AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Ciobo to chase Hong Kong FTA

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Apr-17

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo says Australian services industries in particular would benefit from a proposed free trade agreement with Hong Kong. An FTA with Hong Kong is expected to focus on services industries such as finance and education. Ciobo notes that Asia’s middle-class is forecast to increase from 600 million people to three billion by 2035. Two-way trade in goods and services between Australia and Hong Kong totalled $A15.3bn in 2015-16.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Government may step in, PM warns gas sector

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 20-Apr-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull held further talks with energy industry CEOs on 19 April 2017, as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to resolve the gas crisis. However, the energy groups’ failure to offer new strategies to increase domestic gas supplies prompted Turnbull to raise the prospect of more government intervention in the sector. The Government has also asked the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission to use its inquiry powers to investigate the domestic gas market over the next three years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

PM toughens citizenship test

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Apr-17

The Federal Government will impose stricter rules for foreigners seeking to become Australian citizens, as part of sweeping changes to immigration and visa rules. Amongst other things, people applying for citizenship will have to demonstrate adherence with "Australian values", while they will be subject to stricter criminal background checks and have better English-language skills than required at present. People will also not be eligible for citizenship unless they have resided in Australia for a minimum of four years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Sport betting ads to be banned ‘siren to siren’

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Apr-17

The Coalition of Major Professional & Participation Sports’ executive director Malcolm Speed has warned that a proposed ban on gambling advertisements during live sports broadcasts could affect the value of media rights deals. He adds that restrictions are already in place and further regulation will ultimately affect funding for sports at "grassroots" level. Federal Cabinet ministers are expected to approve the ban in late April 2017. Senator Nick Xenophon says the new regulations should be accompanied by a reduction in broadcasting licence fees.

CORPORATES
COALITION OF MAJOR PROFESSIONAL AND PARTICIPATION SPORTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SPORTSBET AUSTRALIA, CROWNBET PTY LTD

Santos warns ‘hot air’ inflating gas debate

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 19-Apr-17

Executives from LNG producers will meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 19 April 2017. Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher has cautioned against government intervention to address the gas crisis on the east coast, arguing that it is not the role of governments to "pick winners and losers". He adds that lack of sufficient development of gas resources is the main cause of the crisis. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten believes that the government should step in to resolve the crisis, saying domestic gas users should be prioritised over export customers.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, QUEENSLAND CURTIS LNG PTY LTD

Students face higher ed budget cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 19-Apr-17

The Australian Government’s May 2017 Budget could include new measures that target university students and graduates. Stalled measures in the 2014 Budget are tipped to be abandoned, prompting speculation that the Government will seek to offset the failed $A7bn worth of spending cuts. These could potentially include an increase in students’ fees and a reduction in the income threshold for the repayment of HECS-HELP debts. At present, graduates must begin repaying their student debt when their annual income reaches $A54,869.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Business to pay as 457 visas axed

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Original article by Simon Benson, Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Apr-17

People who are currently in Australia on 457 skilled visas will not be affected by the Federal Government’s move to replace them with two new types of temporary foreign worker visas that are subject to stricter criteria. The May 2017 Budget is expected to include a new foreign worker tax, which will be paid into a fund that will provide training for Australians in sectors that are experiencing a skills shortage. There has been a mixed response to the reforms within the business sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), ACTU, ONE NATION PARTY, ATLASSIAN CORPORATION PLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Ombudsman calls for tough work penalties

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 21 : 13-Apr-17

Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James addressed a Senate inquiry on 12 April 2017. She conceded that the FWO has limited capacity to combat employers who deliberately ignore workplace laws because they feel that the potential financial penalties for underpaying staff are sufficiently low to make non-compliance worth the risk. James warned that employers will continue to exploit vulnerable workers unless the sanctions for non-compliance are sufficiently increased to provide a genuine deterrent. The inquiry is examining proposed changes to the Fair Work Act.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. SENATE EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION COMMITEE, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX

Turnbull to face clash on housing

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Original article by Simon Benson, David Uren, Rachel Baxendale, David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Apr-17

A number of federal cabinet ministers and backbenchers support a proposal to allow first-home buyers to access their superannuation. They will lobby Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to consider adopting the initiative as part of the May 2017 Budget’s policy on housing affordability. However, Turnbull has reiterated his view that super should be solely used to provide an income stream in retirement. Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics has expressed a similar opinion.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Turnbull turns up heat on Shorten over Adani loan

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Apr-17

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten still opposes granting Adani a concessional loan from the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility to build a rail line associated with its Carmichael coal project. He notes that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull indicated in 2016 that the project would not receive financial support from taxpayers. Resources Minister Matt Canavan has also criticised Labor counterpart Jason Clare for claiming that Adani would have exclusive access to the rail line. Canavan says that several other coal miners would benefit from the rail line.

CORPORATES
ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, GVK INDUSTRIES LIMITED, WARATAH COAL PTY LTD, MACMINES AUSTASIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA