BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

Crossbench not sold on case for reform

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 7-Mar-16

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment & Communications will review the Federal Government’s bill to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". Passage of the bill may require the support of a majority of the eight crossbench Senators, although six have yet to decide their position on the proposed reforms. Independent senator Nick Xenophon argues that TV broadcasting licence fees should also be reduced, and local content requirements should be introduced for regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

MPs fall in line on media reforms

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

The Australian Government’s bill to change cross-media ownership laws is expected to be submitted to Parliament on 1 March 2016, if the reforms are endorsed by the Coalition’s party room. The reforms have already been approved by the Coalition’s backbench communications committee. The Opposition supports abolition of the "reach rule", although it may seek to block scrapping the "two-out-three rule" in the Senate. The reforms are likely to prompt consolidation among Australian TV broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Bring back the ABCC: Cole

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 2-Feb-16

Legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission (ABCC) will be a priority for the Federal Government when Parliament resumes on 2 February 2016. Its reinstatement has been supported by Terence Cole, who headed the Royal Commission into the Building & Construction Industry in 2001. He argues that the ABCC’s crackdown on unlawful union conduct had resulted in cost savings of about $3.1bn a year by 2007. The ABCC was abolished by the Australian Labor Party in 2012.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Reject corrupt union deals, bosses urged

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

The Federal Government will reintroduce legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission when Parliament resumes for 2016. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the proposed legislation will include a new building code that bars companies which secure illegal deals with unions from being awarded public contracts. Meanwhile, the Opposition will propose harsher financial penalties for companies that underpay staff or use sham contractual arrangements.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR

Coalition starts IR charm offensive

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 12-Jan-16

The Australian Government will need the support of six crossbench senators to get the Australian Building and Construction Commission Bill through the upper house. The Senate has already rejected the legislation twice, but the Government is committed to introducing it again when Parliament resumes in early February 2016. The proposed industrial relations reforms are aimed at cracking down on unions in the wake of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption and Governance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Unionists face bans

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Original article by Annika Smethurst
Herald Sun – Page: 13 : 11-Jan-16

The Australian Government will resubmit the Registered Organisations Bill to the Senate when Parliament resumes in February 2016. The revised bill is expected to include measures aimed at union officials who breach the law, including financial penalties and bans on them holding office. They are among the recommendations of the final report of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA POLICE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Retail chiefs resist super fund choice

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Jan-16

Retail industry superannuation fund REST opposes new legislation giving workers a choice of super fund and making changes in the process of selecting default funds by employers. REST chairman Ken Marshman argues in a letter sent to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption that employers do not want to be burdened with the obligation to choose a default fund, preferring to leave this task to those having expert knowledge of super.

CORPORATES
REST SUPER PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES GROUP LIMITED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, INDUSTRY FUND SERVICES PTY LTD

Government to debate media reform format

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 18-Nov-15

The Australian Government’s proposed cross-media ownership reforms are expected to be presented to cabinet in late November 2015. The Government is initially expected to focus on scrapping the so-called "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule", but it is still to decide whether to pursue both reforms in a single bill or put two separate bills to Parliament. The Opposition favours abolishing the reach rule, although there is less support for scrapping the two-out-of-three rule.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Government cracks down on dodgy private colleges

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Original article by Tim Dodd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 16-Oct-15

The Australian Government has introduced a bill in Parliament to make it easier to cancel students loans that are issued under the VET FEE HELP scheme. Vocational Education and Skills Minister Luke Hartsuyker said on 15 October 2015 that said the bill will offer students more protection against unscrupulous private colleges.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AUSTRALIAN CAREERS NETWORK LIMITED – ASX ACO

Termination changes for 7-Elevens worry franchisees

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Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Oct-15

Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt wants an amendment to the Fair Work Act in the wake of the wage exploitation scandal at 7-Eleven. His private members’ bill would make a franchisor liable if a franchisee fails to pay staff the correct wages. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven franchisees in Melbourne are concerned that they will not gain much from a proposed change in the way profits are split with head office. They also fear that new termination clauses could be exploited by head office.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS