PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE – AUSTRALIA

Super win sparks stoush

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 24-Nov-16

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has ruled out further changes to superannuation after the Senate passed tax reforms that had been announced in the May 2016 Budget. The changes that take effect on 1 July 2017 include restricting annual concessional contributions to no more than $A25,000 and imposing a $A1.6m cap on super retirement accounts. The reforms are expected to generate total savings of $A3bn over four years. However, the Government has stressed the need for a further $A20bn of Budget repair measures if the nation is to retain its "AAA" credit rating.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS

PM offers changes to secure IR bills

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Nov-16

The Australian Government is willing to make amendments to its industrial relations bills in order to gain the Senate’s support when Parliament resumes. The Government will push ahead with the bill to establish a Registered Organisations Commission on 21 November 2016, and the proposed amendments are believed to include protection for whistleblowers and a stricter audit regime. The bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission will be debated on 22 November. The bills will require the support of at least eight cross-benchers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Media law changes rest in crossbenchers’ hands

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 9-Nov-16

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has criticised the Australian Labor Party for its stance on cross-media owership reform. Labor will vote against legislation to abolish the "two-out-of-three rule", arguing that it will lead to greater consolidation in the media sector and reduced diversity of voices. Although Labor supports scrapping the "reach rule", the Government will need the support of at least eight Senate crossbenchers for its media reform bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Senate committee backs media bill

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 4 : 8-Nov-16

The Senate environment and communications legislation committee has released its report on proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws. It has recommended that the upper house vote in favour of abolishing the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three" rule, although Australian Labor Party members of the committee opposed the latter reform. Labor believes that scrapping the "two-out-of-three" rule would particularly benefit News Corp Australia. However, the party supports another reduction in TV broadcasting licence fees.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION COMITTEE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

I won’t vote on any bills, vows Culleton

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Nov-16

One Nation senator Rod Culleton has indicated that he will abstain from voting in the Senate while the constitutional validity of his election in July remains uncertain. The High Court may be asked to determine whether Culleton was entitled to be elected, as he had been convicted of a criminal offence at the time of the 2016 federal election. Meanwhile, there has been speculation of a rift between Culleton and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Labor to back Coalition super changes

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 7-Nov-16

Sources within the Australian Labor Party have indicated that it is likely to support most of the Federal Government’s proposed superannuation reforms. The Government has made a number of compromises in order to gain support for its reforms; amongst other things, it agreed to abandon a push to introduce a $A500,000 lifetime cap on non-concessional contributions. Meanwhile, the Senate’s legislative agenda for the week beginning 7 November includes the bill to hold a plebiscite on same-sex marriage.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

ABCC bill passes House of Reps

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Original article by
Skynew.com.au – Page: Online : 19-Oct-16

The Federal Government’s bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission was passed by the House of Representatives on 18 October 2016. The Government is negotiating with crossbenchers to pass the bill in the Senate. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the ABCC bill and the registered organisations bill are aimed at boosting the economy rather than targeting unions. However, Coalition backbench MP Andrew Laming has questioned whether unions are still necessary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS

Senate rides shotgun on IR bills

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Oct-16

The Australian Government is hopeful that all but one senate crossbencher, Jacqui Lambie, will be open to supporting its bills to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission. However, some crossbenchers have a list of policies they want implemented in return for their support. Amongst other things, Nick Xenophon will press for imported building materials to be subject to local building standards and increased protection for whistleblowers, while David Leyonhjelm wants importation of the seven-shot Adler shotgun to be legalised.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, HOME AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

One Nation: freedom not union rule

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Oct-16

One Nation has indicated that it is likely to support the Federal Government’s bills to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission. One Nation has voted in favour of a bill to protect the rights of emergency services volunteers. Industrial relations spokesman Senator Malcolm Roberts says the party believes that volunteers should not be subject to union control, and it is likely to adopt the same principle when voting on the Government’s key industrial relations reforms.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Senate passes CFA laws

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Original article by Rob Harris, James Campbell
Herald Sun – Page: 1 & 2 : 11-Oct-16

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has welcomed the passing of amendments to the Fair Work Act to protect the rights of emergency services volunteers. Cash has described it as a "major victory" for Victorian Country Fire Authority volunteers in their dispute over an enterprise agreement. A total of 37 senators voted in favour of the Federal Government’s amendments, including 10 of the 11 crossbench senators, while 31 senators voted against the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF JUSTICE AND REGULATION, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION