Australian News Recap - May 16

Here’s what happened last week in Australia:

• Treasurer Josh Frydenberg outlined what he called the ‘sobering’ economic impact of the CCP virus pandemic. (Read)
• Australia’s oldest workers union launched a national campaign to support the federal government in its trade dispute with China. (Read)
• Liberal Party Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells called for an economic plan for Australia “to decouple from China.” (Read)
• Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said that he’s “deeply concerned” after China’s Ministry of Commerce threatened to impose a tariff on Australian barley following claims of dumping. (Read)
• Former prime minister Julia Gillard voiced her support for an inquiry into the origins and handling of the CCP virus outbreak. (Read)
• Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching expressed concern over the Chinese regime’s distribution of “false narratives” about the origins of the CCP virus to Australian media. (Read)
• A new poll by the Lowy Institute showed that nearly 70 percent of Australians view China’s ruling communist regime less favorably due to its handling of the CCP virus outbreak. (Read)
• New privacy laws were passed to protect Australia’s data for the government’s “COVIDSafe” contact tracing app. (Read)
• Federal health minister Greg Hunt announced the appointment of the first-ever deputy chief medical officer for mental health to manage the psychological effects of the CCP virus—Ruth Vine. (Read)
• In a marketing disrupting move, Rex airlines announced that it’s looking into scaling up domestic operations as Virgin Australia scrambles to save itself. (Read)
• Federal ministers criticised the Queensland government’s bid for struggling airline Virgin Australia. (Read)
• Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that domestic travel could resume by school holidays in July when the country is expected to reach the final stage of its three-step plan to reopen the economy. (Read)
• Over 800,000 Australians experiencing hardship because of the CCP virus have withdrawn more than $6 billion from superannuation funds. (Read)
• Thirteen Australian universities with Confucius Institutes tied to the CCP are under increasing pressure to register with the federal government’s Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme. (Read)