AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Union vows to fight Dutton’s five-days-in-office edict at the tribunal

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Original article by Olivia Ireland, Josefine Ganko
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 5-Mar-25

The Community & Public Sector Union says it will pursue a Fair Work Commission challenge to any mandate for public servants to return to working in their office five days a week if the Coalition wins the upcoming federal election. The CPSU’s national secretary Melissa Donnelly has accused the Coalition of being ‘tone-deaf’ to the challenges that working families and working women face in their working life. Opposition leader Peter Dutton rejects suggestions that the policy discriminates against women with children, arguing that it will apply to all public servants; he adds that the Coalition would use common sense when considering any exceptions to the policy.

CORPORATES
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

US halts arms, PM gets willing

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 9 : 5-Mar-25

US President Donald Trump has suspended all military support for Ukraine, including weapons that were already in transit to the war-torn country. Senior Defense Department officials said the pause will remain in place until Trump is satisfied that Ukraine’s leaders have demonstrated a ‘good faith’ commitment to peace. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that the federal government would consider providing soldiers for a ‘coalition of the willing’ peacekeeping force in Ukraine if it were asked to do so. However, Peter Dean from the US Studies Centre contends that the Indo-Pacific region should be Australia’s top priority.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF DEFENSE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE

Cyclone Alfred looks to be final barrier to PM calling April 12 election

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Original article by Jacob Greber
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 4-Mar-25

A source within the federal government says there is a 50 per cent chance that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce the date of the election this weekend, with 12 April seen as the most likely option. However, some Labor insiders believe that Albanese will wait until the potential impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred on south-east Queensland is known before going to the polls. The Bureau of Meteorology has upgraded the cyclone to a category two system, and it is forecast to make landfall somewhere between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast later this week. The next most likely date for the election would be 3 May, given that Albanese will have to take into account Easter and Anzac Day when deciding on a date to go to the polls.

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

Roy Morgan Poll: Coalition regains narrow lead after Reserve Bank boost proves short-lived: L-NP 50.5% cf. ALP 49.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Mar-25

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be a hung parliament, with the Coalition on 50.5% (up 1.5%) narrowly ahead of the ALP on 49.5% (down 1.5%) on a two-party preferred basis. The Coalition, or the ALP, would require the support of minor parties and independents to form government, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. This latest weekly poll has not completely reversed the ‘Reserve Bank boost’ but has definitely shown the ‘boost’ to Labor has been significantly softened. The Coalition stretched their primary vote lead, with L-NP support up 3.5% to 40% while ALP support dropped 3% to 28.5%; the Greens were unchanged at 13.5%, One Nation down 1% to 4%, Other Parties unchanged at 3.5% and Independents up 0.5% to 10.5%.

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

National nightmare of teals on a Green pitch

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Perry Williams, Colin Packham, Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Feb-25

Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill says it would be bad for households, business and the environment if the Greens or the teals hold the balance of power after the federal election. Beach Energy CEO Brett Woods has expressed similar concerns, warning that a minority government could result in "exorbitant power" being given to a small collection of MPs who are focused solely on their own narrow agenda rather than the good of the nation. He contends that electors should vote for either Labor or the Coalition, as the consequences of giving the Greens or teals greater influence would include higher unemployment and severe energy shortages.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX WDS, BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Public service’s dirt job for Chalmers

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Feb-25

The federal government is continuing to attract scrutiny over claims that it had asked the Treasury to undertake costings on the Coalition’s proposal to offer tax breaks of up to $20,000 for small businesses. Treasury is not permitted to provide the government of the day with costings on the opposition’s policies. However, a series of emails between senior Treasury officials and the office of Treasurer Jim Chalmers shows that the Treasury was aware that it was modelling Coalition policy. Chalmers has publicly stated that he had asked Treasury to cost the policy; shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has accused him of using the Treasury as his personal "dirt unit".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP takes lead on two-party preferred after Reserve Bank cuts interest rates: ALP 51% cf. L-NP 49%

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

The latest Roy Morgan survey shows that if a Federal Election were held now the result would be a hung parliament; the ALP is on 51% (up 2.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, just ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 49% (down 2.5%). The ALP or the Coalition would require the support of minor parties and independents to form a government. The ALP gained significant ground on primary support this week, up 3.5% to 31.5%, while the Coalition was down 3% to 36.5%. Support for the Greens increased 1% to 13.5%. Support for One Nation dropped 0.5% to 5%, support for Other Parties dropped 1% to 3.5% and support for Independents was unchanged at 10%.

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

Cash splash to increase tax burden

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 25-Feb-25

Analysis shows that the federal government has made $123.6bn worth of discretionary spending decisions in the three budgets it has handed down since taking office in May 2022. The government has also announced some $20bn worth of election promises since the start of 2025, headlined by the $8.5bn expenditure on Medicare. Independent economist Chris Richardson says the cost of Labor’s spending decisions since taking office will ultimately be borne by taxpayers via ‘bracket creep’. He adds that it will also delay any prospect of further tax cuts by 5-6 years.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Energy secretary backs nuclear, attacks net zero

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Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 19-Feb-25

The Coalition’s plan to build seven nuclear power stations if it wins the upcoming federal election has received tacit support from the US Energy Secretary, Chris Wright. He has told the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London that he would love to see Australia embrace uranium, but he says the federal government will need to shrug off its ideological opposition to the energy source. Wright adds that the net zero emissions target of 2050 is a "sinister goal" that has had tremendous costs and no benefits.

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UNITED STATES. DEPT OF ENERGY

Robo-debt officials to be investigated, in anti-corruption commission backflip

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Original article by Olivia Ireland
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 19-Feb-25

Former High Court judge Geoffrey Nettle has ruled that National Anti-Corruption Commission should investigate six public officials over their role in the robodebt scandal. Nettle was commissioned to undertake an independent review of the NACC’s June 2024 announcement that it would not pursue an investigation into six individuals who had been referred to it by the robodebt royal commission. The names of the six officials have not been disclosed. The welfare debt recovery scheme was implemented by the former Coalition government, and subsequently deemed to have been unlawful.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA