AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

PM vows to crack down on doxxing

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Jess Malcolm, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 13-Feb-24

The federal government will criminalise ‘doxxing’ as part of an overhaul of the Privacy Act, after the personal details of 600 Jewish people in the nation’s creative industries were published online. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it is "completely unacceptable" for Australians to be targeted due to their religion or faith. Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich says the laws are urgently needed, adding that the deliberate online targeting of Jewish people constitutes "digital terrorism". Meanwhile, the government has come under scrutiny for taking until 2 February to declare the mass killing of Israelis in October 2023 as a terrorist attack.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ANTI-DEFAMATION COMMISSION

Federal auditor to probe Labor’s $2.2b rail plan

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Original article by Gus McCubbing
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 13-Feb-24

A Senate estimates hearing has been told that Auditor-General Grant Hehir will examine the federal government’s $2.2 billion commitment to Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop project. Hehir will look at whether this commitment represents value for money and if it was "informed by appropriate departmental advice". Department of Infrastructure secretary Jim Betts said the department will co-operate fully with Hehir’s investigation. Marion Terrill, former director of the Grattan Institute’s Transport and Cities Program, has welcomed the investigation, stating that big projects require more rather than less scrutiny.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Staff disconnects from Tony Burke’s own office

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Feb-24

The Department of Employment & Workplace Relations has disclosed that 36 per cent of its employees had an approved working from home arrangement at the end of October 2023. However, an Australian Public Service employee census survey shows that 72 per cent of the department’s staff had worked remotely at some point during 2023, including on an informal or ad hoc basis. The release of this data has coincided with the federal government’s push to introduce a legislated right for employees to ‘disconnect’ from their workplace outside of their designated working hours. Meanwhile, some 57 per cent of employees across the public service who completed the survey had access to working from home arrangements in 2023, compared with 46 per cent in 2021.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Joyce leadership hopes take a tumble

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Original article by Jess Malcolm, Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Feb-24

National Party leader David Littleproud says shadow veterans’ affairs minister Barnaby Joyce will be supported rather than reprimanded in the wake of an incident in Canberra. Littleproud says Joyce is "deeply embarrassed" about the incident, in which he was filmed lying on a pavement while making a profanity-laden phone call. Joyce has acknowledged that he should not have mixed alcohol with prescription medication. However, some Nationals MPs have suggested that he now has little chance of regaining the party’s leadership.

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NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

No scrutiny of workplace laws

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, Patrick Commins, Euan Black
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 13-Feb-24

The Productivity Commission has disclosed that the federal government did not consult it about proposed changes to industrial relations laws, including a legislated right for employees to ‘disconnect’ from their workplace. The revelation has strengthened concerns that the Closing Loopholes Bill No. 2 had been rushed through parliament. In addition, the bill as tabled by the government was subjected to a regulatory impact statement, but subsequent amendments – including the right to disconnect – were not subject to such scrutiny. The bill was passed by the lower house on Monday.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

ALP maintains an election winning lead over the Coalition in mid-February: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Feb-24

Support for the Labor government (52%) is in an election winning position ahead of the L-NP (48%) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan survey on Federal voting intention. This week’s result closely matches the result at the 2022 Federal Election (ALP 52.1% cf. 47.9%), and if a Federal Election were held now the Albanese government would be returned with a narrow majority. Polling trends over the last six months show that during this period, and including interviews with over 30,000 Australian voters, the average two-party preferred result is: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48% – the same result as this week. Coalition primary support was unchanged at 37% while ALP support was up 1.5% to 34.5%. The Greens were unchanged at 12% and One Nation dropped 0.5% to 4.5%. Support for Independents & Other Parties dropped 1% to 12%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,699 Australian electors from February 5-11. Further details will be released in Roy Morgan’s weekly video update presented by Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine.

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

Crossbench close to workplace deal

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Feb-24

The federal government and crossbench senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie are said to be close to a deal on key provisions of the Closing Loopholes No. 2 Bill. This includes the right of employees to ‘disconnect’ from their workplace outside of their standard hours of work. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has backed down on a contentious provision that could have resulted in employers being fined for unreasonably contacting staff outside of working hours. He says workers should also be entitled to ignore after-hours phone calls and emails from their employer without fear of being penalised for doing so. Burke and the crossbenchers are also believed to have reached agreement on the right of casual workers to request conversion to permanent employment.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Dutton sets scene for election tax battle

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Feb-24

The Coalition agreed to support changes to the legislated stage-three income tax cuts at a partyroom meeting on Tuesday. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the Coalition will back the tax cuts for people on low incomes, in order to support families amid the cost-of-living crisis. However, Dutton has indicated that the Coalition will take a "significant" tax policy to the next election; he says the Coalition will reduce taxes for Australian families, as they will need a lot of support to recover from Labor’s current term in office. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says ‘bracket creep’ is among the tax issues that the Coalition will aim to address.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Exit stage three: Libs in tax pivot

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly, Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Feb-24

The Coalition will finalise its position on the proposed changes to the stage-three tax income cuts at a joint partyroom meeting on Tuesday. Sources have indicated that the Liberal and National parties are unlikely to oppose the federal government’s changes, although they are expected to seek some amendments to Labor’s legislation. Opposition leader Peter Dutton will also use parliament’s first question time of the year to attack the government and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for reneging on an election commitment to implement the stage-three tax cuts in full. He will also contend that the government plans to target the negative gearing regime, trusts and the family home.

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

ALP support jumps strongly (up 2.5%) after detail of Stage 3 tax cuts is revealed: ALP 53% cf. L-NP 47%

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

Labor government support jumped 2.5% to 53% well ahead of the Coalition on 47% (down 2.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan survey on Federal voting intention. Support rebounded after the Albanese Government provided detail on its changes to the ‘Stage 3 tax cuts’ due in mid-year. Treasury analysis shows 84% of taxpayers will be better off under the changes. If this week’s result was repeated at a Federal Election the Albanese government would be returned with a large majority. ALP primary support increased 2% to 33%, Coalition support dropped 0.5% to 37%, the Greens dropped 1% to 12% and One Nation dropped 0.5% to 5%. Support for Independents & Other Parties was unchanged at 13%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,709 Australian electors from January 29 – February 4. Further details will be released in Roy Morgan’s weekly video update presented by Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine.

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