BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

ABCC bill could shut out companies

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Oct-16

The Federal Government will not back down on its plan to make a national building code retrospective as part of its legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The code will apply to all enterprise agreements that have been made since 2014, and compliance with the code will be a condition of being granted federal construction contracts. However, some pattern bargaining agreements struck by the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Electrical Trades Union in Victoria and Queensland would not comply with the proposed code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

ABCC bill passes House of Reps

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Original article by
Skynew.com.au – Page: Online : 19-Oct-16

The Federal Government’s bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission was passed by the House of Representatives on 18 October 2016. The Government is negotiating with crossbenchers to pass the bill in the Senate. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the ABCC bill and the registered organisations bill are aimed at boosting the economy rather than targeting unions. However, Coalition backbench MP Andrew Laming has questioned whether unions are still necessary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS

Senate rides shotgun on IR bills

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Oct-16

The Australian Government is hopeful that all but one senate crossbencher, Jacqui Lambie, will be open to supporting its bills to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission. However, some crossbenchers have a list of policies they want implemented in return for their support. Amongst other things, Nick Xenophon will press for imported building materials to be subject to local building standards and increased protection for whistleblowers, while David Leyonhjelm wants importation of the seven-shot Adler shotgun to be legalised.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, HOME AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

One Nation: freedom not union rule

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Oct-16

One Nation has indicated that it is likely to support the Federal Government’s bills to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission. One Nation has voted in favour of a bill to protect the rights of emergency services volunteers. Industrial relations spokesman Senator Malcolm Roberts says the party believes that volunteers should not be subject to union control, and it is likely to adopt the same principle when voting on the Government’s key industrial relations reforms.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Senate passes CFA laws

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Original article by Rob Harris, James Campbell
Herald Sun – Page: 1 & 2 : 11-Oct-16

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has welcomed the passing of amendments to the Fair Work Act to protect the rights of emergency services volunteers. Cash has described it as a "major victory" for Victorian Country Fire Authority volunteers in their dispute over an enterprise agreement. A total of 37 senators voted in favour of the Federal Government’s amendments, including 10 of the 11 crossbench senators, while 31 senators voted against the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF JUSTICE AND REGULATION, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

Diversity laws ‘outdated’

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 26-Sep-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield argues that existing cross-media ownership laws are outdated as they were introduced before the development of the internet. He adds that the internet has made the issue of media diversity less important, and the continued viability of media companies is the greatest threat to diversity. The Senate committee that is reviewing the Federal Government’s media reform bill accepted submissions until 23 September 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY

Company tax cuts to be scaled back

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Sep-16

The Australian Government plans to introduce legislation in the lower house to implement its full 10-year plan to reduce the company tax rate for all businesses. However, it is preparing to prioritise tax cuts for small businesses when the legislation is debated in the Senate, due to expectations that the full policy will be rejected by the upper house. The Government plans to reduce the tax rate for businesses with annual turnover of up to $A10m to 27.5 per cent, although the Opposition favours a turnover threshold of just $A2m.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY

Hanson offers hope for ABCC bill

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Aug-16

Incoming senator Pauline Hanson will consult with both sides of politics before deciding her stance on the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, Hanson has indicated that she opposes "union thuggery" and says small contractors and subcontractors must be protected from such union practices. Hanson is yet to decide her position on proposed company tax cuts, but warns of the risk that companies may relocate to countries with lower tax rates unless the tax burden is reduced.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Government faces delay on ‘urgent’ cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Aug-16

The Australian Government will introduce 26 separate bills to Parliament in coming days, although its "omnibus" and superanuation reform bills will be delayed. The Australian Labor Party was not given a copy of the omnibus bill at its caucus meeting on 29 August 2016, while some Labor MPs oppose several of the proposed measures to reduce government spending. Meanwhile, the Government is yet to reach consensus within its own ranks regarding the lifetime cap on non-concessional super contributions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Coalition backs media reforms

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 30-Aug-16

The Australian Government will push ahead with cross-media ownership media reforms after the policy was endorsed by the Coalition’s partyroom on 29 August 2016. The legislation will be introduced to Parliament within days, although the Government may need to rely on the support of crossbenchers as the Opposition has yet to decide its stance on abolishing the "two-out-of-three" rule. Media industry executives will also hold meetings with the major political parties and crossbenchers in coming days.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL