POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

MP deserts Hanson to back tax cut

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-May-18

The Federal Government’s hopes of passing its company tax cuts in the Senate have been bolstered after One Nation’s Brian Burston indicated that he will support the package in defiance of party leader Pauline Hanson. Burston suggests that the upcoming by-election in the seat of Longman in Queensland may have influenced Hanson’s decision to withdraw her party’s support for the tax cuts. Burston also says he only became aware of Hanson’s decision when he read about it in the media. The Government requires the support of eight crossbenchers to pass the legislation.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Labor leader vows to end great divide, revive wages

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson, John Ferguson, Ben Potter
The Australian – Page: 4 : 28-May-18

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told Victorian Labor’s state conference on 27 May that inequality is increasing in Australia. With federal Labor due to face five by-elections on 28 July, Shorten flagged plans to reduce national debt, cut income taxes, and boost education and health funding if Labor wins the next election. The previous day had seen Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews promised to impose jail terms on employers who underpay staff or whose employees are killed on the job.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Shorten blasted for doctored notes

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 25-May-18

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has denied suggestions that his office doctored the transcript of a TV interview given by Labor MP Linda Burney. Her staffer, David Tan, transcribed the interview that appeared on Sky News. Tan contends that he made an "innocent mistake", while Burney says Tan has been counselled over what has been described as a "grossly inaccurate transcription". Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the transcript amounted to a "deliberate act of fabrication", while Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the interview was "falsified".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

MP’s China donor bombshell

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-May-18

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has used parliamentary privilege to name property developer Chau Chak Wing as a suspect in the payment of bribes to a United Nations official in 2013. He said Chau is the individual that the FBI has given the code-name of "CC-3" in the bribery case. Chau has denied any involvement in the plot, and lawyer Mark O’Brien has stated that the FBI gave his client a pseudonym to protect his reputation, as he had never been a suspect. Chau, who has made substantial donations to both of Australia’s major political parties, has also denied that he has ever been a member of China’s Communist Party.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED NATIONS, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

Cloud hovers over Labor’s Aly

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 11-May-18

The dual citizenship saga continues to plague Federal Parliament, with the latest High Court ruling having raised uncertainty about the eligibility of Labor MP Anne Aly. Parliament’s citizenship registry shows that Aly applied to have her Egyptian citizenship cancelled in early May 2016, well before nominations for the federal election closed in June. However, Aly is yet to submit any documentation to prove that her Egyptian citizenship has been cancelled. Professor George Williams from the University of New South Wales has called for a referendum on the issue of dual citizenship.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Call for referendum on dual citizenship

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 10-May-18

Professor Kim Rubenstein of the Australian National University says the High Court’s latest ruling on dual citizenship demonstrates the need for a referendum on section 44 of the Constitution. She says that only a "small pool" of Australians will be eligible to be in parliament unless section 44 is amended. A parliamentary inquiry is examining the question of whether changes to the Constitution are necessary, and it is slated to report its findings in coming days.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, GREAT BRITAIN. HOME OFFICE

Labor bracing for mid-year byelections

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-May-18

The High Court will hand down its determination on whether Labor senator Katy Gallagher is eligible to sit in parliament because of her dual citizenship on 9 May. Should its decision go against her, there would be pressure on fellow Labor MPs Susan Lamb, Justine Keay and Josh Wilson and Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie to resign from parliament or be referred to the High Court. Should Lamb, Keay and Wilson resign, it is likely that by-elections would be held on the same day as the one to replace Labor MP Tim Hammond, who resigned in early May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, PROFESSIONALS AUSTRALIA

Shorten CFMEU links hurt ALP

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Apr-18

There are concerns that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s efforts to boost his number within the Labor party through deals with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union have the potential to harm its prospects at the next federal election. His leadership is said to be safe at the moment, but there are a number of potential candidates in the wings should dissatisfaction with his ties to the CFMEU grow, including Chris Bowen, Tony Burke and Tanya Plibersek.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

CFMEU boss wants Shorten to restore rights of workers

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 20-Apr-18

John Setka says that Labor has been criticised in the past for being a party that does not really stand for anything. However, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s Victorian secretary says this seems to have changed under Bill Shorten. Setka says he is happy to endorse Shorten as an alternative prime minister, despite the fact that he used to represent the Australian Workers’ Union, with which Setka’s union has traditionally been at odds. Setka hopes Shorten takes action to restore the rights of workers if Labor wins the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION

Shorten sets sights on safe-seat shift

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Apr-18

Changes to electoral boundaries in Victoria will result in about 40 per cent of voters in the seat of Maribyrnong being transferred to the newly-created seat of Fraser. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten holds Maribyrnong with a margin of 12.3 per cent, although this will be reduced to around 10 per cent following the changes. Shorten is said to be contemplating switching from his current electorate to Fraser, where Labor is expected to have a margin of around 20 per cent. This would allow Shorten to focus on campaigning nationally rather than in his own seat.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY