O75 Public Administration

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops back to 118.9

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Aug-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 0.8% to 118.9 in the week ended 5 August, entirely reversing the previous week’s gain. Consumers’ views towards current financial conditions rose 0.5%, on the back of a 2.9% increase in the previous week, but sentiment around future financial conditions fell 1.3%. Consumers’ assessment of current economic conditions declined 2.7%, partially unwinding the 4.1% gain in the previous week. Meanwhile, views towards future economic conditions were up 1.4%, following a 0.3% rise in the previous week. The "time to buy a household item" subindex fell 1.7% to its lowest point in 16 weeks.

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

Turnbull considering more drought aid

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 7-Aug-18

The federal government is likely to offer more assistance to drought-impacted farmers, as it looks at ways to help farmers adjust to a climate that is becoming hotter and drier. Short-term assistance that the government can offer could include helping to pay for the high cost of fodder transportation, while longer-term measures could include assistance with on-farm water storage and other infrastructure, including the possibility of tax write-offs. National Farmers’ Federation CEO Tony Mahar says subsidising crop insurance would also help farmers.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RABOBANK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES FARMERS ASSOCIATION

Senate support to fast-track small biz cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Aug-18

The Federal Government will seek to pass its full company tax cuts package in the Senate when parliament resumes in mid-August. The support of One Nation and Centre Alliance senators will be crucial, although they are still unwilling to endorse the full package. However, both minor parties have signalled that they would most likely support any proposal to bring forward tax cuts for businesses with turnover of less than $50m. The tax cuts are slated to take effect in 2026-27, but Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff says he would be open to reducing the tax rate for these businesses to 25 per cent immediately.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor states keep energy plan alive

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Aug-18

Labor-led state governments are unlikely to support the national energy guarantee at the Council of Australian Governments meeting on 10 August. However, the Victorian, Queensland and ACT governments have indicated that they are open to backing the NEG, although they will not make a final decision until after the policy is put to the federal Coalition’s joint party room meeting on 14 August. The NEG’s proposed carbon emissions reduction target remains a key point of contention for Labor at both state and federal level.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Union push for weekend casual pay rises

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Aug-18

The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ ­Association will push for casual workers’ loadings to be increased from 10 per cent to 50 per cent on Saturdays. The SDA is also seeking a loading of 25 per cent for staff who work after 6pm on weeknights, in addition to the 25 per cent casual loading at present. The Australian Retailers Association’s executive director Russell Zimmerman argues that many casual workers in the retail sector can only work after 6pm, and they may not be given extra shifts if employment costs increase. The full bench of the Fair Work Commission will hear the wage claim on 16 August.

CORPORATES
SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

July Business Confidence down for third straight month to 113.6

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Aug-18

In Australia, Business Confidence fell 0.8pts (-0.7%) to 113.6 in July 2018, according to the latest Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey. Business Confidence has dropped below its level of a year ago for the first time in 2018 and is now 3.4pts lower than in July 2017, and 2.7pts below its long-term average of 116.3. However, despite falling for three consecutive months following the Federal Budget, Business Confidence throughout the first seven months of 2018 has averaged 117.5 – above the long-term average and the highest yearly average since 2014. Businesses remain largely positive, with 50.9% (up 4.4ppts) saying now is a "good time to invest in growing the business" and 50.5% (up 0.2ppts) expecting "good times" for the Australian economy over the next five years. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that towards the end of July there was some good news for businesses, which traditionally prefer certainty rather than uncertainty. The victories for Labor at the "Super Saturday" by-elections removed the temptation for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call an early election later this year. Turnbull has since confirmed that he plans on calling the next Federal Election in May 2019 and has re-affirmed the Government’s pledge to legislate further business tax cuts when Parliament resumes.

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

Labor split risks killing energy deal

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Original article by Simon Benson, Michael McKenna, Samantha Hutchinson, Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 6-Aug-18

The Labor Environment Action Network says the proposed national energy guarantee should only be supported if there is provision for carbon emissions reduction targets to be increased to match Labor’s own stated targets. Labor’s environmental wing argues that it is in the nation’s interests to resolve the impasse regarding energy policy. However, a Queensland Government source has indicated that it will not support the NEG in its current form, while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says his state will not back the NEG unless the Federal Government can demonstrate that its own party room will support the policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LABOR ENVIRONMENT ACTION NETWORK, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, GETUP LIMITED, GREENPEACE AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Lib unrest as leader admits US tax battle

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Original article by Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 8 : 2-Aug-18

Some Western Australian Liberal MPs are said to be unhappy that Liberal leader Mike Nahan remains a US citizen because of a large potential tax liability to the Internal Revenue Service . Their angst has been prompted by debate whether certain dual citizens are eligible to sit in the WA parliament. Nahan says that he no longer has a US passport and that he has not earned any income from any activity outside Australia for forty years. He accused some of his colleagues of trying to "white-ant" him, while WA Premier Mark McGowan says Nahan should have disclosed his tax dispute before now.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET UNITED STATES. INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

Drought plea: honour desal deal

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 6 : 2-Aug-18

Federal Liberal MP Sussan Ley has backed drought-affected farmers in calling for the South Australian government to boost production from its desalination plant. The federal government contributed $328 million in 2013 towards construction of the $1.8 billion plant, on the condition that South Australia would make less use of the Murray River for its water supplies. However, the plant has only been operating at eight per cent of its capacity for the last 12 months. It can produce up to 100 gigalitres a year, while South Australia extracts 140 gigalitres of drinking water a year from the Murray River.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES SOUTHERN RIVERINA IRRIGATION DISTRICTS COUNCIL

Trade wars are taking toll on farmers: Ciobo

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Original article by Andrew Tillett Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 2-Aug-18

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo says the federal government may go to the World Trade Organisation to challenge recent agricultural tariffs and subsidies imposed by India. They include a 50 per cent tariff on field peas and a 30 per cent tariff on chickpeas and lentils, along with a subsidy for Indian sugar exporters, while India also doubled the tariff on wheat to 20 per cent. Ciobo says the various measures are hurting Australian farmers, while he is also concerned about the impact that Donald Trump’s trade war may have on them.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CAIRNS GROUP NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED