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Version 3 Version 4
Labor will repeal company tax cuts – politics live Labor will repeal company tax cuts – politics live
(35 minutes later)
Labor hasn’t said what it will do for businesses with a turnover over $2m.
There are about 94,000 businesses in Australia, with a turnover between $2m and $50m, according to Treasury figures from a few months ago - with those businesses employing just over 3.3 million Australians.
Not only the Snake of Envy - the man who gave us unbelieva-Bill, now presents:
Bill Shafton.
Scott Morrison is still talking:
We believe the Enterprise Tax Plan should apply across all businesses as you know. By the time there are reductions in company taxes for businesses at that level, the banks already would have paid some $16bn in the bank levy which basically completely wipes out any benefit that they would directly receive from a lower tax rate.
“So, sorry ... We believe the enterprise tax plan should apply across all businesses. For the simple reason – that small businesses do business with large businesses.
“Take Qantas, for example, they have like 13,000 small business suppliers. I mean, how do they do better with Qantas if Qantas is paying higher taxes?
“I have never understood the argument for taxes remaining high. It is bad enough that there seems to be some view in the Labor party, even though, as we all know, they used to support these changes, that if you ask businesses, demand, mandate them to pay higher taxes, how that actually helps them be more competitive?
“How it helps them to employ more people, to increase wages or increase productivity? I don’t understand the argument which says, ‘Pay the government more tax and you will do better and the economy will be better off’. What is even worse is the global movement in taxes on business around the world is down and if our businesses remain where they are, we will have the second-highest tax rate for business in the OECD.
“Now, when it first came down, both under treasurers and Prime Minister Keating and Treasurer Costello there were 19 countries that had taxes higher than us. There will only be one. How long will that last?
“They want to leave us up there in the stratosphere for higher taxes for our businesses and not afford them relief. Even for businesses with a turnover of between $10-50m. This is a naked tax grab. This is a tax grab to go and spend money all over the shop in some sort of big plate the cash splash. That is what Bill Shorten wants. He wants a big chest to just splash cash all over the country to pursue only one interest – and it isn’t the national interest, it is his own political interest.”
Here’s what Bill Shorten told the Labor caucus today:
“Turnbull has no clue how people actually live and I do believe his wealth is connected to that ... Longman is very close and Braddon is very difficult but we do have the better candidates, the better policies and the better values.”
Shorten cited the Coalition’s $144bn personal income tax cuts and total $80bn tax package as evidence of Labor’s superior “values”, arguing the income tax cuts would give parliamentarians a tax cut of $7,000.
Scott Morrison on Bill Shorten’s announcement:
This is terrible news for 1.5 million Australians who work in those businesses that will have to face higher taxes under Labor if Labor is elected.
How Labor thinks taxing those businesses with an average of 75 employees is going to help those businesses actually go out there and compete and make their way ahead is beyond me and I think it just demonstrates how Labor just don’t get it when it comes to having plans for a stronger economy.
Labor used to talk about the ladder of opportunity. We all remember that. They used to talk about the ladder of opportunity. Well, under Bill Shorten, under the Labor Party today, what we have is the snake of envy. This is a snake and ladders game under Labor. It used to be the ladder of opportunity and now it is the snake of envy under Bill Shorten. Australians will slide down under Labor. They will slide down. They will either pay those taxes directly in higher taxes, as we know more than $200bn in higher taxes on the economy, or they will pay for them through the suffocation of the economy through higher taxes.”
The ladder of opportunity dates back to Mark Latham’s first press conference as opposition leader in 2003:
Now some people today of course will be asking, ‘who is Mark Latham and what does he stand for?’ Well I stand for the things that I’ve been doing all my life – working hard trying to climb that ladder of opportunity, working hard, studying hard.
I believe in an upwardly mobile society where people can climb the rungs of opportunity, climbing the ladder of opportunity to a better life for themselves and their family. I believe in hard work.
I believe in reward for effort. I believe in a Government that is there to help the people who are doing the right thing – the people who are getting stuck in, doing things the fair dinkum Australian way.
And that’s always been the case for me, always the case of working hard and getting stuck in.
That was me from public housing seeing that my mum was in a home of her own. I worked hard through school and got through to university, then I moved on to a good job and worked hard.
I then, when I had the honour to serve in my local community in local government and then for the last 10 years working hard in the Australian parliament.
You’ve got to get stuck in and I believe passionately in climbing the rungs of opportunity. And I want that for all Australians.
I believe in upward mobility. I believe in climbing that ladder. And the problem in Australia that we’ve got at the moment is the Howard Government has taken out too many of the rungs.
It has taken out too many rungs. I want to put them back in. The rungs of opportunity that comes from good quality health care in our society, the opportunity that comes from a decent, affordable education, the basic services that all our community rely on.
These are the things we’ve got to restore. We’ve got to put those rungs back into the ladder of opportunity in this country.
There are about 14,000 businesses in Australia sitting between the $10m and $50m threshold.
Scott Morrison has rounded that up to “about $20,000” and quotes Mark Latham in saying that Labor used “to talk about the ladder of opportunity”.
“It used to be the ladder of opportunity, and now it is the snake of envy under Bill Shorten. And Australians will slide down,” he says.
I was curious to see whether any of the Labor folks would raise Anthony Albanese’s speech last Friday during their regular caucus meeting this morning.
Apparently it was all quiet on that score.
Bill Shorten, according to people in the room, downplayed expectations during his pep talk that they would do fantastically well in the looming Super Saturday byelections.
These would be tough contests, he told colleagues.
Also Madeleine King, the WA backbencher, has been elevated to the front bench after being anointed by the right faction last night. There was some concern that one of King’s colleagues might ambush nominate at this morning’s meeting because the filling of this front bench vacancy has been internally controversial, but it was all quiet on the western front.
(If you’ve missed the King controversy let me cut a long story short: the right power brokers wanted Nick Champion to fill the spot left vacant after the departure of Tim Hammond, the left went nuts because putting Champion in would have meant the right was in breach of affirmative actions rules. A women was subsequently sought. Several women were interested in filling the vacancy. King, a West Australian, was ultimately selected. Not everyone is happy about it.)
Overnight, a Greens motion, put forward by Nick McKim, to stop the removal of the discount for pensioners, veterans and widows applying for citizenship applications, was passed, with Labor and members of the crossbench – which means it won’t be going ahead.
The government had moved to scrap the discount, which would have meant those eligible for it would be forced to pay for $285 for their application.
With the discounts remaining in place, they will only have to pay $20 or $40, depending on their situation.
The South Australian boundary carve up has been announced by the electoral commission:
The augmented electoral commission for South Australia today announced the outcome of its deliberations on the names and boundaries of the 10 federal electoral divisions in South Australia.
Tom Rogers, the presiding member and electoral commissioner, thanked the individuals and organisations who contributed to the redistribution of South Australia throughout the redistribution process.“All written objections and comments, as well as the information presented at the inquiry in Adelaide on 7 June have been thoroughly considered,” Rogers said.“After a comprehensive consideration of these contributions, the augmented electoral commission has unanimously decided to adopt the redistribution proposed by the Redistribution Committee for South Australia without change,” Rogers said.The redistribution of South Australian federal electoral divisions was required as South Australia’s resident population relative to that of other states and territories means that it is now entitled to 10 federal electoral divisions.
Final boundaries
The redistribution committee’s full proposal is detailed on theAEC website, along with a full overview of the augmented electoral commission’s conclusions on objections to the redistribution committee’s proposed redistribution.The Division of Port Adelaide will be abolished and changes will be made to the boundaries of all of South Australia’s remaining electoral divisions.“The final boundaries have resulted principally from the need to reduce the number of electoral divisions from 11 to 10. Abolishing an electoral division, together with the need to ensure that all of South Australia’s 10 electoral divisions then meet the numerical requirements of the Electoral Act, means that changes have been made to the boundaries of all electoral divisions in South Australia,” Rogers said.
Final names
The augmented electoral commission has retained the names of the Divisions of Adelaide, Barker, Boothby, Grey, Hindmarsh, Kingston, Makin, Mayo and Sturt.The previous Division of Wakefield will become the Division of Spence. This is in recognition of Catherine Helen Spence (1825–1910) for her work as an advocate for female suffrage and electoral reform.Once the redistribution is formally determined on Friday 20 July 2018, the number of South Australia’s electoral divisions named after women will double from one to two.
Next steps
The augmented electoral commission notes this proposal is not significantly different from the proposal of the redistribution committee and therefore no further input from members of the public will be sought.The names and boundaries of the federal electoral divisions for South Australia will apply from Friday 20 July 2018 when a notice of determination is published in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette.Note: Electoral events will not be contested on these new federal electoral divisions until a writ is issued for a general election following the expiry or dissolution of the House of Representatives.
The Mayo byelection is being conducted on the boundaries in place for the Division of Mayo at the 2016 federal election.
Overview maps will be available on the AEC website on Friday 20 July 2018. Detailed maps and a report outlining the augmented electoral commission’s reasons for its formal determination will be tabled in the federal parliament and will subsequently be made publicly available.
The Greens spoke about the Neg in their party room – and the need to keep further coal infrastructure out of it – as it stands, if it came up for a vote, the Greens would vote against it.
Weak targets and shifting the burden to other sectors – transport and agriculture – were the reasons for that.
The Greens also want to look and see what the Labor states will do – whether or not they will stand up for the renewables sector.
Higher education is also back on the agenda – the Greens think Centre Alliance may have done a deal with the government. We’ll check that out and get back to you.
Back on the drones, Labor is pointing out that the government has already announced the program. Three times previously.Back on the drones, Labor is pointing out that the government has already announced the program. Three times previously.
There was March 2014There was March 2014
Then February 2016Then February 2016
And then May 2017And then May 2017
And then again todayAnd then again today
The government does point out that the roll out won’t commence until 2023 though:The government does point out that the roll out won’t commence until 2023 though:
Australia has already taken delivery of seven Poseidon aircraft and achieved Initial Operational Capability earlier this year. The full fleet of 12 Poseidon aircraft is expected to be delivered and in operation by 2022.Australia has already taken delivery of seven Poseidon aircraft and achieved Initial Operational Capability earlier this year. The full fleet of 12 Poseidon aircraft is expected to be delivered and in operation by 2022.
The first of the Triton aircraft is expected to be introduced into service in mid-2023 with all six aircraft planned to be delivered and in operation by late 2025, based at RAAF Base, Edinburgh in South Australia.The first of the Triton aircraft is expected to be introduced into service in mid-2023 with all six aircraft planned to be delivered and in operation by late 2025, based at RAAF Base, Edinburgh in South Australia.
The Orion fleet has performed exceptionally on operations throughout its distinguished service, and the last of these aircraft will be over 40 years old when they are withdrawn from service in 2023.”The Orion fleet has performed exceptionally on operations throughout its distinguished service, and the last of these aircraft will be over 40 years old when they are withdrawn from service in 2023.”
A Labor peep says reversing those company tax cuts has been the party’s position for awhile, but to be honest, that is news to me.A Labor peep says reversing those company tax cuts has been the party’s position for awhile, but to be honest, that is news to me.
Not sure if I missed it somewhere (very possible, I do occasionally have to sleep) but I think I would have remembered.Not sure if I missed it somewhere (very possible, I do occasionally have to sleep) but I think I would have remembered.
They have just pointed out that it hasn’t been explicit, but it’s been understood that is where the party was heading.They have just pointed out that it hasn’t been explicit, but it’s been understood that is where the party was heading.
If you’ve been following the national energy guarantee debate this week you’ll know that the energy minister Josh Frydenberg lined up a group of business folks to address the backbench environment and energy committee this morning.If you’ve been following the national energy guarantee debate this week you’ll know that the energy minister Josh Frydenberg lined up a group of business folks to address the backbench environment and energy committee this morning.
The group appeared afterwards to speak to television reporters. The message from representatives of the Business Council of Australia, the Ai Group and the National Farmers Federation was clear: get on with passing the Neg people, we’ll work out the fine print in due course.The group appeared afterwards to speak to television reporters. The message from representatives of the Business Council of Australia, the Ai Group and the National Farmers Federation was clear: get on with passing the Neg people, we’ll work out the fine print in due course.
Jennifer Westacott from the BCA: “If this doesn’t go ahead, this is ground zero and investment will go to other countries.”Jennifer Westacott from the BCA: “If this doesn’t go ahead, this is ground zero and investment will go to other countries.”
Innes Willox from the Ai Group: “I think we all made the point there is no real alternative. If this doesn’t work, we go back to chaos”.Innes Willox from the Ai Group: “I think we all made the point there is no real alternative. If this doesn’t work, we go back to chaos”.
Tony Abbott also stopped by the camp of TV reporters and made it clear he wasn’t rescinding his threat that he might cross the floor if he doesn’t like what Frydenberg ultimately brings to the parliament.Tony Abbott also stopped by the camp of TV reporters and made it clear he wasn’t rescinding his threat that he might cross the floor if he doesn’t like what Frydenberg ultimately brings to the parliament.
Fiona Simson of the NFF said if Abbott crossed the floor, that would be “very disappointing”.Fiona Simson of the NFF said if Abbott crossed the floor, that would be “very disappointing”.
She didn’t mince words. “We think we can make this work ... we don’t want politics to get in the way, and we don’t want internal politics to get in the way.”She didn’t mince words. “We think we can make this work ... we don’t want politics to get in the way, and we don’t want internal politics to get in the way.”
Willox didn’t either: “To kill this off really would be wrecking-ball politics.”Willox didn’t either: “To kill this off really would be wrecking-ball politics.”
New reviews into legislation surrounding “online safety” have been launched.New reviews into legislation surrounding “online safety” have been launched.
Mitch Fifield says it’s “timely”Mitch Fifield says it’s “timely”
The government has appointed Ms Lynelle Briggs AO to conduct a review of the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 (the Online Safety Act), which sets out the powers, functions and governance arrangements for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.The government has appointed Ms Lynelle Briggs AO to conduct a review of the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 (the Online Safety Act), which sets out the powers, functions and governance arrangements for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Ms Briggs will examine whether the provisions in the Online Safety Act remain fit for purpose.Ms Briggs will examine whether the provisions in the Online Safety Act remain fit for purpose.
Ms Briggs will, at the same time, review Schedules 5 and 7 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (BSA) which regulates the internet and content services industries in relation to prohibited content. The review will look at the type of content covered and best practice approaches for regulating online content.”Ms Briggs will, at the same time, review Schedules 5 and 7 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (BSA) which regulates the internet and content services industries in relation to prohibited content. The review will look at the type of content covered and best practice approaches for regulating online content.”
The Greens have emerged from their party room. We’ll bring you what was discussed there as soon as we can.The Greens have emerged from their party room. We’ll bring you what was discussed there as soon as we can.
Labor has put out Bill Shorten’s transcript – the entire exchange can be seen below:
JOURNALIST: Mr Shorten, what business does deserve a tax cut? What size of business rather, deserves a tax cut?
SHORTEN: Well we’ve actually said that we will support any Australian business with an under $2m turnover to get a tax reduction because we think small business could always do with all of the assistance it can get. Beyond that, we’re considering our position between $2 and $10m turnovers but fundamentally you have got to look at priorities.
I just don’t agree with Mr Turnbull that the four big banks deserve $17bn in tax cuts over the next 10 years. I would rather see $17bn be put back into our schools. I don’t agree with Mr Turnbull that multinationals should get a tax cut, yet he is carrying out cuts to our hospitals and health care system. It’s all a matter of values. Now he’s entitled to his opinion, he’s made it very clear – he’s for the top end of town, I’m for our hospitals and school funding.
JOURNALIST: So you will repeal the tax cut between $10 and $50m as already legislated?
SHORTEN: Yes.
Scott Morrison has some words on Bill Shorten’s comments:
Bill Shorten has confirmed yet another giant, job-destroying tax on Aus biz & the economy. Not only has Labor committed to ripping our personal income tax cut away from 9m Aussies, they'll now hit tens of thousands of businesses that employ 1.5m Aussies with high taxes #auspol
And Mathias Cormann also has some thoughts:
Our agenda is about attracting more investment, stronger growth, more jobs & higher wages on the back of stronger competition for workers.Bill Shorten again today pushing higher taxes on business, which would lead to less investment, lower growth, fewer jobs & lower wages.
Bill Shorten says Labor will roll back the company tax cuts – which have already been passed – for businesses that earn between $10m and $50m.
The party is still considering what happens for those between $2m and $10m.
We said that we will support any Australian business with under $2m turnover to get a tax reduction. We think that small business can do with all of the assistance they can get.
“We are considering between $2m and 10m turnovers, beyond that, you have to look at priorities.
“I just don’t agree with Mr Turnbull that the four big banks deserve $17bn in tax cuts over the next 10 years. I would rather see that being put back into our schools. I don’t agree with Mr Turnbull that the multinationals should get a tax cut yet we are carrying out cuts to our hospital and healthcare systems. It is all down to values. He is for the top end of town. He’s made it clear how he feels. I am for education and health funding.”
Asked whether that means he will repeal what has been legislated, Shorten said:
“Yes.”
Bill Shorten spoke at Ceda’s conference this morning in Canberra – afterwards, he was asked about Labor’s decision to personally attack Malcolm Turnbull and his wealth, given that Labor MPs have their own investment and property portfolios.
Listen, let me state this clearly. Good luck to Mr Turnbull for being a very, very wealthy man. It is not his wealth that worries me. It is when he says stupid things. When he says to young couples buying their first home, ‘get rich parents’. When he says to aged care workers in Burnie, why can’t they get a better tax cut, he says, ‘get a better job’. I generally think Mr Turnbull is so out of touch with how millions of Australians live their life. That is the problem.”
The “get rich parents” line goes back to May 2016, when during a radio interview, Turnbull, while chatting with ABC radio host Jon Faine, suggested he “shell out” for his children’s first home deposit:
On ABC radio on Wednesday, Jon Faine asked Turnbull whether his refusal to touch negative gearing was creating generational conflict, with young people resenting the difficulty of entering the housing market.
“They’re saying: ‘For goodness sake, you baby boomers want everything and you’re locking us out,’” Faine said. Turnbull asked if Faine’s children were locked out of the market, and he said they were.
“Well you should shell out for them – you should support them, a wealthy man like you,” Turnbull said.
Faine chuckled and said: “That’s what they say!”
“Well exactly. There you go – you’ve got the solution in your own hands,” Turnbull replied. “You can provide a bit of intergenerational equity in the Faine family.”
Oh – and Australia will now have drones surveilling the coast line.
This is how Sky Net begins:
The Turnbull Government will invest $1.4bn and acquire the first of six MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft through a cooperative program with the United States Navy.
The Triton will complement the surveillance role of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft through sustained operations at long ranges as well as being able to undertake a range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.
Together these aircraft will significantly enhance our anti-submarine warfare and maritime strike capability, as well as our search and rescue capability.
Our number one priority is keeping Australians safe. This investment will protect our borders and make our region more secure.
As part of this investment Australia will also enter into a $200 million cooperative program with the United States Navy for the development, production and sustainment of the MQ-4C Triton.
Australia’s alliance with the US is our most important defence relationship, underpinned by strong cooperation in defence industry and capability development.
This cooperative program will strengthen our ability to to develop advanced capability and conduct joint military operations.
As part of the initial $1.4bn investment in the Triton system, the government will invest $364m on new facilities at RAAF Base Edinburgh and RAAF Base Tindal, as well the necessary ground control systems, support and training required to implement a project of this nature.
The project is expected to create about 70 jobs across South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Northrop Grumman as supplier of the Triton will play a lead role in delivering the capability in Australia. This investment follows Northrop’s commitment to a $50m advanced Electronic Sustainment Centre of Excellence at the new Western Sydney Airport.
Australia has already taken delivery of seven Poseidon aircraft and achieved Initial Operational Capability earlier this year. The full fleet of 12 Poseidon aircraft is expected to be delivered and in operation by 2022.
The first of the Triton aircraft is expected to be introduced into service in mid-2023 with all six aircraft planned to be delivered and in operation by late 2025, based at RAAF Base, Edinburgh in South Australia.
The Orion fleet has performed exceptionally on operations throughout its distinguished service, and the last of these aircraft will be over 40 years old when they are withdrawn from service in 2023.”
Mark Butler stopped by doors to talk energy (within the Coalition party room):
Now it appears from reports this morning that instead of focusing on a policy that we know will actually underpin realistic investment, this energy committee, chaired by Craig Kelly, attended by people like Tony Abbott, instead is going to focus on a fantasy of Australia building new coal-fired power stations. When Malcolm Turnbull first floated this idea last year he was given a resounding message from business that new coal-fired power stations are simply uninvestable in this country. Indeed, the only businessman that indicated any interest in partnering with Malcolm Turnbull in such a venture was Clive Palmer, whose last great idea was building Titanic II. The government was also given a message from the Energy Security Board that no investor is going to go near a new coal-fired power station. And Malcolm Turnbull’s own pet project, Snowy 2.0, it has been made very clear, will only be viable with a high renewable energy future and not with new coal-fired power stations.It is time for Malcolm Turnbull to engage in some plain speaking to his party room this morning. The longer the Coalition engages in these fantasies of building new coal-fired power stations, the longer Australians are going to have to wait for an energy policy that will start to put downward pressure on household and business power bills.
Sky News is back on at Parliament House, just in time for us to see Christopher Pyne talk drones.
He also wades into the aspiration battles. Please let this end soon.
.@cpyne on Labor's criticism of tax cuts: Every Australian wants to earn more money and move up the ranks...we're like salmons swimming upstream, that's what we do best. Labor politicians are hypocrites...they're property tycoons. MORE: https://t.co/5WizPEfB6e #FirstEdition pic.twitter.com/TS07eIYfo5
Lee Rhiannon, who will retire from the Senate in mid-August, gave a speech during the adjournment debate last night, where she defended the New South Wales Greens – and also took a shot at how the $1.6m Graeme Wood donation was used (spoiler – she would have rejected it, even if it was offered to the NSW Greens, which it wasn’t) and goes on to talk about the party’s declining vote.
From her speech: (Page 130 of the Senate Hansard)
In 2010, I was elected a Greens senator in NSW, with the party polling 10.69% of the vote. This is the highest vote ever achieved by the Greens in NSW in a Senate election. The Green NSW Senate vote in that election, however, was lower than that for other state Greens parties across the country.
A significant reason for that lower Senate result was how the $1.6m that Graeme Wood donated to the Australian Greens was used. This money was spent on advertising to assist the Greens election campaign in every state and territory except NSW. No money was offered to the Greens NSW. If any money had been offered to NSW, I doubt that we would have accepted it, as we oppose large political donations on the basis that they potentially buy influence and distort our democracy.
The Greens Senate results in 2010 are informative. They demonstrate that big money buys advertising that, in turn, can win over voters. The results also show how an empowered party — in this case, the Greens NSW — where members have a major say in the campaign and that is promoting policies for the public good can increase votes without relying on big donations.
Our members work incredibly hard on election campaigns, and that is why I was elected as an MP and why the Greens have had the electoral success that we have achieved in NSW. Members control party campaigns.
Since 2010, there has been some decline in the Australians Greens vote. Some people assert that the Greens NSW is causing the slump in the nationwide Greens vote. That is ridiculous. I’m not keen on making comparisons of Greens NSW voting achievements to those of other states, but I have decided to put this on the record, as the misinformation about the Greens NSW and myself is quite shocking.
Recent Greens election results have been inconsistent, but they include strong results in the Queensland 2017 state election and the NSW local government elections in both 2016 and 2017. Obviously a party’s vote is determined primarily by one’s political stance but organisational factors right through to the party’s position on the ballot paper are relevant.
The following Greens vote figures by state show that a number of Greens state parties have experienced a higher drop in their federal vote when compared to the drop in the Greens NSW vote.
Compared to 2010, the 2016 Greens Senate vote in NSW dropped by 3.3%, in Western Australia by 3.4% and in Victoria by 3.8%. In Tasmania, the Greens Senate vote declined by 9% since the 2010 high-water mark.
A similar trend is evident in the Greens House of Representatives vote. I am highlighting that this voting data is not consistent with the narrative built about the Greens NSW. The unethical attacks on the Greens NSW do not help anyone other than the opponents of the Greens.”
GST is back on the agenda.
Cabinet will have had a look at the review into how we should split the revenue pool among the states and territories by now, but I think there will most likely be internal briefings before we get a look at it – so all those coalition MPs can take it back to their electorates. Particularly the WA ones.
Pauline Hanson has adopted GST reform as one of her issues (again) and (again) has said she will disadvantage her home state of Queensland, if it means a fairer share for WA.
“I’m the leader of a national party. You’ve got to look at what is fair and just, right across, for all Australians. And I will still stand by that,” she told The West Australian late last week.
Last time she said that, during an interview with a Perth radio station, during the WA state election, she denied it. Presented with the evidence, she then back tracked from her comments.
The coalition party room is meeting to hear all the benefits of its own policy, as Josh Frydenberg and the moderates work to stamp out a conservative rebellion.
If it seems dramatic, that is because it is. Tony Abbott may be a pain, but he is also a former prime minister and a former prime minister crossing the floor against his party is not the visual the Liberals want as they slide towards an election.
Frydenberg has giving the signal that he is not against a new coal-fired power plant, which may be enough to appease the dissenters. But then he has to take that attitude into Coag, where Labor states, with their renewable energy targets, aren’t so into coal as the future.
So that should be fun.
The tax wars are also rolling on, although there is no real movement there – the government still doesn’t have the numbers for its company tax cuts and probably won’t get close until after the 28 July byelections. Meanwhile, the government has stepped up its counter-attack against Labor, with the Daily Tele carrying a story on Malcolm Turnbull donating his $528,000 salary to charity, while the Oz has looked at Labor MPs who own investment homes – which would remain negatively geared, even if Labor wins the next election and axes the investment tax break.
And Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson are still taking potshots at each other and Lee Rhiannon has defended the NSW Greens as the best Greens.
So it is situation normal in the 45th parliament.
Follow along with Mike Bowers at @mikepbowers and @mpbowers and me in the comments and at @amyremeikis or for some behind the scenes/morning political update on the story at @pyjamapolitics.
The Sky News channel is down here, but I will do my best to track down those interviews for you (thank goodness for A-Pac) and we will struggle through.
Ready? Let’s get started.