Palmer in bid to stop fraud ruling

Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 2 : 27-Nov-14

Supreme Court of Queensland judge David Jackson is hearing a claim by Chinese state enterprise Citic Pacific against its iron ore mining joint venture partner, federal politician Clive Palmer. Citic alleges that he improperly accessed an account and withdrew $A12.167m to fund his election campaign. Simon Couper QC, acting for Palmer, has formally conceded some of the points and argues the case should now be dropped. Andrew Bell SC, for Citic, says the admissions merely show that fraud did occur

CORPORATES
MINERALOGY PTY LTD, CITIC PACIFIC LIMITED, COSMO DEVELOPMENTS PTY LTD, MEDIA CIRCUS NETWORK PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, SINO IRON PTY LTD, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Police launch Palmer probe

Original article by Hedley Thomas
The Australian – Page: 4 : 24-Nov-14

Chinese state enterprise Citic Pacific is reportedly handing over material to police in Western Australia (WA) that could lead to fraud charges against federal MP and businessman Clive Palmer. His Mineralogy vehicle is accused by Citic in a series of civil cases of making unauthorised withdrawals worth $A12m-plus from an account for an iron ore mining joint venture. The funds are claimed to have been used for the 2103 election campaign of the Palmer United Party. Citic wants WA Supreme Court judge David Jackson QC to rule that Palmer acted fraudulently and dishonestly

CORPORATES
CITIC PACIFIC LIMITED, CHINA INTERNATIONAL TRUST AND INVESTMENT CORPORATION, MINERALOGY PTY LTD, PALMER UNITED PARTY, WESTERN AUSTRALIAN POLICE SERVICE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, SUPREME COURT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), ABC TV, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Palmer mine bid rejected

Original article by Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 5 : 5-Nov-14

Western Australian (WA) magistrate Stephen Wilson has found against the Mineralogy group, and declared its mining ­licence application in breach of the federal Native Title Act as well as WA’s Mining Act. The private vehicle of billionaire and federal MP Clive Palmer has also been criticised by the traditional Kuruma Marthudunera land owners, with Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation CEO Simon Hawkins noting that Mineralogy has been cited by the mining warden over such flawed practices three times in a decade

CORPORATES
MINERALOGY PTY LTD, MINING WARDEN’S COURT (WESTERN AUSTRALIA), FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, YAMATJI MARLPA BARNA BABA MAAJA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

PM Tony Abbott (44%) now leads Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (37%) as ‘Better PM’ but neither Leader has positive job approval

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 3-Oct-14

A special telephone Morgan Poll has found that 44 per cent of Australian electors now rate Prime Minister Tony Abbott as the "Better PM", compared with 37 per cent for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. The poll, which was carried out from 30 September-2 October 2014, also shows that the number of electors who approve of his handling of his job has risen by 10 per cent to 44 per cent. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that 51 per cent of men approve of Abbott’s handling of the job of PM, while 51 per cent of women disapprove

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Sentence ends Slipper plan to return to law

Original article by Michael Inman, Christopher Knaus
The Age – Page: 8 : 25-Sep-14

Former MP Peter Slipper has been sentenced for his fraudulent use of travel entitlements. He has been ordered to perform 300 hours of community service and to enter a two-year good-behaviour order. The conviction has ended his plans to return to legal practice

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY MAGISTRATES’ COURT

Tax review urgent, warns Hendy

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 16-Sep-14

The Australian Government has been urged to pursue a wide-ranging reform agenda. Liberal Party MP Peter Hendy has called for reforms to the tax industrial relations regimes. He argues that the domestic economy is vulnerable to a range of external shocks, particularly the uncertain outlook for the Chinese economy. He also says the Government should commence its review of the tax white paper immediately

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS REMUNERATION GROUP INCORPORATED

Swan admits MRRT revenue failure

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 19-Aug-14

The former Australian Government revealed details of its proposed Resources Super Profit Tax on 2 May 2010. However, a book written by ex-treasurer Wayne Swan shows that the mining sector was only told about plans for the tax several days earlier. Swan also notes that generous deductions granted to mining companies for investing in their mining operations were a major contributor to the lower-than-expected revenue from the minerals resource rent tax

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, XSTRATA AG

Mighty slip-up as former speaker guilty of dishonesty

Original article by Megan Gorrey
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 1 & 5 : 29-Jul-14

The Australian Capital Territory Magistrates’ Court will sentence Peter Slipper on 22 September 2014. The former speaker of the federal lower house has been convicted of dishonestly using government taxi vouchers on three separate occasions in 2010. His lawyer had argued that the prosecution had failed to prove that Slipper had not been on parliamentary business at the time. Slipper had pleaded not guilty

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY MAGISTRATES’ COURT, CLONAKILLA WINES PTY LTD, POACHERS PANTRY, DOONKUNA ESTATE PTY LTD, YASS VALLEY WINES, SHAW ESTATE VINEYARD, GALLAGHER WINES, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

Hockey’s budget hole heading to $41b

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1-Apr : 17-Jul-14

The Australian Government may face resistance in the Senate to its plans to abolish some $A4bn worth of tax breaks as part of its proposal to repeal the mining tax. Two independent senators intend to vote against scrapping the tax breaks, and the defeat of this measure would be another blow for the Government, which has already faced opposition from Palmer United Party senators to several other measures that are linked to the mining tax

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Editing of TV interview was ‘unethical’, says new senator

Original article by Heath Aston
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 6 : 14-Jul-14

A complaint letter to Seven West Media and the Australian Communications & Media Authority was prepared by defamation lawyer Peter Breen, the adviser to new federal senator Ricky Muir. The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party politician however asked Breen not to lodge the complaint, over the treatment of Muir by journalist Mike Willesee. The "Sunday Night" current affairs program in June 2014 had shown an interview with Muir during which he struggled to give answers, and it also included footage of Muir being coached by party founder Keith Littler. Muir claims he was told this part would be edited out, and that Seven acted in a "unethical" manner

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY