PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE – AUSTRALIA

Reforms face stiff test from Hanson

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 23 : 13-Feb-17

The Federal Government’s cross-media ownership reforms will require the support of Senate crossbenchers. However, One Nation senator Pauline Hanson is said to be concerned about foreign ownership of Australian media assets, while Nick Xenophon advocates imposing a "super profits" tax on Google and Facebook due to their growing dominance of the online advertising market. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is tipped to introduce the media reform bill in the upper house in mid-February 2017.

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

Fifield turns to crossbench support to force media reform over the line

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 12-Jan-17

The Australian Government’s cross-media ownership bill was passed by the lower house in November 2016. However, the support of cross-benchers may be crucial to the Government’s chances of the bill being passed by the Senate. The Australian Labor Party opposes abolition of the "two out of three rule", but the majority of cross-benchers are said to be generally supportive of the bill in its present form. Cross-benchers may seek some compromises in negotiations with the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Turnbull seals ABCC return with water deal

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: Online : 30-Nov-16

The Senate seems set to pass the Federal Government’s bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. Senator Nick Xenophon will support the bill after the Government agreed to meet with state premiers regularly to increase water flows to the Murray-Darling river system. However, the Government has yielded to lobbying by organisations such as the Australian Industry Group and will introduce a two-year transition period for enterprise bargaining agreements to comply with the new building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Unions run riot to kill workplace relations deal

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Nov-16

The Federal Government is said to be close to securing a deal with Nick Xenophon regarding water reform in return for his support for its bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union is launching a series of rolling stoppages at building sites in a campaign against the ABCC bill. The protected industrial ­action is aimed at putting pressure on construction firms to endorse enterprise bargaining agreements that do not comply with the new building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Turnbull in race to save IR agenda

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Nov-16

The Australian Government has agreed to introduce a proposed "security of payments" regime for subcontractors in order to gain Senate crossbenchers’ support for a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, the increased protection for subcontractors will be conditional on the passage of the ABCC bill through the upper house. Meanwhile, Senator Nick Xenophon will continue to push for increased water flows in the Murray-Darling river system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

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