Consumer stress rising in lockdown, NAB boss Ross McEwan tells vaccine rollout now critical to confidence and freedom

Australians are becoming more financially and mentally distressed with half the population locked down at home and worried about their futures. 

As the restrictions drag on, the National Australia Bank's consumer stress index out this morning shows households are anxious about paying their mortgage, funding retirement nest eggs while those on lower incomes are struggling just to pay the rent. 

NAB chief executive Ross McEwan tells ABC's Peter Ryan that a faster vaccination rollout is the only way to avoid more economically damaging lockdowns.

Economy to take hit as lockdowns widen, but double dip recession unlikely. I speak with Westpac chief economist Bill Evans.

The widening lockdowns and uncertainty about more in the coming weeks and months are already have a heavy impact on Australia's economic rebound.

So could the extraordinary economic recovery to date be about to run off the rails?

I speak with Westpac chief economist Bill Evans who thinks a double dip recession will be avoided.

Crown unfit to hold Melbourne casino licence, Royal Commission told

The Crown Royal Commission has been told the casino giant is not suitable to hold a licence to operate in Victoria.

In recommending that Crown's licence be revoked, counsel assisting the Royal Commission said the operators of the casino had breached public trust after evidence of money laundering facilitation and associations with criminal gangs.

Here's my report from The World Today.

Wall St dives on COVID fears; Oil Search boss Keiran Wulff exits on health concerns and following whistleblower complaint

Wall Street stocks have plunged on rising fears that a spike on COVID19 cases could derail the global economic recovery.

Also, Oil Search chief executive Keiran Wulff exiting company on ill-health and following whistleblower complaints about his management style.

Here's my report broadcast on ABC NewsRadio.

Sydney construction falls silent as COVID lockdown damages economic rebound - Monday Finance with Peter Ryan

Construction sites in greater Sydney have fallen silent as tough new measures to control spread of the highly infectious Delta variant around Australia's biggest city come into force. 

The decision is set to cost billions of dollars as the shutdown grinds to the New South Wales economy to a halt with the mental health cost also mounting.

The combined Sydney and Melbourne lockdowns are likely to put a big dent in Australia's extraordinary economic rebound to date.

On RN Breakfast, I speak with Daniel Hunter CEO of Business NSW and EY Oceania chief economist Jo Masters

I also speak with Tom Oriti on ABC NewsRadio