AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

‘Hand back your seat’, says Greens candidate who lost to Thorpe

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Original article by David Crowe
The Age – Page: Online : 8-Feb-23

Barrister and human rights activist Julian Burnside lost the Greens’ 2020 preselection race for the Senate seat that was ultimately won by Lidia Thorpe. Her decision to quit the Greens and become an independent has prompted Burnside to call for her to vacate her seat, arguing that it belongs to the party rather than Thorpe, as voters had backed the Greens and not her. David Risstrom was also a candidate for preselection in 2020; he says the process was fair and Greens members should accept it.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS

State and territory leaders to sign joint statement backing Indigenous voice to parliament

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Feb-23

The leaders of Australia’s state and territory governments will attend a Council for the Australian Federation meeting on Thursday. They are expected to sign a joint statement expressing support for an Indigenous voice to federal parliament. They have all previously publicly committed to backing the voice. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he will vote ‘yes’ at the upcoming referendum on the voice and has urged everyone to do so. Meanwhile, the South Australian government has committed to legislating an Indigenous voice to state parliament in 2023. The federal Liberal Party has yet to formally announce its position on the voice, while the Greens are expected to formalise their position at a two-strategy meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

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COUNCIL FOR THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

All countries must help prevent catastrophic war amid China-US tensions: Wong

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Feb-23

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong will use a speech at King’s College London to warn that the Indo-Pacific region is becoming "more dangerous and volatile". Wong will contend that a war in the region would be catastrophic, and she will emphasise that every country must consider what they can do to help avert such a conflict. Wong’s speech comes amid growing tensions between the US and China. Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles will hold annual high-level talks with their British counterparts in coming days.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, KING’S COLLEGE LONDON

Government prepares to unveil AUKUS plan

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

The federal government is expected to shortly announce which nuclear-powered submarine design it would opt for under the AUKUS alliance. Defence Minister Richard Marles will receive the recommendations of the submarine taskforce in coming weeks, as well as the final version of a strategic review of the nation’s defence forces. Marles says he is prepared to make difficult decisions regarding defence spending in response to the strategic review. However, he stresses that the government will ensure that the nation avoids a ‘capability gap’ between the retirement of the Collins-class submarines and the delivery of their nuclear-powered replacements.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Liberals hose down talk of Abbott tilt

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jan-23

The Liberal Party’s state council will select someone to fill an upper house vacancy following the death of NSW senator Jim Molan. NSW Liberals are downplaying the prospect that former prime minister Tony Abbott could return to parliament via Molan’s seat. There is also the potential for a factional battle to fill the vacancy; Dallas Mc­Inerney is seen as the leading contender from the Liberals’ conservative faction, although there is speculation that the moderate faction will seek to fill the seat.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Government introduces laws to protect Australians from online misinformation

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Age – Page: Online : 20-Jan-23

Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland intends to give the Australian Communications & Media Authority the power to retract information from technology companies if they do not meet the standards of a voluntary misinformation and disinformation code of practice previously established by the tech sector. Rowland contends that misinformation and disinformation presents a threat to Australia’s democracy, society and economy, as well as to the safety and wellbeing of its citizens.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Labor aims at $5m super stockpiles

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Jan-23

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones says the federal government will legislate an objective for superannuation. However, Labor’s legislated purpose for super will be narrower than the industry would prefer; super funds want it to include concepts such as ‘comfort in retirement’ and ‘preservation’, which critics argue would enshrine tax breaks and prevent people from making withdrawals to buy a home. Labor may also take action to cap super balances at $2m. It is estimated that tax concessions for people with super balances of more than $5m costs the budget about $1.5bn a year.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Australia to consider European-style right to be forgotten privacy laws

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 19-Jan-23

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says the federal government will pursue a major overhaul of the Privacy Act. He had stated in late 2022 that the legislation is not "fit-for-purpose" in the digital due to inaction by the former Coalition government. Amongst other things, potential reforms could include introducing a statutory tort of privacy, which would give people the right to seek damages for breaches of their privacy. The so-called ‘right to be forgotten’ could also be on Labor’s agenda; this would allow people to request companies to erase their personal data if it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

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AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Lib’s Senate push for Abbott

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Jan-23

Liberal Party powerbroker Michael Kroger has suggested that former prime minister Tony Abbott should replace the late Jim Molan in the Senate. Kroger says he believes there is "no better candidate" than Abbott to fill the upper house vacancy, arguing that his experience in opposition would help the Coalition. However, Kroger emphasises any decision as to who will replace Molan for the remaining five years of his eight-year term is entirely up to the Liberals’ NSW division. Abbott lost the seat of Warringah at the 2019 election.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Albanese keeps door open to legislating Voice if the referendum fails

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Original article by Lisa Visentin
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 19-Jan-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is confident that the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament will be passed. Albanese has stated that he is "not contemplating failure", although he has refused to rule out the option of legislating the Voice if the ‘No’ vote prevails. He has merely stated that there will be no constitutional change if the Voice referendum is rejected by voters. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Peter Dutton has again urged Labor to legislate the Voice before seeking to enshrine it in the Constitution.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET