O75 Public Administration

Australia’s 2016 Census had ‘significant and obvious oversights,’ report finds

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Original article by Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson
News.com.au – Page: Online : 25-Nov-16

A Senate economics committee has released a report which criticises the Australian Bureau of Statistics and IT group IBM over their handling of the "digital first" 2016 Census, which was hit by a series of denial of service attacks. Amongst other things, the ABS’s decision to retain confidential personal information came under scrutiny, as well as the limited tender process for choosing a technology supplier for the Census. The committee’s recommendations include adopting an open tender system for work associated with the next Census.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, IBM AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Bad bank behaviour to be revealed

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Joanna Mather, James Eyers, Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 25-Nov-16

The House of Representatives standing committee on economics has released a report on banks. Treasurer Scott Morrison said on 24 November 2016 that the committee’s recommendations were "very constructive" and "very practical", thus signalling his willingness to accept them. The recommendations include the creation of a new unit to ensure the right level of competition in the banking sector and easier access to customer data collected by banks. Committee chair David Coleman has described Australia’s banking sector as an oligopoly.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RATESETTER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Forget America, the public are voting with their pockets

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Original article by Harold Mitchell
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 21 : 25-Nov-16

Australian economist Ross Garnaut warned in a 2013 book that the nation was poised to become an "unlucky country". However, data from Roy Morgan Research highlights the overall health of the domestic economy. The research also shows that Australians are becoming more positive about globalisation, retailers are upbeat about their outlook and consumers are spending more on leisure and entertainment. Meanwhile, rising support for the Federal Opposition in the Morgan poll shows that more Australians believe that the Government is taking the nation in the wrong direction.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Clubs face union threat on penalties

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Nov-16

The Queensland branch of United Voice has sent letters to club managers warning them of the possible consequences of reducing Sunday penalty rates. The union asks clubs to specify their position on Clubs Australia’s application for a reduction in Sunday wages, lodged with the Fair Work Commission. Clubs Queensland CEO Doug Flockhart and club managers have accused the union of using bullying tactics.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, CLUBS QUEENSLAND, CLUBS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED, UNITED VOICE, REDLANDS SPORTING CLUB, MORETON BAY BOAT CLUB, SOUTHPORT SHARKS CLUB

Super win sparks stoush

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 24-Nov-16

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has ruled out further changes to superannuation after the Senate passed tax reforms that had been announced in the May 2016 Budget. The changes that take effect on 1 July 2017 include restricting annual concessional contributions to no more than $A25,000 and imposing a $A1.6m cap on super retirement accounts. The reforms are expected to generate total savings of $A3bn over four years. However, the Government has stressed the need for a further $A20bn of Budget repair measures if the nation is to retain its "AAA" credit rating.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS

Ciobo still hopes for TPP, minus US

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Nov-16

US President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be his first priority upon taking office. Australia’s Trade Minister Steve Ciobo is optimistic that the TPP can proceed without the US, arguing that the other participating nations could negotiate a new TPP deal that could include China or Indonesia. Meanwhile, economist Warwick McKibbin says Australia’s GDP could potentially fall by 5.6 per cent if the Trump administration starts a trade war with China.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD

One Nation may target 60 seats

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Original article by Sarah Vogler
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Nov-16

One Nation won 11 seats in the 1998 election in Queensland, and the party aims to field candidates in at least 60 seats at the next state poll. The party’s state and national secretary, Jim Savage, stresses that One Nation will only contest seats if it can field goods candidate, and he says it has held talks with some former Liberal-National Party MPs who lost their seats at the last election. However, he adds that no sitting L-NP MPs have been approached about defecting.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

S&P warns deficit must not blow out

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Nov-16

Craig Michaels of S&P Global Ratings says the Federal Government must return the Budget to surplus by 2020-21 if Australia is to retain its triple-A credit rating. He warns that a rating downgrade is possible if a return to surplus is further delayed, noting that a surplus had been forecast by the former Australian Labor Party government for 2012-13. Michaels also notes the domestic economy’s high reliance on foreign lenders continuing to finance the structural current account deficit.

CORPORATES
S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Savers’ contributions after tax plunge 29pc

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 23-Nov-16

Data from the Australian Regulation & Prudential Authority shows that after-tax superannuation contributions fell by 29 per cent year-on-year in the September 2016 quarter, to $A3.7bn. Post-tax contributions totalled $A19.2bn in the year to September, which is 17 per cent lower than previously. Jordan George of the SMSF Association and Profectus Financial Group’s Mark Fenech attribute the downturn in contributions to uncertainty regarding the Federal Government’s proposed super reforms.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, SMSF ASSOCIATION, PROFECTUS FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ABCC set for action on site by year’s end

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Nov-16

The Federal Government may wait until the final week of parliament to pursue its bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. It is optimistic that the majority of Senate cross-benchers will support the ABCC bill, after all but one voted for the bill to establish a registered organisations commission. The Government is holding talks with the Nick Xenophon Team regarding amendments to the ABCC bill to provide subcontractors with security of payment in the proposed building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ONE NATION PTY LTD, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS