AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Asylum centre funding behind Nauru ambush

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 17-Jan-24

The Minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, has advised that the federal government was given advance notice by Nauru that it intended to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. Conroy says Nauru did not ask the government for additional funds to prevent the diplomatic switch. Meanwhile, a Taiwan media report has claimed that the move was at least partly due to Taiwan’s decision to reject Nauru’s request for an extra $125m to address the financial shortfall caused by the temporary closure of Australia’s offshore immigration detention centre. However, the federal government contends that the facility has never been closed.

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Dutton must explain Woolies boycott: PM

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 3 : 16-Jan-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Opposition leader Peter Dutton needs to clarify his stance on Woolworths after the retail giant advised that it will not stock Australia Day-themed merchandise. Albanese says Dutton should specify whether his call to boycott Woolworths is only meant to apply until after the national holiday or should be ongoing. Albanese adds that the boycott would presumably also apply to Kmart and Aldi, and notes that the three retailers collectively employ about 200,000 people, so Dutton should explain the impact of his proposed boycott on their jobs.

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WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Freed immigration detainee sues Australian government for damages for alleged false imprisonment

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Jan-24

A stateless Kurdish man is suing Immigration Minister Andrew Giles for false imprisonment, following his release from immigration detention after the High Court ruled indefinite detention was illegal. Should his case prove successful, it could lead to the 149 people released as a result of the ruling to sue the government for what could be hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation; the man in question was born in Iran and arrived with his mother by boat at Christmas Island aged 16.

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Albanese says Australia will not participate in ICJ case against Israel and instead focus on political solution

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Jan-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will not take part in the International Court of Justice proceedings initiated by South Africa, which is accusing Israel of genocide as a result of its bomdardment of Gaza. Speaking as foreign affairs minister Penny Wong set off on a trip to the Middle East, Albanese said Australia would instead focus on a ‘political solution’ to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Wong is due to visit both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories during her Middle East visit; she will meet with survivors of the 7 October Hamas attack while in Israel, but will not visit the communities in southern Israel where the attacks were carried out, for which she has been criticised by the Zionist Federation of Australia

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Cost-of-living relief possible before May: PM

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 16-Jan-24

The federal government could potentially unveil further measures aimed at addressing the rising cost of living ahead of the budget on 14 May. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government understands that Australians are "doing it tough", and it may be open to additional cost-of-living relief. However, the government has ruled out cash handouts, although potential measures could include further rebates for household energy bills. The upcoming by-election in the Melbourne seat of Dunkley could affect the timing any household relief.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Roy Morgan’s latest Federal voting intention poll shows ALP 51.5% cf. L-NP 48.5% after inflation drops to two-year low of 4.3%

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

Support for Labor has increased 2.5% to 51.5% ahead of the Coalition on 48.5% (down 2.5%) on a two-party preferred basis after the official inflation figure dropped to a two-year low, according to the second Roy Morgan survey on Federal voting intention for 2024. The sharp fall in inflation, down 0.6% to 4.3%, means further interest rate increases in 2024 are unlikely. This week saw a reversal of trends evident a week ago with ALP support increasing 2.5% to 31.5% while Coalition support dropped 2% to 37%. The Greens dropped 1% to 12% and One Nation was down 0.5% to 4.5%. Support for Independents & Other Parties increased 1% to 15%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,727 Australian electors from January 8-14, 2024. Further details will be released on Tuesday in Roy Morgan’s weekly video update presented by Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine here: http://www.youtube.com/roymorganaus

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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

Coalition MPs snub 2035 target

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Jan-24

The Paris Agreement requires the federal government to finalise a 2035 emissions reduction target by February 2025. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under pressure to adopt a 2035 target of at least 70 per cent, and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has previously stated that the government’s 2035 target will be announced "in due course". Meanwhile, a number of Liberal and National MPs have cautioned Opposition leader Peter Dutton against taking an emissions reduction target to voters at the next election. Amongst other things, they are concerned that it would exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis, particularly for people in regional areas.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Emerson to keep supermarkets in check

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 3 : 10-Jan-24

The federal government has appointed former Labor trade minister Craig Emerson to head a review of the food and grocery code of conduct. The government will consider a range of options to ensure that businesses are passing on lower costs to consumers, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says supermarkets have a duty to ensure that they are providing affordable options for all Australians. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says major retailers do not have to wait until the review is ­completed to lower their prices.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY

Dutton pushes stronger stance on hate speech

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Original article by Alexi Demetriadi
The Australian – Page: 3 : 9-Jan-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has urged the federal government to strengthen the nation’s laws on hate speech, stating that the Coalition would fully support any such move. Dutton adds that the government should pay the Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s legal costs if it goes ahead with legal action against Muslim clerics who have racially vilified Jewish people in sermons. Former ECAJ president and Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat says the existing legislation is not working; she adds that if hate speech is not prosecuted it becomes normalised and people start to think they can get away with it.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY

ALP holding us back: miners

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 9-Jan-24

Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says the federal government is "taking the resources sector for granted" and its policy settings are aimed at making the industry anti-competitive. She has called for major government support for the resources sector to ensure that Australia continues to be attractive to investors. Constable adds that the government needs to support the sector as a whole, rather than focusing on critical minerals. Analysis shows that 72 coal, iron ore and oil and gas projects have been shelved, delayed or failed to progress in the last 12 months.

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MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA