POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Shorten hit on fat cat employers

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Original article by Ben Packham, Greg Brown, Jessica Cortis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Mar-19

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says Labor could legislative to mandate that the Fair Work Commission must take into account the needs of low-income workers when setting the minimum wage. He argues that the methodology for determining the minimum wage has not changed since the 1980s. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox rejects suggestions that the FWC does not give sufficient weight to the needs of low-paid workers, noting that the last two increases in the minimum wage were well above the inflation rate and average wage movements.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Labor fully committed to Hayne

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Mar-19

Shadow financial services minister Clare O’Neil will use a Committee for Sydney speech on 12 March to reveal that Labor will reject only one recommendation in the Hayne royal commission’s final report if it wins the upcoming federal election. Labor has joined the Coalition in opposing the proposal to shift the cost of mortgage brokers’ fees from lenders to borrowers. Labor has previously only expressed in-principle support for many of Kenneth Hayne’s recommendations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COMMITTEE FOR SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Coal war: Joyce sparks showdown with Libs

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Mar-19

National Party leader Michael McCormack has downplayed concerns about a potential leadership challenge amid growing tensions within the Coalition regarding energy policy. Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has raised the prospect of ending the alliance with the Liberal Party after Prime Minister Scott Morrison ruled out federal government funding for new coal-fired power stations in Queensland. McCormack has rejected suggestions of a "coal war" within the Coalition.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Industrial umpire fair game for Labor wage push

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: Online : 11-Mar-19

Opposition finance spokesman Jim Chalmers says Labor would "encourage" the Fair Work Commission to deliver a living wage for workers if it wins the next election. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann claims that Labor is guilty of falsehoods when it contends pushing up wages through the FWC would not lead to higher unemployment. The FWC is required by law to take into account various criteria when making its yearly minimum wage decisions; Labor has refused to state whether it would enact legislation to change this criteria, fearing an outcry from business.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, MINERAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Labor, ACTU hose down wage fears

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Mar-19

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has committed to ensuring that the minimum wage is increased to become a living wage if Labor wins the federal election. Shorten and ACTU secretary Sally McManus have both expressed support for the Fair Work Commission continuing to have responsibility for setting a living wage, as well as the timeframe for transitioning from the minimum wage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison contends that economic growth rather than increased taxes is the best way to lift wages.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PM says it’s enterprise versus envy

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Mar-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will tell a business summit on 5 March that the differences on economic policy between the Coalition and Labor are the greatest they have been for over 40 years. Morrison will also announce a $328 million commitment for programs aimed at preventing domestic violence and support for victims. Morrison will also tell the summit that the 2019 federal election presents a choice between "enterprise and envy".

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

BCA has had a gutful of politics

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Feb-19

Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott has urged both sides of federal politics to cease their attacks on the business sector and focus on policies to stimulate the economy and wages. She is particularly critical of the government’s proposal to force energy companies to divest assets if they fail to reduce electricity prices, arguing that it will deter investment in Australia and will doing little to provide price relief. Westacott has also criticised Labor’s proposed banking industry reforms in response to the Hayne royal commission.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Shipping victims win huge payouts

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 28-Feb-19

Teekay Shipping has confirmed that it has retrenched the last crewmembers of two bulk carriers that had been chartered to ship iron ore from BHP’s mines in the Pilbara to BlueScope’s Port Kembla steelworks. Teekay is believed to have paid 51 workers more than $9m in redundancy payments on 7 February, with each worker receiving an average of $176,000. The ships were the last two iron ore vessels operating in Australian waters that were manned by local crews. Labor has flagged plans to re-regulate the shipping industry to protect local jobs.

CORPORATES
TEEKAY SHIPPING CORPORATION, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE AND POWER ENGINEERS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Morrison slams Labor’s proposal for bank tax

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Original article by James Frost, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Feb-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Labor’s plan to impose a new levy on banks raises the question of what sector it will target next, while Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson says it should not apply to smaller banks as it will affect their competitiveness. Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody has welcomed Labor’s plan to use some of the proceeds from the levy to finance additional financial counsellors but argues that it should be broadened to include sectors such as telcos and utilities. Labor’s tax is slated to raise $640m over four years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CONSUMER ACTION LAW CENTRE, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 100 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Labor plans to slug banks $640m to pay for fairness fund

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Feb-19

Labor proposes to establish a Financial Rights Fund if it wins the 2019 federal election, which will assist victims of misconduct in the financial services sector. The so-called ‘fairness’ fund will be financed via a new levy on Australia’s largest financial institutions, and is slated to raise $160m annually over four years. This is in addition to the federal government’s bank levy. Amongst other things, Labor’s levy would be used to provide consumers with free financial counselling and significantly increase the number of government-funded financial counsellors.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET