POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

Leyonhjelm attacks anti-corruption bill

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Aug-17

Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm has concerns about the Federal Government’s proposed union anti-corruption legislation. The legislation, which has been drawn up in response to the royal commission into union corruption, is due to be tabled in the Senate in the week beginning 7 August 2017. Leyonhjelm is worried that people who have made what they believe to be legitimate payments to a union could find themselves coming under the legislation, and could end up going to jail. He wants it amended to protect such situations.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

MP fiasco extends to bloodlines

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Jul-17

The issue of federal politicians with dual citizenship continues to attract scrutiny, with 21 lower house MPs having confirmed that a parent or grandparent was born overseas. There would be major implications for the Government if any Coalition MPs were found to have foreign citizenship by descent, given its one-seat majority in the lower house. Meanwhile, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has confirmed that he was a British dual national when elected to Parliament in July 2016. He had taken action to renounce his British citizenship, but official documentation was not completed until December.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND. DEPT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

More MPs under threat

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Original article by Mark Kenny
The Age – Page: 1 : 27-Jul-17

Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale says an audit should be taken to determine the eligibility of all federal MPs to hold public office in the wake of the dual citizenship saga. University of New South Wales law expert George Williams says more MPs may fail the eligiblity requirements under section 44 of the Constitution. This would have major implications for the Federal Government, given that it has a one-seat majority in the lower house.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Red-faced Greens senators scrambling to prove their citizenship

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Jul-17

The eligibility of Australian Greens MPs to hold public office continues to attract scrutiny after Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters were forced to resign from Parliament due to their dual citizenship status. A Greens spokeswoman has indicated that party leader Richard Di Natale and Senator Nick McKim are in the process of obtaining documents to prove that they relinquished their citizenship of Italy and the UK respectively prior to being elected to Parliament.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, TASMANIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ONE NATION PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Rhiannon ‘disappointed’ in leader Di Natale

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 3-Jul-17

Australian Greens senator Lee Rhiannon says she wants to see her party become more democratic. Her comments follow a move by federal colleagues to ban her from attending important party room meetings. The ban resulted from claims that Rhiannon was undermining her colleagues over the party’s approach to the Federal Government’s schools funding package. Rhiannon says the decision effectively disenfranchises all members of the Greens’ New South Wales branch, and that she is "disappointed" with Greens leader Richard Di Natale.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, THE GREENS NSW INCORPORATED

Greens at war over Rhiannon suspension

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Jun-17

Australian Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has been banned her by federal colleagues from attending important party room meetings. The ban resulted from claims that Rhiannon was undermining them over the party’s approach to the federal government’s schools funding package. They will not lift the ban until the Greens’ New South Wales branch ceases telling its MPs how they should vote, but the NSW branch has refused to accept Rhiannon’s suspension.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, THE GREENS NSW INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION

Same-sex brawl fuels Lib turmoil

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Jun-17

Leaked comments by Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne on the issue of same-sex marriage are causing major headaches for the Federal Government. Pyne’s comments appear to indicate that moderate Liberals could push for a conscience vote on the issue in the near future, despite Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull having previously committed to a plebiscite on same-sex marriage. Conservative Liberals have accused Pyne of "sheer stupidity" over his comments, contending that the issue has taken the spotlight off the Government’s successful passage of its schools funding package

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SKY NEWS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, NEWSPOLL

Unions need to argue wage rises drive growth, says Swan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Jun-17

Former federal treasurer Wayne Swan says the Australian Labor Party and the union movement need to better argue the case for improved wages for middle-class workers. Swan will tell the annual ACTU congress that he fears that the Australian middle-class will become like the fast-disappearing US middle-class if wages do not rise. Swan’s comments follow those recently made by Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe, who said employees need to be more forceful when it comes to asking for wage rises.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES)

PM queried Robb’s China role

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 16-Jun-17

Former Trade Minister Andrew Robb is said to have taken on a consulting role with Chinese firm Landbridge on 1 July 2016, the day before the federal election. With a recent television program having raised concerns over Chinese influence in Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce claimed that "questions" need to be asked about the timing of Robb’s appointment. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Robb had assured Martin Parkinson, the head of Turnbull’s department, that he had not breached any ministerial standards in taking on the role with Landbridge.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LANDBRIDGE GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRADE, AUSTRALIA CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Greens amid top spenders on flights

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 13-Jan-17

The travel expenses of federal politicians have come under further scrutiny amid revelations that Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale spent $A56,526 on travel during the first half of 2016. The Greens’ community services spokeswoman Rachel Siewert submitted claims for $A63,934 worth of travel expenses during the period. The Greens have criticised the high travel expenses of members of the major political parties, and Di Natale stresses that his team’s travel expenses were solely work-related.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION