GOVERNMENT SPENDING POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Labor blow to economy after GFC

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Dec-16

Economist Tony Makin has concluded that the $A100bn fiscal stimulus package of former prime minister Kevin Rudd was in fact detrimental to the economy. Makin has reviewed the stimulus program on behalf of the Treasury, and noted that apart from wasting taxpayers’ funds on unnecessary expenditure, it hurt the local manufacturing industry. Makin also refutes suggestions that fiscal stimulus helped to protect the domestic economy from the full impact of the global financial crisis, arguing that factors such as a falling Australian dollar, low interest rates and demand for commodities played a greater role.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Parties split over Adani coal loan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 6-Dec-16

The Carmichael coal and rail project had received initial approval from the Queensland and Federal Governments, but the funding for the project has not yet been arranged. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has requested the Federal Government to provide Adani with a loan of up to $A1 billion from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund. The Australian Labor Party says the private project should not be subsidised with public funds.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF MINES AND ENERGY

OECD urges interest rate hikes in 2017

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Nov-16

The OECD states in its latest global economic outlook that the Reserve Bank of Australia is likely to begin increasing official interest rates in late 2017. It also argues that the prospect of rate rises in the US will allow the RBA to act without any concern about putting upward pressure on the Australian dollar. Meanwhile, the OECD forecasts that Australia’s economic growth will rise toward three per cent in 2018, while it concludes that there is still scope for the Federal Government to increase spending on infrastructure projects.

CORPORATES
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Natural disasters a threat to billions of dollars of GDP

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 8-Nov-16

The Federal Government has been urged to spend more money on mitigating the risks associated with natural disasters. SGS Economics & Planning and Insurance Australia Group estimate that 11 per cent of national GDP is at risk of being affected by bushfires, while cyclones pose a threat to 20 per cent of GDP. Disaster relief dominates in government spending on natural disasters, while only three per cent is spent on mitigation.

CORPORATES
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, SGS ECONOMICS AND PLANNING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

ABS threat to axe IR dispute data

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 3 : 14-Oct-16

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) may be unable to collect information on industrial disputes because of budget constraints. Chief statistician David Kalisch said other services that are vulnerable to cuts include retail trade, housing and lending finance reports. Their monthly frequency is under threat. The ABS could also reduce the number of reports on Australia’s global trade.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Taxpayer funds hold up economy, families ease back

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Sep-16

The latest national accounts data shows that the Australian economic expanded by 3.3 per cent in the year to June 2016. It is now 25 years since the last recession in Australia, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has attributed the almost unprecedented period of economic growth to factors such as the nation’s commitment to free trade and economic reform. However, growth in household spending slowed to just 0.4 per cent in the June quarter, while growth in household incomes is also subdued. A sharp rise in government spending contributed to GDP growth in 2015-16.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, EAST ASIA SUMMIT

Government faces delay on ‘urgent’ cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Aug-16

The Australian Government will introduce 26 separate bills to Parliament in coming days, although its "omnibus" and superanuation reform bills will be delayed. The Australian Labor Party was not given a copy of the omnibus bill at its caucus meeting on 29 August 2016, while some Labor MPs oppose several of the proposed measures to reduce government spending. Meanwhile, the Government is yet to reach consensus within its own ranks regarding the lifetime cap on non-concessional super contributions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Labor: pass our budget cuts too

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Aug-16

The Australian Government’s $A6.5bn spending cuts will be presented to Parliament in a single bill. The Australian Labor Party has yet to decide its position on several of the 21 measures in the "omnibus" bill, but Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says that if the Government wants Labor’s support for its spending cuts it should in turn vote in favour of the $A8.1bn worth of cuts that Labor has proposed. Meanwhile, the proposed lifetime cap on non-concessional superannuation contributions will be increased to $A750,000 after Treasurer Scott Morrison reached a compromise with Coalition MPs, although it will still be backdated to 2007.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Coalition cuts add $221bn to budget

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Aug-16

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has indicated that the Budget bottom line will be boosted by $A26bn over the next four years, due to spending cuts that have been made since the Coalition took office in 2013. The Coalition also estimates that spending cuts could potentially bolster the Budget by about $A221bn over the next decade or so. Cormann has also urged the Australian Labor Party to support some $A6.5bn worth of spending cuts that it did not oppose during the 2016 election campaign.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Shorten kills hope of deal on budget savings

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 18-Aug-16

The Opposition has signalled that it will not support all of the Federal Government’s proposed $A6bn worth of cost-saving measures, despite backing most of the reforms during the 2016 election campaign. A proposed $A1bn reduction in funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in particular is likely to be opposed by the Australian Labor Party, which is also likely to vote down a plan to progressively reduce the corporate tax rate to 25 per cent. The Government plans to introduce a so-called "omnibus" bill containing 21 separate Budget-repair measures.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY