AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

COVID travel ban extended, as Australia reaches astonishing virus milestone

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 9-Dec-20

Australians will be prohibited from travelling overseas until at least 17 March. Health Minister Greg Hunt has cited the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis overseas for the decision to extend the ban, which was slated to expire on 17 December. The ban also prevents international cruise ships from entering Australian waters. Meanwhile, the number of active cases across Australia has fallen to 42, with returned travellers in hotel quarantine accounting for all but one of these cases. Victoria has had no active cases for 39 days; however, six returned travellers have been isolated in a special ‘hot’ hotel in Melbourne after showing symptoms of the coronavirus. Another returned traveller has tested negative for COVID-19 after arriving in Melbourne on 7 December.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Nine opposes concession to tech giants

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Original article by Max Mason, Natasha Gillezeau, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 9-Dec-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the federal government’s mandatory news media bargaining code for digital platforms is a "world-first". He has dismissed suggestions that the government has made too many concessions in the final version of the code to gain the support of digital giants such as Google and Facebook. These include adding a ‘two-way value exchange’ clause which reflect the benefits that news publishers receive from having digital platforms direct users to their content. A Nine Entertainment spokesman says this will merely entrench both the monopoly powers of digital companies and the unfair imbalance in media regulation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Labor snubs job-saving IR reboot

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 14 : 9-Dec-20

Labor has advised that it will not support a key provision in the federal government’s industrial relations omnibus bill. The controversial reform would allow the Fair Work Commission to approve enterprise agreements that do not comply with the ‘better-off-overall test’ in the Fair Work Act. The FWC will be able to take into account factors such as the impact of COVID-19 in approving non-compliant agreements. ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the proposed reform is ‘diabolical’, although it has been welcomed by business groups

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Kelty approves of super-union divorce move

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-Dec-20

The federal government’s hopes of getting the unions demerger bill through parliament before it rises for the year have been boosted after Labor signalled that it will not opposed the legislation. Former ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has expressed support for the legislation, and he contends that breaking up the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union would be quite easy as it is an ‘amalgamation of divisions’. However, Electrical Trades Union national secretary Allen Hicks says that despite targeting the CFMMEU, the legislation would have ‘unintended consequences’ for the entire union movement, and he has urged Labor to reject it.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

IR reforms could save billions in back pay

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Dec-20

The federal government’s industrial relations omnibus bill will be put before parliament before it rises for the year. The bill is expected to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 2 December, along with a proposed legislative response to the Workpac v Rossato case. The Federal Court ruled that casual staff who work "regular and predictable" hours are entitled to benefits such as paid annual leave in addition to a casual loading. The government is believed to be considering reforms that would allow employers to use a casual worker’s 25 per cent loading to help offset any retrospective leave liability.

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FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Labor willing to engage on IR changes: Burke

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Nov-20

Shadow employment minister Tony Burke says Labor is likely to pass the federal government’s industrial relations omnibus bill if the proposed reforms are based on those agreed upon by the Coalition’s working groups. However, Labor will refer the legislation to a Senate committee, which ensure that the bill is not debated and voted upon before Parliament rises for the year. The government has given indications that the reforms will include changes to the Fair Work Act’s ‘better-off-overall-test’, although reinstating the ‘no disadvantage test’ will be on its agenda.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

More big firms to get capex break

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 11 : 23-Nov-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is to expand the federal government’s business expense tax break so that more large companies can access it, with legislation to enact the changes to be introduced. Large companies that will now be able to access the scheme will include Coca-Cola Amatil and Boral, while large companies that will remain excluded include Wesfarmers, BHP, Telstra and Rio Tinto. Frydenberg says around 50 companies employing over 150,000 people are expected to benefit from the scheme’s expansion

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG

News firms in stand for fairer future

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Nov-20

Some of Australia’s top media industry executives have jointly signed an ‘open letter’ to the federal government expressing support for its proposed media bargaining code. The letter also outlines the features that must be included in the code to ensure a level playing field between traditional media companies and digital platforms such as Facebook and Google. Seven West Media CEO James Warburton, News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller and Free TV CEO Bridget Fair are amongst those who signed the letter, which will be published in all major metropolitan newspapers on 23 November.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Consumer groups savage responsible lending plan

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Original article by Paul Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 23-Nov-20

The federal government’s proposed changes to responsible lending laws have been attacked by a consortium of consumer rights advocacy groups. In a submission to the government’s inquiry into the proposed changes, the groups have labelled them as "fundamentally defective". They note that the changes represent a direct contradiction of the banking royal commission’s first recommendation, namely that the National Consumer Credit Protection Act should not be revised to alter the "obligation to assess unsuitability".

CORPORATES
CONSUMER CREDIT LEGAL SERVICE, CONSUMER ACTION LAW CENTRE, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Labor bans all MPs from sexual relationships with their staff

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Original article by Latika Bourke
The Age – Page: Online : 12-Nov-20

The conduct of federal MPs has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of an ABC report on the extramarital activities of cabinet ministers Christian Porter and Alan Tudge. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has announced that all of his party’s MPs will be prohibited from having intimate relations with members of their staff. The federal government’s so-called ‘bonk ban’ applies only to ministers rather than backbenchers. It was introduced by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull following a series of indiscretions by Coalition MPs.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY