A chronic shortage of people to fill jobs in the Queensland tourism and hospitality industry had seen thousands of jobs vacancies go unanswered as the industry gets back on its feet after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 5000 jobs need to be filled immediately in the sector in Queensland as domestic tourists return to revive the industry. It s a serious problem, Daniel Gschwind, CEO of Queensland Tourism Industry Council said. A lot of people migrated out of the industry during Covid, and we lost thousands of people who were on on working holidays visa and skilled migrants.
Around 44,000 positions were lost in the Queensland industry between February 2020 and February 2021 due to the shutdowns and border closures caused by the virus.
Australia must beef up its military capability in the country s north to be ready to respond to unpredictable threats from countries such as China, a leading security expert has said.
Australia Strategic Policy Institute s Dr John Coyne claimed the army s presence in the north had reduced in recent years, adding a decision by the US to build its own infrastructure at Darwin was a vote of no confidence in Australia .
China has a defence budget six times higher than Australia and boasts 42 times more soldiers, 55 times more tanks, 13 times more submarines and 16 times more fighter jets.
Across land, air and sea, China has Australia covered with 3.3 million troops in service compared to Australia s relatively feeble 80,000.
A Chinese Communist Party newspaper said Beijing should retaliate with long-range strikes if Australia gets involved once a military conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Straits .
China has indefinitely suspended all strategic economic talks under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, blaming the Morrison Government s attitude towards the relationship.
Australia could be on the verge of an all-out war with China as tensions between the two trading partners continue to escalate, a top general has warned his troops.
Major-General Adam Findlay, formerly one of Australia s top military commanders, said that a combat war with the communist nation was likely and we were already engaged in grey zone warfare.
The special force general made the terrifying prediction during a briefing with troops in April 2020, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Mr Findlay, who has since stepped down but is an advisor for the Australian Defence Force, reportedly said there was a high likelihood of war.