AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Labor to break tax cut promise

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jan-24

The federal government is set to break a key election pledge by making changes to the legislated stage-three personal income tax cuts. The proposed changes were discussed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, and will be endorsed by Labor’s caucus on Wednesday. Amongst other things, the government is expected to retain the 37 per cent income tax rate that was to have been abolished in July, although the current income threshold of between $120,000 and $180,000 will be increased. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is slated to announce the changes to the tax cuts package and new cost-of-living relief measures at a National Press Club speech on Thursday.

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

Greens warn Labor stage-three tax cuts will add to inflation and bring little relief for most workers

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 23-Jan-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has given strong indications that further cost-of-living relief will be on the federal government’s agenda at a caucus meeting on Wednesday. However, the government has downplayed reports that it will make changes to the legislated stage-three personal income tax cuts, including retaining the existing top marginal tax rate and increasing the tax-free threshold. Meanwhile, the Greens have written to Treasury Jim Chalmers arguing amongst other things that the tax cuts package is unsustainable, primarily benefits wealthy people and will be inflationary.

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

Roy Morgan’s latest Federal voting intention poll shows ALP 52.5% cf. L-NP 47.5% in election winning lead

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jan-24

Support for Labor has increased 1% to 52.5% ahead of the Coalition on 47.5% (down 1%) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan survey on Federal voting intention. This week saw a confirmation of trends evident a week ago, after the ABS announced lower-than-expected inflation numbers, with ALP support increasing for a second straight week, up 1% to 32.5%, while Coalition support dropped 1% to 36%. The Greens increased 0.5% to 12.5% and One Nation increased 0.5% to 5%. Support for Independents & Other Parties was down 1% to 14%. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,675 Australian electors from January 15-21.

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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

CFMEU to Burke: Stay out of DP World row

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 17-Jan-24

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke is slated to meet with executives from port operator DP World Australia on Thursday. The stevedoring firm is likely to urge the federal government to intervene in its long-running dispute with the Maritime Union of Australia. Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently urged Burke and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step in, contending that failure to do so would give the MUA a ‘green light’ to keep pursuing industrial action. However, the CFMEU’s national secretary Zach Smith warns that government intervention in the dispute would set a "dangerous precedent".

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DP WORLD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Teal demand 75pc emissions target by 2035

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Jan-24

Teal MPs in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are pushing for a much more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target than the federal government’s legislated policy of 43 per cent. Some of them want this target to be reset to around 50 to 60 per cent. The independent MPs contend that people in their electorate want "real "climate action" rather than "another decade of delay". Kylea Tink, Allegra Spender and Kate Chaney are among the teals who advocate stricter emission controls beyond the 2030 target, proposing a 2035 target of around 75 per cent. The government aims to set a 2035 target by February 2024.

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‘We don’t accept’ genocide case: Wong

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Original article by Yvonne Ball, Jess Malcolm
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Jan-24

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the federal government respects the independence of the International Court of Justice and its role in upholding international law. However, she has emphasised that this does mean that Australia accepts the premise of South Africa’s case of genocide against Israel in the ICJ. Wong also notes that Australia is not currently a party to the genocide claim, and that the ICJ has not yet sought international submissions on the case. Wong held talks with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman on Tuesday, which will be followed by two days of talks in Israel. She will meet survivors of the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks, although she will not visit the sites where the attacks occurred.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

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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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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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

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