O75 Public Administration

High-fibre plan: Labor tips another $3b into NBN

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Original article by Ronald Mizen, Paul Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 14-Jan-25

The federal government has announced that it will invest a further $3 billion in the National Broadband Network, with the funding to give an extra 622,000 premises the option of full fibre access. With an additional injection of $800 million from NBN Co to be included, Labor expects it to result in over 94 per cent of premises on the fixed-line network having access to speeds of up to 1GB per second on fibre to the premises or hybrid fibre coaxial connections. The new $3 billion in funding will increase the government’s total investment in the NBN to $35 billion.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NBN CO LIMITED

Councils feel the heat over January 26

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Original article by Mohammad Alfares, Brendan Kearns
The Australian – Page: 5 : 14-Jan-25

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said on Monday that he would reinstate the requirement for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day within the first 100 days of a Coalition government. Commenting on Dutton’s declaration, the Australian Local Government Association’s president mayor Matt Burnett said there were a number of reasons why councils did not hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, including costs and extreme heat. Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said it would comply with any government directive to hold ceremonies on Australia Day, but that it might need to ask for compensation to cover any additional costs.

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AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Roy Morgan Poll: Coalition lead over ALP narrows in mid-January: L-NP 51.5% cf. ALP 48.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jan-25

A Coalition Government, with a slim majority, would now win a Federal Election with two-party preferred vote narrowing from last week: L-NP 51.5% (down 1.5%) cf. ALP 48% (up 1.5%), the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. Primary support for the Coalition was unchanged at 40.5% and remains well ahead of the ALP on 30% (down 1%). Support for the Greens increased 0.5% to 12.5% – and their preferences shifted decisively in favour of the ALP this week after a closer than usual Greens preference split a week ago favoured the Coalition’s two-party preferred vote. Support for One Nation rebounded 1% to 4.5%, Other Parties were unchanged at 3.5% while support for Independents dropped 0.5% to 9%. On a State-based level the Coalition has retained its lead in Victoria, after the Coalition leadership change in that State, and also leads in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.

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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

Loss of Western values: Lib MP slams Wong’s contempt

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 14-Jan-25

Liberal MP Julian Leeser has accused Foreign Minister Penny Wong of having a ‘blind spot’ when it comes to Israel, and having a lack of faith in the Western values that Australia and Israel share. Leeser contends this lack of faith has resulted in Wong in being openly hostile to what is the only democracy in the Middle East, while he accused her of showing ‘quiet contempt’ by refusing to visit massacre sites on her official trip to Israel. Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein claims that Leeser’s comments about Wong "ring true".

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA-ISRAEL AND JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL

PM rejects cost-of-living comparison with Trudeau

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Jan-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has praised his outgoing Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau following the latter’s resignation after nine years in office. Albanese says Trudeau has had a good relationship with Australia under both the current Labor government and its Coalition predecessor. However, Albanese has downplayed concerns that factors which contributed to Trudeau’s departure – such as cost-of-living pressures, high inflation and immigration – could affect his own election prospects in 2025. He notes that Trudeau is the leader of a long-term government; Albanese is nearing the end of his first term in office.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Labor faces $7.4b wages black hole

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Jan-25

The federal public service wages bill increased by 11.7 per cent in 2023-24, due to wage rises and the addition of about 15,000 new staffers. The Treasury’s forecasts suggest that the public service wages bill is set to increase by another 10.8 per cent in 2023-24; however, the federal government’s recent mid-year budget update assumes that annual growth in the public services wages bill will then remain flat at $30 billion for the following three financial years. This forecast is at odds with the government’s latest enterprise agreement for public servants, which featured a pay rise of 11.2 per cent over the three years to March 2026.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Dutton, PM spar over power prices

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Original article by Greg Brown, Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Jan-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Cairns on Tuesday, as part of a tour of regional Queensland. He contended that Opposition leader Peter Dutton is not interested in capitalising on the job opportunities that will arise from the transition to net-zero emissions, arguing that he has a plan to stop investment in Australia rather than a plan for the future. Building seven nuclear power stations is a key element of the Coalition’s energy policy, and Dutton contends that nuclear power will be one-third of the current cost of electricity in Australia. He adds that Albanese is a "desperate prime minister" leading a "desperate government with no vision for the future". Dutton notes that Albanese has admitted that he has broken an election promise of a $275 reduction in households’ electricity bills by 2025.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 3.6pts to 87.5, highest start to New Year for three years since 2022

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 3.6pts to 87.5 in in early January, with the traditional ‘New Year’s bump’. Consumer Confidence is now 2.7 points above the same week a year ago (84.8), and 4.6 points above the 2024 weekly average of 82.9. A look at Consumer Confidence by State shows increases in the four largest States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, but a decline in South Australia. Now 21% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 46% (down 3ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 33% (up 2ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 29% (down 3ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Now 9% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 29% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 28% (up 3ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 42% (down 5ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

PM’s green tape tangle for miners

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Original article by Noah Yim, Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Jan-25

The Minerals Council of Australia has expressed concern about key elements of the federal government’s proposed critical minerals production tax incentive scheme. The MCA contends that the ‘community benefit principles’ requirement of the tax incentive would create uncertainty for the nation’s critical minerals industry, which is already facing strong global competition. The government estimates that the tax incentive will cost about $7bn over a decade, but create secure jobs in Australia and diversify global supply chains by processing critical minerals onshore rather than exporting the raw materials overseas.

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MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Chalmers to press on with super tax hike

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Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-Dec-24

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal government has no plans to tighten tax concessions, although it intends to proceed with its existing tax reform agenda. This includes legislation to double the tax rate on the earnings of superannuation funds whose balance exceeds $3m; the legislation has been stalled in the Senate amid a push by both the Greens and crossbenchers for amendments. Meanwhile, the Treasury’s annual Tax Expenditures and Insights Statement shows that superannuation tax concessions are expected to cost the federal budget about $55.2bn in 2024-25.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS