MULTINATIONAL construction giant CIMIC Group must hand back the $20 million it took in JobKeeper in light of revelations the company made $620 million in profits and delivered more than $468 million to investors through share buybacks and dividends, alleged the CFMEU.

"JobKeeper was designed to keep Australian workers employed through the pandemic, not to underwrite multinational company profits and deliver huge returns to investors," said Dave Noonan CFMEU national construction secretary.

"CIMIC needs to do the right thing and repay the subsidy it took through JobKeeper at the start of the pandemic," he said.

“If this massive multinational company is unwilling to pay up voluntarily Scott Morrison should use the considerable regulatory powers available to him to compel CIMIC to hand the money back.

"Australian workers could rightly feel betrayed when they see Scott Morrison trying to cut their wages through his IR Omnibus Bill while handing out millions in subsidies to highly profitable businesses.

"The Covid crisis hit many Australian workers hard. The hundreds of thousands of people who lost jobs or had their hours reduced will not simply swallow revelations that their pain helped deliver massive profits to multinational companies like CIMIC.

"Scott Morrison needs to show whether he is on the side of Australian workers or the big business lobbyists and corporate donors who too often dictate his government’s policies."

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LAW FIRM taking a lad in combatting dust diseases, Maurice Blackburn, is supporting calls by the Australian Workers Union (AWU) for tougher national regulations to protect all workers from deadly silica dust.

The AWU has launched a new campaign demanding the Federal Government impose minimum safety benchmarks and tougher penalties across all industries where workers are exposed to silica, rather than only focusing on stonemasons.

Maurice Blackburn principal, Jonathan Walsh said the government’s lack of urgency in addressing the issue was threatening the lives and livelihoods of many thousands of workers.

“I’ve said previously the reforms recommended by the government’s National Dust Diseases Taskforce’s interim report are pathetic and weak,” Mr Walsh said.

“Workers are dying but the Federal Government is effectively sitting on its hands instead of moving quickly to ensure the health and safety of workers.

“It is not enough for the government to focus only on engineered stone when we know that other workers, such as miners and tunnellers can be similarly exposed to highly dangerous levels of silica dust and develop chronic or fatal lung conditions,” Mr Walsh said.

“All Australian workers should have what is known to be best practice when it comes to safety in their workplace – their lives and their families’ well-being shouldn’t be up for negotiation.

“Surely, Australia can do better than that.

“Our client, Joanna McNeill is leading the union’s campaign for urgent action and is sadly suffering the consequences of lax industry safety practices when it comes to silica dust,” Mr Walsh said.

“Only 34 years old and the mother of two very young children, Joanna was diagnosed last year with silicosis after working in the mining industry.

“She wants to see tougher laws so that no other worker and their family is left in the same position simply because they did their job.”

https://www.awu.net.au/national/campaigns/13261/silicosis-kills/

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THE Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board (APESB), the independent body that sets the code of ethics and professional standards for Australia's accounting professionals, marked its 15th anniversary this week.

The APESB chair, Nancy Milne OAM, said, "Over the past 15 years, the APESB has delivered world-class professional standards, including the Code of Ethics, which are key drivers in the recognised ethical standing of professional accountants.

"Importantly, there is a renewed focus and increasing community expectations of professionals' ethical behaviour and conduct, which is being driven by recent events such as the Financial Services Royal Commission and the Parliamentary Joint Committee (PJC) Inquiry on Audit Regulation.”

The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the general public and business community, has highlighted the critical role professional accountants and auditors play to help facilitate the continued functioning of the economy.

To build on the high levels of public trust in the accounting profession and ensure its standards represent global best practice, Ms Milne said the APESB is working towards:

• ·strengthening auditor independence requirements in relation to non-assurance services and transparency of fee arrangements;
• ·implementing changes to the requirements for quality and risk management systems of firms to redefine professional practice; and
• ·developing resources at a national and global level to guide ethical conduct.

Recently, the APESB released guidance on auditor independence (jointly with the three major professional accounting bodies), the impact of COVID-19 and whistleblowing. The Board has also actively contributed to the work program of the International Ethics Standards Board of Accountants (IESBA) as a National Standards Setter to influence the global ethical standards. 

“As we move forward into our next strategic period, the APESB looks forward to continuing its public interest mandate to set and maintain professional and ethical standards to enhance the professionalism of the Australian accounting profession,” Ms Milne said.

She said APESB appreciated the contribution of all stakeholders, especially the professional accounting bodies, regulators, standard-setters and taskforce members who have contributed to its journey over the years. To mark its 15^th anniversary, the APESB will host a thought-leadership event later in the year.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hold a public hearing with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Philip Lowe, on Friday, February 5, 2021. The RBA last appeared before the committee in December 2020.

Committee chair, Tim Wilson MP, said, "There have been few times when monetary policy has been more consequential for the Australian economy.

"The committee will be scrutinising the RBA’s measures in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic, particularly the move to implement quantitative easing, and how these measures will help the Australian economy recover.

"The decisions the RBA are making has an impact on everyone, and with cheap easy money pushing up asset prices, and the spectre of inflation and higher super that could soften wage increases on the horizon, there needs to be scrutiny of the consequences of their decisions.

"Issues of the governance culture within the RBA remain a point of public discussion and also need to be properly scrutinised," Mr Wilson said.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 5 February 2021
Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm
Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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AUSTRALIA faces a growing fuel security crisis following ExxonMobil’s announcement that it plans to close the Altona oil refinery in Melbourne, with a loss of 350 jobs, further increasing the nation’s reliance on imported fuel to keep the economy moving, according to the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

The closure is the second announced in five months, following BP’s decision last year to shut the Kwinana refinery in Western Australia, leaving just two domestic fuel producers.

The MUA said the news highlighted the failure of the Morrison Government’s $2.5 billion fuel security package — announced last September — with the Viva Energy plant in Geelong the only refinery to sign up.

The union warned that the replacement of domestic fuel production with a growing reliance on fuel refined overseas and transported to Australia on foreign owned and operated tankers was making the nation increasingly vulnerable to any international crisis that impacts maritime trade.

MUA assistant national secretary Jamie Newlyn said the Federal Government needed to take urgent action to retain remaining refineries, increase domestic fuel stockpiles, and boost supply chain resilience.

“It is clear the Morrison Government’s fuel security plans have failed, with half of Australia’s remaining oil refineries announcing their closure in the last five months,” Mr Newlyn said.

“Even before these refineries close, more than 90 percent of Australia’s refined fuels are coming from overseas, leaving the nation seriously exposed to any crisis that impacts on maritime supply chains.

“We need urgent action from the Federal Government, with options including the purchase of these refineries — allowing this critical infrastructure to continue to operate under public ownership — along with a massive increase in domestic fuel reserves and the development of a strategic shipping fleet.

“The Federal Government should insist that if the Altona refinery closes, ExxonMobil must create a fleet of Australian-registered tankers to carry fuel to Australia and transport it around the coast.

“If ExxonMobil committed to use just 10 Australian ships to import and distribute fuel, it would create 340 seafaring jobs.”

Mr Newlyn said Australia continued to fall well short of the International Energy Agency’s 90-day fuel stockholding obligation, meaning the nation could run out of liquid fuel within weeks if a major crisis cut supplies.

“The COVID crisis exposed the vulnerability of Australia’s supply chains,” he said.

“If a pandemic, military conflict, natural disasters, or an economic shock cuts the flow of fuel to Australia, the situation would be catastrophic, with every part of the nation grinding to a halt.

“The Morrison Government keeps tinkering at the edges, rather than taking decisive action to address fuel security.

“What is required is an urgent, massive increase to fuel storage capacity in Australia — in line with the IEA’s fuel stockholding obligation — along with the development of a strategic shipping fleet of Australian tankers that can continue bringing fuel to the country in a crisis.

“Defending Australia’s economic security requires the strengthening of supply chains, especially for essential goods like fuel.”

In a report commissioned by the MUA, ‘Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty’, shipping expert John Francis recommended the retention of a minimum number of Australian owned, managed and crewed tankers, saying it was justified on national security grounds and could be achieved at a minimal cost to end users.

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

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FOLK, THEATRE, videogames and galleries are among a host of Australian arts bodies who will give evidence as part of an ongoing inquiry into the state of the Australian arts sector.

Chair of the Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts, David Gillespie MP, said the hearings on February 5 and 19, 2021, will further investigate the challenges faced by specific arts industries over the past year.

"Australia boasts a rich cultural and creative landscape and I’m eager to hear about the key areas for growth and development for our creative industries, as well as the challenges that have recently tested their resilience," Dr Gillespie said.

"The committee will also take evidence from government departments on their support for Australia’s arts workers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With an estimated contribution of 6.4 percent of Australia’s GDP, the committee recognises the fundamental role our creative and cultural industries play in Australia’s economy. We are keen to understand how Australia can best harness its creative and cultural capabilities in order to rebuild this vital part of our economy to be better than ever," Dr Gillespie said.

The full programs for February 5 and 19 and the Inquiry’s terms of reference, may be found on the Inquiry webpage. The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. 

Information about the committee, including membership, may be found on the committee’s webpage.

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“CONFIRMATION that an Albanese Labor Government will abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is deeply disappointing and will severely undermine builder’s contribution to economic recovery." That is the view of Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia.

“Unleashing construction union thuggery will undermine recovery,” Ms Wawn said. 

“The ABCC is crucial for the building and construction industry, crucial for the economy and crucial for the entire community.

“The economic impact of the pandemic cannot be ignored. Just as governments around the country are putting construction front and centre of their economic recovery plans, Labor is planning to take the leash off construction union thugs and bullies.

“By upholding the rule of law on worksites, the ABCC means construction workplaces can operate like normal workplaces and is central to tackling the toxic culture of lawlessness and thuggery deployed by building unions that has been plagued the sector for decades,” Ms Wawn said. 

“There is absolutely no evidence to support abolishing the ABCC but there is a mountain of evidence to support its retention, including hundreds of Federal Court judgements, countless inquiries and reviews, and four separate Royal Commissions of Inquiry spanning three decades. 

“Thuggery and lawlessness on construction sites rob the community by driving the cost of much needed community infrastructure by up by as much as 30 percent. These behaviours cheat the community of more classrooms, more hospital beds and more childcare places,” Ms Wawn said. 

“Giving a green light to thuggery and bullying will undermine the economic recovery and is contrary to the community’s interests."

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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THE Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories has extended the time for making submissions to its two current inquires to 31 March 2021.

The inquiry into economic, social and environmental sustainability in the Indian Ocean Territories is examining topics including education, research, citizen science, biodiversity, job creation, costs of living and socially responsible development.

The inquiry into enabling communications infrastructure in Australia’s external territories of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is considering the current communications situation in each of the territories, activity underway to enhance connectivity and services, and the options and opportunities for improving availability of and access to communications infrastructure.

Committee chair, Anne Webster MP, said, “The committee wants to ensure all interested people and organisations, including residents, businesses and community groups have an opportunity to put forward their views.”

The Committee is accepting submissions addressing the terms of reference until 31 March 2021. The terms of reference for each inquiry and further information on how to prepare and lodge a submission can be found on the inquiry websites.

Public hearings are being planned and will be announced in due course.

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