The Government’s looking at law changes to ensure small businesses are paid on time; and the Government says it’s planning for all possible economic scenarios arising from the coronavirus epidemic with the worst of them being a global recession.
1.The Government says it’s planning for all possible economic scenarios arising from the coronavirus epidemic with the worst of them being a global recession. World stock market had their worst trading day in years yesterday after the World Health Organisation called the virus a rapidly escalating epidemic and indices have fallen further this morning.
2.International students stranded in China say the ban on coming to New Zealand because of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak is unfair and should be lifted. Meanwhile, some have side-stepped the ban by spending a fortnight in other countries before travelling here to resume their studies.
3.Tourism New Zealand will focus much of an $11 million funding boost on a marketing blitz outside Asia to attract visitors during the coronavirus epidemic. The Government has given the money to support tourism operators hurt by the temporary ban on foreign travelers arriving from China.
4.One of the men charged over donations to the National Party was to have gone at one stage to the party’s candidate college which identifies and trains potential members of Parliament. MP Jami-Lee Ross and three Auckland businessmen have pleaded not guilty to charges related to two $100,000 donations to National in 2017 and 2018.
5.The Government’s looking at law changes to ensure small businesses are paid on time. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash said he is willing to legislate, if necessary, to ensure payments within 20 days, with interest imposed for late payments.
6.In Queensland, two men have been charged with the manslaughter of a three-year-old boy who was left alone, shut in a childcare centre minibus for several hours. The temperature in Cairns that day hit 34 degrees.
7.The lobby group Bowel Cancer New Zealand is calling on the Government to screen people as young as 50 for the disease. The national screening programme does not cover people between age 50 and 59, even though they make up the bowel cancer patients.
8.Wellington City Council has decided not to vote on adopting a controversial international definition of antisemitism. The definition was created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance which includes the United States, Israel, Canada, most European countries and Australia but not New Zealand.
