POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Nuclear power ‘not cool’, declares Forrest, as iron ore threat looms

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 15 : 11-Apr-25

Mining magnate and philanthropist Andrew Forrest has told a business breakfast in Perth that nuclear power is not the best energy option for Australia. Amongst other things, he questioned why taxpayers should fund nuclear power stations via the Coalition’s plans if the private sector is not willing to take on the "massive risk". The founder of Fortescue also warned that Australia’s iron ore industry is facing challenges such as the low grade and high impurities of Pilbara iron ore, as well as imminent competition from the higher-grade ore that will soon be produced in Africa.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG

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

Dutton playing Donald Trump anti-migration card in plan to slash international students, higher education peak body says

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Original article by Caitlin Cassidy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

International Education Association of Australia CEO, Phil Honeywood says the Coalition did not consult with the sector on its proposal to cap new international student numbers at 240,000 a year. This is skewed towards TAFE and private vocational education and training providers, rather than the nation’s public universities. Honeywood notes that the Coalition has traditionally been more inclined to support independent providers over their public counterparts. Former immigration bureaucrat Abul Rizvi in turn notes that the private VET sector has a history of "rorts and dodgy qualifications".

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Unions warn Coalition’s job cuts could exceed 41,000

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 8-Apr-25

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is under scrutiny over his backdown over plans to slash federal public service numbers. The Community & Public Sector Union’s national secretary Melissa Donnelly says the Coalition’s new policy of reducing the public service via natural attrition and hiring freezes over five years could result in the loss of much more than the 41,000 jobs that Dutton had initially flagged. ACTU secretary Sally McManus in turn has criticised Dutton’s backdown on a return-to-office mandate for public servants; she says legal advice suggests that Dutton could not enforce this without legislative changes that would also remove working-from-home rights for all workers.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, ACTU

Allan stands by signature rail loop

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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

Gas producers question whether Coalition’s energy plan will cut consumer prices

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Original article by Kate Lyons, Adam Morton
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Shell Australia chair Cecile Wake is amongst the energy industry executives who attended the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference on Tuesday. She noted the lack of detail in the proposed ‘east coast gas reservation policy’ which Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced in his recent budget reply speech. Dutton’s policy would require gas exporters to redirect an additiona1 10-20 per cent of their output to the domestic market. Wake says the policy could see gas supply in the domestic market exceed demand, which could in turn result in gas prices falling to a level where future investment decisions are not economic. She adds that an oversupply may not necessarily result in lower gas prices for households and businesses.

CORPORATES
SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Economists warning over Greens’ demands over tax, spending agenda

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Original article by Matthew Benns
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 1-Apr-25

The independent Parliamentary Budget Office’s analysis suggests that the Greens’ policy demands in return for supporting a minority Labor government would cost about $110bn. Amongst other things, the Greens want to expand Medicare to include dental services, which would cost an estimated $46bn over four years. The Greens propose to finance its policies via a 40 per cent tax on the excessive profits of large companies and by increasing the tax rate of 150 billionaires. EQ Economics’ MD Warren Hogan says large companies and billionaires would simply take their money – and jobs – offshore.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, EQ ECONOMICS

Albanese says federal EPA will not be same model as earlier one he promised but didn’t deliver

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Original article by Dan Jervis-Bardy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Apr-25

Labor recently indicated that it will press ahead with plans to establish a federal environmental protection agency if it wins the election on 3 May. A federal EPA was part of Labor’s platform for the 2022 election, but the policy was shelved earlier in 2025 amid a pushback in Western Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has advised that Labor will adopt a new model for the proposed EPA. He adds that Labor will consult widely to ensure that it gets federal environment laws right. Meanwhile, shadow environment minister, Jonno Duniam has warned that a federal EPA would result in more green lawfare and regulation, while not guaranteeing any further protection for the environment.

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

Liberal backbenchers urge Coalition not to raid foreign aid budget to pay for rumoured $15bn defence boost

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Original article by Henry Belot
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 25-Mar-25

Recent media reports suggested that the Coalition may be open to increasing defence expenditure by at least $15bn a year if it wins the federal election. Some Liberal MPs have expressed concern that funding may be redirected from foreign aid to boost defence spending. A Liberal backbencher has warned that China may step in to fill the funding void if Australia were to reduce foreign aid to its neigbours in the Pacific region. The UK government recently opted to reduce foreign aid in order to increase defence spending, while the Trump administration has paused foreign aid.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Union vows to fight Dutton’s five-days-in-office edict at the tribunal

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Original article by Olivia Ireland, Josefine Ganko
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 5-Mar-25

The Community & Public Sector Union says it will pursue a Fair Work Commission challenge to any mandate for public servants to return to working in their office five days a week if the Coalition wins the upcoming federal election. The CPSU’s national secretary Melissa Donnelly has accused the Coalition of being ‘tone-deaf’ to the challenges that working families and working women face in their working life. Opposition leader Peter Dutton rejects suggestions that the policy discriminates against women with children, arguing that it will apply to all public servants; he adds that the Coalition would use common sense when considering any exceptions to the policy.

CORPORATES
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA