O75 Public Administration

COVID travel ban extended, as Australia reaches astonishing virus milestone

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 9-Dec-20

Australians will be prohibited from travelling overseas until at least 17 March. Health Minister Greg Hunt has cited the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis overseas for the decision to extend the ban, which was slated to expire on 17 December. The ban also prevents international cruise ships from entering Australian waters. Meanwhile, the number of active cases across Australia has fallen to 42, with returned travellers in hotel quarantine accounting for all but one of these cases. Victoria has had no active cases for 39 days; however, six returned travellers have been isolated in a special ‘hot’ hotel in Melbourne after showing symptoms of the coronavirus. Another returned traveller has tested negative for COVID-19 after arriving in Melbourne on 7 December.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Union takes Tax Office bosses to Federal Court in work from home row

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Noel Towell
The Age – Page: Online : 9-Dec-20

The Australian Services Union has commenced legal action against senior executives at the Australian Taxation Office. The ASU alleges that the executives – including Commissioner of Taxation Chris Jordan – were in breach of workplace laws and the ATO’s enterprise agreement, which includes working at home provisions. The union claims that ATO staff who had been working from home due to the pandemic were ordered to return to their offices without the required notice period when the federal government announced stimulus measures such as the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Labor snubs job-saving IR reboot

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 14 : 9-Dec-20

Labor has advised that it will not support a key provision in the federal government’s industrial relations omnibus bill. The controversial reform would allow the Fair Work Commission to approve enterprise agreements that do not comply with the ‘better-off-overall test’ in the Fair Work Act. The FWC will be able to take into account factors such as the impact of COVID-19 in approving non-compliant agreements. ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the proposed reform is ‘diabolical’, although it has been welcomed by business groups

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Kelty approves of super-union divorce move

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-Dec-20

The federal government’s hopes of getting the unions demerger bill through parliament before it rises for the year have been boosted after Labor signalled that it will not opposed the legislation. Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has expressed support for the legislation, and he contends that breaking up the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union would be quite easy as it is an ‘amalgamation of divisions’. However, Electrical Trades Union national secretary Allen Hicks says that despite targeting the CFMMEU, the legislation would have ‘unintended consequences’ for the entire union movement, and he has urged Labor to reject it.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1.8pts to 109.3 as more Australians say now is a good time to buy major household items

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Dec-20

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.8pts to 109.3 on December 5/6. It is now 13.8pts above the 2020 weekly average of 95.5 and 0.3pts higher than a year ago (109.0). This is the first time Consumer Confidence has been higher than a year ago since June 2019. Now 24% (unchanged) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 31% (also unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 38% (unchanged) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 13% (down 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially (the lowest figure for this indicator since January 11/12. Some 17% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 21% (down 2ppts), expect ‘bad times’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since March 2013). Meanwhile, 43% (up 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items (the highest figure for this indicator since February 8/9), while 25% (unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’ (the equal lowest figure for this indicator for nine months).

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

Bright future ahead: OECD forecasts great things for Australia

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 2-Dec-20

The OECD is upbeat about the outlook for the Australian economy, forecasting that it will grow by 3.2 per cent in 2021. This compares with its previous forecast of 2.5 per cent. The domestic economy is now expected to contract by just 3.8 per cent in 2020, rather than 4.1 per cent as forecast by the OECD in September. The Paris-based organisation has also cautioned against withdrawing fiscal and monetary policy support prematurely. Meanwhile, economists have forecast that the economy grew by between 2.8 per cent and four per cent in the September quarter, ahead of the release of national accounts data on 2 December.

CORPORATES
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

IR reforms could save billions in back pay

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Dec-20

The federal government’s industrial relations omnibus bill will be put before parliament before it rises for the year. The bill is expected to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 2 December, along with a proposed legislative response to the Workpac v Rossato case. The Federal Court ruled that casual staff who work "regular and predictable" hours are entitled to benefits such as paid annual leave in addition to a casual loading. The government is believed to be considering reforms that would allow employers to use a casual worker’s 25 per cent loading to help offset any retrospective leave liability.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

States on $500bn debt binge

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Dec-20

Centre for Independent Studies research fellow Robert Carling says that rising state government debt means that some states could have their credit ratings downgraded in coming years. Analysis of state governments’ Budget papers show that their combined debt will top $491bn by mid-2024, compared with just $200bn in June 2020. Carling contends that while some of the increase in debt is inevitable, some states are taking on more debt than necessary. Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics in turn says rising debt is better than the alternative of lower debt and an unemployment rate that is higher for longer.

CORPORATES
THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 3pts to 107.5 as confidence grows about Australia’s economic performance over the next year

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Dec-20

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 3pts to 107.5 on November 28/29. It is now 12.3pts above the 2020 weekly average of 95.2 and only 0.6pts lower than a year ago (108.1). Now 24% (up 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 31% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 38% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 15% (down 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 17% (up 3ppts) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 23% (down 4ppts) expect ‘bad times’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since April 2019). Meanwhile, 41% (up 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 25% (down 4ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Labor willing to engage on IR changes: Burke

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Nov-20

Shadow employment minister Tony Burke says Labor is likely to pass the federal government’s industrial relations omnibus bill if the proposed reforms are based on those agreed upon by the Coalition’s working groups. However, Labor will refer the legislation to a Senate committee, which ensure that the bill is not debated and voted upon before Parliament rises for the year. The government has given indications that the reforms will include changes to the Fair Work Act’s ‘better-off-overall-test’, although reinstating the ‘no disadvantage test’ will be on its agenda.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY