AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

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.

CORPORATES
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.

CORPORATES
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.

CORPORATES
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

Cancer of complacency puts economy at risk, says Chalmers

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 11-Nov-19

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers will use a speech on 11 November to tell Labor think-tank the John Curtin Research Centre that the Australian economy is "running on fumes". Chalmers will accuse the federal government of a "cancer of complacency" when it comes to economic management, while he will state that he has identified four key elements required for an economic strategy as a result of consultations with business. These include the introduction of an investment allowance and a ‘responsible’ increase in unemployment benefits.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, JOHN CURTIN RESEARCH CENTRE

Fast-track personal tax cuts: banks

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Nov-19

The second stage of the federal government’s income tax package is slated to take effect in mid-2022. However, Westpac’s chief economist Bill Evans has urged the government to begin phasing in the tax cuts from July 2020 to boost consumer spending and stimulate the economy. Commonwealth Bank economist Gareth Aird also argues that the government should bring forward some of the legislated tax cuts. Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor has been advocating this for months.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Underpay bosses face bans

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Nov-19

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter says the first responsibility of an employer is to ensure that their staff are being paid fairly. Porter has flagged the possibility of making company directors liable for wage theft by banning them from future directorships, although he adds that such legislation is unlikely to be retrospective. Porter also says there is merit in a proposal to allow the Fair Work Commission to hear claims for underpayment by individual workers, as suggested by ACTU secretary Sally McManus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

$1bn for business, farms to beat dry

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Nov-19

The federal government will release details of a drought assistance package on 7 November. Small businesses in drought-affected areas will be offered concessional loans of up to $500,000, while farmers who qualify for an existing concessional loan scheme will be offered a two-year interest-free period. Meanwhile, shadow agriculture minister Joel Fitzgibbon has called for a national drought strategy and urged the government to release the full report of the drought taskforce review that was undertaken by Major General Stephen Day.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Senator dubs Morrison plan attack on democracy

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 6-Nov-19

The federal government requires the support of four Senate crossbenchers for its legislative crackdown on protestors who engage in secondary boycotts that target mining companies. However, the proposed legislation has been criticised by Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick, who has expressed concern about the increasing erosion of civil liberties under the Coalition. Labor and the Greens also oppose the legislation.

CORPORATES
CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Make states raise own revenue, say Liberal MPs

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 6-Nov-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently ruled out any increase in the goods and services tax. However, there is growing support within the Coalition’s ranks for an overhaul of fiscal relations between the federal and state governments. Some Liberal MPs have proposed giving the states more power to raise their own revenue. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull proposed such a move in 2016, whereby federal income tax rates would be reduced and the states would impose their own income tax to make up for the revenue shortfall.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY

World’s largest trade pact an enormous victory: Morrison

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Nov-19

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will come into effect in 2020, after the leaders of the 15 participating nations agreed to the terms of the trade deal at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok. The RCEP will comprise members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed finalisation of the trade deal and indicated that India could still join the RCEP at a later date. The trade deal will comprise about 30 per cent of global GDP.

CORPORATES
REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP, EAST ASIA SUMMIT, ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET