O75 Public Administration

Debt binge stifles jobs and growth: IMF

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

The International Monetary Fund has warned that policies which encourage consumers to increase their debt in the near-term have a negative effect on economic growth in the longer term. The IMF’s modelling concludes that a five per cent increase in the household debt-to-GDP ratio results in a 1.25 per cent fall in real GDP three years later. Australia’s household debt-to-income ratio now exceeds 190 per cent.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Push for stronger better-off work test

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 4-Oct-17

The report of a Senate committee that has been examining the issue of penalty rates has recommended some "fine-tuning" of the Fair Work Act’s "better-off-overall test" to ensure that workers’ rights are protected. The report is also believed to have concluded that workers should be entitled to trade-off weekend penalty rates in return for higher weekday pay rate in enterprise agreement negotiations, but only if they will be better off overall. The report’s other recommendations include legislative action to overturn the Fair Work Commission’s ruling on Sunday penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Rating edges down again to 113.4

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Oct-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence slipped 0.6% to 113.4 in the week ended 1 October 2017. The detail was mixed; sentiment towards economic conditions improved, but this was more than offset by a fall in households’ views of their own finances. Consumers were more optimistic about both current and future economic conditions (up 2.5% and 2.0% respectively). Views towards current economic conditions have improved since the low point in May; however, sentiment towards both current and future conditions remains below long-run averages. Households’ views towards both current and future financial conditions fell 1.6%. Still, both sub-indices are showing some resilience and remain above their long- term averages.

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

Govt backs GST penalty for gas ban states

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

The Productivity Commission’s review of the system for distributing goods and services tax revenue is expected to recommend penalising states that fail to develop their gas reserves. The Commonwealth Grants Commission recently made a similar recommendation. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg says it does not seem to be in Australia’s long-term interests for states that fail to develop gas reserves to be financially rewarded while states such as Western Australia are penalised.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Marriage poll nearly 80% done

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Original article by Adam Gartrell
The Age – Page: 1 : 3-Oct-17

Polling undertaken on behalf of the Equality Campaign has found that 77 per cent of Australian electors have already voted in the postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage. The survey of 1,000 people shows that 69 per cent of electors aged 18-24 have returned their survey form, while 17 per cent of people in this age group have filled in their form but have yet to return it. The majority of young people are expected to vote in favour of same-sex marriage. Some 80 per cent of people aged 65+ have also returned their survey form; support for the traditional view of marriage is expected to be high among this age group.

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THE EQUALITY CAMPAIGN, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY, SKY NEWS, REACHTEL PTY LTD

6.5 million Australians watched the NRL Grand Final

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Oct-17

A special snap Roy Morgan SMS survey shows that 6.5 million Australians (34.5%) aged 18+ watched the 2017 NRL Grand Final and a further 1.6 million (8.5%) watched "Just the Highlights", while 10.8 million Australians (57%) did not watch the NRL decider. Of the 6.5 million Australians who watched the NRL Grand Final, 4.9 million (25.5%) primarily watched the game on TV, 330,000 (2%) watched at a friend’s house, 170,000 (1%) watched at a Pub/Hotel, 90,000 (0.5%) watched via an App/Website, 80,000 (0.5%) were at ANZ Stadium while a further 90,000 (0.5%) watched in a different way and 860,000 (4.5%) did not say. Analysis by State shows that 2.4 million people in New South Wales watched the NRL Grand Final, as well as 2 million Queenslanders and 1.4 million Victorians, while analysis by gender shows that more men (3.6 million) than women (2.9 million) watched the NRL Grand Final and a further 820,000 men and 830,000 women watched "Just the Highlights".

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, MELBOURNE STORM RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

China moves to put a price on carbon

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Original article by Angus Grigg, Ben Potter, Lisa Murray
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Oct-17

China will launch an emissions trading scheme by the end of 2017. The ETS is expected to initially cover power stations, but it will be expanded to cover a range of other industries by 2020, including steel and aluminium production. The ETS could be expected to have a detrimental impact on the level of Australian coal exports to China, currently worth $A8 billion a year, and comes at a time when other regional consumers of Australian coal are imposing similar emission measures.

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TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY, CARBON MARKET INSTITUTE LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, UNITED NATIONS, GREENPEACE, CHINA. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM COMMISSION, INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY ECONOMICS AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), CLIMATE BRIDGE

8.4 million Australians watched the AFL Grand Final

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Oct-17

A special snap Roy Morgan SMS survey shows that 8.4 million Australians (44.5%) aged 18+ watched the 2017 AFL Grand Final and a further 1.8 million (9.5%) watched "Just the Highlights", while 8.7 million Australians (46%) did not watch the AFL’s biggest game. Of the 8.4 million Australians that watched the AFL Grand Final, over 5.7 million (30.5%) primarily watched the game on TV, 1 million (5.5%) watched at a friend’s house, 360,000 (2%) watched at a Pub/Hotel, 100,000 (0.5%) watched via an App/Website, 100,000 (0.5%) were at the MCG while a further 230,000 (1%) watched in a different way and 820,000 (4.5%) did not say. Analysis by State shows that 3.3 million Victorians watched the AFL Grand Final, nearly twice as many as in New South Wales (1.7 million), while analysis by gender shows that more men (4.6 million) than women (3.8 million) watched the AFL Grand Final and a further 1.0 million men and 850,000 women watched "Just the Highlights".

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, RICHMOND FOOTBALL CLUB, ADELAIDE CROWS FOOTBALL CLUB

Pizza Hut must pay weekend penalties

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Oct-17

The Fair Work Commission ruled on 29 September that the national workplace agreement between Pizza Hut and the Shop Distributive & Allied Employees Association be terminated. The termination was made at the request of the SDA, but both it and Pizza Hut were not aware of the decision when asked for comment. The decision means Pizza Hut workers revert to the relevant award. As a result, their normal hourly rates will be reduced, but they will now receive full weekend and evening penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, ALLEGRO FUNDS PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION

Coalition ready to target states over coal seam gas bans

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Oct-17

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg supports a suggestion by the Commonwealth Grants Commission concerning the goods and services tax and gas moratoriums or bans. The Commission has suggested states that have such bans could have their GST allocation reduced. Victoria has a ban on all on-shore gas exploration and development, but Treasurer Tim Pallas says it will not be "bullied" into lifting its ban. David Jochinke from the Victorian Farmers’ Federation said it would not be opposed to having the moratorium on conventional gas lifted, provided all possible risks are addressed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, VICTORIAN FARMERS FEDERATION, DOW CHEMICAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CHEMISTRY AUSTRALIA