AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Fifield building support for reform

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Feb-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to be hoping to introduce cross-media ownership reforms to Parliament in March 2016, ahead of the Budget in May. Fifield has held meetings with the crossbench senators and is optimistic that they will support his push to scrap the "reach rule" and the " two-out-of-three rule". However, any reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees and changes to the anti-siphoning list for sports events are likely to be included in the Budget.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Government losing appetite for GST hike

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 5-Feb-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says a push to increase the GST will only proceed if it can be demonstrated to have positive economic effects, such as creating jobs and lifting productivity. Meanwhile, a growing number of Federal Government MPs and senators have reservations about increasing the GST. Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has vowed to vote against the Government on any bill to increase the tax, while MP Russell Broadbent says the Government has not presented a compelling case for a tax increase.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Don’t touch negative gearing, MPs warned

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 5-Feb-16

The Property Council of Australia stresses the importance of negative gearing for housing. It will argue in a submission to the joint standing committee on economics’ inquiry into tax deductibility that negative gearing should be retained in its current form. The Property Council has warned that it could mobilise negatively geared voters in marginal seats to persuade politicians to leave negative gearing unchanged.

CORPORATES
PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) increases support in South Australia while L-NP well in front in NSW and ALP holds solid lead in Victoria

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 3-Feb-16

An SMS Morgan Poll on State voting intention, which was carried out from 29 January to 1 February 2016, has found that support for South Australia’s L-NP Opposition has fallen by one per cent to 53 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Meanwhile, 20.5 per cent of the state’s electors support the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT), an increase of 2.5 per cent since early December 2015. In Victoria, support for the ALP Government on a two-party preferred basis is steady at 53.5 per cent, while Daniel Andrews’ rating as "Better Premier" has fallen by 1.5 per cent to 62.5 per cent. Support for the L-NP Government in New South Wales has fallen by one per cent to 59.5 per cent, and Mike Baird’s rating as "Better Premier" has eased 0.5 per cent to 72 per cent.

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

Bring back the ABCC: Cole

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 2-Feb-16

Legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission (ABCC) will be a priority for the Federal Government when Parliament resumes on 2 February 2016. Its reinstatement has been supported by Terence Cole, who headed the Royal Commission into the Building & Construction Industry in 2001. He argues that the ABCC’s crackdown on unlawful union conduct had resulted in cost savings of about $3.1bn a year by 2007. The ABCC was abolished by the Australian Labor Party in 2012.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Palmer tops list of political generosity

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Original article by Primrose Riordan, Edmund Tadros, Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 2-Feb-16

Mining magnate Clive Palmer donated almost $A10 million to his own Palmer United Party in 2014-15. Annual disclosure returns, released by the Australian Electoral Commission, show that Palmer was the largest political donor in 2015. The total amount of political donations fell significantly, with the Liberal Party of Australia recording a 40 per cent decline in receipts.

CORPORATES
MINERALOGY PTY LTD, PALMER UNITED PARTY, QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, COOLUM RESORT PTY LTD, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BRUNSWICK PROPERTY VENTURE PTY LTD, EVER BRIGHT GROUP PTY LTD, CORMACK FOUNDATION PTY LTD, PHILIP MORRIS (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, VISY INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PRATT HOLDINGS, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Labor cigs tax plan a ‘budget risk’

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

Professor Sinclair Davidson of RMIT University is among experts who have questioned the Federal Opposition’s proposal to fund services such as education via a sharp rise in the tax on tobacco products. He notes that fewer people are smoking, and he adds that raising the cost of cigarettes too much could reduce tax revenue as more people opt for illegal tobacco. Grattan Institute CEO John Daley has also expressed doubts that increasing tobacco excise would generate sufficient revenue to pay for services whose cost is rising faster than GDP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RMIT UNIVERSITY, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

GST pitch just in time for election

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 2-Feb-16

The Australian Government is believed to favour lifting the GST to 15 per cent without broadening the scope of the tax. However, it is said to be looking at postponing the release of its tax reform package until shortly before the 2016 election rather than timing it to coincide with the Budget in May. The Howard Government adopted a similar strategy in 1999, when it outlined plans to introduce the GST just before the election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWSPOLL, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Fifield eyes sports rights shake-up

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 1-Feb-16

The Australian Government’s anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts includes around 1,300 events. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to be open to reducing the number of events on the list as part of his proposed media reforms. However, Fifield is not expected to introduce a bill to change cross-media ownership laws before the leadership of the National Party is resolved. Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has given no indications as to when he intends to retire.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Reject corrupt union deals, bosses urged

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

The Federal Government will reintroduce legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission when Parliament resumes for 2016. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the proposed legislation will include a new building code that bars companies which secure illegal deals with unions from being awarded public contracts. Meanwhile, the Opposition will propose harsher financial penalties for companies that underpay staff or use sham contractual arrangements.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR