O75 Public Administration

PM locked out by war protests

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Jun-24

The security protection of federal MPs and Parliament House has been ramped up in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October and the resultant pro-Palestine demonstrations across Australia. It has been revealed that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not used his electorate office in Marrickville since early January due to concerns about the safety of his staff. Meanwhile, federal police and intelligence agencies are believed to have advised parliamentarians that anti-Israel demonstrations have been infiltrated by Islamic extremists.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PC: mining subsidy not tax reform

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Jun-24

Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood has defended the federal government’s critical minerals production tax credit regime, which was a key measure in the 14 May budget. Wood has told a Senate estimates hearing that the tax credit scheme is tax policy rather than tax reform. However, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has repeatedly described the tax credits scheme as tax reform. Wood also contended that reducing Australia’s company tax rate of 30 per cent would make the nation more internationally competitive.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Unions push for total ban on non-competes

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 5-Jun-24

The federal government is reviewing the use of non-compete clauses in employment contracts, amid growing concern that they have become too prevalent. The issue will be on the agenda for the ACTU’s upcoming triennial congress, and the union movement will push for a blanket ban on the use of these clauses. ACTU assistant secretary Joseph Mitchell says post-employment restraints are having a "chilling" effect on the labour market. However, economists favour imposing restrictions on the use of these clauses instead of a total ban, arguing amongst other things that they are needed to protect the intellectual property of business start-ups.

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ACTU

Sharp drop in profit growth amid anaemic household spending

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 5-Jun-24

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that earnings outside the resource sector have risen by just 1.6 per cent over the last year. A downturn in consumer spending amid the cost-of-living crisis was the key contributor to the decline in earnings growth. However, lower coal and iron ore exports also weighed on earnings in the resources sector. KPMG’s chief economist Brendan Rynne says the figures show that the nation is "a heartbeat away from a recession". The quarterly national accounts data to be released today will provide more evidence regarding the state of the economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence virtually unchanged at 80.5 in early June

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Jun-24

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence was virtually unchanged at 80.5 in the week to 2 June, but it has now spent a record 70 straight weeks below the mark of 85. Consumer Confidence is now 4.7 points above the same week a year ago (75.8), but 1.8 points below the 2024 weekly average of 82.3. Consumer Confidence was up in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, down in Queensland and virtually unchanged in New South Wales. Now 21% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 51% (unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 31% (unchanged) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 35% (also unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’ (the equal highest figure for this indicator so far this year). Now 8% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 35% (unchanged) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 21% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 49% (down 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

Scared, scarred: the women Giles forgot

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Original article by Alexi Demetriadi, Rhiannon Down, Liam Mendes, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 5-Jun-24

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will announce a replacement for Ministerial Directive 99 by the end of this week. However, it could take up to six weeks for the new directive to take effect, based on Home Affairs’ advice to Giles in late 2022. Shadow immigration spokesman Dan Tehan says Giles must explain how he will deal with decisions made by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal during this period. Meanwhile, single mother Jesica Mills has revealed that she had lived in constant fear of a former neighbour after he subjected her to threats and harassment; the New Zealand-born career criminal was released from immigration detention in February under MD99. Giles is on record as having stated that Australia has an "obligation" to foreign-born criminals who have been in the country for most of their life.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL

Balancing act on minimum wage as low paid get 3.75pc

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 4-Jun-24

Fair Work Commission president Adam Hatcher says the cost-of-living pressures facing people who are reliant on modern industry awards was a key factor in its decision to increase the minimum wage by 3.75 per cent. ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the decision will deliver a small real wage increase to the 2.6 million workers on award rates and the minimum wage, although she is disappointed that the FWC has deferred a decision on the peak union body’s push for an additional wage rise of four per cent for workers in female-dominated sectors. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox in turn warns that workers on low wages will be at greater risk of unemployment and underemployment due to the ruling. The minimum wage will increase by $33 per week to $915.90 from 1 July.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

MPs fight to force shops to take cash

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Original article by Shane Wright
The Age – Page: Online : 4-Jun-24

Cash is now used in just 13 per cent of all transactions in which money changes hands, compared with about 70 per cent in 2007. The pandemic accelerated Australia’s shift to a cashless society, but independent MP Andrew Gee has introduced a private member’s bill that would impose a $25,000 fine on businesses that refuse to accept cash payments of less than $10,000; individuals would be fined up to $5,000. Gee’s bill has the support of fellow independents such as Bob Katter and Dai Le; however, federal parliament has passed only 30 private member’s bills since Federation in 1901.

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Company tax cut will shift pain to others

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Jun-24

Australia’s company tax rate of 30 per cent is currently the third-highest among OECD nations, and Industry Minister Ed Husic recently suggested that it should be reduced. However, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy contends that any tax changes should be revenue-neutral, adding that a reduction in the company tax rate would need to be offset by an increase in other taxes. Kennedy also rejected calls for income thresholds to be adjusted every year to combat ‘bracket creep’. Meanwhile, Kennedy says that national accounts data to be released on Wednesday will show that the Australian economy was
"very weak" at the start of 2024.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Shorten to tell world Australia stands with Ukraine

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Original article by Matthew Knott
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 4-Jun-24

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten will represent Australia at a Ukraine peace summit that will be held in Switzerland on 15-16 July. He says Australia is unwavering in its support for the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia’s "criminal and unforgivable" war. Shorten adds that he will tell the summit that victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine would "embolden dictators globally". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong will not attend the summit, as it will coincide with Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Australia.

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AUSTRALIA. SERVICES AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE