BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

Industry pushback on casuals’ double dip

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 15 : 25-Feb-19

Labor is seeking to disallow a regulation that aims to protect companies from so-called "double dipping" of entitlements by casual workers. The Australian Industry Group (AI Group) contends Victoria and New South Wales could face claims of over $3.5 billion from casual workers seeking to "double dip". Both the AI Group and the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry have called on crossbench senators to oppose Labor’s move to disallow the regulation, but employment law professor Andrew Stewart notes the regulation does nothing to change existing laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, WORKPAC PTY LTD

Super changes to cost AMP $30m annually

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 19-Feb-19

Embattled wealth manager AMP has advised that the federal government’s superannuation reforms will reduce its operating earnings by about $10m in 2019 and up to $30m in 2020. The reforms will allow the Australian Taxation Office to consolidate super accounts that are inactive or have low balances. AMP estimates that the reforms will affect about 370,000 of its super accounts. The bill has been passed by the Senate with the Greens’ support, although it has yet to be passed by the lower house.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

PM heads off revolt by Nationals

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Feb-19

The National Party is very unhappy over the federal government’s shelving of legislation that would allow the forced divestment of energy companies’ assets. It is understood that some Nationals MPs were prepared to cross the floor of the House of Representatives and vote against the government on small business legislation. The government has moved to placate the Nationals by agreeing to support amendments to the legislation that will make it easier for smaller businesses to sue larger companies. The government has also indicated that it will support a Labor/Greens motion calling for a royal commission into the treatment of the disabled.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Business bashing poll on the cards

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Feb-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Labor of siding with large energy companies over its role in having the federal government withdraw legislation to force them to sell assets if they fail to reduce electricity prices. With the Greens having secured the consent of Labor and six crossbenchers to have the legislation amended so that the government could not subsidise new coal-fired power stations, the government withdrew it, knowing that it would have been defeated in the House of Representatives. The government will now take the legislation, which has been attacked by energy companies and big business, to the upcoming election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL

Prime Minister Scott Morrison talks down threat to Coalition after loss in Parliament vote

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Original article by Brett Worthington
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 13-Feb-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out calling an early election after the House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to allow doctors to approve the transfer of asylum-seekers to Australia for medical treatment. The amendments to a federal government migration bill were passed 75-74 after being backed by Labor and the majority of crossbenchers. The government had released legal advice from Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue which suggested that the so-called medivac bill could be in breach of the ­Constitution.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNMENT SOLICITOR

Shorten in backdown on borders

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Original article by Simon Benson, Greg Brown, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Feb-19

Labor’s caucus has approved key amendments to legislation initiated by independent MP Kerryn Phelps regarding the medical transfer of asylum-seekers from offshore processing centres to Australia. The amendments seek to give more ministerial control over doctor-directed transfers. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out any prospect of the Coalition supporting the amended legislation, claiming that it will compromise the ability of the government to control who comes to Australia. Greens MP Adam Bandt claims that Labor is again "caving in" on the issue of refugees.

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

Compromise to end conflicted remuneration

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 11-Feb-19

The final report of the banking royal commission recommended an end to the grandfathering of conflicted remuneration payments as soon as reasonably practical. Labor wants to see an immediate end to such payments, while the federal government has called for them to end in January 2021. Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick has put forward a compromise plan that would see conflicted remuneration payments end on 1 July 2020. Labor expected to support his proposal in the Senate on 12 February.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Phelps bill a security risk: ASIO

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

The federal government has received advice from intelligence agencies that a bill to allow asylum seekers to be transferred to Australia for medical treatment would undermine its border protection policy. The classified briefing warns that the offshore processing of asylum-seekers would be in doubt if the bill proposed by independent MP Kerryn Phelps is passed. Labor and the Greens intend to support the bill, while Bob Katter is the only independent MP to have declared his intention to vote against it.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Greens’ Basin bill bad for climate

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Original article by Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 4-Jan-19

The Mineral Council of Australia has warned that a proposed ban on thermal coal production in Queensland’s Galilee Basin would force Asian countries to buy lower-quality coal from developing countries. The MCA argues that this could in turn result in higher global carbon emissions. In addition, it has questioned the constitutional validity of such a ban. The Australian Greens’ bill to ban thermal coal production in the Galilee Basin is also opposed by the Queensland division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD

US giants castigate anti-encryption laws

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Original article by John Durie, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 13-Dec-18

Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft are among a coalition of global technology companies that have criticised the federal government’s encryption laws. The Reform Government Surveillance coalition has described the new laws as "deeply flawed" and urged the government to make amendments when parliament resumes. The encryption bill was passed after Labor backed down on its proposed amendments, although the government has signalled that it may open to some of Labor’s changes.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, DROPBOX INCORPORATED, SNAP, EVERNOTE, OATH, YAHOO! INCORPORATED, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION