Highly anticipated legislation creating a federal anti-corruption commission has received unanimous support and could pass by the end of the year, but a fight may be on the horizon over the commission’s power to conduct public hearings.
Legislation introduced in the wake of massive cyberattacks against Optus and Medibank that will increase penalties for serious privacy law violations to $50 million has sailed through the House just two weeks after being introduced.
The outgoing deputy chair for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says Australia “really needs” a new unfair practices law, echoing sentiments from the regulator’s former boss.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is targeting predatory lending, greenwashing and crypto-assets as rising interest rates cause consumers to turn to fringe sources of credit.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has drawn “a line in the sand” on greenwashing and will no longer accept “purely aspirational” climate change targets from companies, the regulator’s deputy chair has said.
A historic $99 million package has been committed for legal programs for First Nations people in the Albanese government’s inaugural budget, which also earmarks $263 million to establish a national anti-corruption commission and scope out a federal judicial commission.
Companies will face penalties of up to $50 million for serious privacy law breaches under legislation to be introduced the Attorney-General following data breaches by Optus, Medibank and Woolworths unit MyDeal.
The Supreme Court of Victoria has been called out in a report into sexually inappropriate behavior and bullying by judges as an “extremely hierarchical” workplace that has all the risk factors for harassment.
The NSW gaming regulator has suspended the Star Entertainment Group’s casino license and handed it a $100 million fine after uncovering anti-money laundering breaches and “inherently deceptive” misconduct.
The use of advertisements to find eager applicants to fill federal judicial vacancies has been foreshadowed by the Attorney-General as he promises to bring more transparency and integrity to the process for appointing judges.