BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

‘Orwellian merger test an affront to democracy’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Aug-17

The Federal Government’s proposal to subject trade union mergers to a public interest test has been criticised by ACTU secretary Sally McManus. Factors such as a union’s history of compliance with workplace laws and the merger’s effect on businesses would be taken into account when deciding whether to approve it. McManus claims that the bill breaches the International Labour Organization’s conventions on freedom of association, and that the Government is using the bill as a distraction.

CORPORATES
ACTU, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Senate deadlock hits Ten’s rescue hopes

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Original article by David Crowe, Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Aug-17

Cross-media ownership reforms are in doubt after the Federal Government rejected a proposal by Senator Nick Xenophon to provide tax incentives for small media companies. The tax offset would have been available for the Australian editions of foreign publications such as "The Guardian", which Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says is inappropriate. The stalled media reform bill will effectively prevent most Australian media companies from bidding for the Ten Network. The deadline to submit bids is 18 August.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL GROUP LLC, SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, PPB ADVISORY, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

CFMEU target for laws against militant unions

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Aug-17

Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott has welcomed the Federal Government’s move to crack down on unlawful conduct by unions. The legislation introduced to Parliament on 16 August would strengthen the Government’s powers to deregister unions and disqualify union officials. It would also subject union mergers to a public interest test, which could be used to block the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union’s proposed merger with the Maritime Union of Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Xenophon deal on media rules within reach

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

The Australian Government is expected to put its media reform bill to the Senate in its current form in order to secure the support of the Nick Xenophon Team. The minor party opposes the Government’s deal with One Nation to impose new obligations on the ABC and SBS, and these amendments are likely to be put on hold due to lack of sufficient support in the upper house. The Government is also said to be assessing the cost of proposals put forward by Senator Nick Xenophon in return for supporting the media reforms.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Super reforms blasted for favouring banks

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 14-Aug-17

Industry Super Australia contends that proposed superannuation legislation favours retail funds at the expense of those that ISA represents. ISA is of the view that the legislation will impose less scrutiny on bank-owned funds than not-for-profit funds, even though it states that the latter sector has outperformed bank-owned funds in recent years. ISA also contends that the proposed legislation will increase compliance costs and is in conflict with the Corporations Act.

CORPORATES
INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Fifield in legislative limbo with crossbench

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 14-Aug-17

The Federal Government is still holding talks with the Greens and Senate crossbenchers in a bid to secure support for its cross-media ownership reforms. Cory Bernardi, David Leyonhjelm and Derryn Hinch intend to support the bill, although the Government will require the support of another seven crossbenchers. Meanwhile, the Greens have expressed concern about One Nation’s proposal to undertake an expenditure review of the ABC and SBS. The bill is expected to be debated in the upper house in the week beginning 14 August.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

PM bid to block super union

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission is expected to issue a ruling on the proposed merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia by the end of 2107. However, the Federal Government hopes to block the merger by seeking an amendment to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations Act) that would require the FWC to subject union mergers to a public-interest test. The CFMEU has criticised the move, but representatives of the mining and resources sector have lobbied the Government to block the merger.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Hanson’s media bill demands rejected

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 9-Aug-17

The Australian Government has signalled that it may be open to supporting some of the Senate crossbenchers’ proposed amendments to it cross-media ownership reform bill. These include the Nick Xenophon Team’s push for an inquiry into the growing market power of Google and Facebook and a 40 per cent tax break for smaller news publishers. However, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is unlikely to support One Nation’s push for the costs of the ABC and SBS to be reviewed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN GREENS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

‘Zombie’ blockade to stymie PM’s agenda

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 5 : 8-Aug-17

The Australian Government is seeking to have 10 important measures passed by the Senate, but it is suggested that only two will get through because of a lack of cross-bench support. Changes to citizenship laws, higher education reforms, the same-sex marriage plebiscite and the media reform package are among the bills that are likely to be rejected. As a result, savings and revenue measures valued at some $A12 billion are at risk.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Media companies soar ahead of vote

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Original article by Lucy Battersby
The Age – Page: 25 : 8-Aug-17

The Australian Government’s cross-media ownership reform bill is slated to be debated in the Senate on 9 August. Shares in some media companies have rallied in the lead-up to the resumption of Parliament. Prime Media Group’s shares have gained 16.5 per cent in the last two weeks, amid speculation that the regional TV broadcaster would become a takeover target if media laws are relaxed. Shares in Nine Entertainment Company, Southern Cross Media Group Fairfax Media have also risen in the last week.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, HIT NETWORK, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED