AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Media reform decision imminent

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 & 20 : 4-Dec-15

Communications Minister Mitch ­Fifield says technology has made Australia’s existing cross-media ownership laws redundant. He has also given indications that any reforms will include measures to ensure that local TV news services are retained in regional areas if merger rules are relaxed. The Coalition’s partyroom discussed abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three" rule on 2 December 2015, and the issue is also likely to be on the agenda at the final meeting of cabinet ministers for the year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PIN PAYMENTS, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD

Iron ore hit undermines budget

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Dec-15

The Australian Government’s May 2015 Budget was based on expectations that the spot price of iron ore price would average $A48 per tonne for the calendar year. However, its average price in the year to date has been less than $US47 per tonne, and ore with 62 per cent iron content delivered to China’s port of Qingdao recently fell to $US42.97 per tonne. The downturn in the iron ore price will affect revenue forecasts in the upcoming Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, as well as the Government’s timeframe for achieving a Budget surplus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ROY HILL IRON ORE PTY LTD

Labor’s 45pc emissions cut would need $200 carbon price

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 2-Dec-15

The Australian Government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030 under its Direct Action policy. In contrast, the Opposition has set a target of a 45 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. However, economist Warwick McKibbin has cautioned against placing too much emphasis on the use of international carbon permits to achieve these targets, as it is difficult to forecast the cost of such permits by 2030.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Turnbull to open way for media mergers

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 7 : 2-Dec-15

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has told a private meeting of Coalition MPs that he is keen to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". The Federal Government may formally reveal its position on cross-media ownership reforms before the end of 2015, although with Parliament about to rise for the summer break any such changes will be on hold until 2016. The Opposition supports scrapping the reach rule, although it has not yet declared its stance on the two-out-of-three rule.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Federal Voting Intention unchanged. L-NP (56%) cf. ALP (44%); Confidence in Turnbull Government up again – highest since March 2011

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 30-Nov-15

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 is unchanged at 56 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 21-22 and 28-29 November 2015, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has risen by 0.5 per cent to 46.5 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 2.5 points to 122 points. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that despite the issues of global warming and terrorism dominating the news headlines lately, Malcolm Turnbull’s most important task as Prime Minister is to ensure a growing Australian economy which provides gainful employment to as many Australians as possible. Ultimately it is job creation and sustainable economic growth in Australia which will decide the success or otherwise of Turnbull’s Prime Ministership.

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, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Retirees urged to sell homes

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 1-Dec-15

The Productivity Commission will release a report on housing and retirement on 1 December 2015. The commission will recommend releasing capital which is now frozen as equity in residential property. This money could be used as retirement income. Commissioner Karen Chester says Australians must change their attitude to property.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Fossil fuel phase-out dumped after revolt

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 1-Dec-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will not sign a global agreement to gradually eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. Opposition from mining companies and farmers was too strong for the Australian Government to ignore. The Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform Communique, which the Government was meant to sign on 30 November 2015, was opposed by these two sectors on the grounds that it would cost jobs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED

PM eyes carbon target lift

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Original article by Sid Maher, Graham Lloyd
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Nov-15

The Australian Government has ruled out using the United Nations summit on climate change in Paris to change its policy on reducing carbon emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030. However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has given indications that this target could be increased when it is reviewed in 2017, although he has described the current target as "reasonable" and "achievable". Australia has also committed to investing $A200m annually over five years to a Green Clim­ate Fund, which Turnbull says is appropriate given the size of its economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED NATIONS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, FRANCE. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING

Delay on rules for ownership

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 30-Nov-15

Cabinet ministers may discuss proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws in the week after Parliament rises for the summer break, but any reforms will now not proceed until February 2016. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield had hoped to put the reforms to cabinet before the end of the parliamentary year. Meanwhile, Nine Entertainment Company CEO Hugh Marks argues that TV broadcasting licence fees must be included in the reforms, which are centred on the "reach rule" and the "two-out of-three rule".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, BAUER MEDIA KG, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, COMCAST CORPORATION, SONY CORPORATION, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, VIACOM INCORPORATED

Victims earn paid leave from work

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Original article by Jessica Marszalek
The Courier-Mail – Page: 12 : 26-Nov-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says national domestic violence leave is being examined by the Productivity Commission in its review of the Fair Work Act. Turnbull is also open to considering an Australian Labor Party proposal for all workers to have access to five days of family violence leave. However, Small Business Minister Kelly O’Dwyer is concerned that such leave may deter employers from hiring women. The Queensland Government plans to offer 10 days of domestic violence leave to all public servants.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY