AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Federal public sector jobs surging under Albanese

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 27-Nov-24

The federal government tabled the latest State of the Service report in parliament on Tuesday, which shows that the number of public sector employees has risen sharply since Labor took office in May 2022. The headcount was 159,190 in mid-2022, but this had risen by 16.4 per cent to 185,343 by the end of the 2023-24 financial year. The National Disability Insurance Agency has recorded the biggest increase in headcount amongst federal agencies. The report also shows that 555 public servants were found to have breached the code of conduct in 2023-24, although only 61 had their employment terminated.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ALP hidden spending to top $87b

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Nov-24

The federal government’s growing trend towards ‘off-budget’ spending will be a key contributor to the overall deficit blowout that Deloitte Access Economics has forecast. The firm expects the government to post an underlying deficit of $33.5bn for 2024-25, but it estimates that the headline deficit will be $54.8bn. Economist Chris Richardson says the latter figure deserves greater scrutiny, as it can be used to conceal the real state of the nation’s finances. So-called off-budget spending – which does not affect the budget deficit or surplus – is forecast to reach a record $87.1bn over the next four years.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP regains two-party preferred lead over the Coalition in late November

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Nov-24

ALP support at 51%, up 2% points from a week ago, is now narrowly ahead of the Coalition 49% (down 2% points) on a two-party preferred basis, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation and Group of 20 leadership forums in South America. If a Federal Election were held now the result would be ‘too close to call’, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. The close result this week, and the large size of the crossbench (currently 16 seats) means the ALP or Coalition would require the support of minor parties and independents to form government. ALP primary support recovered this week, up 2.5% to 31.5% at the expense of the Coalition, down 2% to 37%. Support for the Greens dropped 1% to 12.5%, One Nation was unchanged at 6.5%, Other Parties were down 0.5% to 4% and Independents increased 1% to 8.5%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

‘Punitive regime’: X tells Labor social media ban won’t work

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 26-Nov-24

The federal government and the Opposition are seeking to rush through legislation this week that will bar children aged under 16 from accessing social media, with a parliamentary inquiry given just three hours on Monday to examine the legislation. Elon Musk’s X has used a written submission to the inquiry to claim that the proposed ban will not work and is likely to be unlawful, while youth mental health charity Headspace told the inquiry that the ban would drive children into using unregulated sections of the internet such as encrypted apps. Meanwhile, Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind told the inquiry that she supports the essential intent of the legislation, but she has concerns about the privacy implications of making an age ban work in practice.

CORPORATES
X CORPORATION, HEADSPACE, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

Deficit disorder: spending blows budget

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Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Nov-24

Deloitte Access Economics expects the federal government to post a budget deficit of $33.5bn for 2024-25, following a surplus of $15.8bn for the 2023-24 financial year. The Treasury itself had forecast a 2024-25 deficit of $28.3bn, and a cumulative deficit of $122.1bn over the four-year estimates period; Deloitte now expects the latter figure to be $149bn. Deloitte partner Stephen Smith adds that both the government and the Opposition will face pressure to provide further cost-of-living relief ahead of the 2025 election. Deloitte also notes that there has been a sharp increase in ‘off-budget’ spending, while the firm expects net debt to reach $727.6bn by mid-2028.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

I’ll cut more foreign students: Dutton

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Nov-24

The Coalition is under scrutiny for joining forces with the Greens to block legislation to cap new international student numbers from 2025. Education Minister Jason Clare says Opposition leader Peter Dutton has no credibility with regard to immigration, given that he stated in his budget reply speech in May that a Coalition government would introduce a cap on international students. Dutton says the Coalition will pursue a more aggressive reduction in international students than Labor. Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Abul Rizvi says the Coalition’s policy of reducing net overseas migration to 160,000 in 2025-26 would not be possible without a big increase in the unemployment rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Xi, PM tout best relations in decade

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Nov-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. The private meeting coincided with the 10th anniversary of Xi’s historic speech to federal parliament in Canberra. Xi told Albanese that there has been a ‘turnaround’ in relations between the two nations over the last decade, and expressed hope that this will continue. Albanese in turn said that the entire Indo-Pacific region will benefit from the prosperity arising from peace, security and stability. Albanese also indicated that he raised a number of issues that matter to Australia, including Taiwan, human rights, cyber security and the ongoing detention of Yang Hengjun in China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

‘Turnaround’: Xi talks up China ties in G20 talks with Albanese

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Original article by David Crowe
The Age – Page: Online : 19-Nov-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping have held talks at Xi’s hotel in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of the G20 Summit that is being held in the Brazilian city. Xi noted that there had been "twists and turns" in the relationship between China and Australia over the last decade, but that there had been a "turnaround" in recent times. Both he and Albanese noted that their meeting was held 10 years to the day that their two countries had signed a comprehensive strategic partnership, when Tony Abbott was prime minister and Xi had visited Australia and had addressed federal parliament.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

Roy Morgan Poll: Coalition maintains a narrow two-party preferred lead over Labor for the third straight week

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Nov-24

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be ‘too close to call’ with the Coalition 51% (up 0.5%) ahead of the ALP 49% (down 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. The close result means either the ALP or Coalition would require the support of minor parties and independents to form government. The Coalition increased its primary vote to 39% (up 1.5%) and is now 10% in front of the ALP on 29% (down 1.5%) – the largest primary vote lead since July. The rise in support for the Coalition comes in the first full week of interviewing conducted entirely after Donald Trump’s victory in the Presidential Election.

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

Inflate this: PM’s public service splurge costs taxpayers extra $5bn

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Nov-24

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that 26,100 permanent positions have been added to the federal public service since Labor took office in May 2022. The annual public sector wages bill has risen from $32.5bn in June 2022 to more than $37bn, and the federal public sector workforce has risen to 365,400. Meanwhile, the total cost of the public service across Australia’s three tiers of government is now almost $250bn a year. Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher contends that the federal government has been rebuilding the Australian Public Service after a decade of neglect under the Coalition. However, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says Labor is using the public sector to prop up the jobs market and GDP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA