O75 Public Administration

ATO chases $2.5bn corporate shortfall

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Original article by Ben Butler
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Oct-17

The Australian Taxation Office estimates that the corporate "tax gap" averaged 5.8 per cent between 2008-09 and 2014-15. The ATO hopes to reduce corporate tax underpayments to about $A2.5bn, and deputy commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn notes that transfer pricing is a significant contributor to the tax gap. He notes that a number of measures have been implemented in recent years to ensure that companies meet their tax liabilities, including the diverted profits tax and the Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, CHEVRON CORPORATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence picks up modestly, up 0.4% to 113.8

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Oct-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.4% to 113.8 in the week ended 8 October 2017, recovering some of the previous week’s losses. Sentiment towards economic conditions fell slightly, but views on financial conditions improved. Consumers’ views towards current and future financial conditions improved, with the indices increasing by 0.7% and 0.3% respectively. After a strong show in the previous week, households’ views on economic conditions edged lower. Both the indices recorded a slight decline, and remain well below their long-run averages.

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

Scale back Paris emissions commitment, reformers urge

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Oct-17

The Federal Government ruled out withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement in June, but Gary Banks of the Melbourne Institute and former government adviser Fred Hilmer say it should reduce back the nation’s commitment to the agreement. Banks, the former chairman of the Productivity Commission, has expressed concern about the likely economic impact of Australia’s renewable energy target. Banks and Hilmer have also questioned whether there has been adequate analysis and modelling of the Government’s energy policy.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS AUSTRALIA

It’s Official: Australians not concerned about mass facial recognition technology

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Oct-17

A special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Survey has found that 67.5% of Australians are not concerned that "under anti-terror measures State Governments will provide driver licence photos for mass facial-recognition technology", while 32.5% are concerned. Analysis by Voting Intention shows that Greens supporters (59%) are more concerned about mass facial recognition technology than Labor supporters (33.5%) or Liberal-National Party supporters (19%). Meanwhile, analysis by gender shows little difference between women (33%) and men (32%) concerned about mass facial recognition technology, and analysis by Age shows that younger people (45% of those aged 18-24) are more likely to be concerned about mass facial recognition technology than older people (19% of those aged 65+).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Miners hit out at industrial kill laws

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Original article by Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 7 : 10-Oct-17

The Queensland Resources Council has accused the State Government of not consulting it over new industrial manslaughter laws. The proposed laws, instigated as a result of union pressure, are due to go before state parliament on 11 October. However, the QRC has only just learned that the laws may be extended to cover the minerals sector, and it states that they will conflict with existing health and safety rules. The QRC has threatened to campaign against the Government at the next election if the proposed laws are not amended.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF STATE DEVELOPMENT, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

State GST backlash a headache for Turnbull

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Original article by Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 4 : 10-Oct-17

Western Australia could receive up to $A3.63 billion more in 2017-18 from goods and services tax payments if the Federal Government adopts changes recommended by the Productivity Commission. However, the other states would get less money if changes to the way GST revenue is distributed are adopted, with Queensland set to lose up to $A1.6 billion. Politicians from the states that would be negatively impacted have reacted angrily to the Commission’s recommendations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, TASMANIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NORTHERN TERRITORY. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

More workers wanted as world demand for resources grows

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 2 : 9-Oct-17

Job advertising site Indeed has reported an 84 per increase in jobs for "fly-in, fly-out" workers compared with 2016. Western Australia is the most popular state for FIFO jobs, with 45 per cent of adverts, followed by Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia. The surge in jobs for FIFO workers can be attributed to a number of factors, including restrictions on visas for overseas workers and an improvement in commodity prices.

CORPORATES
INDEED INCORPORATED

Plan for reboot of GST carve-up

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 9-Oct-17

The Productivity Commission’s interim report on its review of the system for distributing goods and services tax revenue will be released on 9 October. The report is said to be broadly supportive of the "horizontal fiscal equalisation" formula for allocating GST revenue but will advocate some changes due to concerns about the current system’s impact on productivity. However, any attempt to change the GST formula is likely to meet with strong opposition from some states. The Commission’s final report will be released in 2018.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, TASMANIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE

Rethink on clean energy target

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Oct-17

There appears to be a growing view within the Federal Government that a clean energy target, as recommended by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, is no longer required. This is because the cost of renewable energy is falling more quickly than previously forecast, with the cost of battery technology expected to fall by more than 70 per cent in the period to 2030. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is expected to express these sentiments concerning the CET when he gives the keynote address at an energy summit.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Business Confidence down again in September to 113.2

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-17

Business Confidence in Australia fell 1.2pts (-1.0%) to 113.2 in September 2017, according to the Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey, as discussion continued about the mounting cost of energy heading towards the peak Summer season. Some 48.5% of businesses expect to be "better off" financially this time next year, while only 20.1% expect to be "worse off". Meanwhile, 51% of businesses now expect "good times" for the Australian economy over the next year, while 43.2% expect "bad times". The fall in Business Confidence was driven by falls in confidence in several industries, including Transport, postal & warehousing, Information, Media & Telecommunications, Finance & Insurance and Accommodation & Food services.

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