O75 Public Administration

Fix cruel taxes for younger workers: Kelty

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Jan-26

Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has urged the federal government to pursue tax reform, contending that the current tax system disadvantages younger workers in particular. Amongst other things, Kelty has advocated reducing the tax rates of wage earners who do not receive income from capital gains, trusts and negatively-geared properties. The Parliamentary Budget Office has forecast that the average tax rate for workers will rise to 27.8 per cent of their income over the next decade; this compares with about 24.5 per cent at present. Kelty notes that in contrast, investors who receive income from property and shares incur a maximum capital gains tax rate of just 23.5 per cent for assets that they have held for more than 12 months.

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ACTU, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Maduro defiant in the dock as Trump talks big on oil

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Jan-26

President Donald Trump claims that US companies can rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure within 18 months, but concedes that it will require a "tremendous amount of money". He adds that oil companies will be reimbursed for this expenditure either by the US goverment or via revenue. Venezuela currently produces about 1.1 million barrels of oil per day, and Rystadt Energy estimates that increasing this to three million barrels per day will require about $US183bn of investment over the next decade. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro has told a New York court that he had been kidnapped by US forces at his home in Caracas, and that he is still Venezuela’s leader.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Labor’s changes to listing hate groups will target Islamist and far-right extremists operating just inside the limits of law

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Original article by Josh Butler
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 24-Dec-25

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says the federal government’s proposed legislation will crack down on hate groups that do not currently meet the criteria for being listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation. Burke has indicated that Hizb ut-Tahrir and the National Socialist Network are among those that will be targeted, stating that such groups hate Australia and should not be operating in this country. He adds that both Hizb ut-Tahrir and the National Socialist Network "have gone right to the limits of the law" but avoided prosecution under existing hate laws. Dr Josh Roose from Deakin University says the new laws should also target individuals who operating outside of established groups and extremist online ‘influencers’.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Pay rises slow but still beat inflation

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 24-Dec-25

Data from the Department of Employment & Workplace Relations shows that the average pay rise in new enterprise agreements across the economy was an above-inflation 3.8 per cent in the September quarter; this compares with 4.2 per cent in the June quarter. The average increase in public sector wages was 3.6 per cent, compared with four per cent in the private sector. Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth says the data shows that Labor’s industrial relations reforms are "reinvigorating" enterprise bargaining. However, the figures show that 2.65 million workers were covered by enterprise agreements in the September quarter, down from a record 2.81 million in the three months to June.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Do everything you can, Herzog tells PM

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Original article by Noah Yim
The Australian – Page: 5 : 24-Dec-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia in 2026 during a telephone call between the two leaders on Tuesday. Herzog has been Albanese’s main point of contact with the Israeli government in recent times, following criticism of him by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Albanese’s office has released a statement noting that Herzog stressed the need to take action to combat anti-Semitism, extremism and jihadist terrorism in Australia. The Bondi Beach terrorist attack was a key focus of the Christmas messages of both Albanese and Opposition leader Sussan Ley.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Eyes wide shut on extremist threats

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Janet Albrechtsen
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Dec-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his relationship with law-enforcement and intelligence agencies in the wake of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. However, he has declined to confirm whether Labor has implemented all of the recommendations made in Dennis Richardson’s 2019 review of the legal framework of the national intelligence community. The former head of ASIO will undertake a new review of federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies as part of the government’s response to the terrorist attack. Meanwhile, a senior law enforcement figure has accused the government of "wilful blindness" on the issue of anti-Semitism and extremism, contending that it had been repeatedly warned of the "growing and foreseeable threat" in the last several years.

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

Budget bottom line improves but is still bright red

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Original article by Shane Wright
The Age – Page: Online : 17-Dec-25

The federal government’s Mid-Year Economic & Fiscal Outlook is expected to include a revised 2025-26 budget deficit of $36.8bn. This compares with the government’s forecast of a $42.2bn deficit ahead of the federal election in May. The MYEFO is also expected to show that the cumulative budget deficit over the next four years will be $143.5bn, down from the pre-election forecast of $151.9bn. Government revenue has been boosted by a range of factors, including a surge in the gold price, higher-than-expected iron ore prices and an increase in personal income tax.

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Push for minimum pay for rideshare drivers

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 9 : 17-Dec-25

The Transport Workers Union will apply to the Fair Work Commission for minimum pay and conditions for rideshare drivers. The TWU will push for drivers’ minimum hourly rates to reflect the costs of being a contractor – such as vehicle expenses, road tolls and insurance – in addition to their actual work. The TWU’s survey of 1,600 rideshare drivers has found that their average take-home pay is $15 an hour, compared with the award rate of between $26 and $32 for transport workers. The TWU also found that drivers earn an average of just $703 a week after costs, while 59 per cent are skipping meals to save money.

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TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 2pts to 81.5; plunges to its lowest for over a year since August 2024

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Dec-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 2pts to 81.5 in the week to 14 December; it is now 2.4pts lower than a year ago (83.9), and 2.8pts below the 2025 weekly average of 86.3. Analysis by State shows a split result, with Consumer Confidence down in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, but up in Queensland after plunging a week ago. Now 19% of Australians (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 45% (unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 25% (unchanged) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 35% (also unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 8% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 33% (up 2ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 24% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 36% (up 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP support drops in mid-December as expenses scandal impacts several senior ministers

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Dec-25

In the week of December 8-14, primary support for the ALP was at 30.5% (down 2.5% from the first three weeks of December), the Coalition was at 27.5% (up 1.5%), One Nation was at 17% (up 2%), the Greens were at 13% (down 0.5%), and Independents/Other Parties were at 12% (down 0.5%) according to the latest Roy Morgan survey conducted with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,574 electors. On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is now on 54.5% (down 1.5% from early December) ahead of the Coalition on 45.5% (up 1.5% from early December). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with a decreased majority. All interviewing for this Roy Morgan survey was conducted before the shocking terrorist attack on Bondi Beach early on Sunday evening.

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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