BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

Fate of bill to be played out by the numbers

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Jul-16

The reintroduction of legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission will be one of the Federal Government’s priorities when parliament resumes. However, at best the Coalition is likely to have 79 seats in the lower house and 29 in the Senate, which means it would need the support of at least five crossbenchers if the ABCC bill is put before a joint sitting of parliament.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY

Coalition set to govern in own right

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Original article by James Massola
The Age – Page: 1 : 12-Jul-16

The Coalition has won the seats of Flynn and Capricornia, giving it 76 seats in the lower house. Meanwhile, the ABC’s election analyst Antony Green expects the Coalition to have about 30 seats in the Senate. Two seats in the lower house and three in the Senate remain undecided, but the Coalition is optimistic that it will have the numbers to pass its industrial relations reforms in a joint sitting of both houses. One Nation will boast three senators, and their support may be crucial for the Coalition to pass legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Numbers don’t stack up for joint sitting on unions crackdown

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-Jul-16

Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg has conceded that the Federal Government would not have sufficient numbers to pass its industrial relations reforms in a joint sitting of parliament following the 2016 federal election. With the Coalition uncertain to be returned to office, it seems likely to have a combined maximum of 108 of the 226 seats in the upper and lower houses. Legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission was a trigger for the double-dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Bundled reforms await return

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 & 28 : 16-May-16

The Australian Government will have to reintroduce its bill on cross-media ownership reform to Parliament if it wins the 2016 election. It is likely to package the reforms with a bill to reduce TV broadcasting licence fees, changes to the anti-siphoning for sports events and the pricing and allocation of broadcasting spectrum. The Government has previously ruled out introducing separate bills to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule".

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Tribunal driven onto fast track to oblivion

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Apr-16

The Australasian Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association has welcomed the Senate’s passing of legislation to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. The Australian Labor Party, which had established the tribunal in 2012, opposed its abolition, but the legislation was narrowly passed with the support of crossbench senators. The Federal Government intends to provide the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator with an additional $A4m in annual funding for safety initiatives in the trucking industry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALASIAN CONVENIENCE AND PETROLEUM MARKETERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PM rolls DD poll dice

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 19-Apr-16

The Senate’s rejection of a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission means a double-dissolution election on 2 July 2016 is almost certain. However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is unlikely to seek the dissolution of Parliament until after the Budget is handed down on 3 May. Four of the crossbench senators voted against the ABCC bill, which was defeated by just two votes. Meanwhile, both houses of parliament have passed legislation to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, NEWSPOLL

Crossbenchers open to negotiate stricter IR laws

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Mar-16

Seven of the eight crossbench senators say they are willing to hold talks with the Australian Government regarding its proposed industrial relations reforms. The Government requires the support of at least six crossbenchers for its reforms to be passed by the upper house. Senator Glenn Lazarus has indicated that he will support the bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission provided its powers are broadened to cover other industries. Senator Jacqui Lambie is the only crossbencher to have ruled out negotiating with the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

PM seeks deal to avoid DD election

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Mar-16

The Australian Government requires the support of at least six crossbench senators for its industrial relations reforms to be passed by the upper house. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has asked Family First Party’s Bob Day to intervene and persuade the other crossbenchers to negotiate with the Government. Turnbull has indicated that he is willing to broaden the legislation to address corruption in sectors other than the construction industry in order to avert a double dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Triple fine threat looms as watchdog’s reach widens

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Original article by Elizabeth Colman
The Australian – Page: 5 : 22-Mar-16

ACTU secretary Dave Olive says the general public does not support the Federal Government’s push to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The ABCC bill, which could be the trigger for a double dissolution election, would result in unions facing fines of up to $A180,000 for every breach of industrial relations laws, compared with just $A54,000 at present. The ABCC will also have the power to regulate non-building unions that are involved in the supply chain for building sites.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FAIR WORK BUILDING INDUSTRY INSPECTORATE

PM pulls the trigger

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1& 4 : 22-Mar-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party and the general public are ready for the 2016 federal election. The Government is poised to use a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission as the trigger for a double-dissolution election on 2 July, after requesting that Parliament be recalled on 18 April to debate the bill. The Government will also hand down the Budget one week earlier than scheduled, on 3 May. The last double-dissolution election was in 1987.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION