O75 Public Administration

Show of force as CFMEU fights back against blackmail charges

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Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Dec-15

Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon will return to court on 15 March 2016, after being granted bail on blackmail charges. Several thousand CFMEU members convened in the Melbourne CBD to express their support for Setka and Reardon, who are accused of attempting to blackmail building materials group Boral. They have pleaded not guilty.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, GROCON PTY LTD, ACTU, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) scores highly in South Australia while ALP vote down in Victoria but still maintains strong lead

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 8-Dec-15

An SMS Morgan Poll on State voting intention, which was carried out from 4-6 December 2015, has found that support for South Australia’s L-NP Opposition has risen by three per cent to 54 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Meanwhile, 18 per cent of the state’s electors support the new Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) party, which has been included in the Morgan Poll State voting intention survey for the first time. In Victoria, support for the ALP Government on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by two per cent to 53.5, while support for the L-NP Government in New South Wales is unchanged at 60.5 per cent.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF TASMANIA, TASMANIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, COUNTRY ALLIANCE, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Employment at record high – 11.8 million Australians employed

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent in November 2015. The number of people in the workforce now totals 12,954,000 (up 297,000 since November 2014), and a record 11,768,000 Australians are employed (up 372,000 since November 2014). Meanwhile, the number of people who are under-employed has risen by 119,000 in the last 12 months to a record 1,350,000 (10.4 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 5.9 per cent in October 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that although Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gained popular support amongst Australian electors, the L-NP has not gained majority support among young electors, and the employment situation for students over the next few months is crucial for the Federal Government.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PM pushes risk taking, start-ups

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 8-Dec-15

Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled the National Innovation and Science Agenda. He said at the CSIRO Discovery Centre on 7 December 2015 that Australia needs new ways of stimulating the economy, considering that the country could no longer count on the mining boom as the driver of the economy. The Government has proposed 24 measures, including income tax rebates and incentives for business start-ups.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CSIRO, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Turnbull government holds North Sydney after swing

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Dec-15

Liberal Party candidate Trent Zimmerman has won the federal seat of North Sydney, despite a 13 per cent swing against the Australian Government. The by-election on 5 December 2015 followed the retirement of former treasurer Joe Hockey, who had secured 66 per cent of the primary vote in the 2013 federal election. The Australian Labor Party chose not to field a candidate in the by-election.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Turnbull’s bright idea: $1bn to drive innovation

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Original article by Philip Hudson, Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 7-Dec-15

A capital gains tax exemption for investors in business start-ups will be included in the Australian Government’s innovation and science statement, which will be launched on 7 December 2015. Meanwhile, a new cabinet committee will be responsible for co-ordinating the government’s expenditure on research and science, while the CSIRO will receive around $A100m in additional funding. The package is also believed to include measures aimed at encouraging more people to study sciences, technology, ­engineering and mathematics.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CSIRO, DATA61, NATIONAL ICT AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, OZEMAIL LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

CFMEU officials charged with blackmail against Boral

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Dec-15

Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 8 December 2015. They face potential jail sentences of up to 15 years after Victorian police charged them with blackmail. The charges relate to an industrial dispute with Grocon, which resulted in building materials group Boral being subject to black bans. It will be alleged that Setka threatened to escalate the bans on Boral unless it ceased supplying cement to Grocon.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, GROCON PTY LTD, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT

Health funds serve wish-lists to Ley

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 4-Dec-15

Australian private health insurers must lodge submissions on the Federal Government’s review of the sector by 4 December 2015. Health insurers have proposed the introduction of a lifetime discount for people under the age of 30, in order to encourage a greater take-up rate among young people. Insurers are also concerned that the annual cost of medical devices and prostheses is significantly higher than it should be.

CORPORATES
BUPA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Rinehart to Labor: follow Malcolm’s lead and ditch carbon tax

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Age – Page: 25 : 4-Dec-15

The Australian Labor Party’s 2016 federal election platform will include an emissions trading scheme. However, mining magnate Gina Rinehart has urged the Opposition to commit to not introducing a carbon tax, arguing that governments should not be imposing any taxes on companies that reduce their ability to compete internationally. Rinehart has also noted the dearth of major greenfield mining projects in Australia following the start of production at her Roy Hill iron ore project.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ROY HILL IRON ORE PTY LTD, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, POSCHELK DENTAL SURGERIES, MARUBENI CORPORATION, CHINA STEEL CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Nats seek more power over policy

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Dec-15

Australia’s former industry minister Ian Macfarlane has resigned from the Liberal Party and joined its Coalition partner, the National Party. Scott Buchholz is also considering a switch to the National Party, which will now press the Liberal Party for an additional minister and an increased role in the federal government. Macfarlane says he is keen to take on a ministerial portfolio again but stresses that any appointments must be based on merit. He lost the industry portfolio in a ministerial reshuffle under new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, QUEENSLAND GRAINGROWERS’ ASSOCIATION