POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Shorten, Swan sharpen class warfare attacks

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Original article by Tom McIlroy, Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Jul-18

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has committed to reversing weekend penalty rate cuts within 100 days of taking office if Labor wins the next election. Penalty rate cuts in sectors such as retailing took effect on 1 July. However, Council of Small Business Organisations CEO Peter Strong argues that many large retailers already have lower penalty rates under enterprise agreements that were negotiated by unions. Meanwhile, Labor’s national president Wayne Swan has defended Shorten’s stance on reversing company tax cuts, but concedes that he should not have announced the policy before consulting with the shadow cabinet.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKETS, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Divided Labor to test Shorten

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 29-Jun-18

Some members of the shadow cabinet are expected to urge Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to back down on his plan to reverse company tax cuts at a meeting on 29 June, amid a growing internal rift over the issue. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has advised that the Federal Government will not pursue its full company tax cuts package in the Senate until after the five upcoming by-elections, which he says will be a referendum on Shorten’s tax policy. Shorten in turn has accused the Coalition of having a secret deal with One Nation to pass the tax package after the by-elections.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Let voters decide on migration: Hanson

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Jun-18

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson wants a plebiscite on the issue of immigration, arguing that the general public has had no input into Australia’s migrant intake. Hanson intends to introduce a bill when federal parliament resumes in August, and says any such plebiscite should be held in conjunction with the next election rather than via a postal ballot. Several Coalition MPs have called for a reduction in the annual migrant intake, including former prime minister Tony Abbott and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LOWY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Pressure on Shorten to fix tax split

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Original article by Simon Benson, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Jun-18

Dissent within Labor is continuing over plans to reverse tax cuts for companies with annual turnover of between $A10m and $A50m if Labor wins the next election. Labor’s leadership group is expected to endorse the policy at a meeting on 28 June, despite some Labor MPs expressing concern that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten announced the policy without consulting the shadow cabinet or caucus. The Federal Government remains hopeful of gaining the support of Senate crossbenchers for its full company tax cuts package.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, REACHTEL PTY LTD

Shorten’s $20bn tax clawback

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Original article by Simon Benson, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Jun-18

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has confirmed that Labor will reverse tax cuts for businesses with turnover of $A10m to $A50m if it wins the next federal election. A cut tax for firms with turnover of $A25m to $A50m is scheduled to take effect on 1 July. Shorten has indicated that Labor could also repeal previously legislated tax cuts for businesses with turnover of $A2m to $A10m. Employers’ groups have warned that Labor’s stance will create uncertainty for businesses, while some Labor MPs say Shorten did not consult shadow cabinet or caucus before announcing the policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Shorten’s team rich in assets

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Original article by Ben Packham, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 26-Jun-18

Analysis of federal parliament’s register of pecuniary interests shows that many Labor MPs own at least one investment property. Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese and Mark Dreyfus are among the Labor frontbenchers who will benefit from the party’s proposal to "grandfather" its changes to the negative gearing regime. Labor intends to abolish negative gearing for people entering the property market, although people who invest in new housing stock will be exempt from the change.

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

Hanson in crosshairs on tax cuts

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Original article by Greg Brown, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Jun-18

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has advised that she will not support the Federal Government’s company tax cuts package, citing its unwillingness to target multinationals. Hanson’s stance on company tax cuts has been criticised by Australian Conservatives founder Cory Bernardi and the Liberal Democrats’ David Leyonhjelm. The government requires an additional four votes in the upper house to pass its company tax cuts, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ruled out excluding banks from the bill in order to gain the support of crossbenchers.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY

PM delivers on historic tax reform

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 22-Jun-18

The first stage of the Federal Government’s personal income tax cuts package will proceed on 1 July after nine Senate crossbenchers voted for the bill, although Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has described the tax cuts as "unfair and unaffordable". Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott has welcomed the income tax reform, but stresses the need for a further reduction in the company tax rate. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has signalled that she may be willing to support the company tax cuts if the government further cracks down on tax avoidance by multinationals.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Coalition MPs may cross floor on NEG

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Jun-18

The Coalition remains divided on the issue of the Federal Government’s national energy guarantee, after seven MPs opposed the policy at a joint partyroom meeting on 19 June. Former prime minister Tony Abbott has warned that some Coalition MPs could vote against the policy, and he has expressed concern that senior government ministers seem to be taking the partyroom for granted. Liberal MP Craig Kelly has expressed similar sentiments, and he has not ruled out crossing the floor when parliament votes on the NEG.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS

Hanson to seal PM’s tax win

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Jun-18

The Federal Government is set to pass its personal income tax cuts package after it gained the support of One Nation and the two Centre Alliance senators. The upper house approved the bill on 20 June, after endorsing Labor’s amendments to scrap the third stage of the tax cuts. However, the amended bill is set to be rejected by the lower house on 21 June, and the original bill will then be put to the Senate again. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Labor have accused each other of deserting so-called "battlers" with their stances on the tax package.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET