O75 Public Administration

Rookie spy foiled terrorists

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Original article by Tessa Akerman, Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 15-Nov-18

Victoria’s Court of Appeal has lifted a suppression order that had prevented the media from reporting on the conviction of three Muslim men on terrorism charges. A jury took seven day to find Ahmed Mohamed, Abdullah Chaarani and Hamza Abbas guilty over a plan to launch a terrorism attack in the Melbourne CBD at Christmas in 2016. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s Director-General of Security, Duncan Lewis, has also revealed that the terrorism plot had been detected due to the work of a recent ASIO recruit.

CORPORATES
COURT OF APPEAL (VICTORIA), AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

Greens seek to wedge Labor on IR

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 15-Nov-18

Labor has indicated that it would prioritise low-paid workers in any push for industry-wide enterprise bargaining. However, the Greens argue that industry-wide enterprise bargaining should be available to all workers regardless of income or the sector in which they work. The Coalition and business leaders have expressed concern that the ACTU’s proposal for industry-wide enterprise bargaining would see industrial action escalate to the levels of the 1970s.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Wage growth hits a 3-year high

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Original article by David Scutt
Business Insider Australia – Page: Online : 15-Nov-18

Wage price index data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that wages increased by 0.62 per cent in the September quarter and 2.29 per cent year-on-year. The figures also show that real wage growth was 0.4% in the year to September. Meanwhile, public sector wages increased by an average of 2.47 per cent year-on-year, compared with wages growth of just 2.14 per cent in the private sector. The ABS notes that the 3.5 per cent increase in the minimum wage that took effect in July contributed to wages growth in the September quarter.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, INDEED INCORPORATED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Union beats $51k fine for shorts call

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 8 : 14-Nov-18

The Federal Circuit Court’s decision to fine the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s for failing to comply with a dress code for workers on a building site has been overturned on appeal. The CFMMEU was fined $51,000 over strike action after a project manager ordered construction workers to wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts at the Newcastle site. Union organiser Pomare Auimatagi was fined $7,500. The Federal Court has ruled that the fines were "manifestly excessive".

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA, JOHN HOLLAND PTY LTD

Wages data crucial factor for RBA interest rates decision

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Original article by John Kehoe, Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 14-Nov-18

The general consensus of economists is for annual wage price index growth of 2.3 per cent when official data for the September quarter is released on 14 November. Paul Bloxham of HSBC says the Reserve Bank could potentially increase the cash rate sooner than expected if WPI growth is stronger than expected. HSBC forecasts that the cash rate will be increased in mid-2019, although financial markets generally do not expect a rate rise until at least November.

CORPORATES
HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

ALP’s tax hike would strangle economic growth

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Original article by Adam Creighton, Michael Roche
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 14-Nov-18

Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics expects Labor to win the next federal election, and he warns that the party’s proposed tax and regulatory reforms will result in slower economic growth over the next several years. The economist also expects growth in consumption to slow under a Labor government, while the Australian dollar could also fall sharply. Labor plans to increase taxes by $34bn over two years if it wins the election.

CORPORATES
CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence regains to 119.8

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Nov-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 2.6% to 119.8 in the week ended 11 November. Consumer confidence is now higher than it was heading into the Wentworth by-election. Households’ views towards current and future financial conditions rose 3.9% and 2.2% respectively, while sentiment towards current and future economic conditions rose 7% and 4.5% respectively. The "time to buy a household item" sub-index fell by 3.1%, only partial reversing the previous week’s gain of more than 9%.

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

University outrage at research cash cut

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Original article by Michael Koziol
The Age – Page: 1 : 13-Nov-18

Australia’s leading universities have criticised the federal government’s plans to redirect $134m from the Research Support Program to provide increased funding for regional universities. University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence says universities will have to reduce their research activities while many students will miss out places at the nation’s top universities. Monash University’s vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner has described the funding cuts as "unnecessary" and "reckless".

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, MONASH UNIVERSITY, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY

Canberra still to control overall overseas intake, says Morrison

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 13-Nov-18

The federal government will seek greater input from the states on the immigration rate, based on what they feel is their "carrying capacity" in terms of the infrastructure and services they can provide. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government will always be responsible for setting overall migrant numbers, and that it is not something it will be "contracting out" to the states. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has welcomed plans for the states to have more input on migrant numbers, saying it is "playing catch-up" on the infrastructure that is needed because of recent population growth.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Terrorism duo knew each other

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Original article by David Hurley, Keith Moor
Herald Sun – Page: 4 & 5 : 13-Nov-18

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victoria Police’s Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton say the Bourke Street rampage by Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was clearly a terrorist attack, rejecting claims by his family that he was mentally ill. Ashton has also warned that law enforcement agencies lack the resources to fully monitor the "hundreds" of Muslims in Australia who have been radicalised. Police have revealed that Shire Ali had links to other Islamic State supporters, including Khaled Sharrouf and Brighton siege perpetrator Yacqub Khayre.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA POLICE