HEARINGS for the Indigenous Affairs Committee inquiry into fostering better engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers are continuing this Wednesday and will include further discussions with Reconciliation Australia and with key government regulators.

Committee Chair Julian Leeser MP said, "We look forward to continuing our important discussions with Reconciliation Australia and we will also be hearing from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) who will have insights into some of the issues facing Indigenous consumers in the telecommunications sector.

"The committee will also hear from the ACCC and ASIC, who are key Commonwealth regulators dealing with business malfeasance, including towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Their knowledge of the current policy settings in this regard will be particularly valuable for the inquiry," Mr Leeser said.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 15 December 2021 (AEDT)

10am          Reconciliation Australia
11am          ACCAN
12.30pm          ACCC
1.30pm            ASIC

A live audio stream of the hearing will be accessible at https://www.aph.gov.au/Watch_Read_Listen.

For more information about this inquiry, including its terms of reference, details of upcoming public hearings, and instructions on making a submission, visit the Inquiry webpage. Track the committee to receive email updates on the inquiry by clicking the blue ‘Track Committee’ button.

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INDUSTRY Super Australia (ISA) has released a four-point plan to put members and their future economic security at the front of any debates over superannuation policy during the forthcoming election.

"Any changes to policy must be driven by members' financial intersts -- nothing else," Industry Super Australia CEO Bernie Dean said.

"Not everyone is getting the same deal. We need to make sure young mums are paid super when they take time off to raise children, get workers' super paid with their wages and protect them from ending up stuck in a dud fund.

"Workers and retirees just hate it when politicians go messing with super. Sticking with the foundations, like the plan to increase the super guarantee to 12 percent and preserving super for retirement will go a long to give people the certainty they crave," he said.

To build member retirement’s saving ISA’s plan urges any future government to:

1. Bridge the gender super gap
2. Fix the $5 billion a year unpaid super scourge
3. Protect members from dud funds
4. And stop tinkering with super’s foundations

The ISA statement said Australia’s $3.4 trillion super system had put a dignified retirement within grasp for millions of Australians, while playing a growing role in the national economy. Members’ retirement savings are built on the policy foundations of super, these foundations – of compulsion, preservation until retirement and universality – need to be protected.

ISA said if millions of Australians are to have a dignified retirement the Super Guarantee increase to 12 percent must not be altered and further relaxation of existing rules for the early release of super should be ruled out.

The system is not perfect, too many women are still at risk of retiring into poverty, women retire with 30 percent less super than and the gender savings gap is forecast to last for at least the next four decades, according to ISA.

"Not paying super on Commonwealth parental leave contributes to the gender savings gap, this has cost young mums $1.6 billion and will leave a mother of two $14,000 worse off at retirement," Mr Dean said. "Super tax concessions are also poorly targeted and further entrench the gender super gap. 

"Almost three million Australians – about a quarter of the workforce – are not getting all the super they are entitled to. The $5 billion a year unpaid super scourge needs to be urgently addressed by mandating that super is paid at the same time as wages, not quarterly.

"While the new Your Future, Your Super package has made important reforms that stop the proliferation of multiple super accounts and introduced an investment performance test, the test needs to be strengthened and expanded to include all products and funds, and the legislation should be amended to ensure workers don’t get lumped with a dud for decades."

ISA is seeking the following policy commitments from the major parties:

• Mandate employers pay their employees super with wages 
• Pay super with the Commonwealth Parental Leave Pay Scheme 
• Review distribution of tax concessions to ensure they help close the gender super gap 
• Expand the APRA performance tests to include 10 years of historical fund performance on all fees and products.
• Ban workers from being stapled to a fund that does not pass the annual performance test
• Legislate super’s objective of generating income to provide workers with a dignified life in retirement
• Maintain the legislated schedule for increasing the super guarantee to 12% by 2025. 
• Rule out relaxation of existing rules for early release of super, or allowing people to opt out of saving for their retirement.    

  www.industrysuper.com

THE House of Representatives Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety has opened for submissions and invites all interested people and organisations to have their say.

Committee Chair Lucy Wicks MP said the committee looked forward to hearing from a wide range of stakeholders for the inquiry.

"Given the complexity and importance of this topic, the committee hopes that people will share their experience and their suggestions on how Parliament might address online risks to Australians," Ms Wicks said.

The closing date for submissions is January 12, 2022. The committee will soon schedule public hearings and will table its report in the Parliament by February 15, 2022.

For more information about this committee, visit its website.

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THE Liberal and Nationals Government is providing another $250 million to fund the infrastructure and services regional Australian communities need to grow and prosper.

Applications are now open for Round 6 of the Government’s Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF), paving the way for new projects that regional communities deserve to be funded and delivered.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Barnaby Joyce said the government was focused on ensuring the "regions remain strong and grow into the future".

“Regional Australians deserve the same services and opportunities that people in metropolitan cities have and the Building Better Regions Fund helps make this happen,” Deputy Prime Minister Joyce said.

“That’s why we’ve committed another $250 million for projects and initiatives that will transform communities, create new jobs and drive economic growth across regional Australia.

“Backing regional communities will help secure our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring regional Australians can get ahead.

“This latest investment in new projects will build on the 298 fantastic regional projects that shared in $300 million in funding under the last round of the Building Better Regions Fund," Mr Joyce said.

“Our government is committed to delivering the best outcomes for regional and remote Australia, which is why we are continuing to support the businesses and people who call regional Australia home.”

Funding under Round 6 takes the Government’s total investment through the BBRF to $1.38 billion.

The BBRF supports economic and social infrastructure for the long-term benefit of regional communities. Funding the infrastructure and services that communities need for the future will create jobs and help them rebound strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Projects will be funded under two streams. The Infrastructure Projects Stream supports the construction of new infrastructure, or the upgrade or extension of existing infrastructure.

The Community Investments Stream funds community development activities including, but not limited to, new or expanded local events, strategic regional plans, leadership and capability building activities.

Applications close on Thursday, February 10, 2022.

Infrastructure Projects Stream: https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/building-better-regions-fund-infrastructure-projects-stream-round-6

Community Investments Stream: https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/building-better-regions-fund-community-investments-stream-round-6

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