O75 Public Administration

Government revisits ‘backpacker tax’

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Mar-16

Tourism and International Education Minister Richard Colbeck says the Australian Government may reconsider elements of its proposed tax on people who hold working holiday visas. The so-called ‘backpacker tax’ is slated to take effect on 1 July 2016, and will abolish the tax-free threshold for temporary workers. Colbeck has conceded that changes may be necessary to avoid a shortage of staff in sectors such as tourism and hospitality.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TOURISM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TTF AUSTRALIA LIMITED TOURISM AND TRANSPORT FORUM, NORTHERN TERRITORY. DEPT OF THE CHIEF MINISTER, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Big business takes hit to please Nats

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 13 : 17-Mar-16

The Federal Government has decided to introduce an "effects test" to competition law. The Business Council of Australia opposes the "effects test", but the new policy is supported by other organisations, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission and the Australian Industry Group. Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder expressed his disappointment with the decision at "The Australian Financial Review" Business Summit.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Shorten makes his pitch on tax take

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Original article by David Crowe, Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Mar-16

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has told the National Press Club that superannuation and negative gearing tax concessions should be reduced, with the savings redirected to areas where more spending is needed. Shorten also stressed the Australian Labor Party’s commitment to achieving full employment, which he defines as a jobless rate of five per cent. Labor will release a report on issues such as social services reform, inequality and unemployment on 16 March 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Lower taxes to wait for spending cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 16-Mar-16

Treasurer Scott Morrison has indicated that the Australian Government’s May 2016 Budget will include a reduction in superannuation tax concessions. However, he has warned that this measure will not be sufficient to finance a significant income tax cut. Morrison says a reduction in government spending rather than increasing other taxes is the best strategy in both the short- and long-term for reducing taxes.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Polling the polls: the ultimate guide to the growing sport of political polling

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Original article by Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 15-Mar-16

The six main public opinion polls that are currently produced in Australia use a range of methodologies. Roy Morgan Research’s Morgan Poll uses a combination of face-to-face and SMS surveys, which can be supplemented with additional polling via mobile and landline if necessary. In contrast, ReachTEL uses so-called robo-polling, while Galaxy uses a combination of robo-polling and online surveys for both its own polls and the Newspoll, which it has produced for "The Australian" since mid-2015. The Fairfax/Ipsos poll uses both telephone and mobile interviews, while the Essential poll uses an online survey panel.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, REACHTEL PTY LTD, GALAXY RESEARCH PTY LTD, NEWSPOLL, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ESSENTIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UMR RESEARCH PTY LTD, HAWKER BRITTON PTY LTD, COLMAR BRUNTON SOCIAL RESEARCH PTY LTD, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Shorten to promise full employment

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 15-Mar-16

A commitment to achieving full employment will be part of the Australian Labor Party’s 2016 federal election platform. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will address the National Press Club on 16 March, where he will highlight issues such as job security, wage fairness, under-employment and the high jobless rate in some parts of Australia. He will also criticise Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s lack of leadership in addressing issues facing the nation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

NDIS could kick-start a boom in jobs and business

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 14-Mar-16

The National Disability Insurance Agency has estimated that the Australian Government’s National Disability Insurance Scheme will create almost 29,000 jobs and boost the value of the disability services market to $A6.8bn. This is in line with figures from Federal Social Services Minister Christian Porter and New South Wales Disability Services Minister John Ajaka. The full rollout of the NDIS will commence in NSW and Victoria from July 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE AGENCY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF AGEING, DISABILITY AND HOME CARE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Penalty rates ‘help lowest paid’

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Original article by Benjamin Preiss
The Age – Page: 3 : 14-Mar-16

The Victorian Government’s submission to a Fair Work Commission review of penalty rates in the hospitality and retail industries argues that many people on low incomes rely on penalty rates for basic household expenses. It also argues that penalty rates often cost companies less than expenses such as taxes and local council rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Call to count home in pension

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 14-Mar-16

A report from the Actuaries Institute argues the case for retirees’ homes to be included in the means test for the age pension. The report notes that around one per cent of retirees’ home equity is currently being used to provide a retirement income stream. The institute has also proposed streamlining the regulation of home-equity release products such as reverse mortgages, as well as a reduction in stamp duty to encourage retirees to move to smaller homes.

CORPORATES
THE ACTUARIES INSTITUTE, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL COMMISSION OF AUDIT, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Record number of Australians employed in February as unemployment falls to 10%

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Original article by Gary Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Mar-16

The long-running Roy Morgan unemployment estimate shows real Australian unemployment (10.0 per cent) is consistently higher than reported by the ABS (6.0 per cent) – and the higher Roy Morgan unemployment estimate "makes sense" when one considers record low wages growth. The ABS figures released monthly lack credibility. ABS estimated unemployment of 6.0 per cent in January – recognised as a figure close to "full employment". The ABS also reports Australian wage growth at a record low of only 2.2 per cent in 2015. These two figures do not make sense. The economic fact is that when an economy approaches full employment, wages growth throughout the economy accelerates and this causes inflation. This is not happening in Australia, and nor is it happening in the US. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics claims US unemployment of only 4.9 per cent on the most reported measure. However, a broader definition of US unemployment also released by the BLS (called U6) shows real US unemployment of 9.7 per cent. This higher US unemployment estimate is a much closer estimate of the real level of unemployment in the US and very close to Australia’s level of real unemployment. Both businesses and governments in Australia and the US do their economic modelling based on the wrong unemployment data.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, UNITED STATES. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS