O75 Public Administration

Emergency RBA rate cut could cause panic

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Original article by Matthew CranstonJack Quail
The Australian – Page: 4 : 9-Apr-25

The Reserve Bank of Australia is believed to have ruled out an emergency board meeting in response to the global financial market turmoil in the wake of the Trump administration’s tariffs policy. Former RBA governor Bernie Fraser has advocated bringing forward the next board meeting to reduce the cash rate by 50 basis points. However, the RBA is expected to retain its existing schedule, with its next board meeting to be held on 19-20 May. Harvey Norman’s chairman Gerry Harvey contends that a large interest rate cut is not necessary and would merely weigh on financial market and consumer sentiment.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIAHARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Marles stays mum on US role in port U-turn

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Apr-25

The federal government continues to attract scrutiny over its decision to terminate a Chinese company’s 99-year on the Port of Darwin if it wins the 3 May election. A review of the lease in 2023 had concluded that it was not necessary to vary or cancel Landbridge’s lease. Defence Minister Richard Marles addressed a press conference on Monday, but he declined to elaborate on why Labor’s position on the port lease has changed. Marles said the government has had discussions with US regarding the lease, and also decline to comment on whether this contributed to Labor’s new stance. Labor pre-empted Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s own announcement on cancelling Landbridge’s lease.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LANDBRIDGE GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, PORT OF DARWIN, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Dutton playing Donald Trump anti-migration card in plan to slash international students, higher education peak body says

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Original article by Caitlin Cassidy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

International Education Association of Australia CEO, Phil Honeywood says the Coalition did not consult with the sector on its proposal to cap new international student numbers at 240,000 a year. This is skewed towards TAFE and private vocational education and training providers, rather than the nation’s public universities. Honeywood notes that the Coalition has traditionally been more inclined to support independent providers over their public counterparts. Former immigration bureaucrat Abul Rizvi in turn notes that the private VET sector has a history of "rorts and dodgy qualifications".

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Unions warn Coalition’s job cuts could exceed 41,000

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 8-Apr-25

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is under scrutiny over his backdown over plans to slash federal public service numbers. The Community & Public Sector Union’s national secretary Melissa Donnelly says the Coalition’s new policy of reducing the public service via natural attrition and hiring freezes over five years could result in the loss of much more than the 41,000 jobs that Dutton had initially flagged. ACTU secretary Sally McManus in turn has criticised Dutton’s backdown on a return-to-office mandate for public servants; she says legal advice suggests that Dutton could not enforce this without legislative changes that would also remove working-from-home rights for all workers.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, ACTU

Crash-test dummies without a budget buffer

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Apr-25

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has released new modelling on the likely impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs regime on the Australian economy. It suggests that the baseline tariff of 10 per cent and the 25 per cent tariff on steel, aluminium and automotive products would be largely neutral for inflation in Australia. Treasury’s ‘best-case’ scenario is that the nation’s real GDP will decline by 0.1 per cent in 2025 and inflation will rise by 0.2 per cent. Meanwhile, the pre-election fiscal outlook shows that the budget deficit is forecast to total $179.5bn over the next four years, while federal government debt is projected to rise to $1.2tn. The nation’s deteriorating fiscal position comes amid fears of a global recession and a $190m fall in the ASX’s market capitalisation since the tariffs were announced last week.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP increases election-winning lead as President Trump announces Liberation Day and imposes worldwide tariffs

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with an increased majority with the ALP on 53.5% (up 0.5% points from a week ago) ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 46.5% (down 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. Roy Morgan Government Confidence was virtually unchanged at 81 with 33% (up 1%) of Australians saying the country is ‘going in the right direction’ compared to 52% (up 0.5%) that say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. Primary support for the ALP increased at the expense of the Coalition, with support for the ALP up 0.5% to 32.5% while Coalition support dropped 2% to 33% – this is the closest the two parties have been on primary vote support since mid-October 2023. Support for the Greens increased 0.5% to 13.5%, One Nation was up 0.5% to 6%, support for Other Parties increased 2% to 6% (Note: Clive Palmer’s new Trump of Patriots party received 1.5% support – its best result so far), while support for Independents dropped 1.5% to 9%.

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

Trump escalates trade war with new tariff threat for China

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Original article by Michael Koziol
The Age – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional levy of 50 per cent on Chinese imports if the Communist nation does not back down on its move to match the USA’s reciprocal tariff of 34 per cent. Trump also indicated that US officials will immediately commence negotiations with other nations that are open to a compromise regarding tariffs. Meanwhile, both of Australia’s major political parties have ruled out relaxing the nation’s biosecurity laws in order to secure tariff relief. US beef can be imported if is from cattle that was born raised and slaughtered in the US, although beef from cattle that was raised in Canada or Mexico remains prohibited.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Allan stands by signature rail loop

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Original article by Lily McCaffrey, Amelia Swan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 2-Apr-25

Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan says she remains "determined" to go ahead with the Suburban Rail Loop in the wake of the Coalition’s decision to scrap all federal funding for the controversial project if it wins the 3 May election. However, Allan declined to comment on how the state will pay for the project if federal funding is withdrawn. Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has described the SRL as a "$200bn pipe dream"; he contends that Allan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the CFMEU are the only ones that are in favour of it. Dutton intends to redirect SRL funding to other road and rail projects in Victoria.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

NZ: In March both the National-led Government and Labour-led Parliamentary opposition were under 50% support

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for March 2025 shows the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) on 47% (down 0.5% points), and the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition on 47.5% (unchanged) with both failing to muster a majority of support. This is the third straight month the two main blocks representing both sides of politics have fallen short of a majority of support. There were changes in the composition of support for the National-led Government, with National up 2% points to 32.5% and NZ First up 1% point to 7%. However, coalition partner ACT lost support, down 3.5% points to 7.5%, to its lowest level since January 2024. For the Parliamentary Opposition, support for Labour dropped 1.5% points to 27.5% and support for the Greens was down 1% point to 14.5%. In contrast, support for the Maori Party rebounded 2.5% points to 5.5%. A further 5.5% (up 0.5%) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament. 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 888 electors from 24 February to 23 March.

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

Gas producers question whether Coalition’s energy plan will cut consumer prices

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Original article by Kate Lyons, Adam Morton
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Shell Australia chair Cecile Wake is amongst the energy industry executives who attended the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference on Tuesday. She noted the lack of detail in the proposed ‘east coast gas reservation policy’ which Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced in his recent budget reply speech. Dutton’s policy would require gas exporters to redirect an additiona1 10-20 per cent of their output to the domestic market. Wake says the policy could see gas supply in the domestic market exceed demand, which could in turn result in gas prices falling to a level where future investment decisions are not economic. She adds that an oversupply may not necessarily result in lower gas prices for households and businesses.

CORPORATES
SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA