O75 Public Administration

Industry seeks action on energy

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith, Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 24-May-19

Coca-Cola Amatil CEO Alison Watkins has urged the Coalition government to target energy reform during its current term of office, while Alumina CEO Mike Ferraro says electricity prices need to fall if the Portland aluminium smelter is to remain viable. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says there needs to be more reward for energy users who reduce their consumption at times when the electricity grid is under stress, while Energy Users Association of Australia head Andrew Richards says the government needs to make the ongoing transition to cleaner energy more efficient.

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ENERGY USERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, INCITEC PIVOT LIMITED – ASX IPL, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL

Treasurer’s tariff plea to Trump

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-May-19

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has urged US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to "amicably" bring an end to the trade war with China. Frydenberg made his plea after Mnuchin rang to congratulate him on the re-election of the Coalition government. Council of Small Businesses of Australia CEO Peter Strong says that up to 15 per cent of Australian small businesses trade globally, so the current trade tensions are causing them great concern.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Labor folds over Adani coal mine

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-May-19

The Queensland Government is expected to approve Adani’s Carmichael coal mine within weeks, after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk demanded an end to the delays that have stalled the project. Palaszczuk has described Labor’s federal election defeat as a "wake-up call", after having previously downplayed suggestions that the Adani debate had affected Labor’s vote in regional Queensland. Adani Mining CEO Lucas Dow has urged the state to act quickly to give final approval to the project, but Basha Stasak of the Australian Conservation Foundation says the government must not yield to pressure from Adani and the coal industry.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, ADANI GROUP, QUEENSLAND. OFFICE OF CO-ORDINATOR GENERAL

RBA cash rate below 1pc tipped

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 23-May-19

Financial markets have priced in a 25 per cent chance that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate three times by the end of 2019. However, economists are sceptical as to whether a cash rate of one per cent or less would provide sufficient economic stimulus to meet the central bank’s revised growth forecast of 2.75 per cent. Commonwealth Bank economists say that an interest rate cut in June would help to stabilise house prices and stimulate the economy in the second half of the year.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, ERNST AND YOUNG, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

How to fix Australian polling

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Original article by John Utting
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 54 : 23-May-19

Australia’s polling industry requires ‘root and branch’ reform in the wake of the federal election, with public opinion polls consistently showing that Labor was set to win. The question arises as to whether these polls have had a pro-Labor bias for the last several years, rather than just during the election campaign. The polling industry needs to ensure that their samples are more representative of the population, even though this will be more expensive. There must also be greater transparency regarding the methodology used and the number of people who were polled. Polling companies must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest; Galaxy YouGov Research, for example, produced public opinion polls during the election while also undertaking Labor’s internal polling.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GALAXY YOUGOV RESEARCH, NEWSPOLL

Coalition on course to buffer its electoral clout

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Original article by Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 5 : 23-May-19

Liberal candidate Susan Richards had a slim lead in the seat of Macquarie as counting of postal and absentee votes continued on 22 May. Winning the seat from Labor would give the Coalition a total of 78 seats in the lower house. Several other seats remain in doubt, although Labor seems set to win Lilley, Cowan and Hunter, while the Liberal Party is likely to win Bass. The Coalition had 51.2 per cent of the two-party preferred vote on 22 May, compared with 48.8 per cent for Labor.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Morrison keeps cabinet big to ensure harmony

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-May-19

Key federal government ministers are set to retain their existing portfolios when Prime Minister Scott Morrison reveals his new cabinet team. They include Josh Frydenberg, Mathias Cormann, Peter Dutton, Marise Payne and Greg Hunt. There is speculation that Arthur Sinodinos, Alan Tudge and Ken Wyatt will be elevated to cabinet, while Mitch Fifield may be dropped from the frontbench. Tim Wilson, Michael Sukkar and Jane Hume are among those who have been suggested as possible candidates for portfolios in the outer ministry. Morrison is expected to make minimal changes to the frontbench.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Treasurer tells banks to lend amid slowdown

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 23-May-19

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has welcomed the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s move to ease mortgage lending restrictions. He says the move will ensure continued access to credit for both households and businesses, and he argues that banks have an "economic and social responsibility" to keep lending. Frydenberg also says the Coalition’s tax and infrastructure policies will be key drivers of economic growth and job creation. Frydenberg met with APRA chairman Wayne Byres and Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe on 22 May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

It’s Albo v ScoMo as Bowen exits race

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-May-19

Jim Chalmers has emerged as Anthony Albanese’s most likely rival for the Labor leadership, after shadow treasurer Chris Bowen announced that he will not be a contender. Bowen believes that he would have won the caucus ballot, but concedes that he lacked sufficient support to gain the rank-and-file vote. There is now strong support for Albanese within Bowen’s NSW Right faction, while most of the Left faction also supports Albanese. Chalmers is expected to decide whether to make a tilt for the leadership on 23 May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD

Bruised Bowen wades into ALP battle

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 22-May-19

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen intends to contest the federal Labor leadership, even though many members of his NSW Right faction intend to support Left faction contender Anthony Albanese. Some members of the Right faction argue that Bowen should not contest the leadership as he is too closely linked to the party’s tax policies that were rejected by voters, including its proposal to scrap franking credit refunds. Bowen concedes that this policy was controversial, but he says other factors also cost Labor the election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY