O75 Public Administration

Frydenberg mourns death of NEG

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Sep-18

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will ask Cabinet on 10 September to dump the emissions reduction targets contained in the now defunct National Energy Guarantee. Josh Frydenberg says he is disappointed by the NEG’s scrapping, but he denies suggestions it was the cause of Malcolm Turnbull’s demise as Prime Minister. Business groups want the "reliability component" of the NEG to be included in any future energy policy, while Labor climate spokesman Mark Butler accused Morrison of giving in to the Liberal Party’s conservative wing.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, ORORA LIMITED – ASX ORA

China trade war threat ratchets up

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 13 : 10-Sep-18

The US has already imposed tariffs on $US50 billion worth of Chinese imports, and is believed to finalising duties on an additional $US200 billion ($281 billion) worth of imports in the next few days. Donald Trump hinted to reporters on 7 September that he may impose tariffs on a further $US267 billion worth of Chinese imports. If this threat eventuated, it would effectively mean a tariff on all Chinese imports into the US. Jeffrey Wright from the Eurasia Group says US industry remains divided on Trump’s tariffs stance.

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EURASIA GROUP, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Business Confidence in August hit by political uncertainty

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Sep-18

Roy Morgan Business Confidence was down 3.4 points (-3%) to 110.2 points in August. However, analysing Business Confidence throughout August shows Consumer Confidence before August 20 was 115.0 points, while it plunged to 99.5 points during the last third of the month beginning the week of the leadership challenge (August 20-31, 2018). In August, Business Confidence remained below its level of a year ago and is now 4.2 points lower than in August 2017 and 6.1 points below its long-term average of 116.3 points. However, despite now falling for four consecutive months, Business Confidence throughout the first eight months of 2018 has averaged 116.6 points – above the long-term average and the highest yearly average since 2014. Businesses remain largely positive in August with a majority of businesses, 50.5% (unchanged) expecting ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next five years and nearly half, 47.8%, saying now is a ‘good time to invest in growing the business’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Turnbull ally caught in political crossfire

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Original article by John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Sep-18

Federal Liberal MP Julia Banks has rejected claims she mistreated party volunteers during the 2016 election campaign for the seat of Chisholm. The allegations were made in a report by a Liberal adviser after the election, with Banks winning the seat from Labor. Banks says the allegations in the leaked report are "false". Banks has recently threatened to quit her seat, claiming she was bullied and intimidated during the recent federal Liberal leadership turmoil that saw Malcolm Turnbull ousted.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

If you love your country, love each other, says PM

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Sep-18

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an end to the "politics of envy" in a speech to Liberal Party members in Albury, which is regarded as the party’s birthplace. Morrison noted that "we all love Australia", but he questioned whether "we love all Australians". Morrison used the speech as an opportunity to outline some of his views, including a belief that some people should not be taxed more in order that others are taxed less. His speech did not contain any new policy announcements.

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

Border wars: Dutton hits back

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Sep-18

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has accused his one-time Queensland Police Force colleague Roman Quaedvlieg of providing false evidence to a Senate inquiry. The Labor-led inquiry is investigating Dutton’s role in the granting of visas to two au pairs. Dutton appointed Quaedvlieg as Australia’s first ever Border Force Commissioner, but Quaedvlieg was dismissed from that role in March for misbehaviour. Quaedvlieg is being investigated about his misconduct, and Dutton suggested it might partly be the pressure of this investigation that caused him to give false evidence to the inquiry.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Independent contractors a major issue for Fair Work Ombudsman

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Original article by Cara Waters
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 5-Sep-18

Sandra Parker supports comments by Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan that there are two grey areas regarding the distinction between employee and contractor that need clarification. One area that Jordan has identified is whether workers are paid to deliver a result or are paid for services provided; the other is if a worker gets 80 per cent of their income from one source, it is deemed to be income, even if they are a contractor. Parker, who was recently appointed as the new Fair Work Ombudsman, was speaking at a recent business summit. She also told the summit that she intended to continue the focus of her predecessor Natalie James on small business.

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AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, FOODORA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Bishop condemns culture of bullying

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Sep-18

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop said on 5 September that she has witnessed some appalling behaviour in federal parliament. Bishop, who was speaking at the "Australian Women’s Weekly" Women of the Future awards lunch, said that parliament’s workplace culture, which includes bullying and intimidation, would not be tolerated in any other Australian workplace. She says that parliament’s adversarial nature impacts on the political process, while she urged the Liberal Party to take steps to lift the number of its MPs who are women.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Push to clamp down on activist charities

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Original article by John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Sep-18

It is understood that some members of the federal coalition want Greenpeace and the Australian Conservation Foundation to lose their charitable status because of their activist views. Both groups encourage their supporters to become politically active on issues such as Adani’s proposed coal mine and the end of power generated from gas and coal. Legislation would be needed to strip the two groups of their charitable status, and it would have to pass both houses of parliament. ACF CEO Kelly O’Shanassy says it abides by the law, a comment echoed by Greenpeace Australia Pacific program director Dominique Rowe.

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GREENPEACE, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS COMMISSION, SUPREME COURT OF NEW ZEALAND, CATHOLIC EDUCATION MELBOURNE

Morrison resists milk levy

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 6-Sep-18

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has proposed the adoption of a temporary $0.10 per litre on milk to help dairy farmers who are struggling with the drought and low milk prices. He says that Woolworths has indicated it was willing to support such a levy, which would raise around $250 million a year, provided that Coles did. Littleproud says he has spoken to the Coles CEO, who indicated to Littleproud that he is not so favourably disposed to the idea. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated he is reluctant to support Littleproud’s proposal.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD