On 19 February 2008, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke announced details of a comprehensive, independent review into Australia's quarantine and biosecurity systems.  This is the first major review of quarantine and biosecurity since the former Labor Government commissioned a review by Professor Malcolm Nairn in 1995.

The independent review was asked to consider a range of issues including:

• the functions of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and Biosecurity Australia; 
• the effectiveness of import and export inspection and certification; 
• the scope and adequacy of the current animal and plant quarantine arrangements, and; 
• previous reports on Australia’s quarantine and biosecurity arrangements.

The panel is due to deliver its report and recommendations to the Minister by 31 July 2008.

For more information contact CCI's Warren Barbetti on (08) 9365 7720 or e-mail: warren.barbetti@cciwa.com

The Association for the Blind - Guide Dogs WA (CCI’s nominated Charity of the Year) is holding a series of events for International Guide Dog Day. 

Street Appeal will be held on Wednesday 30 April and they are currently looking for volunteers!  Following this worthwhile cause, the public is invited to their Open Day, where your family can enjoy a sausage sizzle, children’s activities, and of course – plenty of puppies.

The Association for the Blind – Guide Dogs WA , Celebrations for International Guide Dog Day.

Wed 30 April 2008 - Street Appeal 

Once again, the Association for the Blind – Guide Dogs WA will be hitting the streets of Perth as part of International Guide Dog Day to promote the Association and to raise funds for its Guide Dog program.  They are looking for as many volunteers as possible, and would love your support.  If you would like to be involved please call Anna Bienvenu at the Association on (08) 9311 8202. 

Sat 3 May 2008 - Guide Dog Open Day at the Association (10am – 3pm)

The Association for the Blind – Guide Dogs WA is delighted to invite you, your colleagues, staff and families to join them for a day of fun, food, and dogs, dogs, dogs!  Visit the Woodside Guide Dog Discovery interactive education centre and see demonstrations in dog obedience and agility from local trainers, led by head guide dog instructor Phil Stanley.

The Association will have brand new puppies from Blackboy Kennels entertaining the crowds at the Alinta Puppy Playground, as well as a sausage sizzle, popcorn, balloons and face painting. 

Additionally, the Association is pleased to welcome a Detector Dog Unit from the Australian Customs Service, which will be demonstrating other important roles that working labradors play in our community.

There is no RSVP required for the Open Day – all are welcome to attend. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call the Association’s Community Relations Team on (08) 9311 8240.

An appeal decision in June 2007, from the Full Bench of the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission, New South Wales Nurses’ Association (on behalf of Colin Prior) v South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service [2007] NSWIRComm 164 highlights the need for employers to be aware that if they are looking to terminate an employee, many factors such as; previous employment history, training provided to the employee, and potential provocation should be examined.

Colin Prior (the ‘employee’) a registered nurse at Garrawarra Centre (the ‘employer’), applied to the Full Bench for relief against his instant dismissal for serious misconduct. The employer had dismissed the employee due to alleged violence towards a resident.

The resident, to whom the alleged assault occurred, was prone to aggressive and violent behaviour and was seriously restricted by a security chair.

The assault involved an altercation in which the resident allegedly lashed out at the employee. The employee reacted by allegedly twisting the residents arm, making contact on the residents head with his hand, and punching the resident.

The employee appealed a previous decision and on review, the Full Bench considered the evidence of the employee and a number of witnesses, and also took into account the following factors:

• the employees six years unblemished employment record;
• the implications of the dismissal on the employees future employment;
• the fact that the aggressive behaviour of the resident provoked a response from the employee, and;
• the resident was not injured in any way (suggesting that the employee’s reaction and response was at an appropriate level).

The Full Bench, on the basis of all evidence considered, concluded that the dismissal of the employee was harsh, unjust and unreasonable in all circumstances. The Full Bench commented that even though the employer failed to provide the 16 hours of mandatory training in the management of difficult and aggressive behaviour (as required by the Department of Health), their view was that nursing staff, teachers, police and prison officers do not need a structured training course to educate them not to assault a person in their care or under their control. It was their belief that this should be self evident and not require formal training.

Although this behaviour is deemed to be self evident by the Full Court,  employers, particularly in the Health industry, should provide structured training to all employees on issues such as the management of difficult staff and aggressive behaviour. It may not be enough in other situations to rely on the common sense of an individual.

Occupational Health and Safety Legislation also requires employers to provide their employees with information, instruction and training necessary to ensure their health and safety requirements are met.

This decision serves as a reminder to all employers to consider all factors when terminating for serious misconduct.

The Australian Government has announced that the Productivity Commission will undertake an inquiry into paid maternity, paternity and parental leave.

The Government’s stated intention is to “explore ways to make it as easy as possible for working mums to balance their employment with the important job of raising a new generation of Australians”.

In undertaking the inquiry the Commission is to:

1. identify the economic, productivity and social costs and benefits of providing paid maternity, paternity and parental leave;
2. explore the extent of current employer provision of paid maternity, paternity and parental leave in Australia;
3. identify paid maternity, paternity and parental leave models that could be used in the Australian context;
4. assess those models for their potential impact on:
• the financial and regulatory cost and benefits on small and medium sized business
• the employment of women, women's workforce participation and earnings and the workforce participation of both parents more generally
• work/family preferences of both parents in the first two years after the child's birth
• the post-birth health of the mother
• the development of young children, including the particular development needs of newborns in their first two years
• relieving the financial pressures on families
5. assess the cost effectiveness of these models;
6. assess the interaction of these models with the Social Security and Family Assistance Systems;
7. assess the impacts and applicability of these models across the full range of employment forms (e.g. including for the self-employed, farmers, shift workers), and;
8. assess the efficiency and effectiveness of government policies that would facilitate the provision and take-up of these models.

The Commission is to report by February 2009.  It has called for submissions by 2 June 2008 and will hold a public hearing in Perth on 29 May 2008.

CCI is preparing a submission in response to the Inquiry and will appear at the public hearing.  Members wishing to discuss the Inquiry or make comment about paid parental leave provisions operating in their workplace should contact Marcia Kuhne on 9365 7699 or email marcia.kuhne@cciwa.com or Jessica Price on 9365 7630 or email jessica.price@cciwa.com.

Australians are giving more to charity at a rate of 12.5 per cent per annum is the message David Knowles, Head of Philanthropy, Perpetual gave last week at the Perth Chartered Accountants Business Forum.

“Since 1997, giving by individuals has increased with 87 per cent of Australians giving a total of $7.7bn per year to charities. In addition, 67 per cent of all businesses donate a combined total of $3.3bn per year,” said Mr Knowles.

The trend is set to continue as Australia gets richer. The average Australian household wealth grew 14 per cent in the two years to 2007 to $563K, with the wealthiest 20 per cent of households holding more than 60 per cent of this wealth.

The higher the income level the greater the propensity to donate with high net worth individuals (defined as a net income of $1m per year) typically donating 2 per cent of income compared to a national average of 0.35 per cent.

“Many companies are turning to philanthropy because it offers a tax solution for clients, employees and businesses. Philanthropy provides planned, deductible contributions into a charitable trust or foundation which grows and produces annual income for the donors’ charities of choice,” said Mr Knowles.

As well as being an effective financial planning tool with donors electing to spread their tax deduction, philanthropy is also an opportunity to strengthen ties with clients, employees and communities that their stakeholders operate in.

“Increasingly, philanthropy is a factor in recruitment where prospective employees, especially generation Y, expect companies to have some form of philanthropy activity,” said Mr Knowles.

Prescribed Private Funds have become the fastest growing option in Australia as a tax effective and flexible vehicle for private giving. A Gift Fund account also allows for deductible contributions and can be an effective low cost, low admin option. Gift Fund donations can be made up to 30 June 2008.