AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Coalition’s $50 JobSeeker rise more generous than Labor’s proposal, Pocock says

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Original article by Amy Remeikis, Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 3-May-23

The federal government is under scrutiny over reports that an increase in the JobSeeker payment in the 9 May budget will be restricted to people aged 55+. Independent senator David Pocock has called for an across-the-board increase in unemployment benefits and the youth allowance, saying it appears that younger people are being "left behind". Pocock adds that Labor risks being unfavourably compared to the former Coalition government, which increased JobSeeker and other support payments by $50 a fortnight in April 2021. Liberal MP Bridget Archer and teal MPs have also called for an increase in JobSeeker for all recipients.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Jobs galore, but more on JobSeeker

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 3-May-23

Data from the Department of Social Services shows that 921,000 people were receiving the JobSeeker and youth allowance payments at the end of March. The number of people receiving these payments has fallen by just 59,000 since Labor took office in May 2022, despite the unemployment rate having fallen to its lowest level in nearly five decades. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has urged the federal government to strengthen the ‘work for the dole’ program, which Treasurer Jim Chalmers has rejected. He says the 9 May budget will include measures aimed at supporting communities that are facing "entrenched, long-term unemployment".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Dutton reshuffle promotes two Voice opponents

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 19-Apr-23

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has announced broader changes to his frontbench team than had been expected, in response to the resignation of Karen Andrews. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has replaced Julian Leeser as shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, while fellow Indigenous senator Kerrynne Liddle will have responsibility for child protection and the prevention of family violence. Price and Liddle both oppose the federal government’s proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament. Dutton supports constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, but he favours enacting a regional and local voice via legislation.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Burying a $34bn budget bomb

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Original article by Patrick Commins, Geoff Chambers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Apr-23

The federal government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has made 37 recommendations in a report that has been released ahead of the budget on 9 May. The Treasury’s modelling suggests that implementing all of the recommendations would cost more than $34bn over the forward estimates period. This includes $24bn for the committee’s proposal to increase the JobSeeker allowance to 90 per cent of the age pension. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that the government will consider some of the recommendations, but he has downplayed the prospect of a large increase in JobSeeker amid the need for fiscal restraint. However, he says the budget will include measures to address disadvantage.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Labor considering tougher anti-money laundering laws

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 13-Apr-23

A Senate committee recommended a number of changes to Australia’s money-laundering laws in a report that was released prior to the 2022 federal election. A spokesman for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has indicated that the federal government is considering the report. Amongst other things, the committee has called for the implementation of the Tranche 2 reforms, which would broaden the nation’s anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing laws to apply to the real estate, accounting and legal professions. Australia, the US and Canada are the only major developed countries whose money-laundering laws do not apply to these sectors.

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AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Distrust behind recent election losses for the Liberals

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Apr-23

The Liberal Party suffered a crippling and unexpected loss in the Aston by-election in early April, losing the once safe seat in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs to Labor – the first time a government has won a seat off an opposition at a federal by-election since 1920. This latest loss came only a week after the Liberals suffered defeat at the New South Wales election, following losses at the federal, Victorian and South Australian elections in 2022. Roy Morgan’s data has consistently shown that the Liberal Party, as well as its leaders, are suffering from deep levels of distrust (far outweighing their levels of trust), while the Labor Party has generally recorded near equal levels of trust and distrust. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that before the Liberal Party can re-gain the trust of the Australian people and form government again, it must first neutralise its high levels of distrust. This must be a key focus for the opposition between now and the next federal election.

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

Wyatt urges Libs to defy Dutton on Voice

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Apr-23

Former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt believes that Liberal Party MPs will be given a conscience vote on the Indigenous Voice to parliament. However, he hopes that more Liberals will opt to support the Voice, despite the party’s formal rejection of the federal government’s proposed model. Wyatt’s comments follow the decision of Julian Leeser to resign as shadow attorney-general in order to support the ‘Yes’ case. Liberal senator Simon Birmingham says he respects Leeser’s decision but has ruled out joining him on the Coalition’s backbench. Birmingham has also stated that he will not campaign for the ‘No’ case.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Albanese government axing external debt collectors in bid to prevent another robodebt

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Apr-23

Services Australia will assume full responsibility for recovering outstanding debts from welfare recipients when existing contracts with external debt collection firms expire on 30 June. Government Services Minister Bill Shorten has advised that all debt recovery will be undertaken in-house, contending that the nation must ensure that the robodebt scandal never happens again. The controversial scheme resulted in an increase in the use of external debt collection agencies to recover overpayments to welfare recipients. However, the majority of Centrelink debts were in fact recovered by Services Australia.

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AUSTRALIA. SERVICES AUSTRALIA. CENTRELINK

China to be cut from critical minerals deals

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Original article by Peter Ker, Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Apr-23

The federal government will shortly release its critical minerals strategy. Resources Minister Madeleine King will use a speech on Thursday to indicate that this strategy will push back against the "concentration" of critical minerals processing in China. She will also state that "like-minded" foreign investors will be welcome to back the nation’s critical minerals projects, and emphasise that such investment will be needed to develop new projects in the sector. However, Global Lithium’s MD Ron Mitchell says the government must remember that China is a very important trading partner, and rather than excluding China, it could offer incentives for miners that secure deals and supply agreements with allied nations.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, GLOBAL LITHIUM RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GL1

Government debt bill poised to double: IMF

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Apr-23

The International Monetary Fund has forecast that federal and state government spending as a share of the Australian economy will settle about two per cent above its pre-pandemic average. It also expects the general government interest bill to account for 1.8 per cent of GDP by 2028; this is more than double the size of the interest bill in the years leading up to the pandemic. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal budget has structural issues, due to factors such as the growing debt bill, the rising cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and spending in areas such as health, aged care and defence.

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INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET