O75 Public Administration

Clubs industry split over penalty rates

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 9-May-17

United Voice has welcomed the decision by the RSL & Services Clubs Association of Queensland not to come under the hospitality award. The Fair Work Commission has suggested that the clubs award be scrapped and clubs be transferred to the hospitality award, so that clubs would not be at a disadvantage to hospitality employers. Such a disadvantage has been highlighted by Clubs Australia, which was unable to convince the FWC to cut penalty rates for clubs during its recent examination of rates within various sectors.

CORPORATES
UNITED VOICE, CLUBS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RSL AND SERVICES CLUBS ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND

Ratings agency warns Coalition

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 9-May-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget is tipped to forecast a surplus in 2020-21. However, ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has doubts regarding the Government’s ability to meet this target, as well as the economic growth forecasts in the Budget. Marie Diron of Moody’s says the firm will consider all aspects of the Government’s Budget consolidation policy over the next five years. She adds that the Australian economy’s trend growth is unlikely to be any higher than 2.75 per cent.

CORPORATES
MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Small business in line for big win

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Original article by David Crowe, Emily Ritchie
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-May-17

A tax deduction that is popular with small business owners is due to expire on 30 June 2017. The "instant" deduction is able to be claimed against capital costs of up to $A20,000, and was first introduced by the Australian Labor Party in 2012. Peter Strong from the Council of Small Business Australia says he is hopeful that Treasurer Scott Morrison will announce an extension to the tax deduction in the May 2017 Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

2.3 million Australians unemployed or under-employed in April

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

Australia’s real unemployment for April was unchanged at 9.3% (1.217 million Australians looking for work). In addition, for the eighth straight month more than 1 million Australians were under-employed in April – now 1.090 million (8.3% of the workforce). This is a total of 2.307 million Australians (17.6% of the workforce) looking for work or looking for more work. In April the total Australian workforce was 13,133,000 (up 323,000 in a year) and employment grew strongly to 11,916,000 (up 440,000). However, the increase in employment was entirely driven by a large increase in part-time employment which rose 471,000 to 4,300,000 while full-time employment fell 31,000 to 7,616,000. So while real unemployment at 9.3% is down 1.1% from a year ago, under-employment is up 0.6% to 8.3% over the same period.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Executive Chairman of Roy Morgan Research Gary Morgan comments on today’s April real unemployment figures

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Original article by Gary Morgan, Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-May-17

Australia’s real unemployment rate of 9.3% (1.217 million Australians) in April is far higher than the 5.9% claimed by the ABS as Treasurer Scott Morrison prepares to deliver the first Federal Budget of the re-elected Turnbull Government tonight. In addition, a further 1.090 million Australians are under-employed (8.3% of the workforce), and regularly ignored by both the major political parties and the mainstream media. For the first time last week Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull met new US President Donald Trump who was clear during his campaign that the real American unemployment rate was 20% or 25% rather than the official Bureau of Labor Statistics figure below 5%. Turnbull and his Ministers in Australia need to understand the issues are the same in Australia and the Turnbull Government must follow Trump’s lead by implementing policies to bring back jobs to Australia.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Power chaos looms amid union row

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-May-17

The Victorian Government has intervened in the long-running dispute over enterprise agreement negotiations at AGL Energy’s Loy Yang power station. The Government will seek an order from the Fair Work Commission to prevent the Electrical Trades Union from launching industrial action. AGL had warned that safety considerations would force it to shut down the power station from mid-May if workers went on strike. Loy Yang supplies more than 40 per cent of the state’s electricity.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

RBA: road and rail a house price fix

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-May-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget is tipped to include funding for road and rail infrastructure, as part of its policy on housing affordability. Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe says improved transport infrastructure is the best way to making housing more affordable. He adds that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s move to crack down on lending to property investors is intended to provide "breathing space" to allow the supply-demand imbalance to correct itself, rather than being aimed at reining in house price growth.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Corporate changes blast the 457 visa changes

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 5-May-17

Business leaders are continuing their attack on the Federal Government’s changes to the skilled visa system and its abolition of 457 visas. Gregory Robinson of Blenheim Partners says the changes to the skilled visa system have seen companies withdraw job offers to overseas candidates, while the scrapping of the 457 system has been described by some business leaders as "protectionist" and giving into "populism"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BLENHEIM PARTNERS, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, INVESTA OFFICE FUND – ASX IOF, INDIA. PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, NEW ZEALAND. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GRAINCORP LIMITED – ASX GNC, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD

Coffee Club franchisee accused of 457 visa rorts

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-May-17

The Fair Work Ombudsman is prosecuting a cafe franchisee for exploiting a foreign employee who was recruited on a 457 visa. Saandeep Chokhani, a Brisbane-based Coffee Club franchisee, has been accused of underpaying the 457 visa holder. It has also been alleged that Chokhani told the employee that his visa would be cancelled if he did not repay some $A18,000 of his wages. A cafe was fined more than $A530,000 earlier in 2017 for exploiting 457 visa holders via a cashback arrangement.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, THE COFFEE CLUB PTY LTD, FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Budget to quell Labor’s Mediscare

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Original article by Fleur Anderson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 4-May-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget will include a reduction in the cost of generic drugs under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The freeze on Medicare rebates will also be progressively abolished from the start of 2017-18. This will initially apply primarily to visits to GPs, and the freeze on rebates for visits to a range of specialists will be phased out over the following two years. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten argues that the freeze should be lifted immediately for all medical services.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, GRATTAN INSTITUTE