AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Bosses and unions unite to urge senator’s vote against seriously flawed super reform bill

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 7 : 7-Jun-21

The ACTU and the Australian Industry Group have joined forces to call for the ‘Your Super, Your Future’ legislation to be rejected by the Senate. They contend that the bill still has some major flaws; it recently passed the lower house following the removal of provisions which allow the federal government to veto investments made by superannuation funds that are not deemed to be in members’ best interests. Amongst other things, the ACTU and the Ai Group are concerned that the bill will result in people being stuck in underperforming super funds.

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ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

ALP warms to $130bn tax cuts

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Greg Brown, Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-May-21

Labor is finalising the tax policy that it will take to the next election, and there are indications that it may support the federal government’s stage-three tax cuts. Labor’s caucus is divided over the issue of the tax cuts, which will benefit high-income earners in particular; however, there is growing support for the tax cuts among senior Labor MPs, who are concerned about a potential voter backlash at the next election over any changes to a tax package that has already been legislated. Labor is not expected to retain the government’s Low and Middle Income Tax Offset, which was intended to be temporary.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Wave of sex crime cases hits federal politics

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-May-21

The Australian Federal Police has received 40 reports of sexual and other misconduct involving federal MPs and their staffers in the wake of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation. AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw has told a Senate estimates hearing that this includes 19 allegations of sex crimes. The AFP has referred 15 cases to state and territory police for assessment, while the AFP is still investigating one complaint. Kershaw has also advised that the Australian Capital Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to receive a brief of evidence in relation to Higgins’ case within weeks.

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AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Albanese given inner-city cafe policy warning

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Original article by Greg Brown, David Tanner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 25-May-21

Federal Labor has been warned that it could potentially lose three seats in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales at the next election. The Coalition is expected to target the region in the wake of NSW Labor’s resounding defeat in the by-election in the state seat of Upper Hunter. Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union official Peter Jordan says the by-election result shows that Labor is losing support in ‘coal country’ and needs to re-engage with blue-collar workers. Labor MP Pat Conroy, whose seat of Shortland is amongst those that may be at risk, says the by-election has no implications for Labor at federal level.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Jobs defy wage subsidy’s demise

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Original article by Patrick Commins, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 21-May-21

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the latest jobs data shows that the federal government was justified in ending the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme in late March. New figures show that about 31,000 jobs were cut in April, well below forecasts that between 100,000 and 150,000 jobs would be lost when JobKeeper ended. The figures also show that 132,000 people have moved off income support since March. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has welcomed the slight fall in the official unemployment rate, but she says many workers are underemployed or in multiple jobs that are insecure and unreliable. Labor’s deputy leader Richard Marles notes that 1.8 million Australians are still looking for work.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Vaccine passports risk a two-class country

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-May-21

Business leaders have questioned the merits of the federal government’s proposed ‘vaccine passport’ system for domestic travellers. It would allow fully vaccinated people to travel interstate and return without being subject to COVID-19 restrictions. Restaurant & Catering CEO Wes Lambert says it would be "very cumbersome" and create more red tape; he adds that it might also create two classes of Australians, based on their vaccination status. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian both oppose the scheme. Meanwhile, five new COVID-19 cases have been reported in hotel quarantine nationwide in the last 24 hours.

CORPORATES
RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Refinery rescue will cost $2.35bn

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-May-21

The federal government’s rescue package for the nation’s oil refineries was designed in consultation with Ampol and Viva Energy. The two companies will receive up to $2bn in direct taxpayer funding over the next decade. The variable payments system means that Ampol and Viva will receive greater taxpayer support during periods when their refineries’ margins are low. The government will also provide $302m for the refineries to shift to higher standards three years ahead of schedule. Australia’s two remaining oil refineries employ more than 1,200 people.

CORPORATES
AMPOL LIMITED – ALD, VIVA ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX VEA

Broadcast spectrum buyback threatens popular TV channels

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Age – Page: Online : 17-May-21

The federal government announced a policy in November that would see spectrum licence fees removed in exchange for the radiofrequency spectrum of television broadcasters being reduced by compressing it. The spectrum made available as a result of this compression would be sold at a higher price to companies such as telcos. Broadcasters are worried that the technology that the government plans to use to compress the spectrum will soon be outdated, and that it will reduce the quality of broadcasting and lead to fewer multi-channels.

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Call for medevac-style repatriation flights for Australians with Covid from India

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Original article by Calla Wahlquist
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 17-May-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended the federal government’s policy on repatriating Australian citizens and permanent residents in India. The first repatriation flight arrived in Darwin on 15 May, with just 80 returned travellers aboard; they are now at the Howard Springs quarantine facility. Another 42 people who tested positive for COVID-19 and 30 close contacts were barred from the flight. Morrison says it does not make sense to import COVID-19 into Australia by allowing people who have tested positive to board repatriation flights. However, epidemiologist Catherine Bennett contends that vulnerable Australians abroad who have the coronavirus should be treated as medical evacuees rather than returned travellers. Some of the people who were barred from the flight have since tested negative.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Federal public service boom

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Original article by John Rolfe
Herald Sun – Page: 8 : 13-May-21

The May 2021 Budget papers show that the ranks of the federal public service will swell to 174,300 in 2021-22, with almost 5,400 new staff to be recruited during the coming financial year. Government agencies that are taking on additional staff include the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and the Productivity Commission. Public servant numbers peaked at 182,500 under the former Labor government, and the Coalition had reduced this to 165,600 by 2015-16. The public service’s operating expenses will rise from $76bn in 2020-21 to $78.1bn.

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