LABOR VICTORY IN NSW POLL; CYBER REFORM
Labor sweeps to power in New South Wales
After 12 years in opposition, Labor has been returned to government in New South Wales. Premier-elect Chris Minns is likely to hold a slim majority in the 93-seat Legislative Assembly of the NSW Parliament, sweeping Dominic Perrottet’s Liberal-National Coalition from office. Initial figures from the NSW Electoral Commission show that minor parties and Independents could hold up to 12 seats, including some in formerly safe Coalition electorates in Sydney and in regional NSW. Mr Minns has promised to halt any further privatisation of government utilities, to increase support for training, and lift staffing levels in the public health system. With the defeat of the State Coalition in NSW, Labor is in power across all mainland states and territories in Australia.
O’Neil canvasses cyber security reforms
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has revealed that she is considering a range of measures for the forthcoming Cyber Security Strategy, including supporting small businesses to enhance their cyber security. In an address to a national industry forum, Ms O’Neil said a legislative framework may also be created to shift cyber risks away from the most vulnerable to those best placed to manage it, including software and cyber security service providers, telecommunications firms and technology developers. She said that stakeholder consultation on the strategy had proposed that government needed to lead by example on cyber security, with more sharing of information on cyber security threats and incidents. Businesses had also felt that their cyber security obligations were not clear or easy enough to follow.
Labor secures crossbench support for emissions safeguard mechanism
The Albanese Government has secured crossbench support in the Senate to approve the safeguard mechanism, which imposes a hard cap on heavy emitters to help reduce emissions by 43 per cent, by 2030. Legislation to approve the mechanism is being debated in Parliament this week. As part of the industry assistance package, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the Federal Government would provide $600 million for “safeguard facilities”, and an additional $400 million to ensure the ongoing presence of key strategic industries in Australia, including steel, aluminium and cement.
UK-Australia free trade deal first since Brexit
A free trade deal between Australia and the United Kingdom is one step closer, following royal assent of legislation in the UK. Trade Minister Don Farrell said the free trade agreement was UK’s first new trade deal since its exit from the European Union. He said the agreement would remove tariffs on more than 99 per cent of the $9.2 billion of Australian goods exported to the UK each year and provide new Australian access to UK’s government procurement market, which was worth more than half a trillion dollars annually. Australian professionals would also gain access to the UK jobs market on a par with EU nationals, opening up opportunities for intra-company transfers and working holiday-makers.
International arrivals back to pre-Covid levels
Overseas travel into Australia has finally returned to pre-Covid levels, with more than 1.6 million international arrivals recorded in January. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that in February 2020 – the last full month before the pandemic was declared – Australia received 1.58 million international arrivals, before borders were closed. Australia recorded 1.3 million departures in January this year; monthly arrivals and departures each reached the two million mark in late 2019.
Overseas immigration powering population rebound
Australia’s population has ticked over 26 million, with population growth rising by 1.6 per cent in the 12 months to September 2022, after slumping during Covid-19. The ABS said Queensland recorded the highest annual growth (2.2 per cent), and Northern Territory, the lowest, at 0.4 per cent. Net overseas migration accounted for 72 per cent of annual population growth.