O75 Public Administration

Make states raise own revenue, say Liberal MPs

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 6-Nov-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently ruled out any increase in the goods and services tax. However, there is growing support within the Coalition’s ranks for an overhaul of fiscal relations between the federal and state governments. Some Liberal MPs have proposed giving the states more power to raise their own revenue. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull proposed such a move in 2016, whereby federal income tax rates would be reduced and the states would impose their own income tax to make up for the revenue shortfall.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY

How a bunch of blokes beat the sheiks and princes to deliver an Aussie Cup

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 6-Nov-19

Vow And Declare, the first Australian-bred horse to win the Melbourne Cup since 2009, was passed in at the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. The horse was bred by builder and hobby breeder Paul Lanskey; it had a reserve of $60,000 but failed to attract a bid. Vow And Declare was subsequently bought by a diverse group of investors from across Australia. Trainer Danny O’Brien was cleared over a long-running cobalt scandal in 2018, while it was the first Melbourne Cup win for jockey Craig Williams in his 16th attempt.

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LANSKEY CONSTRUCTIONS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up to 113.5

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Nov-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 2.8% to 113.5 in the week ended 3 November, after falling 1.1% in the previous week. Households’ views towards current financial conditions rose 1.6%; views towards future financial conditions gained 2.6%, rising for a fourth consecutive week. Consumers’ views toward current economic conditions gained 2.6% and views towards future economic conditions rose 6.8%. The ‘time to buy a major household item’ was up 1.3%, but the four-week average for inflation expectations declined by 0.1ppt to 4.0%.

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

World’s largest trade pact an enormous victory: Morrison

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Nov-19

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will come into effect in 2020, after the leaders of the 15 participating nations agreed to the terms of the trade deal at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok. The RCEP will comprise members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed finalisation of the trade deal and indicated that India could still join the RCEP at a later date. The trade deal will comprise about 30 per cent of global GDP.

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REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP, EAST ASIA SUMMIT, ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Environmental issues seen as the biggest problem facing Australia – for the first time since February 2011

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Nov-19

New in-depth research from Roy Morgan shows that a record 41% of Australians regard Environmental problems as the major concern facing Australia, up 17% points since June. A further 22% (down 12% points) cited Economic problems. This is the lowest level of concern for Economic issues since April 2006, prior to the Global Financial Crisis. Environmental problems are also clearly regarded as the biggest concern facing the World. An unchanged 46% of Australians mentioned some form of Environmental concern as the most important problem facing the World – nearly three times as many as the 16% who mentioned Economic problems. This is the first time Environmental problems have topped the list of concerns facing both Australia and the World since February 2011, when massive floods hit Queensland and its capital city Brisbane, as well as soon after the devastating Black Saturday bush fires in 2009 that killed over 170 Victorians. These are the key findings from a special Roy Morgan online survey of 1,054 Australians aged 14+.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Treasurer’s push to ease SME squeeze

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 9 : 1-Nov-19

The federal government will seek to make it easier for small and medium enterprises to access credit by urging banks to waive responsible lending standards for the sector. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg notes that the distinction between a small business loan and a personal loan is often a grey area, given that small business owners often use their family home as security when taking out a loan. Council of Small Business of Australia CEO Peter Strong says banks often advise small business owners to take out a personal loan instead, as they are cheaper and less complicated.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Back pay problems besiege big firms

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Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Nov-19

Many companies have opted to replace or upgrade their payroll systems in response to the introduction of the Australian Taxation Office’s digital Single Touch Payroll reporting system. This has in turn resulted in some companies discovering that they have been underpaying their employees, although Woolworths’ wages scandal is not believed to be linked to the transition to the STP system. Australian Retailers Association CEO Russell Zimmerman has called for an overhaul of the modern award system, contending that its complexity has contributed to the rising number of companies that have self-reported wage underpayments to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

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AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF TAXATION AND TAXATION OMBUDSMAN, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, THALES AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ERNST AND YOUNG, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BAKER’S DELIGHT HOLDINGS LIMITED, CHEMIST WAREHOUSE

Aged care: the sorry truth

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Original article by Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Nov-19

The interim report of the royal commission into aged care has described the aged care system as being in a state that "diminishes Australia as a nation". Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck says the report has put the government, the industry and the Australian community on notice. The report claims that Australia has developed an ageist mindset that has led to a failure to properly value and engage with older ­people, and this has translated into "apparent indifference" towards aged-care services. The report calls for urgent action on three issues: the use of chemical restraints in nursing homes; getting 6,000 young disabled people out of aged-care homes as soon as practicable; and an immediate boost to funding for high-need, in-home care recipients.

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AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Call to include clean coal in PM power push

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Original article by Olivia Caisley, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 31-Oct-19

Shine Energy CEO Ashley Dodd says the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s mandate should be expanded to include replacing Australia’s existing coal-fired power plants with high-efficiency, low-emissions plants. The federal government will inject an additional $1bn into the CEFC, but it has specifically ruled out using the extra funding to invest in new coal-fired plants or to upgrade existing plants. National Party MP Keith Pitt supports expanding the CEFC’s mandate to embrace all energy sources.

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SHINE ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Hidden cost of mental illness

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Original article by Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-Oct-19

The Productivity Commission has released a report which calls for ‘generational changes’ to address the issue of mental illness. The report notes that Australia has a higher rate of mental illness than the OECD average, and it costs the nation about $500m per day. Amongst other things, the report examines the direct cost of mental illness in terms of lost productivity and the provision of health services. It also warns that many people with mental illness are not receiving the support and services they require.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION