O75 Public Administration

Public servants set the pace in race for pay rise

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 15-Aug-19

The Australian Bureau of Statistics advised on 14 August that overall wages had increased by 0.6 per cent in the June quarter. Public sector wages rose by 0.8 per cent, while private sector wages were up by just 0.5 per cent. For the year to June, public sector wages were up by 2.6 per cent, while private sector wages rose by 2.3 per cent. Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe had stated on 9 August that federal and state governments should lift caps on public sector wages; he claimed the caps were impeding general salary increases. However, his calls to lift caps were attacked by Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

India’s energy vow: We will buy more of your good coal

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 5 : 15-Aug-19

India’s high commissioner to Australia, Ajay Gondane, says the recent approval of the Adani coal mine has strengthened the trading relationship between Australia and India. Gondane says India’s demand for coal will continue to rise, despite attempts to reduce its reliance on coal for its power generation needs. Gondane notes India does have a lot of coal, but it is not clean, and so India would prefer to use Australia’s ‘good’ coal. Gondane, who will finish his time in Australia in October, says India and Australia shared "common thinking".

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ADANI MINING PTY LTD

Surveys to shed revealing light on health of the nation

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Original article by Sean Parnell
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Aug-19

Health Minister Greg Hunt will announce on 14 August details of the Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study, which is expected to cost $90 million and take three years to complete. It will comprise four surveys that will be overseen by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the first being a mental health and wellbeing survey. It will be followed by a National Health Study, while there will also be a National Nutrition and Physical Activity Study and a National Health Measures Study. The surveys are being undertaken because of concerns that policy and reforms are being based on out-of-date information.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Hong Kong protests not terrorism: PM

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 14-Aug-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has questioned China’s use of the term terrorism in regard to the current protests in Hong Kong. With protesters having brought Hong Kong’s airport to a standstill on 12 August, China accused the protestors of "serious crimes with sprouts of terrorism emerging". Morrison says he would like to see the tensions in Hong Kong de-escalated, and for Hong Kong authorities to heed the concerns of its citizens. Morrison’s call for the de-escalation of tensions in Hong Kong has been echoed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

xLoner’s ideology of death

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Original article by Deborah Cornwall, Sascha O’Sullivan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 14-Aug-19

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says the man alleged to have murdered one woman and stabbed another during a bloody rampage in Sydney on 13 August had no apparent connections to terror groups. Mert Ney, who was carrying a butcher’s knife and shouting "Allahu akbar!" , was tackled by onlookers until police and emergency services could arrive. Fuller said information found in Ney’s possession suggested he had "ideologies relating to terrorism but he has no links to terrorism". Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the attack was "deeply concerning", while NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who is currently in London, said her thoughts were with all the victims and witnesses of "this horrific incident".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence virtually unchanged at 115.5

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Aug-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence eased 0.3% to 115.5 in the week ending 11 August, consolidating at an above average level. Current finances were up by 2.6% for the week, while future finances gained 2.4%. The economic conditions sub-indices were down, with current economic conditions falling 4.3%, closing below its long-term average, while future economic conditions lost 0.3%. The ‘time to buy a major household item’ index fell 2.6%, while the four-week moving average for inflation expectations was stable at 4.0%.

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

Morrison pledges $500m climate funds for Pacific

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Aug-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is to announce a climate change package when he meets with leaders at the upcoming Pacific Island Forum. The package will provide $500 million over five years from 2020, with the money to be used on climate and disaster resilience and on renewable energy investment. The package announcement comes amid growing criticism of Australia’s domestic emission policies by Pacific leaders, with Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama saying on 12 August that Australia needs to quickly end its reliance on coal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Billions for big projects must roll on

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-Aug-19

Infrastructure Australia’s latest audit has stated that the current boom in infrastructure spending needs to be maintained over the next 15 years if living standards are to be maintained. Infrastructure Australia states the annual cost of road congestion is tipped to grow by $18.9 billion to $38.8 billion in just over a decade without additional investment, while it states energy prices have risen 50 per cent since its last audit, which was undertaken in 2015. Australia’s population is expected to increase to 31.4 million over the next 15 years, but Infrastructure Australia says spending in major cities like Sydney and Brisbane is not keeping pace with population growth, particularly in outer suburbs.

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INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA

Unionist in bogus safety campaign

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Aug-19

A CFMEU official has been found to have engaged in unorganised unlawful industrial action, coercion and adverse action against crane company Red Cranes. Federal Circuit Court judge Robert Cameron has found that Tony Sloane orchestrated a sham safety campaign against the company after it terminated the employment of a union delegate after he suffered a series of knee injuries that Red Cranes felt posed a safety risk. Cameron’s findings against Sloane followed legal action by the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA, RED CRANES, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

Fast-track visas for world’s best

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Aug-19

Federal Immigration Minister David Coleman is to release details of a new migrant program on 13 August, with visas for 5,000 high-skilled people from around the world to be fast-tracked each year. Coleman says the Global Talent Independent Program will focus on no more than five or six sectors, with fintech, quantum computing and agtech some of the sectors to be targeted. The 5,000 migrants to be targeted under the Global Talent Independent Program will be included in the current annual skilled migration cap of 70,000.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS