BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

Penalty rates a relic of class war

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Leyonhjelm
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 9-Oct-15

If the Australian Government is serious about job creation, it should remove penalty rates. A bill introduced by Senator David Leyonhjelm, of the Liberal Democratic Party, would remove obstacles to job creation in the restaurant, retail and tourism industries. The bill removes penalty rates for working on Saturday and Sunday. However, penalty rates would apply after the first 10 hours of work on any day.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Boral lobbies senators for ABCC

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 12-Aug-15

Boral CEO Mike Kane has met with Senate crossbenchers to persuade them to support the legislation that reinstates the Australian Building & Construction Commission (ABCC). The Senate will vote on the ABCC bill in mid-August 2015. Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott urged crossbenchers to support the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Abbott lines up double-D unions poll

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1& 6 : 13-Jul-15

The Australian Government plans to use the Registered Organisations Commission Bill as one of two potential triggers for a double-dissolution election. Officials of unions and employers’ groups who are found to be corrupt will be subject to the penalties that currently apply to corporate executives. The Government will also reintroduce its bill on the Australian Building & Construction Commission to the Senate when parliament resumes in August 2015.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Government’s finger on double-dissolution trigger

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 2-Apr-15

The Australian Government insists on continuing with its policy of university fee deregulation. Education Minister Christopher Pyne said on 1 April 2015 that he will present the proposed legislation to the Senate again, despite the fact that it has already been rejected twice. If the bill is rejected again, it may trigger a double dissolution election

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED

University deregulation looks doomed

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 17-Mar-15

The Australian Government has failed to gain enough support for its proposal to deregulate universities. The proposed legislation is likely to be rejected by the Senate. Senators Nick Xenophon, Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus, Dio Wang and Ricky Muir indicated that they would vote against deregulation. The vote will take place on 18 March 2015

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED

ACCC bill faces Senate defeat

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 13-Mar-15

The Federal Government’s attempt to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission is unlikely to be successful. The legislation proposed by the Government is likely to be defeated in the Senate. Crossbench senators Ricky Muir, Jacqui Lambie and John Madigan have vowed to vote against it

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS OF AUSTRALIA

Queries over telcos holding data two years

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lisa Cox
The Age – Page: 10 : 30-Jan-15

A Senate inquiry into the new metadata retention bill on 29 January 2015 heard from Federal Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim. He argued that the authorities empowered to access the details of telephone calls and internet sessions would usually do so within six to 12 months, and it was therefore not necessary to force telcos and ISPs to store the records for two years. Vivienne Thom, the Inspector-General of Intelligence & Security, also voiced fears the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation may keep the metadata of people no longer deemed a threat

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PRIVACY COMMISSIONER, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, SKYPE TECHNOLOGIES SA

University package goes down

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 3-Dec-14

Australian Education Minister Christopher Pyne has been unsuccessful in his effort to sway sufficient numbers of senators to secure passage through the upper house of his higher education reforms. Compromise offers failed to avoid the defeat of the relevant bills by 33 votes to 31 on 2 December 2014. Of the minor party and independent senators, only Ricky Muir, John Madigan, David Leyonhjelm and Bob Day were in favour, while those against were Nick Xenophon, Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang. The Federal Government will now suffer a setback worth $A5bn to its goal of returning the Budget to surplus. The Universities Australia lobbying body also seems to have withdrawn its backing

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY, DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NICK XENOPHON GROUP, UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Doctors warn on euthanasia

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Andrew Tillett
The West Australian – Page: 15 : 1-Sep-14

There is opposition among Western Australian doctors to a federal private member’s Bill on euthanasia. The so-called "dying with dignity" bill is being introduced to federal parliament by Australian Greens senator Richard Di Natale. Dr Doug Bridges, the former head of palliative care at the Royal Perth Hospital, says the emphasis should be on giving terminally-ill patients good palliative care, adding that doctors should not be forced to kill people

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ROYAL PERTH HOSPITAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Carbon tax set for scrap heap as Palmer finalises ETS details

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lisa Cox, James Massola, Tom Arup
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 9-Jul-14

There was further discussion in the Australian Senate on 8 July 2014 of the Federal Government’s legislation to repeal the carbon tax, with a vote now expected by 9 July. While the Australian Labor Party and Australian Greens are opposed, Prime Minister Tony Abbott will be able to pass the bill with the help of the Palmer United Party. However, in return it will extract a pledge to force electricity companies to pass on the savings in full and show them on bills sent to consumers. The Climate Change Authority will also be retained. Meanwhile Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator Ricky Muir wants to stop the abolition of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency as well

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY