O75 Public Administration

Minister snubs US: Kiwis are closest

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 19-Mar-24

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham says comments by Trade Minister Don Farrell that the US is not Australia’s closest ally are "errant and disturbing". Farrell made the remark when asked on Monday why Australia had resumed funding to Gazan aid body UNRWA when the US had not, with Farrell stating that Australia was independent, and that over the course of history, New Zealand was its closest internat­ional ally, rather than the US. Birmingham said Farrell’s statement was something he would have expected from the Greens, not a senior government minister.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Penalty rates for WFH outdated

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 13-Mar-24

Key employers’ groups have used submissions to the Fair Work Commission’s review of industry awards to opposed providing employees with a general right to work from home. However, the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Australian Industry Group have argued that overtime and penalty rates should not apply to remote workers who opt to work in the early evening to ‘make up’ for time lost during ordinary working hours, such as to attend to personal needs such as picking up their children from school.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

ALP support drops after Dunkley by-election: ALP 51.5% cf. L-NP 48.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Mar-24

The latest Roy Morgan survey shows that support for the ALP has fallen 2% to 51.5%, but still ahead of the Coalition on 48.5% (up 2%) on a two-party preferred basis. If a Federal Election were held now the Albanese Government would likely be re-elected but forced into minority government with the support of minor parties and independents. There was a swing to the Coalition in all six States, with the biggest swings in Victoria after the state’s mid-year financial report showed that its debt has increased to more than $126 billion. Meanwhile, primary support for the Coalition has increased 1.5% to 38%, while support for the ALP was down 2% to 32%. Support for the Greens dropped 0.5% to 13%, One Nation support increased 0.5% to 4%, support for Independents was up 0.5% to 9% and support for Other Parties was unchanged at 4%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,714 Australian electors from March 4-10. Further details will be released in Roy Morgan’s weekly video update presented by CEO Michele Levine.

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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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1.2pts to 82.2

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Mar-24

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.2 points to 82.2 in the week to 10 March. However, the index has now spent a record 58 straight weeks below the mark of 85. Consumer Confidence is 5.2 points above the same week a year ago (77.0), but 1 point below the 2024 weekly average of 83.2. Now 19% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 53% (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 33% (unchanged) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 30% (down 4ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Now 11% (unchanged) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 31% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 20% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 49% (down 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Wealthy would pay at least $20 a day more in aged care overhaul

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Original article by Natassia Chrysanthos
The Age – Page: Online : 13-Mar-24

Everyday living expenses in aged-care facilities are currently capped at $61 per day. However, it costs aged-care operators about $80 per day to provide these services. Aged-care consultant Grant Corderoy contends that self-funded retirees should pay this $19 gap; he argues that while the costs of aged-care nursing, medication and allied health are fully covered by taxpayers, wealthy residents of aged-care facilities should pay for their everyday living and accommodation costs. Corderoy was a member of the federal government’s aged-care taskforce.

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NSW slams GST pool as WA gets extra $6.2b

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Original article by Michael Read, Samantha Hutchinson, Tom Rabe, Gus McCubbing
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Mar-24

Victoria will gain the most from the annual distribution of goods and services tax revenue. The Commonwealth Grants Commission has advised that the state will be allocated $23.7bn of GST revenue in 2024-25, an increase of $3.8bn. Meanwhile, Western Australia will continue to benefit from the GST ‘floor’ that the former Coalition government introduced in 2018; the state will receive an additional $6.2bn in 2024-25 that it not have been entitled to under the previous GST distribution arrangements. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has called for changes to the system for distributing GST revenue, after the state’s share was reduced to $26.1bn in 2024-25.

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AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY

WFH curbs for public servants

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Original article by Tom Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 8-Mar-24

Employees of more than 70 federal government agencies have now endorsed a sector-wide enterprise agreement that removes all caps on the number of days they can work from home. However, Assistant Public Service Minister Patrick Gorman has emphasised that government employees will still require approval from their agency to work from home, and notes that some frontline public sector jobs simply cannot be done remotely. The new enterprise agreement also includes a pay rise of 11.2 per cent over three years and better parental leave entitlements.

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States sign up for new competition agenda to lift wages

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Original article by Shane Wright
The Age – Page: Online : 8-Mar-24

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has hosted a meeting of federal, state and territory governments that has been as acting as a possible starting point for new competition reforms that will in turn lead to higher wages. Many economists believe that the recent decline in global and Australian productivity is partly due to a lack of competitive pressures, which force companies to look at new ways to lift output or better utilise their staff. One issue that the meeting looked at was the growing use of non-compete and no-poach clauses in workplace contracts or agreements, with recently released research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding that 47 per cent of businesses imposed at least one form of restraint clause on their workers.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Tax take and spending near record highs

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 8-Mar-24

Analysis of the latest national accounts data shows that federal, state and local government spending equated to 27.2 per cent of GDP in 2023, which is nearly a record high. Tax revenue across all three levels of government was also a near-record high of 30.3 per cent of GDP. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that his primary focus will shift from containing inflation to stimulating the economy. However, he has ruled out a big increase in government spending, while economists contend that reducing debt should be the federal government’s priority.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

‘Murderous rampage’: Malaysian PM attacks Western leaders over hypocrisy on Israel, Ukraine

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 8-Mar-24

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has used a speech to the Australian National University to accuse Western nations of selectively applying international law. He said that they have been happy to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but have been equally happy to remain silent over the ongoing bloodletting "of innocent men, women and children of Gaza; he also claimed that much of the West has been happy to allow the "Israeli occupation forces" carte blanche in the murderous rampage on the Palestinians" for more than 60 years.

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AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY