Miles backs Dutton on migrant cut

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-May-24

Queensland Premier Steven Miles claims that federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has taken on his own policy for a halving of the nation’s migrant intake. Miles said the current level of migration is putting too much pressure on the state’s housing system, and he was pleased to see Dutton echo his comments. Dutton’s pledge that he would seek to slash migrant numbers has been attacked by the federal government as "excessive and reckless", so Miles’ comments in support of Dutton create the potential for an awkward meeting between Miles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when the latter visits Queensland this week.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Dutton plan risks $48b foreign student industry

Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 18-May-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has come under fire for stating that a Coalition government would reduce temporary migration to 160,000 in its first year in office. International students make up half of the number of temporary migrants, and migration expert Abul Rizvi claims that one student would have to leave the country for every one that arrives in order to meet Dutton’s target. International education was valued at $48 billion in 2023, making it Australia’s most successful non-mining export, and Rizvi claims that the international education sector would be "smashed" under Dutton’s plan.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Dutton plan risks $48b foreign student industry

Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 18-May-24

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has come under fire for stating that a Coalition government would reduce temporary migration to 160,000 in its first year in office. International students make up half of the number of temporary migrants, and migration expert Abul Rizvi claims that one student would have to leave the country for every one that arrives in order to meet Dutton’s target. International education was valued at $48 billion in 2023, making it Australia’s most successful non-mining export, and Rizvi claims that the international education sector would be "smashed" under Dutton’s plan.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Dutton’s perks for nuclear plan

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Apr-24

The Coalition’s push to add nuclear energy to Australia’s energy mix has received a boost from a report released by the US Department of Energy. The report concluded that replacing coal-fired power stations with nuclear reactors can generate significant economic benefits to communities where the power stations are built. Shadow climate change and energy minister Ted O’Brien says the Coalition’s energy policy will include an incentive package for coal-fired power station workers to upgrade to higher-paying jobs at nuclear plants. The Coalition has already identified about six potential sites for nuclear reactors.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF ENERGY

Keep cost-of-living focus: MPs, unions

Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 5 : 5-Mar-24

The federal government’s budget in May will include further measures aimed at relieving cost-of-living pressures for households. Some Labor MPs have argued that the cost of living should be the government’s top priority until the next election; they include Queensland MP Graham Perrett, who warns that other issues could become a distraction in the lead-up to the poll. Electrical Trades Union secretary Michael Wright in turn contends that the energy transition is the key issue, arguing that it will result in the single biggest cost of living decrease "in human history".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Negative gearing change can win support: Greens

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 28-Feb-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told a meeting of Labor’s caucus that legislation to establish the Help to Buy shared equity scheme for home buyers is expected to be passed by the lower house this week. However, the said the bill is likely to be blocked in the Senate by the Liberal Party and the Greens. Meanwhile, the Greens have signalled that they are open to a compromise on negative gearing in return for supporting the Help to Buy scheme. The party has proposed restricting negative gearing to existing investment properties, and progressively scrapping the regime for people who buy additional properties.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Greens are targeting tax breaks for investors to make buying a home affordable for renters, Max Chandler-Mather says

Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Feb-24

The Greens are hoping to use their balance of power in the Senate to get the federal government to cut back on tax breaks for property investors in return for them supporting its Help to Buy shared equity scheme. The Greens are hoping their policies will reduce house prices and therefore make buying a home more affordable for renters. Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather contends that the problem with Australia’s housing market is that the tax system essentially forces prices up, often far in excess of wage increases.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Albanese slaps down Greens over juvenile negative gearing demand

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 13-Feb-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out making changes to the negative gearing regime and the capital gains tax discount in order to secure the Greens’ support for its Help To Buy shared equity scheme for first-home buyers. Albanese says the federal government will not be open to negotiation, and he has criticised the Greens’ "juvenile approach" to the issue of negative gearing. The government was previously forced to make concessions in 2023 to secure the Greens’ support for its Housing Australia Future Fund. The Opposition intends to vote against the shared equity scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Dutton sets scene for election tax battle

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Feb-24

The Coalition agreed to support changes to the legislated stage-three income tax cuts at a partyroom meeting on Tuesday. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the Coalition will back the tax cuts for people on low incomes, in order to support families amid the cost-of-living crisis. However, Dutton has indicated that the Coalition will take a "significant" tax policy to the next election; he says the Coalition will reduce taxes for Australian families, as they will need a lot of support to recover from Labor’s current term in office. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says ‘bracket creep’ is among the tax issues that the Coalition will aim to address.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Exit stage three: Libs in tax pivot

Original article by Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly, Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Feb-24

The Coalition will finalise its position on the proposed changes to the stage-three tax income cuts at a joint partyroom meeting on Tuesday. Sources have indicated that the Liberal and National parties are unlikely to oppose the federal government’s changes, although they are expected to seek some amendments to Labor’s legislation. Opposition leader Peter Dutton will also use parliament’s first question time of the year to attack the government and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for reneging on an election commitment to implement the stage-three tax cuts in full. He will also contend that the government plans to target the negative gearing regime, trusts and the family home.

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