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From Australia - News in Brief

Labor calls on NSW Health Minister to resign over Ruby Princess Cruise Ship Disaster

‘Thousands and thousands’ saved from COVID-19 by lifestyle sacrifices

Coalition, Labor split over $130b wage subsidy

Lawyers prepare Ruby Princess class action

NSW warned of first cold spell for 2020

Berejiklian government continues to leave NSW renters and landlords

Leaked NSW Health emails mean premier must now apologise and take full

responsibility

Politician pay cut not helpful: Morrison

NSW small business relief amid COVID-19

NSW Labor welcomes extension of death and disability benefits to NSW police Officers over 60




Labor calls on NSW Health Minister to resign over Ruby Princess Cruise Ship Disaster

04/04/2020

(See translation in Arabic section)

Canberra - M E Times Int'l: NSW Labor has called for Health Minister Brad Hazzard to stand down over the Berejiklian Government’s catastrophic failure to manage the COVID-19 crisis from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

Describing it as “one of the greatest public health failures NSW has seen”, Labor Leader Jodi McKay said it was time to end the Ruby Princess cover-up.

The catastrophic failure since 2,700 people were allowed to disembark the Ruby Princess in Sydney without testing or quarantine has been directly responsible for seven deaths and more than 600 COVID-19 infections, including over 350 in NSW alone.

Now leaked emails have revealed that NSW Health allowed passengers to disembark, despite warnings from the ship’s senior doctor of respiratory illnesses on board.

It’s time to end this 16-day cover-up, which has been distressing for all those passengers and family involved,” Ms McKay said. “The Health Minister must stand down. No more excuses, no more cover-ups.

We do not make this call lightly. The buck stops with the Health Minister and the Health Minister must resign.”

Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park said it was the first time in his career he had demanded a minister step down.

 Thousands and thousands' saved from COVID-19 by lifestyle ...

‘Thousands and thousands’ saved from COVID-19 by lifestyle sacrifices

Canberra: Australians who have sacrificed their lifestyles by staying indoors to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have saved “thousands and thousands” from infection to produce “profoundly important” signs of a flattening curve, Health Minister Greg Hunt says.

 “All of the hard work of Australians is beginning to yield real dividends in terms of lives saved and infections prevented,” he said.

“What we have seen is a first set of early signs of the flattening of the curve, going from 25-30 per cent daily infection growth down to the low teens and now safely below 10 per cent. “Every one of us can save a life, or any one of us, by doing the wrong thing, could risk a life.” Mr Hunt said despite the positive signs of reduced spread, Australians will still be socially distant for six months but signalled a flexible, tapered approach to exiting the measures akin to the way they were implemented.

 “We have flexibility here and we took steps in to help Australians get to the point where we are … as we come out, there’s the capacity to be flexible in that,” he said. The latest figures show Australia has 5454 cases with 28 deaths.

 Coalition, Labor split over $130b wage subsidy | Sky News Australia

Coalition, Labor split over $130b wage subsidy

Canberra: The Coalition and federal Labor are split over how to deliver the $130 billion wage subsidy ahead of parliament’s return. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter said the package couldn’t be implemented without changes to the Fair Work Act.

The government is pushing to make legislative changes, but Labor argues for going through the Fair Work Commission.

 Coronavirus: Lawyers line up for Ruby Princess case

Lawyers prepare Ruby Princess class action

Sydney: Lawyers are preparing a class-action lawsuit against Carnival Cruises on behalf of dozens of passengers who sailed on the coronavirus stricken Ruby Princess ship.

Shine Lawyers says the 2700 passengers on board were not advised of the risk to themselves and others and were not monitored for symptoms.

 The lawsuit in its early stages is expected to be the first in a wave of class actions.

The cruise ship accounts for 340 cases of coronavirus and at least seven deaths in Australia.

 Alpine safety | NSW National Parks

NSW warned of first cold spell for 2020

Sydney: NSW will be hit with it's "first cold outbreak" of the year, with snow and damaging winds forecast throughout the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology says temperatures across the state could drop by about six to eight degrees below the April average on Sunday and into Monday.

BOM Meteorologist Dr Helen Kirkup says the current weather system moving through western parts of the state will travel east over the weekend, bringing a cold front to the lower western region and more rainfall across north eastern parts of the state.

"Essentially there is just going to be a wind chill factor to take into account through this weekend as this first cold outbreak occurs," Dr Kirkup said in a statement on Friday.

A severe weather warning is in place for Saturday with damaging winds expected to hit the lllawarra and parts of the south coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Snowy Mountains.

 The Middle East Times - International

Berejiklian government continues to leave NSW renters and landlords

Sydney: NSW Labor has renewed calls for the Liberal-National Government to immediately implement measures to protect tenants and landlords during the COVID-19 crisis.

While the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, suggests landlords and tenants should “work this out," NSW tenants are reporting that many landlords are refusing to negotiate and some are threatening eviction. Some agents have even asked tenants to dip into their super, a move which has been sharply rebuked by ASIC.

It is well over a week since Tasmania passed emergency laws to protect tenants and give certainty to landlords. Yet, the NSW Government refuses to provide any detailed information about how it will ensure renters can stay in their homes.

Labor Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection Julia Finn said: “While the NSW Government continues to do nothing, some landlords and real estate agents are rushing to evict tenants before the moratorium is introduced and making their own rules about who is and isn’t eligible for the eviction moratorium.”

 Cut public service pay: Alan Jones' suggestion to the PM | The ...

Politician pay cut not helpful: Morrison

Canberra: The Morrison government has rejected calls for politicians and public servants to take a pay cut as the country deals with the economic fallout of coronavirus.

The federal government has asked the Remuneration Tribunal to put a pay freeze in place for 12 months.

But a cut is not being contemplated.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said salaries made up a tiny percentage of the federal budget, however, he would consider changes if necessary.

"I know people are taking a hard hit every day in their businesses," he told Sydney radio 2GB on Friday.

"But I don't think it's actually helpful in a crisis to start having people turn on each other about who's getting what."

A number of Australian workers have agreed with their employers to take cuts of around 10 per cent of their wages during the crisis, while others have lost their jobs.

But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said a pay cut for politicians and bureaucrats wouldn't make much of a difference.

 Permanently Closed - Ananas - Circular Quay, AU-NSW | OpenTable

NSW small business relief amid COVID-19

Sydney: The NSW government hopes grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses impacted by COVID-19 will help them stay afloat during this challenging time.

About 75,000 small cafes, restaurants, corner shops, gyms and small accommodation providers will be able to apply for the grants announced by NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet on Friday.

"We want to make sure that as many small businesses remain open or for those that have closed, re-open once this pandemic has passed," Mr Perrottet told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

"Small businesses are the lifeblood of the NSW economy."

The Berejiklian government is investing $750 million to provide the grants which will help small businesses severely affected by coronavirus with fixed costs, utilities and rent.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the grants will provide a boost for small businesses struggling during this unprecedented situation.

"These grants will provide a big boost, and we will make the application process easy to ensure small businesses can receive some cash-flow as soon as possible to meet pressing needs," she said in a statement.

 coronavirus - 2EC

NSW Labor welcomes extension of death and disability benefits to NSW police Officers over 60

Sydney: The NSW Labor Opposition has welcomed the long overdue announcement that NSW Police Officers over 60 will now receive Death and Disability payments.

Labor has previously pursued in Budget Estimates the lack of any coverage of NSW Police Officers over 60 for Death and Disability payments as the scheme began to taper out at 53 years of age.

 In August Budget Estimates Hearings, in response to Labor questions, the NSW Police

Commissioner, Mick Fuller, announced that he was looking to a self-insurance scheme to ensure NSW Police Officers were covered up to the required retirement age of 67.

The announcement of a scheme to cover all NSW Police Officers is the result of a long and hard fought campaign by the NSW Police Association to ensure all their members receive the same entitlements and our most experienced police officers are not left behind. They should be commended for their work.


 














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