O75 Public Administration

IR laws a disaster hurting millions

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Jun-18

The national secretary of United Voice, Jo Schofield, has called for an overhaul of the industrial relations system, arguing that enterprise bargaining at the workplace level has been a failure and industry-level bargaining should be permitted. She will also tell the Evatt Foundation on 18 June that the industry award system has resulted in wages and conditions being capped for nearly 25 per cent of workers. The ACTU recently proposed industry-wide enterprise bargaining, although the Coalition and employers have warned that it would result in job losses and make businesses less competitive.

CORPORATES
UNITED VOICE, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, EVATT FOUNDATION

Hanson last barrier to full tax cuts

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jun-18

Five of the Senate crossbenchers will support all three stages of the federal government’s income tax cuts package, while the two Centre Alliance senators will back the first two stages and are open to negotiation on the third. The stance of One Nation’s two remaining senators is likely to be crucial, given that the government requires the support of eight crossbenchers. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the government will not split the bill.

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

$10bn hole in Shorten’s retirees plan

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Jun-18

Modelling by the Treasury has found that Labor’s proposal to scrap franking credit refunds would prompt individuals and self-managed superannuation funds to redirect their investment portfolios away from franked shares that pay dividends. This in turn would reduce the savings generated by the measure by nearly $A10bn over 10 years. Labor had estimated that the policy would save $A55.7bn over a decade, but the modelling suggests that the figure would be just $A45.8bn. Labor has already been forced to scale back its initial savings estimate of $A59bn.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Jobless rate supertanker heads lower

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 15-Jun-18

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that 12,000 jobs were created in May, although economists had forecast that the economy added 19,000 jobs. An additional 32,600 part-time jobs partially offset the loss of 20,600 full-time positions. The official unemployment rate fell by 0.2 per cent to 5.4 per cent, which is its lowest level since November 2012. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate rose by 0.1 per cent to 8.5 per cent and the proportion of people who are employed but looking for more work was steady at 13.9 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

CFMMEU penalties hit $15m after abuse case

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 15-Jun-18

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union has been fined $A43,200 over the conduct of organiser Bradley Upton. The Federal Court ruled that Upton had sought to intimidate non-union workers on the Gorgon LNG project into joining the union at a meeting in December 2015. Justice Michael Barker said his conduct was "quite appalling" and fined him $A8,100. Workplace Minister Craig Laundy has warned that such conduct in the workplace will occur frequently under Labor’s proposed union right-of-entry laws.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

One Nation rebel fires parting shot

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 2 : 15-Jun-18

One Nation has lost the balance of power in the Senate following senator Brian Burston’s decision to quit the party and become an independent. He says the falling out over One Nation’s stance on the Federal Government’s corporate tax package contributed to his departure from the party, which will now hold just two seats in the upper house. Burston will continue to support the tax package, and he hopes One Nation’s remaining senators Pauline Hanson and Peter Georgiou will do so as well. The tax package requires the support of eight of the 10 crossbenchers.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Renewables rush a risk to industry

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 15-Jun-18

Large electricity users are concerned about the impact of the Federal Government’s national energy guarantee on baseload power supply. Tomago Aluminium CEO Matt Howell argues that some industrial users require competitively priced baseload power around the clock, which renewables cannot guarantee without reliable storage technology. Resources Minister Matt Canavan says coal is still the best option for supplying cheap and reliable baseload power, and he warns that coal would no longer be competitive under Labor’s carbon emissions policy.

CORPORATES
TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MANUFACTURING AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR, DULUXGROUP LIMITED – ASX DLX, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, ADELAIDE BRIGHTON LIMITED – ASX ABC, CEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RHEEM AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TESLA INCORPORATED, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Hodgman Liberals to lock in bigger surplus

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Original article by Matthew Denholm
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-Jun-18

The Tasmanian Government is poised to announce a 2017-18 surplus of $A75m in its June 2018 Budget, compared with its previous forecast of a $A54m surplus. The Budget bottom line will be boosted by higher tax revenue as a result of the state’s strong economy. Measures to be unveiled in the Budget on 14 June include funding for the second stage of the government’s affordable housing scheme and a policy of capping wage rises for public servants at two per cent a year.

CORPORATES
TASMANIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE

LNP leader prepares state for a greener future without coal

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Original article by Jared Owens
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-Jun-18

Queensland’s Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says the state must embrace clean and reliable energy sources. She will commit to a policy of requiring state-owned electricity companies to invest in renewable energy generation if the Liberal-National Party wins the next election. The LNP previously supported coal-fired power generation under Frecklington’s predecessor Tim Nicholls, who stepped down after losing the 2017 election.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, ONE NATION PARTY, STANWELL CORPORATION LIMITED

English test eyed for all new arrivals

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 14-Jun-18

The Federal Government may require future migrants to have basic English language skills in order to qualify for permanent residency. There is growing concern that many migrants lack sufficient English language skills, which affects their ability to integrate and gain employment. Analysis of Census data suggests that more than one million people in Australia may have limited or no English language skills by 2021. The proposal for migrants to have minimum conversational language skills will be outlined by Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge on 14 June.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, SYDNEY INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY