Second term of government 2016.E2.80.93present Turnbull Government

1 second term of government 2016–present

1.1 census
1.2 parliamentary performance
1.3 industrial relations
1.4 backpacker tax
1.5 debt recovery controversy
1.6 energy policy
1.7 leadership
1.8 citizenship saga
1.9 same-sex marriage plebiscite
1.10 media reforms
1.11 nbn

second term of government 2016–present


turnbull (right) , usa president donald trump (left) in new york city, may 2017


census

one of first acts of re-elected government conduct census on 9 august, seen debacle.

parliamentary performance

in first sitting week of parliament, turnbull government lost vote on procedural motion in of house of representatives, first time in fifty years majority government had done so. labor party able defeat government on floor of house due absence of several government mps. following incident turnbull read riot act mps left early.

industrial relations

after winning election in 2016, coalition able secure passage of registered organisations , australian building , construction commission legislation support of new cross-bench. abbott , first turnbull governments had faced strong opposition bills labor , greens in senate. abcc bill designed re-establish australian building , construction commission in order tackle illegal behaviour on construction sites , improve productivity registered organisation bill designed create registered organisations commission oversee governance of union , employer bodies , bring standards trade union officials line applying company directors under corporations law.

the refusal of senate pass government s bills provided turnbull double dissolution trigger, , matters formed part of coalition s push re-election @ 2016 poll. labor , greens continued oppose bills, new cross-bench in place, registered organisation bill passed senate on 22 november , australian building , construction commission bill passed on 30 november 2016.

backpacker tax

the backpacker tax passed upper house support greens. tax rate settled @ 15% , backpacker superannuation tax rate set @ 65%.

the rates affect on 417 or 462 visa australia.

debt recovery controversy

in 2016 centrelink began reconciling welfare recipient s records against data australian taxation office. in process had seen 20,000 debt recovery letters issued per year, new automated data-matching technique, less human oversight, saw number increase 169,000 letters during july-dec 2016. opponents of automated process errors in system have led welfare recipients paying nonexistent debts or debts larger owe. welfare recipients have been required make payments while contesting debts.

in cases, debts being pursued dated further australian taxation office requests australians retain documentation. onus moved centrelink needing verify information, being on individual prove did not owe funds, human interaction being limited in dispatch of debt letters.

the process touted save government $300m, , such has been considered recovery action against aged pension , disability pension, may recover $1b.

the program subject of senate committee inquiry.

appearing before senate committee inquiry, department asked how many people had became deceased after receiving letter under debt recovery program. after question taken on notice, department asked again in subsequent inquiry hearing, , again taken on notice.

energy policy

since 2016 election, turnbull government has followed prior coalition government energy policies. involves wholesale dismissal of renewable energy targets , emissions intensity schemes. hardened when south australia faced large blackouts turnbull had blamed on state s ambitious renewable energy target. in response gas , energy crisis occurred in march 2017, malcolm turnbull announced 50% increase in capacity of snowy hydro through pumped hydro technology.

in april 2017, turnbull announced use commonwealth government s powers place export restrictions on nation s liquified natural gas ( lng ) industry. announced these changes in response high wholesale gas prices result of shortage of gas in domestic gas market , unacceptable domestic prices high, indicating consequence of these restrictions decrease in wholesale gas price. multinational gas companies , gas industry association heavily criticised policy saying neither increase supply or reduce wholesale price of gas.

as of june 2017, independent review future security of national electricity market (also known finkel review) released. report commissioned during extraordinary meeting on 7 october 2016, coag energy ministers agreed independent review of australian national energy market office of chief scientist @ time, alan finkel.

this report has spurred debate , discussion of future energy policy has yet determined. chief proponents of report point towards pragmatic technology-agnostic approach taken finkel, supports use of mix of base-load non-renewable energy sources (coal , gas) intermittent renewable energy sources (i.e., wind, solar) while chief opponents review not go far enough in support renewable energy sources.

leadership

in june 2017, @ leaked tape emerged of turnbull loyalist christopher pyne telling gathering of moderate liberals senior cabinet ministers including george brandis , marise payne in left faction, , working secure marriage equality , had backed turnbull. ousted prime minister abbott describe comments confession pyne had plotted against him. following week had endless of reports daily abbott undermining leadership of turnbull.

citizenship saga

on 25 july 2017, matt canavan resigned cabinet on doubts eligibility member of parliament, after discovering considered italian authorities citizen of italy. followed resignations of greens senators scott ludlam , larissa waters being dual citizens. dual citizens ineligible elected or sit member of parliament under section 44 of australian constitution. barnaby joyce took on canavan s portfolio.

in july 2017, julia banks greek heritage led being 1 of several members of parliament come under scrutiny on possibility held citizenship descent. dual citizens ineligible elected or sit member of parliament under section 44 of australian constitution. liberal party moved investigate , clarify banks citizenship status, seat in house of representatives critical turnbull government s one-seat majority. liberal party later stated confirmed greek embassy in australia banks not registered greek citizen.

on 14 august 2017, barnaby joyce announced had received advice new zealand high commission possibly hold new zealand citizenship descent father. joyce has asked government refer him high court court of disputed returns, consideration , clarification of eligibility alongside of senators ludlam, waters, canavan , malcolm roberts.

three days later on 17 august 2017, nationals deputy leader , senator, fiona nash revealed had british citizenship descent through scottish father. has elected not step down leadership or cabinet while referred high court.

the court handed down decision in canberra on 27 october 2017. ruled unanimously joyce, ludlam, nash, roberts , waters had been ineligible elected , canavan , xenophon had been eligible.

the turnbull government lost one-seat majority in house of representatives, causing new england by-election, 2017 held on 2 december 2017.

john alexander (australian politician) on 11 november 2017, resigned due constitutional ineligibility arising dual citizenship of united kingdom. intends renounce uk citizenship , re-contest by-election liberal party candidate.

same-sex marriage plebiscite

the liberal/national coalition government, headed prime minister malcolm turnbull, promised hold national vote on same-sex marriage prior july 2016 federal election, in form of compulsory-attended plebiscite.

while coalition did narrowly win 2016 election (forming majority government 1 seat in lower house), failed pass necessary legislation compulsory attendance plebiscite in parliament. legislation passed house of representatives on 20 october 2016 vote of 76-67, though rejected senate (where australian governments lack majority of seats) on 7 november 2016 vote of 33-29. in august 2017, following attempt 5 liberal party mps change party policy , have free vote in parliament on same-sex marriage legislation, government announced move voluntary postal plebiscite held later year. occur in event government s compulsory plebiscite legislation again rejected senate. occurred on 9 august 2017, when government-initiated motion in senate debate plebiscite (same-sex marriage) bill 2016 tied @ 31-31; resulting in motion being negatived.

following result in senate, government directed australian statistician begin process of collecting statistical information on voluntary basis, australians on electoral roll, views on same sex marriage. government contended proposal did not require legislative approval parliament, arguing provisions of appropriations act , law governing australian bureau of statistics (abs) enabled use abs such purpose. government announced abs assisted having staff seconded australian electoral commission (aec), organisation responsible elections in australia , managing electoral roll.

media reforms

on september 14 governments bill media passed support of 1 nation , nick xenophon (by vote of 31-27). under changes two-out-of-three rule scrapped, allowing company own tv station, newspaper , radio station in single market. reach rule , prevented single tv broadcaster reaching more 75 per cent of population, go.

nbn

tony abbott, leader of opposition, , malcolm turnbull, shadow minister communications , broadband, stated in 2010 in government demolish nbn.

with election of abbott government in 2013, rollout of fibre premises limited areas in development delay on new development imposed turnbull (then minister communications) appointed number of committees advise him on future directions. later implementation of multi-technological mix (mtm) began promise of earlier completion , significant cost savings compared earlier approach. predominant change adoption of mixed copper-optical technology fibre node (fttn)

the nbn network, @ 2017, draws wired communication: copper, optical , hybrid fibre-coaxial; , radio communication: satellite , fixed wireless networks @ 121 points of interconnect (poi) typically located in telstra owned telephone exchanges throughout australia. sells access mobile telecommunication backhaul mobile telecommunications providers.

nbn has stated there no significant demand wired connections above 25 mbit/s , consideration of upgrading network not undertaken until demand high-bandwidth services proven.

bill morrow, ceo of nbn, has admitted 15% of end users receiving poor service through nbn , dissatisfied . in addition, morrow indicated that, @ july 2017, prices , performance end users suppressed through price war between rsps.

a 2017 report joint standing committee on national broadband network found significant issues technology used nbn , performance of nbn co, 1 of coalition members of committee released dissenting report defending nbn , nbn co.

in response imminent broadcast of documentary critical of performance of nbn on 4 corners, malcolm turnbull stated nbn failure, blaming earlier rudd , gillard governments. 4 corners documentary noted significant issues roll out , complaints regarding performance of nbn. following prime minister s acknowledgment of nbn s failure, kevin rudd noted that, on assuming government in 2013, malcolm turnbull, minister communications in abbott government radically changed technical aspects of nbn.