AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Crunch time as Coalition woos Hanson media vote

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jun-17

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party supports key elements of the Federal Government’s proposed media reforms, but it still opposes scrapping the "two-out-of-three rule". Labor’s caucus will decide its stance on the bill on 20 June 2017, ahead of debate in the Senate. The support of One Nation may be crucial to passage of the legislation in the upper house, and the party has suggested the alternative of a "three-out-of-four" rule.

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AUSTRALIAN ABALONE EXPORTS PTY LTD, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Work expense claims crackdown looms as ATO eyes rorts

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Jun-17

Richard Highfield, who provides guidance to the Australian Taxation Office on "revenue leakage" issues, suggests that tax deduction rorting could be costing the Federal Government up to $A1.2 billion per annum. He says that deductions on car expenses is the biggest cause of concern for the ATO and Treasury, while ATO commissioner Chris Jordan noted in April 2017 that excessive claims for work expenses is a bigger loss of revenue than tax evasion by multinationals. Taxpayers claimed $A21.8 billion in work-related deductions in 2014-15.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

PM queried Robb’s China role

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 16-Jun-17

Former Trade Minister Andrew Robb is said to have taken on a consulting role with Chinese firm Landbridge on 1 July 2016, the day before the federal election. With a recent television program having raised concerns over Chinese influence in Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce claimed that "questions" need to be asked about the timing of Robb’s appointment. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Robb had assured Martin Parkinson, the head of Turnbull’s department, that he had not breached any ministerial standards in taking on the role with Landbridge.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LANDBRIDGE GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRADE, AUSTRALIA CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Senate pushes union pay deal inquiry

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 16-Jun-17

The Senate will proceed with an inquiry into enterprise bargaining agreements struck by the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees Association and large retailers. The inquiry follows allegations that employers such as Coles and KFC had offered EBAs with lower penalty rates than the industry award. The inquiry’s scope to look into "any other related matters" will be restricted to penalty rates in the retail, hospitality and fast-food sectors. This is likely to exclude Cleanevent from the inquiry. Its controversial EBA was negotiated during the tenure of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at the Australian Workers’ Union.

CORPORATES
SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KFC, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CLEANEVENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ACTU

Adani coal bid clears native title hurdle

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 15-Jun-17

The Senate has passed amendments to the Native Title Act to overturn the Federal Court’s decision in the McGlade case. The court had ruled that an indigenous land use agreement would not be valid unless it was signed by every registered native title claimant, rather than just a majority of traditional owners. The McGlade ruling had major implications for Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine in Queensland. Some traditional owners oppose the project and intend to press ahead with legal action in a bid to stop it from proceeding.

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ADANI MINING PTY LTD, ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL NATIVE TITLE TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Lobby urges tighter curbs on LNG exports

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 15-Jun-17

Manufacturing Australia has warned that the Federal Government’s proposed LNG export controls are unlikely to have much impact on gas prices on the east coast. Its submission to the Government has backed the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, but it argues that the resources minister should be given greater power to intervene in the gas market. Meanwhile, Fereidun Fesharaki of FGE has forecast a sharp fall in the price of crude oil, which will in turn impact on LNG producers given than the LNG price is linked to the oil price.

CORPORATES
MANUFACTURING AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FACTS GLOBAL ENERGY GROUP OF COMPANIES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, INCITEC PIVOT LIMITED – ASX IPL, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD

Murdoch, Gordon in Ten deal

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann, Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 15-Jun-17

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says the Ten Network’s descent into voluntary administration has demonstrated the need for cross-media ownership reforms. Meanwhile, the struggling free-to-air broadcaster could potentially be privatised after shareholders Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon joined forces to develop a plan to refinance Ten. Their combined stake in Ten exceeds 22 per cent, but the joint venture arrangement does not breach media ownership or takeover laws.

CORPORATES
TEN REN TEA (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, CBS CORPORATION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Clean coal or bust for PM’s plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Jun-17

Business and industry leaders have called for bipartisan support in federal parliament for a clean energy target in order to provide certainty on energy policy and ensure that electricity remains affordable. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is likely to include clean coal as a low-emissions energy source in any CET, despite certain opposition from the Australian Labor Party and the Greens. The Coalition remains divided on the issue of a CET, but Treasurer Scott Morrison has downplayed suggestions that the issue could prompt a leadership spill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Crossbenchers threaten blockade on media bill

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Jun-17

The Australian Government requires the support of at least 10 Senate crossbenchers for its cross-media ownership reform bill, which will be introduced to Parliament in coming days. Gaining the support of the Nick Xenophon Team will be crucial, given that One Nation has reiterated its opposition to abolition of the "two-out-of-three" rule. The Australian Labor Party also opposes scrapping this rule, while the Greens’ Scott Ludlam has warned that the proposed reforms will reduce media diversity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

Coalition in revolt over climate fix

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-17

Coalition MPs met on 13 June 2017 to discuss the Finkel energy review’s proposal to introduce a clean energy target, with sources indicating that most government ministers a and MPs stated their opposition to the CET model outlined by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. There was widespread support in the partyroom for clean coal to be regarded as a low-emissions energy source, although this is likely to be opposed by the Australian Labor Party. Meanwhile, Labor has indicated that it will not support any move to allow the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in carbon capture and storage technology.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST