DEFENCE GOAL: QUALITY SPEND; TAX WARNING
Quality spend vital in defence programs, says Marles
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says Australia’s Defence force must be able to demonstrate to the public the quality of its expenditure and cannot be exempt from normal budgetary processes. Addressing a Submarine Institute of Australia forum, the Defence Minister said it was important to place clear, objective metrics on the projects of concern, with monthly reports to ministers and “active management” in maintaining defence programs. Mr Marles said defence programs should be pursued against a strategic framework, to ensure that as little as possible was infected by politics. He said that much of the way that programs had been managed previously had been affected by electoral political considerations, in a way that was “unhelpful to the quality of the spend.”
Treasury chief warns of higher taxes
Federal Treasury Head Dr Steven Kennedy has again warned of the need to lift taxes to strengthen Australia’s fiscal buffers. In his address to the Economics Legislation Committee, Dr Kennedy said budget pressures would likely require a combination of spending restraint and increases in taxes to reduce deficits and lower debt. While he said Australia had a relatively lower level of debt (than in many countries) in proportion to the size of the economy, “necessary policy decisions will be difficult in order to best promote the national interest.” Dr Kennedy said higher interest rates had increased government debt costs by $12 billion over four years, while assumed lower productivity and increased National Disability Insurance Scheme costs were also driving higher government payments.
Japan looks for defence technology co-operation via AUKUS
Japan’s Ambassador to Australia has lauded the opportunity for greater defence co-operation through the proposed AUKUS defence partnership. Ambassador Yamagami Shingo told the Advancing AUKUS conference in Canberra that should Australia acquire nuclear submarines, it would increase the type and scale of exercises it could conduct with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. The Ambassador said the AUKUS partnership with the US and UK also offered the possibility of cooperation on the transfer of defence technology that would increase regional deterrence and ensure superior capability across a range of areas. These included, he said, artificial intelligence and autonomy, quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, advanced cyber, electronic warfare, and hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities, which were all vitally important to Japan.
Queensland the big winner in population shift
Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory were the only jurisdictions to record a net gain in interstate migration between 2016 and 2021, according to latest figures. The Australian Bureau of Statistics says that in the five-year period, Queensland gained 107,500 people, followed by Tasmania (15,300 gain) and the ACT (10,600 gain); New South Wales reported a net loss of 102,200 people. Non-metropolitan NSW and Victoria, however, recorded internal intrastate gains of 2.1 per cent and four per cent respectively, over the five years, with Sydney and Melbourne both sustaining population loss during Covid-19.
Plan to wipe student debt for doctors, nurses in remote areas
Doctors or nurse practitioners who live and work in remote parts of Australia will have their student debt wiped, under legislation introduced to Federal Parliament. Education Minister Jason Clare and Health Minister Mark Butler said the legislation provided a package of incentives to attract more doctors and nurse practitioners to remote towns. Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt would also be reduced for practitioners living and working in rural towns. The Federal Government said it expected the incentives in the legislation would attract about 850 doctors and nurse practitioners each year.
Public servant salaries and wages rise six per cent
A total of 2.16 million people were employed in the public sector in Australia at the end of June 2022, new figures have shown. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 254,000 people were employed by the Commonwealth, more than 1.71 million by states and territories and 192,000 by local government. Total wages and salaries paid across the public sector in 2021-22 rose by $11 billion (six per cent) to almost $194 billion, as total public sector numbers rose 2.1 per cent on the previous year. New South Wales had the most state public servants (509,800) and Canberra the most Commonwealth employees (78,200); the Northern Territory was the only jurisdiction to record an annual drop in its public sector numbers. Most public servants across the three tiers are employed in public administration and safety, followed by the education and health sectors.