AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Visa revamp aims to curb migration

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Original article by Luke Kinsella
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Aug-26

The Department of Home Affairs has made changes to the order in which it will process applications for permanent and temporary skilled visas. It will now give priority to applications for visas from migrants who are already living and working in Australia, rather than skilled workers who are applying from overseas. Migration Institute of Australia CEO Peter Van Vliet says the directive from Home Affairs Minister shows that the federal government is trying to reduce net migration numbers by "shifting priorities", given that migrant workers who are in Australia are already included in the nation’s population data.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, THE MIGRATION INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Chalmers moves to defuse row over widow tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 5-Aug-26

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has released draft legislation to abolish the so-called ‘widow tax’; It was an unintended consequence of the federal government’s changes to the negative gearing and capital gains tax regimes, and would have removed exemptions to the reforms for jointly-owned properties that are transferred due to divorce or death. The Coalition, the Greens, One Nation and independent senator David Pocock will push for the legislation to be given priority in the Senate when parliament resumes next week.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Fuel excise relief set to dry up on Sunday night

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Jul-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out extending the current reduction in the fuel excise tax beyond 2 August. The excise tax will return to $0.52 a litre on Monday, after having been cut to $0.26 a litre from March to June and $0.16 during this month. Albanese has emphasised that the federal government will pursue other measures to provide Australian families with cost-of-living relief. However, some Labor MPs advocate further excise tax relief; Rob Mitchell, the MP for McEwen, has suggested that it should be considered on a month-by-month basis, based on the global oil price.

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

Labor in thrall to Islamists and far left

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Original article by Ben Packham, Elizabeth Pike, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Jul-26

The Labor Friends of Israel group’s co-convenor Mike Kelly has criticised the removal of explicit references to the disarming of Hamas from Labor’s national policy platform. Kelly says the changes that were endorsed at Labor’s national conference underline the "unholy alliance" between the ultra-left and Islamist extremists. Former federal MP Michael Danby in turn contends that Labor has been "hijacked" by extremists; he adds that the far left and Islamists have been allowed to dominate Australians streets since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. However, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Labor MP Josh Burns have expressed support for the policy platform changes.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Labor refuses to rule out taxpayer-funded housing for ISIS brides after insisting no assistance would be provided

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Original article by Oscar Godsell, Laurence Karacsony
News24 – Page: Online : 28-Jul-26

The Department of Home Affairs has failed to clarify if the ISIS brides have been provided with housing since their return to Australia or whether they will be entitled to government-funded accommodation in the future. Questions on the issue have been referred to state and territory authorities, which have stated that they ae not in a position to comment. Meanwhile, former Australian Federal Police detective David Craig says the government is likely to provide the Jihadist women and their children with housing; he adds that they should be subject to control orders, including curfews, access to a limited number of electronic devices and restrictions in who they are permitted to associate with.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Three-storey new houses should be the norm: PC

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Original article by Michael Read, Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 28-Jul-26

A report to be released by the Productivity Commission today will propose measures aimed at boosting the supply of new housing. Amongst other things, the report will recommend a reduction in the minimum size of housing lots and encouraging developers to build upwards by allowing three-storey homes in most residential areas. Meanwhile, the Productivity Commission notes that it now takes the average family 11 years to save for a housing deposit of 20 per cent, compared with just eight years in 2005.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Libs face fresh confusion over possible One Nation coalition

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 28-Jul-26

Federal opposition leader Angus Taylor has dismissed a suggestion that the Liberal Party should consider joining forces with One Nation after the next election to form a governing majority. The suggestion came from Coalition housing spokesman Andrew Bragg, who said on Monday that if there is a chance of forming a government to defeat the "communist Labor" one, then the possibility should be considered. Coalition frontbencher James Paterson said he would be "surprised if Andrew Bragg is advocating for a coalition with One Nation", with Bragg’s comments coming as Labor steps up its arguments that a vote for the Coalition is effectively a vote for Pauline Hanson

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ONE NATION PARTY

PM moves to shore up fuel security

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 28-Jul-26

The federal and Western Australian governments will jointly finance a $4m pre-feasibility study into the construction of an oil refinery. The proposed refinery would be built by Perdaman in WA and would be the first new one in Australia since the 1960s. The push to boost the nation’s fuel security has coincided with the Treasury’s warning that the conflict in the Middle East is making the oil market more vulnerable; the Treasury has also cautioned that crude oil prices are likely to remain elevated in the near-term and could rise further if the war continues. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Angus Taylor has stated that the Coalition would support any new fuel relief measures, provided that they are not inflationary; the current fuel excise cut will end on 2 August.

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PERDAMAN GROUP, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Young Jews told to hide in fear

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Original article by Bimini Plesser
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Jul-26

Leaders of Jewish communities across Australia gave evidence to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion yesterday. Adass Israel Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein told the inquiry that Jewish professionals such as doctors and lawyers are relocating to Israel because they feel safer there than in Australia. Bialik College board president Tyson Wodak said its students have been warned against wearing their uniforms when they go on school excursions in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. He added that the school’s annual tuition fee includes an $840 security levy, which has increased by more than 230 per cent since 2023.

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AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION ON ANTISEMITISM AND SOCIAL COHESION, ADASS ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE, BIALIK COLLEGE

Treasury warned Labor housing goals would fail

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 22-Jul-26

A report from the Australian National Audit Office shows that the Treasury had consistently advised the federal government that the social and affordable rental homes targets of its Housing Australia Future Fund were unlikely to be met. These warnings were issued both before and after the flagship $10bn fund had been established. The Treasury cited factors such as the bulding industry’s lack of capacity to deliver on the HAFF’s initial tartget of 30,000 homes, as well as inconsistencies in the planning and regulatory systems of state governments. Housing Minister Clare O’Neil says the government welcomes independent scrutiny of its housing targets and it has accepted all five of the ANAO’s recommendations. However, shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg says the report shows that criticism of the HAFF is justified.

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AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. HOUSING AUSTRALIA FUTURE FUND, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA