AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Turnbull says cabinet was told robo-debt was legal

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Original article by Tom Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 7-Mar-23

The royal commission into the robodebt scheme heard evidence from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Monday. Cabinet agreed to the controversial scheme in 2015, prior to Turnbull becoming prime minister; he said cabinet was told that the scheme was lawful, and he was therefore focused on the accuracy and fairness of the scheme rather than its legality. Turnbull also revealed that he recommended in early 2017 that the Digital Transformation Agency should be tasked with improving the scheme, but said that this did not occur.

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AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE ROBODEBT SCHEME

Labor concedes super tax rise to hit more retirees

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 7-Mar-23

The federal government’s plan to increase the tax on earnings on superannuation balances above $3 million from 15 to 30 per cent is currently only slated to impact 0.5 per cent of all superannuation account holders. However, the government has confirmed that this will rise to one in 10 people within 30 years, because the cap will not be indexed to inflation. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has stated that if a future government wants to index the cap, then that would be their prerogative.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Albanese Government support down 2% points after superannuation changes: ALP 54.5% cf. L-NP 45.5%, according to the latest Roy Morgan Poll

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Mar-23

Albanese Government support is down 2% points to 54.5% compared to the L-NP on 45.5% (up 2% points) on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Roy Morgan Poll – the closest result so far this year. The second consecutive weekly drop in support for the Albanese Government came after Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced changes to the taxation rules for superannuation. Australians with over $3 million in superannuation will now face an increased level of taxation and importantly the limit has not been indexed to inflation – which is currently at a 32-year high with an annual rate of 7.8%. Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating was virtually unchanged this week at 96 with 40% of Australians saying the country is ‘going in the right direction’ while 44% say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. This Roy Morgan Poll was conducted over the last week with an Australia-wide cross-section of 1,216 electors. Watch out for more details on the latest Roy Morgan Poll in today’s Market Research Update video.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Super-sized broken promise

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-23

The federal government has announced that it will increase the concessional tax rate for superannuation balances of more than $3m from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. The tax reform will be included in the May budget and legislated during the current term of parliament; however, it will not take effect until 1 July 2025, after the next federal election. Labor had ruled out changes to the super tax regime during the 2022 election, and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has described the backdown as another broken election promise. The super changes are expected to hit about 80,000 individuals, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has emphasised that 99.5 per cent of Australians will not be affected.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Latest Roy Morgan Poll: Support for the Albanese Government down after discussion about changing superannuation rules while Government Confidence plunges 6.5pts to 95.5 – lowest since the Federal Election

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Feb-23

Today’s Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention shows the ALP support down 2% points to 56.5% compared to the L-NP on 43.5% (up 2% points) on a two-party preferred basis. The drop in support for the Albanese Government came after Treasurer Jim Chalmers raised the prospect of changing taxation rules for those with large superannuation account balances of over $3 million. The issue of changes to superannuation was easily the largest media story last week with almost 800 media mentions during the week – about twice as many as the second-placed Mardi Gras in Sydney. In addition, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has plunged 6.5pts to 95.5 – the lowest rating since last year’s Federal Election. Now 39% of Australians (down 3.5% points) say the country is ‘going in the right direction’ compared to 43.5% (up 3% points) who say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. Although support for the Albanese Government took a hit the ALP is still well ahead on a two-party preferred basis and leads on primary vote: ALP 37% cf. L-NP 34.5%. Over a quarter of Australians, 28.5%, say they will vote for a minor party or independent including 13.5% for the Greens, 4% for One Nation, 8.5% for independents and 2.5% for other parties. Watch out for more details on the latest Roy Morgan Poll in today’s Market Research Update video.

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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

Ex-RBA governor questions super aims

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Original article by David Ross
The Australian – Page: 4 : 22-Feb-23

Former Reserve Bank of Australia governor Bernie Fraser says the federal government’s legislated objective for superannuation should include allowing people to use part of their accumulated savings to buy a home. The government’s draft purpose statement for super says amongst other things that it should "preserve savings to deliver income for a dignified retirement". Fraser contends that there is no more comforting thought for Australians than knowing that they will have somewhere to live when they retire. He has also questioned the government’s proposal to allow super funds to invest in social projects, noting that they tend to have low returns.

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Whatever it takes on Defence: PM

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Feb-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will emphasise the importance of the AUKUS alliance in a major national security speech on Wednesday. He will stress that the alliance extends beyond nuclear submarines and technological interoperability, contending that it presents a "whole-of-nation" opportunity for new jobs, industries and expertise in sectors such as science and technology. Albanese will also state that the federal government will ensure that Australia’s defence forces have the resources that are needed to defend the nation and deter potential aggressors.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Chinese-made cameras found in 88 MPs’ offices

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Original article by Ellen Whinnett
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Feb-23

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has sought security advice on a potential government-wide ban on surveillance cameras made by Hikvision and Dahua, which are both partly owned by the Chinese Communist Party. An audit has found that up to 1,000 cameras and other devices may have been installed across 250 federal government sites. This includes 122 devices that have been installed in the electorate offices of 88 federal MPs and senators. A Department of Finance spokesman has advised that Chinese-made surveillance cameras in electorate offices are being replaced as a precautionary measure.

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AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), HIKVISION, DAHUA

Defence review trigger pulled

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Feb-23

The federal government will consider the final report of the Defence Strategic Review in coming weeks, after receiving it on Tuesday. Amongst other things, former defence chief Angus Houston and ex-defence minister Stephen Smith are believed to have recommended investing in military drones, unmanned submarines and warships that are equipped with guided missiles. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the review will "underpin defence policy for decades to come". He adds that the report has been delivered against the backdrop of the most complex strategic landscape that Australia has faced since the end of the Second World War.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Put stop to Senate defectors

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Angelica Snowden, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 15-Feb-23

Centre for Public Integrity chair Anthony Whealy says federal parliament should pursue reforms to address the issue of senators who quit their political party but remain in the upper house. He contends that when electors vote for a party’s candidate in the Senate they are registering a vote for that party, so the "will of the people should prevail". Former Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has joined a growing list of upper house members who have switched political allegiances in the last decade. Former attorney-­general George Brandis has described Thorpe’s decision to become an independent as a "cynical and egotistical act" and a "blatant insult" to people who had voted for the Greens rather than Thorpe.

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THE CENTRE FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS