POLITICAL PARTIES – AUSTRALIA – PLATFORMS

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

Palmer hijacks Abbott’s vow to repeal carbon tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1-Apr : 26-Jun-14

Australian MP Clive Palmer revealed the carbon policy of the Palmer United Party on 25 June 2014. Palmer said that he would keep his promise to repeal the carbon tax. However, he wants associated climate programs to be retained and the Federal Government’s "direct action" policy to be dropped. He also demands an emissions trading scheme. Former US vice-president Al Gore, who supports global action on climate change, appeared at Parliament House with Palmer

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Palmer’s $86bn budget saving plan doesn’t add up

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Jun-14

Palmer United Party leader and federal MP Clive Palmer will soon hold talks with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on passing legislation for the Government’s 2014-15 Budget measures. Palmer has also outlined his own strategy for savings, with the national broadband network roll-out’s cost to be lowered from $A45bn to $A7bn by only serving rural areas. Palmer wants to buy submarines from the US for $A10bn rather than to spend $A37bn on new ones, by opting for nuclear-powered vessels. Experts have cast serious doubts on both policy proposals

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NBN CO LIMITED, PAUL BUDDE COMMUNICATION PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD