O75 Public Administration

More exemptions to salvage IR bill

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Nov-22

The Senate inquiry into the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill has recommended increasing the threshold for small businesses to be exempted from multi-employer bargaining to 20 employees, compared with 15 under the existing provisions of the bill. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has indicated that the government is willing to negotiate a higher threshold in order to secure the bill’s passage before parliament rises for the year. However, Burke notes that lifting the threshold too much would undo the central aim of the bill, which is to increase the wages of low-paid workers. Independent senator David Pocock has continued to push for a vote on the multi-employer bargaining provisions of the bill to be delayed until next year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

NZ Election is too close to call with Labour/Greens (44.5%) even with National/Act NZ (44.5%) as minor parties surge

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Nov-22

The latest Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll shows that support for the Labour/Greens coalition government rose 2.5% points to 44.5% in October. Support for Labour fell 0.5% points to 29% (its lowest level of support since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern came to power in October 2017); however, support for the Greens rose 3% points to a record high of 15.5%. Meanwhile, support for a potential National/Act NZ coalition government fell 4% points to 44.5%. Support for the National Party was down 4% points to 32%, while support for fellow right-leaning party Act NZ was unchanged at 12.5%. Support for the Maori Party fell 0.5% points to 3%, although the party remains the best placed of the minor parties to hold the balance of power in a new Parliament. A minority of 8% of electors (up 2% points) support other minor parties outside Parliament, with support for New Zealand First up 2.5% points to 3.5%, The Opportunities Party up 0.5% points to 3% and support for the New Conservative Party unchanged at 0.5%. This New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 951 electors during October. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating rose 6pts in October to 92. The indicator is now down 33pts from just over a year ago in September 2021.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, ACT NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY, NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, THE OPPORTUNITIES PARTY, NEW CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Labor to boost whistleblower protections in last sitting fortnight of parliamentary year

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Nov-22

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus will address the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference in Sydney on Wednesday. He will reveal plans to pursue amendments to the Public Interest Disclosure Act which aim to provide increased protection for whistleblowers. Cabinet has approved the draft legislation, which will be introduced to parliament before it rises for the year. The federal government will pursue "priority amendments" to the Act, ahead of a fuller review in 2023. It wants stronger whistleblower protections to be in place before the National Anti-Corruption Commission becomes operational in mid-2023.

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AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Bowen signs up to global offshore wind club

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Original article by Hans van Leeuwen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 16-Nov-22

The federal government will seek to accelerate the development of Australia’s nascent offshore wind power industry. Onshore wind farms account for about 10 per cent of the nation’s electricity generation capacity at present, and the government has announced that Australia will join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance. Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who is attending the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, says Australia’s offshore wind farm industry is starting from scratch, and the nation will benefit from being a member of the alliance.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER, GLOBAL OFFSHORE WIND ALLIANCE

Qantas on IR: flight routes will die

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Original article by Simon Benson, Sarah Ison, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Nov-22

Qantas is the latest company to express concerns about the federal government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill. The national carrier told the Senate committee that is reviewing the bill that multi-employer bargaining would effectively become industry-wide agreements that would reverse Labor’s economic reforms of the 1980s. Qantas also said the proposed industrial relations reforms would give too much power to trade unions and the Fair Work Commission. Qantas added that the reforms would increase the cost of air travel and reduce demand for flights, which could result in less profitable routes and services being discontinued. Clubs Australia in turn has warned that multi-employer bargaining could force many small clubs to close.

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, CLUBS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 2.1pts to 80.8 – the weekly increase halts a run of six straight declines

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Nov-22

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 2.1pts to 80.8 in the week ended 13 November. It is now 25.2pts below the same week a year ago (106.0), and 8.6pts below the 2022 weekly average of 89.4. There were mixed results around the nation; Consumer Confidence increased in NSW and Queensland, Victoria was unchanged while the index was down in Western Australia and South Australia. Now 21% of Australians (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 46% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Some 31% (up 2ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 35% (down 3ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Only 8% (up 2ppts) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 39% (down 4ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 22% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 50% (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

Greens reveal key policies ahead of Victorian election

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Original article by Mitch Clarke
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 16-Nov-22

Action on climate action and housing affordability are among the key demands that the Victorian Greens will seek in return for supporting Labor if it is unable to form a majority government after the state election. Amongst other things, the Greens would push for a total ban on onshore and offshore gas exploration and production, a statewide ban on logging in native forests, and capping rent increases in line with wages. Premier Daniel Andrews has consistently ruled out any deals with the Greens or independent candidates.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

First step in long China thaw

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Original article by Ben Packham, Amanda Hodge, Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 16-Nov-22

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described his brief meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 leaders’ summit as an important step to moving forward in the bilateral relationship between the two nations. Albanese and Xi talked for 32 minutes on the sidelines of the Bali summit, with the latter praising Albanese for handling relations between the two countries in a "mature manner". Albanese raised a number of issues during the meeting, including China’s trade bans on Australian imports and Australia’s concerns about alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang province. He also urged Xi to release two Australian citizens who have been detained in China on espionage charges and to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

Why haven’t I had COVID-19 yet? Am I a NOVID?

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Original article by Nathan Bartlett
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 14-Nov-22

The most recent survey of donor blood examined the proportion of people who had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, finding at least two thirds of Australians have been infected with the viral disease. As to those that have not had COVID-19 as yet, or NOVIDs as some have dubbed them, one possibility as to why they have not is that they could have immunity from it as a result of having previously been infected by a similar virus, while another could be their genetic makeup.

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ALP lead over Coalition in Victoria narrows since October and is back to 2018 Election result as minor parties surge: ALP 57% cf. L-NP 43%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Nov-22

A special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Poll shows that the ALP has retained a large election-winning lead over the Liberal-National Coalition in Victoria. The ALP is now on 57% (down 3.5% points since campaigning began) on a two-party preferred basis, well ahead of the L-NP on 43% (up 3.5% points). The two-party preferred results of this week’s Snap SMS Poll are almost identical to the results from the 2018 Victorian Election in which the ALP on 57.3% defeated the L-NP on 42.7% – a margin of 14.6% points. However, comparing the primary voting results from this Snap SMS Poll to the 2018 Victorian Election shows a large move to minor parties and independents – the same thing Roy Morgan saw at this year’s Federal Election. Primary vote support for the two major parties shows the ALP now at 40% (down 2.9% points from the 2018 Victorian Election) ahead of the L-NP on 29% (down 6.2% points). Support for the Greens is at 11.5% (up 0.8% points) while total support for ‘Other parties and independents’ is now at 19.5% (up 8.3% points). Among the minor parties support for so-called ‘Teal Independents’ is now at 4.5% while there is 1% support for Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party, 0.5% support for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party and 13.5% support other minor parties and independents. This special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Poll was conducted with a Victoria-wide cross-section of 1,030 Victorian electors aged 18+ conducted from Wednesday November 9 to Thursday November 10.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, JUSTICE PARTY, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY