Do NEG deal with Labor

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Nov-18

Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop says the federal government risks the same fate of the Victorian Liberals at the state election unless it takes action on the issue of climate change. Bishop says the coalition should seek a bipartisan deal with Labor regarding the National Energy Guarantee, as this would provide certainty for the energy industry. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says climate change is a "very real and serious issue" that has the government’s attention.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Warning over integrity watchdog

Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 27-Nov-18

The federal government agreed to support a Labor motion to establish a national integrity commission on 26 November, following a backdown by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The Coalition did not oppose the motion after MP Llew O’Brien signalled that he may be prepared to cross the floor. Meanwhile, Attorney-General Christian Porter has warned that as drafted, a crossbench bill to establish an anti-corruption commission could apply to federal public servants, including ABC and SBS journalists.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

ALP open to industry-wide enterprise bargaining

Original article by Dana McCauley
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 26-Nov-18

The ACTU wants a future federal Labor government to amend workplace laws so that workers can take strike action across entire industries. Currently, protected industrial action is only allowed during enterprise bargaining negotiations with a single employer. Labor’s industrial relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor claims that enterprise bargaining is not delivering decent outcomes for workers, suggesting that he is amenable to union calls for industry-wide bargaining. However, industry groups claim that such a move would spell "disaster" for the Australian economy.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

Early budget points to a May election

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Nov-18

The federal government is expected to deliver its 2019 Budget in late March or early April, rather than the traditional date of the second Tuesday in May. This would allow the government to lock in an election date in May and see out its full term in office. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reiterated his government’s commitment to returning the Budget to surplus in 2019-20, which suggests that a recent revenue windfall will be spent on election promises rather than further Budget repair measures.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Premier shrugs off Victorian poll impact

Original article by Jacob Saulwick
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 4 : 26-Nov-18

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian expects the next few months will be "incredibly tough" in the lead-up to the state election in March. Her comments follow the big swings against conservative parties in recent by-elections and the Victorian election on 24 November, while Berejiklian says she does not want to see her government impacted by "outside influences". One NSW Liberal insider says the campaign it will run at the upcoming state election will be nothing like the one that the Victorian Liberals ran.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Victorian rout a federal crisis

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-Nov-18

Moderates in the federal Liberal Party have urged the government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison to change its "hard-right" approach to issues such as climate change following the heavy loss suffered by the Liberals in the Victorian election. Up to six federal Coalition seats in and around Melbourne are considered vulnerable following the result. Victoria’s Labor government is on track to win 55 out of the 88 seats in the Lower House. Former premier Jeff Kennett has called on state Liberal president Michael Kroger to resign on the back of the result, which saw Labor achieve a six percentage point primary swing. A special SMS Morgan Poll on the eve of the election showed that Premier Daniel Andrews was set to be re-elected with an increased majority of the vote.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australia needs to embrace its big friend

Original article by Lisa Murray, Angus Grigg, Robert Bolton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Nov-18

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has called for greater commercial ties between India and Australia during a visit to Sydney. Kovind said there are many areas where the two countries could collaborate, including logistics and biotechnology, while he called for increased Australian investment in transport and infrastructure in India. Kovind, who is the first Indian head of state to visit Australia, urged it to embrace India "as a big country and big friend". Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Kovind he wants India to become one of Australia’s three biggest investment destinations within 20 years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CLARUS LAW ASSOCIATES

Strategy will shut four coal plants

Original article by Matthew Denholm
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Nov-18

Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says Labor must explain how it will guarantee a reliable base-load power supply under its policy of a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030. She has warned that the policy could force four coal-fired power stations in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland to be shut down well before the 2030 target date, in addition to the Liddell plant in NSW. She adds that this would result in a big rise in electricity prices.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Law and Order is major issue for tomorrow’s Victorian State Election

Original article by Gary Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Nov-18

Over the closing days of the Victorian State election both major parties have campaigned on Law and Order. However a major difference was highlighted in Wednesday night’s Frankston Leaders’ debate on how to treat those given bail who then break a bail condition. Liberal Leader Matthew Guy would immediately put them in jail whereas Premier Daniel Andrews would not, as doing so would mean Victoria would need to build so many more jails it would be at the expense of more schools and more hospitals. A large 82% of Victorian electors agree with Matthew Guy – break bail, go to jail – according to a special SMS Morgan Poll conducted yesterday (Thursday). The Morgan Poll showed the ALP and L-NP support improving over the last week to about 35% with the Greens, Other parties and Independents comprising the remaining 30%. The high vote for Greens, Other parties and Independents means the Victorian State election is set to be decided on their preferences.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Debt to double to $60 billion as Labor drops cap

Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 23-Nov-18

The Victorian Government’s election costings show that the state’s debt ceiling will blow out to 12 per cent of gross state product as a result of its infrastructure spending program, which will be partially funded via debt. Treasurer Tim Pallas had previously sought to cap state debt at around $30bn, or less than six per cent of gross state product. Labor has also advised that the state’s Budget surplus for 2019-20 is projected to be $1.7bn, compared with expectations of a $2.3bn surplus in 2018-19. The Coalition intends to retain the existing debt ceiling and will seek to reduce the state’s debt by $1.1bn over four years if it wins the state election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, MELBOURNE WATER CORPORATION