MODI’S BACK
Narendra Modi has been elected prime minister of India for a third time, the ABC reports. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allied with other parties under the banner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will return to power, albeit with a reduced and shared majority. The landslide previously predicted has not eventuated, with the leader of the opposition INDIA alliance, Rahul Gandhi, calling it “a huge message” and “a moral defeat”. This is on track to be Modi’s worst performance at an election, with the BBC laying the blame on the religious focus of his campaign, a decaying brand and a more galvanised opposition. Modi will now lead a coalition, and while bipartisan support on foreign policy is likely, he’ll need to adopt a slower, more consultative approach than he has previously.
Meanwhile, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing pressure to back a ceasefire in Gaza, but fears doing so will undermine his government, The Guardian reports. Far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition are threatening to leave if Israel “surrenders” to Hamas, while US President Joe Biden has encouraged Israel’s prime minister to consider a ceasefire. Netanyahu is also facing pressure from the public to make a decision on the future of the war, with one commentator saying “He is world champion at stalling, making all sides sick of him and ultimately evading paying the bill when it comes due”. Overall public support for the war in Israel is waning, with Israelis restless about its seeming endlessness and massive financial burden, reports Al Jazeera. The projected cost of the conflict is estimated to arrive at 253 billion shekels (U$67 billion) if it continues into 2025. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed.
MANUFACTURING DISCONTENT
Nearly 70 economists and policy experts have signed an open letter backing Future Made in Australia, the SMH reports. The group has celebrated Anthony Albanese’s plan as a way for Australia to move away from its reliance on resource extraction and open up new, innovative manufacturing sectors. “Among all OECD nations, Australia has the smallest manufacturing base”, the letter says, hitting back at critics of the plan like the Productivity Commission, who the group accuses of “outdated laissez-faire thinking”. In a move sure to make Crikey’s Bernard Keane’s blood boil, Productivity Commission boss Danielle Wood has called for a cut to the 30% company tax rate according to reports from the AFR. It comes after Treasurer Jim Chalmers poured cold water on the corporate tax debate, saying that Future Made in Australia amounts to “company tax reform in the form of production tax credits”.
Meanwhile, Victoria Police has saved $117 million from ongoing staff shortages, the Herald Sun reports. Up to 800 vacancies exist in the force, a mixture of post-COVID resignations and high numbers of police off duty due to WorkCover, with many experiencing mental health problems. The money is being used to pay out employee entitlements and increased WorkCover premiums. It comes as the NSW government allegedly hid a $120 million cut to a mental health service, enraging some within the industry, news.com.au reports. The Pathways to Community Living Initiative was set to help 230 patients living with complex mental health issues but will now only be able to cater for 20. The Black Dog Institute’s Lawrence Muskitta said “Independent evaluations of this program have shown that it reduces hospital admissions and interactions with police,” calling the Minns government’s decision to underfund the program “atrocious”.
SAY WHAT?
My milkshake brings all the people to the rally.
Nigel Farage
The Reform Party leader does an unconvincing Kelis impersonation when trying to save face following his being plastered with banana milkshake on the campaign trail. “Victoria” said she “just felt like it”. God save the queen.
CRIKEY RECAP
“In the Canberra gallery, there’s pushback; from Tingle, most famously, but also David Crowe from Nine’s mastheads. They’ve given Dutton the credit of taking him both literally and seriously, with explainers of what the ‘no vacancies’ approach means. Tingle’s reward has been the unwanted attention of News Corp. Crowe’s has been the attention of Dutton himself, which according to Mark Kenny in The Canberra Times was ‘not just churlish but clearly intimidatory’.
Once, traditional media understood migration reporting as tagged ‘handle with care’. Migrants — even asylum-seeking refugees — were largely ignored, unless they could be celebrated as part of the ‘imagined community’ of a modern, multicultural Australia built by a succession of leaders from Whitlam, to Fraser, to Hawke, to Keating.”
“According to the evidence, Oliver-Taylor thought Lattouf had been directed by Green not to post on social media at all, whereas Green said she had only ‘advised’ Lattouf to that effect. The FWC’s factual findings are that no direction was given, leaving open the ultimate question of exactly what infraction Lattouf committed. Anyway, Oliver-Taylor decided that she must be taken off air, and on December 20 Lattouf was called into a meeting after her shift and told the bad news.
Both sides agree that what was said to Lattouf included that her HRW post ‘could be considered controversial’ and ‘in the context of your other posts, this is considered a breach of ABC policies’. When Lattouf protested that her post was factual, she was informed that ‘it was a post about Israel-Gaza, and that she had been asked not to post about that while she was on-air with us this week’.”
“Normally Labor MPs can smell the rotting flesh a mile away, but maybe Industry Minister Ed Husic has a blocked nose. Invited last week to reflect on whether the decline in manufacturing investment was to do with Australia’s uncompetitive company tax rate, Husic opined that ‘either through corporate tax reform or the way in which we provide investment allowances for the uptick in manufacturing capital, that is something long term, I think, does need to be considered’.
Like flies on shit, business spokespeople immediately seized on Husic’s remark and showered him with praise — there was even talk of a ‘cabinet split’ on the idea. Gee, and to think there are some Labor MPs who for years have thought Husic opens his mouth a bit too much. Perish the thought!”
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Biden suggests Netanyahu is prolonging war to stay in power (The New York Times) ($)
China’s far-side Moon mission begins journey back (BBC)
Slovenia becomes latest European country to recognise Palestinian state after parliamentary vote (euronews)
UK’s Sunak and Starmer to clash in debate as Farage enters election fray (Al Jazeera)
Airlines look to turbulence data, but shy from more seatbelt curbs (Reuters)
THE COMMENTARIAT
As a visiting Frenchwoman, Australian men are not at all what I expected — Elyne Le Faou (The Age): “In Australia, it felt to me as if women were not as constantly judged — whether by remarks or insistent looks — which has become the norm for women in France. I found that generally, Australian men took a more neutral, and therefore more reassuring, approach. It’s behaviour that I suspect may also be due to a greater degree of shyness.
I was rarely approached spontaneously by Australian men, even at a party, and the few times that I was, they were brief and courteous. I still remember one evening when a young man stopped next to me and said: ‘I don’t want to bother you, but I wanted to tell you that you’re pretty.’ Without another word, he left. From this simple encounter, I sensed a certain respect and caution in Australian men’s actions, whatever their age. It was a behaviour that reinforced a general feeling of safety. On many occasions, I walked home alone in the middle of the night — an ordinary act in Melbourne, perhaps, but entirely inconceivable in France.”
Spare us the talk about a wages explosion. There’s nothing wrong with lifting Australia’s lowest wages in line with inflation — Peter Martin (ABC): “Far from setting off a wages explosion, increases in award wages (those awarded by the Fair Work Commission to predominately low-paid workers) appear to barely move the dial at all. Last year the commission awarded low-paid workers 5.75%. In the year that followed, overall wages climbed 4.1%. The previous year the commission awarded 5.2%. In the year that followed, overall wages climbed 3.7%.
Overall wages — those received by the three-quarters of workers who aren’t paid by awards — have been climbing by less than awards, and for most of the past three years, by less than the rate of inflation … Our remarkable passivity when it comes to moving to earn more and our lack of interest in joining unions has collided with a wage-setting system that for those of us not on awards makes it easy for employers to resist paying more.”
