POLITICIANS – AUSTRALIA

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

Turnbull supported as Liberal Leader by 64% while Shorten (9%) is fourth choice as ALP Leader behind Plibersek, Albanese & Swan

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-15

A special telephone Morgan Poll, which was carried out from 20-22 October 2015, has found that 64 per cent of Australian electors prefer Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal Leader, an increase of 20 per cent since July. Some 12 per cent of electors prefer Deputy Leader Julie Bishop as Liberal Leader, while eight per cent prefer former PM Tony Abbott. Meanwhile, 27 per cent of electors prefer Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek as Australian Labor Party Leader, ahead of Anthony Albanese (23 per cent), former treasurer Wayne Swan (10 per cent) and current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (nine per cent). Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that Coalition supporters have swung decisively behind the new PM: 70 per cent now strongly prefer Turnbull, ahead of Abbott (12 per cent) and Julie Bishop (seven per cent).

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

Denials wear thin as evidence mounts

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Original article by Ben Schneiders
The Age – Page: 5 : 14-Oct-15

Melbourne’s EastLink tollroad project was finished well ahead of schedule, but evidence presented to the trade union royal commission demonstrates that industrial peace came at a cost. Julian Rzesniowiecki was a senior executive at Thiess John Holland, who kept records showing that the Australian Workers’ Union had proposed that Thiess pay $A300,000 for one union organiser to be on site. The proposal was put forward by current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in his capacity as head of the AWU. He had initially proposed that Thiess pay for four AWU members to be on site for the life of the project.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, THIESS JOHN HOLLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Shorten unlikely to reappear at commission

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Oct-15

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption will hear further evidence concerning the Australian Workers’ Union in the week beginning 12 October 2015. However, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is not expected to be asked to front the inquiry again, as there have been no applications to cross-examine the former AWU national secretary. Shorten has been highly critical of the royal commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, THIESS JOHN HOLLAND, CLEANEVENT PTY LTD, ACI GLASS PACKAGING, DOWNER EDI LIMITED – ASX DOW, UNIBUILT, WINSLOW CONSTRUCTORS PTY LTD, CHIQUITA MUSHROOMS PTY LTD

Tasmanian MP joins call to rein in penalty rates

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Sep-15

Federal MP Andrew Nikolic says the Australian Government must engage in debate about the need for changes to the penalty rates regime. Nikolic notes that penalty rates is a politically sensitive issue, but argues that the current system is a disincentive for tourism and hospitality businesses in his Tasmanian seat of Bass to trade on weekends and public holidays. A number of his Coalition colleagues have also called for the issue to be reviewed.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, PIERRE’S CAFE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Shorten may reappear at commission

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 25-Sep-15

The activities of the Australian Workers’ Union will come under further scrutiny by the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption. Royal commissioner Dyson Heydon has indicated that Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten – a former national secretary of the AWU – will not be required to appear before the inquiry again at this stage, but he has not ruled out asking Shorten to do so if this is deemed necessary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, THIESS JOHN HOLLAND, ACI GLASS PACKAGING, DOWNER EDI LIMITED – ASX DOW, UNIBUILT, CLEANEVENT, WINSLOW CONSTRUCTORS PTY LTD, CHIQUITA MUSHROOMS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA