AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Deserter fuels Coalition chaos

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Original article by Simon Benson, Rosie Lewis, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Nov-18

The federal government will require the support of at least two crossbenchers to pass bills in the lower house after Victorian MP Julia Banks resigned from the Liberal Party to become an independent. Banks’ defection to the crossbench means the Coalition has just 73 seats in the House of Representatives. This could give Labor sufficient support to refer Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to the High Court over his eligibility to be in Parliament. The government in turn has questioned the eligibility of several Labor MPs. Banks has promised to support the government on issues of confidence and supply.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, CENTRE ALLIANCE

PM puts budget relief on fast track

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Nov-18

A federal election seems likely to be held on either 11 or 18 May, after the government announced that it will bring forward the 2019 Budget to 2 April. The government is also set to post the first Budget surplus since 2007-08 on the back of higher tax revenue. The Treasury has previously forecast a surplus of $2.2bn in 2019-20, following a deficit of $14.5bn in 2018-19. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen advocates greater action on Budget repair due to the downside risks to the global economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Boosted powers, travel ban plan to cut avoidance

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Original article by Emma Koehn
The Age – Page: 25 : 27-Nov-18

A recent Treasury discussion paper flagged measures aimed at those who avoid tax as part of a crackdown on the black economy. These include imposing overseas travel bans on persons with outstanding tax obligations, as well as giving the Australian Taxation Office the power to access telecommunications data and third-party information such as bank accounts. Submissions to Treasury concerning the discussion paper can be made until 21 December.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, BDO AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Do NEG deal with Labor

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Nov-18

Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop says the federal government risks the same fate of the Victorian Liberals at the state election unless it takes action on the issue of climate change. Bishop says the coalition should seek a bipartisan deal with Labor regarding the National Energy Guarantee, as this would provide certainty for the energy industry. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says climate change is a "very real and serious issue" that has the government’s attention.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Warning over integrity watchdog

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 27-Nov-18

The federal government agreed to support a Labor motion to establish a national integrity commission on 26 November, following a backdown by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The Coalition did not oppose the motion after MP Llew O’Brien signalled that he may be prepared to cross the floor. Meanwhile, Attorney-General Christian Porter has warned that as drafted, a crossbench bill to establish an anti-corruption commission could apply to federal public servants, including ABC and SBS journalists.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

ALP open to industry-wide enterprise bargaining

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 26-Nov-18

The ACTU wants a future federal Labor government to amend workplace laws so that workers can take strike action across entire industries. Currently, protected industrial action is only allowed during enterprise bargaining negotiations with a single employer. Labor’s industrial relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor claims that enterprise bargaining is not delivering decent outcomes for workers, suggesting that he is amenable to union calls for industry-wide bargaining. However, industry groups claim that such a move would spell "disaster" for the Australian economy.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

Early budget points to a May election

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Nov-18

The federal government is expected to deliver its 2019 Budget in late March or early April, rather than the traditional date of the second Tuesday in May. This would allow the government to lock in an election date in May and see out its full term in office. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reiterated his government’s commitment to returning the Budget to surplus in 2019-20, which suggests that a recent revenue windfall will be spent on election promises rather than further Budget repair measures.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Victorian rout a federal crisis

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-Nov-18

Moderates in the federal Liberal Party have urged the government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison to change its "hard-right" approach to issues such as climate change following the heavy loss suffered by the Liberals in the Victorian election. Up to six federal Coalition seats in and around Melbourne are considered vulnerable following the result. Victoria’s Labor government is on track to win 55 out of the 88 seats in the Lower House. Former premier Jeff Kennett has called on state Liberal president Michael Kroger to resign on the back of the result, which saw Labor achieve a six percentage point primary swing. A special SMS Morgan Poll on the eve of the election showed that Premier Daniel Andrews was set to be re-elected with an increased majority of the vote.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Strategy will shut four coal plants

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Original article by Matthew Denholm
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Nov-18

Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says Labor must explain how it will guarantee a reliable base-load power supply under its policy of a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030. She has warned that the policy could force four coal-fired power stations in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland to be shut down well before the 2030 target date, in addition to the Liddell plant in NSW. She adds that this would result in a big rise in electricity prices.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

ALP’s $2000 handout in battery plan

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Nov-18

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will announce key details of Labor’s energy policy on 22 November. Amongst other things, Labor will provide households with annual income of less than $180,000 with a rebate of up to $2,000 to install electricity storage batteries. Labor’s aim is for one million households to have storage batteries by 2025, as part of its commitment to a 50 per cent renewable energy target. Labor will also flag plans to implement the federal government’s national energy guarantee if it wins the next election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION