AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Senate’s warning to PM over rush to early election

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Jan-16

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been warned against calling an early election. Some Coalition politicians believe that a double-dissolution election would destabilise the Opposition. Rosemary Laing, the clerk of the Senate, fears that such a move would antagonise voters and weaken their support for the Coalition.

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

Clean up unions, shake up ties to Labor: Crean

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Original article by Troy Bramston, Elizabeth Colman
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Jan-16

Former ACTU president Simon Crean says the union movement must address the issue of corruption and criminal behaviour in its ranks, warning that government action will be taken if union fail to do so themselves. He has also urged the Australian Labor Party to review its structural relationship with unions, with reforms such as reducing the number of union delegates who attend Labor conferences. The former Labor leader is not convinced that deregistering the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union is appropriate, as it would affect members who have not been involved in corruption.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, BUILDERS’ LABOURERS’ FEDERATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

CFMEU will be spared delisting by the Turnbull government

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: Online : 7-Jan-16

The Australian Government has ruled out any move to deregister the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union, which boasts more than 100,000 members. The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption made a number of adverse findings about the union, but did not recommend deregistration due to the impact on members who have not engaged in corrupt activity. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the Government’s priority in tackling corruption in the construction industry is to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, BUILDERS’ LABOURERS’ FEDERATION, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Surcharge may have to rise for high earners

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 6-Jan-16

Private Healthcare Australia notes that the cost of private health insurance is now rising faster than growth in wages. This has resulted in many people being financially better off by paying the Medicare levy rather than taking out health insurance. Private Healthcare Australia has suggested that increasing the Medicare levy may be necessary to provide an incentive for people on high incomes to join a health insurance fund.

CORPORATES
PRIVATE HEALTHCARE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Case for reform is overwhelming

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Original article by
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 4-Jan-16

The Australian Government should pursue major reforms to the union movement in response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. While any such reforms will face resistance from unions and the Australian Labor Party, the report demonstrates the need for greater regulation of trade unions and for unions to be subject to the same governance standards as the corporate sector. Editorial.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, GROCON PROPERTY TRUST AUSTRALIA, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, ACTU

Households to drive the economy in 2016

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Original article by David Uren, David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Jan-16

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison says Australia’s economic growth remains strong, despite the revised forecasts for 2015-16 and 2016-17 in the recent mid-year Budget update. Morrison adds that household consumption is also strong, and stresses that government policies in 2016 will be aimed at strengthening consumer and business confidence in an election year. Bill Evans of Westpac has identified a further deterioration in the nation’s terms of trade as the largest risk to the economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Let market decide local content

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Original article by Dean Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 4-Jan-16

Abolishing the "reach rule" is on the Australian Government’s agenda in 2016, with general consensus that it is no longer relevant. The "two-out-of-three rule" may also be scrapped, and the issue of local content in regional areas has now become a key focus of the debate on cross-media ownership reform. Regional TV broadcasters have proposed that a minimum level of local content must be maintained if cross-media laws are abolished. However, the Government must avoid replacing existing media regulations with new ones that may prove to be equally onerous.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Business push to cut Sunday penalty rates

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Dec-15

Business leaders want Fair Work Commission (FWC) president Iain Ross to consider the Productivity Commission’s recommendations on penalty rates in his review of the system. However, labour unions will fight the proposal to bring Sunday penalty rates in some industries in line with those for working on Saturday. The Federal Government’s 2016 election platform will include some of the Productivity Commission’s recommendations, although it is not expected to endorse a proposal to split the functions of the FWC.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, UNITED VOICE, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

Business blasts IR blueprint

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Dec-15

Business leaders have criticised the Productivity Commission for failing to deal with the complexity of Australia’s workplace relations system. Scott Barklamb, executive director of the Australian Mines & Metals Association, said the commission was too cautious in its recommendations. Kate Carnell, the CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, described the report as "an opportunity lost". The commission has proposed reducing Sunday penalty rates in certain industries to the level of Saturday rates. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the issue will be determined by a Fair Work Commission review.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Innovation tax breaks could be rorted

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Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 21-Dec-15

The Treasury has downplayed concerns that the Australian Government’s proposed tax incentives for investing in business start-ups could be subject to abuse. Grattan Institute CEO John Daley recently warned that promoters of tax schemes will seek to capitalise on the measures in the Government’s innovation statement, but a Treasury spokesman says Australia boasts strong anti-avoidance laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, MELBOURNE ECONOMIC FORUM, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY