AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Pens poised to sign on stalled EU trade deal

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 18-Mar-26

There is growing expectation that Australia and the European Union will shortly finalise a much-anticipated free-trade deal. Trade Minister Don Farrell held online talks with his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic overnight to discuss outstanding issues, and he has expressed confidence that a deal can be struck that is in Australia’s national interest. The European Commissio’s president Ursula von der Leyen is expected to travel to Australia as soon as next week to finalise the deal. Negotiations for a free-trade deal begin in 2018, but stalled in 2023.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Crisis needs recall of national cabinet

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Original article by Sarah Ison,Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Mar-26

The federal government is under pressure to convene an emergency meeting of the national cabinet amid growing concern about fuel supply. Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says action is needed to ensure that fuel is available in regional areas; she notes that in addition to farmers, industries such as mining and fishing also need fuel. The Australian Trucking Association’s policy director Bill McKinley in turn says the average diesel price has increased by more than $0.80 per litre since the Iran war started, and trucking firms "cannot keep going the way they’re going". The Australian Institute of Petroleum has warned that oil companies are already seeking alternative countries from which to import fuel, which will cost a lot more.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA,AUSTRALIAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION LIMITED,AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM LIMITED

Federal Voting Intention: ALP and L-NP Coalition lose primary support while Greens and One Nation gain support after Middle East conflict starts

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Mar-26

The first Roy Morgan Poll taken after the conflict in the Middle East began shows support for both the ALP down 4% to 26.5% and the Coalition down 1% to 22.5%. The Greens gained 3% to 14.5% and One Nation was up 1.5% to 23.5% – and ahead of the Coalition. 13% support Independents and Other Parties, according to interviewing conducted from March 2-8 with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,532 electors. In times of global unrest, the usual response of the electorate is to swing to the Government, although this hasn’t happened so far in the early stages of the Iran War. The rise in support for the Greens is likely because the Greens are the only major political party to take a stand against the US and Israeli strikes in the Middle East, and this support has come straight from people previously supporting the ALP. A look at the results by gender and age show the picture is complicated with the ALP losing primary support of men and women, and the Greens and One Nation gaining support of men and women. Analysis by age shows the ALP losing support in every age group, mostly to the Greens. For people aged 18-24 though, ALP support went to One Nation and Independents/Other Parties and the Greens lost support. One Nation gained support in all age groups under 65. Based on how electors said they would ‘vote’, ALP is 54.5% well ahead of Coalition 45.5%. If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with a clear majority under either methodology.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Three vie to replace Nationals leader

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Original article by Greg Brown, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Mar-26

Sources within the National Party have indicated that Matt Canavan, Bridget McKenzie and Kevin Hogan will contest the leadership at a special partyroom meeting today. Outgoing leader David Littleproud surprised most of his colleagues on Tuesday, announcing his intention to step aside because he is "buggered" and has had enough. Littleproud added that he has been a "human punching bag" for the last several months and at some point "you have to look after yourself". The Coalition briefly split on two separate occasions during Littleproud’s tenure, while Barnaby Joyce defected to One Nation and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price switched to the Liberal partyroom. Littleproud intends to remain in parliament.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Australia drawn further into Gulf conflict

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 11-Mar-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the federal government’s deployment of an early-warning aircraft and 85 defence personnel to the Middle East is solely a defensive measure. He has emphasised that it is aimed at supporting Australians who are still in the region, and to help the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf nations to defend themselves against "unprovoked" attacks from Iran. Opposition leader Angus Taylor has backed the deployment, emphasising the need to "stand together" against regimes that do not accept Australia’s values and the nation’s way of life. The government will also supply an undisclosed number of medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE.

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

Unions demand five weeks of annual leave

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 4-Mar-26

The ACTU will lobby the federal government to increase full-time workers’ annual leave entitlements to five weeks a year. ACTU secretary Sally McManus contends that Australians already do an average of 4.5 weeks of unpaid work every year, and getting back one of these weeks will result in a better rested and happier workforce. She adds that the current standard of four weeks’ annual leave for full-time workers has not changed since it was introduced in 1974. The ACTU also wants regular shift workers’ annual leave to be increased from five weeks to six, and an increase in the casual loading from 25 per cent to 27.5 per cent to compensate people who do not receive annual leave.

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ACTU

War cost to Aussie hip pockets

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Original article by Greg Brown, Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 4-Mar-26

The Treasury has advised the federal government that the initial rise in oil prices following the airstrikes on Iran could increase Australia’s inflation rate by 0.15 per cent. Treasury also stated that inflation may rise by about 0.26 per cent if the conflict lasts for 18 months, and warned that any damage to gas production infrastructure in Qatar – which accounts for 20 per cent of global supply – would add to domestic inflationary pressures. Meanwhile, Resources Minister Madeleine King says Australia’s gas market is in a better position to absorb the impacts of the war in the Middle East than in 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine caused a surge in gas prices. Meanwhile, Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock says the war could result in higher interest rates, noting that inflation is already elevated.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

Immigration bar must be higher

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Original article by Lachlan Leeming
The Australian – Page: 5 : 25-Feb-26

Australia’s immigration policy came under scrutiny on the first day of the Aspire conference in Sydney on Tuesday. Former prime minister Tony Abbott called for a "big reconsideration of our immigration program", arguing that the nation has "imported division" and that it is very hard for migrants to honestly subscribe to the Australian citizenship oath if they support sharia law or the leading role of the Communist Party. Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg in turn said immigration policy should be based on what is in the national interest and the "type of people we want" in Australia. Frydenberg also said it is a privilege rather than a right to come to Australia, and that this needs to be emphasised.

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Federal Voting Intention: L-NP Coalition support up marginally in the last week, ALP and One Nation both down slightly

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Feb-26

The latest Roy Morgan Poll shows that primary support for the L-NP Coalition is up 0.5% to 24%, the ALP is down 1% to 31% and One Nation is down 1% to 20.5%. Support for the Greens is at 12.5%, and Independents/Other Parties are up 1.5% to 12%. On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is on 54.5% (down 0.5% from the days immediately after the L-NP leadership change), ahead of the Coalition on 44.5% (up 0.5%). The distribution of preferences will be more important than ever at the next Federal Election and when preferences from this week’s Roy Morgan survey are allocated based on how Australians voted at the 2025 Federal Election the two-party preferred result is slightly closer than the respondent allocated preferences, with the ALP on 54% leading the L-NP Coalition on 46%. If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be easily returned to Government with a similar majority. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,649 Australian electors from 16-22 February.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Taylor’s purge of frontbench rewards conservative backers

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 18-Feb-26

Opposition leader Angus Taylor says his frontbench reshuffle marks a "fresh beginning" for the Coalition. Six members of the Liberal Party’s conservative faction have been promoted to the shadow cabinet, including Jacinta Price, Andrew Hastie and Sarah Henderson. Meanwhile, Tim Wilson has been shifted to the treasury portfolio and Clare Chandler will take on the finance portfolio. Four moderates have been demoted to the outer shadow ministry and four will join the backbench. Taylor has also reinstated the portfolios of Nationals frontbenchers who had been ‘sinbinned’ by Taylor’s predecessor Sussan Ley after they voted against Labor’s hate speech laws.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY