AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Labor mulls broader emissions safeguard

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 8-Nov-21

Labor is still working on its climate policy in the lead-up to the next federal election, with shadow climate change minister Chris Bowen confirming that it will not include a climate tax or emissions trading scheme. Bowen has indicated that Labor will consider an expansion of the federal government’s ‘safeguard mechanism’, which requires large emitters to cut their carbon pollution. However, some Labor MPs are said to be wary of embracing the safeguard mechanism, due to concerns that it could make Labor vulnerable to a carbon tax-style scare campaign.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Morrison outlines $2 billion funding pledge to UN climate summit

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Original article by David Crowe
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has used the COP26 climate summit to announce that Australia will contribute $2bn over five years to programs that will assist developing countries in the Pacific region to deal with climate change. He also reiterated the importance of technology in achieving net zero targets. Morrison noted that Australia has reduced its carbon emissions by 20 per cent since 2005, while the economy has grown by 45 per cent over the same period; he added that Australia’s emissions are on track to fall by 35 per cent by 2030, well ahead of its commitments under the Paris agreement. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the summit of a ‘doomsday’ scenario if action is not taken to address climate change.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Federal government offers Hongkongers Australian permanent residency pathway

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Original article by Joshua Boscaini, Stephen Dziedzic
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

The federal government will offer two new permanent residence visa streams for Hong Kong passport holders who have lived in Australia for at least four years. Almost 9,000 people are expected to be eligible to apply for the new visas from 5 March, including temporary skilled workers, temporary graduate workers and student visa holders. Applicants for the new visas will not need to be sponsored by an employer or be in a job that is on the list of current skills shortages. In 2020, the government agreed to offer "safe haven" for Hong Kong passport holders after China’s introduced new national security laws in the former British colony.

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PM sinks Macron’s subs lie

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Nov-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has responded to the latest furore over the decision to cancel Naval Group’s $90bn submarines contract. French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Morrison of lying about both the submarines contract and Australia’s decision to establish the AUKUS alliance. Morrison says he did not lie to Macron and informed him in mid-June that Australia had concerns about the Naval Group project and was looking at alternative submarines. Morrison says the decision to cancel the contract was made in the national interest. The federal government attempted to inform Macron of the decision two days before the AUKUS deal was announced, but Macron advised that he was not available to take a call from Morrison.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NAVAL GROUP

Australia commits 10 million vaccines to south-east Asia

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Original article by Anthony Galloway
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 28-Oct-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the Association of South-east Asian Nations on Wednesday. He said that Australia will supply south-east Asian nations with 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by mid-2022, in addition to the four million doses it has already provided. Morrison also advised that Australia will provide the region with $124m to address "complex and emerging challenges" such as terrorism and energy security. He also stressed that the AUKUS alliance – and Australia’s deal to acquire nuclear-powered submarines – will have no impact on Australia’s commitment to both ASEAN and nuclear non-proliferation.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS

PM’s no to methane cut

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Oct-21

The federal government will not agree to sign the Global Methane Pledge at the upcoming COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. The pledge is backed by the US and Europe, and would require signatories to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. Refusal to sign the pledge is believed to have been a key commitment made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to gain the National Party’s support for a net zero emissions target of 2030. It was feared that Australia would be particularly hard hit by such a pledge, given the economy’s reliance on industries such as agriculture and coal mining.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Final tranche of Hayne reforms a milestone

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 28-Oct-21

The federal government will legislate to implement a further six recommendations arising from the Hayne royal commission on 28 October. The last tranche of legislation includes a bill to replace the Banking Executive Accountability Regime with the broader-based Financial Accountability Regime, which will also apply to the insurance and superannuation sectors. The government will also establish the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, which will eventually be fully funded via an industry level. Kenneth Hayne released his final report in February 2019.

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AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

ALP (54%) increases lead over the L-NP (46%) as the Federal Government discusses "Net Zero" carbon dioxide emissions

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Oct-21

The latest Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention shows that support for the ALP has increased to 54% (up 1% point since mid-October), cf. the L-NP on 46% (down 1% point) on a two-party preferred basis. The 1% point swing to the ALP came after the governing Liberal and National parties have spent the last few weeks ‘haggling’ about a change in policy for the Government to support a target of "Net Zero" carbon dioxide emissions for Australia by 2050. If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be elected with a similar margin to that won by John Howard at the 1996 Federal Election (ALP 53.6% cf. L-NP 46.4%). Primary support for the L-NP was down 1% point to 36.5% in October and is still ahead of the ALP which was also down 1% point to 35%. In contrast to the two major parties, Greens support increased by 2% points to 13.5% as media attention in October turned to Australia’s response to global warming and climate change. Support for One Nation was up 0.5% points to 3.5% while support for Independents/Others was down 0.5% points to 11.5%. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has increased by 3ps to 98 in late October. Now 41% (up 1% point) of Australians say the country is ‘heading in the right direction’, while 43% (down 2% points) say the country is ‘heading in the wrong direction’. This Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention and Roy Morgan Government Confidence was conducted via telephone and online interviewing. Roy Morgan interviewed 2,778 Australian electors aged 18+ on the weekends of October 16/17 & 23/24.

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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

Voters will be asked to show identification to vote under Morrison government proposal

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 27-Oct-21

The federal government has attracted criticism over plans to make it compulsory for voters to supply identification documents at polling stations on election day. The bill has been endorsed by the Coalition’s partyroom but has yet to introduced to parliament. Shadow special minister of state Don Farrell says Labor will oppose any bill that includes "anti-democratic thought bubbles". The government had first proposed voter ID laws in late 2018, while One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts recently introduced a voter ID bill in the upper house.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY

Bring it on: PM goads Labor towards climate action poll

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 27-Oct-21

The federal government’s net zero emissions target of 2050 envisions that all sectors of the economy will bear the burden of the push for carbon neutrality. The energy sector will be required to slash its emissions by 91-97 per cent by 2050, transport’s emissions will be cut by 53-71 per cent, and the mining and manufacturing sectors’ emissions will have to fall by 18-54 per cent. The government’s own technology road map is slated to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent, by expanding the number of priority technologies to include ultra-low-cost solar power. The other five priority technologies are not yet commercially viable. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signalled that climate change could be a key issue for the next federal election.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET