PERSPECTIVES from local governments will be heard on Friday, along with bodies representing conservation, natural resource management and farming, as the House of Representatives Environment and Energy Committee conducts another public hearing for its inquiry into the problem of feral and domestic cats in Australia.
Committee Chair, Ted O’Brien MP said the Committee’s inquiry haD received nearly 160 submissions which highlight “the complex nature of the legal, environmental and social factors surrounding feral and domestic cats in Australia”.
He said, “Friday’s public hearing provides the Committee with a further opportunity to build upon its evidence base regarding the impact that cats have on the environment and on agriculture in Australia, and the role of local governments and others in responding to the growing cat problem.”
A full program for the hearing is available on the Committee’s website here.
Public hearing details
Date: Friday 25 September 2020 Time: 10.15am to 2.45pm Location: via teleconference
The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live (audio only).
MONASH University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) has climbed 16 places in the QS 2021 Global MBA Rankings to 73 in the world.
The Monash MBA now ranks in the world’s top 28 percent out of 258 MBA programs from 40 countries. In the Oceania region, the Monash MBA ranks third, a position it has held for the past three years.
The results come after Monash University ranked in the top 5 percent of universities overall in the QS World University Rankings 2021, rising three places to 55th globally.
Monash Business School’s director of MBA programs, professor Patrick Butler, said the latest results cemented Monash’s reputation as a world-leading institution for executive learning.
“The Monash MBA is focused on producing the next generation of top-tier leaders, whether they be corporate heads of business, leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or start-up entrepreneurs,” Professor Butler said.
“Our MBA programs are dynamic and agile, equipping today’s executives with the business acumen and social skill set to not only lead but also drive positive change in the evolving global business economy.”
The Monash MBA has global reach, partnering with universities and business schools worldwide, including the Shanghai-based China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), which has campuses in Beijing, Zurich and Accra.
Prof. Butler said Monash prided itself on a diverse cohort; the 2020 MBA intake comprises an equal split of men and women from 11 countries, with 17 industries represented. The sectors with the highest concentration of MBA students are construction, manufacturing, and medicine and allied health.
In addition to intensive theoretical study, the two-year program also involves experience-based modules, consulting projects, overseas learning and industry engagement opportunities.
THE Queensland Resources Council has welcomed a $500 million investment by Glencore which will see its Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville refinery extend operations beyond 2022.
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said 570 direct jobs would be secured at a time when Queensland’s unemployment rate is forecast to rise to 9 percent due to the impacts of COVID-19 and welcomed an additional financial incentive from the Palaszczuk Government.
“This is a significant investment from Glencore and will be a huge boost to the regional economies in the north and north-west of Queensland with a further 1000 indirect jobs supported,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“An additional financial incentive has been provided by the Palaszczuk Government to assist with the continued operations following constructive discussions between both parties.
“Smelters and refineries generate downstream jobs in the mining equipment and technology services (METS) sector which supply and service the resources industry.
“I visited Townsville yesterday to promote the importance of the resources sector to Queensland’s economic recovery and the feedback I received was the sector’s massive contribution to jobs and regional economies," Mr Macfarlane said.
“The resources industry will continue to play a critical role in keeping Queenslanders working and earning through COVID-19 and will be central to the State’s future economic prosperity post-COVID-19.
“During the COVID-19 response and its recovery, the resources sector has kept as many of the 372,000 Queenslanders who work in or because of our industry working and earning.”
THE Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) is urging all tax practitioners to ensure that they take appropriate steps to validate a taxpayer’s identity, and do not risk compromising client data which may lead to fraud.
It follows a recent case where a registered tax practitioner failed to take appropriate steps in handling and verifying client data. As a result, the TPB determined that the agent breached items of the Code of Professional Conduct in the Tax Agent Services Act2009 relating to competency, honesty and integrity.
The registered tax practitioner from Western Sydney, was approached by three individuals who asked him to lodge in excess of 100 income tax returns (ITRs) on behalf of their associated employees. They provided false documentation on behalf of these employees. The agent agreed to lodge these ITRs without undertaking any proper enquiries about the identity of these tax payers. The agent’s recklessness facilitated fake tax returns and in turn fraudulent refunds.
The TPB terminated the agent’s registration and imposed a five year non-application period. On appeal, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal affirmed the TPB’s termination decision, and varied the non-application period from five years to four years, noting that while there was no direct evidence of dishonesty “…the applicant’s lack of rigour in the conduct of his affairs and his apparent disregard for the duties of his role adds up to something that is almost as bad, and which certainly reflects poorly on his integrity and character. He may not be dishonest, but he has not demonstrated the commitment to competent and conscientious behaviour that one would expect of a tax agent.”
Speaking about this issue, TPB chair, Ian Klug said, "The TPB is concerned to have seen a recent increase in cases relating to poor client verification processes. The verification of client data is of utmost importance in the interaction between tax agent and their client. The TPB is shortly to issue a Practice Note, which aims to give clear guidance on Proof of Identity checks and the policy around them.
"All tax practitioners are bound by the Code of Professional Conduct and failing to take reasonable care when verifying an individual’s identity, acts against the public interest in that it risks inaccurate or fraudulent claims and ultimately erodes trust of the tax profession."
About the Tax Practitioners Board
The TPB regulates tax practitioners in order to protect consumers. The TPB aims to assure the community that tax practitioners meet appropriate standards of professional and ethical conduct.
THE Queensland Resources Council, the peak organisation for the State’s coal, metal and petroleum producers, explorers and suppliers, has welcomed the release of more than 3000sqkm of land in parts of south west and central Queensland near existing infrastructure to fast-track the gas to market.
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the resources industry had called on the Palaszczuk Government to release more land for exploration to create jobs, boost exports and drive down energy costs to help stimulate the Queensland economy from the impacts of COVID-19.
“The resources sector has played a critical role in keeping Queenslanders working and earning through COVID-19 and is central to the state’s economic recovery. Allowing industry to responsibly develop gas for both the domestic and export markets will benefit all Queenslanders” Mr Macfarlane said.
“Senex Energy, State Gas, Comet Ridge and Denison Gas will explore the blocks of land with over 450sqkm assigned with a domestic-only condition.
“Senex has also announced a domestic gas supply agreement with the Northern Oil Refinery near Gladstone with up to 2.5 petajoules of gas which will support 32 jobs directly and hundreds more indirectly.”
Mr Macfarlane said Queensland’s oil and gas industry contributes $8 billion to the State’s economy, supports more than 37,000 full time jobs and invests $2.7 billion with local businesses and community organisations.
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