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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/jun/28/politics-coalition-labor-tax-shorten-turnbull
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| Tax battle continues for last sitting day – politics live | Tax battle continues for last sitting day – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Mathias Cormann has called a press conference for 10am - in the Blue Room, which is where the government goes when they have something important to say (outside of the prime minister’s courtyard, it is the most ‘serious’ press conference space’. | |
| So, bets are on - deal on company tax or another ‘Labor needs to....’? | |
| The family law changes announced this morning will mean that a victim of family violence will be protected from having to face the perpetrator in court. | |
| There is no question that directly facing a perpetrator or alleged perpetrator of family violence compounds the trauma of that violence and can also impact on the ability of a victim to give clear evidence in legal proceedings,” Christian Porter said in his statement. | |
| “The family law amendment (family violence and cross-examination of parties) bill 2018 will prohibit direct cross‑examination in specific and serious circumstances to protect victims from re-traumatisation. This includes where there are convictions, charges or final family violence orders in place between the parties. | |
| “Courts will also have discretion to prohibit direct cross-examination in cases where family violence is alleged and, if a court does not exercise that discretion, it will be mandatory for the court to apply other protections, such as the use of video links or screens in the court room. | |
| “In cases where direct cross-examination is prohibited under these amendments, cross-examination must be conducted by a legal representative. Naturally parties will be able to obtain their own legal representation in these proceedings. However, parties will also have access to representation through legal aid commissions when that is not possible, and the government is working closely with national legal aid regarding implementation of the bill. | |
| “Protection for victims of family violence in family law proceedings was identified as a key issue by the Council of Australian Governments’ national summit on reducing violence against women and their children.” | |
| Andrew Leigh was also out early this morning on the tax cuts issue: | |
| Nine out of 10 companies are getting the same tax cut under Labor. The majority of voters are getting a bigger personal income tax cut under Labor. And all voters will see debt paid down faster, and their schools and hospitals better funded under Labor. We hit the trifecta in terms of investing in services, delivering affordable personal income tax cuts, and paying debt down faster.” | |
| Tanya Plibersek spoke to the media this morning after her ABC appearance. | |
| In her ABC interview she said that the leadership team had “many discussions” about winding back the legislated company tax cuts for businesses with a turnover between $10m and $50m. | |
| “I’ve had so many discussions with Bill, Chris Bowen and others about how we best direct tax support to Australian businesses and families. I mean, we’ve got our Australian guarantee that would allow businesses to immediately write off investments up to $20,000. | |
| “That’s real tax relief for Australian businesses that drives extra investment in Australia. It actually creates jobs in Australia, doesn’t just flow to overseas shareholders. We’ve got bigger, more generous tax cuts for the bulk of Australians through our personal income tax proposals as well. In fact, most Australians would get almost twice as much under Labor’s tax cut proposal, so we know where we want to see tax relief directed. We want to see it for small businesses, for families on low and middle incomes. We’re not interested in giving tax cuts at the top end.” | |
| At her doorstop after that interview, Plibersek said she didn’t believe the process stories interested anyone other than the press gallery. | |
| “ ... That’s what Australians care about, what their government will do to make their lives better, make their lives easier. We have announced personal income tax cuts which are almost double for people on low and medium incomes – everybody up to $125,000 a year income is better off under Labor. That is what matters to people’s lives. Having their penalty rates protected; that is what matters to people’s lives.” | |
| Paul Karp will bring you more on this soon, but the government is making it easier to call in the troops for domestic based terrorist incidents. | |
| Christian Porter cited “long siege situations” in announcing the new powers, which is a call back to the Lindt cafe siege. It’s the biggest change to “call-out” powers since those put in place for the Sydney Olympics. | |
| As the laws stand, a state would have to declare a situation as being out of control before the military could be called in. Under the changes, defence forces have pre-approval to respond to requests for assistance. | |
| Attorney-General @cporterwa: The Lindt Café siege prompted the states and territories to rethink of the existing threshold for responding to such circumstances.MORE: https://t.co/zjyBkhyYkM #amagenda pic.twitter.com/K7TfnAdrBW | Attorney-General @cporterwa: The Lindt Café siege prompted the states and territories to rethink of the existing threshold for responding to such circumstances.MORE: https://t.co/zjyBkhyYkM #amagenda pic.twitter.com/K7TfnAdrBW |
| ... before the six-week winter recess. | |
| The government has a bit to get through before parliament rises, with the foreign interference laws being top of the list. | The government has a bit to get through before parliament rises, with the foreign interference laws being top of the list. |
| No one wants to be back here tomorrow though, so I expect the chambers will get down to business. | No one wants to be back here tomorrow though, so I expect the chambers will get down to business. |
| Tax continues to be the topic du jour, with Labor urging One Nation not to blink on company tax laws. That is sitting about fourth on the Senate agenda so far, and it’s not just One Nation – the government also needs another crossbencher or so to get it across the line. | |
| No one expects any movement on that until after the byelections though, on 28 July. | |
| A Reachtel poll first published in the Courier-Mail shows the LNP ahead of Labor in Longman, 51 to 49. As we know from the most recent WA state byelection, where Labor was well ahead, polling individual seats is notoriously fraught. But that doesn’t mean everything that has been happening in Canberra isn’t having an impact on Longman, and Braddon. That poll also showed about 67% of One Nation voters support the company tax cuts, more so even than Liberal voters. | |
| Labor’s leadership team is expected to meet today to sort out its position on company tax – signing off on Bill Shorten’s decision to scrap the legislated tax cuts for businesses with a turnover of between $10m and $50m while working out what to do with those with a turnover between $2m and $10m. From what I am hearing, those smaller business tax cuts look like staying in place. About 2% of Australian businesses have the higher turnover, while thousands more sit in that smaller bracket. | |
| With caucus not being shy in reporting back what they are hearing from their electorates, the leadership is not expected to make any further changes. | With caucus not being shy in reporting back what they are hearing from their electorates, the leadership is not expected to make any further changes. |
| Meanwhile, the attorney general, Christian Porter, has announced changes which will make it easier for state authorities to call in the military for domestic terrorist incidents, as well as addressing victims of family violence being cross-examined by their attackers in court. | |
| So we have a lot to get through already! | So we have a lot to get through already! |
| Mike Bowers is already walking the hallways. You’ll find him on Instagram at @mikepbowers and twitter at @mpbowers. You can find me at @amyremeikis and giving updates which continue, outside sitting days, in the instagram story of @pyjamapolitics. | |
| I am on coffee number two, which is already a better position than yesterday, so let’s get started! | I am on coffee number two, which is already a better position than yesterday, so let’s get started! |