BILL DRAFTING – AUSTRALIA

ACCC bill faces Senate defeat

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Swift axe for carbon tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Jul-14

The Australian Senate is expected to pass legislation repealing the carbon tax in early July 2014. It has the support of crossbench senators, which will stop the Australian Labor Party and Australian Greens from delaying the vote. Business leaders, academic economists and the Climate Change Authority have called on the Government to retain a carbon price mechanism

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

ASIC won’t act on FoFA changes

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 23-Jun-14

Both new regulations and legislative amendments will be used by the Australian Government to change some aspects of the Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) laws, effective 1 July 2014. However, there is resistance to the amendments in the Senate by the Australian Labor Party, Australian Greens and Palmer United Party. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission is currently not penalising any breaches of those sections of the FoFA laws that are to be repealed, and will maintain this approach if the deadline of 1 July is missed by the Federal Government

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED

Abbott dared to call double dissolution

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1-Apr : 6/19/2014

The Senate has for a second time rejected the Australian Government’s bill to scrap the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. This has provided the Government with a trigger for a double dissolution election, although Deputy Liberal Party leader Julie Bishop has downplayed such talk. She argues that voters do not want the instability and uncertainty that characterised the previous administration. The Government’s poor showing in recent public opinion polls also makes an election unlikely

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS AUSTRALIA, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED