BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

Senator rejects Chalmers’ super tax offer

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 5-Feb-25

The federal government’s legislation to double the tax rate for superannuation funds with balances exceeding $3m requires the support of the Greens and at least three Senate crossbenchers. Lydia Thorpe and Fatima Payman are expected to support the bill, while Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock firmly oppose it. The support of Tasmanian independent Tammy Tyrell will therefore be crucial; however, she has rejected a deal to back the bill in retun for a commitment to proceed with a proposed ban on debit and credit card surcharges. Tyrell and a number of other crossbenchers are particularly concerned about the proposal to tax the unrealised gains of super funds. One Nation opposes the entire bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Plibersek praised nature positive deal with Pocock and Greens as critical before PM scrapped it, documents reveal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Dan Jervis-Bardy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 30-Jan-25

A draft Senate program shows that a bill to establish a federal environmental protection agency is listed for debate next Thursday. Documents released via freedom of information laws confirm that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek reached a written agreement with the Greens and independent senator David Pocock to amend the EPA legislation in late November. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intervened to put the deal on hold less than 24 hours later. The proposed EPA is part of the federal government’s so-called ‘nature positive’ environmental reforms. Shadow environment minister Jonno Duniam has called for the proposed laws to be scrapped, and says Plibersek and Albanese must state their real intentions regarding the legislation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Coalition demands Labor hate speech crackdown explicitly outlaw threats and attacks on places of worship

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Krishani Dhanji
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 24-Jan-25

Federal parliament will resume in February, with Labor’s proposed crackdown on hate speech set to be one of the major points of discussion. Tabled in September, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus contends that the legislation will act as a deterrent to anti-Semitism and other forms of hate speech and would protect places of worship, but the Coalition wants the legislation to explicitly outlaw threats and attacks against places of worship. For her part, independent MP Allegra Spender has called on the government to include a stronger vilification offence for hateful speech in the legislation. Her eastern Sydney electorate has a large Jewish community and LGBTQ+ community, who she said have both raised concerns about the proposed legislation not doing enough.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

‘Punitive regime’: X tells Labor social media ban won’t work

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 26-Nov-24

The federal government and the Opposition are seeking to rush through legislation this week that will bar children aged under 16 from accessing social media, with a parliamentary inquiry given just three hours on Monday to examine the legislation. Elon Musk’s X has used a written submission to the inquiry to claim that the proposed ban will not work and is likely to be unlawful, while youth mental health charity Headspace told the inquiry that the ban would drive children into using unregulated sections of the internet such as encrypted apps. Meanwhile, Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind told the inquiry that she supports the essential intent of the legislation, but she has concerns about the privacy implications of making an age ban work in practice.

CORPORATES
X CORPORATION, HEADSPACE, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

Double dissolution election threat is serious, says Labor

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 3-Oct-24

The Greens recently blocked the federal government’s Help to Buy legislation in the Senate, forcing a vote on the bill to be delayed until November. However, Housing Minister Claire O’Neil has confirmed that Labor intends to reintroduce the bill for a shared equity scheme to the lower house when parliament resumes next week. The bill could potentially be used as a trigger for a double dissolution election, and O’Neil says this remains a "live option". The window for a double dissolution election is very narrow, and the government is likely to stick to the regular election cycle.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Double dissolution election threat to be revived in parliament over housing fight, as $100m crisis fund opens

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom Lowrey
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 2-Oct-24

The federal government hopes to resolve an impasse over its Help to Buy housing bill when it is put before parliament again next week. The Coalition opposes the shared equity scheme, while the Greens have sought major concessions in other areas of housing policy in return for supporting the bill. Housing Minister Claire O’Neil has left open the possibility of a double-dissolution election if the bill continues to be stalled in the Senate. Meanwhile, the government has begun accepting applications for grants via the Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program, which will provide financial assistance for victims of domestic violence.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Social media laws could stymie valid debates on policy

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 1-Oct-24

Nick Coatsworth has expressed concern regarding the definitions of "serious harm", "misinformation" and "disinformation" in the federal government’s proposed legislation aimed at clamping down on misinformation and disinformation being spread on social media. The former deputy chief medical officer contends that the laws could be used to stifle public health debate, with Coatsworth citing debate during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. The Opposition supports a crackdown on misinformation and disinformation online, but shadow treasurer Angus Taylor claims that the government has the balance wrong. Communications Minister Michelle Rowlands says that doing nothing is not an option, while Treasurer Jim Chalmers has accused the Coalition of "running a protection racket" for big technology companies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Docked pay, red cards for badly behaved politicians

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Olivia Ireland
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 21-Aug-24

The federal government will belatedly introduce a bill on Wednesday to establish an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. The proposed commission was one of the key recommendations of a landmark 2021 report by former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins, and it was originally intended to be operation by the end of 2023. It will have the power to investigate allegations of breaches of parliamentary standards by MPs, senators and their staffers. Amongst other things, politicians could be be suspended from parliament or be fined up to five per cent of their base salary for any breaches of the standards.

CORPORATES

CFMEU headed for administration after Labor-Coalition agreement

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 20-Aug-24

Legislation to appoint administrators to the CFMEU’s state construction divisions was passed by the Senate on Monday, after the federal government agreed to several concessions sought by the Coalition. Amongst other things, the government accepted the Coalition’s push for a minimum administration period of three years and a maximum of five years, and for administrator Mark Irving to provide federal parliament with a progress report every six months. Irving has agreed that the CFMEU will not make any political donations or engage in "party politics" during the period of administration. Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has described the legislation as the strongest action a government has taken against a union in Australia’s history. The bill will be put before the lower house later this week.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

ALP set to rush CFMEU law through Senate

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Aug-24

The Coalition still has some concerns about the federal government’s legislation to appoint administrators to the CFMEU’s state construction divisions. However, it is ultimately expected to support the bill, although shadow employment minister Michaelia Cash will push for a Senate inquiry into the legislation. Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn contends that an inquiry is not necessary and the bill should be passed as quickly as possible. Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt intends to table a motion in parliament today for the bill to be passed by the Senate on Thursday, with a view to having it passed by the upper house either on the same day or early next week.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY AND MARITIME EMPLOYEES UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED