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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/jun/20/politics-coalition-labor-turnbull-shorten-tax
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| Coalition's tax plan on a knife edge – politics live | Coalition's tax plan on a knife edge – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| As Katharine Murphy reported, the government is funding a study into workplace harassment – because once you report something to HR, then what? | |
| Kelly O’Dwyer announced the study with the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins this morning. Here is the statement her office sent out: | |
| Australian women have the right to be safe in their homes, in their communities and in their workplaces. | |
| That’s why the Turnbull Government is supporting practical action to address sexual harassment, today announcing it will contribute $500,000 towards the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in the Workplace to be led by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. | |
| “No one should have to suffer sexual harassment at work, or in any other part of their lives,” the minister for women, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP said. | |
| “This inquiry will consider the drivers of sexual harassment in the workplace, the use of technology and social media, and the legal framework, as well as existing practices to inform practical recommendations that will assist Australian workplaces deal with this sensitive and difficult issue.” | |
| “We already know that the personal and career consequences of workplace sexual harassment are very significant. The organisational impacts are also substantial, including reduced productivity, high staff turnover, absenteeism, compensation claims and early retirement. The inquiry will draw on economic modelling so we will have a better sense of how much it is costing individual Australians as well as Australian businesses.” | |
| Sexual harassment continues to pervade Australian workplaces. More than 20 per cent of people over 15 years old in Australia have been sexually harassed, with 68 per cent of those harassed in the workplace. | |
| The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is uniquely placed to undertake a national inquiry into this issue, due to its independent status, its legislative mandate in relation to sexual harassment under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), and specific expertise in relation to workplace sexual harassment. The AHRC is currently undertaking an expanded Fourth National Workplace Sexual Harassment Survey, with final results due in August 2018. The Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in the Workplace will run for 12 months and cost a total of $900,000. | |
| “Recent prominent international and national coverage has highlighted the prevalence and detrimental impact of sexual harassment on individuals and organisations. This inquiry will be a positive and meaningful step forward in reducing sexual harassment at work and ensuring that, where it does occur, it is dealt with carefully and appropriately,” Minister O’Dwyer said. | |
| The funding committed to the AHRC inquiry follows significant actions already taken by the Turnbull government to improve women’s safety in the home, at work and online. | |
| To date the Turnbull government has committed well in excess of $300m to address women’s safety. The most recent federal budget included an additional $54m for women’s safety initiatives, including $11.5m for 1800 RESPECT, $6.7m for DV-alert, $14.2m for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner to help make cyberspace safe for women, and $22m to combat elder abuse. | |
| The Turnbull government is also continuing to put in place the right settings to deliver a stronger economy to provide the right economic settings for women to help them work, save and make choices about their lives. | |
| More women are working than ever before, with over 5.8m now employed in Australia. The government is committed to ensuring that women have every opportunity to engage in paid work, have the right support to expand their skills, take advantage of employment opportunities and to save for their retirement. | |
| The minister for women will build on the government’s efforts to improve women’s economic security when she delivers a Women’s Economic Security Statement in spring. | |
| Scott Morrison has spoken on the news Telstra is to slash 30% of its workforce – 8,000 people: | |
| Like all Australians, I am very disappointed to learn that news, but there is only one thing that I can say in response – that the government has been working hard to ensure that the economy that they will go back into now, to find another job, there are more jobs in that economy today than there was before. | |
| “We are a government which has been delivering more jobs. | |
| “And in that sector in particular, there are much brighter prospects. But it will still be hard and it will still be an anxious time for those Australians and that is why we will just redouble our efforts to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to create the strongest economy [that we can] so that people who find themselves in that situation can go forth with confidence.” | |
| And on the tax vote? | |
| “It is now before the Senate. We have every confidence in our plan. We believe it is the right plan, it is a plan which delivers tax relief for all Australians. I mean, it is a pretty clear choice, for Australians. | |
| “It is tax off with the Coalition, and tax on with the Labor party. That is what it is. That is the choice.” | |
| I am pretty sure that is not what Mr Miyagi meant. | |
| Bill Shorten is visiting an aged care home in Canberra this morning, following on from Malcolm Turnbull’s answer to this question yesterday: | Bill Shorten is visiting an aged care home in Canberra this morning, following on from Malcolm Turnbull’s answer to this question yesterday: |
| Shorten: I refer to the prime minister’s earlier answer when he said that his government rewards aspiration. Should a 60-year-old aged-care worker from Burnie aspire to be an investment banker from Rose Bay so that, instead of their $10-a-week tax cut from the prime minister, they can get the prime minister’s $7,000-a-year tax cut for investment bankers? | Shorten: I refer to the prime minister’s earlier answer when he said that his government rewards aspiration. Should a 60-year-old aged-care worker from Burnie aspire to be an investment banker from Rose Bay so that, instead of their $10-a-week tax cut from the prime minister, they can get the prime minister’s $7,000-a-year tax cut for investment bankers? |
| Turnbull: The honourable member should remember that the 60-year-old aged-care worker in Burnie is entitled to aspire to get a better job, is entitled to get a promotion, is entitled to be able to earn more money ... [after interjections] no. Working in aged care is a good job, but you are entitled to seek to earn more. [More interjections] Everyone is entitled to aspire [more interjections]... Every worker, every Australian, is entitled to aspire to earn a better income. Everyone is entitled to aspire to that. | Turnbull: The honourable member should remember that the 60-year-old aged-care worker in Burnie is entitled to aspire to get a better job, is entitled to get a promotion, is entitled to be able to earn more money ... [after interjections] no. Working in aged care is a good job, but you are entitled to seek to earn more. [More interjections] Everyone is entitled to aspire [more interjections]... Every worker, every Australian, is entitled to aspire to earn a better income. Everyone is entitled to aspire to that. |
| Julie Collins, the shadow minister for ageing had a chat about that this morning (and I think you can expect it to come up quite a bit in question time): | Julie Collins, the shadow minister for ageing had a chat about that this morning (and I think you can expect it to come up quite a bit in question time): |
| Yesterday what we heard from the prime minister in question time when it came to the aged-care worker question from Burnie was absolutely appalling. | Yesterday what we heard from the prime minister in question time when it came to the aged-care worker question from Burnie was absolutely appalling. |
| “I was astounded to hear the prime minister and the way he spoke about the valuable contribution aged workers make to Australia every day. There are more than 360,000 aged-care workers in Australia today who are going about one of the most difficult jobs, caring for older Australians, many of them vulnerable, some of them with dementia, in their own homes in residential facilities who were insulted by what the prime minister said yesterday in Parliament. | “I was astounded to hear the prime minister and the way he spoke about the valuable contribution aged workers make to Australia every day. There are more than 360,000 aged-care workers in Australia today who are going about one of the most difficult jobs, caring for older Australians, many of them vulnerable, some of them with dementia, in their own homes in residential facilities who were insulted by what the prime minister said yesterday in Parliament. |
| “He should apologise, I called on him to apologise yesterday, he didn’t do it. I hope he’s had time to reflect on his comments and he realises just how out-of-touch and arrogant his comments were. | “He should apologise, I called on him to apologise yesterday, he didn’t do it. I hope he’s had time to reflect on his comments and he realises just how out-of-touch and arrogant his comments were. |
| “To say, or to imply that aged-care workers in Australia do not make as valuable a contribution to our society as an investment banker is outrageous. | “To say, or to imply that aged-care workers in Australia do not make as valuable a contribution to our society as an investment banker is outrageous. |
| “That’s what the prime minister told aged care workers yesterday: their contribution is not valued. We do value aged-care workers on our side of politics, the community values aged care workers, the families and the carers of vulnerable older Australians value aged-care workers and the prime minister should value them too. He should come out today and he should apologise to aged care workers for what he said yesterday. It was outrageous.” | “That’s what the prime minister told aged care workers yesterday: their contribution is not valued. We do value aged-care workers on our side of politics, the community values aged care workers, the families and the carers of vulnerable older Australians value aged-care workers and the prime minister should value them too. He should come out today and he should apologise to aged care workers for what he said yesterday. It was outrageous.” |
| Julie Bishop has responded to the news the United States is pulling out of the Human Rights Council: | Julie Bishop has responded to the news the United States is pulling out of the Human Rights Council: |
| Australia is disappointed by the decision of the United States to resign from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). | Australia is disappointed by the decision of the United States to resign from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). |
| Australia shares many of the concerns held by the US about the UNHRC, particularly its anti-Israel bias, and we have consistently supported efforts to address other matters of contention. | Australia shares many of the concerns held by the US about the UNHRC, particularly its anti-Israel bias, and we have consistently supported efforts to address other matters of contention. |
| We are committed to progress effective and meaningful reform to enable the Council to more effectively carry out its role. | We are committed to progress effective and meaningful reform to enable the Council to more effectively carry out its role. |
| Australia will continue to work constructively on human rights issues with other countries, including the US. It was our strong preference for the US to remain a member of the UNHRC and I had made this known to senior members of the Trump administration. | Australia will continue to work constructively on human rights issues with other countries, including the US. It was our strong preference for the US to remain a member of the UNHRC and I had made this known to senior members of the Trump administration. |
| Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper reiterated Australia’s commitment to a strong multilateral human rights system and to advancing human rights globally. It is in our national interest to shape the work of the council and uphold the international rules-based order. | Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper reiterated Australia’s commitment to a strong multilateral human rights system and to advancing human rights globally. It is in our national interest to shape the work of the council and uphold the international rules-based order. |
| Australia has pledged to be a principled, pragmatic and consultative member, bringing a unique Indo-Pacific perspective to our term and amplify the voices of our Pacific neighbours. | Australia has pledged to be a principled, pragmatic and consultative member, bringing a unique Indo-Pacific perspective to our term and amplify the voices of our Pacific neighbours. |
| Australia’s second session as a member of the UNHRC commenced in Geneva this week. | Australia’s second session as a member of the UNHRC commenced in Geneva this week. |
| Back to the energy ‘wars’ and Tony Abbott has told the Daily Telegraph he would like to be able to question the Coalition’s energy policy, without being accused of trying to destroy it. | Back to the energy ‘wars’ and Tony Abbott has told the Daily Telegraph he would like to be able to question the Coalition’s energy policy, without being accused of trying to destroy it. |
| From Sharri Markson’s report: | From Sharri Markson’s report: |
| “I’m sick and tired of government ministers running around the place saying that anyone who disagrees with them on energy policy is trying to wreck the government. Bollocks.” | “I’m sick and tired of government ministers running around the place saying that anyone who disagrees with them on energy policy is trying to wreck the government. Bollocks.” |
| He’s just trying to save the government from itself, y’all. | He’s just trying to save the government from itself, y’all. |
| Josh Frydenberg, who really looks like he needs all of the mint slices in the world to get through this week, told Sky News: | Josh Frydenberg, who really looks like he needs all of the mint slices in the world to get through this week, told Sky News: |
| “I’d say that my colleagues just want to make sure that the right policy is there for the country’s energy future and that is the national energy guarantee. There is strong support within the Coalition party room for the national energy guarantee because they understand that we need to integrate energy and climate policy and bring down prices and increase reliability. We have listened to the experts, we have taken this proposal to the states, we will look for final sign off in August.” | “I’d say that my colleagues just want to make sure that the right policy is there for the country’s energy future and that is the national energy guarantee. There is strong support within the Coalition party room for the national energy guarantee because they understand that we need to integrate energy and climate policy and bring down prices and increase reliability. We have listened to the experts, we have taken this proposal to the states, we will look for final sign off in August.” |
| Not even the Albo-express could save the Blues. Although he, and his amazing retro outfit, did manage to give some Queenslanders some trouble: | Not even the Albo-express could save the Blues. Although he, and his amazing retro outfit, did manage to give some Queenslanders some trouble: |
| The Senate will launch straight into the tax debate this morning, (thank you to my Senate whisperers for keeping me updated) and then leave it just before 1pm, because you know – there is still other stuff the red chamber has to do. | The Senate will launch straight into the tax debate this morning, (thank you to my Senate whisperers for keeping me updated) and then leave it just before 1pm, because you know – there is still other stuff the red chamber has to do. |
| It’ll return to the debate after 5. | It’ll return to the debate after 5. |
| Speaking of deep dives, Gareth Hutchens had a look at multinationals and their tax habits. From his report: | Speaking of deep dives, Gareth Hutchens had a look at multinationals and their tax habits. From his report: |
| A landmark study has found multinational corporations are shifting roughly $16bn in profits out of Australia into tax havens every year. | A landmark study has found multinational corporations are shifting roughly $16bn in profits out of Australia into tax havens every year. |
| It has also found the steady decline in corporate tax rates globally since the 1980s has not been driven by countries competing harder for productive capital and pushing corporate tax rates down, despite what politicians say. | It has also found the steady decline in corporate tax rates globally since the 1980s has not been driven by countries competing harder for productive capital and pushing corporate tax rates down, despite what politicians say. |
| Instead, it says corporate tax rates have been driven lower by multinational corporations shifting profits into tax havens, and governments’ failure to curb the practice.” | Instead, it says corporate tax rates have been driven lower by multinational corporations shifting profits into tax havens, and governments’ failure to curb the practice.” |
| You can read the whole thing here. | You can read the whole thing here. |
| Just in case you forgot, One Nation has three WA state MPs. | Just in case you forgot, One Nation has three WA state MPs. |
| According to the West Australian, things are going great. From Nick Butterly’s report this morning: | According to the West Australian, things are going great. From Nick Butterly’s report this morning: |
| The State president of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has quit the party in anger to run as an independent at this weekend’s Darling Range byelection amid growing internal ructions. | The State president of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has quit the party in anger to run as an independent at this weekend’s Darling Range byelection amid growing internal ructions. |
| Doug Shaw confirmed he resigned as the administrative chief of One Nation several weeks ago after infighting with other party members. | Doug Shaw confirmed he resigned as the administrative chief of One Nation several weeks ago after infighting with other party members. |
| “The major parties are ignoring Joe Public and One Nation are showing they are no better,” he said. | “The major parties are ignoring Joe Public and One Nation are showing they are no better,” he said. |
| In case you missed it, I had a dig through the archives after Brian Burston’s resignation last week, to see what was said in the late 90s/early 2000s when One Nation imploded the first time round – not by the MPs, but from the people involved behind the scenes. | In case you missed it, I had a dig through the archives after Brian Burston’s resignation last week, to see what was said in the late 90s/early 2000s when One Nation imploded the first time round – not by the MPs, but from the people involved behind the scenes. |
| Like when one of the Queensland branch presidents quit after accusing One Nation of “doing exactly what it claimed the other parties were doing: not listening and it’s breaking more than a few hearts along the way”. | Like when one of the Queensland branch presidents quit after accusing One Nation of “doing exactly what it claimed the other parties were doing: not listening and it’s breaking more than a few hearts along the way”. |
| Have a read and see if any of it sounds familiar. | Have a read and see if any of it sounds familiar. |
| The annual pollies state of origin was held early this morning. And because I am a QUEENSLANDER forever, I couldn’t not post this Mike Bowers magic from this morning. | The annual pollies state of origin was held early this morning. And because I am a QUEENSLANDER forever, I couldn’t not post this Mike Bowers magic from this morning. |
| Soz, Michael McCormack. Better luck next year. | Soz, Michael McCormack. Better luck next year. |
| Oh, oh | Oh, oh |
| There she goes | There she goes |
| So close | So close |
| And yet, so far | And yet, so far |
| The Mighty Maroons ended up victorious 3-2 Graham Perrett tells me: | The Mighty Maroons ended up victorious 3-2 Graham Perrett tells me: |
| “The filthy Blues were up 2-0 early, but the pure mighty Queenslanders ended up victorious 3-2. First time in a few years.” | “The filthy Blues were up 2-0 early, but the pure mighty Queenslanders ended up victorious 3-2. First time in a few years.” |
| Apparently Queensland’s fortunes were improved without Barnaby Joyce’s famous crab run (the man always ran sideways) and Keith Pitt’s installation as captain. | Apparently Queensland’s fortunes were improved without Barnaby Joyce’s famous crab run (the man always ran sideways) and Keith Pitt’s installation as captain. |
| The crossbench has everyone waiting this morning, as both the government and Labor wait to see how the income tax battles will play out. | The crossbench has everyone waiting this morning, as both the government and Labor wait to see how the income tax battles will play out. |
| Labor is still working out how the bill should be split with its crossbench allies, while the government is still trying to convince enough crossbenchers that the package should be passed as an all-or-nothing deal. | Labor is still working out how the bill should be split with its crossbench allies, while the government is still trying to convince enough crossbenchers that the package should be passed as an all-or-nothing deal. |
| Meanwhile, the Coalition’s fractures are being laid bare by Josh Frydenberg’s attempts to get an energy policy through the party room. He won the first battle by not bringing it back, before the plan went to the states and territories, so the first step is convincing them, come Friday. | Meanwhile, the Coalition’s fractures are being laid bare by Josh Frydenberg’s attempts to get an energy policy through the party room. He won the first battle by not bringing it back, before the plan went to the states and territories, so the first step is convincing them, come Friday. |
| Eric Abetz anti-ABC ball rolling, having a chat to Radio National this morning about all his complaints. | Eric Abetz anti-ABC ball rolling, having a chat to Radio National this morning about all his complaints. |
| No surprises there: | No surprises there: |
| Of course the ABC contributed $1 billion to the economy. They have a $1 billion budget from taxpayers that was mostly spent in Australia. Why do we need a costly report to tell us the obvious?! More ABC waste. | Of course the ABC contributed $1 billion to the economy. They have a $1 billion budget from taxpayers that was mostly spent in Australia. Why do we need a costly report to tell us the obvious?! More ABC waste. |
| And we still have six more days of this to go! | And we still have six more days of this to go! |
| Mike Bowers was out and about early this morning, catching the annual political state of origin game. I’ll bring you some of that soonest. You can follow along with his day at @mikepbowers and @mpbowers and of course, doing his best to troll me behind the scenes on the instagram story at @pyjamapolitics. He just pointed out I have been humming Devil Woman all morning, so things are going great so far. | Mike Bowers was out and about early this morning, catching the annual political state of origin game. I’ll bring you some of that soonest. You can follow along with his day at @mikepbowers and @mpbowers and of course, doing his best to troll me behind the scenes on the instagram story at @pyjamapolitics. He just pointed out I have been humming Devil Woman all morning, so things are going great so far. |
| You’ll catch me, when I have time, or more immediately on Twitter at @amyremeikis (beware – you’ll also find some very strong opinions on biscuits.) | You’ll catch me, when I have time, or more immediately on Twitter at @amyremeikis (beware – you’ll also find some very strong opinions on biscuits.) |
| Grab your coffee, or whatever it is that gets you through and let’s get started. | Grab your coffee, or whatever it is that gets you through and let’s get started. |