AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Labor accused of posturing on ICAC

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Original article by Chris Merritt, Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 4 : 1-Feb-18

The Federal Government has urged Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to provide more details on his proposal to establish a national anti-corruption commission. Attorney-General Christian Porter argues that amongst other things, Shorten should state whether such an agency would hold public hearings and would be able to examine how former Labor senator Sam Dastyari obtained security intelligence ­information. He adds that some state-based anti-corruption agencies have at times breached the rights of individuals.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

ALP eyes plan to set minimum wage increases

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Feb-18

The Federal Opposition’s workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor has indicated that a future Labor government could potentially mandate that the minimum wage be permanently fixed at a proportion of the median wage. He says this is among the options that will be considered, but employers’ groups warn that adopting a so-called "living wage" would reduce job opportunities for people on low wages and make small businesses less viable. The ACTU has suggested that a living wage should be set at 60 per cent of the median wage.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Journos face jail just for having information

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-Jan-18

The media industry has expressed concern about the potential implications of proposed foreign interference laws. Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance CEO Paul Murphy has told a parliamentary committee that journalists and news editors could potentially face criminal charges simply for receiving confidential information. Foxtel’s Bruce Meagher warned that the pay-TV group could be forced to discontinue channels that are owned by foreign governments, while Georgia-Kate Schubert of News Corp says it is uncertain as to whether the legislation would apply to digital giants such as Facebook and Google.

CORPORATES
MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AL JAZEERA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED

Shorten war on business

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 31-Jan-18

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has committed to establishing a national anti-corruption commission if Labor wins the next federal election. He has also signalled plans to either increase the minimum wage or replace it with a so-called "living wage". Meanwhile, business groups have expressed concern over Shorten’s proposal to rebalance enterprise bargaining laws in favour of workers. Private health insurance companies will also be targeted by Shorten, while he has ruled out supporting the Federal Government’s company tax cuts package.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Labor’s Fair Work plan insane

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-Jan-18

Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott has criticised the Federal Opposition’s proposal to give Fair Work Commission more power to arbitrate industrial disputes. He argues that the FWC is already dominated by former union officials and Labor supporters, adding that it would be "insanity" to give it more power. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says the FWC’s existing powers to intervene are sufficient.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU

Trade pact to deliver GDP boost

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 25-Jan-18

Independent modelling has concluded that Australia stands to gain more from the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership than if the US had agreed to join the trade bloc. The Peterson Institute for International Economics has estimated that Australia’s GDP could potentially grow by more than one per cent by 2030 as a result of the trade deal. The 11 nations participating in the TPP will officially sign off on the deal in March, and it must then be ratified by Federal Parliament.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, PETER G PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Trade win after Pacific deal sealed

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-Jan-18

Canada has agreed to become a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with the 11-nation regional trade pact expected to be formally signed in March. Australia’s Trade Minister Steve Ciobo says the majority of tariffs currently imposed by TPP member nations will be scrapped under the new trade deal. The future of the TPP has been in doubt since US President Donald Trump withdrew from it, while Canada’s participation has been uncertain.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

ALP’s Fair Work Commission power play

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-Jan-18

ACTU secretary Sally McManus has expressed support for the Federal Opposition’s proposal to give the Fair Work Commission more power to arbitrate industrial disputes. Labor’s workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor says that while the parties to a dispute should always seek to resolve it themselves, an alternative is needed when one party has not acted in good faith. However, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has warned against any changes to the Fair Work Act that would give unions more bargaining power.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Budget gets Trump bump

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Tom McIlroy, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jan-18

The Australian Government’s May 2018 Budget may take into account the impact of the Trump administration’s tax reforms when restating its forecasts for global economic growth. The mid-year update in December maintained Treasury’s current forecast of global economic growth of 3.5 per cent in 2018. However, Treasury may respond to the International Monetary Fund’s upgrade of its global growth forecasts by upwardly revising its own guidance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, RESMED INCORPORATED – ASX RMD

Trump tax cuts lift world economy

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 23-Jan-18

The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the global economy will grow by 3.9 per cent in 2018 and at a similar pace in 2019. The global economy grew by 3.7 per cent in 2017. The IMF has also used its latest world economic outlook report to upgrade its forecast for US economic growth in 2018 by 0.4 per cent, to 2.7 per cent, citing the likely impact of the Trump administration’s company tax reforms. Treasurer Scott Morrison says the IMF’s forecasts emphasise the need for Australia’s company tax rate to be reduced to ensure that the nation remains internationally competitive.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH