O75 Public Administration

Bob Carr blasts Labor’s facile policy on Trump

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 18-Feb-25

Former foreign minister Bob Carr has accused the Trump administration of "taking a wrecking ball to NATO", while he claims Trump’s vice-president JD Vance and his main adviser Elon Musk have deliberately encouraged far-right challengers to NATO governments. Speaking on the sidelines of the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum, Carr called on the federal government to abandon its deference to the US, labelling it a "woeful policy response" to what he described as Trump’s radical agenda. Carr said that Australia should "under-react" if Trump hits it with tariffs on steel and aluminium, if only to reduce the likelihood of being hit with ‘across the board’ tariffs.

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NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION

Libs pan Chalmers over gross politicisation of public service

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Feb-25

Shadow finance minister Jane Hume has criticised the federal government for getting Treasury officials to undertake costings for the Coalition’s proposal to give small businesses a tax deduction of up to $20,000 a year for business lunches. The major political parties have traditionally not costed each others policies since the independent Parliamentary Budget Office was established. Hume says public servants must not engage in ‘political activities’ as part of their employment, and she has urged Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer to emphasise this in the lead-up to the federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Roy Morgan Business Confidence up 2.3pts in January to 108.2 as prospect of interest rate cuts in 2025 increases

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Feb-25

In January 2025, Roy Morgan Business Confidence was 108.2 (up 2.3pts from December 2024), as the prospects of interest rate cuts in the next few months increased. Business Confidence is just 2.1pts below the long-term average of 110.3, although it is up 15pts from January 2024. Business Confidence has also now had a positive rating above 100 for four months in a row – the first time this has happened since the Albanese Government was elected in May 2022. Now 58.6% (down 1.1ppts) of businesses expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next year, while 35.8% (down 1.8ppts) expect ‘bad times’ (the lowest figure for this indicator for three years since February 2022). Meanwhile, 43.7% (up 3.2ppts) of businesses expect the business to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while only 15.1% (down 6ppts) expect the business to be ‘worse off’ financially (the lowest figure for this indicator since October 2021). The latest Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for December are based on 1,594 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Dutton to RBA: resist pressure to cut rates

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Original article by Michael Read, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 12-Feb-25

Bond market traders have priced in a 95 per cent chance that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate next week. The case for a rate cut was strengthened by recent data showing that the RBA’s preferred measure of underlying inflation has fallen to 3.2 per cent. However, Opposition leader Peter Dutton says there is concern that the RBA may need to tighten monetary policy again if it reduces the cash rate too soon. He has urged RBA governor Michele Bullock to act in the nation’s best interests rather than yielding to political pressure to cut interest rates.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Albanese government says it will acquire collapsed Rex Airlines if no other buyers emerge

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Original article by Natassia Chrysanthos, Mike Foley
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 12-Feb-25

The federal government has indicated that it will provide support to any potential buyers of the failed Rex Airlines to ensure that the carrier’s regional services continue. The government has emphasised that it is not participating in the sale process, but would be open to acquiring Rex if no private-sector buyer emerges. The government became Rex’s biggest creditor in January after agreeing to buy the $50m debt of the airline’s key investor. The government also provided Rex with an $80m loan facility to enable it to continue servicing regional routes until mid-2025. Rex has total debt of about $500m.

CORPORATES
REX AIRLINES PTY LTD, REGIONAL EXPRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX REX

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 1.8pts to 86.7 in early February

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Feb-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.8pts to 86.7 in the week to 9 February, with rising concerns about the Australian economy driving the decline. Consumer Confidence is now 4.1 points above the same week a year ago (82.6), and just 0.2 points below the 2025 weekly average of 86.9. A look at Consumer Confidence by State shows decreases in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia, while the index increased sharply in Western Australia. Now 19% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year (the lowest figure for this indicator since July 2024), while 48% (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 34% (up 1ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 28% (unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’. Now 11% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 28% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 26% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 44% (unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Australia accused of breaking its word on exports as Trump presses go on tariffs

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Original article by David Crary, Michael Koziol, Olivia Ireland
The Age – Page: Online : 12-Feb-25

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff of 25 per cent on all steel and aluminium imports to the US on Tuesday, shortly after discussing the issue with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Trump said there will be "no exceptions", although he had earlier told Albanese that an exemption will be considered due to factors such as America’s trade surplus with Australia. The executive order contended that Australia’s exports of primary aluminium to the US have surged in recent years, despite a verbal commitment to limit these exports. The tariffs will take effect from 12 March, giving the government just one month to negotiate an exemption in the lead-up to the federal election.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Kerr found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 12-Feb-25

A British jury has taken just over four hours to find soccer player Sam Kerr not guity on a charge of racially harassing a police officer. The captain of Australia’s national women’s team did not address the media outside the Kingston Crown Court, but subsequently issued a statement in which she apologised for her behaviour. Kerr acknowledged that she had expressed herself poorly on a "traumatic evening", adding that she had always maintained that she did not intend to insult or harm anyone. Kerr was charged after calling a male police constable "stupid and white".

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New probe into CFMEU violence

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 5-Feb-25

Current and former CFMEU officials and employees in Queensland will be foced to co-operate with an inquiry into the ‘culture of violence’ in the state’s construction industry. The CFMEU’s administrator Mark Irving says his inquiry will look into violence, threats of violence and menacing conduct across the state’s construction sector; he has emphasised that employers who have engaged in violence and menacing conduct will also come under scrutiny. Iriving has also warned that action will be taken against employers who victimise CFMEU members or delegates who agree to co-operate with the inquiry.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION

Support for NZ’s National-led Government down in January although support for National increases

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-25

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for January 2025 shows the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) on 50% (down 1.5% points), still clearly ahead of the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition on 46.5% (up 1.5% points). There were changes in the composition of support for the National-led Government with National up 1.5% points to 32.5%; support for ACT dropped 4% points to 9% and support for NZ First increased 1% point to 8.5%, its highest level of support since the 2023 New Zealand Election. For the Parliamentary Opposition, support for Labour increased 2.5% points to 28.5% but support for the Greens dropped 2% points to 11.5%. This is the lowest level of support for the Greens since the 2023 Election. Support for the Maori Party increased 1% point to 6.5%. A further 3.5% (unchanged) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament. The survey results for January would lead to 62 seats (down six seats from the election) being won by the National/ ACT/ NZ First governing coalition compared to 58 seats (up three seats) being won by the current Labour/ Greens/ Maori Party Opposition. 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 885 electors from 2 to 26 January. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating increased by 6.5pts to 89 in January.

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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