Keeping Good Companies articles from April 2004

Keeping Good Companies archives from April 2004

Shareholder consent.(Applied Corporate Governance)(Corporate Law Economic Reform Program )
April 1, 2004... * Historical overview * Major areas where consent is required * The effects of CLERP 9 changes More often than not discussion about shareholders has been around the idea of shareholder rights. This article looks at the notion of...

ASX expands research range of information on companies.(News And Views)(Australian Stock Exchange )
April 1, 2004... The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) has a paramount immediate responsibility--to provide fair, orderly and transparent markets for securities traded on ASX. Indeed, it is not only a responsibility, but a specific obligation of our markets...

Boards challenged by Tax Commissioner's questions.(State Focus, Australian Taxation Office)
April 1, 2004... The Commissioner of Taxation's recent letter to boards of some 1500 listed companies is an appeal to board directors to directly concern themselves with their companies' taxation obligations. As corporate governance reform continues to ripple...

International Financial Reporting Standards: the regulator's view.(Company Secretary)
April 1, 2004... * Likely impacts of new standards noted * Companies need to consider their disclosure obligations up to 2005 * When the new standards become law, ASIC expects full compliance The adoption of International Financial Reporting...

Mergers and acquisitions: ACCC informal clearance or the Loy Yang assault?(Competition Law)(Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
April 1, 2004... * Requirements and penalties under the TPA * Merger Guidelines outline ACCC policy * Recommended action for company secretaries With acquisitions up 49 per cent in 2003 from 2002 (1) the pundits are predicting that mergers and...

Clubs and associations: tips for effective meeting/vote management.(News And Views)
April 1, 2004... As the debate on corporate governance continues to gain pace, there is increasing pressure on clubs and associations. Nowhere is this more evident than in the management of elections. This article explores a number of issues facing clubs and/or...

Misrepresentations--advertising and other pitfalls.(Consumer Law)
April 1, 2004... * Companies need trade practices compliance programs * First impressions and fine print disclaimers * Misrepresentations in employment offer Recent court proceedings again highlight the importance of properly vetting...

CLERP 9 and the law of meetings.(Corporate Law)(Corporate Law Economic Reform Program)
April 1, 2004... * Significant reforms examined * CSA's submissions noted * The controversial '100-member rule' The CLERP 9 Bill (Audit Reform & Corporate Disclosure), the latest phase in the government's Corporate Law Economic Reform Program, was...

Disaster recovery.(News And Views)
April 1, 2004... Each month we publish an article on risk management in this journal, as it is a major issue of daily relevance to our members. The investigation, implementation and evaluation of plans and systems to manage potential business disruptions,...

Disaster recovery a key concern among CFOs: in a sign of the times, CFOs are increasingly concerned about the susceptibility of their companies to disasters and information security threats.(News And Views)
April 1, 2004... According to a new survey by US headquartered Robert Half Management Resources, a growing number of senior executives are seriously concerned about their companies' ability to protect and sustain business operations in the event of a...

Can you dismiss an employee for emailing pornography?(Employment Law)
April 1, 2004... * Potential liability and privacy issue * AIRC upholds termination case finding * Recent trends The recent Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) decision of Williams v Centrelink (1) held that the termination of Mr...

Developing your power to negotiate.(Management)
April 1, 2004... * Successful negotiation requires skill and tactics * Understand your source of power * Ask yourself questions, identify options Effective negotiation helps us to overcome our fears and to conquer many of our anxieties. To...

New regime for disclosure of director and executive remuneration.(State Focus)
April 1, 2004... Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies must be wary of two recent developments that will require additional disclosure of director and executive remuneration. 1 New Accounting Standard AASB 1046 AASB1046 'Disclosure of...

Not-for-profit sector services enhanced by CSA-QUT joint venture.(News And Views)
April 1, 2004... Organisations in the not-for-profit sector make a valuable and significant contribution to the Australian economy and society. The sector accounts for 604 000 jobs (6.8 per cent of Australian employment) and contributed $21 billion or 3.3 per...

Sustainability: a vital agenda for 21st century good governance Part 2.(Risk Management)
April 1, 2004... * The four dimensions of sustainable development * Making sustainability everyone's business * Addressing new knowledge with vision and pragmatism In the late 1990s, the Triple Bottom Line, with its environmental, social, cultural...

No option but to comply with new rules on profit: new rules impacting profits mean clear communication on share option schemes is set to become a vital issue for many Australian companies.(News And Views)
April 1, 2004... New rules on executive option schemes will have the effect of inevitably pushing stakeholder communications up the priority list for many Australian companies. Under the new International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS 2, Share-based...

The Commissioner suggests some questions.(Taxation Law)
April 1, 2004... * Levels of risk for companies * What the board should ask tax advisers * Determining reasonably arguable positions The recent emphasis on corporate governance has provided the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) with a neat...

Ten financial reports for directors.(News And Views)
April 1, 2004... 1 Gross profit margin It is important to include comparative figures for the same period in the last two or three years in this report. The gross profit margin should generally be consistent with prior periods unless there has been a...