O75 Public Administration

Fair Work to examine penalty rates

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 16-Feb-16

Employers’ groups must make their final submissions to the Fair Work Commission’s review of penalty rates by 1 April 2016. The full bench has ruled that employers’ submissions can include the Productivity Commission’s recommendations on reducing Sunday penalty rates in industries such as retail and hospitality to bring them in line with those that apply on Saturdays. Unions’ submissions to the FWC review must be lodged by 21 March.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD

Soaring tax load hits workers

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan, Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Feb-16

The Heritage Foundation forecasts that Australia’s tax-to-GDP ratio could potentially rise to 27.5 per cent by 2019. The think tank has warned that this ratio will reach 25.9 per cent unless the Federal Government pursues tax reforms or there is a significant increase in global economic growth. The May 2015 Budget had projected a rise in the tax-to-GDP ratio to just 23.2 per cent by 2019. It had peaked at 24.2 per cent in 2005-06. Treasurer Scott Morrison has signalled that income tax reform remains on the agenda.

CORPORATES
THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, 2GB

Brakes on bracket creep to cost $12.5b

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 15-Feb-16

Modelling by the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) suggests that the cost of winding back "bracket creep" to the 2012-13 level would cost the Australian Government about $A12.5bn in 2017-18. This would rise to $A16.5bn in 2018-19. Andrew Potter of the CIS describes bracket creep as a "stealth tax" and argues that it should be included in any tax reform agenda.

CORPORATES
THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

7-Eleven workers’ $270,000 pay-day

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Original article by Sarah Danckert
The Age – Page: 23 : 15-Feb-16

The Fels Wage Fairness Panel has so far recovered more than $A2m in unpaid wages for current and past employees who were victims of the 7-Eleven wage exploitation scandal. One former employee of the convenience store chain has been awarded $A33,000 in back-pay. Giri Sivaraman of law firm Maurice notes that one former 7-Eleven employee is owed about $A270,000 in back-pay.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, BOSEN PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

Maurice Blackburn tops the list of political party donors

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 12-Feb-16

Figures from the Australian Electoral Commission’s political donations register show that law firms donated $A287,551 to political parties in 2014-15. Some firms chose to make donations to both major parties, with Arnold Bloch Leibler being the biggest contributor in this category, donating $A89,400 in total. Maurice Blackburn emerged as the biggest donor to any one party, donating $A80,237 to the Australian Labor Party.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ARNOLD BLOCH LEIBLER, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, THE CIVIC GROUP PTY LTD, WOODSIDE ENERGY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION, PRATT GROUP HOLDINGS PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, HOLDING REDLICH, CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH, TURNER FREEMAN, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Joyce’s ascension to spark PM’s overhaul

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Original article by Sid Maher, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Feb-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will make changes to his Cabinet team following the election of Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce as leader of the National Party. Joyce was the only contender for the leadership, while Fiona Nash won a fiercely-contested ballot for the role of deputy leader. The National Party is set to gain an additional Cabinet portfolio under a new agreement between the Coalition parties. Outgoing National Party leader Warren Truss has expressed confidence in his successor as party leader and Deputy Prime Minister.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

‘Big-bang’ tax reform gone

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Feb-16

The Australian Government has abandoned plans for large-scale tax reform underpinned by a rise in the GST, although it still wants to reduce personal income tax rates. However, Treasurer Scott Morrison has conceded that tax cuts will have to be much more modest than originally intended. He also said that any reduction in the company tax rate would have to be implemented over several years. Meanwhile, Treasury estimates that economic growth will slow by 0.35 per cent over four years if income taxes are not reduced.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, INDEPENDENT ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES

Don’t play me for a fool, tax chief tells tech giants

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 11-Feb-16

Australia’s Commissioner of Taxation, Chris Jordan, has told a Senate committee that he is prepared to pursue legal action against multinational companies that continue to evade their tax liabilities. He said six companies have now been identified by the Australian Taxation Office as being at the highest risk of non-compliance with their tax obligations, while it is reviewing the tax affairs of 290 large companies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, CHEVRON CORPORATION, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI

Malcolm in muddle over cabinet reshuffle delay

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Feb-16

The Australian Government is likely to make changes to its frontbench team after Trade Minister Andrew Robb revealed that he will not contest the next election. Robb is likely to remain in Cabinet in the near-term, as he is holding free-trade negotiations. National Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss also intends to retire, although he is not expected to stand down until Parliament adjourns in mid-March ahead of the May 2016 Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, CHINA NATIONAL METALS AND MINERALS IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

ALP narrows gap following GST discussions – ALP up 2.5% to 47.5% cf. L-NP down 2.5% to 52.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 9-Feb-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by 2.5 per cent to 52.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 30-31 January and 6-7 February 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote is unchanged at 43.5 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen by 0.5 points to 112.5. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that arguing about what sort of taxation reforms the Turnbull Government should undertake such as increasing the GST is pointless as it completely ignores the booming "cash economy", which is especially concentrated in personal services, building and construction, retail and hospitality. Instead of arguing about whether to increase the tax burden on all Australians, the Government should be promoting a significant restructuring of Australia’s costly and restrictive industrial relations laws. The "red tape" that surrounds working conditions in Australia – including high weekend and public holiday penalty rates – discourages businesses from employing more people and contributing to a growing and more productive economy.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET