POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

‘Citizenship seven’ have Friday on their minds

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 7 : 25-Oct-17

The High Court’s ruling on the eligibility of seven MPs and senators to be in federal parliament will be handed down on 27 October. A by-election in Barnaby Joyce’s seat of New England is slated for 2 December if the court rules that his dual citizenship at the time of the 2016 election disqualifies him from being in parliament. George Williams, the dean of law at the University of New South Wales, expects the court to disqualify at least some of the parliamentarians.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Shorten faces ‘donation’ probe

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 23-Oct-17

The Registered Organisations Commission is believed to be investigating a $A25,000 donation by the Australian Workers’ Union to the 2007 election campaign of current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. He had been the head of the AWU at the time. The union also made large donations to the election campaigns of two other Labor candidates. The ROC recently began a separate probe into the AWU’s donation to activist group GetUp in 2006, whose board members at the time included Shorten. Labor MP Brendan O’Connor alleges that the ROC investigations are part of a smear campaign against Shorten.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Accusations ‘will hinder’ Crown probe

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 19-Oct-17

Justice Minister Michael Keenan says AUSTRAC will investigate allegations that casino operator Crown Resorts has breached anti-money laundering laws. However, law enforcement officials have expressed concern that any case against Crown could be jeopardised after independent MP Andrew Wilkie raised the allegations in parliament. Amongst other things, he said former Crown employees had claimed that the company’s casino in Melbourne has evaded financial transaction laws and modified its poker machines to ensure lower payouts.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, VICTORIAN COMMISSION FOR GAMBLING AND LIQUOR REGULATION

Personal approvals don’t matter, says pollster Gary Morgan

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Original article by Luke Henriques Gomes
The New Daily – Page: Online : 14-Sep-17

Pollster Gary Morgan says leadership approval ratings do not necessarily translate into electoral success. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is performing poorly against Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in personal approval polls, despite Labor being ahead of the government in polling. Morgan, the executive chairman of Roy Morgan Research, cites examples such as Margaret Thatcher and Helen Clark of politicians who enjoyed electoral success despite low approval ratings. He says voters focus on issues important to them, rather than on political party leaders. Roy Morgan each week surveys face to face an Australian wide cross section of about 1,000 people aged 14 and over. Voting intention of electors is available to subscribers and clients.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION LIMITED, NEWSPOLL, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Next battle: same-sex campaign rules

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 8-Sep-17

The Federal Government will shortly begin distributing ballot papers for the postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage after the High Court ruled that it can proceed. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have urged all Australian electors to participate in the voluntary survey. The Government is drafting the rules for the eight-week public campaign on the issue of marriage equality, while there is growing concern about the potential impact of legalisation of same-sex marriages on religious freedom.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Joyce and Nash should step aside, expert warns

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 31-Aug-17

Constitutional law expert Professor George Williams has told the National Press Club that cabinet ministers Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash should step down from their portfolios until the High Court determines whether they are eligible to be in Parliament. He says there is potential for all ministerial decisions they have made since the 2016 election to be subject to a legal challenge if they are disqualified from Parliament due to dual citizenship. Williams adds that an audit of all federal MPs and senators should not be held until the court hands down its ruling.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Union chief avoids police action over ‘threats’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 8 : 25-Aug-17

The Construction, Forestry Mining & Energy Union has welcomed the Australian Federal Police’s decision not to pursue an investigation against Victorian state secretary John Setka. Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash had asked the AFP to investigate alleged threats made by Setka against Australian Building & Construction Commission staff at a rally in June. A spokesperson for Cash has reiterated her concern about the tone of Setka’s comments.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LAING O’ROURKE AUSTRALIA CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, DE MARTIN AND GASPARINI PTY LTD, PROBUILD CONSTRUCTIONS (VICTORIA) PTY LTD, THE MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA

Citizenship turmoil to last months

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 25-Aug-17

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus says cabinet ministers Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash should step aside until the High Court rules on their eligibility to be in Parliament. The hearing is not scheduled to begin until 10 October, and Dreyfus argues that any ministerial decisions they make in the interim could be subject to a legal challenge if the court disqualifies them due to dual citizenship. Constitutional lawyers Anne Twomey and George Williams say the court may not necessarily rule in the Government’s favour in the cases of Joyce, Nash and Matt Canavan.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, COURT OF DISPUTED RETURNS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, GREAT BRITAIN. HOME OFFICE

Shorten no to British citizenship proof calls

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Aug-17

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says dual citizenship is not an issue for any Australian Labor Party MPs, adding that they should not have to provide documented evidence that they are solely Australian citizens. Shorten himself was a British citizen by descent, but he stresses that he relinquished his British citizenship a year before being elected to Parliament in 2007. However, he has declined to supply proof of this. Meanwhile, the Government claims that several Labor MPs could be dual citizens.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, 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