ELECTIONS – AUSTRALIA

Budget risks in pensioner pork

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 25-Jan-19

Speculation that the federal government may give pensioners and families on low incomes a one-off cash payment prior to the election has prompted suggestions of ‘pork barrelling’. Some observers have likened it to the strategy of former prime minister John Howard ahead of the 2007 election, which he lost. Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics says a low jobless rate and a strong economy means such largesse is not necessary, while Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the government is now in election mode.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

PM’s cash splash for oldies

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 9 : 24-Jan-19

Sources within the federal government have indicated that it may offer pre-election sweeteners to age pensioners and families in the form of one-off cash payments. The potential measure is said to be aimed at ensuring that people who will not directly benefit from the government’s income tax cuts package are not disadvantaged. The first stage of the tax package took effect at the start of 2018-19, but Labor has committed to scrapping the second and third stages it wins the 2019 election.

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

PM’s Mundine pick sparks feud

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Jan-19

Grant Schultz has resigned from the Liberal Party after being disendorsed as its candidate for the New South Wales seat of Gilmore at the upcoming federal election. He has criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison for intervening in the pre-selection process, amid speculation that indigenous leader Warren Mundine will be selected as the Liberals’ candidate despite not yet being a member of the party. Schultz has flagged his intention to contest the seat as an independent. Mundine is a former national president of the Australian Labor Party.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Argus warns Shorten on silly class war

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 22-Jan-19

Former BHP chairman Don Argus says Labor leader Bill Shorten could divide the nation if he contests the 2019 election on the basis of class warfare. Argus adds that despite Shorten’s rhetoric, the majority of employers and workers recognise the need to work together. Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney and AustralianSuper chair Heather Ridout are among the other business leaders who have cautioned Shorten against engaging in populist politics.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX SGM, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

One Nation pulls Palmer preference lifeline

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Original article by Jamie Walker, Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Jan-19

Businessman Clive Palmer is targeting the marginal seat of Herbert in Queensland as he seeks a return to federal politics. Palmer was elected as MP for the seat of Fairfax in 2013 under what was then the Palmer United Party, but chose not to recontest the seat at the 2016 election. Palmer will seek election under the rebadged United Australia Party, but One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has said it will place the UAP last on its how-to-vote card in Herbert. Palmer’s collapsed Queensland Nickel company is said to owe $300 million, and Hanson says One Nation could not consider giving preferences to Palmer until he pays all his former workers their entitlements

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD

Dutton, Abbott top GetUp hit list

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Original article by Luke Griffiths
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Jan-19

GetUp has carried out an online poll in which respondents were asked to nominate three federal MPs who should be ousted from parliament at the next election due to their views on issues such as climate change and immigration. Peter Dutton attracted 22,028 votes, ahead of former prime minister Tony Abbott and George Christensen. Paul Oosting, the national director of GetUp, say the results of the poll will influence the activist group’s campaign strategy.

CORPORATES
GETUP LIMITED, EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION

MPs to monitor foreign interference threats

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Jan-19

James McGrath says the joint standing committee on electoral matters will continue with its efforts to ensure that Australia’s electoral system remains free from foreign interference. McGrath is the chairman of the committee, and he says there has been no evidence to date of such interference, but that the need to be vigilant on such matters remains important. He says cyber interference has the potential to undermine confidence in Australian democracy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL MATTERS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

GetUp’s $500k donation to change poll climate

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Dec-18

Activist group GetUp has received a $495,000 donation from the Sunrise Project, an Australia-based charity that campaigns for 100 per cent renewable energy. GetUp’s national director Paul Oosting says the donation will be used to finance its activities prior to the 2019 federal election, when it is expected to hand out how-to-vote cards for the Greens and Labor. Western Australian Liberal MP Ben Morton claims that the Sunrise Project is a "clearing house of political donations from others". Sunrise Project executive director John Hepburn denies that it is a clearing house for activist groups.

CORPORATES
GETUP LIMITED, SUNRISE PROJECT, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GREENPEACE, MINERAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

PM’s $9.2bn tax cut plan for election

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Original article by Ben Potter, Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Dec-18

Analysis of the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook suggests that the federal government may announce some $9.2bn worth of income tax cuts over four years prior to the 2019 election. The figures for ‘decisions taken but not yet announced’ also suggest that an additional $1.4bn may be set aside for spending that could potentially be directed toward marginal seats. To date, the government has announced policy measures worth around $16bn in total. However, economists have cautioned against committing to expenditure on the basis of revenue gains that may not be sustained.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

How to invest in the political maelstrom

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 15 & 22 : 18-Dec-18

Jason Steed of JP Morgan says a certain amount of sovereign risk has been priced into Australian sharemarket valuations ahead of the 2019 federal election. He notes that while there is some concern among investors about the prospecting of a Labor government, the Coalition has not very pro-business either. He adds that although the financial services sector in particular faces some headwinds in 2019, investors have already largely priced in the political and regulatory risks.

CORPORATES
JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL