AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Turnbull told he was losing quiet Australians

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Nov-19

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was advised to change his political strategy by Angus Taylor after the Coalition almost lost the 2016 election. Taylor sent Turnbull a confidential memo in the wake of the election, but Turnbull never acknowledged it. Taylor eventually became so frustrated with Turnbull that he became one of the ministers who quit on him, with their actions leading to Turnbull being replaced by Scott Morrison. Taylor’s revelations are contained in a new book ‘The Surprise Party, How the Coalition Went from Chaos to Comeback’; his underlying message to Turnbull in his memo was that Turnbull was losing the ‘quiet Australians’.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Albanese to dodge unions’ walkout

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 15-Nov-19

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has refuted claims that he will not attend the party’s Victorian state conference on 16-17 November because unions planned to stage a mass walkout when he gave the keynote speech. Albanese says the decision was made several months ago, while Deputy Leader Richard Marles will be at the conference but has declined to deliver the keynote speech. The proposed walkout by unions that are aligned with Labor’s Left faction is primarily in response to the party’s support for free-trade agreements with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Peru.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Coalition flags press freedom law changes

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-Nov-19

Attorney-General Christian Porter and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher met with media industry executives to discuss the issue of press freedom on 13 November. News Corp Australasia’s executive chairman Michael Miller says the talks were "encouraging", and further meetings will be held after the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security hands down its report at the end of the month. Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks and ABC MD David Anderson also attended the meeting.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Union-buster bill faces delay

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-Nov-19

The federal government is likely to put the Ensuring Integrity Bill on hold until the Senate resumes later in the month unless it secures a deal with crossbenchers on 14 November. Independent senator Jacqui Lambie and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson have reservations about the proposed demerit points system. Meanwhile, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union has been fined $38,000 for unlawful industrial action at a building site in Melbourne in April 2015. Two CFMMEU officials have in turn been fined $12,500 in total.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, CENTRE ALLIANCE, ACTU, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

‘We won’t be shy’: Company bosses could face Senate probe into wage theft

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Original article by David Crowe, Rob Harris
The Age – Page: Online : 14-Nov-19

The Senate’s economics references committee will undertake an inquiry into the issue of wage and superannuation theft. Labor put forward the motion to hold an inquiry in response to recent wage underpayment scandals, although the federal government opposed it. Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam says the Coalition is taking action on the issue, and another ‘talkfest’ is not necessary. Shadow industrial relations minister Tony Burke has described the inquiry as a "win" for Australian workers.

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AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

Tax breaks to fast-track big projects

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 14-Nov-19

The federal government will provide a concessional tax rate of 15 per cent for foreign investments in qualifying infrastructure projects that are worth more than $500m. This will include ­energy, transport, water and communications projects. Meanwhile, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will use the Sir John Downer Oration in Adelaide on 14 November to urge greater co-operation between the federal and state governments to address inefficiencies in the economy. He will also stress the need for responsible fiscal management.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Union integrity bill in doubt as senators waver

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 13-Nov-19

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter is confident that the federal government can reach a "sensible compromise" with Senate crossbenchers regarding the Ensuring Integrity Bill. The government had hoped to put the bill to a vote on 13 November, but independent senator Jacqui Lambie has reservations about the proposed demerit points system for unions. She is concerned that the bill would make it harder to deregister "union thugs" than officials who make minor administrative errors. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson also has concerns about the proposed system.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, ONE NATION PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Free votes and fixed terms top reform list

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 12-Nov-19

A paper containing 15 proposals for reform to Australia’s system of government has been submitted to a parliamentary inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy. The proposals, which have been compiled by the newDemocracy Foundation, the ­Melbourne School of Government, and the Susan McKinnon Foundation, include fixed parliamentary terms, an increase in the number of ‘free’ votes, and an independent speaker. Former Victorian Labor premier John Brumby and former LNP Queensland premier Campbell Newman are among those to have endorsed the reform proposals.

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THE NEWDEMOCRACY FOUNDATION, MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, SUSAN MCKINNON FOUNDATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

Greens playing with fire

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Original article by Greg Brown, Andrew Clennell, Craig Johnstone, Olivia Caisley, Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 12-Nov-19

Greens leader Richard Di Natale has attracted criticism for attempting to link the bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland to the major political parties’ climate change polices. National Party leader Michael McCormack has labelled the comments as disgraceful and disgusting, while shadow agriculture minister Joel Fitzgibbon has accused the Greens of hypocrisy given that they opposed Labor’s carbon pollution reduction scheme. Meanwhile, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro says the state’s National Parks Service should have undertaken more backburning before the bushfire season commenced.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG, NEW SOUTH WALES RURAL FIRE SERVICE, SHINE ENERGY

Morrison close on scrapping medivac

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 5 : 11-Nov-19

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick says his party is close to reaching agreement with the federal government on its Ensuring Integrity Bill. Attorney-General Christian Porter has agreed to several concessions to secure Centre Alliance’s support for the bill, including a demerit-points system for union officials who breach workplace laws. The government is also hopeful of gaining sufficient numbers in the Senate to repeal Labor’s medivac bill.

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CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA