Government of Australia

Australia sees asylum-seeker costs soar

Agence France-PresseMay 14, 2013 14:16

Australia took aim at the sensitive election issue of people-smuggling in its budget Tuesday, with a review of its refugee tribunal system to lower visa rates and slow boat arrivals as costs soar. The budget showed the cost of Australia's offshore detention network -- with facilities on remote Christmas Island, Papua New Guinea and Nauru in the Pacific -- soaring to Aus$2.9 billion ($2.9 billion) in 2013/14, almost double previous estimates. Australia is struggling with a steady influx of boats from Indonesia and Sri Lanka, with arrivals topping a record 16,000 last year.

Australia budget blues in land of mining boom

Agence France-PresseMay 12, 2013 05:00

As China's economy slows and Australia begins its painful transition away from a decade-long mining boom, Treasurer Wayne Swan will have little to offer voters seeking an election-year spending spree Tuesday. The government has spent months priming the public for a significant plunge in revenues -- due to sluggish corporate tax earnings -- when Swan unveils his final budget before Australia goes to the polls on September 14.

Australian Treasurer says deficit 'uncomfortable'

Agence France-PresseMay 12, 2013 04:15

Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan admitted Sunday it was politically "very uncomfortable" to fail to return the budget to surplus as forecast, but blamed unprecedented shortfalls in government revenue. Swan, who will deliver his sixth annual budget on Tuesday, said a year ago that the national accounts should come out of deficit this financial year. But a fall in tax revenues has forced him to delay the surplus. "What has changed has been a fundamental writedown of revenue, which is unprecedented, which couldn't be forecast or predicted," Swan told the Nine Network.

Fired-up Australian PM insists election can be won

Agence France-PresseMay 5, 2013 00:00

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Sunday insisted she can win another term in office at September elections, giving a fiery defence of her chances when the "white noise" of politics falls away. She was responding to newspaper reports citing unnamed MPs from her Labor party saying they expected a drubbing, with recent opinion polls showing Gillard was headed for a crushing defeat to opposition leader Tony Abbott.

Australia smashes South Korean spy ring - report

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 23:15

A South Korean spy ring has been uncovered in Australia trying to cultivate public servants to obtain trade secrets, a report said Thursday. The Sydney Morning Herald said previously suppressed information revealed that South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) had sought "to obtain sensitive information" on trade negotiations between Canberra and Seoul.

Australia unveils $12bn revenue slump

Agence France-PresseApril 29, 2013 03:15

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Monday warned voters to brace for an austere election-year budget, unveiling a Aus$12 billion (US$12.4 billion) slump in revenues due to the strong dollar. Gillard, who is tipped to lose her bid for a third Labor government term in September, said the "unusually low revenue, which wasn't forecast even a few months ago" would require serious belt-tightening.

Australia unveils $12bn revenue slump

Agence France-PresseApril 29, 2013 01:15

Titanic tycoon launches political party in Australia

Agence France-PresseApril 26, 2013 00:00

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, the tycoon who is building a replica of the ill-fated Titanic, on Friday unveiled his new political party and said he would run in the September 14 elections. The flamboyant mining magnate was a long-time supporter of the opposition Liberal-National coalition but gave up his membership last year after a bitter and public dispute with the government in his home state of Queensland.

Titanic tycoon launches political party in Australia

Agence France-PresseApril 25, 2013 22:15

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, the tycoon who is building a replica of the ill-fated Titanic, on Friday announced he was forming a political party and would run in this year's elections. The flamboyant mining magnate was a longtime supporter of the opposition Liberal-National coalition but gave up his membership last year after a bitter and public dispute with the government in his home state of Queensland.

Australian PM vows no change on gay marriage stance

Agence France-PresseApril 18, 2013 01:45

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard vowed not to alter her stance on same-sex marriage despite New Zealand giving it the go-ahead, as hundreds of local couples planned to journey to tie the knot. Australia's near neighbour became the first Asia-Pacific country to legalise same-sex marriage on Wednesday after a decades-long campaign, with parliament voting 77-44 in favour. It made New Zealand the 13th nation to allow gay marriage, according to Human Rights Watch, with Britain and France both expected to adopt similar legislation in the near future.