O75 Public Administration

Queensland tourism takes estimated $60m hit as floods leave towns isolated

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Original article by Rafqa Touma
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 19-Dec-23

Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen estimates the region’s tourism sector has been hit with $60 million in cancellations as a result of the floods that have devastated the area and left towns isolated. Olsen said the Barron River had overflowed into the Cairns airport "for the first time in history", and that the airport will not be operating any flights until it has been given the all-clear. Angie Hewitt, who is a director of ecotourism company Daintree Rainforest, says that the toll of weather is "part and parcel of the landscape we live in; Daintree Rainforest has been closed since ferries were cancelled last Tuesday.

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TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND, DAINTREE RAINFOREST ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence jumps 4.4pts to 80.8 after the RBA leaves interest rates unchanged – the highest for over ten months since early February 2023

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Dec-23

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 4.4pts to 80.8 in the week to 10 December, after the RBA left interest rates unchanged at its final board meeting for the year. However, Consumer Confidence has now spent a record 45 straight weeks below the mark of 85. Consumer Confidence is now 2.1pts below the same week a year ago (82.9), but nearly 3 points above the 2023 weekly average of 77.8. Now 22% of Australians (up 3ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year (the highest figure for this indicator since February 2023), while 51% (down 6ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 31% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 33% (down 3ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since January 2023). Only 9% (up 1ppt) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months (the highest figure for this indicator since May 2022, just after the RBA first raised interest rates), while 36% (down 3ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 20% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 53% (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

Australian employment increased to over 14 million for the first time in November, but still over 3 million unemployed or under-employed

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Dec-23

The latest Roy Morgan employment series data shows that the number of Australians who are unemployed fell by 37,000 to 1,505,000 (9.7% of the workforce, down 0.2%) in November. Under-employment fell by 45,000 to 1,532,000 (9.9% of the workforce). A total of 3.04 million Australians (19.6% of the workforce) were unemployed or under-employed in November. Meanwhile, employment rose by 51,000 to a new record high of 14,010,000 in November. The increase was due to a rise in part-time employment (up 52,000 to a new record high of 5,002,000), while full-time employment was virtually unchanged at 9,008,000. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 9.7% for November is more than double the ABS estimate of 3.7% for October, but it is almost identical to the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 10.0%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Last-ditch attempt to forge fresh COP28 deal after original rejected

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Original article by Fiona Harvey, Nina Lakhani
The Guardian – Page: Online : 13-Dec-23

The COP28 climate change summit’s president Sultan Al Jaber hopes to secure delegates’ support for a revised draft communique on fossil fuels. The initial draft was widely criticised for advocating a reduction in both the consumption and production of fossil fuels, while avoiding any move to phase out or phase-down oil and gas. The COP28 talks have been extended in a bid to end the impasse and reach an agreement. Analysis shows that 127 countries attending COP28 have supported phasing out fossil fuels, compared with just 80 at the previous summit in 2022.

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UNITED NATIONS

Albanese calls for Gaza ceasefire in joint statement with NZ and Canada PMs

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Original article by
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Dec-23

The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian governments have condemned the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October. The joint statement issued by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his counterparts Chris Luxon and Justin Trudeau also calls for a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for Hamas to release all remaining hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms. The three leaders have also recognised Israel’s right to defend itself but have emphasised that the nation must respect international humanitarian law.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW ZEALAND. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Secret Qld deal puts unions miles ahead

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Original article by Lydia Lynch, Sarah Elks, Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 13-Dec-23

The Queensland government is set to announce changes to its cabinet team after incoming premier Stephen Miles is sworn in on Friday. Treasurer Cameron Dick will become deputy premier after his Right faction agreed to support Miles over rival Left faction candidate Shannon Fentiman. The latter withdrew from contention after union powerbrokers negotiated a factional agreement in return for an industrial deal over government-funded infrastructure projects. Miles says his priorities will include the cost of living, health, housing, infrastructure and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. His first initiative will be a 12-month freeze on vehicle registrations, which will take effect from mid-2024.

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QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY

Penny Wong most trusted Australian politician; Peter Dutton most distrusted

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Dec-23

A Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey has found that Senator Penny Wong has emerged as the political leader with the highest Net Trust Score. She was followed by Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who came to the forefront of Australian politics as a lead spokesperson for the successful ‘No’ campaign in the October Voice referendum. Penny Wong retains the position she held in March 2022. Nampijinpa Price and Treasurer Jim Chalmers also record more trust than distrust. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has emerged as the most distrusted politician (up from second-most distrusted last year). Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved into Net Distrust territory, having been a trusted leader in 2022. Meanwhile, Andrew Forrest is the only business leader to record a Net Trust Score. These Roy Morgan Snap SMS surveys were carried out from 28 February to 1 March 2022 and from 16-20 November 2023.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Micro-taxes stifle productivity

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Dec-23

The Productivity Commission has released a research paper which raises concern about the growing use of industry levies by Australia’s federal and state governments. The Commission has found that governments are using these levies to raise $11bn in revenue a year ‘by stealth’. The agricultural sector was initially the focus of industry levies, but the Commission notes that the sector now accounts for just $600m of this revenue. Deputy chairman Alex Robson contends that taking action to rein in the use of industry levies could help to boost the nation’s productivity.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Qld Labor faces messy brawl for Palaszczuk replacement

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Dec-23

Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman have both confirmed their intention to run for the Labor leadership. They are both members of state Labor’s Left faction, which accounts for 25 of the party’s 52 MPs. However, the Right faction – which has 18 MPs – could potentially emerge as the ‘kingmaker’ in the leadership ballot. The Right faction’s Cameron Dick could also be a leadership contender, although he is regarded as more likely to become deputy premier. Meanwhile, outgoing premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has rejected suggestions that she resigned after losing the support of Left faction powerbroker and union leader Gary Bullock.

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QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

$10 billion more in spending cuts, changes aimed at inflation fight

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Original article by Shane Wright
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 12-Dec-23

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher will release the mid-year budget update on Wednesday, and they are tipped to reveal that almost $10 billion in federal spending will either be cut or redirected to other areas to help fight inflation. However, the budget update will also include $5.2 billion in what the federal government has labelled ‘unavoidable’ spending, including $1.5 billion to end a special COVID-era visa program and $254 million on additional biosecurity spending, including on efforts to stop a growing incursion of imported red fire ants.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY