THE $35 billion Future Frigate project reached a significant milestone today with the release of the Request for Tender (RFT) to the three shortlisted designers; BAE, Fincantieri and Navantia.

Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, said the Future Frigate project is currently the largest frigate shipbuilding program of its kind in the world.

“Today’s announcement shows the Government is on track to begin construction of the Future Frigates in 2020 in Adelaide,” Minister Pyne said.

“The release of the RFT is an important part of the Competitive Evaluation Process which will lead to the Government announcing the successful designer for the Future Frigates in 2018.”

Minister Pyne said evaluation of the responses to the Future Frigate RFT would commence later this year.

“Three designers—BAE Systems with the Type 26 Frigate, Fincantieri with the FREMM Frigate, and Navantia with a redesigned F100, have been working with Defence since August 2015 to refine  their designs.

“The three shortlisted designers must demonstrate and develop an Australian supply chain  to support Australia's future shipbuilding industry, and also how they will leverage their local suppliers into global supply chains.

“The Government is committed to maximising Australian industry opportunities and participation and this project will contribute to building a sustainable Australian shipbuilding workforce.”

The Future Frigates are the next generation of naval surface combatants and would conduct more challenging maritime warfare operations in our regions including delivering a greater impact on anti-submarine operations.

The frigates will also be equipped with a range of offensive and self-protection systems.

The nine Future Frigates are part of the Government’s $89 billion national shipbuilding endeavour which would see Australia develop a strong and sustainable naval shipbuilding industry.

This critical investment will generate significant economic growth and sustain thousands of Australian jobs over decades, the Minister said.

For more on the Future Frigate program visit the Defence website http://www.defence.gov.au/casg/EquippingDefence/SEA5000PH1_FutureFrigates

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THE House Tax and Revenue Committee today presented its review of the Australian Taxation Office’s 2016 Annual Report and agency performance over tax time 2016.  

The Committee Chair Mr Kevin Hogan MP said that tax time 2016 was an important test for the transformation of ATO services under the Reinvention Program.

“The implementation of myTax and the refinement of online lodgement services for tax agents and business was a big part of the ATO’s reform agenda, but there was also the need to change the performance culture of the ATO,” Mr Hogan said.

The Committee’s review found that, this tax year, more Australian taxpayers went online to prepare and lodge their tax returns and business activity statements.

Complaint and dispute levels had also dropped dramatically compared with tax time 2015. Meanwhile, the ATO had made big advances in its engagement with tax agents and small business, who have been working closely with the agency to ensure compatibility of online payments and lodgement systems.

A number of these recommendations go to the need for increased accountability at a time when the digitisation of government services has raised concerns about the security and integrity of the data held. Others focus on fairness in ATO decision-making and revenue collection accountability.

The Committee has also urged the ATO to put on the public record the information it has on the cash economy and the revenue gap, to promote public debate and awareness of the problem.

“While the ATO is to be congratulated on its achievements over the reporting period, the Committee has called for greater accountability in performance reporting in future annual reports. This responds to scale of the Tax Office’s transformation, and will allow for the results of the reforms to be better gauged over time,” Mr Hogan said.

Copies of the report and information about the inquiry are available on the Committee website: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Tax_and_Revenue

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) proposes a 1.2 percent National Minimum Wage increase given the continuing economic uncertainty and fragility of the retail sector.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman said Australian retailers are continuing to face a difficult operating environment and this increase is the best way to preserve employment within the retail sector.

“Given economic uncertainties, historically low inflation along with rising costs for retailers this 1.2 percent increase will minimise employment losses in the weak labour market,” Mr Zimmerman said.

The ARA has consulted their membership base, including large members and numerous small to medium Australian retailers in making their recommendation.

“The retail industry’s submission has outlined the difficult trading environment existing in the retail sector as a result of globalisation and advances in technology throughout the industry,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“With low to flat price growth and increased wages costs well above our international competitors, it’s critical that the Fair Work Commission take into account the weak economic trading conditions when making their decision,” Mr Zimmerman said.

The ARA’s position preserves the value of the minimum wage over the recent years where wages have been outstripped by increasing price growth throughout the industry.

“Our members have experienced significant cost pressures through international competition and reduced margins therefore we strongly recommend this wage increase remains realistic and reasonable for all businesses operating in the retail sector,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“We trust the FWC will ascertain the best approach for determining a federal minimum wage increase during this fluctuating period where large sectors of the economy are either in decline or receiving minimal growth.”

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (SBFEO) today called for a full Parliamentary inquiry into penalty rates to ensure that the Fair Work Commission’s recent decision is not dumped in the face of political scaremongering and backflips.

The Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, said the Fair Work Commission’s independent decision to scale back some penalty rates for Sunday trading was too important to be subject to a knee-jerk political campaign, which was long on emotional claims and short on the facts.\

“This is too important to be left to petty politicking and flip-flopping without a full review of the potential benefits for jobs and growth in the community,” she said.

“Let’s have a Parliamentary inquiry and put all the facts on the table so the community is not sucked into senseless scare campaigns that end up selling them short by jettisoning sensible measures to grow jobs and promote growth in the small business sector.

“History shows us just how bitter and vitriolic debate about industrial relations can become and how easily facts can become distorted.

“I note the findings of an analysis undertaken by the Department of Employment that found that FWC decision would impact 2.8 per cent of the workforce – or approximately 285,000 people – as opposed to the widely reported 685,000-plus figure mistakenly used by some to politicise the debate.

“For this reason I am supportive of a Parliamentary inquiry to explore publicly and in full the basis of the FWC decision and to forensically examine the details of Enterprise Bargaining Agreements negotiated by unions and big businesses operating on Sundays and public holidays.”

The Fair Work Commission’s independent decision after a two-year review to adjust Sunday penalty rates in select industries has been subject to political attacks and calls for its decision to be overturned.

Labor has rejected the Fair Work Commission’s decision and undertaken to have it set aside. This week One Nation, the Nick Xenophon Team and Senator Derryn Hinch have reversed their previous support for the Fair Work Commission’s decision on penalty rates.

Ms Carnell said that the integrity of the industrial relations system was underpinned by the independence of the Fair Work Commission and it was vital that the setting of minimum wage rates and other terms and conditions were quarantined from political influence.

“All sides of politics acknowledge small business is the engine room of the economy, however, this should not be taken for granted and I encourage all sides of politics to keep this in mind when conducting an ongoing national conversation on this issue,” she said.

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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