O75 Public Administration

PM seeks TPP backing as Peru agrees trade deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Nov-17

Peru will abolish almost all tariffs on Australian imports under a free-trade agreement between the two nations. Australian farmers in particular are set to benefit from the trade deal, with sheep meat, wheat and almonds among the products that will be tariff-free from the outset, while the tariff on beef will be abolished within five years. Australia accounted for just $US5.3m of the $US4.6bn worth of agricultural products imported by Peru in 2016. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is optimistic that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will proceed without the US.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION

Tensions increase over rival SSM bill

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 10-Nov-17

Liberal MP Ian Goodenough has expressed concern about the limited focus of religious protections in a private members’ bill to legalise same-sex marriage. He says some Coalition MPs are developing a separate bill on same-sex marriage that will provide greater protection for religious freedoms if the majority of Australians support marriage equality in the postal survey. Meanwhile, Australian Conservatives founder Cory Bernardi says resolving parliament’s dual citizenship crisis should take priority over the issue of same-sex marriage.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FREEDOM FOR FAITH, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE

Labor stonewalls on Adani incentives

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael McKenna, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 8 : 10-Nov-17

The Queensland Government continues to attract scrutiny over its dealings with India-based Adani regarding its $A16.5bn Carmichael coal and rail project. The Government struck a deal with Adani in May to defer some royalties payments, but it has refused to disclose any details of the deal. However, the Australian Labor Party had stated in 2015 that it would not make any "secret deals" if it won the state election.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY

Coalition rejects ACTU push to delay IR agenda

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 10-Nov-17

ACTU president Ged Kearney says the Federal Government does not have a mandate for industrial relations reform while doubts remain about the eligibility of some MPs to be in parliament. Five bills relating to unions are currently before the Senate, but Kearney argues that they should be shelved until the dual citizenship crisis is resolved. Unions have raised the prospect of a legal challenge if any of the bills are passed.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

PM ignites citizenship war over four Labor MPs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Crowe, Andrew Clennell, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 10-Nov-17

The dual nationality crisis seems set to overshadow the final session of federal parliament for the year. Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie has indicated that she is seeking legal advice as to whether her renunciation of British citizenship was completed before she was elected to parliament. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has received independent legal advice which suggests that four Labor MPs are likely to be disqualified from parliament if they held British citizenship when they nominated for the 2016 election.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2017 by Telstra, Roy Morgan, RMIT and Swinburne shows Ararat and Stawell lag behind

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rex Martinich
The Stawell Times-News – Page: Online : 7-Nov-17

The latest Australian Digital Inclusion Index shows that the North West and West Victoria regions are below both the state and national average on the key metrics of internet access, affordability and residents’ digital skills. Stawell and Ararat are among the regional towns in Victoria that are lagging in terms of digital inclusion. The report was produced by Telstra, Roy Morgan Research, RMIT and Swinburne University

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, RMIT UNIVERSITY, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Abuse ruling faces challenge from South32

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Nov-17

South32 will appeal against the Fair Work Commission’s ruling that the sacking of a Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union official constituted unfair dismissal. South32 was ordered to reinstate Matthew Gosek after the FWC found that the offensive language which prompted Gosek’s dismissal is widely used in society. However, Macquarie Group director Patricia Cross has described the ruling as "shameful". The issue of offensive language in the workplace has also come under scrutiny in the case against Westpac over the alleged manipulation of the bank bill swap rate.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, DIVERSITY COUNCIL AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Our company tax to top world

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Nov-17

The tax rate for large Australian companies has remained unchanged since 2000, when it was reduced to 30 per cent. However, the average company tax rate in advanced countries has fallen from 32 per cent to just 24 per cent over the last 17 years. The Treasury has warned that Australia’s ability to attract business investment will be adversely affected if the nation fails to respond to plans by the US to slash its company tax rate, while Australia will also face lower growth in GDP and real wages. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott has urged a reduction in the company tax rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ALP blocks scrutiny of dubious trio

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis, Andrew Clennell, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 9-Nov-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten discussed parliament’s dual citizenship crisis on 8 November, although they did not reach an agreement on proposed disclosure rules. Meanwhile, the Australian Labor Party’s Justine Keay, Susan Lamb and Josh Wilson and the Liberal Party’s Jason Falinski are the latest federal MPs to come under scrutiny over their eligibility to be in parliament over dual citizenship concerns.

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

LNP clear: ‘There will be no deals done with One Nation’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jamie Walker, Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 8 : 8-Nov-17

Liberal-National Party of Queensland president Gary Spence has stressed that it will not seek a preferences deal with One Nation. He also notes that One Nation’s federal leader Pauline has also ruled out a preferences deal with the LNP in the state election, although Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to claim that the LNP and One Nation will agree to swap preferences. Meanwhile, Hanson has downplayed suggestions that One Nation will seek a role in the state’s future government if it gains the power of power.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA