O75 Public Administration

Greens vow to keep fighting on housing as party takes aim at Labor’s help to buy scheme

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Sep-23

The federal government’s Housing Australia Future Fund bill will be put to a final vote in the Senate on Wednesday, after the Greens agreed to back it in return for additional funding for public and community housing. The minor party abandoned its push to include a rent cap and freeze in the bill, but Greens leader Adam Bandt says this is still on its agenda. The government’s shared equity scheme is likely to be the Greens’ next target in its bid to introduce a cap and freeze on rents.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Treasury, Trade not consulted on Qatar call

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 4 : 13-Sep-23

The federal government continues to attract scrutiny over its decision to reject Qatar Airways’ request for additional flights to Australia. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Trade Minister Don Farrell have confirmed that their departments were not asked for advice from Transport Minister Catherine King regarding the request from Qatar Airways. King has stated that she had consulted "relevant ministers" before making the decision on 10 July. Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie has questioned why the Treasurer was not deemed to be a relevant minister. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have also stated that they were not consulted until after the decision had been made.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 1.1pts to 77.6

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.1pts to 77.6 in the week to 10 September; it has now spent a record 28 straight weeks below the mark of 80. Consumer Confidence is 8.1pts below the same week a year ago (85.7), and just below the 2023 weekly average of 78.1. Consumer Confidence down in Victoria and South Australia, but up slightly in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Now 21% of Australians (up 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 55% (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Only 7% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 36% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 19% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 53% (up 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

‘Base racism’: Yes leader in no-holds-barred call

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Joe Kelly, Sarah Ison, Paige Taylor
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Sep-23

Voice advocate Professor Marcia Langton has rejected claims that she accused No voters of racism in a speech in Bunbury on Sunday. Professor Langton said in her speech that if you start pulling apart the No case’s arguments, it either gets down to base racism or sheer stupidity. However, she stresses that she does not believe that the majority of Australians are racist, and contends that No campaigners are using racist tactics. Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney has called for both sides of the debate on an Indigenous Voice to parliament to "act respectfully and with care for their fellow Australians".

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Court urged to make example of CBA on pay

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Sep-23

The Federal Court has been urged to impose the maximum penalty on the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for underpaying about 7,4000 employees some $16m over more than a decade. Michael Seck, the lawyer representing the Fair Work Ombudsman, contended that the penalty must be sufficient to deter other large companies from underpaying their staff. The bank had self-reported the underpayments to the FWO and has provided back-pay to all affected employees. The underpayments occured after CBA shifted affected employees from an enterprise agreement to individual agreements.

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COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

Key crossbenchers in bid to split up IR bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Sep-23

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has reiterated that the federal government wants the entire Closing Loopholes Bill to be passed by the end of 2023. This follows a push by Senate crossbenchers to remove four provisions from the bill and legislate them by the end of the year. They include proposed changes that would make it easier for first responders such as firefighters and ambulance crews to claim workers’ compensation for job-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Independent senator David Pocock says this would allow more time to consider the more contentious elements of the bill.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

PM flies blind in Qatar storm

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Original article by Joe Kelly,Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 6-Sep-23

The Senate will hold an inquiry into the federal government’s decision to block Qatar Airways’ application for additional flights to Australia, which was made by Transport Minister Catherine King on 10 July. There have been allegations that the decision was aimed at protecting Qantas from competition. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament on Tuesday that he did not discuss the issue with outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce before the decision was made. He conceded that he had discussed the application with Virgin Australia Jayne Hrdlick on 13 July, and stated that he had only been made aware of King’s decision on Tuesday. However, this had been widely reported on 18 July. Five women who are suing Qatar Airways for invasive physical searches were also told of the decision in a letter from King that was dated 10 July.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET,QATAR AIRWAYS,QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN,AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

RBA to keep rates on hold as inflation stalls

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 2 : 6-Sep-23

Philip Lowe has used his final statement as Reserve Bank of Australia governor to contend that the series of interest rate rises since May 2022 are working to establish a "more sustainable balance between supply and demand in the economy". He adds that the decision on Tuesday to pause official rates at 4.1 per cent for a third successive month will give the RBA board more time to assess the economic outlook and the impact of the interest rate rises to date. Lowe emphasised that bringing inflation under control is still the board’s priority. JP Morgan expects the RBA to increase the cash rate one more time, in November. Michele Bullock will formally succeed Lowe on 18 September.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA,JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Burke to get extraordinary IR powers

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Sep-23

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar says the Closing Loopholes Bill contains at least 32 clauses that will allow Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke to give himself new regulatory powers. He says this is an "extraordinary" number, and argues that it will heighten uncertainty about the real cost of the proposed industrial relations reforms to business. Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn in turn says the ministerial powers will create greater uncertainty for independent contractors and businesses when entering commercial arrangements. Amongst other things, Burke will have broad powers to issue regulation that change the definitions for labour hire rules and gig economy workers’ pay.

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AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY,MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED,AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Liberals accused of dirty tactics over Indigenous voice pamphlet leading voters to site that harvests information

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Original article by Tory Shepherd
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 6-Sep-23

The Coalition is under scrutiny over a pamphlet delivered to thousands of homes that directs electors to a website that harvests their personal information. The pamphlet advocating the ‘No’ case in the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament includes a QR code with a link to the postal.vote website, which was also used by the Liberal and National parties during the 2022 election. It invites voters to apply for a postal vote by entering their name and contact details, and states that this will be forwarded to the Liberal and National parties. The site then informs electors that applications for postal votes are not yet available. The Australian Electoral Commission says people should always apply for a postal vote directly through it.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA,NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA,AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION