O75 Public Administration

New mega union swings Labor to left

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 11-Nov-19

The new United Workers Union will boast more than 150,000 members and a potential membership base of two million. The merger of United Voice and the National Union of Workers will be formally completed on 11 November. The new union will be aligned with Labor’s Left faction, whereas the NUW was aligned with the Right. The new union will have a national body rather than autonomous state branches.

CORPORATES
UNITED WORKERS UNION, UNITED VOICE, NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Morrison close on scrapping medivac

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 5 : 11-Nov-19

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick says his party is close to reaching agreement with the federal government on its Ensuring Integrity Bill. Attorney-General Christian Porter has agreed to several concessions to secure Centre Alliance’s support for the bill, including a demerit-points system for union officials who breach workplace laws. The government is also hopeful of gaining sufficient numbers in the Senate to repeal Labor’s medivac bill.

CORPORATES
CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Cancer of complacency puts economy at risk, says Chalmers

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 11-Nov-19

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers will use a speech on 11 November to tell Labor think-tank the John Curtin Research Centre that the Australian economy is "running on fumes". Chalmers will accuse the federal government of a "cancer of complacency" when it comes to economic management, while he will state that he has identified four key elements required for an economic strategy as a result of consultations with business. These include the introduction of an investment allowance and a ‘responsible’ increase in unemployment benefits.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, JOHN CURTIN RESEARCH CENTRE

Pay falls as non-union agreements rise

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 8-Nov-19

Wage increases in new private sector agreements fell from 2.9 per cent to 2.8 per cent in the June quarter, according to data from the Attorney-General’s Department, while public sector agreement pay rises grew from 2.4 per cent to 2.6 per cent. The number of non-union agreements increased by 60 per cent between the March and June quarters, and Centre for Future Work economist Alison Pennington says it is possible that non-union agreements could rise as a proportion of all approved agreements from 22 per cent to 27 per cent by the end of 2019.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED. CENTRE FOR FUTURE WORK

Andrews bans native growth logging

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Original article by Tessa Akerman
The Australian – Page: 2 : 8-Nov-19

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced on 7 November that old growth logging has now been banned, and that native timber harvests will end in 2030. He said that paper processor Australian Paper would move to full plantation-based supply, while the Victorian government will allocate $120 million over 10 years to help the native timber industry transition from native trees to plantation logs. However, Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh claims whole communities will be destroyed as a result of Andrews’ actions, while Victorian Association of Forest Industries chief Tim Johnston claimed the government had given into pressure from vocal environmental groups.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION OF FOREST INDUSTRIES

South Australia to release water for drought relief

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Original article by Matthew Cranston, Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Nov-19

South Australia will release 100 billion litres of water to the federal government so that up to 6,000 drought-impacted farmers can grow fodder for their stock. The federal government will pay the South Australian government $88 million for the water, while it will also give it a $10 million ‘sweetener’ to help the South Australian government assist its own drought-impacted farmers. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall says the deal with the federal government will not lead to higher water prices or put at risk the state’s water security.

CORPORATES
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

ALP review: Labor is weak, risky and unpopular

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Simon Benson, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: Online : 8-Nov-19

Labor leader Anthony Albanese will use a speech to the National Press Club on 8 November to respond to Craig Emerson and Jay Weatherill’s post-election review of the party. Albanese is expected to endorse all 26 of their recommendations, while the review listed 60 ‘findings’. Emerson and Weatherill stated Labor’s inability to adapt its strategy to tackle Scott Morrison and a "cluttered policy agenda that looked risky" were key factors behind what was its third successive federal election defeat. They said Labor should not abandon its commitment to social justice, but that it should avoid becoming a "grievance-focused organisation".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Wages rising faster than cost of living – for most

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Nov-19

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the cost of living for working households increased by 0.1 per cent in the September quarter, and 1.3 per cent in the year to September. This compares with wage growth of 2.3 per cent. The figures also show that the cost of living for age pensioners increased by 0.4 per cent in the September quarter and 1.7 per cent year-on-year. The cost of living for self- funded retirees in turn rose by 0.9 per cent in the quarter and an above-inflation 1.9 per cent in the year to September.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BIS OXFORD ECONOMICS PTY LTD, LATERAL ECONOMICS

Fast-track personal tax cuts: banks

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Nov-19

The second stage of the federal government’s income tax package is slated to take effect in mid-2022. However, Westpac’s chief economist Bill Evans has urged the government to begin phasing in the tax cuts from July 2020 to boost consumer spending and stimulate the economy. Commonwealth Bank economist Gareth Aird also argues that the government should bring forward some of the legislated tax cuts. Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor has been advocating this for months.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Underpay bosses face bans

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Nov-19

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter says the first responsibility of an employer is to ensure that their staff are being paid fairly. Porter has flagged the possibility of making company directors liable for wage theft by banning them from future directorships, although he adds that such legislation is unlikely to be retrospective. Porter also says there is merit in a proposal to allow the Fair Work Commission to hear claims for underpayment by individual workers, as suggested by ACTU secretary Sally McManus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN