O75 Public Administration

Anger at withdrawal from UN tourism body

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Original article by Lisa Allen
The Australian – Page: 21 : 12-Dec-14

Australian tourism executives have criticised the Federal Government for cancelling its membership of the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation. Some 156 countries are members of the international agency, but the Government has decided that the cost of membership is not justified. Tourism & Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond notes the tourism industry’s significant contribution to the Australian economy

CORPORATES
UNITED NATIONS. WORLD TOURISM ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN TOURISM EXPORT COUNCIL LIMITED, TTF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TTF AUSTRALIA LIMITED TOURISM AND TRANSPORT FORUM

Reforms to cut through red tape

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 20 : 11-Dec-14

National Australia Bank’s Angela Mentis has suggested to the Federal Government that it could reduce red tape for small businesses by scrapping business activity statements. This is one of the recommendations that Mentis has made to the Minister for Small Business, Bruce Bilson. She argues that technology solutions could be used to assist small business owners to compile data for the monthly statements

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

The price of stamps set to top $1.50

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Age – Page: 2 : 11-Dec-14

The letters division of Australia Post booked a loss of $A328m in 2013-14, and CEO Ahmed Fahour says the losses will escalate unless action is taken. Australia Post wants the Federal Government to approve a new pricing regime for postage stamps. Priority mail deliveries would cost between $A1.25 and $A2 per letter, while the standard mail service would cost between $A0.70 and $A1

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA POST, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS

Co-payment will hit bulk-billing, AMA head Owler predicts

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 4 : 11-Dec-14

Bulk-billing accounted for some 82 per cent of visits to Australian GPs in the 2013-14 financial year. Brian Owler, the president of the Australian Medical Association, has warned that the Federal Government’s revised co-payment scheme will forced many GPs to abandon bulk-billing in favour of private billing for most patients

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (VICTORIA)

Murray inquiry calls for social investment

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Dec-14

Impact Investing Australia has welcomed a call by David Murray, chairman of the inquiry into Australia’s financial system, for greater involvement of the private sector in social impact investing. Murray said the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority should develop a framework for impact investment by superannuation funds. Impact Investing Australia expects the impact investing market to grow to at least $A32 billion by 2025

CORPORATES
IMPACT INVESTING AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, BIG SOCIETY COUNCIL, SOCIAL VENTURES AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Illicit downloaders to be spared harsh penalties

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Original article by Matthew Knott, Ben Grubb
The Age – Page: 2 : 9-Dec-14

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will present their copyright law proposals to federal Cabinet on 9 December 2014. The proposed laws are not as tough as expected by rights holders. Instead of being penalised, illicit downloaders will receive written messages warning them that they are breaching copyright laws. Access to web sites hosting pirated materials will be blocked

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED

Nation needs strong banks, Murray says

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Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 22 : 9-Dec-14

Among the recommendations made in the financial system review report by David Murray for the Australian Government is lifting the capital requirements for the main banks. Murray says the sector needs to be strong enough to withstand another financial crisis, and at the same time cannot rely on being saved by the Government. Estimates of the additional funds likely to be needed if the measures are adopted range from $A8bn to $A32bn. Investors on 8 December 2014 were unconcerned, with the share prices of the four major banks all rising

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ARGO INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX ARG, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION

Business pans power abuse test

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Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 9-Dec-14

A submission to the Harper competition review panel by the Business Council of Australia has criticised proposed changes to regulations governing abuse of market power. The employer’s group argues that the reforms would create uncertainty, result in significant cost to the economy and could potentially lead to lengthy litigation. The Australian Industry Group and large corporations such as Telstra and Coles have also expressed concern about the proposed reforms

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. COMPETITION TRIBUNAL, MASTER GROCERS’ AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GLENCORE COAL HOLDINGS LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITY OF MELBOURNE

Majors facing $20bn squeeze

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Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 17 : 8-Dec-14

Among the recommendations made in the financial system review report by David Murray for the Australian Government is that the four main banks should significantly increase their reserve capital holdings. They are also urged to lift the risk weighting on home mortgage loans to a range of 25% to 30%. Analysts calculate that if adopted the new requirements will create an additional cost burden of $A20bn per annum for the sector. Australian Bankers’ Association CEO Steven Munchenberg has vowed to persist with its lobbying effort against the proposals and those of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS. BASEL COMMITTEE ON BANKING SUPERVISION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, WATERMARK FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP PTY LTD

PM’s stocks hit Gillard lows

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Dec-14

A Fairfax/Ipsos poll has found that 47 per cent of Australians now regard Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as their preferred prime minister, an increase of eight per cent since November 2014. The approval rating of Prime Minister Tony Abbott has fallen by four per cent to 38 per cent, while 50 per cent of electors regard Abbott as competent and just 36 per cent perceive him to be trustworthy. Meanwhile, support for the Australian Labor Party is 52 per cent on a two-party preferred basis

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, ASC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY