POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA

Beazley backs Swan for president’s role

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 6 : 15-Mar-18

Former Labor leader Kim Beazley says Wayne Swan would make a "very good" president of the federal Labor party and provide Opposition Leader Bill Shorten with valuable campaign advice. Shorten has also endorsed the former treasurer’s candidacy for Labor president, although ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd says Swan would be divisive at a time when Labor needs "unity of purpose". Labor’s climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler is seeking a second term as the party’s president.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Distrust driving rise in minor party vote

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Mar-18

The proportion of votes received by minor political parties in Australia has continued to increase in recent years, according to a study by the Grattan Institute. The study contends that if the major parties want to reverse this trend they need to come up with policies that help to restore voters’ trust in government, rather than resort to populist policies. The Grattan Institute notes that while an increase in support for minor parties overseas has tended to coincide with economic problems, this has not been the case in Australia.

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

Nationals leader: I’m not Barnaby

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 27-Feb-18

New National Party leader Michael McCormack says he will not seek to emulate former leader Barnaby Joyce in terms of his leadership style. McCormack, who also becomes Deputy Prime Minister as a result of his elevation to the Nationals leadership, notes that everyone has their own way of acting as a leader. McCormack has taken over Joyce’s transport and infrastructure portfolios, and rejects claims that the proposed $A10 billion inland rail link from Brisbane to Melbourne will not deliver a return for taxpayers.

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

Joyce faces challenge to Nats leadership

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Feb-18

Barnaby Joyce’s future as leader of the National Party remains under scrutiny ahead of a party room meeting on 26 February. Nationals MP Andrew Broad will ask his colleagues to support a resolution calling for Joyce to resign, arguing that he should do so for the good of the party and the nation. Broad also believes that Joyce should step down from his ministerial portfolio and spend some time on the backbench in the wake of his affair with a former staffer. The National Party’s chief whip Michelle Landry says Joyce should have sufficient party room support to fend off a leadership spill.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS

Joyce crisis has tarnished Nats brand, WA says

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Victoria Laurie, Andrew Burrell, Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 5 : 21-Feb-18

National Party leader Barnaby Joyce has lost the support of the party’s Western Australian division, which has stated that his position is no longer tenable in the wake of his affair with an ex-staffer. Some Nationals MPs believe that it would be in the best interests of the party for Joyce to resign voluntarily rather than being forced to step down, warning that he could damage the Coalition politically from the backbench. Meanwhile, the Liberal-National Party of Queensland’s president Gary Spence has urged a swift resolution to the crisis.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Joyce loses support of party bosses

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Feb-18

The future of National Party leader Barnaby Joyce remains in doubt amid growing calls from within the party for him to stand down and retire to the backbench in the wake of his affair with a former staffer. The party’s federal executive discussed the Joyce situation via a conference call on 19 February, although they did not make a decision on his future. Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael McCormack, who is seen as the leading contender to replace Joyce, has told Sky News that Joyce will remain leader while he retains the support of the party room. However, he downplayed suggestions of a leadership challenge.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Saving private Barnaby: rescue mission heads off leadership crisis . . . for now

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Dennis Shanahan, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Feb-18

National Party leader Barnaby Joyce was the Opposition’s main target during question time in parliament on 14 February. The Joyce saga is also expected to attract scrutiny by Labor in upcoming Senate estimates hearings. Meanwhile, Joyce will not face any threat to his leadership in the near-term after senior members of the Nationals stepped in to quell unrest within the party’s ranks over the deputy prime minister’s shenanigans. However, some Nationals MP say his position will be untenable if further revelations emerge.

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

Coal lobby our biggest spender

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Original article by Tom McIlroy, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Feb-18

The Liberal Party received $A95.1 million in political donations in 2016-17, according to the Australian Electoral Commission, while Labor received $A70.8 million. The Greens received $A16.3 million, and the National Party received $A12.2 million. ACA Low Emissions Technologies, a company founded by the Minerals Council of Australia, spent the most on political campaigning ($A3.6 million), while the Minerals Council of Australia itself spent $A1.3 million. Left-wing activist group GetUp! spent $A821,000 on political campaigns.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ACA LOW EMISSIONS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COAL ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE LEASING AND SALARY PACKAGING ASSOCIATION., THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX EGP, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, CORMACK FOUNDATION PTY LTD, PROGRESSIVE BUSINESS PTY LTD, UNITED VOICE, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, ERNST AND YOUNG, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Shorten faces factions showdown

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Original article by Troy Bramston, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 2-Feb-18

The Australian Labor Party faces the potential loss of the seat of Batman in Victoria following the resignation of David Feeney over dual citizenship concerns. Some Labor insiders believe that the Greens will win the by-election. Meanwhile, there are growing tensions between Labor’s left and right factions ahead of the party’s national conference in July. Frontbencher Mark Butler wants another term as national president, but he may face a challenge from the Transport Workers Union’s Tony Sheldon, who has argued that the role should not be open to members of the frontbench.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Charities fear donations bill a muzzle

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 4 : 11-Jan-18

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has rejected claims that the Federal Government’s move to ban foreign donations to political parties will limit the ability of charities to engage in public debate on social issues. Charities would be required to register as a political campaigner if their "political expenditure" has exceeded $A100,000 in any of the last four years. John Falzon of the St Vincent de Paul Society says the bill is targeting organisations that are critical of government policy, and it will increase the compliance burden for charities.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY, COMMUNITY COUNCIL FOR AUSTRALIA LIMITED