GL Insights
Updates to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules
26/11/2025 On 17 November 2025, updates to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) came into effect. The updates aim to improve the competitive capability of Australian businesses participating in Commonwealth procurement. How will the procurement process change? There are now tighter requirements in the tendering process to encourage competition. Non-corporate Commonwealth entities (NCEs) must only invite …
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New AI Plan for the Australian Public Service
26/11/2025 On 12 November 2025, the Australian Government released the AI Plan for the Australian Public Service. The Plan aims to improve efficiency and productivity in the APS by substantially increasing its use of AI in the next 18 months. It includes 15 initiatives under 3 mutually reinforcing pillars (Trust, People, and Tools) which aim …
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Update on the Fair Work Commission’s Gender-based Undervaluation Review of the SCHADS Award
27/11/2025 BACKGROUND The 2023-24 Annual Wage Review identified 5 awards it recommended be prioritised in addressing gender-based undervaluation, including the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award). Gender-based undervaluation refers to a situation where the minimum rates of pay in an award have been established based on the undervaluation of …
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The Cost of Mishandled Workplace Investigations
20/11/2025 The recent unfair dismissal case of Courtney Sewell v dnata Airport Services Pty Limited [2025] FWC 2823 found that an employee was forced to resign as a result of the way in which the outcome of an investigation into her complaint of sexual harassment was handled by her employer, dnata Airport Services Pty Limited …
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Breach of Australian Privacy Principle 11 in use of cloud-based database by wine wholesaler
10/11/2025 Recently, the Privacy Commissioner, Carly Kind found that Vinomofo Pty Ltd, an online wine wholesaler, interfered with the privacy of individuals whose personal information it held in its database. In December 2018, Vinomofo commenced a data migration project to update its system for managing customer data, which included migrating customers’ personal information to a …
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Payday superannuation reforms in effect from 1 July 2026
07/11/2025 From 1 July 2026 employers are required to pay superannuation to employees in the same week that employees receive their pay. On 4 November 2025 the Australian Government passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Bill 2025 to introduce the Government’s payday superannuation reforms. The Superannuation Guarantee Charge Amendment Bill 2025 has also been …
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Federal Court Orders $5.8 million civil penalty for data breach
22/10/2025 The Federal Court recently ordered Australian Clinical Labs (ACL) pay $5.8 million in civil penalties following a mishandled ransomware attack in 2022. As noted by Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind, “for the first time, a regulated entity has been subject to civil penalties under the Privacy Act…” On 25 February 2022, Medlab Pathology, now a …
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National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Update – October 2025
22/10/2025 Welcome to our October 2025 integrity and anti-corruption update. Our updates cover the work of the integrity and anti-corruption bodies at a National, State and Territory level, and from time-to-time updates from other government bodies with integrity related functions. We limit commentary on current investigations or public enquiries. National Anti-Corruption Commission With no substantive …
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National Integrity and Anti-Corruption Update – September 2025
22/10/2025 Welcome to our first integrity and anti-corruption update. Our updates will cover the work of the integrity and anti-corruption bodies at a National, State and Territory level, and from time-to-time updates from other government bodies with integrity related functions. National Anti-Corruption Commission Following a consistent theme across integrity and corruption bodies of issuing guidance …
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New Guidance for ACNC on Public Benevolent Institutions
17/10/2025 On 29 September 2025, the ACNC updated their Commissioner’s Interpretation Statement (CIS) on Public Benevolent Institutions (PBIs) to reflect recent consultation with the charity sector and the 2024 Federal Court decision of Equality Australia Ltd v Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission [2024] FCAFC 115 (“Equality Australia Decision”). Equality Australia is an …
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