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This website is in imminent danger of being shut down. It has been online since 1995, but the personal circumstances of the owner, Malcolm Farnsworth, are such that economies have to be made. Server costs and suchlike have become prohibitive. At the urging of people online, I have agreed to see if Patreon provides a solution. More information is available at the Patreon website. If you are able to contribute even $1.00/month to keep the site running, please click the Patreon button below.


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Government Rejects SPC Ardmona’s Bid For $25 Million Rescue

Jan 30, 2014

The Federal government has rejected a bid by SPC Ardmona for a $25 million rescue package.

The decision was announced at a press conference this afternoon by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane.

Abbott

SPC Ardmona is owned by Coca-Cola Amatil. It was seeking $25 million from the federal government and $25 million from the Victorian government. It was prepared to contribute $90 million to the rescue package.

Abbott said it was important that SPC Ardmona has the support of its parent company, one of the most profitable companies. “This is a business which well and truly has the resources to ensure SPC Ardmona is in a position to restructure,” Abbott said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Business, Industry-Innovation Tagged With: , ,

Pipeline Or Pipe Dream: Business Council Report Warns Of Risks To Investment

Jun 07, 2012

The Business Council of Australia has issued a report that says high costs and low productivity put at risk Australia’s pipeline of investment.

Text of news release from the Business Council of Australia.

Pipeline or Pipe Dream? New Research Uncovers What’s at Stake If We Don’t Get It Right on Major Projects

High costs and low productivity are risking Australia’s unprecedented $921 billion pipeline of investment in resources, energy and economic infrastructure, new research for the Business Council of Australia has found.

In a landmark study released ahead of next week’s economic forum in Brisbane, the BCA has for the first time provided a total picture of how capital investment is driving the economy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Economy, Industrial Relations, Infrastructure, Unions

“Fellow Punters, Fellow Capitalists”: Bill Shorten in Hong Kong

Jan 19, 2011

Bill Shorten, Assistant Treasurer

Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten

Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten has addressed Australian and Hong Kong business-people at an Australian Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Kong Kong.

Addressing his audience as “fellow punters, fellow capitalists,” Shorten praised the contribution of Chinese-Australians, arguing that bilingualism and Chinese family structures contribute to the educational achievements of Chinese children.

He said: “The ability of a child to master not just two languages but two alphabets, two sorts of reading, perhaps puts in more brain connections, surely, more inter-linkages of the mind, than a monolingual education. On top of that, though, I suggest is a stability of family life. A respect for the old, a capacity for familial feasting, a love of children, a love of scholarship, a readiness for the testing task, that puts Australian Chinese among our premier citizens.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Asia, Australia, Business, China, Gillard Tagged With: , ,

Gillard Forms Business Taskforce to Assist Qld Flood Recovery

Jan 18, 2011

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has announced the formation of a Business Taskforce to support Queenslanders in the immediate aftermath of the Queensland floods.

Gillard announced the taskforce at a press conference this morning with Lindsay Fox, the chairman of Linfox, the transport and logistics business.

Julia Gillard and Lindsay Fox

Members of the taskforce include former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss, now the chairman of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. There will be representatives from business associations, including Heather Ridout, Graham Bradley and David Michaelis. The National Farmers Federation is represented by its president Jock Laurie.

Answering questions at the press conference, Gillard refused to be drawn on the effects of the floods on the federal budget. She said the cost of the flood damage is not yet known but the government faces difficult budgetary choices. She would not comment on speculation about introducing a levy to fund recovery programs or on dipping into the Future Fund.

  • Listen to Gillard and Fox at their press conference.

This is the text of a joint media release from Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

As everyday Australians show their compassion and determination by pulling together to help Queenslanders affected by the devastating floods, Australian businesses have answered the call as well.

The Prime Minister today announced the Australian Government will immediately establish a Business Taskforce to support Queenslanders in the immediate recovery effort. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Audio, Business, Gillard, Qld Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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