AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Slash green tape to hit 2035 target

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Original article by Greg Brown, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-25

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is set to reveal the federal government’s 2035 carbon emissions reduction target in September. A group of Australian companies have joined forces under the Business For 75 banner to lobby the government, calling for an emissions target of at least 75 per cent. The Climate Change Authority is considering a target of 65-75 per cent, but the Business For 75 members contend that a target at the higher end of tis range would increase investment by $20bn a year. Bowen has indicated that the government may adopt a target range for reducing emissions, rather than a specific figure.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

Arts degrees to cost $50,000 until at least 2027 despite Albanese reform promises, vice-chancellor says

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Original article by Krishani Dhanji
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

Western Sydney University’s vice-chancellor George Williams says changes to the former Coalition government’s job-ready graduates scheme will take some time to implement. The scheme prioritised courses whose graduates are in high demand, while increasing the cost of degrees in disciplines such as arts and humanities. Williams says the scheme was flawed from the outset, and it was a major disincentive for students to go to university – particularly for women and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. He hopes the cost of arts degrees will be reduced in time for the 2027 student intake.

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WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

Consultancy firms win nearly $1bn in Australian contracts in past year despite new outsourcing rules, research shows

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Original article by Henry Belot
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

Analysis undertaken by the Parliamentary Library on behalf of the Greens shows that the value of federal government contracts with consulting firms rose to $968m in 2024-25; this is 48 per cent higher than the previous financial year. However, the value of public contracts with the four major consulting firms – PwC, KPMG, EY and Deloitte – fell from $138m in 2023-24 to $114m. Greens senator Barbara Pocock says the analysis shows that while the government claims that it is spending less on consultants, it is merely shifting these contracts from the "big four" to other firms.

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AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ERNST AND YOUNG, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Housing prices up: insurers go to war

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Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-25

Modelling produced by Lateral Economics suggests that the federal government’s proposed expansion of the home guarantee scheme will adversely affect the first-home buyers it aims to help. The government will allow such people to buy a home with a deposit of just five per cent, and without the need for lenders mortgage insurance. The report, which was produced on behalf of the Insurance Council of Australia, concludes that the policy will result in house prices rising by between 3.5 per cent and 6.6 per cent nationally within its first year. ICA CEO Andrew Hall says house prices will rise by more than the cost of lenders mortgage insurance.

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LATERAL ECONOMICS, INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

ALP maintains strong two-party preferred lead in August: ALP 56.5% cf. L-NP 43.5% as support for minor parties surges

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

The latest Roy Morgan shows that in August the ALP maintained its commanding two-party preferred lead on 56.5% (down 0.5% from July), ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 42.5% (up 0.5%). The Albanese Government’s two-party preferred lead is clearly above the 2025 Federal Election result in early May: ALP 55.2% cf. L-NP 44.8%. In the month of August primary support for both of the major parties was down, with support for the ALP at 34% (down 2.5% from July) ahead of the Liberal-National Coalition on 30% (down 1%). Support for the Greens was unchanged at 12%; however, support for One Nation increased by 2% to 9%. In addition, support for Independents/Other Parties increased by 1.5% to 15%.

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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

PM warns Taiwan of lengthy trade deal

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 26-Aug-25

Six economies have applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in recent years, including China and Taiwan. Australia is chairing the 12-nation trade bloc in 2025, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Taiwan is facing a "long process" in getting its application approved. China contends that Taiwan is not eligible to join the CPTPP because it is not a sovereign state. However, Liu Da-nien from Taiwan’s Chiang-Hua Institution for Economic Research notes that the island is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, and he says APEC rules start that all members are entitled to join the CPTPP.

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COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CHIANG-HUA INSTITUTION FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION

Coalition vows Palestine policy reversal once in power

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 7 : 13-Aug-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the ­United Nations’ General Assembly meeting in September. Albanese says it will send a message to Israel that "enough is enough", and he is confident that the international community can prevent Hamas from playing any role in a future Palestinian state. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Sussan Ley says the shadow cabinet has resolved that a future Coalition government would revoke recognition of a Palestinian state; she argues that this must only occur at the conclusion of a proper peace process.

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

Offshore option as Japan frigate wins

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 6-Aug-25

Defence Minister Richard Marles has advised that a contract for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build three general purpose frigates will be signed in early 2026. Marles says the Japanese frigate is the best option for Australia; Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems also pitched for the contract. The frigates will be built in Japan, and are slated to be delivered between 2029 and 2034. An additional eight Mogami-class frigates will be built by Austal at its Henderson shipyard in Perth. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has conceded that the shipyard may not be able to accommodate the first three vessels to be built in Australia, but Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook says they must be built in his state.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LIMITED, THYSSENKRUPP MARINE SYSTEMS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Government sends strongest signal yet on Palestinian recognition

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Original article by Matthew Knott
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 6-Aug-25

It has been revealed that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed the issue of Palestine in a conversation with the United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday. Albanese has also talked to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and the two leaders committed to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in September. This has prompted growing speculation that Australia will join other nations in formally recognising Palestinian statehood at the meeting. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned that there may be no Palestine left to recognise unless progress is made on a two-state solution.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED NATIONS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Taking wind out of Bowen’s sails

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Jul-25

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has revealed that the federal government will expand its capacity investment scheme by 25 per cent, to 40 gigawatts. However, analysis by Rystad Energy shows that no wind farm projects that will be part of the national electricity market commenced construction during the first six months of 2025. There were some new wind farm projects in Western Australia, which is not part of the NEM. Rystad has forecast that renewables will account for 64 per cent of the NEM’s energy by 2030, which is well below the government’s 82 per cent renewable energy target by this date. Government adviser Ross Garnaut has in turned warned that this target will be missed by a "big margin", even with an expanded capacity investment scheme.

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RYSTAD ENERGY AS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER