O75 Public Administration

IA boss slams asset recycling delays

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 25-Jul-14

Infrastructure Australia chairman Mark Birrell has expressed his support for the Australian Government’s asset recycling policy. The Federal Government wants the states to use the proceeds from privatisation for new infrastructure projects. Birrell has called on the Senate to pass the $A5 billion asset recycling plan, which the Government intends to introduce in Parliament in September 2014

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INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA|INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS AUSTRALIA|QUEENSLAND. TREASURY|NEW SOUTH WALES TREASURY. OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT|NEW SOUTH WALES TREASURY. OFFICE OF STATE REVENUE|COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS

Business warns impasse will stunt its growth

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 23-Jul-14

BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie says the Senate’s move to block key measures in the Federal Government’s May 2014 Budget is discouraging offshore investors from investing in Australia. In particular, he has urged senators to support the abolition of the mining tax, describing it as a "huge" disincentive for potential foreign investors. ANZ Bank CEO Mike Smith says the Government has been given a mandate and should be allowed to pursue it, a view shared by Telstra CEO David Thodey

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BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP|AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ|TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS|GE MINING SERVICES HOLDINGS PTY LTD|GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)|BUSINESS 20 (B20)|AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY|PALMER UNITED PARTY|AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Top businesswomen back subsidised childcare

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Original article by Nassim Khadem
The Australian Financial Review – Page: : 23-Jul-14

The Productivity Commission has issued a review of the child care system, arguing against tax deductions and also wanting funds to be reallocated from the paid parental leave scheme pushed by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The tax deductions are however being called for by leading businesswomen, partly as this would allow for the hiring of nannies. Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley says the option is being considered, and it is also backed by the union movement. Sexual Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick however favours direct subsidies

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET|AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION|AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION|AUSTRALIA. SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION COMMISSION|AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY|AUSTRALIA. BOARD OF TAXATION|ACTU|THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED|BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA|AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE|UNITINGCARE AUSTRALIA|COALITION FOR WORKING WOMEN

Hunt hints at global carbon permits

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Jul-14

The Federal Government may allow Australian companies to purchase a limited number of international carbon permits. Independent senator Nick Xenophon says he has held talks with Environment Minister Greg Hunt about potential changes to the Coalition’s Direct Action policy. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox supports such a move. However, Hunt says changes to the Direct Action policy are not on the agenda

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT|THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP|AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY|AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET|PALMER UNITED PARTY

Ombudsman blasts award complexity

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Original article by Mathew Dunckley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-14

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James, believes that the industrial awards system remains too complex and employers find it difficult to understand. Many of the enquiries fielded by James’s office concern wage rates under the modern awards system. James says the Fair Work Commission’s review of industrial awards should ensure that in future all awards are consistent with the national employment standards

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN|AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION|AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

WA leading a three-tier economy

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Age – Page: 26 : 22-Jul-14

CommSec’s latest "State of the States" report shows that Western Australia boasts the strongest economy among the states, followed by the Northern Territory and New South Wales. The Queensland, Victorian and Australian Capital Territory economies are performing roughly in line with each other, while the South Australian and Tasmanian economies are lagging

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COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MELBOURNE ECONOMIC FORUM

Treasury says lower $A to avoid income crunch

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1-Feb : 22-Jul-14

The Melbourne Economic Forum has warned of the need for a reduction in real wages and higher productivity to avert a decline in Australians’ standard of living. However, Professor Ian McDonald of Melbourne University believes that the economic modelling has too much emphasis on productivity. Meanwhile, federal Treasury economist David Gruen told the forum that the Australian dollar is likely to fall in coming years, which will assist the transition from the mining boom

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MELBOURNE ECONOMIC FORUM, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY. CENTRE OF POLICY STUDIES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Coalition flags despite carbon repeal

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 21-Jul-14

Support for the Australian Government is now just 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest poll by "The Australian Financial Review" and Nielsen. Meanwhile, 54 per cent of voters support the Australian Labor Party, whose primary vote has risen by three per cent to 40 per cent. However, the approval rating of Prime Minister Tony Abbott has increased by three per cent to 38 per cent, while his disapproval rating is down four per cent to 46 per cent

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FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Living standards set to fall

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 21-Jul-14

The Melbourne Economic Forum has warned of a sharp rise in the unemployment rate and a reduced standard of living if Australia fails to take action to increase productivity. Economic modelling by the forum suggests that the jobless rate will rise to 6.6 per cent late in 2015 without such reform. Victoria University’s Professor James Giesecke says that productivity will need to grow by 0.7 per cent each year simply to preserve the current standard of living

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MELBOURNE ECONOMIC FORUM, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Fast-food fat labels loom as poll issue

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Original article by Henrietta Cook
The Age – Page: 2 : 18-Jul-14

The Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia, VicHealth and Deakin University have formed the Obesity Policy Coalition. It will lobby during the state election campaign in Victoria later in 2014, and wants the political parties to commit to a new requirement for fast food restaurants to advertise the kilojoule content of all items sold. Jane Martin, the group’s executive manager, notes that such a scheme will lead to consumers eating meals with 500 fewer kilojoules on average. Mandatory labels are already in force in South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales

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OBESITY POLICY COALITION, THE CANCER COUNCIL VICTORIA, DIABETES AUSTRALIA – VICTORIA, VICHEALTH, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS