Qantas is suspending all international flights, will delay its $201 million interim payout, and is standing down two-thirds of its 30,000-member workforce until the end of May in the face of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
A growing number of hospitality venues are either closing or revising their operations, after the Prime Minister announced the ban of all non-essential gatherings of 100 plus people. The ban is effective immediately and will impact religious services.
Australia has upgraded its international travel advice to the highest level, with all citizens being told not to travel overseas because of coronavirus. It comes as Virgin Australia suspended all international travel for more than two months.
Fans will be unable to attend the NBL grand final series, including tonight's match between the Perth Wildcats and Sydney Kings, or AFL games after both sporting codes responded to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement that mass gatherings of 500 plus people should not proceed.
The federal government will be advising against mass gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today, in response to the growing coronavirus threat.
Australian small businesses will receive $3.9 billion of tax incentives and $6.7 billion of cash payments as part of a federal government stimulus announced today, while a major investor service has reiterated a small, but positive, growth forecast for the country.
The Australian share market has plunged 2.36 per cent in a sell off across the board after the coronavirus was declared a pandemic and US equity markets plunged overnight.
The federal government will announce a stimulus package of up to $20 billion tomorrow to fight the impact of the Covid-19 virus, it has been reported this afternoon, while $2.4 billion of new health funding was announced today.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told business leaders today that its stimulus package to address the impact of coronavirus would be proportionate, targeted, scalable and temporary.
The Morrison government has reached an agreement with the states and territories to bear the health costs of tackling the coronavirus on a 50/50 basis, which could end up costing $1 billion.
Australia's travel ban on people coming from China has been extended for a further week as the government enacted an emergency response plan to deal with the coronavirus.
Scott Morrison has described the coronavirus outbreak as a global health crisis, warning the economic impacts will stretch far beyond Australia's tourism and education sectors.
The Morrison government has announced a suite of measures to immediately support small businesses, non-profit organisations and tourism businesses affected by Australia's bushfires.
Moves to scrap the use of carryover carbon emissions credits from the Kyoto Protocol could significantly increase the cost of Australia meeting its Paris Agreement target.
The federal government has announced a $50 million emergency fund to address the loss of wildlife during the nation's bushfire season, as more Australian businesses have pledged millions in combined donations.
Andrew and Nicola Forrest's Minderoo Foundation has committed $70 million to Australia's bushfire response, far exceeding the contributions made by big companies across the country.
The Liberal Party WA's marginal seat contingent played a big role in the shock May federal election victory, while local ministers, most notably Christian Porter, are key to the government's agenda.
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) has welcomed the federal government's plan to deliver new deregulation measures for Australian businesses, saying it could save Western Australian resources projects more than $23 million each year.
The widening of Mitchell Freeway near Joondalup and a train station at Lakelands are some of the new projects to be funded from a $940 million, four-year infrastructure stimulus package announced today.
Former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Tim Fischer is being remembered as an "Australian original" and "one of the finest" after his death at the age of 73.
OPINION: Having won an election and passed his tax plan, Scott Morrison must now deliver economic growth, while the Greens have a problem of their own.
Scott Morrison vowed to roll back regulation, pass tax reform and fight militant unions in his first major economic speech since the LNP's surprise election victory this past month.
Scott Morrison says he has high expectations for his new ministry, with Western Australians Christian Porter, Linda Reynolds and Ken Wyatt among those to be promoted.
ASX-listed Strike Energy will not receive its federal government research and development tax credits for the 2018 financial year, a week after West Perth-based Northern Minerals was ordered to pay back 50 per cent of its $21.56 million R&D rebate for the same financial year.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised 1000 shipbuilding jobs at Henderson, and opposition leader Bill Shorten has pledged $75 million towards mining exploration, ahead of their debate tonight in Perth.
Federal Labor is calling on Environment Minister Melissa Price to explain why she approved a controversial uranium mine in Western Australia the day before the national election was called.
The state government is assessing the construction of an extra rail link over the Swan River, as part of a new Fremantle traffic bridge, after committing to the $230 million project.
Scott Morrison has put the economy at the centre of his pitch to voters, saying they need to keep him as prime minister because "now is not the time to turn back" to Labor, after he announced a May 18 date for the federal election.
