AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Rogue unionists could be banned

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 22-Jun-17

The Australian Government will seek to ban officials of registered organisations such as unions from holding office if they repeatedly break the law. The proposed legislative reforms will also enable courts to deregister organisations that have become "dysfunctional". The move follows comments by Construction, Forestry Mining & Energy Union official John Setka about targeting Australian Building & Construction Commission inspectors in their private lives. His comments have been condemned by the Opposition.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Gonski win looms after $5bn deals

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Original article by Stefanie Balogh, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jun-17

The Australian Government has agreed to increase the value of its schools funding package from $A18.5bn to $A23.5bn to get it through the Senate. The upper house is tipped to vote on the revised package on 22 June, and the Government will need the support of at least 10 crossbenchers. However, Catholic Education Melbourne executive director Stephen Elder says Catholic schools will continue to be disadvantaged under the proposed funding model. The Catholic education sector intends to campaign against the Government in the lead-up to the next federal election.

CORPORATES
CATHOLIC EDUCATION MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION

‘Libs have Buckley’s chance’ of quick win on media reform

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Jun-17

The Australian Government has prioritised its schools funding package over the media reform bill in the Senate, although Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to still be aiming for a vote on the latter in coming days. However, independent senator Nick Xenophon says there is little chance of the media reforms getting through the Senate before Parliament’s winter recess. The Nick Xenophon Team and the Greens are open to supporting the reforms, subject to measures aimed at safeguarding media diversity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Santos export fears overdone, says Citigroup

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 21-Jun-17

Shares in Santos closed two per cent lower at $A2.98 on 20 June 2017, after the Federal Government committed to implementing the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism. However, Citigroup believes that LNG export controls may have less near-term impact on Santos and its Gladstone LNG venture than has been forecast. Citigroup also suggests that the ADGSM may also prompt Santos and its partners in the project to develop new gas fields instead of sourcing gas from third parties.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, MACQUARIE RESEARCH EQUITIES, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Fifield wants Senate media vote this week

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Jun-17

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is keen for the Senate to vote on cross-media ownership reforms as soon as possible, although One Nation’s Brian Burston says a vote on the bill is unlikely this week. One Nation opposes abolition of the "two-of-three" rule, and Burston notes that his party’s alternative of a "three-out-of-four rule" has had a lukewarm response from the Government. Meanwhile, the Greens may be willing to support scrapping the two-of-three" rule, but only if action is taken to safeguard media diversity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

National crosses floor to save penalty rates

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Jun-17

The Australian Labor Party’s proposed change to the Fair Work Amendment bill has been defeated by one vote in the House of Representatives. Labor had sought to use legislation to overturn the Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce weekend penalty rates for employees in the retail and hospitality sector. The Labor amendment was defeated 73-72 after Coalition backbencher George Christensen voted with the Opposition.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

Morrison bank levy gets over the line

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jun-17

The Senate has passed a bill to impose a levy on the nation’s five largest banks, after the Australian Labor Party voted for it. However, One Nation opposed the levy, with Senator Brian Burston describing it as a "lazy, ugly, cheap solution". The Senate’s eco­nomics legislation committee has recommended that the levy should be reviewed within two years. Australian Bankers’ Association CEO Anna Bligh says any future review should consider adding a sunset clause to the legislation, but this has been ruled out by Treasurer Scott Morrison.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

PM urged to decide on Finkel

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Jun-17

Council of Small Business of Australia CEO Peter Strong says many firms in the sector will collapse and jobs will be lost unless the Federal Government acts quickly on the Finkel review’s recommendations on energy policy. He says the Council of Australian Governments should hold an emergency meeting to discuss the findings of the review. Strong will release COSBOA’s energy policy on 20 June. The Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, has called for bipartisan political support for action on energy security.

CORPORATES
COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST

Crunch time as Coalition woos Hanson media vote

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Jun-17

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party supports key elements of the Federal Government’s proposed media reforms, but it still opposes scrapping the "two-out-of-three rule". Labor’s caucus will decide its stance on the bill on 20 June 2017, ahead of debate in the Senate. The support of One Nation may be crucial to passage of the legislation in the upper house, and the party has suggested the alternative of a "three-out-of-four" rule.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ABALONE EXPORTS PTY LTD, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Shoppies’ union faces scrutiny over wages scandal

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Original article by Ben Schneiders, Royce Millar
The Age – Page: 6 : 20-Jun-17

A Senate inquiry will investigate enterprise agreements between large retailers and the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees Association which include penalty rates that are lower than the industry award "safety net". The Federal Government, the Australian Labor Party and the Greens have supported the motion by independent senator Nick Xenophon. Meanwhile, Retail & Fast Food Workers Union secretary Josh Cullinan has called for swift action to implement amendments to the Fair Work Act proposed by Greens MP Adam Bandt that are aimed at protecting employees from similar wage deals.

CORPORATES
SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT