O75 Public Administration

ATO warns businesses not to use loopholes to exploit $30bn Covid tax concessions

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 30-Oct-20

Australian Taxation Office second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn has urged companies to "think twice" about using artificial mechanisms to take advantage of stimulus measures contained in the recent federal budget. Worth over $30 billion, the measures relate to instant expensing and loss carryback provisions. He has also criticised companies that used JobKeeper wage subsidies to pay dividends, noting that there had been adverse community reaction to companies who had done so. Hirschhorn notes 92.5 per cent of companies comply with their tax obligations when lodging tax returns, with this increasing to 96.3 per cent after ATO compliance activity.

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AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Victoria’s contact tracing now ‘best’: Finkel

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Original article by Tom Burton, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Oct-20

Victoria recorded three new coronavirus cases on 29 October, while people in hotel quarantine account for 10 of the 14 new cases that were reported nationwide. Meanwhile, Australia’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel has told a Senate estimates committee that he is impressed with the contact-tracing systems of all states and territories. Finkel has particularly praised Victoria’s contact-tracing system and the significant improvements that have been made to it. Some federal politicians have previously questioned whether Victoria’s contact-tracing system would cope with the easing of lockdown restrictions.

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AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST

Watchdog probes sabotage claims at Probuild, Watpac

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 28-Oct-20

The Australian Building & Construction Commission has informed a Senate estimates hearing that it is investigating work stoppages at building sites in Sydney. The New South Wales branch of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union has cited safety issues as the reason for the industrial action that has targeted Probuild and Watpac. The safety blitz has coincided with the CFMMEU’s push to get the two companies to sign a new enterprise agreement. The proposed pay deal includes annual pay rises of five per cent and revised arrangements for rostered days off.

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AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, PROBUILD PTY LTD, WATPAC LIMITED

Collective bargaining win a big step for gig workers

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 28-Oct-20

University of Sydney labour law professor Shae McCrystal has welcomed a decision to grant a class exemption for small businesses and franchisees to collectively negotiate with suppliers and customers. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s ruling will allow independent contractors and gig economy workers to engage in collective bargaining. However, the Transport Workers’ Union contends that the ruling will not protect gig economy workers from being sacked by companies such as Uber.

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AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Detailed Queensland elector concerns about a re-elected ALP Government or a potential LNP Government

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Oct-20

Roy Morgan conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative research with Queenslanders about their concerns over either a re-elected ALP Government led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk or a potential LNP Government led by Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington in the run-up to this week’s Queensland election. Interviewing for this survey was conducted with a representative cross-section of 1,187 Queensland electors from October 12-15 via SMS polling. LNP supporters are concerned about the poor economic management, spending, lack of integrity and corruption of a re-elected ALP Government. Meanwhile, ALP supporters are most concerned that a re-elected ALP Government will face hurdles to governing from a potential hung parliament as well as Federal Government interference. Meanwhile, ALP supporters are concerned about the quality of leadership of a potential LNP Government as well as their plans to cut services and cut public service jobs, while LNP supporters’ biggest concern about an LNP Government is Frecklington’s leadership.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

Australia & COVID-19 The Economic Story So Far 2.0 Roy Morgan Update: October 2020

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Oct-20

During the COVID-19 crisis, the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index, Roy Morgan Business Confidence Index and Inflation Expectations all hit new record lows, and Unemployment reached its highest level since Roy Morgan began independently measuring it more than two decades ago. Although the pandemic is still with us, and its effects are being felt throughout the nation, there has been improvement all four measures, although Inflation Expectations was the last to lift and rose only slightly, and the seeming improvement in Unemployment is deceptive. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says "We noted in our previous COVID-19: The Economic Story So Far update that as the pandemic progressed, the early sense of ‘we’re all in this together’ had become eroded – something which has become more obvious with every passing week, both politically and economically. Victoria has been the hardest hit state, but nowhere is unaffected, with a total of 3.16 million Australians (22.3% of the workforce nationally) either unemployed or under-employed. Up to this point, financial relief measures from government have cushioned the blow for many people, but with JobSeeker supplements and JobKeeper payments now reduced and set to end completely in coming months, the recession we are in and the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us for a considerably time, regardless of developments into finding a vaccine".

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Movement in Adelaide CBD closest to pre COVID-19 levels while movement in Melbourne CBD at only 15% of normal

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Oct-20

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs shows movement levels remain well below those seen earlier in the year in all six State capitals. Movement in the Adelaide CBD in mid-October is closest to the pre COVID-19 levels at an average of 78% of the levels earlier in the year during January and February, up 7% points since late July. Adelaide CBD has moved ahead of the Perth CBD which is now at 74% of pre-COVID-19 levels, up 3% points. The Queensland capital is ranked third with movement levels in the Brisbane CBD at 66% of the pre COVID-19 levels, up 5% points while there has been little change for the Hobart CBD, now at 58%. Movement in both the Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD is lower in mid-October than it was in late July as both cities have dealt with a second wave of COVID-19 in recent months. NSW authorities have dealt largely successfully with sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19 without resorting to a harsher lockdown but nevertheless movement in the Sydney CBD in mid-October is at only 44% of pre COVID-19 averages, down 4% points since late July. The Melbourne CBD entered a Stage 4 lockdown in early August which has continued to this day and movement in the Melbourne CBD averaged only 15% of the pre COVID-19 level in mid-October, down 12% points from late July. It is worth remembering that Melbourne was already in a Stage 3 lockdown starting in the first week of July. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Victoria eases exit map goals

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Original article by Tom Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 28-Oct-20

Victoria recorded no new coronavirus cases for a second consecutive day on 27 October; the state last did so in early March. The future easing of lockdown restrictions under the government’s revised COVID-19 roadmap plan will now be based on public health advice rather than a certain number of days with no new cases. However, despite the gradual re-opening of the state’s economy, Premier Daniel Andrews has cautioned that face masks are likely to remain mandatory until at least the end of 2020. Meanwhile, New South Wales has recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases, including two that were locally-acquired, while two new cases have been diagnosed in Western Australia.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence increases for eighth straight week, up 1.6pts to 99.7 – up in Sydney, Melbourne & Perth

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Oct-20

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.6pts to 99.7 on the weekend of October 24/25. It is now 10.7pts lower than a year ago (110.4), but 5.6pts above the 2020 weekly average of 94.1. Consumer Confidence is also at its highest since March 14/15 (110.4), and it is up 9.5pts since ending August at 90.2. Now 26% (up 2ppts) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 32% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially (the lowest figure for this indicator since March 14/15). In addition, 35% (unchanged) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 16% (down 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Only 9% (unchanged) expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 34% (down 2ppts) expect ‘bad times’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since early October 2019). Meanwhile, 36% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 31% (down 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since June 20/21).

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

Australia Post chair to front Senate inquiry

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 27-Oct-20

Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo has been asked to appear before a special Senate estimates hearing on 13 November. The call for Di Bartolomeo to appear at the special hearing came as the terms of reference for an inquiry into the purchase of expensive watches for senior Australia Post executives were released by the federal government. Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate, who purchased the watches, has stood aside during the investigation, while John Stanhope, who was chairman of Australia Post at the time Holgate bought the watches, says he will co-operate with the inquiry.

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AUSTRALIA POST