POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

Double-dippers stand by rules

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Original article by Jared Owens, Rebecca Puddy, Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 23-May-16

Some 52 past and current MPs have declared a financial interest in residential properties in Canberra since the 2013 federal election. While the majority have not replied to enquiries as to whether they had claimed a travel allowance for staying in their Canberra home, Australian Labor Party MP Brendan O’Connor is the only one to have stated that he did not make such a claim. Five MPs have acknowledged that they have claimed both the travel allowance and a tax deduction associated with their Canberra home.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

AFP raids Conroy’s office, ALP adviser’s house

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 9 : 20-May-16

The Opposition’s legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus says an Australian Federal Police raid on the office of senator Stephen Conroy may be unprecedented. Police are believed to have been seeking leaked documents concerning the national broadband network. The raids also included the home of Andy Byrne, an adviser to Labor communications spokesman Jason Clare and a former aide of Conroy during his tenure as communications minister.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, NBN CO LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Turnbull supported as Liberal Leader by 41% (down 23%) while Plibersek (22%) and Albanese (20%) still well ahead of Shorten 14% (up 5%) for ALP

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 6-May-16

A special telephone Morgan Poll, which was carried out on 4-5 May 2016, has found that 41 per cent of Australian electors prefer Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal Party Leader, while 24 per cent prefer Deputy Leader Julie Bishop and seven per cent prefer former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Meanwhile, 22 per cent of electors prefer Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek as Australian Labor Party Leader, ahead of Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese (20 per cent) and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (14 per cent). Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says Labor’s best chance of a surprise victory in the upcoming Federal Election may be a last-minute leadership switch to Plibersek, as Labor did in 1983 when Bob Hawke replaced Bill Hayden as party Leader on the day Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser called an early Federal Election. Voting Intention telephone Morgan Poll conducted after Budget released Friday 6, 2016 – LNP 51% ALP 49%.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Turnbull 57% (but down 19%) still preferred Australian PM cf. Shorten 24% (up 10%) after Federal Budget handed down

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 6-May-16

A special telephone Morgan Poll, which was carried out on 4-5 May 2016, has found that 57 per cent of Australian electors rate Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as the "Better PM"’. This is 19 per cent lower than a telephone Morgan Poll in October 2015. In contrast, 24 per cent of electors rate Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as the "Better PM", an increase of 10 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of electors who approve of Turnbull’s handling of his job as PM has fallen by 23 per cent to 43 per cent, and the proportion of electors who approve of Shorten’s handling of his job as Opposition Leader has risen by nine per cent to 34 per cent. Voting Intention telephone Morgan Poll conducted after Budget released Friday 6, 2016 – LNP 51% ALP 49%.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Crossbenchers open to negotiate stricter IR laws

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Mar-16

Seven of the eight crossbench senators say they are willing to hold talks with the Australian Government regarding its proposed industrial relations reforms. The Government requires the support of at least six crossbenchers for its reforms to be passed by the upper house. Senator Glenn Lazarus has indicated that he will support the bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission provided its powers are broadened to cover other industries. Senator Jacqui Lambie is the only crossbencher to have ruled out negotiating with the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Crossbench not sold on case for reform

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 7-Mar-16

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment & Communications will review the Federal Government’s bill to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". Passage of the bill may require the support of a majority of the eight crossbench Senators, although six have yet to decide their position on the proposed reforms. Independent senator Nick Xenophon argues that TV broadcasting licence fees should also be reduced, and local content requirements should be introduced for regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Government losing appetite for GST hike

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 5-Feb-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says a push to increase the GST will only proceed if it can be demonstrated to have positive economic effects, such as creating jobs and lifting productivity. Meanwhile, a growing number of Federal Government MPs and senators have reservations about increasing the GST. Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has vowed to vote against the Government on any bill to increase the tax, while MP Russell Broadbent says the Government has not presented a compelling case for a tax increase.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ICAC clears Sinodinos over corruption claims

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Jan-16

The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has found no evidence of corruption involving Senator Arthur Sinodinos. The ICAC investigated claims of funds being fraudulently donated to the Liberal Party by Sydney Water, through Australian Water Holdings. The anti-corruption body stated that no public official was involved in the case.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, SYDNEY WATER CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WATER HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

GST rise in trouble as rebellion in Senate grows

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 12-Nov-15

The majority of cross-bench senators will need to back any push by the Australian Government to increase the GST for it to succeed. However, a number of cross-bench senators have stated their opposition to lifting the GST to 15 per cent, as have several independent MPs in the lower house. The Opposition and the Australian Greens will also vote against any changes to the GST.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Employers face criminal action over AWU

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 9-Nov-15

Jeremy Stoljar has concluded that federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was not involved in criminal or unlawful conduct when he was head of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU). However, the counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption has recommended that commissioner Dyson Heydon should conclude in his findings that former AWU boss Cesar Melhem and several companies may have contravened the Crimes Act regarding payments to the union.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION – WORKPLACE REFORM ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, THIESS JOHN HOLLAND, WINSLOW CONSTRUCTORS PTY LTD, ACI PACKAGING SERVICES PTY LTD, CHIQUITA MUSHROOMS PTY LTD