O75 Public Administration

Green tape priority for red tape review

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 25-Jun-19

EnergyAustralia chairman Graham Bradley has welcomed the federal government’s decision to undertake a review of red tape. However, he notes that the regulatory burden on businesses has increased over the last 15 years, despite efforts to address the problem. Bradley has identified the duplication of approval processes between state and federal governments as one of the key contributors to project cost blowouts. Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable agrees that duplication is a problem, and she stresses the need for better regulation rather than simply more regulation.

CORPORATES
ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

PM’s tax cut ultimatum to senators

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Original article by Simon Benson, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 25-Jun-19

The federal government will push for the Senate to pass its full income tax cuts package after Labor advised that it will not support the third stage of the tax cuts. A meeting of Labor’s frontbench endorsed the first stage of the tax package on 24 June, while Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has urged the government to bring forward the second stage of the tax cuts to stimulate the economy. The government will require the support of four crossbench Senators if Labor votes against the full tax package.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Business urges new work rules

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Jun-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed the federal government’s industrial relations policy in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia on 24 June. Business leaders have outlined the workplace reforms they would like to see during the Coalition’s third term in office. Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott says an overhaul of the enterprise bargaining system should be a priority, as well as changes to the ‘better off overall test’. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO James Pearson in turn has called for changes to small business dismissal laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED. CENTRE FOR FUTURE WORK

ACTU goes after Qantas over bonus

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-Jun-19

The ACTU will lodge legal action against Qantas in the Fair Work Commission on 24 June over its payment of employee bonuses. The ACTU will allege that the airline is discriminating against employees on collective agreements, in that it will only pay a $2,000 bonus once employees sign on to Qantas-endorsed enterprise agreements; the ACTU notes that some collective agreements do not expire until late 2020. Former Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford noted at its 2018 AGM that the same conditions applied to its last three bonuses.

CORPORATES
ACTU, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Albanese’s letter details the Setka sins hurting Labor

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-Jun-19

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese wants its national executive to expel CFMMEU Victorian secretary John Setka from the party when it meets on 5 July. Albanese has written to Labor’s national secretary Noah Carroll outlining the reasons why he thinks Setka should be expelled. Albanese says that Setka’s conduct in recent years has caused harm to Labor, as has the negative media coverage of his actions. Albanese says that Labor has "critical work" to do on behalf of Australians, and that it cannot be distracted from its goals.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

PM targets red tape, IR reform

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jun-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will use a speech on 24 June to signal that the federal government may be open to industrial relations reform. He will stress that any such reforms must be evidence-based and protect the rights and entitlements of workers, and he will urge the business sector to build a case for workplace reforms. Morrison will also commit to a review of regulatory and bureaucratic processes that deter companies from investing in their business, while he will identify changes to the vocational training sector as a priority for the Council of Australian Governments.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (INCORPORATED)

Minister cans visit after waste rebuff

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Original article by Amanda Hodge
The Australian – Page: 8 : 20-Jun-19

The future of Lynas Corporation’s rare earths processing plant in Malaysia remains uncertain after the nation’s Environment Minister Yeo Bee cancelled a trip to Australia. Yeo was scheduled to meet federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley on 19 June and Western Australian Mines Minister Bill Johnston on 20 June. Yeo advised that her visit would not proceed after Johnston indicated that the talks would be a waste of time as WA will not allow Lynas’s low-level radioactive waste to be imported from Malaysia. Ley is also of the view that disposal of the waste material is Malaysia’s responsibility.

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, MALAYSIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF MINES, INDUSTRY REGULATION AND SAFETY

Tax cuts necessary if Shorten won: PBO

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jun-19

The Parliamentary Budget Office’s review of federal election commitments shows that Labor’s policies would have cost about $17.3bn. In contrast, the Coalition’s election promises would have cost just $100m, as most of its spending commitments were outlined in the Budget prior to the election. The review also suggests that a Labor government would have had to cut income taxes by about $210bn over the next decade to avoid breaching its target of maintaining a tax-to-GDP ratio of 24.3 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, CENTRE ALLIANCE, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

National bosses side with Setka, snub ACTU

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jun-19

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union has backed embattled Victorian state secretary John Setka. The union has released a joint statement by its construction division’s national secretary Dave Noonan and president Jade Ingham, in which they state that Setka has the full support of the CFMMEU’s construction and general division. They also stated that Setka had not denigrated anti-domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty during a meeting of the union’s national executive. The ACTU maintains that Setka must resign.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

States urged to sell $220b in public assets rather than increase debt

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 20-Jun-19

The net debt of Australia’s state governments is set to rise sharply in coming years to finance infrastructure projects, but analysis shows that they have almost $220bn worth of assets that could be privatised. This includes $67.4bn worth of public assets in Queensland and $59.bn in New South Wales. IFM Investors CEO Brett Himbury says the nation’s superannuation funds would be keen to invest in state government assets. The NSW government may be open to further asset sales, but Queensland and Western Australia have ruled out this option.

CORPORATES
IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS AUSTRALIA, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSGRID PTY LTD, ENDEAVOUR ENERGY LIMITED