Why is Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suddenly so keen to deliver extra cost-of-living relief – keen enough to summon Labor members of parliament to Canberra for a briefing on Wednesday, followed by a National Press Club address on Thursday?
One immediate reason is he is keen to make sure Labor wins the upcoming byelection in the outer-Melbourne electorate of Dunkley on March 2.
The former prime minister, Scott Morrison, has announced that he will retire from parliament at the end of February.
Morrison made the announcement in a statement posted on Facebook. He said he would “take on new challenges in the global corporate sector and spend more time with my family.”
The libertarian economist and newly-elected President of Argentina, Javier Milei, has delivered a strident defence of capitalism at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
This is the official timetable of key dates for the Dunkley by-election on March 2, 2024.
The dates show the election is being conducted within the minimum timeframe whereby polling day must be no less than 33 days from the issue of the writ.
2024 Dunkley By-Election Timetable
Event
Date
Explanation
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a “country report” on the Australian economy, warning that growth is weakening and inflation remains persistently high.
As 2024 starts, a reminder that across the nine federal, state and territory jurisdictions, there are eight Labor governments.
Current Australian Heads of Government & Opposition Leaders – from December 21, 2024
No.
Jurisdiction
PM/Premier/
Chief Minister
Age
Party
Since
Opposition Leader
Age
Party
Since
1.
AUSTRALIA
Anthony Albanese
62
ALP
23.05.2022
On the eve of the third anniversary of the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection, President Joe Biden has made a swingeing attack on his putative Republican opponent in this year’s election, former President Donald Trump.
Speaking in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Biden told his audience: “Democracy is on the ballot. Freedom is on the ballot.”
Watch Biden’s speech (33m):
If you’re looking for clues about whether the Reserve Bank has any interest rate rises left, Governor Michele Bullock offered several in her statement after Tuesday’s board meeting, saying:
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the latest monthly figures showed inflation “continuing to moderate”
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inflation expectations remained “consistent with the inflation target”
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wages growth was “not expected to increase much further”.
Pay close enough attention to parliament these next few days, and you’re likely to witness something truly remarkable: politicians from both sides of politics uniting to remove the power of politicians to overrule the Reserve Bank.
As an instance of self-loathing, it’s hard to top.
Since Australia’s Reserve Bank hiked interest rates two weeks ago, there have been two important developments – one in the United States and the other in the United Kingdom.
If it’s not clear to you why events overseas influence Australia’s interest rates, which are meant to be set to control Australian inflation, read on.
US and UK inflation close to zero
We haven’t been complete masters of our own destiny since the Australian dollar was floated 40 years ago next month.
The Albanese government is about to have to make a really important decision.
It’s going to have to decide what’s more important: supporting Australians who are financially under water, or keeping an election promise.
And it’ll have to do it soon. It’s already working on its May budget, now just six months away.
That choice will affect almost every Australian, and it could shape whether you’re thousands of dollars a year better off – or not – from July next year.
Household budgets are shrinking
Among the seemingly endless coverage of Queen Elizabeth II dying at age 96 in Balmoral, Scotland, a legal fact gets lost: this event generates exactly zero change in law. There are non-law implications – historical, cultural, symbolic, administrative – but not legal change.
The Victorian Labor government has done some fantastic work, but principles have to count for something.
Just for the record, I canceled my membership to the Victorian Labor Party on the 13th May.
Those of you who know me well will know that this hasn’t been a decision I’ve taken lightly, however under the circumstances, it’s a decision that was easy to make.
You may find this hard to believe, but the 2016 federal election campaign was a full fortnight longer than this one. I remember journalists from the campaign bus complaining afterwards that Malcolm Turnbull was moribund and lazy, booking a single daily event.
Yes hello long time blogger, first time in almost two years post. In late 2020 my life (and writing) became consumed by completing a doctorate, which was eventually conferred in September 2021. I even popped on a floppy hat in December last year.