Judith Sloan JUNE 7, 2016 THE AUSTRALIAN Contributing Economics Editor Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is playing a dangerous game when it comes to weekend penalty rates. He must confront the reality that many union enterprise agreements contain no weekend penalty rates or some lower than the underlying award. He is also running a risk by publicly undermining the independence of the Fair Work Commission. If you go to Labor’s website, there is no ambiguity on the party’s position on penalty rates. “Labor believes in weekend penalty rates. This is a core Labor ­belief. That is why Labor will fight to protect your penalty rates and your rights at work.” Yeah, right. Tell that to the thousands of Coles supermarket workers who have been paid less than the award by dint of a union negotiated enterprise agreement. The quashing of the Coles ­enterprise agreement by the FWC was really only a…

June 7, 2016 The country wants 100% of Norwegian cars to run on green energy within a decade. ​OLSO, Norway – Norway is moving to ban the sale of all fossil fuel cars by 2025, The Independent reports. Politicians recently reached an agreement to have all Norwegian cars using green energy within a decade. Ironically, a large amount of Norway’s budget comes from the country’s petroleum industry. The announcement comes on the heels of a report that Norway will be the first nation to promise to practice zero deforestation. However, some reports say that the move has yet to be confirmed completely. The Democratic and Liberal parties have agreed to ban gasoline-powered vehicles but the Framstegspartiet, or Progress Party, has yet to sign off on the change. The proposal is even more aspiring than the Labour Party’s measure to ban the sale of petrol or diesel cars by 2030. The…

Thomas A. Briant June 08, 2016 www.cspdailynews.com MINNEAPOLIS — The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) is engaging its retail members to oppose California Senate Bill 1400, which would ban the sale of tobacco products in all convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, gas stations and drug stores starting Jan. 1, 2019. This is a first-of-its-kind prohibition bill that would only allow tobacco product sales in retail stores that generate more than 60% of gross revenue from the sale of tobacco and tobacco accessories. The most directly affected retailers will be the 11,540 convenience stores that operate in California, many being independent, family-owned businesses. According to the NACS, cigarettes and tobacco products account for 37.4% of in-store sales in a convenience store. There is no alternative product line to replace an immediate elimination of all tobacco product sales. In a bill summary for SB 1400 issued by the California Office…

May 31, 2016 www.nacsonline.com Carbonated soft drinks and sugary drinks are under attack by cities thirsty for a new source of revenue. ​McLEAN, Va. – USA Today reports that some cities are singling out sugar-sweetened soft drinks as sources for revenue, with proposals that add extra taxes or health-like warning labels—“borrowing from the playbook used to largely stamp out smoking a generation ago.” The war on soft drinks is being waged in a handful of cities so far, and they are gaining attention and could threaten sales. “They’re bleeding a slow death,” Joe Agnese, senior industry analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence, told the news source about the growing movement against carbonated soft drinks. USA Today cites the following cities as actively seeking to raise taxes on sugary beverages: San Francisco: Advertisements for sugar-sweetened drinks to carry warning labels starting in July. Philadelphia: In June, the city council is expected…