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Tuesday, May 05, 2020

Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose


You can’t stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting.
— Shmi Skywalker


"Margaret Thatcher once said anyone on a bus over the age of 25 is a failure,”
Jeremy Corbyn, 25 April 2019

We can’t prove whether Mrs Thatcher did or didn’t say this, but it appears that the phrase was originally coined by an acquaintance of one Loelia, the Duchess of Westminster, and then popularised by the duchess. At some point it became common to attribute the quote to Mrs Thatcher.
The Daily Telegraph reported in the duchess’s obituary that she once said: “Anybody seen in a bus over the age of 30 has been a failure in life.”

Almost a million Australians out of work due to coronavirus, ABS data suggests



Q+A: Panel takes aim at global 'bully' China, debating whether engagement or confrontation is best option



POMPEO SAYS ENORMOUS EVIDENCE COVID CAME FROM WUHAN LAB. “There Are Many Labs Inside Of China, Martha. This Risk Remains.”

I find it inherently implausible that, in those circumstances, Mr Rech would agree to make such a spontaneous and large contribution to the legal defence of someone he had only just met. The far more likely scenario is that, by some means or other, Mr Rech was only promising funds for Mr  Cranston ’s legal expenses that in substance were originally contributed by, or at least connected to, Mr  Cranston  in some way. To the extent that it is necessary, I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that it is the case. I reject Mr  Cranston  and Mr Rech’s evidence to the contrary. Further, the evidence of the assets seized in the POCA proceedings suggests that prior to his arrest Mr  Cranston  had substantial assets including cash. As noted, his work history suggests he would have made numerous business contacts. These matters, and the evidence concerning Permaform International, raise the very realistic likelihood of his having “parked” funds in various businesses either before or after his arrest. It follows that I am not satisfied that Mr  Cranston  has discharged his onus of proving that he is relatively indigent within the meaning of the above passage

Cain Polidano, Andrew Carter, Marc Chan,  Abraham Chigavazira, Hang To, Justin Holland, Son Nguyen, Ha Vu, Roger Wilkins: The ATO longitudinal information files (ALife): A new resource for retirement policy research
 

Triguboff - Socially irresponsible': Meriton bypasses council to build 1900 apartments

A plan to build apartments in Sydney's south-east may be fast-tracked under a program to boost the economy and create jobs during the COVID-19 crisis.



POMPEO SAYS ENORMOUS EVIDENCE COVID CAME FROM WUHAN LAB. “There Are Many Labs Inside Of China, Martha. This Risk Remains.”






 
OH THE PAIN, THE PAIN OF IT ALL! The Greeks of antiquity reflected on the death of the young and the old in some very creative mythical narratives.

 

Rutgers experts on viruses, microbial risk assessment offer their tips: “Your kitchen cabinet may already be stocked with cleaning agents that can kill coronavirus. But not all chemicals will work, and none are as gentle on your skin as commercial hand sanitizers, according to Rutgers University experts. Siobain Duffy, an Associate Professor of ecology with expertise in emerging viruses and microbial evolution, and Donald Schaffner, a Distinguished Professor and extension specialist in food science with expertise in microbial risk assessment and handwashing, offer the following tips for cleaning to kill the pathogens that cause COVID-19 and other deadly diseases. 

Washington Post: “The retail industry, rife with bankruptcies and shuttered stores long before the coronavirus, is facing its biggest test yet. Lockdowns triggered by the pandemic have forced the temporary closures of 263,000 stores, according to GlobalData Retail, and analysts say it remains to be seen how many will be able to reopen. A number of the nation’s most iconic brands are at risk of disappearing, as weeks-long lockdowns and deep economic unrest disrupts consumer spending. More than 100,000 stores could disappear by the end of 2025, according to UBS. There already are signs of distress: Retail sales plummeted 8.7 percent in March, their worst drop on record, and analysts say conditions will only worsen in the coming months…”



Boris Johnson baby introduced to the world on social media


And perhaps not surprisingly for the son of a Prime Minister noted for his blond locks, Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson had a near full head of fair hair.



Public Service Commission warned site of possible liability for defamatory content on its public servants



Home affairs data breach may have exposed personal details of 700,000 migrants
Privacy experts have blasted the home affairs department for a data breach revealing the personal details of 774,000 migrants and people aspiring to migrate to Australia, including partial names and the outcome of applications.
At a time the federal government is asking Australians to trust the security of data collected by its Covid-Safe contact tracing app, privacy experts are appalled by the breach, which they say is just the latest in a long line of cybersecurity blunders.
Anna Johnston, the principal of Salinger Privacy, said Australia’s breach notification scheme requires Australian government agencies to notify the privacy commissioner and affected individuals, of any data breach which is “likely to result in serious harm”.
“A failure to notify an eligible data breach can be grounds for a person to make a complaint or for the [office of the information commissioner] to issue a penalty,” she said.
These are strange times indeed. We have a unity government and bi-partisan support for legislation to combat the economic fallout from COVID-19. We are on the cusp of an economic downturn unlike anything that any of us, spare the nonagenarians, have ever lived through. Monetary policy is strained to the breaking point. And there is a growing recognition that our economic settings are not up to the task—education and training, industrial relations, prudential regulation and tax. 

It's time to face the problems of our tax system and fix them. Our system is not resilient: the GST tax base is shrinking; fuel excise is ill-adapted to electrification; our corporate tax is overly reliant on two industries. Our system is not fair: excessive complexity and aggressive tax minimisation strategies abetted by bad policy decisions lead to a situation where some do not pay their fair share of tax. Our system is inefficient: stamp duty has high deadweight loss and we make very little use of broad-based land taxes and consumption taxes compared to similar countries. Our system is complex and expensive: over 70 per cent of Australians hire a tax agent to do their taxes—in France and New Zealand most people don’t even file a tax return! And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

It's time for reform as I spell out in this recent piece in the Australian Financial Review Let's finally reform the tax system.

We need a recognition that there is a problem; we need dialogue; we need compromise. Australia has been a policy-leader and innovative and inventive in addressing public policy issues.Time for us to show that spirit again.

Best wishes in these interesting times!
 



Goodwin B 2020. 'Cyber gangsters hit UK medical firm posed for work on coronavirus with Maze ransomware attack' 22 March 2020,


Abrams L 2020. 'Ransomware gangs to stop attacking health orgs during pandemic'. 18 March 2020



 DeCapua J 2020. 'Feds fighting ransomware: How the FBI investigates and how you can help'. 25 February


"Key U.S. Health Agency suffers cyberattack during coronavirus response 

Viewed: 19 March 2020, Morrison S 2020. 'What we know about the Health Department website cyberattack' 16 March


 Greenburg A 2017. 'The Reaper IoT Botnet Has Already Infected a Million Networks'. 20 October


Crosman P 2020. 'Coronavirus scams to watch out for' 11 March.