PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE – AUSTRALIA

Numbers don’t stack up for joint sitting on unions crackdown

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-Jul-16

Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg has conceded that the Federal Government would not have sufficient numbers to pass its industrial relations reforms in a joint sitting of parliament following the 2016 federal election. With the Coalition uncertain to be returned to office, it seems likely to have a combined maximum of 108 of the 226 seats in the upper and lower houses. Legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission was a trigger for the double-dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Turnbull policies face big Senate hurdle

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Original article by Fleur Anderson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-Jul-16

The Australian Government’s changes to the Senate voting system may result in more crossbenchers in the new upper house. The future of some key Coalition policies is uncertain, even if it is returned to office. These include superannuation reforms and plans to progressively reduce the company tax rate. The Coalition would need the support of the Opposition, the Greens or most of the crossbenchers.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, JUSTICE PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Tribunal driven onto fast track to oblivion

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Apr-16

The Australasian Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association has welcomed the Senate’s passing of legislation to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. The Australian Labor Party, which had established the tribunal in 2012, opposed its abolition, but the legislation was narrowly passed with the support of crossbench senators. The Federal Government intends to provide the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator with an additional $A4m in annual funding for safety initiatives in the trucking industry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALASIAN CONVENIENCE AND PETROLEUM MARKETERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PM rolls DD poll dice

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 19-Apr-16

The Senate’s rejection of a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission means a double-dissolution election on 2 July 2016 is almost certain. However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is unlikely to seek the dissolution of Parliament until after the Budget is handed down on 3 May. Four of the crossbench senators voted against the ABCC bill, which was defeated by just two votes. Meanwhile, both houses of parliament have passed legislation to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, NEWSPOLL

PM seeks deal to avoid DD election

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Mar-16

The Australian Government requires the support of at least six crossbench senators for its industrial relations reforms to be passed by the upper house. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has asked Family First Party’s Bob Day to intervene and persuade the other crossbenchers to negotiate with the Government. Turnbull has indicated that he is willing to broaden the legislation to address corruption in sectors other than the construction industry in order to avert a double dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

PM pulls the trigger

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1& 4 : 22-Mar-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party and the general public are ready for the 2016 federal election. The Government is poised to use a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission as the trigger for a double-dissolution election on 2 July, after requesting that Parliament be recalled on 18 April to debate the bill. The Government will also hand down the Budget one week earlier than scheduled, on 3 May. The last double-dissolution election was in 1987.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION

Early budget talk, election options narrow

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Mar-16

The Australian Government is considering moving the Budget forward one week to 3 May 2016. Should it opt to call a double-dissolution election, it must do so no later than 11 May in order to hold such an election on its preferred date of 2 July. A half-Senate election in August is also being considered. The bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission remains a potential trigger for a double-dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Coalition starts IR charm offensive

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 12-Jan-16

The Australian Government will need the support of six crossbench senators to get the Australian Building and Construction Commission Bill through the upper house. The Senate has already rejected the legislation twice, but the Government is committed to introducing it again when Parliament resumes in early February 2016. The proposed industrial relations reforms are aimed at cracking down on unions in the wake of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption and Governance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

‘We won’t have a captain’s pick’

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 4-Aug-15

Tony Smith and Andrew Southcott are regarded as the leading contenders to succeed Bronwyn Bishop as the Speaker in the House of Representatives. A ballot will be held by Liberal Party MPs to choose her successor when Parliament resumes in mid-August 2015. Liberal MPs have insisted that Bishop’s replacement be chosen by the party room rather than Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Meanwhile, Abbott has announced a review of the parliamentary entitlements system in the wake of the expense scandal.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM defiant, Speaker quits

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Aug-15

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten wants the Speaker of the lower house to be independent in future, in the wake of Bronwyn Bishop’s resignation over an expenses scandal. He also says Prime Minister Tony Abbott should reveal whether Bishop had been offered any incentives to step down. Meanwhile, Abbott has revealed plans for a sweeping review of parliamentary entitlements, while there is speculation that Bishop’s resignation may prompt a ministerial reshuffle in order to appoint a new Speaker.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE