WITH Australia’s economy starting to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, this Monday (March 29) the House Economics Committee will gather key financial regulation bodies to discuss consumer protection, responsible lending, and other issues.

Witnesses from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and Australian Securities and Investments Commission will appear at the hearing.

Committee chair Tim Wilson said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruption and uncertainty in the financial sector.

"As Australia moves towards our 'post COVID normal', it is essential to maintain strong prudential regulation; promote competition; and ensure fair and transparent dealings to safeguard financial stability and consumer trust in the financial sector.

‘After the chair of ASIC stepped aside due to allegations of misuse of taxpayer funds during our last hearing, the committee is particularly interested in scrutinising ASIC’s response to the Treasury's review of ASIC governance, released in January this year," Mr Wilson said.

"The committee is also interested in hearing how APRA is promoting strong prudential regulation and operational resilience amongst financial institutions, including super funds."

Public hearing details

Date: Monday, 29 March 2021
Time: 9am to 1.30pm
Venue: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra, and via videoconference

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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INDEPENDENT funding for ICAC is needed now, according to the Public Service Association, so the corruption watchdog can focus on its investigations rather than trying find annual budget savings.

"Every year budgetary pressure sees ICAC forced to go cap in hand to the Premier for supplementary funding," PSA general secretary Stewart Little said.

"In 2021, the fearless investigator is being asked to find $3.4 million in savings for the next four years.

"Without this cash it is hamstrung in its ability to sniff out corruption or run multiple investigations. The Berejiklian government is whittling it down to its smallest size in three decades."

The latest budget pressure comes after ICAC was forced to find $4.7 million in savings in 2019/20, and $2.9 million in 2018/2019.

"Independent and consistent funding, which is allocated at arm's length from the government, is needed urgently. Keeping NSW corruption free shouldn't be treated as a line item in the budget, it is a core service we need," Mr Little said.

"ICAC is the ultimate check on government. Funding independence removes any threat of pressure from those ICAC is investigating."

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy today launched a new inquiry into dispatchable energy generation and storage capability in Australia. 

Committee chair, Ted O’Brien MP said, “Australia’s energy system is changing. We are seeing rapid growth in renewable energy and the retirement of thermal energy capabilities which creates a risk of unintended consequences.

“As older power stations leave the market, we can’t rely on intermittent renewables alone to keep the lights on and the costs down,” Mr O’Brien said.

“We need sufficient dispatchable generation capacity to balance renewables, so the electricity system is affordable, reliable and secure. Our new inquiry will tackle this generational challenge by assessing both sides of the equation - generation and storage.

“It’s not just about how the system works today but how it might work in the future, so we’ll assess the future need for dispatchability and the potential for different types of technology.

“We will learn from what’s happening elsewhere in the world to address this challenge while exploring opportunities for Australia to export dispatchable zero-emissions power to others.

“We’re at a turning point in how our electricity market operates and how we respond will be a major determinant of our strength as a nation well into the future. We have to get it right.”

Further information, including the inquiry’s full terms of reference, is available on its website.

The committee will accept submissions addressing the terms of reference until May 7, 2021.

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ON TUESDAY, STEPS Employment Solutions launched their highly anticipated #SeeME campaign launch event.

The national campaign, which features a video series, explores the realities of nine extraordinary individuals who face barriers to employment and highlights the importance of concentrating on the abilities of job seekers. This idea is embodied in the event’s tagline of “employMYability”.

The event featured the first screening of all nine participants’ powerful stories, and also saw the nine participants and other speakers share their experience and insights with the audience.

The video series garnered emotional responses from the audience, as well as from the participants themselves.

Carmel Crouch, managing director of STEPS, was also present at the event and shared the importance of campaigns like #SeeME in changing the landscape for young Australians with barriers to gaining employment.

“STEPS Employment Solutions and the idea of giving equal job opportunities to young people with disabilities was what initially began what is now known as STEPS Group Australia in 1989,” Ms Crouch said.

Kerry Staines, the chief executive officer of STEPS Group Australia, spoke at the event and shared her great confidence in what campaigns like #SeeME could achieve.

“This campaign really embodies our core message; that young adults with disabilities, mental health issues, or any other barriers have so much to offer in the workspace,” Ms Staines said.

“Our nine participants are such a small part of such a large group of amazing, qualified, and deserving people.

“I really hope that this campaign helps more employers see that good employees don’t just come in one form.”

While the campaign’s launch was a great success, each participant has far more insight and experience that they look forward to sharing with the Australian community.

“It has been a great opportunity to share what it’s like to try to overcome barriers in employment,” one of the campaign’s participants, Jessica, said.  

“Hopefully, we can encourage more conversations about those barriers and the strengths of diversity.

“Inclusive workspaces start in the hiring process so working toward better knowledge and processes will surely highlight our abilities.”

https://seeme.stepsemploymentsolutions.com.au/

Participants stories are on the STEPS Employment Solutions YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/TUXDjcGdjeg

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THE Australian Parliament’s Agriculture and Water Resources Committee has published its report Aussie logs for Aussie jobs: inquiry into timber supply chain constraints in the Australian plantation sector.

The committee’s inquiry considered challenges preventing growth in Australia’s timber industry and investigated potential solutions to current issues.

The committee chair, Rick Wilson MP, noted the ongoing decline in the extent of the domestic plantation estate, and stated that "more needs to be done if the timber industry is to flourish into the future".

"From greater investment in forestry research and development capabilities, farm forestry, and the exciting new possibilities presented by carbon storage initiatives, the industry is ripe for innovation and growth. With the appropriate policy settings, the plantation industry may once again have the potential to expand, and indeed thrive." Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson also highlighted the importance of encouraging greater transparency in softwood pricing. The committee recommended the Australian Government support stakeholders to develop a voluntary code of conduct for the timber industry to facilitate long-term supply contracts between producers and processors for the mutual benefit of both.

Mr Wilson said, "It is anticipated that such an arrangement would better support the growth of an efficient domestic processing sector, while reducing the risks associated with reliance on export markets for plantation owners."

The committee’s report can be found at the inquiry website.

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THE Federal Court today penalised the Queensland division of the CFMMEU and four of its officials $153,510 following a series of right of entry breaches during construction of the 34-storey 180 Ann Street, Brisbane, office tower in 2014.

CFMMEU officials Chad Bragdon, Kevin Griffin, Michael Myles and Andrew Sutherland were penalised a total of $23,460 as a result of their breaches. The CFMMEU was also found liable for the officials’ contraventions and penalised $130,500.

The Court found between June 27, 2014 and July 17, 2014 the CFMMEU officials breached right of entry laws on five separate occasions.

On each occasion the officials failed to provide the required notice before entering the site and refused to sign the visitor’s register as required by site safety protocols. All officials with the exception of Mr Myles also refused to show their entry notices.

On June 27, 2014, Mr Myles told the head contractor’s project manager they could “go and get f…ed” when the project manager advised him he could not enter the site, the Court heard.

The Court also found Mr Bragdon on July 17, 2014 organised workers to stop work and by doing so intentionally hindered the head contractor from carrying out its work.

The 110 workers involved in the stop work did not return to work that day. The workers also took unlawful industrial action on June 26, 2014 and July 7, 2014.

Justice Collier in her judgment said, “There is no evidence before me of any contrition or corrective action on the part of the individual respondents or the CFMMEU. Further, the history, including recent history, of contraventions by the CFMMEU strongly suggests a corporate culture in the CFMMEU which is not conducive to compliance with the FW Act.”

Justice Collier went on to say of the CFMMEU, “The absence of contrition or corrective conduct on the part of the CFMMEU supports the imposition of penalties which will be a meaningful deterrent to future conduct of this nature.”

In commenting on Mr Bragdon’s conduct Justice Collier found the ABCC’s submissions had merit in relation to Mr Bragdon deliberately inflicting industrial harm by organising unauthorised industrial action: “Mr Bragdon's conduct also involved the added dimension of organising unauthorised industrial action whilst on the Site. In my view Mr Bragdon's conduct was serious.”

ABCC Commissioner Stephen McBurney said the penalties against the CFMMEU and its officials highlighted the serious nature of their actions.

“The CFMMEU in Queensland is a repeat offender when it comes to breaching right of entry laws,” Mr McBurney said. “Not only did the union and its officials repeatedly breach right of entry laws, Mr Bragdon also organised workers to down their tools and stop working, and in the case of Mr Myles, when confronted about being on site unlawfully he responded with offensive language.

“This judgment takes penalties imposed on the CFMMEU and its officials in ABCC case in Queensland beyond $3m which is more than any other State or Territory in Australia. This is a concerning trend. 

"We will continue to deploy our investigative resources where they are needed most with Queensland at the forefront of unacceptable behaviour, including abuse, intimidation and threatening conduct on building and construction sites.”

There are currently 10 matters before the courts involving the CFMMEU in Queensland. Eight of these relate to alleged right of entry breaches.

Since the ABCC was re-established in December 2016 the courts have penalised the CFMMEU in Queensland $3.132 million for 931 contraventions of workplace laws.

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THE House Employment, Education and Training Committee will hear evidence from adult literacy experts located in Western Australia and New South Wales by teleconference on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 as part of its inquiry into adult literacy and its importance.

Committee chair, Andrew Laming MP said, "The committee continues to receive rich and varied evidence about the importance of adult literacy and the challenges that people face in improving their literacy and numeracy.

"We have heard there is significant demand for adult literacy services, and there is unmet need in some parts of the country. The committee will examine these and other issues in more depth at the roundtable hearing," Mr Laming said.

Appearing via teleconference from Western Australia will be representatives of the Community Adult Literacy Foundation, Read Write Now and the Western Australian Adult Literacy Council, as well as researcher and educator Dr Marguerite Cullity. The New South Wales Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council and the Reading Writing Hotline will also be appearing.

Published submissions, hearing transcripts and further details about upcoming public hearings will be available on the committee’s website as the inquiry progresses.

To learn more about the inquiry, view a video featuring chair Andrew Laming MP.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 24 March 2021
Time: 11.40am to 1pm
Location: Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra
Format: Roundtable via teleconference

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Retail Supply Chain Alliance will push for the Australian Labor Party to formally commit to a range of measures aimed at restoring fairness to Australia's fruit and vegetable sector, including a royal commission into worker abuse in horticulture, the scrapping of the 88-day visa scheme, and minimum hourly pay rates for fruit and vegetable pickers.

The proposed amendments to Labor's platform will be presented to the ALP National Conference later this month.

AWU national secretary and Retail Supply Chain Alliance spokesperson Daniel Walton said the need for change was clear.

"The current push to civilise working conditions on Australian farms is a classic Labor cause that our party should unequivocally champion," Mr Walton said.

"The Australian Labor Party was founded on the principle that if you do a fair day’s work you should get a fair day’s pay. We built the nation on this principle. Farms in 2021 should not get a special carve out.

"Our fruit and veggie sector is addicted to easily exploitable labour and we need to end it. As a result, thousands upon of thousands of jobs that could go to Australians are being performed by temporary migrants who know they are being ripped off and abused, but are forced to accept it.

"Instead of modernising in line with farms across Europe, we have created an incentive for Australian farms to take the lazy option of exploiting developing world labour standards. It's a shoddy and unsustainable way to run a sector.

"We need a Royal Commission to truly understand the breadth of this problem and we need a clearsighted federal government to get on and fix it.

"Regional communities would thrive if the government enforced decent Australian working conditions on farms. Work that is currently itinerant and shadowy would transform into long-term, sustainable jobs a community can build around."

The Retail Supply Chain Alliance is a partnership between the Australian Workers' Union (AWU), the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), and Transport Workers' Union (TWU.)

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