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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/dec/16/labor-national-conference-day-one-politics-live
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Bill Shorten makes pitch to be next PM at Labor national conference as anti-Adani protesters removed – live | Bill Shorten makes pitch to be next PM at Labor national conference as anti-Adani protesters removed – live |
(35 minutes later) | |
Matt Thistlethwaite is up next. He is thanking the party for supporting and campaigning for a royal commission into the banks, but he is calling for the next steps: | |
Labor has long had concerns about the systemic misconduct within the financial services sector, particularly the big banks. | |
In April 2016, the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Treasurer took the bold and courageous step of announcing that Labor would call for a Royal Commission into the banks and financial services industry. Federal Labor successfully fought for the establishment of the Banking Royal Commission, against opposition from the Liberals and then-Treasurer Scott Morrison – who voted against the establishment of a Banking Royal Commission 26 times. | |
The Royal Commission is now uncovering sickening and systemic misconduct and crime in financial services including | |
hundreds of millions of dollars that have been charged in ‘fees for no service’ – including fees charged to dead people; | |
hundreds of thousands of potentially criminal breaches of financial services law; | |
First Nations communities being targeted by appalling predatory lending and insurance sales; | |
lenders routinely duping Australians into shockingly inappropriate loans; and | |
low income Australians, small businesses and farmers having their lives destroyed by the big banks. | |
The culture within the industry, driven by boards and senior executives – particularly the big banks – has been profoundly damaged by greed. This culture has resulted in poor outcomes for customers and workers across the sector. The Banking Royal Commission provides a once in a generation opportunity to create more fairness in an industry that affects every single Australian. Only a Labor Government can be trusted to clean up this sector. | |
A future Labor Government will establish a Financial Services Royal Commission Implementation Taskforce, to reform the culture of profit over people in the financial services sector. A Labor Government will crack down on the banks and other lenders and put in place the policies necessary to ensure this kind of misconduct is appropriately punished. | |
Conference supports a future Labor Government taking action to address: | |
the dishonesty and profound greed within the sector, particularly the issue of conflicted remuneration; | |
the failure of regulators to prevent this misconduct; | |
the inadequate support for victims of misconduct; and | |
the lack of common decency within the big banks and their inadequate hardship policies. | |
Cathy O’Toole, who is in for a massive fight to keep Herbert (a literal handful of votes won her the Queensland seat in the last election, and it is Labor’s most marginal seat) is speaking in support of the super changes. | |
It is carried. | |
The trade amendments were passed. | |
The conference has moved on to the gender pay gap: | |
Universal superannuation is a vital part of a system designed to give Australian workers a decent standard of living in retirement after a lifetime of work. But the Superannuation system is failing women. | |
On average, women retire with 47% less superannuation than men. This is a national disgrace and institutionalised gender discrimination. | |
A range of factors combine to create this wicked problem for women, most notably: | |
The gender pay gap | |
Caring responsibilities | |
Low pay and insecure work | |
Feminised industries that undervalue women’s work | |
Relationship breakdown | |
Unaffordable housing particularly for renters | |
Regressive tax treatments | |
The coalition federal government has repeatedly failed to deliver policies that will improve women’s retirement incomes. | |
Conference commends Senator Jenny McAllister on her work chairing the Economic Security for Women in Retirement Inquiry in 2016, and the Opposition Leader, Shadow Minister for Women, Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services for their work in making announcements that Labor in Government will: | |
Eliminate the $450 minimum threshold for compulsory employer superannuation contributions; and | |
Pay superannuation on the federal government Paid Parental Leave Scheme. | |
There is more to be done. Unions have undertaken extensive research which highlights that women are at greater risk of poverty, housing stress and homelessness in retirement. | |
Conference supports the following policy priorities and amendments to applicable legislation and regulations to address the structural disadvantages women face in the superannuation system: | |
Closing the gender pay gap through a range of measures including providing an effective mechanism for unions to pursue pay equity claims through the workplace relations system; | |
Ensuring workers are paid superannuation on every dollar they earn; | |
Moving towards paid maternity leave being considered Ordinary Time Earnings, for the purposes of the Superannuation Guarantee; | |
Increasing the SGC to 12% without delay; and | |
Within the first 6 months of taking office, initiating an expert review to examine the adequacy of mechanisms to strengthen the superannuation balances of women, including options for government contributions to account balances where the account balance is very low, and the optimal timing and nature of such contributions. | |
Pat Conroy, and his linen jacket, which has so far been the talk of the conference (I can not tell you how many messages I have received from Labor MPs and staff asking if I have seen Pat’s jacket) is also speaking in support of these trade amendments. | |
He says Labor will reject free trade agreements which are against Australia’s national interests. | |
Labor’s shadow trade minister, Jason Clare, has moved the following amendments, reflecting commitments to tighten trade deal standards negotiated in caucus after Labor agreed to pass the TPP11: | |
Labor will prohibit through legislation the commonwealth signing trade agreements that: | |
Labor in opposition will oppose agreements which do not comply with points 1-11, nor will most favoured nation status be used to undermine them. | |
If prior to an election of a Labor government trade agreements are signed which are not consistent with the above, Labor in government will renegotiate the agreement to ensure it is consistent with the above points before bringing any enabling legislation before the parliament. | |
Cassandra Goldie of the Australian Council of Social Services has warmly welcomed Labor’s $6bn affordable housing pledge: | |
“The cost of housing is crippling low-income people with many being forced into homelessness,” Acoss CEO Cassandra Goldie said. | |
“We welcome Labor’s announcement which focuses on the plight of renters on low to moderate incomes and includes ambitious affordable housing targets that would go a long way towards tackling Australia’s chronic shortage of affordable housing. | |
“It’s significant that Labor’s program to drive investment in new affordable rental stock would encourage energy efficiency, as we know low-income households have to spend a far greater proportion of their income on electricity bills than medium and high income households. | |
“We welcome the opposition’s commitment, and we now need the Morrison government to urgently address our housing affordability crisis. | |
“Australia now has the highest median wealth in the world and yet still we have people sleeping rough or going without food in order to pay rent. | |
“The reality is that even with Labor’s commitment to provide housing at 20% less than market rate, these homes will still be out of reach for many low income earners. We must address the erosion of the social housing system which provides a vital safety net for the most disadvantaged in our community. | |
“To help those struggling the most financially, we need to address the inadequacy of commonwealth rent assistance through an increase of $20 per week, which Labor’s package today stops short of committing. Combined with a $75 per week increase to Newstart, modelling shows that a $20 a week increase to rent assistance would bridge the gap between low incomes and minimum living costs for a single person household. | |
“We can afford to ensure that everyone has a roof over their head, including by reforming housing tax concessions, which disproportionately benefit the very wealthy.” | |
All those other motions were carried. | |
Jason Clare is now arguing for a change in how trade deals are done. | |
That’s because of the big debate the caucus just had over Labor supporting the TPP 11. | |
Clare wants trade to “not just be free, but fair”. | |
The compromise motion on the Asic and Apra baby sitter is: | |
“Labor will promote an accessible, affordable, and fair Australian finance sector by ensuring our financial institutions are: | |
Regulated appropriately and professionally, including appropriate oversight for our financial regulators.” | |
The upcoming motions: | |
45. Labor will implement policies that work towards closing the significant gender gap in superannuation savings, including eliminating the $450 minimum threshold for compulsory employer contributions and paying superannuation on the Federal Government paid parental leave scheme. Further, Labor will, within the first 6 months of taking office, initiate an expert review to examine the adequacy of mechanisms to strengthen the superannuation balances of women, including options for government contributions to account balances where the account balance is very low, and the optimal timing and nature of such contributions. Labor will work with unions and employers to make the structural changes necessary to repair the diverging accumulation pathways of men and women’s superannuation balances. | |
46. We understand the particular challenge for millions of Australians who for parts of their career are primary carers, including those women on parental leave without pay, and the shortfalls they may experience in generating appropriate retirement income levels. Labor will legislate to provide superannuation contributions on the Government paid parental leave scheme. | |
50. Labor will work with the Superannuation industry to streamline processes for consolidating multiple superannuation accounts to maximise the retirement savings of Australians. | |
51. Labor will work with the Superannuation industry to deliver fee relief for workers on unpaid carers leave to ensure that superannuation products are not adversely impacting workers with caring responsibilities. | |
It turns out we can’t access the motions page, because we are not connected to the local internet server, which we also can not access. | |
It has been, quite the morning. | |
Paul Karp has ridden to my rescue (along with my phone hotspot, bless it) | |
These are the amendments they’re currently debating: | |
Labor will urgently prioritise this objective by ending the freeze and increasing the Superannuation Guarantee to 12 per cent as soon as practicable. Once the important goal of 12% has been achieved Labor will set out the pathway to its original objective of 15% to further enhance retirement income adequacy for workers. | |
Adding more consumer safeguards including “schemes to protect customers from negligent and fraudulent financial services providers”. | |
Labor will ensure that the Royal Commission is given enough time to consider all the injustices suffered by victims of the banking and financial services sector and that it delivers restorative justice to those wronged. Labor will implement recommendations from the Royal Commission which benefit and protect everyday Australians and prevent wrongdoing from taking place again. | |
All were just carried. | |
And an update: | |
The Michael O’Connor motion, asking for an oversight for the regulators has been “settled”. | |
A compromise motion will be put forward, but no vote. | |
I think we can take from that, that there will be a motion talking about the desirability of having oversight, but the actual body will be something discussed later. | |
A delegate has just stepped up to the podium, and I think it is Paddy Crumblin, to thank Wayne Swan for getting Australia through the global financial crisis. He also has a few choice words for Rupert Murdoch. I think you can fill in the blanks for what those words were *insert duck emoji* | |
The amendment motion page is down (dreaded 404 link) but we’ll bring you what is happening again soon. | The amendment motion page is down (dreaded 404 link) but we’ll bring you what is happening again soon. |
So far, it has been on the finance sector and on superannuation, for which there is agreement. | So far, it has been on the finance sector and on superannuation, for which there is agreement. |
The only thing which has not been agreed upon, so far, is those Asic and Apra babysitters (the proposed board which sits above them) but a quick chat with a few delegates points to them almost coming to an agreement. | |
The official David Hurley statement has been released by the PMO: | The official David Hurley statement has been released by the PMO: |
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has approved my recommendation to appoint His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) as Australia’s next governor general. | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has approved my recommendation to appoint His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) as Australia’s next governor general. |
General Hurley will be Australia’s 27th governor general. | General Hurley will be Australia’s 27th governor general. |
General Hurley is currently the governor of New South Wales, having been appointed to the role in October 2014. | General Hurley is currently the governor of New South Wales, having been appointed to the role in October 2014. |
He has been a very popular governor of NSW. From his weekly boxing workouts with Indigenous children as part of the Tribal Warriors program to his frequent regional trips, Governor Hurley is known for being generous and approachable to old and young alike. | He has been a very popular governor of NSW. From his weekly boxing workouts with Indigenous children as part of the Tribal Warriors program to his frequent regional trips, Governor Hurley is known for being generous and approachable to old and young alike. |
General Hurley will be sworn in on 28 June 2019, to allow for the fulfilment of his duties as governor of New South Wales. | General Hurley will be sworn in on 28 June 2019, to allow for the fulfilment of his duties as governor of New South Wales. |
Her Majesty The Queen has agreed to extend the appointment of the current Governor General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), until that time. | Her Majesty The Queen has agreed to extend the appointment of the current Governor General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), until that time. |
Prior to his appointment as Governor of New South Wales, General Hurley served in the Australian Army for 42 years, including as the Chief of the Defence Force from 2011 to 2014. | Prior to his appointment as Governor of New South Wales, General Hurley served in the Australian Army for 42 years, including as the Chief of the Defence Force from 2011 to 2014. |
He was appointed a companion of the order of Australia in 2010 for eminent service to the Australian defence force and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership during Operation SOLACE in Somalia in 1993. | He was appointed a companion of the order of Australia in 2010 for eminent service to the Australian defence force and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership during Operation SOLACE in Somalia in 1993. |
General Hurley and Mrs Hurley have been married for 41 years and they have three adult children: Caitlin, Marcus and Amelia. | General Hurley and Mrs Hurley have been married for 41 years and they have three adult children: Caitlin, Marcus and Amelia. |
The governor general holds office at the pleasure of the Queen, however the term is usually understood to be five years. | The governor general holds office at the pleasure of the Queen, however the term is usually understood to be five years. |
General Cosgrove has discharged his duties to date with distinction and grace and I thank him for agreeing to continue in the role to assist in the transition. | General Cosgrove has discharged his duties to date with distinction and grace and I thank him for agreeing to continue in the role to assist in the transition. |