THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has noted the judgement released last week on the defamation case brought by Chau Chak Wing against Fairfax over an article by John Garnault.

The Ccommittee chair Andrew Hastie said, "This judgment will be carefully analysed. Generally speaking, we are concerned about the impact that defamation laws in Australia are having on responsible journalism that informs Australians about important national security issues."

Mr Hastie noted, "The ability to report freely and fairly on national security is a vital part of our democracy. Australia’s democratic institutions – including our free media – must be protected.

"We take this responsibility very seriously and will continue to work as a committee to uphold Australian sovereignty and interests."

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MARITIME workers have welcomed Labor’s commitment that it will create a strategic fleet if elected, saying the plan will not only ensure the nation’s fuel security during times of global economic or political instability, but will also ensure the future viability of Australia’s shipping industry.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Anthony Albanese on Sunday announced that a Labor Government would create a fleet that includes Australian crewed oil tankers, container ships and gas carriers that can be called upon by the Federal Government in times of crisis.

The Maritime Union of Australia also welcomed Labor’s pledge to properly enforce coastal shipping laws, ensuring local seafarers are given the first opportunity to move freight between Australian ports, and if they are unavailable, ensuring foreign vessels pay Australian wages and conditions.

MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said that as an island nation which moves 99 percent of its imports and exports by sea, Australia’s economic sovereignty was tied up with its shipping industry.

“Just last month, 80 seafarers lost their jobs after BHP announced it was replacing the last remaining Australian bulk carriers, which carried iron ore from Port Hedland to BlueScope’s steelworks in Port Kembla, with vessels registered in international tax havens and crewed by exploited foreign visa workers,” Mr Crumlin said.

“You can’t have a strong, security economy if the nation is completely reliant on foreign vessels to provide our fuel, bring in our goods, carry our exports, or move products around the coastline.

“Australia has less than three weeks fuel in reserve, so if an economic, political, or military crisis hit our region, Australia would quickly grind to a halt, yet we don’t have a single Australian-operated oil tanker.

“Labor’s commitment to create a strategic maritime fleet, made up of Australian-registered vessels crewed by Australian seafarers, is a vital step to safeguarding our nation’s economic future.

“But more than that, growing our domestic fleet through the return of Australian-flagged oil tankers, container ships and gas carriers ensures a future for this vital industry, job opportunities for Australian seafarers, and the retention of skills and experience in the Australian workforce.

“What we have seen in recent decades is a race to the bottom, with multinational corporations replacing Australian seafarers with vessels that are registered in tax havens, crewed by exploited foreign seafarers that can be paid as little as $2 an hour, and fail to meet basic environmental standards needed to protect our iconic coastlines.

“This pledge from Labor comes in stark contrast to what we’ve seen from the Liberal National Coalition, which has not only stood by while multinational corporations destroyed our industry, but have actively assisted by providing the licenses needed by these companies to replace Australian workers.

“We can’t have a civilised society if we don’t defend our sovereign rights, and ensuring our shipping supply chain remains in Australian hands is a vital part of this.”

www.mwu.com.au

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ENERGY Networks Australia CEO Andrew Dillon has  welcomed TasNetworks’ release of the Initial Feasibility Report considering a second Bass Strait electricity interconnector, Marinus Link.

The commitment today by the Commonwealth Government of $56 million to fast track the Marinus Link is also a positive step, he said.

“This project has the potential to bring up to 1,200MW more renewable energy into the National Energy Market,” Mr Dillon said.

“Interconnection between markets provides greater flexibility, better reliability and can deliver more affordable electricity for customers.”

Today’s announcement follows the launch earlier this month of Project EnergyConnect by ElectraNet and TransGrid for a new interconnector between SA and NSW.

“The is a worldwide trend towards increasing interconnection to manage growing levels of variable renewable generation and it is pleasing to see growing recognition of that need here in Australia,” Mr Dillon said.

www.energynetworks.com.au

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ALLIANZ Australia has been awarded the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality Citation by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for the 10th consecutive year.

Allianz was recognised for key programs and initiatives across career development, gender pay equity, gender-balanced and inclusive recruitment practices, parental leave provisions, and flexible work opportunities for both women and men.

"Allianz Australia is pleased to be recognised as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality," said Richard Feledy, Allianz Australia managing director. "I am very proud to lead an organisation that makes gender equity and inclusive work practices a top business priority as we remain committed to making investments that provide women and men with opportunities to balance their work and personal lives."

With an increased focus on gender equity in talent acquisition and development, Allianz is on track to reach its target of 40 percdent women in leadership positions by 2020. Allianz' like-for-like gender pay gap is less than 1 percent and the organisation is committed to ensuring that employees get paid fairly for the contribution they make irrespective of gender, background, where they work or what roles they perform.

Commenting on this, Mr Feledy noted how important it is to continue to embed gender equity into all business practices.

"Whether we are talking about the fair representation of women and men across the organisation, or ensuring equal pay for equal contribution, embracing diversity drives entrepreneurial thinking and better business results," he said. "We will ensure that gender equity remains at the forefront of all business practices at Allianz - not just to achieve our goals, but for the benefit of our people, our customers and the community."

The Employer of Choice for Gender Equality Citation is granted each year to employers with a commitment and track record in promoting gender equity in Australian workplaces.ends

MORTGAGE Choice chief executive officer, Susan Mitchell welcomed today’s announcement from the Labor party regarding mortgage broker remuneration.

Ms Mitchell said, "It’s a good start, however more consideration needs to be given to all the work brokers do for customers post settlement.

"A fixed upfront commission rate paid by the lender comes with its own challenges, however the devil is in the detail. A fixed upfront commission rate suggests that the broker’s work is done once a loan is settled. It will also change the dynamic of the broker/customer relationship, which is likely to become more transactional rather than relationship based.

"Mortgage Choice brokers take a proactive approach to providing ongoing quality service, which includes but is not limited to facilitating product switches, loan top-ups and negotiating a better interest rate. 

"A fixed upfront commission rate to brokers that is uniform across lenders addresses some of the conflicts identified in the Royal Commission. Mortgage Choice has had a ‘paid the same’ philosophy in place for over 20 years where our brokers are paid the same rate of commission regardless of the lender the customer chooses. In today’s environment, when trust in financial service providers is at an all time low, this has been an important factor for why brokers and customers choose Mortgage Choice. 

"Mortgage Choice encourages both sides of government to continue consultation with the mortgage broking industry to work through the intricacies of how a fixed upfront commission rate would be implemented," Ms Mitchell said.

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THE Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has warmly welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement to extend AFCA’s remit to review eligible financial complaints dating back to January 1, 2008.

Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive Officer, David Locke said AFCA will work with all stakeholders to implement these changes fairly and effectively. 

“We believe that this will provide access to justice and redress to many thousands of Australian consumers,” Mr Locke said.

“AFCA’s remit will be expanded for a period of 12 months to accept eligible complaints regarding conduct dating back to 1 January 2008.  

“In most cases, we are currently only able to consider matters that have occurred within the last six years. When a complaint has been through a financial firm's internal dispute resolution process, this timeframe is reduced to two years.  

“This change means that many more people will be able to get access to justice and have their matters properly considered.”  

AFCA will consider eligible complaints between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, following the AFCA rules being updated.  

AFCA will run a limited consultation regarding required changes to its rules, which will need to be approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. 

“We will be issuing guidance prior to 1 July 2019 to explain how people can raise their matters with us,” Mr Locke said.  

About AFCA

• The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) is a non-government organisation that is approved by the Federal Government to administer a free, fair and independent dispute resolution scheme.
• AFCA consider complaints about financial products and services.
• AFCA’s service is offered as an alternative to tribunals and courts to resolve complaints consumers and small businesses have with their financial firms.
• AFCA was established following the 2016 Ramsay Review into how Australia’s external dispute resolution framework could be improved to deliver effective outcomes for all Australian consumers and small business.
• On November 1, 2018, AFCA replaced the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Credit and Investments Ombudsman and the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal as the one-stop-shop for financial dispute resolution.
• Consumers and small businesses can lodge a complaint with AFCA online at afca.org.au, via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phoning 1800 931 678.

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DEVELOPMENT of Australia’s first offshore wind farm, which would power up to 1.2 million homes, has been stalled by Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s failure to sign off on an exploration license allowing a detailed assessment of the wind resource to commence, according to the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

The Department of the Environment and Energy confirmed during Senate Estimates that an evaluation of the project has been undertaken, a plan for a customised exploration license developed, and a briefing and recommendations provided to the Energy Minister, but that the project can progress no further without the Minister granting the exploration licence.

The Star of the South project seeks to construct 250 wind turbines in Commonwealth waters off the coast of Victoria’s Gippsland region, generating up to 20 percent of Victoria’s electricity needs and feeding the power into the National Electricity Market via an underground cable to the Latrobe Valley.

The Maritime Union of Australia said the project — which the company claims will create up to 12,000 manufacturing and construction jobs and slash Australia’s carbon emissions — appeared to be falling victim to the Morrison Government’s ideological hatred of renewable energy.

MUA deputy national secretary Will Tracey said the exploration license awaiting approval did not allow construction to commence and was simply about allowing the use of floating buoys and platforms off the Gippsland coast to gather wind and wave observations.

“We have a major wind project that would create thousands of jobs and provide clean, reliable energy for more than a million Australian households, but because of their ideological hatred of renewable energy the Morrison Government appears to be actively stalling its development,” Mr Tracey said.

"The Star of the South project has been in the works since 2012, yet in this time no legislation has been put forward, no regulatory framework put in place, and no responsible agency nominated, despite offshore wind being an established industry internationally.

“Now we have revelations from Senate Estimates that Energy Minister Angus Taylor has been briefed on the project and presented with recommendations, yet the exploration license continues to sit on his desk gathering dust.

"Rather than support renewable energy projects, under the Morrison Government we can't even get approval for a few wind measurement buoys off the Gippsland coast.

“Energy Minister Angus Taylor must get off his hands and immediately allow the Star of the South wind project to move forward to the exploration stage.”

Mr Tracey said offshore wind generation was a mature industry internationally which has successfully operated for two decades, but Australia was falling behind, putting future employment opportunities at risk.

“This project isn’t just about generating renewable energy and tackling climate change, it’s about creating secure jobs for the future, particularly for workers who are being displaced from the offshore oil and gas industries,” he said.

"The Federal Government urgently needs to put in place a plan to support the development of the offshore wind industry, including a clear regulatory framework, along with the right port infrastructure and specialised construction vessels to roll out this project and others like it as quickly as possible.”

www.mua.org.au

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PETITIONS to the House of Representatives with over 20,000 signatures would be debated by the House under recommendations made by the House Petitions Committee.

Committee Chair Lucy Wicks MP said the recommendation threshold is based on a similar system in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, which has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public.

"In the UK, the Petitions Committee can schedule a debate on a petition in Westminster Hall, if it reaches over 100,000 signatures," Mrs Wicks said.

"Our Committee proposes using similar criteria to the UK in selecting petitions for debate, once they have gathered over 20,000 signatures."

The report makes a number of other recommendations around simplifying the process of petitioning the Parliament, and educating the public about how to lodge or sign a petition.

"We hope these changes will encourage more Australians to engage with petitioning the House, which is the most direct way of having your matter heard by the Parliament," Mrs Wicks said.

The full report is available on the inquiry webpage.

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