ELECTIONS – AUSTRALIA

Albanese vows to get the job done before calling an election

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Original article by Joe Hildebrand
The Daily Telegraph – Page: Online : 22-May-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has marked the second anniversary of his government by ruling out an early election, stating that Labor will not to go to the polls until it has addressed the cost-of-living crisis. He adds that reducing the inflation rate is his government’s top priority, and Labor will not focus on its re-election campaign until 2025. Albanese has also noted that handing down a budget amid the current economic conditions is challenging, with the need to balance providing cost-of-living relief with the focus on combating inflation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Labor working tails off to lift primary vote

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Mar-24

Labor won the 2022 federal election with a primary vote of just 32.6 per cent. The combined vote for the major political parties fell to a record low of 68.3 per cent; in contrast, the vote for minor parties and independents reached a record high of 31.7 per cent. There was a similar trend against the major parties in Saturday’s state election in Tasmania. However, Labor believes that its low primary vote is not permanent but reflects voters concerns about issues such as the cost of living crisis and migrant numbers. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor is working hard to give people the government they "need and deserve". He adds that the next election will be "close and hard fought".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Labor targets Stuart Robert and his handling of robodebt in negative ads before Fadden byelection

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 12-Jul-23

The Coalition’s robodebt scheme has become a key focus of the campaign for the byelection in the federal seat of Fadden on Saturday. Labor has used social media and newspaper advertisements to target outgoing Fadden MP Stuart Robert and former prime minister Scott Morrison over their role in the robodebt scandal. Robert is a former government services minister, while Morrison was social services minister when the scheme was implemented. The Coalition is expected to win the byelection, having retained Fadden with a two-party preferred margin of 10.6 per cent at the 2022 election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ABC calls for mandate to ensure it hosts federal election debate

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 18-Oct-22

A parliamentary committee is examining the conduct of the 2022 federal election, and is looking at issues such as voting rules and political donation laws. In its submission to the committee’s inquiry, the ABC has called for legislation that would see it host and broadcast at least one leaders’ debate during a federal election campaign. Then Prime Minister Scott Morrison accepted invitations to take part in debates with Anthony Albanese on the Seven and Nine networks and Sky News Australia during the 2022 election campaign, but refused to appear on the ABC. In arguing its case for at least one debate, the ABC noted in its submission that research has revealed it is the most trusted media brand, while it also pointed out it has Australia’s biggest "broadcast footprint".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SKY NEWS

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

Nationals brawl over hydrogen

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 27-Apr-22

The federal government has committed more than $1bn to the development of hydrogen hubs as part of its net-zero emissions strategy. However, National Party senator Matt Canavan says energy policy should focus on building new coal-fired power stations rather than hydrogen hubs, arguing that Australia needs a reliable energy supply now. Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has defended Canavan’s stance on coal but says that unlike Labor, the Coalition’s policies will allow the nation to have both a coal and hydrogen industry. Joyce has rejected Canavan’s call for Australia to put its net zero strategy on hold.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Labor defends agricultural visa scheme as farmers brace for minimum wage rise

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Original article by Natasha May
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 27-Apr-22

Labor will make changes to the federal government’s Pacific Australia Labor Mobility scheme if it wins the 21 May election. It will introduce a Pacific Engagement Visa for agricultural workers from the Pacific Islands, which will offer a pathway to permanent residency. Meanwhile, a minimum wage for horticultural workers will take effect from Thursday; Daniel Walton of the Australian Workers’ Union describes it as a "momentous shift" for fruit pickers, saying they have been "routinely and systemically exploited and underpaid" under the piece rate system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Stealth carbon tax warning

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 27-Apr-22

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed that the federal government is fully committed to its net-zero emissions target of 2050, after Nationals senator Matt Canavan claimed that other countries are abandoning the this target. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal CEO Paul Flynn claims that Labor’s proposed changes to the government’s safeguard mechanism for large industrial emitters constitutes a "carbon tax by stealth". Labor has confirmed that coal mines will be included in a revised safeguard mechanism if it wins the federal election.

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

United Australia Party’s $80m-plus war chest sparks call to limit election spending

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Original article by Christopher Knaus
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 23-Feb-22

The Centre for Public Integrity has outlined a range of proposed measures aimed at removing the influence of money in federal politics. Amongst other things, it has proposed capping donations to political parties, reducing the disclosure threshold for campaign donations to $1,000 and strengthening the Australian Electoral Commission’s powers to enforce donation laws. The Centre’s reform blueprint follows the United Australia Party’s recent revelation that its campaign budget for the upcoming federal election will exceed the $80m it spent on the 2019 poll.

CORPORATES
CENTRE FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY

ASIO foils spy plot to interfere with election

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 10-Feb-22

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s director-general Mike Burgess says there have been attempts at foreign interference at all levels of government and in all states and territories. He has revealed that ASIO recently thwarted a foreign interference plot in the lead-up to an election, which is believed to have been the upcoming federal election. This plot involved a wealthy "agent of interference" with direct connections with a foreign government and its intelligence agencies; this person, whom Burgess referred to as "the puppeteer", had attempted to finance the campaigns of political candidates who were deemed to be susceptible to ‘inducements and cultivation’.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION