O75 Public Administration

Business blasts flawed IR bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 27-Sep-23

The federal government has estimated that the proposed labour hire and gig economy changes in its Closing Loopholes bill would cost employers up to $9bn in extra wages over the next decade. However, the Business Council of Australia contends that this estimate is based on outdated, limited and flawed data; the employers’ group notes that the explanatory memorandum accompanying the bill acknowledges this fact. BCA CEO Bran Black says the flaws call into question the government’s estimates of the impact of the proposed changes on individual businesses.

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BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Divisive Andrews bows out early

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Original article by Gus McCubbing, Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 27-Sep-23

Victoria’s outgoing Premier Daniel Andrews says he arrived at the decision to resign a few days ago, as he began to consider life after politics for the first time. He will formally step down as premier and the member for Mulgrave at 5pm on Wednesday, after more than two decades in state parliament and having led Labor to three election wins since 2014. Andrews says his legacy as premier will be "for others" to determine, but Opposition leader John Pesutto contends that his legacy will be mounting debt for future generations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described Andrews as a man of "great conviction" and "fierce determination" to make a difference.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Allan no certainty to succeed Andrews

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 6 : 27-Sep-23

Victoria’s Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan is widely tipped to succeed Daniel Andrews as the state’s 49th premier. The transport and infrastructure minister is a member of Victorian Labor’s Socialist Left faction, as is Andrews. However, some Labor insiders have flagged the potential for factional unrest if rival contenders for the party’s leadership emerge. Labor’s caucus will meet on Wednesday to determine a successor to Andrews, but the party’s rules require nominations for leader to remain open for three days; the vote must go to a ballot of Labor members and state caucus if there is more than one nomination. This means that the new premier may not be decided until at least early next week.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Pay rises surge, closing in on inflation levels

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Sep-23

Data from the Fair Work Commission shows that 174 enterprise agreements were submitted for approval in the two weeks to 25 August. The average annual increase in these workplace agreements was 4.7 per cent. Pat Bustamante of Westpac notes that the higher wage increases in new enterprise agreements follows the FWC’s decision to increase the minimum wage by 5.75 per cent from 1 July. She adds that high inflation could become entrenched if wages continue to grow at 4-4.7 per cent mark without productivity improvements.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Pezzullo faces Home Affairs axe

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 26-Sep-23

Former Australian Public Service commissioner Lynelle Briggs will undertake an independent review into the conduct of Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo. This follows revelations that Pezzullo had sent hundreds of encrypted text messages to Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs over several years. The federal government has advised that Pezzullo has agreed to step aside pending the outcome of the review, and senior public service officials believe that he will not return to the role that has a remuneration package of up to $928,340. The Greens contend that Pezullo’s position is untenable and that he should resign.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Business alarmed at Labor’s work goal

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 4 : 26-Sep-23

The federal government has attracted criticism over its employment white paper’s revised definition of ‘full employment’. The government’s goal is for ‘everyone who wants a job to be able to find one without searching for too long’. Treasurer Jim Chalmers say the technical definition of full employment – the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment, which is used by the Reserve Bank – is distinct but complementary to the government’s objective. However, Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar contends that having dual definitions for full employment could undermine the RBA’s efforts to restore inflation to its target range. The white paper estimates that about 2.8 million people are either unemployed and looking for work or underemployed and seeking more work.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Roy Morgan predicts No will win The Voice referendum; No (44%) well ahead of Yes (39%) as voting set to start

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Sep-23

Now 44% (up 8% points since May) of Australians say they would vote ‘No’ to establish an ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice’ at next month’s referendum if it were held today – the first time more Australians have indicated to Roy Morgan that they would vote ‘No’ to this proposition. In comparison, only 39% (down 7% points since May 2023) say they would vote ‘Yes’ and a further 17% (down 1% point) are ‘Undecided’ on how they would vote. If ‘Undecided’ respondents are removed the split in favour of the ‘No’ vote is 53% cf. 47%. However, past experience with surveys conducted before previous referenda shows that ‘Undecided’ voters are far more likely to end up as a ‘No’ rather than a ‘Yes’ vote, meaning the actual figure is likely to be a larger majority in favour of ‘No’ than indicated here. This special Roy Morgan online survey was conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 1,511 Australian electors aged 18+ from Monday September 18 – Sunday September 24.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

US pursuit of Assange may damage alliance

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 5 : 22-Sep-23

Greens senators David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson are part of a group of Australian politicians in Washington trying to persuade the US government to drop its espionage charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Shoebridge claims that an "an overwhelming part of the Australian public" want Assange to be allowed to return to Australia from the UK, where he has been in prison since being removed from the Ecuadorean embassy in London in April 2019, with Shoebridge saying the alliance between Australia and the US will be "damaged" if the US does not drop the charges against Assange.

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WIKILEAKS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Tax bounty brings record $22b surplus

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 22-Sep-23

The federal government will confirm on Friday that the budget surplus for 2022-23 was $22.1bn. This represents a significant turnaround from the $77.9bn deficit that former treasurer Josh Frydenberg had forecast in March 2022. It will also be the first surplus since 2007-08 and the first under a Labor government since Paul Keating was treasurer more than three decades ago. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor has delivered a surplus while providing cost-of-living relief and investing in the long-term growth of the economy. The budget bottom-line was boosted by factors such as high commodity prices and rising income tax revenue due to a strong labour market.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Voice verdict might not be clear on the night

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-Sep-23

The Australian Electoral Commission has so far received nearly 1.2 million applications for postal votes in the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament. This includes voters who are registered to receive a postal vote automatically. AEC commissioner Tom Rogers says the high number of postal votes could mean that the nation may have to wait for several days after 14 October to know the outcome of the referendum. The AEC will also open more than 500 early voting centres nationwide from early October for people who cannot attend a polling place on referendum day.

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AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION