THE Australian Taxation Office will be in Toowoomba on Tuesday February 20 talking to local small businesses as part of an effort to ensure that they have the support and information to get their tax and super right.
Businesses are invited to attend a one-hour information session at either 10-11am or 6-7pm and a record keeping information session 11.15am-12.15pm being held at Toowoomba City Library, 155 Herries Street, Toowoomba.
This visit is part of a broader program by the ATO to ensure fairness for honest businesses and to level the playing field by tackling the ‘cash and hidden economy’.
THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said December 2017 trade figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) represent a conservative Christmas instead of the merry Christmas retailers had in mind, with a 2.49 percent total growth year-on-year.
Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the ARA, said although the ARA and Roy Morgan predicted a 2.8% increase in pre-Christmas sales, from November 15 to December 24, 2017, these figures are not too far off the mark.
THE House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources has begun an inquiry into regulatory reforms undertaken by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
The audit found that the implementation of a range of legislative reforms, designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the APVMA’s regulatory activities, had been ‘mixed’: “While key legislative reforms were implemented by the legislated timeframe of July 2014, the full scope of the reform program is yet to be implemented more than four years since the legislative amendments were developed”.
Committee Chair Rick Wilson MP said that the Committee will focus its inquiry on the APVMA’s progress since the audit took place.
“The ANAO made four recommendations in June last year,” Mr Wilson said, “and given the importance of these reforms to Australia’s agricultural sector, it is vital that the APVMA acts quickly on those recommendations.”
The Committee will be accepting submissions to the inquiry until 28 February 2018 and will hold public hearings to receive evidence.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.aph.gov.au/agriculture
Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.
THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will conduct two public hearings this week for its reviews of national security bills before the Parliament.
The first hearing will consider the Home Affairs and Integrity Agencies Legislation Amendment Bill 2017, which gives effect to the allocation of certain ministerial powers following establishment of the Home Affairs portfolio and includes measures to clarify the Attorney-General’s ongoing responsibilities.
THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has extended its public consultation period for its review of two important bills targeting espionage and foreign interference:
the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017, which amends existing criminal laws for secrecy and espionage offences, and introduces new foreign interference and sabotage offences, and
the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017, which establishes a scheme that requires registration by persons who undertake certain activities within Australia on behalf of foreign interests.
The Chair of the Committee, Andrew Hastie MP, said, “The Committee’s public hearings held this past week have demonstrated the necessity of the two Bills, however, a short extension has been granted to give members of the public the continuing opportunity to comment on the proposals.
“The Committee has elected to extend the period for public consultation on the two Bills and will reschedule its reporting date to facilitate this. The Committee seeks additional submissions by Thursday 15 February 2018”.
To facilitate extended consultation, the Committee will now report on both bills by 23 March 2018.
Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.
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