AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

University outrage at research cash cut

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Original article by Michael Koziol
The Age – Page: 1 : 13-Nov-18

Australia’s leading universities have criticised the federal government’s plans to redirect $134m from the Research Support Program to provide increased funding for regional universities. University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence says universities will have to reduce their research activities while many students will miss out places at the nation’s top universities. Monash University’s vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner has described the funding cuts as "unnecessary" and "reckless".

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, MONASH UNIVERSITY, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY

Canberra still to control overall overseas intake, says Morrison

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 13-Nov-18

The federal government will seek greater input from the states on the immigration rate, based on what they feel is their "carrying capacity" in terms of the infrastructure and services they can provide. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government will always be responsible for setting overall migrant numbers, and that it is not something it will be "contracting out" to the states. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has welcomed plans for the states to have more input on migrant numbers, saying it is "playing catch-up" on the infrastructure that is needed because of recent population growth.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Terrorism duo knew each other

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Original article by David Hurley, Keith Moor
Herald Sun – Page: 4 & 5 : 13-Nov-18

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victoria Police’s Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton say the Bourke Street rampage by Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was clearly a terrorist attack, rejecting claims by his family that he was mentally ill. Ashton has also warned that law enforcement agencies lack the resources to fully monitor the "hundreds" of Muslims in Australia who have been radicalised. Police have revealed that Shire Ali had links to other Islamic State supporters, including Khaled Sharrouf and Brighton siege perpetrator Yacqub Khayre.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA POLICE

Negative gearing changes would create distortions

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Original article by Ingrid Fuary-Wagner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 13-Nov-18

RiskWise CEO Doron Peleg contends that Labor’s proposed negative gearing reforms would create a two-tiered property market. Economist Stephen Koukoulas believes that concerns about Labor’s proposals are unwarranted, as any fall in house prices that might result will make it easier for first-home buyers to enter the market. Tyrone Hodge of JLL thinks the proposed changes could have a negative impact on housing supply.

CORPORATES
RISKWISE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, JONES LANG LASALLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

PM push for states to set migrant rate

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Nov-18

The federal government is understood to be planning major changes to immigration policy that would see the states and territories assume responsibility for determining permanent migrant numbers. Such a change would help address a major problem with current population policy, namely that while the states and territories are in charge of infrastructure issues like schools and roads, the federal government controls immigration, one of the major "levers" of population.

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

‘Blew up the government’: Malcolm Turnbull challenges plotters in defence of his government

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Original article by David Crowe
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 9-Nov-18

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has told a special edition of "Q&A" that he does not blame Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his downfall as Liberal leader. Turnbull named Peter Dutton, Tony Abbott and Mitch Fifield as being among the main "plotters" in the bid to oust him, while he said that Seven Network chairman Kerry Stokes had relayed a comment to him from News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch that "Malcolm’s got to go". Turnbull called on those who conspired against him to explain why "they blew up the government", while he endorsed claims that some MPs had been "bullied and intimidated" to vote against him.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Budget moves closer to surplus on back of RBA upgrade

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 8-Nov-18

The federal government’s May 2018 Budget papers had forecast average real GDP growth of 2.75 per cent in 2018-19, rising to three per cent in 2019-20. The Budget could potentially return to surplus earlier than projected if the government upwardly revises its GDP forecasts in line with the latest forecasts issued by the Reserve Bank. The government will update its forecasts in December. Peter Downes of Outlook Economics says a surplus is possible in 2018-19, depending on the outlook for commodity prices, the Australian dollar and profits in the mining sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, OUTLOOK ECONOMICS, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine talks to Stan Grant on "Matter Of Fact"

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Nov-18

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine joins Stan Grant’s panel on the ABC’s "Matter Of Fact" program and reveals some enlightening insights into what is driving Queensland electors. Levine says the next federal election will be fought on economic issues in Queensland, and she discusses the factors that prompted a large swing against the Liberal-National Party in the Longman by-election. She also notes that the L-NP could lose a number of marginal seats in Queensland at the next election, and adds that disillusionment with both the L-NP and Labor could see a rise in support for independents and minor parties.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Network CEOs strike back on power prices

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 7-Nov-18

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will meet with the CEOs of power retailers on 7 November, where he will give them until 1 January to begin reducing electricity prices. Meanwhile, the CEOs of electricity network operators argue that regulated network costs have been cut significantly. TransGrid CEO Paul Italiano says its costs now comprise only 3.4 per cent of the average household electricity bill in New South Wales. Electricity retailers in turn argue that network charges, renewable energy subsidies and wholesale tariffs are the major contributors to high electricity bills.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, TRANSGRID, AUSGRID PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ENDEAVOUR ENERGY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

PRRT changes may hold up oil and gas projects

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 7-Nov-18

Macquarie Group expects Woodside Petroleum to be affected the most by the federal government’s changes to the petroleum resource rent tax’s uplift rate. Meanwhile, Saul Kavonic of Credit Suisse warns that the review of the PRRT’s transfer pricing rules is a greater material risk to the value of existing LNG plants than the increase in the uplift rate, due to the potential for any changes to be retrospective. Macquarie has also cautioned that the transfer pricing review – which is slated to take 12-18 months – could result in delays to oil and gas projects and impact on the sector’s future earnings.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO