This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/nov/21/one-nation-senator-shoots-down-labor-bid-to-amend-anti-union-bills
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Senate passes union regulator bill after Coalition whistleblower concession | Senate passes union regulator bill after Coalition whistleblower concession |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Senate has passed the Turnbull government’s registered organisations commission bill, one of the industrial relations bills that triggered the July double dissolution. | The Senate has passed the Turnbull government’s registered organisations commission bill, one of the industrial relations bills that triggered the July double dissolution. |
| It passed after a marathon session ending at 2.13am. | It passed after a marathon session ending at 2.13am. |
| The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 passed the senate 33-30 early this morning after being twice rejected by the former Parliament. | The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 passed the senate 33-30 early this morning after being twice rejected by the former Parliament. |
| The Coalition won the crucial support from the Nick Xenophon Team and senator Derryn Hinch by promising further whistleblower protections. One Nation also supported the bill. | The Coalition won the crucial support from the Nick Xenophon Team and senator Derryn Hinch by promising further whistleblower protections. One Nation also supported the bill. |
| Xenophon said on Monday night the reforms were “the most sweeping change to whistleblower laws that this country has ever seen”, and revealed the government had agreed to a process to extend them to the corporate and public sectors. | Xenophon said on Monday night the reforms were “the most sweeping change to whistleblower laws that this country has ever seen”, and revealed the government had agreed to a process to extend them to the corporate and public sectors. |
| On Tuesday morning the employment minister, Michaelia Cash, celebrated the passage of bill, defending the decision to keep Senate sitting through the night. | On Tuesday morning the employment minister, Michaelia Cash, celebrated the passage of bill, defending the decision to keep Senate sitting through the night. |
| “I’m delighted that this has been a massive win for the 2 million Australians who are members of registered organisations,” she told ABC radio. | “I’m delighted that this has been a massive win for the 2 million Australians who are members of registered organisations,” she told ABC radio. |
| She said she would now turn her attention to legislation restoring the Australian Building Construction Commission. | She said she would now turn her attention to legislation restoring the Australian Building Construction Commission. |
| But Tony Burke, the shadow finance minister, said it was “extraordinary” how anything that passed through the Senate in the current parliament was called a victory. | |
| “We used to call this governing,” he told the ABC. | “We used to call this governing,” he told the ABC. |
| The government leader in the Senate, George Brandis, moved a motion that the upper house sit until it voted on the registered organisations bill, which would increase penalties for misconduct in unions and increase reporting requirements. | The government leader in the Senate, George Brandis, moved a motion that the upper house sit until it voted on the registered organisations bill, which would increase penalties for misconduct in unions and increase reporting requirements. |
| The motion passed by 34 votes to 31, as One Nation, NXT and Hinch combined to help the government bring the debate to a head. The second reading of the bill passed 34 to 30, at which point it passed into committee stage for questions on amendments. | The motion passed by 34 votes to 31, as One Nation, NXT and Hinch combined to help the government bring the debate to a head. The second reading of the bill passed 34 to 30, at which point it passed into committee stage for questions on amendments. |
| The whistleblower protections include making it a criminal offence to take reprisals against a whistleblower and compensation for whistleblowers. | The whistleblower protections include making it a criminal offence to take reprisals against a whistleblower and compensation for whistleblowers. |
| Although the amendments to the bill only apply to unions and employer associations, Xenophon revealed the government had agreed to an inquiry and the objective of implementing “the substance and detail” of the whistleblower protections in the corporate and public sectors in legislation by June 2018. | Although the amendments to the bill only apply to unions and employer associations, Xenophon revealed the government had agreed to an inquiry and the objective of implementing “the substance and detail” of the whistleblower protections in the corporate and public sectors in legislation by June 2018. |
| Employment minister Michaelia Cash confirmed the government had given that undertaking. She said “case example after case example” had shown the need to increase oversight to prevent officials using union funds as their “personal piggy banks”. | Employment minister Michaelia Cash confirmed the government had given that undertaking. She said “case example after case example” had shown the need to increase oversight to prevent officials using union funds as their “personal piggy banks”. |
| The government and crossbench also agreed on amendments to increase accountability for auditors of unions. | The government and crossbench also agreed on amendments to increase accountability for auditors of unions. |
| Labor had proposed a slew of other amendments, including lowering the threshold for declaration of political donations, exempting volunteers from increased penalties and giving the Australian Securities and Investment Commission oversight of unions, instead of a new registered organisations commission. | Labor had proposed a slew of other amendments, including lowering the threshold for declaration of political donations, exempting volunteers from increased penalties and giving the Australian Securities and Investment Commission oversight of unions, instead of a new registered organisations commission. |
| Hinch told the Senate the opposition’s amendment appeared intended to “water [the bill] down as much as possible, so that it’s closer to a gelding than a stallion”. In particular, Asic already had too great a volume of disputes to deal with and a specialist regulator was needed, he said. | Hinch told the Senate the opposition’s amendment appeared intended to “water [the bill] down as much as possible, so that it’s closer to a gelding than a stallion”. In particular, Asic already had too great a volume of disputes to deal with and a specialist regulator was needed, he said. |
| Hinch said he did not regard supporting the bill as an attack on unions, but said it would strengthen the union movement if people were confident that officials were “all working for members not to personally benefit”. | Hinch said he did not regard supporting the bill as an attack on unions, but said it would strengthen the union movement if people were confident that officials were “all working for members not to personally benefit”. |
| Brandis accused Labor of “shamelessly” stymying the registered organisations commission because every Labor senator “owes their place in this chamber to the patronage of a trade union movement that has decided to everything it can to prevent reform”. | Brandis accused Labor of “shamelessly” stymying the registered organisations commission because every Labor senator “owes their place in this chamber to the patronage of a trade union movement that has decided to everything it can to prevent reform”. |
| Before the extended debate, Labor’s employment spokesman, Brendan O’Connor, told Guardian Australia that Asic would be a more impartial regulator than a registered organisations commission, which Labor fears would have an anti-union culture. | Before the extended debate, Labor’s employment spokesman, Brendan O’Connor, told Guardian Australia that Asic would be a more impartial regulator than a registered organisations commission, which Labor fears would have an anti-union culture. |
| O’Connor told Sky News he met the employment minister on Sunday but she had not agreed to all of Labor’s amendments. | O’Connor told Sky News he met the employment minister on Sunday but she had not agreed to all of Labor’s amendments. |
| The Coalition was seeking to exempt only people who do not control unions’ financial affairs from new accountability measures, not all volunteers, he said. | The Coalition was seeking to exempt only people who do not control unions’ financial affairs from new accountability measures, not all volunteers, he said. |
| Labor’s effort to amend the bill appeared in danger when One Nation senator Rodney Culleton told Sky News on Monday that he was concerned about Labor proposing Asic as the regulator for unions, saying it was a “toothless tiger”. | Labor’s effort to amend the bill appeared in danger when One Nation senator Rodney Culleton told Sky News on Monday that he was concerned about Labor proposing Asic as the regulator for unions, saying it was a “toothless tiger”. |
| The second plank of the government’s industrial relations agenda, the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill, is also on the notice paper this week. | The second plank of the government’s industrial relations agenda, the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill, is also on the notice paper this week. |
| Culleton said he had made up his mind on both bills “to a certain degree” but refused to say how he would vote and added “there’s still a bit more polishing [to be done]”. | Culleton said he had made up his mind on both bills “to a certain degree” but refused to say how he would vote and added “there’s still a bit more polishing [to be done]”. |
| Culleton raised the issue of whether it was worth the budget impact of another commissioner, in reference to reinstituting the ABCC. Culleton has previously said the ABCC bill must enshrine union members’ rights, in contrast to the rest of One Nation who are in favour of the bill. | Culleton raised the issue of whether it was worth the budget impact of another commissioner, in reference to reinstituting the ABCC. Culleton has previously said the ABCC bill must enshrine union members’ rights, in contrast to the rest of One Nation who are in favour of the bill. |
| Asked if he would vote with his colleagues, Culleton would say only: “We’ll be ready to go on the day.” | Asked if he would vote with his colleagues, Culleton would say only: “We’ll be ready to go on the day.” |
| The Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm supported all of Labor’s amendments but said he was “inclined to give [the registered organisations bill] a little more sympathy” than the ABCC bill, even if amendments are not made. | The Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm supported all of Labor’s amendments but said he was “inclined to give [the registered organisations bill] a little more sympathy” than the ABCC bill, even if amendments are not made. |
| The government’s paid parental leave bill is not listed for debate this week. | The government’s paid parental leave bill is not listed for debate this week. |
| The bill would prevent parents with employer schemes from accessing both their employer and the government’s PPL scheme, or to limit government payments to a top-up of the employer’s scheme to the value of 18 weeks’ pay at the minimum wage. | The bill would prevent parents with employer schemes from accessing both their employer and the government’s PPL scheme, or to limit government payments to a top-up of the employer’s scheme to the value of 18 weeks’ pay at the minimum wage. |
| After crossbench resistance to the changes, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday the government had proposed increasing paid parental leave for new mothers to 20 weeks, up from 18, an increase worth about $1,300. | After crossbench resistance to the changes, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday the government had proposed increasing paid parental leave for new mothers to 20 weeks, up from 18, an increase worth about $1,300. |
| Responding to the report, the social services minister, Christian Porter, said the government was considering “one compromise model” that still “makes the system fairer by redistributing savings at the top end to make for more generous provisions for lower income families who may have less employer provided PPL”. | Responding to the report, the social services minister, Christian Porter, said the government was considering “one compromise model” that still “makes the system fairer by redistributing savings at the top end to make for more generous provisions for lower income families who may have less employer provided PPL”. |
| “If that option were agreed too it would substantially reduce the savings from PPL but would still produce a much fairer system than we presently have.” | “If that option were agreed too it would substantially reduce the savings from PPL but would still produce a much fairer system than we presently have.” |