THE Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters wants to know if new technology has a role to play in Federal elections.

Committee Chair, Senator James McGrath, said technology such as tablet devices have now become mainstream and a new generation of voters are more comfortable with swiping rather than scribbling.

"Australian elections are still reliant on pencils and paper. Personally I don’t think electronic voting is the solution – but we do need to consider how the AEC can use new technology to improve service delivery," Senator McGrath said.

"It’s not just about what happens in the polling booth. We need to find out how technology can help with the huge job of maintaining the electoral roll, processing information between polling centres – and even replacing electoral related snail mail."

Submissions close on September 20 and the Committee expects to hold public hearings later this year.

Anybody can make a submission that address the terms of reference. Submissions attract protection under the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1997.

People wishing to make a submission can call the secretariat for advice or visit aph.gov.au/em for more information.

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THE FEDERAL Government is being urged to take urgent and radical steps to secure the nation’s fuel security, following reports it is working on a plan that would not see Australia meet the International Energy Agency’s 90-day fuel stockholding obligation until 2026. That is the view of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the Australian Workers Union (AWU).

Recent attacks on oil infrastructure in the Middle East, including a drone strike that has knocked out half of Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production, highlight Australia’s exposure to global energy shocks and the need to overhaul shipping, refining, and storage capacity a union spokesperson said.

"Australia currently has the lowest fuel reserves of any member nation of the IEA (International Eneregy Agency). During the last financial year, Australia had an average of just 23 consumption days of petroleum in storage, 20 days worth of diesel, and 25 days of aviation fuel," the unions said in a news statement.

"With more than 90 percent of Australia’s fuel supplies now imported, Energy Minister Angus Taylor has attempted to include supplies on board those tankers as part of our domestic stocks in an accounting trick to make the nation’s fuel security appear less precarious."

The Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers Union have warned that the Morrison Government’s failure to act was putting the country at risk of economic and social disaster in the event military conflicts, economic crisis, or natural disasters disrupt shipping.

“The recent drone attack in Saudi Arabia highlights just how quickly major disruptions can occur to fuel supplies,” MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said.

“With more than 90 percent of the fuel that keeps vehicles on the road and planes in the air now coming by sea — much of it through potential conflict zones such as the Middle East and South China Sea — Australia has never been more vulnerable.

“Worst of all, every drop of oil imported to Australia comes on tankers that are owned and operated by foreign companies, meaning that the fuel they carry could be diverted to their home countries in the event of a global crisis.”

AWU national secretary Dan Walton said closures of Australian oil refineries and shrinking storage facilities had also been responsible for the country’s sustained non-compliance with IEA obligations.

“The government has allowed Australia to become dangerously addicted to imported fuel,” Mr Walton said.

“Even now with a fuel security crisis looming, they are doing nothing to support and promote local refining. 

“We desperately need to build new refineries and expand existing ones, which would create thousands of new jobs and safeguard our fuel security. But realistically we can't do this unless the government wakes up.”

The MUA last year commissioned a report by shipping expert John Francis, ‘Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty’, which found the country is reliant on the equivalent of almost 60 full-time fuel import tankers to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

“Maritime experts have highlighted Australia’s extreme vulnerability when it comes to fuel supplies, particularly as so many of the tankers that supply the nation travel through potential conflict zones such as the Middle East and South China Sea,” Mr Crumlin said.

“Developing a strategic fleet of Australian-owned and operated tankers would provide a lifeline to transport fuel to Australia in the short timeframe required during the kind of emergency where supplies are threatened.

“The Australian Government needs to prioritise an urgent plan to invest in shipping, refining and storage capacity so that the country’s fuel supplies can return to a secure level.

“The risks aren’t hypothetical. We’ve seen this week how vulnerable global fuel supplies are.

“Despite this, Australia remains the only developed oil-importing country without government-controlled stocks of crude oil or refined petroleum products.”

Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty report: https://bit.ly/31cDisq

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THE  Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the Federal Government’s concerns about Australia’s overly complex industrial relations system are shared by the nation’s small business community.

Speaking today at CEDA’s State of the Nation conference, Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter acknowledged a number of recurring themes in stakeholder representations.

“Among the concerns mentioned by Minister Porter were complex awards, delayed resolution of disputes and inconsistency in codes dealing with small business dismissal,” Ms Carnell said.

“Minister Porter went further to say the list of industrial relations issues was long enough to warrant serious attention. I couldn’t agree more.

“Small businesses are telling us they don’t want to hire new staff because the IR system is far too complex to navigate," she said.

“Given the government is serious about creating more jobs, boosting productivity and growing the economy, it needs to simplify the industrial relations system to encourage small businesses to employ more workers.

“Our Review of the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code is an important part of this broad discussion because it would provide much-needed clarity to small businesses.

“The government has also flagged plans to release a series of discussion papers on different areas of reform and we look forward to engaging heavily with that process.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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THE Financial Services Council (FSC) has gone on the record to support extending the Unfair Contract Terms regime to life insurance, provided adjustments are made to allow the extremely long term nature of life insurance contracts to continue.

FSC CEO Sally Loane said this adjustment is strongly in the interest of consumers as it allows people to keep their life insurance for as long as they need it, even if their health deteriorates.

“It makes perfect sense for life insurance to have the unfair contract terms applied, because all customers of life insurance deserve to know their contracts are fair,” Ms Loane said.

“However, it is important to note that life insurance contracts are different from almost every other type of contract in that they can remain in force for 50 years or more.

“Almost everything that forms the basis of a life insurance contract can change in such a long period. There may be changes in medical science that prolong our life expectancy, changes to employment structures or cures for illness that currently impact our lifestyles," she said.

“The FSC submission highlights that any changes to legislation should allow life insurers to make changes to reflect the modernising world.

“We want Australians to keep their life insurance cover for as long as they need it, without having to apply for a replacement policy each year.”

The FSC submission is in response to Recommendation 4.7 of the Financial Services Royal Commission, extending unfair contract terms to insurance contracts.

To read a full copy of the FSC Submission: https://fsc.org.au/resources/1844-fsc-submission-tpb-review-2019-discussion-paper/file

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