POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Union laws facing Senate stumbling block

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Sep-18

The crossbenchers may determine the fate of the federal government’s Ensuring Integrity Bill, which will be put to the Senate on 19 September. Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick says the party may support the bill, although this would be conditional on certain amendments. Other independent senators are also still considering their stance on the bill, although Tim Storer has ruled out supporting it. He is particularly concerned about the provisions that allow union officials to be disqualified for misconduct, noting that the sanctions are tougher than those for company directors under the Corporations Act.

CORPORATES
CENTRE ALLIANCE, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Previously NEGative, Shorten attacked for reviving dead policy

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Sep-18

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has criticised Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for signalling that Labor could potentially implement a policy that is similar to the national ­energy guarantee if it wins the next federal election. Frydenberg says Shorten is merely playing politics with regard to energy policy and is not concerned about reducing electricity prices. The NEG included a carbon emissions reduction target of just 26 per cent, compared with Labor’s proposed target of 45 per cent. Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman says the Labor target is "ridiculous" and would destroy the economy.

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

Morrison bid to fast track union bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 17-Sep-18

The Federal Government will make a new push for the Senate to pass its Ensuring Integrity Bill, which was shelved earlier in 2018. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer has urged Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to support the bill, stressing that the proposed reforms are needed to protect workers and small businesses. Amongst other things, the bill would allow union officials to be disqualified for repeated breaches of civil law while it would become easier to deregister a union. The bill is supported by employer groups, but the ACTU has called for crossbenchers to vote against it.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Labor to prefer progress over blunt school report cards

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Original article by Rebecca Urban
The Australian – Page: 5 : 7-Sep-18

Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said on 6 September that Australia’s school system is in general a high-performing one, but that there was always room for improvement. Plibersek said that if Labor wins the next election that it will introduce an assessment system that focuses on progress rather than achievement, which was one of the main recommendations of the Gonski review into education excellence. Another recommendation that Labor plans to adopt is an increased focus in the curriculum on capabilities such as problem-solving and creativity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MELBOURNE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION, THE McKELL INSTITUTE, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY. MITCHELL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION POLICY

AGL warns of gas squeeze in Victoria

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: Online : 6-Sep-18

AGL Energy executive Richard Wrightson warned on 5 September that Victoria faces gas shortages in the 2020s, with Bass Strait reserves running out and coal-seam gas from Queensland becoming more expensive. He said he hoped potential shortages could be partly addressed by AGL’s proposed LNG import facility at Crib Point, which AGL hopes to make a final decision on in 2019. Commenting on Labor’s plans to cap gas prices, Wrightson says this could discourage investment.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

Shorten: extend Hayne probe

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 5-Sep-18

Labor leader Bill Shorten has called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to extend the banking royal commission’s current reporting deadline. The commission, which is headed by former High Court Judge Kenneth Hayne, is due to present an interim report in October, and to present its final report by 1 February 2019. Shorten, who was speaking on 4 September, says the victims of banking misconduct must be given more opportunity to have their grievances heard, and that as well as giving the commission more time, it should also travel to regional centres.

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

LNG import terminal remains a live option

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 5-Sep-18

Australian Industrial Energy CEO James Baulderstone says it still plans to make a final decision on its proposed LNG import terminal at Port Kembla by the end of 2018. Baulderstone believes LNG imports will still be competitive under federal Labor’s proposed gas measures. AIE’s LNG import project is expected to cost around $500 million. AGL, which is planning a similar project at Crib Point in Victoria, is not yet in a position to state how Labor’s proposals could impact on its project.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL ENERGY, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, HAYBERRY INVESTMENTS PTY LTD

Big gas buyers welcome Labor’s tough new stick on LNG exports

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 4-Sep-18

Opposition leader Bill Shorten said on 3 September that Labor would introduce a permanent gas export control trigger if it wins the next election. He said the trigger would be used if gas prices were getting too high, rather than just when shortages were being predicted. Saul Kavonic from Credit Suisse says such controls are a "blunt and ineffective tool" in terms of lowering gas prices, although Energy Users Association of Australia head Andrew Richards said Labor’s federal gas plan was "worth serious consideration".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ENERGY USERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

PM dumps big business tax cuts

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Aug-18

The Senate has voted against the Federal Government’s company tax cuts package, which would have progressively reduced the tax rate for businesses with turnover of more than $50m from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says tax cuts for larger companies will not be on the Coalition’s agenda for the next election. The government will instead look at options for bringing forward tax cuts for businesses with turnover of up to $50m that have already been legislated. An amendment to exclude the major banks from the proposed tax cuts was also rejected by the upper house.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CENTRE ALLIANCE, ONE NATION PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Labor win a housing game changer

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 23-Aug-18

Brett Gillespie of Ellerston Capital says financial markets are not giving much consideration to the possibility that Labor will win the next federal election. He notes that a Labor government would have a major impact on the property market, given that Labor proposes to restrict negative gearing to new homes. Gillespie adds that a Labor win would also have implications for the sharemarket and the broader economy.

CORPORATES
ELLERSTON CAPITAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, McGRATH LIMITED – ASX MEA, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR, FLETCHER BUILDING LIMITED – ASX FBU, ADELAIDE BRIGHTON LIMITED – ASX ABC, DULUXGROUP LIMITED – ASX DLX, GWA GROUP LIMITED – ASX GWA, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, GENWORTH MORTGAGE INSURANCE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX GMA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET