O75 Public Administration

Australia to streamline information sharing with US to seal subs deal

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Original article by Farrah Tomazin
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Oct-23

The federal government will legislate changes to the nation’s export control laws as part of its deal to acquire nuclear-powered submarines via the AUKUS alliance. The proposed reforms will make it easier for Australia to share sensitive information and technology with its partners in the alliance; it is also hoped that they will help ease the concerns of some US Congress members about providing Australia with classified information regarding the US nuclear program. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says US politicians from all sides understand the value of AUKUS and want "to get it right".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1.8pts to 78.2

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Oct-23

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.8pts to 78.2 in the week to 22 October; it has now spent 38 straight weeks below the mark of 85, the longest streak at this level since 1990-91. Consumer Confidence was down in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, but up slightly in Western Australia. Now 18% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 53% (unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Only 8% (up 2ppts) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 36% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 19% (up 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 50% (down 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

$2b boost for critical minerals

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Oct-23

The federal government initially allocated $2bn to its Critical Minerals Facility when it was announced earlier in 2023. However, this will be increased to $4bn as part of measures to be announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his official visit to the US. Albanese said critical minerals and rare earths are the ‘building blocks’ of a clean energy future, adding that Australia is committed to building sustainable and secure critical minerals supply chains with the US. The two nations aim to reduce global reliance on China for the processing of critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Albanese must talk with Netanyahu, send Wong to Israel: Opposition

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Oct-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has spoken to Israel’s ambassador to Australia several times since the war against Hamas began. However, Albanese has confirmed that he has not spoken to Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and has no plans at present to visit Israel. Albanese reiterated Australia’s support for Israel at a press conference during his official visit to the US, stating that the nation has picked "a side against Hamas". Meanwhile, shadow home affairs minister James Paterson argues that Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong should visit Israel if Albanese’s schedule means that he cannot do so.

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

Commonwealth Games fiasco biggest debacle in nation’s events history

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Original article by Mitch Clarke, Jade Gailberger
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 24-Oct-23

Events industry veteran Simon Thewlis has criticised the Victorian government’s handling of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which it cancelled in July due to a cost blowout. Thewlis says the government owes the events industry an apology, arguing that the decision to withdraw from hosing the Games was the "final insult" for a sector that had already been hard hit by the pandemic. Meanwhile, Volleyball Australia CEO Andrew Dee has told a parliamentary inquiry into the Games’ cancellation that Victoria has suffered significant reputational damage, and organisers of major events will shun the state for some time.

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VOLLEYBALL AUSTRALIA

ALP support plunges after the defeat of The Voice Referendum: ALP 49.5% (down 4.5%) cf. L-NP Coalition 50.5% (up 4.5%)

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

The L-NP Coalition would now win a Federal Election as ALP two-party preferred support plunged 4.5% to 49.5% and is now behind the L-NP Coalition on 50.5% (up 4.5%) after all six States voted against the proposed ‘Voice to Parliament’ at the nation-wide referendum on Saturday October 14, according to the latest Roy Morgan Poll taken in the first week after the referendum from Monday October 16 – Sunday October 22, 2023. This is the first time the Roy Morgan Poll shows the Coalition leading the Albanese Government on a two-party preferred basis since the Federal Election. Primary support for the ALP was down 3% to 32% and the Coalition increased 2% to 36%. Another 32% chose another party or independent, including the Greens on 14% and One Nation on 4.5%. The results are based on Roy Morgan surveying of a representative sample of 1,383 Australian electors. Further details on the Roy Morgan Poll on Federal Voting Intention, including the States, will be provided in Roy Morgan’s Market Research Update and Weekly Update Video.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Virgin ground crews set to strike over pay deal

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Original article by Ayesha de Kretser
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 24-Oct-23

The Transport Workers’ Union has applied to the Fair Work Commission to undertake a ballot on protected industrial action by Virgin Australia’s ground staff. The TWU’s assistant national secretary Nick McIntosh says Virgin has some of the lowest pay and conditions across the sector. The union has rejected Virgin’s proposed three-year wage deal, which includes a pay rise of between three per cent and 12.8 per cent in the first year, and three per cent in the following two years. Virgin’s cabin crew are also seeking a pay rise.

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VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Voice leaders pen rival letter of angst to Albanese

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 24-Oct-23

Some indigenous groups issued a 12-point open letter on Sunday in which they blamed the loss of the referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament on "a shameful act" by Australian voters. However, not all Indigenous Voice advocates agreed with the blunt language used, and they are preparing to send their own private response to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. It is understood that their letter will include significant criticism of the conduct of the Voice campaign and of interventions by leading No advocates including Opposition leader Peter Dutton and the Coalition’s Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Israeli soldiers skirmish with Hamas inside Gaza amid air strikes

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Original article by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Dan Williams
The Age – Page: Online : 24-Oct-23

Israeli Defence Force soldiers have conducted raids on the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza, during which time they fought with Hamas militants. Israeli troops and tanks have massed near the southern end of Gaza for a possible ground invasion, while Israel struck hundreds of targets in Gaza from the air on Monday. Hamas stated it released two civilian female hostages, while it has fired more rockets into Israel. The Gaza health ministry claims at least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed in two weeks of air strikes, while the United Nations said people in Gaza are in desperate need of food, water and medicines, along with places to shelter. Meanwhile, Hamas has advised that it has released another two hostages, citing "humanitarian and poor health grounds".

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UNITED NATIONS

Indigenous groups say voice referendum unleashed a tsunami of racism

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Original article by Sarah Basford Canales
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 23-Oct-23

Indigenous groups who supported the Voice campaign have accused those who voted No of a "shameful act whether knowingly or not" in a 12-point statement issued after ending a week of silence in the wake of the referendum’s resounding defeat. The statement claimed that the level of disinformation and misinformation espoused by those against the Voice was so bad that it "unleashed a tsunami of racism against our people", and that Australia had chosen "to make itself less liberal and less democratic" as a result of voting No.

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