AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

‘No need’: Minister dumps Senate call for ownership probe

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 27-Jun-22

A Senate committee in 2021 recommended holding a royal commission into media ownership. However, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says the new federal government does not believes that such an inquiry is necessary, although she has stressed the need to closely monitor media concentration to ensure that communities continue to have adequate access to local news content. Rowland adds that issues such as the anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts and ensuring that free-to-air channels are prominently displayed on smart TVs are among the government’s priorities.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Haines warns crossbench cuts could delay ICAC

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Original article by Michael Pelly
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 27-Jun-22

The former Coalition government allocated two advisers and two assistant advisers to crossbench MPs, on top of their four electoral staff. However, the Albanese government is planning to reduce the number of advisers that crossbench MPs get allocated from four to one. Helen Haines, who is the Independent MP for the Victorian seat of Indi, has warned that the proposal to reduce the number of advisers that crossbench MPs are allocated could lead to a delay in the passage of legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption commission.

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Warning to NATO on China-Russia pact

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 27-Jun-22

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his counterparts from South Korea, Japan and India make up a special Indo-Pacific delegation that are attending the NATO summit in Madrid. Albanese says that the summit is being held in the context of democratic nations standing up for Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia’s invasion, while he says China’s ‘no limits’ pact with Russia means that NATO is required to focus on a broader threat than just Russia. A senior NATO official has indicated that it does not view China, like Russia, as an adversary, but as "a challenge" that needs to be constantly managed.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION

Plan for over-65s to ease jobs crisis

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 27-Jun-22

Employers’ groups and the Council on the Ageing have expressed support for a proposal to address the skills crisis by allowing older Australians to work additional hours without affecting their pension payments. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar estimates that this could encourage at least 400,000 people over the age of 65 to return to the workforce. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that the proposal is among the issues that will be discussed at the national employment summit later in 2022.

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AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Chalmers seeks more RBA board diversity

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 27-Jun-22

The independent review of the Reserve Bank of Australia is slated to report to the federal government in mid-2023. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that the size and composition of the RBA’s board are among the issues that will be considered; he says the government wants the board to be comprised of people representing all parts of Australia and all parts of the economy. The RBA board is currently dominated by people from the business sector, but there have been calls for it to include more economists. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has in turn advocated having a union representative on the board for the first time since the 1990s.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ACTU

ALP 53% leads the L-NP 47% as energy crisis strikes Eastern Australia

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jun-22

The latest Roy Morgan Poll shows that the ALP’s lead over the L-NP is now 6% points on a two-party preferred basis, a month after the Federal Election: ALP 53% (down 1% point in a week) ahead of the L-NP 47% (up 1% point). This is still an increase for the ALP on the Federal Election result: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48%. If a Federal Election had been held last weekend the ALP would have won easily. Primary support for the ALP is up 2% points to 36% but it still trails the L-NP, unchanged on 37%. Support for the Greens was down 1.5% points to 11%. Support for One Nation was up 0.5% points to 4% and support for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party was down 0.5% points to 0.5%. Support for Other Parties was up 2.5% points to 7% while support for Independents was down 3% points to 4.5%. Analysis by State shows that the ALP leads in four States (Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania), while the L-NP leads in NSW and the two parties are even in Queensland. Meanwhile, the weekly Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating is down 2pts to 105, the third consecutive week of declines after reaching a high of 111.5 immediately after the Federal Election. Some 42% (down 2% points) of Australians now say the country is ‘heading in the right direction’, while 37% (unchanged) say the country is ‘heading in the wrong direction’. This Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention and Government Confidence was conducted via telephone and online interviewing of 1,401 Australian electors aged 18+ from Monday June 13 to Sunday June 19.

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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, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY

Burke’s IR agenda: fix bargaining

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 17-Jun-22

Employment and Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke says legislating to include 10 days of paid family and domestic violence in the national employment standards will be his first priority when parliament resumes in July. He adds that overhauling the enterprise bargaining system is the key to addressing Australia’s "wages crisis", and he will consider every proposal that emerges from the government’s jobs summit with employers and unions in September. Burke is open to using a single bill to pursue his workplace reforms, which also including criminalising wage theft and equal pay for labour hire workers.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT

Albanese calls Greens’ bluff on emissions target

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 17-Jun-22

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has formally informed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that Labor intends to cut carbon emissions by 43 per cent over 2005 levels by 2030. He says legislation to implement that target will be introduced when Parliament resumes on 26 July, along with a target of net zero emissions by 2050. Albanese will need the support of the Greens to get his legislation through the Senate, as the Coalition opposes legislated targets. Albanese has ruled out negotiating a higher target with the Greens, claiming that business groups deserve investment certainty after more than a decade of "dysfunction".

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

Heat on Joyce as Coalition reshuffles

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Original article by Greg Brown, Max Maddison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 30-May-22

Peter Dutton is expected to be endorsed as the Liberal Party of Australia’s new leader at a partyroom meeting on Monday, with Sussan Ley tipped to become deputy leader. Meanwhile, the National Party will hold a post-election leadership spill on Monday, with David Littleproud and Darren Chester set to run against incumbent Barnaby Joyce. Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack has ruled himself out of contention, and he says Joyce’s actions during the election campaign contributed to the Coalition’s defeat. The Coalition is likely to make significant changes to its frontbench team in opposition.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Albanese on course for at least six years in power

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Original article by David Crowe
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 30-May-22

Labor has officially won 75 seats at the 21 May election and appears set to gain the additional seat that is needed to form majority government. The policy agenda of new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suggests that he expects at least two terms in office, and his stated goal is to go to the 2025 federal election having delivered on his election pledges. Meanwhile, Labor could win even more seats from the Liberals if it governs with competence and care. However, negotiating with Greens leader Adam Bandt will be the biggest challenge for Albanese.

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