AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Tasmanian MP joins call to rein in penalty rates

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Sep-15

Federal MP Andrew Nikolic says the Australian Government must engage in debate about the need for changes to the penalty rates regime. Nikolic notes that penalty rates is a politically sensitive issue, but argues that the current system is a disincentive for tourism and hospitality businesses in his Tasmanian seat of Bass to trade on weekends and public holidays. A number of his Coalition colleagues have also called for the issue to be reviewed.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, PIERRE’S CAFE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

TV networks split on reform

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 29-Sep-15

The issue of Australia’s cross-media ownership laws is again under scrutiny, with further dissent among major TV broadcasters. Nine Entertainment Company and Prime Media Group say they will support relaxing the rules governing sports broadcasts in return for changes to the ownership regime. However, Seven West Media and Ten Network oppose any move to reduce the number of sports on the anti-siphoning list. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield plans to review the list.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CROSBY TEXTOR RESEARCH STRATEGIES RESULTS PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD

PM calls back reform summit

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Sep-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has organised a summit with key representations of the business and community sectors to discuss economic reforms. The summit will be held on 1 October 2015, and will include Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox, ACTU secretary Dave Oliver, Business Council of Australia Jennifer Westacott and Australian Council for Social Services CEO Cassandra Goldie. Issues such as superannuation tax breaks are likely to be on the agenda.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR WOMEN, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN YOUTH AFFAIRS COALITION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SYDNEY INSTITUTE

Coalition looks to insurance rebate tweak

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Sep-15

The Australian Government may consider changes to the private health insurance rebate. Health Minister Sussan Ley says feedback from consumers shows that the introduction of means-testing for the rebate has resulted in higher out-of-pocket costs and forced some consumers to downgrade their insurance coverage. Income-based means-testing for the 30 per cent rebate was introduced by the former Australian Labor Party government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA

Frydenberg makes fresh pitch for IR reform

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 28-Sep-15

Australia’s Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg has weighed into the debate on industrial relations reform, arguing that weekend penalty rates cost jobs. He notes that the penalty rates system results in significantly increased costs in the resources sector. Frydenberg has also called for the reinstatement of the Australian Building & Construction Commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

TPP deal is imminent, says Robb

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Original article by John Kehoe, Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 28-Sep-15

Australia’s Trade Minister Andrew Robb is confident that an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be secured shortly. Negotiations on the trade agreement will resume in the US on 30 September 2015, after talks stalled in July. Robb is hopeful that a number of outstanding issues concerning the trade deal can be resolved. Some 12 nations will join the TPP if a final agrement is reached.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES)

Media laws, sports rights shake-up

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 31 : 28-Sep-15

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says changes to cross-media laws are inevitable, arguing that they are outdated. He has also indicated that reforms may be pursued without the agreement of all media industry players, noting that full consensus may be difficult to achieve. Fifield says he is also open to reassessing the list of sporting events that must first be offered to free-to-air TV networks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD

7-Eleven franchisees chose own pay rates

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Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert, Mikaela Day
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 25-Sep-15

Key executives of 7-Eleven Stores appeared before a Senate hearing on 24 September 2015. CEO Warren Wilmot revealed that until a few years ago franchisees had been able to pay staff what they deemed appropriate without reference to the minimum wage. He stressed that this system is no longer in place. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven executive Natalie Dalbo said there has been a 16 per cent increase in the wages paid to employees of 536 stores that use the group’s centralised payroll system since a media expose on the wage scandal.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

Workplace reform ‘must be a priority’

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Original article by Andrew White, Kylar Loussikian
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-Sep-15

Washington H Soul Pattinson’s executive chairman Robert Millner has urged the Australian Government to pursue workplace reforms. He has identified the penalty rates system and high labour costs in the manufacturing sector as key issues that need to be addressed. Millner has also criticised the number of rostered days off in sectors such as manufacturing, as well the high level of leave entitlements for construction workers.

CORPORATES
WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON AND COMPANY LIMITED – ASX SOL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Shorten may reappear at commission

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 25-Sep-15

The activities of the Australian Workers’ Union will come under further scrutiny by the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption. Royal commissioner Dyson Heydon has indicated that Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten – a former national secretary of the AWU – will not be required to appear before the inquiry again at this stage, but he has not ruled out asking Shorten to do so if this is deemed necessary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, THIESS JOHN HOLLAND, ACI GLASS PACKAGING, DOWNER EDI LIMITED – ASX DOW, UNIBUILT, CLEANEVENT, WINSLOW CONSTRUCTORS PTY LTD, CHIQUITA MUSHROOMS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA