O75 Public Administration

Nats urged to broaden the base

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Jun-18

National Party MP Darren Chester says that farmers will continue to comprise a significant proportion of the party’s membership base. However, he argues that the Nationals need to appeal to a broader range of voters in order to win more seats, arguing that people from non-farming backgrounds now live in electorates that have traditionally been the party’s focus. Chester added that the Nationals must also embrace a range of views on social issues in order to appeal to voters, noting that all but one Nationals electorate voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS

Huawei to be banned from 5G

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Angus Grigg
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-18

Sources have indicated that Australia’s security and defence agencies have recommended against allowing Huawei to bid for contracts to build the nation’s 5G wireless networks. The Federal Government is expected to make a decision on the 5G contracts very soon, and Huawei has previously been excluded from providing equipment for the national broadband network due to national security concerns. The Chinese telco supplies equipment for the 4G networks of Optus and Vodafone, while Huawei’s John Lord recently noted that the company employs about 750 people in Australia.

CORPORATES
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ZTE CORPORATION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TELEFON AB LM ERICSSON, NOKIA OY AB, ALCATEL-LUCENT, UNITED STATES. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

RBA boss backs income tax cuts

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-18

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says the Federal Government’s personal income tax cuts package will contribute to growth in wages. Lowe describes the proposed tax cuts as an "incremental step" in the broader process of tax reform. He has also called for wages to be progressively increased as the economy strengthens, arguing that wages of growth of around three per cent annually is feasible in the longer-term, compared with growth of around two per cent at present. Labor has only committed to supporting the first stage of the tax cuts package.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up across the board to 123.0

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 5.6% to 123.0 in the week ended 10 June, following a 1.0% decline in the previous week. Consumers’ views towards current financial conditions rose 3.9% to 109.1, partially reversing the cumulative 4.7% decline over the last two weeks. Consumers also remain optimistic about future financial conditions, which were up 1.6% on the back of a 3.3% rise in the previous week. Consumers’ views towards current economic conditions rose 8.9%, following two successive weekly declines. This sub-index is currently at its highest point in 18 weeks. Similarly, households’ views towards future economic conditions rose 8.7% to 118.0, the highest since November 2013. The "time to buy a household item" sub-index rose 5.7% to 144.0 and remains well above its long-term average of 134.0.

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

ACTU steps up campaign on penalty rates

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Original article by David Crowe
The Age – Page: 4 : 13-Jun-18

Polling undertaken on behalf of the ACTU show that a majority of voters in the marginal federal seats of Forde, Gilmore and Robertson would support a push to overturn the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rate cuts. The ACTU will launch a new campaign ahead of changes to the weekend penalty rates regime that take effect on 1 July and the five by-elections that will be held on 28 July. Employers argue that lower penalty rates allow them to trade on weekends.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GETUP LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, REACHTEL PTY LTD

Surplus built on coal and more tax

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 13-Jun-18

The Queensland Government’s June 2018 Budget includes a surplus of $A1.5bn for 2017-18 and just $A148m in 2018-19. The government has also committed to spending $A11.6bn on infrastructure projects in 2018-19 and $A45.8bn over four years. This will contribute to a blowout in the state’s debt to $A83.1bn over the next four years. Revenue from coal royalties have topped $A3.77bn in 2017-18, after coal prices were higher than expected. The government will also raise an additional $A1.8bn via five new taxes over the next four years.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, STANDARD AND POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

Subs blowout could scuttle tax cuts

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 12-Jun-18

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick has sought to link his support for the Federal Government’s company tax cuts package to the construction of a new submarine fleet. Patrick has expressed concern about the cost of the 12 submarines and warned that he cannot support the tax package until the full cost of the new fleet is disclosed. The Senate budget estimates committee was recently told that it will cost about $A50bn to build the submarines, but Patrick estimates that they could cost taxpayers around $A200bn in total during their operational life.

CORPORATES
CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, NAVAL GROUP

Trump, Kim meeting to herald changed era

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Original article by Cameron Stewart
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 12-Jun-18

Denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula will be a priority for the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has indicated that Trump will accept nothing less than complete denuclearisation. The US in turn is expected to offer North Korea a range of as yet unspecific economic and security concessions, although they will be conditional on North Korea scrapping its nuclear weapons program. The two leaders will initially meet alone before being joined by their advisers.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE

Business must lead push for IR change: Hendy

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Jun-18

The Federal Government’s failure to pursue workplace reforms has been criticised by Peter Hendy, the former chief economic adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The ex-Liberal MP notes the Coalition’s lack of action since it commissioned the Productivity Commission to undertake a review of the industrial relations regime after it won office in 2013. Hendy adds that the business community should be more active in promoting industrial relations reform, after failing to do so in recent years.

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

Treasury overstated cost of tax cuts

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 8-Jun-18

Australian Taxpayers Alliance director John Humphreys estimates that the Federal Government’s income tax cuts will cost about $A78bn over 10 years, compared with Treasury’s forecast of $A144bn. The government estimates that the third stage of the tax package will cost $41.6bn, but Humphreys’ analysis suggests that it will cost just $A3.5bn. Humphreys and other experts argue that Treasury’s forecasts do not take into account the fact that more people are likely to enter the workforce or increase the number of hours they work as a result of the tax cuts.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXPAYERS’ ALLIANCE PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD