The Morrison government has ruled out lifting the rate of GST to pay for the billions of spending in its attempt to curb the impact of the coronavirus on the economy.
WA has recorded two new coronavirus deaths. The federal government has announced a new mandatory code of conduct for landlords. Its $130 billion JobKeeper scheme is expected to pass parliament tomorrow.
The C-suite just became bigger, with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing another key title into the top end of the corporate and government decision-making – chief medical officer – a role where Western
We are all getting used to having fresh data at our fingertips as we watch the pandemic unfold before our eyes and try to project today's numbers forward by a fortnight, working out the best- and w
WA's borders will officially close to the eastern states at midnight on Sunday. Confirmed COVID-19 cases have grown by eight in WA and 244 nationally. The federal government has announced a childcare service support program.
Hundreds of emergency flights will send fresh produce to key export markets in a bid to help Australian farmers and fishers under economic pressure due to the coronavirus.
About 100,000 Western Australians will lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA, although it is unclear how much the federal government's new JobKeeper payment will reduce the damage.
Businesses and non profits suffering big falls in turnover will receive subsidies of up to $1,500 per worker per fortnight under the federal government's new Jobkeeper program, with up to 6 million people to be supported.
Movement in major city centres has dropped 80 per cent in the past two weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today, while flagging development of a policy to hibernate businesses until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Roger Cook has confirmed 231 COVID-19 cases in WA. The state government will fund $3 million to coronavirus-related research. There will be easier access to some prescription medicines. New maternity hospital will be deferred.
800 cruise ship passengers to be quarantined at Rottnest. WA's COVID-19 cases rise by 30 to 205. Premier Mark McGowan introduces alcohol sale restrictions. Australia's COVID-19 cases rise by 287 to 2,423.
Former Fortescue Metals Group chief executive and current Perth Airport chairman Nev Power has been recruited by the prime minister to lead a National COVID-19 Coordination Commission.
People already waiting at the Western Australian border will be allowed into the state after the closure deadline, as the premier flagged banning regional travel and shutting down beaches.
Domestic gas reservation schemes have earned a rebuke from the Productivity Commission, while it has called for an end to drilling bans and warned on the massive cost of approval delays.
Department of the Premier and Cabinet director general, Darren Foster, is stepping down immediately, with senior bureaucrats Rebecca Brown and Sharyn O'Neill stepping into the breach.
A $20 billion loan guarantee for small businesses, $31.9 billion of grants to encourage small businesses to keep workers and $18 billion of support for welfare recipients and people who lose their jobs are the key elements in the federal government's second round COVID-19 economic response.
Two new facilities to support lending worth a combined $105 billion are key elements of the Reserve Bank and federal government's plans to support the economy in response to COVID-19, while the RBA cut rates to 0.25 per cent and promised an unprecedented target on government bond yields.
Support for businesses to hold on to workers should be prioritised over cash handouts for households, according to Deutsche Bank, which forecasts Australia's economy will fare better than most with a contraction of only 0.1 per cent in 2020.
A growing number of hospitality venues are either closing or revising their operations, after the Prime Minister announced the ban of all non-essential gatherings of 100 plus people. The ban is effective immediately and will impact religious services.
The growing global appetite for state involvement in industry, as evidenced by two recent decisions of Boris Johnson's new government in the UK, is also taking hold in Australia.
Australia has upgraded its international travel advice to the highest level, with all citizens being told not to travel overseas because of coronavirus. It comes as Virgin Australia suspended all international travel for more than two months.
A freeze on household bills, a slight rise of the payroll tax threshold and small businesses grants will form part of a $607 million state government stimulus package, while the Commonwealth and the Reserve Bank are considering further steps.
Chinese consul general Dong Zhihua is confident international trade won't suffer long-term disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, and is pitching for local businesses to come to a trade fair in November.
The federal government will be advising against mass gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today, in response to the growing coronavirus threat.
