AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Sex work, yoga banned from disability scheme

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 2-Oct-24

The federal government’s first list of approved services for National Disability Insurance Scheme participants will take effect on Thursday. Participants will be banned from using their NDIS funding to pay for a range of products and services; this includes groceries, cigarettes, accommodation costs, sex work and cuddle therapy. Items on the approved list include assistance animals, mobility supports, transport costs, prostheses and nursing care. There will be a 12-month transition period, and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten says remedial action will only be taken if there has been a clear breach of the rules.

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Double dissolution election threat to be revived in parliament over housing fight, as $100m crisis fund opens

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Original article by Tom Lowrey
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 2-Oct-24

The federal government hopes to resolve an impasse over its Help to Buy housing bill when it is put before parliament again next week. The Coalition opposes the shared equity scheme, while the Greens have sought major concessions in other areas of housing policy in return for supporting the bill. Housing Minister Claire O’Neil has left open the possibility of a double-dissolution election if the bill continues to be stalled in the Senate. Meanwhile, the government has begun accepting applications for grants via the Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program, which will provide financial assistance for victims of domestic violence.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

White-flag Albanese

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Noah Yim
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 2-Oct-24

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has backed Israel’s limited invasion of southern Lebanon that has targeted key Hezbollah sites. Austin discussed the issue with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, and says they agreed with the necessity of the ground operation in Lebanon. However, the federal government is under scrutiny for declining to publicly support the move; a spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, contending that the nation’s civilians should not have to pay the price of defeating Hezbollah. Opposition leader Peter Dutton in turn has stated that Labor’s abandonment of Israel is the "worst foreign affairs call in our generation".

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UNITED STATES. DEPT OF DEFENSE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Roy Morgan Poll: Federal election too close to call with Coalition (51%) now marginally ahead of the ALP (49%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Oct-24

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be ‘too close to call’, with the Coalition on 51% (up 1.5% from a week ago) just ahead of the ALP on 49% (down 1.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. This is the first time the Coalition has been in front for over a month – based on preferences being distributed by what electors tell us. However, when preferences are allocated based on how Australians voted at the 2022 Federal Election the result is reversed with the ALP on 51.5% (down 0.5% from a week ago) cf. L-NP 48.5% (up 0.5%). This tight result emphasises again how important preference flows will be in determining which major party is best placed to form government with the support of minor parties and independents after the next federal election. ALP primary vote support dropped 2% points to 30% while Coalition support was up 0.5% points at 38% – an 8% point gap between the two parties, the largest for a month. Support for the Greens was up 1% to 13.5% while One Nation was down 0.5% at 4.5%. Support for Other Parties increased 1% to 4.5% and support for Independents was unchanged at 9.5%.

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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

Social media laws could stymie valid debates on policy

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 1-Oct-24

Nick Coatsworth has expressed concern regarding the definitions of "serious harm", "misinformation" and "disinformation" in the federal government’s proposed legislation aimed at clamping down on misinformation and disinformation being spread on social media. The former deputy chief medical officer contends that the laws could be used to stifle public health debate, with Coatsworth citing debate during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. The Opposition supports a crackdown on misinformation and disinformation online, but shadow treasurer Angus Taylor claims that the government has the balance wrong. Communications Minister Michelle Rowlands says that doing nothing is not an option, while Treasurer Jim Chalmers has accused the Coalition of "running a protection racket" for big technology companies.

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

Stalled spend lifts surplus to $15bn

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Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 4 : 1-Oct-24

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has attributed the federal government’s higher-than-forecast budget surplus for 2023-24 to lower spending rather than increased taxes. The final budget outcome for 2023-24 has confirmed a surplus of $15.8bn, which is $9.3bn higher than was forecast in the May budget. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor claims that Labor is using temporary windfalls to boost the budget bottom line, adding that its two successive surpluses will be followed by a series of deficits. The government achieved significant savings by deferring expenditure in a range of areas in 2023-24; meanwhile, personal income tax revenue was $3.1bn lower than expected at $331.5bn and corporate tax receipts were $1.7bn below expectations at $141.2bn.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Gambling lobby pushes Labor to consider age verification to block minors from betting

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Original article by Josh Butler
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 25-Sep-24

The federal government recently announced plans to use age verification technology to impose age restrictions on social media. Some critics of the government’s proposed restrictions on gambling advertisement have suggested that similar technology could be used to prevent children from accessing wagering platforms. Meanwhile, the vAlliance for Gambling Reform’s chief advocate Tim Costello has expressed concern that the government will not take sufficient action to crack down on gambling ads.

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ALLIANCE FOR GAMBLING REFORM

Negative gearing in Labor’s sights as Albanese readies for election battle

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Original article by James Massola, David Crowe
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Sep-24

Several federal government sources have confirmed that Labor is considering potential changes to the negative gearing regime ahead of the upcoming election. One of the government officials has indicated that the Treasury has been asked to undertake modelling on possible reform options. Treasury is not believed to be considering the changes to the negative gearing and capital gains tax regimes that former Labor leader Bill Shorten took to the 2016 and 2019 elections.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Rates on hold will not help home buyers

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Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 25-Sep-24

Australian home buyers’ borrowing capacity has been cut by around 30 per cent since the Reserve Bank started reducing the cash rate in May 2022. Tim Lawless from CoreLogic says borrowing capacity – and therefore buying activity in the housing market – will not improve until the central bank starts to ease monetary policy. AMP’s chief economist Shane Oliver in turn says demand is unlikely to rise until there are clear signs that the Reserve Bank is about to reduce the cash rate.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Wong urges Australians to flee Lebanon

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 25-Sep-24

It is estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 Australian citizens are in Lebanon at any given time. The federal government has urged Australians to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available, amid fears that the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah will escalate. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned that the government lacks the capacity to evacuate every Australian who is currently in Lebanon, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised Australians for continuing to travel to Lebanon in recent months despite growing tensions in the region.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET