O75 Public Administration

Pyne’s defence job breaches code

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Original article by Alice Workman, Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 28-Jun-19

Former defence minister Christopher Pyne has come under scrutiny over his new role as an adviser to Ernst & Young regarding the defence industry. Labor senator Penny Wong contends that Pyne is in breach of the federal government’s ministerial code of conduct, which continues to apply for 18 months after an MP leaves parliament. Wong and Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick have urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to intervene. Pyne retired from politics at the 18 May election.

CORPORATES
ERNST AND YOUNG, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Senators demand gas surplus for tax cuts

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Jun-19

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick has presented the federal government with a number of policy demands in return for supporting its income tax cuts package. Amongst other things, Patrick wants the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism to be strengthened to ensure that the east coast has a surplus of gas. At present, the ADGSM only requires that there is no shortfall of gas in the domestic market. The tax package is scheduled to be debated in the Senate on 4 July.

CORPORATES
CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Coalition to reshape workplace landscape

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 27-Jun-19

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter says the federal government’s review of industrial relations laws will take 6-9 months. He adds that the government may pursue legislative changes before the next election if such reforms would increase jobs, boost wages and strengthen the economy. Amongst other things, the review will consider changes to unfair dismissal laws, the processes for approving enterprise agreements and a revised definition of ­casual employment. The government’s more immediate legislative priorities include passing the Ensuring Integrity Bill and stricter regulation of workers’ entitlement funds.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Legal privilege claims in 20pc of ATO multinational cases

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Original article by Tim Pallas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Jun-19

The Australian Taxation Office has revealed that its push to crack down on tax avoidance by multinationals is being stymied by excessive claims that requested documents are protected by legal professional privilege. Deputy commissioner Mark Konza says that of the 122 audits of large multinationals that the ATO is currently undertaking, 24 companies have sought a blanket claim for legal professional privilege. This includes about 19,000 documents in one instance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Public service growth hurting the economy

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 26-Jun-19

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has released a report which shows that the public sector accounted for 85 per cent of jobs that were created in the year to May 2019. CBA economist Gareth Aird notes that a rise in public sector employment tends to result in a short-term increase in demand in the economy, but it does little to boost productivity. Aird adds that the non-productive nature of most public sector work is a key reason why GDP growth is slowing while jobs growth is strong.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

PM calls for US-China calm

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Jun-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will use his first foreign policy speech since the 18 May election to urge the US and China to resolve their trade dispute, stressing that they must act in the global interest rather than their own interests. Morrison’s speech on 26 June will also warn that the trade tensions are causing "collateral damage" in the Asia-Pacific region, and that Australia is prepared to act in its own economic and security interests if the dispute worsens.

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

IR law too complex to get pay right

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-Jun-19

Former Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says the employee underpayment scandal demonstrates that Australia’s workplace relations system is too complex and needs to be reviewed. She argues that "fundamental misunderstandings" about industrial awards and enterprise agreements are causing workers to be underpaid. Employers’ groups have advocated changes to the procedures for approving enterprise bargaining agreements, amid a blowout in the average number of days the Fair Work Commission takes to approve them and a sharp increase in EBAs that are approved only after employers agree to additional undertakings.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, BEAUREPAIRS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), ACTU, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED. CENTRE FOR FUTURE WORK

Coalition slams Labor on tax cut rollback option

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 26-Jun-19

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that Labor’s policy platform for the next federal election could potentially include scrapping the Coalition’s stage-three tax cuts that have already been legislated. He says the shadow cabinet continues to have reservations about both the legislated and unlegislated components of the third stage of the Coalition’s income tax cuts package. Chalmers’ comments have been criticised by Acting Treasurer Simon Birmingham, while Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick remains open to supporting the full tax package.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, CENTRE ALLIANCE

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence virtually unchanged at 114.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Jun-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.1% to 114.3 in the week ended 23 June. Households’ views towards current financial conditions rose 4.7%, while views towards future financial conditions were up 0.2%. Both financial condition sub-indices have been positive for two straight weeks. However, consumers’ views toward current economic conditions fell 6.9% and views toward future economic conditions were down 5%. Both sub-indices are below their long-term averages. The ‘time to buy a household item’ index jumped 6.1%. It has not been above its current level since July 2018. The four-week moving average for inflation expectations rose to 3.9%.

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

Super funds seek energy policy action

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 25-Jun-19

Industry Super Australia says the nation’s energy policy needs to be overhauled quickly to prevent heavy industries going offshore. ISA contends that the amount of investment needed in electricity should be attracting the interest of portfolio investors, but a lack of certainty on energy policy means this is not occurring. ISA says there should be a focus on the creation of competition for long-term supply of energy and capacity at specified emissions targets, as well as the formation of special investment vehicles to encourage investment in the energy sector.

CORPORATES
INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD