POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

Shorten loss on gay marriage

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Jul-15

The Australian Labor Party’s National Conference has endorsed the policy of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to turn back asylum-seeker boats. Meanwhile, conference delegates have voted in favour of giving Labor MPs a conscience vote on the issue of same-sex marriage, although this will be limited to the current and next term of parliament. Shorten has committed to legalising same-sex marriage within 100 days if Labor wins the next federal election. Labor’s policy on a renewable energy target and an emissions trading scheme were also endorsed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION

Greens push for probe into finance scandals

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 24-Jun-15

The Federal Government and the Opposition will not support the Australian Greens’ motion for a royal commission into misconduct in the financial services industry. Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm and Family First Party senator Bob Day also oppose a royal commission, although independent senator Nick Xenophon and the National Party’s John Williams will support the motion. IOOF is the latest financial group to embroiled by claims of misconduct.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MACQUARIE PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

New Greens leader may agree to raise petrol tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 29-May-15

Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale has indicated that the party is willing to reach a compromise with the Federal Government on issues such as fuel excise and pension reforms. He says the Greens are open to an increase in the fuel excise, provided some of the additional revenue is used to finance public transport projects. Di Natale also says the Greens will support pension reforms if the Government agrees to undertake a previously shelved review of retirement income.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

‘Bring it on’: Labor will fight on super tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 20-May-15

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen will address the National Press Club on 20 May 2015. His speech will advocate changes to the superannuation system, arguing that tax concessions for retirees are not sustainable. He will also stress that the Opposition is prepared to fight the next federal election on the issue of super. The Federal Government recently dropped plans for super reform, but National Seniors Australia believes that reforms should not have been restricted to the pension system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Liberal push to expand GST

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Jan-15

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out any adjustments to the current goods and services tax (GST) regime before the next federal election. However he is encouraging debate on the issue, and Liberal Party parliamentarians Ian Macdonald, Dean Smith and Dan Tehan have called for an expansion of the GST’s base while maintaining its rate of 10%. Macdonald argues the latter was a promise by former prime minister John Howard when he rolled out the GST, but the exclusions for fresh food or education may be revoked

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Gulf too wide for RET deal, says Labor

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s refusal to compromise on its proposes changes to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has prompted the Opposition to abandon negotiations over the reforms. Shadow environment minister Mark Butler says the Australian Labor Party will not support the savage reduction in the RET that is being sought by the Government. Private sector investment in renewable energy has been put on hold for most of 2014 due to uncertainty about the future of the RET

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Abbott gets deal to axe carbon tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jul-14

The Australian Government appears to have secured a compromise deal with Clive Palmer to abolish the carbon tax. The Government has agreed to Palmer’s requirement that the energy sector will be the only industry that would be subject to a disclosure regime regarding the carbon tax and the cost saving arising from its abolition. The Government hopes to put the carbon tax repeal legislation to the Senate on 14 July 2014

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PALMER UNITED PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY

Carbon tax set for scrap heap as Palmer finalises ETS details

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Original article by Lisa Cox, James Massola, Tom Arup
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 9-Jul-14

There was further discussion in the Australian Senate on 8 July 2014 of the Federal Government’s legislation to repeal the carbon tax, with a vote now expected by 9 July. While the Australian Labor Party and Australian Greens are opposed, Prime Minister Tony Abbott will be able to pass the bill with the help of the Palmer United Party. However, in return it will extract a pledge to force electricity companies to pass on the savings in full and show them on bills sent to consumers. The Climate Change Authority will also be retained. Meanwhile Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator Ricky Muir wants to stop the abolition of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency as well

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY

Palmer’s $9b bombshell

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1-Apr : 8-Jul-14

Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer on 7 July 2014 announced that its senators would vote against a further $A9.5bn worth of cuts planned by the Australian Government in the 2014-15 Budget. While agreeing to pass legislation for the repeal of the minerals resource rent tax, Palmer said programs funded with its revenue would be retained, at a cost of close to $A8bn. Similarly, the repeal of the carbon tax will not bring the proposed rise in the income tax-free threshold from $A18,200 to $A21,000. The total value of Budget initiatives now set to falter in the Senate is $A34bn

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Clive Palmer predicts an ETS will be law within a year

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 30-Jun-14

Clive Palmer says an emissions trading scheme (ETS) would protect the Australian economy against the adoption of similar schemes overseas. The carbon price in the ETS unveiled by the Palmer United Party will not increase above zero until Australia’s leading trading partners adopt ETSs as well. Palmer expressed faith that his ETS will be enshrined in law within one year. This suggests he will campaign on the proposal ahead of the next federal election

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION