AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Review: Labor base rejected handouts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 21-Oct-19

Labor’s review into its surprise 18 May federal election loss is due to be presented to its National Executive on 5 November. It is expected to conclude that a number of factors led to the defeat, including a poor election campaign and the unpopularity of then-leader Bill Shorten. The review is also expected to find that voters who were meant to benefit from Labor’s so-called ‘tax and spend’ agenda deserted it, while those who were targeted by it stuck with Labor.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

‘You will pay’: unions threaten Labor over trade

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Oct-19

Labor has attracted criticism from union leaders after the party’s caucus voted to support the federal government’s proposed free-trade agreements with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru. Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union national secretary Michael O’Connor says the decision will cause ongoing tensions between sections of the union movement and Labor. Unions’ concerns about the trade deals include the clauses regarding investor-state dispute settlement clauses and labour market testing provisions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Building slump to hit whole economy

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Original article by Michael Roddan, Elias Visontay
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Oct-19

The Reserve Bank’s deputy governor Guy Debelle has told an industry conference in Sydney that a forecast slump in dwelling investment could reduce GDP growth by one per cent. The Master Builders Association’s chief economist Shane Garrett has called on the federal government to take steps to bring about an end to the current housing downturn as soon as possible, while ­Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says Prime Minister Scott Morrison has no plans for stimulating the economy.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Labor to support Indonesia, Peru and Hong Kong free trade deals

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 17-Oct-19

Labor’s caucus will shortly decide whether to support the federal government’s proposed free trade agreements with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru. Sources have indicated that Labor is unlikely to oppose the legislation, although it may seek a number of amendments. The ACTU will lobby Labor MPs to oppose the bill, due to concerns about issues such as the trade deals’ investor-state dispute settlement clauses and labour market testing provisions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

CEOs say big stick unlikely to be deployed

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith, Robert Guy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 17-Oct-19

Alinta CEO Jeff Dimery says the federal government’s legislation to force energy companies to divest assets will probably never be triggered. Dimery argues that conditions in the energy market would have to be dire for the ‘big stick’ legislation to be used. Origin Energy CEO Frank Calabria has in turn questioned whether the legislation will increase energy affordability and reliability, while Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott has doubts about the effectiveness of the government’s Underwriting New Generation scheme.

CORPORATES
ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

Regrets, GetUp has a few, over hard-right assault

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 6 : 17-Oct-19

GetUp’s national director Paul Oosting has told the National Press Club that he is proud of the activist group’s campaign during the 18 May federal election. However, he concedes that GetUp erred in targeting conservative MPs in traditionally safe seats, with five of the six seats that it focused on having been retained by the Coalition. Oosting says GetUp choose this strategy as it had expected Labor to win the election.

CORPORATES
GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

PM to keep his cool on economy

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Simon Benson, Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 17-Oct-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has downplayed concerns about the outlook for the Australian economy, arguing that good economic and financial management is needed in times of uncertainty. Labor leader Anthony ­Albanese has responded to the International Monetary Fund’s latest downgrade of its economic growth forecast for Australia by calling for a stimulus package. Former federal treasurer Peter Costello has in turn urged supply-side reforms, arguing that fiscal and monetary policy have reached the limits of their effectiveness.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

Young losing trust in democracy is a threat to society

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 16-Oct-19

The University of Western Australia has used its submission to a Senate inquiry to highlight the declining trust in democracy, particularly among younger Australians. The UWA submission has also called for greater emphasis on civics and citizenship in the national curriculum. In addition, the UWA has advocated allowing dual citizens to be elected to parliament by repealing section 44(i) of the Constitution.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, MONASH UNIVERSITY

Coalition win as ALP backs big stick laws on energy

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Oct-19

Labor has agreed to support the federal government’s bill to force energy companies to divest assets if they fail to reduce electricity prices. However, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says the policy shift is not a backdown, as the proposed legislation has been changed significantly since it was rejected by the previous parliament. The government has agreed to some concessions sought by Labor in return for supporting the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Labor climate policy put fear of God in people and alienated blue-collar base

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 7 : 15-Oct-19

Cathy O’Toole lost the Queensland seat of Herbert at the 18 May federal election; it was the only seat in central and north Queensland that Labor lost in a dismal performance in the state. O’Toole says Labor must rethink its climate change policy in the wake of the election loss, arguing that the policy had alienated Labor’s traditional blue-collar voter base. She has ruled out contesting the seat at the next election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS