LEGISLATIVE BODIES – COMMITTEES

Energy chief lashes dangerous bill

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Feb-19

A Senate committee has been told that a bill to force the divestment of energy assets would create greater uncertainty in the electricity sector. EnergyAustralia MD Catherine Tanna has told the committee that the bill was poorly drafted and there had been insufficient consultation. Frontier Economics has warned of the proposed divestment powers’ impact on investment in the electricity sector. However, others have argued that the reforms are necessary to curb the market power of large vertically integrated electricity suppliers.

CORPORATES
ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FRONTIER ECONOMICS PTY LTD, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, SIMEC ENERGY

Barnaby backs unions on casuals

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 5-Dec-18

A parliamentary committee has expressed concern about the growing use of casual labour in Australia’s mining industry. The committee has supported the union movement’s proposal to allow casual mining workers to become permanent employees after a certain period of employment. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer says the federal government will consider the committee’s recommendations. Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott argues that many employees prefer the increased flexibility and higher wages offered by casual work.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

Payday lenders to face probe

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 21 : 18-Oct-18

The Senate will undertake an inquiry into payday lenders and short-term credit providers after the proposed probe was backed by the Greens and Centre Alliance. Payday lenders and so-called "buy now, pay later" credit providers were excluded from the financial services royal commission’s terms of reference. Shares in Afterpay Touch Group, Zip Co and Cash Converters fell sharply in response to news of the inquiry.

CORPORATES
AFTERPAY TOUCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX APT, ZIP CO LIMITED – ASX Z1P, CASH CONVERTERS INTERNATIONAL – ASX CCV, CREDIT CORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX CCP, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, THORN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TGA, RADIO RENTALS, NIMBLE PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Guthrie, Milne in sights of senators

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 3 : 17-Oct-18

The Senate will hold an inquiry into the recent leadership turmoil at the ABC, which led to the dismissal of MD Michelle Guthrie and the resignation of chairman Justin Milne. The terms of reference for the inquiry include investigating allegations of political interference at the ABC. The Greens will push for Guthrie, Milne and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield to appear before the inquiry, which is slated to report its findings in late March.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

CBA abusing the law fighting customers: Labor

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 12-Oct-18

Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO Matt Comyn appeared before the House of Representatives economics committee on 11 October. He admitted that the misconduct exposed by the financial services royal commission had hurt some customers, and said CBA is changing its organisational culture in the wake of the scandals that have rocked the bank. Labor MP Clare O’Neil criticised CBA’s approach to dealing with customers’ complaints, including the use of aggressive litigation tactics.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Bank CEOs to face off with fired-up MPs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Oct-18

Liberal MP Tim Wilson, who chairs federal parliament’s standing committee on economics, says bank CEOs can expect to face a grilling when they front the committee in coming days. He says that amongst other things, the committee will be demanding information on how the major banks intend to address governance concerns and compensate customers for misconduct. Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn and Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer will appear before the committee on 11 October.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BANKING ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Gig workers oppose Labor’s job proposals

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Sep-18

A Senate committee has released a report which has recommended greater regulation of the gig economy in order to protect workers in the sector. Amongst other things, the inquiry into the future of work has recommended broadening the definition of an employee to include workers in the gig economy, who are generally regarded as independent contractors. However, some people who work as ride-sharing drivers say the flexibility of their working hours is a key attraction and they will quit the sector if there is any change to their employment status.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TAXIFY, RIDE SHARE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Labor urges Senate censure of Dutton

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Sep-18

Greens MP Adam Bandt will push for a no-confidence motion against Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton over his intervention in the issuance of visas to two au pairs. This follows a Senate committee’s recommendation that the upper house should consider a censure motion against Dutton over his role in the scandal. Labor and Greens members of the committee have alleged that Dutton deliberately misled parliament regarding the controversy, a view that has been rejected by Coalition members of the committee.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Border wars: Dutton hits back

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Sep-18

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has accused his one-time Queensland Police Force colleague Roman Quaedvlieg of providing false evidence to a Senate inquiry. The Labor-led inquiry is investigating Dutton’s role in the granting of visas to two au pairs. Dutton appointed Quaedvlieg as Australia’s first ever Border Force Commissioner, but Quaedvlieg was dismissed from that role in March for misbehaviour. Quaedvlieg is being investigated about his misconduct, and Dutton suggested it might partly be the pressure of this investigation that caused him to give false evidence to the inquiry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

MPs warn Facebook over China

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Benson, Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Jun-18

Social media giant Facebook is under scrutiny over revelations that its users’ personal data was shared with Chinese technology company Huawei. Labor MP Anthony Byrne has described Facebook’s actions as "completely unacceptable". The deputy chairman of federal parliament’s joint committee on intelligence and security has also raised the possibility that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could be asked to appear before the committee. Zuckerberg has previously appeared before US and European legislators in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA LLC, LENOVO GROUP LIMITED, OPPO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, TCL CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED