ELECTIONS – AUSTRALIA

‘Minerals for mates’: PM digs in

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Apr-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the federal government’s proposed strategic reserve of critical minerals and rare earths will make Australia "stronger and safer" in a time of global uncertainty. Albanese will announce details of the proposed national stockpile today; it will aim to ensure that such minerals are available to both local manufacturers and key allies, such as Japan, South Korea and the US. The government is expected to use the strategic reserve as a bargaining chip to negotiate an exemption from the Trump administration’s tariffs regime. The strategic reserve is also aimed at reducing China’s market dominance in the global supply of rare earths and critical minerals.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Housing crisis puts even safest seats at risk

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Original article by Ronald Mizen, Nila Sweeney, Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Apr-25

Analysis of data from Cotality suggests that the housing affordability crisis could potentially undermine support for the Coalition and Labor in traditionally safe seats at the election on 3 May. The analysis shows that a number of such seats have recorded the biggest decline in housing affordability since the previous federal election in 2022. They include the Labor seats of Watson, Blaxland and Kingsford Smith, and Coalition-held seats such as Banks and Moncrieff. Both major parties have announced new initiatives aimed at helping people to buy their own home.

CORPORATES
COTALITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Dutton’s march to a war footing

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Original article by Ben Packham, Greg Sheridan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 23-Apr-25

Opposition leader Peter Dutton will announce details of the Coalition’s defence policy in Perth today. Amongst other things, the Coalition will propose to increase defence spending to 2.4 per cent of GDP by the fourth year of the budget’s forward estimates period, and to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030. The Coalition’s ultimate aim will be to lift defence expenditure to three per cent of GDP over the next decade, in line with the Trump administration’s push for America’s allies to meet this benchmark. The Coalition will also commission a new national security strategy, with Dutton noting that the world has changed significantly since the last such strategy was prepared a decade ago.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

‘Liar, liar’: Leaders’ bitter row over campaign truth

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Apr-25

The Nine Network hosted the third leaders’ debate between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton on Tuesday. The latter expressed confidence that the Coalition can win the election on 3 May, despite trailing in public opinion polls. Dutton noted that polling is not always accurate, and conceded that the last federal government to serve just one term was in 1931; however, he added that there has not been a worse federal government since then. Meanwhile, the two leaders questioned each other’s integrity; Dutton accused Albanese of not being able to "lie straight in bed" during an exchange on the issue of Medicare bulk-billing, while Albanese accused Dutton of not being truthful about the Coalitions plans to cut government spending to pay for its proposed nuclear power stations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Dutton’s tax oath

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Original article by Paul McIntyre, Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 17-Apr-25

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has indicated that income tax reform will be one of his long-term goals if the Coalition wins the election on 3 May. He has identified tax indexation as an issue that he particularly wants to address, arguing that ‘bracket creep’ stifles productivity, ­entrepreneurialism and hard work. However, Dutton has emphasised that returning the budget to surplus would be the priority in the first term of a Coalition government, given that Labor has forecast deficits for the next decade. Dutton likens his approach to that of John Howard and Peter Costello in the 1990s, whereby they focused on budget repair during their first term in office before putting tax reform on their second-term agenda.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Investors urge ALP not to extend tax on unrealised gains

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 16-Apr-25

The federal government is continuing to attract scrutiny over its plans to tax the unrealised gains of superannuation funds. The controversial proposal is part of Labor’s push to double the tax rate of super funds with balances exceeding $3m. A coalition of groups representing self-funded retirees, small businesses and farmers has issued a joint statement urging Labor to rule out any move to expand the unrealised gains tax beyond superannuation. The industry coalition contends that taxing unrealised gains is confiscation rather than reform.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Doctors v PM: free for every GP visit a fantasy

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Original article by Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 16-Apr-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated that the federal government’s proposed bulk-billing incentives will allow 90 per cent of Australians to see a doctor for free. However, the Australian Medical Association’s president Danielle McMullen cautions that people should not expect to see a GP for free, contending that not all medical practices will switch to bulk-billing; she adds that Labor’s policy will not address the structural reforms that the Medicare system requires. The Coalition has committed to matching the bulk-billing incentives policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Coalition scores just 1/100 points for environment and climate policies from conservation organisation

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Original article by Petra Stock
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 15-Apr-25

The Greens have performed best in the Australian Conservation Foundation’s pre-election scorecard, receiving a rating of 98 per cent for its environment and climate change policies. The federal government in turn has been given a rating of 54 per cent, with ACF CEO Kelly O’Shanassy praising policies such as its commitment to renewable energy and a continued ban on nuclear power; however, she says Labor was marked down over policies such as environmental protection laws and approvals for new coal and gas projects. Meanwhile, O’Shanassy says the Coalition has "failed every single test", resulting in a rating of just one per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Taylor vows costings will beat Labor’s

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Apr-25

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says the Coalition will not adopt Labor’s policy that would involve an optional $1,000 tax deduction for work-related expenses, which is slated to cost $2.4 billion over four years. Taylor says this is because the Coalition’s election spending promises that aim to ease cost-of-living measures are temporary ones, whereas he says Labor is focused on recurrent spending, and that the Coalition’s costings will result in a stronger bottom line than under Labor because of their temporary nature. His comments were echoed by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Monday, who likened the Coalition’s temporary measures to the government assistance that was issued during the pandemic.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Marles stays mum on US role in port U-turn

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Apr-25

The federal government continues to attract scrutiny over its decision to terminate a Chinese company’s 99-year on the Port of Darwin if it wins the 3 May election. A review of the lease in 2023 had concluded that it was not necessary to vary or cancel Landbridge’s lease. Defence Minister Richard Marles addressed a press conference on Monday, but he declined to elaborate on why Labor’s position on the port lease has changed. Marles said the government has had discussions with US regarding the lease, and also decline to comment on whether this contributed to Labor’s new stance. Labor pre-empted Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s own announcement on cancelling Landbridge’s lease.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LANDBRIDGE GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, PORT OF DARWIN, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA