O75 Public Administration

Tax cuts won’t go to ‘bucket’ companies

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Sep-17

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer has confirmed that passive investment companies will not benefit from the reduced company tax rate of 27.5 per cent. The reduced rate applies to firms with turnover below $A50 million, but entities which generate more than 80 per cent of their income from passive assets such as share dividends will not qualify. Tax experts note that there will be both "winners and losers" from her decision, which comes after months of uncertainty over what types of companies would benefit from the tax cut.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED

Renewables on the rise but world will still rely on coal

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Original article by Graham Lloyd
The Australian – Page: 2 : 19-Sep-17

The US Energy Information Administration has forecast 28 per cent growth in global energy consumption between 2015 and 2040. Its outlook report also shows that global production of coal will rise by three per cent over the 25-year period. Coal consumption is expected to fall in OECD nations and China, but this will be offset by an increase in countries such as India. The report concludes that fossil fuels will still account for more than 75 per cent of global energy consumption in 2040, although electric power generation via renewables is forecast to record the strongest growth over this period.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. DEPT OF ENERGY. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Minimum-wage sting in Coles penalties deal

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Sep-17

A draft enterprise agreement between Coles and the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ ­Association is intended to guarantee that all employees will be paid more than the award rate for the retail industry. If the deal is approved, permanent ­employees who work at night and on weekends will receive award-level penalty rates, as well as the full $A22.10-per-week increase in the minimum wage. However, employees who work solely on weekdays and are now paid above-award rates will receive only 50 per cent of the minimum wage rise.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Personal approvals don’t matter, says pollster Gary Morgan

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Original article by Luke Henriques Gomes
The New Daily – Page: Online : 14-Sep-17

Pollster Gary Morgan says leadership approval ratings do not necessarily translate into electoral success. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is performing poorly against Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in personal approval polls, despite Labor being ahead of the government in polling. Morgan, the executive chairman of Roy Morgan Research, cites examples such as Margaret Thatcher and Helen Clark of politicians who enjoyed electoral success despite low approval ratings. He says voters focus on issues important to them, rather than on political party leaders. Roy Morgan each week surveys face to face an Australian wide cross section of about 1,000 people aged 14 and over. Voting intention of electors is available to subscribers and clients.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION LIMITED, NEWSPOLL, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

New Zealand Election on a knife edge but Labour favoured with the support of the Greens & Maori Party as ‘Jacindamania’ pulls support from National & New Zealand First

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 18-Sep-17

The final Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll before the September 2017 election shows that the Labour/Greens alliance (60 seats) is favoured to win a knife-edge election with Maori Party support, with National/NZ First/Act NZ to win 58 seats. Support for a potential Labour/Greens coalition has increased to 48.5% (up 7% from mid-August 2017), now well ahead of the incumbent National Party on 40% (down 2.5%). Labour’s support has surged on the back of new Leader Jacinda Ardern to 39.5% – up 14.4% since the 2014 Election and up 7% since mid-August, just after she became Leader. The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen 2pts to 137pts in September. Roy Morgan Research CEO Gary Morgan says the narrow gap between the major parties means the final outcome of the election will be decided by the second string parties – and it is here that Labour has a decisive edge.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY, UNITED FUTURE PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, ACT NEW ZEALAND, INTERNET PARTY, MANA PARTY

Poverty, gap between rich & poor and Housing affordability, Housing shortage & Homelessness key issues as New Zealand votes in Election

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 18-Sep-17

A New Zealand Roy Morgan poll shows that 27.9% of New Zealanders believe that Economic issues 28% (up 1% since May 2017) or Housing-related issues 26% (up 3%) are the most important problems facing the nation in the lead-up to the election on 23 September. Within the group of Economic & Housing-related issues the most important issues are Poverty and the gap between rich & poor (mentioned by just under 17% of respondents), House prices & Housing affordability (mentioned by 16% of respondents), and Housing shortages & Homelessness (mentioned by 10% of respondents). Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says Labour Party Leader Jacinda Ardern’s strong focus on dealing with issues surrounding Housing affordability and the housing shortage and homelessness appear to have struck a chord with the electorate.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Australians split down the middle on whether North Korea will use a nuclear weapon; as expected Australians want a peaceful diplomatic solution to North Korean stand-off

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 18-Sep-17

A special snap SMS Morgan Poll taken on 14 September 2017 shows that Australians are evenly split on whether North Korea will use a nuclear weapon: 51% say it is either "Fairly unlikely" (33%) or "Very unlikely" (18%) to do so, while 49% say it is "Fairly likely" (33%) or "Very likely" (16%) to do so. Meanwhile, 81% of Australians want the opposing sides in the North Korean stand-off to reach a peaceful diplomatic solution, and only 19% believe a peaceful diplomatic solution is not working and a military one is needed. Analysing the results by voting preference shows supporters of the major parties are also split down the middle on whether North Korea will use a nuclear weapon, and large majorities of supporters of all parties are in favour of a peaceful diplomatic solution. Roy Morgan Research CEO Gary Morgan says the consensus across political lines also extends across both genders, all age groups and around all of Australia’s States. However, the snap SMS Morgan Poll was taken before North Korea’s latest provocation when the regime of Kim Jong-Un fired a ballistic missile nearly 4,000km eastward across the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

ACTU calling for Cash to quit cabinet

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 15-Sep-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has defended the appointment of Nigel Hadgkiss as the head of the Australian Building & Construction Commission in December 2016. Cash says she became aware of the ACTU’s allegations against Hadgkiss in October, but she argues that he only admitted to breaching the Fair Work Act when he resigned on 13 September 2017. Cash also argues that Hadgkiss automatically became head of the ABCC when it was reinstated, as he held the same role at the Fair Work Building & Construction Inspectorate. However, ACTU president Ged Kearney says Cash’s position is untenable and she should also resign.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

250,000 find work in jobs surge

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 2 : 15-Sep-17

Australia’s unemployment rate was steady at 5.6 per cent in August 2017, with the economy adding 54,000 jobs during the month. The latest labour force data also shows that 250,000 jobs have been created nationwide over the last six months, including 94,600 in Queensland and 82,800 in New South Wales. Meanwhile, the labour market participation rate has risen to a record 77.6 per cent, while the proportion of people with a job or actively looking for work has reached a five-year high of 65.3 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

No changes to RET in power supply overhaul

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Sep-17

The Federal Government is expected to retain the renewable energy target in its current form, due to the prospect of any changes being rejected by the Senate and concern that further changes could create sovereign risk for investors. However, the Government is expected to announce that the RET will not apply to new projects from 2020. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has been criticised in parliament over his claim that the average Sydney household’s electricity bill has risen by $A1,000 since the Coalition was elected in 2013.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, ENERGY CONSUMERS AUSTRALIA, BAECONOMICS PTY LTD, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST