POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Tables turn: Now Labor promises to protect AAA rating

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-May-16

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen will address the National Press Club on 10 May 2016, where he will deliver his reply to the Australian Government’s Budget. Bowen will indicate that if the Opposition wins the federal election it will release the mid-year budget update by October, rather than in December. He will stress the need to reduce the Budget deficit in order to ensure that Australia retains its coveted triple-A credit rating. He will also question the merits of the Government’s proposal to progressively reduce the corporate tax rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

ALP’s climate policy ‘to leave some in dark’

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Original article by Rick Morton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 29-Apr-16

Welfare groups are concerned about the Australian Labor Party’s new climate change policy on low-income households if it wins the 2016 federal election. Labor says the policy will have a limited impact on electricity prices, but Welfare Rights Network Sydney’s Gerard Thomas argues that compensation will be necessary and it must be more equitable than that provided under Labor’s carbon tax. The Labor policy includes an emissions trading scheme and sourcing 50 per cent of the nation’s electric power from renewable energy by 2030.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WELFARE RIGHTS NETWORK SYDNEY, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, COMBINED PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Shorten leaves Gillard’s carbon policy behind

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 28-Apr-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Federal Government’s Direct Action policy will be abolished if the Australian Labor Party wins the 2016 election. Labor will aim for a 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030. Shorten’s policy is very different from the carbon price scheme of former prime minister Julia Gillard and quite similar to Malcolm Turnbull’s proposal when he was the opposition leader in 2009.

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

Labor tries again on carbon plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Apr-16

The Federal Opposition will release details of its climate change policy on 27 April 2016. It will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030. The Australian Labor Party will introduce a new domestic emissions trading scheme in two stages, which will have the ultimate goal of reducing the nation’s carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Labor also intends to introduce a separate emissions trading scheme for the electric power industry from 2018.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Unions to push for penalty rates law

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 26-Apr-16

Unions have criticised Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for indicating that he will support the Fair Commission’s decision if it rules in favour of reducing Sunday penalty rates. They argue that his comments undermines the union movement’s "Save Our Weekend" campaign, and the Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari says unions will seek to have minimum penalty rates included in the National Employment Standards if the Opposition wins the 2016 federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIAN TRADES HALL COUNCIL, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Labor eyes tax hit on top earners

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Apr-16

The Australian Government has ruled out extending the Budget deficit levy on high-income earners beyond 30 June 2017. However, the Opposition may consider retaining the levy on individuals whose annual taxable income exceeds $A180,000 if it wins the 2016 federal election. The levy is estimated to have raised about $A1.2bn each year since it was announced in the May 2014 Budget. Australian Greens Leader Richard Di ­Natale says the deficit levy should be permanent rather than temporary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Shorten teeters on truckie pay ruling

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Apr-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says he is willing to negotiate with the Australian Government regarding the introduction of new pay rates for owner-drivers in the trucking industry. The Government still wants to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, but it will opt to for legislation to defer the introduction of revised pay rates and take further action after the federal election. However, Shorten opposes abolishing the RSRT, which was established by the Australian Labor Party in 2012.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Labor bars banks’ super-profits tax

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 11-Apr-16

Australians Greens MP Adam Bandt has told Sky News that the nation’s largest banks should be subject to a new tax. He argues that the major banks can access the wholesale funding market at much lower rates than smaller rivals as the Federal Government will provide bailouts in the event of financial problems. However, Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says the Australian Labor Party will not introduce a "super-profits" tax on banks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

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