O75 Public Administration

Another inquiry on family law mess

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Sep-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on 17 September that a joint select committee will conduct an inquiry into the family law system. The inquiry will be headed up by former social services minister Kevin Andrews and is expected to take a year to run. Morrison told the Coalition party room that the family law system is "an awful human mess’, while Law Council of Australia president Arthur Moses says the system is plagued by "systemic failures". Issues that the inquiry will look at include the system’s impact on children and the powers of judges to compel litigants to be truthful.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Albo to dump class war and try to charm business

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 6 : 18-Sep-19

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will speak at the Business Council of Australia annual forum at Parliament House on 18 September. It will be his first major speech to big business since he replaced Bill Shorten as Labor leader. His speech will indicate a desire by Albanese to work with big business, and will see him dump Shorten’s anti-corporate rhetoric. Albanese will also defend the right of big business to speak out on social issues, despite recent calls by the federal government for corporate Australia to "stick to its knitting".

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Who gives a dam? Ask towns going dry

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Sep-19

Federal Water Resources Minister David Littleproud has accused the states of not building enough dams to keep up with Australia’s population growth. Federal government analysis released by Littleproud on 17 September contends that at current rates, water storage per person in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland will decline by over 30 per cent by 2030 as the population increases. The federal government has over $1 billion available to the states for new dam construction, but there seems little interest among the states to access that money.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Embattled NSW Premier bans cash gifts

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Sep-19

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian will announce on 18 September that her government plans to ban cash donations of more than $100 to political parties. There are suggestions the donation ban is designed to draw attention away from the problems that Berejiklian is having with some Liberal MPs over abortion laws, as well as the decision by Sports, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans Minister John Sidoti to stand down while he is being investigated by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption over property investments near new rail lines.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Iran confirms detention of three Australian citizens, accuses one of spying

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Original article by Adam Harvey
abc.net au – Page: Online : 18-Sep-19

Iran has confirmed it is holding three Australians in detention. The semi-official Fars news agency has quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying that one of the three is facing charges of spying for a nation other than her native country, while the other two were arrested for taking pictures in military areas. Those two are most likely travel bloggers Mark Firkin and Jolie King, while the third person is likely Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who is a lecturer in Islamic studies at Melbourne University. It is understood Moore-Gilbert was arrested while attending a course in the Iranian city of Qorn in the second half of 2018. There had been reports she had been convicted and given a 10-year jail sentence, but it is understood that Iranian courts are yet to rule on her possible guilt.

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ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down to a two year low at 109.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Sep-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 3.5% to 109.3 in the week ending 15 September, its lowest level in more than two years. The financial conditions subcomponents dropped sharply, while the economic conditions subindices were also down. The four-week moving average for inflation expectations increased by 0.1ppt to 4.1%, while the ‘Time to buy a household item’ was the only subindex in the positive, eking out a 0.2% gain.

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AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Labor’s double-dipping motion fails

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Original article by Adam Zuchetti
mybusiness.com.au – Page: Online : 17-Sep-19

The Senate has defeated a disallowance motion moved by Labor against the Fair Work Amendment (Casual Loading Offset) Regulations 2018. The regulations were introduced by the federal government to prevent casual employees ‘double-dipping’ on annual leave and other entitlements, and were adopted in the wake of the WorkPac decision. The motion, which was put by Labor Senator Don Farrell, was defeated by 33 votes to 29 on 16 September. The motion’s defeat was welcomed by Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO James Pearson, with Pearson saying he was thankful common sense had prevailed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, WORKPAC PTY LTD

HK pleads for patience

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Original article by Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 13 : 17-Sep-19

Hong Kong businessman and politician Bernard Chan believes it can end the unrest in the former UK colony without the need for Chinese military intervention. Chan, who is on the board of Cathay Pacific and who is president of Asia Financial Holdings and Asia Insurance, says no one wants to see such intervention, including Beijing itself. Chan believes the unrest is more about the Hong Kong government’s failure to address economic and social challenges than concern about Chinese political interference, and he hopes Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s upcoming annual policy address, which she will give in October, will act as a ‘circuitbreaker’ for the unrest.

CORPORATES
CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS LIMITED, ASIA FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, ASIA INSURANCE COMPANY

Challenge to ruling on shift workers’ leave

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Sep-19

The federal government and Mondelez International plan to challenge a Federal Court decision regarding shift workers’ leave entitlements in the High Court. Mondelez, with the support of the government, had sought to cut personal and carers leave entitlements for shift workers at its Cadbury factory in Tasmania, but the Federal Court rejected its bid. Employer groups state the decision would give those who work industry-specific rosters or long hours much greater leave entitlements than those who work standard 38-hour weeks. Attorney-General Christian Porter said the Federal Court’s decision would create inequality between workers, while he noted employers had estimated the decision could increase their costs by up to $2 billion a year.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, MONDELEZ AUSTRALIA (FOODS) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, CADBURY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Rebel Liberals call spill against NSW Premier

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Original article by Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Sep-19

Three Liberal MPs will launch a ’empty chair’ spill motion against New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian on 17 September over abortion legislation. The legislation has passed the NSW Lower House on a conscience vote, despite most Liberal MPs voting against it. The three MPs – Lower House member Tanya Davies and Upper House members Matthew Mason-Cox and Lou Amato – have stated they are launching their motion against Berejiklian because of the unwillingness of her and her government to agree to proposed amendments to the legislation that would be put to the Upper House.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES