O75 Public Administration

‘Not backing down’: G7 summit opens with deal to use Russian assets for Ukraine

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Original article by Paolo Santalucia
The Age – Page: Online : 14-Jun-24

The annual Group of Seven summit has opened in southern Italy, with the G7 leaders agreeing on a US proposal to back a $US50 billion loan to Ukraine that would use frozen Russian assets as collateral. US President Joe Biden said that the loan would serve as another reminder to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "we’re not backing down". Biden made his comments in a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at which Zelensky was asked about the question of Chinese support for Russia. Zelensky said he had had a phone call with the leader of China, and that he was told that China would not sell any weapons to Russia.

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GROUP OF SEVEN (G-7)

Record surge in immigrants starts to slow

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Original article by Shane Wright
The Age – Page: Online : 14-Jun-24

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have revealed that the nation experienced its biggest quarterly fall in immigrants since the borders were closed at the beginning of the pandemic, suggesting that the federal government’s efforts to curb migration are beginning to have an impact. However, with Australia’s total population just short of 27 million, the ABS data also reveals a further fall in the nation’s birth rate, with the number of new babies declining to its lowest level since 2006. International students have been largely behind the recent lift in migrant numbers, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he makes no apologies for reforming the migration system by tightening eligibility for foreign students.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Union launches BHP same pay challenge

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Jun-24

The Mining & Energy Union has filed 10 applications in the Fair Work Commission to increase the wages of BHP’s labour hire workers under the federal government’s ‘same job, same pay’ laws. The initial applications cover about 1,700 workers at three of BHP’s coal mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin who are employed by WorkPac, Chandler McLeod and BHP’s own Operations Services subsidiary. The union is pushing for these workers to receive pay rises of between $10,000 and $40,000 in order to achieve pay parity with BHP’s direct employees. The MEU is expected to make further applications against BHP.

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BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, MINING AND ENERGY UNION, WORKPAC PTY LTD, CHANDLER MACLEOD GROUP LIMITED

Australian employment increases to a new record high of over 14.3 million; driving a drop in unemployment to 8.7% in May

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jun-24

In May 2024, Australian ‘real’ unemployment fell 170,000 to 1,365,000 (down 1% to 8.7% of the workforce), as overall employment increased to a new record high above 14.3 million. In addition to the decrease in unemployment, there was also a welcome decrease in under-employment, which was down 256,000 to 1,338,000. These combined decreases mean that 2.7 million Australians (17.2% of the workforce, up 1%) were unemployed or under-employed in May – the lowest level of total labour under-utilisation since April 2022 (2.63 million). Meanwhile, employment increased by 78,000 to a new record high of 14,310,000 in May. A rise in full-time employment drove the increase (up 112,000 to a new record high of 9,441,000), while part-time employment was down 34,000 to 4,869,000.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

‘We’ll lift social media access age in first 100 days’: Dutton

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 4 : 13-Jun-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton says legislation to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media would be a top priority for a Coalition government. Dutton says the Coalition will introduce such legislation within its first 100 days in office if it wins the next federal election. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland contends that many social media platforms already have age limits, but they are often not enforced and can be easily bypassed. She notes that the federal government is investing $6.5m in a trial of age assurance technology.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

Weak PM, Allan blamed as Setka loses plot over AFL

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Jun-24

The AFL has expressed support for its head of umpiring, Stephen McBurney, amid threats from the CFMEU to launch a ‘work-to-rule’ campaign on league-related construction projects unless he is sacked. McBurney is the former head of the Australian Building & Construction Commission, and the CFMEU’s Victorian state secretary John Setka has described him as ‘anti-worker’. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the CFMEU is "out of control" and accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being too weak to stand up to a "union bully". The Victorian Opposition has in turn criticised Premier Jacinta Allan for failing to condemn the union’s actions.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Dutton’s surprise climate policy proves he ‘can’t be taken seriously’, Albanese says

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Original article by Karen Middleton, Josh Butler
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Jun-24

The Coalition’s stance on climate policy is under scrutiny after Opposition leader Peter Dutton indicated that its 2030 emissions reduction target will not be disclosed until after the federal election. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised his refusal to commit to a firm emissions target; he contends that Dutton cannot be taken seriously as the alternative prime minister without a serious policy on energy and climate. However, the Coalition has emphasised that it remains committed to the Paris climate agreement and a net zero emissions target of 2050.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence plunges 3.5pts to 77.0 in the first full week of winter – lowest so far this year

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jun-24

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 3.5pts to 77.0 in the week to 9 June, and it has now spent a record 71 straight weeks below the mark of 85. However, Consumer Confidence is still 4.3 points above the same week a year ago (72.7), but 5 points below the 2024 weekly average of 82.0. Consumer Confidence dropped sharply in Victoria, WA and SA, and down in NSW, but it was unchanged in Queensland. Now 19% of Australians (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 53% (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 27% (down 4ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year (the lowest figure for this indicator so far this year), while 36% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ (the highest figure for this indicator so far this year). Now 7% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months (the lowest figure for this indicator so far this year, while 39% (up 4ppts) expect ‘bad times’ (the highest figure for this indicator so far this year). Meanwhile, 22% (up 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 51% (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

PM plays down Chinese-owned lithium plant

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Jun-24

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit a lithium processing plant at Kwinana during his official trip to Australia. The plant’s major stakeholder is a China-based company, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected suggestions that the federal government’s Future Made in Australia policy is being undermined by Chinese investment in critical minerals projects. He says Labor values foreign investment, although he adds that the nation must "move up the value chain" rather than merely exporting mineral resources.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

‘We will cause misery’: vengeful Setka stands over AFL

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 12-Jun-24

The Construction, Forestry & Maritime Employees’ Union has called for the dismissal of the AFL’s head of umpiring, Stephen McBurney. The CFMEU’s Victorian state secretary John Setka says the union will not pursue outright strike action, but it is prepared to impose a "work to rule" campaign on league-related construction projects while McBurney remains in his role. He adds that this will result in delays and cost over-runs on projects such as the new AFL stadium in Hobart. McBurney is the former head of the Australian Building & Construction Commission, which actively targed the CFMEU over breaches of workplace laws prior to its abolition after Labor took office in 2022.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN BULK ALLIANCE PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY