Facebook hits back on media code; JobKeeper to go as jobs return
Facebook strikes back over mandatory code
Digital giant Facebook this week reacted swiftly to plans by the Federal Government to introduce a mandatory code on news reporting in Australia. Facebook on Thursday blocked news and government websites from its platform, threatening digital media information distribution on government services such as the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and bushfire reports. Two days earlier, the Government announced that the mandatory code would enable commercial agreements between media parties, so that news media businesses were fairly remunerated for the content they generated.
Treasurer rules out extension to JobKeeper
As Victorian businesses were forced to sustain another sharp Covid-19 lockdown, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has again ruled out extending the JobKeeper scheme past the end of March. He said that 2.1 million Australians and 520,000 businesses had graduated off JobKeeper during the December quarter. WA had the highest number of people (a fall of 70 per cent) coming off JobKeeper, compared to 44 per cent in Victoria. The Treasurer also said that the Government would not “name and shame” businesses that did not repay their JobKeeper payments.
Feds move to curb class action options on corporation disclosure
Australia’s corporations legislation is being amended so that companies and their officers will only be liable for civil penalty proceedings on continuous disclosure obligations where they had acted with “knowledge, recklessness or negligence”. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 would discourage “opportunistic class actions” under Australia’s continuous disclosure laws. The amendments make permanent the temporary changes it introduced in May last year, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Payroll jobs approaching pre-pandemic levels
Payroll jobs numbers are edging back to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. With an increase of 1.3 per cent in the last two weeks of January, almost every industry saw a rise in payroll jobs, with administration, accommodation and food services, and education and training among the largest increases. But annual job growth has varied across Australia, with the strongest increases in Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia, but the number of payroll jobs falling 1.7 per cent in both Victoria and Tasmania. Meanwhile, the ABS has recorded a drop in the unemployment rate to 6.4 per cent in January – back to the same level as of April 2020.
Foreign citizens dominate overseas arrival numbers
As debate raged over the number of foreigners and returning Australians processed through hotel quarantine, the ABS estimates that just 31,700 overseas arrivals were recorded in January. Returning Australian citizens accounted for around 44 per cent of arrivals, with most of non-citizens arriving from New Zealand, China, India, the UK and the US. In January 2020 – pre-pandemic - Australia recorded more than 2.2 million overseas arrivals.
International worker shortage hitting industries
As international arrivals slow to a trickle, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has highlighted labour shortages in areas that previously recruited international workers. In a speech, Senator Birmingham said in addition to the well-publicised shortages in agricultural industries, some mining and drilling companies and parts of the construction sector were unable to find workers. Other employers in cleaning and in aged care and disability had roles that may have previously been filled by temporary or international workers. He said the Government was providing a $6,000 incentive for Australian workers to help move to locations in need.