S9551 Business and Professional Association Services

Change laws to boost women’s super: ASFA

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Original article by Nassim Khadem
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 13-Nov-14

It is estimated that men have an average of $A197,000 in their superannuation fund upon retirement, compared with just $A105,000 for women. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has proposed relaxing discrimination laws to permit higher employer contributions to female employees’ super accounts. The ASFA also proposes scrapping the superannuation guarantee income threshold, which is currently set at $A450 per month

CORPORATES
THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CHALLENGER LIMITED – ASX CGF, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GROUP LIMITED, VICSUPER PTY LTD, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION COMMISSION

No power without real reform

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 6 : 10-Nov-14

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has prepared a study on energy policy, in a lobbying effort as the Federal Government takes submissions for a new white paper on the topic. The BCA argues that rising energy prices are jeopardising the nation’s global competitiveness in the resources sector. Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently commented that he wants Australia to be an "affordable-energy super power", as part of the Government’s industry and competitiveness agenda

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

‘Corrupt culture’ in super fund

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Original article by Joanna Mather, Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Nov-14

Jeremy Stoljar SC, counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption, has criticised the Cbus industry superannuation fund. He argued that evidence of members’ details being leaked to the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union showed an overly close relationship and a "cultural failure". Industry Super Australia CEO David Whiteley rejects any suggestion the leak is symptomatic of practices in the sector generally. Stoljar also recommended criminal charges against some building union officials over an unlawful secondary boycott

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, LIS-CON HOLDINGS PTY LTD, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Miners see progress but call for more cuts to red tape

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 21 : 23-Oct-14

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and parliamentary secretary for deregulation Josh Frydenberg on 22 October 2014 unveiled a move to abolish 7,000-plus pages of unnecessary legislation, in a further bid by the Government to reduce "red tape". However the Minerals Council of Australia, while welcoming the initiative, also issued a report that outlines areas where more reforms are still needed. These include industrial relations, environmental approvals and rules governing cabotage. It notes that from late 2007 to mid-2013 only 297 ­federal acts were repealed but 874 new ones rolled out

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Business backs final push for TPP

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Original article by John Kerin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Oct-14

Australian business organisations have issued a joint statement in which they stress the importance of forming the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trade ministers of 12 countries in the Asia Pacific region will discuss the matter at a meeting in Sydney, starting on 24 October 2014. The Business Council of Australia, the Australian chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce, and the US Chamber of Commerce say in the statement that the trade bloc will create jobs

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TRADE, UNITED STATES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP

ABC in apology over gaffe on gas

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 19 : 7-Oct-14

The ABC recently repeated a claim made by the Australian Workers’ Union on a website, that all other gas-producing countries had a domestic gas supply reservation policy. This was disputed by the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association lobby group, and CEO David Byers has now accepted a formal apology for the incorrect statement from the public broadcaster

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, RADIO NATIONAL

Ai Group seeks answers on industry tax

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 30-Sep-14

The Australian Industry Group (Ai) wants an examination of the petroleum resource rent tax. Peter Burn, of Ai, said that the group does not support a gas reservation policy, but it is concerned about the effect of rising gas prices on industry. He said that the Federal Government’s tax white paper should investigate whether the petroleum tax was effectively distributing the wealth from natural resources to the community

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, MANUFACTURING AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED

AMMA hits out at biased, ‘union affiliated’ Fair Work

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Original article by Jonathan Barrett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 10-Sep-14

The Australian Mines & Metals Association has raised concerns about the processes used to appoint members of the Fair Work Commission. It claims that 19 of the 27 commissioners that were appointed by the previous Federal Government have links to the Australian Labor Party or unions. This has been rejected by the Opposition’s shadow minister for workplace relations, Brendon O’Connor

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BCA cautions against hasty bank reforms

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 19 : 9-Sep-14

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has lodged its submission for the second round of the Federal Government’s new financial system review, conducted by ex-Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO David Murray. The BCA argues against more stringent capital requirements for large banks, as this could have a knock-on effect on all enterprises via higher borrowing costs. The issue of how to handle banks deemed "too big to fail" will also be discussed at the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Australia

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED

ASX chief pleads for reform gridlock to end

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 17 : 25-Aug-14

Federal Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb recently said the Government was already rolling out measures to boost competitiveness, after a report was issued by the Business Council of Australia (BCA). It had argued the Government should foster certain industries that have a natural edge over others. The study, commissioned from McKinsey & Company, sparked claims the BCA was "picking winners". This has now been rejected by new BCA board member Elmer Funke Kupper, CEO of stock exchange operator ASX

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE