SYDNEY - Australia's population growth is set to plunge due to which has led to a sudden stop to migrant flows and an expected drop in the birth rate.The ban on the arrival of international visitors has caused Australia's migrant intake to plummet, marking a drastic change for a nation whose economic success has often been credited to its mass influx of new foreign residents. In addition, the economic slump is set to cause a fall in the birth rate, leaving Australia facing its lowest population increase in more than a century.The Federal Government expects net migration - the overall...…SYDNEY - Australia's population growth is set to plunge due to which has led to a sudden stop to migrant flows and an expected drop in the birth rate.The ban on the arrival of international visitors has caused Australia's migrant intake to plummet, marking a drastic change for a nation whose economic success has often been credited to its mass influx of new foreign residents. In addition, the economic slump is set to cause a fall in the birth rate, leaving Australia facing its lowest population increase in more than a century.The Federal Government expects net migration - the overall...WW…

SYDNEY - Unions and small business groups have called on the Australian government to consider extending a scheme to protect the jobs of millions of workers during after an embarrassing disclosure by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Friday (May 22) that the government had made a A$60 billion "error" in tallying the cost of the scheme.The Government revealed that its flagship JobKeeper scheme, which gives employers affected by the downturn A$1,500 a fortnight per employee to keep staff employed, was being used to keep 3.5 million in work, rather than initial claims of 6.5 million.The higher...…SYDNEY - Unions and small business groups have called on the Australian government to consider extending a scheme to protect the jobs of millions of workers during after an embarrassing disclosure by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Friday (May 22) that the government had made a A$60 billion "error" in tallying the cost of the scheme.The Government revealed that its flagship JobKeeper scheme, which gives employers affected by the downturn A$1,500 a fortnight per employee to keep staff employed, was being used to keep 3.5 million in work, rather than initial claims of 6.5 million.The higher...WW…

Intriguingly, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne have both used the same phrase in recent days to describe ties with China, calling for the country to approach Beijing with "eyes wide open".They were describing ties with China in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as they each called for a global inquiry into the origins of the outbreak.But their wording had a somewhat familiar ring.Last August, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Sydney and was asked how worried Australians should be about China's rise.Sitting alongside Ms Payne, he advised:...…Intriguingly, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne have both used the same phrase in recent days to describe ties with China, calling for the country to approach Beijing with "eyes wide open".They were describing ties with China in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as they each called for a global inquiry into the origins of the outbreak.But their wording had a somewhat familiar ring.Last August, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Sydney and was asked how worried Australians should be about China's rise.Sitting alongside Ms Payne, he advised:...WW…