This week was all about tax, or at least that’s the way it felt.
This week marked the start of the last two weeks of sitting before the Winter Break. The Government desperately wants to get their tax changes through the parliament before this break – and they have succeeded, at least with the personal tax cuts.
These personal tax cuts have been a spot of contention, because while there is bipartisan support for the first two phases of the government’s plans, the Labor party does not support the final phase, which is not only many years away but is a nice (and slightly better) cut in taxes for those on higher incomes. Labor did want to split the bill, and put through the bits it did like to help those on low and middle incomes, who they feel deserve a cut but the Coalition was having none of it. After stalling in the Senate on Wednesday by tying the votes 34-34 (which negates a bill – I learned something this week) but the Government tried again after sweet talking Pauline Hanson and her one remaining One Nation senator, as well as the Centre Alliance (the party formerly known as NXT) senator.
The bill then passed on Thursday, meaning that our tax system will change. We will eventually loose the 37% tax bracket in the next ten years, with the bulk of the population paying 32.5% tax on income over $37,000. Australia’s tax system is progressive, in that you pay more tax if you earn more money, and this is theoretically meant to be a buffer on wage growth. Anyway, one of the big sweeteners for lower- and middle-income earners is that the government has promised that their rebate from these tax changes will increase when they do their 2017-18 tax return later this year – or at least that’s how it’s being touted.
It’s now starting to look like one of the big issues that the “Super Saturday” by-elections will be about on will be tax. Some in these electorates are happy for the rebate increase, but irritated that the higher income earners will eventually get a better deal than them within the next ten years. Many in the seat of Braddon in Tasmania, who work in what are classed as low- and middle-income jobs, feel a bit ripped off that they’ll only get about $10 extra a week with this rebate, despite the cost of living increasing and wages stagnating.
Farmers are angry that the Banking Royal Commission will only hear evidence for four days. Farmers argue that is not enough time to hear about how they have been treated by the banks with allegations of mismanagement of accounts. There is a chance that commissioner Kenneth Hayne could extend the hearings but this seems unlikely.
Meanwhile, there is now questions over whether there is going to be a Labor party spill with Anthony Albanese challenging Bill Shorten. It all stems from a speech Albanese made, in which he suggested the party was going in a direction he did not like. A spill at this point in the game seems unlikely to me, because for the Labor party to change the federal parliamentary leader they require a national vote of the rank and file members as well as the parliamentary caucus (the MPs and Senators), which costs money. I don’t remember if they revealed the cost of the vote back in 2016, but it’s bound to be a lot of money and this is an expense they’re unlikely to want to make in the run up to an election that could happen in the next six to nine months. There is also concern that with Super Saturday, Labor could lose either Longman or Braddon (which are held by margins of less than 2%) – or both seats, which could make Shorten’s life harder.
There has been further changes to Brian Burston’s Senate existence. After leaving the One Nation party last week, he’s suddenly joined Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party. He says he decided less than an hour before publicly announcing it – but ferreting by journalists suggest that it has been longer given an advisor to Burston was posting United Australia Party stuff earlier in the morning on the day of the announcement. Meanwhile one of the other One Nation defectors, Fraser Anning (who took over from Malcolm Roberts) has announced he’s joining the Katter Australia Party.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is reeling after a meeting at the Arncliffe (in Sydney) branch of the party ended with a brawl. Two people ended up in hospital, the police were called and there is now a police investigation and an internal Liberal Party investigation. It’s thought the brawl started around some sort of local council candidacy issue, while others suggest it may be tensions between Muslims and Coptic Christians – which the branch leader denies.
Finally this week, there are calls to crack down on “dark web” sales of opioids and calls to monitor some doctors who are helping opioid addicts get codeine after the restrictions placed upon their sale earlier this year; the rainbow crossing is returning to Surry Hills (although no longer on the main road); and house prices are falling (which might be a good thing for young adults trying to buy a home), with prices expected to fall a little more over the next 12-18 months.
Tweet of the Week
The employees of the ABC are getting tired of the politics surrounding them…
https://twitter.com/leighsales/status/1008512310707490816
Things I’ve Been Looking at Online
Muriel Porter on the Anglican Church’s position against same-sex marriage – ABC Online
Leigh Sales, the Logie Awards, and 7:30 – SMH
Emmanuel Macron reprimanding a kid is earning him brownie points – ABC Online
Kara L 