O75 Public Administration

Liberal push to expand GST

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Jan-15

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out any adjustments to the current goods and services tax (GST) regime before the next federal election. However he is encouraging debate on the issue, and Liberal Party parliamentarians Ian Macdonald, Dean Smith and Dan Tehan have called for an expansion of the GST’s base while maintaining its rate of 10%. Macdonald argues the latter was a promise by former prime minister John Howard when he rolled out the GST, but the exclusions for fresh food or education may be revoked

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Easy entry for skilled foreigners

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Jan-15

The Australian Government may relax the visa requirements for skilled overseas workers who are hired on temporary contracts. The reforms would allow companies to recruit foreign workers on a "short-term mobility" visa rather than the existing 457 visa for skilled workers. Migration Solutions MD Mark Glazbrook supports the proposed reforms, but ACTU president Ged Kearney argues that hiring and training Australian workers should be the priority

CORPORATES
MIGRATION SOLUTIONS PTY LTD, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Police examine fake Greens siege post

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah Whyte
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 11 : 6-Jan-15

A Facebook post of Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been manipulated in such a way as to discredit her as a politician. The matter is being investigated by the Australian Federal Police. Hanson-Young stated in the original message that she sympathised with the victims of the Martin Place siege in Sydney, while the fake message describes gunman Man Horan Monis as a "peace loving" individual who was wronged by a "cruel government"

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

NBN win could cost TPG sales

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 6-Jan-15

New restrictions on companies building fast broadband networks have resulted in TPG Telecom stopping sales of its superfast broadband plan. Australian Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the extra restrictions on 14 December 2014. His motivation was to protect the interests of the national broadband network operator, NBN Co. TPG stated on 5 January 2015 that the company was unable to meet the new requirements and that consequently new orders for the service will not be accepted

CORPORATES
TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, NBN CO LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS

A Coalition that can’t agree

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joanna Heath, Joanna Mather, Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Jan-15

The Australian Government plans to release a white paper examining potential changes to the goods and services tax. However, the Western Australian Government remains opposed to GST reform unless there are changes to the methodology for distributing revenue from the tax to the states. A number of federal WA MPs are also in favour of GST reform, while KPMG chairman Peter Nash expects tax reform to be a key issue of debate in 2015

CORPORATES
KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

Coalition eyes cross-party deal on taxing low-cost imports

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 3 : 5-Jan-15

The Australian Government’s tax white paper will push the case for the goods and services tax threshold for imported goods to be lowered. Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg notes that in recent years there has been a sharp increase in the volume of goods bought online from overseas that are priced below the tax threshold of $A1,000. Tax reform will need the support of the states, but Western Australia in particular is proving to be recalcitrant on the issue

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Jury out on medical marijuana

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Luke Malpass
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 5-Jan-15

Dr John Lawson of the Sydney Children’s Hospital notes that there is growing interest in the use of medical marijuana to treat epileptic children. He has welcomed the New South Wales Government’s recent decision to provide $A9m to finance a trial of medical marijuana, and has emphasised that any such drugs given to children will have no psychoactive properties

CORPORATES
SYDNEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Lindt siege payouts may depend on terrorist decision

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mathew Dunckley, Lisa Visentin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 5-Jan-15

The Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation is empowered by law to gauge the losses incurred by businesses in a terrorism event. It can also, if appropriate, reduce the liability of insurance companies in such cases, and providers including Insurance Australia Group are waiting for a decision by the Federal Government on the 15-16 December 2014 siege at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney’s Martin Place. Some small businesses have lodged claims under optional business disruption clauses, and will need to find out whether the siege is indeed deemed a terrorist act

CORPORATES
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, AUSTRALIAN REINSURANCE POOL CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LINDT AND SPRUNGLI (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, CGU INSURANCE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LUMLEY INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED, WFI INSURANCE

Telstra designs new deal for NBN

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 17 : 19-Dec-14

Telstra recently renegotiated its deal with NBN Co, the entity rolling out the national broadband network. It will still be worth $A11.2bn but involve different technology, due to the September 2013 election win of the Australian Government. The telco will also benefit from a separate move by NBN Co to award it half or more of the design and planning contracts for the infrastructure project, and some construction work. Pending confirmation by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, the agreements may be signed on 19 December 2014

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NBN CO LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Co-pay fight in waiting rooms

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 19-Dec-14

The Australian Medical Association opposes the introduction of a $A5 co-payment for visits to the doctor. It intends to send campaign posters and pamphlets to doctors around the country. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has also expressed its opposition to the proposed changes

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA