POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

Jet-setting Ley fights to keep career flying

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 9-Jan-17

The future of federal Health Minister Sussan Ley remains under scrutiny amid new revelations about her reimbursement for travel expenses. It has been disclosed that Ley submitted claims for the cost of travelling to the Gold Coast on New Year’s Eve in both 2013 and 2014. Ley has agreed to repay the expenses she incurred in May 2015 for travelling from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, where she bought an apartment. She had been in Brisbane on official ministerial business at the time. The Opposition has argued that she should be sacked.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, THE PHARMACY GUILD OF AUSTRALIA

Bernardi on brink of Libs split

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Dec-16

Senator Cory Bernardi has declined to comment on speculation that he plans to leave the Liberal Party and establish a new conservative party. Bernardi established the Australian Conservatives website in mid-2016, and a recent message on the site said some "important campaigns" will be launched in 2017. There has also been speculation that the Australian Conservatives party will receive financial support from mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who has praised the policies of US president-elect Donald Trump.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ONE NATION PARTY

I won’t vote on any bills, vows Culleton

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Nov-16

One Nation senator Rod Culleton has indicated that he will abstain from voting in the Senate while the constitutional validity of his election in July remains uncertain. The High Court may be asked to determine whether Culleton was entitled to be elected, as he had been convicted of a criminal offence at the time of the 2016 federal election. Meanwhile, there has been speculation of a rift between Culleton and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Reform plans in peril as second senator in strife

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Nov-16

The Australian Government has become even more reliant on the support of Senate crossbenchers to pass its industrial relations bills. It will need eight crossbenchers to vote for the bills, with One Nation’s Rod Culleton advising that he will not vote in the upper house until uncertainty regarding the validity of his election is resolved. The issue will be referred to the High Court, which will also be asked to determine whether the election of Family First’s Bob Day was constitutionally valid. Day has resigned from the Senate, but the High Court’s ruling could determine with the party retains his seat.

CORPORATES
FAMILY FIRM INSTITUTE, ONE NATION PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM

MP rallies media in support of Leak

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Original article by Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 2 : 18-Oct-16

Federal MP Andrew Hastie has criticised the Human Rights Commission’s decision to launch an investigation into Bill Leak over a controversial cartoon that was published in August 2016. The Liberal MP has stressed the importance of freedom of expression and urged media companies and journalists to support the cartoonist. Hastie also says the Leak case could prompt renewed scrutiny of section 18C of the ­Racial Discrimination Act.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA

Senate rides shotgun on IR bills

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Oct-16

The Australian Government is hopeful that all but one senate crossbencher, Jacqui Lambie, will be open to supporting its bills to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission. However, some crossbenchers have a list of policies they want implemented in return for their support. Amongst other things, Nick Xenophon will press for imported building materials to be subject to local building standards and increased protection for whistleblowers, while David Leyonhjelm wants importation of the seven-shot Adler shotgun to be legalised.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, HOME AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Nationals at war over mining tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Oct-16

National Party of Australia leader Barnaby Joyce has weighed into the debate on the proposed increase in Western Australia’s iron levy. Joyce says he supports policies aimed at promoting the growth of regional areas but stresses that the tax hike proposed by WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls is not the answer. Grylls has responded by criticising Joyce for not supporting WA. Grylls wants to increase the iron ore levy from $A0.25 per tonne to $A5, in order to offset WA’s loss of GST revenue.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Turnbull suggests foreign donor ban

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 9-Sep-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has suggested allowing only those who are eligible to vote to make political donations. The issue of political donations gained national prominence after revelations that Australian Labor Party senator Sam Dastyari accepted payments from Chinese-backed companies. The Liberal Party of Australia wants the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to suggest appropriate changes, but the Opposition says the matter is urgent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

China singles out Dastyari as supporter

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Original article by Lisa Murray, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 2-Sep-16

The People’s Daily considers Labor Senator Sam Dastyari a friend of China. The Communist Party newspaper praised the Australian politician for his support of China’s sovereignty claim over the South China Sea islands. Dastyari’s motivation has recently been questioned following revelations that his travel expenses bill of $A1,670 was paid by a Chinese-Australian businessman.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TOP EDUCATION INSTITUTE, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Hanson offers hope for ABCC bill

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Aug-16

Incoming senator Pauline Hanson will consult with both sides of politics before deciding her stance on the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, Hanson has indicated that she opposes "union thuggery" and says small contractors and subcontractors must be protected from such union practices. Hanson is yet to decide her position on proposed company tax cuts, but warns of the risk that companies may relocate to countries with lower tax rates unless the tax burden is reduced.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET