AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

L-NP in front again as Turnbull shows leadership

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Gary Morgan, Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 4-Apr-16

This week’s Morgan Poll lift in L-NP support (now L-NP 52.5% cf. ALP 47.5%) shows Turnbull has re-established the Federal Government as "better managers" by using the ABCC debate to link economic management to union corruption in the building and construction industry. The Federal Opposition has stated they will campaign at the Federal Election on increasing Federal funding including Health and Education (both State issues) from raising significant revenue from elimination of taxation minimisation. Last weekend Turnbull "cleverly" outmanoeuvred the States and Federal Opposition by neutralising health and education funding by offering State Premiers the right to raise their own State income tax – good policy but political suicide! In these difficult times, the only real solution is to cut Local, State and Federal Government spending.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

L-NP in front again as Turnbull shows leadership

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 4-Apr-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has risen by three per cent to 52.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 26-27 March and 2-3 April 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has risen by two per cent to 42 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 2.5 points to 106.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Business urges extreme COAG makeover

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 4-Apr-16

Australian Institute of Company Directors CEO John Brogden has called for greater co-operation between the federal and state governments. He has suggested major changes to the Council of Australian Governments, after a proposal by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for states to raise income tax revenue was rejected. Brodgen has suggested that an independent chair and secretariat could be put in charge of COAG in order to facilitate the reform process.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL COMMISSION OF AUDIT

‘We must live within our means’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Apr-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has signalled that the May 2016 Budget will not include significant government spending measures. He says Budget finances mean the Government cannot afford the expenditure on services such as health and education that was promised by the Australian Labor Party prior to the 2013 election. The Coalition announced an $A80m reduction in spending on health and education in May 2014.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, SKY NEWS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

TV licence fee cuts could fall short of networks’ hopes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 4-Apr-16

The Australian Government has not made a final decision on whether to include a reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees in the May 2016 Budget. The fees are currently set at 4.5 per cent of broadcasters’ revenue, and TV networks want them to be scrapped or reduced to just one per cent of revenue. Credit Suisse’s Fraser McLeish expects a progressive reduction in fees to about 2.5 per cent over several years. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield recently agreed that the licence fees are high compared with the networks’ overseas peers.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Turnbull wants to end federal funding of schools

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Apr-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has proposed radical changes in fiscal relations between the federal and state governments. He envisages ceding responsibility for public schools and the health system to the states in exchange for granting more fiscal powers to the states. He will unveil the details of his plan at a Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra on 1 April 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Labor leaves low wage to tribunal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Elizabeth Colman, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 4 : 1-Apr-16

The Australian Labor Party will not make a submission on the Fair Work Commission’s review of the minimum wage. Workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor says Labor has confidence in the wage review process and believes that it will consider factors such as the rising cost of living. The ACTU is seeking a $A30 per week increase in the minimum wage. Employer groups have proposed a much lower increase, citing factors such as the uncertain economic outlook and Australia’s high minimum wage compared with some countries.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, UNITED VOICE, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

States resist Turnbull offer to tax incomes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-Mar-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison will discuss fiscal matters at a meeting with their state counterparts on 1 April 2016. Turnbull will propose a new intergovernmental taxation arrangement. The proposal includes a cut of about two percentage points in income tax rates and the introduction of an income tax surcharge by states and territories to compensate for the negative effects of the income tax cut on their tax revenues. The states are divided in their opinions on the proposal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL COMMISSION OF AUDIT

Morrison declares open season on ASX

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 44 : 31-Mar-16

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison announced on 30 March 2016 that ASX Limited will no longer have a monopoly on clearing and settlement activities. Elmer Funke Kupper’s recent resignation as CEO of the stock exchange operator makes it ill-prepared for the coming changes. Morrison said no licences will be granted during a transition period. The ASX has therefore 18 months to prepare itself for a new regulatory regime.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, COUNCIL OF FINANCIAL REGULATORS, CONTANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, DEUTSCHE BOERSE, SOCIETE GENERALE SA, UNICREDIT SPA, CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE, INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE, SINGAPORE EXCHANGE LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, LONDON CLEARING HOUSE

Crossbenchers open to negotiate stricter IR laws

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Mar-16

Seven of the eight crossbench senators say they are willing to hold talks with the Australian Government regarding its proposed industrial relations reforms. The Government requires the support of at least six crossbenchers for its reforms to be passed by the upper house. Senator Glenn Lazarus has indicated that he will support the bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission provided its powers are broadened to cover other industries. Senator Jacqui Lambie is the only crossbencher to have ruled out negotiating with the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS