Greens propose amendments to Fair Work Act for casual workers
Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt has introduced a private member’s bill calling for an amendment to the Fair Work Act to protect casual workers, reports Inside Retailing. However, small...
McCaskill: Newly established Strategy Group could consider ‘voluntary reduction’ in 90-day rule
Innovation Minister Kim Carr has announced the federal government will establish a new Book Industry Strategy Group. Making the announcement at the opening of the Australian Publishers Association (APA) and...
Parallel importation: Status quo ‘just as dangerous’ as an open market says ABA CEO
As the book industry awaits the results of continuing talks in Canberra and a final cabinet decision on the Productivity Commission's parallel importation report, the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has...
Date for cabinet decision on Prod Comm report unclear
The date on which the federal cabinet will make a decision on the recent Productivity Commission recommendations to remove Australia's book parallel importation laws remains unclear, with some in the...
Prod Comm debate coverage continues
As the date of an expected cabinet decision on the future of parallel importation restrictions approaches, mainstream media coverage of the debate continues. MUP publisher Louise Adler took the opportunity...
Cabinet split on PC report
The cabinet response to the Productivity Commission's recommendation that Australia remove parallel import restrictions on books may come sooner than originally anticipated, with some indications cabinet may decide on the issue...
Productivity Commission still processing submissions
The Productivity Commission has now received more than 120 submissions to its study on the laws governing the parallel importation of books in Australia. The study and attendant issues are...
Quote of the week
‘If the Government truly believed literacy could be improved by dropping book prices, it could simply remove the GST. Everyone happy: authors, publishers, retailers, consumers. Too easy'--Malcolm Knox writing in...
Productivity Commission issues paper released
The Productivity Commission today released its issues paper on ‘copyright restrictions on the parallel importation of books', as part of its study commissioned by the federal government. The issues paper...
Productivity Commission announces submission deadline
Following the release of the terms of reference for its parallel importation study the Productivity Commission has announced a deadline of 20 January 2009 for submissions. Any interested individuals or...
Publishers, booksellers respond to Productivity Commission terms of reference
The Australian Publishers Association has declared it will be ‘very vocal in seeking to maintain the 1991 reforms to copyright laws', following the release last Friday of the Productivity Commission's...
Productivity Commission terms of reference announced
Chris Bowen, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, has announced the terms of reference for a Productivity Commission report on the current laws regarding parallel book importation...
In brief
Donoughue enters the blogospherePeter Donoughue, former managing director of John Wiley and Sons in Australia, has created a new blog Pub Date Critical (click here). In his first posts the former...
Parallel importation to be reviewed: COAG
The Australian Productivity Commission is to undertake a review of the legislation governing the parallel importation of books in Australia, following a meeting of federal and state governments in Sydney...
Parallel importation to be reviewed: COAG
The Australian Productivity Commission is to undertake a review of the legislation governing the parallel importation of books in Australia, following a meeting of federal and state governments in Sydney...
Plastic bags to be banned in SA
Legislation introduced to the South Australian parliament aims to ban most lightweight plastic bags from supermarkets and other shops by May next year. The proposed legislation comes after a meeting...
NSW government to cut red tape on Sunday trading
The New South Wales state government plans to amend current trading laws to allow all retailers to trade on Sundays. Under existing legislation, most NSW retailers must obtain government approval...
Budget 08: ABA, ASA response
The 2008 federal budget contained no ‘significant new measures' that would affect booksellers, according to the new CEO of the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Malcolm Neil Neil told WBN that...
ABA welcomes new predatory pricing laws
New ABA CEO Malcolm Neil has welcomed moves to outlaw predatory pricing in the Trade Practices Act. The federal government's proposed amendments will strengthen the ACCC's powers to investigate big...
In brief
Gillard flags national IR planThe federal government is acting on a pre-election pledge to implement a national industrial relations platform for employees of private companies. Federal Workplace Relations Minister Julia...