crikey--2020-03-18--Morrison's tone is changing. Tick. But why is Australia lagging other nations on stimulus?

As governments around the world do all they can to stave off depression , Australian policymakers are biding their time @ @ @ @ @ overseas governments -- conservative , progressive , centrist -- are laying down the markers for @ @ @ @ @ response needed to deal with the threat of global depression .
New Zealand 's Jacinda @ @ @ @ @ announcing a package worth 4 % of GDP .
Donald Trump -- with the apparent @ @ @ @ @ Democrat leaders in Congress -- spoke of a US $ 1 trillion package , which @ @ @ @ @ US GDP .
The Johnson government in the UK revealed a package of business support @ @ @ @ @ % of GDP , although much of it is in the form of loans , @ @ @ @

One by one, overseas governments — conservative, progressive, centrist — are laying down the markers for the size of the stimulus response needed to deal with the threat of global depression.
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern went hard yesterday, announcing a package worth 4% of GDP. Donald Trump — with the apparent support of both GOP and Democrat leaders in Congress — spoke of a US$1 trillion package, which is around 4.5% of US GDP.
The Johnson government in the UK revealed a package of business support measures worth a gobsmacking 13% of GDP, although much of it is in the form of loans, rather than handouts.


crikey--2020-03-18--Are we looking at a recession like no other? In short, yes

Poverty and inequality are expected to skyrocket if the government ca n't manage to stave off an impending recession .
@ @ @ @ @ Australian stocks have had their biggest daily drop since the crash of 1987 , with @ @ @ @ @ lows .
The US economy is heading towards a recession .
It ’ s bleak @ @ @ @ @ has already dealt with a slow economy and stagnant wages , summer bushfires and now @ @ @ @ @ look at what we can expect to see in a recession -- and who it @ @ @ @ @

Wall Street has nosedived. Australian stocks have had their biggest daily drop since the crash of 1987, with the Aussie dollar hitting 11-year lows. The US economy is heading towards a recession.
It’s bleak news for Australia, which has already dealt with a slow economy and stagnant wages, summer bushfires and now coronavirus.
Crikey takes a look at what we can expect to see in a recession — and who it will hit the hardest.


crikey--2020-03-18--Will a public health crisis do what pokies regulators could not?

Clubs and casinos have resisted turning off pokie machines in the face of the coronavirus pandemic .
How long will @ @ @ @ @ ?
There is no other country that has anything like Australia 's 5000 gambling venues @ @ @ @ @ let alone annual pokies losses of $ 14 billion .
They say never waste a @ @ @ @ @ by for the first meaningful reduction of Australian poker machine losses in recent memory , @ @ @ @ @ initially tardy response .
As theatres , gyms , pools , stores and restaurants were @ @ @ @ @ did a deal with Crown Melbourne -- Australia ’ s biggest pokies venue with $ @ @ @ @ @ revenue -- earlier this week requiring it to deactivate every second poker machine and impose @ @ @ @

There is no other country that has anything like Australia’s 5000 gambling venues and 200,000 poker machines — let alone annual pokies losses of $14 billion.
They say never waste a good crisis, so stand by for the first meaningful reduction of Australian poker machine losses in recent memory, despite the industry’s initially tardy response.
As theatres, gyms, pools, stores and restaurants were closing, the Victorian government did a deal with Crown Melbourne — Australia’s biggest pokies venue with $462.7 million in 2018-19 pokies revenue — earlier this week requiring it to deactivate every second poker machine and impose gambler spacing policies.


crikey--2020-03-17--The banality of a pandemic

The banality of a pandemic

At almost almost any other time in history , a story like this would have created a tragic sensation .
It was the eighth story down on the home page of The Washington Post last night , under a mildly ominous headline : Nothing in that headline hinted at the 1176 words of tragedy that followed .
Italians are “ contracting [ COVID-19 ] — and dying of it — more rapidly than anywhere else ” : 368 new deaths reported last Sunday , another 349 died on Monday .
At the time of publication , the most recent figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the northern Italian city of Bergamo , residents describe “ a ghostly place where only ambulances and hearses are on the road at night ” … … the crematorium has started operating 24 hours a day .
Coffins have filled up two hospital morgues , and then a cemetery morgue , and are now being lined up inside a cemetery church .
The local newspaper ’ s daily obituary section has grown from two or three pages to 10 , sometimes listing more than 150 names , in what the top editor likens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost almost any other time in history , a story like that would have created a tragic sensation .
Now , it ’ s a down-page story describing the banality of a nightmare .
Eric Beecher is the chairman of Private Media , the publisher of Crikey .

It was the eighth story down on the home page of The Washington Post last night, under a mildly ominous headline:
In an Italian city, obituaries fill the newspaper, but survivors mourn alone.
Nothing in that headline hinted at the 1176 words of tragedy that followed.


crikey--2020-03-18--Virus Watch: how much are countries throwing into their stimulus plans?

Australia 's stimulus package is already looking like a small fish in the big sea of the world 's economic @ @ @ @ @ While the number may seem like a hefty sum , Australia ’ s stimulus package @ @ @ @ @ represents 0.9 % of our annual GDP .
This is a paltry percentage compared to @ @ @ @ @ the impending economic crisis , many of which have been unveiled this week .
Scott @ @ @ @ @ range of local measures to help combat the spread of coronavirus in Australia .

While the number may seem like a hefty sum, Australia’s stimulus package of $17.6 billion only represents 0.9% of our annual GDP. This is a paltry percentage compared to other nations’ response to the impending economic crisis, many of which have been unveiled this week.
Local measures
Scott Morrison today unveiled a new range of local measures to help combat the spread of coronavirus in Australia.
Morrison announced:


crikey--2020-03-18--The world is confronting some radical notions: firstly, that society does exist...

World responses to economic slowdown have demonstrated how the real nature of production is inherently social — and how most @ @ @ @ @ how the world works .
The sensation of suddenly feeling one is in a dystopian @ @ @ @ @ these days , but it really got a workout last Friday in the US when @ @ @ @ @ press conference with a crack anti-virus team .
Scientists ?
Doctors ?
Some of them @ @ @ @ @ I 'd like to introduce the CEO of Target ... such and such from Walmart @ @ @ @ @ said the president , introducing one suit after another .
Google was working on a @ @ @ @ @ to set up testing stations in car parks .

The sensation of suddenly feeling one is in a dystopian science fiction is fairly common these days, but it really got a workout last Friday in the US when Donald Trump appeared for a press conference with a crack anti-virus team.
Scientists? Doctors? Some of them, but then: “I’d like to introduce the CEO of Target… such and such from Walmart… from Walgreens…” said the president, introducing one suit after another.


crikey--2020-03-17--'Coronaviruses are a wily bunch': a doctor explains why herd immunity won't save us

Despite talk of 'herd immunity ' , countries have accepted that waiting to beat COVID-19 is n't an option .
@ @ @ @ @ so .
Last week Sir Patrick Vallance , the UK ’ s chief scientific adviser @ @ @ @ @ seeming to suggest that the way to manage the coronavirus pandemic was to rely on @ @ @ @ @ that that ’ s not actually what he said , that ’ s what was @ @ @ @ @ we mean by herd immunity ?
In brief , it means that if enough people @ @ @ @ @ , then it becomes unlikely or unable to spread through the remaining vulnerable members of @ @ @

Last week Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, was publicly pilloried for seeming to suggest that the way to manage the coronavirus pandemic was to rely on herd immunity.
No matter that that’s not actually what he said, that’s what was heard. So what do we mean by herd immunity?
In brief, it means that if enough people are immune to a disease, then it becomes unlikely or unable to spread through the remaining vulnerable members of the community.


crikey--2020-03-26--No, the dolphins haven't returned to Venice (and other news you may have missed)

Britney Spears calls for revolution , Tinder saves the world and no , Venice is n't technically any cleaner .
@ @ @ @ @ here are the stories you missed Let ’ s be honest : from the moment @ @ @ @ @ ’ …Baby One More Time we knew it would inevitably end in the dismantling of @ @ @ @ @ thanks to Britney 's Instagram , we have officially entered the endgame .
Just as @ @ @ @ @ 1893 monograph “ Oops… The Monopoly of Capital is a Fetter upon the Mode of @ @ @ @ @ Britney caused a stir when she shared a provocative post that suggested the current lockdown @ @ @ @ @ and should , mark the start of a new and better world .

Leave comrade Britney alone!
Let’s be honest: from the moment we first heard Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time we knew it would inevitably end in the dismantling of capitalism.
And now, thanks to Britney’s Instagram, we have officially entered the endgame. Just as Marx predicted in his seminal 1893 monograph “Oops… The Monopoly of Capital is a Fetter upon the Mode of Production, Again”.
Britney caused a stir when she shared a provocative post that suggested the current lockdown and economic collapse could, and should, mark the start of a new and better world.


crikey--2020-03-22--Do I need to stop taking anti-inflammatory drugs?

There 's a lot of confusion going around about treatment of symptoms .
Here 's what you need to know .
If the virus doesn ’ t get you , the Nurofen will .
At least , that ’ s the impression given after the French health minister Olivier Véran tweeted : That was several weeks ago .
Since then , experts around the world rushed to reassure people that the important word in this statement was “ could ” .
RB Health , the makers of Nurofen , was understandably more emphatic , stating “ there is no proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the aggravation of COVID-19 ” .
It cited a tweet by the World Health Organisation that said it was not aware “ of reports of any negative effects of ibuprofen ” among doctors treating COVID-19 patients .
As of March 19 , the WHO was monitoring the situation by consulting to doctors about it .
Without going into complex details of physiology and pharmacology , it is true that there are theoretical reasons why anti-inflammatories could ( that word again ) be unhelpful .
But there ’ s very little evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s move on .
So , if we get a respiratory illness , how should we treat the symptoms ?
Here ’ s the best evidence-based advice that I know : A measured body temperature of over 37.5 degrees is the usual definition of fever .
Treatment with antipyretics like paracetamol will bring fever down , but not completely .
However , fever is part of the body ’ s defence mechanism .
We don ’ t want to stop it doing its bit .
My advice is always : treat the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK ?
Let the fever do its job .
Hot , sore , headachy and miserable ?
Take something .
When I was a baby doctor , paracetamol was always the go-to .
Over the last couple of decades , ibuprofen ( Nurofen being the best known brand ) , joined paracetamol as an alternative .
Both seem to work equally well .
With COVID-19 , however , current advice is that paracetamol should probably be the first choice .
I normally take low-dose aspirin , or anti-inflammatories , for other reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do about a cough ?
Pharmacy shelves have a variety of options to treat a cough .
Clinical trials show that all the chemicals make very little difference .
What helps a tickly cough is the soothing liquid , not the chemical junk in that liquid .
So make some chamomile tea , or some hot water with honey and lemon .
Add a little whiskey to make an old fashioned hot toddy .
Medicinal purposes only , you understand .
Doctor ’ s orders .
Do I have to ‘ keep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional advice , but not exactly evidence-based .
Unless you are really sick , have rampant pneumonia or similar , you have a built in mechanism that tells you how much to drink .
It ’ s called thirst .
There have been cases of people who have felt pressured to drink large amounts , and have suffered adverse consequences as a result .
Trust your body and drink what you need .
I ’ m no hippy .
I don ’ t have a tattoo , nor a single piercing .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar are ones that ache , and flares belong in boats .
And , as a non-hippy , I generally don ’ t go for the whole vitamins and supplements thing .
I subscribe to the view that most just make expensive urine .
But this is where Linus comes in .
Linus Pauling was a scientist who won not one but two Nobel Prizes , and he remains the only person to win two non-shared Nobels in different fields ( chemistry and peace ) .
In his later work he became fixated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both cancer and the common cold .
His theories about treating cancer with high-dose Vitamin C have been largely debunked .
However , like herpes , the idea that Vitamin C may be helpful in viral infection keeps coming back .
After several decades of subsequent research on Vitamin C and respiratory infections , there is unfortunately only very weak evidence for its protective and treatment benefits .
But at least there ’ s a hint that it might help .
Similarly , some trials have shown that zinc supplements may be helpful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the zinc trials that showed benefit were with a lozenge form ( the benefit may come from the flow of supplement over the respiratory tissues in the pharynx .
Or that may be bollocks ) .
Echinacea needs to be mentioned , only to be discarded .
Echinacea is a flowering herb supposed to have some immune stimulant properties , and there was some very weak evidence that it may help in coughs and colds .
However a more definitive trial , of three different strengths of the herb versus placebo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bye bye echinacea .
It was nice while it lasted .
A combined zinc and Vitamin C lozenge is cheap and safe , and may even make a difference .
There must be a reason it was the first supplement to disappear from the shelves .
Dr Nick Carr is a Melbourne-based GP , author and broadcaster .
His interests include the care of the elderly , psychological medicine and paediatrics .

If the virus doesn’t get you, the Nurofen will. At least, that’s the impression given after the French health minister Olivier Véran tweeted:
Taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone…) could be an aggravating factor of the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol…
That was several weeks ago. Since then, experts around the world rushed to reassure people that the important word in this statement was “could”.


crikey--2020-03-20--Trying to save the economy from the virus is all madness, no method

Plans to prop up already shambolic corporations will impoverish us all , invite economic disaster and destroy much of what @ @ @ @ @ is all a bit mad , is n't it ?
I 've spent half an @ @ @ @ @ a snappy intro for this piece , but all it really comes down to is @ @ @ @ @ bit mad , is n't it ?
The lockdowns are starting up all over the @ @ @ @ @ off , France militarised , the US doing it city by city .
The whole @ @ @ @ @ relied on consumer choice is disappearing as the ability to make those choices goes .
@ @ @ @ @ was a brief flurry of , almost , excitement , as people -- or one @ @ @ @ @ working from home , the couch , Netflix , etc .

This is all a bit mad, isn’t it? I’ve spent half an hour trying to work out a snappy intro for this piece, but all it really comes down to is, this is all a bit mad, isn’t it?
The lockdowns are starting up all over the world, Tasmania shutting itself off, France militarised, the US doing it city by city.
The whole sector of the economy that relied on consumer choice is disappearing as the ability to make those choices goes. For a while, there was a brief flurry of, almost, excitement, as people — or one class of people — considered working from home, the couch, Netflix, etc.


crikey--2020-03-23--Buying groceries and a coffee in the 'new normal' of Shanghai

It may be the Big Brother approach , but this is how to stop a virus and keep everyone safe @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai from Sydney ; let me share my experience of being out in Shanghai yesterday @ @ @ @ @ was leaving the apartment complex , I was greeted by the building manager at the @ @ @ @ @ out .
Going outside , I see there ’ s not a single person without @ @ @ @ @ walked past a cafe and ordered a coffee by scanning a QR code with my @ @ @ @ @ the café ; I then paid for it using the app .

I recently returned to Shanghai from Sydney; let me share my experience of being out in Shanghai yesterday grocery shopping.
As I was leaving the apartment complex, I was greeted by the building manager at the gate and handed a pass out. Going outside, I see there’s not a single person without a mask on.


crikey--2020-04-02--Change at the speed of plague: how the world has turned upside down in weeks

Viruses are stuck moving at the pace that humans move .
And now we 're moving at a dizzying pace @ @ @ @ @ a very different future to the one we imagined at the start of the year @ @ @ @ @ the grip of the bushfire crisis when the first media reports emerged about a new @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Chinese health authorities are trying to identify what is causing an outbreak of @ @ @ @ @ of Wuhan , officials say , after the tally of cases rose to 44 , @ @ @ @ @ January 4 , just days after China had -- reluctantly -- `` fessed up '' @ @ @ @ @ about it .
At that point we were still talking about Scott Morrison forcing people @ @ @ @ @ the abuse being meted out to him over his failure of leadership over December and @ @ @ @ @ .
Two days later , he announced a $ 2 billion bushfire recovery package , @ @ @ @ @ budget surplus he had declared `` delivered '' would still arrive .

Australia was still in the grip of the bushfire crisis when the first media reports emerged about a new virus in Wuhan, China.
“Chinese health authorities are trying to identify what is causing an outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan, officials say, after the tally of cases rose to 44,” the ABC reported on January 4, just days after China had — reluctantly — “fessed up” to the World Health Organisation about it.
At that point we were still talking about Scott Morrison forcing people to shake hands, and the abuse being meted out to him over his failure of leadership over December and between Christmas and New Year. Two days later, he announced a $2 billion bushfire recovery package, amid questions about whether the budget surplus he had declared “delivered” would still arrive.


crikey--2020-03-31--'It's as terrifying': talking to a Blitz survivor about coronavirus

There are even more parallels between survival during the Blitz and the fight against COVID-19 than you may realise .
@ @ @ @ @ , was born in Harrow in 1932 .
She was eight when bombs first began @ @ @ @ @ in the German aerial campaign that became known as the Blitz .
Fighting coronavirus is @ @ @ @ @ World War , despite what some world leaders and media figures might tell you , @ @ @ @ @ Spirit might be what we all need right now .
Turner is my 88-year-old grandma @ @ @ @ @ to find out what parallels we can usefully draw from that time to now .

Doreen Turner, née Duncan, was born in Harrow in 1932. She was eight when bombs first began to fall across the UK in the German aerial campaign that became known as the Blitz.
Fighting coronavirus is not like fighting the Second World War, despite what some world leaders and media figures might tell you, but a bit of Blitz Spirit might be what we all need right now.
Turner is my 88-year-old grandma and I spoke with her to find out what parallels we can usefully draw from that time to now.


crikey--2020-03-25--Cochlear hears the music, goes to market to stave off coronavirus collapse

Hearing implant manufacturer Cochlear has become the first cab off the ranks of Australian companies requesting funding to avoid ruin @ @ @ @ @ Hearing implant maker Cochlear has become the first major Australian company to look for shareholders @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus crisis , looking for around $ 1.2 billion in new cash , a lender @ @ @ @ @ Cochlear is one of the bluest of blue chips of the Australian tech sector and @ @ @ @ @ hearing implants .
But its business has been crippled by the impact of coronavirus on @ @ @ @ @ now sales elsewhere are under pressure from government lockdowns across the globe , notably in @ @ @ @ @ US and across Australia and New Zealand .
Lockdowns mean surgeries are being cancelled across @ @ @ @ @ of its devices have stalled and are now falling .

Hearing implant maker Cochlear has become the first major Australian company to look for shareholders for help in the current coronavirus crisis, looking for around $1.2 billion in new cash, a lender and dropping all dividends.
Cochlear is one of the bluest of blue chips of the Australian tech sector and a household name for its hearing implants. But its business has been crippled by the impact of coronavirus on its Chinese operations, and now sales elsewhere are under pressure from government lockdowns across the globe, notably in Europe, parts of the US and across Australia and New Zealand.
Lockdowns mean surgeries are being cancelled across the globe, so sales of its devices have stalled and are now falling.


crikey--2020-03-25--Australia's coronavirus response has become the worst of both worlds

Australia 's piecemeal approach to battling coronavirus is both economically catastrophic and will have no real impact on the virus @ @ @ @ @ s success in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and the catastrophe unfolding in Italy and @ @ @ @ @ western world is locking down their citizens .
UK , Canada , New Zealand , @ @ @ @ @ of Europe have done so ( and the results in Italy appear to be cautiously @ @ @ @ @ day-on-day ) .
The exception remains Australia , which is now undertaking a disorderly mass @ @ @ @ @ out of work , but allowing random businesses like hairdressers and shopping centres ( and @ @ @ @ @ .

After China’s success in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and the catastrophe unfolding in Italy and Spain, most of the western world is locking down their citizens.
UK, Canada, New Zealand, many US states and much of Europe have done so (and the results in Italy appear to be cautiously positive with new cases dropping day-on-day).
The exception remains Australia, which is now undertaking a disorderly mass of closures, forcing millions out of work, but allowing random businesses like hairdressers and shopping centres (and schools) to remain open.


crikey--2020-03-24--How the UK's strange, post left-right politics helped spawn a quasi-dictatorship

The UK is heading towards a monumental and potentially massively lethal COVID-19 disaster , and it may have arisen from @ @ @ @ @ radical politics .
UK PM Boris Johnson yesterday announced vastly authoritarian measures to combat the @ @ @ @ @ Italian style stay-at-home measures , with fines and jail time as penalties , far beyond @ @ @ @ @ and public activity that Australia is currently under .
This is a complete turnaround from @ @ @ @ @ was to have a stab at an insouciant , carry-on approach which , it was @ @ @ @ @ stab at `` herd immunity '' -- some scientifically unsupported notion that the virus would @ @ @ @ @ 60 % immunity was achieved .
Several days later , after precious time was lost @ @ @ @ @ wholly predictably , the government reversed course in multiple stages .

UK PM Boris Johnson yesterday announced vastly authoritarian measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, including Italian style stay-at-home measures, with fines and jail time as penalties, far beyond the mere down-powering of shops and public activity that Australia is currently under.
This is a complete turnaround from their earlier approach, which was to have a stab at an insouciant, carry-on approach which, it was leaked, was possibly a stab at “herd immunity” — some scientifically unsupported notion that the virus would come to a halt when 60% immunity was achieved.
Several days later, after precious time was lost and infections grew exponentially and wholly predictably, the government reversed course in multiple stages.


crikey--2020-04-09--Before Ruby Princess: a short history of cruise ship scandals

Even before the world was watching the Ruby Princess coronavirus debacle unfold , the cruise industry had more than its @ @ @ @ @ The world is watching as the Ruby Princess debacle continues to unfold : the political @ @ @ @ @ , and the grim , rising death toll .
But the industry is no stranger @ @ @ @ @ easy to see why .
Most cruise liners carry thousands of people and operate under @ @ @ @ @ 's plenty of alcohol , diseases spread quickly and when something does go wrong , @ @ @ @ @ call .
Carnival Corp -- owner of the Ruby Princess -- is not alone in @ @ @ @ @ over the past two decades , which leave a trail of costly settlements and public @ @ @ @ @ .

The world is watching as the Ruby Princess debacle continues to unfold: the political bickering, the police investigation, and the grim, rising death toll.
But the industry is no stranger to scandal and it’s easy to see why. Most cruise liners carry thousands of people and operate under complex legal jurisdictions. There’s plenty of alcohol, diseases spread quickly and when something does go wrong, there is no police to call.
Carnival Corp — owner of the Ruby Princess — is not alone in dealing with cruise industry scandals over the past two decades, which leave a trail of costly settlements and public relations battles in their wake.


crikey--2020-04-09--COVID-19, the movie? Don't hold your breath

It will be fascinating to see what Hollywood produces in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
World-disrupting , unspeakable-death-toll-accruing , hunker-down-and-sanitise-everything-and-everyone events are fortunately few and far between .
Rare enough , certainly , to make something like COVID-19 seem like irrefutable filmmaking fodder .
With too many creatives at home with Tiger King and the pandemic as the only things to talk about , film and TV incarnations of this period of respiratory malady seem foretold .
The machinations of Hollywood are arguably random : if there were a true template for success we ’ d see far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flops that constitute the industry norm .
But there are nonetheless some trends in what gets produced , and certainly world incidents of the “ remembering where you were when you found out ” caliber , or those that prompted you to question your safety/sanity/sense of self , provide clues to the probable paths of Hollywood in the coming years .
The post-9/11 pop culture universe provides useful insight in conjuring predictions .
While references to the attacks are detectable in nearly two decades of media , the three films specifically focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flight 93 and World Trade Center , all released in 2006 .
They took half a decade to come out and were largely viewed and dismissed as literal — and forgettable — event retellings .
Such stylised reenactments , while filling a confected niche in the market for a visual encapsulation of something timely and traumatic ( hardly necessary in the age of social media and 24-hour news ) are rarely juggernauts .
They ’ re often made on the cheap and suffer from the hurried skirmish to be released first .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clambering to pay to be revictimised by a story they experienced firsthand .
Further , such productions generally can ’ t offer us new sensory experiences to justify the expense .
We go to the cinema to escape and , notably , to enjoy something we can ’ t easily get at home — be it 3D , or blockbuster special effects , or seeing famous folks on a screen the size of a small country .
A dramatised version of coronavirus is therefore likely to hold limited appeal .
Add to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us being cooped up in our homes with little else to do but manically probe and prod the pandemic and experience it endlessly through memes and cable news and our social media feeds .
We ’ ve already spent weeks bathing in disease — more coronavirus isn ’ t likely to be something we ’ ll be salivating for once cinemas reopen and the show is back in business .
Instead of a slew of material about a specific event , it ’ s more common to attempt to capture the zeitgeist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling as a result of a happening — and channel that into media productions .
As early as November 2001 , White House advisers and Hollywood executives met to discuss an industry response to 9/11 .
What followed was a decade of films largely eschewing Twin Towers tales altogether , and which instead showcased American patriotism and military might .
The spirit of the age — real or mass-mediated or a little of both — was all about reasserting Western world dominance .
It was during this time that a cultural preoccupation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and when a slew of Cold War narratives ( think Spielberg ’ s War of the Worlds ) and 1970s horror films got retrofitted as vehicles to channel our collective fears about terrorism without ever actually mentioning it .
During the early days of AIDS there were some timely offerings — like 1985 ’ s Buddies — but much more common was the presentation of diffuse fears of blood-borne illness .
The time was ripe for the 1986 remake of The Fly — a lesson in degradation and negative transformation of the human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 90s slasher films that served as metaphors for the mortal perils of indiscriminate intercourse .
Of course , what makes COVID-19 interesting in much the same way as Me Too , is that it will be the lens through which the next decade of pop culture gets interpreted , regardless of whether there ’ s a connection ; even when a media item , in fact , goes to great pains to avoid referencing the pandemic at all .
Such analysis keeps academics busy , sure , but it ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes , too .
The cultural mood and moment is essential in how a media item gets received .
Film and TV that captures the age — that finds itself as a voice of a generation , of a moment in time — can do extremely well at the box office and in cultural memory .
Conversely — and more often than not — such material gets it wrong and is perceived as “ too soon ” , as insensitive , as exploitative , or , perhaps even more fatally , gets ignored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some promptly produced screen tellings of this planet-pausing pandemic .
More likely , however , are years of narratives about what this time made us fear – disease and dirt and the breath other people – but also which showcase the strange situation of what it means to live under these very unusual conditions : happy and less-so lockdowns , clandestine meetings , supermarket shortages and showdowns , digital reunions , and the encroaching madness of way too much time alone in our own heads .
Lauren Rosewarne is a senior lecturer at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book — Why We Remake : The Politics , Economics and Emotions of Film and TV Remakes — was released earlier this year .

World-disrupting, unspeakable-death-toll-accruing, hunker-down-and-sanitise-everything-and-everyone events are fortunately few and far between. Rare enough, certainly, to make something like COVID-19 seem like irrefutable filmmaking fodder.
With too many creatives at home with Tiger King and the pandemic as the only things to talk about, film and TV incarnations of this period of respiratory malady seem foretold.
The machinations of Hollywood are arguably random: if there were a true template for success we’d see far more blockbusters and far fewer of the flops that constitute the industry norm.


crikey--2020-04-16--If Virgin is allowed to crash, Qantas must be coerced into utility status

It is crucial that Australia 's domestic aviation market continue to access the benefits of competition .
If Virgin is @ @ @ @ @ that can only be achieved through strict regulation .
The government appears sanguine about the @ @ @ @ @ Qantas being restored to the role of monopolist it held after the collapse of Ansett @ @ @ @ @ , it wants the owners and creditors of Virgin to think it is while the @ @ @ @ @ source of funding to stay afloat in the crisis .
Officially the government does n't @ @ @ @ @ '' -- an argument that was conveniently forgotten when it ( like previous governments ) @ @ @ @ @ , steel manufacturing , health insurance , energy , housing and the media .
The @ @ @ @ @ monopolist provided ample evidence of why preserving competition in domestic aviation on major routes is @ @ @ @ @

The government appears sanguine about the possibility of Virgin collapsing and Qantas being restored to the role of monopolist it held after the collapse of Ansett. Or, at least, it wants the owners and creditors of Virgin to think it is while the company struggles to find a source of funding to stay afloat in the crisis.
Officially the government doesn’t want to “pick winners” — an argument that was conveniently forgotten when it (like previous governments) picked winners in defence manufacturing, steel manufacturing, health insurance, energy, housing and the media.
The experience of Qantas as a monopolist provided ample evidence of why preserving competition in domestic aviation on major routes is a critical policy goal.


crikey--2020-04-16--Working from home is the new normal. What does it mean for workers?

As Australians adjust to working from home during the pandemic lockdown , experts say the increase in remote working is @ @ @ @ @ Like many people around the world , Australians are starting to realise that working from @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s cracked up to be .
But researchers say much of the increase @ @ @ @ @ likely become permanent , even after the immediate health emergency passes .
Some organisations have @ @ @ @ @ home is taking on its workforce .
The Australian National University ( ANU ) says @ @ @ @ @ the impact on families and carers , telling staff that if they can work at @ @ @ @ @ ( pro-rata for part-time staff ) this will be deemed a full working week for @ @ @

Like many people around the world, Australians are starting to realise that working from home is not exactly what it’s cracked up to be.
But researchers say much of the increase in working from home will likely become permanent, even after the immediate health emergency passes.
Some organisations have acknowledged the toll working from home is taking on its workforce. The Australian National University (ANU) says it will take into account the impact on families and carers, telling staff that if they can work at least 25 hours a week (pro-rata for part-time staff) this will be deemed a full working week for pay purposes.


crikey--2020-04-16--Morrison's communication challenge: making a virtue of the virus

Scott Morrison has had to switch from communicating a message of radical change to one of status quo .
Now @ @ @ @ @ other politicians as the next stage of pandemic crisis looms .
Much of politics and @ @ @ @ @ response has centred on communication and its effectiveness .
That ’ s understandable , given @ @ @ @ @ information at a time of life-and-death crisis .
Mixed messages from politicians and health experts @ @ @ @ @ lot of media bandwidth , mainly in relation to schools .
But there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ of inconsistencies created by arbitrary rules around social distancing , such as the inexplicable exemption @ @ @ @ @ lockdown .
Over the last week , as governments ’ success in curbing infection rates @ @ @ @ @ end to lockdown , the communication task has shifted from asking Australians to accept a @ @ @ @ @ economic life , to persisting with what has become the status quo .

Much of politics and public debate of the pandemic response has centred on communication and its effectiveness. That’s understandable, given the public need for accurate information at a time of life-and-death crisis.
Mixed messages from politicians and health experts in particular have occupied a lot of media bandwidth, mainly in relation to schools. But there’s also been the inevitable problem of inconsistencies created by arbitrary rules around social distancing, such as the inexplicable exemption of hair dressers from the lockdown.


crikey--2020-04-16--Media bailout rescues corporations at creative workers' expense

The government 's media bailout package has been directed at media corporations , ignoring the creative industry and the people @ @ @ @ @ The media package announced yesterday made clear the government ’ s priorities : it ’ @ @ @ @ @ bailing out the media corporations ( including foreign-owned News Corp ) than the industry and @ @ @ @ @ it .
Worse , the help for these corporations comes at least in part at @ @ @ @ @ industries .
And for all the short-term cash it will gift ( or save ) @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fundamentally backward looking to an Australian media that is in the midst of @ @ @ @ @ the third blow in the past month to the arts and entertainment sector , reeling @ @ @ @ @ performances and frozen out from the $ 750 a week JobKeeper allowance .

The media package announced yesterday made clear the government’s priorities: it’s far more concerned about bailing out the media corporations (including foreign-owned News Corp) than the industry and the people who work in it.
Worse, the help for these corporations comes at least in part at the expense of the creative industries. And for all the short-term cash it will gift (or save) the large corporations, it’s fundamentally backward looking to an Australian media that is in the midst of vanishing.
It’s the third blow in the past month to the arts and entertainment sector, reeling from the shuttering of live performances and frozen out from the $750 a week JobKeeper allowance.


crikey--2020-04-06--It's never been more important to close the digital divide

This pandemic is changing the way we use the internet .
But many unlucky Australians with inferior services are being completely left behind .
People are being required to work from home .
Students are doing lessons online .
Telehealth consultations are now bulk-billed .
All this will change the way we use the internet forever .
According to NBN Co , broadband demand is skyrocketing but they have everything under control .
OK .
So they and the telcos have upped their data capacity and , for those with fast and reliable broadband , all is well .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What about the third or more of the population with a dud FTTN ( old copper wires ) connection ?
No amount of extra capacity at the telco end will help those customers who are on the wrong side of a digital divide .
You can ’ t make FTTN run faster by throwing more data at it .
Essentially , there are the lucky Australians ( those who have a 21st century NBN connection ) and the unlucky Australians ( those stuck with an inferior service that needs to be upgraded ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the impact on the productivity of people working from home , which will flow through to businesses and the economy .
I ’ m also concerned about the mental health of people battling with poor internet connections .
It ’ s frustrating enough when your movie buffers , but what if the system fails when you ’ re trying to send in an assignment or a report to the boss who has been hounding you for it all day ?
The impact of COVID-19 will most likely continue for quite a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for better broadband in people ’ s homes .
What ’ s more , when we emerge from this crisis , the likelihood is that a good many bosses will have become so accustomed to their employees working from home this will become a permanent thing — even if it ’ s only a day or so a month .
We could even see enhanced interest in decentralisation as more employers realise they don ’ t need to have all their workers located in expensive CBD offices .
Regional areas have already seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave our congested capital cities over the past few years .
The government has made a welcome move by allowing bulk-billing for online medical and mental health consultations .
There ’ s only so much that can be done over the phone , of course .
Doctors need high-quality video for the more complex cases .
But the service will be of immense benefit to people in rural and regional areas , as well as people with disabilities , who have difficulties making it in to a doctor ’ s surgery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopefully it will become permanent .
TelSoc , which I joined late last year as vice-president , has urged the government to include fixing the NBN in its stimulus funding .
We ’ ve called on the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission to consider “ the inequity of access and affordability of broadband and other telecommunications services ” .
We ’ ve also recommended that the government fund NBN Co to “ enable it to employ suitable retrenched workers , retrain them as required , and deploy them to begin upgrading problematic NBN connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These are necessary steps to create a more digitally-enabled community and economy .
It makes sense to include a technology upgrade for the NBN in our post- pandemic planning .
In fact , the sooner NBN Co starts the planning the sooner people can expect to see an improvement in their home internet connections .
Replacing the FTTN section of the NBN will need to occur sooner or later — so why not do it now and create employment opportunities for some of the many people who are progressively becoming unemployed ?
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment and NBN Co started the planning now , this would give industry and people generally greater confidence in the future than currently exists .
Over in New Zealand , where they persisted with fibre , 87 % of premises will have access to a full-fibre connection by the end of 2022 .
Chorus ( the equivalent of NBN Co ) is already delivering gigabit speeds to many of its customers .
What ’ s more , over time they found ways to reduce their per premises installation cost by around 40 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can roll out fibre here for far less than it was costing back when the NBN project began .
It would probably wouldn ’ t cost more than continuing to use problematic old copper wires and run-down Pay-TV cables with their associated remediation expenses .
We need the government to accept that their erstwhile colleagues made a mistake in dumping the original fibre-based NBN .
It ’ s as simple as that .
Laurie Patton is vice-president of TelSoc and the former CEO/executive director of Internet Australia , on whose behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BetterBroadband .

People are being required to work from home. Students are doing lessons online. Telehealth consultations are now bulk-billed. All this will change the way we use the internet forever.
According to NBN Co, broadband demand is skyrocketing but they have everything under control. OK. So they and the telcos have upped their data capacity and, for those with fast and reliable broadband, all is well. But that’s not the point.
What about the third or more of the population with a dud FTTN (old copper wires) connection?


crikey--2020-04-05--Will Australia consciously uncouple from China?

Decoupling from China is a wise idea , but it must be done in a way that protects Chinese-Australians and avoids immiserating us all .
One potential side-effect of the global coronavirus pandemic : Australia could see a historic reversal of its closeness with China .
As the pandemic continues , and even beyond that , we can expect policies favouring domestic manufacturing to be viewed far more sympathetically than they have for years .
Our factories are all in China now and this offshore manufacturing of essential goods is starting to look reckless .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The increasingly large flows of people between Australia and China have stopped .
Will they recover ?
It seems likely to be a long time before international jaunts become so easy and abundant as they were in 2019 , and we may have to make do with a much smaller contribution from one of our biggest tourism partners .
But it ’ s not just these practical aspects of the pandemic that are driving China and Australia apart .
There is a political aspect too .
China ’ s government has brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wildlife markets where the virus first jumped to humans ; and then for under-reporting viral spread .
These failures of Chinese governance should be prosecuted in multilateral and bilateral discussions .
But they are also fuelling popular anti-Chinese sentiment .
China ’ s state apparatus deserves a good deal of criticism .
It is an anti-democratic authoritarian regime that is slowly oppressing Hong Kong , imprisoning Uighurs in frightful “ re-education camps ” , building a cult of personality around Xi Jinping , and playing dangerous games of brinksmanship in the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into account when making foreign policy .
But a popular upsurge of anti-China sentiment is a dangerous thing .
We have seen unsubstantiated rumours of “ busloads of Asians ” stripping supermarkets , and criticism in the Nine papers of businesses for sending medical supplies to China when it was the epicentre of the pandemic .
There is even a wild petition on Change.org calling for the government to check every shipping container bound for China “ and remove everything to do with groceries ” .
That might sound crazy , but at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed the law to permit five years jail time for anyone exporting hand sanitiser .
We are a small country and a trading nation .
We are not America .
Trade wars are likely to rebound and hit us hard .
Ask dairy farmers if they ’ d like China to stop buying their milk powder .
The general upswing in negative sentiment towards China makes life very hard for Asian people in Australia .
Around 2 % of Australia ’ s population was born in China , and there are many more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
Racial discrimination against this substantial group ( and others ) is already being reported .
Negative sentiment also increases the chance of a breakdown in geopolitics .
People on Twitter are calling on their governments to # NukeChina and , while that won ’ t happen , the chance of a skirmish in the South China Sea is heightened when Sinophobia is peaking .
China is always pushing the boundaries .
In February its jets flew into Taiwanese airspace .
A month later , the US redoubled its commitment to Taiwan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any conflict over Taiwan , or other islets in the region is going to pose an enormous problem for Australia .
Not so much because we will be torn between our old ally and our new trading partner .
But because we will certainly choose democratic values over dollars and suffer economically .
For these reasons , we must engage constructively with China , while keeping racism out of the discourse and resisting knee-jerk reactions against trade .
Decoupling from China is a wise idea , but it must be done in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us all .

One potential side-effect of the global coronavirus pandemic: Australia could see a historic reversal of its closeness with China.
As the pandemic continues, and even beyond that, we can expect policies favouring domestic manufacturing to be viewed far more sympathetically than they have for years. Our factories are all in China now and this offshore manufacturing of essential goods is starting to look reckless.
At the same time, global travel has screeched to a halt. The increasingly large flows of people between Australia and China have stopped. Will they recover?


crikey--2020-04-06--Married at First Sight records lowest finale audience in three years

Free-to-air TV viewing is up , but that did n't help Married at First Sight boost ratings for last night @ @ @ @ @ people watching free-to-air TV because of COVID-19 you ’ d expect that the finale of @ @ @ @ @ rated its socks off .
Well , think again .
Think the lowest audience in @ @ @ @ @ last night plunged 20 % from a year ago to 1.95 million .
Now that @ @ @ @ @ solid national figure and second place on the night , but a year ago it @ @ @ @ @ .
The loss of nearly 500,000 viewers is a signal that viewers are over the @ @ @ @ @ as 'reality ' TV by Nine .
Nine still won the night , it will @ @ @ @ @ , but you can be certain that its days are numbered .
Such was the @ @ @ @ @ night ’ s audience was less than the 2.40 million who watched the 2018 finale @ @ @ @ @ morning boast-a-thon about MAFS failed to mention those salient points .

With more people watching free-to-air TV because of COVID-19 you’d expect that the finale of MAFS last night would have rated its socks off. Well, think again. Think the lowest audience in three years.
The audience last night plunged 20% from a year ago to 1.95 million. Now that’s still a very solid national figure and second place on the night, but a year ago it was a night-leading 2.45 million. The loss of nearly 500,000 viewers is a signal that viewers are over the tosh and soulless rubbish portrayed as ‘reality’ TV by Nine. Nine still won the night, it will continue with MAFS in 2021, but you can be certain that its days are numbered. Such was the loss of viewers that last night’s audience was less than the 2.40 million who watched the 2018 finale.
Nine’s Monday morning boast-a-thon about MAFS failed to mention those salient points.


crikey--2020-03-20--Go 'wild' not mild: simply slowing the spread is not the best option

A new report argues that government policies aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 wo n't prevent a spike in @ @ @ @ @ will not be enough to stop a massive spike in coronavirus cases overwhelming the health @ @ @ @ @ released by researchers at Imperial College London .
Policies such as widespread social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ and the closure of schools and universities will need to be in place for many @ @ @ @ @ of seriously suppressing COVID-19 cases , the paper argues .
“ The world is facing @ @ @ @ @ crisis in generations .
Here we provide concrete estimates of the scale of the threat @ @ @ @ @ says Professor Neil Ferguson , head of the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and @ @ @ @ @ .

Mild mitigation measures will not be enough to stop a massive spike in coronavirus cases overwhelming the health system, argues a paper released by researchers at Imperial College London.
Policies such as widespread social distancing, quarantining of people with exposure and the closure of schools and universities will need to be in place for many months to have any chance of seriously suppressing COVID-19 cases, the paper argues.
“The world is facing the most serious public health crisis in generations. Here we provide concrete estimates of the scale of the threat countries now face,” says Professor Neil Ferguson, head of the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics at Imperial College.


crikey--2020-03-20--Virus Watch: News Corp goes socialist, and stop it, you're killing Netflix!

When The Australian ( yes , THAT Australian ) is spruiking mass nationalisation , you know you 're in trouble @ @ @ @ @ need to know in COVID-19 developments .
It feels a lot like we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ of the 1930s , except with social media to keep us even more anxious .
@ @ @ @ @ News Corp is seriously engaging with the idea of companies nationalising .
And while the @ @ @ @ @ hoard , experts disagree over how this crisis is going to pan out .
An @ @ @ @ @ overnight , marking the state 's sixth COVID-19 death , the seventh nationwide .

It feels a lot like we’re living through a bad remake of the 1930s, except with social media to keep us even more anxious.
The borders are shutting. News Corp is seriously engaging with the idea of companies nationalising. And while the punters continue to panic and hoard, experts disagree over how this crisis is going to pan out.
The numbers creep higher
An 81-year-old woman died in NSW overnight, marking the state’s sixth COVID-19 death, the seventh nationwide.


crikey--2020-03-20--If the media survives COVID-19, it's going to look very different

Broadcast media companies were already struggling ahead of the coronavirus crisis .
Now they face some tough decisions as ad @ @ @ @ @ crisis could very well change the structure of all Australian broadcast media .
The virus @ @ @ @ @ in ad spending , which will deepen in coming months as business activity slows .
@ @ @ @ @ other businesses across the board , and there could be ownership changes similar to CBS @ @ @ @ @ late 2017 .
But the most likely bidders for embattled Australian media companies or new @ @ @ @ @ the most exposed to the financial ravages the virus is already generating .

The COVID-19 crisis could very well change the structure of all Australian broadcast media.
The virus has already triggered a cut in ad spending, which will deepen in coming months as business activity slows. It’s impacting media and other businesses across the board, and there could be ownership changes similar to CBS’ takeover of Ten in late 2017.
But the most likely bidders for embattled Australian media companies or new sports rights deals are also the most exposed to the financial ravages the virus is already generating.


crikey--2020-04-07--Virus Watch: COVID-19 modelling flip-flops and Easter fines

Australian authorities continue to flip-flop on releasing coronavirus modelling , and police confirm the fines Easter travellers are facing .
@ @ @ @ @ secrecy to Easter fines and penalties for learner drivers , there 's a lot of @ @ @ @ @ rules and predictions really are .
Crikey takes a look at some of the confusion @ @ @ @ @ out , back in again Following some flip-flopping by the federal Health Department , modelling @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the coronavirus in Australia is set to be released this morning , @ @ @ @ @ and federal leaders today .

From Australia’s coronavirus modelling secrecy to Easter fines and penalties for learner drivers, there’s a lot of hubbub about what the coronavirus rules and predictions really are.
Crikey takes a look at some of the confusion.
Modelling’s in, out, back in again
Following some flip-flopping by the federal Health Department, modelling of the scientific projections of the spread of the coronavirus in Australia is set to be released this morning, following a meeting of state and federal leaders today.


crikey--2020-04-06--Is Australia really turning a corner in the fight against COVID-19?

Scott Morrison says that the virus ' spread is slowing .
But as the raw data shows , it 's @ @ @ @ @ .
As the spread of the COVID-19 virus wreaks havoc , the question of how @ @ @ @ @ other countries — and what might lie ahead — is being much discussed .
But @ @ @ @ @ the day , and with countries fighting and tracking the disease in different ways , @ @ @ @ @ best , only tell us so much .
At worst , the data has the @ @ @ @

As the spread of the COVID-19 virus wreaks havoc, the question of how Australia is faring compared to other countries — and what might lie ahead — is being much discussed.
But with the numbers changing by the day, and with countries fighting and tracking the disease in different ways, the figures can, at best, only tell us so much.
At worst, the data has the potential to mislead.


crikey--2020-04-01--Worm: Oh good, the army's here

Worm: Oh good, the army's here

Good morning , early birds .
Members of the Australian Defence Force have been conducting random self-isolation checks across Sydney , and Queensland has announced four-week emergency rent relief .
It 's the news you need to know , with Chris Woods .
Because cops threatening people on benches apparently isn ’ t scary enough , The Australian reports ( $ ) that members of the Australian Defence Force have joined NSW police in undertaking random self-isolation checks across Sydney .
Riot squads have also been deployed to parks and beaches to enforce the two-person rule , while the soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least unarmed and have no “ additional powers ” .
THE COPS ARE , URGH , TECHNICALLY RIGHT : Turns out , according to The Conversation ‘ s experts , no one in Queensland , NSW or Victoria is actually allowed to sit on benches .
But please , go for a goddamn walk !
In a Facebook Q & A last night , Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad announced emergency rent relief of up to $ 500 a week for four weeks for tenants hit by the economic crisis , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s incoming six-month eviction moratorium to March 29 .
Details of the program are otherwise scant but , as The Courier-Mail reports , Trad justified a need for immediate support by noting new Centrelink applicants may not access payments until April 27 .
Residents can reportedly apply for the four weeks of relief through the Residential Tenancies Authority by calling 1800 497 161 .
REAL ESTATE AGENTS STRIKE BACK : Melbourne Real Estate has created relief application forms — which requests information such as entertainment expenses , accrued leave and access to superannuation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-emptively threatened to evict anyone who leans on the moratorium once their six months are up , Domain reports .
Victorian will fast-track the return of thousands of retired medical professionals and call-on paramedics , anaesthetists and critical-care nurses to staff intensive care units , according to The Age , as part of a $ 1.3 billion plan to create 4,000 new beds — almost double Australia ’ s existing 2,400 .
Over in NSW — which is also aiming to double ICU capacity under March ’ s $ 700 million plan — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies willing to build parts or supply hand sanitiser , examination gloves , disinfectant and cleaning products , handwash and soap , masks , eyewear , gowns or paper products including toilet and tissue paper .
TURNS OUT YOU MAY , LEGALLY , BONK : As The Australian ( $ ) reports , Victoria ’ s chief medical officer has overruled Dan Andrews on the state ’ s bonk ban .
Dan , to put it lightly , was not happy .
• A “ military-style operation ” is being planned to helicopter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a standoff across the NSW coast to test more than 8,000 people , The Australian ( $ ) reports .
• Victoria has launched a $ 50 million agriculture workforce plan as part of the $ 500 million working for Victoria initiative , designed to provide unemployed people with work in critical food industries .
• WA ’ s health department has launched a “ heat map ” of confirmed cases across the state , WAToday reports .
• UniSA has established a $ 10 million hardship fund for students stood down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family support , according to The Advertiser ( $ ) .
THEY REALLY SAID THAT ?
And in order to avoid those very high numbers , we have to do at least several things : one , we have to depend on what the president ’ s going to do right now .
And first of all , he has to tell , wait ’ til the cases before anything happens .
Look the whole idea ’ s , he ’ s got to get in place things that we ’ re shortages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a swing at Donald Trump ‘ s monstrous failures over the pandemic and does .
not .
miss .
READ ALL ABOUT IT ‘ Manifestly inadequate ’ : Disability carers plead for PPE , warn of collapse without more support Coronavirus pandemic sees Wimbledon cancelled for first time since World War II Doctors warn of deadly coronavirus risks for refugees , guests at Melbourne hotel Indonesia bans foreigners as study warns 240,000 could die from coronavirus ‘ Be very , very careful ’ : Internal messages reveal difficult state of Sydney hospitals Labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coronavirus emergency powers Profiting from a pandemic : former Chinese general accused of huge COVID-19 mark-ups Coronavirus : Stubborn yet supple , Morrison pivots at crisis speed — Niki Savva ( The Australian ) : “ Yet faced with this potentially soul-destroying , nation-destroying threat , he has relented at critical points to do things he said he wouldn ’ t and that no centre-right government would ever contemplate .
John Howard defied his natural constituency to toughen gun laws .
Morrison has done it with $ 130bn to pay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger emergency , but the world is distracted from the climate threat — Bob Carr ( The Sydney Morning Herald ) : “ What did our battered old planet do to bring this run of wretchedly bad luck ?
Just before the 2008 Wall Street disaster , Washington was about to force emitters to pay for the privilege of dumping carbon waste in the upper atmosphere .
Congress approved a cap and trade scheme so its economy could trade its way to a low carbon future .
In a similar spirit the Rudd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model.
” Reality has endorsed Bernie Sanders — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor ( The New Yorker ) : “ The case has never been clearer for a transition to Medicare for All , but its achievement clashes with the Democratic Party ’ s decades-long hostility to funding the social-welfare state .
At the heart of this resistance is the pernicious glorification of ‘ personal responsibility , ’ through which success or failure in life is seen as an expression of personal fortitude or personal laxity .
”

DIGGERS DEPLOYED
Because cops threatening people on benches apparently isn’t scary enough, The Australian reports ($) that members of the Australian Defence Force have joined NSW police in undertaking random self-isolation checks across Sydney.
Riot squads have also been deployed to parks and beaches to enforce the two-person rule, while the soldiers, in a small blessing, are at least unarmed and have no “additional powers”.
THE COPS ARE, URGH, TECHNICALLY RIGHT: Turns out, according to The Conversation‘s experts, no one in Queensland, NSW or Victoria is actually allowed to sit on benches. But please, go for a goddamn walk!
QUEENSLAND’S RENT RELIEF
In a Facebook Q&A last night, Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad announced emergency rent relief of up to $500 a week for four weeks for tenants hit by the economic crisis, while also promising to backdate the state’s incoming six-month eviction moratorium to March 29.
Details of the program are otherwise scant but, as The Courier-Mail reports, Trad justified a need for immediate support by noting new Centrelink applicants may not access payments until April 27. Residents can reportedly apply for the four weeks of relief through the Residential Tenancies Authority by calling 1800 497 161.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS STRIKE BACK: Melbourne Real Estate has created relief application forms — which requests information such as entertainment expenses, accrued leave and access to superannuation funds — while McInnes Property Management has pre-emptively threatened to evict anyone who leans on the moratorium once their six months are up, Domain reports.
HEALTHCARE EXPANSIONS
Victorian will fast-track the return of thousands of retired medical professionals and call-on paramedics, anaesthetists and critical-care nurses to staff intensive care units, according to The Age, as part of a $1.3 billion plan to create 4,000 new beds — almost double Australia’s existing 2,400.
Over in NSW — which is also aiming to double ICU capacity under March’s $700 million plan — the government has launched a portal for companies willing to build parts or supply hand sanitiser, examination gloves, disinfectant and cleaning products, handwash and soap, masks, eyewear, gowns or paper products including toilet and tissue paper.
TURNS OUT YOU MAY, LEGALLY, BONK: As The Australian ($) reports, Victoria’s chief medical officer has overruled Dan Andrews on the state’s bonk ban. Dan, to put it lightly, was not happy.
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OTHER STATE ANNOUNCEMENTS
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
And in order to avoid those very high numbers, we have to do at least several things: one, we have to depend on what the president’s going to do right now. And first of all, he has to tell, wait ’til the cases before anything happens. Look the whole idea’s, he’s got to get in place things that we’re shortages of. Joe Biden
The presumptive Democratic nominee takes a swing at Donald Trump‘s monstrous failures over the pandemic and does. not. miss.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
‘Manifestly inadequate’: Disability carers plead for PPE, warn of collapse without more support
Telcos move to ease COVID-19 pain
Australian universities change admissions as coronavirus disrupts education
Coronavirus pandemic sees Wimbledon cancelled for first time since World War II
Doctors warn of deadly coronavirus risks for refugees, guests at Melbourne hotel
Coronavirus Australia: Jail for people sending face masks, sanitiser to China
ASX to drop, Wall St reels on virus data
Indonesia bans foreigners as study warns 240,000 could die from coronavirus
‘Be very, very careful’: Internal messages reveal difficult state of Sydney hospitals
Labor says parliament should sit to scrutinise government’s coronavirus emergency powers
Profiting from a pandemic: former Chinese general accused of huge COVID-19 mark-ups
THE COMMENTARIAT
Coronavirus: Stubborn yet supple, Morrison pivots at crisis speed — Niki Savva (The Australian): “Yet faced with this potentially soul-destroying, nation-destroying threat, he has relented at critical points to do things he said he wouldn’t and that no centre-right government would ever contemplate. John Howard defied his natural constituency to toughen gun laws. Morrison has done it with $130bn to pay the workers.”
Beneath the virus lurks a bigger emergency, but the world is distracted from the climate threat — Bob Carr (The Sydney Morning Herald): “What did our battered old planet do to bring this run of wretchedly bad luck? Just before the 2008 Wall Street disaster, Washington was about to force emitters to pay for the privilege of dumping carbon waste in the upper atmosphere. Congress approved a cap and trade scheme so its economy could trade its way to a low carbon future. In a similar spirit the Rudd government was legislating its own carbon trading model.”
Reality has endorsed Bernie Sanders — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor (The New Yorker): “The case has never been clearer for a transition to Medicare for All, but its achievement clashes with the Democratic Party’s decades-long hostility to funding the social-welfare state. At the heart of this resistance is the pernicious glorification of ‘personal responsibility,’ through which success or failure in life is seen as an expression of personal fortitude or personal laxity.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE


crikey--2020-04-06--Don't waste this crisis. We need to remake our economic future right now

Just as planning for post-World War II reconstruction began in December 1942 , planning for post-COVID-19 should begin now .
@ @ @ @ @ ( GFC ) , banks , building societies , and credit unions were allowed access @ @ @ @ @ s AAA credit rating , empowering them to compete for funding on the global market @ @ @ @ @ was more favourable than other countries ’ .
It had no size limit ; banks @ @ @ @ @ for any value of liabilities .
It matured later ; banks could issue maturities up @ @ @ @ @ years unlike many foreign schemes , which did not guarantee debt beyond three years .
@ @ @ @ @ ; it was open “ until conditions normalise ” .
It was cheaper too , @ @ @ @ @ costs .

During the global financial crisis (GFC), banks, building societies, and credit unions were allowed access to the Australian government’s AAA credit rating, empowering them to compete for funding on the global market.
Australia’s scheme was more favourable than other countries’. It had no size limit; banks could use the AAA rating for any value of liabilities. It matured later; banks could issue maturities up to a maximum of five years unlike many foreign schemes, which did not guarantee debt beyond three years. There was no end date; it was open “until conditions normalise”.
It was cheaper too, and there were no upfront costs.


crikey--2020-04-06--The trouble with trillions: why the virus is forcing us to reckon with really big numbers

Trillions of viruses in the human body .
Trillions of dollars spent to stimulate the global economy .
It 's time to wrap your head around the concept of a million million .
How much is a trillion dollars ?
Vast .
Enough to buy all the homes in Queensland .
Ten times as much as Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates owns .
The market value of Apple .
All the money earned in Australia in six months .
In this time of coronavirus we are facing a lot that is new .
One of those things is the concept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your body ?
Trillions .
The amount of money the US government is spending on stimulus ?
Trillions .
The Japanese government has announced a stimulus package worth US $ 1 trillion , or 108 trillion yen , while here at home we are looking at racking up perhaps a trillion Australian dollars in national debt .
Understandably , our heads are spinning .
Human brains are not adept at numbers beyond those we could count to in a lifetime .
As an illustration of how human imagination struggles with large sums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fictional characters .
It includes no characters richer than the richest real-life people .
Scrooge McDuck tops the list at US $ 44 billion but Mark Zuckerberg ( US $ 62 billion ) could buy and sell him .
Another example : when YouTube was launched it never imagined videos would be played more than a billion times .
In 2012 Psy ’ s song “ Gangnam style ” hit that mark and briefly broke the system .
Trillions are not yet familiar .
This is the way with large numbers .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them at bay until forced to admit they are necessary .
For a long time , in the English language , “ thousand ” was enough .
English had no single word for a larger number .
For millenia , if the English needed to count higher they spoke of a thousand thousand .
This lasted until the time of Chaucer , around 700 years ago .
Then the word million was imported from the continent and the English language became suddenly more numerate .
The Romans were the same .
Their number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , and could count no higher than MMMCMXCIX , or 3999 .
( Not all the classical world was so numerically inhibited .
The Greeks were well advanced of the Romans — when challenged to count all the grains of sand in the world , Archimedes figured out numbers with which he could . )
But modern life involves relentless inflation of large numbers .
This has not just one cause , but a myriad : population growth , economic growth , and inflation .
Moore ’ s Law .
The ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller constituent parts , as well as see ever broader horizons .
Each of these force us to deal with larger and larger figures .
Still , we adopt the numbers only as needed .
Take computers .
We comfortably speak these days of megabytes and gigabytes , and terabytes are becoming de rigueur , yet petabytes and exabytes remain alien territory .
We will get to them later .
Researching the history of the trillion , I wanted to know when the word became popular .
So I turned to Google ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonderful resource that shows the frequency with which words appear in English language books over the past hundred or so years .
As the next graph shows , writing about millions was in serious ascendancy in the 20th century .
But it peaked in the 1970s and has been in decline since .
“ Billion ” peaked only 20 years after the peak in the word million .
And trillion is rising .
The next graph zooms in on the word trillion .
Around 1965 it hit an inflection point .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became ten times more common .
Note that this dataset contains data only until 2000 — talk of trillions must by now be higher still .
Also : we ought to prepare for the quadrillion to cease to sound like make-believe and become a functional part of our vocabulary .
As economies grow , and populations grow , and inflation works its magic , numbers in the economy get bigger and bigger .
The first billion-dollar listed company in the USA was US steel in 1901 .
General Electric was the first $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became the first trillion-dollar company in 2018 .
Personal fortunes rise alongside the value of these large companies .
Bill Gates has assets valued at around US $ 100 billion .
By 2042 , however , he is expected to become the first USD trillionaire .
( Or at least he was forecast to be until coronavirus came along… ) Of course , some countries had trillionaires long ago .
In 1946 , Hungary had thousands of them .
Amid an outbreak of hyperinflation Hungary printed a sextillion pengo note .
( A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
One reason they let the inflation get so high ?
They were eager to pay back very high levels of government debt , and knew high inflation would shrink the debt very quickly .
The problem was this : growth in prices proceeded exponentially .
Exponential growth , as anyone following viral transmission rates can tell you , is a powerful thing .
You end up at much bigger numbers than you thought , much sooner than expected .
In the post-virus world , there might be clamour to reduce debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens all around the world , we might be dealing with quadrilions sooner rather than later .

How much is a trillion dollars? Vast. Enough to buy all the homes in Queensland. Ten times as much as Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates owns. The market value of Apple. All the money earned in Australia in six months.
In this time of coronavirus we are facing a lot that is new. One of those things is the concept of trillions. The number of viruses in your body? Trillions. The amount of money the US government is spending on stimulus? Trillions.
The Japanese government has announced a stimulus package worth US$1 trillion, or 108 trillion yen, while here at home we are looking at racking up perhaps a trillion Australian dollars in national debt.


crikey--2020-03-23--Does economic cryogenics actually work?

Does economic cryogenics actually work?

The government is looking to freeze the economy to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
The only problem is nobody knows @ @ @ @ @ Can you put a business on ice and thaw it out a few months later @ @ @ @ @ the government is making as it shuts down the economy to battle the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ economy and , using fiscal measures , attempting to snap freeze it so it can @ @ @ @ @ is gone .
The government wants businesses to keep their staff on , keep their @ @ @ @ @ put into administration until we ’ ve beaten this insidious little virus back enough to @ @ @ @ @ state and federal governments appear to be dancing with each other .
The states are @ @ @ @ @ the federal government is doing everything in its power to help keep businesses alive during @ @ @

Can you put a business on ice and thaw it out a few months later? That is the bet the government is making as it shuts down the economy to battle the coronavirus.
We are dismantling the consumer economy and, using fiscal measures, attempting to snap freeze it so it can be thawed when the virus is gone. The government wants businesses to keep their staff on, keep their leases active and avoid being put into administration until we’ve beaten this insidious little virus back enough to do business again.


crikey--2020-03-22--What sort of Australia awaits us on the other side of the coronavirus crisis?

Scott Morrison is throwing out hopeful metaphors , talking about 'the bridge ' to the other side of the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ the point .
Here , stuck in the middle of this great disruption , it @ @ @ @ @ to understand the political and social consequences of what we ’ re going through today @ @ @ @ @ over , sure , we ’ ll all have -- ahem -- perfect 2020 hindsight @ @ @ @ @ of us are too busy worrying about just how we ’ re going to get @ @ @ @ @ , stocking up on hand sanitiser and toilet paper , filling up our freezers , @ @ @ @ @ friends or ourselves .

Here, stuck in the middle of this great disruption, it’s all but impossible to understand the political and social consequences of what we’re going through today.
After it’s all over, sure, we’ll all have — ahem — perfect 2020 hindsight. But now?
Most of us are too busy worrying about just how we’re going to get through the next few days, stocking up on hand sanitiser and toilet paper, filling up our freezers, worrying about at-risk parents, friends or ourselves.


crikey--2020-03-23--Corona-cruising: the Ruby Princess debacle is not an isolated case

Will Carnival 's history shed some light on the release of coronavirus patients from its beleaguered cruise ships ?
Luxury @ @ @ @ @ , the Diamond Princess , the Grand Princess and the Costa Luminosa have a few @ @ @ @ @ one , they are all owned by US giant Carnival Cruises ; and they have @ @ @ @ @ .
In February , in one of the world 's first large outbreaks of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ moored in waters off Japan with hundreds of infected passengers on board .
In March @ @ @ @ @ to be quarantined on US military bases after infected passengers were found on the Grand @ @

Luxury cruise ships the Ruby Princess, the Diamond Princess, the Grand Princess and the Costa Luminosa have a few things in common: for one, they are all owned by US giant Carnival Cruises; and they have all carried COVID-19 infected passengers.
In February, in one of the world’s first large outbreaks of coronavirus, the Diamond Princess remained moored in waters off Japan with hundreds of infected passengers on board.
In March, nearly 2000 passengers had to be quarantined on US military bases after infected passengers were found on the Grand Princess.


crikey--2020-03-11--Where democracy goes to die

Where democracy goes to die

This week : the Gitmo round ; democracy in further decline ; why Elizabeth Warren really really ( really ) @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Carol Rosenberg has covered Guantanamo Bay for 18 years , outlasting everyone @ @ @ @ @ you know the one media company that stands poised to benefit from coronavirus ?
French @ @ @ @ @ legacy of De Beauvoir , and fail to break free .

(CAMP) X-RAY TRANSPARENCY
Carol Rosenberg has covered Guantanamo Bay for 18 years, outlasting everyone except the detainees.
Do you know the one media company that stands poised to benefit from coronavirus?
French conservative feminists grapple with the legacy of De Beauvoir, and fail to break free.


crikey--2020-03-10--How much could businesses save if all CEOs took an Alan Joyce-style pay cut?

Alan Joyce will forfeit $ 3.3 million of his salary after news coronavirus has hurt Qantas ' business .
What @ @ @ @ @ ?
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce , one of the country 's best-paid CEOs , @ @ @ @ @ would not be taking home a salary for the rest of the financial year , @ @ @ @ @ with the airline .
With roughly four months left in the financial year , this @ @ @ @ @ of about a third of his annual salary -- or $ 3.3 million , based @ @ @ @ @ $ 10 million last year .
With Australian companies under financial pressure from the virus @ @ @ @ @ cap in hand for tax relief to avoid having to lay off workers , Crikey @ @ @ @ @ at how much some of them could save if their CEOs took an Alan Joyce-style @ @ @ @

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, one of the country’s best-paid CEOs, announced on Tuesday that he would not be taking home a salary for the rest of the financial year, as the coronavirus played havoc with the airline.
With roughly four months left in the financial year, this equates to a pay cut of about a third of his annual salary — or $3.3 million, based on his reported pay of $10 million last year.
With Australian companies under financial pressure from the virus, and business groups going cap in hand for tax relief to avoid having to lay off workers, Crikey decided to take a look at how much some of them could save if their CEOs took an Alan Joyce-style four-month pay cut.


crikey--2020-03-11--Virus Watch: Trump exposed, TV in Jeopardy and, um, gibberish

With some of Donald Trump 's insiders testing positive for COVID-19 , how far off is the president from infection @ @ @ @ @ big 24 hours in coronavirus news .
Here 's what you need to know .
@ @ @ @ @ staff Mark Meadows has had an auspicious start to his new job , admitting himself @ @ @ @ @ someone with the virus .
Meadows , along with two congressmen who have are also @ @ @ @ @ all spent time with President Donald Trump in recent days , but the White House @ @ @ @ @ not be tested “ because he has neither had prolonged close contact ” with confirmed @ @ @ @ @ have any symptoms ” .

It’s been a big 24 hours in coronavirus news. Here’s what you need to know.
Does Donald Trump have coronavirus?
New White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has had an auspicious start to his new job, admitting himself to self quarantine after meeting someone with the virus.


crikey--2020-03-10--The challenge of government intervention when you oppose government

The leaders confronting the coronavirus crisis are of a very different breed to those who responded to the financial crisis @ @ @ @ @ bode well .
One of the key differences between the current crisis and a decade @ @ @ @ @ nature of the leaders in charge of major Anglophone economies -- and it 's not @ @ @ @ @ in our ability to respond effectively .
Today brings another day with no sign of @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow , we 're told , all will be revealed , when the government finally @ @ @ @ @ journalists about its contents to let the public in on it .
What it has @ @ @ @ @ a coronavirus information campaign -- though it has n't explained why a government that is @ @ @ @ @ its own alleged virtues has taken over a month to get a basic social marketing @ @ @

One of the key differences between the current crisis and a decade ago is the very different nature of the leaders in charge of major Anglophone economies — and it’s not a difference that instils confidence in our ability to respond effectively.
Today brings another day with no sign of the promised stimulus package — tomorrow, we’re told, all will be revealed, when the government finally takes a break from backgrounding journalists about its contents to let the public in on it.


crikey--2020-03-11--Coronavirus reroutes travel industry via dark but not unchartered territory

Parts of Australia that were enjoying a tourism boom are now experiencing a serious decline due to COVID-19 .
Lake @ @ @ @ @ kilometres in the sprawling Mallee region in north-western Victoria , about 400km north of Melbourne @ @ @ @ @ than five centimeters at any point .
On bright nights in August and September , @ @ @ @ @ year round , the lake acts as mirror , reflecting a perfect double of the @ @ @ @ @ the north of the tiny town of Sea Lake .
By 2014 Sea Lake -- @ @ @ @ @ lowering population and closing businesses -- was in danger of curling at the edges and @ @ @ @ @ breeze .

Lake Tyrrell covers over 200 square kilometres in the sprawling Mallee region in north-western Victoria, about 400km north of Melbourne. It is rarely deeper than five centimeters at any point.
On bright nights in August and September, or on vivid pink dawns year round, the lake acts as mirror, reflecting a perfect double of the sky.
It sits to the north of the tiny town of Sea Lake. By 2014 Sea Lake — after years of decline, lowering population and closing businesses — was in danger of curling at the edges and being taken by the next breeze.


crikey--2020-03-29--A user's guide to the golden age of bullshit

You 're not the only one struggling to keep up with the coronavirus crisis .
So much information that is @ @ @ @ @ is rooted in misunderstanding , tactical disagreement or outright political malice .
This is rapidly @ @ @ @ @ bullshit , with social media leading the global charge .
Malaysia ’ s Health Minister @ @ @ @ @ recently went on television to pass on the idiotic web-spread wisdom that people should “ @ @ @ @ @ that is warm because the virus does not like warm things .
Make sure [ @ @ @ @ @ too hot .
The virus will go down and when it reaches the stomach which @ @ @ @ @ dies . ''

So much information that is circulating about the COVID-19 crisis is rooted in misunderstanding, tactical disagreement or outright political malice. This is rapidly becoming a golden age for bullshit, with social media leading the global charge.
Let’s review.
Malaysia’s Health Minister, Dr Adham Baba, recently went on television to pass on the idiotic web-spread wisdom that people should “drink a glass of water that is warm because the virus does not like warm things. Make sure [the water] is not too hot. The virus will go down and when it reaches the stomach which has acids, the virus dies.”


crikey--2020-03-29--This is what a 21st century recession looks like

The recession now unfolding is a services-led slowdown that hits our economy right where it has been strongest over recent decades .
The single biggest economic transformation in Australia in the last 40 years has been the transition from manufacturing to services as the dominant form of employment .
In the 1970s around one in five jobs in Australia was in manufacturing .
As late as 1984 it was nearly 17 % .
Manufacturing was the largest employer , far ahead of any other sector , in a country that made things .
But in February this year , manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now we ’ re a service economy instead .
The “ professional services ” classification used by the ABS was less than 4 % of jobs in 1984 .
Now it ’ s 9 % .
Health and social care was just over 8 % of jobs .
Now it ’ s 13.8 % and climbing fast .
The total number in the sector hit 1.8 million in February , a new record .
Services have grown so rapidly in recent years we ’ ve imported workers by the hundreds of thousands to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers .
Cooks .
IT workers .
Plus hundreds of thousands of foreign students working part-time in retail and hospitality .
It ’ s been a similar story , to a greater or lesser degree , across the West as we ’ ve outsourced manufacturing to countries with lower wages and employed ourselves providing services to each other and the world .
Services make up 60 % or more of activity in developed economies — and even in China , the workshop of the world for the first two decades of the 21st @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus have been targeted .
The recession that is now enveloping every developed economy is a services-led recession as retail , personal services , education , aviation , hospitality , arts and entertainment are forced to shut down or , if they can operate remotely , shifted online .
Last week ’ s survey of 1217 businesses by the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms the slump is being triggered by the collapse in the services sector .
It showed that 49 % of the businesses surveyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The most common impact was a drop in local demand .
Food and accommodation service businesses were the most heavily affected with 78 % already reporting troubles and 96 % of this group expect future negative effects .
What ’ s unfolding now is thus the first recession of the 21st century economy .
The recession of 2008-10 began in the financial services sector , but unfolded in most of the world — except here , thanks to the Rudd-Swan government — like a traditional recession , pummelling the real economy in areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around , entire service sectors are simply being closed , sending hundreds of thousands to the dole queues .
The speed of that process is the other fundamentally different quality about this recession .
Normally recessions unfold over weeks and months as consumers cut spending or interest rates rise and choke off investment , curbing demand , leading to job losses that further reduce demand and undermine confidence , in a vicious spiral of fear begetting fear .
There ’ s no spiral at the moment .
Healthy industries are simply being closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , and it wouldn ’ t have taken much to send it over the edge .
But it hasn ’ t been nudged into recession , it ’ s been hurled by the government in an effort to contain the virus .
What we are looking at is an economy where private demand and activity has been almost silenced — similar to the way the economies of Europe looked after World War II .
It took the Marshall Plan — the then huge sum of US $ 15 billion — principally from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of countries like Germany , France and Italy from 1948 onwards .
The government ’ s initial reaction was to treat this as a traditional recession .
At the time — in the dim dark past of several weeks ago — it seemed sensible .
Its first stimulus package aimed to encourage people to spend on consumer products and incentivise businesses to invest .
That ’ s how you normally stimulate a flagging economy .
But it doesn ’ t work when tens of thousands of businesses that might normally use depreciation allowances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their income .
The real fear is that the huge numbers of businesses closing will deliver a systemic shock to the financial sector as loans and and mortgages are defaulted on , and that those business won ’ t simply re-open , and rehire their staff , when the virus threat recedes .
Instead , they ’ ll stay closed for good .
That ’ s why the International Monetary Fund ’ s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned on Friday that there would only be a “ sizeable rebound ” in 2021 if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ A key concern about a long-lasting impact of the sudden stop of the world economy is the risk of a wave of bankruptcies and layoffs that not only can undermine the recovery but erode the fabric of our societies , ” she told reporters .
The UK government worked out that this was a different kind of recession far earlier than we did , moving swiftly to provide 80 % wage subsidies ( capped ) not merely for full-time workers but for freelance and contract workers .
After deriding the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , Scott Morrison appears to have had a change of heart , with journalists being furiously backgrounded in recent days that a wage subsidy package was being put together .
A different kind of recession requires different thinking .
Otherwise there ’ s a real chance it may deepen into the kind of depression we thought was consigned to the history books .

The single biggest economic transformation in Australia in the last 40 years has been the transition from manufacturing to services as the dominant form of employment.
In the 1970s around one in five jobs in Australia was in manufacturing. As late as 1984 it was nearly 17%. Manufacturing was the largest employer, far ahead of any other sector, in a country that made things.
But in February this year, manufacturing provided just 7% of jobs.


crikey--2020-03-29--Expert, the mob or gifted amateur — who should you listen to in a crisis?

As the COVID-19 crisis grows worse and worse , it 's crucial we hear from the right people .
But @ @ @ @ @ ?
Who should you listen to in a crisis ?
Had you asked me this @ @ @ @ @ d have given a simple answer .
Listen to the experts , I would have @ @ @ @ @ , the world is much more complicated .
The pandemic has fractured a lot of @ @ @ @ @ is the idea that the right information will come from the establishment sources .
We @ @ @ @ @ flurry of amateur communication that might be evidence of the death of the expert , @ @ @ @ @ ’ re feeling optimistic , might be a sign of the democratisation of expertise .

Who should you listen to in a crisis? Had you asked me this in 2019, I’d have given a simple answer. Listen to the experts, I would have said.
But in 2020, the world is much more complicated. The pandemic has fractured a lot of long-held beliefs. Among them is the idea that the right information will come from the establishment sources.
We are finding ourselves amid a flurry of amateur communication that might be evidence of the death of the expert, or perhaps, if you’re feeling optimistic, might be a sign of the democratisation of expertise.


crikey--2020-05-07--Coronavirus: mental health, mutant strains and Mother’s Day celebrations

The national cabinet will decide whether to allow groups of up to 10 people to gather , experts warn of @ @ @ @ @ and more coronavirus updates .
The national cabinet will tomorrow decide whether groups of up @ @ @ @ @ to meet by Mother ’ s Day , experts warn suicide rates could spike , @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 is spreading .
Suicide rates in Australia could increase by up to 50 % @ @ @ @ @ 1500 deaths per year over the next five years as the coronaviurs wreaks havoc on @ @ @ @ @ .
The modelling , conducted by the University of Sydney 's Brain and Mind Centre @ @ @ @ @ Medical Association , also predicts unemployment , school dropouts and family crises could further affect @ @ @

The national cabinet will tomorrow decide whether groups of up to 10 will be able to meet by Mother’s Day, experts warn suicide rates could spike, and a mutant strain of COVID-19 is spreading.
Mental health the next calamity
Suicide rates in Australia could increase by up to 50%, equating to an extra 1500 deaths per year over the next five years as the coronaviurs wreaks havoc on our economy and social systems.
The modelling, conducted by the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre and backed by the Australian Medical Association, also predicts unemployment, school dropouts and family crises could further affect the economy.


crikey--2020-03-31--What it's like to have COVID-19

What it's like to have COVID-19

Around the world , patients and doctors battling COVID-19 are telling stories of what it 's really like to have @ @ @ @ @ n't care .
It does n't care whether you 're young and healthy , or @ @ @ @ @ , stayed at home , and did everything right .
It can still get you @ @ @ @ @ early signs are well-documented : a dry , hacking cough , a temperature , body @ @ @ @ @ when you suspect you have the coronavirus , even the process of getting tested is @ @ @ @ @ in full protective gear sticking a swab very far up your nose .

COVID-19 doesn’t care. It doesn’t care whether you’re young and healthy, or that you washed your hands, stayed at home, and did everything right. It can still get you.
By now, the early signs are well-documented: a dry, hacking cough, a temperature, body chills, fatigue.
But when you suspect you have the coronavirus, even the process of getting tested is unpleasant. It involves someone in full protective gear sticking a swab very far up your nose.


crikey--2020-04-01--Life on a block with an emergency morgue truck

'Hospitals around the country should be prepared for this to come . '
This story was originally published by ProPublica .
Warning : The article contains images that some readers may find disturbing .
Across New York City , there are unthinkable scenes everywhere .
Empty public spaces .
Teeming emergency rooms .
Shuttered churches .
For Marc Kozlow , the unthinkable played out on Stanhope Street in Brooklyn this weekend .
He lives on the block with his fiancee and dog , a rescue named Hank .
Near his apartment is Wyckoff Heights Medical Center , a 350-bed nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most of the hospital ’ s patients are people of color ; about a fifth are 70 or older .
This month , Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an 82-year-old Brooklyn woman at Wyckoff was the city ’ s first official COVID-19 death .
As of Sunday , the city ’ s death toll had risen to 776 , accounting for more than quarter of the deaths nationwide .
The city has brought in at least 45 refrigerated trucks and tents , in case hospitals and morgues reach capacity for the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They are distributed as needed to support hospitals , ” said Aja Worthy-Davis , a spokeswoman for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner .
Wyckoff has a refrigerated truck , said hospital CEO Ramon J. Rodriguez .
It is on the side of the hospital , close to the loading dock .
The morgue is in the basement .
Kozlow shared with ProPublica several pictures he ’ d taken because he wants the country to take sensible precautions .
“ I understand the time that we ’ re in , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything , ” he said .
“ I shared the photos with the intention that the rest of the U.S. knows to take it seriously .
This is what the country should be aware of , and hospitals around the country should prepare for this to come.
” His account has been edited for clarity and brevity .
“ It ’ s not a huge hospital .
We have a dog .
I have to take him out three or four times a day .
All around the hospital is littered with surgical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding their ways into trash .
I started thinking , ‘ What the hell is happening ?
’ “ And then two days ago , the trailer arrived .
I didn ’ t think twice of it .
I thought it was possibly one of the many additional medical supply trucks that the hospital needed .
When I was taking the dog out for the evening walk , I walked past the truck .
I watched a man in full protective gear work the trash compactor in a hazmat suit .
A doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor said , ‘ They got mad bodies in there.
’ “ And then on Saturday morning , they started building a platform .
They ’ re drilling and setting up this platform system on the street .
They finished the platform , and then they basically carted out what looked like a body in a gurney , but I was very unsure of what it was and they opened it up and it was a coffin .
The guys on the platform pulled out a body from the trailer , and put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to four hours later , it was like a conveyor line of bodies .
“ This was about 6 to 7 p.m .
There were at least 10 bodies going into the trailer .
The first ones had bags , and then they were one by one on gurneys , and then they started coming two per gurney , they were just covered in sheets .
“ We leave our windows open and we hear the hum of the refrigerator going all night long .
It ’ s disturbing to know what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally published by ProPublica .

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