crikey--2020-10-02--COVID failures in aged care reveal flaws far beyond a dud minister

Aged care was out of sight , out of mind when it came to developing a response to the pandemic , with tragic consequences .
The remarkable , deeply depressing special report by the aged care royal commission on the response to the pandemic illustrates the extent to which aged care and the needs of aged care facility residents are simply absent from policymakers ’ minds .
Sacking aged care minister Richard Colbeck — a fate richly deserved by a minister who has presided over such colossal and fatal policy failure — won ’ t even begin to address the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considering the needs of aged care , and the sector experts have no input into the systems of decision making .
Commissioners Tony Pagone and Lynelle Briggs explicitly avoid laying blame for the deaths of — so far — over 650 seniors in residential aged care and the outbreaks that tore first through NSW facilities and then , at a much larger scale , Victorian privately-run facilities .
But they identify huge structural problems in the way people making decisions failed to address the needs of the aged care sector , leaving providers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , struggling to stop their residents contracting the disease and dying from it .
The overarching conclusion from the report is that aged care was , in effect , shoehorned into the existing pandemic response , without consideration for the fact that it was the sector most exposed to the risk of infection and death .
But much of the governmental response to the pandemic was made without input from aged care experts or the sector itself .
The Communicable Diseases Network Australia , a sub-committee of the Australian Health Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice to national cabinet through the pandemic , released national fuidelines for residential aged care facilities March .
This was described by chief health bureaucrat Brendan Murphy as “ the fundamental foundational plan ” for the sector .
But in the view of the commissioners , they were no substitute for a national aged care plan .
Worse , no one on the CDNA has aged care expertise , the commissioners found .
And the “ guidelines ” issued in March proved disastrously inadequate .
Anglicare used the guidelines as the basis for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Newmarch House outbreak , that the guidelines weren ’ t enough .
They “ caused Newmarch to treat COVID-19 ‘ as a flu-like illness ’ when in reality it had ‘ a lot more of an impact ’ ” .
The AHPPC belatedly released an overhaul of aged care guidelines in late August .
The commissioners recommend an advisory body specifically composed of aged care and geriatric medicine specialists to fill what is clearly a major advisory gap for policymakers .
The government ’ s stop-gap , time-limited aged care advisory body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good enough , the report says .
The guidelines also provided that infected residents should only be transferred to hospital “ if their condition warrants ” , phrasing now removed entirely from the guidelines .
This contributed to the reluctance of NSW Health to accept the need to transfer Newmarch House residents to hospital after they ’ d become infected , an outcome that almost certainly led to more deaths at that facility .
NSW Health preferred to employ “ hospital in the home ” processes .
NSW Health , too , failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House debacle — to seek the input of aged care experts : The commission also suggests that whatever lessons were learnt from the NSW outbreaks were not “ shared widely before community transmission put people living and working in aged care in Victoria at risk ” .
That ’ s the statement for which Colbeck , and his advisers and senior bureaucrats , should resign forthwith .
If the NSW aged care outbreaks were unforeseeable tests of the sector , they at least provided lessons that needed to be learned , and weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confined to the minister .
The AHPPC “ provided no written guidance to the aged care sector in the period between 20 June 2020 and 3 August 2020 ” .
Nor does the purported regulator , the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission , emerge with any credit , except that it knew the sector was particularly vulnerable .
But its “ regulation ” was extraordinarily passive : in March , the commission wrote to aged care providers asking them to use an online survey to self-assess their preparedness against the discredited CDNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves as ready — indeed , 43 % thought they were “ best practice ” .
The commission also used “ assessment contacts by telephone ” .
Neither the commission nor the Department of Health mandated or recommended the use of face masks in aged care facilities , which would have contributed significantly to lowering infection rates .
From the regulator and the responsible minister , to the health officials driving pandemic policy , to state health departments , the needs of aged care recipients , and the expertise of people working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back of mind at best as residential aged care faced its biggest ever challenge .
Hundreds died as a result .
How do we fix the government ’ s aged care mistakes ?
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 section

The remarkable, deeply depressing special report by the aged care royal commission on the response to the pandemic illustrates the extent to which aged care and the needs of aged care facility residents are simply absent from policymakers’ minds.
Sacking aged care minister Richard Colbeck — a fate richly deserved by a minister who has presided over such colossal and fatal policy failure — won’t even begin to address the problem that key decision makers work without considering the needs of aged care, and the sector experts have no input into the systems of decision making.
Commissioners Tony Pagone and Lynelle Briggs explicitly avoid laying blame for the deaths of — so far — over 650 seniors in residential aged care and the outbreaks that tore first through NSW facilities and then, at a much larger scale, Victorian privately-run facilities.


crikey--2020-10-05--When it comes to health, the POTUS is not always up front with us

When it comes to health , the POTUS is not always up front with us While many people are concerned @ @ @ @ @ around Donald Trump 's COVID-19 diagnosis , this is n't the first time the public @ @ @ @ @ dark about a president 's health .
Much like the pandemic itself , the response @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis would land as poorly written dystopian satire if it did n't feel inevitable .
@ @ @ @ @ he can to downplay his illness , while the White House is already selling commemorative @ @ @ @ @ getting better .

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crikey--2020-10-05--Fight goes on for veterans facing a mind field of pain, suicide, government inaction

Scott Morrison has been keen to show his pro-veteran credentials since assuming the prime ministership .
Yet when it comes to the invisible side of being a veteran — living with the mental scars of a war that never ends — the PM has been found wanting .
Scott Morrison has been keen to show his pro-veteran credentials since assuming the prime ministership .
He ’ s promoted an extravagant $ 500 million upgrade of the Australian War Memorial , and given Australia ’ s veterans equal billing with Indigenous elders “ past , present and emerging ” at formal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to the invisible side of being a veteran — living with the mental scars of a war that never ends — Morrison has been found wanting , with ex-service personnel continuing to take their own lives at an alarming rate as the government has promised , but failed , to act .
In this series of special reports , Crikey reveals that : • The government has stopped funding world-leading research into veteran ’ s mental health conducted at the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies ( CTSS ) in Adelaide • The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more effective ways to treat soldiers and veterans suffering post traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) at the Centenary of Anzac Centre in Melbourne • The Department of Veterans Affairs ( DVA ) has rebranded the mental health crisis of veterans , and now focuses on “ wellness ” rather than “ illness ” .
In early February this year Morrison summoned the media for a special announcement : the government would be appointing a national commissioner for defence and veteran suicides .
“ Too many veterans take their own lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one too many , ” Morrison said , citing figures showing that 42 veterans had taken their lives in the last annual count .
Eight months on , the legislation establishing the commissioner has not passed federal parliament .
An interim commissioner , ACT coroner Dr Bernadette Boss , was appointed last week .
But commission or not , the number of suicides continues to rise .
This year , 41 ADF personnel and veterans have taken their lives , according to The Warriors Return , a veteran support organisation which cross-checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media reports .
Distressingly , six have suicided in the past three weeks , it says .
And the overall numbers ?
The Warriors Return says 646 Australian soldiers and veterans have killed themselves since 2001 , including highly decorated special forces soldiers who did multiple deployments to Afghanistan .
The CTSS estimated that 505 vets discharged from 2010-2014 tried to kill themselves in the 12-month period after they left service .
• 21.7 % of veterans discharged between 2010 and 2014 experienced suicidal ideation , plans or attempts in the previous 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had a mental disorder and nearly 10 % bipolar disorder • 24.9 % were estimated to have met the criteria for PTSD in their lifetime .
It has been left to the relatives of the dead to make the case for stronger action such as a royal commission — mothers like former accountant Julie-Ann Finney , whose son David Finney killed himself on February 1 , 2019 .
The navy discharged David in 2017 after he developed PTSD .
Among the traumas David experienced during a decorated 20-year career as a mechanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2004 , getting caught in a riot during peacekeeping operations , and rescuing refugees and recovering bodies , including children , from the ocean .
David was living in the ACT as his mental health worsened .
A DVA contractor told David in late October 2018 there were no psychiatrists in the ACT seeing new DVA clients .
Julie-Ann has told a small part of David ’ s story in a petition she launched for a royal commission .
“ He desperately wanted to stay alive , but David was failed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the petition .
“ This petition is about the systemic failures the Australian Defence Force ( ADF ) and Department of Veterans Affairs ( DVA ) , who had numerous opportunities to save my son and they failed.
” Julie-Ann met Morrison in person three times .
Morrison even called her once .
The prime minister says critics who say the new commission won ’ t have the punch of a royal commission are “ absolutely wrong ” , and insists this body will have powers akin to a royal commission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Department .
It will report annually to parliament , unlike a royal commission which delivers its findings in the media spotlight .
Julie-Ann believes the national commission is a cop-out and hasn ’ t minced words , telling Morrison in one video clip that she would “ make the call for hundreds of families to go for individual coronial inquests ” to get a “ true independent investigation ” if necessary .
For anyone seeking help , Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue is 1300 22 4636 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on 1800 011 046 , and the ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line is 1800 628 036 .

Scott Morrison has been keen to show his pro-veteran credentials since assuming the prime ministership. He’s promoted an extravagant $500 million upgrade of the Australian War Memorial, and given Australia’s veterans equal billing with Indigenous elders “past, present and emerging” at formal events and ceremonies.
Yet when it comes to the invisible side of being a veteran — living with the mental scars of a war that never ends — Morrison has been found wanting, with ex-service personnel continuing to take their own lives at an alarming rate.
In this series of special reports, Crikey reveals that:


crikey--2020-10-05--Emperor Trump is always in ‘control’ — even when caught out by COVID

Even when hospitalised with a virus he has repeatedly minimised and mismanaged , Donald Trump 's narcissism is on full @ @ @ @ @ instructive features of developed personality traits -- as distinct from mere personal behavioural moments -- @ @ @ @ @ People with highly defined personalities respond during crises in consistent and predictable ways , and @ @ @ @ @ their personality type .
And thus it has been with Donald Trump , whose hyper-narcissism @ @ @ @ @ office .
Trump has what I call an Emperor complex : a belief that he @ @ @ @ @ tremendously perfect in every way and not subject to the vicissitudes of life .
Certainly @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , Trump ’ s narcissistic disdain has been evident from the beginning .
@ @ @ @ @ acknowledge COVID ’ s seriousness and unsympathetic to the suffering of victims and their families @ @ @ @ @ failed to show empathy to those staff and supporters callously exposed to infection at his @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s all about Trump .

One of the instructive features of developed personality traits — as distinct from mere personal behavioural moments — is their enduring consistency. People with highly defined personalities respond during crises in consistent and predictable ways, and so sharpen our understanding of their personality type.
And thus it has been with Donald Trump, whose hyper-narcissism has defined his time in office. Trump has what I call an Emperor complex: a belief that he is a superior being, tremendously perfect in every way and not subject to the vicissitudes of life.
Certainly, in the relation to the pandemic, Trump’s narcissistic disdain has been evident from the beginning. He has been unwilling to acknowledge COVID’s seriousness and unsympathetic to the suffering of victims and their families. More recently he has failed to show empathy to those staff and supporters callously exposed to infection at his campaign rallies. As always, it’s all about Trump.


crikey--2020-10-04--It’s not what you spend, it’s how and where you spend it

The debate over the 2020 budget is less about the quantum of stimulus — that will be vast — but @ @ @ @ @ in the way it is spent .
How much stimulus is enough for an economy @ @ @ @ @ government has already pumped more than 4 % of GDP into the economy in deficit @ @ @ @ @ to June .
Its July fiscal update forecast nearly 10 % of GDP in deficit @ @ @ @ @ already , with a deficit of around $ 185 billion .
From the torrent of @ @ @ @ @ occasional actual budget scoop , the deficit to be unveiled tomorrow is likely to be @ @ @ @ @ , or well over 10 % of a shrunken GDP .

How much stimulus is enough for an economy in deep recession?
The government has already pumped more than 4% of GDP into the economy in deficit spending in the six months to June. Its July fiscal update forecast nearly 10% of GDP in deficit spending for this financial year already, with a deficit of around $185 billion.
From the torrent of budget leaks, and the occasional actual budget scoop, the deficit to be unveiled tomorrow is likely to be comfortably above $200 billion, or well over 10% of a shrunken GDP.


crikey--2020-10-04--The numbers game: how Morrison is playing journalism off a break

All politicians know that big numbers make big news .
But Scott Morrison knows this better than most .
All @ @ @ @ @ news .
It ’ s simple maths : the bigger the number , the greater @ @ @ @ @ Morrison knows this better than most .
He knows how to use numbers as signs @ @ @ @ @ -- and he knows journalists can ’ t resist them .
Just look back over @ @ @ @ @ , there was the manufacturing package .
The headline `` $ 1.5 billion '' stood @ @ @ @ @ it was fed out through the government ’ s preferred MO : briefings to the @ @ @ @ @ news and the PM providing `` the event '' in front of the camera .
@ @ @ @ @ come .
This was a tricky number to message .
It had to be enough @ @ @ @ @ Tick .
“ National rebuild via $ 1.5bn budget push , ” screamed The Australian @

All politicians know that numbers create news. It’s simple maths: the bigger the number, the greater the news. And Scott Morrison knows this better than most. He knows how to use numbers as signs of action for the media — and he knows journalists can’t resist them. Just look back over the past week…
First, there was the manufacturing package. The headline “$1.5 billion” stood in for policy substance and it was fed out through the government’s preferred MO: briefings to the gallery to shape the morning news and the PM providing “the event” in front of the camera. No details. Plans to come.


crikey--2020-10-05--If you can’t wait one more sleep, here is tomorrow’s news today

Tomorrow 's budget announcement has been preceded by media drops , as always .
We run through what 's already @ @ @ @ @ , Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will reveal the most eagerly awaited budget ( literally -- we @ @ @ @ @ April ) in recent history .
In true budget fashion , plenty of the good @ @ @ @ @ ( or surfaced by solid reporting ) .
Here ’ s some of what we @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , we always knew the deficit would be big .
Today , The Australian @ @ @ @ @ at a little over $ 210 billion .
There won ’ t be a surplus @ @ @ @ @ keep those `` back in black '' mugs locked away .

On Tuesday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will reveal the most eagerly awaited budget (literally — we’ve been waiting since April) in recent history.
In true budget fashion, plenty of the good parts have already been leaked (or surfaced by solid reporting). Here’s some of what we know:
A big deficit
Thanks to the pandemic, we always knew the deficit would be big. Today, The Australian reports it’ll peak at a little over $210 billion. There won’t be a surplus until 2024-25. You can keep those “back in black” mugs locked away.


crikey--2020-10-05--‘Bizarre’ treatment indicates The Donald might be sicker than officials are letting on

White House staff have insisted that Donald Trump is only suffering mild COVID symptoms .
But his treatment suggests a @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump took a joy ride around the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to @ @ @ @ @ was doing in his fight against COVID-19 .
You 've got to feel for the @ @ @ @ @ car with him , exposing themselves to the deadly disease .
Officials insist Trump has @ @ @ @ @ the president has seemed upbeat in video messages to his supporters .
But his treatment @ @ @ @ @ experts say .
Early evidence shows the experimental drugs Trump has received may benefit only @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Trump has received antibody treatment REGN-COV2 , remdesivir , oxygen and dexamethasone @ @ @ @ @ vitamin D , an acid reducer , melatonin and a daily aspirin .

This morning Donald Trump took a joy ride around the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to show off how well he was doing in his fight against COVID-19. You’ve got to feel for the aides who rode in the car with him, exposing themselves to the deadly disease.
Officials insist Trump has just mild symptoms, while the president has seemed upbeat in video messages to his supporters. But his treatment tells a different story, experts say. Early evidence shows the experimental drugs Trump has received may benefit only those with severe cases of the virus.
Trump has received antibody treatment REGN-COV2, remdesivir, oxygen and dexamethasone, along with zinc, vitamin D, an acid reducer, melatonin and a daily aspirin.


crikey--2020-10-06--The most important fiscal statement in years could also be the most teased

The federal budget will be officially unveiled tonight , but we already know a lot of what will be in @ @ @ @ @ budget day in decades is finally here .
And as we mentioned yesterday , the @ @ @ @ @ ruin the surprise a little , making numerous early announcements about some of the shiny @ @ @ @ @ unveil tonight .
And since yesterday , there 's been even more .

The most hotly-anticipated budget day in decades is finally here.
And as we mentioned yesterday, the government has been keen to ruin the surprise a little, making numerous early announcements about some of the shiny measures Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will unveil tonight.
And since yesterday, there’s been even more.


crikey--2020-10-06--Miracle cure or premature release? Trump’s hospital discharge baffles experts

Experts believe the president should have remained in hospital .
After just three nights being treated for COVID-19 in the Walter Reed Military Hospital , US President Donald Trump has walked free , giving reporters the thumbs up on his way out .
During his stay , Trump was given a cocktail of experimental drugs including antibody treatment REGN-COV2 , remdesivir , supplemental oxygen and dexamethasone .
His symptoms , described as mild by White House officials , included fever , cough , and low oxygen saturation levels .
Yesterday , medical experts told Crikey the drugs of choice indicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors were letting on .
What do they think now he ’ s out ?
Queensland University infectious diseases physician Dr Paul Griffin told Crikey it ’ s simply too early to tell how Trump is faring .
“ He ’ s still very early in the course of his illness .
We often see people deteriorate between days seven and 10 , ” he said .
Trump announced he had tested positive on Friday .
Trump ’ s own doctors have warned he ’ s not out of the woods yet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been studied in a clinical trial .
Whether it ’ s good or bad , it ’ s hard to know if [ it ] made a difference or to hail any intervention as a success.
” Infectious disease specialist at Australian National University Dr Gaetan Burgio agreed with Griffin , telling Crikey Trump ’ s discharge was “ unreal ” .
“ It ’ s only been three days .
Usually , patients stay seven days — we see patients in the ICU two weeks after testing positive .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in observation , ” Burgio said .
The most baffling part of Trump ’ s release , Burgio said , was that Trump is still contagious .
“ It ’ s extraordinary .
The White House is a cluster .
How many more people will he contaminate ?
”

After just three nights being treated for COVID-19 in the Walter Reed Military Hospital, US President Donald Trump has walked free, giving reporters the thumbs up on his way out.
During his stay, Trump was given a cocktail of experimental drugs including antibody treatment REGN-COV2, remdesivir, supplemental oxygen and dexamethasone. His symptoms, described as mild by White House officials, included fever, cough, and low oxygen saturation levels.
Yesterday, medical experts told Crikey the drugs of choice indicated Trump may be faring worse than his doctors were letting on.


crikey--2020-10-06--Economy faces declines in all three Ps, not just population

The collapse in population growth will seriously affect today 's budget — but it 's the fall in productivity and @ @ @ @ @ impact on the economy .
Tucked away in Budget Paper 3 today will be a @ @ @ @ @ 's economic growth estimates and for Scott Morrison 's self-declared target of 3.75 % GDP @ @ @ @ @ years .
That 's where the budget forecasts for population growth -- fertility and net @ @ @ @ @ tucked away .
Last year , long before anyone had heard of COVID-19 , the @ @ @ @ @ figure to inflate its economic growth forecasts for a pre-election budget : the fertility of @ @ @ @ @ surge from 1.781 babies per woman in 2018 to 1.9 in 2021 -- a remarkably @ @ @ @ @ declining fertility rate .

Tucked away in Budget Paper 3 today will be a crucial number for the government’s economic growth estimates and for Scott Morrison’s self-declared target of 3.75% GDP growth every year for five years.
That’s where the budget forecasts for population growth — fertility and net overseas migration — will be tucked away.
Last year, long before anyone had heard of COVID-19, the government used a dodgy population figure to inflate its economic growth forecasts for a pre-election budget: the fertility of Australian women was forecast to surge from 1.781 babies per woman in 2018 to 1.9 in 2021 — a remarkably rapid demographic turnaround for our declining fertility rate.


crikey--2020-10-06--Willing to be lucky: tonight is a big step in Josh Frydenberg’s march to the lodge

Ahead of the 2020 budget , Crikey casts its eyes back over the life and career of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg @ @ @ @ @ the summit .
Ever since he entered politics a decade ago , the treasurer has @ @ @ @ @ sleeve .
“ He will be prime minister , ’ ’ Liberal elder George Swinburne @ @ @ @ @ than a decade ago .
It 's been a common refrain , repeated by insiders @ @ @ @ @ since .
Now , as he delivers the most important budget in decades , Frydenberg @ @ @ @ @ a charmed political life , one that will determine whether he can make it to @ @ @

Josh Frydenberg can see the summit. Ever since he entered politics a decade ago, the treasurer has worn that ambition on his sleeve.
“He will be prime minister,’’ Liberal elder George Swinburne told The Weekend Australian more than a decade ago. It’s been a common refrain, repeated by insiders, rivals and journalists ever since.
Now, as he delivers the most important budget in decades, Frydenberg faces the biggest test of a charmed political life, one that will determine whether he can make it to the top.


crikey--2020-10-06--Betrayed and left to rot: my time with veterans in a psych ward

After 77 days in a specialist psychiatric ward , Dean Yates tells of his experience , and what he 's learnt about how returned veterans suffer .
This is the second part of a series .
Read part one here .
I was terrified when I first entered the Ward 17 psychiatric unit in Melbourne for post traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) treatment .
I didn ’ t know anyone who ’ d been in a psych ward .
It wasn ’ t something you put on social media ( though now I do without hesitation , to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw were veterans : big-bearded blokes wearing track pants and T-shirts waiting for lunch in the Ward 17 dining area .
Tattoos covered their arms .
All had dark bags under their eyes .
The same as mine .
“ I ’ m not worthy .
I bet those guys saw real action .
They earned their place .
I was never shot at or blown up , ” I thought to myself that morning of August 11 , 2016 .
Ward 17 in Melbourne ’ s Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital is mainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it admits the odd civilian .
Including a journalist like me who covered war , bomb attacks and natural disasters overseas .
The ward , which has treated veterans who served in World War II , Korea and Vietnam , used to resemble a military barracks .
It ’ s now in the Coral-Balmoral Building , named after Australia ’ s largest battle of the Vietnam War .
Veterans of that controversial conflict still feel the pain of indifference of successive governments .
After a nurse showed me to my room , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clippers and checked my suitcases for prohibited items such as alcohol , she told me to have lunch in the dining area .
That ’ s where the vets were .
“ I hadn ’ t thought about this moment .
Do I introduce myself ?
What will they think when they know I ’ m a journalist , or was ?
Will they be suspicious ?
Will they think I belong here ?
” Those thoughts ran through my head as I found a place to sit alone to eat some soup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome .
They accepted me as one of their own , though they thought I was mad for working in Baghdad without carrying a gun .
We all had similar symptoms — nightmares , flashbacks , numbness , anger , agitation , depression .
PTSD is a severe and debilitating illness .
It ruins relationships and families .
I was suicidal at one point .
The illness nearly broke my marriage .
Many of the veterans had made suicide attempts .
Many marriages had busted .
I was admitted three times between 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
I met soldiers who fought in Vietnam , Iraq and Afghanistan .
Others had been to East Timor , or taken part in a failed peacekeeping mission in Somalia in the early 1990s .
Some had been involved in training accidents at home .
One veteran told me he couldn ’ t stop living in 1968 , the year he fought in Vietnam .
A veteran from Afghanistan blamed himself for an incident in which the Taliban killed children in a hospital .
Another veteran said he would never erase from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in East Timor to retrieve what he thought would be a woman ’ s body .
Halfway up , a limb came loose , causing him to drop the body .
When he was lowered back down , he saw a small hand poking up through the water .
There were five to six children down there too .
A younger veteran who went to Iraq in the mid-2000s said he ’ d only been there a few weeks before he said to himself : “ What the fuck am I doing here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drug ice for five years .
It ’ s not just PTSD that ails many veterans .
They can also suffer a moral injury .
Moral injury is a wound to the soul , the damage done to a person ’ s conscience or moral compass from something they did , failed to prevent or witnessed that deeply violates their moral and ethical values .
It can also come from betrayal by a trusted figure , such as a military leader .
I ’ ve wondered if moral injury might be afflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple times to Afghanistan .
We have to talk publicly — and now — about the mental health impact on those soldiers .
Leaders also need to acknowledge the moral injury of conflicts from Afghanistan to Vietnam , and what our soldiers — such as David Finney — have experienced .
If we trivialise their pain and the burdens they carry , we make things worse .
For broad healing to occur , leaders on all sides of politics need to acknowledge that the Iraq War was built on lies , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The East Timor intervention was honourable , but what soldiers encountered there was evil .
Vietnam… well , we all know what happened in Vietnam .
I was amazed at how much veterans wanted to talk to me about their experiences .
I concluded it was because no one listens .
As a country , we need to hear their stories .
It ’ s called communalising trauma .
I felt their deep sense of abandonment because they could no longer serve as solders .
I saw how a loss of identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coppers and ambos , we all talked .
We could have dealt with what the job threw at us , we reckoned .
What we couldn ’ t cope with was betrayal from organisations that saw us as damaged goods , that abandoned us and left us to rot .
Dean Yates was a journalist with Reuters , the world ’ s largest news provider , for 26 years until early 2020 .
For anyone seeking help , Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue is 1300 22 4636 .
Open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 1800 011 046 , and the ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line is 1800 628 036 .

This is the second part of a series. Read part one here.
I was terrified when I first entered the Ward 17 psychiatric unit in Melbourne for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment.
I’d crossed a line.


crikey--2020-10-05--It’s time to set Melbourne free. The numbers prove it

Do Dan Andrews ' lockdown measures really reflect the current data ?
If you could sell fear , the Victorian @ @ @ @ @ a budget deficit problem .
Between September 23 and 30 there was an average of @ @ @ @ @ reported outside of aged care and healthcare in Victoria .
( There was an average @ @ @ @ @ in contained aged care settings across this same period . )
The all-important number of @ @ @ @ @ also been dropping dramatically .
Since September 25 , there have been only four confirmed @ @ @ @ @ This would be the envy of much of the world .

Keep reading about the struggle to keep Victoria locked down...
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crikey--2020-10-05--Elections sink to new low as female candidates face vile abuse

The Queensland election campaign has offered an ugly reminder of the extent to which sexism still plays a part in @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary abuse copped by a pair of female politicians over the course of the Queensland @ @ @ @ @ a new low in political discourse .
Their seats sit on a knife-edge .
Labor @ @ @ @ @ political powerhouse and former deputy premier Jackie Trad in the fight of her life with @ @ @ @ @ LNP has decided to preference ahead of her .
The Greens already hold the seat @ @ @ @ @ , skip and jump away .
But former TV journalist and new LNP star Lauren @ @ @ @ @ impact inside the party , and LNP chiefs expect to count that seat in their @ @ @ @ @

The extraordinary abuse copped by a pair of female politicians over the course of the Queensland election campaign could well represent a new low in political discourse.
Their seats sit on a knife-edge. Labor holds South Brisbane, with political powerhouse and former deputy premier Jackie Trad in the fight of her life with the Greens, who the LNP has decided to preference ahead of her.
The Greens already hold the seat of Maiwar, a hop, skip and jump away. But former TV journalist and new LNP star Lauren Day has had a big impact inside the party, and LNP chiefs expect to count that seat in their tally on October 31.


crikey--2020-10-05--Trump is an oxygen thief.  Sick or not, he’s stealing the PR show from Joe

He might not have planned to get COVID-19 , but Trump is certainly making the most of the extra press @ @ @ @ @ a wonder Donald Trump required oxygen for his health last weekend given he 's sucking @ @ @ @ @ of the media coverage of the election .
Until last weekend the Biden campaign was @ @ @ @ @ .
In September the figure was even greater , with Biden spending $ 153 million @ @ @ @ @ 57 million .
But who needs to spend on ads when you can get 24/7 @ @ @

It’s a wonder Donald Trump required oxygen for his health last weekend given he’s sucking so much of it out of the media coverage of the election.
Until last weekend the Biden campaign was outspending Trump two to one. In September the figure was even greater, with Biden spending $153 million on advertising compared with $57 million.
But who needs to spend on ads when you can get 24/7 news coverage?


crikey--2020-10-05--Aged care is now a major emergency — and a moral challenge to all voters

Aged care is now , along with climate change , the biggest challenge facing government .
That 's if voters decide they care enough .
Perhaps the key observation made by Grattan Institute authors in a new report on the need for a rights-based approach to aged care is that “ the structural and systemic problems in the aged care system are deep-rooted and reflect society ’ s underlying ageism ” .
The report goes on : .. ” this underlying ageism has contributed to the chronic under-investment in aged care and support by governments , resulting in under-funding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful reform to fix the system.
” Stephen Duckett and his colleagues are surely correct .
There ’ s a reason successive governments have been allowed to underinvest , under-regulate and recklessly outsource the provision of support for ageing Australians : voters have allowed them to .
The periodic , almost routine , revelations of shocking neglect and mistreatment in a deeply flawed system have only been a drumbeat to an ongoing pattern of indifference .
The anger of families who have discovered the abuse of loved ones hasn ’ t disrupted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or those who care for them , a massive workforce in the hundreds of thousands that is underpaid , heavily female and relies on migrant workers operating in increasingly precarious employment .
That workforce , and the unions that represent it , is the only continuing voice for more investment and better regulation in the sector ; most families of seniors needing residential aged care have a necessarily limited period in which they are exposed to its inequities , scandals and structural problems , before death ends their engagement in the system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ same problems year in and year out , and the workforce that has been marginalised and ignored by policymakers , in favour of the interests of private aged care providers .
As the aged care royal commission pointed out last week , this absence from policymaking extends beyond the political level and into the health bureaucracy level , with aged care experts missing from key decisionmaking fora for the pandemic .
While it lacks the global implications and economic damage of climate change , aged care shares some of the thornier aspects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple answers , given even a large investment of new funding will require a workforce expansion that will take years to achieve and it is at the intersection of quite different issues such as health , housing and retirement incomes .
It is steadily growing as a policy challenge as more Australian require either support at home or residential support , and will continue growing for decades yet .
And there is an industry of vested interests eager to sway government policy .
What it also shares is that the government has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission established last year has proven to be hands-off and low-key at best .
The government ’ s response to the devastating interim Aged Care Royal Commission report in December was woefully inadequate , consisting of around $ 500 million for extra home care packages .
The government has seen aged care more as a political problem to be managed , rather than a structurally flawed sector requiring a fundamental overhaul , with a low-profile and low-impact minister left to be a punching bag for critics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still months away , there is plenty for the government to be starting in today ’ s budget , including ramping up long-running and to-date fruitless workforce planning , funding the establishment of minimum staff ratios to bring all aged care facilities up to a reasonable standard in staff-client numbers and funding a more aggressive and interventionist regulator that won ’ t settle for phone checks and online self-assessment .
The economy will recover .
But without major reforms and substantial funding , aged care will continue on exactly the same path as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next twenty .
Along with climate change , it ’ s the most pressing national policy problem we face .
A budget that doesn ’ t address it is a failure .
How do we convince parliament to start taking the aged care crisis seriously ?
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 section .

Perhaps the key observation made by Grattan Institute authors in a new report on the need for a rights-based approach to aged care is that “the structural and systemic problems in the aged care system are deep-rooted and reflect society’s underlying ageism”.
The report goes on: ..”this underlying ageism has contributed to the chronic under-investment in aged care and support by governments, resulting in under-funding, poor regulation, and a lack of meaningful reform to fix the system.”
Stephen Duckett and his colleagues are surely correct. There’s a reason successive governments have been allowed to underinvest, under-regulate and recklessly outsource the provision of support for ageing Australians: voters have allowed them to.


crikey--2020-10-07--From ‘illness’ to ‘wellness’: government rebrands a veteran mental health crisis

The Department of Veterans ' Affairs has moved from a strategy of 'illness ' to one of 'wellness ' .
Is it putting messaging ahead of the mental health of veterans ?
This is part three in a series .
Read parts one and two here .
The Department of Veterans ’ Affairs ( DVA ) recently killed off an independent research project to find new and more effective ways to treat soldiers and veterans suffering PTSD and other mental health conditions despite data showing Australian vets are suffering alarming rates of psychological illness .
The closure of the Centenary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 reneged on a 2016 coalition election commitment touted as one of the most “ significant investments ” into the research of military-related PTSD in Australia .
That followed the closure of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies ( CTSS ) at Adelaide University at the end of 2019 .
CTSS had just finished research that showed 21.7 % of vets discharged from 2010 to 2014 experienced suicidal ideation , plans or attempts in the previous 12 months ; 46.6 % were estimated to have had a mental disorder in the same period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24.9 % were estimated to have met the criteria for PTSD in their lifetime .
The CTSS research found psychological distress was driving soldiers out of the military .
It points to Australian veterans having the highest rates of mental illness in the world , according to Crikey ’ s knowledge of the published research .
Yet CTSS found itself unable to operate after funding from DVA and the Australian Defence Force , its two biggest financial backers , ran out .
CTSS was at the time led by Professor Alexander McFarlane , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and veterans .
It had nearly 20 of its experts work on the project over several years , aided by some of the brightest minds in the country .
At the same time as DVA halts globally-renowned Australian research , it has shifted its approach to veteran ’ s mental health from what it calls an “ illness ” model to a “ wellness ” one .
In the words of its Strategy and National Action Plan for 2020-23 , it aims to “ drive a series of changes to enable a shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus ” .
For someone who has lived with PTSD , the shift from “ illness ” to “ wellness ” is Orwellian in its doublespeak — something you might find in the satirical television series The Hollowmen , about Canberra bureaucrats .
It might make for a nice PowerPoint presentation , but people with mental illness can ’ t just flick a switch and focus on wellness .
The new “ action plan ” pays welcome attention to veteran housing , employment , education and skills , but it barely acknowledges the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being done about it .
Crikey asked DVA what had been done to address key issues raised in the CTSS research .
How would suicidal vets and those with bipolar disorder be treated ?
Why were there no recommendations in the CTSS ’ final report , parked quietly on the DVA website in early August ?
Who would replace CTSS and who would monitor the mental health of our veterans ?
In an email response , a DVA spokesperson simply ignored the questions .
So what of the second research centre , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the centre three years ago , then-minister of veterans ’ affairs Dan Tehan said its “ pioneering research ” would improve the lives of veterans and their families .
The centre was set up within the Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health under a three-year , $ 6 million grant .
Phoenix Australia is an independent not-for-profit organisation affiliated with Melbourne University .
Yet with the centre ’ s closure in June , a DVA spokesperson now said it was “ just one way ” the government invested in “ understanding and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Scott Morrison likes to emphasise the $ 11.5 billion spent annually on veterans .
But here ’ s the problem : the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for military populations has long been questioned and is far from clear-cut .
There is still work to be done .
New guidelines published by Phoenix Australia in July this year noted there had been little difference in outcomes in recent randomised clinical trials with soldiers and veterans between gold-standard treatments for PTSD — cognitive processing therapy ( CPT ) , prolonged exposure ( PE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( EMDR ) — and non-trauma focussed treatments such as transcendental meditation .
In a paper published in July 2017 in Australasian Psychiatry , McFarlane and Professor Richard Bryant , another PTSD expert , said two thirds of patients in military populations who had received CPT after prolonged exposure still had enough symptoms for a PTSD diagnosis at the end of care .
In contrast to depression , where there had been recent innovations predicting treatment outcome , there was a “ poverty of such research ” in PTSD , they wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert council of the Centenary of Anzac Centre .
So why has the government put a stop to the critical research needed to fill the gaps on understanding and finding new ways to treat PTSD and other mental illnesses in soldiers and veterans ?
I tried to get some of Australia ’ s top PTSD experts to comment , but they either won ’ t talk to Crikey or declined to comment .
So this is my conclusion : the Morrison government has turned its back on independent scientific rigour because it wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and veterans are suffering the consequences .
Dean Yates was a journalist with Reuters , the world ’ s largest news provider , for 26 years until early 2020 .

This is part three in a series. Read parts one and two here.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) recently killed off an independent research project to find new and more effective ways to treat soldiers and veterans suffering PTSD and other mental health conditions despite data showing Australian vets are suffering alarming rates of psychological illness.
The closure of the Centenary of Anzac Centre in Melbourne on June 30 reneged on a 2016 coalition election commitment touted as one of the most “significant investments” into the research of military-related PTSD in Australia.


crikey--2020-10-07--Light bulb moments: five bright ideas from a budget like no other

In an extraordinary , big-spending budget , there were some pretty good ideas .
There were some smart thoughts in @ @ @ @ @ Here are Crikey 's top five : The previous two budgets slashed research and development @ @ @ @ @ billion , contributing to slipping productivity rates .
Now the Coalition is trying to turn @ @ @ @ @ extra $ 1 billion in new research funding for universities .

Go deeper on the issues that matter.
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crikey--2020-10-07--A mutant of a budget offers mixed answers to the vital questions

The government is planning for a business-led recovery — using a trillion dollars of public money .
It 's a strange mix of ideology for a post-COVID recovery .
If one of the key questions about the 2020 budget was whether the government was prepared to spend enough to support the economy , it was answered resolutely in the affirmative in Table 1 of Statement 1 of Budget Paper no .
1 , which showed deficits totalling $ 480 billion stretching off to 2024 .
The Grattan Institute had suggested the government needed to spend another $ 70 billion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on top of its $ 180 billion in deficit spending already committed this year .
Josh Frydenberg went way beyond that with another $ 112 billion deficit next year and deficits to the end of the forward estimates and then beyond , into the forecasting haze of the late 2020s .
And the deficits aren ’ t just the result of lower tax revenue — despite justified criticisms that revenue forecasts still look too optimistic — but a massive expansion in the size of government .
But the other budget question is whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to which the answer is not particularly , and no .
The strategy is a private sector recovery — driven by private spending by households , and business investment and hiring .
The former will be funded by tax cuts that mostly go to high and middle income earners ; the latter by a massive investment write-off allowance , retrospective tax losses and hiring subsidies .
The investment write-off , a monster version of the plan Labor took to the last election , will provide a necessary boost to business investment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep hole this year — even if it merely brings forward a lot of spending that otherwise might have occurred in the next couple of years .
Something has to get business spending , and short of a miracle cure for COVID-19 , this is about the best the government can do .
The income tax cuts , though , will achieve far less in terms of stimulus — especially if the virus remains a persistent threat that deters many consumers and workers from resuming normal activities , or what we used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world before the pandemic .
Many of us will save them , or pay down the mortgage faster , until we ’ re more confident that the economy is sound .
Because the biggest cuts go to middle and high income earners , that propensity to save will be particularly strong .
That might be OK if there were other forms of stimulus for household spending .
The most effective form of stimulus , income support for welfare recipients , is limited to two small one-off payments .
Jobseeker will — at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its shameful pre-COVID level in January , against the advice of pretty much everyone across the political spectrum and even many within the government ’ s own ranks .
The other no-brainer stimulus measure , funding for social housing , is also missing entirely .
There is $ 2 billion for small-scale capital works and local infrastructure that , provided it doesn ’ t fall victim to the Morrison Syndrome of being announced but never spent , should be spent quickly on roads across the country .
That won ’ t provide much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And another easy win , greater and better funding for residential aged care — which would have supported the low income earners working in that sector , while addressing Australia ’ s greatest public policy scandal after climate inaction , has been kicked down the road .
That ’ s despite the aged care royal commission urging the adoption of minimum staff ratios .
The targets of stimulus spending reflect a strong ideological bent — or , at least , a clutch of conservative clichés .
It ’ s not government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The best form of welfare is a job .
We ’ ll never tell people how to spend their own money .
We need a business-led recovery .
Except , businesses and households won ’ t spend without confidence .
And if the best form of welfare is a job , why are the hiring subsidies skewed to under-35s ?
What happens to older unemployed people ?
Most of all , it ’ s not taxpayers ’ money or the government ’ s money .
It ’ s borrowings , eventually $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a virtue of increasing the tax burden on Australians and then theatrically handing a small chunk of that back as tax cuts in order to demonstrate its economic management .
Now there ’ s nothing to hand back .
Every cent of the tax cuts , which will be permanent rather than “ targeted and temporary ” is funded with borrowings for years to come , with budget deficits still at nearly 2 % of GDP as the 2030s dawn .
The result is a weird ideological mutant .
The budget is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keynesian stimulus with a neoliberal obsession with individual and corporate self-interest .
We ’ re in a world of Prometheus Untaxed , a colossal expansion in the size of government to drive individual and corporate spending , one that leaves many of our most vulnerable behind .

If one of the key questions about the 2020 budget was whether the government was prepared to spend enough to support the economy, it was answered resolutely in the affirmative in Table 1 of Statement 1 of Budget Paper No. 1 which showed deficits totalling $480 billion stretching off to 2024.
The Grattan Institute had suggested the government needed to spend another $70 billion to $90 billion in 2021 and 2022 on top of its $180 billion in deficit spending already committed this year. Josh Frydenberg went way beyond that with another $112 billion deficit next year and deficits to the end of the forward estimates and then beyond into the forecasting haze of the late 2020s.
And the deficits aren’t just the result of lower tax revenue — despite justified criticisms that revenue forecasts still look too optimistic — but a massive expansion in the size of government.


crikey--2020-10-06--An unprecedented budget for — and about — big government

In extraordinary times , the government is handing out relief ( and relying on recipients to go out and spend @ @ @ @ @ wish to call this budget ( we toyed with “ neoliberal-Keynesian ” ) , this @ @ @ @ @ with three clear goals in mind : ward off mass unemployment through private sector hiring @ @ @ @ @ broad-based tax cuts ; get reelected in 18 months or so on the back of @ @ @ @ @ is a budget for and about big government .
Four years out from now , @ @ @ @ @ a heroic 27 % of GDP -- a remarkable figure to lay at the feet @ @ @ @ @ As we have noted in Crikey many times , if such figures had emanated from @ @ @ @ @ the media and the commentariat would have gone nuts .
But these are extraordinary times @

Whatever you might wish to call this budget (we toyed with “neoliberal-Keynesian”), this is a Liberal budget delivered with three clear goals in mind: ward off mass unemployment through private sector hiring; boost economic growth via broad-based tax cuts; get reelected in 18 months or so on the back of the first two.
It is a budget for and about big government. Four years out from now, government spending will still be a heroic 27% of GDP — a remarkable figure to lay at the feet of a Coalition government.
As we have noted in Crikey many times, if such figures had emanated from Labor, certain sections of the media and the commentariat would have gone nuts. But these are extraordinary times.


crikey--2020-10-06--Keynesianism for the rich: Liberals unveil a new politics of debt-fuelled individualism

This budget for winners will deliver a political benefit to the government : massive tax cuts are a tactic to deliver the next election .
It ’ s not quite devil-take-the-hindmost , but this is very much a Liberal budget in its means of delivery .
Tax cuts for high- and middle-income earners , two-and-a-half grand a year .
Just $ 20 a week for the lowest-paid .
Some small lump sums for pensioners .
Nothing for the unemployed , who revert back to poverty come January on a JobSeeker payment which is significant in its absence in the budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The best form of welfare is still a job , of course , even when unemployment will still be above 7 % in mid-2021 .
A huge depreciation allowance , plus retrospective write-off of losses , for business .
But little for residential aged care , unless you ’ re in the burgeoning private Home Care delivery sector , in which case , happy days .
Nothing for the ABC , at a time when Australia ’ s already shrunken media sector is on its last legs .
This is a budget for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in high-paying jobs , for businesses with cash to spend on investment and more staff , for the industry sectors the government likes , like resources and defence .
Those winners will — the hope is — embrace their animal spirits , spend their government largesse and get the economy going , and thank the Morrison government at the next election .
But the source of the funding for all this is decidedly un-Liberal .
Gone are the days of 23-plus per cent tax-GDP ratio , which has fuelled Coalition spendathons before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of levels Wayne Swan had to budget with , while the size of government has gone the other way .
The Morrison government will be , by far , the biggest-spending government in modern Australian history , not just for one or two years , like the Rudd-Gillard governments were , but for year after year all the way into the mid-2020s .
To pay for it , the government will have over $ 1 trillion in bonds on issue in coming years , and a net debt of $ 970 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that will mean $ 13.6 billion in interest payments a year .
In 2010 , when net debt was around one-tenth of that size under Labor , Barnaby Joyce warned Australia was in danger of defaulting .
One can only imagine he will be apoplectic at the danger of a $ 1 trillion debt .
In retrospect , it shows what a sham the obsession with debt and deficits always was on the part of the Coalition and its media supporters .
Not a word tonight about burdening future generations with debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire brigade ” ; no glib equation of deficit spending with governmental incompetence .
The Morrison government now offers deficit figures with an extra zero on them compared to the Labor government it derided for fiscal recklessness , and all for a return to an economy marked — if the government ’ s forecasts are anything to go by — with the same stagnation with which we entered the pandemic : 5 % to 6 % unemployment , no wages growth , GDP growth well below our longrun average .
But the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political : its massive tax cuts aimed at middle- and high-income earners are primarily a tactic to deliver the next election .
The biggest problems Australia faces — the climate emergency , a crippled aged care sector , an army of chronically unemployed — remain unacknowledged and unaddressed , in favour of individualism funded by the biggest borrowing and spending program in modern history .

It’s not quite devil-take-the-hindmost, but this is very much a Liberal budget in its means of delivery.
Tax cuts for high- and middle-income earners, two-and-a-half grand a year. Just $20 a week for the lowest-paid. Some small lump sums for pensioners. Nothing for the unemployed, who revert back to poverty come January on a JobSeeker payment which is significant in its absence in the budget papers or treasurer’s speech.
The best form of welfare is still a job, of course, even when unemployment will still be above 7% in mid-2021.


crikey--2020-10-08--‘Paltry, tokenistic’: Women left behind in the budget

The government 's spending on women amounts to a tiny fraction of the 2020 budget .
It 's not enough .
On International Women ’ s Day 2019 , in an insight into the Coalition ’ s mindset , Prime Minister Scott Morrison said , “ We want to see women rise .
But we don ’ t want to see women rise only on the basis of others doing worse.
” This year ’ s budget goes above and beyond to prove this ethos .
Advocacy groups have slammed it , saying the paltry $ 240.4 million allocated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address inequalities in Australia ’ s culture and economy .
This total , as analysts have pointed out , represents a tiny fraction of the $ 500 billion budget spend .
It amounts to about $ 40 per female worker , or $ 8 a year , until 2025 .
It took Treasurer Josh Frydenberg around 20 minutes to even mention women in his budget speech .
Here are five things getting more money than gender equality : Following criticism from Labor , Morrison defended the budget , arguing women also benefitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and better roads .
“ This budget , above all , is a budget for all Australians , ” he said .
As noted in Frydenberg ’ s budget speech , women make up the majority of those who lost their jobs during the pandemic .
He also noted 60 % of jobs created by May have been filled by women — though failed to mention 12 % of women were underemployed in August compared to 10.4 % of men , an increase of 30 % since the same time last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Crikey that without real investment and change , the effect of these losses would be felt for years to come .
“ This will potentially erode decades of progress , ” she said .
Most of the funding is given to organisations to boost female participation , including more than $ 100 million in grants for leadership programs , mentorships and STEM ( science , technology , engineering and mathematics ) cadetships — though STEM placements are limited to 500 .
“ What they ’ re proposing is moderate , tokenistic funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ male-led professions , ” she said .
“ Job creation measures are 500 cadetships .
It ’ s a drop in the ocean in the scale of the unemployed.
” The $ 2.1 million across three years to address sexual harassment in Australian workplaces was also woefully inadequate , Pennington said .
“ This will do nothing to address the structural inequalities.
” There is also no specific plan to help close the superannuation gap at retirement .
No support for women with children While free childcare was offered as a temporary solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back ( though there is $ 314.2 million to support Victoria ’ s childcare services for the next year ) .
Of Australian households using childcare , 60 % said one parent would be forced to reduce working hours when full childcare fees returned .
In 68 % of those households , that parent was a woman .
“ The government has prioritised profit-led childcare over the participation of paid women .
The combination of inaction on the childcare burden and total inadequate job creation efforts , means women are locked out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ParentsNext — a mutual obligation payment scheme for out-of-work parents which has been dubbed “ punitive ” and “ manifestly inconsistent ” with Australia ’ s human rights obligations by the Human Rights Commission — has been extended , with $ 24.7 million over four years .
Modelling has found spending $ 5 billion on universal early learning would deliver $ 11 billion in increased economic activity by helping women back into the workforce .
Women escaping family and domestic violence have largely been left out of the budget — and women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The bulk of the $ 150 million to reduce domestic and family violence had previously been announced in response to the pandemic .
Women ’ s Safety NSW CEO Hayley Foster told Crikey advocacy groups had been calling for a $ 1 billion yearly investment in the sector to address critical service gaps and drivers of violence .
“ There is an extreme risk of family violence due to the economic crisis .
There ’ s an escalation of violence and risk , financial distress , unemployment , and we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek help and escape and live safe and independent lives , ” she said .
Unemployment makes it harder for women to leave their abusers .
Foster says organisations within her network had been rejected for funding , with some refuge centres turning away half the women and children received .
“ We haven ’ t seen any additional investment in affordable accommodation , which is the number one barrier to seeking sustainable safety , but we ’ ve seen nothing , ” Foster said .
“ It ’ s mind boggling.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra funding into the family court system .
A four-year , $ 132.1 million allocation will hopefully expedite family law matters in the Federal Circuit Court , which Foster said she hoped would speed up hearings for families in dangerous situations .

On International Women’s Day 2019, in an insight into the Coalition’s mindset, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “We want to see women rise. But we don’t want to see women rise only on the basis of others doing worse.”
This year’s budget goes above and beyond to prove this ethos. Advocacy groups have slammed it, saying the paltry $240.4 million allocated to benefitting women over five years does nothing to address inequalities in Australia’s culture and economy.
This total, as analysts have pointed out, represents a tiny fraction of the $500 billion budget spend. It amounts to about $40 per female worker, or $8 a year, until 2025.


crikey--2020-10-07--The disability provider, the ex-minister and the government-fuelled gold rush

The lucrative , government-fuelled world of specialised disability accommodation is becoming a new gold rush — and has advisers watching @ @ @ @ @ Former federal cabinet minister Michael Keenan had barely left parliament last year when he walked @ @ @ @ @ the lucrative business of specialised disability accommodation ( SDA ) -- a burgeoning property development @ @ @ @ @ funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme and driven by federal policy incentives .
Keenan @ @ @ @ @ real estate developer Sana Living less than three months after leaving his role as human @ @ @ @ @ a move that raises questions about the ministerial code of conduct given his potential inside @ @ @ @ @ .
Keenan 's ministerial responsibilities touched on the NDIS : his department was part of @ @ @ @ @ fraud .

Former federal cabinet minister Michael Keenan had barely left parliament last year when he walked into a new role in the lucrative business of specialised disability accommodation (SDA) — a burgeoning property development industry underwritten by federal government funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme and driven by federal policy incentives.
Keenan was hired as CEO of real estate developer Sana Living less than three months after leaving his role as human services minister in May, a move that raises questions about the ministerial code of conduct given his potential inside knowledge as a cabinet minister.
Keenan’s ministerial responsibilities touched on the NDIS: his department was part of a government taskforce on NDIS fraud.


crikey--2020-10-07--Veterans’ Affairs is harming Australia’s ability to manage  psychological distress

Australia 's mishandling of the veteran mental health crisis will cripple our ability to understand crises elsewhere , an expert has warned .
This is part four in a series .
Read parts one , two and three .
Australia ’ s capacity to respond to and manage the psychological impact of large-scale disasters such as last season ’ s catastrophic bushfires is being eroded by an unlikely source — the Department of Veterans ’ Affairs ( DVA ) , which is shutting itself off from independent scientific input even as its own expert base shrinks .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a psychiatrist and global expert on post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) and disaster responses , who gave a strongly worded submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements .
McFarlane said knowledge gained from studying Australian soldiers deployed to warzones and peace keeping missions had often been used following civilian disasters .
To make veterans feel comfortable , wrote McFarlane , past research had been conducted by university specialists with oversight by scientific advisory teams that included veteran representatives , who has worked with DVA and the Australian Defence Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat .
The Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies ( CTSS ) at Adelaide University was forced to close at the end of last year after funding from DVA and the Australian Defence Force — its two biggest financial backers for a decade — ran out .
That was despite CTSS conducting the most comprehensive research into our veterans in 2015 .
“ DVA used to have a staff of epidemiologists and medical personnel who played a central role in policy development , in the context of the international literature , about the hazards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interventions , ” McFarlane wrote .
“ As DVA has downsized , this capacity to use technical knowledge has been lost and it is a department that now functions with no systematic awareness of this international literature .
The loss of this expertise and knowledge puts Australia ’ s response to major disasters at risk as DVA has previously been an essential repository of experience and knowledge about the impacts of traumatic stress and how to optimally manage its effects.
” The royal commission will deliver a final report by October 28 on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to natural disasters , drawing on what many people experienced during the recent bushfires .
Globally , McFarlane is almost without peer on the health impacts of disasters .
He spent seven years treating 300 survivors of the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires .
He wrote a report for the UN Compensation Commission and the World Health Organization about the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait .
He conducted reports on the health impacts of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre , the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings , the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and the 2009 Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sole author of a report into future health needs following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire disaster in London .
As an example of DVA ’ s “ failure of institutional memory ” , McFarlane cited the department ’ s decision to abandon the Deployment Health Surveillance Program established by former veterans ’ affairs minister Bruce Scott , despite $ 30 million spent to collect baseline data .
Data was gathered on all deployments after 2002 .
The populations were to be followed-up with over the long term to establish health consequences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving personnel since 2011 , McFarlane told me .
“ This program has the potential to inform critical knowledge about long-term effects of trauma and environmental exposures that are central to the management of disasters , ” McFarlane wrote in his submission .
DVA has engaged the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare , a federal body , to do much of its health surveillance of veterans without “ adequate consultation with the university sector or veterans ” .
“ This approach is out of keeping with the model of independent research , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undertaken by all our major allies .
This research capacity in the tertiary sector is an essential national asset that can assist in disaster research and management , ” McFarlane said .
Speaking generally , McFarlane said knowledge and skills need to be developed and sustained between disasters .
Doing so depended on bureaucracies being open to having policy decisions subject to scientific scrutiny .
Contrary views should be “ openly aired without retribution in terms of the withdrawal of finances or the targeting of individuals who raise concerns ” .
DVA did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of McFarlane ’ s submission .
Dean Yates was a journalist with Reuters , the world ’ s largest news provider , for 26 years until early 2020 .
For anyone seeking help , Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue is 1300 22 4636 .
Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling is on 1800 011 046 , and the ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line is 1800 628 036 .

This is part four in a series. Read parts one, two and three.
Australia’s capacity to respond to and manage the psychological impact of large-scale disasters such as last season’s catastrophic bushfires is being eroded by an unlikely source — the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), which is shutting itself off from independent scientific input even as its own expert base shrinks.
That’s the view of Professor Alexander McFarlane, a psychiatrist and global expert on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disaster responses, who gave a strongly worded submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.


crikey--2020-10-07--Clive Palmer is up to his old tricks. Can new electoral rules derail his plans?

New donation rules aim to stop people like Clive Palmer from derailing elections .
But experts are worried they wo @ @ @ @ @ of Queensland are turning yellow .
Clive Palmer is back , this time to spoil @ @ @ @ @ winning the state election -- widely considered a litmus test for politics in the time @ @ @ @ @ war chest ready to go and LNP preferences said to be inked , Palmer wasted @ @ @ @ @ switch to another campaign heaving with the same anti-Labor rhetoric as his 2019 federal election @ @

Parts of Queensland are turning yellow. Clive Palmer is back, this time to spoil Labor’s chances of winning the state election — widely considered a litmus test for politics in the time of COVID-19.
With a war chest ready to go and LNP preferences said to be inked, Palmer wasted little time flipping the on switch to another campaign heaving with the same anti-Labor rhetoric as his 2019 federal election campaign.
There’s a small snag though.


crikey--2020-10-07--Alan Tudge’s contempt seems to know no bounds. Why is he still a minister?

Scott Morrison has not said a word about why he is maintaining in his cabinet a minister so disgraced .
@ @ @ @ @ a disgrace .
It is fair to conclude that acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge has @ @ @ @ @ law .
What else could motivate him , when the Federal Court has just declared @ @ @ @ @ committed one form of contempt ( wilful disobedience of court orders ) , to just @ @ @ @ @ court may see as another -- the one it calls “ scandalising the court ” @ @ @ @ @ Tudge ’ s original contempt was a triple : he refused to comply with an @ @ @ @ @ Tribunal ( AAT ) to release a man from immigration detention , and then ignored @ @ @ @ @ judges before finally relenting after five days of maintaining an imprisonment that was completely illegal @

It is fair to conclude that acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge has a deep contempt for the law.
What else could motivate him, when the Federal Court has just declared in explicit terms that he committed one form of contempt (wilful disobedience of court orders), to just double down on what the court may see as another — the one it calls “scandalising the court”?


crikey--2020-10-08--The Libs should be careful where they aim in their latest war on industry super

If budget moves force funds to merge they get bigger , and bigger means more power .
When big funds @ @ @ @ @ With the Liberals ' long record of trying to attack industry super funds only for @ @ @ @ @ their faces , what are the chances the government will finally succeed in landing a @ @ @ @ @ ?
Accompanying the budget -- although it 's not a fiscal measure -- is another @ @ @ @ @ .
The government proposes to legislate : `` stapling '' workers to their super so @ @ @ @ @ they 'll no longer be defaulted into a new fund unless they actively nominate their @ @ @ @ @ MySuper comparison tool to show how funds perform after fees ; requiring funds to advise @ @ @ @ @ annual performance test , and locking them off from new members if they fail two @ @ @

With the Liberals’ long record of trying to attack industry super funds only for it to blow up in their faces, what are the chances the government will finally succeed in landing a blow on its bitter enemy?
Accompanying the budget — although it’s not a fiscal measure — is another crack at the old enemy.
The government proposes to legislate: “stapling” workers to their super so that when they change jobs they’ll no longer be defaulted into a new fund unless they actively nominate their existing fund; establishing a MySuper comparison tool to show how funds perform after fees; requiring funds to advise members if they fail an annual performance test, and locking them off from new members if they fail two annual tests.


crikey--2020-10-08--‘Paltry, tokenistic’: women left behind in the budget


crikey--2020-10-09--Albo pushes the right button on a blokey government’s blokey budget

One of the few political weaknesses of the budget is its lack of support for women .
Anthony Albanese zeroed @ @ @ @ @ a direct hit with his childcare announcement .
A budget that blows half a trillion @ @ @ @ @ income tax cuts and business handouts , along with a dollop of infrastructure investment is @ @ @ @ @ for an opposition .
But Anthony Albanese has zeroed in on a key weakness : @ @ @ @ @ .
The shrillness and defensiveness of Scott Morrison in response to criticisms of the budget @ @ @ @ @ opposition that has struggled to make its mark during the pandemic has found a real @ @ @ @ @ that has few women in senior domestic portfolios .
Not that Albanese 's budget reply @ @ @ @ @ blokeyness .
The Liberals might play at interventionist industry policy but Labor is the real @ @ @ @ @ Manufacturing Plan to build rollingstock in Australia .
A $ 20 billion plan to upgrade @ @ @ @ @ bespoke power transmission infrastructure company .
Apprentice employment requirements for Commonwealth projects .

A budget that blows half a trillion dollars on budget deficits, income tax cuts and business handouts, along with a dollop of infrastructure investment is a tough one to criticise for an opposition. But Anthony Albanese has zeroed in on a key weakness: its failure to support women.
The shrillness and defensiveness of Scott Morrison in response to criticisms of the budget is a signal that an opposition that has struggled to make its mark during the pandemic has found a real sore spot for a government that has few women in senior domestic portfolios.
Not that Albanese’s budget reply wasn’t heavy on the blokeyness. The Liberals might play at interventionist industry policy but Labor is the real deal. A National Rail Manufacturing Plan to build rollingstock in Australia. A $20 billion plan to upgrade the electricity grid via a bespoke power transmission infrastructure company. Apprentice employment requirements for Commonwealth projects.


crikey--2020-10-09--Despite cuts, job losses, more Australians are enrolling at university

Across the country , universities are seeing rising domestic demand for places , in a rare silver lining for the @ @ @ @ @ Australia are recording higher levels of interest among prospective students , with more young people @ @ @ @ @ the sector struggles during the pandemic .
Data from the University Admissions Centre , which @ @ @ @ @ and the ACT , shows more than 43,000 students applied early for tertiary study in @ @ @ @ @ increase on last year 's numbers .
Universities across the country are seeing a similar @ @ @ @ @ In Queensland , there 's been a 20.3 % increase in new enrolments compared to @ @ @ @ @ Admissions Centre ( QTAC ) says — although that increase is just 6.5 % when @ @ @ @ @ year 12 cohort is factored in .

Universities across Australia are recording higher levels of interest among prospective students, with more young people turning to higher education as the sector struggles during the pandemic.
Data from the University Admissions Centre, which handles undergraduate entry for NSW and the ACT, shows more than 43,000 students applied early for tertiary study in 2021 — an 8% increase on last year’s numbers.
Universities across the country are seeing a similar growth in domestic demand. In Queensland, there’s been a 20.3% increase in new enrolments compared to last year, the Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) says — although that increase is just 6.5% when the state’s reduced 2019 year 12 cohort is factored in.


crikey--2020-10-09--Lockdowns save lives. But how many and at a what cost?

When remembering how many lives our COVID-19 response has saved , it 's important to remember how many may be @ @ @ @ @ show lockdown is a no-brainer ” screamed a Nine headline last week .
Meanwhile Crikey @ @ @ @ @ by health economist Luke Slawomirki suggesting that the “ light-touch [ lockdown ] approach has @ @ @ @ @ economic benefit ” .
Let ’ s take a closer look at these findings .
@ @ @ @ @ any calculation of the economic benefits of a lockdown are fraught with sweeping assumptions , @ @ @ @ @ the best real data we can find and be very conservative with our assumptions .

“Numbers show lockdown is a no-brainer” screamed a Nine headline last week. Meanwhile Crikey last month published an article by health economist Luke Slawomirki suggesting that the “light-touch [lockdown] approach has sacrificed a lot for little economic benefit”.
Let’s take a closer look at these findings.
As a cautionary note, any calculation of the economic benefits of a lockdown are fraught with sweeping assumptions, but we’ll use the best real data we can find and be very conservative with our assumptions.


crikey--2020-10-08--Government guarantees fuel disabled homes investment rush with double-digit returns

The federal government has turned disability housing into an investment honey pot for all comers .
But who really benefits @ @ @ @ @ in a series .
For part one , go here .
Want an `` ultra-high @ @ @ @ @ Returns of up to 17 % ?
Thanks to “ generous ” NDIS funding you @ @ @ @ @ NDIS-SDA `` opportunity '' .
That 's the dazzling sales pitch to investors made by @ @ @ @ @ Smart Homes Australia , which last year entered the new , burgeoning market in specialised @ @ @ @ @ , set loose by federal government incentives .

This is part two in a series. For part one, click here.
Want an “ultra-high yield investment opportunity”? Returns of up to 17%? Thanks to “generous” NDIS funding you too could share in this NDIS-SDA “opportunity”.
That’s the dazzling sales pitch to investors made by Brisbane real estate agency SDA Smart Homes Australia, which last year entered the new, burgeoning market in specialised disability accommodation (SDA), set loose by federal government incentives.


crikey--2020-10-08--Cloudy with a chance of rising Greens: state poll is big test for Labor

It may be that the biggest election threat to the Palaszczuk government is n't the LNP , but inner-city Greens @ @ @ @ @ a long history of reverberating through national politics , foreshadowing defeats of federal Labor governments @ @ @ @ @ 2012 and establishing Pauline Hanson as something more than a local curiosity in 1998 .
@ @ @ @ @ state to be the first to hold an election in the age of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ began this week .
The Coalition 's determination that the result should deliver another blow @ @ @ @ @ grappling with last year 's unexpected federal loss has already contributed to the breakdown of @ @ @ @ @ for a time after the virus first emerged at the start of the year .

Queensland state elections have a long history of reverberating through national politics, foreshadowing defeats of federal Labor governments in 1974, 1995 and 2012 and establishing Pauline Hanson as something more than a local curiosity in 1998.
Now it falls to the state to be the first to hold an election in the age of COVID-19, the campaign for which officially began this week.
The Coalition’s determination that the result should deliver another blow to a Labor Party still grappling with last year’s unexpected federal loss has already contributed to the breakdown of the bipartisan spirit that prevailed for a time after the virus first emerged at the start of the year.


crikey--2020-10-09--How many women hold senior political leadership positions?

Australia is slowly making progress on gender parity in politics — if you ignore the federal Coalition .
Australia has @ @ @ @ @ to have 50 % representation of men and women in government .
A recent report @ @ @ @ @ 48.5 % of all positions on governance boards .
While this a positive step , @ @ @ @ @ ever been in Australia ’ s history , it doesn ’ t tell the whole @ @ @ @ @ lower-level positions to fill quotas does little to advance gender equality -- and , as @ @ @ @ @ shows , can lead to pretty poor outcomes .
Crikey takes a look at how @ @ @ @ @ ministerial positions around Australia of party leader , leader of the upper house , treasurer @ @ @ @ @ minister , and health minister .

Australia has strived for a long time to have 50% representation of men and women in government. A recent report has found that women hold 48.5% of all positions on governance boards. While this a positive step, and the highest it’s ever been in Australia’s history, it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Stuffing women into lower-level positions to fill quotas does little to advance gender equality — and, as this year’s budget shows, can lead to pretty poor outcomes.
Crikey takes a look at how many women hold the top ministerial positions around Australia of party leader, leader of the upper house, treasurer, finance minister, education minister, and health minister.


crikey--2020-10-09--Lockdowns save lives. But how many and at what cost?


crikey--2020-10-09--Trouble on the bench: just how stressed out are our judges and what can be done?

The death of a Queensland judge has again shone a light on the relentless pressure on our judiciary .
Overnight @ @ @ @ @ Circuit Court judge Guy Andrew , missing for five days , had been found in @ @ @ @ @ Acknowledging the news , Family Court Chief Justice William Alstergren said the `` tragic passing @ @ @ @ @ the extraordinary pressure on all who practise in the often highly emotive family law jurisdiction @ @ @ @ @ continue an ongoing theme for the profession : the sheer relentless pressure on judges .

Overnight brought the news that Federal Circuit Court judge Guy Andrew, missing for five days, had been found in bushland in western Brisbane.
Acknowledging the news, Family Court Chief Justice William Alstergren said the “tragic passing is a timely reminder of the extraordinary pressure on all who practise in the often highly emotive family law jurisdiction”.
Alstergren’s comments continue an ongoing theme for the profession: the sheer relentless pressure on judges.


crikey--2020-10-12--The Morrison government is helping young people — but there are catches

Young people have been named 'winners ' from the federal budget , but the government is n't listening to what they actually need Josh Frydenberg ’ s July provocation that his economic response to the coronavirus crisis would be inspired by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan wasn ’ t fully realised .
His budget was in fact an ideological hodgepodge of traditional conservative and Keynesian elements .
Yet it remained deeply Thatcherite in one important respect .
Maggie saw economic policy as a means to “ change the soul ” , to remould individuals ’ hearts and minds to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rewarding the good and punishing the bad .
This is perhaps the defining feature of the Morrison government .
The Monthly ’ s Richard Cooke aptly called it “ welfare chauvinism ” , “ the post-free-marketeer idea that government spending should be retained ( or increased ) , on the proviso it is directed to preferred groups … a reward for good behaviour that can also be withdrawn as a punishment.
” We have seen this strategy in the government ’ s determined frugalness towards universities , the ABC and the arts despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we saw the government turn its attention to younger generations , steering them away from perceived enemies and towards conservative cultural preferences .
The Australian news media was quick to paint young people as budget “ winners ” .
Indeed , there was a surprising focus on reducing youth unemployment , even to the potential detriment of older workers .
But below the headline figures , the government smuggled in some conditions that seek to reorient young people ’ s life choices towards those culturally and electorally favoured by the Coalition .
Take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wage subsidy scheme for employers hiring unemployed people under 35 .
As young people have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus recession and will experience long-term scarring , the government is right to prioritise them in the budget , even if the scheme design is questionable .
However , as with the JobKeeper scheme , this subsidy excludes local , state and federal agencies including most universities , arts organisations and our national broadcasters .
Their exclusion would not be such an issue if the government instituted separate support schemes in these institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones , but such have either been non-existent or paltry .
The ABC has now paused its cadetship program for young journalism graduates and pathways for early career researchers and academics have been decimated .
Meanwhile , the government passed its university fee changes on Thursday after some horse-trading with the Centre Alliance .
This will result in significant increases to the cost of humanities and law degrees and reductions to others including agriculture and STEM .
The contribution rates bear little resemblance to job outcomes and , given the incentive structure will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political preferences about which students should be saddled with the most debt .
Students gifted in disciplines not deemed “ national priorities ” , which happen to involve critical evaluation of public policies , will face financial barriers those in less political fields do not .
Perhaps the most egregious favouritism was displayed in the government ’ s welfare incentives for unemployed young people to pick fruit in the regions .
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has propped up labour supply for unattractive businesses , based on a laughably romantic vision of farm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with character-building hard yakka .
Nudging us into the fold Given the Coalition struggles to appeal to younger voters , you might have thought it would use its youth jobs subsidy as an electoral olive branch .
But it appears to have given up on persuading youth — for instance , the treasurer cancelled his interview with the ABC ’ s Triple J this week .
Many conservatives evidently think young people will only agree with them once they are barred from liberal pursuits like history and sociology and put to work ploughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their only strategy to increase their youth vote is by making the youth look more like their voting base .
But there are far easier ways to appeal to young people than social conditioning — gens Y and Z hold relatively small ‘ c ’ conservative views on family , community and place , which could be tapped into with , say , fewer investor-focused housing policies .
Young people should be afforded government assistance in this once-in-a-generation recession without compromising their dreams or dancing to a prescribed tune .
Instead of imposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us .

Josh Frydenberg’s July provocation that his economic response to the coronavirus crisis would be inspired by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan wasn’t fully realised.
His budget was in fact an ideological hodgepodge of traditional conservative and Keynesian elements.
Yet it remained deeply Thatcherite in one important respect. Maggie saw economic policy as a means to “change the soul”, to remould individuals’ hearts and minds to increase their economic utility and cultural conformity by rewarding the good and punishing the bad.


crikey--2020-10-11--Just how did the the govenment stuff up the budget so badly?

Given the circumstances in which it was created , last week 's budget lacks substance and is showing noticeable flaws .
Has the government got the intellectual firepower to think creatively about a post-COVID world ?
For a government that had an extra six months and practically unlimited funding to shape whatever budget it liked , last week ’ s effort looks increasingly disappointing , both politically and economically .
Remarkably , after a budget that lavished half a trillion dollars of deficit spending on the economy and handed out billions in tax cuts , the government ended the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women .
Anthony Albanese , for most of this year hors de combat courtesy of the political demands of the pandemic , adeptly exploited that to unveil a major new childcare initiative that will effectively move childcare into the government-funded service column currently occupied by Medicare , NDIS and , partially , aged care and super .
It stood out not for the cost — at $ 6 billion , small beer in the post-COVID world of trillions — but because it suggested some vision of what the future economy should look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current one .
Vision that was wholly lacking the previous Tuesday .
Other critiques have come from the right , rather than the left , complaining that the government had “ wasted the crisis ” and failed to push through whatever neoliberal fantasy the author most strongly advocates .
But the essence of the criticism is the same : no vision .
Since then , some of the wheels have started falling off the budget business centrepieces , the colossal instant asset write-off designed to encourage , or at least bring forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encourage business to add on workers .
The efficacy of the measures , which are fundamental to the government ’ s forecast of a business-led recovery , are being seriously challenged .
Small business peak body head Peter Strong has raised doubts about the extent to which the wage subsidies will deliver more jobs .
Michael Pascoe has pointed out a significant flaw in the investment strategy — the high hurdle rates for business investment , elevated by pandemic-related uncertainty .
And — in what would be declared a “ debacle ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had occurred following a Labor budget — Josh Frydenberg has had to rush to consult with the Business Council ( BCA ) because the asset depreciation provision threshold as drafted is too low for the large businesses and multinationals that make up the BCA ’ s membership .
If only other community groups could have Treasury on tap to redraft budget measures for them .
This is in a budget that the government had an extra six months to craft , giving it ample time to consult with business about what would deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investment flowing .
When your budget strategy is a business-led recovery , there ’ s no excuse for not getting the business incentives right .
If you ’ re not doing the vision thing , you should at least nail the practical stuff .
The dearth of vision was at least partly ideological .
The government seems genuinely averse to supporting social housing , the universal choice for fiscal stimulus .
It is deeply reluctant to commit to a permanent JobSeeker increase .
The lack of women in its senior domestic political ranks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its thinking on notionally “ female ” issues like childcare .
But is the lack of substance in the budget beyond tax cuts and business incentives also because this is , even by modern standards , a government of limited substance ?
Remember the government spent 2019 — as the economy lapsed into deep stagnation and business and the Reserve Bank pleaded for fiscal support — thrashing around for an agenda , having been surprised to discover it was still in office .
The prime minister himself is a man of modest accomplishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s background is primarily as a political staffer .
A look across the ministry reveals few people anyone would accuse of visionary thinking ; many Nationals ministers , including Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack , show little evidence of any thinking at all .
The only heavyweight in the government is Mathias Cormann , whose departure will leave a massive hole in terms of experience , political savvy and discipline .
His replacement , Simon Birmingham , is a smart moderate who will have giant shoes to fill in both the Finance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obliged to elevate Michaelia Cash to the deputy Senate leadership is another example of how thin the talent is in Liberal ranks .
Nearly as thin as the substance of the budget .

For a government that had an extra six months and practically unlimited funding to shape whatever budget it liked, last week’s effort looks increasingly disappointing, both politically and economically.
Remarkably, after a budget that lavished half a trillion dollars of deficit spending on the economy and handed out billions in tax cuts, the government ended the week on the defensive over its indifference to women.
Anthony Albanese, for most of this year hors de combat courtesy of the political demands of the pandemic, adeptly exploited that to unveil a major new childcare initiative that will effectively move childcare into the government-funded service column currently occupied by Medicare, NDIS and, partially, aged care and super.


crikey--2020-10-11--An even more divided world: COVID is a boon for the rich, a bane for the poor

As millions of people around the world lost their jobs , billionaires increased their wealth by 27.5 % between April @ @ @ @ @ 2 , when we were still awakening to COVID-19 , I suggested that the world @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus was an extreme example of a transfer of wealth from the young to @ @ @ @ @ China was part-way through its brutal lockdown of Wuhan ; the Diamond Princess had become @ @ @ @ @ the elderly were being hit hard in Italy .
Much of the world was still @ @ @ @ @ Eight months later and most of the world has in some way locked down their @ @ @ @ @ time .
As millions of people around the world lost their jobs , billionaires increased @ @ @ @ @ between April and July .
The world ’ s richest man , Jeff Bezos , @ @ @ @ @ staggering US $ 74 billion , helped in part by governments forcing Amazon ’ s @ @ @ @

On March 2, when we were still awakening to COVID-19, I suggested that the world’s response to the novel coronavirus was an extreme example of a transfer of wealth from the young to the old.
Back then China was part-way through its brutal lockdown of Wuhan; the Diamond Princess had become a floating prison; and the elderly were being hit hard in Italy. Much of the world was still largely blissful in ignorance.
Eight months later and most of the world has in some way locked down their populations for a period of time. As millions of people around the world lost their jobs, billionaires increased their wealth by 27.5% between April and July. The world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, increased his wealth by a staggering US$74 billion, helped in part by governments forcing Amazon’s competitors to close.


crikey--2020-10-12--What was that about being OK for Xmas? Lockdown life in Melbourne shows no let up

With cases stubbornly staying in the double digits , is there any light at the end of the tunnel ?
@ @ @ @ @ t bring sweeping changes to Melbourne ’ s strict lockdown restrictions , as the city @ @ @ @ @ of new COVID-19 cases slightly increased ( by 0.6 ) to 9.9 .
Melbourne 's @ @ @ @ @ has no restrictions on leaving home , permits all retail to reopen , and allows @ @ @ @ @ 10 people .
But to get there the 14-day case average must drop to less @ @ @ @ @ with less than five cases with an unknown source in the last 14 days statewide @ @ @ @ @ Andrews government rule .
This morning , the city recorded 15 new cases with no @ @ @ @ @ state of emergency has been extended until November 8 .

October 19 likely won’t bring sweeping changes to Melbourne’s strict lockdown restrictions, as the city’s 14-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases slightly increased (by 0.6) to 9.9.
Melbourne’s third step out of lockdown has no restrictions on leaving home, permits all retail to reopen, and allows public gatherings of up to 10 people. But to get there the 14-day case average must drop to less than five per day, with less than five cases with an unknown source in the last 14 days statewide. That is the current Andrews government rule.
This morning, the city recorded 15 new cases with no fatalities. Victoria’s state of emergency has been extended until November 8.


crikey--2020-10-11--Just how did the government stuff up the budget so badly?