POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

ALP’s $200 power bill shock

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Oct-17

Labor has stated that it will seek to have 50 per cent of electricity produced from renewable sources by 2030. It will also seek to reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent. However, modelling by the Climate Change Authority has concluded that achieving its 50 per cent target would increase the average household’s power bill by $A200 a year, as well as requiring 17,000 megawatts of coal-fired power generation to be taken out of the National Electricity Market. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has claimed Labor is trying to conceal the cost of its energy policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Labor vows crackdown on sham collective wage deals

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 20 : 20-Oct-17

Shadow employment minister Brendan O’Connor says the Australian Labor Party will take action to prohibit the use of "no-stake" enterprise agreements if it wins the next federal election. Labor will target companies that get a small number of employees to vote in favour of an enterprise agreement and then apply it to their general workforce, including those at other work sites. Mr O’Connor says Labor will also pursue reforms to allow employees and unions to renegotiate sham enteprise agreements via the Fair Work Commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR ADVISORY COUNCIL, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERIES

Labor open to a deal on energy

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 19-Oct-17

The Australian Government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee will require the support of the federal Opposition and the Labor-led state governments. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says federal Labor is willing to consider the energy plan when the Government provides more detail regarding the policy. Some business leaders have expressed support for the National Energy Guarantee, while Origin Energy has indicated that its Eraring coal-fired power station could potentially keep operating if the policy is implemented.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

Labor vows to end pay-slashing ‘sham’ deals

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 18-Oct-17

Labor intends to change the Fair Work Act if it wins the next federal election, to prevent what it refers to as "sham" enterprise agreements being used by companies. The Opposition’s workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor says Labor wants to do away with the sort of agreements that led to the recent dispute at Carlton & United Breweries in Melbourne, namely agreements that are voted on by workers that are not actually impacted by the pay and conditions that come under the agreement.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERIES, ESSO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Senator baulks at Turnbull union bill

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Oct-17

The future of the Federal Government’s Ensuring Integrity Bill is in doubt after Senator Nick Xenophon warned that union officials could be subjected to higher standards than company directors. The Opposition has expressed similar concerns regarding the bill, which would increase the government’s powers to deregister unions, block union mergers and disqualify union officials. The bill has also been criticised by ACTU secretary Sally McManus, who says it would result in lower growth in wages. Parliament will debate the bill in coming days.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Trump tax cut exposes local business

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Sep-17

Business leaders have warned that the tax plan of US President Donald Trump highlights the need for tax reform to ensure that Australia remains internationally competitive. However, the Opposition has reiterated that it will not support the Federal Government’s proposal to progressively reduce the tax rate for all companies to 25 per cent, despite Trump’s plans to reduce the US company tax rate to just 20 per cent. Treasurer Scott Morrison says Australia will not be able to compete with nations such as the US and the UK unless Labor supports the tax package.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Abbott opposed cheaper gas push: Libs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 21-Sep-17

Some Coalition MPs have criticised the stance of former prime minister Tony Abbott on the issue of energy policy, after he threatened to vote against the government if it legislates to provide more renewable energy subsidies. Abbott’s critics within the Coalition note that he recently opposed a push for LNG export controls due to sovereign risk concerns, while he had also opposed the abolition of the Renewable Energy Target when he was prime minister.

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

Victory on media reform looms

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 14-Sep-17

The Federal Government has secured the support of enough Senate crossbenchers for its cross-media ownership reforms. The Nick Xenophon Team agreed to back the abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule" after negotiating a compromise. As part of the deal, the Government will establish an innovation fund that will provide grants to small and regional publishers, while it will also provide scholarships for people in regional areas to study journalism. The Government will also abolish broadcasting licence fees and trim the anti-siphoning list for sports events.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, PRIVATE MEDIA PARTNERS PTY LTD, CRIKEY.COM.AU

Deal to bring on media reform

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 13-Sep-17

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has secured an agreement with the Nick Xenophon Team to support the Federal Government’s cross-media ownership reforms. The compromise deal includes measures aimed at ensuring media diversity, such as an innovation fund that will provide financial support for independent and regional news outlets. The Australian divisions of overseas-based media companies are not expected to be eligible for such funding. The reforms will require the support of the majority of Senate crossbenchers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA, CRIKEY.COM.AU

Fifield close to reform breakthrough

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 : 11-Sep-17

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is believed to be close to securing a deal for the Nick Xenophon Team to support cross-media ownership reforms in the Senate. Fifield held negotiations with NXT senators ahead of Senate debate on the media reform bill on 11 September. The Government hopes to end the impasse which followed its rejection of NXT’s original proposal regarding tax breaks for smaller media companies. The media reforms require the support of a majority of cross-benchers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED