Sky News host Chris Kenny says “staggering developments” have emerged following the Treasury’s announcement of a 'massive' $60 billion JobKeeper mistake which he discussed in an exclusive interview with Treasurer JoshFrydenberg.
Sky News host Chris Kenny says “staggering developments” have emerged following the Treasury’s announcement of a "massive" $60 billion JobKeeper mistake which he discussed in an exclusive interview with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. A significant reporting error has led Treasury to dramatically revise its projections for the Morrison government's JobKeeper program.
Treasury now expects the number of employees likely to be covered under JobKeeper program to be around 3.5 million, around 3 million less than forecast. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the “reality is” this was an “unintentional error by a thousand businesses”. He said the initial forecast done by Treasury was done at a time when the number of coronavirus cases were on the rise in the nation but said this result “is good news for the Australian taxpayer”.
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Contingency needed for JobKeeper end: Labor | Sky News AustraliaShadow Employment Minister Brendan O’Connor says the government must outline its contingency plans for businesses kept alive by JobKeeper when the program ends in September in case the economy stalls in its recovery. \n\nThe government’s wages scheme, along with it’s the increase to the JobSeeker welfare payment, conclude on September 30, fuelling concerns the end of the scheme is only delaying a sharp increase in the unemployment rate. \n\nMr O’Connor told Sky News despite easing restrictions, Labor remains concerned for those employed in sectors, such as aviation, that will taker longer to open back up. \n\n“Our concern would be sectors that would not be opening up very quickly, like aviation, and further beyond the end of JobKeeper and JobSeeker packages, how will businesses survive if they are still dealing with this issue full on in front on,” he said. \n\n“There has to be at least some contingency plans of government to deal with those issues now and deal with the potential challenges we will face at the end of September.”\n\nWhen asked if he would like to see the programs extended, the Labor frontbencher said that was the government’s problem to solve. \n\n“I think the government should come up with its proposals. It has access to treasury, it has access to government agencies, I think it has, should have, a really good picture of what is happening in the labour market and the economy,” Mr O’Connor said. \n\n“We will work with the government but it is up to them to come up with the precise options.”\n
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Revised JobKeeper projections 'are a great result for Aussies' | Sky News AustraliaTasmanian Senator Eric Abetz says Treasury's revision on JobKeeper projections is actually 'fantastic' and is 'a great result for the Australian people'. \n\nA significant reporting error has led Treasury to dramatically revise its projections for the Morrison government's JobKeeper program. \n\nThe scheme, which sees the government pay $1,500 fortnightly in affected workers' wages, was originally expected to cover around 6.5 million employees at a cost of $130 billion. \n\nBut late Thursday, the Treasury and Australian Tax Office were forced to admit to the Morrison government those projections were wrong.\n\nAs a result, Treasury's revised estimate of the cost of the JobKeeper program is now just $70 billion which is $60 billion less than the original forecast. \n\nTreasury now expects the number of employees likely to be covered under JobKeeper program to be around 3.5 million, around 3 million less than forecast.\n\nMr Abetz told Sky News host Chris Kenny 'the important is if you make errors, make them in the way it was done in this occasion'. \n\nHe said the 'worst thing' that could have happened is if the nation had to spend over predicted estimates, as opposed to what has happened in this instance. \n\nImage: Getty
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Number of Australians on JobKeeper revised down by 3 million due to 'significant' reporting errorBREAKING: Treasury has revealed the number of Australians receiving the JobKeeper allowance has been grossly overestimated.
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China places 'unofficial ban on Australian coal' | Sky News AustraliaChina has reportedly instructed state-owned power utilities not to purchase Australian coal, fuelling speculation of an unofficial campaign against Australia.\n\nThe unofficial ban is believed to be in retaliation for Australia's push for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak; a move China maintains was politically motivated. \n\nBeijing imposed tariffs on Australian goods including barley and suspended imports from four abattoirs but insisted they were not related to the Australian-led resolution for an inquiry at the World Health Assembly.\n\nFinance Minister Mathias Cormann dismissed the reports and said commentators needed to 'settle down' with speculation about China-Australia trade tensions.\n\n'We are aware of informal quotas being imposed from time to time in China. That is not a new development,' he said.\n\n'We have a very important trade relationship with China. It is a mutually beneficial trade relationship. \n\n'We're currently in a phase in Australia where we're perhaps over-interpreting over-analysing and over-commentating every little move.' \n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n
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China should know ‘you can’t shout at Australians and make them obey’ | Sky News AustraliaChina should re-consider how it conducts its diplomacy in the wake of the “despicable” rhetoric coming from some of Beijing’s diplomats, according to former foreign minister Alexander Downer.\n\nChinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye has not shied away from combative rhetoric in recent days, first warning that Chinese tourists may boycott visiting Australia and arguing it was laughable for the government to feel vindicated after a World Health Assembly (WHA) passed a resolution calling for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.\n\nIn the aftermath of the WHA passing a resolution backing an investigation into the novel pathogen, China has levied an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley exports, with reports other sectors could be targeted.\n \nMr Downer told Sky News the government has done well to remain calm in the face of the rhetoric coming out of the Chinese embassy.\n\n“If I were the Chinese ambassador in Canberra, before I went to bed at night, I’d think to myself, am I achieving my objectives in this country?” he said.\n\n“Am I not only understanding Australia, which good diplomats should do, but the ultimate diplomat is somebody who can exercise some influence over the host country.\n\n“Well, however are you going to exercise any influence by abusing Australia?”\n\nHe (Cheng Jingye) should try and understand how a liberal democracy work.'\n
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‘Overwhelmingly brilliant’ COVID comparisons show Australians ‘should be proud’ | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Chris Kenny says while Australians have suffered, we “should be pleased and proud” of how our nation has fared compared to the rest of the world during the deadly coronavirus pandemic. \n\nHe said our statistics have proven to be “overwhelmingly brilliant” compared to the death rates in similar countries around the world. \n\nHe said Australians should “give ourselves a pat on the back for how well we've done controlling this thing” given the nation hasn’t lost thousands of lives due to the novel pathogen. \n\nHowever, from that our politicians should “more confidently and energetically” reopen society and the economy because we’ve proven to be “far ahead of the pack”. \n\nMr Kenny said Canada has had nearly 40 times the death rate which has been experienced in Australia, while the United States has seen nearly 70 times of our own.\n\n“There's been a lot of talk about Sweden and its more lax approach, well if we had their death rate we would have lost almost 10,000 lives,” he said. \n\n“So that's the comparison, against all those tallies, we have lost 100 people, overwhelmingly they were very vulnerable elderly people.\n\n“That's the reality, that's why we should be pleased and proud, and it's also why we need to allow our people to get back to work, open up our borders, and carefully go about managing infections and outbreaks as they occur, rather than cowering in a country of closed borders, closed businesses and closed society.” \n\nImage: AP
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