AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

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%.

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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

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

An assassination attempt here only a matter of time

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 3 : 17-Jul-24

The failed attempt to assassinate Donald Trump has heightened concerns about the safety of Australian politicians. Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews notes that she had raised such concerns in July 2022 in response to the assassination of Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe, and she believes that an attempt to kill an Australian politician is inevitable. The former Coalition cabinet minister adds that the current level of security protection for federal MPs is merely "adequate". Former Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo notes that the last major review of protective security arrangements for the nation’s parliamentarians was undertaken in 1979, in the wake of the Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing.

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Artificial intelligence final nail in coffin for creative sector

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 17-Jul-24

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has expressed concern about the impact of artificial intelligence technology on Australia’s creative sector. The MEAA has told a Senate committee that Australian creatives’ work is being "systematically scraped" to train AI platforms without their knowledge, consent or compensation. Amongst other things, the MEAA contended that AI firms should be legally required to disclose all data used to train their algorithms. Singer and songwriter Dr Rod Davies warned that AI could kill off Australia’s music industry.

CORPORATES
MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE

Roy Morgan Poll: Federal Election is ‘too close to call’: L-NP 50.5% cf. ALP 49.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Jul-24

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be a hung parliament and ‘too close to call’ with the Coalition on 50.5% cf. ALP 49.5% on a two-party preferred basis. The ALP or Coalition would require the support of minor parties and independents to form a minority government, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. Primary support for the Coalition dropped 2% to 37.5% this week while the ALP increased 2.5% to 31%. Support for the Greens was down 1% to 12.5%. Support for One Nation was unchanged at 5%, support for Other Parties was up 0.5% to 5% and support for Independents was unchanged at 9%.

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

Albanese poised to move against CFMEU

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 16-Jul-24

The federal government will consider a range of options to address the CFMEU. Cabinet minister Bill Shorten has indicated that these include deregistering the CFMEU or appointing external administrators to the militant union. Shorten had previously appointed administrators to ‘clean out’ the Health Services Union during his tenure as industrial relations minister in the Gillard government. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says "all options are on the table" regarding the CFMEU; he contends that the recent resignation of Victorian state secretary John Setka should be just the beginning of the cleaning up process.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Age-old hatred threat to nation, warns new envoy

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Jul-24

The federal government has appointed Jillian Segal as Australia’s first special envoy to combat anti-Semitism. Segal is a business leader, lawyer and philanthropist, and a former president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. She says anti-Semitism is a threat to Australian society as a whole, rather than just the Jewish community. Segal will represent Australia at the upcoming World Jewish Congress in Argentina. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out holding a judicial inquiry into anti-Semitism on university campuses. He has also criticised the Greens’ deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi for failing to call for Hamas to be ‘dismantled’ in a recent interview.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS