ON MONDAY the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold its first public hearing for its inquiry into constitutional reform and referendums.

The Committee will hear from a range of witnesses, including academics, research institutes and the Attorney-General’s Department.

The inquiry is considering ways to improve public awareness about the Australian Constitution, community consultation when amendments are proposed and current arrangements for the conduct of referendums. The Committee is inquiring into the conduct of referendums, rather than specific proposals for constitutional change.

Chair of the Committee, Andrew Wallace MP said, "The last referendum to change the Australian Constitution was held in 1999. This fresh look at the process of constitutional reform in Australia will ensure that the conduct of referendums remain suitable for contemporary Australia.

‘The Committee looks forward to discussion with expert witnesses to hear their ideas on how the conduct of referendums could be modernised."

Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, is available on the inquiry webpage at www.aph.gov.au/constitutionalreform.

Public hearing details

Date: Monday, 20 September 2021
Time: 9am to 12.45pm (Canberra time)

A full program for the Committee’s hearing is available on the Committee’s website here.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Committee proceedings held in Parliament House are not currently open to the public. The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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MORE THAN 500 farmers, landholders and Indigenous representatives will gather virtually for day two of the Carbon Market Institute’s 5th annual Carbon Farming Industry Forum today (Friday).

They will discuss how to maximise employment, environment and Indigenous benefits as well as how to maximise impact for farmers and agricultural exporters.

Speakers include Tony Mahar, CEO National Farmers’ Federation, Gillian Mayne, director Land Restoration Fund, Jason Strong, managing director Meat and Livestock Australia, Elizabeth O’Leary, head of agriculture for Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, and Charlie Prell, chair of Farmers for Climate Action.

John Connor, CEO of the Carbon Market Institute said, “By working with landholders, farmers and Indigenous communities we can get a broad range of benefits into regional communities, including environmental and social impacts. Farmers will be able to access international markets and carbon money for their hard work.

“Together, we can boost supply and engagement in a way that ensures the product is fair dinkum for everyone - investors, consumers and the landholders themselves.

"Carbon farmers are involved in trying to stop emissions of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, as well as drawing them down into vegetation and soils. It's something we’re going to need a lot more of to get to net zero emissions. 

“It’s a win for farmers because it’s a stream of carbon revenue that can build resilience to some of the climate shocks, and it’s a win for those farms and the environment because you build up the health of the ecosystem more generally.”

Nadia Campbell is a cattle farmer who has one of Queensland’s biggest carbon farming projects on her property Goondicum, near Monto.

She is taking part in the forum in Friday afternoon’s session, in conversation with other carbon farmers.

Ahead of the forum Ms Campbell said, “Since going into carbon we’re seeing an improved environment in which we’re producing better quality beef and have less wear and tear - less erosion - on our property.

"It’s also given us a diverse income stream. In times of drought when you're running lower numbers of stock it is certainly comforting knowing you’ve got another form of income coming in through carbon. It’s also allowed us to invest and put in improved water infrastructure and fencing on the property.

"I really can’t fault it. It’s dovetailed perfectly into our business, it’s enhancing our ecological health, it’s enabling us to help the environment. It’s improving the quality of land for our cattle as well.

"We provide protein to the world and are paid for that but now we can also be paid for the carbon we sequester. My message for other farmers and especially graziers is to make hay while the sun shines."

A Farmers for Climate Action report released this week has found farmers can earn $34.4 billion to $43 billion by 2040 from carbon related projects. 

Friday’s forum comes at a critical time for the industry as Australia celebrates key carbon market milestones this year: the 1000th registered emission reduction project; 100 million Australian Carbon Credit Units issued by the Clean Energy Regulator; and the 10th anniversary of the Carbon Farming Initiative Act.

The Carbon Market Institute is the independent industry association for business leading the transition to net zero emissions. Its over 100 members include primary producers, carbon project developers, Indigenous corporations, legal and advisory services, insurers, banks and emission intensive industries developing decarbonisation and offset strategies.

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TODAY'S unemployment figures mask the true impact of COVID lockdowns on jobs, and an urgent boost to income support is needed to help people survive the downturn while the economy recovers, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) warned.

While the headline national unemployment figure fell to 4.5 percent, total employment fell by 146,300 jobs, vastly more than had been predicted. This means that some people have simply given up looking for work because of the economic conditions, ACOSS said in a statement.

This true impact of COVID  is reflected in the data for NSW and Victoria. Both states have weathered the lion’s share of lockdowns and are where underemployment and withdrawal from the labour market indicate how difficult it is going to be to get everyone back into jobs after the lockdowns.

The rate of underemployment is evident in the hours worked data for both NSW and Victoria where – since the lockdowns first hit back in July – a total of 102 million hours of paid work have been lost since May.

In NSW the underemployment rate increased to 10.2 percent and 9.3 percent in Victoria. But ACOSS CEO, Cassandra Goldie said the underutilisation rate told the whole story because it showed how many people "want more work than they have". In NSW this increased to 15.1 percent and 13.2 percent in Victoria, with Queensland coming in 13.9 percent.

Dr Goldie said more action was needed to prevent long term unemployment and underemployment.

“The increased rate of underemployment should be a flashing siren for decision makers in government,” Dr Goldie said. “It reflects the fact that many businesses are in hibernation and propped up by disaster payments. 

“We need to be clear-eyed about this and begin confronting the likelihood of growing long term unemployment. We desperately need more robust income support.

“There are at least 755,000 people still in lockdown on income support who have missed out on disaster payments. For this group it has been much harder to survive a brutal recession without fear of losing their homes and compromising their health and welfare.

"As our own report Locked out in Lockdown has shown this has caused enormous psychological distress. The government could have avoided so much trauma if it had just extended the disaster payment to everyone who is looking for paid work.

“Australia needs to redesign its employment services and income support to help people overcome by investing in more strategies to create jobs for those who will be left behind as the labour market begins to recover. We need  to increase income support payments so that people looking for paid work can meet their basic costs, look after their health and improve their training and education.

‘’Under-investment in employment assistance such as quality vocational training and wage subsidies, is one of the main reasons that over 800,000 people have been languishing on unemployment payments for a year or more.

‘’Just yesterday, the OECD warned that Australia does not invest enough in training for people who are unemployed. Australian government spending on employment assistance is less than half the average OECD level, as a proportion of GDP. We can and must do better.”

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has recommended the Parliament pass, with amendments, a new Extended Supervision Order (ESO) scheme and interim supervision orders to better protect Australians from high-risk terrorist offenders (HRTO) who are due to be released into community after serving their custodial sentence.

In its Advisory report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2020 tabled on Thursday, the PJCIS made 11 recommendations in relation to the Bill, including recommendations to improve clarity and guidance on the operation of the scheme.

The new ESO scheme would address the current interoperability between control orders and continuing detention orders by enabling a State or Territory Supreme Court to impose any conditions that are reasonably necessary, and reasonably appropriate and adapted, to protect the community from the risk of a serious terrorism offence.

The Bill has been introduced to broaden the tools available to address the risk posed by convicted terrorist offenders and strengthen Australia’s counter-terrorism framework.

There are currently a number of convicted terrorists due to be released into the Australian community between now and the expiry of their custodial sentences in 2025.

Chair of the Committee, Senator James Paterson, said, “The committee recognises that many high-risk terrorist offenders who are due to be released from prison may still pose an unacceptable risk to the community.

“The new Extended Supervision Order scheme and interim supervision orders will give law enforcement the tools to manage and monitor the ongoing threat that a terrorist offender may pose to the community following their release from jail,” Senator Paterson said.

Australia’s Terrorism Threat Level was raised to ‘Probable’ in September 2014. Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased access to online material has increased the reach of extremist propaganda.

“An ESO scheme will enable law enforcement to tailor orders proportionate to the threat of each offender and should be swiftly passed by the parliament,” Senator Paterson said.

Further information on the inquiry as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

A HIGH COURT legal challenge to Victoria's controversial electric vehicle tax by two drivers will argue that the State of Victoria lacks the constitutional power to levy a road user charge on electric vehicle drivers.

The case was filed today on behalf of the drivers by Equity Generation Lawyers. In July 2021, the Victorian Government introduced a new tax which charges electric vehicle drivers between 2 cents and 2.5 cents for every kilometre they drive.

Melbourne father and nurse manager Chris Vanderstock, one of the drivers bringing the case who uses his car for his daily work commute, said he had additional concerns to the constitutional validity of the laws.

“Instead of taxing clean technologies, the Victorian Government should be concentrating on getting dirty cars off the road,” Mr Vanderstock said. 

“Electric vehicles are cleaner and improve health and climate outcomes for everybody. Why is the Victorian Government taxing electric vehicles when they have a demonstrable health benefit?"

Melbourne mother and engineering consultant Kathleen Davies, the second electric vehicle driver mounting the High Court challenge, said she bought her first electric vehicle in 2012 to help reduce her family’s environmental impact. 

“Not only are electric vehicles better for the environment, they are also cheaper to run,” Ms Davies said. 

“Electric vehicles are becoming more affordable every year but this tax is a backward step for people wanting to transition to a cleaner and more economical car. 

“Victoria’s electric vehicle tax is fundamentally flawed and impractical. It punishes electric vehicle drivers and discourages the urgent need to decarbonise.” 

Jack McLean, lawyer for the drivers, said his clients would argue that the State of Victoria lacked the constitutional power to levy the tax.

"In addition to the validity of the tax, our clients are concerned it's also bad public policy,” Mr McLean said. 

“It discourages everyday Australians from switching to lower emission vehicles, prolonging our dependence on polluting oil. 

“It’s bad for Victorians, it’s bad for the climate and we will argue that it is unconstitutional”. 

Interested people can join a crowdfunding campaign to support the High Court challenge at: https://chuffed.org/project/evtax

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THE Smart Energy Council – an independent peak national body for the solar industry – has welcomed the Australian Government’s review of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) released today.

John Grimes, chief executive of the Smart Energy Council, said, “Australians love solar and have voted with their rooftops. They deserve good quality solar, installed by good quality installers.

“The reforms proposed by the Australian Government will help ensure Australian families are looked after as they slash their power bills with solar.

“The Smart Energy Council has long called for a single regulator for the Australian Government’s solar scheme. We totally support that recommendation.

“The Smart Energy Council also welcomes proposals for increased sampling and testing of solar PV components and increased accountability for solar retailers.

“The Smart Energy Council looks forward to working with the Clean Energy Regulator and the Australian Government in implementing these reforms.”

You can find the review report here and the government response here.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has tabled its Annual Report of Committee Activities 2020-2021 and made five recommendations to improve the framework within which it performs its oversight functions of national security and intelligence matters.

During the 2020-2021 year the committee undertook 26 inquiries and tabled 13 reports.

Chair of the committee, Senator James Paterson said, “The national security challenges facing Australia are unprecedented. The committee has the greatest workload it has ever faced as the challenges of foreign interference, espionage, terrorism and cyber security remain.

“Members of the PJCIS take seriously their important responsibilities ensuring accountability and providing oversight of our security and intelligence agencies, as well as making sure the dedicated men and women of the national intelligence community are well-equipped to respond to the challenges Australia faces," Senator Paterson said.

The committee has recommended reviewing the Intelligence Services Act 2001 which binds the committee at the commencement of the next parliament to ensure it remains fit for purpose and allows the committee to complete its work in a timely and efficient manner.

Further information on the functions and role of the committee as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the committee’s website.

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THEHouse of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hear from Australian and international experts and other key stakeholders about common ownership and capital concentration at a public hearing on Thursday, September 16, 2021.

Committee Chair Tim Wilson MP said, "This will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from some of the world’s foremost experts on this subject matter. The committee hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand and how Australia’s experience compares internationally.

"Common ownership and capital concentration threatens competitive markets as Megafunds buy up the ASX and other assets, and they are gaining pace, this week we have seen a collaborative consortium seek to buy Sydney Airport and displace other investors.

"The committee will seek the views of experts on the extent that this issue undermines market competition in Australia and what measures government can take to mitigate any negative impact." Mr Wilson said.

"Our recent hearings with regulators confirmed they’re alive to the risk, and that there are serious concerns about when investors collude driving poorer returns for other investors and competitive markets to extract better returns for themselves, but not consumers," Mr Wilson said.

The full Terms of Reference for the inquiry into common ownership and capital concentration are available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Time: 9am to 4.45pm

A program for the hearing is available on the committee’s website.

Due to health and safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, this hearing is not currently scheduled to be open for public attendance. Interested members of the public will be able to view proceedings via the live webcast at aph.gov.au/live.

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