RBA may need $30b in bonds for a shot at QE, says Deutsche Bank

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Mar-20

Deutsche Bank economist Phil O’Donaghoe does not expect quantitative easing to be necessary in response to the coronavirus. He says another official interest rate cut in April and the federal government’s stimulus package should result in a 2019-20 Budget deficit of about 1.2 per cent of GDP. However, O’Donaghoe warns that if the Reserve Bank of Australia does resort to quantitative easing, it would need to purchase up to $30bn worth of bonds to generate the same macroeconomic stimulus as a rate cut of 25 basis points.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Flash crash pushes Aussie to an 11-year low

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Original article by William McInnes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 10-Mar-20

The Australian dollar fell by 4.6 per cent to an intra-day low of $US0.6312 during a 20-minute period in local trading on 9 March. It was the currency’s lowest level since early March 2009, as growing concern about the coronavirus weighed on financial markets. Sean Callow of Westpac says the sell-off appears to have been driven by Japanese investors exiting their Australian dollar positions, with the ‘flash crash’ coinciding with a rally in the yen against the greenback. The Australian dollar rebounded to around $US0.6550 late in the local trading session.

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WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Tax-slugged miners are bankrolling us all

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 2 : 10-Mar-20

A report produced by KPMG on behalf of the Minerals Council of Australia highlights the importance of the mining sector to government revenue. It shows that corporate taxes and royalties have accounted for 39- 49 per cent of the sector’s earnings since 2011-12. MCA CEO Tania Constable says that on average, the minerals sector has paid more than $20bn in taxes and royalties annually over this period. She adds that the sector is helping to finance infrastructure projects and the salaries of public sector workers such as teachers and nurses.

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MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

$150bn shares rout as oil crunch sparks panic

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 10-Mar-20

The Australian sharemarket has recorded its biggest one-day fall since the global financial crisis. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 shed 455.6 points or 7.3 per cent to close at 5,760.6 points on 9 March. The local market has now lost 19.6 per cent in less than three weeks. Asian markets were also heavily sold down. Mining and energy stocks have been amongst the hardest hit, with BHP falling 14 per cent and Oil Search down 35 per cent after a big fall in the crude oil price.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH

Job sharing: Why Australian businesses should rethink full-time work

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Original article by Killian Plastow
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Mar-20

Job sharing has traditionally involved two people with similar skills splitting a full-time job in half. However, the University of New South Wales has called for this arrangement to be revised because of the changing nature of work. It states that future arrangements should allow job-sharing employees to work unequal hours, for senior staff to share jobs with junior colleagues, and for the ‘senior’ work partner to be in charge of decision making. With underemployment being a growing problem in Australia in recent years, Professor Rosalind Dixon from the UNSW says these new job-sharing arrangements would help both those who are working too hard and those who are underemployed.

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UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Trade figures underscore economy’s reliance on mining and China

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Original article by Euan Black
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Mar-20

Official data shows that Australia’s trade surplus fell by three per cent to $5.2bn in January, although this was better than economists had expected. The value of iron ore exports was 17.4 per cent lower than the peak in July, while coal exports were down 25 per cent from a May peak. The data also shows that the total value of the nation’s exports to China was 12 per cent lower than the peak recorded in June. This is despite the fact that China accounted for 38 per cent of exports in January. Indeed economist Callam Pickering says the figures demonstrate the Australian economy’s dependence on the mining sector and trade with China.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, INDEED INCORPORATED

Green lawfare hits projects worth $65bn

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Mar-20

The Institute of Public Affairs claims that 28 projects between 2000 and 2019 were delayed as a result of action by activist groups using section 487 of the federal Environment Protection Act. The IPA claims that these projects have a combined value of more than $65 billion. They include Adani’s $16.5 billion coalmine in Queensland, a $140 million port in the Northern Territory and a $30 million salmon farm in Tasmania. Kurt Wallace from the IPA claims that 94 per cent of the cases instigated by activists under s 487 failed to bring about any significant change to the original project.

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INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD

Jobs subsidy plan to bust recession

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 6-Mar-20

Treasury expects the impact of the coronavirus to reduce economic growth by at least 0.5 per cent in the March quarter, while the recent bushfires will cut growth by a further 0.2 per cent. The federal government’s stimulus package will aim to prevent economic growth from also being negative in the June quarter; it will include wage subsidies, a business investment allowance and tax breaks to assist with cash flow. Greens leader Adam Bandt says the stimulus package should also include an increase in unemployment benefits and financial assistance for workers who are not entitled to paid sick leave.

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

BBC makes streaming move into Australia

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 6-Mar-20

The BBC and UK commercial television network ITV will launch a streaming joint venture in Australia towards the end of 2020. Britbox will operate as a 50-50 joint venture between BBC Studios and ITV, and it is expected to feature programs such as ‘Poldark’, ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Call the Midwife’. Pricing information for Britbox in Australia has not yet been released, but it costs Stg5.99 a month in the UK and US6.99 a month in the US.

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BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ITV PLC, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Fears of low-ball offer for TV rights

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Original article by Jamie Pandaram
The Australian – Page: 32 : 6-Mar-20

Rugby Australia will give prospective bidders an additional week to submit offers for its next broadcasting rights deal, after failing to attract any interest. Optus appears set to gain the broadcasting rights after RA’s current broadcast partner Fox Sports declined to sign a non-disclosure agreement. There is speculation that Optus will capitalise on the lack of rival bidders to offer a low price for the rights; RA rejected Fox Sports’ offer of $40m a year in late 2019. Ten Network is tipped to offer about $5m for limited free-to-air coverage of rugby matches.

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SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED