Coronavirus | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Coronavirus

Right that makes sense. The wage subsidy is $585.80 per week for full-time staff or $350 for part-time but the devil in the deal is it's capped at $150,000 per business. Also need to show a 30% decline in revenue compared to same time last year. So it pays for 21 full-time employees over 12 weeks. The reality is, with no revenue whatsoever for many businesses, keeping employees employed is just not possible but I guess that does help smaller businesses.

They've actually now removed the cap of $150k. We are a medium sized business, we employ around 500 people across ANZ with about 50 in NZ. We have applied for the subsidy for all but about 10 of those as they can work from home. Pretty easy to show a 30% decline (can be a forecast decline) when they are going into lockdown for 4 weeks and ur business is not deemed to be an essential service. It will likely cost them more then $5bn, but to be blatantly honest here, they are paying $585 / week with companies paying the remainder whereas in Australia we have just decided to pay $550 / week when people lose their jobs and that goes for the additional 1m people that have lost their jobs in the last 3 days. Would make more sense to have paid that to businesses and try to keep more people in work, you can't save them all but it goes a long way to preserving as many jobs instead of throwing jobs away like we have done here.

The biggest benefit of doing that, is when we come out of this, if businesses already have trained employees ready to go, the ramp back up would be much much quicker when you come out of this massive economic shock and it also increases confidence in workers, so again when we come out of this, spending will return to a much more normal level far quicker helping the government as it gets that churn around GST etc moving far quicker than a stalled approach which we will have as people have to go through the recruitment process again to get back into work.
 
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They've actually now removed the cap of $150k. We are a medium sized business, we employ around 500 people across ANZ with about 50 in NZ. We have applied for the subsidy for all but about 10 of those as they can work from home. Pretty easy to show a 30% decline (can be a forecast decline) when they are going into lockdown for 4 weeks and ur business is not deemed to be an essential service. It will likely cost them more then $5bn, but to be blatantly honest here, they are paying $585 / week with companies paying the remainder whereas in Australia we have just decided to pay $550 / week when people lose their jobs and that goes for the additional 1m people that have lost their jobs in the last 3 days. Would make more sense to have paid that to businesses and try to keep more people in work, you can't save them all but it goes a long way to preserving as many jobs instead of throwing jobs away like we have done here.

The biggest benefit of doing that, is when we come out of this, if businesses already have trained employees ready to go, the ramp back up would be much much quicker when you come out of this massive economic shock and it also increases confidence in workers, so again when we come out of this, spending will return to a much more normal level far quicker helping the government as it gets that churn around GST etc moving far quicker than a stalled approach which we will have as people have to go through the recruitment process again to get back into work.


BTW the cost of those additional 1m unemployed was not stated anywhere in the stimulus plan, so that cost is an additional $550m / week now on top of the apparent stimulus that has been provided.
 
So what is your alternative? They are trying to strike a balance between keeping the economy running and reducing the death toll from the virus. Its an unenviable position. Are you willing to sacrifice your parents? Grandparents?

We may get a look at what business as usual looks like if Trump gets his way. Lucky they've all got guns.

The cost in the long run may be greater if we allow it to run through society unchecked?

I don't understand why we are not getting more info on how people are getting infected so as to better protect ourselves unless they simply do not know?
The alternative is to keep people working and to cut government spending plans to pay for an increase in capacity of ICUs/testing etc. if that is what they deem to be required. Provide advice on how to prevent spreading the virus but don’t take away people’s basic freedoms and livelihood.
 
The alternative is to keep people working and to cut government spending plans to pay for an increase in capacity of ICUs/testing etc. if that is what they deem to be required. Provide advice on how to prevent spreading the virus but don’t take away people’s basic freedoms and livelihood.

So give advice and trust people do the right thing? Didn't we just try that? If you don't take their freedoms it will cost many their lives.

Its a terrible balance to strike but I'm not really sure sacrificing a wedding, a birthday, a dinner party, a BBQ, a holiday etc is that big a price to pay to stop thousands dying.

The draconian measures have been forced because people expressed their freedoms without thought for others.

Perhaps if my grandparent was to die (from the virus) I could sue the person who infringed on their private property rights by infecting and killing them?
 
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They've actually now removed the cap of $150k. We are a medium sized business, we employ around 500 people across ANZ with about 50 in NZ. We have applied for the subsidy for all but about 10 of those as they can work from home. Pretty easy to show a 30% decline (can be a forecast decline) when they are going into lockdown for 4 weeks and ur business is not deemed to be an essential service. It will likely cost them more then $5bn, but to be blatantly honest here, they are paying $585 / week with companies paying the remainder whereas in Australia we have just decided to pay $550 / week when people lose their jobs and that goes for the additional 1m people that have lost their jobs in the last 3 days. Would make more sense to have paid that to businesses and try to keep more people in work, you can't save them all but it goes a long way to preserving as many jobs instead of throwing jobs away like we have done here.

The biggest benefit of doing that, is when we come out of this, if businesses already have trained employees ready to go, the ramp back up would be much much quicker when you come out of this massive economic shock and it also increases confidence in workers, so again when we come out of this, spending will return to a much more normal level far quicker helping the government as it gets that churn around GST etc moving far quicker than a stalled approach which we will have as people have to go through the recruitment process again to get back into work.

For how long? And likely more than $5B -by removing the cap of $150K per business - how much more? Completely unknown.

And you just have to forecast a 30% drop in revenue to be eligible? What if you don't drop 30% but already got the cash do you have to pay it back?

And doesn't the wage subsidy get paid to the business in a lump sum and not directly to the employee? If that is the case that is open to abuse right there.
 
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So give advice and trust people do the right thing? Didn't we just try that? If you don't take their freedoms it will cost many their lives.

Its a terrible balance to strike but I'm not really sure sacrificing a wedding, a birthday, a dinner party, a BBQ, a holiday etc is that big a price to pay to stop thousands dying.

The draconian measures have been forced because people expressed their freedoms without thought for others.

Perhaps if my grandparent was to die (from the virus) I could sue the person who infringed on their private property rights by infecting and killing them?
No we didn’t try that, the government clamped down hard and now the lines at Centrelink have exploded. Forget overloading the health system, the unemployment system is going to be fit to burst. Then think about the impoverishment that will lead to not just in lost output and jobs in the near term but because people will have to dip into what meagre savings they have there will be much less productivity going forward. You’re worried about old people dying, I’m worried about young and old people dying.
 
I keep hearing about how great the testing is in Australia. My son returned from Bali 10 days ago and had some symptoms. I sent him off to get tested last Thursday and he still hasn't got the results. I live in the country and have him quarantined in my sister's weekender up the road so it's safe, but I'm pretty surprised about how long it's taken to hear back. I'm a bit worried that our poor testing regime is keeping the numbers artificially low to be honest.
 
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Wont be too long before hairdressers will probably end up being closed.

If you wanna be looking good for all those facey and instagram lock down update selfies best go get ya hairs done pronto!!
 
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No we didn’t try that, the government clamped down hard and now the lines at Centrelink have exploded. Forget overloading the health system, the unemployment system is going to be fit to burst. Then think about the impoverishment that will lead to not just in lost output and jobs in the near term but because people will have to dip into what meagre savings they have there will be much less productivity going forward. You’re worried about old people dying, I’m worried about young and old people dying.
So whats your answer? Let everyone do as they see best fit and the govt stay out of it?

Where did I say I wasn't worried about jobs? Its a disaster economically, but explain how your solution would provide better outcomes for old and young?
 
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I keep hearing about how great the testing is in Australia. My son returned from Bali 10 days ago and had some symptoms. I sent him off to get tested last Thursday and he still hasn't got the results. I live in the country and have him quarantined in my sister's weekender up the road so it's safe, but I'm pretty surprised about how long it's taken to hear back. I'm a bit worried that our poor testing regime is keeping the numbers artificially low to be honest.
How is he healthwise?
 
Wont be too long before hairdressers will probably end up being closed.

If you wanna be looking good for all those facey and instagram lock down update selfies best go get ya hairs done pronto!!
I haven't paid for a haircut since I bought a pair of Wahl clippers in 1998, they're still going strong too.
 
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I keep hearing about how great the testing is in Australia. My son returned from Bali 10 days ago and had some symptoms. I sent him off to get tested last Thursday and he still hasn't got the results. I live in the country and have him quarantined in my sister's weekender up the road so it's safe, but I'm pretty surprised about how long it's taken to hear back. I'm a bit worried that our poor testing regime is keeping the numbers artificially low to be honest.

he was with his Danish Girlfriend and her twin. Covid-19 wouldn't be the first test I'd get him
 
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So whats your answer? Let everyone do as they see best fit and the govt stay out of it?

Where did I say I wasn't worried about jobs? Its a disaster economically, but explain how your solution would provide better outcomes for old and young?
Yes that is 100% the better outcome because the outcome we have is to give the megalomaniacs in Canberra more power to interfere in our lives.

It is better because it keeps people productive, which is what we need if we are going to be able to provide health services for as many people as possible now and into the future. Where are the resources going to come from to cover the huge loss in productivity we will suffer as a result of healthy people being forced out of their livelihood? Coronavirus is not going to be the end of the world, what will be is the breakdown of the division of labour.
 
Not sure if it has been posted before, this website is really good.


The encouragement for Australia is that the daily increase has been falling.

March 21 +27%
March 22 +26%
March 23 +24%
March 24 +22%
March 25 +19%

Something like the consequences of Ruby Princess could reverse that trend in the next few days, but there are far worse sets of figures around the world right now.
 
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I keep hearing about how great the testing is in Australia. My son returned from Bali 10 days ago and had some symptoms. I sent him off to get tested last Thursday and he still hasn't got the results. I live in the country and have him quarantined in my sister's weekender up the road so it's safe, but I'm pretty surprised about how long it's taken to hear back. I'm a bit worried that our poor testing regime is keeping the numbers artificially low to be honest.

I know someone in a high risk category, he has had a temperature and lethargy. He went to see his doctor and was told he didn't need to be tested. I just don't believe the numbers I'm hearing from Aus, I don't think testing is anywhere near as widespread as is being claimed.
 
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