Greens rally to Garrett war cry

Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 6 : 10-May-19

The Greens will seek to declare a ‘climate emergency’ when Parliament resumes after the federal election. Their call is in line with that of former environment minister Peter Garrett, who says that if Labor wins the election it should convene a climate emergency summit. Garrett also says a new federal department should be set up to "decarbonise the economy". Opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers says Garrett is very passionate about taking genuine action on climate change, while Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has announced a $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Package.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Huawei ban rules out tilt at mobile: TPG

Original article by James Fernyhough
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 10-May-19

In the wake of the ACCC’s decision to block a proposed merger with Vodafone, TPG Telecom has indicated that it has no plans to build a mobile network. TPG terminated work on its own network in early 2019, after the federal government banned Huawei from supplying equipment for Australia’s 5G network. TPG argues that the Chinese company is the only supplier of 5G equipment that is compatible with the 4G technology that TPG has already installed.

CORPORATES
TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, VODAFONE HUTCHISON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NOKIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ERICSSON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK LIMITED, IBISWORLD PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED

Income tax cuts, bigger surpluses

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 10-May-19

Labor will release the Parliamentary Budget Office’s costings of its election policies on 10 May. The costings show that Labor is projected to deliver a Budget surplus equivalent to one per cent of GDP in 2022-23. In contrast, the Coalition expects to post a surplus in 2022-23 that is just 0.4 per cent of GDP. Meanwhile, Labor’s proposed tax reforms are slated to raise $154bn over 10 years. The costings also show that a Labor government would deliver total tax cuts over the next decade that are similar to those that have been budgeted by the Coalition.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Rio Tinto mulls iron ore boost as Vale struggles

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 24 : 10-May-19

Rio Tinto Jean-Sebastien Jacques says the resources giant will only increase its Pilbara iron ore shipments if doing so makes financial sense. The price of the steel input has rallied in the wake of supply disruptions following a tailings dam collapse at a Vale mine in January, and it was trading above $US94 per tonne on 9 May. Meanwhile, just six per cent of shareholders at Rio Tinto’s Australian annual meeting supported a Market Forces resolution which would have required Rio Tinto to set carbon emission reduction targets for its customers.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, VALE SA, MARKET FORCES, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, GRANGE RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GRR, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Inflation target review makes sense: Don Brash

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 10-May-19

The Reserve Bank of Australia should review its inflation target range of 2-3 per cent, according to former Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Don Brash. He adds that the target band may need to be widened rather than reduced. Australia’s inflation rate remains well below the target band, but former RBA governor Bernie Fraser does not believe that a review is necessary. Brash headed the RBNZ when it introduced inflation targeting in 1990; its inflation target is currently 1-3 per cent.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Morrison: Business tax cuts are no-go

Original article by Tom McIlroy, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 10-May-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refuted suggestions that the Coalition will seek to revive its corporate tax cuts package if wins the election on 18 May. He also says the Coalition did not discuss the issue of company taxes with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party during negotiations for a preferences deal. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen recently claimed that company tax cuts will be on the Coalition’s agenda if it is returned to office.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Property taxes will hit safe Labor seats

Original article by Duncan Hughes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 10-May-19

The Real Estate Institute of New South Wales has urged Labor to reconsider its proposed negative gearing and capital gains tax reforms. CEO Tim McKibbin says most of the 50 suburbs across Sydney that will be hardest-hit by the reforms are in Labor-held electorates. The median values of rental properties in some of these suburbs have fallen sharply in the last year, and the REISW warns that Labor’s reforms could result in a further decline.

CORPORATES
THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HERRON TODD WHITE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Trust tax to bring in $2b a year: Labor

Original article by Phillip Coorey, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 9-May-19

The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates that taxing distributions from family trusts at 30 per cent would raise $7.7bn over four years and $26.9bn over 10 years. This compares with Labor’s forecasts of $4.1bn and $17.2bn respectively when it announced the proposal in mid-2017. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has also indicated that Labor’s plan to cap tax deduction for managing tax affairs will raise $375m over four years and $1.6bn over a decade.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

‘Labor won’t lead revolution of reform’

Original article by Michael Roddan, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 9-May-19

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has indicated that Labor will "modernise the economy" if it wins the federal election. Former IFM Investors chairman Garry Weaven says a Labor government would not pursue significant economic reform, adding that "revolutionary" reform is not necessary. Robert Carling of the Centre for Independent Studies agrees that a Shorten government would not seek to undertake reforms on the scale of those implemented by Labor under former prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED, ACTU, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Kelty in accord with $10bn childcare vow

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 9-May-19

Labor’s proposal to provide child care workers with a taxpayer-funded wage increase is supported by former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty. He argues that child care workers are "grossly underpaid", and the cost of the policy will not have a significant impact on wages across the economy. Kelty has also downplayed concerns that the policy would prompt employees in other sectors to seek a similar wage subsidy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU