“联席会议”，数十年难得一见的政态
自选举后，媒体已多次讨论有关现任谭保总理 (Turnbull) 政府会否试图通过 “联席会议” 推动工会相关改革。到底媒体热烈讨论的 “联席会议” 为何? 因何它如此重要呢?
根据澳大利亚宪法规定，如果一个法案，在众议院通过，在参议院却遭否决，这类情形一旦发生两次以上，那就可进行所谓 “解散两院” 的重选，英文称之 “double dissolution”。
如果选举后，参议院仍否决同一法案，那就可依法行使罕见的 “联席会议”，联席会议让参议院和众议院的议员们一同出席会议，并对该法案进行共同表决。 至今为止，只有在 1974 年曾经发生过一次联席会议。
今年 7 月 2 日举行的就是一个 “解散两院” 的选举，引发解散两院的主因在于参议院两次否决成立 ABCC (澳洲建筑委员会) 监督及滥用职权管理的相关法案， ABCC法案主要成立新的部门，用以对建筑业可能出现的非法行为进行监督，而滥用职权管理法则在针对工会可能出现的腐败、滥用职权与诈欺行为进行监督。
这意味着谭保政府 (Turnbull government ) 会再次于议会中提出上述的改革法案，而一旦参议院又一次否决该提案，政府就可依法透过 “联席会议” 对法案表决并尝试推动法案通过。
在我看来，通过这些法案对澳大利亚的经济和打击犯罪而言都非常重要。 任何的权力都必须要得到监督才能确保其运作的公正性与公平性。若建筑工会可不受法律监督，自由自在无法无天的运作，那不但会大幅度增加建筑工厂、办公室、道路、铁路等建设的成本，更容易形成一个让海外投资人望而怯步的投资环境。
在许多产业中，工会官员把个人利益或党派政治利益置于劳工利益之上的不当行为时有耳闻。 由于工会本身是个庞大又有影响力的组织，因此工会官员更应和企业的执行长或董事会一样，对其职务有相应的责任标准和应尽的义务规范。
有鑑于此，成立独立运作监督部门，监督确保大型工会组织名副其实以劳工利益为优先，合法公平公正运作。唯此方可打造有效的商业环境，也更符合劳工和全民的利益。
英文版/ English version
What is a “joint sitting” and why is it important?
There have been discussions in the media about whether the Turnbull government will hold a “joint sitting” of the Commonwealth Parliament, to try to pass legislation on union reforms. What is a “joint sitting”, and why is it important?
The Australian constitution provides that if a proposed law is passed by the House of Representatives but rejected by the Senate on two separate occasions, there can be an election for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is called a “double dissolution” election.
If after the election, the Senate again rejects the same law, there can be a joint sitting of all the members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives to vote together on whether to pass that law. (Only one such joint sitting has ever been held previously, in 1974.)
The election held on 2 July was a “double dissolution” election. It was called because the Senate rejected legislation to establish an Australian Building and Construction Commission to tackle illegal conduct in the building and construction industry, and also rejected legislation to tackle dishonesty and misuse of office by union officials.
This means that if the Turnbull government brings these proposed laws back to the new Parliament and the Senate rejects them again, the government can have a joint sitting of the Parliament to try to pass them.
Whether or not these laws would be passed by a joint sitting will depend on which Senators are finally elected after Senate voting is completed, and how those Senators decide to vote on these proposed laws.
In my view, passing these laws is very important for the Australian economy and to fight crime. Lawlessness by construction industry unions adds a large amount to the cost of building factories, offices, roads, railways and other infrastructure in Australia. It also deters many investors, particularly overseas investors, from investing in new construction.
Misconduct by union officials in many industries has seen officials put their own personal and political interests ahead of the workers they represent. Unions can be very large and powerful organisations, and all union officials should observe high standards of duties and responsibilities similar to those of company directors.