O75 Public Administration

‘Bittersweet’: agricultural exports reach record high amid stock sell-off

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: Online : 17-Sep-19

Australian agricultural exports reached a record high of $50.7 billion in 2018-19, according to Rural Bank’s Australian Agricultural Trade report. Agricultural commodities to record growth in 2018-19 included cotton, diary, sheep and wine, while commodities that declined in value included seafood and wool. Beef recorded the biggest rise in export value growth, up $1.9 billion to $12.3 billion. However, Rural Bank described this growth as ‘bittersweet’, it being a reflection of farmers not able to feed all their stock because of drought and therefore having to sell some of them.

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RURAL BANK LIMITED

Consumers won’t feel the pain unless things get serious

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 6 : 17-Sep-19

The drone attacks on Saudi oilfields serve as a reminder about how reliant Australia is on oil for its transport needs, and how potentially vulnerable it is to disruptions in the Middle East. Australia’s oil refineries import over 75 per cent of their feedstock, while Australia has the lowest oil reserves (59 days) of any member of the International Energy Agency. John Mitchell from Chatham House says around 20 per cent of Australia’s oil consumption comes through the Strait of Hormuz, either directly to Australia or indirectly after being processed in Asian refineries. The Saudi attacks are unlikely to have any immediate impact on local petrol prices.

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INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, CHATHAM HOUSE

Time to stay calm on Iran, says Frydenberg, despite perfect storm

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Original article by Simon Benson, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 17-Sep-19

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has urged business leaders and investors not to overreact to recent events such as the attacks on Saudi oil facilities. He said on 16 September that the attacks, along with Brexit and trade tensions, give "investors cause to pause". The attacks, which took place on 14 September, have sparked fears of war in the Middle East, with Donald Trump saying the US is "locked and loaded" to take action over them. Iran has denied allegations it was responsible for the attacks, which saw the price of Brent crude oil jump almost 20 per cent when markets opened on 16 September.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Labor rethinks climate policies

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Original article by Richard Ferguson,{SHARE}Sascha O’Sullivan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 16-Sep-19

Labor’s frontbench is divided on how ambitious the climate change policy that it takes to the next federal election should be. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has not ruled out getting rid of Bill Shorten’s target of a 45 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030, while Opposition climate spokesman Mark Butler says whatever target Labor comes up with will still be an improvement on the federal government’s target. Meanwhile, Albanese has criticised the federal government for not taking steps to deal with the drought, following revelations that parts of New South Wales could run out of water within six months.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Union duo plead guilty over drugs

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 16-Sep-19

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union NSW organisers Simon Gutierrez and Nicholas Rekes have pleaded guilty to drug possession and dealing charges in Sydney Local Court. Rekes and Gutierrez were arrested in April, after a police operation that saw $4,000 worth of drugs seized and which also involved the arrest of CFMMEU NSW assistant secretary Michael Greenfield. Greenfield pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine in July, but avoided jail or a conviction. Master Builders Association CEO Denita Wain says the fact that the three still retain significant workplace entry rights despite the charges against them shows why the federal government’s Ensuring Integrity laws are so necessary.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA,{SHARE}MASTER BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Support for business activism

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 16-Sep-19

A Committee for Economic Development of Australia survey of over 3,000 people found that over 75 per cent believe business leaders should speak out on issues of national importance. However, under 50 per cent of those surveyed felt that such advocacy was happening. The CEDA’s survey results come at a time when the federal government has criticised business for getting involved in too many activist causes. Tim Reed, the outgoing CEO of MYOB, says companies are entitled to take part in "community conversations", while he says he is proud of MYOB’s stance on issues such as same-sex marriage.

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COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA,{SHARE}MYOB GROUP LIMITED

Boost for L-NP as unemployment and under-employment both down in August following income tax cut and RBA rate cuts

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Sep-19

Latest data for the Roy Morgan employment series shows that 1.18 million Australians (8.7 per cent of the workforce) were unemployed in August, while an additional 950,000 (7.1%) are under-employed. Unemployment has fallen by 2.3% on a year ago, while under-employment is down 0.9%. The workforce, which comprises employed Australians and those who are unemployed and looking for work, rose year-on-year by 57,000 to 13,473,000. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said the falls in unemployment and under-employment in August are early signs that consecutive RBA interest rate cuts in June and July, as well as the L-NP Government’s income tax cuts, are providing a post-election boost to the economy.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Family of Iran prison detainee Kylie Moore-Gilbert pin hope on DFAT getting out of Iran

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Original article by Samantha Dick
The New Daily – Page: Online : 15-Sep-19

University of Melbourne lecturer Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been named as the third Australian currently being held in Iran’s Evin prison. Pouria Zeraati, who is the editor of Persian language broadcaster Manoto TV, says Moore-Gilbert was arrested in the 2018 summer, and that she is serving a 10-year jail sentence on unknown charges; Moore-Gilbert is understood to be in solitary confinement. Her family says they have been working closely with the Australian government to try to secure her release. Moore-Gilbert had been lecturing on Islamic studies at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute prior to her arrest.

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UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Minister’s direct plea to Iran

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Original article by Ben Packham, Paige Taylor
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-Sep-19

Foreign Minister Marise Payne told parliament on 12 September that the federal government is making continued efforts to get three Australians released from jail in Iran. The three are Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Jolie King and Mark Firkin, with King and Firkin arrested for flying a drone over a military installation. As part of the government’s efforts to get the three released, Payne flew to Bangladesh in the week ending 6 September to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Luxury car sales lift and follow rising house prices

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Sep-19

Luxury car sales rose for the second month in a row in August, while sales for the year to August increased by 0.6 per cent. However, sales of standard cars fell by 10.1 per cent in August. Nonetheless, the increase in luxury car sales for two months in a row, along with a similar increase in Sydney and Melbourne house prices, has sparked hope that the Australian economy might be on the mend, with Commsec chief economist Craig James saying he thinks "the worst is behind us".

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COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED