O75 Public Administration

Allan denies firefighting funding cuts

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Original article by Anthony Galloway, Liam Mendes
The Australian – Page: 7 : 13-Jan-26

Victoria’s Opposition claims that the state government has cut funding to the Country Fire Authority, with the CFA’s most recent annual report being cited as evidence. It shows that government grant funding fell from $351.6m to $339.5m over the four years to 2023-24, with the CFA’s 2024-25 annual report not yet released. With Premier Jacinta Allan rejecting the opposition’s claims, the row over funding comes as CFA volunteers fighting the state’s current bushfires have claimed that they are being expected to do so in ageing trucks with no air-conditioning in temperatures of up to 40C. About 27 fires were still burning across Victoria on Monday.

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VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Minerals stockpile faces long road to pay-off

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Original article by Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Jan-26

The Association of Mining & Exploration Companies’ CEO Warren Pearce says the federal government’s critical minerals strategic reserve could potentially be generating revenue for the nation by 2030. He adds that its success will depend on securing offtake agreements quickly. Resources Minister Madeleine King has conceded that it will take some time for the strategic reserve to begin producing revenue, but she believes that the need for a more diversified critical minerals supply chain will eventually result in "upside" for the nation. King adds that Australia has some key advantages over resources-rich Greenland in the development of mineral deposits.

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ASSOCIATION OF MINING AND EXPLORATION COMPANIES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

‘I’ll cut off Cuba’s oil, put Rubio in charge’: Trump

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Original article by David Charter, Stephen Gibbs
The Australian – Page: 8 : 13-Jan-26

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum says her country will continue to supply Cuba with crude oil, referring to the shipments as humanitarian aid. Sheinbaum’s comments come after US President Donald Trump cut off Cuba’s entire supply of heavily subsidised oil from Venezuela, while he also re-posted an account on his Truth Social site which stated that "Marco Rubio will be president of Cuba", accompanied by a laughing face emoji. Trump’s secretary of state, Rubio is Cuban-American and a long-time opponent of the Cuban government

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP two-party lead is smallest since the Federal Election following the ‘Bondi Shooting’: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jan-26

In the week of January 5-11, 2026, the first Roy Morgan Poll since the ‘Bondi Shooting’, Coalition support is at 30.5% (up 3% since the week of December 8-14, 2025) just ahead of the ALP on 30% (down 0.5%), One Nation is on 15% (down 2%), the Greens are on 13.5% (up 0.5%), and Independents/Other Parties are at 11% (down 1%). The latest Roy Morgan survey was conducted with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,676 electors in the week of January 5-11. In addition, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating plunged 7 points after the ‘Bondi Shooting’ in mid-December to 74 in early January. Only 19.5% (down 13.5%) say the country is ‘going in the right direction’ while 45.5% (down 6.5%) say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is now on 52% (down 2.5% since the week of December 8-14, 2025) ahead of the Coalition on 48% (up 2.5%). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with a decreased majority. The Albanese Government’s two-party preferred lead in early January is the closest result between the two major parties since the Federal Election result in May 2025: ALP 55.2% cf. L-NP 44.8%, and the closest the Coalition has been for almost a year.

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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

Preach hate, go to prison: PM’s sermon

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Original article by Sarah Ison, Elizabeth Pike
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Jan-26

The federal government aims to pass its omnibus bill on hate speech and gun control during a special two-day sitting of parliament next week. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged bipartisan support for the bill, but says he is open to "constructive suggestions" to improve it. Amongst other things, the bill is intended to target Islamic hate preachers and ban designated hate groups, with jail terms of up to 15 years for people who join or finance such groups. However, the Opposition has criticised the decision to address hate speech and a national gun buyback scheme in a single bill, contending that they are unrelated policy areas. There is also concern about an exemption from the hate speech laws if someone is merely quoting from religious texts.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Flood farmers face big stock losses

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Original article by Brittney Levinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Jan-26

The federal and Queensland govenments will jointly provide $38m in disaster relief assistance for farmers who have been affected by severe floods in the state’s northwest. Grants of up to $75,000 will be available, including upfront payments of $10,000. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the package during a visit to Cloncurry, which is one of the regions that have been hit by the heavy rains since late December. Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries has advised that the number of livstock that is dead or missing now exceeds 20,000.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Politicians paying off Canberra mortgages thanks to taxpayers

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Original article by Jessica Wang, Eliza Barr
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 7-Jan-26

Independent senator David Pocock has called for a review of federal politicians’ travel allowances, amid revelations that some are using their expense claims to help finance a mortgage. Interstate-based MPs and senators receive a nightly travel allowance of $322 to cover accommodation, food and incidental expenses during weeks when parliament is sitting. However, the rules allow them to receive the allowance even if they are staying at a home that either themselves or their partner own in Canberra; they can therefore redirect this money to paying off the mortgage on this home. Pocock, who lives in Canberra, says the allowance is necessary but must be in line with community expectations.

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ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were at 5.6% in mid-December – up 0.3% points from the month of November

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Jan-26

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations hit a two-year high of 5.6% for the week of 8-14 December 2025, up 0.3% points from the full month of November; this is the highest the index has been on a weekly basis since December 2023. A look at monthly Inflation Expectations for November 2025 shows the measure at 5.1% for the month, up 0.1% points from the prior month of November, but since then inflationary pressures have increased. Looking back over the last six months, since mid-June, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a band of 4.7% to 5.4%, and averaged 5.0%. A look at Monthly Inflation Expectations on a State-based level for November shows increases around Australia in four States, but significant declines in Western Australia and South Australia. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,300 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Labor accused of breaking law on migration rules

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Original article by Luke Kinsella
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Jan-26

The federal government is under scrutiny over the growing backlog of visa applications for the partners of Australian citizens. This reached a record high of 96,839 in June 2025, and it has increased by 72 per cent since Labor took office in May 2022. Both Labor and Coalition governments have capped partner visas, but migration expert Peter McDonald contends that this is illegal and applications for such visas should be processed when they are received. Former immigration department bureaucrat Abul Rizvi says the government will eventually have to abide by the law on partner visas; however, he concedes that this would result in a higher permanent migration intake and an increase in net overseas migration.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Take this expert advice, PM

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Original article by Greg Brown, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 7-Jan-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may yield to the growing pressure to hold a federal royal commission into the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. While Albanese has stated that Labor’s priorities are a review of the nation’s intelligence agencies and passing new hate speech and gun control laws, he has expressed willingness to "examine anything else required" in response to the terrorist attack. Sources have indicated that the government may formally announce a national public inquiry within days. Meanwhile, 32 intelligence and security experts have released a joint statement urging the government to hold a royal commission into both anti-Semitism and Islamist extremism.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET