As #coronavirusaustralia infection rates fall and restrictions ease, there could be a sense that the worst is over. But there is still a long, grim path ahead for the economy and it has renewed calls for economic reform. #abc730@latingle#Covid19Aus#auspol
A large part of the problem with economic reform is that it has been talked up so often, only to end up crashing on the rocks of intransigence or ideology. @latingle#abc730#auspol
When Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP started a new conversation about economic reforms to help the economy back on its feet, the usual suspects were mentioned: industrial relations reform, tax and red tape. @latingle#abc730#auspol
There seems to be a willingness to cooperate between big business and the trade union movement, which have been at loggerheads for so long now. @latingle#abc730#auspol
“It'd be great if we could get on the same page, before we go into this set of reform, about what kind of society do we want to be.” Jennifer Westacott, CEO @BCAcomau#abc730#auspol
“There are common issues here. There's common concerns around wanting to have a better bargaining system, common concerns about wanting to address the level of wage theft. Hopefully there's a shared view that we shouldn't have so many insecure jobs.” @sallymcmanus#abc730#auspol
“If you're going to have a local manufacturing industry, there's ways that governments can support that. They can support that through skills, they can support that as well by using their own procurement power.” @sallymcmanus@unionsaustralia#abc730#auspol
“What we want is a competitive tax system, not the lowest tax rates for businesses, but something that is competitive. Now, that might be company tax, but it might be an investment allowance.” Jennifer Westacott, CEO @BCAcomau#abc730#auspol
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More than three decades after terrorists brought down an American airliner over Lockerbie in Scotland, families who lost loved ones are finally hoping to see justice. #abc730
“The idea that they were coming home for Christmas and were blown out of the sky and took minutes to fall to earth … you couldn’t sleep when you thought about that.” – Bill Barr, former US Attorney-General #abc730
“It was very rewarding for me personally to be able to bring those additional charges. For me, it was finishing a job that I had started.” – Bill Barr, former US Attorney-General #abc730
Tech billionaire @billgates is one of the best-known figures on the planet, responsible for decades of philanthropy targeting poverty, disease, infant mortality and more recently COVID-19. He spoke to @FergusonNews. #abc730
"I think Australia will be able to export green hydrogen and other clean products. It is certainly a country where the opportunity in a green economy is greater than it has been in the past." – @billgates#abc730
"The cost to be ready for the next pandemic is a rounding error compared to what it takes to re-tool the modern economy to solve climate change." – @billgates#abc730
The days of being swamped with politicians talking about COVID already seem like a long time ago. But the virus continues to run rampant, making a lot of Australians sick and killing many, even if we don't seem to be talking about it publicly as much. #abc730
"The current approach to COVID in Australia is to let it run in a so-called healthy population — that means unfettered transmission largely in the wider population while trying to protect those who are deemed vulnerable ... It is clearly not working." – @CrabbBrendan#abc730
Nearly 18 months after unveiling the AUKUS agreement, the federal government is preparing to announce exactly how it plans on acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. North American correspondent @jademacmillan1 spoke to members of Congress about the path ahead. #abc730
“If AUKUS really works the way it should, there should be contribution into this program from the UK and Australia. And I think that shows that, you know, that’s a force multiplier that can really help take on the larger demand.” – Rep. Joe Courtney, Democrat #abc730
“I think you will definitely see Australians on board US submarines training, for example. Whether we get straight to the point of there’s a combined and integrated Australian and US crew on a US submarine, that will be interesting to see.” – Mark Watson, ASPI #abc730
A referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be one of the biggest issues confronting the country next year. @latingle spoke to @mdavisqlder about what the Voice can be, and why she remains optimistic about its future. #abc730
"I think one of the reasons the Voice became the primary focus of Indigenous constitutional recognition is that we actually don't have much input at all into laws and policies that are made about our lives and our communities." – @mdavisqlder#abc730
"There's a lot of noise and it happens in a lot of policy areas in Australia. There's a lot of noise and a lot of advisory committees. There's a lot of talk. There's a lot of reports but there's no coordination. There's no coherency." – @mdavisqlder#abc730
Tasmanians have long wanted their own AFL team, and they’re closer than ever to getting one. But the AFL has made it clear a local team is contingent on the island state building a brand new stadium. #abc730
“Just about everyone I speak to shares my view that it would be unconscionable to spend that sort of money at a time that the state has so many other challenges.” – Andrew Wilkie, Independent MHR #abc730
“This is a huge opportunity for all Tasmanians and can I say, that these are the investments, this is the type of vision, this is the type of commitment that we all need to embrace.” – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier #abc730