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| The Coalition floats halving the capital gains discount for super funds – politics live | The Coalition floats halving the capital gains discount for super funds – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.26am GMT | |
| 00:26 | |
| There’s a slightly strange characterisation in this news story from Fairfax Media’s James Massola which says the prime minister has been “contradicted by his own office” about the government’s position on capital gains tax. | |
| It’s not really a contradiction. It’s a cleaning up exercise that began last night when the prime minister’s unequivocal statement in the house was being walked back to something like we’ll look at some CGT changes, including the current discount for super funds. I referenced this development in today’s opening post. | |
| But the Massola story is useful in that it contains a form of words about what the government’s position on CGT (currently) is. I was trying to find that form of words this morning, but was unsuccessful in my efforts. | |
| So here is today’s CGT word, according to the talking points. | |
| The government will not implement anything as rushed, distorting and potentially destructive as Labor’s anti-investment CGT plans. There will be no change to the 50% CGT discount for individuals. The government is still carefully considering some other changes. | |
| 12.00am GMT | 12.00am GMT |
| 00:00 | 00:00 |
| Last night, after his appearance on the ABC’s 7.30 Report, I wondered on Twitter whether the finance minister Mathias Cormann sometimes walked into the privacy of his ministerial ensuite bathroom and screamed uncontrollably. This was my way of saying does this guy ever just do his block. | Last night, after his appearance on the ABC’s 7.30 Report, I wondered on Twitter whether the finance minister Mathias Cormann sometimes walked into the privacy of his ministerial ensuite bathroom and screamed uncontrollably. This was my way of saying does this guy ever just do his block. |
| Looping back to the post earlier about Morrison on the hunt of pixie ponies, and Joe Hockey enjoying his nice life in Washington, I’ll bring in the finance minister for a moment. Last week, I watched the finance minister sit calmly and quietly at a table at the National Press Club while, at the podium, the now treasurer Scott Morrison argued the government was kind of stuck on major tax reform options now because not much had been done during the government’s first two years in office. | Looping back to the post earlier about Morrison on the hunt of pixie ponies, and Joe Hockey enjoying his nice life in Washington, I’ll bring in the finance minister for a moment. Last week, I watched the finance minister sit calmly and quietly at a table at the National Press Club while, at the podium, the now treasurer Scott Morrison argued the government was kind of stuck on major tax reform options now because not much had been done during the government’s first two years in office. |
| That would be during Cormann’s tenure as finance minister. Now Cormann of course is the second economic minister in finance, not the first. Morrison’s remarks were a backhander to Abbott and Hockey, not Cormann – but if I was a person prone to muffled screaming incidents in ministerial ensuite bathrooms I would have felt a bit put out by the characterisation of my two years in a key economic portfolio from the NPC podium by the guy who’d just lobbed into the job. | That would be during Cormann’s tenure as finance minister. Now Cormann of course is the second economic minister in finance, not the first. Morrison’s remarks were a backhander to Abbott and Hockey, not Cormann – but if I was a person prone to muffled screaming incidents in ministerial ensuite bathrooms I would have felt a bit put out by the characterisation of my two years in a key economic portfolio from the NPC podium by the guy who’d just lobbed into the job. |
| I also note that Cormann went out the next day to state the bleeding obvious on the subject of bracket creep: that with wages growth slow and inflation contained, there was no particular urgency in addressing bracket creep right now. Obvious as buggery that intervention, but entirely different from what Morrison has been saying on this question. | I also note that Cormann went out the next day to state the bleeding obvious on the subject of bracket creep: that with wages growth slow and inflation contained, there was no particular urgency in addressing bracket creep right now. Obvious as buggery that intervention, but entirely different from what Morrison has been saying on this question. |
| Then yesterday, in Senate question time, Cormann had to soak up this gratuitous crack from Labor. | Then yesterday, in Senate question time, Cormann had to soak up this gratuitous crack from Labor. |
| Q: Mr president, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister agree with former treasurer Joe Hockey that ‘negative gearing should be skewed towards new housing so that there is an incentive to add to the housing stock rather than an incentive to speculate on existing property’? | Q: Mr president, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister agree with former treasurer Joe Hockey that ‘negative gearing should be skewed towards new housing so that there is an incentive to add to the housing stock rather than an incentive to speculate on existing property’? |
| Mathias Cormann: | Mathias Cormann: |
| No. | No. |
| A longish post which says nothing more or less than I’m still wondering about that bathroom. | A longish post which says nothing more or less than I’m still wondering about that bathroom. |
| 11.20pm GMT | 11.20pm GMT |
| 23:20 | 23:20 |
| Daniel Hurst | Daniel Hurst |
| On the subject of digging a little deeper, a passing thought about team work. | On the subject of digging a little deeper, a passing thought about team work. |
| 1 Corinthians 12:26 | 1 Corinthians 12:26 |
| And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. | And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.22pm GMT | at 11.22pm GMT |
| 11.18pm GMT | 11.18pm GMT |
| 23:18 | 23:18 |
| Readers with us yesterday know that Mike and I have been working up a #BrickParliament series of the treasurer, Scott Morrison’s relentless hunt for mythical creatures, be they pixie horses or unicorns or .. | Readers with us yesterday know that Mike and I have been working up a #BrickParliament series of the treasurer, Scott Morrison’s relentless hunt for mythical creatures, be they pixie horses or unicorns or .. |
| While Morrison labours away to find something to say, the chap he replaced, Joe Hockey, looks to be settling into American life quite nicely. | While Morrison labours away to find something to say, the chap he replaced, Joe Hockey, looks to be settling into American life quite nicely. |
| At the famous Fenway Pk home of Boston Red Sox for Aus US Business Week pic.twitter.com/qw8HyUTPhr | At the famous Fenway Pk home of Boston Red Sox for Aus US Business Week pic.twitter.com/qw8HyUTPhr |
| 11.08pm GMT | 11.08pm GMT |
| 23:08 | 23:08 |
| Dig a little deeper. | Dig a little deeper. |
| Brilliant portrait from Magic Mikearoo. | Brilliant portrait from Magic Mikearoo. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.13pm GMT | at 11.13pm GMT |
| 10.59pm GMT | 10.59pm GMT |
| 22:59 | 22:59 |
| Shorten: we have to dig a little deeper | Shorten: we have to dig a little deeper |
| I’ll spare you the references to Green Left Weekly and unicorns and reds under the beds and the various analogies, because the substance of Shorten’s message is interesting. It’s a homily about team work, sticking with the plan, and not giving up. | I’ll spare you the references to Green Left Weekly and unicorns and reds under the beds and the various analogies, because the substance of Shorten’s message is interesting. It’s a homily about team work, sticking with the plan, and not giving up. |
| The Labor leader says Turnbull has wandered off the reservation. He started as the man for everybody. Now he’s settling in his prime ministership as the man for vested interests. Shorten says the prime minister is anxious, worried about losing his popularity. The tax debate has been a mess because the government isn’t prosecuting change in a coherent framework. And the divisions within the government work against intellectual cohesion in every respect. | The Labor leader says Turnbull has wandered off the reservation. He started as the man for everybody. Now he’s settling in his prime ministership as the man for vested interests. Shorten says the prime minister is anxious, worried about losing his popularity. The tax debate has been a mess because the government isn’t prosecuting change in a coherent framework. And the divisions within the government work against intellectual cohesion in every respect. |
| It’s a good analysis. | It’s a good analysis. |
| Now here’s the pep talk. | Now here’s the pep talk. |
| Bill Shorten: | Bill Shorten: |
| I believe ... we collectively, have been a strong opposition, probably stronger than people realised. | I believe ... we collectively, have been a strong opposition, probably stronger than people realised. |
| If we had said two and a half years ago, imagine back then, we’ll see off Abbott, we’ll see off Hockey, I didn’t predict the Washington angle, that we’ll see off Bronwyn Bishop, that we’ll see off the 2014 budget, that we’ll see off the 15% plans they had for GST and that we will start holding them to account on a range of their ministers. | If we had said two and a half years ago, imagine back then, we’ll see off Abbott, we’ll see off Hockey, I didn’t predict the Washington angle, that we’ll see off Bronwyn Bishop, that we’ll see off the 2014 budget, that we’ll see off the 15% plans they had for GST and that we will start holding them to account on a range of their ministers. |
| If I had predicted to you two and half years ago that in the space of the last six months they’d have ministers change, you would have said ‘oh, Bill, you know.’ But that’s exactly what’s happened. | If I had predicted to you two and half years ago that in the space of the last six months they’d have ministers change, you would have said ‘oh, Bill, you know.’ But that’s exactly what’s happened. |
| And we’ve been doing that because we are a team. We’ve ticked the boxes of being a strong opposition. | And we’ve been doing that because we are a team. We’ve ticked the boxes of being a strong opposition. |
| So now is the time we have to dig a little deeper. | So now is the time we have to dig a little deeper. |
| We can have no, I believe, acceptance or tolerance of giving up. There are millions of people who count on us. This is the time that we have to dig a bit deeper, this is the time where I believe in this team, and I’ve got to know all of you, you cannot only be as good as you believe you can be, you can be better than you realise. | We can have no, I believe, acceptance or tolerance of giving up. There are millions of people who count on us. This is the time that we have to dig a bit deeper, this is the time where I believe in this team, and I’ve got to know all of you, you cannot only be as good as you believe you can be, you can be better than you realise. |
| When people aren’t ready, and this government are not ready, when people do not act as a team, and they are not acting as a team, then they’re no better than anyone else and no-one person’s popularity can mask all these difficulties. | When people aren’t ready, and this government are not ready, when people do not act as a team, and they are not acting as a team, then they’re no better than anyone else and no-one person’s popularity can mask all these difficulties. |
| I think Labor’s greatest strength is when we don’t give up being a team. Our greatest strength is when we act with a passion which indicates we are ready to govern. This election is there for the winning. | I think Labor’s greatest strength is when we don’t give up being a team. Our greatest strength is when we act with a passion which indicates we are ready to govern. This election is there for the winning. |
| It’s going to take a team effort from all of us but I can assure you I believe in winning, there’s millions of Australians who believe that we should win and we just need this team to carry it down to the line. | It’s going to take a team effort from all of us but I can assure you I believe in winning, there’s millions of Australians who believe that we should win and we just need this team to carry it down to the line. |
| 10.45pm GMT | 10.45pm GMT |
| 22:45 | 22:45 |
| The Labor leader Bill Shorten has a talking to caucus voice. He’s using it now. | The Labor leader Bill Shorten has a talking to caucus voice. He’s using it now. |
| Shorten, it must be said, is looking quite pleased with himself this morning. | Shorten, it must be said, is looking quite pleased with himself this morning. |
| I don’t think we’ve .. [meaningful pause] we haven’t won the battle of ideas ... but we are engaged in the battle of ideas for the future of this country. | I don’t think we’ve .. [meaningful pause] we haven’t won the battle of ideas ... but we are engaged in the battle of ideas for the future of this country. |
| And we’ve been announcing positive plans for Australia’s future. | And we’ve been announcing positive plans for Australia’s future. |
| (This is the caucus pep talk.) | (This is the caucus pep talk.) |
| 10.31pm GMT | 10.31pm GMT |
| 22:31 | 22:31 |
| Refugee advocates are unhappy about the Courier Mail story this morning which was the subject of my last post. The director of GetUp’s human rights campaign, Shen Narayanasamy, has issued a statement saying the following: | Refugee advocates are unhappy about the Courier Mail story this morning which was the subject of my last post. The director of GetUp’s human rights campaign, Shen Narayanasamy, has issued a statement saying the following: |
| Peter Dutton is in possession of medical reports which clearly state baby Asha’s injuries were accidental. This minister is making allegations which ignore medical evidence. He’s ignoring the fact that the police inquiry he initiated has concluded with no charges laid after just a couple of days. Dutton is trying on the kind of dirty politics we saw with “Children Overboard”, and the discredited allegations levelled at Save the Children staff last year. | Peter Dutton is in possession of medical reports which clearly state baby Asha’s injuries were accidental. This minister is making allegations which ignore medical evidence. He’s ignoring the fact that the police inquiry he initiated has concluded with no charges laid after just a couple of days. Dutton is trying on the kind of dirty politics we saw with “Children Overboard”, and the discredited allegations levelled at Save the Children staff last year. |
| 10.26pm GMT | 10.26pm GMT |
| 22:26 | 22:26 |
| Readers with me yesterday will know there was contention in question time and afterwards after the immigration minister Peter Dutton suggested that asylum seekers were self harming in order to secure a hospital stay then a pathway to citizenship. Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie launched a censure motion against Dutton, backed by Green Adam Bandt. This was the Wilkie motion. | Readers with me yesterday will know there was contention in question time and afterwards after the immigration minister Peter Dutton suggested that asylum seekers were self harming in order to secure a hospital stay then a pathway to citizenship. Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie launched a censure motion against Dutton, backed by Green Adam Bandt. This was the Wilkie motion. |
| That the minister for immigration and border protection be censured for implying that the baby Asha was deliberately harmed as a means of facilitating asylum seeker access to Australia. | That the minister for immigration and border protection be censured for implying that the baby Asha was deliberately harmed as a means of facilitating asylum seeker access to Australia. |
| The Courier Mail reports this morning the mother of Asha has been interviewed by police “after a guard claimed she had admitted the girl was purposely burnt to get to Australia.” | The Courier Mail reports this morning the mother of Asha has been interviewed by police “after a guard claimed she had admitted the girl was purposely burnt to get to Australia.” |
| Renee Viellaris reports the mother refuted the allegations when interviewed by police at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital on Friday. | Renee Viellaris reports the mother refuted the allegations when interviewed by police at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital on Friday. |
| An Immigration department guard alleged the mother had admitted the girl was purposely hurt to get out of detention in Nauru, sparking a child protection notification from Queensland’s Department of Child Safety. Queensland Police confirmed they received a child protection notification but said yesterday the investigation had been finalised. Police also intended to interview the girl’s father yesterday but cancelled the meeting once she was released from hospital into community detention. | An Immigration department guard alleged the mother had admitted the girl was purposely hurt to get out of detention in Nauru, sparking a child protection notification from Queensland’s Department of Child Safety. Queensland Police confirmed they received a child protection notification but said yesterday the investigation had been finalised. Police also intended to interview the girl’s father yesterday but cancelled the meeting once she was released from hospital into community detention. |
| Here we see the problem I raised yesterday: the lack of information released into the public domain in orderly fashion to allow parliamentarians, voters and journalists to reach informed conclusions about the facts. | Here we see the problem I raised yesterday: the lack of information released into the public domain in orderly fashion to allow parliamentarians, voters and journalists to reach informed conclusions about the facts. |
| Here, in this case study, we see guards with one version, Asha’s mother has another version – in parliament Dutton is then seen making a sweeping statement about the behaviour of asylum seekers to build a political case to justify the government’s punitive policy responses, and then objecting when he is called on the comment. | Here, in this case study, we see guards with one version, Asha’s mother has another version – in parliament Dutton is then seen making a sweeping statement about the behaviour of asylum seekers to build a political case to justify the government’s punitive policy responses, and then objecting when he is called on the comment. |
| How can anyone see anything clearly in this environment? Seriously. | How can anyone see anything clearly in this environment? Seriously. |
| 10.05pm GMT | 10.05pm GMT |
| 22:05 | 22:05 |
| I should note a couple of good stories around in the news cycle this morning. | I should note a couple of good stories around in the news cycle this morning. |
| My colleague Lenore Taylor notes that Senate cross benchers are trying to negotiate a compromise with the government over its proposed building industry watchdog in an attempt to avoid a fresh trigger for a double dissolution election. | My colleague Lenore Taylor notes that Senate cross benchers are trying to negotiate a compromise with the government over its proposed building industry watchdog in an attempt to avoid a fresh trigger for a double dissolution election. |
| Matthew Knott at Fairfax is reporting that Cabinet has approved sweeping changes to Australia’s media ownership laws, including scrapping the population “reach rule” and the “two out of three” media ownership rule. | Matthew Knott at Fairfax is reporting that Cabinet has approved sweeping changes to Australia’s media ownership laws, including scrapping the population “reach rule” and the “two out of three” media ownership rule. |
| Some commentary worth noting, too. Dennis Shanahan in The Australian notes the prime minister has located his inner Abbott. | Some commentary worth noting, too. Dennis Shanahan in The Australian notes the prime minister has located his inner Abbott. |
| Turnbull has turned to the traditional favourite that Labor “can’t be trusted with the economy” and claims the Opposition Leader’s appeal to his electoral base with a clampdown on negative gearing will destroy house values, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. The phrases, tone and arguments Turnbull used in parliament yesterday could all have come from Tony Abbott when he ruled out changes to negative gearing more than six months ago. | Turnbull has turned to the traditional favourite that Labor “can’t be trusted with the economy” and claims the Opposition Leader’s appeal to his electoral base with a clampdown on negative gearing will destroy house values, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. The phrases, tone and arguments Turnbull used in parliament yesterday could all have come from Tony Abbott when he ruled out changes to negative gearing more than six months ago. |
| 9.55pm GMT | 9.55pm GMT |
| 21:55 | 21:55 |
| Finance minister Mathias Cormann was on the ABC earlier this morning and was asked to clarify the government’s position on CGT. Cormann said he didn’t intend to announce the government’s policy on breakfast television, but the prime minister in question time yesterday had been “appropriately critical” of Labor’s policy position on capital gains (cutting the discount from 50% to 25% on assets held for more than 12 months.) | Finance minister Mathias Cormann was on the ABC earlier this morning and was asked to clarify the government’s position on CGT. Cormann said he didn’t intend to announce the government’s policy on breakfast television, but the prime minister in question time yesterday had been “appropriately critical” of Labor’s policy position on capital gains (cutting the discount from 50% to 25% on assets held for more than 12 months.) |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.58pm GMT | at 9.58pm GMT |
| 9.45pm GMT | 9.45pm GMT |
| 21:45 | 21:45 |
| As well as giving the prime minister a tickle up, Chris Bowen confirmed that the Senate reform package would go to the Labor caucus this morning. Shadow cabinet resolved last night to oppose the government’s proposal. (It being Tuesday, there are partyroom meetings before the chambers get underway.) | As well as giving the prime minister a tickle up, Chris Bowen confirmed that the Senate reform package would go to the Labor caucus this morning. Shadow cabinet resolved last night to oppose the government’s proposal. (It being Tuesday, there are partyroom meetings before the chambers get underway.) |
| If you are bamboozled by the mechanics of the voting reform proposal, my colleague, Daniel Hurst, is here to help. | If you are bamboozled by the mechanics of the voting reform proposal, my colleague, Daniel Hurst, is here to help. |
| 9.35pm GMT | 9.35pm GMT |
| 21:35 | 21:35 |
| Labor’s Chris Bowen, to reporters a little while ago. | Labor’s Chris Bowen, to reporters a little while ago. |
| Now, is there nothing this government won’t do to attack the retirement incomes of working Australians? Last week was the thought bubble about exemptions (from superannuation) for low income earners. We have seen the government rip away the tax concession for low income earners in superannuation. We have seen the government freeze the superannuation guarantee at 9.5%. And now, this miserable excuse for a government is contemplating reducing the capital gains tax discount for superannuation by half. | Now, is there nothing this government won’t do to attack the retirement incomes of working Australians? Last week was the thought bubble about exemptions (from superannuation) for low income earners. We have seen the government rip away the tax concession for low income earners in superannuation. We have seen the government freeze the superannuation guarantee at 9.5%. And now, this miserable excuse for a government is contemplating reducing the capital gains tax discount for superannuation by half. |
| Now, this goes to character as well as competence. If the prime minister can stand there at question time and deny even thinking about reducing capital gains tax discount and yet his ministers and his officers briefing out, talking to journalists, that afternoon, saying that, in fact, what he really meant was we would reduce the capital gains tax discount within superannuation. | Now, this goes to character as well as competence. If the prime minister can stand there at question time and deny even thinking about reducing capital gains tax discount and yet his ministers and his officers briefing out, talking to journalists, that afternoon, saying that, in fact, what he really meant was we would reduce the capital gains tax discount within superannuation. |
| This goes to the prime minister’s character. He cannot be trusted on tax. If he can’t be trusted on something he says at question time at two o’clock, how can his commitments about the GST be taken seriously? | This goes to the prime minister’s character. He cannot be trusted on tax. If he can’t be trusted on something he says at question time at two o’clock, how can his commitments about the GST be taken seriously? |
| (Like I said earlier, watch for the reposition from the prime minister, or alternatively, watch for efforts from Labor to go down ‘the prime minister has misled the House’ route.) | (Like I said earlier, watch for the reposition from the prime minister, or alternatively, watch for efforts from Labor to go down ‘the prime minister has misled the House’ route.) |
| 9.19pm GMT | 9.19pm GMT |
| 21:19 | 21:19 |
| As you can see from Mikearoo’s great opening picture of the independent Senator Glenn Lazarus, our corridor is teeming with aggrieved cross benchers this morning. | As you can see from Mikearoo’s great opening picture of the independent Senator Glenn Lazarus, our corridor is teeming with aggrieved cross benchers this morning. |
| The Family First Senator Bob Day has just been on the ABC flagging some kind of legal challenge to the government’s proposal to change Senate voting procedures. Day thinks it may be unconstitutional to disenfranchise the voters by ensuring that a vote is exhausted if the first, second or third preference of the voter does not get elected. Right now, he says, a vote remains alive for the duration of the count. | The Family First Senator Bob Day has just been on the ABC flagging some kind of legal challenge to the government’s proposal to change Senate voting procedures. Day thinks it may be unconstitutional to disenfranchise the voters by ensuring that a vote is exhausted if the first, second or third preference of the voter does not get elected. Right now, he says, a vote remains alive for the duration of the count. |
| Fair to say these folks are cranky. No good will come of this, Day tells his host Michael Brissenden, somewhat darkly. This is the big guys ganging up on the little guys. Day has some reason to feel bruised. He’s voted with the government more than any other cross bencher. And now they’ve gone and stolen his play lunch. | Fair to say these folks are cranky. No good will come of this, Day tells his host Michael Brissenden, somewhat darkly. This is the big guys ganging up on the little guys. Day has some reason to feel bruised. He’s voted with the government more than any other cross bencher. And now they’ve gone and stolen his play lunch. |
| 9.03pm GMT | 9.03pm GMT |
| 21:03 | 21:03 |
| Fancy meeting you here | Fancy meeting you here |
| Good morning everyone and welcome to Tuesday on Politics Live. Before we power into Tuesday, I think it’s worth recapping a notable development of Monday, and it’s this: the prime minister had a pretty bad day. Given it was Malcolm Turnbull’s first obviously bad day since taking the leadership, I’ll walk you through it. | Good morning everyone and welcome to Tuesday on Politics Live. Before we power into Tuesday, I think it’s worth recapping a notable development of Monday, and it’s this: the prime minister had a pretty bad day. Given it was Malcolm Turnbull’s first obviously bad day since taking the leadership, I’ll walk you through it. |
| Monday started with an opinion poll which showed the major parties were locked in a dead heat (which in the real world should be heavily discounted, given one or two polls does not give you a trend, but in the febrile world of Australian politics, a bad poll is a thunderclap in the news cycle. Echo, echo, echo.) | Monday started with an opinion poll which showed the major parties were locked in a dead heat (which in the real world should be heavily discounted, given one or two polls does not give you a trend, but in the febrile world of Australian politics, a bad poll is a thunderclap in the news cycle. Echo, echo, echo.) |
| The prime minister then unfurled his reforms to Senate voting reforms, which, without bipartisan support, will be more difficult to land without mess and contention. The cross benchers fired up talk of dirty deals, and Labor started hurling around the concept of gerrymanders just to spice things up. Governments tend to approach the politically sensitive subject of political reform on a bipartisan basis for a reason: change happens with very little contention attached to it. Change has to happen to the Senate voting system because the voting system is being gamed – there’s no doubt about that – but without bipartisanship, the conversation is more risky. | The prime minister then unfurled his reforms to Senate voting reforms, which, without bipartisan support, will be more difficult to land without mess and contention. The cross benchers fired up talk of dirty deals, and Labor started hurling around the concept of gerrymanders just to spice things up. Governments tend to approach the politically sensitive subject of political reform on a bipartisan basis for a reason: change happens with very little contention attached to it. Change has to happen to the Senate voting system because the voting system is being gamed – there’s no doubt about that – but without bipartisanship, the conversation is more risky. |
| Malcolm Turnbull then rolled into question time, and stuffed up. He told the parliament in response to a question from Labor’s Chris Bowen: “Increasing capital gains tax is no part of our thinking whatsoever.” Late yesterday evening that statement was being walked back. It became clear the government was, in fact, contemplating measures like halving the capital gains tax discount for superannuation funds. So that part of increasing capital gains tax was, in fact, part of the thinking. It will be interesting to see how the prime minister handles the reposition after that stumble today. | Malcolm Turnbull then rolled into question time, and stuffed up. He told the parliament in response to a question from Labor’s Chris Bowen: “Increasing capital gains tax is no part of our thinking whatsoever.” Late yesterday evening that statement was being walked back. It became clear the government was, in fact, contemplating measures like halving the capital gains tax discount for superannuation funds. So that part of increasing capital gains tax was, in fact, part of the thinking. It will be interesting to see how the prime minister handles the reposition after that stumble today. |
| The other negative for Turnbull in question time I mentioned yesterday. Labor is keen right now to back the prime minister into a corner where he will define himself as being all for the aspirational rich, the investor class, at the expense of people who are, say, struggling to buy a house. Turnbull cooperated with that effort yesterday both in tone and in substance. I might be quite wrong about this, it wouldn’t be the first time, but I suspect the combination of reflexive partisan negativity and defending the assets of people who can probably cope with one less tax concession is not a good look for him, Malcolm Turnbull. His political style is charm and disarm, not smash and plunder. | The other negative for Turnbull in question time I mentioned yesterday. Labor is keen right now to back the prime minister into a corner where he will define himself as being all for the aspirational rich, the investor class, at the expense of people who are, say, struggling to buy a house. Turnbull cooperated with that effort yesterday both in tone and in substance. I might be quite wrong about this, it wouldn’t be the first time, but I suspect the combination of reflexive partisan negativity and defending the assets of people who can probably cope with one less tax concession is not a good look for him, Malcolm Turnbull. His political style is charm and disarm, not smash and plunder. |
| I’m sure the prime minister is being advised to muscle up to Labor, to ramp up the high visibility contrast before powering through quick sticks to the election. But the prime minister also needs to consider what’s in his own long term interests as a political leader: the one who promised voters, less aggro, less chaos, less madness, and a genuine conversation about policy when he toppled Tony Abbott last September. Abbott got sucked in to serving the machine at his own personal cost. It would be good for the collective sanity of politics lovers everywhere if the current prime minister resisted the invitation to repeat past mistakes. | I’m sure the prime minister is being advised to muscle up to Labor, to ramp up the high visibility contrast before powering through quick sticks to the election. But the prime minister also needs to consider what’s in his own long term interests as a political leader: the one who promised voters, less aggro, less chaos, less madness, and a genuine conversation about policy when he toppled Tony Abbott last September. Abbott got sucked in to serving the machine at his own personal cost. It would be good for the collective sanity of politics lovers everywhere if the current prime minister resisted the invitation to repeat past mistakes. |
| Anyway, let’s power on. Today thread is open for love readers, hate readers, grammar watchers, spell checkers, encouragers and discouragers. Welcome everyone. Magic Mikearoo and I are also dancing like we won’t make it til Wednesday on the Twitters. He’s @mpbowers and I’m @murpharoo | Anyway, let’s power on. Today thread is open for love readers, hate readers, grammar watchers, spell checkers, encouragers and discouragers. Welcome everyone. Magic Mikearoo and I are also dancing like we won’t make it til Wednesday on the Twitters. He’s @mpbowers and I’m @murpharoo |
| Twirl under the disco ball blogans, bloganistas. Blame it on the boogie. Here comes Tuesday. | Twirl under the disco ball blogans, bloganistas. Blame it on the boogie. Here comes Tuesday. |