O75 Public Administration

FSI should focus on transparency, says fundie

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Original article by Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 2-Sep-14

The Australian Government’s financial system inquiry should focus on transparency and conflicts of interests. David Booth, co-founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, says governments tend to over-react when the banking system is under strain. Over-regulation will not prevent future problems if the potential for conflicts of interests is not eliminated. Dimensional Fund Advisors does not pay commissions to financial advisers

CORPORATES
DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS INCORPORATED, THE VANGUARD GROUP INCORPORATED

Doctors fear health impact over north shore tunnel

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Original article by Amy Corderoy
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 6 : 1-Sep-14

The New South Wales (NSW) Government says air quality will be watched closely near ventilation stacks for the proposed NorthConnex tunnel. It will link the M1 and M2 motorways in Sydney and cost $A3bn, and has sparked concern about the impact of pollution in the upper north shore area among doctors of the Australian Medical Association’s NSW branch and the Asthma Foundation of NSW. Local resident and medical practitioner Ray Nassar is handing the Government a petition with 250 signatures by colleagues

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AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NSW) LIMITED, ASTHMA FOUNDATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES, CROSS CITY TUNNEL PTY LTD, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, LANE COVE TUNNEL COMPANY PTY LTD, WOOLCOCK INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH LIMITED, NEW SOUTH WALES. ROADS AND MARITIME SERVICES

Doctors warn on euthanasia

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The West Australian – Page: 15 : 1-Sep-14

There is opposition among Western Australian doctors to a federal private member’s Bill on euthanasia. The so-called "dying with dignity" bill is being introduced to federal parliament by Australian Greens senator Richard Di Natale. Dr Doug Bridges, the former head of palliative care at the Royal Perth Hospital, says the emphasis should be on giving terminally-ill patients good palliative care, adding that doctors should not be forced to kill people

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ROYAL PERTH HOSPITAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Business as usual at Medibank: MD

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 1-Sep-14

The Australian Government’s Medibank Private IPO will proceed in December 2014 and is expected to be worth up to $A4bn. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann notes that an independent scoping study concluded that premiums are unlikely to increase when Medibank is privatised. Medibank CEO George Savvides has assured members that the quality of service will not be affected by the privatisation

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MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED

CEOs: Senate threat to growth

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Original article by James Thomson, Shaun Drummond, Simon Evans, Jamie Freed, Jessica Gardner, Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Sep-14

Wotif.com CEO Scott Bulme and Cochlear CEO Chris Roberts are among the executives who say the Senate should cease its resistance to the Australian Government’s Budget measures. Business leaders are concerned about the outlook for consumer and business confidence, arguing that it is being undermined by the impasse in the upper house. Many CEOs also believe that the Reserve Bank should not increase official interest rates while business confidence remains weak

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WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, MEMBERS EQUITY BANK PTY LTD, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED

Review signals overhaul of RET

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 29-Aug-14

A review deems the Renewable Energy Target (RET) to be a costly means of carbon abatement that undermines national productivity. The review panel’s recommendations offer Prime Minister Tony Abbott guidelines to greatly reduce subsidies for solar rooftop panels and wind farms. The renewable energy sector is upset by the review findings, whereas the Energy Supply Association of Australia says the RET risks making the overall energy market "uninvestable"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ALUMINIUM COUNCIL LIMITED, ENERGY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CLEAN ENERGY COUNCIL LIMITED, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SOLAR COUNCIL LIMITED

Pyne steps up uni reform bid

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Original article by Mark Kenny
The Age – Page: 9 : 29-Aug-14

Australian Education Minister Christopher Pyne is trying to gain support for his higher education reforms. He introduced the bill to Parliament on 28 August 2014. He said that the reforms to structural funding must be enacted now or the system will decline. Pyne called on the crossbench senators to support the legislation

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, PALMER UNITED PARTY, UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Baird’s clean-money poll

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Original article by Sean Nicholls
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 1 : 29-Aug-14

The New South Wales Liberal Party is discussing a new model for funding elections. They are considering a cap of about $A1.7 million on private donations to parties. Parties would receive the maximum reimbursement by taxpayers without the need to raise and spend money on campaigns. Base taxpayer funding would remain at about $A8.5 million

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LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, SHOOTERS AND FISHERS PARTY INCORPORATED, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE GREENS NSW INCORPORATED

Prison cops

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Original article by Grant Taylor
The West Australian – Page: 1 : 28-Aug-14

Western Australia’s Department of Corrective Services and the organised crime squad will form a specialist task force to address the issue of organised crime in the prison system. The task force has been set up in response to a police investigation dubbed "Operation Ulysses", which revealed that prison officers have been smuggling drugs into the state’s prisons. Three prison staff were arrested as part of the investigation

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CORRECTIVE SERVICES, WESTERN AUSTRALIAN POLICE SERVICE

Abetz walks away from ’40 jobs’ idea

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 28-Aug-14

The Australian Government has conceded that its demands on jobseekers may not be practical. Federal Employment Minister Eric Abetz said that there may be no purpose in getting people to apply for 40 jobs a month to retain the unemployment benefit. He admitted that it could be a burden to small businesses. There is speculation that other measures, such as the paid parental scheme, may be cut back

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA