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10 - Shareholder Engagement and Voting in Australia

from Part II - Australia and North America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2022

By
Roman Tomasic  and
Anil Hargovan
Edited by
Harpreet Kaur ,
Chao Xi ,
Christoph Van der Elst  and
Anne Lafarre
Harpreet Kaur
Affiliation:
National Law University Delhi
Chao Xi
Affiliation:
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Christoph Van der Elst
Affiliation:
Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Anne Lafarre
Affiliation:
Tilburg University, The Netherlands
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Summary

Legal means of shareholder engagement in Australia vary considerably, ranging from reliance on shareholder rights conferred under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) to reliance on class actions seeking the collective enforcement of legal rights arising from corporate conduct. This chapter offers an introduction to Australia’s corporate governance framework in the context of corporate decision making and the exercise of shareholders voting rights. The balance of power between shareholders and the board of directors, and its legal impact on shareholder engagement, is highlighted. Insights are provided into the legal means of shareholder engagement in Australia and the manner in which votes are exercised. There is growing evidence of shareholder apathy and the dominance of institutional investors and proxy advisors. The chapter charts the recent trend towards active shareholder engagement on ESG and human rights issues at Annual General Meetings, notwithstanding the limited opportunities to propose advisory or non-binding resolutions at meetings.

Keywords

corporate governanceshareholder engagementvoting practiceclass actionsproxyinstitutional investors
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Shareholder Engagement and Voting , pp. 191 - 213
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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