crikey--2020-06-02--Crisis in America: is Trump’s endgame to retain power and refashion the republic?

A touch of anarchy at the core of the United States has allowed the country to constantly renew its spirit .
Now , Donald Trump may use that spirit to destroy the republic .
In recent decades , it ’ s been customary to point out that whatever unrest there is in America , though it may look like breakdown , does not compare with that which occurred in the ’ 60s and ’ 70s with successive waves of uprising , or in the ’ 50s with the ending of ( official ) segregation in the south .
After all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1965 and ’ 68 .
In 1954 Eisenhower sent the US Army into the south to stand toe-to-toe against state national guards , who were being used to prevent school desegregation .
In the ’ 70s thousands of protest bombings occurred across the country .
Through the Bush , Iraq and first Black Lives Matter period we were told , rightly enough , that the great American ideology machine was wiping the memory of what had been , and the current bout did not compare .
With the current wave of protesting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that judgement may be coming to an end .
As I write , President Donald Trump is addressing the nation , berating US state governors for being weak and threatening to send the army into states to quell protest .
That is being called a coup , though it isn ’ t .
The US Army has been deployed previously , in the Detroit and LA uprisings of the 1960s .
What ’ s new is Trump ’ s real time dispersal of peaceful protesters outside the White House as he speaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even LBJ , Nixon and Reagan didn ’ t do that .
With the tear gas comes a whiff of the junta .
Trump aspires to be the sort of strongman the US spent decades setting up South of ze border , and the protests appear to have a different air to the Jeffersonian upsurge of previous uprisings .
As the northern summer heats up , exhausted , masked people pushed beyond all tolerance arise in dilapidated , plundered , ruined cities .
America has taken a selfie using the Guatemala filter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing of black man George Floyd in Minneapolis , in the course of a minor matter arrest .
The deeper logic to this sudden explosion was that the killing was the exact copy of other killings — asphyxiation-related death as with the 2014 death of Eric Garner on Staten Island .
It thus enacted the phrase coined during Black Lives Matter protests after Garner ’ s killing : “ I can ’ t breathe ” .
With these protests , one suspects the phrase is taking on a wider meaning , joining to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US ’ manifestly inadequate response to the circumstantial poverty created .
The failure to govern in even the most vestigial interests of the people , the resulting pushback and the state response to that — the promise of dogs and shooting — reminds us that the most prescient US fiction of recent years , was a YA novel .
The Hunger Games are here .
What has been reasserted by these events is that , contrary to claims of the right , the state is still controlled by the right .
After all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings , the takeover of whole neighbourhoods and looting by opportunistic elements , there hasn ’ t been any organised response by the right squads that have become more visible in recent years .
Given that they call themselves “ militias ” and portray themselves as citizen defenders of the republic , that should ostensibly be odd .
But of course it isn ’ t ; police forces , by and large , are the militias .
The rest seem , overwhelmingly , to be cosplay types — taking AR-15s into Dunkin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be emerging as things go into week two ; especially in South Philadelphia — a pretty heavily racist place . )
That many of the most violent incidents appear to be that most apple-pie American of things , the police riot , is far from surprising either .
The police have a distinct role in the US — a sort of floating , fourth separation of power — precisely because the official American story is that restraint of state power is guaranteed by the constitution .
With that sorted , the endless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in plain sight for many ; it must be alright that the Potrezebie , Ohio , police department has a tank , because the Bill of Rights protects us from its misuse .
This assumption of police right falls on black people more than , and as opposed to , white people ( though the white poor don ’ t fare much better ) , but it ’ s shocking how general it is .
There are cops everywhere in the US ; local , state , federal , airport , transit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on and on .
They can and do spread-eagle and cuff you at the slightest excuse .
Even the decent ones are so jumpy in the land of 300 million guns that they ’ ll do it .
Over recent years , that sense of division has made white cops the frontline of white resentment in the US .
Hence the easy turn on journalists in the current uprisings , with direct firing at them , causing heavy and near-lethal injuries ( including the partial blinding of sometime-Australian resident journalist-writer Linda Tirado ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupidity of Today reporters doesn ’ t justify it .
That this is all happening under Trump — or the ruling cabal under that brand — has turned what would otherwise be a periodic uprising into a crisis .
Trump reverses Theodore Roosevelt ’ s “ talk softly , carry a big stick ” approach to power .
He fantasises out loud about violence , then leaves a vacuum of action that others fill .
If he is still under the sway of the occult right as I have described it , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of immediate power over the health of the republic .
America , as Thomas Jefferson understood it and created it , has always had a touch of anarchy at its core .
Jefferson believed it should bust out every half-century or so to renew the country ’ s spirit .
But that presumed that its rulers would act with that spirit , as FDR did , as LBJ did .
What happens if the spirit of America is used as a pretext to end the republic in its current form ?
What will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let us know your thoughts by writing to [ email protected ] .
Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey ’ s Your Say column .

In recent decades, it’s been customary to point out that whatever unrest there is in America, though it may look like breakdown, does not compare with that which occurred in the ’60s and ’70s with successive waves of uprising, or in the ’50s with the ending of (official) segregation in the south.
After all, urban uprisings consumed the US between 1965 and ’68. In 1954 Eisenhower sent the US Army into the south to stand toe-to-toe against state national guards, who were being used to prevent school desegregation. In the ’70s thousands of protest bombings occurred across the country.
Through the Bush, Iraq and first Black Lives Matter period we were told, rightly enough, that the great American ideology machine was wiping the memory of what had been, and the current bout did not compare.


crikey--2020-06-02--Government shoots itself in the foot (yet again) in its war on industry super funds

The government hoped early access to superannuation would embarrass industry super funds .
Instead , they 've been among the @ @ @ @ @ retail super funds have been the worst at giving people their money .
We should @ @ @ @ @ the government goes after industry superannuation funds , the victims are likely to be ordinary @ @ @ @ @ super funds sector -- once upon a time controlled by the big banks , until @ @ @ @ @ them to flee the wealth management sector in disgrace .
Its most recent attack was @ @ @ @ @ for -- ostensibly -- people affected by the lockdown , designed to disproportionately harm industry @ @ @ @ @ weight in illiquid assets like infrastructure .
That was an advantage during the 2008 financial @ @ @ @ @ union-run funds performed significantly better than retail funds , but now intended to be used @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to raid their super accounts for money to tide them over pandemic-induced financial difficulties @

We should know by now that when the government goes after industry superannuation funds, the victims are likely to be ordinary Australians and the rival retail super funds sector — once upon a time controlled by the big banks, until the banking royal commission forced them to flee the wealth management sector in disgrace.
Its most recent attack was via early access to superannuation for — ostensibly — people affected by the lockdown, designed to disproportionately harm industry super funds with a greater weight in illiquid assets like infrastructure.
That was an advantage during the 2008 financial crisis, when employer and union-run funds performed significantly better than retail funds, but now intended to be used against them as members were encouraged to raid their super accounts for money to tide them over pandemic-induced financial difficulties.


What is robodebt?

There are many questions about the government 's controversial robodebt scheme .
Let 's start with what it actually is .
Robodebt is the common name given to the Online Compliance Intervention , an automated debt recovery program that was introduced by the federal government in mid-2016 .
The robodebt system was originally introduced in an attempt to ensure recipients of Centrelink benefits were not under-reporting their income and , as a result , over-receiving welfare payments .
The Department of Human Services , which is responsible for Centrelink , holds a computer system that compiles data from the Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centrelink by those claiming payments .
The system is designed to cross-check individuals ’ reported earnings with the amounts reported by a recipient ’ s employer .
Ultimately , the system exists to calculate the benefits that people are entitled to .
The robodebt system that was introduced in 2016 really came into action when the automated process detected a discrepancy between the income reported by a Centrelink recipient and the income reported by their employer .
Before the automated system was initiated , a Centrelink Officer would carry out an investigation before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question asking them to provide further details with their activity statement .
However , from July 2016 , the automated system meant that a computer generated and sent debt collection letters requesting further details from recipients .
Before the robodebt system began in 2016 , there was an average of 20,000 interventions per year ; with the introduction of the robodebt system , this number increased to 20,000 interventions per week .
There have been calls to halt the automated system since December 2016 , due to the number of errors and misjudgements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
The Department of Human Services stopped a key part of the scheme last year — the controversial ‘ income averaging ’ process — and last week , the government said it would repay at least $ 720 million to welfare recipients affected by the controversial scheme .
Read : What public servants knew — and when they knew it — needs robodebt inquiry How do you know if you have an unlawful robodebt ?
As explained by Victoria Legal Aid , not all Centrelink debt is an unlawful robodebt .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you :

What is robodebt?
Robodebt is the common name given to the Online Compliance Intervention, an automated debt recovery program that was introduced by the federal government in mid-2016.
The robodebt system was originally introduced in an attempt to ensure recipients of Centrelink benefits were not under-reporting their income and, as a result, over-receiving welfare payments.


crikey--2020-06-03--How many people have died from coronavirus in Australia?

This crisis will cut hard and deep but one day it will be over .
What will be left ?
@ @ @ @ @ be left ?
I know what I want to see : I want to see @ @ @ @ @ robust Australian-owned news media .
I want to see governments , authorities and those with @ @ @ @ @ I want to see the media held to account too .
Demand for what we @ @ @ @ @ Thank you .
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crikey--2020-06-03--Lower education: will the government let universities fail?

With La Trobe University set to run out of cash in mere weeks , the sector is asking : will @ @ @ @ @ let tertiary education collapse ?
La Trobe University could be the first victim of the @ @ @ @ @ the higher education sector , with the institution reportedly weeks away from going broke .
@ @ @ @ @ staff yesterday that the university has “ no money tucked down the back of the @ @ @ @ @ step could be a 10 % salary reduction , and the possibility of forced redundancies @ @ @ @ @ La Trobe has rejected The Age 's report , saying bluntly in a statement : @ @ @ @ @ at risk of going broke . ''

La Trobe University could be the first victim of the pandemic’s brutalisation of the higher education sector, with the institution reportedly weeks away from going broke.
Vice-chancellor John Dewar reportedly told staff yesterday that the university has “no money tucked down the back of the sofa”. The next step could be a 10% salary reduction, and the possibility of forced redundancies, The Age reports.
La Trobe has rejected The Age’s report, saying bluntly in a statement: “the university is not at risk of going broke.”


crikey--2020-06-03--Good enough for UK, good enough for us. Why Australia should open doors to Hong Kong citizens

With calls for the US to take in Hong Kong residents to spite Beijing , questions remain : would it @ @ @ @ @ Australia consider it ?
As China closes in on Hong Kong , crushing its democratic @ @ @ @ @ gaining currency : limit China ’ s ability to have its own way by whisking @ @ @ @ @ out from under them .
The Wall Street Journal ’ s editorial board has written @ @ @ @ @ embracing Hongkongers , enthusing about “ an alternative that would cause Beijing heartburn : offer @ @ @ @ @ green cards to live and work in the US with a path to citizenship if @ @ @ @ @ wrote the idea up first : “ If the United States wants to help the @ @ @ @ @ it needs to think beyond sanctions and consider the role it has played time and @ @ @ @ @ repression abroad — open America ’ s borders and offer a place of refuge , @ @ @ @ @ ”

As China closes in on Hong Kong, crushing its democratic freedoms, an idea is gaining currency: limit China’s ability to have its own way by whisking the citizens of Hong Kong out from under them.
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has written strongly in favour of America embracing Hongkongers, enthusing about “an alternative that would cause Beijing heartburn: offer Hong Kong’s people green cards to live and work in the US with a path to citizenship if they want”.
Vox wrote the idea up first: “If the United States wants to help the people of Hong Kong, it needs to think beyond sanctions and consider the role it has played time and again for victims of political repression abroad — open America’s borders and offer a place of refuge, freedom, and prosperity.”


crikey--2020-06-03--Nation’s mental health crisis is being played out in ER. Here is one man’s story

Emergency departments are the 'expensive and traumatic ' go-to places for those in crisis — but they 're not fit @ @ @ @ @ suicidal thoughts and with a deep cut in his wrist , Todd Malcomson knew his @ @ @ @ @ He contacted his wife of 15 years , Natalie , and asked her to call @ @ @ @ @ with borderline personality disorder and is no stranger to the fluorescent lights of emergency rooms @ @ @ @ @ last line of defence for his mental illness .

This article discusses self-harm and suicide
Grappling with suicidal thoughts and with a deep cut in his wrist, Todd Malcomson knew his life was in danger. He contacted his wife of 15 years, Natalie, and asked her to call an ambulance.
Malcomson lives with borderline personality disorder and is no stranger to the fluorescent lights of emergency rooms. The hospital is the last line of defence for his mental illness.


crikey--2020-06-03--Nev Power will front senators tomorrow. Here are the 10 questions they should ask him

National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission chair Nev Power is due to appear at the government 's coronavirus response inquiry tomorrow .
@ @ @ @ @ he should be asked .
Nev Power , chair of the National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission @ @ @ @ @ at the next hearing into the government ’ s coronavirus response .
A lot has @ @ @ @ @ the inquiry , including a leaked report that argues Australian taxpayers should underwrite a massive @ @ @ @ @ industry .
Here ’ s Crikey ’ s list of 10 questions the inquiry should @ @

Nev Power, chair of the National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission, will front senators tomorrow at the next hearing into the government’s coronavirus response.
A lot has emerged since he last fronted the inquiry, including a leaked report that argues Australian taxpayers should underwrite a massive expansion of the domestic gas industry.
Here’s Crikey’s list of 10 questions the inquiry should ask.


crikey--2020-06-04--Excited journalists await Tim Wilson’s latest assault on industry super

The Liberal Party continues its hatchet job on funds run by employer groups and unions but strangely overlooks the appalling @ @ @ @ @ .
In the days after June 12 , journalists at The Financial Review and News @ @ @ @ @ on their inboxes for email from an aph.gov.au address .
In it they 'll find @ @ @ @ @ industry super funds to a large number of questions asked by the House economics committee @ @ @ @ @ intended to somehow embarrass funds jointly run by employer groups and unions .
Wilson is @ @ @ @ @ committee for partisan purposes -- most famously his pre-election campaign against Labor 's policy to @ @ @ @ @ .

In the days after June 12, journalists at The Financial Review and News Corp should keep an eye on their inboxes for email from an aph.gov.au address.
In it they’ll find a set of answers from industry super funds to a large number of questions asked by the House economics committee chairman Tim Wilson, all intended to somehow embarrass funds jointly run by employer groups and unions.
Wilson is well known for using the committee for partisan purposes — most famously his pre-election campaign against Labor’s policy to end the franking credit rort.


crikey--2020-06-03--The missing middle: mentally ill lose out as community services dwindle

Australians with mental health issues are bouncing back and forth between hospital and homelessness , and the NDIS is doing @ @ @ @ @ is part two in a three-part series on mental health services .
Read part one @ @ @ @ @ and constantly worries about her son James* who has schizophrenia and often experiences homelessness .
@ @ @ @ @ to get James the services he desperately needs .
Denise lives interstate and spends countless @ @ @ @ @ to arrange care for him .

This is part two in a three-part series on mental health services. Read part one here.
Denise* is 75 and constantly worries about her son James* who has schizophrenia and often experiences homelessness.
It’s a constant battle to get James the services he desperately needs. Denise lives interstate and spends countless hours on the phone trying to arrange care for him.


crikey--2020-06-03--Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu tendered as evidence in whacko-right conspiracy

Having failed to discredit Dark Emu author Bruce Pascoe 's Aboriginality , Josephine Cashman has floated towards some altogether more @ @ @ @ @ to the 'deep state ' .
The `` rising movement '' of whacko conspiracy theorists @ @ @ @ @ QAnon , shape-shifting lizards stuff -- has found a new recruit in Josephine Cashman , @ @ @ @ @ a new embarrassment .
In the past few days , Cashman has sent out a @ @ @ @ @ the sinister international global conspiracy is manifested in Australia by ... the success of Bruce @ @ @ @ @ .

The “rising movement” of whacko conspiracy theorists in Australia — the whole QAnon, shape-shifting lizards stuff — has found a new recruit in Josephine Cashman, and the mainstream right has a new embarrassment.
In the past few days, Cashman has sent out a storm of tweets alleging that the sinister international global conspiracy is manifested in Australia by… the success of Bruce Pascoe’s book Dark Emu.
Remember Josephine Cashman?


crikey--2020-06-05--Anatomy of a disaster: How the NTEU’s plan to save jobs fell apart

A controversial plan by the National Tertiary Education Union has divided the rank and file membership during a period of @ @ @ @ @ .
In early April , with the pandemic raging , Australia 's universities desperately needed @ @ @ @ @ had stopped coming , wiping away billions in revenue .
Up to 30,000 jobs were @ @ @ @ @ while the sector had been hit by the pandemic earlier and with greater ferocity than @ @ @ @ @ government continued to leave universities out in the cold .
So , against a backdrop @ @ @ @ @ National Tertiary Education Union 's ( NTEU ) leaders sat down with vice-chancellors representing the @ @ @ @ @ ( AHEIA ) and came up with a plan .
Under the National Job Protection @ @ @ @ @ be temporarily varied .
Wage cuts of up to 15 % were on the cards @ @ @ @ @ union hoped to save 12,000 jobs .

In early April, with the pandemic raging, Australia’s universities desperately needed a lifeline. International students had stopped coming, wiping away billions in revenue. Up to 30,000 jobs were set to go. And while the sector had been hit by the pandemic earlier and with greater ferocity than any other, the federal government continued to leave universities out in the cold.
So, against a backdrop of existential crisis, the National Tertiary Education Union’s (NTEU) leaders sat down with vice-chancellors representing the Australian Higher Education Industry Association (AHEIA) and came up with a plan.
Under the National Job Protection Framework, enterprise agreements would be temporarily varied. Wage cuts of up to 15% were on the cards. In return, the union hoped to save 12,000 jobs.


crikey--2020-06-05--Don’t count on that tradie-led recovery. The latest package is nothing to build on

The government 's construction industry package is too small and too tightly targeted to make much of a difference .
@ @ @ @ @ punish workers .
Have Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg lost their nerve on the economy @ @ @ @ @ time leaking the details of its construction industry package than actually preparing them , the @ @ @ @ @ HomeBuilder '' policy to , at best , tepid enthusiasm in some quarters and harsh @ @ @ @ @ widespread calls , including from the Master Builders Association , for a big investment in @ @ @ @ @ aims less than $ 700 million at a particularly narrow sweet spot -- families under @ @ @ @ @ a house up to $ 750,000 or undertaking a large renovation in houses up to @ @ @ @ @ .

Have Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg lost their nerve on the economy?
Having apparently spent more time leaking the details of its construction industry package than actually preparing them, the government yesterday released its “HomeBuilder” policy to, at best, tepid enthusiasm in some quarters and harsh criticism in others.
Ignoring widespread calls, including from the Master Builders Association, for a big investment in social housing, the package aims less than $700 million at a particularly narrow sweet spot — families under $200,000 a year building a house up to $750,000 or undertaking a large renovation in houses up to $1.5 million in value.


crikey--2020-06-05--Hundreds of hours and an uphill battle for the vulnerable to access social services

Vulnerable groups applying for social services face massive wait times and an incredibly complex application process .
And the problem @ @ @ @ @ This is part three in a three-part series on mental health services .
Read parts @ @ @ @ @ The elderly , people with disabilities , and veterans -- along with their families -- @ @ @ @ @ hours lodging applications and waiting to access vital support from Australia ’ s social services @ @ @ @ @ have the support systems or the capacity to do so simply miss out .

This is part three in a three-part series on mental health services. Read parts one and two here.
The elderly, people with disabilities, and veterans — along with their families — spend hundreds upon hundreds of hours lodging applications and waiting to access vital support from Australia’s social services.
Those who do not have the support systems or the capacity to do so simply miss out.


crikey--2020-06-05--Anatomy of a disaster: how the NTEU’s plan to save jobs fell apart


crikey--2020-06-04--Will new rules force doctors to wake up to pill addiction?

Despite dire warnings , doctors have kept blithely handing out scripts for opiates to vulnerable and addicted patients .
Those days may be in the past .
“ A quick smack never did me any harm.
” So said my gran .
This week , the bottoms of Australia ’ s doctors got a collective smack .
We had been asked nicely but we wouldn ’ t stop ; we were threatened with the naughty corner , but still we carried on .
For years we ’ d been told we ’ re prescribing too many opiates , people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we listen ?
If we did , we didn ’ t change what we were doing .
In 2016-17 ( the latest year for which figures are available ) , 15.42 million scripts for opiates were dispensed , a rise of 11 % ( on a per-capita basis ) compared with 2012-13 .
For many years Australia has had a prescription medication crisis .
Between 2010 and 2016 , 8421 people died due to prescription opioids .
When you realise that in the same period 1721 people died from heroin overdose , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing a lot of harm .
Also in the same period 8769 people died on Australian roads .
And just as with road deaths there are dozens — not counted — injured and traumatised , so it is with prescription medication misuse .
Drug addiction , whether licit or illicit , is a full-time occupation for many sufferers ; it dominates their lives .
“ The drugs stole my soul , ” was how one recovered user put it to me .
So we got the smack we deserved .
From Monday June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opiate medications were reduced .
If we want to prescribe larger quantities , or the stronger opiates , the hoops we have to jump through are higher and tighter .
If we want the fortius , we now have to go altius — which will be tardius , not citius .
Smack .
Doctors often blame patients , and it ’ s easy to see why .
Once hooked , many become desperate and resort to subterfuge and , at times , threats .
The drugs become like oxygen — without them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your head is held under water you ’ ll scratch , claw and do anything to get free to take that breath .
So it is with addiction .
But just as the longest journey starts with a single step , the road to prescription medication addiction starts with one script .
One that a doctor has issued .
Followed all too often by a second , and a third… We write the scripts , and we have to accept responsibility for knowing when not to write them .
So far we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Make cigarettes more expensive , fewer people smoke .
When codeine went prescription-only last year , its use dropped by 50 % — as did the rate of codeine overdoses .
Since we doctors were doing nothing to stop people ’ s access to opiates , it ’ s been done for us .
I suspect this is one time my gran was right : this smack won ’ t do us any harm , and it could just do others a lot of good .

“A quick smack never did me any harm.” So said my gran.
This week, the bottoms of Australia’s doctors got a collective smack. We had been asked nicely but we wouldn’t stop; we were threatened with the naughty corner, but still we carried on.
For years we’d been told we’re prescribing too many opiates, people are dying, be more careful. Did we listen?


crikey--2020-06-07--Australia shouldn’t expect another free ride from China

China provided crucial support to Australia after the 2008 global financial crisis .
Today , they must look after themselves @ @ @ @ @ been on China 's new security laws for Hong Kong , something has gone by @ @ @ @ @ Li Keqiang has decided to set no GDP ( growth ) targets for the first @ @ @ @ @ targets are usually something of mantra for China ’ s ruling Communist Party ( CCP @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s ever-increasing prosperity .
They have also underpinned Australia 's economy @ @ @ @ @ , caused the CCP to dramatically lock down China .
This shut down an already @ @ @ @ @ by the trade war with the US .
As the virus spread across the globe @ @ @ @ @ economy has also been smashed .

While all eyes have been on China’s new security laws for Hong Kong, something has gone by relatively unnoticed. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has decided to set no GDP (growth) targets for the first time since 1994.
The targets are usually something of mantra for China’s ruling Communist Party (CCP) — a neat summary of the country’s ever-increasing prosperity. They have also underpinned Australia’s economy.
COVID-19, of course, caused the CCP to dramatically lock down China. This shut down an already slowing economy, further buffeted by the trade war with the US. As the virus spread across the globe, the already precarious global economy has also been smashed.


crikey--2020-06-08--How many visitors can I have at my house? | State-by-state update

How many visitors can I have over to my house ?
How many people can I meet up with in public ?
Your questions , answered .
Rules and restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic are changing frequently , to the point where it ’ s hard to keep track .
Some of the most frequently asked questions around these ever-changing restrictions are about how often you can socialise and with how many people .
Here is a state-by-state breakdown of how many visitors you can have in your home , as well as how many people are allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How many visitors can I have at my house ?
Residents of New South Wales may have five visitors over to their home at one time , and visitors may also stay the night .
The NSW government has reinforced the point that it ’ s five visitors per sitting , so you may have multiple visits throughout the day but it can only be with five people at one time .
Social distancing of 1.5 metres should still be observed during house visits .
Residents of Victoria may have up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , and visitors are permitted to stay the night .
The Victorian government says the 20-person rule includes all members of the household .
While residents of Victoria may have multiple socialising sessions , the Victorian government is asking people to err on the side of caution and use common sense .
Social distancing of 1.5 metres should be observed during house visits .
Residents of Queensland may have 20 visitors over to their home at one time .
Under guidelines supplied by the Queensland government , the 20 visitors are allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Western Australia may have 20 visitors over to their home at one time .
From June 6 , restrictions eased further to allow a larger group of people to come together for non-work gatherings and weddings .
Residents of Tasmania may have five visitors over to their homes .
This rule will be reviewed by the Tasmanian government on June 15 .
Residents of South Australia may now have up to 20 visitors over to their home at one time , after an earlier 10-visitor limit was changed on June 5 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ adhere to the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule while visiting people in their homes .
Residents of Northern Territory may welcome an unlimited number of guests into their homes , however , they must maintain 1.5-metres distance between them and their guests at all times .
Residents of the Australian Capital Territory may have 10 visitors over to their home at one time .
The one-person-per-four-square-metres rule must be observed in the home .
How many people can I meet in public and outdoor places ?
Here is a breakdown of the number of people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Read : Coronavirus travel ban | When will international flights reopen in Australia ?

Rules and restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic are changing frequently, to the point where it’s hard to keep track. Some of the most frequently asked questions around these ever-changing restrictions are about how often you can socialise and with how many people.
Here is a state-by-state breakdown of how many visitors you can have in your home, as well as how many people are allowed to gather in public and at outdoor venues.
How many visitors can I have at my house?
New South Wales


crikey--2020-06-08--How many coronavirus tests have been carried out in Australia?

How many coronavirus tests have been carried out in Australia so far , and what does the future hold for coronavirus testing ?
Here 's what we know .
Our journalism usually sits behind a paywall , but we believe this is the time to make more of our content freely available to as many readers as possible .
For more free coverage , sign up to COVID-19 Watch Over 1.6 million coronavirus tests have been carried out in Australia since January 22 .
More testing has brought with it the discovery of more cases .
On June 2 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Australia , bringing the total number to 7,226 confirmed cases .
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has said the majority of new confirmed cases are linked to overseas travel .
What is the future of coronavirus testing in Australia ?
While testing blitzes are taking place throughout Australia , the criteria for coronavirus tests is changing all the time .
The Department of Health is encouraging testing under the following circumstances : • You are displaying the symptoms of coronavirus • You returned from overseas within the last 14 days • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus in the last 14 days • You are caring for someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus • You are a healthcare , aged care or residential care worker who has come in direct contact with someone who has coronavirus • You live in an area where there is a high-risk community transmission , as defined by a public health unit • You have travelled through an area where there is a high-risk community transmission , as defined by a public health unit .

Over 1.6 million coronavirus tests have been carried out in Australia since January 22.
More testing has brought with it the discovery of more cases. On June 2, eight new cases of coronavirus were reported in Australia, bringing the total number to 7,226 confirmed cases.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has said the majority of new confirmed cases are linked to overseas travel.


crikey--2020-06-09--Independent. Always? Liberal-linked Nine joins the Liberal war on industry super

The Sydney Morning Herald wants industry super funds to disclose their links with unions .
Too bad the paper fails @ @ @ @ @ with and support for the Liberal Party -- and is that why it has now @ @ @ @ @ super ?
It seems that the Nine media company is quite taken with Liberal senator @ @ @ @ @ Bragg .
Last week The Sydney Morning Herald gave , in effect , a free @ @ @ @ @ attacking Australia 's compulsory superannuation model , ran an excerpt from it , and ran @ @ @ @ @ day recycling one of its core myths -- that industry super funds are major political @ @ @ @ @ given a slot on far-right shock-jock Ben Fordham 's radio program on Nine-owned 2GB to @ @ @ @ @ also received glowing coverage from the SMH earlier this year when commenting on super .

It seems that the Nine media company is quite taken with Liberal Senator Andrew “virus guy” Bragg.
Last week The Sydney Morning Herald gave, in effect, a free ad for his new book attacking Australia’s compulsory superannuation model, ran an excerpt from it, and ran a follow-up story the next day recycling one of its core myths — that industry super funds are major political donors.
Bragg was also given a slot on far-right shock-jock Ben Fordham’s radio program on Nine-owned 2GB to spruik the book. Bragg also received glowing coverage from the SMH earlier this year when commenting on super.


crikey--2020-06-08--How Black Lives Matter will impact the race to find Richard Di Natale’s replacement

Global protests following the murder of African-American man George Floyd may swing the race for Richard Di Natale 's Senate @ @ @ @ @ campaigner Lidia Thorpe .
As the dust settles on the Black Lives Matter protests across @ @ @ @ @ worth contemplating the potential Australian impacts flowing from George Floyd ’ s murder in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ Australia Day will gain momentum , as will community and political support for the voice @ @ @ @ @ with treaty proposals such as what is being pursued by the Victorian government .
Another @ @ @ @ @ be the delay of Julian Burnside ’ s career in federal parliament .

As the dust settles on the Black Lives Matter protests across the country, it is worth contemplating the potential Australian impacts flowing from George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis.
The push to change Australia Day will gain momentum, as will community and political support for the voice to parliament campaign, along with treaty proposals such as what is being pursued by the Victorian government.
Another early impact is likely to be the delay of Julian Burnside’s career in federal parliament.


crikey--2020-06-09--Faced with a progressive wave, the Oz falls into self-delusion

In attempting to address Black Lives Matter , the Oz 's Paul Kelly is obsessed with the notion that the @ @ @ @ @ ' liberal state of the West .
His most desperate ploy is to not acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ is not liberal at all .
Last weekend , while the streets of our major @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter ( BLM ) protests that were both in solidarity with the US , @ @ @ @ @ right , a few tweets of exasperation bounced around the sphere of ... well ... @ @ @ @ @ people I communicate politically with .
Not exasperation at the protests , which were inspiring @ @ @ @ @ all things , Paul Kelly 's article/essay in The Weekend Australian .
The general tone @ @ @ @ @ '' .

Last weekend, while the streets of our major cities filled with enormous Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests that were both in solidarity with the US, and protests of their own right, a few tweets of exasperation bounced around the sphere of… well… of the shrinking number of people I communicate politically with.
Not exasperation at the protests, which were inspiring, but at, of all things, Paul Kelly’s article/essay in The Weekend Australian.
The general tone of which was “nurgggggghhh”.


crikey--2020-06-09--A users’ guide to ASIO’s latest power grab

The head of ASIO is demanding new laws to undermine encrypted communications .
Here 's a guide to what those laws will really be used for , and why we all benefit from encryption .
The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation ( ASIO ) Mike Burgess is continuing the war of security agencies on privacy , telling a podcast that agencies needed backdoors into encrypted communications and that concerns about abuse of powers by security agencies were “ just simple nonsense ” .
To save time in parsing the claims of national security bureaucrats about encryption , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims about , and the reality of , ASIO ’ s demand that no one be allowed to have any privacy in their communications .
What agencies say their powers will be used for All power grabs by security agencies are justified by three things : terrorists , paedophiles and organised crime .
Data retention was justified by the Abbott government because it would only be used by a small number of agencies to investigate “ serious offences ” and “ the worst of the worst ” .
Then-attorney-general George Brandis insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to force companies to provide backdoors to encrypted communications system — which would , Malcolm Turnbull famously insisted , override the laws of mathematics — “ could be used to tackle terrorism , or serious organised crime such as paedophile networks ” .
What the powers are actually used for Whistleblowing , journalism and public scrutiny — data retention has been used repeatedly and illegally to track down journalists ’ sources and pursue whistleblowers who have embarrassed the government .
The phone records of cross-bench politicians have also been targeted by security agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a review of data retention laws has shown , data retention laws have also been used by bodies such as local councils , a racing integrity regulator , taxi bodies , veterinary bodies and anti-dumping agencies .
Commercial espionage — the Australian Signals Directorate , which Burgess used to head , is notorious for spying on Indonesian trade negotiators to pass on commercial intelligence to the US government .
Defence Signals Directorate , as it was then known , had also spied on the Indonesian president and his family , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The most famous piece of Australian espionage in recent decades was its illegal spying on the Timor-Leste cabinet to benefit resources company Woodside , for whom the man who ordered the spying , Alexander Downer , later worked .
What is encryption really used for ?
Despite the insistence of Burgess and government ministers that encrypted messaging is the province of terrorists and criminals , it is used for a wide variety of legitimate purposes : Banking and commerce — without encryption , the entire economy would grind to a halt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromised , but the routine exchange of confidential and market-sensitive information would be impossible .
Amongst the biggest users of encrypted communications technology is the government itself .
Whistleblowing , activism , legal work and journalism — “ if you ’ ve done nothing wrong , you have nothing to hide ” .
Except in some professions and roles , doing right necessitates having something hide .
Only through end-to-end encryption can people who want to expose the powerful do so with a measure of safety .
The ability for dissidents to communicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whistleblowers to contact journalists and lawyers without their anonymity being compromised , the ability for the innocent to mount defences against malicious prosecution , all depend on encryption .
Everyday life — in fact , everyone has something to hide .
That ’ s why we have curtains on our windows , locks on our doors and don ’ t share intimate details of our lives with everyone .
That ’ s why areas like medical records have tight restrictions on who can access them .
That ’ s why we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family secrets .
Encrypted communications are basic to the kind of privacy that , despite all the claims that “ privacy is dead ” , we all still treasure .

The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Mike Burgess is continuing the war of security agencies on privacy, telling a podcast that agencies needed backdoors into encrypted communications and that concerns about abuse of powers by security agencies were “just simple nonsense”.
To save time in parsing the claims of national security bureaucrats about encryption, we’ve prepared this handy guide to the claims about, and the reality of, ASIO’s demand that no one be allowed to have any privacy in their communications.
What agencies say their powers will be used for
All power grabs by security agencies are justified by three things: terrorists, paedophiles and organised crime. Data retention was justified by the Abbott government because it would only be used by a small number of agencies to investigate “serious offences” and “the worst of the worst”.


crikey--2020-06-09--Mesh-injured women win in the courts and Senate yet still wait for compensation

Women injured in vaginal mesh procedures have won a class action against Johnson & Johnson , but as the case drags on to an appeal , they are still waiting for compensation .
When more than 1300 women with pelvic mesh devices won a seven-year legal battle against Johnson & Johnson in November , the judgement was so lengthy that one Federal Court staffer remarked they ’ d “ need a forklift ” to carry the printed version .
In Justice Anna Katzmann ’ s one-hour summary of the hefty document , she detailed how Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ misleading or deceptive conduct ” before ordering that the women be compensated .
She described debilitating complications experienced by the three lead applicants after they had been fitted with Ethicon ’ s urogynaecological meshes , sometimes known as transvaginal meshes , which are frequently used to treat pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence .
The women , many of whom travelled interstate for the verdict , hugged and cried on the steps of the Federal Court in Sydney .
In March , the court ruled the lead applicants would get a share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the claims of the hundreds of other class action members would be assessed .
In April , the pharmaceutical giant confirmed it would appeal .
In New Zealand , mesh-injured women can access compensation through that country ’ s accident compensation scheme , but the only way Australian women can recoup their ongoing medical costs has been to sue their operating surgeon or , if their device was Ethicon-branded , join this class action .
“ We are feeling a deep sense of frustration , ” says Justine Watson , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and still suffers complications .
The average mesh settlement in the United States is less than AU $ 90,000 .
Watson says she ’ s spent more than AU $ 100,000 in medical expenses alone .
“ The lifelong impacts of chronic pain , systemic illnesses , sexual dysfunction and ongoing psychological damage remain unresolved and life threatening for some , ” she says .
“ There is no hope of financial support any time soon.
” The fleeting legal triumph followed a Senate inquiry which in March 2018 concluded thousands of mesh-injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ let down ” by health professionals and regulatory bodies .
Then-senator Derryn Hinch , who co-chaired the inquiry , said this was “ one of the biggest medical scandals ” Australian women had ever been subjected to .
Patient submissions to the inquiry told stories of chronic pain and multiple erosions , when the product pierces through the surrounding tissue into the vaginal wall or surrounding organs .
One woman testified her vagina “ felt like it was full of barbed wire and shards of glass ” after mesh insertion , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a “ passionate primary school teacher ” into a “ victim ” .
The inquiry concluded the surgery , which it estimated had been performed on about 150,000 women in Australia , should be a “ last resort ” .
Many of the inquiry ’ s recommendations have now been implemented .
There are resources to help guide doctors in patient informed consent ; hospitals and doctors can now get credentials to implant mesh medical devices ; and patients will be given leaflets with details about the device , and lists of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any adverse effects .
In 2017 , the Therapeutic Goods Administration ( TGA ) determined that the risk from some transvaginal meshes “ outweighed the potential benefits ” and cancelled its approval of two types , including that at the centre of the class action .
It can take multiple expensive “ corrective surgeries ” to remove a transvaginal mesh device and for years women would travel at immense personal expense to St Louis , Missouri to see the same obstetrician-gynaecologist , Dr Dionysios Veronikis .
The Australian government says some local doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 mesh-specific units have been set up , but patients are wary of trusting newly-trained doctors .
Some plan to use their compensation to go to Missouri instead .
Meanwhile , the legal fight drags on — the appeal isn ’ t until February 2021 .
In May , Johnson & Johnson was hit with indemnity costs for “ unreasonable conduct ” because it had denied aspects of the case “ without reasonable grounds ” , forcing the women ’ s lawyers to go to the trouble and expense of producing unnecessary evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the warning she ruled Johnson & Johnson must put on some mesh products still on the market .
The warning makes clear that patients will have an inflammatory response to the device and it isn ’ t possible to predict the severity of that response in any individual patient but that it could result in side effects from infection to chronic pain .
“ Our ladies want to know when will Johnson & Johnson accept full responsibility for their wrongdoing , ” Jan Saddler , head of litigation and loss recovery at Shine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action , says .
Johnson & Johnson maintains that Ethicon has acted “ ethically and responsibly ” in the research , development and supply of pelvic mesh devices .
In October 2018 Health Minister Greg Hunt apologised to mesh-injured women for the “ historic agony and pain ” the devices had caused .
But these words , nor the withdrawal of products from market , won ’ t help those living in pain or waiting for enough money for corrective surgeries .
“ We strongly feel the government and medical profession have learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women are still being implanted daily with the same product with inappropriate informed consent , ” Watson says .
“ Maybe when the men affected by hernia mesh products take up the gauntlet they may have more impact .
”

When more than 1300 women with pelvic mesh devices won a seven-year legal battle against Johnson & Johnson in November, the judgement was so lengthy that one Federal Court staffer remarked they’d “need a forklift” to carry the printed version.
In Justice Anna Katzmann’s one-hour summary of the hefty document, she detailed how Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon acted “negligently” and engaged in “misleading or deceptive conduct” before ordering that the women be compensated.
She described debilitating complications experienced by the three lead applicants after they had been fitted with Ethicon’s urogynaecological meshes, sometimes known as transvaginal meshes, which are frequently used to treat pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence.


crikey--2020-06-09--Has the government prioritised Australian workers as Alan Tudge says?

Things are n't as black and white as the minister for population , cities and urban infrastructure seems to think .
The steady influx of migrant workers that helped sustain Australia ’ s long boom has all but ended .
The federal government is predicting a 30 % drop in the number of migrants this financial year , and an 85 % drop in 2020-21 ( compared with 2018-19 ) .
Some argue the coronavirus-induced slump offers an opportunity to rethink Australia ’ s migration program .
In a May 3 opinion piece , Labor ’ s immigration spokesperson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ migration program that puts Australian workers first ” .
“ Our post-COVID-19 economic recovery must ensure that Australia shifts away from its increasing reliance on a cheap supply of overseas , temporary labour that undercuts wages for Australian workers and takes jobs Australians could do , ” Keneally wrote .
But the federal government has rejected the argument that migrants have been taking jobs ahead of Australians .
In an interview on ABC Radio National about Keneally ’ s article , Minister for Population , Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program for skilled temporary migrants , the 457 visa , because it had not been operating as it should under Labor , including “ bringing in people to flip burgers ” .
Tudge said the government had introduced a Temporary Skills Shortage ( TSS ) visa , and brought in new rules to ensure Australian workers are prioritised over foreigners for available positions .
“ We ’ ve always been very , very careful to prioritise Australians and Australian jobs , ” Tudge said .
“ We scrapped the 457 visa program when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labour market testing so the Australians would be prioritised for the jobs available.
” So , is it correct that Australian workers are being prioritised for jobs available ?
Tudge ’ s claim is not the full story .
He homed in on a specific type of visa — the Temporary Skills Shortage ( TSS ) visa — to make the case that Australian workers are being prioritised .
The labour market testing rules referred to by Tudge , requiring employers to advertise locally before hiring temporary foreign workers , apply only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are significant exemptions .
For example , labour market testing is not required when it would conflict with Australia ’ s international trade obligations .
That means it does not apply to workers from China , Japan , Mexico , Thailand , Vietnam , Canada , Chile , South Korea , New Zealand or Singapore .
Moreover , the TSS visa represents a relatively small and shrinking proportion of the total number of visas issued in any given year that include work rights .
Whether the growing numbers of foreign workers with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example student visas or working holiday visas — have been undercutting wages and jobs that could be filled by Australian workers is not a simple question .
Some studies suggest skilled migration has had little if any impact on wages or employment .
Others suggest growing numbers of predominantly low-skilled workers , for example on student or working holiday visas , could be undercutting wages and employment , particularly for younger people .
But any evidence is anecdotal .
As experts have pointed out the data is “ ropey ” , partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely to report the underpayment of minimum wages .
This makes assessing the impact of temporary migration — skilled or otherwise — problematic .
What is being debated ?
In her opinion article , Keneally said migration had played a key role in Australia ’ s economic prosperity but in recent years the “ shape and size ” of the intake had hurt Australian workers .
She singled out a growing reliance on a “ cheap supply of overseas , temporary labour ” as the culprit .
Asked to respond in the ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coalition decision to replace the 457 visa with the new TSS visa for temporary skilled migrants , including the introduction of labour market testing .
He points out that the biggest category of temporary migration is New Zealanders , who under a reciprocal agreement can freely enter and exit Australia .
“ Is the Labor Party is saying that we should scrap that agreement ?
” Tudge asked .
He also mentions student visas , saying they add enormous value to the community by spending money and creating jobs .
However , Tudge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader question raised by Keneally of whether lower-skilled foreign workers , including those on student visas or working holiday visas , might be undercutting wages and employment for Australian workers .
RMIT ABC Fact Check has previously examined the operation of Australia ’ s temporary visa system .
In March 2018 , for example , Fact Check found a claim by Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus that one in 10 workers are now on temporary visas was “ unsubstantiated ” , mainly because McManus ’ calculations assumed all temporary visa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually working .
As Fact Check noted at the time : “ Most temporary visa holders are not required to work while in Australia , and data is not kept on their working habits.
” Most visas issued in Australia are temporary .
Of these , the vast bulk are tourist or business visitor visas , with no work rights .
But what about temporary visas with work rights ?
The largest number are issued to New Zealanders , who are free to live and work in Australia for as long as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) under a longstanding trans-Tasman agreement .
Student visas represent the next most common category in any given year .
For most students ( with some exceptions ) , this visa allows up to 40 hours of paid work per fortnight during semester , with no limit during semester breaks .
Working holiday visas , allowing the visa holder to work ( if they wish ) in one place for a maximum of six months , are another significant category .
There are also “ other employment ” visas , a catchall class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seasonal workers , diplomats and people visiting for cultural or religious purposes .
The Department of Home Affairs describes this category as visas that “ allow people to undertake short-term , non-ongoing highly specialised work , enrich social and cultural development , strengthen international relations , or provide training opportunities of benefit to Australia ” .
But the type of visa that has attracted perhaps the most controversy in recent years is also one of the smallest categories : temporary resident skilled employment visas .
This category includes the now-abolished 457 visa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialty fields in Australia for up to four years ; and its replacement , the TSS visa referred to by Tudge , which includes short- and long-term options allowing migrants to live and work in Australia for periods up to two or four years .
As with student visas and some other temporary visas , the TSS visa is issued in two classes : “ primary ” or “ secondary ” , with primary visas granted to the applicant and secondary visa to the applicant ’ s partner or dependants .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holders .
How has the make-up of Australia ’ s visa system changed ?
Chris F. Wright , an associate professor at the University of Sydney Business School , said the immigration policy framework had changed profoundly in recent years , with a growing emphasis on temporary visa holders .
“ Until 1996 virtually all migrants who came to Australia were given permanent residency with the same rights and protections as citizens , ” Wright says .
“ Since 1996 there has been a greater and increasing focus on temporary residency with visa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and protections available to citizens.
” This table shows the major types of visas that include work rights .
It excludes from the totals business and tourist visas and various miscellaneous visas such as crew and transit visas not directly relevant to the debate .
It compares visas issued in 2018-19 , the latest financial year for which data is available , with 2012-13 , Labor ’ s final full financial year in office .
The figures do not show the total number of people in Australia at any given time on different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( arrivals minus departures ) by visa type .
In 2018-19 permanent skilled visas made up about 3.7 % of the total visas with work rights .
That was down from 4.9 % in 2012-13 under Labor .
Permanent family visas have also become relatively less important , making up 1.6 % in 2018-19 , compared to 2.1 % in 2012-13 .
Over the same period the share of student visas has increased significantly , from 9.8 % of the total to 13.7 % , although the share of working holiday visas fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As this graph shows , temporary skilled visas — the visa class highlighted by Tudge — make up a small and shrinking share , equivalent to 2.8 % of the total in 2018-19 , compared to 4.8 % in 2012-13 .
In April 2017 then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced he was scrapping the controversial 457 visa , warning the temporary skilled migration program had “ lost its credibility ” .
The replacement TSS visa came into effect in March 2018 , with Turnbull promising it would be “ manifestly , rigorously , resolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australians and Australian jobs first ” .
The new rules included tougher English language requirements , mandatory criminal checks and a minimum of two years ’ experience in a relevant job .
Prospective employers were also required to undertake labour market testing by advertising for local workers first before hiring a foreign worker .
Appearing at Turnbull ’ s media conference , the then immigration minister Peter Dutton said : “ In relation to the advertising , the advertising will be required , whereas it is not at the moment ” .
Turnbull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which he said was “ a very significant change ” .
In his Radio National interview Tudge says the Coalition introduced labour market testing after scrapping the 457 visa .
He also says the Coalition “ strengthened ” the labour market testing provisions .
In fact , when the Howard government introduced the 457 visa in 1996 , labour market testing was required under some circumstances .
As a 2016 Senate inquiry report set out , labour market testing was dropped , reinstated and changed on several occasions over the years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that qualified Australians are not available for jobs being filled by temporary skilled migrant workers .
In August 2018 various changes were introduced to strengthen these requirements .
Businesses wanting to hire a temporary skilled foreign worker must demonstrate that they have tested the local labour market within the four months prior to nominating a skilled overseas worker for a TSS visa , over at least four weeks .
Advertisements must be in English ; must specify skill and experience requirements ; and they must specify salaries for all positions paying less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least two advertisements using the same approach as a national recruitment website , print media or radio with national reach , or the business website of the sponsors .
The Department of Home Affairs told a recent Senate inquiry that between July 1 , 2018 and February 28 , 2019 , there were 1952 Temporary Skill Shortage visas that were refused for failing to meet the labour market testing criteria .
That represented about 5 % total applications .
In particular , labour market testing is not required when it would conflict with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either because of general World Trade Organisation rules or because of a specific free trade agreement between Australia and another country .
That means it ’ s not needed when the workers being nominated by an Australian sponsor are from China , Japan , Mexico , Thailand , Vietnam , Canada , Chile , South Korea , New Zealand or Singapore .
What are the criticisms of labour market testing ?
The system has been criticised by both business groups and unions .
For example , in a 2019 Senate submission , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labour market testing “ does not add much value to achieving the recruitment of Australians first ” but it significantly adds to the red tape burden .
It said employers looking to hire foreign temporary workers would have likely already made “ numerous attempts ” to hire locally .
“ Australia is a large country , where mobility of labour is often limited , and obtaining a skilled worker in a particular business , in a specified location at a particular point in time is a challenge for any business , and especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Unions , on the other hand , argue the labour market testing rules are being flouted , for example by businesses offering unreasonably poor wages and conditions in local advertising to access cheaper workers through temporary skilled migrants ; or setting unrealistic and unwarranted skills and experience requirements for vacant positions to exclude otherwise suitable Australian applicants , among other things .
The final report , by the Senate ’ s Labor-dominated Legal and Constitutional Affairs Reference Committee , recommended the government introduce “ more stringent evidentiary requirements ” for labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian jobs .
It also said the government should not enter into any future free trade agreements involving labour market testing waivers .
But a dissenting report written by Coalition committee members , like Tudge , strongly rejected the argument that the system has not been working as intended .
“ Government members of the committee are deeply saddened by this insular and parochial position , ” the dissenting report says .
“ Government senators take an alternate view which is that the holders of skilled visas can bring great energy , diversity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Are Australian jobs and wages being undercut ?
According to some labour market experts the relationship between migration levels and wages and employment is not simple .
In a March 2017 paper , Australian National University economics professor Robert Breunig and colleagues Nathan Deutscher and Hang Thi To , modelled the impact of skilled migration on employment and wages by examining different segments of the jobs market .
Breunig said although migration added to the labour supply , which placed downward pressure on wages , it also added to productivity and boosted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lifting wages .
The net impact was in most cases zero .
Similarly , a 2019 report by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia concluded temporary skilled migrants were among Australia ’ s most productive workers .
“ The modelling … shows that recent migrants in some cases are associated with increased labour force participation and wages for local workers although the impacts are small in magnitude , ” the report said .
However , those two reports largely examined the impact of permanent visas and temporary skilled visas .
Associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ types of visas had played an important role in the past , they were forming an increasingly small proportion of Australia ’ s immigration intake , which had been increasingly dominated by other temporary visas such as working holiday maker visas and international student visas .
A study by the Grattan Institute ’ s John Daley , prepared for a 2019 conference organised by the Reserve Bank of Australia , argues that growing numbers of working holiday makers and student visa holders could be helping to suppress wages growth and adding to unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Daley said many of these migrants had incentives to work for less than minimum wages .
He said while there was anecdotal evidence of this , “ it is impossible for data sources on the Australian labour force to pick up all of this phenomenon ” .
“ It is possible that the scale of the influx to the labour market is depressing wages and increasing under-employment specifically for low-skill younger workers , ” he said .
Daley said data on underpayment of minimum wages was “ inherently ropey ” , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are paying less than the minimum wage .
He said while migration could have led to lower wages growth and higher unemployment for younger workers , “ it can not be the primary culprit behind the broad-based slowdown in wage growth ” .
Some economists have questioned whether labour market testing is the best way of targeting genuine skills shortages .
In Australia — unlike some other countries such as the United Kingdom — the process of labour market testing does not involve an independent assessment of whether the skills shortage is genuine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a “ fundamental design feature ” of Australia ’ s temporary skilled visa scheme , both the 482 visa and the 457 visa before it .
He and colleague Andreea Constantin used a survey of 1602 employers who sponsored temporary skilled visa holders in Australia to show that a large share of employers in some industries , particularly hospitality , used temporary skilled migration stream not necessarily to find suitably qualified workers , but rather to recruit workers with particular “ behavioural traits ” , such as being hard working .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of employers surveyed claimed they would increase wages or provide other incentives to potential candidates as a means of addressing their recruitment challenges , ” Wright said .
“ This suggests that even if employers recruited temporary sponsored skilled migrants because of skill shortages that meet the generally accepted technical definition of a lack of suitably qualified workers , the skill shortages that existed were not acute.
” • Committee for Economic Development of Australia , Effects of temporary Migration : Shaping Australia ’ s society and economy , 2019 • Legal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effectiveness of the current temporary skilled visa system in targeting genuine skills shortages , April 2 , 2019 • Australian Council of Trade Unions , ACTU Submission to Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs , submission no .
11 , December 2018 • Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry , Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee , submission no .
12 , December 2018 • Joint submission from the Department of Home Affairs , Department of Jobs and Small Business , and Department of Education and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current temporary skilled visa system in targeting genuine skills shortages , submission no .
40 , January 2019 • RMIT ABC Fact Check , Is Australia ’ s population growth mostly the result of migration , and is that underpinning the budget ?
July 31 , 2019 • RMIT ABC Fact Check , Are one in 10 workers in Australia on temporary work visas ?
March 27 , 2018 • Robert Breunig , Nathan Deutscher and Hang Thi To , The relationship between immigration to Australia and the labour market outcomes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 89 , Issue 301 • The Treasury and the Department of Home Affairs , Population growth and immigration over time , 16 April 2018 • Chris F Wright , Andreea Constantin , Why recruit temporary sponsored skilled migrants ?
A human capital theory analysis of employer motivations in Australia , Australian Journal of Management

The claim
The steady influx of migrant workers that helped sustain Australia’s long boom has all but ended.
The federal government is predicting a 30% drop in the number of migrants this financial year, and an 85% drop in 2020-21 (compared with 2018-19). Some argue the coronavirus-induced slump offers an opportunity to rethink Australia’s migration program.
In a May 3 opinion piece, Labor’s immigration spokesperson, Kristina Keneally, said Australia should have a “migration program that puts Australian workers first”.


crikey--2020-06-08--The Schwab Test: Sweden’s gift… rich v poor… time to  bend many a knee

Sweden 's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic has proved that what 's best for public health really is what 's @ @ @ @ @ If anything has typified the transition of the right from being market-based capitalism folk to @ @ @ @ @ their rabid support of Sweden ’ s `` herd immunity '' response to COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ , led by chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell , ignored popular wisdom and allowed residents to @ @ @ @ @ Many have recently criticised Sweden for its high death toll , but that misses the @ @ @ @ @ s per-capita fatality rate is far higher than its neighbours ( at 450 deaths per @ @ @ @ @ 58 for Finland and 44 for Norway ) , Sweden ’ s death toll is @ @ @ @ @ -- a fraction of the UK ( which did implement a lock down ) .

A cautionary tale
If anything has typified the transition of the right from being market-based capitalism folk to warmongering anti-abortionists, it is their rabid support of Sweden’s “herd immunity” response to COVID-19.
The near-socialist, fun-loving Swedes, led by chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, ignored popular wisdom and allowed residents to largely avoid locking down.
Many have recently criticised Sweden for its high death toll, but that misses the point. While Sweden’s per-capita fatality rate is far higher than its neighbours (at 450 deaths per million people, compared to 58 for Finland and 44 for Norway), Sweden’s death toll is still relatively low at 4639 — a fraction of the UK (which did implement a lock down).


crikey--2020-06-10--Government loses sight of the real goal on childcare — and stuffs the politics as well

The Coalition bungled its stimulus announcement and it looks like it 'll bungle any chance of reforming the sector too @ @ @ @ @ the politics and the economics of its construction industry stimulus last week , the government @ @ @ @ @ error on childcare -- although not exactly in the way its critics are claiming .
@ @ @ @ @ in early April was always explicitly aimed at keeping the sector afloat , and in @ @ @ @ @ providing care for the children of essential workers ( remember those ? )
.
At @ @ @ @ @ was also explicit that it was temporary and would be reviewed in weeks .

After stumbling on both the politics and the economics of its construction industry stimulus last week, the government looks set to repeat the error on childcare — although not exactly in the way its critics are claiming.
The announcement of free childcare in early April was always explicitly aimed at keeping the sector afloat, and in turn enabling it to continuing providing care for the children of essential workers (remember those?).
At the time, the government was also explicit that it was temporary and would be reviewed in weeks.


crikey--2020-06-10--Junk science: dodgy COVID research sparks mini-pandemic as papers retracted

Journals face pressure to publish headline-grabbing work quickly , but in the rush some standards could be glossed over .
@ @ @ @ @ abandoned as a potential COVID-19 treatment after The Lancet and The New England Journal of @ @ @ @ @ to harmful side effects .
But the research has since been accused of being junk @ @ @ @ @ retracted last week and the datasets questioned .
Experts warn this may be the tip @ @ @ @ @ slew of poor research practices as journals rush to publish during the pandemic .

Trials were halted and hydroxychloroquine abandoned as a potential COVID-19 treatment after The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine published papers linking it to harmful side effects.
But the research has since been accused of being junk science: the papers were retracted last week and the datasets questioned.
Experts warn this may be the tip of the iceberg in a slew of poor research practices as journals rush to publish during the pandemic.


crikey--2020-06-09--Indigenous, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders? It’s not black and white

How do you refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders ?
Unpicking the terminology around how Australia ’ s first people are reported in the media means navigating a minefield packed with political explosives .
Indigenous , Aboriginal , Torres Strait Islanders — unpicking the terminology around how Australia ’ s first people are reported in the media means navigating a minefield packed with political explosives .
In the past , Crikey has been chastised by readers for the use of the word “ indigenous ” and “ aborigine ” .
One anonymous reader told us that “ indigenous ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Martin Wardrop , director , Aboriginal Art Online , disagreed , telling Crikey : “ Indigenous is not an anachronism — if anything , it is now more widely used than the longer phrase [ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ] .
” So as a white journalist who writes about indigenous issues semi-regularly ( not that this just affects journalists — public servants , teachers and social workers all encounter terminology problems ) what ’ s the best word/s to use ?
Not indigenous it seems .
That was deemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aboriginal groups Crikey spoke to encouraged usage of “ Aboriginal ” — or even better , “ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ” — over any other name .
Plus , it also depends where in the country you are ( there are some clear state differences ) , the context and everyone ’ s personal opinion .
It ’ s the term that experts Crikey spoke to identified with the most .
“ We use the expression Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In NSW , the term is generally Aboriginal or Aboriginal person , ” said Seiver .
“ In South Australia , the preferred term is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders , ” said a spokesperson from the SA Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Division .
In Tasmanian there was acceptance of both .
“ We say Aboriginal or Aborigine , ” Mansell told Crikey , although Aboriginal appears more popular .
Although sometimes people become geographically specific with “ Aboriginal ” .
“ Tasmanian Aboriginal people say ‘ We ’ re Tasmanian Aboriginal ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t like that word indigenous , it was imposed upon us , ” Gail Beck , regional development unit manager at West Australia ’ s South West Land and Sea Council , told Crikey .
Damien O ’ Keefe , a project officer at Reconciliation Victoria , also avoids it .
“ There are sensitives from the communities about ‘ indigenous ’ being a scientific term that colonials have employed to describe them as part of the flora and fauna , ” he told Crikey .
Although he admits sometimes indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a practicality you can ’ t repeat Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander five times in a sentence.
” He notes that Aboriginal players in the AFL are often grouped as “ indigenous players ” , which was widely accepted .
“ It ’ s a bit of tricky one , ” said O ’ Keefe .
“ Indigenous is a catch-all term , ” Anthony Seiver , a policy officer on Aboriginal affairs , told Crikey , as he noted the wider , global usage of “ indigenous ” to cover all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely used by the Australian government to capture Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders , ” he said .
But it can have its place .
“ It ’ s probably appropriate for national broadsheets for instance , or national media outlets.
” “ Internationally the word indigenous has a particular meaning to most people , however , locally some people associate the term with the Howard government ’ s attempt to mainstream services and policies in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and therefore do not like to use the word , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Torres Strait Islanders , ” Khatija Thomas , the South Australian Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement , told Crikey .
It ’ s unpopular down south , too .
“ In Tasmania , for sure , a lot of people are very outspoken about not liking the word ‘ indigenous ’ , especially ‘ indigenous Australians ’ , ” said Nala Mansell , state secretary of the Tasmania Aboriginal Centre .
“ When people label us as ‘ indigenous Australians ’ , it puts us in the same boat as other Australians .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of people to Australian people.
” “ Aborigine ” is a noun , while “ Aboriginal ” is an adjective .
Most deemed Aborigine outdated , although it has seen a recent resurgence .
“ We would rarely use ‘ Aborigines ’ , ” said O ’ Keefe .
“ We prefer ‘ Aboriginal peoples ’ , recognising there are a lot of different peoples in the country , not all just one mob , there ’ s hundreds of different language groups and tribes.
” “ Aborigine is a bit more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seiver , comparing it to the old government term “ Aboriginal person ” , but he noted “ Aborigine ” “ has re-entered common usage ” .
“ Aborigine was a word created to pluralise us , ” said Beck , who noted that a lot of people still use it , although she prefers “ Aboriginal ” .
At The Hobart Mercury , the word “ blacks ” often appears in headlines of stories about Aboriginal people .
“ Down here , when we ’ re marching on the streets for land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take to the streets for their rights ’ , that ’ s fine , ” said Mansell .
“ If it ’ s used in a negative way , it ’ s offensive , when it ’ s used in a positive way , that ’ s fine.
” The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre often writes “ blacks ” in its press releases .
Everyone else Crikey spoke to said that it depends on who is saying it , but that it was uncommon and unexpected to see it in the media or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ We call ourselves that but to write that in the paper there you ’ re putting the colour there.
” It ’ s all about the context .
“ Depending on the audience , you might use the expression ‘ blackfellas , ’ which Aboriginal people use amongst themselves but you ’ d be very careful of using that in public because some people would it offensive for a whitefella to use that expression .
Others wouldn ’ t , ” said O ’ Keefe .
Seiver agreed : “ Aboriginal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but would not be appropriate for a white person to refer to a person as a blackfella .
What matters is whether there ’ s malice attached to it .
‘ Blacks ’ in the local context is not necessarily a derogatory term , but in other circumstances , it may well be.
” Other local terms such as “ Koori ” ( Aboriginal people from NSW and Victoria ) , “ Murri ” ( from Queensland ) and “ Noongar ” ( from Western Australia ) are also commonly used , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than ” Aboriginal ” is for the usage of cultural block name where possible .
Meaning , identifying that someone from near Melbourne is from the Kulin nation , and more specifically from the Wurundjeri People .
There ’ s also a push for other cultural identifying names .
Beck says that “ first nations ” or “ originals ” ( short for “ original peoples ” ) is currently being mooted around on Facebook and among the media as a preferred group name for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was first published on August 15 , 2012 .
Read : How many indigenous deaths in custody have been recorded ?

Indigenous, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders — unpicking the terminology around how Australia’s first people are reported in the media means navigating a minefield packed with political explosives.
In the past, Crikey has been chastised by readers for the use of the word “indigenous” and “aborigine”. One anonymous reader told us that “indigenous” and “aborigine” are both anachronisms. Martin Wardrop, director, Aboriginal Art Online, disagreed, telling Crikey: “Indigenous is not an anachronism — if anything, it is now more widely used than the longer phrase [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people].”
So as a white journalist who writes about indigenous issues semi-regularly (not that this just affects journalists — public servants, teachers and social workers all encounter terminology problems) what’s the best word/s to use?


crikey--2020-06-09--How many Indigenous deaths in custody have been recorded?

How many indigenous deaths in police custody have been recorded in Australia ?
Here 's what we know .
More than 400 Indigenous Australians have reportedly died in police custody since the royal commission in 1991 .
According to 2018-2019 findings from the Guardian : • The proportion of Indigenous deaths where medical care was required but not given increased from 35.4 % to 38.6 % • The proportion of Indigenous deaths where not all procedures were followed in the events leading up to the death increased from 38.8 % to 41.2 % • The proportion of Indigenous deaths involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40.7 % to 42.8 % • The proportion of deaths attributed to a medical episode following restraint increased from 4.9 % to 6.5 % • Indigenous women were less likely to have received all appropriate medical care prior to their death , and authorities were less likely to have followed all their own procedures in cases where an Indigenous woman died in custody .
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics , the number of Indigenous people in the prison system has increased from 19 % in 2000 to 30 % in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Torres Strait Islander prisoners who were in prison but not sentenced also increased by 3 % since December 2019 .
Those sentenced decreased by 4 % since December 2019 .
Of all states and territories , Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates were highest in Western Australia at 4,118 persons per 100,000 adults in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population ; and lowest in Tasmania at 740 persons .
According to the same data , there has been a steady increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
According to reports , recent protests across Australia have prompted a review of the Closing the Gap scheme , which seeks to lower the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people incarcerated .
Officials from state and federal departments will meet Indigenous representative Pat Turner , before deciding on new targets by July 2 .
Read : What matters to the local Black Lives Matter movement

More than 400 Indigenous Australians have reportedly died in police custody since the royal commission in 1991.
According to 2018-2019 findings from the Guardian:
The proportion of Indigenous deaths where medical care was required but not given increased from 35.4% to 38.6%
The proportion of Indigenous deaths where not all procedures were followed in the events leading up to the death increased from 38.8% to 41.2%
The proportion of Indigenous deaths involving mental health or cognitive impairment increased from 40.7% to 42.8%
The proportion of deaths attributed to a medical episode following restraint increased from 4.9% to 6.5%
Indigenous women were less likely to have received all appropriate medical care prior to their death, and authorities were less likely to have followed all their own procedures in cases where an Indigenous woman died in custody.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of Indigenous people in the prison system has increased from 19% in 2000 to 30% in March this year.


crikey--2020-06-11--The case for safe injecting rooms is clear cut — they save valuable lives

We know safe injecting rooms save lives .
The question is why do some people think those lives are n't worth saving ?
Safe injecting rooms have always been a polarising topic , but the research is unequivocal : they save lives .
In the two years since Melbourne ’ s first safe injecting room opened in North Richmond , 3200 overdoses have been successfully managed , and there have been no deaths .
The demand has been so great that last week Premier Dan Andrews announced a proposal for a second one , near the Queen Victoria Market .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wizened creature who bailed me up last weekend in the park .
She was 4 foot 11 tops , but I was seated sipping my latte so she was in the ascendancy .
Determined to share her thoughts with a complete stranger , she began by excoriating Andrews , before moving on to the evils of safe injecting rooms .
“ Bah , they ’ re just junkies .
They make their choices .
It ’ s their fault .
They ’ re good-for-nothings , so who cares if they die ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need to check on my ( non-existent ) dog .
Confronting though I found her views , I know she ’ s not alone .
It ’ s easy to see people in the grip of addiction , motivated by nothing other than the next hit , as worthless victims of their lousy choices .
Easy , but that view is also a choice .
And it seems people are prone to make bad choices .
After more than 30 years on the front line in St Kilda , I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the heroin-glut days , overdoses were common and the antidote , naloxone , was always close by .
I used to be called out on a regular basis to someone comatose on the footpath or in the nearby park .
Once it was two blokes who ’ d shot up after work , then started driving home .
The driver was OK but his mate in the passenger seat was blue and unresponsive .
The trick was to get the naloxone in and stand well back as the response on waking was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , violence not uncommon .
Only once did someone say thanks .
I ’ ve been threated any number of times .
Memorably a 6 foot 3 heroin-addicted prostitute who , when I refused an opiate script , leaned over my desk and opined : “ If I had a knife , I ’ d slit your fuckin ’ throat.
” No doubt about it , their behaviour can be appalling .
But the important word here is behaviour .
We tell parents to address their kids ’ behaviour rather than their character @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total shit ” — rather , “ Johnny , eating your little sister ’ s goldfish was a very bad thing to do.
” My experience of drug users is that they are just like anyone else : mostly good people and a few who actually are total shits .
Just like the Johnnys of this world .
Addiction might be triggered by abuse , abandonment or disruption , but it can also happen to anyone .
I ’ ve seen loving professional families where one of the children made some “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose the wrong friends .
I ’ ve also seen it the other way around — a senior health professional who managed to get into a medical degree despite both parents being addicts .
Crucially , addicts who manage to get clean become , in my experience , some of the most productive , compassionate members of society .
We ’ ve all made bad choices along the way and most of us have been lucky enough to survive despite them .
Let ’ s not condemn those who weren ’ t so @ @

Safe injecting rooms have always been a polarising topic, but the research is unequivocal: they save lives. In the two years since Melbourne’s first safe injecting room opened in North Richmond, 3200 overdoses have been successfully managed, and there have been no deaths.
The demand has been so great that last week Premier Dan Andrews announced a proposal for a second one, near the Queen Victoria Market.
The research was of little interest to the wizened creature who bailed me up last weekend in the park. She was 4 foot 11 tops, but I was seated sipping my latte so she was in the ascendancy. Determined to share her thoughts with a complete stranger, she began by excoriating Andrews, before moving on to the evils of safe injecting rooms.


crikey--2020-06-11--NSW’s new greyhound ‘welfare’ code offers anything but

The NSW government wants to water down existing greyhound welfare requirements in a new code of practice for the greyhound racing industry that would confine dogs to tiny cages at all times .
The NSW government is poised to sign off on an horrific “ welfare code of practice ” for greyhounds that would allow the racing industry to keep dogs in 3-square-metre cages 24 hours a day — and gives them ten years before they have to provide even that much space .
NSW Nationals MP Kevin Anderson is the minister in charge of greyhound racing in that state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reference to that on his various websites ) .
In January he released a long-promised Draft NSW Greyhound Welfare Code of Practice for public consultation .
However , the section of the draft code that relates to the conditions in which greyhounds are kept by the racing and gambling industry allows the industry to “ delay compliance … for up to ten years from the date that this code comes into effect.
” In case you were thinking that delaying until the 2030s means that future generations of dogs will be well cared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kick in after a decade is that dogs must be kept in a minimum area of 1.2 meters by 2.5 meters , with a minimum height of 1.8 metres , which is smaller than some large male greyhounds when they stand on their hind legs .
The equivalent Victorian code , while by no means generous , requires a height that allows “ greyhounds to stand on their hind legs with their front paws raised above their heads ( a common stance for an excited greyhound ) ” .
The Victorians also prohibit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retirement from being housed in such small spaces .
And unlike the Victorian code , which requires that all dogs spend at least one hour a day outside of their cages if confined to such a small area , the NSW code would allow breeders and trainers to confine racing dogs ( unless they are being spelled ) to the 3-square-metre area full time .
Remarkably , that is a lower standard than the current Code of Practice for the Keeping of Greyhounds in Training which requires that dogs be allowed to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a lead for a minimum of 30 minutes once daily or 15 minutes twice daily.
” That existing requirement will be dropped immediately by the new code , with no ten year waiting period .
The small cage requirement allowed by the draft code is one of a number of flaws that have angered opponents of greyhound exploitation and prompted more than a dozen animal welfare organisations to oppose the draft code .
Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds president Dennis Anderson ( no relation to the invisible minister ) pointed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice of artificial inseminating female greyhounds and required that greyhounds be housed in pairs , recognising that dogs are social animals .
And the code doesn ’ t address the broken Berejiklian government promise of “ whole of life tracking ” , which would help prevent trainers and abusers from killing dogs they deem surplus to requirements .
As Crikey has previously pointed out , it ’ s now trivially easy for racing industry participants to “ rehome ” their greyhounds with a third party who will kill them without any registration being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to promote dog registration for ordinary pet owners , but doesn ’ t think the requirement should extend to greyhound trainers who want to get rid of dogs .
It says much about how brutal the greyhound exploitation industry is that , far from welcoming a code that is in some areas softer than existing requirements , they and far-right political supporters have claimed it will “ drive the industry out of existence ” .
Sadly , not until at least 2030 .
Has the NSW government got it wrong on greyhound racing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing to [ email protected ] .
Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey ’ s new Your Say section

The NSW government is poised to sign off on an horrific “welfare code of practice” for greyhounds that would allow the racing industry to keep dogs in 3-square-metre cages 24 hours a day — and gives them ten years before they have to provide even that much space.
NSW Nationals MP Kevin Anderson is the minister in charge of greyhound racing in that state (although, good luck finding any reference to that on his various websites). In January he released a long-promised Draft NSW Greyhound Welfare Code of Practice for public consultation. However, the section of the draft code that relates to the conditions in which greyhounds are kept by the racing and gambling industry allows the industry to “delay compliance … for up to ten years from the date that this code comes into effect.”
In case you were thinking that delaying until the 2030s means that future generations of dogs will be well cared for, the only requirement that will kick in after a decade is that dogs must be kept in a minimum area of 1.2 meters by 2.5 meters, with a minimum height of 1.8 metres, which is smaller than some large male greyhounds when they stand on their hind legs.