O75 Public Administration

PM to seal trade deal with Jakarta

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Original article by Angus Grigg, Lisa Murray, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Aug-18

Former trade negotiator Alan Oxley says Australia’s proposed free-trade agreement with Indonesia has more political than economic significance. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to finalise a trade deal with Indonesia on 31 August, during his first overseas trip in his new role. President Joko Widodo indicated earlier in 2018 that a trade deal between the two nations was only being held up by "technical issues". Negotiations for a trade deal began in 2010 and were revived in 2016.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA BUSINESS COUNCIL LIMITED, RMIT UNIVERSITY, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence bounces to 116.5

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Aug-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 2.1% to 116.5 in the week ended 26 August, following a 3.5% decline in the prior week. Households’ views towards current financial conditions improved 1.2%, largely recovering from the 1.3% fall in the previous week. Sentiment towards future financial conditions bounced a solid 3.1%, partially reversing the 7.6% tumble in the week prior. Consumers were also more optimistic about current economic conditions – their assessment improved 2.9%, ending the subindex’s streak of weekly declines. Of particular note, views towards future economic conditions jumped 6.1% – more than reversing the previous week’s 5.3% decline and bringing the subindex to its highest value in six weeks. The "time to buy a household item" subindex slipped 2.2% to 126.5, compared with a long-term average of 134.0.

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

Liberal leadership fight boosts ALP support, but ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence also up after Liberal leadership resolved

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Aug-18

The latest Morgan Poll shows Federal support for the L-NP down 3.5% to 46% following a week of leadership upheaval for the Federal Liberal Party, boosting ALP support by 3.5% to 54% on a two-party preferred basis according to interviewing conducted on the weekend of August 25/26 with 821 electors. The two Morgan Polls taken over the past week show that the former Malcolm Turnbull-led L-NP Government was within striking distance of the ALP on the weekend before Turnbull was ousted as Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader. The L-NP was on 49.5% compared with 50.5% for the ALP on a two-party preferred basis on the weekend of August 18/19, according to interviewing conducted with 886 electors. Although leadership tensions in a party usually undermine support for that party and undermine confidence, the leadership upheaval has not negatively impacted on broader Consumer Confidence – ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence has increased 2.4pts to 116.5. Interviewing for Consumer Confidence was taken entirely after the resolution of the Liberal leadership contest and Scott Morrison being sworn in as Australia’s 30th Prime Minister. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine notes that Roy Morgan Government Confidence plunged by 11pts on the weekend to 84 with only 33.5% (down 6.5%) of Australians saying Australia is "heading in the right direction". She adds that it is a rare occurrence that Consumer Confidence and Government Confidence move in such different directions; however, the leadership issues at the top of the Government are a clear catalyst on this occasion.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Brace for blackouts without the NEG

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Original article by Andrew White, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 28-Aug-18

Australians have been warned to prepare for power blackouts after the federal government shelved its National Energy Guarantee. Rick Francis, the CEO of Spark Infrastructure, says not having an NEG means the energy sector lacks any "mechanism" to steer it through the transition to increased renewable energy generation. Stephen Bell, the CEO of petrochemicals producer Qenos, is disappointed that the federal government had chosen not to proceed with the NEG.

CORPORATES
SPARK INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP – ASX SKI, QENOS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, ERNST AND YOUNG, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL

Turnbull to walk away on Friday

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Original article by Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 8 : 28-Aug-18

Nominations for the federal seat of Wentworth will be sought until 3 September, after former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull indicated that he intends to formally resign from Parliament on 31 August. Dave Sharma, Christine Forster and Andrew Bragg are said to be among the contenders for pre-selection, with the by-election likely to be held on 6 October. Turnbull’s son-in-law James Brown has ruled himself out of contention.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE RETURNED AND SERVICES LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL, WOOLLAHRA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Class action firm challenges CFMMEU

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 27-Aug-18

Class action law firm Adero Law is challenging an agreement involving the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union. The CFFMEU had secured a 2017 court decision to have an enterprise agreement provided by One Key Workforce, a mining subsidiary of labour hire firm Fircroft, deemed invalid. It has agreed not to pursue the decision if Fircroft pays its members $3.5 million to cover alleged underpayments and enters into an improved labour agreement with the CFMMEU. Adero Law contends that the deal with Fircroft is not in the interest of clients who are former One Key employees and who were not CFFMEU members. CFFMEU president Tony Maher says its agreement does not stop non-union One Key workers seeking compensation for underpayments.

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CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ADERO LAW, ONE KEY WORKFORCE, FIRCROFT GROUP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

ScoMo’s next generation cabinet

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

The federal government’s seventh ministerial reshuffle in three years includes four new cabinet ministers, while the number of women in cabinet has risen from five to six. Several key portfolios have been split under new Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Angus Taylor is the new Energy Minister and Melissa Price takes on the role of Environment Minister, while Peter Dutton will remain the Minister for Home Affairs but David Coleman will take charge of immigration policy. Kelly O’Dwyer will assume responsibility for the newly-reinstated industrial relations portfolio, while small business has regained cabinet status under Michaelia Cash.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Bottom line pushes budget closer to surplus

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 4 : 27-Aug-18

The Australian Government’s May 2018 Budget had forecast a 2017-18 deficit of $14.5bn. Economists expect the final figure – which will be disclosed by the end of September – to be slightly below this. Company tax receipts for the full year are likely to be in line with Budget projections, although overall government revenue was tracking slightly below forecasts during the first 11 months of the financial year. Shane Oliver of AMP Capital says incoming Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is likely to face some revenue challenges in the medium-term.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, S&P GLOBAL INCORPORATED

PM’s house of chaos

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 24-Aug-18

Mathias Cormann and Mitch Fifield are among 10 ministers who resigned on 23 August, as the federal government’s leadership crisis deepened. A second leadership spill is expected to be held on 24 August, with Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison and Julie Bishop set to run. Coalition MPs who have backed a petition for a second ballot are believed to be close to securing the 43 signatures which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says will be necessarily for a spill to be held; he has also threatened to resign from parliament if there is a second spill. Thirteen ministers in total have offered to resign since the leadership crisis began.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Nats to reclaim power in new deal

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 24-Aug-18

National Party MP Kevin Hogan claims he will move to the crossbenches if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is replaced as Liberal leader on 24 August. Hogan, who represents the seat of Page in New South Wales, says the Liberal Party does not "deserve my support". It is understood that the Nationals will move to reassert their power within the Coalition agreement if Turnbull is ousted, while Nationals leader Michael McCormack says the decision as to who should be Liberal leader is up to its MPs.

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NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA 21 LIMITED