AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Call for local news content ‘Stalinist’

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 18-Jan-16

The issue of local news coverage by regional TV broadcasters is under scrutiny as the Australian Governments prepares to pursue changes to cross-media ownership laws. WIN Corporation and Prime Media Group generally exceed their local content requirements, but the National Party has proposed that the regional broadcasters be subject to new requirements regarding local content in return for the abolition of the "reach rule".

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Security ‘key to foreign investing’

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Original article by Brendan Nicholson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-Jan-16

Offshore investment in key Australian infrastructure is under scrutiny in the wake of the Northern Territory Government’s deal to lease the Port of Darwin to a Chinese company. The Australian Strategic Policy Institu­te’s submission to a Senate inquiry argues that the existing procedures for assessing proposed foreign investments are insufficient. It adds that while Australia must continue to welcome offshore investment, the question of national security must be given precedence.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE, PORT OF DARWIN, LANDBRIDGE GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

L-NP lead down over ALP – now 56% (down 1.5%) cf. 44% (up 1.5%) although L-NP would still win Federal Election easily

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 11-Jan-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by 1.5 per cent to 56 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 2-3 and 9-1 January 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen by one per cent to 47 per cent, but the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 1.5 points to 116.5. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that although the latest Morgan Poll shows that the L-NP Government continues to enjoy widespread support, the sharp falls on the Australian sharemarket last week show that the Australian economy faces a tough year as the Chinese economy slows and the Australian mining industry is heavily impacted by falling commodities prices across the board. Apart from overseas concerns the main issue for the Government as it faces re-election this year is to outline a credible plan to tackle Australia’s high real unemployment rate.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Coalition starts IR charm offensive

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 12-Jan-16

The Australian Government will need the support of six crossbench senators to get the Australian Building and Construction Commission Bill through the upper house. The Senate has already rejected the legislation twice, but the Government is committed to introducing it again when Parliament resumes in early February 2016. The proposed industrial relations reforms are aimed at cracking down on unions in the wake of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption and Governance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Bosses want ban on union tactic

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 11-Jan-16

The final report of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption noted that pattern bargaining is a major issue in the construction industry. However, it not recommend a total ban on the practice as it does not seem to be widespread in other industries. Master Builders Australia CEO Wilhelm Harnisch has urged the Federal Government to introduce laws to prohibit pattern bargaining in the building industry, arguing that it increases construction costs and undermines productivity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Unionists face bans

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Original article by Annika Smethurst
Herald Sun – Page: 13 : 11-Jan-16

The Australian Government will resubmit the Registered Organisations Bill to the Senate when Parliament resumes in February 2016. The revised bill is expected to include measures aimed at union officials who breach the law, including financial penalties and bans on them holding office. They are among the recommendations of the final report of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA POLICE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

ACCC wants to curb oligopoly power

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 11-Jan-16

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims has urged the Federal Government to strengthen laws aimed at companies that abuse their market power. He advocates scrapping rules which require the competition regulator to prove that a company took advantage of its market power. He notes that large companies can use this defence by arguing that small business could do the same thing, even if they are not in a position to do so.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TYRO PAYMENTS, CLIFFORD CHANCE, APPLE INCORPORATED, BLACKBERRY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UBER TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, AIRBNB INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Senate’s warning to PM over rush to early election

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Jan-16

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been warned against calling an early election. Some Coalition politicians believe that a double-dissolution election would destabilise the Opposition. Rosemary Laing, the clerk of the Senate, fears that such a move would antagonise voters and weaken their support for the Coalition.

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

Clean up unions, shake up ties to Labor: Crean

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Original article by Troy Bramston, Elizabeth Colman
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Jan-16

Former ACTU president Simon Crean says the union movement must address the issue of corruption and criminal behaviour in its ranks, warning that government action will be taken if union fail to do so themselves. He has also urged the Australian Labor Party to review its structural relationship with unions, with reforms such as reducing the number of union delegates who attend Labor conferences. The former Labor leader is not convinced that deregistering the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union is appropriate, as it would affect members who have not been involved in corruption.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, BUILDERS’ LABOURERS’ FEDERATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

CFMEU will be spared delisting by the Turnbull government

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: Online : 7-Jan-16

The Australian Government has ruled out any move to deregister the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union, which boasts more than 100,000 members. The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption made a number of adverse findings about the union, but did not recommend deregistration due to the impact on members who have not engaged in corrupt activity. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the Government’s priority in tackling corruption in the construction industry is to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, BUILDERS’ LABOURERS’ FEDERATION, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS