AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

AUKUS originals to embrace threesome – that’s the pillar talk

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 18-Sep-24

The three founding members of the AUKUS alliance are not expected to expand the nuclear submarines component of the defence pact to include other nations. However, the political leaders of Australia, the US and the UK will indicate on Wednesday that they may be open to inviting South Korea, New Zealand and Canada to participate in the ‘Pillar II’ phase of the defence pact, which will focus on military technology. They have previously flagged the possibility that Japan could be invited to join Pillar II. The leaders’ statement will be issued to mark the third anniversary of the alliance. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also discuss progress on AUKUS at the upcoming four-nation Quad leaders’ meeting in the US.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

CFMEU scandal once in a generation chance

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Sep-24

The federal government will reconvene its National Construction Industry Forum in October. Amongst other things, members of the forum will be asked to consider measures aimed at addressing corruption and misconduct in the building and construction industry. Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt says a "major reset" is needed in the nation’s construction industry, and the scandal that has embroiled the CFMEU is a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to do so. Meanwhile, the CFMEU’s administrator Mark Irving will use his coercive powers to direct Geoffrey Watson SC to continue with his investigation into corruption within the union’s Victorian branch.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FORUM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

No retreat on IR laws: Albanese

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Sep-24

Industrial relations is set to be a key federal election issue, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated on Tuesday that Labor will not back down on the reforms it has implemented. The Coalition in turn has committed to repealing key aspects of the reforms, including multiple-employer bargaining. Meanwhile, Albanese has told the Business Council of Australia’s annual dinner that his government is "proudly pro-business and pro-worker". Albanese used his speech to highlight Labor policies and initiatives that have helped the business sector. However, BCA CEO Bran Black and president Geoff Culbert both criticised Labor’s workplace reforms in their speeches at the event.

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

No policy and extreme right views will cost Dutton: Labor

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Sep-24

Labor MPs are hopeful that the Coalition’s lack of policies will see voters look more favourably upon the federal government in the lead-up to the next election. With opinion polls continuing to suggest the election result will be very tight, and the possibility of a Coalition minority government not being ruled out, Tim Ayres, who is an assistant minister in the federal government, claims voters will be reluctant to vote for the Coalition because of what he claims are the extreme views of Opposition leader Peter Dutton.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Kelty blasts Labor failure on economy

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Original article by Jennifer Hewett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Sep-24

Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty says that while the federal government has delivered some good policies in its first term of office, it lacks any plan to revive Australia’s moribund economy. Some of the areas that Kelty suggests that the government needs to take action to stimulate the economy include a revision of bank lending rules and a major shake-up of the tax system. Kelty recently told a meeting of Melbourne business leaders that Paul Keating was correct when he said the government needs a greater dose of imagination, while he has also proposed a new model of enterprise bargaining that includes guaranteed jobs in every industry in which there is a shortage.

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ACTU

Bunnings boss rejects gouging claim

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Original article by James Thomson, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 17-Sep-24

National Party senator Ross Cadell has reiterated his view that the pricing policies of so-called ‘big-box’ retailers such as Bunnings should be scrutinised by a parliamentary inquiry. However, Bunnings MD Mike Schneider has responded to suggestions that the hardware giant may have engaged in price gouging and abused its market power. He notes the company’s long-running ‘lowest prices are just the beginning’ advertising slogan, arguing that Bunnings puts a lot of work and capital into ensuring that it lives up to this claim.

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BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Federal voting intention virtually unchanged this week with ALP (50.5%) marginally ahead of the Coalition (49.5%); but Greens lost support after violent protests

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Sep-24

The latest Roy Morgan survey shows that if a Federal Election were held now the result would be ‘too close to call’, with the ALP on 50.5% (down 0.5%) just ahead of the Coalition on 49.5% (up 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis. There was a slight movement to the Coalition on a two-party preferred result this week; however, either the ALP or Coalition would require the support of minor parties and independents to form a minority government. The result again shows the importance of preference flows to determine the overall two-party preferred result. The primary vote of both major parties was up this week – mainly at the expense of the Greens. The ALP’s primary vote increased 0.5% to 30.5% while Coalition support increased 1% to 37.5%. Support for the Greens dropped 2% to 12.5%, while One Nation was down 0.5% at 5.5%. Support for Other Parties increased 0.5% to 4%, and support for Independents was up 0.5% to 10%.

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

Whistleblower’s fresh claims on CFMEU’s missing $30m

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Sep-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is continuing to attract scrutiny over revelations that a CFMEU whistleblower had warned him in 2014 that the union had links to organised crime. Shadow employment minister Michaelia Cash has urged Albanese to disclose what action he had taken in response to the claims made by former CFMEU official Andrew Quirk a decade ago. Cash adds that Albanese should explain why Labor continued to accept donations from the CFMEU despite being aware of its criminal connections. It has also emerged that Quirk and a fellow whistleblower had raised concerns about the whereabouts of $30m from the sale of the CFMEU’s headquarters in NSW.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Aged care taps the rich

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Sep-24

The federal government and the Opposition have reached an agreement on an overhaul of the aged care sector that aims to rein in increasing costs and which will see wealthier retirees pay more for the cost of their care, whether in residential care or in their homes. The overhaul puts an increased focus on in-home care, in acknowledgement that people will increasingly use residential care only for the very end of their lives, while there will be no changes to the treatment of the family home under the new means testing regime that will apply under the overhaul. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Opposition leader Peter Dutton for the bipartisanship the Coalition had shown hroughout the discussions on the aged care overhaul, while Dutton said he wanted to make sure people have dignity as they age.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

CFMEU $3m transfer stinks to high heaven

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Sep-24

The CFMEU is under renewed scrutiny following revelations that its NSW branch transferred $3.15m of members’ funds to a Sydney law firm that was representing former state secretary Darren Greenfield and his son. Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has credited the federal government’s "strong action" in appointing an administrator to the CFMEU for exposing the funds transfer, which occured just two days after Labor revealed plans to force the union’s construction divisions into administration. He says it shows that many of the CFMEU’s former leaders had acted in their own interests, rather than the interests of the union’s members.

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