O75 Public Administration

Shorten vowed to kill Adani mine

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Original article by Rhian Deutrom, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Feb-18

Former Australian Conservation Foundation president Geoff Cousins held private meetings with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in January. They discussed the potential environmental impact of Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, and Cousins says Shorten repeatedly stated that Labor will revoke Adani’s coal mining licence on environmental grounds if it wins the next election. Shorten’s stance on the Carmichael mine has wavered over the last year, and Cousins argues that he needs to resolve Labor’s policy regarding the controversial project.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence up 2.3% to 117.9

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Feb-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 2.3% to 117.9 in the week ended 25 February, partially recovering from the 3.5% fall the previous week. The details were broadly positive, with four out of five sub-indices posting gains. Views towards current economic conditions firmed 0.4% after sharp losses in the previous two weeks. While views toward current economic conditions have only stabilised after these falls, they remain above their-long term average. Consumers were more optimistic about future conditions, with this sub-index bouncing 6% and almost offsetting the 8.8% drop in the previous week. Views towards current finances jumped 6%, bringing the sub-index to a six-week high of 110.4. The recovery in sentiment around future conditions was more modest (1.5%), offsetting the 1.3% fall in the previous week.

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

Comcast takes on Fox, Disney with £22.1 billion bid for Sky

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Original article by Joe Mayes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 28-Feb-18

US media giant Comcast is offering Stg12.50 per share for British pay-TV company Sky. Sky’s shares peaked at Stg13.55 in response to the Stg22.1bn ($A39.5bn) bid. Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox had previously offered Stg10.75 per share to assume full ownership of Sky. The Comcast bid also has implications for Walt Disney Company’s deal to acquire the bulk of Fox’s assets, including its stake in Sky. Fox had rejected Comcast’s offer in late 2017 to buy most of its assets for $US60bn in favour of the deal with Disney.

CORPORATES
COMCAST CORPORATION, SKY PLC, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, ODEY ASSET MANAGEMENT LLP, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, JEFFERIES AND COMPANY, ENDERS ANALYSIS LIMITED

Nats urged to opt for reshuffle-lite

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 12-Jan-18

A National Party insider has cautioned against a major revamp of the junior Coalition partner’s ministerial team under new leader Michael McCormack. The source also warned that the Nationals would face unrest within its ranks if McCormack is seen to be rewarding his supporters when allocating portfolios. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Darren Chester will replace McCormack as the Minister for Veterans Affairs, with the latter set to become Minister for Infrastructure.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES AUTHORITY

Energy mess deters US investors

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Feb-18

DowDuPont’s executive chairman Andrew Liveris has warned that uncertainty over Australia’s energy policy is adversely affecting foreign investment intentions. He recently participated in a round-table discussion in the US with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, state and territory leaders and the CEOs of major US companies. Liveris told the meeting that while Dow is keen to further invest in Australia, this is dependent on a competitive and reliable energy market. He also urged bipartisan support for the Federal Government’s National Energy Guarantee.

CORPORATES
DOWDUPONT INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS

Contempt case threatens super union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 28-Feb-18

Victorian International Container Terminals’ contempt of court lawsuit against the Maritime Union of Australia could prevent its proposed merger with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. The Fair Work Commission, which is shortly slated to issue a ruling on the merger, has received a submission which argues that contempt charge constitutes criminal proceedings under the Fair Work Act. The Registered Organisations Act in turn states that a union merger cannot by approved if there is outstanding criminal proceedings. The unions contend that the contempt charge is civil rather than criminal.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIAN INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Shorten vowed to kill Adani mine

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Original article by Rhian Deutrom, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Feb-18

Former Australian Conservation Foundation president Geoff Cousins held private meetings with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in January. They discussed the potential environmental impact of Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, and Cousins says Shorten repeatedly stated that Labor will revoke Adani’s coal mining licence on environmental grounds if it wins the next election. Shorten’s stance on the Carmichael mine has wavered over the last year, and Cousins argues that he needs to resolve Labor’s policy regarding the controversial project.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence up 2.3% to 117.9

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Feb-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 2.3% to 117.9 in the week ended 25 February, partially recovering from the 3.5% fall the previous week. The details were broadly positive, with four out of five sub-indices posting gains. Views towards current economic conditions firmed 0.4% after sharp losses in the previous two weeks. While views toward current economic conditions have only stabilised after these falls, they remain above their-long term average. Consumers were more optimistic about future conditions, with this sub-index bouncing 6% and almost offsetting the 8.8% drop in the previous week. Views towards current finances jumped 6%, bringing the sub-index to a six-week high of 110.4. The recovery in sentiment around future conditions was more modest (1.5%), offsetting the 1.3% fall in the previous week.

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

Comcast takes on Fox, Disney with £22.1 billion bid for Sky

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Original article by Joe Mayes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 28-Feb-18

US media giant Comcast is offering Stg12.50 per share for British pay-TV company Sky. Sky’s shares peaked at Stg13.55 in response to the Stg22.1bn ($A39.5bn) bid. Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox had previously offered Stg10.75 per share to assume full ownership of Sky. The Comcast bid also has implications for Walt Disney Company’s deal to acquire the bulk of Fox’s assets, including its stake in Sky. Fox had rejected Comcast’s offer in late 2017 to buy most of its assets for $US60bn in favour of the deal with Disney.

CORPORATES
COMCAST CORPORATION, SKY PLC, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, ODEY ASSET MANAGEMENT LLP, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, JEFFERIES AND COMPANY, ENDERS ANALYSIS LIMITED

Nationals leader: I’m not Barnaby

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 27-Feb-18

New National Party leader Michael McCormack says he will not seek to emulate former leader Barnaby Joyce in terms of his leadership style. McCormack, who also becomes Deputy Prime Minister as a result of his elevation to the Nationals leadership, notes that everyone has their own way of acting as a leader. McCormack has taken over Joyce’s transport and infrastructure portfolios, and rejects claims that the proposed $A10 billion inland rail link from Brisbane to Melbourne will not deliver a return for taxpayers.

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