AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

New spy laws to hinder legitimate work of media

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 6-Feb-18

Attorney-General Christian Porter has conceded that some changes to proposed foreign interference laws may be needed to alleviate the concerns of the media industry. Robert Todd of law firm Ashurst has warned that the laws as presently drafted could potentially make a wide range of persons criminally liable for dealing with confidential information. He says the proposed laws provide very limited protection for journalists, while there would be almost no protection for other people, including social media users.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ASHURST AUSTRALIA, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Wage growth to pick up

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Original article by Laura Tingle, Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Feb-18

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison argues that a proposed across-the-board reduction in the company tax rate will boost wages and job security, noting that US companies have already begun increasing wages in the wake of the Trump administration’s tax reforms. He has called on businesses to promote the benefits of the proposed company tax cuts for the broader economy. Morrison has also indicated that financing personal income tax cuts via an increase in the goods and services tax will not be on the Coalition’s policy agenda for the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

News leaders unite to resist spy laws that could criminalise journalism

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 5-Feb-18

The media industry has expressed concern about the broader implications of the Federal Government’s foreign interference bill on freedom of the press. Paul Whittaker, the editor-in-chief of "The Australian", says journalists could breach the new offence of handling classified information simply by seeking to confirm the validity of a document they have received. "Herald Sun" editor Damon Johnston warns that the legislation could potentially be used by a future government to silence the media, while the ABC’s John Lyons argues that media companies already have sufficient procedures in place for handling confidential information.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Snowy 2.0 ideal option, says CEO

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Feb-18

Modelling conducted by Marsden Jacob Associates indicates that the Snowy 2.0 project will generate a return of eight per cent, according to Snowy Hydro CEO Paul Broad. The 2,000 megawatt pumped hydro project has been slated as costing up to $A4.5 billion. Broad also says MJA found that Snowy 2.0 was the "least cost" option in terms of providing secure and reliable electricity in the future, and that the federal government’s National Energy Guarantee only serves to strengthen the argument for the expansion of the Snowy hydro-electric scheme.

CORPORATES
SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED, MARSDEN JACOB ASSOCIATES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

Coal lobby our biggest spender

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Original article by Tom McIlroy, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Feb-18

The Liberal Party received $A95.1 million in political donations in 2016-17, according to the Australian Electoral Commission, while Labor received $A70.8 million. The Greens received $A16.3 million, and the National Party received $A12.2 million. ACA Low Emissions Technologies, a company founded by the Minerals Council of Australia, spent the most on political campaigning ($A3.6 million), while the Minerals Council of Australia itself spent $A1.3 million. Left-wing activist group GetUp! spent $A821,000 on political campaigns.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ACA LOW EMISSIONS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COAL ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE LEASING AND SALARY PACKAGING ASSOCIATION., THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX EGP, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, CORMACK FOUNDATION PTY LTD, PROGRESSIVE BUSINESS PTY LTD, UNITED VOICE, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, ERNST AND YOUNG, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Living-wage bid could be death of businesses

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 2-Feb-18

Scott Barklamb of the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry says small businesses in particular would face a big increase in wage costs if a future government adopted the ACTU’s proposal for a "living wage". The Federal Opposition has indicated that it may consider permanently setting the minimum wage at a proportion of the median wage, although it has not specified what this would be. The ACTU’s target for a living wage is 60 per cent of the median wage, and Workplace Minister Craig Laundy says implementing this target would force many businesses to close.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, THE WORLD BAR

Shorten faces factions showdown

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Original article by Troy Bramston, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 2-Feb-18

The Australian Labor Party faces the potential loss of the seat of Batman in Victoria following the resignation of David Feeney over dual citizenship concerns. Some Labor insiders believe that the Greens will win the by-election. Meanwhile, there are growing tensions between Labor’s left and right factions ahead of the party’s national conference in July. Frontbencher Mark Butler wants another term as national president, but he may face a challenge from the Transport Workers Union’s Tony Sheldon, who has argued that the role should not be open to members of the frontbench.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Spy law imperils journalists, ex-judge warns

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Feb-18

Transparency International Australia chairman and former Supreme Court of New South Wales judge Anthony Whealy has warned about the potential effects of the Federal Government’s proposed foreign interference laws. He says the new secrecy laws could be used to prosecute journalists if they receive classified ­information. Whealy has called for the Government to provide an exemption for journalists if they are acting in the public interest. The media industry has expressed similar concerns about the proposed laws.

CORPORATES
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CENTRE LIMITED

Cabinet of secrets revealed

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 1-Feb-18

The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the loss of confidential documents – including many that are classified as "top secret". The major breach in security was revealed after the documents were found in two ex-government filing cabinets that were sold to a second-hand furniture store in Canberra. The documents were obtained by the ABC, and include files from the National Security Committee of Cabinet.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

PM’s tax cut drive for companies, workers

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

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will use a speech on 1 February to push for broad-based tax reforms that provide tax cuts for individuals and companies. He will state that the Coalition will aim to deliver tax relief to middle-income earners while retaining its goal of returning the Budget to surplus in 2020-21. Turnbull has reiterated that company tax cuts will be at the top of the Coalition’s agenda when Parliament resumes, stressing that the issue has become more urgent in the wake of tax reforms in the US.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT