O75 Public Administration

Labor in a two-state daydream

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Original article by Ben Packham, Sarah Ison, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 11-Oct-24

Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie says the public debate on the current conflict in the Middle East has been hijacked by extremists. The Labor stalwart has also criticised the federal government’s stance on Israel, as well as its broader policies regarding the Middle East; he contends that a two-state solution will never happen unless the enemies of Israel accept the nation’s right to exist. Beattie has also responded to the government’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon by arguing that unless all parties agree to a comprehensive peace plan it will merely be a "pause before the next battle".

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

May poll firms as Labor sets its budget date

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Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 4 : 11-Oct-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has frequently reiterated that the current parliament will run for its full term and he will not call an early election. The draft parliamentary sitting schedule for 2025 suggests that he still intends to go to the polls in May, given that Labor has pencilled in 25 March to hand down the budget. This would make 3 May the earliest possible date for an election, while the Constitition requires it to be held no later than 17 May. Meanwhile, Labor has advised that parliamentary inquiry into nuclear energy is slated to deliver its final report by the end of April; building seven nuclear power plants will be part of the Coalition’s election platform.

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

China to restart lobster trade in big breakthrough

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 11-Oct-24

Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook has welcomed the announcement that China will lift its restrictions on the importation of Australian rock lobsters, saying WA’s rock lobsters are the best in the world. The decision was confirmed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in talks with the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos on Thursday. China’s move to lift its ban on rock lobsters brings to an end four years of trade restrictions that were imposed on $20 billion worth of Australian agricultural exports after the former Coalition government called for an independent inquiry into the source of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS

Doubts over legal regime to re-detain those released from Australian immigration detention, FoI documents reveal

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 9-Oct-24

Former immigration minister Andrew Giles stated in May that community safety orders will be a key element of the federal government’s respond to the High Court’s landmark ruling that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful. However, the minutes of a meeting attended by senior home affairs officials in mid-January show that concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the CSO regime. Amongst other things, the officials noted that it could take up to nine months for courts to hear the first applications for CSOs, which would enable non-citizens to be returned to detention if they commit a serious crime.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Roy Morgan Business Confidence slumps 7pts to 94.3 in September with rising concerns about the next 12 months

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-24

In September 2024, Roy Morgan Business Confidence was 94.3 (down 7pts since August), due to rising concerns about business conditions over the next 12 months after the Stage 3 income tax cuts gave a short-term boost to Business Confidence in July and August. Business Confidence is now 16.9pts below the long-term average of 111.2, although it is up 7.2pts on September 2023. Now 52.2% (down 4.2ppts) of businesses expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next year, while 44.7% (up 3ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 41.1% (down 5.1ppts) of businesses expect the business to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 25% (up 5.3ppts) expect the business to be ‘worse off’ financially. The latest Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for September are based on 1,480 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Record number of small businesses go to the wall

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 2 : 9-Oct-24

Data from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission shows that administrators were appointed to 6,636 companies in the six months to September. The data also shows that 11,053 companies went into administration in the 2023-24 financial year. Some 22,800 businesses have collapsed since the federal election in May 2022, and shadow small business minister Sussan Ley says the government is on track to be the worst on record with regard to business insolvencies. Meanwhile, a report from the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia and the Commonwealth Bank has warned that operating conditions for small businesses are "arguably the most challenging in living memory".

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AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

National support up in September as National-led Government increases lead to 14% points after RBNZ cut interest rates

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-24

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for September 2024 shows that support for the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) has increased by 2% points to 55%, increasing its lead over the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition on 41% (down 2% points). Support for the National Party rose 1.5% points to 37.5% (the highest level of support since March), while support for ACT was up 0.5% points to 10% and support for NZ First was unchanged at 7.5%. Meanwhile, support for Labour fell by 3.5% points to 23%, but support for the Greens was up 1% point to 14% and support for the Maori Party rose 0.5% points to 4%. A further 4% (unchanged) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament. The survey results for September would lead to 69 seats (up one seat from the election) being won by the current National/ ACT/ NZ First governing coalition compared to 51 seats (down four seats) for the Opposition. This latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 902 electors from August 26 to September 22. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating fell 5pts to 92.5 in September.

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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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1.5pts to 83.5

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-24

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.5pts to 83.5 in the week to 6 October. Despite the increase, Consumer Confidence has now spent a record 88 straight weeks below the mark of 85. However, it is now 3.4 points above the same week a year ago (80.1), and in line with the 2024 weekly average of 82.1. Consumer Confidence was up in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, unchanged in Victoria, and down in South Australia. Now 23% of Australians (up 3ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 48% (down 5ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 36% (up 4ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year (the highest figure for this indicator since March 2022), while 31% (unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’. Now 9% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 32% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 20% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 49% (also 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

Jewish leaders: put Greens last

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Original article by Joe Kelly, David Tanner
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 9-Oct-24

The Executive Council of Australian of Jewry and the Zionist Federation of Australia have joined forces to urge Labor and the Coalition to preference the Greens last on their how-to-vote cards at the upcoming federal election. The two Jewish groups argued in their letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton that the two major political parties should preference each other ahead of the Greens, citing the minor party’s "shameful and cynical behaviour" in the 12 months since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. They also urged Albanese and Dutton to rule out any deal with the Greens to form a minority government.

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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY, ZIONIST FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Bitterness set in motion: House fails on bipartisanship

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Original article by Ben Packham, Rosie Lewis, Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 9-Oct-24

A condolence motion for victims of the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel was passed by the lower house on Tuesday, with the support of crossbenchers; the Greens abstained from voting. The Coalition also voted against the motion, because Opposition leader Peter Dutton had wanted it to focus solely on October 7. Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had agreed to a joint motion, but the latter wanted it to include clauses in support of a two-state solution and an end to the Middle East’s "cycle of violence". Albanese ultimately put his version of the motion to parliament, and Dutton accused him of rejecting the Coalition’s "more than reasonable position" for his own "domestic political advancement".

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