O75 Public Administration

Finance, tourism, health win China deal

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 17-Nov-14

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Chinese President Xi Jinping will sign a free trade agreement on 17 November 2014, after a decade of negotiations. It is believed that tariffs on about 85 per cent of Australian exports to China will be scrapped when the deal commences, rising to 93 per cent in the next four years. Service industries in particular are set to benefit from the deal, including law firms, tourism operators, financial services providers and health care groups

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, CHINA. MINISTRY OF FINANCE

Napthine loses ground in poll

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Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 14-Nov-14

The latest Fairfax/Ipsos poll has found that support for the Victorian Opposition is steady at 56 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. The Australian Labor Party and the Coalition both have 39 per cent of the primary vote ahead of the state election. The poll, which was carried out from 5-9 November 2014, found that there is strong support for the East West Link project and the legalisation of euthanasia. Denis Napthine’s rating as preferred premier has fallen by three per cent to 42 per cent

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FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Have yourself a tax deductible Christmas party

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Original article by John Corias
BRW – Page: Online : 12-Nov-14

Small business owners are advised to minimise their entertainment expenses by using all available tax deductions. This matter is particularly important when budgeting for work Christmas parties. Under the minor benefit rule, an expense of no more than $A300 is not subject to the fringe benefit tax. Businesses can also ask employees to make personal contributions toward party expenses

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IMF’s Lagarde backs GST rise

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 13-Nov-14

International Monetary Fund MD Christine Lagarde says the Australian Government should pursue tax reforms such as changes to the GST, but she stresses the need to ensure that the less well-off are not disadvantaged by any such reforms. Lagarde has also urged Australia to increase productivity and lift investment in the non-mining sectors of the economy. Lagarde has also praised Australia’s accomplishments during its presidency of the Group of 20

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INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Shipping laws ‘take toll’ on refineries

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 21 : 12-Nov-14

An Australian Maritime Safety Authority event on 12 November 2014 will be addressed by Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss. He will argue that industries such as petroleum refining are being negatively affected by the cabotage regulations rolled out under the previous federal government’s Coastal Trading Act. Truss will claim that the added cost per vessel and per annum is $A6.5m. Refining in Australia is in decline, with just five major operations left and some four fifths of all fuel and crude already being imported

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CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, EXXONMOBIL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BP AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. MARITIME SAFETY AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Trade action pivotal to G20

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 21 : 12-Nov-14

BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie is also the chair of the trade taskforce of Business 20 (B20), the body advising the Australian Government on the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit in Brisbane in mid-November 2014. He argues that the G20 goal of additional global GDP growth worth $A2trn-plus relies heavily on increased investment in trade-related infrastructure. G20 nations such as India have pledged tariff reductions. GE Mining CEO and B20 human capital taskforce chair Steve Sargent also wants the leaders to roll out new job creation measures

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GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), BUSINESS 20 (B20), BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, GE MINING SERVICES HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

Two-step China free-trade plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Angus Grigg
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 11 : 12-Nov-14

Insiders say the new free trade agreement with China due to be signed by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on 17 November 2014 will not contain all of the concessions sought. Instead, some of the measures will be negotiated over time, in order to enable the timely conclusion of the main talks now. Trade Minister Andrew Robb has nominated the services sector as one area where more work will be done. Major issues for China are foreign investment restrictions on state-owned enterprises and plans to bring workers from China to Australia for projects financed by the former

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP

Gulf too wide for RET deal, says Labor

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s refusal to compromise on its proposes changes to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has prompted the Opposition to abandon negotiations over the reforms. Shadow environment minister Mark Butler says the Australian Labor Party will not support the savage reduction in the RET that is being sought by the Government. Private sector investment in renewable energy has been put on hold for most of 2014 due to uncertainty about the future of the RET

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Jobless rate in Victoria to hit 7.3%

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Original article by Peter Martin
The Age – Page: 4 : 11-Nov-14

Macroeconomics forecasts that the unemployment rate in Victoria will reach 7.3 per cent in the 2016-17 financial year. This compares with the state’s current trend unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent. The firm’s projections also show the Australian Government will record a Budget deficit of $A47.8bn in 2014-15, while the Government itself has forecast a deficit of just $A29.8bn

CORPORATES
MACROECONOMICS.COM.AU PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

ALP increases lead and set to win Victorian Election with 3 weeks to go

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 10-Nov-14

An SMS Morgan Poll on state voting intention ahead of the 2014 Victorian election has found that support for the Australian Labor Party on a two-party preferred basis has risen by one per cent to 53.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out from 7-10 November, also shows that support for the Coalition has fallen by one per cent to 46.5 per cent. However, Denis Napthine remains the preferred premier for 51.5 per cent of electors. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the Victorian economy will be the key election issue

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET