AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Small business faces $8bn holiday pay hit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Feb-19

Labor’s motion to disallow the Fair Work Amendment (Casual Loading Offset) Regulations is expected to be debated by the Senate on 2 April. The Coalition moved to clarify the status of casual workers via regulation in late 2018 in response to the WorkPac case, in which the Federal Court ruled that casual workers are entitled to annual leave in addition to a casual loading. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has urged parliament to reject the disallowance motion, warning that it would threaten the viability of many small businesses.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WORKPAC PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Raid leak designed to damage Shorten

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 14-Feb-19

David De Garis has told the Federal Court that he cannot recall if he told Michaelia Cash that he intended to give the media advance notice of police raids on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union. However, Cash’s former media adviser revealed that he had not acted alone, stating that he leaked details of the raids in partnership with Michael Tetlow, who was the media adviser to former justice minister Michael Keenan at the time.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Follow-up to bank probe

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe, Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Feb-19

Labor’s push to recall parliament for an additional two weeks in March seems unlikely to succeed after three crossbenchers signalled that they will oppose the motion. Meanwhile, the federal government has told banks and industry regulators that it will hold another inquiry in three years’ time to make sure that the misconduct exposed by the financial services royal commission is not being repeated. Labor in turn has proposed harsher penalties for misconduct in the sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN BANKING ASSOCIATION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Morrison ramps up border protection blitz

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 14-Feb-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed to repealing the medivac legislation if the Coalition wins the 2019 election and has sufficient numbers in parliament to do so. The federal government will strengthen its border protection policies – including re-opening the detention centre on Christmas Island – in the wake of its historic defeat over the medivac bill. Labor has downplayed concerns that the medivac legislation will prompt a new wave of asylum-seekers, stressing that it applies solely to refugees who are currently on Manus Island and Nauru.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE

Cash forced to explain union raids evidence

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan, Tessa Akerman
The Australian – Page: 4 : 13-Feb-19

Following police raids on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union in October 2017, Senator Michaelia Cash told a Senate estimates hearing that no member of her staff had prior knowledge of the raids. However, her former media adviser David De Garis has told the Federal Court that Ben Davis – who was Cash’s chief-of-staff at the time – had informed him of the raids several hours before they occurred. De Garis later resigned after admitting that he had leaked details of the raids to the media.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Katter hands PM a temporary reprieve

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis, Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 5 : 13-Feb-19

Financial Services Council CEO Sally Loane has cautioned against rushing legislation through parliament in response to the final report of the financial services royal commission. Meanwhile, independent MP Bob Katter has signalled that he will not support Labor’s push to recall parliament for an additional two weeks in March to implement some of the inquiry’s recommendations. He argues that the federal government should take action immediately. Katter has also described the royal commission’s recommendations as "worthless".

CORPORATES
FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Prime Minister Scott Morrison talks down threat to Coalition after loss in Parliament vote

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Brett Worthington
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 13-Feb-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out calling an early election after the House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to allow doctors to approve the transfer of asylum-seekers to Australia for medical treatment. The amendments to a federal government migration bill were passed 75-74 after being backed by Labor and the majority of crossbenchers. The government had released legal advice from Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue which suggested that the so-called medivac bill could be in breach of the ­Constitution.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNMENT SOLICITOR

Palmer’s New Year Advertising Blitz fails to attract voters – United Australia Party at 1%

roymorgansocial 1 Comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Feb-19

Clive Palmer has been ubiquitous on Australian screens – whether TV, mobile, tablet, or computer over the last few weeks, but the latest Roy Morgan Poll conducted with 1,673 electors over the last fortnight shows that Palmer’s 2019 advertising blitz has failed to convince Australians to give the former Fairfax MP another chance in Federal politics. Palmer’s newly rebranded United Australia Party (UAP) is attracting only 1% of the vote and trails fellow Queensland based party One Nation on 3% support. In total 29.5% of Australians are supporting minor parties and independents, but this figure is dominated by the Greens (12.5%) and Independents/Others (11.5%). The remaining 5.5% is spread between One Nation, UAP, Katter’s Australian Party, Australian Conservatives and the Christian Democratic Party. The ALP (36%) leads the L-NP (34.5%) on primary votes and the ALP enjoys a comfortable two-party preferred lead over the L-NP on the back of Greens preferences. Greens preferences traditionally flow to the ALP on a ratio of 80% cf. 20%. Roy Morgan has in-depth demographic and voting data for all 151 Australian electorates as Australians head toward a Federal Election due in three months’ time.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Iron and coal to deliver surprise budget bonanza

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Feb-19

Federal government revenue will be boosted by the recent rally in the prices of Australia’s key export commodities. The mid-year budget update had forecast that the iron ore price would average $US55 per tonne in the first half of 2019, but it is widely tipped to reach $US100/tonne in coming days. The price of coking coal also remains well above the budget update’s forecast. Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics expects the government to use the revenue gains to provide cash hand-outs in the April 2019 Budget.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Banks’ election risks rise

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Feb-19

Labor requires 76 votes in the lower house to force parliament to sit for an additional two weeks to legislate some of the Hayne royal commission’s recommendations. The support of crossbenchers may be crucial, and independent MP Bob Katter says he may be prepared to back Labor’s motion. This could potentially see the government abandon a deal struck with Katter regarding supply and confidence following the Wentworth by-election. Prime Minister Scott Morrison argues that there is insufficient time before the election to enact all of Hayne’s recommendations that will require legislation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY