INTERGOVERNMENTAL CO-OPERATION – AUSTRALIA

Allan stands by signature rail loop

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lily McCaffrey, Amelia Swan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 2-Apr-25

Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan says she remains "determined" to go ahead with the Suburban Rail Loop in the wake of the Coalition’s decision to scrap all federal funding for the controversial project if it wins the 3 May election. However, Allan declined to comment on how the state will pay for the project if federal funding is withdrawn. Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has described the SRL as a "$200bn pipe dream"; he contends that Allan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the CFMEU are the only ones that are in favour of it. Dutton intends to redirect SRL funding to other road and rail projects in Victoria.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australian Medical Association calls for overhaul of national cabinet secrecy rules

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian – Page: Online : 17-Jun-22

National cabinet will meet for the first time since Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister on 17 June. Albanese was critical of its secrecy prior to Labor’s election, while he also said that local government should be added to it. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid says Australians have a right to know what is being discussed by national cabinet, and that he disagreed with the practice of the previous Coalition government of exempting national cabinet documents from freedom of information laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

We’re full partners in Brisbane Olympics: PM

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Charlie Peel
The Australian – Page: 7 : 23-Jul-21

The federal government has committed to funding half the cost of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. However, in his first press conference after Brisbane was announced as the host city, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was at pains to stress that the arrangement between the federal and Queensland governments is a "50-50 partnership" rather than a "50-50 funding partnership", with the cost of staging the Brisbane Olympic Games expected to be at least $5 billion. The event is expected to generate around $18 billion in economic benefit.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

National cabinet ‘a dog’s breakfast’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 19-Jul-21

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has criticised the national cabinet, arguing that it is really only a co-ordinating committee. He contends that the national cabinet is contributing to the lack of a clear delineation of responsibilities between the federal and state governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The national cabinet has met 46 times so far, and it has attracted criticism from some state premiers as well as federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Meanwhile, Abbott says the economic liberalisation of China under former leader Deng Xiaoping has merely strengthened the Chinese Communist Party state and resulted in a new Cold War.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA)

Feds should lead the charge on payroll tax reform: ACCI

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 6-Jul-21

Payroll tax is consistently one of the most pressing issues for business, according to a survey by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is viewed as an impediment to employment and economic growth. The ACCI has called the federal government to lead the way in its abolition by making up some of the revenue that would be lost by the states and territories if it was scrapped, with the states having levied almost $27 billion in payroll taxes in 2018-19. One possible option to replace money lost by scrapping payroll tax would be for the federal government to increase the GST and diverting the extra money raised back to the states.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

PM seeks deal to end lockdowns

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Greg Brown, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Jul-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will try to get an agreement from the premiers and chief ministers on the vaccination threshold that needs to be met in order to end COVID-19 lockdowns when national cabinet meets on 2 July. Morrison says the "magic number" for this threshold will be determined by medical science. The national cabinet has already been given modelling for a vaccination threshold based on the Alpha variant, while modelling for one based on the more contagious Delta variant is understood to be nearly finished. Meanwhile, some premiers have called for a big reduction in the number of international arrivals until the majority of Australians have been vaccinated.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PM cool on Qld quarantine camp idea

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 22-Jan-21

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk plans to raise her proposal to relocate the quarantining of returned international travellers from Brisbane hotels to regional mining camps when national cabinet meets on 22 January. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has voiced scepticism about the idea, noting the possibility that resources workers could become infected and thus hamper Australia’s economic recovery. The meeting will also receive an update on the implementation plan for Australia’s vaccine rollout from March and on quarantine arrangements for seasonal workers to be allowed into Australia to harvest fresh produce, as well as discussing the cap on international arrivals.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Tax reform pushed onto the states

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Jul-20

New South Wales Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has been leading a push for tax reform, including the goods and services tax, payroll tax and stamp duties. The federal government wants its NSW counterpart to outline clear proposals for tax reform, amid doubts as to whether Perrottet has much support within the state government for his proposals. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously stated that the federal government will not consider tax reform proposals unless there is agreement among the states, while Federal Liberal MP Jason Falinski contends that the worst taxes are state-based and can be changed without any involvement at federal level.

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

Leaders’ spat a risk to our national unity

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Craig Johnstone, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 5 : 22-May-20

Professor AJ Brown of Griffith University says a war of words between state leaders over restrictions on interstate travel may undermine the national cabinet’s spirit of co-operation during the coronavirus pandemic. The professor of public policy and law says it is "surprising and a little disappointing" that New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is calling for state borders to be reopened for economic reasons. NSW has criticised Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for signalling that her state’s borders may remain closed until September.

CORPORATES
GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Leaders push to retain national cabinet model for policy reform

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Craig Johnstone, Matthew Denholm
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-May-20

Several state leaders have praised the national cabinet model and expressed support for it to continue when the coronavirus crisis abates. Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been respectful in his dealings with state and territory leaders during the pandemic. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews agrees that the national cabinet should continue in some form as priority shifts from responding to the health crisis to addressing its economic impact. Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner adds that the national cabinet has "shown the commonwealth at its best".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TASMANIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NORTHERN TERRITORY. DEPT OF THE CHIEF MINISTER