 .
• South Australia has released concept designs for a $ 32 million high school expansion under the state ’ s $ 1.3 billion education capital works program .
• Finally , Tasmania launched a Temporary Visa Holder Skilled Employee Assistance Program , to operate as part the state ’ s $ 3 million temporary visa support scheme .
• The government also introduced the Building and Construction ( Regulatory Reform Amendments ) Bill 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permit amendments ; shorten timeframes for some minor processing decisions ; and allow permit decisions to be made concurrently with electricity , water and sewerage utilities rather than sequentially .
THEY REALLY SAID THAT ?
The fact that this officer doesn ’ t have a chequered history and he has been in for three and a half years , if the complaint is sustained against him , you would have to say he has had a bad day .
And I ’ m sure most of the community wouldn ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake sacked after making such a commitment to the community .
Between a minister who equates police sweeping a teenager ’ s leg to rude language and a boss that excuses it as a bit of a mood swing , we have a feeling NSW Police ’ s internal investigation is going to be just scathing .
READ ALL ABOUT IT Governments and WHO changed Covid-19 policy based on suspect data from tiny US company New law to force NSW MPs to declare water ownership Can Australia expect a spike in coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press pause on controversial private school park deal ATO threatens fines and prosecution for misuse of early super access scheme Indonesia ’ s Jokowi must apologise for Papua internet throttling amid last year ’ s unrest , court rules Trump administration to block Chinese airlines from flying to the U.S. After George Floyd , a nation in search of justice — Hugh Eakin ( The New York Review of Books ) : “ From an outwardly calm , notably progressive metropolis — a city led by a young , liberal mayor and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has suddenly felt more like civil-rights-era Newark or Detroit .
A place where police spray mace indiscriminately on pedestrians from a squad car window ; where people have ransacked Targets , Walgreens , and many other local businesses ; where the sounds of stun grenades and helicopters and emergency sirens can be heard at any hour of the night.
” A word of advice : Don ’ t go to Trump ’ s G7 , Scott Morrison ( $ ) — Niki Savva ( The Australian ) : “ As the US continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and decay , Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese had markedly different public responses from very different places to the tragedies of the killing of George Floyd by the police and the violence that death triggered.
” Despite 432 Indigenous deaths in custody , no one has ever been convicted .
Racist silence and complicity are to blame — Alison Whittaker ( The Conversation ) : “ In my 2018 pilot study on a sample of 134 Indigenous deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody , I found coroners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and only ended up referring five .
Of those , only two made it to court and both resulted in quashed indictments or acquittals.
” • The Select Committee into COVID-19 will hear from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and National COVID-19 Coordination Commission .

FRESH CHARGES OVER GEORGE FLOYD’S KILLING
According to Minnesota senator and former presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar, state Attorney General Keith Ellison will today announce additional charges against all four police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd, including lifting charges against Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd, to second-degree murder.
As CNN reports, the news comes following two separate autopsies that determined Floyd’s death to be a homicide. Incidentally, Klobuchar, a former county attorney, last week was forced to reject allegations she declined to pursue Chauvin herself over his killing of a stabbing suspect in 2006.
PENTAGON TUT-TUTS OVERT FASCISM: Elsewhere, CNN, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has defied Donald Trump by, graciously, declining to support the use of active duty troops against large-scale protests.
Trump is reportedly, predictably unhappy, but has thus far spent most of Wednesday whining on Twitter about how great he’s been to black people and telling Fox News Radio he was simply “inspecting” the White House bunker.
ANOTHER DAY UNDER A THICK BLUE LINE
In yet more low-lights from ongoing protests:
STILL SOME GOOD OUT THERE: In a reminder that humans can still be pretty great, check out the DC resident, Rahul Dubey, who sheltered about 70 protesters to protect them from arrest.
JOHNSON SLAMS NEW HONG KONG LAW
According to the ABC, Boris Johnson has slammed China’s planned national security overhaul of Hong Kong as “in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration, a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations,” and has promised not to abandon residents if Beijing proceeds with the now-passed legislation.
As The Sydney Morning Herald reports, the news comes as the Morrison government considers a request from the UK government to take in Hong Kong refugees; for the political and economic perspectives on that proposal, check out Crikey’s explainer.
Get Crikey FREE to your inbox every weekday morning with the Crikey Worm. Email Sign up By subscribing you are agreeing to our terms and conditions
NOT QUITE A HOME RUN
Finally, as Australia officially dips into recession, The Guardian reports that the Morrison government will finally launch their $688 million home buyers and renovation scheme today.
While days of media drops mean we’ve had most of the basics since Monday, final figures mean we can also officially label it a failed opportunity to address Australia’s 30-year decline in social housing spending. For more, check out former AFR property editor Robert Harley’s op-ed ($).
PS: Because not everyone is planning $50,000 worth of renovations between June and December, the ABC reports that more than 1.4 million Australian households are now in mortgage stress and almost 100,000 could default on loans when JobKeeper ends.
STATE WRAP: NT TO RECONSTRUCT CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
The fact that this officer doesn’t have a chequered history and he has been in for three and a half years, if the complaint is sustained against him, you would have to say he has had a bad day. And I’m sure most of the community wouldn’t want to see someone who’s made a mistake sacked after making such a commitment to the community. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller
Between a minister who equates police sweeping a teenager’s leg to rude language and a boss that excuses it as a bit of a mood swing, we have a feeling NSW Police’s internal investigation is going to be just scathing.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Governments and WHO changed Covid-19 policy based on suspect data from tiny US company
Queensland coal industry wins decade of certainty ($)
New law to force NSW MPs to declare water ownership
Labor’s ethnic civil war set to reignite over Left figure’s punishment
Can Australia expect a spike in coronavirus cases over winter?
NZ flight plan to test the ‘trans-Tasman bubble’ ($)
Teens tear-gassed inside Don Dale detention centre can now seek compensation
Inner West Council to press pause on controversial private school park deal
States fight Malcolm Turnbull’s UN torture deal ($)
ATO threatens fines and prosecution for misuse of early super access scheme
Indonesia’s Jokowi must apologise for Papua internet throttling amid last year’s unrest, court rules
AFP contributor Nabil Hasan al-Quaety killed in Yemen
Trump administration to block Chinese airlines from flying to the U.S.
THE COMMENTARIAT
After George Floyd, a nation in search of justice — Hugh Eakin (The New York Review of Books): “From an outwardly calm, notably progressive metropolis — a city led by a young, liberal mayor and a black police chief — [Minneapolis] has suddenly felt more like civil-rights-era Newark or Detroit. A place where police spray mace indiscriminately on pedestrians from a squad car window; where people have ransacked Targets, Walgreens, and many other local businesses; where the sounds of stun grenades and helicopters and emergency sirens can be heard at any hour of the night.”
A word of advice: Don’t go to Trump’s G7, Scott Morrison ($) — Niki Savva (The Australian): “As the US continues on a seemingly inexorable path of decline and decay, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese had markedly different public responses from very different places to the tragedies of the killing of George Floyd by the police and the violence that death triggered.”
Despite 432 Indigenous deaths in custody, no one has ever been convicted. Racist silence and complicity are to blame — Alison Whittaker (The Conversation): “In my 2018 pilot study on a sample of 134 Indigenous deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, I found coroners considered referring just 11 deaths to prosecutors and only ended up referring five. Of those, only two made it to court and both resulted in quashed indictments or acquittals.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Canberra


crikey--2020-06-03--Australia best at panic-buying, NZ almost COVID-free, the dollar is back

Aussies were the quickest to panic buy supermarket goods in the onset of the pandemic .
Plus other coronavirus updates @ @ @ @ @ ’ s best coronavirus panic-buyers , new research shows , which is a fact I @ @ @ @ @ at dinner parties .
New Zealand is so close to eradicating COVID-19 , while Tokyo @ @ @ @ @ second wave .
If panic buying was a sport , Australia would have a gold @ @ @ @ @ Australians were the quickest to stockpile goods when the pandemic hit , running shelves dry @ @ @

Australians are the world’s best coronavirus panic-buyers, new research shows, which is a fact I won’t be bragging about at dinner parties.
New Zealand is so close to eradicating COVID-19, while Tokyo is on alert for a second wave.
Panic buying isn’t a sport
If panic buying was a sport, Australia would have a gold medal. New research shows Australians were the quickest to stockpile goods when the pandemic hit, running shelves dry from March.


crikey--2020-06-24--How long does a recession last for?

How long does a recession last for?

How long does a recession last for ?
Here 's what history tells us .
How long does a recession last for ?
Since the end of World War II , the length of recessions has ranged from 6-16 months , according to NBER data .
The last recession that Australia faced in the early 90s lasted from September 1990 to September 1991 .
The Great Depression , which began in 1929 , lasted for almost four years , and the Great Recession of 2008 lasted 18 months .
Recessions are defined as periods of temporary economic decline during which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recessions are generally identified by a fall in gross domestic product ( GDP ) in two successive quarters .
Today , there are two leading schools of thought on how long the coronavirus-induced recession will last .
There ’ s team the-economy-has-been-paused-and-will-restart-as-soon-as-lockdown-does and team recovery-could-take-years .
Usually , during an economic downturn , governments try to encourage consumer spending .
However , with the pandemic continuing to affect life as we once knew it , the public is being told to remain alert and stay away from a large number of activities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global economy has been frozen in time , others say that the psychology of the lockdown will take much longer than one year to thaw .
As Peter S. Goodman explains in a New York Times piece , “ Households may remain agitated and risk-averse , making them prone to thrift .
Some social distancing measures could remain indefinitely .
Consumer spending amounts to roughly two-thirds of economic activity worldwide .
If anxiety endures and people are reluctant to spend , the expansion will be limited — especially as continued vigilance against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unsurprisingly , individuals are likely to start coming up with ways to recession-proof their money during times of uncertainty .
And according to a UN report , developed countries are on track to be $ 2.7 trillion in debt .
Goodman explains : “ In normal times , they could afford to roll most of that debt into new loans .
But the abrupt exodus of money has prompted investors to charge higher rates of interest for new loans.
” How long does a recession last for ?
The average recession will last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this recession last for ?
It ’ s almost impossible to say given the unique set of circumstances that coronavirus has presented to the world .
Read : Do people save more money if they work from home ?

Winter has come, and a recession is coming. You might not want to be confronted with the thought of an economic downturn, but there are positive ways you can recession-proof your finances and safeguard your financial future.
Here are eight ways to recession-proof your finances:
Pay off your debts Start a rainy day fund Think about the ways you can cut back Talk to your friends and family about money Focus on the future Marie Kondo the non-essentials Invest in yourself Look to the future but enjoy the present
Pay off your debts
Whether you owe your friend a fiver or the bank five grand, planning out small measurable goals to pay off your debt is something you should be prioritising, especially in times of uncertainty. If you pay off your debts now, it increases your chances of getting a loan in the future if needs be. More importantly, it gives you some space to breathe in an unstable job market.
Start a rainy day fund
If you are still working and stable in your job, it’s a great time to recession-proof your finances by setting up a savings account and puting away a sum of money every week. If you are working from home, consider starting with the amount of money you are saving from not commuting, buying lunches out, paying for fuel, and all the other trimmings that go with it.


crikey--2020-06-24--Is Australia going into a recession? The latest number crunch

Is Australia going into a recession ?
We share the latest figures .
Australia is officially going into a recession .
Technically , it already is in a recession — GDP data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Australian economy shrank by 0.3 % in the March quarter .
And government officials and economists expect the data for the June quarter to be even worse .
A recession is defined as a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy , lasting more than a few months , normally visible in real GDP , real income , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales .
According to Treasurer , Josh Frydenberg , both business and consumer confidence was at its lowest during mid-March .
However , the early stages of coronavirus is not the only contributing factor to the economic downturn .
The bushfires have also played a role ; figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ( ABS ) show Australia ’ s economy recorded its slowest growth in over a decade before the coronavirus lockdown was put in place .
Is Australia going into a recession ?
ABS figures confirm what a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that being the first recession in 29 years in Australia .
May numbers reported by ABS show that : • The unemployment rate increased by 0.7 points to 7.1 % • The underemployment rate decreased by 0.7 points to 13.1 % • The underutilisation rate increased by less than 0.1 points to 20.2 % • Monthly hours worked in all jobs decreased by 12.1 million hours , to 1,604.7 million hours .
Unemployment isn ’ t the only symptom of a recession .
Commercial slowdowns , government spending and weak consumer confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession in Australia , which has been caused by both the bushfires and the coronavirus pandemic .
Read : Will coronavirus cause a recession in Australia ?
| The most recent forecasts

Australia is officially going into a recession. Technically, it already is in a recession — GDP data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Australian economy shrank by 0.3% in the March quarter.
And government officials and economists expect the data for the June quarter to be even worse.
A recession is defined as a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales.


crikey--2020-06-24--Queensland premier confuses the public but is ahead of the curve

Annastacia Palaszczuk 's strict border controls have been controversial ( and confusing ) , but the breaks have gone her @ @ @ @ @ appeared at InQueensland .
After three months of COVID-19-driven restrictions and deprivations , the single @ @ @ @ @ like to do is fly to Melbourne , visit friends and relax at one of @ @ @ @ @ fine restaurants .
However , it ’ s not going to happen and I ’ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m willing to wait until there ’ s more certainty and safety in @ @ @ @ @ which has become the outstanding hotspot in Australia for new COVID-19 infections with an alarming @ @ @ @ @ .

This article first appeared at InQueensland.
After three months of COVID-19-driven restrictions and deprivations, the single thing I’d most like to do is fly to Melbourne, visit friends and relax at one of the Victorian capital’s fine restaurants.
However, it’s not going to happen and I’m fine with that. I’m willing to wait until there’s more certainty and safety in terms of travelling to Victoria which has become the outstanding hotspot in Australia for new COVID-19 infections with an alarming number resulting from community transmission.


crikey--2020-03-23--Worm: Unemployment expected to triple

Worm: Unemployment expected to triple

Good morning , early birds .
The government has expanded the $ 550 coronavirus supplement to include people on Youth Allowance Student , Austudy and Abstudy payments , and unemployment is expected to jump from 5.1 % to 15 % .
It 's the news you need to know , with Chris Woods .
The government passed its coronavirus economic response package overnight , the ABC reports , and agreed to calls from Labor and the Greens to expand the $ 550 coronavirus supplement to people on Youth Allowance Student , Austudy and Abstudy payments .
Both Labor and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — bringing forward the April 27 start date and inclusions for people on disability support pensions , carer allowance and temporary visas , respectively — however , Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has been granted new powers to amend the coronavirus supplement .
This is likely to come in handy considering parliament will not sit again until August .
IN RELATED NEWS : Queensland will today announce its own $ 3 billion support package , set to provide an average payroll tax refund of $ 9000 to 24,000 businesses within the week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills , The Courier-Mail ( $ ) reports .
According to The Sydney Morning Herald , unemployment is expected to jump from 5.1 % to 15 % — or up to two million people — throughout the crisis , while day one of the shutdown yesterday saw Centrelink lines run around multiple blocks .
• None The government is preparing to offer special welfare payments and visa extensions to non-residents trapped in the country and forced out of affected industries , such as tourism and hospitality ( The Australian $ ) .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down 1500 workers and demanded Tasmanian pub owners forced to close due continue paying rent on leased poker machines ( ABC ) .
FUNEMPLOYMENT POLICE : Here to help , we have both 5000 new Services Australia workers and , um , the cops .
Under pressure from Senator Rex Patrick , the fourth politician to test positive for COVID-19 , Australia ’ s deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly announced on Q+A that new protocols determining who can be tested for the disease will be announced in the coming days .
Also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in place until a vaccine is developed — which will likely be 18 months — or cases will surge .
Additionally , Health Minister Greg Hunt has agreed to expand access to Medicare-funded telehealth , including for mental health , following complaints from practitioners , The Sydney Morning Herald reports .
TGA MONDAY : Australia ’ s Therapeutics Goods Administration has granted expedited approval to two rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests — one testing viral genes over 45 minutes and another that takes 15 minutes but only tests for antibodies , the ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FEW WHATSAPP MESSAGES… In something that partly explains Sunday ’ s mixed government messages ( think : total state shutdowns vs partial federal shutdowns vs state school closures vs no schools are all fine ) , The Age has revealed how the night went down .
It started with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian using a WhatsApp group with Scott Morrison and other state premiers to press for faster , harsher lockdown measures , then saw NSW and Victoria leak their plans to shut down everything but essential services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting confusing , resulting in the shutdowns we have today .
NEWS CORP TWIST : If you ’ re wondering how the Coalition ’ s favourite newspaper handled the night , look no further than Simon Benson ‘ s account yesterday of “ possibly the most irresponsible act since Federation ” ( $ ) .
The Australian Border Force has bucked demands to release detained asylum seekers and refugees amid the outbreak , and instead banned visitors , according to Buzzfeed .
The move follows a similar ban for prisons , which face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive in New York City jails , including on the notorious Rikers island centre , according to ABC News .
SOME PRECEDENT : While it ’ s no prison exodus , a recent ruling in Victoria cited the pandemic as an exceptional circumstance in agreeing to a bail application .
THEY REALLY SAID THAT ?
The ABC host stresses personal responsibility is the ultimate solution to a global pandemic… just seconds before introducing a report on that giant , contaminated cruise ship which let 2700 people wander out into Sydney .
READ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe into Qantas comments on bailing out airline amid coronavirus pandemic Police to monitor cruise ship Magnifica as it refuels in WA to ensure no one disembarks World reacts as NRL suspend season indefinitely after two rounds as coronavirus crisis ramps up Julian Assange to apply for bail on coronavirus concerns Bail refused for third man charged after counter-terrorism operation on NSW South Coast Cotton farmers Peter and Jane Harris guilty of illegally pumping water from Barwon River ( $ ) Coronavirus : Time for us to summon the Anzac spirit ( $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) : “ We gather today at a time of great challenge for our nation , and indeed the world .
We are a strong nation and a strong people , but in the months ahead this will put us all to the test like at no time since World War II .
But together , Australia , we are up to this challenge.
” Greetings from Australia , the Commonwealth of confusion — Peter Hartcher ( The Sydney Morning Herald ) : “ Video of angry shoppers brawling over toilet rolls in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
Closely followed by footage of massed crowds cheerfully breaking disease control laws by clustering on Bondi beach.
” Coronavirus : what the latest stimulus measures mean for Australian artists and arts organisations — Jo Caust ( The Conversation ) : “ Galleries , museums , libraries , theatres , cinemas and art centres have closed .
All film production has stopped .
Theatre companies , dance companies , opera companies , orchestras , bands , festivals , pub gigs – every kind of cultural activity you can think of has stopped @ @ @ @ @

GOVERNMENT NO MATCH FOR YOUTH CULTURE
The government passed its coronavirus economic response package overnight, the ABC reports, and agreed to calls from Labor and the Greens to expand the $550 coronavirus supplement to people on Youth Allowance Student, Austudy and Abstudy payments.
Both Labor and the Greens failed to pass their own amendments — bringing forward the April 27 start date and inclusions for people on disability support pensions, carer allowance and temporary visas, respectively — however, Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has been granted new powers to amend the coronavirus supplement. This is likely to come in handy considering parliament will not sit again until August.
IN RELATED NEWS: Queensland will today announce its own $3 billion support package, set to provide an average payroll tax refund of $9000 to 24,000 businesses within the week, and $200 rebates for household electricity bills, The Courier-Mail ($) reports.
A JUMP TO 15%
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, unemployment is expected to jump from 5.1% to 15% — or up to two million people — throughout the crisis, while day one of the shutdown yesterday saw Centrelink lines run around multiple blocks.
In other unemployment news.
The government is preparing to offer special welfare payments and visa extensions to non-residents trapped in the country and forced out of affected industries, such as tourism and hospitality (The Australian $).
Gambling giant Federal Group has both stood down 1500 workers and demanded Tasmanian pub owners forced to close due continue paying rent on leased poker machines (ABC).
MyGov crashed in a not-DDoS attack (The Guardian).
FUNEMPLOYMENT POLICE: Here to help, we have both 5000 new Services Australia workers and, um, the cops.
TESTING TIMES
Under pressure from Senator Rex Patrick, the fourth politician to test positive for COVID-19, Australia’s deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly announced on Q+A that new protocols determining who can be tested for the disease will be announced in the coming days. Also, quarantine measures will basically have to remain in place until a vaccine is developed — which will likely be 18 months — or cases will surge.
Additionally, Health Minister Greg Hunt has agreed to expand access to Medicare-funded telehealth, including for mental health, following complaints from practitioners, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
TGA MONDAY: Australia’s Therapeutics Goods Administration has granted expedited approval to two rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests — one testing viral genes over 45 minutes and another that takes 15 minutes but only tests for antibodies, the ABC reports.
Get Crikey FREE to your inbox every weekday morning with the Crikey Worm. Email Sign up By subscribing you are agreeing to our terms and conditions
IT ALL STARTED WITH A FEW WHATSAPP MESSAGES…
In something that partly explains Sunday’s mixed government messages (think: total state shutdowns vs partial federal shutdowns vs state school closures vs no schools are all fine), The Age has revealed how the night went down. It started with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian using a WhatsApp group with Scott Morrison and other state premiers to press for faster, harsher lockdown measures, then saw NSW and Victoria leak their plans to shut down everything but essential services, and after a massive amount of resulting confusing, resulting in the shutdowns we have today.
NEWS CORP TWIST: If you’re wondering how the Coalition’s favourite newspaper handled the night, look no further than Simon Benson‘s account yesterday of “possibly the most irresponsible act since Federation” ($).
DETENTION CENTRES AND PRISONS BAN VISITORS
The Australian Border Force has bucked demands to release detained asylum seekers and refugees amid the outbreak, and instead banned visitors, according to Buzzfeed.
The move follows a similar ban for prisons, which face similar health risks — 38 people have tested positive in New York City jails, including on the notorious Rikers island centre, according to ABC News.
SOME PRECEDENT: While it’s no prison exodus, a recent ruling in Victoria cited the pandemic as an exceptional circumstance in agreeing to a bail application.
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
You may be watching 7.30 tonight hoping to learn what can be done to stop coronavirus from here. If you think the answer is more resources for hospitals, you’re wrong. If you think it’s the government, wrong again. And it’s not the scientists working on a vaccine either. The answer is you. Leigh Sales
The ABC host stresses personal responsibility is the ultimate solution to a global pandemic… just seconds before introducing a report on that giant, contaminated cruise ship which let 2700 people wander out into Sydney.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
NAB sacks staffer who ‘falsified’ positive COVID-19 diagnosis
Virgin boss seeks ACCC probe into Qantas comments on bailing out airline amid coronavirus pandemic
Courts close, Centrelink queues: How Victoria’s unprecedented virus shutdown is unfolding ($)
Younger people critically ill with coronavirus in Sydney hospitals
Police to monitor cruise ship Magnifica as it refuels in WA to ensure no one disembarks
Britain to follow Australia, Canada on Olympic Games
World reacts as NRL suspend season indefinitely after two rounds as coronavirus crisis ramps up
Julian Assange to apply for bail on coronavirus concerns
Bail refused for third man charged after counter-terrorism operation on NSW South Coast
Cotton farmers Peter and Jane Harris guilty of illegally pumping water from Barwon River ($)
THE COMMENTARIAT
Coronavirus: Time for us to summon the Anzac spirit ($) — Scott Morrison (The Australian): “We gather today at a time of great challenge for our nation, and indeed the world. We are a strong nation and a strong people, but in the months ahead this will put us all to the test like at no time since World War II. But together, Australia, we are up to this challenge.”
Greetings from Australia, the Commonwealth of confusion — Peter Hartcher (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Video of angry shoppers brawling over toilet rolls in Sydney supermarket aisles was broadcast around the world. Closely followed by footage of massed crowds cheerfully breaking disease control laws by clustering on Bondi beach.”
Coronavirus: what the latest stimulus measures mean for Australian artists and arts organisations — Jo Caust (The Conversation): “Galleries, museums, libraries, theatres, cinemas and art centres have closed. All film production has stopped. Theatre companies, dance companies, opera companies, orchestras, bands, festivals, pub gigs – every kind of cultural activity you can think of has stopped or been cancelled.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE


crikey--2020-03-22--Public health apathy shows how far public trust in government has fallen

After spending years alienating and losing the trust of voters , politicians ca n't complain when voters tune out on @ @ @ @ @ public health messages .
To the fury of politicians and commentators , large numbers of @ @ @ @ @ in social distancing .
They 're still flocking to beaches and congregating in bars and @ @ @ @ @ , sociable lives .
Beaches and bars have now been shut down , amid scolding @ @ @ @ @ threat of the virus seriously enough .
Some blame mixed messaging .
It 's barely @ @ @ @ @ minister declared he was going to the footy and encouraging Australians to go about their @ @ @ @ @ being Australian , while the chief medical officer was happily shaking hands .

To the fury of politicians and commentators, large numbers of Australians clearly aren’t interested in social distancing. They’re still flocking to beaches and congregating in bars and insisting on maintaining their normal, sociable lives.
Beaches and bars have now been shut down, amid scolding of those not taking the threat of the virus seriously enough.
Some blame mixed messaging. It’s barely a week since the prime minister declared he was going to the footy and encouraging Australians to go about their lives, to go on being Australian, while the chief medical officer was happily shaking hands.


crikey--2020-05-11--Just who wants Hugh Marks out of the picture?

Labor has its own sub-genre of the `` wife guy '' meme , a hit job on Nine boss Hugh Marks , and more tips and murmurs from the Crikey bunker .
The vernacular of the highly online continues to spread into real life .
One of the oddest of these is the “ wife guy ” — a category of bloke whose entire claim to a personality on performative husbanding .
As The New York Times — oh yes , this is a phenomenon with coverage from several high-profile outlets — puts it : “ The wife guy defines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being married ” .
Two classic examples are the “ curvy wife guy ” , who talks of being attracted to his wife like it made him a feminist hero , and “ cliff wife guy ” , who shared a video of his wife falling off a cliff ( his heart is in the right place , we think ? )
.
Joining this rogues gallery is the “ campaign wife guy ” .
Over the weekend we got an email from Brad McBain , introducing himself thus : “ My wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate for Eden Monaro ” .
He goes on to say we can give her the greatest Mother ’ s day gift of all : Donating to her campaign and increasing her social media reach .
Of course , the ALP has long courted the wife guy demographic .
Remember the “ Vote 1 : Chloe Shorten ’ s Husband ” T-shirt which made the electorate so ready for a change of government in 2019 ?
For those who missed it , yesterday ’ s Sunday Telegraph published a hit piece on Nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assertion that , “ some members of Nine Entertainment ’ s board are now pushing openly for the removal of company CEO Hugh Marks ” .
Not that openly , given the story names no names .
But of course , that ’ s not what the story is actually about ; the tail of this particular comet ( which takes up roughly half the piece ) is a lot of wink-wink nudge-nudgery about Marks taking a “ long , languid lunch ” with his executive assistant Jane Routledge .
The piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually making any allegations .
To the Tele , Marks denied anything was going on , which raises the question — what the hell business is it of ours anyway ?
Today , the Oz rehashed the piece , airily speculating as to who might be behind the leak .
We have a prime suspect ourselves , but it ’ s not in the Nine offices .
Coronavirus is a doubled edge sword for the big media players in Australia — ad revenue has of course taken a run for the nearest cliff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Corp clearly wishes to be the last man standing at the end of all of this , but things don ’ t appear to be going to plan .
As Glenn Dyer wrote last week : “ A miserable quarter for News Corp has foreshadowed more deep cost-cutting to come , especially in Australian and non-metro newspapers.
” And as the Oz istelf reported today , “ News Corp Australia is in talks with Antony Catalano ’ s Australian Community Media to sell its portfolio of more than 100 community and regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of desperation in the gratuitous personal hit on the CEO of News ’ major competition in the country .
Just five months before the next state election , former Queensland treasurer Jackie Trad has quit cabinet .
Trad had been holding on through allegations she interfered with the recruitment of a school principal in her electorate , but she finally quit in the teeth of “ growing angst among Labor ’ s marginal-seat MPs across regional Queensland ” , and “ the withdrawal of support by United Workers Union boss and Left faction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the Labor party shakes itself to dust in front of us , the faceless men become briefly visible — this time , that man is Bullock .
Five days ago , he was behind a move by QLD ’ s Labor left to poach back-bencher Jim Madden from the party ’ s right faction ( of which Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is a member ) , and in March he won out in a mini drama over who would run in the Bundamba byelection .
But the influence clearly goes back a while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government members as “ United Voice MPs ” .
Three of these were in Palaszczuk ’ s first cabinet .
His shift away from Trad is in keeping with his reputation of being “ difficult to pin down ” .
As a senior Labor figure puts it in an Australian Financial Review piece from 2018 looking at Labor ’ s factional powerbrokers : “ He picks and chooses when he uses his power ” .
NOTE : This article has been updated to remove an item that incorrectly reported News Corp had done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full correction here .

Trope Watch
The vernacular of the highly online continues to spread into real life. One of the oddest of these is the “wife guy” — a category of bloke whose entire claim to a personality on performative husbanding. As The New York Times — oh yes, this is a phenomenon with coverage from several high-profile outlets — puts it: “The wife guy defines himself through a kind of overreaction to being married” .
Two classic examples are the “curvy wife guy”, who talks of being attracted to his wife like it made him a feminist hero, and “cliff wife guy”, who shared a video of his wife falling off a cliff (his heart is in the right place, we think?).
Joining this rogues gallery is the “campaign wife guy”. Over the weekend we got an email from Brad McBain, introducing himself thus: “My wife is Kristy McBain, Labor’s candidate for Eden Monaro”. He goes on to say we can give her the greatest Mother’s day gift of all: Donating to her campaign and increasing her social media reach.


crikey--2020-05-08--Under COVID cover, Morrison enacts a war on culture — and wins

Australia has been letting the arts die by a thousand cuts for years — COVID-19 was just the latest stroke .
Well , whatever else the Morrison government falls short on , you can ’ t fault them on their appetite for political warfare .
Under cover of the coronavirus emergency , they have performed a coup de grace on Australia ’ s universities , film and TV industries , and arts and cultural sector .
It ’ s death by a thousand cuts , by making no cuts at all — simply letting these sectors twist in the wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The substantial universities-as-export industry sector has been allowed to collapse , with the rules on JobKeeper being changed multiple times every time a university found a way to access it .
Big screen got its birthday wish of a “ suspension ” of local content screen production rules ; “ higher ” arts and culture was squeezed out of job support due to substantial casualisation , and no specific help was offered to any but the most mainstream institutions .
This is pretty brutal , but not unexpected .
Far from being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a culmination of a war the Coalition has been waging on these sectors since 1996 , and one they are now clearly winning .
This is not merely a political-cultural war against the social bases of the Coalition ’ s class enemies , the cultural side of the knowledge class .
It is a largely successful attack on a certain idea of what Australia might be , or could have been , one going back all the way to the 1880s , but most proximately in the Whitlam era .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ take our small size by population and our peripheral position in the world as a moment to yoke the state to progressive , even radical , national cultural development , in the manner of a European social democracy .
There was a bipartisan commitment to that from the ’ 60s onwards .
It held to the end of the Hawke-Keating period and limped into the 21st century , before the shifts in the class structure of Australian society made culture wars as important as political-economic wars .
In the post-2013 period , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and culture funding began and a strangling of what remained of the humanities .
The intent was clear : in order to make it easier for the Coalition to hold power , and for Murdoch and the networks to have their say , we were going to become a big dumb country again , swamped by the new global cultural forces made possible by full globalisation , chipping off bits of the country , shipping it north and using the proceeds to pay for Netflix .
That ’ s the simple story , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That radical/critical cultural-nationalist period only lasted for about 20 years , from its moderate beginnings under the accession of Harold Holt , to the John Dawkins turn in higher education in the second and third Hawke governments .
There had been a genuine commitment to building an intellectually autonomous universities system , with large and healthy humanities departments , to well-funded artistic and cultural production , a local film and TV industry , and much more .
And it worked , not merely quantitatively , but qualitatively .
We did build a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shackles of UK dominance ; a film industry that produced a unique run of movies , drawing on European art cinema , but distinctively of this place ; art schools worth the name ; theatre that didn ’ t want to make you throw up in the foyer ; humanities departments which launched new thinking into the world .
But those 20 years were only a first instalment .
To overcome our low population base , cultural underdevelopment and sheer backwardness it needed decades more .
Decades more of steady and plentiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector ) which separated creation not only from market demands but from cultural policy demands .
One needed a sector which guaranteed the artist not studio or desk space , but head space , the freedom for creative thought to move where it will .
That ’ s exactly what we didn ’ t get .
Sadly , the roots of Australia ’ s cultural self-destruction lie not in the Howard era , but in the Hawke/Keating period , when the universities were yoked to simplistic notions of national development , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The relationship between a general and thorough humanities education and cultural creation was lost .
Arts faculties became course supermarkets , under pressure of new funding models ; creative schools swung towards the market and the multiplex .
Some of this was the product of massive global forces , as post cold-war neoliberalism remade the world .
But that was the point at which we needed the creative and intellectual autonomy of culture to be buttressed and maintained .
Instead Paul Keating , trumpeting support for cultural nationalism , corporatised the universities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture , concert pianists , opera and a couple of superstars .
Done at the same time as the lifeworlds of many were eviscerated by the end of “ the Australian settlement ” , it destroyed the cross-social alliance which the Whitlam push had built between the labour movement , and our then-tiny arts sector .
Culture became the discourse of the elites and all John Howard had to do was let it decline further .
When the Australian economy had become thoroughly reorganised by the global knowledge economy , what returned as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass culture of the knowledge class , rendered in a distinct middle class mode .
The process of handing out grants — deliberately simplified and artist-oriented in the ’ 70s — had become a corporate benchmarking , KPI-bullshit exercise , out of which arose the corporatised arts hub and a network of arts administrators boosting each others salaries .
The ’ 70s had seen the rejection of a prize-based system by people who called themselves “ cultural workers ” .
Now , the prizes proliferate .
Australian writers especially have become a crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other for the next validating bauble ( ha , self included , dont @ me ) .
Despite years of being shellacked , the sector has been too atomised , self-satisfied and laced into its power as a parallel social elite to mount a real challenge , which would reconnect with broader Australia and make the Coalition think twice about attacking it .
( The universities are worse .
What do you call 200 Marxists who can ’ t organise a strike ?
An arts faculty . )
So yeah , for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running down steadily .
The virus had given the Coalition the chance to attack a sector so frail , it can now be strangled in a bathtub .
Perhaps out of this , actual collective cultural resistance might arise .
A simpler model of creativity would help .
Take Carriageworks for example .
How did Carriageworks go broke ?
It ’ s a brick shed !
Carve it into studios and small low tech auditoriums and theatres , run it with a building manager and a small maintenance staff , and award the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artists , writers and groups .
Needs a building manager and a maintenance staff and that ’ s it .
Peanuts , and every possibility that better art would come out of it .
But that said , ehhhh , the country missed its chance .
There is no great cultural shift in peripheral states , without an enabling state behind it .
ScoMo ’ s war on it is just the last cut .
We live on Dumb Street now .
Makes you wan na weep .
Poor fellow , my country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arts ?
Let us know your thoughts by writing to [ email protected ] .
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crikey--2020-04-29--How much tax do I pay? | Working from home

How much tax do I pay ?
How much tax can I claim back ?
We answer the questions you 're asking when it comes to tax and working from home .
How much tax do I pay ?
It ’ s a question a lot of us who find ourselves working at home are asking .
If you are working from home and you are unsure as to how much tax you pay , or how much tax you can claim back , you have come to the right place .
Here are the latest updates on how your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 .
How much tax do I pay ?
For those who are still working despite coronavirus , the same tax arrangement still apply to you .
Here is a breakdown of the tax brackets for resident tax rates and foreign resident tax rates for 2019–2020 .
It is also important to note government payments , including new coronavirus payments , are taxable and they must be declared on your tax return .
Payments that you must declare on your tax return include youth allowance , NewStart , JobSeeker , age pension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are unsure as to whether payments you are receiving are taxable , you still need to declare them .
How much tax can I claim back ?
How much tax you will be able to claim back while working from home will depend on a few variables , such as the equipment you require to work , phone and internet usage , cleaning costs and the total sum of your utility costs .
“ As the COVID-19 situation develops , we understand you may now be working from home and may incur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says the Australian Taxation Office .
There are two ways that you calculate how much tax you can claim back while working from home : • Shortcut method : You can take a “ shortcut ” and claim back 80 cents per hour of working .
The ATO has released this shortcut method to simplify the process for workers who are new to working from home .
This new procedure will run until June 30 , 2020 , and will then be reviewed depending on changes to working patterns .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will amount to $ 6.40 per day .
• Fixed-rate method : You can claim a fixed rate of 52 cents an hour for “ heating , cooling , lighting , cleaning and the decline in value of office furniture ” , and then also calculate all of the expenses that are directly related to working from home , such as phone and internet expenses and the declining valuation of your personal equipment , such as computers and printers to the value of $ 300 .
If a piece of equipment cost $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the full amount .
If it cost over $ 300 , you will need to work out the depreciation in value .
If you work an eight-hour day , the fixed-rate tax back would equate to $ 4.16 a day , plus whatever expenses you have further calculated from your working day .
To claim work from home tax back , you must : • have already spent the money • have a record to prove it .
Whether you opt for the shortcut method or the fixed-rate method should depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a weekly basis .
Think about how much money you spend on items outside of things like heating , lighting , cooling and equipment .
If you are hit with a steep monthly phone or internet bill , or if you need to buy equipment to get your job done efficiently , factor these costs in .
Read : Do people save more money if they work from home ?

How much tax do I pay? It’s a question a lot of us who find ourselves working at home are asking.
If you are working from home and you are unsure as to how much tax you pay, or how much tax you can claim back, you have come to the right place. Here are the latest updates on how your tax payments and claims may change due to COVID-19.
How much tax do I pay?
For those who are still working despite coronavirus, the same tax arrangement still apply to you.


crikey--2020-06-22--A sign of the times: the audience for news sorts itself out from right to left

A new report shows that Australia 's media is now more visibly starting to divide itself down political lines .
@ @ @ @ @ increasingly fragmenting with News Corp , Seven and Nine mainly appealing to the right , @ @ @ @ @ , Ten and digital native players mainly appealing to the left .
The take away @ @ @ @ @ Report suggests that Australia ’ s media , which has historically clustered tightly around the @ @ @ @ @ more like , say , the UK 's , with news brands readily identifiable by @ @ @ @ @ s partly a function of age ( and education ) , as older audiences both @ @ @ @ @ traditional media for news .
But is right-wing content shaping the views of its audience @ @ @ @ @ looking for information they agree with ?

News media consumption habits are increasingly fragmenting with News Corp, Seven and Nine mainly appealing to the right, and Nine’s mastheads, Ten and digital native players mainly appealing to the left.
The take away from the 2020 Digital News Report suggests that Australia’s media, which has historically clustered tightly around the centre, is now looking more like, say, the UK’s, with news brands readily identifiable by their politics.
It’s partly a function of age (and education), as older audiences both skew right and lean to traditional media for news. But is right-wing content shaping the views of its audience? Or is the audience looking for information they agree with?


crikey--2020-06-16--Six-trillion-dollar man: Trump is the worst economic manager in US history

Every significant indicator of the health of the US economy has declined since he became president .
US federal debt @ @ @ @ @ trillion last week , $ 6 trillion higher than when Donald Trump was inaugurated .
@ @ @ @ @ of evidence confirming Team Trump ’ s economic management has been the worst since the @ @ @ @ @ towards “ worst ever ” was set well before the COVID-19 virus devastated the world @ @ @ @ @ after Trump ’ s tax cuts took effect in early 2018 .
This has been @ @ @ @ @ campaign of mendacious tweets claiming the economy is “ best ever ” and “ world @ @ @ @ @ This is one mask the POTUS uses effectively .
The $ 6 trillion added to @ @ @ @ @ $ 1774 billion a year .
That is more than double the rate of Barack @ @ @ @ @ after the global financial crisis , nearly four times that of George W Bush ’ @ @ @ @ @ more than six times Bill Clinton ’ s first term debt rate .

US federal debt clicked over US$25.95 trillion last week, $6 trillion higher than when Donald Trump was inaugurated. This sits atop a mountain of evidence confirming Team Trump’s economic management has been the worst since the Great Depression.
The trajectory towards “worst ever” was set well before the COVID-19 virus
devastated the world. Deterioration was evident soon after Trump’s tax cuts took effect in early 2018. This has been masked by an extraordinarily successful campaign of mendacious tweets claiming the economy is “best ever” and “world’s greatest”. This is one mask the POTUS uses effectively.
Record debt added
The $6 trillion added to the debt comes to US$1774 billion a year. That is more than double the rate of Barack Obama’s second term after the global financial crisis, nearly four times that of George W Bush’s first term, and more than six times Bill Clinton’s first term debt rate.


crikey--2020-03-19--Virus Watch: Tasmania gets tough on borders as Qantas goes to ground

As Tasmania restricts entry and the school closure debate continues , here 's what you need to know in coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ night for coronavirus death cases , Tasmania has introduced strict border control as schools remain @ @ @ @ @ be cancelled en masse around the country .
Crikey takes a look at developments from @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been a sharp jump in cases overnight -- according to the John Hopkins @ @ @ @ @ time of writing there were nearly 215,000 confirmed cases worldwide and almost 9,000 deaths .

Following a bad night for coronavirus death cases, Tasmania has introduced strict border control as schools remain open and events continue to be cancelled en masse around the country.
Crikey takes a look at developments from around the world.
Sharp leap in cases
There’s been a sharp jump in cases overnight — according to the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, at time of writing there were nearly 215,000 confirmed cases worldwide and almost 9,000 deaths.


crikey--2020-06-15--China's tirades against Australia are different this time — they really matter

While Xi is running things , we can expect to hear much more about Australian racism and Australian lapdogs dancing to American tunes .
On June 5 , China ’ s National Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a travel alert to visitors to Australia warning of “ a significant increase ” in racial abuse and violence .
Four days later , the Ministry of Education issued a similar warning to Chinese students planning to study in Australia .
There ’ s been evidence of racial abuse in Australia during the pandemic , but hardly on a scale warranting international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Birmingham observed , the travel advisory “ does not stand up to scrutiny ” .
Does it matter ?
Similar warnings in 2018 had little effect on enrolments of Chinese students , and China ’ s local envoys have strongly denied connections between warnings on tourism and education and import restrictions on beef and barley .
Yet there ’ s a common thread running through recent threats and warnings that sets them apart from earlier examples , and it has nothing to do with racism or tainted beef or underpriced barley .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fury over Canberra ’ s call for an independent review of the origins and spread of COVID-19 .
That anger went far beyond any reasonable response because the mere suggestion of an independent inquiry struck at President Xi Jinping ’ s credibility .
As far as China was concerned , this was another Mack Horton moment : a naive second-ranker appeared to be calling out the winner as a liar and a cheat .
Beijing refused to concede that the call for an inquiry was in any sense authentic .
Canberra was acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on behalf of Washington , “ dancing to the tune of a certain country ” in the Foreign Ministry ’ s cynical turn of phrase .
Not surprisingly , the call for an independent review drew a warning from Ambassador Cheng Jingye that education and tourism and trade in general would suffer if Australia persisted .
And so they will .
A big shift is underway .
Public reprimands from Beijing are hardly new , but before this incident they tended to be spontaneous and inconsistent .
In December 2013 , Foreign Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her face over the South China Sea dispute .
It was an awkward moment , but it ended there .
Further criticism and name-calling followed the Australian government ’ s decisions to limit foreign political interference in 2017 and to ban Huawei from tendering for major telecommunication contracts in 2018 .
In each instance , Australia acted well ahead of the US and other countries , prompting one of China ’ s top Australia watchers to accuse Canberra in September 2019 of playing a “ pioneering role ” in a global anti-China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coordination among the accusations .
In the wake of the call for an inquiry , however , a decision has been taken at the highest levels in Beijing to consolidate earlier random and inconsistent critiques of Australia into a common communications strategy in support of a unified approach that involves leveraging trade and investment to punish Australia for challenging Xi ’ s version of events and his vision for the region .
This approach is wrapped in a communications strategy branding Australia an irredeemably racist country in thrall to US hegemony — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy for the world , as critics had indicated earlier , but instead tagging lamely along in the superpower ’ s lumbering tread .
It is being implemented methodically across many arms of government , including five ministerial-level agencies that have taken action so far : Trade , Education , Tourism , Foreign Affairs , and Propaganda ( the home of the People ’ s Daily ) .
Following Canberra ’ s call for an inquiry , Beijing notified the world of Australia ’ s pariah status through a strongly worded editorial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the byline Zhong Sheng , or “ Voice of the Centre ” .
This byline is reserved for editorials signalling central party views on important international relations issues .
It ’ s fair to say it is the voice of Xi , one or two steps removed .
The target of the rebuke was Sydney ’ s Daily Telegraph , which the editorial accused of “ evilly associating ” the pandemic with China by defacing the country ’ s national emblem with a graphic image of a viral crown .
Why such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commentary on China and the Chinese Communist Party has been a source of low-grade tension between Australia and China , dating back to the early 1970s , and the Telegraph is hardly a model of civilised behaviour at the best of times .
Still , someone near the top of the pyramid in Beijing decided to make an example of the rambunctious Sydney tabloid to signal an important message about Australia to every official , every business and every family in China .
The charge that the People ’ s Daily levelled against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease with a national emblem Australians had engaged in racist behaviour .
Defacing a national symbol may be juvenile and offensive but it ’ s not generally regarded as racist .
China ’ s communist party-state is not a race .
For Beijing ’ s purpose , the distinction is immaterial as the CCP regards itself as the people of China and interprets mockery of the party-state as an act of racism .
So a Foreign Ministry official explained , when justifying the issue of a travel warning on grounds of racism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the coronavirus a ‘ Chinese virus ’ and maliciously tampered with the Chinese national flag and national emblem ” .
To drive the point home , central party authorities selected a local tabloid with little claim to prudence to signal to everyone in China that Australia is racist .
The American connection wasn ’ t left out either .
China ’ s own Daily Telegraph , the Global Times , answered Birmingham ’ s response to the travel warning with a claim that Australian politicians are not to be trusted because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political attitude and too eager to win US favours ” .
In light of this alleged American connivance , the paper went on to point out that the travel warnings were just the “ tip of the iceberg ” of punishments in store if Australia failed to mend its ways .
Evidence that Canberra is easily swayed by American attitudes is as thin as the claim that poking fun at flags and emblems is racist .
Recent polls show that Australian misgivings about US President Donald Trump run even deeper than their concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour closer ties with the US than with China — and Canberra has consistently distanced itself from Washington during Trump ’ s term on issues ranging from multilateral trade to climate change and the role of international institutions such as the World Trade Organisation and World Health Organisation .
On matters related to China , Australian governments have never endorsed the US-led trade war , and Australia ’ s national intelligence agencies and Prime Minister Scott Morrison conspicuously declined to endorse claims by Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tracing the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan .
Australia ’ s record of independent foreign policy thinking makes little impression in China because , if I read Zhong Sheng correctly , a decision has been taken at the highest levels of the party to brand Australia a racist country that takes its orders from the US .
This is a game-changing decision that doesn ’ t require evidence to support it and that can happily contradict earlier claims that Australia is in fact a pioneering leader on China issues globally .
The Zhong Sheng editorial signalled a high-level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ministry and to officials running China ’ s state-owned enterprises at home and abroad , along with tourism and education agents in China , that people around Xi have adopted a hostile approach towards Australia .
All need to fall into line .
While Xi is running things , we can expect to hear much more about Australian racism , about Australian lapdogs dancing to American tunes , and about steering clear of Australia .
The latest travel and education warnings over racism don ’ t stand up to scrutiny because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem is not racism , it is Xi .
It ’ s worth remembering that Mack Horton and his family had to put up with many years of vitriol and bullying before he was eventually vindicated .
This article was first published in The Strategist , a publication of the Australian Strategy Policy Institute .
It is reprinted with permission of the author .

On June 5, China’s National Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a travel alert to visitors to Australia warning of “a significant increase” in racial abuse and violence. Four days later, the Ministry of Education issued a similar warning to Chinese students planning to study in Australia.
There’s been evidence of racial abuse in Australia during the pandemic, but hardly on a scale warranting international travel warnings. As Trade Minister Simon Birmingham observed, the travel advisory “does not stand up to scrutiny”.
Does it matter? Similar warnings in 2018 had little effect on enrolments of Chinese students, and China’s local envoys have strongly denied connections between warnings on tourism and education and import restrictions on beef and barley.


crikey--2020-02-18--Worm: Wilkie and Christensen's international mission

Good morning , early birds .
Two Australian MPs have flown to London to visit Julian Assange in prison , and universities say the coronavirus travel ban risks $ 1.2 billion in lost fees .
It 's the news you need to know , with Chris Woods .
Co-chairs of the “ Bring Julian Assange Home ” parliamentary group , Andrew Wilkie and George Christiansen , have arrived in London to directly call on Boris Johnson to block the US extradition attempt , visit the Wikileaks founder , and campaign for his return to Australia , The Guardian UK reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Reuters , a spokesperson for Assange says his health has improved since being moved out of solitary confinement in a top-secret jail — at least relative to “ harrowing ” eye-witness accounts of his October trial .
Analysis by 10 major universities warns the Coalition ’ s coronavirus travel ban risks $ 1.2 billion in lost fees from roughly 65,800 students still stuck , and presumably weighing their options , in China , The Australian ( $ ) reports .
INSIDE SCOOP : In potentially worse news for certain Crikey editors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hack reports Australia may run out of vaping hardware in just a few weeks .
More than 99 % of NSW remains in drought despite record rainfall last night that , The Sydney Morning Herald reports , will see the desalination plant turned off in March and water restrictions eased .
Amid what has become the state ’ s worst drought on record , SMH also reports new audits demonstrate how NSW ’ s river management system failed to monitor water availability and extraction .
Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman has been found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Adani , No Means No ” shirt inside the building after a 2019 student climate protest , The Brisbane Times reports .
However , Berkman ’ s lack of “ dishonesty or malice ” and ignorance of the “ seriousness of his actions ” means the ethics committee will , graciously , take no further action .
FUN FACT : In something of a double-win for Adani , just hours later , Labor , the LNP , the Katter Party and independent Sandy Bolton voted down a bill from Berkman to ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SAID THAT ?
The Robodebt legal team ’ s defence seemingly contradicts the Department of Social Security ’ s own guidelines .
And in related news , Bill Shorten is back in the zinger game .
READ ALL ABOUT IT Liberal senator warns Indigenous Voice must not become ‘ Aboriginal political elite ’ Bush remedies : How Queensland wrote the script to cure rural pain Police checks for IVF patients to be scrapped Fear of heart attack keeps disgraced Casey councillor Sam Aziz in Egypt ‘ Like being thrown off a bus ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers Michael Bloomberg qualifies for US Democratic presidential debate for first time Our universities are run by slow learners and the coronavirus proves it — Garry Linnell ( The New Daily ) : “ After years of being warned that its over-reliance on fee-paying Chinese students was a risk no public company would dare take on , the university sector is confronting the reality that an extended coronavirus travel ban could cripple its lucrative revenue base.
” Court ruling against ABC highlights the enormous deficiency in laws protecting journalists ’ sources — Denis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The federal court ’ s rejection of the ABC case against the Australian Federal Police raid on its Sydney headquarters in June 2019 reveals two issues of great importance to freedom of the press in Australia… ” My Inheritance : Personal Reflections of Sue-Anne Hunter — Sue-Anne Hunter ( IndigenousX ) : “ So , let me explain how I got my inheritance that I didn ’ t realise I had .
To do this , I need to go back a generation or two so you can understand where it came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority our First Nations peoples inherit without even knowing.
” • Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh will present “ Australia ’ s Stagnant Economy ” for the John Cain Foundation at the University of Melbourne .
It ’ s the first lecture since Cain ’ s passing in December .
• The Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement — which includes representatives from Australia , Canada , the UK , the US and the Netherlands — will speak at the Australian Institute of Police Management about transnational tax crime .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Phelan and AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw will present “ Countering child sexual exploitation and abuse ” at the National Press Club .
• The Australia Institute chief economist Richard Denniss will begin a national tour of his “ Why Economics Is Broken ( and what we can do to fix it ) ” presentation , speaking today at the State Library of Queensland , introduced by Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers .
• The South Australian Space Industry Centre will host the 9th Australian Space Forum .
• Services will be held to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 78 years since Japan ’ s air raids .
• Jetstar workers will strike at airports across Australia over pay and conditions , with Labor Senator Tony Sheldon and ACTU president Michele O ’ Neil expected to address the Sydney protest .

“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
Co-chairs of the “Bring Julian Assange Home” parliamentary group, Andrew Wilkie and George Christiansen, have arrived in London to directly call on Boris Johnson to block the US extradition attempt, visit the Wikileaks founder, and campaign for his return to Australia, The Guardian UK reports.
Meanwhile, according to the ABC and Reuters, a spokesperson for Assange says his health has improved since being moved out of solitary confinement in a top-secret jail — at least relative to “harrowing” eye-witness accounts of his October trial.
$1.2 BILLION IN LOST UNI FEES
Analysis by 10 major universities warns the Coalition’s coronavirus travel ban risks $1.2 billion in lost fees from roughly 65,800 students still stuck, and presumably weighing their options, in China, The Australian ($) reports.
INSIDE SCOOP: In potentially worse news for certain Crikey editors, due to factory quarantines in China, Hack reports Australia may run out of vaping hardware in just a few weeks.
NO DINT IN DROUGHT
More than 99% of NSW remains in drought despite record rainfall last night that, The Sydney Morning Herald reports, will see the desalination plant turned off in March and water restrictions eased.
Amid what has become the state’s worst drought on record, SMH also reports new audits demonstrate how NSW’s river management system failed to monitor water availability and extraction.
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NO MEANS NO
Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman has been found in contempt of parliament for wearing an “Adani, No Means No” shirt inside the building after a 2019 student climate protest, The Brisbane Times reports.
However, Berkman’s lack of “dishonesty or malice” and ignorance of the “seriousness of his actions” means the ethics committee will, graciously, take no further action.
FUN FACT: In something of a double-win for Adani, just hours later, Labor, the LNP, the Katter Party and independent Sandy Bolton voted down a bill from Berkman to ban all corporate political donations.
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
[The government] denies that it owed the Applicant and Group Members the duty alleged. Government lawyers
The Robodebt legal team’s defence seemingly contradicts the Department of Social Security’s own guidelines. And in related news, Bill Shorten is back in the zinger game.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Liberal senator warns Indigenous Voice must not become ‘Aboriginal political elite’
Australia slashes Pacific aid funding for health as region battles medical crises
Tony Abbott told ‘early on’ MH370 pilot had committed mass murder ($)
Bush remedies: How Queensland wrote the script to cure rural pain
Police checks for IVF patients to be scrapped
Crime agencies link 256 Australians to online child-sex abuse ($)
Fear of heart attack keeps disgraced Casey councillor Sam Aziz in Egypt
‘Like being thrown off a bus’: Mentor program to ease load on teachers
Michael Bloomberg qualifies for US Democratic presidential debate for first time
THE COMMENTARIAT
Our universities are run by slow learners and the coronavirus proves it — Garry Linnell (The New Daily): “After years of being warned that its over-reliance on fee-paying Chinese students was a risk no public company would dare take on, the university sector is confronting the reality that an extended coronavirus travel ban could cripple its lucrative revenue base.”
Court ruling against ABC highlights the enormous deficiency in laws protecting journalists’ sources — Denis Muller (The Conversation): “The federal court’s rejection of the ABC case against the Australian Federal Police raid on its Sydney headquarters in June 2019 reveals two issues of great importance to freedom of the press in Australia…”
My Inheritance: Personal Reflections of Sue-Anne Hunter — Sue-Anne Hunter (IndigenousX): “So, let me explain how I got my inheritance that I didn’t realise I had. To do this, I need to go back a generation or two so you can understand where it came from. It’s the inheritance the majority our First Nations peoples inherit without even knowing.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Melbourne
Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh will present “Australia’s Stagnant Economy” for the John Cain Foundation at the University of Melbourne. It’s the first lecture since Cain’s passing in December.
Sydney
The Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement — which includes representatives from Australia, Canada, the UK, the US and the Netherlands — will speak at the Australian Institute of Police Management about transnational tax crime.
Canberra
AUSTRAC CEO Nicole Rose, ACIC CEO Michael Phelan and AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw will present “Countering child sexual exploitation and abuse” at the National Press Club.
Brisbane
The Australia Institute chief economist Richard Denniss will begin a national tour of his “Why Economics Is Broken (and what we can do to fix it)” presentation, speaking today at the State Library of Queensland, introduced by Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers .
Anthony Albanese will address the Queensland Media Club.
Adelaide
The South Australian Space Industry Centre will host the 9th Australian Space Forum.
Darwin
Services will be held to commemorate the Bombing of Darwin Day, 78 years since Japan’s air raids.
Australia


crikey--2020-05-27--10 tips for studying from home during coronavirus lockdown

Struggling to stay motivated while studying at home ?
Here are 10 tips to help keep you on track .
We ’ re hearing a lot about people working from home — and parents doing remote learning from home with their children — but we ’ re hearing much less about university students , particularly international students , who are studying in Australia during lockdown .
There were 500,000 international students in Australia when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australia .
Today 15 % of students are stuck living on campuses due to the fact that restrictions prohibit them from returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of students find themselves trying to study from home , The Guardian reports .
There is limited support available to the international students who remain in Australia , and who have been asked to return home if they can not support themselves .
For both international and Australian students , the COVID-19 pandemic can evoke its own particular type of panic ; this is , largely , the most financially unstable demographic , who now find themselves trying to prepare for a very unstable working world .
For the students out there who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very stressful time , but it may equip you with resilience you did not even know you were capable of .
If you can continue to study from home , keep swimming .
Here are 10 tips for students studying from home : • Get a calendar and write down everything that is ahead of you • Get a clock for your desk • Map out your day in as much detail as you can • Go outside , every single day • Avoid too many screens outside of study • Avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Have daily rituals to look forward to and punctuate the week • Don ’ t let “ it ” get on top of you Get a calendar and write down everything that is ahead of you Foresight is always your friend .
Map .
It .
Out .
What you know about can not hurt you .
Get a calendar that shows you the full month ahead and add in every single assignment , exercise , test or tutorial .
Whatever it is , if you know it ’ s coming up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head in the sand and avoid it until the last minute .
In a world where there are literally no distractions , other than that low sinister hum of impending doom , there is so much that you can get out of the way now .
So look ahead in time .
Get a clock for your desk No , before you protest , your phone is not an adequate clock to keep track of study slots .
You go to check the time , then you ’ re suddenly on Instagram , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , and then looking back at pictures of that great holiday back in 2016 .
Put your phone in a drawer and get a clock for your desk .
There is nothing that helps with better time-keeping than time itself .
Map out the day in as much detail as you can Whether you ’ re more like Monica or Phoebe from Friends on the control freak scale , mapping out your day in as much detail as possible is paramount to getting what you want to get done , did .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing and breaks to keep you on track .
Note : be realistic .
You will not be able to complete an assignment well in one hourly slot .
Be easy on yourself !
If you are someone who works better in a group , it is going to be very hard to maintain isolation both in general and while studying .
So if there are certain days and times in a week that you are used to meeting up with friends to study , maintain this .
Get a Zoom meeting going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to silently have one another on a laptop screen , it may help you to stay focused and motivated .
Staying connected and knowing what your study buddies are up to may also help you to think outside of the box and tap into your creativity .
Rome was not built in a day .
Whether you are trying to write a 1000-word assignment or a 10,000-word thesis , you need to rest your brain .
One of the biggest study errors is leaving it all to the last minute and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a sure method for despair .
Whether or not you feel fatigued , take a 20-minute break every 40 minutes to stretch your body and relax your mind .
This 40-on , 20-off method is the most efficient way of keeping you focused throughout the day .
Go outside , every single day Fresh air is your friend .
You can not expect to thrive in a stuffy room all day .
Depending on if you are a morning , day or evening person , pick a time when you know you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there .
Whether you have time for a brisk 20-minute walk or a two-hour hike , getting enough fresh air each day is extremely important for filtering out the brain junk and keeping your concentration levels high .
Avoid too many screens outside of study While the temptation may be there to bounce from your phone to laptop intermittently throughout the day , aim to stay off your phone for at least two recreational hours ( two hours when you are not studying ) per day .
Now is , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain contact with loved ones , especially if you are far away from them , but it is still important to take time to fully switch off .
Put on a podcast , paint a picture , re-decorate your room — do something , anything , that does not involve spending your social energy during this already draining period .
Avoid too much caffeine or energy drinks Exams , cramming , and last-minute tweaks to assignments are enough to make the most level headed of us jittery .
Do not exasperate this by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you need to keep some of these habits for the remainder of the school year , drink them as you should consume alcohol — with lots of water in between each round !
If you can cut down , try peppermint tea between coffees or sparkling water as a replacement for energy drinks .
Have daily rituals to look forward to and punctuate the week While captions on social media like “ what day is it ?
” have definitely gotten old at this point , they still do , unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like one day , or one year , depending on what you are doing with your time .
To maintain a firm grasp on time ( and reality ) , consider implementing little habits or rituals into each day .
For instance , on Monday , you could walk that particular route ; on Tuesday , you could call that friend .
It could also be playing a particular video game or doing some pampering with a facemask , whatever tickles your fancy .
Make sure it ’ s something you enjoy doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Don ’ t let “ it ” get on top of you While this advice may seem about as actionable as “ stay safe ” or “ chin up ” , it is still an important to not let “ it ” , whatever it may be , get on top of you .
If you are feeling extremely overwhelmed , know you are not alone in this .
If you are struggling to get your course work done , know that your lecturers and tutors are there to get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Talk to someone and whatever it is will become instantly more manageable .
They say your university or college years are some of the best years of your life .
Let us hope 2020 is just one of those years that has truthfully gone haywire .
Right now , this might seem like the hardest thing you ’ ll ever have to go through .
University , and the stress that comes with it , is hard enough without a pandemic , but do take solace in the fact you are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there are no distractions to take you away from getting what you have to do , done .
You ’ ve got this !

We’re hearing a lot about people working from home — and parents doing remote learning from home with their children — but we’re hearing much less about university students, particularly international students, who are studying in Australia during lockdown.
There were 500,000 international students in Australia when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australia. Today 15% of students are stuck living on campuses due to the fact that restrictions prohibit them from returning home, while a further 85% of students find themselves trying to study from home, The Guardian reports.
There is limited support available to the international students who remain in Australia, and who have been asked to return home if they cannot support themselves. For both international and Australian students, the COVID-19 pandemic can evoke its own particular type of panic; this is, largely, the most financially unstable demographic, who now find themselves trying to prepare for a very unstable working world.


crikey--2020-05-28--News Corp's problems didn't start with the pandemic

News Corp Australia has been in strife for a while .
The COVID-19 pandemic has just been the final nail @ @ @ @ @ problems did n't start with the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns -- they were just the @ @ @ @ @ the Murdoch empire 's heartland .
Back in 2016 , the company made a costly @ @ @ @ @ business , when it should have been cutting .
News Corp made the $ 36 @ @ @ @ @ and weekly newspapers from the former APN News and Media , the old employer of @ @ @ @ @ chairman Michael Miller .
Around the same time , News bought control of Sky News @ @ @ @ @ to share control with Nine and Seven , it would have had others to share @ @ @ @ @ losses .

News Corp’s big problems didn’t start with the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns — they were just the final, devastating nail in the Murdoch empire’s heartland.
Back in 2016, the company made a costly investment to expand its print business, when it should have been cutting. News Corp made the $36 million purchase of regional daily and weekly newspapers from the former APN News and Media, the old employer of current News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller.
Around the same time, News bought control of Sky News. If it had continued to share control with Nine and Seven, it would have had others to share the slide on revenue and losses.


crikey--2020-03-08--India's drug decision signals headache for Australian patients

India is one of the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturers , and sources a lot of ingredients from China .
Australia is @ @ @ @ @ chains for access to pharmaceutical drugs .
And there are already signs that shortages may @ @ @ @ @ Last week India , the world ’ s main supplier of generic drugs , restricted @ @ @ @ @ ingredients and the medicines made from them -- including paracetamol .
This is due to @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
India is one of the biggest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals , and sources a @ @ @ @ @ China .

Australia is heavily reliant on overseas supply chains for access to pharmaceutical drugs. And there are already signs that shortages may be on the way.
Last week India, the world’s main supplier of generic drugs, restricted the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and the medicines made from them — including paracetamol.
This is due to supply chain interruptions from the coronavirus. India is one of the biggest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, and sources a lot of raw ingredients from China.