AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Academic and banker to join RBA policy board

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Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Dec-24

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal government undertook a "very robust and very consultative" process to select the members of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s two new boards. Professor Renee Fry-McKibbin and former Bendigo Bank CEO Marnie Baker will join four of the RBA’s current external board members on the new interest-rate setting board, which will also include governor Michele Bullock, deputy governor Andrew Hauser and Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy. Current board members Carol Schwartz and Elana Rubin will join the RBA’s governance board.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN

China, Russia, Israel: Wong on affront foot

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Original article by Ben Packham, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 : 11-Dec-24

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has defended a controversial speech at the University of South Australia. Wong used the Hawke Lecture to contend that it is not anti-Semitic to expect Israel to comply with international law, in the same way that Russia and China are expected to do so with regard to Ukraine and the South China Sea. However, shadow home affairs minister James Paterson says Wong’s criticism of Israel is encouraging anti-Semitism and threatening the safety of Jewish Australians. Meanwhile, Simone Abel from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has accused the government of double standards regarding foreign policy towards Israel.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY

Antisemitism changing nation, Albanese told

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 11-Dec-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told the Jewish community that the federal government will provide financial support to rebuild the Adass Israel synagogue. Albanese visited the site on Tuesday, spending 45 minutes inspecting the remains of the building and a similar amount of time in a private meeting with senior members of the Adass Israel community. Benjamin Klein, a member of the synagogue’s board, says community leaders told Albanese that the surge in anti-Semitism has "changed the fabric of Australia", and that the government must take action to address it. Police are searching for three suspects in the firebombing, which has been designated a terrorist attack.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Roy Morgan Poll: Coalition increases lead: L-NP 52% cf. ALP 48%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Dec-24

A Coalition Government, with a slim two-party preferred majority: L-NP 52% cf. ALP 48% would now win a Federal Election, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. The rise in Coalition support came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the Albanese Government’s approach to Israel and accused the Government of taking an ‘extreme anti-Israeli position’. Netanyahu blamed the arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue – now classified as a terrorist act – on the Government’s failure to call out antisemitism more consistently and firmly. In addition, a major strike by Woolworths workers led to shortages of key goods at many stores of Australia’s largest supermarket as Australians battle a cost of living crisis.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Police, ASIO taskforce to protect Jews

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Gus McCubbing
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Dec-24

The federal government has announced that the Australian Federal Police and ASIO will establish a special taskforce to investigate anti-Semitism in Australia. The decision to set up ‘Operation Avalite’ follows official confirmation that the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne has been designated a terrorist attack. Victoria Police’s Chief Commissioner Shane Patton has defended the decision to belatedly make this declaration, but federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton says it was "obvious from the start" that it was a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticised for playing tennis at an exclusive Perth tennis club on Saturday rather than cut short his visit to Western Australia in response to the synagogue attack.

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AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, VICTORIA POLICE

D-day is on the horizon for Meta

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 9-Dec-24

The federal government will shortly decide whether to ‘designate’ Facebook parent Meta under the news media bargaining code. This would force the digital giant to negotiate revenue-sharing deals with Australian news publishers, almost a year after it announced plans to terminate these arrangements. A spokesman for Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones has downplayed suggestions that a decision on designating Meta is imminent, although sources have indicated that the government will act before Christmas.

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META PLATFORMS INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

PM finally acknowledges act of terror at synagogue

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Original article by Cameron Stewart, Sarah Ison, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 3 : 9-Dec-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the federal government’s track record on anti-Semitism in the wake of an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue on Friday. Albanese used a press conference on Sunday to contend that his government has consistently called out the rise in anti-Semitism. He also belatedly expressed his personal view that the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue was an act of terrorism. However, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has declined to do so, stating that the firebombing was an "act of anti-Semitic evil". Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked the firebombing to the federal government’s "extreme anti-Israeli position".

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

Adam Bandt pushes for formal power-sharing deal with Anthony Albanese in case of minority election

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Greg Jennett
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 4-Dec-24

Greens leader Adam Bandt has outlined his party’s terms for helping Labor to form government if the 2025 federal election results in a hung parliament. Bandt says there would be a "lot of merit" in establishing a formal power-sharing deal with Labor that clearly states the legislative priorities for the next parliament. Bandt adds that priority areas will include expanding Medicare to include dental and mental health care for adults, free access to GPs, and action to address the rising cost of rental housing. The Greens have been more co-operative in recent weeks, and the party backed more than 40 government bills on the final day of parliament for the year.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Roy Morgan Poll: Coalition regains two-party preferred lead after Albanese Government does deals with the Greens to pass legislation

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Dec-24

Coalition 51% (up 2%) are now ahead of the ALP 49% (down 2%) on a two-party preferred basis. If a Federal Election were held now the result would be ‘too close to call’ the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. As we said a week ago, when leaders meet world leaders there is often a short-term ‘boost’, but this usually proves short-lived as voters return to focusing on the ‘bread and butter’ issues. At home the Government did several deals last week – including several ‘deals’ with the Greens – to pass legislation. The Greens’ ‘deals’ included RBA governance reforms, a supermarket code of conduct, the Future Made in Australia scheme and housing reforms to boost rental supply – despite this ‘success’ Government support returned to where it was before Albanese met World leaders in South America at the APEC and G20 meetings.

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

Bosses reject ACTU’s new bargaining push

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 3-Dec-24

The Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association has called for restrictions on the use of multi-employer bargaining. Its submission to a review of the federal government’s ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ laws has argued that it should only be available in workplaces where an employer has agreed to bargain collectively. AREEA also opposes the ACTU’s push to broaden the scope of multi-employer bargaining, while it has called for the intractable bargaining provisions to be wound back.

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AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION, ACTU