AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

PM touts a new era of state unity

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 26-May-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will use a National Press Club speech on 26 May to outline the key principles of the federal government’s JobMaker economic plan for the post-coronavirus environment. Amongst other things, Morrison will call for greater co-operation between unions and business as part of a push to overhaul the industrial relations system. He will also stress the need for changes to the jobs training sector, arguing that the current system for allocating skills funding to the states and territories is not working.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

JobKeeper gaffe bonus to help rein in debt

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 25-May-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison concedes that responsibility for the massive over-estimate of the cost of JobKeeper ultimately rests with him. The wage subsidy scheme is now expected to cost about $70bn rather than the $130bn that had been budgeted, after it was revealed that about 1,000 businesses had mistakenly entered the amount of money they expected to receive under the scheme rather than the number of eligible employees. Morrison says the revised cost of JobKeeper will reduce government borrowings, while Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has ruled out broadening the eligibility criteria for the scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Cut tax to spark mining boom

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 25-May-20

The Minerals Council of Australia has urged the federal government to reduce the company tax rate as part of its post-coronavirus economic strategy. MCA CEO Tania Constable says the nation’s corporate tax rate is not internationally competitive, and measures such as tax reform and speeding up project approvals could prompt a new wave of resources projects worth around $100bn. Master Builders Australia has in turn called for a $13.2bn stimulus package for the construction industry. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will deliver an economic recovery speech on 26 May.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

JobSeeker’s block on work to be scrutinised

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 22-May-20

The federal government’s decision to double the JobSeeker allowance will be scrutinised as part of its forthcoming review of the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. There are concerns that increasing the unemployment benefit to $550 a week has prompted some casual workers to quit their jobs, as they are of the view that they are financially better off by going on the dole. Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy stresses that JobKeeper and the increased JobKeeper payment are temporary. However, he has flagged the possibility that they may be phased out gradually.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Porter puts bill on hold as he seeks union help

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 22-May-20

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has advised that the federal government’s Ensuring Integrity Bill is not a legislative priority at present. He says the government’s immediate focus will be on seeking the union movement’s support for economic and workplace reforms in the wake of the pandemic. Australia’s major political parties agree that addressing problems with the enterprise bargaining system will be a key element of any reform process.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS

Casual benefits ruling raises JobKeeper risk

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-May-20

Employers may face claims for up to $8bn in back pay following the Federal Court’s ruling that casual workers who have ‘regular and predictable shifts’ are entitled to paid leave and a 25 per cent loading. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has flagged government action in response to the ruling, saying one option may be to give more casual workers the right to request that their jobs become permanent. Council of Small Business Organisations CEO Peter Strong says the ruling will deter small businesses from hiring casual workers, while Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox warns of the potential for large-scale job losses when the JobKeeper scheme ends in September.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Coalition eyes Australian economic sovereignty with boost to manufacturing

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 20-May-20

Federal Industry Minister Karen Andrews will use a National Press Club speech on 20 May to call for Australia to ramp up local manufacturing in the post-coronavirus environment. She will argue that factors such as domestic manufacturing, a lower company tax rate and an increase in natural gas supply are crucial to the nation’s economic sovereignty. Andrews will also emphasis the need for projects to be approved more quickly.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE, ENERGY AND RESOURCES

Cheap gas to power recovery

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-May-20

Ensuring that the east coast has access to affordable gas will be part of the federal government’s strategy to boost the economy in the wake of the pandemic. The National COVID-19 Co-ordination Commission is looking at a range of options for reducing the domestic price of gas; chairman Nev Power says these could include building a pipeline from Western Australia’s offshore gas fields to Moomba in South Australia. He adds that another option could be to relocate energy-intensive manufacturing to WA, where gas prices are lower due to a domestic gas reserve.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL COVID-19 COORDINATION COMMISSION

World Health Assembly agrees to independent inquiry and global strategy to fight COVID-19

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 20-May-20

The World Health Assembly has formally adopted a resolution calling for an impartial and independent review into the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. There was unanimous support among the World Health Organization’s member nations for the push to hold an inquiry, which had been led by Australia and the European Union. Health Minister Greg Hunt and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne have welcomed the passing of the resolution.

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WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

China knew barley dumping claims were false

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Original article by Andrew Taylor, Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 20-May-20

The federal government will hold crisis talks with barley growers on 20 May following China’s imposition of a punitive tariff, but Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says the nation will not retaliate with a trade war. The government is likely to take the matter to the World Trade Organisation, although it remains hopeful of resolving the dispute bilaterally. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the government’s submission to China’s Commerce Ministry noted that China International Chamber of Commerce officials had admitted that there was no evidence to support claims of dumping by Australian barley producers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, CHINA. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, CHINA INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE