AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention shows support increasing for both major parties as two-party preferred result narrows: ALP 51% cf. L-NP 49%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Dec-23

The ALP is now on 51% (down 1.5% on a week ago) ahead of the Coalition on 49% (up 1.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention conducted last week. The primary vote of both major parties strengthened with the Coalition now on 37.5%, up 2.5% ahead of the ALP on 32.5%, up 0.5%. The Greens are down 1% to 12.5% and One Nation is unchanged on 5%. Support for Independents dropped 0.5% to 8.5% and was down 1.5% to 4% for Other Parties. This Roy Morgan Poll is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,730 Australian electors from November 27 – December 3, 2023. For further details watch Roy Morgan’s weekly Market Research Update video presented by Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine on Tuesday afternoon.

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

Albanese insists ALP will honour its stage three tax cut promise

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Nov-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated in parliament that Labor remains committed to implementing the Coalition’s legislated stage-three personal income tax cuts, which are slated to take effect in mid-2024. Labor had committed to proceeding with the tax cuts during the 2022 federal election campaign. Albanese has also told Labor’s final caucus meeting for the year that keeping election promises is critical to maintaining trust with voters, with the nation due to go the polls again in 2025.

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

States take on Albanese in GST spat

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Nov-23

The federal government is under pressure from the states and territories to permanently retain the goods and services ‘no worse off guarantee’, which is slated to end by 2026-27. The guarantee was introduced in 2018, with the aim of compensating the states for GST revenue they lost as part of a deal to put a ‘floor’ under the allocation for Western Australia. Victoria’s Treasurer Tim Pallas contends that ending the guarantee would be ‘disastrous’ for the states, as they would be collectively $4.9bn worse off each year. The guarantee will be on the agenda for a meeting of the state and federal treasurers in Brisbane on Friday.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE

Business pans unfair IR deal with Greens

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Nov-23

The federal government’s Closing Loopholes Bill was passed by the lower house on Wednesday, with more than 80 amendments that Labor had agreed to implement. However, employers’ groups have criticised a Greens amendment that will have major implications for the government’s intractable bargaining laws, which allow unions or employers to unilaterally go to arbitration after nine months of failed bargaining. The amendment means that employees’ existing conditions cannot be reduced via such arbitration. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar says the Fair Work Commission will make a lot more unilateral decisions as a result of this amendment, which will in turn further reduce productivity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Bill shock fears risk NDIS deal

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Original article by Sarah Ison, Stephen Lunn, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 30-Nov-23

The federal government will push for an overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme at a meeting of the national cabinet on 6 December. However, several state and territory governments are believed to have warned that they will not agree to any NDIS reforms unless they know just how much the changes will cost them. NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has declined to comment on how the proposed reforms would affect state government budgets. However, he has emphasised the urgency of reining in the cost of the scheme.

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Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention shows support for the ALP recovering – up 3% points: ALP 52.5% cf. L-NP 47.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Nov-23

The ALP has regained the lead on 52.5% (up 3% on a week ago) ahead of the Coalition on 47.5% (down 3%) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention conducted over the last week. The result halts a run of three straight weeks of declines for the ALP. On primary vote the Coalition is now on 35% (down 2.5% from a week ago), ahead of the ALP on 32% (up 2.5%). The Greens are unchanged on 13.5% and One Nation is on 5%, down 1.5%. There has been a gain in support for Independents on 9%, up 2%, but a drop in support for Other Parties on 5.5%, down 0.5%. The latest Roy Morgan Poll is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 1,379 Australian electors from November 20-26, 2023. For further details watch Roy Morgan’s weekly Market Research Update video presented by Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine.

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

Union bosses demand cost-of-living relief as PM flags further measures

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 29-Nov-23

Prime Minister Albanese has told Labor MPs that the cost-of-living crisis has been at the top of the federal government’s top agenda, but he acknowledged that it must do more to assist households in the next year. ACTU secretary Sally McManus and the CFMEU’s national secretary Zach Smith have urged the government to make cost-of-living relief a priority; the latter has advocated measures such as a super profits tax on big business and short-term measures such as cutting the fuel excise or subsidising energy bills.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

More IR changes make bad bill worse

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 29-Nov-23

The federal government tabled 81 amendments to its Closing Loopholes Bill in the lower house on Tuesday. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox and Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable have expressed concern about some of the amendments, with the latter contending that they will broaden the union movement’s powers with regard to the ‘same job, same pay’ provisions. However, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has described the amendments as "practical reforms".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

ALP divides to conquer on IR

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 22-Nov-23

The federal government has struck a deal with the Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association to exempt service contractors from the labour-hire provisions of the Closing Loopholes Bill. It follows week of negotiations between Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke and AREEA, whose CEO Steve Knott has been a vocal critic of the proposed reforms. The amendments to the bill mean that the Fair Work Commission will not be able to make labour hire pay orders if a business is providing a service to a client rather than supplying labour. The government has previously agreed to changes to the bill following talks with the Australian Hotels Association and gig economy platforms.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION

PM urged to be honest over Xi meeting

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Nov-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing growing pressure to reveal whether he discussed a naval incident with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the recent APEC summit in San Francisco. Albanese stated on Monday that he does not disclose the discussions he has with any world leader, but he said allegations that divers from HMAS Toowoomba were injured by a sonar pulse from a Chinese warship have been raised in the "appropriate way". Opposition leader Peter Dutton says Albanese need to be "honest" as to whether he had discussed the issue with Xi. He has also described China’s denial that it had breached international laws as "propaganda". The incident took place within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET