GRACosway Weekly Policy Wrap Up

3 July 2015

The latest Newspoll analysis conducted over the past three months shows the Government trailing the national two party-preferred vote. The analysis also shows Labor recording its strongest levels of support in Queensland for over five years, and that it continues to lead the Coalition in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. The one exception is the Prime Minister’s home state of NSW where the Government’s support reached an 18-month high. See The Australia here (subscription).Treasurer Joe Hockey has been awarded $200,000 in his defamation suit against Fairfax, following a story last year which allegedly portrayed the Treasurer as being open to corruption. Justice White ruled that a poster and Tweets promoting the story were defamatory but dismissed other claims.Former Shadow Minister and Liberal Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella, has won preselection to contest the seat she lost at the 2013 Federal Election. Mirabella will face off against current Member, Independent Cathy McGowan, as well as a National Party candidate yet to be announced.

NSW Premier Mike Baird announced the appointment of Tim Reardon as Secretary of Transport for NSW, and Martin Hoffman as Secretary of the NSW Department of Finance, Services & Innovation. Reardon has been Acting Secretary of TfNSW since February 2015, while Hoffmann has most recently been Deputy Secretary of the federal Department of Industry and Science since 2010. See media release here.Also in NSW, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance announced the establishment of an independent taskforce to examine point-to-point transport. The taskforce will examine the future viability of the taxi and hire car industries and the challenges posed by ride sharing apps. Professor Gary Sturgess AM will chair the taskforce, which is expected to report to the Minister by October. See media release here.
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley has announced Party Whip Noreen Hay will stand aside from her post pending the outcome of an investigation into electoral fraud. Hay’s decision follows an Australian Federal Police raid on her electorate office on Thursday. See more here (subscription).
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland Tim Carmody tendered his resignation to the Acting Governor this week, ending a long standoff between Carmody and his fellow judges. Carmody will remain a Judge of the Supreme Court and will serve as a supplementary judicial member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

 

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