O75 Public Administration

Lib MPs in bid to ditch super boost

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Jul-19

The federal government is facing growing pressure from within its ranks to reconsider an increase in the superannuation guarantee from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent by mid-2025. Andrew Hastie is among seven backbenchers who oppose the increase; he says it would be preferable for people to use this income to pay off their mortgage now rather than have to wait until they retire. Senator Amanda Stoker in turn says wage increases should be a higher priority at present than changes to the superannuation guarantee.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

No surplus sacrifice for dole boost

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jul-19

The federal government is resisting pressure from welfare groups and unions to increase the Newstart allowance by $75 a week. The Treasury estimates that this would cost $12.5bn over four years and $39bn over a decade, and it would slash the projected Budget surplus for 2019-20. Labor has also called for Newstart to be increased, although it has not nominated a figure. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the government’s priority is getting people off welfare and into the workforce, and notes that Labor has opposed or criticised all of the Coalition’s employment programs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

At $200k, celebrity chef got off lightly

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 22-Jul-19

Attorney-General Christian Porter says that amongst other things, the federal government’s review of the industrial relations system will look at whether the penalties for underpaying wages are sufficient. He says many Australians would agree with his opinion that the $200,000 fine to be paid by celebrity chef George Calombaris was lenient. More than 500 employees at Calombaris’s restaurants were collectively underpaid some $7.8 million over six years. The ‘MasterChef’ judge says the majority have now received backpay.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Celebrity chef underpayments triple to $7.8m

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

The Made Establishment restaurant business of celebrity chef George Calombaris will pay staff more than $7.8 million in back pay under an agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman. The amount is more than triple the $2.6 million that Made Establishment had estimated in 2017 that it might owe, while it will also pay a fine of $200,000. Unions have criticised the modest fine, while Hospo Voice union leader Orlaith Belfrage, who worked for Calombaris’s Hellenic Republic restaurant, says he should be taken off reality-TV program ‘Masterchef’.

CORPORATES
MADE ESTABLISHMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, HOSPO VOICE

Fed-up Lib MPs ready to call out GetUp’s attacking moves

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Original article by Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 19-Jul-19

Federal parliament’s electoral affairs committee will undertake an inquiry into the conduct of the 18 May election. Liberal backbenchers Nicolle Flint and Kevin Andrews say they plan to make complaints to the committee about the behaviour of left-wing activist group GetUp during the election campaign. A GetUp spokesperson said the group would be happy to appear before the committee, while also rejecting claims that it was not transparent about its financial accounting.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Drones a growing threat to security

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Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 5 : 18-Jul-19

Data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau shows that it received 121 reports of incidents involving drones in the first five months of 2019, including 68 near-encounters with manned aircraft. Michelle Bennetts of Airservices Australia has told a conference in Canberra that there is the potential for drones to be used by criminals or as weapons in terrorist attacks. She noted that the Asia-Pacific region is expected to become the biggest market for remotely piloted aircraft systems within five years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU, AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Buyers told to chance the market

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jul-19

The federal government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is slated to commence on 1 January, and it will initially be restricted to 10,000 borrowers. Housing Minister Michael Sukkar says the government may be open to expanding the scheme if it is popular. He adds that if possible, prospective buyers should step into the housing market now rather than waiting for the scheme to begin, as there are signs that the market is improving. Sukkar is confident that unlike first-home buyers’ grants, the scheme will not have a distortionary impact on the housing market.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL HOUSING FINANCE AND INVESTMENT CORPORATION, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Dragging the chain on Hayne

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Jul-19

The Coalition began implementing some of the Hayne royal commission’s recommendations prior to the federal election. However, the government has warned that the bulk of the recommendations are unlikely to be implemented before the end of 2019, although Treasury has begun the consultation process and is drafting legislative reforms. Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government’s lack of action on Kenneth Hayne’s recommendations will reinforce the view that the Coalition tends to "go soft" on misconduct in the banking sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Hues of Brazil dictatorship in anti-union bill

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 18-Jul-19

The Ensuring Integrity Bill’s compliance with international conventions to which Australia is a signatory has been called into question. The International Centre for Trade Union Rights claims that the bill breaches international conventions regarding freedom of association and collective bargaining. Amongst other things, the bill is aimed at making it easier to deregister unions and to ban union officials. The federal government hopes the bill will be passed by the lower house within weeks.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR TRADE UNION RIGHTS, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION

Energy fix for blackouts, big bills

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 18 : 18-Jul-19

The Australian Energy Market Commission will allow large industrial users of electricity to participate in the demand-response market directly rather than via an electricity retailer. The AEMC’s draft ruling has been welcomed by Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor, while Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says it will result in lower electricity prices for consumers. The AEMC will accept submissions on the draft ruling until 12 September, with a final ruling to be issued by mid-November.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE INCORPORATED, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, NATIONAL IRRIGATORS COUNCIL LIMITED, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR