AN INQUIRY into strengthening Australia’s relationships in the Pacific island region to meet current and emerging opportunities and risks will today discuss strengthening governance frameworks, explore planning for population displacement threats and hear about the 2020 roll-out of the PacificAus TV initiative in the region.

The Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from Ms Helen Burrows, head of the Federal Court of Australia’s International Program about the spin-off benefits of the program through fostering long-term judicial networks and legal capacity building in Pacific island countries.

The Federal Court of Australia has been supporting programs of this kind for many years. The Committee is keen to hear more about the positive outcomes in community stability and potentially in regional security, beyond those seen in an improved legal system.

The Sub-Committee will also discuss with representatives of Free TV Australia what has been described in their submission as the successful roll-out in 2020 - despite Covid-19 impacts - of the Australian Government initiative, PacificAus TV, being delivered by Free TV.

PacificAus TV has enabled seven island countries access to free broadcasting rights for some 1000-plus hours of Australian content programs. The initiative enables local broadcasters to introduce programs, at no cost to them, into their broadcasting schedule from a menu of Australian content.

Bridget Fair, CEO of Free TV Australia and Shane Wood, Project Manager, PacificAus TV will share their experience about the initiative, and how it has been received in the Pacific.

The Sub-Committee will also hear from Professor Jane McAdam, Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of NSW.

Further details about the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday 3 December 2020
Time: 11am to 12.50pm
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra (and by teleconference)

The hearings will be video streamed live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Australian Workers Union (AWU) is calling on GrainCorp to open up its coffers and allow workers to reap their fair share of the record harvest.

The AWU said with the drought broken, it’s now time for GrainCorp to give its employees their first decent pay rise in years.

It’s calling for a 12 percent pay rise over four years – just three percent each year - but says GrainCorp is refusing to budge despite awarding its top seven executives at least $6 million in bonuses last year.

Tony Callinan, AWU NSW assistant branch secretary, said, “GrainCorp is in the middle of a bumper harvest. It’s delivering big dividends to shareholders and out of control bonuses to management.

“But, the workers who are out there doing backbreaking work in the searing heat are being totally overlooked.

“It’s been a tough few years for people living in regional NSW. They’ve suffered through the drought and now being hit by the pandemic. Surely it’s time to start giving something back?”

GrainCorp’s 2019 annual report revealed that seven executives got to share more than $6 million in bonuses in a scheme not linked to corporate profits.

Mr Callinan said, “These greedy executives managed to get themselves the deal of the century in the middle of a drought and when profits were down. They looked after themselves alright but couldn’t care a less for the workers who actually do the grunt work.

“What we are asking for would cost GrainCorp less than $200,000 but benefit 180 workers and their families.  This is not class warfare whingeing – it’s about GrainCorp treating the vast majority of its workers with complete and utter disrespect.” 

The AWU has been trying to negotiate with GrainCorp management for months – demanding better pay and working conditions for nearly 180 workers – grain handlers and pest control workers in NSW.

But its calls for salary sacrificing, improved start times and even domestic violence leave have been continually knocked back by GrainCorp. Instead it’s offering workers their usual 2 percent annual pay rise.

Mr Callinan said,  ““What we are calling for would barely make a dent in GrainCorp’s profits but would make a huge difference to the pay packets of its workers and a difference to the communities that they live in.

“It would also be money that would be well spent in regional communities and businesses across NSW that have been struggling for years.”

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QUEENSLAND’s resources sector welcomed today’s budget, congratulating Treasurer Cameron Dick on mapping out Queensland’s long road to recovery.

"Creating more Queensland jobs is exactly the right objective for this budget and this will be helped by the fact our resources sector is on the verge of becoming  an energy and resources superpower," Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

"COVID-19 has been a hammer blow to everyone’s Budget – households, businesses and governments," he said.

"The state Budget shows the resources sector will be needed more than ever in the COVID recovery.

"Our sector will be needed for jobs, for exports, for investment and ultimately for government revenue."

The Budget papers show the dual blows to the resources sector – in volumes and prices – has reduced royalties by 45 percent this financial year.

The budget forecasts a $4 billion cumulative reduction in royalties over the next four years.

"However, the resources sector shares the Treasurer’s firm confidence that it will rebound,” Mr Macfarlane said.

"That’s why we welcome the announcement of a $200 million Future Skills Fund and the government’s commitment to work with our sector on the implementation of a first ever Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan.

"Queensland can transition to a global energy superpower thanks to the quality of our coal and gas reserves and abundant renewable opportunities.”  Mr Macfarlane said.

"The next stage of development is deploying the world-class expertise of Queensland’s resources industries to work to secure all the opportunities on offer as the state transitions to making renewable energy exports a reality.  

“The Palaszczuk government’s agreement to work with the QRC to deliver a Queensland Resources Development Plan will enable Queensland to work and earn our way out of COVID, supercharging Queensland’s economic recovery and delivering decades of responsible prosperity,” Mr Macfarlane said.

"Resources contributes one in every five dollars to the Queensland economy and one in six jobs, which is why our sector’s performance is so crucial to a strong COVID recovery.

“The royalty taxes contributed each year by resources companies help the Queensland Government pay for the nurses and doctors who care for our families, the teachers who educate our children, the police officers who keep us safe, and the hospitals, schools and roads we need for our communities to function,” he said.

“You can count on resources to help Queensland recover.”

www.qrc.org.au

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hold a public hearing with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Dr Philip Lowe, on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

The RBA last appeared before the committee in August 2020.

At its meeting on November 3, the RBA Board announced a package of further measures to support the Australian economy as it recovers from COVID-19.

The moves comprise:

• a reduction in the cash rate target, the three-year yield target, and the interest rate on new drawings under the Term Funding Facility to 10 basis points, from the current 25 basis points;
• a reduction in the interest rate on Exchange Settlement balances to zero from the current 10 basis points; and
• committing to the purchase of $100 billion of government bonds over the next six months.

Committee Chair, Tim Wilson MP, said, "The committee will be scrutinising the RBA’s measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the move to implement quantitative easing, and how these measures will help the Australian economy recover after a very difficult year.

"We will also be scrutinising the RBA’s recent decision to start work on a digital currency, as well as zoning and planning regulation that is contribution to house price inflation."

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Time: 10am to 12pm
Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra

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

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OCTOBER 2020 was the best month for new detached house building approvals in almost 21 years according to Master Builders Australia chief economist Shane Garrett.

During October 2020, a total of 10,936 new detached houses received building approval. The last time a higher figure was recorded was back in February 2000.

“The numbers out today provide further proof that the HomeBuilder scheme is a huge success in supporting new home building at a very challenging time,” Shane Garrett said.

“Inward migration to Australia is the single biggest driver of demand for new home building and with permanent arrivals to the country at their lowest since World War II, government support for residential building has prevented activity from sinking to catastrophic levels.

“The weekend announcement of an extension to HomeBuilder is very welcome from this perspective as it means that the residential building industry can look forward to a decent pipeline of work for most of 2021,” Mr Garrett said.

“The strong linkage between residential building activity and the health of the rest of the economy in terms of jobs and small businesses means that the extension of HomeBuilder is good news for everyone."

masterbuilders.com.au

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Migration yesterday tabled its final report on its inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker program. 

"During this inquiry, the Committee received highly compelling evidence on the ongoing importance of the Working Holiday Maker program to Australia,” Committee Chair Julian Leeser MP said.

“Working Holiday Makers make a significant contribution to Australia, not only through their tourism spending, but by supplementing the seasonal workforce, and through cultural exchange,” Mr Leeser said.

"This report builds on the findings of the interim report and calls for the measures taken in response to that report to be promoted.

“Following the interim report and the measures the Government has put in place to address agricultural labour shortages, it is clear there is a need to further promote the opportunities that exist for Australians and other visa holders to help with areas of critical need.

“The Committee also made a range of recommendations on longer term changes to the program, many of which focus on expanding the program and technical matters relating to the visas.”

The Committee’s key recommendations focus on enabling Working Holiday Makers who are working in hard-to-staff regions to stay in the regions for longer, expanding the program, strengthening oversight and administration of the program, and undertaking a targeted marketing campaign to encourage Australians and other visa holders in Australia to help fill the agricultural and tourism labour shortages.

The Committee has thanked people who participated in this inquiry.

The report can be found at this link.

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AFTER TWO years in operation, a law to improve transparency and accountability around political donations will be reviewed by the Parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee.

Committee Chair Senator James McGrath said the review of the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Act 2018 is an opportunity for the Parliament to ensure that the law is working as it should.

"The Committee will also take the opportunity to check in on how the Act’s objectives can continue to be achieved in the most effective way while minimising red tape," Senator McGrath said.

"We are also interested in the impacts of amendments to the original bill that are relevant to charitable issue-based advocacy."

Senator McGrath noted that the Committee would examine the operation of the amendments, dealing with foreign donations; and the clarity of public guidance products issued by regulators.

The Committee is inviting written submissions addressing any or all of the terms of reference. Information on how to make a submission may be found at this link. Submissions are requested by January 29, 2021.

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THE House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources has commenced an inquiry into Developing Australia’s Space Industry.

The Chair of the Committee, Barnaby Joyce MP, said, "Australia’s space industry is growing rapidly. The Australian Space Agency has a goal to triple the size of the sector to $12 billion and create an additional 20,000 jobs over the next decade. This inquiry will examine ways to achieve this."

Space is an industry that inspires, fascinates and excites people. Generally, rockets and astronauts come to mind when we think about the space industry, but its technology and equipment are very much a part of our day-to-day lives, for example weather forecasting and GPS technology.

There are enormous opportunities for individuals, organisations, and communities to take advantage of this growing sector, particularly in rural and regional areas, Mr Joyce said.

The Committee’s inquiry will examine the breadth of opportunities presented by Australia’s space industry and what is required to strengthen support of our domestic and international space related activities. This includes the development of space technology and equipment, commercialisation of research and development, future workforce requirements, and international collaboration.

The Committee wants to hear from interested people, organisations and agencies working in space related fields.  Submissions to the inquiry should be received by January 29, 2021. 

The terms of reference for the inquiry can be found on the Committee’s website.

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