O75 Public Administration

Embrace Pacific power role

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 2-Jul-19

The new US ambassador to Australia, Arthur ­Culvahouse, says there would be no question of the US not coming to Australia’s aid if the latter was being threatened by a foreign power. Culvahouse says Australia has a lot of standing in the Pacific region, while he says he is confident that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will continue to "call out" bad behaviour by China when he sees it. Culvahouse says that while many Australians know that China is its biggest trading partner, not so many realise that the US is by a long way Australia’s biggest and most important economic partner.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Tax cut row blunting attacks, ALP MPs warn

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Jul-19

The federal government will introduce its income tax cuts package to the lower house on 2 July before putting it to the Senate, where the Coalition needs the support of four crossbenchers if it is opposed by Labor and the Greens. Centre Alliance is open to supporting the tax package if the government agrees to measures aimed at addressing the issue of high domestic gas prices, while independent senator Jacqui Lambie may also be open to backing the tax cuts. Meanwhile, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor may be willing to support the tax package if the Senate rejects its proposed amendments to the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CENTRE ALLIANCE, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Business Confidence virtually unchanged at 114.7 in June

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Jul-19

In Australia, Business Confidence rose 0.3pts (+0.3%) to 114.7 in June 2019, according to the latest Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey, after an 11.2% jump in May. Business Confidence has now increased to its highest level since May 2018 (117.1). Now 53.9% (up 9.4ppts) of businesses expect the business to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year (the highest figure for this indicator since April 2018), while just 14.1% (down 1.6ppts) expect the business to be ‘worse off’ financially this time next year (the lowest figure for this indicator since April 2016). Meanwhile, 49.5% (up 2.1ppts) of businesses expect the Australian economy to have ‘good times’ over the next year, while 39.7% (down 1.6ppts) expect the economy to have ‘bad times’. However, just 41.2% (down 10.1ppts) of businesses say the next year will be a ‘good time to invest in growing the business’, while 43.4% (up 7.4ppts) say it will be a ‘bad time to invest’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence up 3.3pts to 122.6 in June

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Jul-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence rose 3 points to 123 in June 2019, unwinding most of last month’s fall to sit a bit above its historical average. The Current Conditions Index rose 2 points to 128, while the Future Conditions Index rose 4 points to 119. Consumers’ perceptions of their current financial situation rose 5 points, with a net 15% of New Zealanders feeling financially better off than a year ago. A net 29% of consumers expect to be better off financially this time next year, up 6 points. Meanwhile, a net 12% of consumers expect economic conditions to improve in the next 12 months (up 5 points), and a net 40% of consumers think now is a good time to buy a major household item (down 3 points).

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

Trade truce fears for local farmers

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

The US and China have indicated that they will resume trade negotiations, with President Donald Trump stating that China had agreed to buy a "tremendous amount" of US agricultural produce. This has prompted concern among Australian officials that such purchases could be at the expense of local farmers, along with fears that the US and China could strike ‘side deals’. However, despite the concerns about agriculture, there was overall relief in Australia that China and the US have agreed to keep talking about their trade differences and that Trump did not impose any more tariffs on China.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Donald Trump steps onto North Korean soil in meeting with Kim Jong-un

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Original article by Ally Foster
News.com.au – Page: Online : 1-Jul-19

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has praised Donald Trump for becoming the first US President to step foot on North Korean soil. The two leaders had met in the Demilitarised Zone that separates North and South Korea after Trump had extended a last-minute invitation to Kim for the two to meet. Trump stepped onto the northern side of the DMZ, while Kim also crossed the demarcation line between North and South Korea, setting foot in South Korea. It is the third time Trump and Kim have met, and the meeting has raised hopes that denuclearisation talks will continue.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Morrison tax assault on Labor arrogance

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

Prime Minister Scott Morrison expects Labor to pass the federal government’s income tax cuts package in the lower house on 2 July, and he says it would be an act of "belligerent arrogance" for Labor to then block it in the Senate. A senior Labor source has indicated that the party will wait until it knows if the Coalition has the support of crossbenchers before deciding whether to pass the tax package in the Senate. Labor continues to have concerns about the third stage of the tax cuts package, but the Coalition has ruled out splitting the tax bill.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CENTRE ALLIANCE, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Dutton puts end to MP eligibility row

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 6 : 28-Jun-19

A spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says he formally relinquished his interest in a family trust before nominating for the 18 May federal election. Dutton’s eligibility to be in parliament came under scrutiny in 2018 due to his pecuniary interest in a childcare centre which is owned by his wife and which had received federal government subsidies. The spokeswoman has stressed that two constitutional law experts had previously advised Dutton that he was not in breach of section 44 of the Constitution.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, RHT FAMILY TRUST, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Unemployment rate needs to be 4pc to get wages up: Labor

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 28-Jun-19

Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh will use a speech on 28 June to argue the case for Australia’s full employment target to be lowered. The Reserve Bank of Australia has downwardly revised its estimate of full employment from 5.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent over the last few years, but Leigh will suggest that an employment rate of four per cent is "eminently achievable". He will state that this would result in an extra 160,000 Australians being employed. He says that creating jobs is the best way to boost wages growth.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS

PM urges G20 trade led recovery

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Jun-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will use the G20 leaders’ summit in Osaka to bolster his efforts to get social media platforms to curb their dissemination of objectionable material in the wake of the Christchurch mosque killings. He will point out that G20 countries host the platforms that support social media companies’ content, which means such firms should take heed if the G20 urges them to do more to regulate their content. Morrison will also urge fellow G20 leaders not to let the World Trade Organization system get any worse, while acknowledging that it is imperfect and its members have lost confidence in it.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)