Aussies don’t trust social media: report

Original article by Angus Livingston
The Australian – Page: Online : 16-Aug-17

Roy Morgan Research’s State of the Nation Media Report shows that TV is still the main source of news for 69 per cent of Australians, while TV is the most trusted source of news for 41.5 per cent. Meanwhile, 32 per cent of Australians identify social media as their main source of news, although just four per cent say social media is their most trusted source of news. Print and digital newspapers are the main source of news for 48 per cent of Australians, while they are the most trust source of news for 25 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

CFMEU’s Setka to fight charge

Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Aug-17

The Supreme Court of Victoria has ruled that criminal charges of blackmail laid against two Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union officials should proceed. The CFMEU had sought to have the charges deemed invalid on the grounds that the alleged blackmail occurred during an industrial dispute. The charges against CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka and his deputy Shaun Reardon relate to allegations of blackmail against two Boral executives in 2013. The CFMEU is expected to appeal against the court’s ruling.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, GROCON PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

Health premium cuts leave age bomb

Original article by Sean Parnell
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Aug-17

A growing number of Australian health insurance policies have exclusions in them, as policy holders try to reduce premium costs. Most exclusions relate to pregnancy-related services and procedures seen as relating to old age, such as hip replacements and eye surgery. Many such exclusions are agreed to when the policy holder is young, but then forgotten about until later in life. The trend towards increased policy exclusions comes as governments try to reduce the exodus of consumers from the health insurance sector.

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE OMBUDSMAN, CONSUMERS’ HEALTH FORUM OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH. PRIVATE HEALTH MINISTERIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

‘Alliance locks us in if US goes to war’

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Aug-17

Andrew Shearer says Australia should endeavour to become less economically reliant on China, so as not to allow China to potentially weaken the alliance with the US through economic pressure. Shearer, who was a national security adviser to the Howard and Abbott governments, also says the terms of the ANZUS alliance require it to support the US in the event of any regional conflict. His comments come as the North Korean missile crisis shows no signs of coming to an end.

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ANZUS TREATY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Kiwi Joyce puts doubt on majority

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Aug-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is confident that the High Court will rule that National Party leader Barnaby Joyce is eligible to be in Parliament. The Deputy Prime Minister is the latest federal MP to become embroiled in the dual citizenship saga, following revelations that he is be a New Zealand citizen because his father was born there. The Opposition has called for Joyce to stand aside until his status is determined by the High Court, while it has also questioned the legitimacy of the Government. A by-election in Joyce’s seat could result in the loss of the Government’s one-seat majority.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEW ZEALAND. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Bendigo Bank keeps branches open

Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 15-Aug-17

Bendigo & Adelaide Bank’s 2016-17 cash profit was slightly below market expectations at $A418.3m, despite rising by 4.2 per cent. CEO Mike Hirst says the result was affected by a regulatory crackdown on mortgage lending. He adds that while the banking sector’s reputation has been tarnished by the Commonwealth Bank’s money-laundering scandal, Bendigo performs well in terms of trust. Hirst says its branch network and customer-facing staff will play a key role in retaining that trust.

CORPORATES
BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Livingstone ousts CEO Narev, cuts pay, puts execs on notice

Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 15-Aug-17

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s board has reiterated its intention to take further action on cuts and changes to executive pay and incentives in the wake of the money laundering crisis. Its actions come as it announced that CEO Ian Narev will retire by 30 June 2018, with his successor most likely to be an external appointment. Louise Davidson, the CEO of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors, says there are clearly some problems with the CBA’s culture, noting its recent problems involving financial planning and life insurance.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, AUSBIL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, UNISUPER LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE

oOh!media first-half profit jumps 22.5pc

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Aug-17

Listed out-of-home advertising group oOh!media has posted a 2017 interim net profit of $A7.3m, which is 22.5 per cent higher than previously. EBITDA was 19 per cent higher at $A31.9m and revenue of $A173m was up 18 per cent. The company’s digital business contributed 52.1 per cent of group revenue for the half-year, as the company expanded its network of digital screens and billboards. Shareholders will receive a half-year dividend of $A0.045 per share.

CORPORATES
OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, THE QUANTIUM GROUP PTY LTD, WAVESTONE CAPITAL PTY LTD, OPHIR ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Santos to supply gas for Pelican Point generator

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Aug-17

Wood Mackenzie says the Gladstone LNG project’s latest gas supply deal will make it less likely that the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism will be enforced in 2018. The Santos-led project will supply 15 petajoules of gas to Engie’s Pelican Point power station in South Australia over two years. Santos is poised to announce details of additional domestic gas supply contracts. The two rival LNG export projects in Queensland have also secured domestic gas supply deals in recent months.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, WOOD MACKENZIE, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, QUEENSLAND CURTIS LNG PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, QUEENSLAND GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ENGIE SA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, KOREA GAS CORPORATION, PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD, TOTAL SA

TV networks face slug for local content fund

Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 15-Aug-17

The Australian Government is continuing to hold talks with Senate crossbenchers regarding its cross-media reform bill, which is slated to be debated on 15 August. The Greens remain open to negotiation, and the party has proposed that TV networks should be required to contribute to a "local content fund". This was a key recommendation of the Convergence Review in 2012. The Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young has also advocated an increase in funding for the ABC and SBS, while One Nation wants their funding to be reduced.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION