POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

Albanese says his use of family travel allowance in accordance with the rules as MPs call for fresh look at entitlements

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Original article by Josh Butler, Krishani Dhanji
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 10-Dec-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become embroiled in the federal government’s controversy over travel expenses. Data from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority shows that Albanese has claimed a total of $2,778 in travel expenses on three separate occasions since 2022 for his family to join him on trips to attend sports events in Melbourne and Brisbane. A government spokesperson has indicated that all of Albanese’ disclosures were "in accordance with the rules". Meanwhile, Communications Minister Anika Wells has referred herself to IPEA for an audit of her travel expenses, although she believes all of her expenses complied with parliamentary rules. However, some MPs and senators have called for a review of travel expense claims.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES AUTHORITY

‘Extreme, divisive politics’: Greens’ near-total wipe-out

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Original article by Clare Armstrong
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 8-May-25

Sky News and the ABC have both declared that Labor’s Sarah Witty has won the seat of Melbourne, which Greens leader Adam Bandt has held since 2010. However, a Greens spokeswoman has stated that the minor party has yet not conceded defeat in the previously safe seat, arguing that "many thousands of votes" have not yet been counted. The Greens are hopeful that more than 15,000 absentee and declaration votes will favour Bandt. Commenting on Bandt’s defeat, a Labor source said "he’ll blame Labor, he’ll blame the Liberals, he’ll blame voters, but he’ll never blame himself". The Greens went into the federal election with four MPs in the lower house, but Stephen Bates and Max Chandler-Mather have also lost their seats and Elizabeth Warren-Brown’s seat of Ryan in Queensland is in doubt. Greens senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi are believed to be the frontrunners to succeed Bandt.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Albanese to dole out an extra ministry to the Left after landslide win

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Original article by David Crary, James Massola
The Age – Page: Online : 7-May-25

Labor’s expanded caucus is set to meet on Friday to decide which MPs and senators will be in the new ministry, although Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will allocate portfolios next week. Labor’s left faction is set to gain an additional seat in the ministry after gaining about 12 seats in the federal election, while the Victorian Right faction will also push for increased representation in the ministry. The Left faction is set to outnumber the Right in Labor’s caucus, which is set to increase to at least 110, compared with 103 before the election.

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

Lib takes aim at teal with corruption probe call

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Original article by Rhiannon Down, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 7 : 25-Mar-25

Former Liberal MP Jason Falinski has called for a National Anti-Corruption Commission investigation into MP Zoe Daniel to be re-opened. Daniel had been accused of misusing commonwealth resources, but was cleared by the NACC earlier this year. It came after consultant Jim Middleton approached The Australian Financial Review about dropping Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court from its 2024 Power list, with Holmes a Court having funded Daniel’s 2022 election campaign. The NACC found that Middleton was working as a temporary part-time consultant for Daniel and was being paid by her private not-for-profit company rather than the Commonwealth at the time of his approach to the AFR, but Falinski contends he has evidence that indicates that Middleton was still a ‘senior adviser’ to Daniel at the time, with Falinski accusing her of misleading the NACC.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

ALP’s Michele bollocking: cut rates now

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Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Feb-25

Labor MP Mike Freelander says the Reserve Bank of Australia should reduce the cash rate by 50 basis points at its board meeting today. He is among a number of Labor backbenchers who have urged the RBA to ease monetary policy, even though Treasurer Jim Chalmers has told government MPs to avoid publicly commenting on the issue. Opposition leader Peter Dutton favours a rate cut, arguing that families need interest rates relief after 12 increases under the current government. However, EQ Economics’ chief economist Warren Hogan says the case for a rate cut is pretty weak at present, and the RBA should leave the cash rate on hold.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, EQ ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Dutton to RBA: resist pressure to cut rates

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Original article by Michael Read, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 12-Feb-25

Bond market traders have priced in a 95 per cent chance that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate next week. The case for a rate cut was strengthened by recent data showing that the RBA’s preferred measure of underlying inflation has fallen to 3.2 per cent. However, Opposition leader Peter Dutton says there is concern that the RBA may need to tighten monetary policy again if it reduces the cash rate too soon. He has urged RBA governor Michele Bullock to act in the nation’s best interests rather than yielding to political pressure to cut interest rates.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Loss of Western values: Lib MP slams Wong’s contempt

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 14-Jan-25

Liberal MP Julian Leeser has accused Foreign Minister Penny Wong of having a ‘blind spot’ when it comes to Israel, and having a lack of faith in the Western values that Australia and Israel share. Leeser contends this lack of faith has resulted in Wong in being openly hostile to what is the only democracy in the Middle East, while he accused her of showing ‘quiet contempt’ by refusing to visit massacre sites on her official trip to Israel. Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein claims that Leeser’s comments about Wong "ring true".

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA-ISRAEL AND JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL

Loss of Western values: Lib MP slams Wong’s contempt

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 14-Jan-25

Liberal MP Julian Leeser has accused Foreign Minister Penny Wong of having a ‘blind spot’ when it comes to Israel, and having a lack of faith in the Western values that Australia and Israel share. Leeser contends this lack of faith has resulted in Wong in being openly hostile to what is the only democracy in the Middle East, while he accused her of showing ‘quiet contempt’ by refusing to visit massacre sites on her official trip to Israel. Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein claims that Leeser’s comments about Wong "ring true".

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA-ISRAEL AND JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL

Dutton calls on Thorpe to resign

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 5 : 23-Oct-24

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe may face a censure motion when the upper house sits in mid-November. However, shadow home affairs minister James Paterson says the measure is only symbolic, adding that Thorpe would probably wear it as a "badge of honour". Meanwhile, Opposition leader Peter Dutton says Thorpe’s disruption of a parliamentary reception for King Charles and Queen Camilla on Monday was "disrespectful". He adds that there is a very strong argument that Thorpe should resign in principle, given that she does not believe in the parliamentary system but receives a quarter of a million dollars a year from taxpayers. Thorpe is paid a base salary of $233,660 and an additional $25,702 for chairing a committee on so-called ‘forever chemicals’.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Chalmers unmoved by $3m super-tax critics

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 27-Aug-24

Former prime minister Paul Keating has criticised the federal government in regard to its proposal to increase the tax on high-value superannuation accounts. Keating is unhappy about the part of the proposal that involves taxing unrealised gains, while he says if there has to be a threshold, it should be at least $5 million and should be indexed; the government is talking about an account balance threshold of $3 million and does not plan to index it at this stage. Crossbench MPs have echoed Keating’s concerns, but Treasurer Jim Chalmers has rejected the criticisms of Keating and the crossbench MPs, contending his proposals are modest and that he is not open to amending them.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY