ALP’s emissions trading scheme

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Apr-19

Labor will released details of its climate change policy on 1 April. Amongst other things, Labor will introduce a new carbon emissions cap, which will be known as a baseline and credit scheme. It will initially apply to about 250 businesses whose carbon emissions are 25,000 tonnes a year. Labor will also seek to address the issue of vehicle emissions by mandating that electric vehicles must account for 50 per cent of all new cars that are sold by 2030.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Top 10 housing stress seats all held by Labor

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 1-Apr-19

Labor is hoping to make housing more affordable if it wins the federal election by implementing changes to the negative gearing and capital gains tax regimes. Analysis conducted by the National Centre for Social & Economic Modelling indicates that the 10 electorates with the highest level of housing stress are all held by Labor, while Digital Finance Analytics estimates that the number of households facing mortgage stress now exceeds one million. The NATSEM analysis also indicates that Labor holds eight of the 10 seats with the highest level of poverty.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA. NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MODELLING, DIGITAL FINANCE ANALYTICS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Greens’ plan to save world would destroy Australia

Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 29-Mar-19

The Greens would seek to reduce military spending in order to lift expenditure on foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of gross national income by 2030. The Greens also want the alliance with the US to be re-negotiated, and for foreign military bases in Australia to be closed. Greens leader Richard Di Natale claims that both major political parties have turned Australia into a major arms dealer. The Assistant Minister for Treasury and Finance Zed Seselja claims that the Greens are an "extremist" party whose policies would destroy the economy and make Australia less secure.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY

Property tax crackdown from Jan 1

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Mar-19

Labor is set to announce that its proposed changes to the negative gearing and capital gains tax regimes will take effect from the start of January 2020 if it wins the federal election. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen will state on 29 March that this will give investors sufficient time to prepare for the reforms, which Labor had initially flagged more than three years ago. Labor’s reforms would most likely require the support of at least two independents in the upper house, in addition to the Greens.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL

Union wants Labor to fix free rider problem

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 28-Mar-19

The National Tertiary Education Union’s industrial relations policy identifies several options for addressing the issue of workers who benefit from enterprise agreements without being a union member. They include requiring non-union members to pay a bargaining agents fee. The NTEU has lobbied Labor to put the issue of so-called "free riders" on its industrial relations agenda. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says bargaining fees are contrary to the right to freedom of association. Such fees have been banned in Australia since 2003.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION INDUSTRY UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD

Greens push to ban $25bn coal industry

Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 6 : 28-Mar-19

Coal-fired power stations will be a key target of the Greens’ new climate policy, which will be released on 28 March. The Greens aim to ban both thermal coal mining and the use of coal to generate electricity, while it proposes to progressively reduce thermal coal export quotas with the goal of eventually phasing out an industry that is estimated to be worth about $25bn a year. The Coal Council of Australia has warned that up to 150,000 direct and indirect jobs could be at risk under the Greens’ policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, COAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY

New public interest test just one part of Greens’ wide-ranging media reforms

Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 26-Mar-19

The Greens want to encourage public interest journalism by extending tax breaks for news media subscriptions. Its plans are part of a media reform package that would also involve a clampdown on false news on social media and the possible breakup of media companies such as News Corporation. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says regulators should be given stronger powers so that they can penalise broadcasters that provide proponents of hate speech a platform for their views.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, SKY NEWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Living wage for 1.2m in Labor pitch

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Mar-19

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has indicated that Labor’s living wage policy would boost the income of low-income earners from mid-2020. Details of the policy will be announced on 26 March, but Shorten has signalled that the living wage will apply only to people on the minimum wage rather than workers who are on award wages. Shorten also says Labor will legislate to require the Fair Work Commission to take into account a broader range of factors than at present in setting the living wage. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox is among the critics of Labor’s living wage policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU

Tax cuts offset low wages: Libs

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 25-Mar-19

The federal government’s April 2019 Budget is expected to include an election sweetener in the form of billions of dollars worth of income tax cuts, in addition to those that were legislated in 2018. Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos says tax cuts that target low and middle-income earners will provide some relief from the rising cost of living until wages begin growing. However, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen argues that tax cuts are not a substitute for wages growth, adding that Labor’s policy will provide greater tax relief for people on low and middle incomes.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Mediscare campaign aimed at marginals

Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 25-Mar-19

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has advised that Labor will resume indexation of some Medicare benefits from July if it wins the federal election. Labor imposed the Medicare freeze in 2013, and it has been extended twice by the Coalition government. Shorten has indicated that the health system will be Labor’s top priority at the upcoming poll. He claims that the Liberals’ spending cuts mean that Australians are now paying more than ever to see a GP or a specialist. The Medicare freeze was slated to remain in place until July 2020.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA