O75 Public Administration

Morrison ‘to launch super law in stages’

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Original article by Phillip Hudson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Sep-16

The draft legislation for some elements of the Australian Government’s proposed superannuation tax reforms will be release on 7 September 2016. However, Treasurer Scott Morrison is still negotiating with backbenchers regarding some aspects of the reforms, including the $A500,000 lifetime cap on non-concessional contributions. Further aspects of the super reforms will be released in coming weeks. Morrison has stressed that the reforms are necessary to rein in the Budget deficit.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

China land ownership tiny

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Original article by Simone Fox Koob
The Australian – Page: 5 : 7-Sep-16

New data shows that Chinese interests have bought only 1.4 million hectares of the 385 million hectares of agricultural land in Australia, which equates to less than 0.5 per cent. The Treasury report notes that foreign investors own 53 million hectares of the nation’s farmland, with British interests accounting for 27.5 million hectares. Treasurer Scott Morrison has stressed the importance of foreign investment to the domestic economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, S KIDMAN AND COMPANY PTY LTD, DAKANG AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Secret report prepared for CFA reveals anti-union ambition

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Original article by Nick ToscanoRichard Willingham
The Age – Page: 6 : 6-Sep-16

A confidential report produced for Victoria’s Country Fire Authority outlined a range of strategies for reducing union influence on the volunteer-dominated firefighting service. Amongst other things, the report – which was prepared by law firm Seyfarth Shaw Australia – proposed to recruit CFA staff on non-union employment contacts and restrict unions’ access to CFA workplaces. The Victorian Government subsequently replaced the CFA board amid an ongoing dispute with the United Firefighters’ Union over an enterprise agreement.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITYSEYFARTH SHAW LLPUNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA

$10bn in school funding fails to lift student results

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Original article by Stefanie Balogh
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Sep-16

The Productivity Commission will release a draft report on school students’ academic performance on 6 September 2016. The report concludes that students’ academic results have not improved despite a 24 per cent increase in federal and state funding for schools between 2004-05 and 2013-14. There was a 14 per cent increase in government funding per student over this period. Ken Boston, who helped develop the Gonski education reforms, has called for better allocation of government funding for schools.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSIONAUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTYNEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIESAUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNIONTHE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH LIMITED

Labor Right union wants exclusion from bullying laws

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Sep-16

The Communications, Electrical & Plumbing Union is seeking an exemption from anti-bullying laws. The union argues that it is not a "constitutionally covered business" and, therefore, bullying claims made by one of its official against another are outside the anti-bullying jurisdiction. Val Butler, a member of the union’s national council, accused divisional assistant secretary John O’Donnell of bullying and harassment. The matter will be considered at a special full bench hearing of the Fair Work Commission in October 2016.

CORPORATES
COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FINANCE SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM warns G20 on low global growth

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 2-Sep-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will travel to China to participate in the Group of 20 summit meeting in the city of Hangzhou on 4-5 September 2016. As an advocate of trade liberalisation, Turnbull will express his concern about a trend towards protectionism and populism which is clearly visible in many parts of the world. He will also attend the East Asia Summit in Laos on 6-8 September 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

VW brushes off ACCC action as ‘no benefit’

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Original article by John Durie
The Australian – Page: ’32 : 2-Sep-16

Volkswagen has dismissed an action taken by the corporate watchdog as inconsequential. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is seeking pecuniary penalties in relation to Volkswagen’s cheating in emissions testing. The company stated that the problem will soon be rectified through a voluntary recall. Necessary alterations will be made within 45 minutes, free of charge.

CORPORATES
VOLKSWAGEN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CLAYTON UTZ

IT failures force NDIS to miss care target

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 2-Sep-16

The rollout of the IT system at the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been plagued by technical problems that caused delays in the preparation of care plans. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which runs the scheme, conceded that only 970 care plans were approved in the past two months, while the target was more than 20,000. Federal and state disability ministers will be briefed on the matter by the NDIA at a meeting on 2 September 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE AGENCY

China singles out Dastyari as supporter

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Original article by Lisa Murray, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 2-Sep-16

The People’s Daily considers Labor Senator Sam Dastyari a friend of China. The Communist Party newspaper praised the Australian politician for his support of China’s sovereignty claim over the South China Sea islands. Dastyari’s motivation has recently been questioned following revelations that his travel expenses bill of $A1,670 was paid by a Chinese-Australian businessman.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TOP EDUCATION INSTITUTE, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Jackson faces jail over fraud charges

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 1-Sep-16

Former union leader Kathy Jackson has been charged with 70 offences. The former national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU) will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 19 September 2016. The case was triggered by HSU’s complaint to police that Jackson misappropriated $900,000 from the union. Jackson declared bankruptcy in 2015.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION