AFTER a cacophony of cries for assistance, Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday unveiled the third round of his government's coronavirus stimulus response - a "job keeper" payment of $1500 a fortnight that may ultimately go to six million Australians in a six-month "hibernation" of the economy.
After arguing against a UK-style wage subsidy, Mr Morrison says the flat payment is a uniquely Australian way to tackle the problem.
In the sense that a flat payment is egalitarian, he is right.
But it's also trademark Liberal Party policy to route the payments through employers first, using the Australian Taxation Office, rather than Centrelink, as the distribution system.
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This means employers will need to register with the ATO to take part in the scheme.
They must then submit the necessary documents to show they are eligible, through turnover falling by 30 per cent, or by 50 per cent if they are a company doing $1 billion a year or more.
The scheme is open to permanent and part-time workers, and to casuals with 12 months service or more, as well as to the self-employed, or sole traders.
There will be rorting at the edges.
There always is when "free" government money is involved.
But this a minor point compared to the tsunami of joblessness and corporate collapse the combined stimulus measures aim to avoid.
And financial damage is not the only hurt that accompanies a stalled economy.
In the opening remarks of his 4pm press conference to unveil the "job keeper" payments, Mr Morrison delivered a sombre assessment of the international situation: thoughts that presumably reflected advice from Australia's intelligence agencies.
"Many countries in the months ahead and beyond that may see their economies collapse," the prime minister said.
"Some may see them hollow out. In the very worst of cases, we could see countries themselves fall into chaos."
Unfortunately, there is another, unspoken, step beyond the PM's "countries falling into chaos", and that is conflict between nations.
This is not to scaremonger, but to note the heightened diplomatic tensions thrown up by COVID-19.
Here in the Hunter, the rise in case numbers appears to be slowing, but we are but one small speck in a global dot painting of infections that was late yesterday approaching 750,000 confirmed cases, and more than 34,000 deaths.
ISSUE: 39,567.
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