O75 Public Administration

PM’s fury at Israel raises Jewish fears

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 4-Apr-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Israeli airstrike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues was "completely unacceptable". Albanese discussed the botched airstrike with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, stating that he told Netanyahu that Australians are outraged by the tragedy; he also demanded full accountability for the incident, in which three humanitarian aid vehicles in Gaza were targeted by Israeli drones. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has reiterated the federal government’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution; however, Jewish community leaders in Australia are concerned that a ceasefire would leave Hamas in control of Gaza.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Cap rise in wages: small business

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 3-Apr-24

The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia has used its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review to call for the minimum wage increase to be restricted no more than three per cent. COSBOA has argued that the minimum wage and award rates should be increased in line with the Reserve Bank’s inflation target of 2-3 per cent. The group notes that labour costs represent at least 40 per cent of some small businesses’ overall operating costs, while the sector is also facing increased energy, rent, insurance and supply-chain costs.

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COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Bosses should give union delegates iPads: CFMEU

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 3-Apr-24

The CFMEU’s construction division has urged the Fair Work Commission to increase the minimum rights of union delegates in the building industry award. The CFMEU has used its FWC submission to call for all union delegates on construction sites to be given access to employer-funded office facilities, including a telephone, a table and chairs, and an iPad with internet access. The CFMEU’s national secretary Zach Smith contends that union delegates would use iPads to undertake compliance and safety checks on construction sites. The proposal has been criticised by employers’ groups.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Yes campaign groups received millions more in donations than No side for Voice referendum

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 3-Apr-24

Data from the Australian Electoral Commission shows that the ‘Yes’ campaign for an Indigenous Voice to parliament received about five times more funding than the ‘No’ campaign. Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition received a total of $47.4m in donations, while it spent $43.8m on advocating a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum. The separate Yes23 group, Uluru Dialogues, received about $10m in funding for its campaign. Meanwhile, the ‘No’ campaign received about $13m in funding, led by Australians for Unity. The AEC figures also show that the Paul Ramsay Foundation was the biggest individual donor, contributing $7m to the ‘Yes’ campaign.

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AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, PAUL RAMSAY FOUNDATION

Dutton’s perks for nuclear plan

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Apr-24

The Coalition’s push to add nuclear energy to Australia’s energy mix has received a boost from a report released by the US Department of Energy. The report concluded that replacing coal-fired power stations with nuclear reactors can generate significant economic benefits to communities where the power stations are built. Shadow climate change and energy minister Ted O’Brien says the Coalition’s energy policy will include an incentive package for coal-fired power station workers to upgrade to higher-paying jobs at nuclear plants. The Coalition has already identified about six potential sites for nuclear reactors.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF ENERGY

ALP leads on two-party preferred support on the back of high Greens primary vote: ALP 51% cf. L-NP 49%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Apr-24

Support for the ALP was up 1% to 51% during the Easter week and ahead of the Coalition on 49% on a two-party preferred basis – although primary support for both major parties dropped. If a Federal Election were held now the result would be a hung parliament with the Albanese Government re-elected with the support of minor parties and independents, the latest Roy Morgan survey shows. Primary support for the Coalition was down 0.5% to 37.5% ahead of the ALP on only 30%, down 1.5% from a week ago. Importantly for Labor, support for the Greens increased 1.5% to 15.5% – the highest level of support for the Greens for over six months since mid-September 2023. This high level of Greens support is providing the preference flow to keep Labor ahead on the two-party preferred support. At the 2022 Federal Election the ALP and Greens scored a combined vote of 44.9% and now have combined support of 45.5% due to the increase in Greens support – 3.2% higher than in 2022. For the other parties, One Nation support dropped 1% to 3.5%. Support for Independents was up 1.5% to 9% and support for Other Parties was unchanged at 4.5%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,677 Australian electors from March 25-31, 2024.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Are the central banks in the US, UK, Canada and elsewhere forced to rely on dodgy employment data?

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Original article by Gary Morgan, Executive Chairman of Roy Morgan, Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, Julian McCrann, Morgan Poll Manager
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Apr-24

This week Claire Jones from the Financial Times (in the AFR) highlighted the unreliability of employment data being compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK and Statcan in Canada since the onset of the pandemic. The rapid levels of immigration to countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, as well as the rapid changes to working conditions throughout the pandemic and in the years since, have created many issues with how government statisticians measure employment markets. In addition, respondents in these countries have become less likely to complete labour force surveys and response rates to calls from unknown phone numbers have plunged. All these factors are degrading the reliability of the official data. These same factors are impacting the official Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) jobs data relied upon by the Federal Government, Reserve Bank, and other Government institutions, to make important policy decisions. In Australia, where there’s been a rapid level of immigration, Roy Morgan data has consistently shown the ABS is significantly understating the real level of unemployment and under-employment in Australia – as is the case in overseas jurisdictions as well.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UNITED STATES. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS, CANADA. STATCAN, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

5pc minimum wage rise would keep rates high

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 27-Mar-24

The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry wants the Fair Work Commission to limit the annual minimum wage rise to no more than two per cent. The employers’ group contends that inflation is expected to fall to three per cent, productivity is declining and the FWC has overcompensated for inflation in previous minimum wage decisions. The ACTU in turn is seeking an above-inflation minimum wage increase of five per cent, which ACCI CEO Andrew McKellar says would ensure that interest rates remain high. He adds that wage costs are still a problem for small and medium enterprises, and a large increase in the minimum wage would have an impact on hiring decisions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Julian Assange wins temporary reprieve in case against extradition to US

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Original article by Haroon Siddique
The Guardian – Page: Online : 27-Mar-24

Amnesty International and the National Union of Journalists have urged the US government to abandon its efforts to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The British High Court has ruled that Assange will be entitled to appeal against his extradition to the US unless the Biden administration provides an assurance by mid-April that he will not face the death penalty if he stands trial and is convicted on espionage charges. The court has also sought an assurance from the US government that Assange will be able to rely upon the first amendment if his case goes to trial in the US.

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WIKILEAKS, HIGH COURT OF ENGLAND AND WALES, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS

CBA chief in call for radical tax overhaul

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Original article by Paulina Duran
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Mar-24

Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO Matt Comyn has called for a major revamp of the nation’s tax system as part of the federal government’s economic growth strategy. Amongst other things, Comyn has proposed the abolition of inefficient taxes such as stamp duties and payroll tax. He has also advocated streamlining the personal income tax regime and the existing tax brackets, including lifting the tax-free threshold to $20,000. Comyn adds that the GST could be increased from 10 per cent to 15 per cent to offset the loss of personal income tax revenue, while he has proposed banning cash payments of more than $500 in order to combat the black economy.

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COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA