GOVERNMENT SPENDING POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Hidden toll of student disability

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Original article by Justine Ferrari, Rick Morton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Nov-14

It is estimated that just five per cent of Australian school students with a disability or learning problem receive funding for support services. However, a report produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests that about 18.6 per cent of students have a disability. The report was prepared for the nation’s education ministers, who have agreed to postpone the introduction of a needs-based funding model for students with disabilities that was scheduled to begin in 2015

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, NATIONAL CATHOLIC EDUCATION COMMISSION, INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Tax Office forced to build Gosford offices

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Original article by Noel Towell
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 4 : 27-Oct-14

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann stresses that the Australian Government is honouring an election pledge by opening a new office building in the regional New South Wales town of Gosford for the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The move has been criticised by the Opposition as it comes at a time of major job cuts at the ATO and as it has a surplus of 6,200 seats across its premises nationwide. There has also been neither a business case nor cost-benefit analysis, in breach of the Finance Department’s requirements for new property leases by civil service agencies

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Budget takes $10b welfare hit

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Oct-14

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the Australian Government still aims to roll out cuts to welfare spending worth $A10bn. This is despite the Budget measures having been abandoned in a compromise deal struck with the Opposition. The Australian Labor Party will now vote for a bill that contains $A2.7bn worth of cuts, after negotiations were fruitful on 1 October 2014. Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann will also continue to hold talks with independent and minor party senators on getting more bills passed

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Palmer’s $9b bombshell

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1-Apr : 8-Jul-14

Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer on 7 July 2014 announced that its senators would vote against a further $A9.5bn worth of cuts planned by the Australian Government in the 2014-15 Budget. While agreeing to pass legislation for the repeal of the minerals resource rent tax, Palmer said programs funded with its revenue would be retained, at a cost of close to $A8bn. Similarly, the repeal of the carbon tax will not bring the proposed rise in the income tax-free threshold from $A18,200 to $A21,000. The total value of Budget initiatives now set to falter in the Senate is $A34bn

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Palmer’s $86bn budget saving plan doesn’t add up

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Jun-14

Palmer United Party leader and federal MP Clive Palmer will soon hold talks with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on passing legislation for the Government’s 2014-15 Budget measures. Palmer has also outlined his own strategy for savings, with the national broadband network roll-out’s cost to be lowered from $A45bn to $A7bn by only serving rural areas. Palmer wants to buy submarines from the US for $A10bn rather than to spend $A37bn on new ones, by opting for nuclear-powered vessels. Experts have cast serious doubts on both policy proposals

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NBN CO LIMITED, PAUL BUDDE COMMUNICATION PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD