O75 Public Administration

Abbott: PM must sell penalty rates cut harder

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Original article by Joe Kelly, David Crowe, Ewin Hannan, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Mar-17

Some Coalition MPs have urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to more actively promote the economic benefits of the Fair Work Commission’s decision on Sunday penalty rates. Former prime minister Tony Abbott has also urged Turnbull to place more emphasis on the potential for job creation as a result of the ruling, and says a proposal by Coalition backbencher Eric Abetz to "grandfather" the new penalty rates regime has merit. However, this is opposed by employers’ groups and the Australian Labor Party.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rebounds sharply – up 4.7% to 119.1

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 4.7% to 119.1 in the week ended 26 February 2017, following a disappointing performance the previous week (down 2.3%). The increase in confidence was broadly based with all five sub-indices posting gains. Households’ views of current finances rose a sharp 9.3%, more than reversing last week’s 7.5% fall. Sentiment towards future finances also rose a solid 6.3%, bringing the index to its highest value since March 2016. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next 12 month bounced 4.4%, while sentiment towards the longer term outlook rose a more modest 1.7%.

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

Shorten pays penalty as IR attack undermined

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Feb-17

The ACTU estimates that employees affected by the Fair Work Commission’s ruling on Sunday penalty rates face a reduction of between $1,800 and $A6,600 in their take-home pay. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has committed to overturning the FWC’s decision, but Employ­ment Minister Michaelia Cash notes that the FWC was given powers to review penalty rates when Shorten was workplace relations minister. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in turn noted that Shorten has previously said he would accept the FWC’s ruling on penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, TOURISM ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence wilts – down 2.3% to 113.7

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Feb-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 2.3% to 113.7 in the week ended 19 February 2017. Consumer confidence fell for the third straight week, bringing the headline index to its lowest value since December. The fall was driven by a sharp decline in views toward current finances and views on economic conditions over the next five years. Households’ views of current finances fell a sharp 7.5%, bringing the index down to its lowest level since August 2014. However, sentiment towards future finances rose 0.3%. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next 12 months declined by 1.6%, and sentiment regarding economic conditions over the next five years dropped 4.9%.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence: edges down

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Feb-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence edged down 0.9% to 116.4 in the week ending 12 February 2017. The decrease was driven primarily by declines in sentiment toward both financial and economic conditions over the next 12 months. Households’ views of their current finances improved by 1.0%, whereas sentiment towards future finances fell by 1.8%. Both indicators remain well above their long run averages. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next 12 months deteriorated by 3.8%, partially unwinding the 5.7% bounce over the previous two weeks. Sentiment regarding economic conditions over the next five years edged down 0.7% after a solid 4.7% in rise the previous week.

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

Over 12 million Australians have jobs for the first time – including over 8 million full-time jobs, but real unemployment now 9.7% (1.295m)

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

A Roy Morgan Research survey has found that Australia’s real unemployment rate was 9.7 per cent in January 2017. Some 1.295 million Australians are now unemployed (down 51,000 in a year), while the number of people who are under-employed has fallen by 122,000 in the last 12 months to 1,107,000 (8.3 per cent of the workforce). Meanwhile, the total workforce has risen to 13,414,000 (up 316,000 since January 2016), and total employment has risen above 12 million for the first time, to 12,120,000 (up 368,000). The number of Australians who are employed full-time has also risen above 8 million for the first time, to 8,085,000 (up 221,000 since January 2016). The official unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in December 2016. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says US President Donald Trump has consistently outlined the problems with the way unemployment is measured in the US. Trump’s insistence that the BLS severely under-estimates US unemployment is one of the primary reasons he was elected President. The Australian Government faces the same problem Trump has called attention to. The changing nature of the workforce in Australia, the US, and for that matter around the world demands that Governments look seriously at amending the official measures of employment and unemployment that policymakers rely on to make decisions that impact millions of their citizens.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Rating Stays Steady at 117.5

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Feb-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell slightly by 0.5% to 117.5 in the week ended 5 February 2017. A solid rise in the future economic outlook was entirely offset by a drop in the current finances and "now is a good time to buy a household item" sub-indices. Households’ views towards current and future finances fell 3.4% and 0.2% respectively. Both indicators remain well above their long run averages, though households’ assessment of their current situation is back to mid-2016 levels. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next 12 months edged up another 0.3%, after a sharp 5.4% rise last week, bringing the index to its highest level in nine weeks. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next five years posted a solid 4.7% rise, more than offsetting last week’s 3.0% decline.

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

Donald Trump slams ‘dumb’ refugee deal with Australia after ‘worst’ phone call

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Original article by Stephanie Anderson, Henry Belot
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 3-Feb-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says US President Donald Trump has committed to honouring a deal made by predecessor Barack Obama to accept refugees being held on Manus Island and Nauru. However, Trump has used Twitter to criticise what he has branded a "dumb deal", just hours after discussing the issue in a telephone call to Turnbull. The Australian National University’s Professor Donald Rothwell says the Trump Administration has no legal obligation to accept the refugee deal, as it did not constitute a treaty.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE, TWITTER INCORPORATED

PM’s push for clean coal power

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

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the focus of the nation’s energy policy must be on ensuring a reliable supply of low-cost energy. He has called for the abolition of state-based bans on coal-seam gas projects and argued that clean coal should be part of the nation’s energy mix. Turnbull has also stressed the need for investment in storage technology for renewable energy. Industry Minister Arthur Sinodinos has raised the possibility that the Clean Energy Finance Corporation could help finance the development of a clean-coal power station.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

It’s time to raise GST, says Proust

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 2-Feb-17

Australian Institute of Company Directors president Elizabeth Proust says the Federal Government should pursue comprehensive tax reform. She argues that this should include increasing the goods and services tax from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, and adds that reducing personal income tax rates should also be a higher priority than company tax cuts. The AICD released a position paper in 2016 which noted that the average GST rate among OECD countries is 19.2 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT