AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

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.

CORPORATES
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.

CORPORATES
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".

CORPORATES
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.

CORPORATES
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.

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

Beijing takes swipe at arrogant Wong

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Original article by Stephen Rice
The Australian – Page: 4 : 30-May-22

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been accused of "double standards, arrogant colonialism and imperialism" in an editorial in the’ Global Times’, China’s most influential state tabloid. This follows her attempts to dissuade Pacific nations from entering into a regional security deal with Beijing. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will put details of the proposed deal to a meeting of Pacific leaders in Fiji on 30 May. Wong visited Fiji just days after her appointment to affirm Australia’s commitment to the Pacific region, observing that Australia is a" partner that doesn’t come with strings attached".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Alert on $45bn Labor spree

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-May-22

S&P Global Ratings has warned that the federal government’s "off-balance-sheet" election promises could potentially put Australia’s coveted AAA credit rating at risk. Labor announced nearly $45bn worth of spending commitments during the election, including its "rewiring the nation" program and funding for social and affordable housing. The ratings agency’s lead country analyst Anthony Walker says off-balance sheet spending is automatically included in its assessment of a nation’s financial position. Walker adds that further government spending risks fuelling inflation and more aggressive tightening of monetary policy.

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S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor urges speed on global tax rules

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 26-May-22

The proposed global 15 per cent minimum tax rate for companies is slated to take effect in 2023. However, the OECD’s secretary-general Mathias Cormann has advised that this will be delayed by at least 12 months. The landmark reform will also include a stricter tax regime for technology giants and other multinationals. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says that in addition to supporting the "two-pillar" deal, Labor will implement domestic measures aimed at ensuring that multinationals pay their fair share of tax.

CORPORATES
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Aged care wages should be Labor’s ‘first priority’: HSU boss

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Original article by Angus Thompson
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 26-May-22

The Fair Work Commission has held several weeks of hearings regarding the Health Services Union’s push for a 25 per cent increase in the wages of aged-care workers. The HSU’s national president Gerard Hayes says the federal government’s submission to the wage case should be the new Labor administration’s top priority. Carolyn Smith from the United Workers Union agrees that the issue must be a priority for the government. It was recently estimated that there is a shortage of about 60,000 workers in the aged-care sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED WORKERS UNION

Albanese expands access to fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine for 1.5 million people

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Original article by Dana Daniel
The Age – Page: Online : 26-May-22

The federal government has expanded the eligibility criteria for a second COVID-19 booster shot. Acting on the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the government has announced that people aged 16+ who have a range of health conditions or disabilities will be eligible for a fourth vaccine dose from 30 May. A fourth dose is already available to people aged 65+, aged-care and disability care residents, severely immunocompromised people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50+.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON IMMUNISATION