Shorten hit by dual faction fury

Original article by Joe Kelly, Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 21-Dec-17

There is growing unrest within factions of the Australian Labor Party, ahead of several likely by-elections in early 2018. The powerful NSW Right faction has expressed concern about the party’s treatment of former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari, as well as the involvement of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in negotiations with the Industrial Left faction in Victoria. A member of Labor’s Victorian Right faction says the deal for unions aligned with the Industrial Left to support the Centre Unity faction would not have proceeded without Shorten’s backing.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Shorten seats for union support deal

Original article by Staff reporters
The Australian – Page: 4 : 20-Dec-17

Unions linked to the Australian Labor Party’s Industrial Left faction are understood to have done a deal with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and his ­Centre Unity faction. The deal is said to include increased pre-selection of candidates belonging to the IL faction for seats at upcoming elections, in return for the IL agreeing to support Shorten remaining as Labor leader. Unions belonging to the IL faction include the Maritime Union of Australia, the ­Finance Sector Union and the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, FINANCE SECTOR UNION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES UNION

Dual-citizenship debacle catches up with Shorten

Original article by Rosie Lewis, Rachel Baxendale, David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Dec-17

Documents released on 4 December reveal that Labor Senator Katy Gallagher remained a UK citizen two months after nominations for the 2016 federal election closed. National Party leader Barnaby Joyce, who had to re-contest the seat of New England after being forced to resign over his dual citizenship, has accused Opposition Leader Bill Shorten of being a big hypocrite over the issue. Joyce noted that Shorten had claimed that no Labor MP would become embroiled in the dual-citizenship saga.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, COURT OF DISPUTED RETURNS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Australians losing faith in democracy, report finds

Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 29-Nov-17

Just 28 per cent of Australians trust the federal government to do the right thing by them either most of the time or almost always, compared to 48 per cent in 2009. This is according to the latest findings of the Monash University-Scanlon Foundation Social Cohesion Program, which has gauged Australians’ views on issues such as immigration, discrimination and political trust annually for the past decade. Over a third of respondents stated Australia’s current political system needs either a major revamp or replacing altogether.

CORPORATES
MONASH UNIVERSITY, SCANLON FOUNDATION, ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Drop in NXT support gives Nick Xenophon reason to ‘flee’ to SA

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-17

The High Court of Australia sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns has judged that South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon was not improperly elected to Federal Parliament at the 2016 Federal Election. However, Xenophon has signalled that he will be returning to State politics anyway, and an in-depth analysis of recent Roy Morgan poll results can reveal why jumping back to State politics may be the smart move for the NXT Leader. Support for the Nick Xenophon Team has dropped alarmingly since the Federal Election, with nationwide support now at just 0.5%, down from a Federal Election return of 1.9% just over a year ago. In Xenophon’s home State the drop has been even more significant with NXT support in October of only 9.5%, down 11.8% from last year’s South Australian State total of 21.3%. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that if NXT is to survive in Federal Parliament without its charismatic leader who has vowed to contest next year’s South Australian Election as the Leader of his new party SA Best, the outgoing Senator Xenophon must choose his replacement Senator wisely.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, COURT OF DISPUTED RETURNS

Rudd tells Shorten: expel CFMEU militants

Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Oct-17

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says the Australian Labor Party should sever its ties with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union due to its failure to comply with industrial laws. Rudd argues that Labor must reduce the influence of unions within the party as it is hindering the development of policies aimed at economic reform. The CFMEU has been fined millions of dollars in the last several years, including a recent fine of $A2.4m for unlawful industrial action at the Barangaroo project in Sydney. Rudd’s memoir will be published on 24 October.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUILDERS’ LABOURERS’ FEDERATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Labor links expose GetUp! as a ‘front’

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

Senate deadlock hits Ten’s rescue hopes

Original article by David Crowe, Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Aug-17

Cross-media ownership reforms are in doubt after the Federal Government rejected a proposal by Senator Nick Xenophon to provide tax incentives for small media companies. The tax offset would have been available for the Australian editions of foreign publications such as "The Guardian", which Communications Minister Mitch Fifield says is inappropriate. The stalled media reform bill will effectively prevent most Australian media companies from bidding for the Ten Network. The deadline to submit bids is 18 August.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ANCHORAGE CAPITAL GROUP LLC, SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, PPB ADVISORY, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

We’re not conservatives: PM

Original article by Simon Benson, Tony Shepherd
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Jul-17

Amid growing tensions between the moderate and conservative factions of the Liberal Party, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has argued that the party has always been centrist rather than conservative. He said Robert Menzies’ intention was for the party to be centre-right when it was founded in 1944. Turnbull held talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May on 10 July, covering issues such as trade and investment between the two nations when the UK leaves the European Union.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, POLICY EXCHANGE

PM’s dare to dissident Liberal MPs

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Jul-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned that he will quit Parliament if he is ousted in a leadership spill. Tensions between the moderate and conservative factions of the Liberal Party have escalated in the wake of leaked comments by Christopher Pyne, while former prime minister Tony Abbott is among members of the party who are advocating structural reform. The Coalition would be keen to avoid a by-election in Turnbull’s electorate, given that it has a one-seat majority in the lower house.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED