O75 Public Administration

Softly, softly IR push

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 5-Aug-15

Tourism Accommodation Australia chairman Martin Ferguson has urged the Federal Government to look at implementing the Productivity Commission’s proposed changes to penalty rates. The draft report recommends reducing Sunday penalty rates for workers in sectors such as hospitality and retailing to the level that applies for people who work on Saturdays. It also recommends allowing small and medium enterprises to offer new employees a statutory enterprise contract that does not have to be approved by the Fair Work Commission.

CORPORATES
TOURISM ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Softly, softly IR push

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 5-Aug-15

Tourism Accommodation Australia chairman Martin Ferguson has urged the Federal Government to look at implementing the Productivity Commission’s proposed changes to penalty rates. The draft report recommends reducing Sunday penalty rates for workers in sectors such as hospitality and retailing to the level that applies for people who work on Saturdays. It also recommends allowing small and medium enterprises to offer new employees a statutory enterprise contract that does not have to be approved by the Fair Work Commission.

CORPORATES
TOURISM ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Billson slams BCA ‘utter nonsense’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Aug-15

The Australian Government’s cabinet ministers have endorsed a proposal to add a so-called "effects test" to the Competition and Consumer Act. The reform was one of 56 recommendations made by the Harper review of competition laws, and is supported by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. However, the Business Council of Australia maintains that an effects test would adversely affect competition and make companies more vulnerable to litigation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AVALON, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

CSL urges lower manufacturing tax

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jennifer Hewett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 4-Aug-15

CSL is one of Australia’s most successful companies. It is a global player in the field of biotechnology. CFO Gordon Naylor complains about high tax rates in Australia which, he believes, hinder the development of the country’s advanced manufacturing sector. CSL advocates the introduction of a new tax rate of 10 per cent for advanced manufacturing. Under the current tax regime, Australian companies pay 30 per cent in corporate tax.

CORPORATES
CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, BLOOMBERG LP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE

Australian July real unemployment 8.7% – down for fifth consecutive month

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Aug-15

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 8.7 per cent in July 2015. The number of people in the workforce now totals 12,673,000 (306,000 since July 2014), while the number of people who are underemployed has fallen by 102,000 in the last 12 months to 977,000 (7.7 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 6.0 per cent in July 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the Federal Government must look at the abolition of Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for the tourism and retail industries, as these measures have a detrimental impact on small businesses, which are forced to close on Sundays and public holidays.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

‘We won’t have a captain’s pick’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

Tony Smith and Andrew Southcott are regarded as the leading contenders to succeed Bronwyn Bishop as the Speaker in the House of Representatives. A ballot will be held by Liberal Party MPs to choose her successor when Parliament resumes in mid-August 2015. Liberal MPs have insisted that Bishop’s replacement be chosen by the party room rather than Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Meanwhile, Abbott has announced a review of the parliamentary entitlements system in the wake of the expense scandal.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM defiant, Speaker quits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Aug-15

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten wants the Speaker of the lower house to be independent in future, in the wake of Bronwyn Bishop’s resignation over an expenses scandal. He also says Prime Minister Tony Abbott should reveal whether Bishop had been offered any incentives to step down. Meanwhile, Abbott has revealed plans for a sweeping review of parliamentary entitlements, while there is speculation that Bishop’s resignation may prompt a ministerial reshuffle in order to appoint a new Speaker.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Support for gay marriage grows but interest wanes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 31-Jul-15

JWS Research has found that 54 per cent of Australian electors now support same-sex marriage, which represents a nine per cent increase since the last federal election. The research, which is based on quantitative polling and focus groups, also found that women and electors in the 18-34 age group are most in favour of gay marriage. However, the focus groups also show that many Australians do not regard the issue as a key priority.

CORPORATES
JWS RESEARCH PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY

Australians give their views on Tony Abbott & Bill Shorten

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 30-Jul-15

A recent Morgan Poll showed that Prime Minister Tony Abbott has a rating of 42 per cent as the "Better PM", compared with a 41 per cent rating for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Special qualitative and quantitative research conducted by Roy Morgan Research has examined Australians’ views on why they prefer Abbott or Shorten as PM, as well as the reasons why they either approve or disapprove of each leaders’ performance.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

TPP importance ‘modest’, says former WTO head

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Geoff Winestock
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 31-Jul-15

Pascal Lamy has downplayed the likely impact of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on the global economy. The former director-general of the World Trade Organization notes that the US seems reluctant to make any significant trade concessions as part of the TPP process. He also warns that the price of drugs will rise if the US succeeds in having patent protection for the pharmaceutical industry extended to 15 years.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BOAO FORUM FOR ASIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, PHILIP MORRIS ASIA INCORPORATED