Author: roymorgansocial

LNP leader prepares state for a greener future without coal

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Original article by Jared Owens
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-Jun-18

Queensland’s Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says the state must embrace clean and reliable energy sources. She will commit to a policy of requiring state-owned electricity companies to invest in renewable energy generation if the Liberal-National Party wins the next election. The LNP previously supported coal-fired power generation under Frecklington’s predecessor Tim Nicholls, who stepped down after losing the 2017 election.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, ONE NATION PARTY, STANWELL CORPORATION LIMITED

English test eyed for all new arrivals

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 14-Jun-18

The Federal Government may require future migrants to have basic English language skills in order to qualify for permanent residency. There is growing concern that many migrants lack sufficient English language skills, which affects their ability to integrate and gain employment. Analysis of Census data suggests that more than one million people in Australia may have limited or no English language skills by 2021. The proposal for migrants to have minimum conversational language skills will be outlined by Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge on 14 June.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, SYDNEY INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Nats urged to broaden the base

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Jun-18

National Party MP Darren Chester says that farmers will continue to comprise a significant proportion of the party’s membership base. However, he argues that the Nationals need to appeal to a broader range of voters in order to win more seats, arguing that people from non-farming backgrounds now live in electorates that have traditionally been the party’s focus. Chester added that the Nationals must also embrace a range of views on social issues in order to appeal to voters, noting that all but one Nationals electorate voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS

Huawei to be banned from 5G

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Angus Grigg
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-18

Sources have indicated that Australia’s security and defence agencies have recommended against allowing Huawei to bid for contracts to build the nation’s 5G wireless networks. The Federal Government is expected to make a decision on the 5G contracts very soon, and Huawei has previously been excluded from providing equipment for the national broadband network due to national security concerns. The Chinese telco supplies equipment for the 4G networks of Optus and Vodafone, while Huawei’s John Lord recently noted that the company employs about 750 people in Australia.

CORPORATES
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ZTE CORPORATION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TELEFON AB LM ERICSSON, NOKIA OY AB, ALCATEL-LUCENT, UNITED STATES. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Unlockd roadkill after flying too near Google

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Original article by Supratim Adhikari
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 14-Jun-18

Australian mobile advertising technology group Unlockd was heavily reliant on Google’s app store and AdMob advertising platform. Right Click Capital partner Ben Chong says Unlockd’s descent into voluntary administration demonstrates the risks of a business model which is similar to that of Google itself. Unlockd had proposed an IPO that was tipped to raise around $A80m, and the start-up had previously attracted funding of more than $A60m from private investors.

CORPORATES
UNLOCKD PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, RIGHT CLICK CAPITAL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, McGRATH NICOL AND PARTNERS SERVICES PTY LTD

RBA boss backs income tax cuts

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-18

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says the Federal Government’s personal income tax cuts package will contribute to growth in wages. Lowe describes the proposed tax cuts as an "incremental step" in the broader process of tax reform. He has also called for wages to be progressively increased as the economy strengthens, arguing that wages of growth of around three per cent annually is feasible in the longer-term, compared with growth of around two per cent at present. Labor has only committed to supporting the first stage of the tax cuts package.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up across the board to 123.0

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jun-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 5.6% to 123.0 in the week ended 10 June, following a 1.0% decline in the previous week. Consumers’ views towards current financial conditions rose 3.9% to 109.1, partially reversing the cumulative 4.7% decline over the last two weeks. Consumers also remain optimistic about future financial conditions, which were up 1.6% on the back of a 3.3% rise in the previous week. Consumers’ views towards current economic conditions rose 8.9%, following two successive weekly declines. This sub-index is currently at its highest point in 18 weeks. Similarly, households’ views towards future economic conditions rose 8.7% to 118.0, the highest since November 2013. The "time to buy a household item" sub-index rose 5.7% to 144.0 and remains well above its long-term average of 134.0.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Ruling will unleash new wave of tie-ups

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 14-Jun-18

Comcast’s proposed bid for the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox is more likely to proceed after a US court approved AT&T’s deal to acquire Time Warner. Shares in Fox have rallied amid expectations that Comcast will trump Walt Disney Company’s $US52bn offer for the bulk of Fox’s assets. Media analyst Craig Moffett says the AT&T-Time Warner merger is likely to prompt further consolidation in the media sector.

CORPORATES
AT&T CORPORATION, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CNN, HBO, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF JUSTICE, STAR INDIA, HULU LLC, SKY PLC, VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED, BTIG LLC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

WA wades into Atlas takeover fray

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 14-Jun-18

Atlas Iron’s port capacity at the Utah Point berth at Port Hedland and its stake in North West Infrastructure’s proposed South West Creek berth is a key driver of the bidding war for the iron ore junior. A successful bid by Mineral Resources would allow it to increase the volume of lower-grade ore that is shipped through Utah Point, which may have prompted Fortescue Metals Group and Hancock Prospecting to take blocking stakes in Atlas. Meanwhile, the Western Australian government says Utah Point is designed for smaller miners, and it would be concerned if such key export infrastructure were to be controlled by a large company.

CORPORATES
ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, NORTH WEST INFRASTRUCTURE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF MINES, INDUSTRY REGULATION AND SAFETY, CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INCORPORATED

Virgin starts global search for new chief

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 13-Jun-18

Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti has advised that he will step down by the start of 2020, having decided against renewing his contract. Borghetti has been at the helm of Virgin Australia since May 2010, and oversaw its transition from a budget carrier to a full-service airline. Internal candidates to succeed Borghetti are said to include Virgin Australia’s group executive Rob Sharp and the head of its Tigerair subsidiary, Merren McArthur. Virgin Australia closed 2.3 per cent higher at $A0.22 on 12 June.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, TIGERAIR, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, MELBOURNE AIRPORT, VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS LIMITED, GREENCROSS LIMITED – ASX GXL, QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, VIRGIN GROUP LIMITED, SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED, ETIHAD AIRWAYS, HNA GROUP, NANSHAN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CORVINA HOLDINGS