O75 Public Administration

Labor urged to recognise Palestinian state without further delay after Israeli PM’s rejection of two-state solution

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Original article by Daniel Hurst, Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 24-Jan-24

The federal government has consistently supported a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently ruled out this option. Izzat Abdulhad, who is the head of the general delegation of Palestine to Australia, says the federal government should both express disappointment at Netanyahu’s position and recognise the State of Palestine without further delay. He adds that the government should also adopt the position of the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who has contended that a two-state solution may need to be imposed from outside in order to achieve peace.

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Labor to break tax cut promise

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jan-24

The federal government is set to break a key election pledge by making changes to the legislated stage-three personal income tax cuts. The proposed changes were discussed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, and will be endorsed by Labor’s caucus on Wednesday. Amongst other things, the government is expected to retain the 37 per cent income tax rate that was to have been abolished in July, although the current income threshold of between $120,000 and $180,000 will be increased. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is slated to announce the changes to the tax cuts package and new cost-of-living relief measures at a National Press Club speech on Thursday.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Roy Morgan’s latest Federal voting intention poll shows ALP 52.5% cf. L-NP 47.5% in election winning lead

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jan-24

Support for Labor has increased 1% to 52.5% ahead of the Coalition on 47.5% (down 1%) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan survey on Federal voting intention. This week saw a confirmation of trends evident a week ago, after the ABS announced lower-than-expected inflation numbers, with ALP support increasing for a second straight week, up 1% to 32.5%, while Coalition support dropped 1% to 36%. The Greens increased 0.5% to 12.5% and One Nation increased 0.5% to 5%. Support for Independents & Other Parties was down 1% to 14%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,675 Australian electors from January 15-21.

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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

ACCC must probe food giants on prices: Fels

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Jan-24

Former Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels has urged the ACCC to conduct a major inquiry into competition and prices in the retail food and grocery industry. Fels recently conducted an ACTU-sponsored inquiry into price gouging, with Fels claiming that supermarkets are not being transparent about the price history of displayed items and their "correlated discounts". While supporting the appointment of former trade minister Craig Emerson to conduct a review of the food and grocery code, Fels says the voluntary code should be made mandatory.

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AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Greens warn Labor stage-three tax cuts will add to inflation and bring little relief for most workers

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 23-Jan-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has given strong indications that further cost-of-living relief will be on the federal government’s agenda at a caucus meeting on Wednesday. However, the government has downplayed reports that it will make changes to the legislated stage-three personal income tax cuts, including retaining the existing top marginal tax rate and increasing the tax-free threshold. Meanwhile, the Greens have written to Treasury Jim Chalmers arguing amongst other things that the tax cuts package is unsustainable, primarily benefits wealthy people and will be inflationary.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Leading Liberal figures endorse an Indigenous governor-general

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 23-Jan-24

Former NSW Liberal premier Barry Ó’Farrell has backed calls for Australia’s next governor-general to be either an Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander, with the Coalition’s Indigenous Australians spokesman Julian Leeser also endorsing the idea. Leeser says Anthony Albanese should consult with Peter Dutton to ensure bipartisanship over a suitable Indigenous appointment, and while Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Price said that race should not be a consideration when choosing the next governor-general, Ó’Farrell noted there has always been an element of symbolism in federal and state vice-regal appointments.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Albanese backs sports bodies’ Australia Day snub

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 3 : 23-Jan-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the nation needs to stop looking for areas in which "we can be outraged". With Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia not to acknowledge Australia Day at the Gabba Test or the Australian Open on Friday, Albanese refused to back calls by NSW Premier Chris Minns for the two sporting bodies to reconsider their decision. Opposition leader Peter Dutton says Albanese needs to stand up as the leader of our country and tell Cricket Australia and other "corporate wokes" that we should be celebrating Australia Day, while Nationals Leader David Littleproud says it is not the job of sporting codes to "set the moral compass".

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CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australians say January 26 should be known as Australia Day (68.5%), and say the date of Australia Day should stay on January 26 (58.5%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jan-24

A special Roy Morgan SMS Poll on attitudes to January 26, shows that 68.5% of Australians now say the date should stay as ‘Australia Day’, up 4.5% from a year ago. Only 31.5% (down 4.5%) say January 26 should be called ‘Invasion Day’. Australians are more evenly split on keeping Australia Day on January 26; 58.5% say the date of Australia Day should stay the same, while just 41.5% say the date should be moved. A large majority of men favour January 26 staying as ‘Australia Day’ rather than ‘Invasion Day’ by a margin of over 3:1 (76.5% cf. 23.5%) a significant change from a year ago (69% cf. 31%). In contrast, women are more evenly split with a majority of 61.5% (up 3.5% points from a year ago) in favour of January 26 being known as ‘Australia Day’ compared to 38.5% (down 3.5% points) saying it should be known as ‘Invasion Day’. Although young people are less likely than their older counterparts to support January 26 staying as ‘Australia Day’, and keeping the date, a majority of Australians of all ages say January 26 should be known as ‘Australia Day’. This Roy Morgan SMS Poll was conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 1,111 Australians aged 18+ from Wednesday January 17 to Friday January 19.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Australian employment increased to over 14.1 million for the first time in December, but under-employment hit a record high of 1.65 million

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Jan-24

The latest Roy Morgan employment series data shows that the number of Australians who are employed rose by 165,000 to a new record high of 14,175,000 in December 2023. The increase was due to a rise in full-time employment (up 234,000 to a new record high of 9,242,000), while part-time employment was down 69,000 to 4,933,000. Despite surging employment – up by 607,000 compared to a year ago – some 3.02 million Australians (19.4% of the workforce) were unemployed or under-employed in December (down 0.2% from November). Some 1,364,000 Australians were unemployed in December (8.8% of the workforce), a decrease of 141,000 from November (down 0.9%). In addition to the unemployed, a further 1.65 million Australians (up 119,000) were under-employed in December. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 8.8% is more than double the ABS estimate of 3.9% for November, but is comparable with the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 10.4%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

CFMEU to Burke: Stay out of DP World row

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 17-Jan-24

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke is slated to meet with executives from port operator DP World Australia on Thursday. The stevedoring firm is likely to urge the federal government to intervene in its long-running dispute with the Maritime Union of Australia. Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently urged Burke and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step in, contending that failure to do so would give the MUA a ‘green light’ to keep pursuing industrial action. However, the CFMEU’s national secretary Zach Smith warns that government intervention in the dispute would set a "dangerous precedent".

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DP WORLD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA