AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

As TPP clears the Senate, Morrison hails export boon

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 18-Oct-18

The Senate has voted 33-15 to pass a bill to ratify the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, after it gained the support of Labor and several cross-benchers. Unions had opposed the TPP, particularly the provisions with regard to labour market testing and investor-state dispute settlements, and Labor will seek to remove these clauses from the TPP if it wins the next election. Prime Minister Scott Morrison notes that economic modelling suggests that the TPP will increase Australia’s national income by about $15.6bn a year by 2030.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CENTRE ALLIANCE

Indon FTA on track despite Israel uproar

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 18-Oct-18

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has downplayed concerns that a proposed free-trade agreement with Indonesia may be jeopardised by any change in Australia’s policy on Israel. According to media reports, Foreign Minister Marise Payne has been warned by her Indonesian counterpart that the nations’ bilateral relations would be damaged if Australia relocated its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Farmers are concerned that Australia’s live cattle exports to Muslim countries could be affected.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, INDONESIA. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Nats leader’s warning as Joyce circles

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 18-Oct-18

There is growing speculation that the position of National Party leader Michael McCormack could be under threat, and some Nationals MPs are said to support restoring Barnaby Joyce to the role ahead of the next federal election. Joyce himself has emphasised that he has not lobbied his colleagues regarding a leadership spill, although he concedes that he would accept the party’s leadership if the opportunity arose. Nationals frontbenchers David Littleproud and Darren Chester both say a leadership spill is unlikely.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Howard in late bid to rescue Libs

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Oct-18

Former prime minister John Howard will campaign in the seat of Wentworth on behalf of Liberal candidate Dave Sharma. Malcolm Turnbull held the seat with a margin of 17 per cent, but Howard has warned that there is a high risk that the Liberals will lose Wentworth for the first time. He has also sent a letter to voters stressing that a Liberal win is necessary to ensure a stable government. Meanwhile, independent candidate Kerryn Phelps has condemned an email campaign in which it was alleged that she has withdrawn from the by-election after being diagnosed with HIV.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Phelps to trounce Liberals in key seat, party polling shows

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Original article by Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 17-Oct-18

Liberal Party candidate Dave Sharma seems set to lose the Wentworth by-election on 21 October, according to the party’s latest polling. It shows that independent candidate Kerryn Phelps leads Sharma 55-45 on a two-party-preferred basis. The Liberals’ previous polling in Wentworth showed that Sharma had a narrow lead over Phelps. Meanwhile, Phelps is under scrutiny for allegedly breaching electoral laws by making election-related social media posts without the required authorisation.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Morrison risks Jakarta’s ire on Israel

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 17-Oct-18

The federal government has attracted criticism in Indonesia after Prime Minister Scott Morrison signalled that it may be open to relocating Australia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, the issue is not expected to affected negotiations for an Australia-Indonesia free-trade agreement unless the embassy is actually moved. Arab diplomats in Australia have criticised the federal government’s lack of consultation, but Jewish groups have welcomed the change in the Coalition’s policy regarding Israel.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED NATIONS. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, INDONESIA. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA-ISRAEL AND JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY

Miners warn Labor over Indonesia FTA

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Original article by John Kehoe, Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 17-Oct-18

Australian mining companies argue that a proposed free-trade agreement with Indonesia must include an investor-state dispute settlement clause, given the Indonesian government’s recent policy of requiring resources projects to have majority ownership. The mining sector accounts for about one-third of Australia’s foreign direct investment in Indonesia. However, Labor opposes the federal government’s plans to include an ISDS clause in the FTA, a stance that is backed by unions.

CORPORATES
NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA BUSINESS COUNCIL LIMITED, FREEPORT-McMORAN COPPER AND GOLD INCORPORATED, CHURCHILL MINING PLC, PLANET MINING, AUSTRALIA. EXPORT FINANCE AND INSURANCE CORPORATION, INDONESIA-AUSTRALIA BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP GROUP, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED, WHITE INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Guthrie, Milne in sights of senators

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 3 : 17-Oct-18

The Senate will hold an inquiry into the recent leadership turmoil at the ABC, which led to the dismissal of MD Michelle Guthrie and the resignation of chairman Justin Milne. The terms of reference for the inquiry include investigating allegations of political interference at the ABC. The Greens will push for Guthrie, Milne and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield to appear before the inquiry, which is slated to report its findings in late March.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Barnaby’s coal plan powers up detractors

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: 5 : 16-Oct-18

National Party MP Keith Pitt has questioned the viability of the federal government’s Snowy Hydro expansion plan. He argues that investing in coal-fired power stations may be a better option if Snowy 2.0’s cost per megawatt hour is very high. The issue of energy policy has come under renewed scrutiny after former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce advocated coal-fired power in preference to Snowy 2.0. However, the University of Queensland’s Professor Tor Hundloe says pumped hydro is much more cost-effective than coal-fired power generation.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ALP looks to loosen reins on strike action

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Oct-18

Labor is understood to be planning changes to the Fair Work Act to make it easier for workers and unions to undertake sector-wide pay claims. However, to ease employers’ concerns over the prospect of allowing industry-wide industrial action, Labor is believed to be considering giving the Fair Work Commission more powers to stop or cease industrial action where a number of companies are being targeted. University of Adelaide law professor Andrew Stewart says it would seem reasonable to allow industry-wide bargaining in sectors where enterprise bargaining is not easy to access.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, ACTU