O75 Public Administration

Ambassador expelled, terror law changes: Iran’s brazen antisemitic attacks on Australian soil

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Original article by Matthew Knott, Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 27-Aug-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the federal government is taking "strong and decisive action" after ASIO advised that Iran had directed at least two arson attacks on Australia’s Jewish community. Albanese says the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne and a kosher cafe in Sydney in 2024 were "extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression" orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil. He adds that they were attempts to "undermine social cohesion and sow discord" in the community. The goverment has expelled Iran’s ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and given him seven days to leave Australia; it has also closed Australia’s embassy in Tehran and indicated that it intends to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

AUKUS at risk of failing: experts

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 27-Aug-25

The Center for Strategic & International Studies recently recommended narrowing the focus of the so-called ‘Pillar II’ of the AUKUS defence alliance. John Lee from the Hudson Institute says this proposal is understandable given the federal government’s insufficient allocation of funding for defence and Pillar II in particular. Lee adds that Labor needs to build a public case for an increased commitment to AUKUS and Pillar II. Meanwhile, Strategic Analysis Australia director Michael Shoebridge contends that the aim of AUKUS is to shift the military balance in the Indo-Pacific region away from China in order to deter war. He says AUKUS will fail if the alliance’s partners cannot explain this common purpose to their constituents.

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CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, STRATEGIC ANALYSIS AUSTRALIA

Slash green tape to hit 2035 target

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Original article by Greg Brown, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-25

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is set to reveal the federal government’s 2035 carbon emissions reduction target in September. A group of Australian companies have joined forces under the Business For 75 banner to lobby the government, calling for an emissions target of at least 75 per cent. The Climate Change Authority is considering a target of 65-75 per cent, but the Business For 75 members contend that a target at the higher end of tis range would increase investment by $20bn a year. Bowen has indicated that the government may adopt a target range for reducing emissions, rather than a specific figure.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

‘People are less safe’: Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin claims Melbourne’s pro-Palestine protest put public at risk

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Original article by Patrick Hannaford
Sky News Australia – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

About 100,000 people attended a pro-Palestine protest in the Melbourne CBD on Sunday, while similar events were held nationwide. Victorian police have stated that they had a "highly visible presence" at the rally but made no arrests on the day. However, Opposition leader Brad Battin says more than 22,000 police shifts have been diverted to the weekly pro-Palestine rallies, when police could have been dealing with the state’s escalating crime crisis. Premier Jacinta Allan has previously stated that people have a right to protest peacefully and that this right should be respected. Shadow police minister David Southwick agrees, but he says the pro-Palestine protests have gone "well and above that", and people no longer feel safe visiting the CBD.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Housing prices up: insurers go to war

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Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-25

Modelling produced by Lateral Economics suggests that the federal government’s proposed expansion of the home guarantee scheme will adversely affect the first-home buyers it aims to help. The government will allow such people to buy a home with a deposit of just five per cent, and without the need for lenders mortgage insurance. The report, which was produced on behalf of the Insurance Council of Australia, concludes that the policy will result in house prices rising by between 3.5 per cent and 6.6 per cent nationally within its first year. ICA CEO Andrew Hall says house prices will rise by more than the cost of lenders mortgage insurance.

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LATERAL ECONOMICS, INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Arts degrees to cost $50,000 until at least 2027 despite Albanese reform promises, vice-chancellor says

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Original article by Krishani Dhanji
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

Western Sydney University’s vice-chancellor George Williams says changes to the former Coalition government’s job-ready graduates scheme will take some time to implement. The scheme prioritised courses whose graduates are in high demand, while increasing the cost of degrees in disciplines such as arts and humanities. Williams says the scheme was flawed from the outset, and it was a major disincentive for students to go to university – particularly for women and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. He hopes the cost of arts degrees will be reduced in time for the 2027 student intake.

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WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

Consultancy firms win nearly $1bn in Australian contracts in past year despite new outsourcing rules, research shows

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Original article by Henry Belot
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

Analysis undertaken by the Parliamentary Library on behalf of the Greens shows that the value of federal government contracts with consulting firms rose to $968m in 2024-25; this is 48 per cent higher than the previous financial year. However, the value of public contracts with the four major consulting firms – PwC, KPMG, EY and Deloitte – fell from $138m in 2023-24 to $114m. Greens senator Barbara Pocock says the analysis shows that while the government claims that it is spending less on consultants, it is merely shifting these contracts from the "big four" to other firms.

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AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ERNST AND YOUNG, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

ALP maintains strong two-party preferred lead in August: ALP 56.5% cf. L-NP 43.5% as support for minor parties surges

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

The latest Roy Morgan shows that in August the ALP maintained its commanding two-party preferred lead on 56.5% (down 0.5% from July), ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 42.5% (up 0.5%). The Albanese Government’s two-party preferred lead is clearly above the 2025 Federal Election result in early May: ALP 55.2% cf. L-NP 44.8%. In the month of August primary support for both of the major parties was down, with support for the ALP at 34% (down 2.5% from July) ahead of the Liberal-National Coalition on 30% (down 1%). Support for the Greens was unchanged at 12%; however, support for One Nation increased by 2% to 9%. In addition, support for Independents/Other Parties increased by 1.5% to 15%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

PM warns Taiwan of lengthy trade deal

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 26-Aug-25

Six economies have applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in recent years, including China and Taiwan. Australia is chairing the 12-nation trade bloc in 2025, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Taiwan is facing a "long process" in getting its application approved. China contends that Taiwan is not eligible to join the CPTPP because it is not a sovereign state. However, Liu Da-nien from Taiwan’s Chiang-Hua Institution for Economic Research notes that the island is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, and he says APEC rules start that all members are entitled to join the CPTPP.

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COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CHIANG-HUA INSTITUTION FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION

Australia urged to give AUKUS sub commitments to US in event of war

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Original article by Stephen Dziedzic
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

US think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies has written a report on the AUKUS defence pact, which will see Australia get Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US. With the Trump administration currently reviewing the pact, the CSIS calls on Australia to give the US ‘concrete commitments’ on how it would deploy the submarines in the event of war, while it urges the Trump administration not to abandon the pact.

CORPORATES
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES