AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Telcos accused of Triple-Zero death cover-up

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins, Nicola Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 10-Dec-25

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has accused the nation’s telecommunications companies of a "cover-up" during the second hearing of an inquiry into Optus’s triple-zero outage, which has been linked to several deaths. She was responding to the revelation that a person had died after an outdated Samsung mobile phone was used to call triple-zero; the device defaulted to Vodafone’s decommissioned 3G network. This incident had been reported six days after the Optus outage on 24 September, but it was not publicly disclosed. Communications Minister Anika Wells was also criticised over her handling of the Optus outage; she had been in New York at the time, promoting the government’s social media age restrictions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

We will stand firm against the tech giants

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 4 : 10-Dec-25

Communications Minister Anika Wells says the federal government is proud of its "world-leading" social media age restrictions, which come into effect today. She adds that the government is on the side of kids, parents and families with regard to online safety, rather than social media platforms. Wells has emphasised that Labor will defend its ban on under-16s’ use of social media platforms, amid several legal challenges and resistance to the policy amongst some technology companies. Meanwhile, Reddit has advised that it will comply with the ban, having previously flagged a legal challenge.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, REDDIT

Turnbull slams secrecy over AUKUS demands

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 10-Dec-25

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated after the annual AUSMIN talks that his nation is seeking "practical, realistic" ways to improve AUKUS alliance. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Richard Marles says the federal government is still "working through" the Pentagon’s review of the alliance, which is believed to have recommended a number of changes. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull contends that Marles should reveal details of the changes that the US has requested before the government makes its next $US1bn AUKUS downpayment. Turnbull adds that there is still a real possibility that Australia will not receive any Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines.

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UNITED STATES. DEPT OF DEFENSE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Super funds told to help bailout plan

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Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 19 : 10-Dec-25

The federal government will require the superannuation sector to contribute to the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort for the first time. The government intends to impose a ‘special levy’ on the super industry to help cover the scheme’s expected funding shortfall of $47.3m for the current financial year. Banks, financial advisers and stockbrokers are amongst the financial services providers that usually fund the CSLR via a levy. There has been ongoing concern about the viability of the CSLR since it was established to compensate refund victims of financial misconduct in cases where the provider is insolvent or otherwise lacks the capacity to pay.

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Albanese says his use of family travel allowance in accordance with the rules as MPs call for fresh look at entitlements

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Original article by Josh Butler, Krishani Dhanji
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 10-Dec-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become embroiled in the federal government’s controversy over travel expenses. Data from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority shows that Albanese has claimed a total of $2,778 in travel expenses on three separate occasions since 2022 for his family to join him on trips to attend sports events in Melbourne and Brisbane. A government spokesperson has indicated that all of Albanese’ disclosures were "in accordance with the rules". Meanwhile, Communications Minister Anika Wells has referred herself to IPEA for an audit of her travel expenses, although she believes all of her expenses complied with parliamentary rules. However, some MPs and senators have called for a review of travel expense claims.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES AUTHORITY

Platforms must show how they enforce under-16 ban

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 3-Dec-25

Communications Minister Anika Wells says the federal government must be as "agile and dynamic" as technology companies in enforcing the looming social media age restrictions. Australians under the age of 16 will initially be banned from using 10 social media platforms, but Wells has warned that other platforms will lose their exemption if minors migrate to them and are subjected to the same online conduct that prompted the ban in the first place. Wells adds that social media platforms will be required to provide monthly updates on the number of under-age accounts they have closed, following an initial report one day after the ban takes effect next week.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

We give up $8b defence dividend

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 3-Dec-25

The federal government’s support for local military suppliers is under scrutiny in the wake of its plans to establish an independent defence procurement agency. Government data shows that the list of the nation’s 15 biggest suppliers of military equipment includes just two that are Australian-owned; they accounted for about $5bn of the $87bn worth of procurement contracts over the last five years. The rest of these contracts were awarded to the subsidiaries of foreign defence contractors. Modelling undertaken on behalf of the Sovereign Australian Prime Alliance suggests that a modest increase in procurement from locally-owned defence companies could boost GDP by up to $8.1bn and create more than 25,000 jobs.

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Hunt for budget savings to extend beyond public service

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Original article by Luke Kinsella, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 3-Dec-25

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says the federal government has asked cabinet ministers to identify the five per cent of spending across their portfolios that is deemed to be the lowest priority. Her comments at a Senate estimates hearing suggest that Labor is seeking to cut spending across the public sector, rather than just the public service. Meanwhile, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that public sector demand increased by 1.2 per cent in the September quarter, following two quarters of negative growth.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Labor to slash $5.6b from public sector

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Original article by Luke Kinsella, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 26-Nov-25

The cost of running the federal public service is expected to top $111bn in 2025-26, having increased by 38 per cent since Labor took office in May 2022. Cabinet ministers and public service heads have been directed to find savings in their budgets of up to five per cent, in addition to the existing ‘efficiency dividend’ of one per cent. It is estimated that a five per cent spending cut across the public sector would result in savings of about $5.6bn. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has indicated that any savings are likely to be redirected to other policy priorities.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

PM has a secret China chat, as Xi’s Trump call sparks Taiwan fears

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 26-Nov-25

The federal government’s commitment to transparency is under renewed scrutiny after it declined to reveal what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed in a private meeting with one of China’s most senior politicians, Zhao Leji. Albanese’s office said the meeting with the chairman of the National People’s Congress was a private conversation, and contended that it is only required to disclose the details of meetings with a nation’s leader. It is uncertain as to whether Albanese raised the issue of Taiwan with Zhao; however, Chinese President Xi Jinping has asserted during a phone call to US counterpart Donald Trump that returning Taiwan to China’s control is on his government’s agenda.

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