O75 Public Administration

Court backs contract jobs

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 9 : 10-Feb-22

University of Adelaide law professor Andrew Stewart says a landmark High Court decision is a "big win" for companies which contend that their workers are independent contractors rather than employees. The court has ruled that two truck drivers who had worked exclusively for a lighting company for nearly four decades via a partnership arrangement are not employees, and are therefore not entitled to minimum pay and conditions. A majority of the court adopted a strict approach that relied almost solely on the terms of the contract itself. However, in a separate judgment the court has ruled that a British backpacker was an employee rather than a contractor, because his contract gave his construction labour hire firm the right to decide who he could work for.

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HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

ASIO foils spy plot to interfere with election

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 10-Feb-22

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s director-general Mike Burgess says there have been attempts at foreign interference at all levels of government and in all states and territories. He has revealed that ASIO recently thwarted a foreign interference plot in the lead-up to an election, which is believed to have been the upcoming federal election. This plot involved a wealthy "agent of interference" with direct connections with a foreign government and its intelligence agencies; this person, whom Burgess referred to as "the puppeteer", had attempted to finance the campaigns of political candidates who were deemed to be susceptible to ‘inducements and cultivation’.

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AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

Roy Morgan Business Confidence plunges 18.7pts to 101.5 in January as Omicron variant sweeps Australia

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Feb-22

In January 2022, Roy Morgan Business Confidence fell by 18.7pts (-15.6%) to 101.5. This is the biggest monthly plunge in the index in points during the pandemic and the largest fall in percentage terms since April 2020, when the index dropped 18.2pts (-19.1%). The plunge in January came as the Omicron variant swept Australia causing the infection of over 2 million Australians and forcing millions more into isolation for being close contacts of confirmed cases. The disruption to businesses caused problems throughout the economy and led to breakdowns in supply chains which are only now being gradually rectified. On a State-based level there were monthly decreases across the board in January; this was led by NSW, down 17.1pts (-13.7%) to 107.6. Despite the large fall in January, Business Confidence remains marginally in positive territory above the neutral level of 100. However, Business Confidence has fallen to the same level it was at during the middle of the ‘Delta wave’ in August 2021 (101.5) and is now well below the long-term average of 113.7.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Morrison apologises to House abuse victims

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Feb-22

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has publicly apologised to victims of bullying, harassment and sexual assault in Parliament House. Morrison specifically apologised to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who was allegedly raped by a colleague in a ministerial office in 2019. Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Labor leader Anthony Albanese also committed to overhauling the culture of Parliament House and making it a safer place to work.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM warns: unite or lose poll

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Original article by Greg Brown, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 9-Feb-22

Parliament is expected to vote on the federal government’s revised religious discrimination bill and amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act within days, after a Coalition partyroom meeting endorsed the reforms on Monday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged Coalition MPs to back the reforms, warning that the government faces the prospect of losing the upcoming election if it does present a united front. However, some Liberal MPs have expressed reservations about the religious discrimination bill, and Bass MP Bridget Archer says she cannot support the bill in its current form.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Labor Covid policies an extra $81bn hit: Finance Minister

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Feb-22

The federal government has spent about $337bn on economic and health support programs since the COVID-19 pandemic began, which has contributed to the budget deficit blowing out to $134bn. However, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says the government has contained spending during the pandemic by making its emergency measures "temporary, targeted and proportionate". He adds that Labor’s pandemic policies would have cost an additional $81bn in unnecessary spending and increased the deficit by 20 per cent. Shadow finance minister Katy Gallagher has in turn described the Coalition as the most wasteful government since Federation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

NZ’s new Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon boosts support for National to 35%; now ahead of Labour on 33%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Feb-22

Support for New Zealand’s Labour/Greens government was down 0.5% points to 43.5% in January, the fourth straight month of declines for the ‘coalition’ government. Support for the Labour Party was down 2.5% points to 33% (the lowest since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took office in late 2017), while support for the Greens increased 2% points to 10.5%. In contrast, support for a potential National/Act NZ coalition government is now at 48.5%. Support for the National Party rose 3.5% points to 35%; it has increased 8.5% points since Christopher Luxon took over the leadership at the end of November 2021 and has now overtaken Labour for the first time since October 2019. However, support for Act NZ fell 5% points to 13.5%, to its lowest since August 2021. Support for the Maori Party increased 1.5% points to 2.5%. A small minority of 5.5% of electors support other minor parties outside Parliament, with support for New Zealand First up 0.5% points to 2.5%, The Opportunities Party up 0.5% points to 1.5% and support for the New Conservative Party up 0.5% points to 1% in January. This latest 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 January.

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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

Andrews targeted on red shirts rort

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 2 : 9-Feb-22

The Victorian Opposition will support Adem Somyurek’s motion to have Labor’s ‘Red Shirts’ scandal referred to the state’s Ombudsman for further investigation. The motion will also require the support of at least eight crossbenchers. Amongst other things, Somyurek wants the Ombudsman to investigate the role of Premier Daniel Andrews in "designing, propagating and facilitating" the misuse of taxpayers’ funds when he was opposition leader in 2014. Somyurek, who has admitted to being involved in the rort, was expelled by Labor in 2021 following a branch-stacking scandal.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

Tourists may need to be triple-jabbed: Andrews

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Original article by Lucas Baird, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 9-Feb-22

The Victorian government is at odds with its federal counterpart regarding the vaccination status of international tourists when Australia’s borders reopen on 21 February. The federal government has advised that inbound travellers will only be required to have two COVID-19 vaccine doses. However, Premier Daniel Andrews says the state will require tourists to have a booster shot if the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends that people must have had three doses in order to enter the country. This could lead to international visitors being barred from hospitality, retail and entertainment venues in Victoria, in a new blow for the tourism industry.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON IMMUNISATION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence decreases 1.9pts to 99.9 as Western Australia’s border remains closed

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Feb-22

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.9pts to 99.9 during the first week of February; it is 11.5pts below the same week a year ago (111.4), and just below the 2022 weekly average of 101.1. Consumer Confidence has decreased 9pts in Western Australia and 14pts in Perth, indicating dissatisfaction with the state’s continuing border closure. Now 23% (down 4ppts) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 32% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 35% (down 2ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 21% (up 3ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. However, just 14% (down 1ppt) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 26% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 36% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 33% (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