O75 Public Administration

PM to back Biden on AUKUS, Israel and Ukraine

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Oct-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flew to Washington on Sunday for an official state visit and dinner at the White House with US President Joe Biden. Albanese says he will lobby the US Congress to pass Biden’s $105 billion military aid bill, which includes $3.4 billion to boost US submarine production to help promised sales to Australia as part of the AUKUS treaty; the bill also will provide aid for Israel and Ukraine. Albanese has also confirmed that he will visit China to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing and attend the Shanghai International Import Expo in early November.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

China wine tariffs under review

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Original article by Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Oct-23

The Chinese government imposed tariffs of more than 200 per cent on Australian wine in 2020 as part of a widespread imposition of tariffs on Australian exports after the former Coalition government called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. However, China has announced that it will review its tariffs on Australian wine. Shadow foreign affairs minister Simon Birmingham – who was trade minister at the time the tariffs were imposed – said they were "an attempt at economic coercion by China".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Odds of Melbourne Cup Day rate rise shorten

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Original article by Shane Wright, Rachel Clun
The Age – Page: Online : 18-Oct-23

The minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s board meeting for October show that it considered increasing the cash rate. The minutes stated that the RBA board has a low tolerance for a slower return of inflation to the target range than currently expected, and that upcoming economic data will determine whether the current monetary pause is sustained. Inflation and unemployment data to be released next week are likely to be a key factor as to whether the cash rate is increased in November. Meanwhile, Deloitte Access Economics has forecast that economic growth will slow to one per cent by the March 2024 quarter, and that the nation will experience both a per capita recession and a recession in the retail sector.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Delivery prices could soar under gig laws: DoorDash

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 18-Oct-23

Uber Eats recently estimated that the gig economy reforms in the federal government’s Closing Loopholes Bill could increase the cost of using food delivery services by up to 85 per cent. However, rival food delivery platform DoorDash has told a Senate inquiry into the legislation that prices could potentially rise by more than 260 per cent. The legislation would give the Fair Work Commission powers to set minimum pay and conditions for gig workers, but DoorDash has argued that these powers should be limited to setting minimum pay, insurance, portable leave and payment times. Nick McIntosh from the Transport Workers’ Union says there is broad support for the reforms among gig economy workers and companies.

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DOORDASH, UBER EATS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Roy Morgan Business Confidence down 7.6pts to 87.1 in September – lowest for three years since September 2020

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Oct-23

In September 2023, Roy Morgan Business Confidence was 87.1 (down 7.6pts since August). This is the lowest Business Confidence since September 2020, when Victoria was in an extended lockdown and New South Wales was enduring significant COVID-19 outbreaks. The Business Confidence survey was conducted after the RBA left interest rates unchanged for a third straight month in September at 4.1%. However, there were renewed concerns about inflation during September, with average retail petrol prices hitting a record high. Business Confidence has now spent eight consecutive months below the neutral level of 100, the longest stretch in negative territory since October 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of businesses are worried about the performance of the Australian economy, with 55.2% expecting ‘bad times’ for the economy over the next year and 63.1% expecting ‘bad times’ for the economy over the next five years. Nevertheless, businesses remain relatively positive about their own prospects over the next year; 38.3% say they will be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while only 30.5% say they will be ‘worse off’ – a positive net rating of 7.8% points and the only index in positive territory. The pressure that high inflation and rising interest rates are placing on consumer spending habits is clear when one considers the Retail industry has the lowest Business Confidence of all at only 43.6, and more than halving from a year ago, down 44.1pts (-50.3%) from a year ago. This is an all-time record low reading of Business Confidence for the Retail industry heading into the most important retailing period of the year. The just released ARA-Roy Morgan pre-Christmas forecasts predict total pre-Christmas retail sales of $78 billion (up 0.4% on a year ago), and a seasonally adjusted figure of $66.8 billion.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 3.7pts to 76.4, a pull-back after one week above 80

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Oct-23

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 3.7pts to 76.4 in the week to 15 October, unable to register back-to-back weeks above 80 for the first time since early February. Consumer Confidence is now 5.8pts below the same week a year ago (82.2), and below the 2023 weekly average of 78.1. Consumer Confidence was down in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, but up slightly in Western Australia. Now 19% of Australians (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 53% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Only 6% (down 2ppts) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 37% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 18% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 52% (unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Teal MPs deeply polarised over Israel attack

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Original article by James Robertson
The New Daily – Page: Online : 18-Oct-23

The House of Representatives voted 107-7 on Tuesday to defeat the Greens’ proposed amendment to a motion condemning the attacks on Israel by Hamas on 7 October. Amongst other things, the Greens sought to amend the motion to refer to "war crimes perpetrated by the State of Israel" and remove a sentence stating that Australia “stands with Israel and recognises its inherent right to defend itself”. Teal MPs Kylea Tink and Sophie Scamps voted in favour of the Greens’ amendment, along with independent MP Andrew Wilkie. However, several other teal MPs distanced themselves from the vote.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Israel steps back from ground assault on Gaza

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Original article by Hans van Leeuwen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 18-Oct-23

Israeli Defence Force spokesman Lt Colonel Richard Hecht has downplayed suggestions that a ground invasion of Gaza could be imminent. He says Israel is preparing for the next stages of the war against Hamas, but this may not necessarily include a ground offensive. Any such invasion is unlikely to proceed until after US President Joe Biden visits Israel on Wednesday, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US has put 2,000 troops on a "heightened state of readiness" and deployed two aircraft carriers to the region, and Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi says Biden has made it "clear to our enemies" that the US will become involved if Iran or Hezbollah join the conflict.

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ISRAELI DEFENCE FORCE, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Airlifts out of Tel Aviv

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Original article by Phillip Coorey,[SPACE]Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 12-Oct-23

Two Qantas flights will leave Tel Aviv for London on Friday night, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying they would just be the start. With growing fears of a ground war between Israel and Hamas, he said the government is looking at all options in terms of helping Australians in Israel who want to get back home. As well as speaking to Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson and Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka about the use of their aircraft for emergency evacuations, it is believed the government is considering the use of military aircraft. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Hamas has done the Palestinian people a disservice with its "abhorrent" attacks on Israel, in that they have pushed the "two-state solution further out of reach", with Wong accusing Hamas of perpetrating an "unconscionable crime" against the Palestinian people.

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Australian journalist Cheng Lei released from Chinese prison, arrives in Melbourne

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Original article by Georgia Roberts
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 12-Oct-23

Australian journalist Cheng Lei has returned to Australia more than three years after being arrested in China, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying he had known about her release for some time. Cheng was working at Chinese state-owned media CGTN when she was arrested in August 2020; she was accused of "supplying state secrets overseas", an allegation she denied. Albanese said he had spoken to her on Wednesday, noting she had been happily reunited with her family in Melbourne. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that Cheng had served a sentence of two years and 11 months, and was released after completing it

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IMPRISONMENT – CHINA,[SPACE]DETENTION OF PERSONS – CHINA]