AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Unions warn Coalition’s job cuts could exceed 41,000

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 8-Apr-25

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is under scrutiny over his backdown over plans to slash federal public service numbers. The Community & Public Sector Union’s national secretary Melissa Donnelly says the Coalition’s new policy of reducing the public service via natural attrition and hiring freezes over five years could result in the loss of much more than the 41,000 jobs that Dutton had initially flagged. ACTU secretary Sally McManus in turn has criticised Dutton’s backdown on a return-to-office mandate for public servants; she says legal advice suggests that Dutton could not enforce this without legislative changes that would also remove working-from-home rights for all workers.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, ACTU

Crash-test dummies without a budget buffer

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Apr-25

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has released new modelling on the likely impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs regime on the Australian economy. It suggests that the baseline tariff of 10 per cent and the 25 per cent tariff on steel, aluminium and automotive products would be largely neutral for inflation in Australia. Treasury’s ‘best-case’ scenario is that the nation’s real GDP will decline by 0.1 per cent in 2025 and inflation will rise by 0.2 per cent. Meanwhile, the pre-election fiscal outlook shows that the budget deficit is forecast to total $179.5bn over the next four years, while federal government debt is projected to rise to $1.2tn. The nation’s deteriorating fiscal position comes amid fears of a global recession and a $190m fall in the ASX’s market capitalisation since the tariffs were announced last week.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP increases election-winning lead as President Trump announces Liberation Day and imposes worldwide tariffs

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with an increased majority with the ALP on 53.5% (up 0.5% points from a week ago) ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 46.5% (down 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. Roy Morgan Government Confidence was virtually unchanged at 81 with 33% (up 1%) of Australians saying the country is ‘going in the right direction’ compared to 52% (up 0.5%) that say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. Primary support for the ALP increased at the expense of the Coalition, with support for the ALP up 0.5% to 32.5% while Coalition support dropped 2% to 33% – this is the closest the two parties have been on primary vote support since mid-October 2023. Support for the Greens increased 0.5% to 13.5%, One Nation was up 0.5% to 6%, support for Other Parties increased 2% to 6% (Note: Clive Palmer’s new Trump of Patriots party received 1.5% support – its best result so far), while support for Independents dropped 1.5% to 9%.

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

Allan stands by signature rail loop

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Original article by Lily McCaffrey, Amelia Swan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 2-Apr-25

Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan says she remains "determined" to go ahead with the Suburban Rail Loop in the wake of the Coalition’s decision to scrap all federal funding for the controversial project if it wins the 3 May election. However, Allan declined to comment on how the state will pay for the project if federal funding is withdrawn. Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has described the SRL as a "$200bn pipe dream"; he contends that Allan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the CFMEU are the only ones that are in favour of it. Dutton intends to redirect SRL funding to other road and rail projects in Victoria.

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

Gas producers question whether Coalition’s energy plan will cut consumer prices

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Original article by Kate Lyons, Adam Morton
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Shell Australia chair Cecile Wake is amongst the energy industry executives who attended the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference on Tuesday. She noted the lack of detail in the proposed ‘east coast gas reservation policy’ which Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced in his recent budget reply speech. Dutton’s policy would require gas exporters to redirect an additiona1 10-20 per cent of their output to the domestic market. Wake says the policy could see gas supply in the domestic market exceed demand, which could in turn result in gas prices falling to a level where future investment decisions are not economic. She adds that an oversupply may not necessarily result in lower gas prices for households and businesses.

CORPORATES
SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Inflated promise to low-paid workers

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Apr-25

The federal government will call for an "economically sustainable real wage increase" for people on award and minimum wages from mid-July. Its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review will not specify a percentage amount, except that it should be above the inflation rate. The budget papers show that the Treasury expects an inflation rate of 2.5 per cent for 2024-25, rising to three per cent in 2025-26, when the new minimum wage will take effect. A three per cent increase would equare to a minimum wage rise of $27 per week. Employers’ groups are expected to urge the FWC to opt for a minimum wage rise that is in line with or below the inflation rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Australia first: PM ready for trade row

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Original article by Ben Packham, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Apr-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to the Trump administration’s new list of trade grievances with Australia, ahead of the formal announcement of the reciprocal tariffs regime. The report on foreign trade barriers was released by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and includes Australia’s import bans on uncooked US meat and poultry products, the News Media Bargaining Code and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Albanese stated that these issues are "not up for negotiation", stating that the federal government will "defend Australia’s interests". Opposition leader Peter Dutton supported his stance, saying that he will stand up for the nation’s interests every day if the Coalition wins the election on 3 May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Made welcomes unprecedented level of support

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Original article by
AuManufacturing – Page: Online : 1-Apr-25

The Australian Made Campaign has welcomed additional funding of $20m in the federal government’s budget. Amongst other things, this funding will allow the organisation to launch a new campaign to encourage more Australians to buy locally made products, and assist more local manufacturers and producers to obtain Australian Made certification. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Industry Minister Ed Husic have noted in a joint statement that research by Roy Morgan in 2024 found that more than 90 per cent of Australians have a preference for buying locally-made products.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MADE CAMPAIGN LIMITED, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

Economists warning over Greens’ demands over tax, spending agenda

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Original article by Matthew Benns
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 1-Apr-25

The independent Parliamentary Budget Office’s analysis suggests that the Greens’ policy demands in return for supporting a minority Labor government would cost about $110bn. Amongst other things, the Greens want to expand Medicare to include dental services, which would cost an estimated $46bn over four years. The Greens propose to finance its policies via a 40 per cent tax on the excessive profits of large companies and by increasing the tax rate of 150 billionaires. EQ Economics’ MD Warren Hogan says large companies and billionaires would simply take their money – and jobs – offshore.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, EQ ECONOMICS

Albanese says federal EPA will not be same model as earlier one he promised but didn’t deliver

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Original article by Dan Jervis-Bardy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Apr-25

Labor recently indicated that it will press ahead with plans to establish a federal environmental protection agency if it wins the election on 3 May. A federal EPA was part of Labor’s platform for the 2022 election, but the policy was shelved earlier in 2025 amid a pushback in Western Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has advised that Labor will adopt a new model for the proposed EPA. He adds that Labor will consult widely to ensure that it gets federal environment laws right. Meanwhile, shadow environment minister, Jonno Duniam has warned that a federal EPA would result in more green lawfare and regulation, while not guaranteeing any further protection for the environment.

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