AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Sinodinos deserts PM, points to spill ‘next week’

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Feb-15

Treasurer Joe Hockey has refuted speculation that Prime Minister Tony Abbott will shortly face a leadership spill. His has come under further scrutiny after Senator Arthur Sinodinos told Sky News that his continued support for Abbott is "not unconditional". He also said that if Abbott is ousted his successor will need to adopt a "strategic" change in direction for the government. Several backbench MPs have openly criticised Abbott in recent weeks

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA

Abbott reels from Qld debacle

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Feb-15

A Fairfax Media/Ipsos poll shows that the Australian Labor Party now boasts 54 per cent support on a two-party preferred basis, compared with 46 per cent for the Coalition. The approval rating of Prime Minister Tony Abbott is nine points lower at just 29 per cent, while his rating as preferred prime minister has fallen to 34 per cent. Abbott’s future is under scrutiny in the wake of the poor performance of the Queensland Government in the state election, with some backbench MPs agitating for a leadership change

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FARINDO HOLDINGS (MAURITIUS) LIMITED, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Coalition lashed in car-industry states

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 2 : 30-Jan-15

Public opinion polls show that support for the Australian Government is falling in states that will be hard hit by the end of local car manufacturing. The South Australian federal seat of Boothby is comfortably held by the Liberal Party, but Newspoll shows a 10.1 per cent swing against the Federal Government in the electorate. Likewise, there has been a 9.9 per cent swing against the Government in the Liberal-held seat of Hindmarsh

CORPORATES
NEWSPOLL, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, MILLWARD BROWN AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Liberals give Abbott six months

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 30-Jan-15

Senior members of the Liberal Party of Australia are believed to have given Prime Minister Tony Abbott six months to repair his reputation among voters. If he fails, he may be replaced as the leader of the party, possibly by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. Abbott has recently made a series of mistakes that made him unpopular even within his own party

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Cat out of bag on Labor taxes: PM

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Jan-15

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Kate Carnell has proposed countering "bracket creep" by linking changes to income tax brackets to the inflation rate. This has also been suggested by Robert Carling of the Centre for Independent Studies. Meanwhile, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has not ruled out tax increases to reduce the Budget deficit if the Australian Labor Party wins the next federal election. His comments have been criticised by Prime Minister Tony Abbott

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Commonwealth legal services spending rises

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 23 : 16-Jan-15

New figures show that the Australian Government’s expenditure on legal services increased by around $A6m in 2013-14, to $A688.6m. There was a $A10m blowout in the cost of the Government’s in-house legal teams during the financial year, although there was a slight decline in the amount paid to private law firms. Clayton Utz accounted for about 11 per cent of the government legal work that was outsourced to private firms

CORPORATES
CLAYTON UTZ, ASHURST AUSTRALIA, DLA PIPER, MINTER ELLISON, SPARKE HELMORE, NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA, CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH, MADDOCKS LAWYERS, KING AND WOOD MALLESONS, AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SOLICITOR, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Jobs goal slips out of PM’s reach

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Jan-15

Approximately 11,700 jobs were created each month in the Australian Government’s first year in office. During the 2013 election campaign the Coalition committed to a five-year target of creating one million new jobs. The Government seems unlikely to achieve this goal, which would require some 18,000 new jobs to be created each month over the next four years. Economists are divided as to whether the job creation target can be achieved

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

China deal to deliver benefits faster than other FTAs

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Original article by Greg Earl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 12-Jan-15

The Australian Government has revealed that the free trade agreement (FTA) with China will result in tariffs on goods imported from China being abolished within four years. In contrast, the respective FTAs with Japan and South Korea do not abolish tariffs for seven years after the trade deals take effect. The Government believes that reducing tariffs on Chinese goods more quickly will benefit Australia, as it will in turn increase local manufacturers’ and service providers’ access to the Chinese market

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Old power stations drive blackout risk

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Jan-15

It is estimated that Australia’s National Energy Market has about 9,000 megawatts of electricity that is surplus to demand. However, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says the Federal Government does not intend to pay power companies to shut down older power stations, arguing that the issue needs to be addressed by the market. AGL Energy chairman Jeremy Maycock has previously raised concerns that power blackouts may become more frequent as companies are continuing to operate older power stations

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR

Easy entry for skilled foreigners

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Jan-15

The Australian Government may relax the visa requirements for skilled overseas workers who are hired on temporary contracts. The reforms would allow companies to recruit foreign workers on a "short-term mobility" visa rather than the existing 457 visa for skilled workers. Migration Solutions MD Mark Glazbrook supports the proposed reforms, but ACTU president Ged Kearney argues that hiring and training Australian workers should be the priority

CORPORATES
MIGRATION SOLUTIONS PTY LTD, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED