AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Shorten sets sights on safe-seat shift

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Apr-18

Changes to electoral boundaries in Victoria will result in about 40 per cent of voters in the seat of Maribyrnong being transferred to the newly-created seat of Fraser. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten holds Maribyrnong with a margin of 12.3 per cent, although this will be reduced to around 10 per cent following the changes. Shorten is said to be contemplating switching from his current electorate to Fraser, where Labor is expected to have a margin of around 20 per cent. This would allow Shorten to focus on campaigning nationally rather than in his own seat.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Hopes lift for pact on power

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Apr-18

The Federal Government will seek in-principle support for its proposed national energy guarantee at an upcoming meeting of the Council of Australian Governments’ energy council. The Australian Capital Territory’s Energy Minister Shane Rattenbury has indicated that he may be willing to support the NEG in return for some concessions from the federal government. Meanwhile, federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg has warned that failure to implement the NEG will result in higher electricity prices.

CORPORATES
COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

Bishop’s support for Syria airstrike

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 12-Apr-18

A US-led military strike on Syria seems increasingly likely in the wake of the gas attack that killed 60 people. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has indicated that Australia would support any military intervention by the US if it is "targeted, calibrated and proportionate". However, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says it is too soon to start talking about military action against Syria. UK Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron also support military action.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Budget blitz: PM signs off on key measures early

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Original article by Simon Benson, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Apr-18

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull still believes that he can win the next federal election, despite consistently underperforming in public opinion polls. He argues that polling is not always reliable, and notes that most polls suggest that the outcome of the next election will be very close. Meanwhile, senior government sources have indicated that Turnbull has endorsed the majority of policy initiatives in the May 2018 Budget, including personal income tax cuts. There had been dissent between Turnbull and his Cabinet colleagues regarding measures in the 2017 Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWSPOLL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Business hits at dismal IR reform moves

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 10-Apr-18

Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox noted the Federal Government’s lack of significant progress on industrial relations reform in 2015. He will use a Brisbane Club speech on 10 April to stress that little has changed in the last three years, particularly with regard to implementing the recommendations of a review of the IR system by the Productivity Commission. Willox will also caution against IR reforms that have been proposed by the ACTU, stating that they would result in the widespread industrial action of the 1960s and 1970s.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, BRISBANE CLUB, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, PATRICK CORPORATION LIMITED

This week’s YouGov Galaxy Newspoll is very different to the Newspoll when Tony Abbott was Prime Minister -Gary Morgan, Executive Chairman, Roy Morgan

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Apr-18

Although the media has managed to work itself into a ‘frenzy’ in recent days over the latest Newspoll – which was released this week showing the ALP in front of the L-NP again for the 30th straight week – the facts are that today’s ‘YouGov Galaxy Newspoll’ is conducted very differently to the original Newspoll which current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull used to oust former Prime Minister Tony Abbott less than three years ago. Today’s ‘YouGov Galaxy Newspoll’ are ‘robo-polls’ with recorded questions using Australian landlines, then these results are ‘topped-up’ with ‘online’ polling. Whereas the 30 Newspolls that spelled the end of Tony Abbott were conducted using traditional personal telephone polling. Galaxy Research was awarded the Newspoll contract in July 2015, and was bought by UK polling organisation YouGov in December 2017. YouGov is famous for calling Brexit for the ‘Remainers’ on Brexit polling day June 23, 2016. Remain 52% cf. Leave 48% – ironically the same result ‘YouGov Galaxy Newspoll’ says the ALP today leads the L-NP. To paraphrase a rather famous politician – ‘Fake News’. The latest Morgan Poll released last Friday shows the next Federal Election is ‘too close to call’ with the ALP on 51% cf. L-NP 49%. This week’s latest Newspoll results analysed by Poll Bludger are available to view here – memories are short – Newspoll under-estimated the Liberal vote in the recent South Australia election by 4%!

CORPORATES
NEWSPOLL, YOUGOV LIMITED, GALAXY RESEARCH PTY LTD, MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

NEG to help extend life of coal power

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Apr-18

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg believes that the federal government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee will encourage investment in existing coal-fired power stations, thus enabling them to remain operating longer than under alternative energy policies. He has tasked the Australian Energy Market Operator with conducting an audit of Australia’s newer coal-fired power stations, while pro-coal businessman Trevor St Baker is of the view that energy companies must obtain permission from the federal government before closing down any coal-fired power stations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, DELTA ELECTRICITY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, CHOW TAI FOOK ENTERPRISES LIMITED, AUSGRID PTY LTD

Federal Election still too close to call: ALP 51% cf. L-NP 49%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 9-Apr-18

The latest Morgan Poll shows Federal support for the ALP unchanged at 51%, narrowly ahead of the L-NP on 49% on a two-party preferred basis. The Morgan Poll was conducted over the weekends of March 24/25 and March 31/April 1, 2018 with 1,477 electors. Primary support for the L-NP is at 38.5%, down 1.5% from the previous fortnight and just ahead of the ALP on 37.5%, up 2%. Support for the Greens dropped 1% to 11% while support for One Nation dropped 0.5% to 3%. Support for Independents/ Others was up 1% to 10% with 6% of electors undecided. The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating is down 2.5pts to 103. Roy Morgan’s executive chairman Gary Morgan says that if an election were called today it would be too close to call, with the performance of the respective parties in the campaign the key to determining who would win.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Howard in warning on mega-union

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 6-Apr-18

Former prime minister John Howard says the Federal Government should press ahead with its Ensuring Integrity Bill, which would subject union mergers to a public interest test. The bill was recently shelved after it was not passed by Parliament prior to the formal completion of the merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. Howard is concerned that the merger will lead to an "ultra-­concentration" of union power. Chris Corrigan, the former CEO of stevedoring firm Patrick Corporation, has expressed similar concerns.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, PATRICK CORPORATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS

Alinta’s $1bn bid for coal power station

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Original article by Ben Packham, Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Apr-18

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison have urged AGL Energy to consider selling the Liddell power station, which is slated to close in 2022. Alinta Energy has advised that it is preparing to make an indicative offer of around $A1bn for the coal-fired power plant, and CEO Jeff Dimery is confident that his company can extend the ageing plant’s operational life at a significantly lower cost than AGL has estimated. AGL in turn has argued that it needs to retain Liddell as the site will be used to supply alternative sources of energy beyond the existing plant’s closure.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GENERATION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, CS ENERGY LIMITED, DELTA ELECTRICITY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHANDONG RUYI TECHNOLOGY GROUP COMPANY LIMITED