Read more...
In December 2016, the Parliamentary Library published a FlagPost explaining how people in multiple relationships—those with more than one partner—were treated for social security purposes. At the time, social security policy recognised that individuals could be in a de facto relationship with more than one person at a time and could treat each relationship as a separate couple relationship. In August 2018, the Department of Social Services policy guide was updated to state: ‘The Australian social security system does NOT recognise the existence of multiple relationships’. This FlagPost replaces the incorrect 2016 one and examines the effect of the 2018 policy change. Read more...
This month: the latest data from the 2022 Youth Survey and the 2022 Population Statement. Forthcoming releases If you are interested in any of the forthcoming releases or datasets, please contact the Parliamentary Library to discuss in more detail. Statistical reports Release date Jobs (a) Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, January 2023 1 Feb ABS Selected Living Cost Indexes, December 2022 1 Feb ABS Building Approvals, December 2022 2 Feb ... Read more...
In response to concerns about increased prevalence of intentional paracetamol self-poisoning, especially among young women, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is undertaking work to explore whether it should change paracetamol accessibility in Australia. Read more...
The Scanlon Foundation Research Institute’s latest annual Mapping Social Cohesion Report was released late last year. It found that the sense of national pride and belonging has declined to its lowest level since the survey began in 2007. However, the report also indicates that while the sense of belonging at a national level has declined, social cohesion at the neighbourhood level was resilient, particularly amongst culturally diverse communities. This FlagPost explores some issues in the report’s findings related to migrant communities and sense of belonging. Read more...
In December 2022, it was reported that a number of Members of Parliament (MPs) across Europe are sponsoring prisoners detained in Iran during the recent protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. The movement appears to have started with several members of the German Parliament announcing their sponsorship of Iranian prisoners at risk of being executed in early December 2022 and has spread to other countries including New Zealand and Canada. In Australia, examples of MPs sponsoring political prisoners include Monique Ryan, the Member for Kooyong, who recently announced she will sponsor Mahsa Mohammadi and Mohammad Boroughani. Zoe Daniel, the Member for Goldstein, has announced she will sp... Read more...
This month: the latest data from the new Labour Hire Workers report, the 2022 Australian Election Study and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Longitudinal Survey. Forthcoming releases If you are interested in any of the forthcoming releases or datasets, please contact the Parliamentary Library to discuss in more detail. Statistical reports Release date ANZ ANZ Australian Job Ads, December 2022 5 Jan ABS Building Approvals, November 2022 9 Jan ABS Monthly H... Read more...
The Government has recently announced the establishment of an Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, which will, among other things, consider the adequacy of income support payments prior to the next budget. This follows numerous calls for increases in such payments over recent years. Read more...
In November 2021, the New Zealand China Council published a report entitled The Southern Link: Developing a Global Value Chain, which outlined the concept of a ‘Southern Link’ as ‘an extension of a global value chain (GVC) that involves the routing of multi-modal freight and passengers between ASEAN–North Asia and South America via New Zealand’. The plan intends that New Zealand will serve as an air and sea freight hub between East Asia and South America, facilitating e-commerce trade, tourism, and education and mediation services, and thereby providing an economic boost to post-pandemic New Zealand. Read more...
This month: Life expectancy, road vehicle statistics, Treasury update (2022) and National Bowel Cancer Month. Forthcoming releases If you are interested in any of the forthcoming releases or datasets, please contact the Parliamentary Library to discuss in more detail. Statistical reports Release date ABS Managed Funds, September 2022 1 Dec ABS Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, September 2022 1 Dec ABS Assets and Liabilities of Australian ... Read more...
Flagpost is a blog on current issues of interest to members of the Australian Parliament
Blog entries
Senate
House of Representatives
Get informed
Bills
Committees
Get involved
Visit Parliament
