Build bigger budgets before downturn or suffer, Labor warns

15/12/208

 (Translation appears in Arabic section)

Canberra - M. E. Times Int'l: Australia needs bigger budget surpluses to prepare for an economic downturn, Labor treasury spokesman Chris Bowen has warned, after the OECD singled out a collapsing housing market was the biggest threat to the Australian economy.

“We need to prepare. We need to build the buffers now,” Mr Bowen said.

“Labor’s made the case repeatedly that we need bigger budget surpluses to provide a buffer for uncertain international times,” he said.

 “A few weeks ago I pointed to the downside risk in the international economy and some of the vulnerabilities that Australia faces. I made the point that without being alarmist or negative,” he said, warning that benign economic conditions in the global economy “won’t last indefinitely”.

Scott Morrison is pushing new religious discrimination laws

Canberra: Religious discrimination will be made illegal under a new stand-alone law the Morrison government plans to take to the next federal election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter will today release the Ruddock review into religious freedom, almost seven months after the government was handed the recommendations.

The overhaul will place religious discrimination in the same category as racial or gender-based discrimination, and will include a “freedom of religion” commissioner to sit within the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Mr Morrison said it was an “essential part” of a diverse society.

“Australia is a secular democracy but that does not mean that Australians are a godless people,” he told The Australian. “Australians have a diversity of faith and ¬religious backgrounds and these should all be respected.

“This is an essential part of multiculturalism, in the same way no Australian should be discriminated against for their ethnicity or sexuality. Protecting freedom of belief is central to the liberty of each and every Australian.”

Why former PM John Howard thinks Scott Morrison can win the next election

Canberra: Former prime minister John Howard says Scott Morrison has enough working in his favour to win the next election.

The former long-serving Liberal leader — who won federal elections in 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004 before losing the prime ministership to Labor’s Kevin Rudd in 2007 — said Mr Morrison had a few things going for him.

“I believe Scott Morrison can win the next election,” Mr Howard said on Tuesday.

“I believe there are a number of things working in his favour.

“To start with there’s no ‘it’s time’ factor. The economy is running well and we still have a huge equity in economic management.

But Mr Howard, who was speaking at a National Archives of Australia event in Canberra, said Mr Shorten’s tax plans and union links would hurt him.

Labor united to continuing boat turnbacks, offshore processing

Canberra: Senior Labor frontbenchers have dismissed suggestions an ugly stoush on border protection could overshadow the ALP's national conference, as the coalition zeros in on the issue.

Tony Burke, a leader of the NSW Right faction, and Left heavyweight Tanya Plibersek are confident there will be no changes to Labor's support for boat turnbacks and offshore processing.

"There's a debate about these issues every conference," Mr Burke said.

"The majority has always been that we would continue with the turnbacks policy and that's where it will be this time again."

But Immigration Minister David Coleman insists the ALP has been exposed after supporting a bill which would allow sick asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island treatment in Australia on the advice of two doctors.

"The system is working appropriately and Labor's proposed system is frankly ridiculous," Mr Coleman said.

"A person on Manus Island would be under no obligation to consult a doctor on Manus Island at all and could simply decide to speak to two doctors in Launceston."

Mr Burke expects the principles of the bill, which allows for ministerial override of medical transfer advice provided there is a parliamentary explanation, to become part of Labor's platform at conference.

"What you won't find is there being a significant shift from the views of the parliamentary party by virtue of what happens at the conference," he said.

Despite previous opposition, Ms Plibersek is backing the party's policies for tough border protection measures, raising the prospect of avoiding a messy fight on the conference floor.

Ms Plibersek predicted strong debate on refugees at the triennial event which starts on Sunday in Adelaide.

Labor-backed Nauru bill ‘recipe to restart the boats’: Dutton

Canberra: Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says a Labor-backed bill to speed up medical transfers for asylum seekers on offshore detention centres is a ‘recipe to restart the boats’. ASIO has warned the government potentially violent asylum seekers could be cleared for entry into Australia under the policy. The Coalition has criticised the bill, saying it will weaken the nation’s border protection. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Dutton has slammed the opposition leader stating Bill Shorten doesn’t understand what he is proposing.

7yo girl allegedly abducted from shopping centre and sexually assaulted

Brisbane: A man has been charged over the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl, who was taken from a shopping centre north of Brisbane on Saturday.

A 26-year-old Morayfield man has been charged with taking a child for immoral purposes, deprivation of liberty and indecent treatment of a child under 12.

A police media spokesman said the man allegedly spoke to the young girl and they left the store together.

It is believed police used CCTV to identify the man.

Coalition still trails, Bill Shorten closes gap

Canberra: This man is shaping up to be Australia’s next prime minister - and he’s shortening the gap on Scott Morrison, whose party trails in the polls.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has accused the Labor Party of lying to Australians about its refugee policy. Mr Dutton says Bill Shorten’s border protection policies will restart people smuggling boats, reopen detention centres and see people dying at sea again. Under a Shorten government, Mr Dutton says Australia’s border protection will be much worse than it ever was under former Labor prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. ‘If you don’t want to see kids drowning at sea or placed in detention, don’t vote for the Labor Party at the next election,’ he says.

Home Affairs crackdown on foreign student rorts

Canberra: More than 3000 international students were booted from Australia and a further 13,000 blocked from entering amid a Government crackdown on immigration fraud.

The Home Affairs Department reviews lists of international students each week to ensure the system is not being rorted by foreigners wanting work rights in Australia.

It checks up on students whose last recorded study was more than two months ago but who still have more than six months on their visas.

The Government is preparing to overhaul the visa system as part of its new population policy, which is expected to be announced next month.

“International students seeking to study in Australia should be motivated by Australia’s worldclass education system.

“While international students are granted restricted work rights while in Australia, students found to be working in breach of these work rights are liable to have their visa cancelled.”

Latest Home Affairs figures showed 3182 students had their visa cancelled while they were in Australia, while a further 13,398 visas were cancelled while students were overseas.