Liberal Senator SenSHenderson says the Victorian government has clearly “lost control” of the pandemic with the worst public policy failure seen from a state government in history.
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson says the Victorian government has clearly “lost control” of the pandemic with the worst public policy failure seen from a state government in history.
“Not just the hotel quarantine disaster but the disaster in contact tracing,” Ms Henderson said. She said the state really lacked the “sophisticated system” of states like New South Wales which are managing hotspots successfully. “Whole approach of shutting down the state is really based on a very poor public health premise and of course so damaging.” Image: Getty
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Australia’s 'overreaction' to COVID-19 'damaged our society and economy' | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Chris Kenny says Australia should have done more to protect the elderly and less to harm society and hurt the young in responding to COVID-19. \n\nMr Kenny said the fact Australia overreacted to the threat of the virus is becoming increasingly apparent as the country learns more about the virus, treatments improve, and fatality rates around the world drop. \n\nAustralian National University’s Professor Peter Collignon said in a tweet on Tuesday the estimated infection fatality rate was close to zero for children and younger adults, but reached 0.4 per cent at 55 years, 1.3 per cent at 65, 4.5 per cent at 75, and 15 per cent at 85.\n\n“We should have been doing less to harm society, and hurt the young, and more to protect and support the elderly,” Mr Kenny said. \n\nMr Kenny said while the virus itself posed a moderate health risk to Australia, it was the country’s management of it which had damaged the nation’s society and economy incalculably. \n\nHe said the virus, as looked likely in February, “might always have been dealt with better by pulling out all stops to protect the vulnerable, to ring fence aged care homes and support the elderly, rather than crush society.”\n\n“The more we know about this disease, how it behaves, how we can combat it, and the mistakes we've made, the more it's clear we need to open up more, like Europe and North America, and learn to live with the disease,” he said. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Australia ‘should think about protecting its civil liberties’ while handling COVID | Sky News AustraliaAustralia should think about how to protect its civil liberties even as it tackles its few COVID-19 cases, according to Spiked Editor Brendan O’Neil. \n\n“It’s crazy from my perspective, I can’t believe what’s happening in Australia,” Mr O’Neil told Sky News host Chris Kenny. \n\n“Very low number of cases, certainly in comparison to countries like the UK and the US, but the most extraordinary authoritarian measures.\n\n“Lots of people outside of Australia are quite staggered about what’s going on there.\n\n“I think Australia needs to think about how to protect its civil liberties even as it tackles the few cases of COVID-19 that it has.”\n\nImage: Getty
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Former prime minister Tony Abbott ‘lays down the blueprint’ on COVID response | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Chris Kenny says former prime minister Tony Abbott has called out the self-interest and hypocrisy of the states and 'given the sort of advice we need to hear about a pathway forward' on the pandemic. \n\nSpeaking to a UK think tank, Policy Exchange, Mr Abbott argued officials must start asking 'uncomfortable questions' about the number of fatalities they are prepared to live with.\n\nThe former leader warned while the pandemic has been serious from a health perspective, it has been disastrous for the economy.\n\nMr Kenny said Mr Abbott also rightly turned his sights on the media, which the former prime minister said have spread 'virus hysteria'.\n\nMr Kenny also said Mr Abbott 'echoed what we've examined on this program for months'. \n\n“I have said for many months, that it's clear we have to find a way to live with the disease,” Mr Kenny said. \n\nHe said Tony Abbott has “laid down the blueprint, Scott Morrison would be wise to adopt it”.\n
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Hotspot escapees flee to COVID-free NT | Sky News AustraliaDarwin’s Howard Springs quarantine facility has housed an increasing number of Australians looking to escape from hotspot locations to the COVID-19 free Northern Territory. \n\nThe Northern Territory government reported approximately 10,000 interstate travelers arrived in the territory since the border opened on July 17.\n\nChief Minister Michael Gunner said he had met Victorians who moved to the Northern Territory and were continuing to work remotely. \n\n“Sorry Dan, we’re taking your Victorians, this is a much better place to live,” he said. \n\nThe interstate arrivals could provide a much-needed boost for the Northern Territory's struggling economy and sluggish property market.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Australians know what produced 'the COVID-19 recession': PM Morrison | Sky News AustraliaPrime Minister Scott Morrison says Australians 'know why the numbers on our economy are what they are today' with the nation officially falling into recession on Wednesday. \n\nIn Question Time on Wednesday, the Prime Minister was defiant 'Australians know' what has led to today's announcement. \n\n'Australians know that the COVID-19 recession has been produced by the global pandemic and the global recessions that have followed from that,' he said. \n\n'And anyone who would seek to suggest that it is other than that clearly isn't living in the same country that the rest of us are, or in the same place'. \n\nMr Morrison also said the 'path to recovery' will not be 'paved with endless, endless support of the government'. \n\n'It will be paved with the endless efforts of Australians and their enterprising spirit and restoring and building their businesses'.\n\n'We need to ensure that constraints are taken off them so they can get back to what they were doing, which is employing millions of Australians,' he said. \n\nImage: Getty
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Treasurer signals COVID-19 could ruin planned super increase | Sky News AustraliaTreasurer Josh Frydenberg has indicated a rise in the superannuation guarantee might not be delivered as planned next year – citing economic ruin caused by COVID-19.\n\nThe super guarantee is legislated to rise slowly from 9.5 per cent beginning next year and reach 12 per cent in 2025.\n\nWhen asked about the super increase by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, Mr Frydenberg said the “reality” was Australia had been “hit hard” by COVID-19.\n\n“We’re working through these issues and taking into account the comments and the insights provided by a number of people,” Mr Frydenberg said.\n\nHe said RBA Governor Philip Lowe warned the increase could be 'offset by lower wage growth over time', would “certainly” have a negative wages growth effect and reduce spending.\n\nHe also said the Grattan Institute told him “increasing compulsory super contributions in the midst of a deep recession would slow the pace of recovery”. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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