ELECTIONS – AUSTRALIA

Union bid to torpedo China FTA

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 8-Jun-16

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Electrical Trades Union have launched an advertising campaign that aims to put free trade agreements on the election agenda. The trade deal with China is being targeted by the unions, which want the Australian Labor Party to reconsider its support for the deal if it wins the 2016 election. Meanwhile, Labor has indicated that it will seek to remove so-called "investor state dispute settlement" provisions from Australia’s trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, MIGRATION COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

PM picks Facebook to run final encounter

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jared Owens
The Australian – Page: 7 : 8-Jun-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed that he will participate in an online debate rather than the "people’s forum" in Brisbane that will be broadcast on Sky News on 8 June 2016. The online debate will be streamed live on Facebook and jointly moderated by the social media group and news.com.au. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will attend the people’s forum.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY NEWS, BRISBANE BRONCOS LEAGUES CLUB LIMITED

Labor plan would blow out deficit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Jun-16

The Australian Government’s proposal to progressively reduce the company tax rate to 25 per cent is a key element of its 10-year economic growth plan. The Opposition will release its own 10-year economic growth strategy on 8 June 2016, which is expected to include an increase in the Budget deficit over the next four years before a return to surplus within a decade. Labor will also announce policies such as welfare reforms and changes to the national broadband network.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ESSENTIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD

Vic Premier slams PM over firefighters

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Jun-16

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for politicising the dispute over a proposed enterprise bargaining agreement for the Country Fire Authority. Turnbull has promised to introduce changes to the Fair Work Act in response to the dispute, but Andrews has questioned whether he is fully informed of the Fair Work Commission’s recommendations concerning the EBA. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has ruled out any intervention, stressing that it is a state issue.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, VICTORIA. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Greens plan to break up big four banks

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joanna Mather, James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 3-Jun-16

Cross-selling of financial products by Australian banks may come under scrutiny after the 2016 federal election. The Australian Greens will push for the major banks to divest their wealth divisions, which provide products and services such as superannuation, financial advice and insurance. Vertical integration in the banking sector would also be examined by a royal commission into banks if the Australian Labor Party wins the election. The Australian Bankers’ Association has urged Labor to rule out supporting the Greens’ policy on vertical integration.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Super changes to hit 1.3m

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sally Rose, Phillip Coorey, Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Jun-16

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia has estimated that up to 1.26 million individuals will be affected by the superannuation tax reforms in the Federal Government’s May 2016 Budget. This equates to about nine per cent of super fund members, compared with the Government’s forecast of about four per cent. There is growing dissent within the Liberal Party regarding the proposed changes, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison have stressed that the reforms will be fully implemented if the Coalition wins the federal election.

CORPORATES
THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SUPERANNUATION TRUSTEES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ELSTON PARTNERS PTY LTD

Company levy ‘just 4.3pc of total take’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 6 : 1-Jun-16

Analysis by Deloitte Access Economics suggests that the Australian Government will collect some $A1.11trn in corporate tax revenue between 2016-17 and 2026-27. It is estimated that the Government’s proposed company tax cuts will account for no more than 4.3 per cent of this revenue, and just 0.8 per cent of the Government’s overall revenue during this period. Minerals Council of Australia CEO Brendan Pearson says the Deloitte figures demonstrate that the proposed tax cuts are justified.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MMG LIMITED – ASX MMG

Election now too close to call: ALP 51% cf. L-NP 49%. Minor Parties ‘won’ last night’s Leaders’ debate.

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 30-May-16

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 has risen by 1.5 per cent to 49 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 21-22 and 28-29 May 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has risen by one to 37.5 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen by 2.5 points to 102. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that support for the minor parties is at a massive 30 per cent (up 8.9 per cent from the 2013 Federal Election), and support for the minor parties will only rise after the uninspiring Leader’s debate. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did not explain how the unemployed and under-employed (18.1 per cent, or 2.322 million) will get jobs and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten gave no indication on how a Labor Government would create more private sector jobs by massive increases in public sector spending. However, Turnbull and Shorten still have time to present believable policies which tackle Australia’s booming "cash economy" and reduce real unemployment and under-employment.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

New ACCI head urges big workplace fix

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 31-May-16

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO James Pearson has called for action on the issue of industrial relations reform. He says ACCI surveys show that over-regulation and the compliance burden are key concerns for its members, and he has called for both sides of politics to put workplace reform on their policy agenda. Pearson also notes that debate on workplace reform is constantly stifled by unions’ claims that it will result in a return to WorkChoices-style workplace laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), ACTU, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CHEVRON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Labor’s decade of 49pc tax

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-May-16

The Australian Labor Party will retain the Budget deficit levy on high-income earners for at least 10 years if it wins the federal election. The levy was intended to be phased out in mid-2017, and Labor has previously flagged keeping it in place beyond this date for an unspecified period. Labor intends to retain the levy in order to finance its healthcare funding. The Australian Greens also support retaining the levy and would most likely back legislation to extend it beyond 2017.

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