O75 Public Administration

Citizenship debacle a trust breaker: Goyder

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 3-Nov-17

Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder says political uncertainty is weighing on consumer confidence and retail sales. He used a National Press Club speech on 2 November to criticise former Senate president Stephen Parry over a long delay in disclosing concerns that he may have British citizenship by descent. Goyder added that Parry’s inaction has contributed to the general public’s lack of trust in politicians and heightened the perception that they are not addressing the needs of electors.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Minister rebuffs ACTU pay push

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 3-Nov-17

The ACTU is seeking to have the minimum wage increased to 60 per cent of the median wage. This would equate to an $A80-per-week rise in the minimum wage, which ACTU secretary Sally McManus says should be phased in as quickly as possible. However, employers’ groups warn that a sharp rise in the minimum wage would deter businesses from taking on more staff, while Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has ruled out any changes to the existing minimum wage regime.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

CFMEU agrees to 35pc cut to Griffin Coal pay

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

Workers at Griffin Coal’s Collie mine in Western Australia face reduced working hours and pay rates under a proposed enterprise agreement. The new pay deal, which would cut hourly pay rates by 25 per cent and annual earnings by 35 per cent, has the support of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. State secretary Gary Wood says both unions and Griffin have accepted compromises to secure the pay deal, amid uncertainty regarding future bank financing for the mine.

CORPORATES
THE GRIFFIN COAL MINING COMPANY PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LANCO RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, ICIC BANK

State government ‘split over Adani mine’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 2-Nov-17

Liberal-National Party leader Tim Nicholls says a number of senior Queensland Government ministers oppose Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine, while even Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been reluctant to support it. Nicholls adds that his party fully supports the $A16.5bn project. The Opposition also supports the construction of a clean-coal power station in North Queensland, and has questioned the Government’s failure to release a report which found that it would be financially viable.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF ENERGY AND WATER SUPPLY

Parry makes brexit from Senate

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Nov-17

Former senator Richard Colbeck is expected to replace the Liberal Party’s Stephen Parry in the upper house, after the latter advised that he will resign after receiving confirmation that he has British citizenship by descent. Meanwhile, acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop and acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek have both dismissed a push by the Greens and some Liberals for an audit of the citizenship status of all federal parliamentarians.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, GREAT BRITAIN. HOME OFFICE, ONE NATION PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Minimum wage must go: unions

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 1 : 2-Nov-17

The ACTU will push for the minimum wage to be replaced by a "living wage", which would be set at 60 per cent of the median wage. ACTU secretary Sally McManus argues that three million Australians are living below the poverty line due to the minimum wage system, and notes that the Fair Work Commission had conceded that the 3.3 per cent increase in the minimum wage in 2017 will still leave many workers in poverty. She adds that a living wage should be high enough to ensure that families can pay for necessities as well as any unexpected expenses.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Domino’s faces $35m higher wage bill

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Nov-17

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises will have to provide its 22,000-strong workforce with penalty rates after the Fair Work Commission terminated more than 20 enterprise agreements. The Retail & Fast Food Workers Union has estimated that Domino’s was saving between $A35m and $A50m a year by continuing to employ staff under the agreements, which had expired in 2005 and 2009. The FWC has given Domino’s until late January to shift employees to the industry award, but the fast-food chained has advised that it will introduce penalty rates in December.

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Kinghorn facing jail over $30m tax fraud

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Geoff Winestock, Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Nov-17

RAMS Home Loans founder John Kinghorn has pleaded not guilty after being charged with two counts of tax fraud. The Australian Federal Police will allege that Kinghorn avoided tax liabilities totalling $A30m after claiming that he did not control any companies that were registered in the Jersey Islands. He could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail if he is convicted. Kinghorn gained $A650m from the sale of an 80 per cent stake in RAMS via an IPO in 2007.

CORPORATES
RAMS HOME LOANS PTY LTD, ALLCO FINANCE GROUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, LOCAL COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, KALOMA CORPORATION, KALOMA PACIFIC LEASING, TRYDEN ENTERPRISES, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

NBN needs subsidies: Sims

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Nov-17

The national broadband network’s uniform pricing policy means capital city users are effectively subsidising the provision of NBN’s fixed wireless and satellite services in regional and rural areas. ACCC chairman Rod Sims argues that these unprofitable services should instead be subsidised via the Budget, adding that the Federal Government should make a decision on whether to do so in mid-2018. Sims adds that it may be appropriate to write down the value of the NBN.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NBN CO LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

British link drops top Lib in crisis

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joe Kelly, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Nov-17

Federal Parliament’s dual citizenship crisis has deepened after Senate president Stephen Parry revealed that he may hold British citizenship by descent. He is the first Liberal whose eligibility for parliament has come under scrutiny, after the party had previously criticised its Coalition partner for the citizenship crisis. Senator Parry has indicated that he will resign from parliament if he is deemed to be a British citizen, rather than allow the matter to be referred to the High Court. Other parliamentarians may attract greater scrutiny in the wake of Parry’s revelation.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, GREAT BRITAIN. HOME OFFICE