AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Unis capped at 40pc overseas students

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Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 6-Aug-24

Sources within the federal government have indicated that it proposes to enforce new caps on international student numbers from the start of 2025. Labor is expected to announce specific caps for each university and college within days, but they will be required to limit foreign student numbers to 40 per cent of their total enrolment. The proposed caps will be based on 2019 figures, when there were 671,200 foreign students in Australia; this compares with an estimated 780,100 in 2024. Sydney University, Monash and RMIT are among at least 10 universities that currently exceed the cap.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, MONASH UNIVERSITY, RMIT UNIVERSITY

Roy Morgan Poll: Labor edges further ahead as inflation is lower than expected and interest rates set to remain unchanged: ALP 51.5% cf. L-NP 48.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Aug-24

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be a narrow win for the Labor Party with the ALP on 51.5% (up 1%) ahead of the Coalition on 48.5% (down 1%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. Although neither major party increased their support this week, the flow of preferences from minor parties tipped further in favour of the ALP, once again highlighting the importance of preference flows to determine the overall two-party preferred result. The Coalition primary vote decreased by 0.5% to 37% while ALP primary support was unchanged at 30.5%. Support for the Greens dropped 1% to 12% and support for One Nation was down 1% to 5.5%. It was smaller parties and independents that gained support. Support for Other Parties was up 1% to 5% and support for Independents increased 1.5% to 10% – the highest level it has been so far this year.

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

Labor vows to force banks to compensate Australians tricked out of money by scammers

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Original article by Karen Middleton
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 31-Jul-24

The federal government intends to pursue further reforms aimed at protecting consumers from scams. Assistant treasurer Stephen Jones will note in a National Press Club on Wednesday that the government’s crackdown helped to reduce losses from scams to $2.74bn in 2023, compared with $3bn in 2022. Jones will add that losses due to social media-based scams rose by 17 per cent in 2023, and he will argue that the ‘social licence’ of digital platforms requires them to do more to protect their users from fraudsters. Jones will also flag reforms that will require banks to compensate customers for losses incurred due to scams.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

BHP warns on made in Australia

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-Jul-24

The federal government aims to pass its Future Made in Australia bill when parliament resumes in August. However, BHP has used its submission to a Senate inquiry to warn of the risks associated with Labor’s signature Future Made in Australia policy, which amongst other things is aimed at attracting increasd investment in the nation’s critical minerals sector. BHP notes that many countries have large deposits of critical minerals, and are competing for private sector investment in this sector. BHP adds that factors such as Australia’s workplace laws, an uncompetitive tax system and proposed environmental laws could undermine the policy.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

PM calls for Barnaby Joyce to be sacked for telling voters to use votes as bullets

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Original article by Courtney Gould, Tim Fernandez
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 30-Jul-24

National Party MP Barnaby Joyce has apologised for using an inappropiate metaphor during an anti-wind farm rally in NSW on Sunday. Joyce likened a ballot paper in the upcoming election to a bullet and the ballot box to a gun’s magazine; he stated that voters should "get ready to load that magazine" and says goodbye to Chris Bowen, Anthony Albanese and the local MP Stephen Jones. Albanese has urged Opposition leader Peter Dutton to remove Joyce from his frontbench, contending that the analogy was completely unacceptable and could potentially incite violence behaviour. Joyce’s comments followed the recent failed attempt to assassinate former US president Donald Trump.

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

No stopping boats if you stop looking

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Jul-24

New data has raised concern about Australia’s ability to detect illegal maritime arrivals. US-based Leidos is required to undertake 15,000 hours of aerial surveillance each year under its Operation Sovereign Borders contract. However, the defence company’s total flight time in 2022-23 was just 12,691 hours, which is 20.7 per cent lower than the previous year. The Senate was recently told that this had fallen by a further two per cent in the first 11 months of 2023-24. The Coalition contends that addressing the decline in aerial surveillance and maritime patrols should be a priority for new Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.

CORPORATES
LEIDOS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS

Roy Morgan Poll: Labor has slight edge in too close to call election as both major parties lose primary support: ALP 50.5% cf. L-NP 49.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Jul-24

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be ‘too close to call’ with the Labor Party in front 50.5% (up 1.5%) just ahead of the Coalition on 49.5% (down 1.5%) on a two-party preferred basis. Either the ALP or Coalition would require the support of minor parties and independents to form a minority government based on these results, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. The Coalition primary vote was down 2% to 37.5%, the ALP primary support was down 1% to 30.5% while support for the Greens was unchanged at 13%. Support for One Nation increased 1.5% to 6.5%, support for Other Parties was up 0.5% to 4% and support for 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

CFMEU will take years to rebuild: Watt

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Jul-24

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt says the allegations that the CFMEU’s construction division has links to organised crime are "shocking and seriously disturbing". Watt adds that addressing the issue is a top priority for the federal government. Watt also says the government is prepared to legislate to ensure that several branches of the CFMEU’s construction division are placed in administration. Meanwhile, Watt has criticised Coalition MPs for claiming that the CFMEU’s links to organised crime were well-known, questioning why the Coalition did nothing about the issue while it was in office.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION

Roy Morgan Poll: Coalition gains slight edge over Labor after controversy about alleged union corruption: L-NP 51% cf. ALP 49%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jul-24

If a Federal Election were held now the Coalition would be favoured to form a minority government with the support of minor parties and independents with the Coalition on 51% (up 0.5%) leading the ALP on 49% (down 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. The Coalition increased its primary vote lead over the ALP this week with the Coalition up 2% to 39.5% and well ahead of the ALP on 31.5% (up 0.5%). In addition, support for the Greens was up 0.5% to 13%. Support for One Nation was unchanged at 5%, support for Other Parties dropped 1.5% to 3.5% and support for Independents dropped 1.5% to 7.5%.

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

Albanese to call in watchdog for CFMEU

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Greg Brown, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 9 : 17-Jul-24

Cabinet sources have indicated that the federal government intends to appoint an external administrator to the CFMEU in response to the allegations about its links to the underworld. A senior minister has stated that this is the "only option" left for the government to ‘clean up’ the CFMEU. The Coalition has urged the government to deregister the militant union, but Labor has ruled out this out; the minister has stated that doing so could have "unintended consequences" and make it harder to clean up the construction sector in the long-term. RMIT law professor Anthony Forsyth notes that deregistration is generally only available for industrial misconduct rather than criminal behaviour. Meanwhile, the Maritime Union of Australia is said to be considering whether to demerge from the CFMEU.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RMIT UNIVERSITY, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA