GOVERNMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Immunity for mates: PM’s Covid cop-out

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Sep-23

The federal government has been widely criticised over the limited scope of its commission of inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay has questioned why the actions of state and territory governments during the pandemic will be excluded from the inquiry. She argues that this will make it harder to prepare for future pandemics. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of prioritising the interests of Labor premiers over those of the general public. Dutton wants the inquiry to be given the powers of a royal commission, including the ability to compel people to give evidence.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Turnbull says cabinet was told robo-debt was legal

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Original article by Tom Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 7-Mar-23

The royal commission into the robodebt scheme heard evidence from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Monday. Cabinet agreed to the controversial scheme in 2015, prior to Turnbull becoming prime minister; he said cabinet was told that the scheme was lawful, and he was therefore focused on the accuracy and fairness of the scheme rather than its legality. Turnbull also revealed that he recommended in early 2017 that the Digital Transformation Agency should be tasked with improving the scheme, but said that this did not occur.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE ROBODEBT SCHEME

Robodebt question minister can’t answer

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Original article by Catie McLeod
The Australian – Page: 2 : 14-Dec-22

Former human services minister Marise Payne appeared before the royal commission into the robodebt scheme on Tuesday. The inquiry has been told that former social security minister Scott Morrison had been advised in late February 2015 that policy and legislative changes would be required in order to implement the scheme. However, Payne has told the inquiry that she was unable to explain how this advice had "disappeared" by the time the expenditure review committee met to discuss the robodebt scheme in late March of that year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE ROBODEBT SCHEME

‘Disappointing’: Big four banks to skip financial crime inquiry

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Original article by Charlotte Grieve
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 8-Nov-21

Labor Senator Deb O’Neill says it is "disappointing" that none of the big four banks have taken up an invitation to appear before a Senate inquiry into the effectiveness of Australia’s anti-money laundering regime. O’Neill was the instigator of the inquiry, which is looking at issues such as expanding the AML regime to cover professions such as lawyers and accountants, along with the effectiveness of the Australian Transaction Reports & Analysis Centre, which is the regulator of the AML regime. The big four banks – the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, the ANZ and the National Australia Bank – will instead be represented at the inquiry by the Australian Banking Association.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Final tranche of Hayne reforms a milestone

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 28-Oct-21

The federal government will legislate to implement a further six recommendations arising from the Hayne royal commission on 28 October. The last tranche of legislation includes a bill to replace the Banking Executive Accountability Regime with the broader-based Financial Accountability Regime, which will also apply to the insurance and superannuation sectors. The government will also establish the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, which will eventually be fully funded via an industry level. Kenneth Hayne released his final report in February 2019.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Aged care tax killed off

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Mar-21

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has acknowledged that funding for the aged-care sector needs to be increased, but he says that growing the economy is the best way to do this. The final report of the aged-care royal commission has recommended increasing funding for the sector via the tax system; however, Tony Negline from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand says this is not appropriate, given that the bulk of aged-care funding already comes from taxpayers. Negline has proposed options such as requiring nursing home residents to use the equity in their family home and a reduction in the capital gains tax discount.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Split over aged-care reforms

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers, Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government will release the final report of the aged-care royal commission on 1 March. The two commissioners, Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs, are believed to be in agreement on more than 100 recommendations. However, they are said to be in conflict on a number of issues and will make some separate recommendations. Amongst other things, they are believed to have disagreed with regard to the future oversight and funding of the aged-care sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY

Rudd and Turnbull will be called to give evidence at Senate inquiry into media diversity

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 12-Nov-20

The Senate’s environment and communications references committee will undertake an inquiry into media diversity after the federal government did not oppose the motion. The committee will begin accepting submissions immediately and will report by the end of November 2021. Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull are amongst those who will be asked to appear before the inquiry. Rudd organised a petition calling for a royal commission into the market dominance of News Corp.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Kevin Rudd petition seeking royal commission into Murdoch media nears 500,000 signatures

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 4-Nov-20

More than 475,000 people have now signed a petition calling for a royal commission to ensure a strong, diverse Australian news media. The petition, which is specifically targeting the media outlets of Rupert Murdoch, was posted on the parliamentary website by former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Although the petition is unlikely to achieve its aim, Rudd says his main goal is to start a national conversation about News Corp’s negative impact on Australia.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Australia Post chair to front Senate inquiry

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 27-Oct-20

Australia Post chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo has been asked to appear before a special Senate estimates hearing on 13 November. The call for Di Bartolomeo to appear at the special hearing came as the terms of reference for an inquiry into the purchase of expensive watches for senior Australia Post executives were released by the federal government. Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate, who purchased the watches, has stood aside during the investigation, while John Stanhope, who was chairman of Australia Post at the time Holgate bought the watches, says he will co-operate with the inquiry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA POST