How To Get Money's Worth Out Of Programs - Opinion Piece
HOW TO GET MONEY'S WORTH OUT OF PROGRAMS
Each year thousands of patients miss their hospital appointments.
It costs money – contributes to backlogs and delays – and means that appointments cannot be allocated to others in need.
Some 15 per cent of outpatient appointments at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital used to be missed each year, despite patients being sent reminders.
Read moreNew Data Shows 1 in 5 Australian Employers Used Non-Compete Clauses - Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE
NEW DATA SHOWS 1 IN 5 AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS USED NON-COMPETE CLAUSES
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has today released results from a survey of employers on the use of restraint clauses, revealing that 1 in 5 Australian businesses (21 per cent) used non-compete clauses for at least some of their employees in 2023.
Non-compete clauses are conditions of employment that restrict an employee’s future ability to work for a competitor or start their own business. There is growing concern internationally that these clauses are increasingly restricting workers from shifting to better paying jobs and may be hampering business innovation and productivity.
During the Coalition’s nine years in office, productivity growth stagnated and real wages flatlined. Employment terms that make it harder for workers to move to a better job may be acting as a drag on wages and economic dynamism.
Read moreDr Craig Emerson, Sally Mcmahon And Katrina Groshinski Appointed To National Competition Council - Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE
DR CRAIG EMERSON, SALLY MCMAHON AND KATRINA GROSHINSKI APPOINTED TO NATIONAL COMPETITION COUNCIL
The Albanese Government has appointed Dr Craig Emerson and Ms Sally McMahon and reappointed Ms Katrina Groshinski as a part-time Councillors to the National Competition Council each from 23 February 2024 until 17 August 2025.
Dr Emerson was the Federal Minister for Small Business from 2007-2010 and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs from 2009-2010. He was the Minister for Trade from 2010-2013. He is a former Queensland Government Director-General and senior Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Hawke.
Ms McMahon has more than 25 years’ experience working across Australia and in Canada in the energy sector and industry reform. She has broad and deep experience in energy issues across markets, networks, retail and consumer protection policy and regulation with strong technical understanding of the design, application and practices of industry and economic regulation including market assessment and operation, access, efficient pricing, financial concepts, connection policy and standards of service.
Read moreABC Canberra Breakfast With Adam Shirley Wednesday, 21 February 2024 - Transcript
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC CANBERRA BREAKFAST WITH ADAM SHIRLEY
WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2024
SUBJECTS: Resignation of Woolworths CEO, Government’s competition agenda.
ADAM SHIRLEY, HOST: Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury and Member for Fenner. Dr Leigh, thanks for your time on this breaking news today.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES, TREASURY AND EMPLOYMENT ANDREW LEIGH: Pleasure Adam.
SHIRLEY: Did Brad Banducci have to go?
LEIGH: Well, it's up to him and the Board. They've clearly made a decision to move on to Amanda Bardwell and appoint her from September. I'm really focused on the competition issues and what that means for Australian shoppers, Adam. I need to make sure in the face of a cost-of-living crisis, that the supermarkets are doing the right thing by their consumers and suppliers. If this change in leadership delivers better outcomes for consumers and suppliers, then that's to the good.
SHIRLEY: Brad Banducci said at the time and he clarified with Rod Sims being the recently retired head of the Competition and Consumer Commission, basically, many saw that as throwing shade on the Commission and Rod Sims, was that reasonable and fair of the CEO of Woolworths?
Read more2CC Canberra Breakfasts Tuesday 20 February 2024 - Transcript
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC BREAKFAST
TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2024
SUBJECTS: Non-compete clauses in employment contracts, designated complaints to the competition watchdog, supermarket competition.
STEPHEN CENATIEMPO, HOST: Time to talk federal politics with the Member for Fenner and Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh. Andrew, good morning.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARTIES, TREASURY AND EMPLOYMENT ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning, Stephen. Great to be with you and your listeners.
Read moreABC Canberra Breakfast with Adam Shirley Friday 16 February 2024 - Transcript
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC CANBERRA BREAKFAST WITH ADAM SHIRLEY
FRIDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2024
SUBJECTS: Improving competition, increasing bulk billing in the ACT.
ADAM SHIRLEY, HOST: The Member for Fenner and he's also the Assistant Minister to the Treasury, Andrew Leigh, a very good morning to you.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARTIES, TREASURY AND EMPLOYMENT ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning, Adam. Great to be with you and your listeners.
SHIRLEY: I might ask you about your view on that, given, you know, numbers and, you know, Canberra and its low bulk billing rates from a practical perspective. But one thing that does matter, and it does matter a lot, is the role of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and whether it can crack down on dodgy, potentially corrupt, or at least behaviour that is against the spirit of competition. What is the new tool that consumers or businesses might have to bring their case, their concern, to the ACCC?
Read more2CC Drive with Leon Delaney Thursday 15 February 2024 - Transcript
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC DRIVE WITH LEON DELANEY
THURSDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2024
SUBJECTS: Improving competition, right to disconnect, unemployment, inflation.
LEON DELANEY, HOST: Joining me now, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury, Employment and pretty much everything else and our local member here in the seat of Fenner, Dr Andrew Leigh. Good afternoon.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARTIES, TREASURY AND EMPLOYMENT ANDREW LEIGH: Good afternoon, Leon. Great to be with you and your listeners.
DELANEY: Well, thanks for joining us today. What does it mean, this empowerment of consumers and small businesses act?
LEIGH: We've been doing a lot on the competition front, raising penalties for anti-competitive conduct, banning unfair contract terms, setting up the Competition Taskforce, and the next brick in that wall is a reform which will ensure that designated consumer and small business advocates will be able to bring systemic misconduct to the attention of the competition watchdog and have it dealt with. Right now, a complaint that's raised by a peak body is treated the same as every other complaint that comes through. This designated complaints power, which exists in other countries, will ensure that those systemic issues can be brought forward by consumer and small business advocates and get an answer within 90 days.
Read moreImproving Competition by Empowering Consumers and Small Businesses - Media Release
Joint Media Release with
Julie Collins MP
Minister for Housing
Minister for Homelessness
Minister for Small Business
IMPROVING COMPETITION BY EMPOWERING CONSUMERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES
Consumer and small business advocates will now have special powers to raise significant and systemic issues with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for investigation.
As part of its Better Competition election commitment, the Albanese Government is introducing legislation to establish a new designated complaints function within the ACCC.
Read moreIncreasing Global Tax Transparency - Media Release
INCREASING GLOBAL TAX TRANSPARENCY
The Albanese Government is delivering on its promise to make multinational companies pay their fair share with consultations opening on exposure draft legislation to establish one of the world’s most comprehensive public country-by-country reporting regimes.
Public country-by-country reporting will provide the community with a better understanding of how much tax multinationals pay relative to their activities. It puts the onus on multinationals to be upfront about where they pay tax and how they plan their tax strategies.
Read moreMerger Policy is Critical - Opinion Piece
MERGER POLICY IS CRITICAL
Everyone benefits from healthy competition
Competition is about giving Australians more choice.
For workers, genuine competition between businesses provides greater opportunities to switch jobs, allowing them to make the most of their skills and secure better pay and conditions.
For consumers, competition provides more choice, allowing people to shop around and find better-value products and services. There is no better tool than competition policy for keeping real prices down.
Competition is also crucial if Australia is to make the most of the big shifts around digitalisation, growth in the care economy and the net zero transformation.