10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

Good morning, folks.

1. Scott Morrison will make an address to the National Press Club today, announcing tax reform, deregulation and lower energy costs will make up the bedrock of his plan to “get [the] economy out of ICU”. It seems those people who believe the substantial expansion of the welfare state – thanks to COVID-19 – could mark a new epoch in Coalition politics weren’t actually on the money. “You’ve got to get it off the medication before it becomes too accustomed to it,” he will say of programs like JobKeeper and JobSeeker, which are set to wind down in September.

2. Celeste Barber’s record-breaking $51 million Facebook bushfire fundraiser cannot be split up and donated to other charities than the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the NSW Supreme Court has ruled. In short, the laws governing charitable trusts are very strict. Barber had wanted to spread the love to other bushfire recovery efforts. Now, the RFS will get $51 million to spend on the purchase and maintenance of equipment, as well as training and administrative costs.

3. Human trials have begun for a COVID-19 vaccine at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, it has been announced this morning. It will be the first human coronavirus vaccine trial conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. “Administering our vaccine in the first participants of this clinical trial is a significant achievement, bringing us one step closer toward addressing the fundamental need for a vaccine in the fight against the global COVID‑19 pandemic,” Stanley C. Erck, Novovax CEO and president said in a statement.

4. Just when we’re exiting the coronavirus crisis, another cataclysm approaches. Cult favourite US ‘hard seltzer’ brand White Claw is coming to Australia, after its producer Mark Anthony Brands International stitched up a local licensing deal with Lion. Hard seltzer is basically just a neutral spirit with carbonated water, and is pitched as being a low-calorie alternative to other pre-mixed drinks. The summer of 2019 in the US was unofficially known as the Summer of Claw thanks to this drink. You know, among some people. Here, watch this little news doco about it, if you’re interested:

5. The AFR reports this morning that retailers and top-tier law firms have withdrawn their efforts to secure ‘award flexibility’ amid the coronavirus pandemic, after facing resistance from unions. The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association says that with restrictions lifted, there’s no longer any reason to offer employers concessions. “The SDA believes the case for further award variations is significantly diminished as states start to lift their lockdown restrictions,” he said.

6. Some companies have done extraordinarily well out of the COVID-19 pandemic. One such company is Whispir, a cloud communications platform which has become more essential to its users as the workforce moves home. The company’s share price, which hit a low of 70c amid the stock market collapse early in the crisis, rose to $2.28 at the close of markets on Friday. “I would really categorise COVID-19 as an unanticipated but welcome tailwind,” CEO Jeromy Wells told the The Australian Financial Review. “If anything, COVID-19 has shone a light on how valuable our services are.”

7. We spoke to an office designer about possible changes in the face of the era of social distancing. The big one: yes, hot desking is dead. RIP to that awful cost-saving measure dressed up as flexibility and innovation. But, designer Simon Pole says, the office itself is not dead. “Many clients have reported that the social isolation is having its toll on their teams. Having Friday drinks on a chat is not the same, the office banter has stopped, the cultural reinforcement is left to fortnightly emails from the CEO, and the ad hoc knowledge sharing and problem-solving is not happening,” he said.

8. Atlassian will release its internal COVID-19 survey to the public, as it encourages other organisations to use surveys to find how workers are coping with the pandemic. Chief People Officer Tami Rosen explained the importance of using surveys to find out what workers need and how business leaders can support them, especially in uncertain times like this.”That to me is the most important, keeping that two-way dialogue because it builds trust and it gives them confidence that they can do the work they need to do and that you’re supporting them,” she said.

9. Boris Johnson’s decision to back Dominic Cummings, his chief adviser who broke lockdown rules means “more people will die” from coronavirus, according to one of his own scientific advisers. Professor Stephen Reicher, who advises the government on coronavirus, said: “Because of undermining adherence to the rules that we all need to follow, people are going to die. More people are going to die.” The Cummings case continues to make international headlines.

10. And something lighter to finish up. Well, maybe not that light, actually. As the US coronavirus death toll passes 100,000, Trump was photographed playing golf for the majority of the Memorial Day weekend. It’s OK, he had some tweets locked and loaded to back himself on this.

BONUS ITEM

Yesterday morning, an earthquake hit New Zealand while Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was talking to the press. She took it well.

Got a tip, yarn or gossip for Business Insider? Email me at james.hennessy@businessinsider.com.au.