AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Queensland rejects gun buyback plan

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Brittney Levinson, Jesinta Burton, Sumeyya Ilanbey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Jan-26

A Queensland government spokesman has advised that it will not support the proposed national gun buyback scheme, contending that the state will not be distracted from the core issue of anti-Semitism. The federal government’s gun buyback scheme will be jointly funded by the states and territories, although Tasmania and the Northern Territory oppose this aspect of the scheme. Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia CEO James Walsh says gun owners should receive "fair market value" for surrendering their firearms; he notes that unlike the 1996 gun buyback, the government’s proposed scheme does not guarantee fair compensation for gun owners and sellers.

CORPORATES
SHOOTING INDUSTRY FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA

Labor’s hate speech laws set to pass as Ley and Albanese cut deal on bill crafted in wake of Bondi terror attack

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dan Jervis-Bardy, Tom McIlroy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 20-Jan-26

The National Party will seek additional protections regarding the banning of hate groups when parliament debates the federal government’s hate speech laws today. However, sources within the Liberal Party say that the legislation is likely to be passed even without the Nationals’ support, after Liberal MPs agreed to vote in favour of the revised bill. Opposition leader Sussan Ley had described the previous omnibus bill as "pretty unsalvageable", but the Coalition agreed to back the hate speech provisions after Labor accepted the need to legislate gun control laws separately and make a number of changes to the hate speech bill. Legislation to establish a national gun buyback scheme is expected to be passed with the support of the Greens.

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

Minerals stockpile faces long road to pay-off

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Jan-26

The Association of Mining & Exploration Companies’ CEO Warren Pearce says the federal government’s critical minerals strategic reserve could potentially be generating revenue for the nation by 2030. He adds that its success will depend on securing offtake agreements quickly. Resources Minister Madeleine King has conceded that it will take some time for the strategic reserve to begin producing revenue, but she believes that the need for a more diversified critical minerals supply chain will eventually result in "upside" for the nation. King adds that Australia has some key advantages over resources-rich Greenland in the development of mineral deposits.

CORPORATES
ASSOCIATION OF MINING AND EXPLORATION COMPANIES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP two-party lead is smallest since the Federal Election following the ‘Bondi Shooting’: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48%

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jan-26

In the week of January 5-11, 2026, the first Roy Morgan Poll since the ‘Bondi Shooting’, Coalition support is at 30.5% (up 3% since the week of December 8-14, 2025) just ahead of the ALP on 30% (down 0.5%), One Nation is on 15% (down 2%), the Greens are on 13.5% (up 0.5%), and Independents/Other Parties are at 11% (down 1%). The latest Roy Morgan survey was conducted with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,676 electors in the week of January 5-11. In addition, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating plunged 7 points after the ‘Bondi Shooting’ in mid-December to 74 in early January. Only 19.5% (down 13.5%) say the country is ‘going in the right direction’ while 45.5% (down 6.5%) say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is now on 52% (down 2.5% since the week of December 8-14, 2025) ahead of the Coalition on 48% (up 2.5%). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with a decreased majority. The Albanese Government’s two-party preferred lead in early January is the closest result between the two major parties since the Federal Election result in May 2025: ALP 55.2% cf. L-NP 44.8%, and the closest the Coalition has been for almost a year.

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

Preach hate, go to prison: PM’s sermon

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah Ison, Elizabeth Pike
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Jan-26

The federal government aims to pass its omnibus bill on hate speech and gun control during a special two-day sitting of parliament next week. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged bipartisan support for the bill, but says he is open to "constructive suggestions" to improve it. Amongst other things, the bill is intended to target Islamic hate preachers and ban designated hate groups, with jail terms of up to 15 years for people who join or finance such groups. However, the Opposition has criticised the decision to address hate speech and a national gun buyback scheme in a single bill, contending that they are unrelated policy areas. There is also concern about an exemption from the hate speech laws if someone is merely quoting from religious texts.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Flood farmers face big stock losses

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Brittney Levinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Jan-26

The federal and Queensland govenments will jointly provide $38m in disaster relief assistance for farmers who have been affected by severe floods in the state’s northwest. Grants of up to $75,000 will be available, including upfront payments of $10,000. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the package during a visit to Cloncurry, which is one of the regions that have been hit by the heavy rains since late December. Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries has advised that the number of livstock that is dead or missing now exceeds 20,000.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Politicians paying off Canberra mortgages thanks to taxpayers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jessica Wang, Eliza Barr
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 7-Jan-26

Independent senator David Pocock has called for a review of federal politicians’ travel allowances, amid revelations that some are using their expense claims to help finance a mortgage. Interstate-based MPs and senators receive a nightly travel allowance of $322 to cover accommodation, food and incidental expenses during weeks when parliament is sitting. However, the rules allow them to receive the allowance even if they are staying at a home that either themselves or their partner own in Canberra; they can therefore redirect this money to paying off the mortgage on this home. Pocock, who lives in Canberra, says the allowance is necessary but must be in line with community expectations.

CORPORATES

Labor accused of breaking law on migration rules

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Luke Kinsella
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Jan-26

The federal government is under scrutiny over the growing backlog of visa applications for the partners of Australian citizens. This reached a record high of 96,839 in June 2025, and it has increased by 72 per cent since Labor took office in May 2022. Both Labor and Coalition governments have capped partner visas, but migration expert Peter McDonald contends that this is illegal and applications for such visas should be processed when they are received. Former immigration department bureaucrat Abul Rizvi says the government will eventually have to abide by the law on partner visas; however, he concedes that this would result in a higher permanent migration intake and an increase in net overseas migration.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Take this expert advice, PM

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Greg Brown, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 7-Jan-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may yield to the growing pressure to hold a federal royal commission into the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. While Albanese has stated that Labor’s priorities are a review of the nation’s intelligence agencies and passing new hate speech and gun control laws, he has expressed willingness to "examine anything else required" in response to the terrorist attack. Sources have indicated that the government may formally announce a national public inquiry within days. Meanwhile, 32 intelligence and security experts have released a joint statement urging the government to hold a royal commission into both anti-Semitism and Islamist extremism.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Fix cruel taxes for younger workers: Kelty

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Jan-26

Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has urged the federal government to pursue tax reform, contending that the current tax system disadvantages younger workers in particular. Amongst other things, Kelty has advocated reducing the tax rates of wage earners who do not receive income from capital gains, trusts and negatively-geared properties. The Parliamentary Budget Office has forecast that the average tax rate for workers will rise to 27.8 per cent of their income over the next decade; this compares with about 24.5 per cent at present. Kelty notes that in contrast, investors who receive income from property and shares incur a maximum capital gains tax rate of just 23.5 per cent for assets that they have held for more than 12 months.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE