POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Old power stations under fire in ALP’s climate change plan

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Apr-16

The Federal Opposition is developing a new climate change policy whose aims will include generating of 50 per cent of Australia’s energy via renewable sources by 2030. The policy is also believed to include measures to decommission coal-fired power stations, the progressive reintroduction of an emissions trading scheme and an inquiry into the nation’s electric power industry. However, the Opposition has ruled out a carbon tax.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, PITT AND SHERRY CONSULTING ENGINEERS, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Libs push case for cuts, Shorten targeted on tax

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Original article by David Crowe, Paige Taylor
The Australian – Page: 4 : 5-Apr-16

Treasurer Scott Morrison has warned that any spending promise made by the Opposition in the lead-up to the federal election will be funded via tax increases. Morrison has stressed that the Federal Government aims to reduce taxes, and highlighted the need for businesses to receive tax relief in order to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Meanwhile, the Australian Labor Party proposes to increase government revenue by $A105bn over 10 years via a series of tax reform measures.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Voters missing full picture on ABCC

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-Mar-16

Voters are confused about the Federal Government’s plans to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The Australian Labor Party opposes the creation of the ABCC, whose role would be limited to monitoring one industry sector. Yet when Labor was in power, former prime minister Julia Gillard argued at the ACTU Congress in Brisbane in 2009 that such a body was necessary. Her government subsequently established the Fair Work Building & Construction inspectorate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FAIR WORK BUILDING INDUSTRY INSPECTORATE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Shorten makes his pitch on tax take

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Original article by David Crowe, Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Mar-16

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has told the National Press Club that superannuation and negative gearing tax concessions should be reduced, with the savings redirected to areas where more spending is needed. Shorten also stressed the Australian Labor Party’s commitment to achieving full employment, which he defines as a jobless rate of five per cent. Labor will release a report on issues such as social services reform, inequality and unemployment on 16 March 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Shorten to promise full employment

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 15-Mar-16

A commitment to achieving full employment will be part of the Australian Labor Party’s 2016 federal election platform. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will address the National Press Club on 16 March, where he will highlight issues such as job security, wage fairness, under-employment and the high jobless rate in some parts of Australia. He will also criticise Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s lack of leadership in addressing issues facing the nation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Labor’s crackdown on negative gearing ‘a threat to small business’

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Mar-16

CPA Australia’s senior tax counsel Paul Drum has warned that the Federal Opposition’s proposed changes to the negative gearing regime could adversely affect small business owners, particularly sole proprietors. The Australian Labor Party proposes to restrict negative gearing to new properties if it wins the 2016 federal election, but shadow treasurer Chris Bowen rejects suggestions that the reforms would affect business financing.

CORPORATES
CPA AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED, CRYSTAL WEALTH PARTNERS LIMITED, OMNIWEALTH PTY LTD

Wrong way to do tax: key adviser

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Original article by Joanna Mather, Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 4-Mar-16

More resources should be allocated to the bodies engaged in the tax reform process, says Board of Taxation chairman Michael Andrews. He told a tax conference in Melbourne on 3 March 2016 that the debate about tax is highly politicised, which is regrettable. The timing of the debate is not auspicious because people are distracted by political considerations during an election year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. BOARD OF TAXATION, BIS SHRAPNEL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Cabinet digs in as PM backflips on CGT

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 24-Feb-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told Parliament that changes to the 33 per cent capital gains tax discount on the sale of superannuation funds’ assets may be part of the Federal Government’s tax reform agenda. He had previously given indications that CGT reforms had been ruled out, but claims that he was specifically referring to the Opposition’s CGT proposals. Meanwhile, cabinet ministers have agreed to wait until the May 2016 Budget to announce the Coalition’s tax policies.

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

Turnbull: no change to capital gains tax

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Feb-16

The Australian Government’s options for tax reform have become more limited after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Parliament that changes to the capital gains tax regime are not on its agenda. Turnbull warned that the Opposition’s proposed capital gains tax reforms will deter investment in Australia, while its policy on negative gearing would adversely affect house prices. Changes to superannuation tax concessions and tax deductions for work-related expenses are among the few tax reform options that are still available to the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEWSPOLL

Coalition has ‘failed’ to deliver on workplace policy promises

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Original article by James Massola
The Age – Page: 4 : 18-Feb-16

The Australian Government has made just four changes to industrial relations laws since taking office in September 2013. However, it has failed to make much progress on most of the 14 election policy commitments it made regarding industrial relations. Key policies such as reinstating the Australian Building & Construction Commission and changes to union right of entry laws have been stalled in the Senate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT