The AHRC has urged the Federal Government to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) to allow civil penalties for employers who fail to meet their positive duty to prevent sexual harassment, sex discrimination and related misconduct. The duty, in force since December 2022, requires reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate such conduct “as far as possible” – shifting the focus from reactive to proactive risk management. The proposal sits alongside other AHRC calls to limit confidentiality clauses in harassment matters, improve regulator info-sharing and expand Workplace Gender Equality Act reporting to cover disability, LGBTIQA+, First Nations workers: Allens

Key proxy adviser Ownership Matters has thrown its weight behind John Wylie’s proposals to tighten ASX board accountability by moving directors to annual elections and encouraging greater personal shareholdings. Co‑founder Dean Paatsch called yearly votes would align Australia with US and UK norms. Research shows 96% of directors are re‑elected, making annual votes low‑risk for competent boards but a faster exit for “duds”. Paatsch also said directors should have greater skin in the game to better align their interests with shareholders: Capital Brief

The QLD Supreme Court has refused to extend the limitation period for a woman who sued nearly 20 years after surgery at Caboolture Hospital, finding she hadn’t taken all reasonable steps to obtain the facts needed to sue. Despite knowing by 2009 she was out of time and required expert evidence, she made no inquiries for 12 years. Justice Martin held that financial hardship and distress didn’t excuse the delay, particularly as the 2023 expert report relied on long‑available medical records. The case confirms plaintiffs must act promptly and cannot rely on a late expert report alone to revive an expired claim: Hall & Wilcox

Lawyers are an unhappy bunch. The College of Law’s 2025 Australian Legal Salary Survey found 38% of lawyers are unhappy with their pay despite average salaries rising 7% to $109k. Corporate topped the charts, with 54% of corporate respondents satisfied with their salary. On top of that, only 6% of dissatisfied lawyers felt their salary kept pace with inflation: Lawyers Weekly

It’s a good time to be in PE. Private equity partner moves in London hit 21 in H1 2025. That’s the busiest start in years, with US firms leading the charge, per recruiter Macrae. Of the 129 partner moves since 2020, 80% of laterals have joined top 50 US firms, while UK‑headquartered firms account for just 13% of arrivals. Recruiters say firms fear being “left behind” as PE remains the “engine room” of premium transactional work: Macrae

Three senators behind the PwC tax leaks inquiry have urged Finance not to lift its ban on the firm bidding for federal work. They say it’s premature while AFP and Tax Practitioners Board probes continue, warning a reversal would send “the wrong signal” given PwC International’s lack of cooperation and the scandal’s unresolved fallout. Yikes: AFR

K&L Gates has bolstered its Sydney tax team with former Deloitte Legal partner Annalie Mitchelson, a 20-year veteran in transfer pricing, anti‑avoidance and R&D disputes: K&L Gates

Australia is dropping $10bn on new warships from Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which beat out a German rival for the job. The first three will arrive from Japan in 2029, with later ships built in WA. Part of a $51.5bn defence budget, the deal boosts the ADF’s range and missile capacity as allies ramp up military spend: The Daily Aus

The Productivity Commission says Australia should avoid AI-specific regulation unless existing, tech‑neutral laws can’t address the risks, warning blanket rules could stifle $116bn in potential economic gains over the next decade. It’s urging a pause on mandatory guardrails for high‑risk AI, better data access regimes. But the Commission also recommended scrapping a “right to be forgotten” under privacy law: Capital Brief

The ASIC v ASX showdown has begun. ASIC’s Rob Whitfield‑led panel has begun interviewing current and former ASX executives and gathering documents for its first‑ever governance and operations inquiry into the market operator. The probe follows a settlement outage and the $250m writedown from a failed clearing and settlement system upgrade: AFR

Global M&A: has hit a whopping US$2.6tn (A$4tn) for the year to date. That’s the strongest start since 2021’s US$3.57tn (A$5.52tn) peak, with deal values up 28% despite volumes falling 16%, per Dealogic. US megadeals like Union Pacific’s $85bn Norfolk Southern bid and OpenAI’s $40bn Softbank-led raise lead the charge, as AI, data centres and cybersecurity spur growth-focused boardrooms back into action: Reuters

Diggers & Dealers: was dominated by M&A chatter, as gold prices hit $5,200/oz, swelling producers’ cash piles to $6bn and fuelling takeover talk. Northern Star’s $6bn De Grey buy set the tone, with juniors like Vault Minerals tipped as next targets. Recent deals span Capricorn’s $188m Warriedar bid to the $2.4bn Ramelius-Spartan merger, as miners weigh growth against the risk of a gold price pullback: AFR

Paul Lederer: has lobbed a $285m off‑market bid for the Elanor Commercial Property Fund at a 5.3% premium, saying the fund manager has “lost its way” after losing the $3bn Challenger mandate and handing majority control to Singapore’s Rockworth. Lederer already owns 27.5% of ECF, which holds $500m in Aussie offices: AFR

Neu Horizon is targeting a Q1 2026 ASX debut, with Canaccord Genuity seeking up to $20m for its Swedish uranium push. Backed by Aura Energy, Tribeca’s Nuclear Energy Opportunities Fund, and investors including Quentin Flannery, the explorer’s banking on Sweden’s plan for 10 new reactors and a possible repeal of its uranium mining ban: AFR

The Central-West Orana renewable energy zone will now cost $5.52bn — up from an original $650m plan. It happens, right? The NSW government says costs will be recovered from electricity customers, with private projects tipped to drive $20bn in investment. It’s the latest in a string of transmission project blowouts threatening 2030 renewable targets: The Australian

CBA has launched Private Wealth Advantage, targeting Australians with $2.5m–$30m in assets via model portfolios and managed funds, but without offering personal advice. The “light‑touch” platform plugs the gap between CommSec and full‑service advisers, with JPMorgan AM supplying research. If it snags a quarter of its target market, CBA could be printing $2.5bn in yearly fees: AFR

Netwealth has axed SQM Research from its approved list after SQM gave “favourable” ratings to the now‑collapsed Shield Master Fund and First Guardian schemes, which have put nearly $1bn in retirement savings at risk. ASIC is probing research houses, trustees, advisers and lead generators, with chair Joe Longo calling for higher sector standards: AFR

Property tycoon Bob Ell has sold his 869ha Kings Forest estate near the Qld-NSW border to Stockland for $620m, after buying it for just $14m and spending two decades rezoning and battling approvals. The site will host 4,500 lots for 11,000 residents. The payday fuels Ell’s next housing plays, as Stockland bets on an upswing in the property cycle: The Australian

Buckle up. Looks like a new airline rival is in town. Koala Airlines CEO Bill Astling says the startup is “on track” to launch domestic flights by late 2026, despite having no aircraft or aviation certificate. Pitching a “fundamentally different” model to Qantas and Virgin, Astling claims strong backers but is keeping details quiet. Analysts warn any third entrant will need deep pockets and at least 12 planes to survive the pressure: AFR

TPG Telecom will return $3bn from its $4.7bn sale of Vision Network to shareholders via a capital reduction of up to $1.61 a share, while letting minority holders reinvest $688m to boost free float. The telco CEO reckons the plan will improve liquidity, with the rest of the proceeds used to cut $1.7bn debt and sharpen TPG’s focus on core telco services: The Australian

A Florida jury has hit Tesla with a US$243m damages bill over a fatal 2019 crash, ruling its Autopilot was defective. It’s a rare courtroom loss that could slow Elon Musk’s push to expand robotaxis to half the US by year-end. Regulators may now demand tougher safety proof, jeopardising approvals in key states and denting confidence in Tesla’s autonomous ambitions: Reuters