The proposed merger of two of Australia's last remaining independent Internet Service Providers will have a sharply negative impact on the level of competition in Australia's broadband market and must be opposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

"I will be reminding the ACCC of its obligation to directly prohibit acquisitions which would be likely to have the effect of "substantially lessening competition in any market," Australian Greens Communications spokesman Senator Scott Ludlam said this morning.

Prime Minister Abbott should immediately stop the clock on negotiations over the secret text of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which threatens to further extend the power of foreign multinational companies.

In the event that Parliament ever resumes, the Australian Greens will move for the Joint Standing Treaties Committee to urgently review what the Abbott Government is proposing to sign us up to.

The Australian Greens have announced a plan to ease the pressure on small business by expanding tax breaks and strengthening the role of the national Small Business Commissioner.

Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said The Greens’ plan to lower the company tax rate from 30% to 28% for companies with turnovers of less than $2 million dollars would be a huge boost for small business in Western Australia.

Additional Estimates - Wednesday 15 February - Economics Committee - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

QUESTION NO. 1465

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, upon notice, on 14 November 2011:

Malaysian press* is reporting severe and unreasonable restrictions on public access to documents relating to Lynas Corporation's controversial rare earth refinery, sparking an outcry from locals.

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and Greens WA MLC Robin Chapple have written to Western Australian rare earths miner Lynas Corporation and the Malaysian Government requesting copies of its application documents so that they can be properly distributed.

(Question No. 358)

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister representing the Treasurer, upon notice, on 13 December 2010:

Given that the function of the National Contact Point (NCP), as an executive arm of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), is to promote the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines) and ‘good corporate responsibility', and to investigate complaints about the behaviour of individual companies in the context of these guidelines:

Senate Question No.315

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, in writing, on 6 December 2010:

Estimates Transcript - Economics Committee - Wednesday 20th October
Department of the Treasury

CHAIR-I now welcome the Markets Group of Treasury to the table.

Senator LUDLAM-I think it is Mr Murphy who I want to put some questions to. I was just going back through the transcript from last year and it was a nearly a year ago today that we spoke about the OECD national contact point. Are you still the right person to put some questions to about that?

Mr Murphy-Yes, if you want to. Frank Di Giorgio is here as well.