ELECTIONS – AUSTRALIA

Morrison urged to take over NSW Liberal division after psycho texts

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Original article by David Crowe
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 3-Feb-22

Senior federal cabinet ministers have denied involvement in a series of text message exchanges with former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian in which Prime Minister Scott Morrison was allegedly described as a ‘complete psycho’ and a ‘horrible’ person. Morrison says he is confident that the minister in question was not in cabinet and that there is no need for an investigation into the incident. However, some ministers believe that the leaking of the text messages is linked to a factional brawl within the Liberal Party’s NSW division, and have called for a federal intervention. A senior federal Liberal says the leaks were an "orchestrated hit" on Morrison, with the aim of ousting him before the election.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Budget offers last reset chance as May 14 looks likely for poll

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 19-Jan-22

Federal government ministers and MPs believe that an election is now unlikely to be held in March, citing factors such as the emergence of the Omicron strain of COVID-19, supply chain problems and a shortage of rapid antigen tests. The government has previously signalled that the Budget will be handed down on 29 March, which would make 7 May the earliest possible date to call an election. There is growing consensus within the Coalition’s ranks that the election will be held on either 14 or 21 May.

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First act in office would be to kill voter ID law: Labor

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 24-Nov-21

Special Minister of State Ben Morton has told a parliamentary committee that nobody will be denied the right to vote under the federal government’s proposal to require people to prove their identity at polling booths. He also that more than 700 people had admitted to voting more than once at the 2019 election, and the Australian Electoral Commission had identified 311 multiple votes before they were counted. However, Labor senator Don Farrell has urged the government to withdraw the voter ID legislation; he also says Labor’s first priority would be to repeal the legislation if it wins the next election.

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

Voter ID bill may discourage turnout and no evidence it will prevent fraud, committee says

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 11-Nov-21

The parliamentary committee on human rights has expressed reservations about the federal government’s legislation that would require voters to supply proof of their identity at polling stations on election day. Amongst other things, the committee is concerned that the voter ID laws may discourage people from voting; it also warns that the legislation may have a "disproportionate" impact on certain groups, such as the homeless and indigenous people in remote communities. The committee has also questioned whether the legislation would be effective in addressing election fraud.

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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.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY

Dump Albo call as heartland vote tanks

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 : 18-Jan-21

The Construction. Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s national political organiser Elizabeth Doidge says Labor leader Anthony Albanese must be ousted ahead of the next election. This follows the release of polling on behalf of key building industry unions which suggests that Labor is set to lose the Hunter Valley electorates of Shortland and Paterson at the next election. Doidge says the polling, which was undertaken in November, shows that Labor cannot win the election with Albanese as its leader. She says Tanya Plibersek would make a "fantastic leader".

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

PM rejects election drive as Labor clears deck for early poll

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Original article by Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Jan-21

A recent newspaper article has claimed that most Coalition MPs are expecting a federal election to be held between August and November. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on 5 January that his view on the government going full term had not changed, with Morrison noting the election is not due until 2022. He said he had enough to do in 2021 in dealing with the pandemic and helping the economy to recover to think about an election. Having recently shelved former leader Bill Shorten’s controversial franking credit policies, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has arguably put Labor on an "early election footing"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

$100m sport grants biased

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 16-Jan-20

Auditor-General Grant Hehir has released a report which shows that marginal seats held by the Coalition were among the biggest recipients of grants to ‘grassroots’ sporting groups ahead of the May 2019 federal election. Former sports minister Bridget McKenzie approved the grants, and Hehir found that she failed to take into consideration the recommendations of Sport Australia when allocating the money. The report notes that the grants also favoured seats that the Coalition believed that it could win at the election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE, SPORT AUSTRALIA

ALP review: Labor is weak, risky and unpopular

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Simon Benson, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: Online : 8-Nov-19

Labor leader Anthony Albanese will use a speech to the National Press Club on 8 November to respond to Craig Emerson and Jay Weatherill’s post-election review of the party. Albanese is expected to endorse all 26 of their recommendations, while the review listed 60 ‘findings’. Emerson and Weatherill stated Labor’s inability to adapt its strategy to tackle Scott Morrison and a "cluttered policy agenda that looked risky" were key factors behind what was its third successive federal election defeat. They said Labor should not abandon its commitment to social justice, but that it should avoid becoming a "grievance-focused organisation".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Parties urge shorter pre-polling time

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 6 : 24-Oct-19

The issue of early voting in federal elections came under scrutiny by the joint standing committee on electoral matters on 23 October. Andrew Hirst, the Liberal Party’s federal director, told the committee’s inquiry into the 18 May election that the pre-polling period should be reduced from three weeks to two, while the number of pre-polling centres should be reduced to 2013 levels. He argued that pre-polling means that many people have voted before political parties have released their key election policies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL MATTERS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, GETUP LIMITED