POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Shorten locks in penalty rates as key election issue

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 6-Oct-15

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has refuted suggestions that penalty rates contribute to unemployment in Australia. He has vowed to make penalty rates a major issue for the next federal election, after Workplace Relations Minister Michaelia Cash indicated that the Federal Government is likely to use the election to seek a mandate for changes to penalty rates and the industrial relations regime.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Commission exposes deals unions and bosses want to hide

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Original article by Grace Collier
The Australian – Page: 20 : 22-Aug-15

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption has revealed that unions and companies act in collusion to extract money from workers. The unions and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) are trying to shut down the commission because they want to protect their financial interests. The Coalition could use the findings of the commission to portray the ALP as the party whose interests are not necessarily aligned with those of workers. Voters would no doubt support a political platform of eradicating business-union deals.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Gay marriage rocks PM

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1&8 : 12-Aug-15

A special meeting of Coalition MPs and senators, held on 11 August 2015, was devoted to the divisive issue of gay marriage. The proposal to introduce same-sex marriage through legislative changes was defeated by 66 votes to 33. Prime Minster Tony Abbott said the issue will be considered again in the next term of Parliament. His preferred option is a referendum which would allow the public to decide on gay marriage.

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

Shorten loss on gay marriage

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Jul-15

The Australian Labor Party’s National Conference has endorsed the policy of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to turn back asylum-seeker boats. Meanwhile, conference delegates have voted in favour of giving Labor MPs a conscience vote on the issue of same-sex marriage, although this will be limited to the current and next term of parliament. Shorten has committed to legalising same-sex marriage within 100 days if Labor wins the next federal election. Labor’s policy on a renewable energy target and an emissions trading scheme were also endorsed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION

Greens push for probe into finance scandals

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 24-Jun-15

The Federal Government and the Opposition will not support the Australian Greens’ motion for a royal commission into misconduct in the financial services industry. Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm and Family First Party senator Bob Day also oppose a royal commission, although independent senator Nick Xenophon and the National Party’s John Williams will support the motion. IOOF is the latest financial group to embroiled by claims of misconduct.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MACQUARIE PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

New Greens leader may agree to raise petrol tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 29-May-15

Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale has indicated that the party is willing to reach a compromise with the Federal Government on issues such as fuel excise and pension reforms. He says the Greens are open to an increase in the fuel excise, provided some of the additional revenue is used to finance public transport projects. Di Natale also says the Greens will support pension reforms if the Government agrees to undertake a previously shelved review of retirement income.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

‘Bring it on’: Labor will fight on super tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 20-May-15

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen will address the National Press Club on 20 May 2015. His speech will advocate changes to the superannuation system, arguing that tax concessions for retirees are not sustainable. He will also stress that the Opposition is prepared to fight the next federal election on the issue of super. The Federal Government recently dropped plans for super reform, but National Seniors Australia believes that reforms should not have been restricted to the pension system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Liberal push to expand GST

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Jan-15

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out any adjustments to the current goods and services tax (GST) regime before the next federal election. However he is encouraging debate on the issue, and Liberal Party parliamentarians Ian Macdonald, Dean Smith and Dan Tehan have called for an expansion of the GST’s base while maintaining its rate of 10%. Macdonald argues the latter was a promise by former prime minister John Howard when he rolled out the GST, but the exclusions for fresh food or education may be revoked

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Gulf too wide for RET deal, says Labor

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s refusal to compromise on its proposes changes to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has prompted the Opposition to abandon negotiations over the reforms. Shadow environment minister Mark Butler says the Australian Labor Party will not support the savage reduction in the RET that is being sought by the Government. Private sector investment in renewable energy has been put on hold for most of 2014 due to uncertainty about the future of the RET

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

Abbott gets deal to axe carbon tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jul-14

The Australian Government appears to have secured a compromise deal with Clive Palmer to abolish the carbon tax. The Government has agreed to Palmer’s requirement that the energy sector will be the only industry that would be subject to a disclosure regime regarding the carbon tax and the cost saving arising from its abolition. The Government hopes to put the carbon tax repeal legislation to the Senate on 14 July 2014

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PALMER UNITED PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY