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With Sydney in its seventh week of lockdown and Melbourne back for its sixth, the economic impact on businesses and individuals is now crippling. Small businesses in hospitality, entertainment and tourism are hard hit, with many not eligible for Government assistance this time round, or simply not able to survive despite the government packages. Many are shutting up shop for good. Big employers are pleading with the Government to step up vaccinations and rapid antigen testing for all employees. Many US companies have made vaccination a condition of work, and in Victoria SPC has warned its staff, contractors and visitors they must be fully vaccinated by the end of November. What rights or responsibilities do employers have to ensure their workers are vaccinated? Meanwhile the situation in NSW remains grim - with case numbers stubbornly high, regional lockdowns announced for Tamworth and Byron Bay, and the Berejiklian government increasingly isolated from the rest of the country on its pandemic strategy. Also this week the world’s leading authority on climate change released a landmark report, with scientists already warning we are fast running out of time to avert widespread disaster. Has COVID distracted us from issues like climate change and does Australia need to lift its game? Joining David Speers on the panel: Matt Canavan, Nationals Senator for Queensland Catherine King, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Alan Kohler, Financial journalist Paul Zahra, CEO, Australian Retailers Association Angela Jackson, Health economist Please submit a question via our website by 9am Thursday for the chance to ask the panel. Scroll down to watch Thursday's toughest question asked by Sophie Hamblin, an Australian living in London, and currently unable to return home. 👇 Watch Q+A Thursday at 8.30pm on ABC TV, streamed live 8.30pm AEST on ABC iview or on our website. |
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Get to know the panellists |
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| In June, Alan Kohler examined the health and economic complexities involved in Australia moving away from a 'zero tolerance' approach to COVID outbreaks. | | MORE |
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| In March, CEO of the Australian Retailers Association Paul Zahra said the end of the JobKeeper program could sound the death knell for a lot of businesses in Melbourne's CBD. | | MORE |
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| In July, lead economist at Equity Economics Angela Jackson suggested "the support that the federal government provided to Victorian workers was a lot harder to get" than the support offered to NSW. | | MORE |
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Catch Up on Last Week's Show |
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| Sophie Hamblin is Australian living in London, and wants to how long will Australians overseas need to wait before being reunited with their families. | | WATCH |
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| Does Sky News’ seven-day ban from YouTube for publishing COVID misinformation encroach on ‘free speech’? The New York Times Sydney bureau chief Damien Cave says removing videos without transparency is a "slippery slope". | | WATCH |
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| As Western Sydney continues to face greater lockdown restrictions, the Q+A panel discuss getting people back to work, getting the arts industry back on track, and providing some relief for business. | | WATCH |
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