O75 Public Administration

New IR laws ‘can’t stop AI’s impact’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 21-May-24

The Senate is conducting an inquiry into the adoption of artificial intelligence, with the ACTU using its submisssion to claim that current laws do not adequately ensure there is "sufficient openness, trans­parency and consent to the use of AI". The ACTU stated that the Fair Work Act does not provide sufficient protection against victimisation and discrimination where a human decision-maker is concerned, leaving it totally inequipped to deal with AI-based decision-making. The Australian Services Union used its submission to ensure that generous redundancy provisions are in place when job losses cannot be avoided because of AI, while the shop assistants union voiced concerns about algorithm-led rostering used across retail and warehousing.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION

Miles backs Dutton on migrant cut

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-May-24

Queensland Premier Steven Miles claims that federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has taken on his own policy for a halving of the nation’s migrant intake. Miles said the current level of migration is putting too much pressure on the state’s housing system, and he was pleased to see Dutton echo his comments. Dutton’s pledge that he would seek to slash migrant numbers has been attacked by the federal government as "excessive and reckless", so Miles’ comments in support of Dutton create the potential for an awkward meeting between Miles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when the latter visits Queensland this week.

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

No Budget Boost for Government as ALP loses ground after Federal Budget is delivered: ALP 50.5% cf. L-NP 49.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-May-24

The Albanese Labor Government has lost support and now only has a narrow lead after delivering the Federal Budget: ALP 50.5% (down 1.5%) compared to the Coalition on 49.5% (up 1.5%) on a two-party preferred basis after Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered the Federal Budget last week. If a Federal Election were held now the result would be too close to call with a hung parliament and the support of minor parties and independents required for either the ALP or Coalition to form a minority government, the latest Roy Morgan survey shows. Primary support for the Coalition was unchanged on 37% this week while support for the ALP dropped 1.5% to only 30.5%. Much of this support went to the Greens, up 1% to 14.5%. Support for One Nation was unchanged at 5.5%, while support for Other Parties was down 0.5% to 4% and support for Independents increased by 1% to 8.5%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,674 Australian electors from May 13-19, 2024. When comparing different polls it is always important to make sure to take note of the dates when the polls are conducted to undertake a proper comparison between two polls.

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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

ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants against Sinwar and Netanyahu for war crimes over October 7 attack and Gaza

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Original article by Ivana Kottasova, Madalena Araujo
CNN – Page: Online : 21-May-24

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described a move to seek an arrest warrant for him on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as "a political outrage". The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan will also apply for arrest warrants for Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three senior leaders of terrorist group Hamas; they include Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza. The charges relate to the 7 October terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Netanyahu says the push to charge him with war crimes will not deter Israel, and the war will continue until the remaining hostages are released and Hamas is destroyed. A panel of ICC judges will consider Khan’s application for the arrest warrants.

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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Dutton plan risks $48b foreign student industry

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Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 18-May-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has come under fire for stating that a Coalition government would reduce temporary migration to 160,000 in its first year in office. International students make up half of the number of temporary migrants, and migration expert Abul Rizvi claims that one student would have to leave the country for every one that arrives in order to meet Dutton’s target. International education was valued at $48 billion in 2023, making it Australia’s most successful non-mining export, and Rizvi claims that the international education sector would be "smashed" under Dutton’s plan.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Social media limits backed

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Original article by Isabella Pesch
The Australian – Page: 3 : 20-May-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed support for imposing age limits on children’s use of social media. Albanese says that many parents are "worried sick" that their children have access to inappropriate material online, while they are also concerned about the mental health effects of social media. He adds that News Corp’s campaign for children under the age of 16 to be restricted from having social media accounts is a "really positive response" to the issue.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Quantum leap into a danger zone

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Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-May-24

Quantum Brilliance’s co-founder Marcus Doherty says the federal government should invest in a broad range of quantum computing technologies, rather than backing a single project. The federal and Queensland governments recently committed nearly $1bn to PsiQuantum’s project to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer in Brisbane. Doherty contends that government agencies should invest in the quantum computing technology that best meets their needs; he notes that the Department of Defence in particular will probably require quantum computers that are portable, whereas PsiQuantum’s proposed photonics-based quantum computer is expected to be the size of a large warehouse.

CORPORATES
QUANTUM BRILLIANCE, PSQUANTUM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Tax reform needed to break economic inertia

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 20-May-24

A new report from the Liberal-aligned thinktank Blueprint Institute has called for various reforms to Australia’s tax system in order to put an end to what it calls the nation’s economic inertia. The thinktank’s proposals include a tax on the unimproved value of land, a reduction in the company tax rate to 25 per cent, the scrapping of state-based payroll taxes and increasing the GST to 15 per cent, along with expanding the goods and services that it applies to. The Blueprint Institute claims that an extra $60 billion a year could be raised if the GST is increased to 15 per cent and its base is broadened.

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BLUEPRINT INSTITUTE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Dutton plan risks $48b foreign student industry

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Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 18-May-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has come under fire for stating that a Coalition government would reduce temporary migration to 160,000 in its first year in office. International students make up half of the number of temporary migrants, and migration expert Abul Rizvi claims that one student would have to leave the country for every one that arrives in order to meet Dutton’s target. International education was valued at $48 billion in 2023, making it Australia’s most successful non-mining export, and Rizvi claims that the international education sector would be "smashed" under Dutton’s plan.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Quantum leap into a danger zone

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Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-May-24

Quantum Brilliance’s co-founder Marcus Doherty says the federal government should invest in a broad range of quantum computing technologies, rather than backing a single project. The federal and Queensland governments recently committed nearly $1bn to PsiQuantum’s project to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer in Brisbane. Doherty contends that government agencies should invest in the quantum computing technology that best meets their needs; he notes that the Department of Defence in particular will probably require quantum computers that are portable, whereas PsiQuantum’s proposed photonics-based quantum computer is expected to be the size of a large warehouse.

CORPORATES
QUANTUM BRILLIANCE, PSQUANTUM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE