Media alert: Federal Politics

As Federal Parliament resumes, experts from La Trobe University are available to discuss the political year ahead.

Dr Nicholas Barry

Senior Lecturer Politics at La Trobe University
E: N.Barry@latrobe.edu.au M: 0418 940 259

Dr Barry can discuss the following topics:

• Analysis of the current and future political landscape in Australia
• How the recent tax reforms have affected the government
• The future of the Labor Government and discussions of current polls
• The potential for a federal election in 2024 – factors for and against
• What surprises may be in store politically this year
• How the Teals are faring and if they will grow in numbers ahead of the next election

The following can be attributed to Dr Nicholas Barry:

“Although Peter Dutton may be pressuring the government to call an election over the recent tax cuts, as things stand, I don’t see us going to the polls in 2024. Having been out of office for nine years, it’s unlikely Labor would want to take the risk of such an early election. Governments will generally only do this if they are very confident of an overwhelming victory”.

“Reducing the tax cut received by top income earners makes sense as a policy, given that it’s funding a larger tax cut for low and middle income earners who need it more. It does have political risks for the government, given that tax is one of the most controversial areas of public policy. It’s widely believed to be one of the main reasons for Labor’s defeat at the 2019 election, and going back further, the Coalition’s campaign against the Gillard Government’s carbon tax, framed around the idea it was a broken promise, was key to their victory at the 2013 election. The Opposition is no doubt hoping that it can repeat this political success and it is drawing on similar rhetoric about broken promises and class warfare.”

“I think the way the Labor government has designed the revised tax cuts, with most taxpayers benefiting from the changes, gives it a stronger political position from which to defend the policy than it had at previous elections.”

Professor Bec Strating

Director of La Trobe Asia and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe
E: B.Strating@latrobe.edu.au M: 0400 287 758

Professor Strating can discuss the following topics:

• Australian foreign policy
• Australian defence
• Asian security
• Australia's place in Asia
• Governments and politics of Asia and the Pacific
• International relations of East Asia
• AUKUS
• International reaction to the referendum on The Voice
  
  The following can be attributed to Professor Bec Strating:
  
  

• “Maritime conflict and contestation will again be front and centre of regional and global security in 2024. Maritime and sovereignty disputes and contestation in key domains such as the South and East China Seas will again play an important role shaping Asia’s security order in 2024 and beyond. Beyond AUKUS, Australia needs to develop a more coherent approach to maritime security to address the vast range of traditional and non-traditional security challenges emerging in and from the surrounding oceans and seas.”

For any other media enquiries, please contact the Media Team at La Trobe University on media@latrobe.edu.au