POLITICAL ACTIVISTS – AUSTRALIA

Media could sue secretive activists

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 2 : 30-Oct-18

Sky News has been the main target of online activist group Sleeping Giants Oz, which has urged advertisers to boycott the pay-TV channel and other media companies that it has accused of promoting hate speech. However, legal experts have warned that there are a range of potential options for media companies if they elect to sue Sleeping Giants Oz, including for loss of earnings and damage to their trade or business. Matthew Collins QC notes that there is no defence of anonymous free speech in Australia.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA, SLEEPING GIANTS OZ, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 2GB, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FUJITSU AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HYUNDAI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KFC

Push to clamp down on activist charities

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Original article by John Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 6-Sep-18

It is understood that some members of the federal coalition want Greenpeace and the Australian Conservation Foundation to lose their charitable status because of their activist views. Both groups encourage their supporters to become politically active on issues such as Adani’s proposed coal mine and the end of power generated from gas and coal. Legislation would be needed to strip the two groups of their charitable status, and it would have to pass both houses of parliament. ACF CEO Kelly O’Shanassy says it abides by the law, a comment echoed by Greenpeace Australia Pacific program director Dominique Rowe.

CORPORATES
GREENPEACE, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS COMMISSION, SUPREME COURT OF NEW ZEALAND, CATHOLIC EDUCATION MELBOURNE

Cottrell interview a mistake, says Sky

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 6 : 7-Aug-18

Blair Cottrell will not be seen on Sky News again, according to Angelos Frangopoulos. The CEO of Australian News Channel was responding to criticism of an interview between Cottrell, the former leader of the United Patriots Front, and Adam Giles on 5 August. Cottrell is known for his extremist views, once stating that all Australian classrooms should have a picture of Adolf Hitler on their wall. The criticism of Giles’ interview with Cottrell has prompted a management reshuffle at Sky News.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD

ACTU steps up campaign on penalty rates

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Original article by David Crowe
The Age – Page: 4 : 13-Jun-18

Polling undertaken on behalf of the ACTU show that a majority of voters in the marginal federal seats of Forde, Gilmore and Robertson would support a push to overturn the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rate cuts. The ACTU will launch a new campaign ahead of changes to the weekend penalty rates regime that take effect on 1 July and the five by-elections that will be held on 28 July. Employers argue that lower penalty rates allow them to trade on weekends.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GETUP LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, REACHTEL PTY LTD

GetUp! accused of strategy switch in support of Labor

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Jun-18

The role of activist group GetUp in Labor’s "Mediscare" campaign during the 2016 federal election is under scrutiny. Liberal MP Ben Morton has questioned why GetUp put healthcare funding at the top of its campaign agenda for the election. He notes that the issue of Medicare ranked eighth in GetUp’s membership survey in 2015, but it suddenly ranked as a high priority in the election year. Morton alleges that GetUp switched its campaign focus in order to complement Labor’s Medicare campaign.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GETUP LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Industry hopping mad over kangaroo cull video

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 6-Mar-18

Australia’s kangaroo meat industry is furious over what it states are outlandish claims in a new video documentary. "Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story", produced by Michael McIntyre and Kate McIntyre Clere, is yet to be seen in Australia. However, it has been screened in the US for over a month. McIntyre and McIntyre Clere have been accused of using shock tactics and of suggesting that some species of kangaroos are close to extinction. National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson says the kangaroo population has increased to "crisis proportions". The kangaroo meat industry is worth $A200 million.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, WAROO GAME MEATS, KANGAROO INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY

Kroger lashes Libs over GetUp!

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Original article by Simon Benson, Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Nov-17

Liberal Party of Victoria president Michael Kroger has criticised several federal Liberal MPs for holding "secret" meetings with representatives of GetUp. Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne and backbenchers Tim Wilson and Trent Zimmerman are among the members of the Liberal Party’s moderate faction to have held meetings with the left-wing activist group. However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull argues that GetUp meets with politicians from all political parties.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor links expose GetUp! as a ‘front’

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 3 : 19-Oct-17

Activist organisation GetUp may face further scrutiny over its links to the Australian Labor Party. The two latest additions to GetUp’s board have links to Labor, and include the party’s former digital director Daniel Stone. Liberal MP Ben Morton argues that GetUp is essentially a "front" for Labor and the Greens, rather than an independent organisation. The Coalition wants the Australian Electoral Commission to recognise GetUp as an "associated political entity". It previously failed to do so in 2011.

CORPORATES
GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Probe for Shorten over AWU’s GetUp! donation

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 16-Aug-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has formally referred a union donation to activist group GetUp to the Registered Organisations Commission. The Australian Workers’ Union made the donation of about $A100,000 in 2005, when current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was the union’s national secretary. A spokesman for Shorten has indicated that the donation had been approved by the AWU’s national executive. However, some members of the national executive at the time say they have no recollection of the donation being formally approved.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

GetUp! to pay for journalist’s tax expose

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-Jun-17

It has been revealed that activist group GetUp is helping to finance an investigation by journalist Michael West into alleged tax avoidance by large multinationals. GetUp’s deputy chair Carla McGrath was recently appointed to the Australia Press Council’s board, a decision that has caused some controversy and prompted News Corp’s newspapers to boycott any Council hearings in which she participates. Concerns have been raised that McGrath may be involved in hearing complaints against companies that West is investigating.

CORPORATES
GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRESS COUNCIL, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ESSENTIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS PTY LTD, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY