Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 19-Nov-15
The ACTU has appealed to the public to oppose the Australian Government’s plans to make changes to the superannuation system. ACTU president Ged Kearney said people will be alerted to the alleged threat to their super savings via automated telephone calls and radio advertisements. She claims that the changes would give the big banks more control over super.
CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY
Original article by Jacob Greber, Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 13 : 19-Nov-15
The latest downturn in the iron ore price will put pressure on Australia’s terms of trade as Treasurer Scott Morrison prepares to release a Budget update in late 2015. Budget forecasts in May were based on an average iron ore price of $US48 per tonne in 2015-16. Although the price of the steel input rebounded to around $US60 in July, it has fallen to $US45.58 in mid-November. Slower growth in wages will also impact on government revenue.
CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, BLOOMBERG LP
Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 18-Nov-15
A new report from accounting firm Deloitte has proposed limiting concessional superannuation contributions during a fund member’s working life to $A580,000. At present there is an annual cap on personal contributions that attract a lower tax rate of just 15 per cent. Deloitte estimates that the average working Australian would have to contribute $A580,000 to their super fund to ensure a retirement balance of $A1m.
CORPORATES
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED
Original article by Greg Earl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 18-Nov-15
Australia’s Trade Minister Andrew Robb has indicated that negotiations over a bilateral trade agreement with Indonesia will resume in early 2016. Robb aims to finalise a trade deal with Indonesia within 12 months, which is the time-frame used in negotiating free trade agreements with other nations. Australia and Indonesia formally commenced negotiations for a Closer Economic Partnership Agreement in September 2012, but the process stalled in 2013.
CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, INDONESIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
Original article by Jacob Greber, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 18-Nov-15
The Australian economy’s trend growth rate has traditionally been regarded as being around 3.25 per cent. Treasurer Scott Morrison says the economy is currently expanding by 2.3 per cent, but this would need to rise above three per cent for government revenue to be sufficient to balance the Budget. The Treasury has previously forecast that the Budget will return to deficit by the early 2020s, although this is based on an economic growth rate of 3.5 per cent over the five years from 2018-19.
CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD
Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 16-Nov-15
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 0.5 per cent to 56 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 7-8 and 14-15 November 2015, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen by one per cent to 46 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 7.5 points to 119.5 points. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the strong lift in confidence around Australia gives the Turnbull Government the mandate to make the tough decisions about whether or not Australia should commit troops to any international coalition aimed at defeating the Islamic State (ISIS) and affiliated terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria over the next few months, as Western nations in particular seek to make the most effective and productive response to the horrific Paris terrorist attacks.
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, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET
Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Nov-15
The Australian economy’s trend growth rate has traditionally been regarded as 3.25 per cent. Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens and Treasury secretary John Fraser have both recently warned that the nation’s "potential" growth rate could slow in coming years. Economic modelling by PwC has concluded that a trend rate of three per cent would result in Budget revenue being around $A5bn lower than expected each year.
CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 16-Nov-15
Tim Kennedy, the national secretary of the National Union of Workers, has indicated that the union’s national body favours joint control of its troubled New South Wales branch rather than a full takeover. The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption has heard allegations of widespread fraud at the state branch of the union, including misuse of union credit cards. Former state secretary Derrick Belan, his brother and his niece have been implicated in the scandal.
CORPORATES
NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, ACTU
Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 13-Nov-15
A New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention has found that support for the ruling National Party has fallen by one per cent to 49 per cent in November 2015. Support for the Labour Party has risen by 0.5 per cent to 29.5 per cent, while support for a potential Labour/Greens alliance has risen by one per cent to 41.5 per cent. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that the New Zealand Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 9.5 points to 131.5 in November, while the ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence Rating is up 7.8 points at 122.7.
CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY, UNITED FUTURE PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, ACT NEW ZEALAND, INTERNET PARTY, MANA PARTY
Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 13-Nov-15
The Clean Energy Regulator has granted $A557 million to 131 carbon reduction projects via the second auction from the Emissions Reduction Fund. Former cricketer Glenn McGrath is among the recipients of funding. He has agreed to grow trees on his rural property in north-west New South Wales to offset carbon emissions. Wesfarmers, Consolidated Pastoral Company, AGL Energy and Pacific National are among bigger recipients of funding for carbon reduction programs.
CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CONSOLIDATED PASTORAL COMPANY PTY LTD, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, CLIMATE FRIENDLY PTY LTD, REPUTEX AUSTRALIA PACIFIC PTY LTD
