AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Hockey warns living standards could fall

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 4-Dec-14

Australia’s economic growth slowed to just 0.3 per cent in the September 2014 quarter, and by 2.7 per cent year-on-year. Economic growth contracted in all states except New South Wales. The national accounts also show that Australia has entered an "income recession", with real net disposable income contracting in the last two quarters. Treasurer Joe Hockey has urged opposition parties to support government policy in the Senate, warning that a decline in living standards is likely if reforms are not implemented

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

University package goes down

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 3-Dec-14

Australian Education Minister Christopher Pyne has been unsuccessful in his effort to sway sufficient numbers of senators to secure passage through the upper house of his higher education reforms. Compromise offers failed to avoid the defeat of the relevant bills by 33 votes to 31 on 2 December 2014. Of the minor party and independent senators, only Ricky Muir, John Madigan, David Leyonhjelm and Bob Day were in favour, while those against were Nick Xenophon, Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang. The Federal Government will now suffer a setback worth $A5bn to its goal of returning the Budget to surplus. The Universities Australia lobbying body also seems to have withdrawn its backing

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY, DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NICK XENOPHON GROUP, UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Abbott faces another Senate revolt over same-sex marriage bill

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Original article by Judith Ireland, Latika Bourke
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 6 : 2-Dec-14

A bill put forward by Liberal Democratic Party Senator David Leyonhjelm revises the Marriage Act to recognise same-sex, transgender and intersex unions. Leyonhjelm says that if proper debate is not permitted on the bill, he may follow newly-independent Senator Jacqui Lambie and vote against Australian Government legislation. Prime Minister Tony Abbott appears to have backed away from his election pledge to permit a Liberal Party conscience vote on same-sex marriage, to which he is opposed

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ALP would win a Federal Election – In Victoria the Federal L-NP vote is a lot further behind the ALP than outgoing Premier Denis Napthine received on Saturday

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 1-Dec-14

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has risen by two per cent to 46.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 22-23 and 29-30 November 2014, also shows that support for the Australian Labor Party has fallen by two per cent to 53.5 per cent. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the Federal Government must take action to implement its economic reforms if it wants to avoid being a one-term government like its Coalition counterpart in Victoria

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MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Hockey, Abbott split on GP fee

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Nov-14

The future of the Australian Government’s proposed $A7 Medicare co-payment remains uncertain. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is believed to want to abandon the controversial policy, although Treasurer Joe Hockey and Health Minister Peter Dutton are keen to pursue its implementation. Dutton has warned that Medicare must be sustainable. Senator Ian Macdonald is among the Coalition members who oppose the co-payment

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ASC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

SBS ad boost ‘will cost networks $198m’

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 2 : 19-Nov-14

The Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association has criticised the Federal Government’s plan to allow more advertising on SBS. The public broadcaster will be able to show 10 minutes of ads per hour during prime time if the reforms proceed. Mark Pejic of MediaCom estimates that this will boost SBS’s revenue by $A198.7m over five years, largely at the expense of the free-to-air commercial networks

CORPORATES
SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, MEDIACOM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS AUSTEREO PTY LTD, FOXTEL COMMERCIAL PRODUCTIONS, DISCOVERY CHANNEL, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, VIACOM AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Gulf too wide for RET deal, says Labor

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s refusal to compromise on its proposes changes to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has prompted the Opposition to abandon negotiations over the reforms. Shadow environment minister Mark Butler says the Australian Labor Party will not support the savage reduction in the RET that is being sought by the Government. Private sector investment in renewable energy has been put on hold for most of 2014 due to uncertainty about the future of the RET

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Turnbull tops leader vote

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 4-Nov-14

A national Fairfax/Ipsos poll shows that 24 per cent of voters prefer Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader, ahead of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop. The poll, which was carried out from 30 October to 1 November 2014, found that Turnbull is also the preferred Liberal leader for 48 per cent of Australian Labor Party supporters. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is the preferred Labor leader for 30 per cent of voters

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION

PM claws back from budget lows

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Nov-14

A national Fairfax/Ipsos poll has found that the Australian Labor Party has 51 per cent support on a two-party preferred basis, ahead of the Coalition with 49 per cent. However, the Coalition leads 42 per cent to 37 per cent on the primary vote, while the approval rating of Prime Minister Tony Abbott has increased by four per cent to 42 per cent. The poll, which was carried out from 30 October to 1 November 2014, also shows that Abbott’s rating as preferred prime minister is steady at 41 per cent

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Costello warns on GST change

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 29-Oct-14

The issue of the goods and services tax (GST) rate is again under scrutiny, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott renewing his push for tax reform. However, former treasurer Peter Costello believes that any change in the scope or rate of the GST should be conditional on the scrapping of other taxes, rather than merely being used to increase government revenue. Abbott says he will only proceed with changes to the GST if it is fully supported by the states

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