O75 Public Administration

Terror, trade top Tokyo agenda

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-Jan-18

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will meet with members of Japan’s National Security Council during a brief visit to Japan on 18 January. Turnbull will discuss issues such as joint military training exercises and Japan’s measures to protect civilians from the threat of terrorist attacks on its public transport system. Turnbull will also address Japanese and Australian business leaders during his trip, and he will call for action to finalise the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, JAPAN. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Talks bid to keep the trains running

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Original article by Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 3 : 18-Jan-18

The NSW Business Chamber estimates that a proposed strike by Sydney train drivers on 29 January would cost the state economy about $A100m. The heads of Unions NSW and the Rail, Tram & Bus Union will hold talks with officials from Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW on 18 January, in a bid to avert industrial action. The State Government is offering a pay rise of 2.5 per cent, but Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey says recent productivity gains provide scope for a higher wage increase.

CORPORATES
UNIONS NSW, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, SYDNEY TRAINS, TRANSPORT FOR NSW, NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED

Court cases could prevent super union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 18-Jan-18

Employers’ groups say the Registered Organisations Act should be used to block a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Act prohibits a merger if either party is the subject of criminal legal proceedings. There are currently more than 40 outstanding cases against the two unions for breaching workplace laws, but the CFMEU and the MUA claim that the Act does not apply as these legal actions are civil rather than criminal. The Australian Mines & Metals Association and Master Builders Australia in turn contend that the legal actions are "quasi-criminal".

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

Business Confidence jumps 3.3pts in December to 117.4

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

In Australia, Business Confidence rose 3.3pts (+2.9%) to 117.4 in December 2017, according to the latest Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey, after the Federal Government won two critical by-elections to retain a governing majority. Businesses are the most positive heading into a new year since 2013, with 57.3% (up 3ppts) of businesses saying now is a "good time to invest in growing the business". Meanwhile, 52.2% (up 2.5ppts) of businesses expect "good times" financially over the next 12 months and 49.8% (up 5.8ppts) say the business will be "better off" financially this time next year. The large increase in Business Confidence in December was driven by rises in confidence in industries such as Manufacturing, Agriculture, forestry & fishing, Education & training, and Information media and telecommunications.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Doyle on the brink

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Original article by Ian Royall, Grant McArthur, Aneeka Simonis
Herald Sun – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jan-18

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has denied allegations that he sexually harassed a woman during his tenure as chairman of Melbourne Health. The alleged victim has told the inquiry headed by Ian Freckelton QC that Doyle touched her inappropriately during a Melbourne Health function in 2016. Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy has commissioned a separate inquiry, to be headed by Charles Scerri QC, into Doyle’s conduct. Doyle is expected to appear before the Freckelton inquiry shortly. He has denied the sexual harassment allegations made by former councillor Tessa Sullivan and Greens councillor Cathy Oke.

CORPORATES
MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL, MELBOURNE HEALTH, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Wage growth slumps to a record 25-year low

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 16-Jan-18

Wage increases for new enterprise agreements struck in the September 2017 quarter were just 2.2 per cent, the lowest increase in 25 years. The number of new agreements struck in the quarter was the lowest since 1995, while wage increases in union enterprise agreements were lower than those in non-union agreements, which is uncommon. The construction sector remained the industry where wage growth was strongest, while real estate and transport were among the sectors where wage growth was lowest.

CORPORATES
GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Only one-in-three South Australians believe ABS unemployment estimate

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Jan-18

A special Roy Morgan SMS Survey taken on 11-12 January shows that only 32% of South Australians believe that unemployment in the State is close to 5% or less, while two-thirds believe the figure is closer to 10% or higher (41% say closest to 10%, 15% say closest to 15% and a further 12% say closest to 20%). The latest South Australian Roy Morgan real unemployment and under-employment figures for the December 2017 quarter show unemployment of 10.9% and under-employment of 9.5%, for a total unemployment and under-employment rate of 20.4%. This compares to the latest ABS unemployment figure for South Australia of 6.1% for November 2017. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the South Australian electorate is divided about who to vote for at the State Election in March. The party that can put forward believable policies addressing the key issues of jobs and a guaranteed energy supply will win Government. Since the Labor Government was first elected in 2002 they have not sought to deal with the major issue of "real" South Australian unemployment. Instead they’ve "covered it up by" increasing Government jobs and Government spending – like other State Governments across Australia – a "false" economy and unsustainable.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Confidence rises as WA turns corner

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 15-Jan-18

Western Australian Treasurer Ben Wyatt is upbeat about the outlook for the state economy, after it was hit hard by the downturn in the mining industry. The Chamber of Commerce & Industry has released the findings of a survey which shows that 76 per cent of WA residents expect the economy to improve or remain unchanged during the next quarter, compared with just five per cent three months ago. Meanwhile, labour shortages are forcing some mining companies to recruit workers from Queensland.

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (INCORPORATED), RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

$100m lost in Plutus tax scam

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Original article by Geoff Winestock, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Jan-18

The liquidators of Plutus Payroll, the company at the centre of a tax fraud case, have released their first report to its creditors. Plutus Payroll and its associated companies have total debts of $A136 million. Based on how much Tim Norman of Deloitte Financial Advisory estimates will be recoverable from Plutus Payroll itself, it appears that the Australian Taxation Office may have to forgo around $A100 million. It is owed all but $A2 million of the debt.

CORPORATES
PLUTUS PAYROLL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, DELOITTE FINANCIAL ADVISORY, SYNEP, HARTFORD INVESTMENTS, KISMETS

Public sector costs squeeze households

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Jan-18

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest household expenditure survey shows that consumers’ spending on essential services has risen by 23 per cent since 2009-10. Electricity, education and childcare are among the services for which household expenditure has risen sharply over the last six years. Meanwhile, household spending on food has increased by 15 per cent over this period, while there has been 46.9 per cent growth in expenditure on holidays.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING