Productivity growth has fallen significantly
The Economist Intelligence Unit now ranks Australia as the second worst of 51 countries for productivity growth ahead only of Botswana
The next wave of investment is now at risk
About $75 billion worth of resource projects have been cancelled in the past 12 months and a further $100 billion are at serious risk
For example: BHP has deferred its massive Olympic Dam expansion in South Australia and in Western Australia, Fortescue and BHP have scaled back expansion plans and Japan’s Mitsubishi has shelved the$6 billion Oakajee development
With commodity prices still high despite recent falls, this raises serious questions:
about the imposition of new taxes like the mining tax and carbon tax –particularly when we are the only country with a resource based economy to impose an economy-wide carbon tax;
about Australia’s sovereign risk profile which has dramatically increased with the introduction of these new taxes;
about Australia’s poor recent levels of productivity performance and the need to make Australia more competitive and productive;
about growing union militancy in work places; //|and
about Australia’s high project development costs now affecting investment decisions
GDP is growing too slowly
Australia’s GDP per head has grown by only just over 0.5 per cent per year under Labor compared to well over 2 per cent a year under the Coalition
The economy is now slowing with the Reserve Bank cutting its economic growth forecasts and warning the resources boom is losing steam faster than expected
As UBS economist Scott Haslem said: “While the RBA sounds less certain on domestic growth…they now appear even more worried about domestic inflation and productivity”
Monetary policy is now being used to try and catch a falling economy
“We Australians are a great people with a great destiny”
Over-regulation is strangling our businesses and driving up costs
An Australian Chamber of Commerce and industry survey showed that 73 per cent of businesses report greater increases in regulation over the past two years and 60 per cent of businesses spend over $5,000 a year just meeting regulatory requirements
Inflexible work practices are holding our industries back
The Australian Industry Group warns there are too many unnecessary barriers on productivity and flexibility that will lead to more business closures and jobs going overseas
They say it’s not about slashing wages, working conditions or living standards, but they fear the nation is going “the wrong way down a one-way street”
Australia’s pace of jobs growth has been 30 percent lower under Labor
Under Labor, the pace of jobs growth has averaged 1.5 per cent a year compared with 2.2 per cent under the Coalition –a 30 per cent slower pace of jobs growth
And less than half of the new jobs under Labor have been private sector jobs compared with over 70 per cent under the Howard Government
Jobs growth over the past two years has slowed to its weakest pace in 15 years
And Australia’s work force participation rate has dropped
Without a strong, g rowing economy, other challenges can’t be properly addressed
Without a strong, prosperous economy the nation won’t have the financial means to address all the other challenges facing Australia,
like the need for more modern infrastructure,
better services like health and education
and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
as well as the need to restore defence funding
That’s why a strong, prosperous economy is central to everything
Australians are being let down by a bad government
Australians know that this is a great country let down by a bad government interested only in its own survival–with no economic plan for Australia other than to run deficits and spend more money
4 Delivering a strong, prosperous economy
The importance of a responsible economic strategy
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to deliver a strong, prosperous economy based on the fundamental truth that the best long-term economic strategy for Australia is to get our finances in order,
build a strong growth-powered economy with less debt
and make Australia more productive and competitive in the global economy
Our plan will deliver more jobs, higher real wages and better living standards for all Australians
The elements of our economic plan
We will live within our means, get the Budget back under control and pay back debt
We will lower taxes to stimulate stronger economic growth and unleash our real economic potential
We will boost productivity to secure greater prosperity
and build more 21st Century infrastructure
We will deepen our engagement with Asia and deliver more growth from Asia
We will help small business create stronger jobs growth
We will build a more diverse, world-class 5-Pillar economy that unleashes Australia’s potential
Building a strong, productive and prosperous economy with less debt benefits everyone
We believe a strong, productive and prosperous economy,
ideally free from the burdens of debt, is the basis for realising all our other goals for Australia
In fact, it provides the financial means to enable us to help those in need, particularly the disadvantaged
A prosperous economy with less debt is the essential ingredient that allows us all to secure the aspirations we have for ourselves, our families and our country
“The best way to restore politicians’ standing is to have governments which meddle less and lead more”
5 Living within our means and getting the Budget back under control
POLICY PRIORITY
We will get the Budget back under control, cut waste and start reducing debt – to take unnecessary pressure off interest rates; and to protect the Australian economy from another financial crisis
Protecting Australia from a debt crisis – paying down debt
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to live within our means and get the Budget back under control
With Australia’s net debt over $160 billion, Australia is more vulnerable to an economic shock and has less protection in the event of a financial crisis
This is why we are so determined to get the Budget back under control and get back on the path to real prosperity
Sound budget management means a sustainable surplus over the medium-term because governments have to live within their means if we wish to leave the next generation better off, not worse off
We will manage the economy and Budget responsibly to ensure our children are not burdened by unfairly high taxes and left with an unfair debt legacy
The Coalition will protect the Australian economy from economic shocks and create the conditions which keep interest rates as low as possible and reduce debt interest payments, which are now costing the Australian public over $7 billion a year
By repaying debt, this annual $7 billion of debt interest payments could instead be better spent on better services such as health and education and for tax relief
Getting the Budget back under control
We will:
get the Budget back under control, start delivering real Budget surpluses, pay down debt and take pressure off the high Australian dollar;
immediately establish a Commission of Audit to identify savings and efficiencies in all areas of government,
so we can reduce government debt and start delivering better value for money and sustainable Budget surpluses into the future;
end government waste and ensure better value-for-money in government programmes so that Australia no longer needs to keep borrowing money to prop up its Budget; //|and
start reducing government debt so the government won’t need to spend $7 billion a year on wasted interest payments
Living within our means on a sustainable basis
We will restore prudent financial management and live within our means on a sustainable, longer-term basis to restore structural integrity to the Budget
We will:
act in a responsible way to protect Australian families and deliver better frontline services
whilst repairing Australia’s Budget and putting it on a sustainable, longer-term footing;
deliver a more effective and responsive public service focused on your needs
6 Lowering taxes to unleash our real economic potential
Delivering lower taxes and growing a stronger economy
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to lower taxes to stimulate stronger economic growth and make Australia more competitive in the global economy
We will abolish unnecessary taxes to unleash Australia’s real economic potential and to encourage businesses to invest and grow and create more jobs
Personal income tax cut – without the carbon tax
We will fund personal income tax cuts for individuals and families – without a carbon tax
We pledge to the families of Australia that we will never make your lives harder by imposing needless new taxes and we will free Australians from the burdens of the carbon tax
Cutting company tax – without the mining tax
We will deliver a modest cut in company tax – funded from savings in the Budget
Scrapping the carbon tax – reducing cost-of-living pressures
We will immediately introduce legislation to scrap the world’s biggest carbon tax and start reducing cost of living pressures for all Australians caused by rapidly rising electricity and gas prices
By repealing the world’s biggest carbon tax we will secure a bigger economy – an extra $1 trillion of lost output cumulatively by 2050 on Labor’s own figures, or the equivalent of shutting down the whole Australian economy for almost a year
This will secure more Australian jobs, boost Australia’s exports and make Australia’s businesses more competitive and productive
No other energy-rich country has introduced an economy wide carbon tax
The world’s biggest carbon tax damages the Australian economy, drives up prices unnecessarily, hits the cost-of-living of families, hurts small businesses and makes all Australian businesses less competitive in both domestic and international markets
We will take direct action to reduce carbon emissions
Through the Coalition’s Direct Action Plan we will deliver on our commitment to a five per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020
We will reduce emissions inside Australia, not by paying billions of dollars to foreign carbon traders
We will act immediately to abolish the carbon tax
On day one of a new government– we will instruct the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to draft legislation to repeal the carbon tax
The Finance Minister will notify the Clean Energy Finance Corporation that it should suspend its operations and instruct the Department of Finance to draft legislation to permanently shut down the$10 billion fund
The Environment Minister will instruct the department to start implementing the Coalition’s Direct Action Plan on climate change and carbon emissions
Legislation to repeal the carbon tax will be the first piece of legislation the Coalition will introduce
“No country has ever taxed itself into prosperity”
Abolishing the mining tax – growing a stronger economy
We will abolish the mining tax and restore Australia’s international reputation as a safe and reliable place to invest, making Australia more competitive in the global economy
• We are determined to attract more investment in Australia’s mining sector, encourage the development of the world’s best mining industry and harness the comparative advantages we have as one of the world’s great mining and energy rich resource countries
The mining tax damages Australia’s international reputation overseas, increases our sovereign risk profile, damages investor confidence and deters investment in Australia in favour of other countries
The compliance costs of the mining tax push up costs for our mining companies making them less productive and less competitive
As a result, Australia is becoming less competitive in the global economy and is heading in the wrong direction
The Coalition is determined to deliver a more positive environment for mining
By abolishing the mining tax, we will re-energise the entire industry and this will lead to increased mining investment with more mining projects coming on stream
This will lead to an eventual boost in Australia’s exports, strengthening the economy and creating more Australian jobs over the medium-longer term
The Australian people will benefit significantly from a bigger and stronger mining industry that pays more taxes and invests in more mining projects in Australia, rather than overseas
Welcoming investment
By lowering taxes and reducing Australia’s sovereign risk profile we will declare to the world that Australia is ‘open-for-business’ again and that will lift confidence and investment in our industries
7 Boosting productivity and securing greater prosperity
Securing the future prosperity of our country
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to boost productivity to make Australia more competitive in the global economy and to lift Australians’ standard of living
In a competitive world economy, standing still is not an option
That’s why we must immediately take the decisions necessary to boost productivity growth and encourage world’s best practice to modernise and transform Australia’s businesses and industries for the 21st Century
Our Better Productivity Plan
Everything in our Better Productivity Plan is designed to make Australia more productive and to make our economy more competitive, because that is the key to building a better future with better prospects for all Australians
We will implement our Better Productivity Plan and deliver higher productivity growth by:
encouraging more people into the workforce to be productive contributors in the nation’s life and to help make Australia a more successful country;
making public institutions more cost effective and responsive so they too can contribute to making Australia more productive and successful;
cutting government red and green tape so businesses can become more productive and devote their energies towards business and jobs growth;
improving competition rules so competitive forces drive productivity growth;
getting greater value from infrastructure spending so every dollar of spending becomes more productive and the infrastructure contributes to real economic growth; //|and
rebalancing workplace relations to reduce union militancy in workplaces
and to encourage higher pay for better work
Productivity Priorities Working Group
We have established a Productivity Priorities Working Group to consult with business and community stakeholders on the implementation of our Better Productivity Plan – so that it can be implemented from day one and a new government can ‘hit the ground running’
Improving productivity – by boosting workforce participation
We will deliver higher productivity growth by boosting workforce participation
We will encourage every Australian to be a productive contributor in the nation’s life and give every Australian the opportunity to get ahead and build a better life for themselves and their families
We will provide incentives for employers to employ young people and seniors and take them off welfare
We will ensure that people of working age are actually working, preferably for a wage – but if not, for the dole – by reinvigorating the work-for-the-dole programme that was one of the great successes of the previous Coalition Government
We will introduce a genuine Paid Parental Leave Scheme and help ensure that childcare is more accessible, affordable and flexible – ensuring all families have more choice
The Coalition’s Paid Parental Leave scheme is based on a mother’s real wage, rather than a minimum wage
According to the Productivity Commission’s report into parental leave, Australia is one of only two countries where parental leave isn’t based on the mother’s actual wage
We will introduce a new Job Commitment Bonus for long-term employees who get a job and remain off welfare for 12 months and a further bonus if they remain off welfare for 24 months
We will introduce a new Jobseeker Relocation Bonus for young job seekers who move to take a job
We will provide better structured incentives for employers to employ people over 50 years of age
We will make work-for-the-dole mandatory for all long-term unemployed welfare beneficiaries under 50 years of age and tighten work-for-the-dole requirements
We will start suspending dole payments for people under 30 years of age in areas where unskilled work is readily available
We will adopt a smarter approach to the disability pension that distinguishes between disabilities that are likely to be permanent and those that are not, which will help to prevent older unemployed people being parked on welfare
We will support the Australian Employment Covenant and its many supporting employers to create more opportunities for indigenous Australians to get ahead by actively engaging more indigenous Australians in real jobs
Improving productivity – by improving government services
We will deliver higher productivity growth by making public institutions more cost effective and responsive, so they too can contribute to making Australia more productive and successful
• We will make our hospitals and schools more responsive to community needs and more efficient
Community controlled public hospitals and independent public schools where individuals have a stake in the institution and a say at the board table, with a focus on improvement and delivering better results, lead to greater productivity
If the public schools and public hospitals that comprise more than 5 per cent of our total economy are more responsive and efficient, productivity will improve
“We need governments which believe in Australia and Australians”
Improving productivity – by cutting government red and green tape
We will deliver higher productivity growth by cutting government red and green tape – so businesses can become more productive and devote their energies towards business and jobs growth
Productivity will go up when people running businesses have more time for innovation, customer sales and actually running their businesses because they will spend less time and money on unnecessary paper work with no real benefit
We will cut government red tape costs on businesses and community groups by $1 billion a year
We will deliver a State-based one-stop shop for environmental approvals to streamline the environmental approval process, reduce costs for business and boost productivity while retaining current high environmental standards
We will give every significant Commonwealth government agency/department an annual target for red tape cost reductions and public service bonuses will depend upon those targets being met
Where possible we will replace burdensome regulatory reporting requirements with independent audits backed by penalties for organisations that fail to comply with set standards
Every Cabinet submission will once more contain a regulation impact statement that will quantify the compliance costs imposed and matching compliance cost cuts
E very year, there will be a Deregulation Report tabled in the parliament and two sitting days will be dedicated to the repeal of redundant legislation and review of regulations
Responsibility for deregulation will be assumed by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet so that deregulation and productivity will have a whole-of-government focus
Improving productivity – by improving competition policy
We will improve competition rules so competitive forces drive productivity growth
We will review competition policy and deliver more competitive markets because there will be, for the first time in two decades, a root and branch review of competition laws
We will ensure that big and small businesses get a ‘fair-go’ and do the right thing by each other in their respective marketplaces
If they are competing on a genuinely level playing field where the most cost-effective products dominate markets regardless of who supplies them, our productivity will go up and consumers will see real and lasting benefits
Improving productivity – by building more modern infrastructure
We will get on with the job of building the modern infrastructure required to unclog our congested roads and highways to improve the productive use of the nation’s time – millions of hours of wasted time can be converted into more productive economic activities, helping to grow a stronger economy
If workers spend less time in traffic jams they will have more time at work and more time with their families
Improving productivity – by reducing union militancy in workplaces
We will deliver higher productivity growth by rebalancing workplace relations to reduce union militancy and to encourage higher pay for better work
If there are fewer strikes and if unions are better governed, our economy will become more productive and competitive
We will fully restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) so that there will be less union militancy
This will help keep business costs down and improve productivity
We will work within the existing framework and with the independent umpire Fair Work Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman to restore the balance in workplaces
We will establish a Registered Organisations Commission to overcome the inadequacies revealed by Fair Work Australia’s investigation into the Health Services Union
We will amend laws so that registered organisations and their officials have to play by similar rules, to make similar disclosures and be subject to similar penalties as companies and their directors
8 Delivering more growth from Asia
Focusing on opportunities in the Asian region
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to deliver more growth from Asia
We will position Australia to seize the opportunities in the Asian region by strengthening our trading relationships, welcoming investment, boosting our exports and deepening Australia’s knowledge of and engagement with countries in Asia
We will modernise and transform our economy and make Australia more productive and competitive
We will develop stronger people-to-people relationships and foster the mind-set and skills-set needed to make the most of Asia’s ongoing economic transformation
We recognise the rapid emergence not only of China, but also India and Indonesia – and the opportunities this will afford Australia in the years ahead
Delivering new regional Free Trade Agreements
We will take real action to increase economic activity, strengthen our trading relationships and grow a stronger economy by fast tracking Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with China, Indonesia, Japan and India amongst others
Building more opportunities for Australia’s exporters
By focusing on opportunities in the Asian region and building a strong diverse 5-Pillar economy we will boost our export of goods and services– particularly by building on our strengths in Manufacturing Innovation, Agriculture Exports, Advanced Services, world-class Education and Research, as well as Mining Exports
We will strengthen our diplomatic relationship and trade ties with India
and boost mining exports by exporting uranium to India
Developing our Asia-capability
We will develop more Asia-capable talent and help Australians gain study and work experience, form relationships, learn to adapt behaviour to Asian Contexts and learn to work more effectively with Asian governments
We will develop Australia’s ‘Asia literacy’ beyond language skills
We will develop strong people-to-people relationships
Our intention is to develop a ‘deep knowledge’ of Asia and to broaden and deepen our engagement and relationships in the region
Establishing a new two-way ‘Colombo Plan’
Within two years we will build a better and stronger network of cultural and trade relationships in our region by establishing a new two-way ‘Colombo Plan’ that doesn’t just bring the best and brightest talent from the region to learn in Australia but more importantly takes Australia’s best and brightest talent to learn more about the countries in our region
We will achieve better engagement with Asia through this new two-way ‘Colombo Plan’ which sends our future leaders to Asian universities as well as bringing their future leaders here through a scholarship programme
By fostering these relationships we will develop the important people to-people links and the leadership relationships of the future as was previously done under Sir Robert Menzies’ ‘Colombo Plan’
Ensuring high school students learn an Asian language
We will aim to have 40 per cent of high school students studying a foreign language, preferably an Asian language, in year 12, to ensure the youth of Australia become more ‘Asia-capable’ and are better equipped in the future to engage with our trading partners in our region and in the global economy
“The next Coalition Government will fight the tyranny of low expectations”
9 Helping small business create stronger jobs growth
POLICY PRIORITY
We will get small businesses growing and creating more jobs – by reducing business costs, cutting taxes, cutting red tape costs by $1 billion a year and delivering on our Better Productivity Plan
Helping small business
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to help small businesses grow and create stronger jobs growth
Employing almost half of the workforce in Australia, small businesses are the real “job creators” in the economy
By unshackling the small business sector we will unleash the potential of small businesses to grow and create more jobs
Lowering taxes and reducing business costs
We will reduce costs for every business by cutting taxes: by abolishing the carbon tax and cutting company tax
We will stop small businesses paying 10 per cent more for their electricity and 9 per cent more for their gas bills and paying more for everything else they need by abolishing the carbon tax
We will deliver a modest company tax cut, funded from savings in the Budget
Cutting red and green tape – removing the burdens on small business
We will cut government red and green tape and reduce the regulatory burdens that small businesses face – so businesses can become more productive and devote their energies towards business and jobs growth
We will get businesses growing by cutting red tape costs to business by $1 billion each year
We will streamline environmental approvals through a State-based one-stop shop environmental approval process
This will save time and money, cut down on paperwork and boost productivity
We will require Parliament to spend two days a year removing legislation and regulations to help ease the burden on small businesses
We will allow small business to send one payment directly to the Australian Taxation Office for superannuation and then the Australian Taxation Office will do the rest, if that’s what small business would prefer
We will give employers the option of ‘opting in’ to managing the administration of Paid Parental Leave to their employees
If they choose not to be the government’s paymaster, payments will be made directly to the employee
This will relieve small businesses of their role as paymaster of the government’s inadequate Paid Parental Leave scheme
We will have a genuine Paid Parental Leave scheme and we won’t force small business to do the paperwork for it
Our scheme will benefit small business because it will make it easier for them to retain capable female staff
Doubling the annual rate of small business growth
We will double the current annual rate of growth of small businesses because we understand that small businesses are the real ‘job creators’ in our economy
We will achieve an annual growth rate in the numbers of small businesses of 1.5 per cent – the same rate the Howard Government was achieving
We will then be adding more than 30,000 new small businesses each year
That’s double the rate achieved under the current government
We want small businesses providing more than half the jobs in the private sector because that is where people get a start in life, that is where entrepreneurship is fostered and innovation happens
This is an important part of building a more productive nation and is at the heart of building our economy
Reviewing competition laws and policy
We will conduct, for the first time in two decades, a root and branch review of competition laws and policy and deliver more competitive markets
Extending unfair contract protection to small business
We will extend unfair contract protection currently available to consumers, to small businesses
We will ensure that big and small businesses get a ‘fair-go’ and do the right thing by each other in their respective marketplaces, delivering real and lasting benefits to consumers
10 Building a 5-Pillar economy and unleashing Australia’s potential
POLICY PRIORITY
We will create stronger jobs growth by building a diverse, world-class 5-Pillar economy – by building on our strengths in Manufacturing Innovation, Advanced Services, Agriculture Exports, world-class Education and Research, as well as boosting Mining Exports
Building a diverse 5-Pillar economy
To guard against having all our eggs in the one basket of mining, we will build a more diverse, world-class economy – a 5-Pillar economy – to unleash Australia’s real economic potential
We will build on our strengths in Manufacturing Innovation, Agriculture Exports, Advanced Services, world-class Education and Research, as well as boosting our Mining Exports, to make the most of our comparative advantages in international markets
Delivering stronger jobs growth
By developing a world-class 5-Pillar economy we will deliver one million new jobs over the next five years and two million new jobs over the next decade as we modernise and transform all sectors of our economy
Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council
We will establish a new Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council to advise the Executive Government on developing the economy
The Business Advisory Council will be chaired by leading Australian business leader Mr Maurice Newman AC and meet three times a year
It will include, amongst others, representatives from the Manufacturing, Agricultural, Services, Education and Resources sectors of the economy
Building on our strengths in Manufacturing Innovation
We will unleash the real economic potential in our manufacturing industry by removing the shackles and burdens holding the industry back and by making the industry more productive and competitive
We will:
repeal the world’s biggest carbon tax which makes Australian businesses, particularly manufacturing, less competitive in domestic and international markets;
cut red tape costs by $1 billion a year;
get business costs down and get productivity up by ensuring Australian businesses have the right incentives to invest in Research and Development;
create the environment to revitalise Australian industry’s international competitiveness;
we will provide better links between government, business and research institutions;
act immediately to deliver a level playing field for Australia’s manufacturing businesses with more effective anti-dumping measures
We will crackdown on overseas producers who don’t cooperate with anti-dumping investigations
We will strengthen enforcement of the provisions of the World Trade Organisation Agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures
We will transfer anti-dumping responsibilities from Customs to the Department of Industry; //|and
build on our comparative strength in Manufacturing Innovation
Building on our strengths in Agriculture Exports
We will unleash the real economic potential in our agricultural industry by removing the shackles and burdens holding the industry back and by making the industry more productive and globally competitive
We will:
build on our comparative strength in food production and better manage our precious water resources to help our agriculture sector become the ‘Food Bowl of Asia’ and achieve ‘food security’ in a world demanding more of our food resources;
support our fishing industry and review the declaration of new Marine Protected Areas
We will establish genuine consultation with the fishing industry on research and strengthen the connection between science and fishing policy; //|and
provide policy stability and certainty to our live exports trade avoiding damaging backflips like Labor’s overnight decision to suspend live cattle trade with Indonesia
Building on our strengths in Advanced Services
We will unleash the real economic potential in our service industries by making the industry more productive and globally competitive
We will deliver broadband faster, sooner and at less expense to taxpayers and consumers than Labor’s National Broadband Network
We will:
cut red tapecostsby$1 billion per year;
build on our comparative strength in Advanced Services to boost our exports to Asia
We will seize the enormous opportunities for this highly diversified sector, particularly in relation to financial services, health services, engineering and architectural services;
encourage modernisation and the development of Advanced Services and support the use of new technologies, particularly digital and IT;
expand our skills into the Asian region; and
give priority to the recommendations of the Johnson Report into Australia as a Financial Centre to further grow our financial services industry’s ability to export its world-class expertise to Asia and beyond
Building a world-class Education and Research sector
We will unleash the real economic potential in our Education and Research sector by removing the shackles and burdens holding the industry back and by making the industry more productive and globally competitive
We will:
encourage modernisation and the development of world-class Education and Research capabilities and support the use of new technologies, particularly digital and IT; //|and
expand our education export sector, particularly in the Asian region using a number of channels including online
Building a world-class Mining, Energy and Resources sector
We will unleash the real economic potential in our mining industry by removing the shackles and burdens holding the industry back and by making the industry more productive and globally competitive
We will:
build on our strength as one of the world’s rich resource-based economies;
re-energise our mining comoanies by abolishing Labor’s carbon and mining taxes
establish a one-stop shop for environmental approvals and speed up the time for bringing projects on-stream;//|and
declare Australia ‘open for business’ and restore Australia’s international reputation as a safe place to invest
“The sum of human happiness is most likely to be maximised when government knows its limits”
“Government should be at least as interested in the creation of wealth as in its redistribution”
11 Delivering modern infrastructure and building a 21st Century Australia
Building the modern infrastructure Australia needs
We have an economic plan for Australia – a plan to build more modern infrastructure to boost productivity
We will deliver the modern infrastructure that a first world 21st Century country deserves
You will see cranes over our cities as we get on with the job of building more modern infrastructure, with a special emphasis on reducing the bottlenecks on our gridlocked roads and highways
Big new projects will be underway within 12 months of a change of government
Our big cities are as vital to our economy as our vast resource developments and can be properly considered a critical part of our national economic infrastructure
They are key to the development of a more productive and prosperous Australia
Delivering a 15-year rolling plan for national infrastructure projects
We will develop a rolling 15-year infrastructure plan of national projects and work closely with Infrastructure Australia in establishing project priorities and delivery timetables
This will be a Commonwealth and State government plan and will be revised every five years
Empowering Infrastructure Australia to deliver better value from infrastructure spending
We will deliver better value from infrastructure spending by working in close collaboration with Infrastructure Australia
Infrastructure projects are very expensive and taxpayers must be guaranteed that their money is spent in the most cost effective manner possible so that we end up with more productive infrastructure, rather than just wasted money
We will strengthen the role of Infrastructure Australia, improve its governance and make it more transparent and accountable, as well as a more effective adviser
We will require all Commonwealth-funded projects worth more than $100 million to undergo a cost-benefit analysis by Infrastructure Australia to ensure the best use of available taxpayer monies
We will require Infrastructure Australia to publish justifications for all its project recommendations
We will prioritise projects based on a proper cost-benefit analysis
Within 12 months of election we will announce infrastructure priorities and construction timetables in consultation with the States
Encouraging more private investment in infrastructure projects
We will investigate ways to get more private funding into high priority infrastructure projects to enable us to do more to modernise Australia
We will ask the Office of Financial Management to examine an Infrastructure Partnership Bonds Scheme to encourage billions of dollars of additional private investment in infrastructure projects, so that we can get more things done
POLICY PRIORITY
We will build more modern infrastructure to get things moving – with a special emphasis on reducing the bottlenecks on our gridlocked roads and highways
Delivering major roads and highways to get things moving
We will work with the States and the private sector to accelerate the delivery of a major roads and highways programme that reduces bottlenecks – to improve productivity and safety for all road users
We will contribute $1.5 billion to get the M4 East (WestConnex Project) underway in Sydney to complete the east-west corridor
We will contribute $1.5 billion to get the East-West Link road tunnel underway in Melbourne to link the Eastern Freeway and Western Ring Road and we will further improve the Geelong Princes Highway
We will contribute $1 billion towards the upgrade of the Gateway Motorway in Brisbane and we will develop the Toowoomba Range crossing
We will contribute $400 million and get the duplication of the Midland Highway between Hobart and Launceston done in Tasmania
We will contribute $5.6 billion to complete the duplication of the Pacific Highway from Newcastle to the Queensland border
We are committed to the Perth Gateway project and will make further road infrastructure commitments in South Australia before the next election
Delivering more affordable broadband – rolling it out faster
The Coalition will deliver high speed broadband that is both affordable for families and businesses and cost effective for taxpayers
We will for the first time do a fully transparent cost-benefit analysis of the National Broadband Network, to find out the quickest and most cost-efficient way to upgrade broadband to all areas where services are now unavailable or sub-standard
This is the cost-benefit analysis Labor didn’t do before committing to spend tens of billions of dollars on the NBN
We will roll out super-fast broadband using whichever is the most effective and cost efficient technology and we will use existing infrastructure where we can
We will roll it out faster to high priority areas
We will end billions of dollars of wasteful spending on the NBN and deliver more of the modern infrastructure we urgently need while encouraging competition wherever possible to put downward pressure on prices
Building more dams – providing water security
We will start the detailed planning necessary to build new dams – to secure the nation’s water supplies, deliver strong economic benefits for Australia, while also protecting our environment
The Coalition’s Dams Taskforce is looking at potential investments in dam capacity across Australia
12 Delivering more jobs, higher wages and higher living standards
Delivering stronger jobs growth and a bigger economy
Our economic plan will deliver stronger jobs growth right across Australia by unleashing Australia’s real economic potential and growing a bigger, more productive and prosperous economy
Delivering two million new jobs over the next decade
We will generate one million new jobs over the next five years and two million new jobs over the next decade as we unleash Australia’s real economic potential, modernise our businesses and industries as well as transform to a stronger and more prosperous economy
Delivering higher real wages and higher living standards
We will deliver higher real wages and higher living standards by providing real opportunities for productivity growth as we transform and grow the economy and encourage higher pay for better work
We will tackle Australia’s lagging productivity growth problem by pursuing our Better Productivity Plan and building a more productive and prosperous economy that will enable higher real wages and lift Australia’s living standards
Helping unemployed young people to get a job
We will encourage unemployed young people to get back into the workforce – particularly in those areas where unskilled jobs are readily available
Helping women get ahead
We will help the women and families of Australia get ahead and have a real choice to have children and a career with a genuine Paid Parental Leave scheme, supported by an affordable, flexible and accessible childcare system
POLICY PRIORITY
We will generate one million new jobs over the next five years and two million new jobs over the next 10 years by growing a bigger, more productive and prosperous economy
13 Reducing cost-of-living pressures for families
Delivering Hope, Reward and Opportunity for families
We believe that strong families are the bedrock of a healthy society and should receive support and encouragement from government
A supportive family is the greatest source of emotional stability and social development anyone can have
The Coalition believes that the role of government is to support and expand choices for families, not to make their choices for them
We will improve rewards from working, reduce cost-of-living pressures and help families with the real costs of raising children as we reset our country’s course to one that sees increasing confidence, renewed productivity growth and real improvement in the wealth of households
We believe that people who work hard and put money aside so they won’t be a burden on others should be encouraged, not hit with higher taxes
Abolishing the carbon tax and reducing cost-of-living pressures
We will start reducing cost of living pressures for families by immediately scrapping the world’s biggest carbon tax – taking pressure off rapidly rising electricity and gas bills
We will put downward pressure on prices by getting the ACCC to make sure that prices do not remain artificially raised when we abolish the carbon tax
Lowering taxes – improving rewards from hard work
We will fund personal income tax cuts for individuals and families – without a carbon tax
We pledge to the families of Australia that we will never make your lives harder by imposing unnecessary new taxes and we will free Australians from the burdens of the carbon tax
Keeping interest rates low
We will keep interest rates as low as possible by ending government waste, paying back debt and balancing the Budget
Protecting and strengthening Medicare and private health insurance
We will protect and strengthen Medicare by restoring the Private Health Insurance Rebate as soon as we responsibly can
POLICY PRIORITY
We will help families get ahead by freeing them from the burdens of the carbon tax – to protect Australian jobs and reduce cost-of-living pressures – especially on rising electricity and gas prices
Delivering more affordable and flexible childcare
We will help ensure that child care is more accessible, affordable and flexible, to help families juggle work and family commitments, by getting the Productivity Commission to urgently undertake a major inquiry into the child care system
We need a better child care system that’s not just geared to 9-to-5 workers–to give women a better chance to combine families with careers
We will look at ways so child care can become more flexible and responsive to the differing needs and lifestyles of parents, as work patterns and demands on parents are different today than even a decade ago
Delivering genuine Paid Parental Leave
We will deliver a genuine Paid Parental Leave scheme to give mothers six months leave based on their actual wage – to help young families get ahead
This will give women a more realistic choice if they want to combine work with family and continue their careers
According to the Productivity Commission report into parental leave, Australia is one of only two countries where parental leave isn’t based on a mother’s actual wage
If people receive their actual wage while sick or on holiday, they should also receive their actual wage while on parental leave
Parental leave is supposed to be a workplace entitlement, not a welfare payment
Delivering better cyber safety for families
We will work together with social media operators, schools, parents and children to tackle cyber bullying and other harmful material and behaviour targeted at individual children online
Delivering better local roads and more modern infrastructure
We will deliver better planned infrastructure including more modern highways that unlock the traffic jams and bottle necks in our gridlocked cities and provide better and safer highways in country areas
If workers spend less time in traffic jams they will have more time at home with their families
14 Delivering a more secure retirement for older Australians
Giving older Australians the secure retirement they deserve
After a lifetime of hard work, older Australians are entitled to a safe and secure retirement
We will ensure older Australians and seniors enjoy the safe and secure retirement they deserve by delivering a strong, prosperous economy which will then ensure that the government has the financial means to provide the real support required by older Australians in their later years
Delivering stability and certainty on superannuation
We will deliver greater stability and certainty on superannuation – we won’t move the goalposts
It is unfortunate that Labor has wasted so much money and made so many threats and changes to the superannuation system, cutting back on contribution levels and discouraging many people from providing more for their own self-funded retirement
This has not been in the long-term interests of Australians or Australia
We will ensure that no more negative unexpected changes occur to the superannuation system so that those planning for their retirement can face the future with a higher degree of predictability
We believe the people who want to plan and save for their own retirement should be supported by government, not penalised
“I stand for government which gets off people’s backs”
Assisting mature age workers with employment
We will assist mature age workers by providing better structured incentives for employers who employ workers who are over the age of 50
Pensioners and self-funded retirees
We will support pensioners and self-funded retirees by tackling the number one issue that adversely affects them – the ever increasing cost of living, especially the cost of electricity and other utilities
We will abolish the carbon tax which will see an immediate 10 per cent reduction in electricity prices and we will give the ACCC the task of ensuring the benefits of the repeal are passed onto consumers without delay
Even though we will abolish the carbon tax, we will fund tax cuts and pension increases without a carbon tax, benefiting older Australians
A better deal for our veterans
We will support our veterans by properly indexing the Defence Force Retirement Benefits and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefit military superannuation pensions and we will deliver this in our first Budget
Improving health services and aged care for older Australians
We will negotiate an Aged Care Provider Agreement with the aged care sector
This first ever Aged Care Provider Agreement, will set the framework for ageing and aged care arrangements in Australia over the next four years and into the future
Taking into account the Productivity Commission Caring for Older Australians report, we will reduce needless bureaucracy in the sector while making sure the sector remains focused on high quality care
We will protect and strengthen Medicare by restoring the Private Health Insurance Rebate as soon as we responsibly can
15 Delivering better services and a better society
Our aim is to deliver a better future for all Australians
Our aim is to build a stronger Australia so that all Australians can get ahead in the global economy, live in a better country and have a better future
That’s why the Coalition is so determined to deliver a strong, prosperous economy because it allows us to invest more in government services – like the NDIS, health, aged care and education
A strong, productive and prosperous economy is central to everything in our society
It enables us to deliver better services at the local community level so our children can get a good education, so Australians know that when they get sick or old they can get care and if they fall on hard times they can get help
Improving co-operation with State governments through the Council of Australian Governments
We will deliver better government services by working in close co-operation with the State and Territory governments who are largely responsible for the delivery of government services
We will significantly increase co-operation with State and Territory governments by reforming the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), rather than using it as a parking lot for tough decisions which are sidelined by political grandstanding
We will get on with the job of clearing the backlog of jobs on the agenda and immediately tackle the top priorities in order to deliver better services on the ground as soon as possible
We will focus COAG on a smaller number of core issues and ensure they are resolved quickly
We will reduce the number of COAG committees and require Ministers to show why it is essential their portfolio reforms must be resolved by COAG
Helping the disabled and carers – responsibly implementing the NDIS
We are fully committed to helping people with disabilities and their carers and delivering the NDIS as soon as possible in line with the Productivity Commission’s timetable
Full implementation of the NDIS will be a new deal for people with disabilities and their carers
We will establish a bi-partisan parliamentary committee jointly chaired by both sides of the Parliament, with Members and Senators with a strong personal interest in making the NDIS happen
The committee will put the NDIS in place as a united project across party lines
“The Coalition is much more interested in an empowered community than we are in an empowered government”
16 Delivering better health services
Improving the performance of public hospitals at the local level
We will work with the States to ensure their hospitals are managed by local hospital boards so that communities get better health services and better value for their money
We will put local communities and experts, not unaccountable bureaucrats, in charge of improving the performance of public hospitals – by creating community-controlled hospital boards to appoint the CEO and manage hospital budgets, by instilling a ‘patient care first’ culture amongst staff and ensuring the delivery of better health outcomes at the local hospital level
Improving mental health services
We will deliver better mental health services and provide better employment services for people with a mental health issue
We will take real action and support better mental health services with Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centres (EPPICs); boosting of basic and applied research into mental health; new headspace sites; better employment opportunities to those with serious mental health problems, boosting outside services that job agencies can provide to clients with mental health issues and a Mental Health Workforce Training Institute
Funding diabetes research
We will provide $35 million to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes
This will assist the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Clinical Research Network to fund a significant number of additional patient trials locally and internationally and take a co-ordinated nationwide approach to diabetes research
Improving access to medicines
We will restore transparency, certainty and confidence to the process by which medicines are listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) – ensuring medicines are listed on the basis of advice from the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, not on the whim of the government
Improving private health insurance
We will strengthen Medicare and take pressure off the public hospital system by restoring the Private Health Insurance Rebate as soon as we responsibly can
This will encourage more Australians to take up private health insurance
Bringing dental into Medicare
We aspire to improve and restore dental services through Medicare as soon as we responsibly can
POLICY PRIORITY
We will deliver better services including health services – by putting local communities in charge of hospitals and improving co-operation with States and Territories
17 Delivering better education
POLICY PRIORITY
We will deliver better education – by putting local communities in charge of improving the performance of local schools
Improving the performance of schools at the local level
We will provide better schools, encourage better teachers and provide more choice for parents by giving communities and parents greater control over schools
We will put parents, principals and school communities, not unaccountable bureaucrats, in charge of determining how their school will be run to improve performance – by instilling a ‘students come first’ culture amongst staff and ensuring the delivery of better education outcomes at the local school level
We will work with the States and Territories to encourage State schools to choose to become independent schools, providing simpler budgeting and resources allocation and more autonomy in decision making
We will support teachers in the classroom by ensuring our curriculum is rigorous without being too prescriptive or overcrowded
We will continue current levels of funding for schools, indexed to deal with real increases in costs and we will ensure that money is targeted based on the social and economic status of the community
We will make more investment in science education at primary schools
We will restore the Primary Connections science education programme which is strongly supported by Australian Nobel Laureate, Professor Brian Schmidt, following recent Labor cuts to the successful programme
We will work together with social media operators, schools, parents and children to tackle cyber bullying and other harmful material and behaviour targeted at individual children online, by measures such as ensuring large social media operators rapidly remove harmful online material directed at a child
We will continue the National School Chaplaincy Programme in Schools to support the emotional wellbeing of students
Strengthening higher education
We will strengthen higher education and encourage Australians of all ages to further their education so that they can gain a comparative advantage and get ahead in the new global economy
We believe higher education has a vital dual role in our society as an engine of economic growth, through educating our workforce and producing quality research
We will ensure the continuation of the current arrangements of university funding
We will work with the sector to reduce the burden of red tape, regulation and reporting, freeing up the sector to concentrate on delivering results and services
We will review and restructure government research funding to make sure each dollar is spent as effectively as possible
We will ensure the sector has a stable, long-term source of infrastructure funding
We will work with the sector to grow higher education as an export industry and to support international students studying in Australia
Investing in job skills training
We will invest in advanced job skills training– including trade skills
We will boost and retain skills in the work place and give incentives to employers to take young people and older Australians off welfare and into work
Our immigration programme will focus on skilled migrants targeting skills shortages and people who can make a contribution from day one in a job
We will work urgently with the States to aim to have 40 percent of Year 12 students studying a foreign language, preferably an Asian language, within a decade to equip them with the skills necessary for the jobs of the future
New opportunities for our youth to learn in the Asian region
We aim to develop stronger people-to-people relationships with the countries in our region and this presents enormous opportunities for the youth of Australia
We will establish a new two-way ‘Colombo Plan’ that doesn’t just bring the best and brightest talent from the region to Australia’s universities but that also takes Australia’s best and brightest talent to Asian universities to learn more about the countries in our region and to develop closer ties and stronger people-to-people relationships
By awarding scholarships to our students and fostering this ‘Asia-capable’ learning and developing these people-to-people relationships in those countries we are really developing the leaders of the future as was previously done under Sir Robert Menzies’ ‘Colombo Plan’
It is through such people-to-people schemes that deeper engagement and closer ties with the countries in our region can be developed
“Within two years, under a Liberal and National government, there will be a new Colombo Plan”
18 Delivering stronger and better communities
Delivering a ‘fair go’ for regional Australia
We will stand up for regional Australia to ensure that they receive their ‘fair share’ of support from government on a wide range of policy programmes
We will restore policy stability and certainty to our live exports trade
We will better manage our precious water resources to help our agriculture sector grow to become the ‘Food Bowl of Asia’ and achieve ‘food security’ in a world demanding more food resources
We will further unlock potential growth in Northern Australia as we develop new land as a result of building new dams and securing our nation’s water supplies
We will deliver a strong, powerhouse economy delivering more jobs and generating the real wealth needed to drive growth in Australia’s tourism industry
We are investigating options to strengthen the rules governing the sale of Australian agricultural land and agribusinesses to foreign entities
Improving housing affordability – supporting housing development
We will improve housing affordability and encourage high levels of home ownership
We will work closely with the States and Territories who have primary responsibility for housing to reduce red tape holding up the supply of housing and construction and to increase land release for new homes
Carefully managing the issues of population, citizenship and settlement
We will carefully manage the issues of population, citizenship and settlement to foster stronger economic growth and enhance Australia’s social fabric
We will ensure that our non-discriminatory immigration programme helps those in need and serves our national interest
We will make sure that Australia’s refugee and humanitarian resettlement programme provides places to those most in need
We will ensure a minimum of 1,000 places are available for women at risk and their dependents and appropriate settlement services are available once they arrive in Australia
We will ensure the migration programme is skewed towards skilled workers to enable the growth of a more productive and prosperous economy – particularly for those areas where skilled workers are not available and where our industries need to grow
We will ensure our immigration programme is focused on people who can make a contribution from day one in a job – thereby lessening the burden on taxpayers
Improving community safety and fighting crime
We will stand up for communities so that people feel safe in their streets
We will establish a new national Safer Streets programme and expand the use of CCTV cameras in crime prevention and detection
“Politicians can’t really hope to understand the issues if they rarely leave capital cities”
We will establish a new Commonwealth/State Standing Council on Law, Crime and Community Safety to bring together lawmakers and law-enforcers to develop a national focus to fighting crime – and to report on key issues within 12 months
We will work with the States and Territories to improve Australia’s capacity to respond to natural disasters and emergencies both domestically and internationally for better and faster deployment of search dogs nationally by creating an Australian Search Dog Framework
Supporting and strengthening community groups and the voluntary sector
We will support community groups to strengthen local communities and enhance the social fabric
We will provide $10 million support to assist surf lifesaving clubs buy needed equipment and to tackle drowning black-spots
We will re-establish the successful Coalition Community-Business Partnerships to engage with local communities and advise on encouraging more philanthropy by business and in assisting charities and community groups in their local area
Encouraging indigenous Australians to get ahead
We will work with indigenous communities to bring in a new suite of purposeful and innovative strategies that will help indigenous people to get ahead
We will eliminate red tape and streamline programmes to move away from the complex web of overlapping initiatives that have failed to end disadvantage
We will direct funding away from bureaucracies and overlapping and competing programmes towards local communities and real action so that indigenous Australians get the services they need
We will work with families to ensure all indigenous children attend school every day
A good education is the foundation of a good life and children must go to school
We will support the Australian Employment Covenant and its many supporting employers to create more opportunities for indigenous Australians to get ahead and actively engage more indigenous Australians in real jobs
We will provide$10 million to fund four trial sites to train 1,000 indigenous people for guaranteed jobs, working with the Australian Employment Covenant and Generation One
We will end training for training’s sake and implement employment or work for the dole programmes that prepare and support indigenous Australians to work
Tony Abbott will continue to spend a week a year in a remote community, to gain a better understanding of people’s needs, as he has done for many years
“The measure of a decent society is how it looks after its most vulnerable members”
Protecting freedom of speech – supporting an open media
We will protect the media from over-regulation; support an open and accountable media; and protect the freedom of speech to strengthen our vibrant democracy
We will reject Labor’s push for increased regulation of the media, including the Finkelstein Report proposals for a powerful ‘News Media Council’ to ‘set journalistic standards’ for print and online media
We will work with the media to ensure they actively strengthen their standards so they meet community expectations of the levels of journalism Australians expect and deserve
We do not support a ‘public interest test’ for assessing media mergers and acquisitions as it would be subjective, susceptible to political manipulation and would lead to uncertainty for media businesses
Current laws and the Australian Communications and Media Authority, as the regulator, provide adequate protection in this area
We will support freedom of speech, particularly in relation to anti-discrimination legislation
Prohibitions on inciting racial hatred or intimidation of particular groups should be focused on offences of incitement and causing fear but not a prohibition on causing offence
19 Delivering a cleaner and more sustainable environment
Cleaning up our own environment
We will take direct action to reduce carbon emissions – and establish a 15,000-strong Green Army charged with the clean-up and conservation of our environment – so that we can all enjoy a cleaner environment and a more sustainable future without the impost of the carbon tax which is causing real economic damage to our economy and affecting the living standards of Australian families
Reducing carbon emissions inside Australia, not overseas
We will take direct action to reduce carbon emissions in a practical, affordable way inside Australia, not overseas
We remain committed to a five per cent reduction in emissions by 2020
We will establish an Emissions Reduction Fund of $3 billion to allocate money in response to emission reduction tenders to projects designed to reduce carbon emissions
All money spent will be on Australian green projects, not foreign carbon credits, keeping more jobs in Australia
We will support projects such as the exploration of soil carbon technologies and abatement, putting carbon back in soils and providing for a once in a generation replenishment of our farmlands
POLICY PRIORITY
We will take direct action to reduce carbon emissions inside Australia, not overseas – and also establish a 15,000-strong Green Army to clean-up the environment
Delivering a better environment
We will establish a 15,000-strong Green Army to clean up and protect the environment in local communities throughout Australia supplementing the current land care efforts of councils, farmers and volunteers
The Green Army will undertake projects like restoring and rejuvenating bushland, planting trees and cleaning-up the Tamar River in Tasmania
Improving water security – better water management
We will enhance Australia’s natural water supplies and reduce Australia’s reliance on energy-hungry desalination plants
We will deliver on the 10-point plan for the Murray-Darling announced by the Howard Government
We will restore the Murray-Darling to health while still ensuring the viability of Australia’s food producing communities
The future of the Murray-Darling should not and cannot be a choice just between the environment and agriculture
The Coalition will address both parts of this equation
We will start the detailed long-term planning necessary to build new dams to secure the nation’s water supplies into the future, deliver strong economic benefits for Australia, while also protecting our environment
Improving the environmental approval process
We will streamline the environmental approval process for all users – resulting in less duplication across federal and State jurisdictions and delivering a real boost to the nation’s productivity
We will establish a one-stop shop environmental approvals process covering both Commonwealth and State legislation, that maintains high environmental standards, delivers certainty for all users and importantly makes swift decisions
Supporting communities – creating a sustainable environment
We will adopt a practical, balanced and sustainable approach to environmental issues based on linking sound scientific findings with the needs of all users resulting in more sustainable commercial activities and better environmental outcomes
For example, we will support the fishing industry
We will adopt a more balanced approach by setting up more rigorous assessments for new Marine Protected Areas that will mean the areas are assessed in accordance with objective scientific, economic and social evidence
Our aim is to continue to protect marine environments and the fishing communities which rely on them
20 Delivering stronger borders and a more secure nation
Putting the national interest first
The Coalition will put the national interest first, deliver stronger borders, provide a world-class defence force and protect the nation’s interests overseas
We will take immediate action to protect both the integrity of our borders and Australia’s immigration programme
We will not allow illegal boat arrivals and people smugglers to either determine Australia’s immigration programme, or undermine the Australian people’s confidence in the programme
Delivering stronger borders – where the boats are stopped
We will deliver stronger borders – where the boats are stopped – with tough and proven measures
If elected Prime Minister, the first overseas trip that Tony Abbott makes as Prime Minister will be to Indonesia to renew cooperation against people smugglers
We will re-introduce the use of Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) to deny the people smugglers a product to sell
We will immediately give new orders to the Navy to tackle illegal boat arrivals and ‘turn back’ the boats where safe to do so
We will give priority in processing to offshore special humanitarian visa applicants, over illegal boat arrivals
We will ensure, offshore special humanitarian visa applicants receive priority in obtaining permanent residency in Australia over illegal boat arrivals
We will boost rigorous offshore processing for illegal arrivals so that bad behaviour has consequences
We will establish presumption against refugee status for people who arrive on boats without identity papers
Where asylum seekers deliberately discard their identity documentation, we will deny them the benefit of doubt when determining their refugee status
We will establish and increase mandatory minimum jail sentences for people smugglers
We will reserve 11,000 of the 13,750 refugee places each year for offshore applicants
We will ensure a minimum of1,000 refugee places are reserved for the most vulnerable refugees, in particular women at risk of violence and harm
We will restore the single case officer appeal process
POLICY PRIORITY
We will deliver stronger borders – where the boats are stopped – with tough and proven measures
“Stopping the boats matters. It would signify that the Australian government is in every respect sovereign over Australia’s borders”
Delivering a world-class defence force
We will rebuild our defence force by stopping Labor’s defence run-down and give our defence force the first-class resources and equipment they need
We will restore responsible defence spending to 3 per cent real growth per year subject to improvements in the Budget –our aspiration is to restore funding to defence to the same level as it was under the last seven years of the Howard Government
We will reinvest any responsible savings that can be found in the defence bureaucracy in greater military capacity
We will immediately start the process of acquiring a number of new state-of-the-art unmanned aircraft
Within 18 months, we will publish a new defence White Paper with costed, affordable ways to meet Australia’s important defence and national security objectives
We will ensure that Australia does not have a submarine capability gap
Within 18 months, we will make the short and medium term decisions necessary to achieve this goal
Fighting terrorism in Australia
We will deliver improved counter-terrorism and domestic security measures in Australia and secure our ports and airports
Improving foreign affairs – a stronger focus on our region
We will increase the importance of foreign affairs, lace a stronger focus on our region and rebuild our diplomatic footprint with more effective representation and better diplomacy
We will enhance Australia’s role and engagement in the world developing greater international cooperation
We will review the weighting Australia gives to its diplomatic resources including overseas representation, with a view to refocusing foreign policy on the Asia-Pacific region
We will rebuild relationships with our neighbours damaged by Labor’s mismanagement and failed border security policies
We will enhance US access to bases in Australia and continue to support our close alliance with the US
We will ensure future aid funding increases are dependent on AusAid meeting strict performance benchmarks
Within two years, we will establish a new two way ‘Colombo Plan’ to deepen our knowledge and engagement with countries in our region and develop stronger people-to-people relationships by bringing the best and the brightest talent from our region to Australia and taking Australia’s best and brightest talent to countries in our region
21 Delivering strong, stable, accountable government
Encouraging Australians to work together
The Coalition will do the right thing for Australia and deliver a strong, stable, accountable government that puts the national interest first and delivers a better future for all Australians
We will restore accountability and improve transparency measures to be more accountable to you
We will govern for all Australians, not favour any particular group
We’re all in this together and we’ll encourage all Australians to work together
We will end the class war and the bad blood between Labor and business that is damaging investment and employment
Tony Abbott is a strong leader – a record of success
Tony Abbott was a senior, experienced Cabinet Minister in the Howard Coalition Government
He has a law degree and a degree in economics from the University of Sydney
He is a Rhodes Scholar with a Master’s degree from Oxford University
He is community oriented – he is a volunteer firefighter and lifesaver, he contributes his time every year to help Aboriginal communities and he has raised over $2.5 million through his annual ‘Pollie Pedal’ bike ride for many worthy causes including for children’s cancer, a local women’s shelter and carers
He has dedicated his life to public service – to serving his country and the Australian people
He is married to Margie and they have three adult daughters
The Coalition Team includes experienced ministers
Because sixteen members of the Shadow Cabinet were experienced ministers in an effective Coalition Government they will hit the ground running and they won’t have to learn the hard way that good government is about getting on with the job and delivering results and dealing with substance, not spin
The Coalition Team has a successful track record
The Coalition Team were effective Ministers in the successful Howard Coalition Government which:
turned Australia’s economy around, reformed the tax system and made Australia’s economy more productive and prosperous;
delivered more than two million new jobs and delivered the lowest unemployment rate since the 1970s;
delivered a more than 20 per cent increase in real wages and a doubling of Australians’ net wealth per person;
delivered real tax cuts and more benefits for families;
delivered Budget surpluses in 10 out of 12 years, paid back Labor’s $96 billion debt and put away $70 billion in net assets; //| and
secured Australia’s borders and stopped the boats
POLICY PRIORITY
We will deliver strong and stable government that restores accountability – to deliver a better future for all Australians
All Coalition policies are affordable and fully funded
All Coalition policies are fully costed and fully funded
The Coalition has a long track record of managing Budgets responsibly
Sixteen members of the Shadow Cabinet were experienced Ministers in the effective Howard Coalition Government
“Our Plan will deliver a strong, prosperous economy
and a safe, secure Australia.”
Energy
The economy is completely underwritten by the energy market in Australia
The challenge remains to provide adequate supply cheaply for today’s consumers while ensuring that the impact of the generation and consumption of that energy is not unfairly borne by future generations
The energy market in Australia is complex and encompasses all forms from liquid, gas and solid fuel systems to renewables like solar, hydro, wind and geothermal systems
The consumption of energy is also wide ranging in utilisation of electricity for stationary applications to fuels for transport and industry
From a consumptive perspective the major energy products consumed in Australia are approximately coal (37%), oil products (35%), gas (23%) and renewables (5%)
Electricity has been primarily the domain of state governments historically, however increasingly the emergence of the interstate transmission grid has shifted the responsibility
Increasingly there is an emerging conflict between corporatisation and full privatisation of electricity assets
The ownership of generation and transmission assets is of primary concern to the national interests of Australia and a rethink of the role of the federal government in this space is now warranted
Approximately 85% of Australian electricity is currently generated on simple cycle thermal coal fired power stations
This generation technology is nearly a century old and the full impacts of this generation system will not be fully borne for generations to come
Notwithstanding the long term impacts of relatively inefficient generation of 33% in energy conversion, the current electricity prices do not include capital or replacement costs for the fleet of generators that are fast approaching their decommissioning as they literally wear out
Major generators are now coming off line and increasingly running below capacity
It is becoming urgent to make decisions on infrastructure in this sector to ensure the Australian economy is not exposed to increasing volatility in supply and price of electricity
rNewer generation technologies must be incorporated to dramatically reduce the climate impact of our electricity needs
For example, combined cycle gas turbines are much more efficient generators in the energy conversion sense, approaching 60%, effectively halving greenhouse gas emissions per kilowatt hour
However there needs to be a much greater emphasis on incorporating renewables and newer technologies into the generation mix to replace the ageing fleet of generators in an orderly fashion without exposing the economy to price or supply shocks
Beyond electricity, Australian energy demands are massive in the form of oil and gas products
Currently Australia consumes approximately 18. 5 billion litres of diesel and 2. 7 billion litres of petrol annually
Intuitively diesel is more geared to commerce and industry with mining consuming approximately 30%, transport approximately 35% and agriculture about 2% of annual diesel usage
Gas consumption currently stands at approximately 210,000 GJ of which manufacturing consumes approximately 40% and electricity and heating consume approximately 42%
Clearly Australia is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet current demand
It is unlikely that the current energy demands can be met cost effectively in the short to medium term through renewables
However, current assets and infrastructure deployed in the Australian economy are unacceptably exposed to increasing fuel cost and supply volatility
The “just in time” practice of supply in modern supply chains dramatically increases the social and economic risks associated with disruptions in the energy sector
The Australian government has a responsibility to assure adequate supply at an affordable and stable price to ensure long term economic prosperity and effective public utility
Short term thinking by politicians concerned about election cycles and the next media headline is putting Australian energy security at great risk
KAP is focussed on real and meaningful solutions to Australia’s energy needs to underpin a viable economy to secure jobs and prosperity for the entire nation
KAP will pursue policies that:
Retain essential energy generation and transmission assets in suitable structures to ensure the public good and national interests are best served, including caveats on private investment
Establish an independent energy authority to ensure political expedience is disempowered in the development and implementation of the national energy plan
Develop a robust and effective national energy plan by 2015 to deliver energy security to the Australian economy with a tactical response to 2030 and a strategic positioning to 2050
Invest in the national grid to improve generation and transmission efficiency both in terms of cost and also environmental impact
Provide generational equity in the investment and deployment of Australian resources to achieve a stable energy future
Implement resource reserves that protect Australian supply of resources to meet domestic energy needs ahead of export demand
Support small business to optimise their energy efficiency and minimise energy demand, acknowledging the potential poverty traps that are increasingly occurring where time and cash poor businesses are effectively unable to mitigate rising energy costs
Encourage ongoing consumptive energy optimisation to mitigate rising energy costs to contain inflationary pressures to cost of living
Protecting Australian jobs and Australian business
KAP is committed to maintaining a productive and affluent workforce
It is essential that Australian businesses are able to compete internationally
Australia’s necessary commitment to maintain a high standard of living to provide adequate health and aged care, education and infrastructure requires a strong economy, which is underpinned equally by an affluent work force and thriving business sector
It is clear that foreign owned corporations and big business have a capacity and will to undermine Australian pay and conditions
It is also clear that Australian labour costs are higher than in many competing nations, increasing the economic pressure on margins for goods and services that are subject to international competition
However, labour costs for Australian manufacturing, which has been hit hard by international competition, only attribute about 17% of the total costs in manufacturing
This indicates that the solution to the pressures on international competitiveness are in fact much more complex than adjusting the labour market
It is clear that if labour pay and conditions are undermined and more financial pressure is brought to bear on the workforce generally, the economy will implode
Decreasing the rate of pay and/or the rate of employment results in less taxes to government, less money to business, less money to the private sector, resulting an almost immediate recession
Any decline in the utilisation of a skilled workforce in Australia will simultaneously result in the decline of training for a skilled workforce
This will create a long-term crisis in Australia’s ability to maintain a first world standard of workmanship on critical specialist services
KAP is committed to protecting Australian jobs and maximising the productivity of the workforce to increase employment rates in terms of people in paid work, and more importantly, the people in full time work
KAP is committed to achieving this through considered policies that actually support the industries and businesses that provide the employment opportunities, with a particular emphasis on small business
Specifically, KAP will pursue policies that increase demand for Australian products and support Australian jobs |and that will:
ensure that all Australian Governments purchase only Australian manufactured vehicles where there is an Australian made vehicle suitable for the role;
mandate the use of ethanol in all Australian petrol to stimulate regional economies in the grain and sugar industries;
ensure that all uniforms purchased on Australian government funded contracts are manufactured in Australia using Australian materials where they are fit for purpose;
ensure that any construction contracts undertaken using Australian government funds will use Australian steel;
stop the use of 457 visas by big business as a means to replace or undermine Australian workers and Australian award pay and conditions;
mandate premium shelf space on Australian supermarkets for Australian manufactured goods;
aggressively wind back the market share and/or market power of monopolistic companies that control access to markets for Australian small business, like Coles, Woolworths, Graincorp, Glencore and CBH;
commission Australian made naval vessels,
including a new fleet of border protection patrol boats;
reduce interest rates and bring down the Australian dollar;
modify competition policy to give small business the same rights under the law as consumers; |and
provide public sector investment in a range of infrastructure initiatives, such as dams, roads, railways, and airports
Essential public assets and infrastructure
It appears that up until the 1970s, Australian governments and industry were capable of conceiving spectacular nation building engineering works that significantly and purposefully added to the productivity and capital base of the country
These assets included power stations and transmission lines, ports, railways, roads, grain handling facilities, airports, and dams
Since then, we have seen increasing divestment by all levels of government of public built and funded infrastructure and assets
The rationale that suggests that a commercial entity can better manage and maintain our essential assets than our Government, is an indictment on the quality of management in the public sector
Such a revelation should prompt the reform of the public asset management capacity, rather than a weak capitulation to inadequate public service and subsequent sale of essential assets
Often, the public assets and essential services that are sold off by government provide monopolistic market power to the purchaser
The general trend is an immediate and short-term cost benefit to consumers as part of the purchase contract undertakings, but ultimately the cost of service or access increases disproportionately
KAP is strongly opposed to the sale of essential public infrastructure
KAP is strongly opposed to the notion that a commercial entity with strong financial motivation to act in self-interest can better manage essential services in the national interest
One of the main triggers for the sale of public infrastructure is the run down in these assets and associated ongoing maintenance and renewal costs
This results in depressed asset pricing at sale
Often the real strategic value of the assets is not realised which means the tax payer ends up paying for the initial asset and subsequently, once the asset is privatised, paying for it again to the new commercial owners who seek a handsome profit on an asset that has been subsidised to them by the tax payer
The decision to sell assets is often short-term rationale in relation to election cycle budget timeframes
If this rationale had been at the front of mind of the nation at its inception, no nation building infrastructure would exist today
It is essential that this thinking be reversed to facilitate retention and maintenance of existing infrastructure and to deliver new projects of meaningful benefit to the nation
KAP is committed to ongoing investment in public infrastructure and the ongoing and timely maintenance of these assets for the benefit of all Australians now and in the future
KAP is fully committed to investment in infrastructure for communications to ensure adequate capacity to support ongoing business investment across all of Australia and that rural and regional based people are not significantly disadvantaged
However, the political hype around the National Broadband Network (NBN), is a disturbing example of the politicisation of public investment with overstated benefits of fibre to home infrastructure and gross incompetence with underestimated costs and a subsequent blowout of over fifty billion dollars
KAP will pursue policies that:
promote the construction of new dams for irrigation and hydro electricity generation;
deliver better road and rail infrastructure to facilitate regional investment;
deliver more effective and efficient power transmission networks;
mandate a national interest test to the privatisation of any public assets;
prevent the sale of essential assets, public or private, including agricultural land and resource assets, to foreign companies and/or sovereign entities without caveats to protect the national interest; | and
establish and promote a government bond market with a guaranteed yield of 5% for Australian citizens and super funds to establish a pool of money specifically for investment in infrastructure
Managing public services commercially
It is increasingly important that the public service be modernised in the context of improving productivity and reconnecting the sector with best commercial practice
There is ample evidence of financial waste and damage including loss of life as a result of poor bureaucratic process with little or no accountability
Increasingly the public service has become over administrated
It appears that the emphasis within the public service has increasingly moved away from a performance based culture and there are few if any meaningful parameters to review performance collectively or individually
Since the Liberal National Government took office in Queensland, there have been 14,000 front line jobs cut, but at the same time we have seen more than a 10% increase in the number of senior bureaucrats who earn over $100,000 per annum
This highlights the cultural shift away from delivery of services to tax payers in a meaningful or commercially relevant way by Government and is indicative of an increasingly disconnected Government culture nationally
The provision of health, education, defence and social security services are the most important sectors of public service interaction with the community where administration is overshadowing front line delivery
This overly bureaucratic culture is out of step with the broader private sector
The subsequent culture of self-assessment by Government has in effect created a feedback loop that reinforces the bureaucratic system to amplify it’s disconnect from the expectations and needs of the non-government sector
In addition there appears to be an increasing trend to politicise investment strategies that severely curtail necessary rigour in costing and assessing impacts of public investment programs
The political hype around the NBN is an excellent example of the politicisation of public investment with overstated benefits of fibre to home infrastructure and gross incompetence with underestimated costs and a subsequent blowout of over fifty billion dollars
KAP is committed to holding the public service sector to account in regards the delivery of services in the same way any successful private sector business operates
KAP is committed to reforming the culture of senior levels of bureaucracy to ensure they are connected to and focussed on the needs of the tax payers they serve
KAP is very conscious of the need to support individuals in the system and condemns the failure of Government to instil the necessary culture in the service
KAP is not intending to erode pay and salaries for the public service sector of the economy
KAP is committed to improving the productivity of the public service in terms of service delivery
KAP will seek reform policies that:
introduce and apply the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to the performance assessment of all bureaucrat managers;
review the APS or EL remuneration pay scale of all bureaucrat managers based on their performance and achievement against meaningful KPIs;
curtail the cost blowout of the NBN and restrict the rollout of fibre to the node rather than to the home;
encourage and protect whistle blowers as an important method of discovery of the real health and performance of the public sector; |and
implement regular, random, independent and external professional audits of the public service sector
Climate and Environment
The reality is that we borrow the world from our children and grandchildren and we should strive to leave it in as good or better condition than we found it.
KAP is strongly committed to the philosophy of being “honorable ancestors” in the context of being climatic and environmental stewards.
Science is our best tool for understanding the world around us.
Science is responsible for the knowledge that has produced the technology we rely on in the modern world.
At this time, 97% of published scientific papers support the view that human activity is warming the climate, largely through the extraction of stored fossil fuels and that such warming has a high likelihood of resulting in adverse consequences.
This high level of scientific agreement is very unusual and other debates that have ultimately been resolved into widespread agreement have generally achieved a considerably lower level of scientific consensus.
This is cause for considerable concern because our civilisation depends on climate stability in order to support the current global human population.
Global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are now higher than at any time during the last 3 million years.
These high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are also impacting on carbon dioxide levels dissolved in sea water with resultant impacts on pH and likely dramatic ramifications for the entire oceanic food chain.
In view of the above points, KAP adopts the precautionary principle and agrees that global carbon dioxide emissions will ultimately need to be constrained to some degree. |  
Those constraints on emissions should remain in place unless or until such time that it can be reliably and scientifically demonstrated that unconstrained carbon dioxide emissions are unlikely to result in costly climatic disturbances.
In regard to the development of new power generation infrastructure, the cost of wind and solar energy systems will be no greater than fossil fuel generation systems.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance notes that wind is already cheaper than new coal or gas fired generation and solar soon will be.
These are critical points because renewables are often painted as expensive when compared to fully depreciated forty plus year old fossil fuel plants, but this simplistic cost comparison is not borne out when we fairly compare the cost of renewables against capital cost of new fossil fuel systems required to replace the ageing fleet or meet new demand.
There is, however, an ongoing demand for fossil fuels and KAP is committed to responsibly exploit the current energy market to maximise Australia’s competitive advantage in the provision of cleanest possible fossil fuels to meet the ongoing demand for as long as it persists to ensure the best possible economic outcome for Australia and to extend the jobs in the current energy sector.
More broadly the same precautionary principles should be applied to other areas of environmental stewardship in relation to mining and extractive industries as well as other areas of human intervention on the land.
However, KAP does remain fully committed to the necessary development of natural ecosystems to pursue sustainable production systems to grow the economic prosperity of the nation. | In relation to climate and environment KAP will pursue policies that:
prevent the extraction of coal seam gas within three kilometres of an aquifer;
support and extend the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target;
mandate the use of ethanol;
provide direct and meaningful support to land managers in delivering ecoservices; | and
support the right of farmers and other citizens to manage their resources and live without uninvited interference.
Rural affairs and agriculture
Agriculture is the PRIMARY INDUSTRY in the Australian economy.
The reality is that the wealth of this nation was first defined in agricultural terms and it is fast returning as the driver of our future prosperity.
The rural and regional economy of Australia is increasingly dependent on farmers’ prosperity.
Similarly, as the resources boom begins to slow, the national economy is dependent on the export of Australian produce to bring in export income and provide a major injection of capital to the national economy to underpin sustainable economic growth.
No civilisation in history has survived long after it foregoes the importance of the economic viability of its agricultural production base.
Australia is one of the few countries that expects its agricultural producers to subsidise consumers domestically and internationally, by being forced to compete in markets with foreign producers who are heavily subsidised to increase production with little or no exposure to market or production risk.
In 1996, the National Farmers Federation (NFF) posed a question: “Why have farmers’ high productivity performance not translated to a more satisfactory profitability outcome for Australian farmers?” 
In 2013 they are still asking the same question.
The aggressive trade liberalisation ideology pursued by consecutive governments over the past two decades has severely damaged rural industries and their communities.
Farm debt is steadily increasing while net farm incomes are not increasing with the debt.
This trend demonstrates market failure in the agricultural sector.
The result of successive government to deregulate agricultural market arrangements has seen increasing market power in the post farm gate sector of the supply chain and structural change that moves the profit in agriculture away from the producers.
Again, gross farm debt has been increasing steadily while net farm income remains constant.
This trend highlights the failure of agricultural market reform in Australia to deliver any benefit to the farm sector.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), continually forecasts a bright future for Australian agriculture based on potential increasing demand due to a combined increase in population and increasing affluence in key markets.
Fundamentally though, the reality is that no central government in the world wants food prices to increase and the majority of the population growth is unlikely to be able to pay even the true cost of production for their food.
Engel’s Law is an economic truism that has been proven repeatedly, proving that the proportion of income consumers spend on food does not increase in line with their increasing income.
This phenomenon belies the notion that agriculture will benefit from increasing affluence in line with their inherent increasing agricultural production costs, which do not follow Engel’s Law.
In effect, the agricultural economy will always fall behind the broader economy with the free market mentality that economic rationalists have so fervently and recklessly pursued.
Free marketers are killing Australian agriculture and by extrapolation, rural and regional Australia and all industries that feed off it.
There is a public and politically promoted notion that it is the role of Australian farmers to meet the increasing global food challenge. 
The reality is that Australian farmers are business people and their primary obligation is to feed, clothe and educate their own families and those who work for them.
This is becoming increasingly difficult. If society generally wants Australian farmers to feed the world then there needs to be a strong market signal sent that underpins the economic success of current and future farmers.
KAP is committed to Australian agriculture and rural and regional Australia and believes that supporting Australian farmers will provide the necessary economic stimulation to reinvigorate this sector of the economy and ultimately underpin the Australian economy.
KAP will pursue policies that:
mandate ethanol use in Australia, providing structural support to grain and sugar industries;
support the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target which will benefit rural infrastructure;
mandate the allocation of premium shelf space in supermarkets for Australian produce;
underwrite a national multi-peril crop insurance scheme to mitigate production risk;
reduce interest rates and manage the Australian currency down to improve the sector’s international competitiveness;
stimulate investment in infrastructure, including roads, rail and ports;
implement WTO compliant tariff’s to protect Australian producers and manufacturers where they are unable to compete with subsidised imports;
stiffen biosecurity conditions on imports and properly resource quarantine and inspections services;
provide an arbitrated price for agricultural produce where farmers request it;
establish a rural development bank to facilitate generational equity transfer;
implement “orderly” marketing where industry structures undermine reasonable market power to producers (as perceived currently in dairy, egg and sugar industries); | and
restore vital irrigation water to agriculture in the Murray Darling Basin.
Asylum seekers and border protection
Australia is a nation of migration.
Our first Australians migrated here some forty thousand years ago.
Since then we have seen our nation build on a diverse heritage of cultures that has contributed to our proud nation.
Our immigrant heritage is quintessential to being Australian.
It is not necessary to have been born in Australia to be Australian and it would be hypocritical to suggest that any person is undeserving of Australian citizenship simply because he or she wants a better life.
However, there needs to be a process of immigration that is fair to all who want to come to Australia
and at the same time does not undermine the social or economic fabric of the nation.
Creating a framework that respects the rights and needs of people who seek to become Australians, to enjoy the lifestyle we largely take for granted,
while preserving that lifestyle competitively for our own citizens, is perhaps one of the most perplexing issues we face as a nation.
It is a delicate balance of performing our humanitarian responsibility to those who are less fortunate than us
without compromising our own existence.
This issue challenges the very notion of what it is to be Australian in the land of opportunity without a discriminatory class system.
“For those who’ve come across the seas we’ve boundless plains to share” Australian National Anthem
The increasing trend toward illegal entry by boat, primarily via Indonesia, is problematic for three reasons:
Firstly, the risk to life in making the perilous journey to Australia in barely seaworthy vessels is profound and unacceptable to both the migrants and the defence personnel deployed to intercept them.
The humanitarian implications of this situation are very publicly on display and public policy failures are impacting on Australia’s humanitarian reputation internationally and domestically.
Secondly, the sheer number of people trying to enter Australia is placing an unmanageable burden on Australia’s systems to receive, shelter and process these people.
Again, the humanitarian implications of this situation are very publicly on display and public policy failures are impacting on Australia’s humanitarian reputation internationally and domestically.
Thirdly, the ease of entry and inability to process the asylum seekers adequately is now posing an unmanageable national security risk with evidence mounting that undeserving and undesirable individuals are being inappropriately assessed and managed by immigration and security personnel.
Australian citizens are being forced to fund the entire program of interception, processing, transport and repatriation either in Australia or elsewhere.
In addition, national security is increasingly under pressure and the opportunity for entry by undesirables and the implications for Australian citizens if they are successful are profound.
Genuine asylum seekers are being caught up in a wave of irregular maritime arrivals and Australia is unable to deal with their circumstances in an appropriate and compassionate way and timeframe.
The success of the illegal transportation of people to Australia is providing an incentive to non-refugee aspirants.
In turn, this is creating a financial incentive to crews who transport them, placing all in harm’s way unduly.
KAP is obliged to address an asylum seeker policy.
“The parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us to understand that violence towards those who are the least powerful among us can take the form of legislative acts or of human indifference and disconnection.” Lilia Fernandez
KAP is committed to meaningfully deter asylum seekers from boarding boats in Indonesia or any other country in order to seek asylum in Australia.
KAP is committed to mitigate the financial cost of asylum seeker interception processing, housing and repatriation to the Australian taxpayer.
KAP is committed to demonstrate humanitarian compassion in balance with deterring unacceptably dangerous irregular maritime arrivals.
KAP is also committed to reforming the processing of asylum seekers to end the extraordinary waste that is now expended in the industry that has sprung up around the detention of these people.
It is clear that the current bureaucratic process is ineffective and that the Department has no real capacity to competently assess the legitimacy of the claims by asylum seekers.
It is apparent that this aspect of the asylum seeker issue is not being addressed, while it is perhaps the bigger source of apprehension for the Australian public.
Subject to an initial security and health screening, KAP would require that if asylum seekers are to be granted temporary visas, they only be allowed to enter the community on strict social contracts that compel them to close monitoring until such time as the Australian Government is satisfied they pose no threat.
These temporary visas would also provide conditions in relation to settlement and assimilation into the Australian community, compelling a commitment to Australian culture, and compelling a productive contribution to the Australian economy.
Any breach of this kind of social contract would result in termination of the visa.
KAP will pursue policies in regard to asylum seekers and border security that:
Commit to increase and enhance its fleet of patrol boats (to be made in Australia).
Restrict Australia’s migration zone to the mainland.
Any boat found in Australian waters, that is seaworthy and carrying asylum seekers, shall be turned around and escorted out of Australian waters.
Any immediate humanitarian needs of passengers or crew shall be met at interception.
Suspected people smuggler ring leaders and organisers who benefit substantially financially should be prosecuted vigorously and they should defend themselves at their own expense.
Asylum seekers claims are assessed quickly to screen for health and obvious security risks.
Successful refugees should only be granted temporary visas and conditional release into the community on a strict social contract subject to close electronic monitoring for a probationary period in lieu of detention.
Refugees on temporary visas should be employed/deployed in work for the dole type programs, particularly in the construction of their own housing and infrastructure requirements.
First Australians
Australian Aboriginal people are undeniably our First Australians.
These people have struggled under colonisation.
There is no doubt that the socio-economic circumstances of modern Aboriginal people in Australia reflects poorly on their treatment and consideration by past and present governments.
KAP is mindful of many appalling injustices that have been inflicted on the Aboriginal people and while there is awareness of these issues, the strong and determined focus is on how we can improve the circumstances and opportunities for them.
It is clear that the welfare system and the subsequent culture that has become entrenched in many communities has reinforced the decline of Aboriginal communities.
It is apparent that in pastoral areas, the 1964 wage decision that resolved equal pay for Aboriginal stockmen resulted in general unemployment for many stockmen and Aboriginal communities being displaced.
Subsequently these people have lost their purpose and connection to the land.
The injustice of unequal pay and subsequent employment discrimination has had a massive unintended consequence that will likely take generations to resolve.
KAP is committed to addressing the serious socio-economic issues facing many Aboriginal communities across Australia by working with the Elders and traditional leaders of these communities.
KAP does not support the federal intervention because the program is discriminatory and exacerbates the alienation of people who desperately need to regain a sense of self-worth and basic human dignity.
It is undeniable that the government has an obligation to protect those who are most vulnerable in our society, but this protection must be provided respectfully and genuinely.
KAP is concerned that Aboriginal people apparently “own” over twenty percent of Australian lands, but still do not enjoy the same title of this land as other Australians.
It is essential that all Aboriginal lands are able to be held under individual or collective title deeds.
It is essential that Aboriginal people have the opportunity and incentive to operate their land profitably and with purpose.
KAP is committed to programs of support that engage Aboriginal people constructively in the broader Australian community and economy with equality.
KAP will pursue policies that:
provide inalienable title over Aboriginal lands either collectively or individually to Aboriginal people;
end compulsory draconian and discriminatory “intervention and prohibition” laws and provide authority to community leaders to establish their own governance; |and
maintain and extend the Community Development Employment Program and engage Aboriginal people in civil construction projects including building and maintenance of housing for their own communities.
Small business
The small business sector accounts for approximately two million businesses and employs over seven million people in Australia.
The employment in small business accounts for approximately two thirds of the Australian workforce.
It is clear that the health of the small business sector is a major single determinant of the health of the economy.
Successive Australian governments have professed to be concerned about the small business sector and still the regulatory demands on the sector see it pushed nearly to the brink and the decline is seeing significant reduction in business numbers and labour utilisation in spite of population growth.
Furthermore, the definition of a small business varies between the Australian Tax Office, Fair Work Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
It is exceedingly unlikely that any Australian government has made any serious commitment to the small business sector when they have not even taken the time to define the sector.
Interestingly, not a single one of the many Australian definitions of the small business sector correlates with our major international competitors.
Australian government definitions range from:
less than 15 employees by simple count rather than full time equivalents for Fair Work Australia;
less than 20 employees for the Australian Bureau of Statistics;
less than 50 employees for the Australian Tax Office;
less than two million dollars in revenue for the Reserve Bank of Australia; | and
less than fifty million dollars for the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority.
Typically, small business operators actually operate the business they own or at very least have an intimate knowledge of the operation. | example:
Similarly, most small business operators are not often “sophisticated”, in the corporate sense, and their primary skills tend to lie in the field of the service or production sector that the business operates within. | For
A plumbing contractor is usually a plumber with a trade background, and is not a university trained business management graduate.
A farmer is usually skilled in production of crops or livestock, and is not a tax accountant or industrial relations lawyer.
As a result we see small business severely disadvantaged by government regulation and compliance, which does not differentiate between a large or small employer.
Small business operators are besieged by predatory and anti-competitive behaviour of big business.
Similarly, small business is increasingly besieged by the regulatory systems of government which are really targeting big business and indifferently catching small business in the crossfire.
The result is that we are seeing small business survival rates decline sharply and the rate of labour utilisation by small business contract even faster.
The increasing demands on small business administration and compliance do nothing to improve productivity or profitability and simply add cost to the business and demotivate the sector.
KAP is committed to supporting small business and recognises that it is the sector of the economy most able to drive growth and innovation in the Australian economy and with meaningful support will provide the biggest growth in employment in terms of numbers of jobs and numbers of hours of work.
The Australian government has progressively pushed compliance requirements onto business in regards to the roll out of the administration of increasingly complex employee services such as tax collection and management and superannuation administration.
It is alarming that the superannuation industry is filled with highly trained accountants and administrators who do not pick up a pencil without charging someone and the government expects small business operators to perform all the accounting and compliance functions for superannuation at no cost.
The reality is that the cost of compliance and implementation of increasingly complex payroll management systems cannot be efficiently offset on small workforces that typically define small business.
KAP is committed to reducing red tape and compliance costs for small business and recognises that the marginal unit costs to compliance to small business must be considered in contrast to the marginal unit costs to big business.
KAP is committed to seeing regulatory impact assessments for small business mandated for relevant legislation and regulation.
Specifically KAP will pursue policies that:
provide a consistent definition of small business in Australia that ensures competitive advantage for Australian small business (less than 50 employee threshold preferred);
give small business the same rights under competition policy as consumers;
give small business the same rights under industrial relations law as employees;
mandate regulatory impact assessments specifically for small business;
establish a Small Business Ombudsmen with particular interest in predatory anti-competitive behaviour by big business and compliance cost burdens; | and
provide separate award conditions for small business that recognise the difference between big business and small business,
while still providing certainty to employees.
Education
Australia should be a world leader and innovator in the field of education; but our ranks are slipping, as globally we become less competitive and productive.
In order to provide future generations with the best possible opportunities, we must provide them with the best possible foundation – an education which is second to none!
KAP education reforms will ensure that all Australians, regardless of their circumstance, will receive a world class education; that means that not only will these reforms ensure that regardless of the school or State of enrolment, that students will receive the same benefits from the education system, but this also means, that the education system must rival any other education system in the world.
Australia must aim to close the education gap, internally, within Australia, and externally, with other countries. KAP recognises the necessary reforms required for our education system nationally.
However, the focus of such reforms should not only focus on budgetary and monetary constraints.
What is required is a significant overhaul of the current model used to teach Australia’s children.
It is obvious that the greatest impact is upon students and young Australians, who due to a failing system, are not given every possible opportunity, which should be available to them.
Ultimately, Australia as a Nation will suffer, unless there is immediate reform to the education system.
In today’s world, a proper education is not an option, but rather it is a necessity.
With technological advancements, and an interconnected global economy, Australia must advance to compete.
As a country, Australia is facing immediate challenges in terms of productivity and efficiency, the best way to resolve this, is with a better educated, more productive and more efficient workforce; this will only occur with a significantly improved education system.
Furthermore, teachers, principals and those working to provide our future generations with the best possible opportunities are underpaid, under-appreciated and overworked.
KAP seeks to recognise the contributions of these people, and ensure that the educators throughout Australia are given the appreciation and reward that they deserve.
Background:  
The 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) provides some very sobering statistics as to where Australia stands internationally with respect to education.
The following ranks are for students in year four, compared internationally
In reading skills, Australia is ranked 27th out of 45, and
In mathematics, 18th out of 45, and
In science, 25th out of 45.
Furthermore, 24% of year four students did not meet the “intermediate benchmark” for the study, regarded as the minimal acceptable standard of literacy.
Perhaps even more troubling, of the teachers surveyed in conjunction with the study, in year four classrooms, only 75% of students were being taught by teachers who considered themselves “very confident” in the subject matter they were teaching.
The studies show that by high school, Australia improves in the rankings, but is certainly not the front runner in education.
The following guiding principles form the basis of the KAP education reform:
KAP proposes to better utilise the existing funding, more efficiently and productively.
As with any organisation seeking structural change, the national education system must reallocate existing funding to facilitate better performance, and seek internal efficacy.
KAP proposes a more grassroots approach to education; removing the current hierarchal and bureaucratic structure will provide greater control to principals and teachers, dramatically reducing costs, and allowing for the reallocation of funds to where they are most needed; the schools, principals and teachers, and most importantly, the students.
Primarily, the focus should be on providing a solid foundation of reading, writing and mathematics.
This is required, as each stage of education should be considered as a building block, or stepping stone to the next, regardless of what that stage may be.
The foremost reform that KAP will introduce will be to develop the single most influential determinant to great teaching – the teachers.
Throughout Australia, KAP wants to recruit, promote, reward and most of all, celebrate, great teachers.
Undoubtedly, the key to the future success of Australia’s education system is great teaching.
KAP proposes that in order to provide a better education to young Australians, we must identify great teaching – and reward it! In order to provide better outcomes from the education system, we must improve the quality and efficacy of teaching.
The single most important variable in determining the success of any student is the effectiveness of the teacher.
The reason KAP is focussing on the teachers, is that we realise that they are the solution to the education problem; the problem is the system in which they are forced to work.
The question then becomes how do we measure student effectiveness? Through student growth; that being, it does not matter the standard of the student at the beginning of the school year, only that they have improved under the guidance of their teacher, and are able to do so year after year.
KAP wants to work closely with teachers who are passionate about developing standards and metrics which will allow for a useful and practical evaluation for ensuring student growth.
Upon implementation of such standards and metrics teacher remuneration would be directly linked by providing teachers with a base salary, with additional bonuses paid in accordance with demonstrated student growth.
Defence and Border Protection– SELF-DETERMINATION, SAFETY, CHECKS-AND-BALANCES
The federal government must assure the defence and security of this nation and its people
This core responsibility of government is one where Australians rightly expect that what needs to be done will be done, and that appropriate funding will be available.
Australia’s defence force, customs and quarantine protection require strategic forward-planning to keep pace with emerging trends and new threats
They also need rigorous and prudent ﬁnancial management.
Our defence forces must maintain combat readiness and our serving men and women must be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and logistical support
Their goals must be realistic, enhance our defence capabilities and be geared to tangible results in our national interest.
For example, the effective location of defence facilities across regional Australia is vital to any comprehensive defence strategy, both for the nation and for its regional development
The timely deployment of personnel and resources to military hot spots – globally, in our region and domestically – also requires a signiﬁcant presence in regional Australia.
The Nationals, therefore, support the retention of existing defence facilities in regional areas
In fact, to better serve Australia’s defence interests, we will move to identify those defence facilities currently in major population centres that can be decentralised, and to house as many personnel as possible in regional areas of Australia.
Protecting our borders extends beyond military considerations
Regional Australians know that our singular pest and disease-free status is crucial to the productive capacity and marketing of our food and ﬁbre domestic and export industries.
Labor’s disgraceful abandonment of sound science-based quarantine and biosecurity safeguards and reduced resourcing is alarming
This neglect is reﬂected in Labor’s approach to securing our borders against illicit drugs, illegal ﬁshing crews and people smuggling.
Our Plan
Defence
The Nationals’ defence force strategy combines several initiatives to provide our military and allied personnel with the equipment and support necessary for a strong, cohesive and well-coordinated military.
We will ensure that Australia’s defence procurement program targets sufﬁcient resources to modernise military equipment, in consultation with serving personnel and other expert input.
Resources will be directed to the appropriate maintenance of existing equipment, and the decommissioning of equipment and facilities which have reached their use-by date
We will rationalise the resources allocated to the civil side of defence, redirecting the savings to frontline readiness to ensure our on-theground military capabilities are maximised.
Training facilities, including the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College Duntroon, will be given high priority in the defence budget.
Once-and-for-all we will provide ﬁtting recognition of the service of our military and their families
With Australian forces deployed in many active theatres, support services for the injured and those who may not return at all must match the sentiments of a grateful nation
The military, and their families, are entitled to expect nothing less and must be guaranteed peace of mind.
We will support the needs of ex-service personnel and, in particular, provide appropriate health services, access to facilities and appropriate pensions for those that have been physically or psychologically injured in the service of the nation
This must ensure for them a standard of living based on that which, as much as possible, would apply had they not been injured.
We will increase the number of defence establishments and housing in regional areas to facilitate rapid deployment as needs arise.
The Australian Defence Force is a major employer of men and women in the regions
We will champion more women in pursuing careers in the defence forces, and work towards a more supportive culture for their advancement.
We will establish a Defence Industry Advocate to assist the Australian defence forces in their dealings with the Defence Minister’s ofﬁce.
We will provide additional support for the successful Australian Defence Force Gap Year Program.
Border protection
Our traditional ideals of national security, protection from organised crime, and a robust and orderly immigration regime are increasingly under siege.
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, with elements of the defence forces, provide the frontline in restoring and maintaining the integrity of our borders.
The Nationals will restore trust in the integrity of our border protection system by providing necessary additional equipment and personnel.
We commit to the re-introduction of Temporary Protection Visas and to the continuation of the Australian-funded and operated detention centre on Nauru to process arrivals and deter illegal immigration in the future.
We will ensure that Navy and Customs personnel have the right modern equipment to turn boats around where it is safe to do so and stop illegal entry into Australia
We must defeat unscrupulous people smugglers.
A major review of the structure of border protection services will ensure that resources at the bureaucratic level are streamlined to maximise frontline resources and effort.
We will increase cargo screening at ports and airports, allowing greater scrutiny over more of our air and sea cargo
There will be more screening and inspections to detect the illicit goods which threaten our communities and especially our regional industries, such as agriculture.
Economy and Taxation–REINVESTING IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
The Nationals’ highest priority is to rebuild a strong economy, restore conﬁdence and usher in a new era of growth, prosperity and opportunity in Australia’s regions.
Strong economic management means lower taxes and downward pressure on interest rates.
It means more funds to invest in health and education, national security and productivity spurring infrastructure.
Debt and deﬁcit spending rob future generations of autonomy and diminish living standards, especially if the money is not invested in productive economic infrastructure.
Our core belief is that private enterprise is the foundation of the nation’s economy, based on a fair and equitable taxation system that guards against disadvantage for those living and working in regional Australia.
Our Plan
Moving from Opposition we face a familiar challenge
In 1996 we inherited $96 billion of Labor debt and paid it off
It was a long, hard road to recovery but, together as a community, we got through it
In 2007 Labor inherited a $20 billion budget surplus and $70 billion in the bank
Labor boasted it would deliver a $22 billion surplus the following ﬁnancial year
In fact, Labor delivered a $27 billion deﬁcit
It followed with cumulative budget deﬁcits of a record $174 billion.
The Nationals have continually called on Labor to outline a credible plan to repay debt, which is mounting to the tune of $100 million each and every day
However, Labor has been incapable of doing this
The Nationals are committed to returning the Federal Budget to a real surplus and beginning to repay the mammoth debt accumulated by Labor.
What business – big and small – needs to return to a positive outlook that promotes investment, expansion and growth, is a government committed to sound ﬁscal management
That’s also a recipe for more jobs, better jobs and job security to give working families conﬁdence.
We will ensure that in recognising what savings need to be made it is understood that regional Australia is the generator of Australia’s real wealth, and regional recovery is fundamental to restoring economic growth and prosperity.
Lower taxes, reduced spending and downward pressure on interest rates are in The Nationals’ DNA – priorities that come about for all the right reasons
Australians, especially those in the regions, are struggling under mounting cost of living pressures, while business and consumer conﬁdence are at rock bottom.
Carbon and mining taxes
Adding to the woes for families and business are the almost daily announcements of more jobs being shed
People, already under pressure, have the added burdened of Labor’s ever-growing carbon tax – the biggest in the world.
This economy-wide, job-destroying, conﬁdence-sapping carbon tax is a dead weight around the necks of every business, worker, farmer, senior and family… and all for no environmental gain.
We are opposed to it and, in government, we will repeal it
An economic environment conducive to wealth creation, productivity growth and job creation are all cornerstones of Nationals philosophy and policy.
We will also repeal Labor’s mining tax given the negative impact it will have on Australian families, jobs, regional communities, superannuation savings, the economy and the international competitiveness of this vital Australian industry.
Wealth for the regions
When wealth is generated in a region a fair share of the resulting government revenue should be returned to that region and to regional Australia more generally.
The Nationals’ Western Australian Royalties for Regions policy is based on that equity principle, as is The Nationals’ Victorian Regional Growth Fund and The Nationals’ New South Wales Restart NSW Fund.
At the federal level, we will ensure that a share of Petroleum Resource Rent Tax from offshore oil and gas developments is applied directly to regional Australia.
The Nationals also advocate fairness in spending
Residents in the capital cities see a much larger proportion of their taxation dollar spent on services in their communities than do those living in the regions.
We will support the creation of a substantial Regional Fair Share Fund over four years with funding to be made available for:
Projects approved by Regional Development Australia Boards with matching contributions from state, territory and local governments;  and
Local community infrastructure projects.
Zonal taxation
The Nationals support increased zone tax allowances
We propose a trial scheme of ﬁve speciﬁed local government areas.
These trial areas will be selected for their potential to create sustainable economic development and growth, link with existing transport corridors and encourage development over a broader area, reduce welfare dependency in remote areas and their capacity to contribute a saving to the budget and reduce indigenous disadvantage.
Review of these taxation allowances may lead to them being replaced with a new system that provides an increased allowance to those living in the most remote locations.
Personal tax reform
Dissatisfaction with the complexity and unfairness of the present personal taxation system is endemic
Reform should not be neglected on the basis that it is just too hard to ﬁx.
The Nationals will review the system to afford fairness to all citizens and, in particular, ensuring there is no disadvantage to those on lower incomes and pensions.
In particular, The Nationals will continue to pursue lower marginal tax levels for individuals.
In government, as part of the review of the taxation system, we will evaluate the beneﬁt and impact of tax deductibility for childcare, noting that this measure would likely assist productivity and boost female participation in the workforce.
We will call on the Australian Tax Ofﬁce to review the withholding rate for individuals with multiple jobs.
In order to provide certainty and stability in superannuation, The Nationals in government will not make any unexpected detrimental changes to the superannuation system.
Tax incentives for growth
We also recognise the role regional areas can, and must, play in overcoming Australia’s national challenges
Unless we, as a nation, can bring businesses and people to regional cities and develop new commercial hubs, the projected 36 million people who will call Australia home by 2050 will grind our cities into gridlock
Governments cannot force citizens to move to regional areas, but they can create the business case for start-up or relocating commercial operations with the help of innovative tax breaks
People will follow worthwhile employment opportunities for themselves and their families.
The government can take the lead by relocating government departments and agencies to regional centres.
The Nationals will ensure that taxes and charges imposed by the federal government do not disadvantage regional businesses, compared to their international competitors.
The Nationals support changes to tax law whereby all capital gains produced through compulsory company takeovers will be taxed at the 50% discounted Capital Gains Tax rate, irrespective of how long the shares have been held.
In government we will review the thresholds used to determine whether Capital Gains Tax is payable in the case of intergenerational transfer of farming land from parents to descendants, with the purpose of making such transfers CGT free.
We will examine ways to support tax incentives for tourism development and the refurbishment of tourist facilities in regional Australia.
The Nationals consider 4WD vehicles are ‘tools of trade’ for remote rural property owners and rural service providers, not luxury cars, and consider they should be exempted from the luxury tax.
We note that there is inequity in the current GST distribution formula
In government, we will review the present funding to see whether a fairer GST arrangement is deliverable, while making sure that the states and territories are not unfairly penalised for the incidence and application of their own taxes and royalties.
Taxation treatment of water infrastructure
The Nationals in government will re-introduce full tax deductibility for water infrastructure expenses in the ﬁnancial year following that in which the cost was incurred.
Domestic relocation
Overwhelmingly, the majority of unemployed Australians live in our capital cities
Government policies should enable them to move to jobs in regional areas.
The drought, global economic downturn and ﬂoods have masked a critical workforce shortage across regional Australia
In agricultural alone around 100,000 jobs – some 80,000 skilled jobs and 22,000 entry-level positions – will remain unﬁlled as farm production kicks back into full gear.
Young, mobile welfare recipients who refuse to take up gainful employment in the regions should not expect to continue to receive those beneﬁts
Welfare and disability reforms must take account of the opportunities in the regions and the great lifestyles that are available.
Removing impediments to regional living is another essential part of the equation for getting more people into regional areas.
The Nationals will seek to deliver equity of services, with transport, communications and hard and soft infrastructure in the regions being made comparable with those in the capital cities.
Bonded migration & visas
In addition to getting more Australians into the regions, tying new migrants to regional locations experiencing skilled and non-skilled labour shortages can help ﬁll the gaps.
This is not a new idea
Under the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship Scheme, doctors are required to live and work in rural areas for a minimum of ﬁve years.
The Nationals in government will support the removal of the cap on ‘Other Family’ visas, from 750 per annum and will restore the previous cap of 2,500 per annum.
Infrastructure bonds
The Nationals support the introduction of an Infrastructure Partnerships Scheme to provide targeted tax concessions to infrastructure projects of national signiﬁcance helping to attract some of the $1.4 trillion Australians have invested in superannuation.
Workplace relations
The Nationals will promote a ﬂexible and fair workplace relations system, which takes account of the special circumstances and often seasonal needs of regional businesses.
Small Business Action Plan
The Nationals don’t just talk about tax relief, they will deliver it, especially to the engine room of our national economy – small business, suffering under Australia’s two-speed economy
Two years ago we began formulating our tax relief response for small businesses caught out by global economic ﬂuctuations
Our Small Business Action Plan supports tax loss carry-back, allowing businesses to offset operating losses and retain staff by claiming back taxes paid over the last three years.
Under our plan, this provision is available for losses up to a $100,000 limit, giving speciﬁc tax relief to struggling small businesses.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will be required to review the Corporations Act 2001 and related industry codes, so that liquidators are prevented from taking day-to-day management of a family-owned farm where a ﬁnancial institution forecloses on that property.
The Nationals in government will ensure that the recommendations from the Senate Economics References Committee inquiry into the post-GFC banking sector are fully evaluated with the aim of having them adopted.
This will include an additional Nationals’ recommendation that the Australian Bankers Association consider an industry standard, whereby its members are required to act in the best interests of the client generally and capping penalty (default) interest rates at no more than 50% higher than the interest rate of the loan.
Mortgage insurance
The Nationals support Lenders Mortgage Insurance in its current form as a protection of home ownership by ensuring fair and equitable access to home loans, particularly in rural and regional Australia.
The Nationals support mechanisms to increase the transparency and portability of mortgage insurance.
This scheme includes a compulsory fact sheet outlining options available to borrowers prior to them signing loan agreements and a compulsory refund schedule for those borrowers wishing to switch lenders.
We will also increase competition in the banking sector through mutual ﬁnancial institutions.
National disaster fund
The Nationals will establish a National Disaster Fund that is managed and administered independently of the federal government
The fund will be initially established through the Budget process and separately accounted for.
Flood insurance
The Nationals will require that insurance companies have a clear and uniform
Education– ACCESS TO 21ST CENTURY LEARNING NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE
A world-class education is the birthright of every Australian and a vital investment in the people, opportunities and prosperity of our nation.
Parents want to give their children the best possible education
The Nationals believe that from pre-school to university the highest standards and equality of access to lifelong learning are fundamental for all Australians regardless of where they live.
State and federal governments must work together to meet the nation’s education needs
They must eliminate duplication in administering programs to ensure resources are focused on classroom needs, to deliver equitable education opportunities for all, to ensure that teachers have the support and materials to do their job.
The Nationals helped pioneer government funding for independent schools and we continue to support parents’ right to educate their children at the school of their choice.
No child should be disadvantaged because of choice of school or geographical location
The Nationals will ensure an equitable split of funding between public and private schools regardless of their location.
We recognise that Australia’s geography and demography pose hefty challenges for regional families
While country schools often provide a rich and productive educational experience, particularly in the early years, access to quality education becomes increasingly difﬁcult for secondary and tertiary students from regional areas.
These students are less likely to complete Year 12 than their metropolitan counterparts, and are signiﬁcantly under-represented in tertiary education.
Despite comprising more than 30% of Australia’s population, only 17% of university students come from regional areas, and regional Australians are much less likely to hold a tertiary qualiﬁcation.
The Nationals will encourage regional students to complete Year 12 and support them in doing so when they move away from home to higher education.
Once students reach the tertiary level, the current education system does not provide the same opportunities to students from regional areas.
The Nationals advocate policy solutions to assist students from regional areas in achieving their full potential, so they will return to regional Australia and apply their acquired skills and knowledge.
The Nationals’ approach is to work closely with local school communities, not lock them out, to ensure regional communities remain active participants in the educational outcomes of their young people.
Our Plan
Regional Education Revival
The Nationals’ Regional Education Revival uses 21st century tools to provide a 21st century learning experience in regional Australia
We will partner with the states, territories and local communities to transform the delivery of regional education.
We acknowledge that more needs to be done to address the shortage of skills and labour in the agricultural sector and, in particular, will put agriculture, forestry and horticulture back on the National Skills Needs List, which Labor removed.
This list identiﬁes trades and occupations considered to have shortages, and offers ﬁnancial incentives to those who pursue these careers
In addition, we will put in place an Agricultural Apprenticeship system to help address the shortage of labour, provide employment opportunities for young people and keep regional communities alive.
We will identify, train and equip outstanding teachers and use the internet to make them available in every regional classroom.
We will allow school principals to lead, and delegate to them and school councils, funding responsibility and accountability
We will encourage creativity, problem solving and teamwork while retaining a core emphasis on numeracy and literacy
We will provide students with the skill sets that employers need.
Only The Nationals provide the vision and leadership to bring quality education to regional Australia.
Equity in educational opportunity
The core plank of our education policy must be that all Australians can access learning opportunities no matter where they live
Therefore, special measures are required to enable people living in regional and remote areas to share in that access.
A new Regional Education Fund will ensure that the key issues of equity and access to educational opportunities for regional students are addressed
Under Labor, the gap between regional students and city students has been exacerbated
The Nationals will ensure that barriers to excellence in education are removed for regional students.
Youth allowance
It was The Nationals who forced Labor to wind back the 2009 Federal Budget changes that disadvantaged regional families.
Labor’s changes to the eligibility criteria meant that Independent Youth Allowance was not available to students living in inner regional zones of the ASGC-RA map unless they had worked an average of 30 hours per week for 18 months in a two-year period.
This work test was patently unrealistic given the limited availability of jobs in small regional centres, and the requirement to potentially defer university for two years
We insisted that income tests were unreasonable, given the additional costs faced by regional families with children at university.
To address the real costs of living away from home for education, The Nationals propose a new, targeted, rural and regional program to assist regional students who cannot stay at home with their parents while they pursue further study.
A key part of this plan will be a new Tertiary Access Allowance
All students for whom public transport is not reasonably available within 90 minutes of their place of study will be eligible for the Tertiary Access Allowance
The new allowance will replace the current relocation allowance and, in most instances, the Independent Youth Allowance
The Tertiary Access Allowance will not be means tested.
Recognising the beneﬁt that regional universities provide for both students and local communities, The Nationals will assist universities to establish more residential-hall style accommodation dedicated speciﬁcally for use by regional students.
The Nationals will seek to implement study support for students studying at regional institutions including the development and implement of an annual low interest loan scheme for students who choose to study at a regional education institution, as part of our plan to attract young people to regional areas.
The Nationals will remove the $150,000 parental income test for regional students applying for the independent youth allowance.
Family reunion travel pass
In recognition of children studying far from home, and to help maintain contact between families, The Nationals support establishing a nationwide family reunion travel pass, providing free public transport for students returning home for family visits.
Early childhood education & home tutors
We will also work with the Isolated Children’s Parent’s Association to introduce early childhood programs to ensure all children have access to affordable, high quality early childhood education.
We recognise the contribution home tutors make to children’s education, especially in the regions, and will introduce a Home Tutor Allowance in recognition of the role Home Tutors play in delivering distance education to children in remote communities with no ﬁnancial remuneration for the work they do;
The Nationals will extend the annual Distance Education Allowance (under the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme) to remote families with pre-school aged children so that they can access early childhood distance education programs.
Isolated Children’s’ Allowance
The Nationals will also support an increase to the Assistance for Isolated Children’s’ Allowance, and ensure that it is reviewed on a regular basis so that it can be adapted to changing needs.
School Term Hostels
The Nationals will re-introduce the ﬁve-year program for School Term Hostels and provide funding per student for capital works for School Term Hostels.
We will further support direct funding through the Priority Country Areas Program to eliminate the burden and delay of state government bureaucracy.
Improving the education network
Our young people hold the key to the future prosperity of regional Australia
Government support for public and private education is an investment in the future and we need to empower local school communities to develop local solutions to local problems.
Unlike Labor, we have conﬁdence that local school councils can deliver infrastructure projects in a timely and efﬁcient manner and with proper consideration of local factors
This was demonstrated under the previous Coalition Government’s ‘Investing in Our Schools’ program, which delivered more than 20,000 small infrastructure projects in schools.
The Nationals will ensure that local school communities have a direct say in the expenditure of any further funds provided by the federal government for infrastructure improvements.
An Australia-wide curriculum focused on ‘the three R’s’ and that includes citizenship, civics, lifestyle training and health, is essential
As part of this strategy, The Nationals in government will take into account the views expressed on the Federal Coalition Discussion Paper into Enhancing Online Safety for Children with target focuses of education and awareness of strategies in dealing with and coping with bullying.
We also support performance measures with a view to bringing those schools that are found to be falling behind up to the national standard through ﬁnancial and/or skills support
This curriculum to include the study of rural communities, their industries and culture in recognition of regional Australia’s integral role in Australian culture and prosperity.
National youth safety program
To help provide our young people with other necessary life skills, The Nationals will introduce a national youth safety program to give students basic ﬁrst aid competencies by Year 10 and to provide all students with a basic introduction to pre-driver education and training.
We will also provide opportunities for young people to receive drug, obesity and general health education.
Speech therapists in regional schools
Recognising the very real problem of lack of access to speech therapists in regional schools, The Nationals will work with state government education ministers and the education sector on the best way to deliver support to students and schools.
We will seek a federal-state agreement on funding speech therapists in all schools to ensure learning difﬁculties are detected and addressed early in a child’s education; and to consider the opportunities to address occupational therapy as well.
Attracting and retaining skilled educators
Attracting and retaining skilled educators in regional Australia is a perennial problem, one exacerbated by the states offering different pay rates to entice teachers to switch between states.
The Nationals support the development of a standardised national system of incentive payments that encourages qualiﬁed teachers to relocate to, or remain in, rural and regional locations.
Teacher shortages are a signiﬁcant issue
Factors contributing include isolation from other schools, lack of professional support, lack of coaching mentors, insufﬁcient access to quality learning, lack of housing and lack of local services.
Regional teachers need support to ensure equity is provided and The Nationals will seek to implement a Teacher Relocation Incentive Scheme to address these problems.
A Regional Teacher Network will be established to provide the linkage between teachers and communities in regional areas, designed to ensure teacher relocation is hassle free.
The Nationals’ initiative of Rural Teaching Schools is designed to address the lack of skilled educators in the regions and, via a fouryear pilot program, could lead to the creation of a federal government fund to establish permanent Rural Teaching Schools.
In addition, we support bonded scholarships for regional students to study in areas of skills shortage at university – with the proviso that, at the completion of their studies, they agree to return to an area of need for a ﬁxed period of three years.
Regional universities
Regional universities, and the regional campuses of city universities, play a valuable part in improving access to education for students in the regions
The Nationals support policies that encourage and support the universities to deliver services in regional communities.
The experience of attending university is much more than sitting in a lecture theatre
University councils should have the power to include, in setting their fees, an amount to cover a limited range of student services, particularly the sporting and recreational facilities that enhance the university experience.
The Nationals will provide ﬁnancial resources through a Faculty of Excellence Program for regional universities, to allow them to focus on particular areas of excellence to enhance the university’s reputation
In government, as part of our health policy, we will support the establishment of a new Murray Darling Medical School and invite proposals from other regionally based universities to establish rural medical schools in areas of rural need and shortage
To ensure better accountability and transparency, we will support naming those universities which do not meet the target of 25% of medical students from a rural background, and subsequently advise the sanctions applied in those cases.
The Nationals will introduce initiatives to assist Australian agriculture and mining schools, as well as universities, to obtain the resources and scientiﬁc and professional research skills they need.
We will facilitate collaboration between universities and industry, particularly in the area of agriculture and agribusiness, to ensure a sustainable workforce into the future
The Nationals will also work to establish an Agricultural Research Fund to ensure university research in this area is properly recognised and supported.
Vocational training
The Nationals also believe that a quality education is not dependent on attending university
Many regional students prefer vocational training and apprenticeships, and regional Australia needs skilled trades people.
We will provide the ﬁnancial incentives for young people to take up traineeships in the agricultural sector, on the same footing as other traineeships and apprenticeships, and will place tertiary-level agriculture and forestry courses in the National Priorities Category of the Students Contribution Band.
The Nationals will provide incentives for regional employers to give students work experience and gap year employment, to foster local career and job opportunities.
The waste of up to $5 billion on Labor’s school hall program could have paid for hundreds of thousands of apprenticeships
The Nationals will ensure that vocational training receives the attention it deserves to ensure that regional Australia gets the skilled workers it needs.
We will examine the feasibility of applying Adult Learning Australia policy to every Australian town with a population of more than 200 and is more than 80km from a TAFE or University campus.
The Community Learning Centre can operate as an access point for Higher Education and TAFE and for locals.
Students with special needs
The Nationals recognise how difﬁcult it can be for families with children with special needs to access education in regional areas, and will provide adequate resources for schools to provide support for these children.
We support a funding model that ties assistance for these students to the student; that is, when students relocate, the funding transfers with them.
The Nationals also support a funding model that treats students with special needs in non-government schools equally, and on the same basis, with children attending government schools.
We support measures to harmonise the treatment of these students across state borders to ensure their families are well supported in seeking the best possible educational outcomes for these children.
HECS bonding
Bonded scholarships have been introduced for medical students to attract new doctors to regional areas, and these schemes have produced positive results.
The Nationals will seek to introduce a scheme to refund the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) fees of graduates who work in regional areas of need and contribute to the economic development and social fabric of regional Australia.
We also support a review of HECS-HELP debt indexing and in relation to amount to be paid per annum, the possible application of a cap of 2% of the repayment income as determined by the Australian Tax Ofﬁce.
Ex-service organisation volunteers
We will work to reverse the Department of Veterans’ Affairs decision not to fund costs incurred by ex-service organisation volunteers attending training and information programs.
Environment– DIRECT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES
The Nationals take a practical approach to environmental policy, insisting on a balance between economic, social and environmental considerations.
It is too often ignored that regional Australians live, work and are heavily invested in the natural environment around them
Their lifestyle and the vibrancies of their local communities are intrinsically linked to the health and wellbeing of natural resources and sound environmental management.
It is common sense
For example, we recognise that our farmers are, in fact, Australia’s frontline environmentalists
They occupy some 60% of Australia’s landmass and, as such, many of the environmental icons, ecological communities and endangered species we want to preserve as a broader community, are literally in farmers’ backyards.
The Nationals are focused on improving air quality, the sustainability of land, efﬁcient water-use, protection of our unique ﬂora and fauna, and preservation of the marine environment
Getting these right will ensure the prosperity and quality of life for future generations.
A key ingredient is workable partnerships between all levels of government, researchers and natural resource managers.
We know that there is much to learn from those who work our land, water and ocean resources.
Today’s food and ﬁbre producers know that the environment in which they operate is different from that faced by their grandparents, and will be different again for their grandchildren
They also know that knowledge is never complete, so there is always a need for continuous improvement and learning.
Successful environmental policy involves integrating responsible environmental management in all policy decisions
The Nationals’ approach to protection of the environment takes account of human and natural activities on our eco systems, quality of life and resource management.
We will not distort international trade or divert new investment to greenhouse emissions havens, but will encourage an orderly transition of the power generating industry to low emissions and carbon abatement and storage technology.
We support studies into the use of alternative based power generation systems, including nuclear energy
We will support practical land and water management, and encourage technologies, such as biofuels, that assist to help maintain clean air.
We will provide protection for our unique ﬂora and fauna and our oceans, while maintaining access for productive use
In government we will require that regular audits be conducted on the population of ﬂora and fauna considered endangered, so that updated ﬁgures of the increase or decrease in numbers can be used to make balanced decisions to be made on changes in protection measures.
The Nationals support the licensing of breeders of endangered native fauna, with a view to enhancing the protection of these species.
We will repeal Labor’s carbon tax, which is having a detrimental impact on the lives of regional Australians and will achieve no effective environmental outcomes.
Our Plan
The Nationals recognise that climate change is an urgent environmental priority and that a robust and realistic policy response is essential
However, climate change can only be successfully addressed in the overall context of environmental, economic and social good.
Those policies should be incentive-driven, not punitive.
Climate change
The Nationals support effective global programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to insure against the risk of climate change
Wealthy industrialised countries like Australia must take a commensurate role in conjunction with the rest of the world in implementing a global response if we expect developing countries to contribute to the solution.
Therefore, we support an Australian objective of a 5% reduction in emissions below Year 2000 levels by 2020, with larger reductions dependent on a strong international agreement being reached
This means that Australia would reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases from 552.7 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent in 2000 to 525 million tonnes in 2020
The Nationals will ensure that this target is achieved without economic harm or loss of jobs, and by measures that themselves directly beneﬁt Australia.
The Nationals are preoccupied with our communities and workable solutions, not with mindless symbolism.
A carbon tax that weakens the Australian economy, drives up costs, creates unemployment and, ultimately, sees demand shift from Australia to higher polluting countries helps no-one
Worse than no climate impact, this would see a higher global carbon footprint while Australian businesses and families suffer.
Australia must play its part in addressing climate change issues
The necessary environmental outcomes can be achieved without buying and selling carbon credits and without a carbon tax.
Practical measures can be taken now, including:
Continuing to develop and use practical CO2 emissions reduction measures, such as soil carbon sequestration, the revegetation of marginal land, bio-char, clean coal technology, carbon capture and the use of algae;
Opening a voluntary carbon market to encourage the immediate recognition and involvement of individuals and communities, agriculture and business in sequestration, with bankable offsets;
Energy-saving initiatives in households, industry and transport to reduce emissions;
Incentives that spur demand for more energy-efﬁcient vehicles and the widespread use of alternative fuels;
Governments engaging the commercial building sector in improving the energy efﬁciency of city buildings and residential housing;
Incentives that provide for the innovative use of renewable energy, without forcing large increases in energy prices; and
The cost and allocation of renewable energy certiﬁcates to be borne by the direct beneﬁciaries.
These measures have the potential to deliver greater reductions in emissions than Labor’s carbon tax, without the massive economic cost and job losses
For example, Professor Ross Garnaut estimated that land restoration works on degraded arid and semi-arid rangelands could by themselves reduce Australian annual emissions by 250 million tonnes of CO2 – easily meeting the target of 5% reduction in emissions at 2000 levels by 2020
This would also provide a signiﬁcant increase in farm income for many land managers.
Upgrading the truck ﬂeet
We will provide incentives to upgrade the Australian truck ﬂeet to meet improved emission standards.
We aim to minimise the cost for pre-1995 truck owners and operators to encourage them to switch to more environmentally-friendly trucks.
Natural Resource Management
The Nationals recognise the importance of our natural resources and understand that local communities and individual property owners are often best placed to protect the natural environment
We will directly support catchment management and Landcare organisations
We will reinstate the funding lost by land and water management groups, such as Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs), due to poor policy decisions by Labor in government.
The current system is clearly ﬂawed, with the government demanding that CMAs apply national priorities to local projects, even where there is clearly no correlation.
We will work with local CMAs to determine the best outcomes and encourage local groups to determine their own projects within catchment plans
We will implement long-term funding based on local plans.
Given that we understand the importance of Landcare groups to local communities and value the 4,000 Landcare groups in Australia, we will reinstate support for the Landcare groups
We will the restore funding cut by the Labor Government.
Almost 40% of farmers were previously involved in Landcare organisations
We will also restore funding to the 56 Natural Resource Management regions to 2007 levels.
We support the adoption by landholders of a voluntary national land management certiﬁcation system to improve environmental and native animal welfare outcomes.
The Nationals will invest in re-plumbing regional Australia, working with farmers and local communities to invest in long-term water-saving infrastructure
We will review legislation so that environmental, socioeconomic and resource management considerations are all taken into account under a balanced approach.
We support properly managed, maintained and pest controlled National Parks
The Nationals will establish an Independent Commission through theCouncil of Australian Governments to instigate an inquiry into:
The management and expenditure of National Park agencies and the  outcomes; • The productivity of these agencies and outcomes; and • The impact and control of pests, including feral animals, on adjoining  properties.
The Nationals in government will require that wood waste burning  from sustainably managed forests be classiﬁed as a renewable energy  resource for the purposes of power generation.
We will also address the inequities created by the listing of the  Temperate Rainforest of subtropical Australia as an endangered  ecological community.
Marine environment
The ever-increasing use of our oceans for commercial and recreation  activities means that greater care must be taken to ensure these  delicate ecosystems are protected.
So that Australia can respond to threats to the marine environment  from pollution from ships, increased tourism, agricultural chemicals,  and illegal ﬁshing, The Nationals will ensure that regulatory, research  and voluntary organisations are adequately funded and co-ordinated.
This undertaking includes strengthening the role of the Marine  Environment Protection Association established by the Coalition  Government in November 1999
The Nationals will introduce legislation to make it mandatory for ships in  Australian waters to carry a satellite transponder, so that their position is continually monitored, and accidents, such as, running aground are  averted.
Families– PROVIDING DEDICATED PRACTICAL SUPPORT
Australian families are the binding threads in our social fabric
In regional Australia families assume even greater importance as social networks are fewer and people face unique challenges due to their remoteness and difﬁculty in accessing services readily available in major cities.
While The Nationals unashamedly seek to provide support for the seven million Australians living outside major population centres, the principles of our policy apply to all Australian families.
We recognise the importance of a balance between work and family and that demography and geography in Australia mean that regional families are more reliant on support from government and community organisations.
For many people the ideal situation of the family unit comprising two parents – with one as a fulltime carer at least until the children reach school age – children and extended family connections through grandparents, provides the best basis for a positive, stable, supported and happy family.
However, this ideal is increasingly not possible under cost-of-living pressures, a scarcity of local employment opportunities and the rapid pace of modern life
Families where both parents work are increasingly ‘the norm’ and many children live in an environment where their parents are apart
Compared to major cities, children in regional Australia are less likely to be in formal childcare, instead they tend to be at home with parents or cared for under other informal arrangements.
Because of these special circumstances confronting families in regional areas, we will provide priority resources to effective federal linkages with state, territory and local governments, as well as community groups, to ensure that families in regional Australia have the resources and support services they need.
A lack of soft infrastructure – health and allied health services, education resources, childcare and other social institutions – provides added challenges to everyday life in regional communities, and make relocation to the regions by families less attractive.
Our Plan
We consider it incumbent on the federal government to provide more than just money for programs and fund rounds for grants, but to clearly deﬁne and provide dedicated regional services to ﬁll social service gaps
This demands a commitment to long-term planning.
Work-life balance
The Nationals support the introduction of paid maternity, paternity and parental leave, including for the self-employed.
We will provide more childcare places giving priority to the needs of families in regional communities.
We will reinstate funding for the ‘Take a Break’ occasional care program.
We will support a review of childcare funding with a view to providing more ﬂexibility in the services available to smaller towns, which are discriminated against under the current model.
The Nationals in government will immediately commission a review by the Productivity Commission of the child care system, but will in the meantime take immediate action to change any requirements preventing the delivery of child care services in regional and remote Australia, particularly those which require a qualiﬁed early childhood teacher to be employed by every long day care.
We will also review industrial relations legislation to ensure ﬂexibility and safeguards provide a balance between work and family, thereby, providing mutual beneﬁt to employers, employees and families.
We will also eliminate employment practices that discriminate on any basis and achieve pay equality between men and women.
Regional support services
The Nationals will provide support for families whose dependents have special needs, including increased funding for respite care.
We will increase funding for services critical to maintaining the welfare of families in remote areas, in particular, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, mobile health clinics, schools of the air and support for children who have to leave home to continue their education.
Further, we will fund reliable communication and transport infrastructure that enables reasonable access to support services, hospitals and schools to foster and maintain the wellbeing and ongoing support of families.
We will standardise and improve patient travel and accommodation assistance programs across the nation.
The Nationals will work with the states, territories, local governments and community groups to identify and meet the needs of families with special circumstances, especially those living in remote indigenous communities, and new arrivals.
We will increase funding for dedicated regional youth programs to seriously address chronic issues like drug and alcohol abuse, bullying and mental health.
Moreover, we will provide increased funding to the Family Court for regional counselling services.
As a society, we must respond positively to changing community dynamics that impact on families, including the importance of family money management and grandparents taking on the role of carers.
The Nationals support the establishment of a National Disability Insurance Scheme and will ensure that such a scheme cares for people in regional communities.
We will also provide funding to reinstate the National Community Crime Prevention Program.
Recognising seniors
In addition to The Nationals’ Seniors plan, we recognise the role and contribution senior Australians, especially as grandparents, play in supporting modern families
It is important for families to have the option of staying together wherever possible
This can be particularly difﬁcult in regional areas, particularly where older parents and older grandparents are involved, and appropriate aged care facilities are often far from the family unit.
We will provide funding, and work with all levels of government and community groups, to increase the number of dedicated aged care facilities and places in regional areas.
In a society that is increasingly time poor, too often we fail to treasure our older citizens in the way they deserve and this does pose increased risk of social isolation with adverse consequences for the physical and mental health of older Australians.
The Nationals will:
Support community initiatives to prevent the increase in social isolation;
Develop pilot programs that encourage government, business and community groups to commit to engaging with older Australians, where individuals and workers are encouraged to initiate and maintain contact with the lonely and isolated;
Support training and vocational programs for the 3rd (50 to 75) and 4th (75+) age;
Support community-based mentoring programs to allow older Australians to engage with and provide a positive role model for younger people; and
While ageism can be a community problem, The Nationals believe government has a leading role to play in helping to shift community attitudes.
Therefore, we will:
Ensure that age discrimination legislation and regulatory mechanisms are enshrined and resourced in the same manner as other antidiscrimination measures; and
Review all Commonwealth legislation and act to remove any remaining provisions that treat people unfairly because of their age.
Carers
As a nation, greater recognition and support for the role of carers in our society, and their importance to the family unit, is overdue.
Carers are a community asset and should be valued as such
They provide support for partners, children and grandchildren, as well as friends
They deliver for families and for the community as a whole.
In government, The Nationals will:
Commit to fully recognising the role of carers, whatever their age or the age of the person receiving care
For carers who leave the workplace to provide care, we will seek the provision of superannuation payments over and above existing carer allowances; and
Introduce new and more responsive models of respite to assist carers, to help ensure the maintenance of care services.
The Nationals recognise that grandparents are increasingly required to assume a greater role in supporting grandchildren, which, while done gladly and with love, places an emotional and ﬁnancial strain on them.
The role of grandparents in this situation must be better supported, and The Nationals will:
Develop grandparent liaison ofﬁcers within Centrelink to assist grandparents in navigating the system; and
Provide emergency or discretionary payments to grandparents where children are placed in their care at short notice.
Family Law system
We will review both the child support and the family law systems with a view to:
Reversing the taxation treatment of child support payments;
Excluding overtime pay from child support calculations, and/or setting a fairer payment cap on child support payments;
Ensuring non-custodial parents are not ﬁnancially penalised through the child support system where the custodial parent chooses not to work when he/she has the ability to do so, or where she ceases work after being made pregnant by a new partner;
Creating a link between court-ordered custody arrangements and child support payments; and
Ensuring, in general, there is more fairness in both systems.
Food Security– FEEDING A NATION AND A BOOMING WORLD POPULATION
The world will soon enter an era of food scarcity
Global demand for food continues to rise, yet water and available land for food production are diminishing.
Seldom before have the issues facing agriculture been so closely aligned with the issues of the nation and, indeed, those of the global community.
Issues such as:
World population growth;
The threat of a changing climate; and
The debates that lie behind these – food production versus the environment, food production versus urban encroachment and food production versus mining.
Global population is projected to explode from 6.2 billion people today to over 9 billion by 2050 – an increase of some 50%
In Australia we are on a similar trajectory, with our 22 million today growing to at least 36 million over the same period.
The United Nations says that world food production will need to increase by 70% over the next 40 years just to keep pace with population growth
To put that food need in perspective, that increase alone represents more food than has been produced over the entire course of human history.
There is limited scope to increase the area of arable land and, in fact, arable land and water are under threat from population growth and over-utilisation.
In Asia projected population growth will see over half of the world’s people living on Australia’s northern doorstep
This is also the region with the fastest rate of economic growth, so, in addition to more mouths to feed, there is already a shift in consumption patterns in a segment of the market where personal incomes are rising, putting more pressure on food supply.
All of this has important implications for Australia and, in turn, has economic, environmental and social implications for our farmers and our supply chains in what they produce and how they produce it.
Metropolitan areas now use up to half the water once available to cultivate food, ground water levels are declining, access to good farm land is becoming more difﬁcult, soil fertility is in decline and there are constraints on opening new areas for cultivation.
As one of the most active producers and exporters of food, Australia needs to think more strategically about its food supply
Securing our food supply is intrinsically linked to Australia’s national and economic security, where ‘more crop per drop’, or producing more food from fewer natural resources, is the new mantra
While there are clearly challenges, there are also opportunities
Australia is an internationally renowned producer of high quality, reliable and sustainable food and our farmers are world leaders in these areas.
Our Plan
Making agriculture a priority
As stated in our Primary Production plan, government policy must reﬂect the importance of food production.
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has been in steady decline and, in recent years, has been allowed to lapse into a shell portfolio
It’s annual operating budget has been slashed by 53% under Labor – down from $3.8 billion to just $1.8 billion.
This, along with a dramatic decline in agricultural research and development, has seen Australia trail behind many developing countries in terms of our research and extension effort.
Federal Labor’s cuts to agricultural research spending, eliminating the majority of Cooperative Research Centres and the abolition of Land and Water Australia have been extremely short-sighted given the challenges we face.
Ironically, over this same period, Labor provided new research and development funding for agriculture in other countries to the tune of $464 million.
That investment could have been injected into innovation in Australian food production, driving productivity gains here ﬁrst, then sharing intellectual property with nations in need.
The Nationals will expand the existing Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio to include a new responsibility for Food Security.
The Minister responsible will ensure that the importance of food security to Australia is fully recognised in government decision-making
A sound Strategic Plan will recognise the right to farm and include measures to manage the spread of population growth, including the protection of prime agricultural land from urban encroachment.
Our policies will assist farmers to ‘think smarter’ about production and will foster a strong commitment to agricultural research which, in turn, will ensure food security.
Feeding our nation and fulﬁlling our trade obligations is a fundamental challenge
The Nationals have, and will continue to, provide the nation with a renewed focus in policy direction and maintain a crucial national advantage that we have too long taken for granted… the nation’s food security.
Agricultural research and development is a sound investment
A study by the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations found agricultural research and development in Australia deliver outstanding returns of $11 to every $1 invested, making it a prudent and appropriate strategy for driving growth in the Australian economy.
Too often taken for granted, Australian agriculture nevertheless remains a mainstay of the national economy:
Australian farms generate $155 billion a year in production through the supply chain – just over 12% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product.
Australian farms directly employ around 306,000 people, with approximately 1.6 million Australian jobs economy-wide dependent on the farm sector.
Our agricultural exports are worth $35 billion a year to the nationaleconomy.
While 60% of farm produce is exported, the 40% that stays in Australia forms the daily dietary intake of the Australian population.
Farmers occupy a staggering 60% of the Australian landmass and over 94% of them are proactive in natural resource management
They are at the frontline in this nation’s environmental and sustainability effort.
Positioning Australia as a global leader in agricultural sciences, with a view to boosting production and productivity in this age of food scarcity, must be a strategic priority in becoming a major supplier of choice to an ever-hungrier world.
Food industry
Beyond the farm-gate, the food industry is the nation’s largest manufacturing sector and employs more than 200,000 Australians, half of whom reside in regional areas.
The Nationals recognise that the food manufacturing, retail and food service industries are an increasingly important part of the economic fabric of the Australian economy.
We need a holistic policy approach to ensuring Australia’s food security.
In government, The Nationals will:
Increase investment in agricultural research and development;
Foster closer ties between the farming and scientiﬁc communities;
Develop sustainable strategies to enhance food production and productivity;
Provide regional communities reliant on the farming economy with the necessary infrastructure and support to assist farming, horticulture and related industries – both now and in adapting to future changes in domestic and global market circumstances;
Implement programs and educate the general public about planning necessary to ensure food supply into the future;
Actively pursue policies to ensure that Australia and other nations have access to fair markets, stable prices and healthy food;
Develop and implement a Strategic Plan for Food Security for rest of the 21st Century;
Decentralise food distribution networks and enable more efﬁcient transportation of food; and
Implement clear labelling laws that provide consumers with transparent information about the true origin of food products, as well as the nature of the manufacturing process while ensuring that the industry is able to continue to improve its product without being unfairly hindered by new labelling laws and health trafﬁc light system warnings on the labelling that will confuse and misinform the public.
Property security
Food security begins with property security
It is essential that governments respect property rights and compensate those whose rights are compromised or restricted by government action
The Nationals in government will work through the Council of Australian Governments to secure investment certainty for landholders through property rights in land, vegetation and water
If necessary The Nationals will consider what legislative measures may be available at the Commonwealth level to secure and protect land values.
Biosecurity
Australia’s pest- and disease-free status is vital for our farming sector, both in production and marketing terms, but also the national economy and food security.
Fundamental to our enviable international position is a robust, efﬁcient, science-based quarantine and biosecurity regime – conﬁdence in which has been rocked over recent years.
Transparent, science-based quarantine and biosecurity measures to protect Australia’s environment, biodiversity and agricultural systems assume even greater importance in this modern era of global movement of people, animals and goods.
Food imports make up an increasing share of Australian diets because consumers demand greater choice and availability all-year round, regardless of domestic seasonality
The Nationals’ concern is to ensure that food and produce entering our country meets our quarantine and food safety requirements.
The Nationals will not jeopardise this nation’s reputation for clean, fresh, pest- and disease-free food, and will ensure that our quarantine services are properly resourced to protect Australia’s production and marketing position
As part of this process we will reassess the cost burden on primary production under Biosecurity Australia and the Australia Quarantine Inspection Service in light of Australia’s international trade obligations and the wider community beneﬁts
We note the increasing imports of food to Australia and shortages that may occur due to national disasters and, in government, will ensure that:
The same food safety standards and trace back systems are applied to imported food that are applied to Australian grown and produced food;
Risk assessments for new imports are backed up by sound science;
Imports are only cleared for entry after thorough scientiﬁc analysis and consultation with affected industries; and
Any decisions made under the Labor government where the risk assessments are of concern are quickly re-assessed to determine if the science is in fact sound.
Security of supply
It is a sign of the deepening world food shortage in the face of massive population growth that most developed countries have adopted ‘security of supply’ policies to ensure adequate fuel and food is available in the case of a natural disaster or act of aggression.
While few and far between, pandemics, major terrorist attacks or severe climatic events can have profound impact on communities and food supplies, so it is prudent in this modern age to have effective plans at the ready to mitigate risks.
The Nationals will introduce policies to ensure Australia is able to meet its food requirements by adopting practical measures to protect the supply chain, such as decentralised food distribution hubs, and secure alternative road and rail networks
These measures will support the health and safety measures necessary to meet a national [something missing here]
Health– A HEALTH SYSTEM WITH A FOCUS ON REGIONAL LIVING
Australians consistently identify healthcare as their most important concern
Demands made on the public health system continue to rise as people live longer and new medical technologies become available.
Residents in capital cities enjoy many more services in their communities than people living in rural and regional areas.
We know that lack of services is a major deterrent for people, especially families, to move to jobs in the regions.
Despite the best efforts of dedicated local doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, medical services in rural areas are often woefully and dangerously inadequate.
That is why we want health and hospital services to be locally run and why we have been so committed to incentives that attract and retain medical professionals in the regions
We will enhance incentives for doctors and health professionals to take up regional practice and stay there
And we will go further with the advent of a dedicated Federal Minister for Regional Health to speciﬁcally oversee regional healthcare and the needs of regional patients.
Regional Australians struggle with reduced access to services and fewer health professionals while suffering higher rates of disease, more injuries and higher mortality rates
They ﬁnd fewer obstetrics beds or aged care facilities, travel greater distances for radiotherapy and other treatments, and have scant access to mental health services and less continuity of medical and nursing staff.
Medicare, which was meant to treat people equally and fairly, spends considerably more on people living in metropolitan areas than in regional areas, despite many regional areas having considerably worse health outcomes and greater need.
The Nationals strongly endorse the view of health professionals who work at the coalface that health reform must focus not only on governance, evidence, systems and funding, but also on people, relationships between providers and patients and culture.
Our Plan
Only The Nationals’ Regional Health Plan can ensure that the one-third of Australians living in the regions get a fair go from the health system and a fair share of health funding.
In government, we will address the key issues for regional health services: access to healthcare professionals and decently equipped hospitals; including full-time access to specialist services, such as oncology and mental health, rather than ﬂy-in/ﬂy-out services.
Minister for Regional Health
Regional health deserves a higher proﬁle in the overall health policy of government
When health policy decisions are being made regional concerns must be championed by a dedicated Minister with regional experience and a primary focus on the welfare of regional Australians.
The Minister for Regional Health will give full-time attention to regional health concerns, and win for regional health a high priority in general health policy
The ﬁrst task will be to take the wide and often confusing array of programs for improving regional health and integrate them into a single policy
The Nationals will strengthen the Ministerial role by providing a speciﬁc regional unit within the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Private health insurance rebates
The Nationals support the retention of the 30%, 35% and 40% private health insurance rebates.
Labors means-testing of the private health insurance rebates is extremely short-sighted, especially for regional communities.
Some 40% of regional Australians hold private health cover, giving them access to private hospitals and the specialists those hospitals bring to town – essentially acting as hubs for regional healthcare delivery.
Typically, private hospitals in regional centres have lower occupancy rates so operate on wafer-thin margins
Any erosion in occupancy will be magniﬁed in regional hospitals, likely forcing cuts to services or causing some private hospitals to close entirely.
With regional private hospitals come visiting specialists.
Any tinkering with the rebate that causes a cutback in demand in regional private hospitals will also ﬂow directly to specialists, who will retreat back to the cities denying regional patients local access to the expertise and services they need, and forcing those patients to travel further, and at greater cost, for consultations and treatments
Many regional patients rely on private services for repeat admissions over a course of treatment and for ongoing health conditions
Those families can ill-afford to lose the beneﬁts they’ve enjoyed for over a decade or see them pared back.
Labor’s spin that people on lower incomes will not be affected by the means test thresholds ($80,000 for singles and $160,000 for couples) does not stack up.
Once the insurance pool shrinks, premiums go up
Research by Deloitte shows that 1.6 million people in the government’s target income brackets will dump their private hospital cover, with another 4.3 million downgrading it.
This initial exodus will force premiums up an estimated 10% after the ﬁrst year of means testing, putting health insurance beyond the reach of lower income earners and causing a second exodus
In fact, 5.6 million Australians with private cover earn less than $50,000 a year
They cannot afford those massive premium hikes.
Deloitte adds that public hospitals will be over-run as more than 845,000 extra admissions pour through public hospital doors.
The Nationals will reinstate the private health insurance rebates and reward families who do the right thing in taking responsibility for their own healthcare, thereby saving taxpayers billions in public hospital funding, and freeing more public hospital beds for public patients.
Medicare
The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission recommends that:  ‘funding equivalent to national average medical beneﬁts and primary health care service funding, appropriately adjusted for remoteness and health status, be made available for local service provision where populations are under-served.’
This would come to an estimated maximum cost of $143 million.
The Nationals will provide increased ﬁnancial support for doctors who provide health services in regional and remote communities, through increased Medicare rebates and scheduled fees loaded on top of regular Medicare billings, which will increase according to remoteness.
We will engage with the relevant medical colleges to determine an appropriate scheduled Medicare fee for particular services delivered in regional and remote Australia
The ﬁnancial beneﬁts of regional practice will become more apparent and accessible.
This program will include allied health workers and nurses to attract a full range of health professionals to regional areas.
Medicare is too urban-centric and too doctor centric
Medicare beneﬁts per person in capital cities are one-sixth higher than in rural and remote areas
Medicare access to allied health services is restricted in regional areas that lack GPs.
In areas that have allied health professionals but lack GPs, The Nationals will allow Medicare claims for these services without a doctor’s referral, helping to redress the imbalance in Medicare billings.
In government, we will amend the 10-year-old Medicare Rebate rule, which encourages the use of old CT scanners in rural areas
Our aim is to ensure adequate and safe chemotherapy treatment in rural and regional areas
We support greater access to the Medicare Beneﬁts Scheme for those with a mental illness and further investments in this area and the Headspace and the School Support Program.
On gaining government we will a review the ten year rule applying to the Medicare registration of overseas trained doctors, especially those with fellowships, with a view to improving access to doctors in regional and rural areas.
Regional hospitals
Regional hospitals are continually being downgraded to the point that they cannot meet the demands of the communities they serve.
Most of healthcare delivery operates through state government run bodies, with many decisions for regional areas made by central bureaucracies in capital cities.
The Nationals will provide guaranteed service levels for key regional hospitals in such ﬁelds as maternity, mental health, accident and emergency and public dentistry.
We will establish Local Hospital Boards for the larger public hospitals, as well as for groups of smaller hospitals, for those communities that desire them
These Local Hospital Boards will ensure that local hospitals meet local needs.
They will be funded directly by the Commonwealth and accountable to their community
Under our plan, communities will be provided with information on how their local hospitals are performing and the ability to achieve the outcomes they want.
The Nationals will redirect the money for super clinics to develop outpatient services attached to, or within, public hospitals
Most regional and rural hospitals do not have outpatient clinics like those run by metropolitan teaching hospitals for many years.
We will increase the number of paid trainee positions, internships and residencies in regional hospitals.
The Nationals will not support policies that lead to the closure of regional hospitals
We will seek to reverse closures imposed by the Labor Government.
Care of the elderly
The Nationals will provide funding for more aged care beds in regional areas
The same emphasis on funding and performance as proposed for regional hospitals will apply to aged care facilities.
Incentives will be provided for regional health professionals to broaden their skills to provide expert care of the elderly.
The Nationals’ policy to empower local communities will ensure maximum co-operation and efﬁciencies between government and nongovernment organisations.
We will introduce funding for aged care beds under similar arrangements for hospitals by establishing a new system where federal and state funding is pooled into a single fund for each region that is managed at the regional level.
This way community needs can best be identiﬁed and acted upon, and locals will own the outcomes of priorities and decisions.
Targeted funding for regional health infrastructure
The Nationals will establish a targeted regional health fund as part of our fair share commitment, providing funds for new regional health services, including incentives to attract and retain healthcare professionals in the regions.
We will ensure that funding for regional health priorities is permanent and ‘ring-fenced’
Regional health practitioners will be able to rely on funding support.
We will extend the funding to the Practice Incentive Program After-Hours Incentive Scheme in its current form, until the operation of Medicare Locals is properly understood.
In government, we will examine the operational and budget implications of funding the cost of providing country doctors in regional areas where they are already funded by local government.
We will work towards providing adequate accommodation in regional areas, to support residents with mental illness, and adequate resources to enable the crisis management and ongoing support necessary for independent living.
Flexible practice options
In a typical regional medical practice, doctors face the stress of managing a small business, as well as their healthcare responsibilities
GPs in regional settings must buy or establish their practice and, when they leave, sell the practice
This added responsibility discourages many GPs from opening regional practices.
Many practitioners prefer to be employees, rather than managers, and to focus their attention on healthcare delivery.
The Nationals will introduce a federal plan to give GPs greater ﬂexibility to practice in areas chronically short of medical professionals
The Nationals will take a much more pragmatic approach by giving existing practices capital grants to allow expansion of their space and services
This program will provide a broader range of services to regional communities, by creating the case for allied healthcare services, such as pathology and psychology, radiology and pharmaceuticals in practices managed by private providers, divisions of general practice or, if needed, by local government.
Healthcare practitioners may, therefore, become employees paid a suitable salary and, thereby, avoid many of the burdens that make regional medicine less attractive.
Overhaul Regional Incentive Programs
The Nationals will hold an immediate review into problems associated with using the Australian Standard Geographical Classiﬁcation-Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) map to determine incentive payments paid to doctors who practise in regional Australia.
As the map allows doctors in a larger regional centre to be paid the same incentive as doctors practising in the smaller towns, we will ensure that any replacement system is based on criteria that more accurately reﬂect the medical needs of individual communities in consultation with the Rural Doctors Association of Australia.
The plethora of complex programs designed to provide incentives for doctors to take up regional practice lower their effectiveness and skew services against regional areas in favour of outer metropolitan areas.
Since 2000, more than 30 separate programs designed to attract doctors to regional Australia have helped boost the numbers of health providers, but have had their effectiveness hindered by red tape, duplication and conﬂicting goals
The Nationals will review and simplify these incentive programs to ensure that Medicare systems encourage regional practice
We will retain the bonded scholarships program but increase the uptake rate by reducing the bonded duration from ﬁve to three years.
We support the retraction or amendment the current 10-year moratorium on provider numbers for Australian-trained medical graduates to achieve greater participation of women in the frontline medical workforce.
We will assess the suitability of the Queensland Rural Generalist training program with the aim of a nation-wide rollout of the scheme, as part of the Council of Australian Governments process, to assist in the attraction and retention of health professionals in regional areas by providing a clear career path and ‘specialist’ status for rural GPs.
We will work with the health services community to provide succession planning for our ageing specialist doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, by offering incentives to train the next generation of regional healthcare professionals.
We will ensure rural communities have access to accurate, independent and veriﬁable data on the performance of rural medical education and workforce strategies by introducing comprehensive mandatory reporting,  including:
The performance of medical schools in meeting rural medical education and workforce targets;
Statistics on rural medical student enrolments;
Rural medical students’ progress and attrition rates;
Rural medical students’ access to pre-vocational and post-vocational medical training, and the destination of medical graduates; and
We will commission an independent body such as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, to prepare an annual public report.
In government, we will support the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry to review the National Registration of Health Professionals [AHPRA], including the following matters:
Increased costs;
Efﬁciency of operation and management; and
Limitations imposed on the career development of regional health professionals.
Regional Medical Schools
As part of the Centre of Excellence program established under the Education section of Our Plan, we will work with regional universities to form partnerships in establishing regionally-based medical schools and internships at appropriate regional hospitals.
Despite determined efforts by successive governments the geographic mal-distribution of doctors between metropolitan and rural/regional parts of Australia is still signiﬁcantly unbalanced
The geographic maldistribution has resulted in chronic shortages of doctors, particularly GPs, in rural and regional areas and continued high dependence on overseas-trained doctors.
The model of medical education where training takes place in capital cities and in large metropolitan hospitals, with only short stints of service in rural and regional areas, does not address the ongoing undersupply of rural doctors
The Nationals support the announced intention of Charles Sturt University and La Trobe University to jointly establish a Medical School across the Murray-Darling region of Victoria and New South Wales – to be called the Murray-Darling Medical School (MDMS).
This proposal has the advantage of using the established network of partner universities that would operate the medical school through existing and expanded campus facilities at Bendigo, Orange and Wagga Wagga.
In government we will support this initiative, aimed at providing 120 places per year initially, increasing to 180 places in following years, as well as providing teaching infrastructure in hospitals, general practices and community health clinics across the region.
With students recruited, trained and then working in the regions as doctors, the capacity of the regions to respond to unique health concerns will be well served.
This signiﬁcant development can serve as a driver to encourage further investments in regional medical schools across Australia, with a ﬂow on effect to the regions as businesses establish and grow to serve the needs of the medical schools.
Incentives for allied health workers
Many regions lack allied health professionals, such as dentists, nurses, optometrists, psychiatrists and other service providers.
The most recent statistics show that the overall number of medical practitioners employed per 100,000 people is 335 in major cities, but only 181 in inner regional areas, 153 in outer regional areas and 148 in remote or very remote areas
There are 59 dentists per 100,000 people in major cities, but only 35 in inner regional, 29 in outer regional, and 20 in remote or very remote areas
This is in spite of the fact that regional Australians suffer from higher rates of many diseases, more injuries and higher suicide and death rates.
The lack of allied healthcare is shameful
Many children in regional Australia miss out on appropriate early detection and treatment, growing up to suffer permanent learning problems.
Similarly, the lack of pathology services in regional areas places an unfair additional burden on those with HIV, hepatitis and other blood borne diseases.
The nationals will trial mobile health service models for the dental, minor surgery or other health services for rural and remote communities.
The National Regional Health Alliance conﬁrms that incentive schemes and scholarship programs instituted under the previous Coalition government are delivering results.
As part of their review of these processes, The Nationals will broaden the base to attract more dentists, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals to the regions.
Oral Health Care
Australians do not experience equity in access or outcomes in the area of oral healthcare
Under Labor there has been a massive disconnect between federal and state oral health policy.
Many adults and children in regional and remote Australia fall outside the system, lacking ready access to dental services and, therefore, do not seek treatment until they are in a crisis situation.
This is a particular problem for Indigenous Australians
Fluoridation of water in regional and remote communities remains a high priority and more needs to be spent in the area of oral health promotion.
The Nationals long-term goal is to have a national system through agreements with the states and industry which utilises both public and private sectors to provide appropriate, affordable and timely oral health care to those who need it.
We are committed to assessing the feasibility of a Denticare programme that builds on Medicare.
In the short- to medium-term we aim to continue to fund ‘Growing Up Smiling’, ensuring that all children can access up to $1,000 of oral health care in a two-year period and fund access to dental services in both the private and public sectors for socially disadvantaged adults who hold a valid entitlement card.
We will give priority to supporting the states in their efforts to improve the current public dental services and expand their ability to provided services beyond basic emergency care.
We will trial mobile health service models for dental care
We will broaden the base of the previous Coalition Government’s incentive and scholarship programs to fund the training of more dental professionals and we will examine the expansion of public dental facilities to accommodate an intern year for all dental graduates within the public system.
Regional health targets
Australian Health Care Agreements formalise shared funding between the state and federal governments for acute care services in public hospitals
In the past, these agreements have set up goals for particular groups; and The Nationals will ensure that regional and remote Australians comprise one such group.
The Nationals will ensure that regional health targets are built into Health Care Agreements, and that the federal government rewards those states and territories that demonstrate improved delivery of health services to regional populations.
The agreements will also require an increase in the number of regional aged care places and additional programs for youth mental health.
Public-private partnerships
The Nationals in government will support the extension of the McGrath Foundation public private partnership formula, which provides specialist breast care nurse positions throughout regional Australia.
This would apply to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and the Movember Foundation, placing 10 specialist prostate nurses throughout regional Australia.
Men facing surgery and treatment for prostate cancer can face side effects that have the potential to affect their quality of life, such as incontinence and impotence.
This model of a public-private partnership gives communities ownership over services, allowing them to have conﬁdence in funds making it to local needs and take a hands-on approach in their own communities.
In this regard, the McGrath Foundation has proven a successful model
The Nationals are aware that rural patients have poorer health outcomes when it comes to prostate cancer, with this cost-effective, resource sharing approach to improving outcomes for these patients and their families, something they desperately want and need.
Suicide prevention
More than 2000 Australians commit suicide each year
A disproportionately high number of completed suicides and suicide attempts involve men in rural areas.
In government we will implement the key recommendations of the Senate Committee Report, ‘The Hidden Toll: Suicide in Australia’, including but not limited to:
Funding a national suicide prevention and awareness campaign, to run for at least ﬁve years;
Funding for projects to reduce access to ‘suicide hotspots’, according to established guidelines;  and
Targeted measures to help prevent the incidence of suicide among high-risk groups in regional Australia.
Free vaccinations for Whooping Cough
The Nationals support the extension of free vaccinations for whooping cough to the grandparents of new born infants in all States and territories.
Hendra virus/Flying foxes
The Nationals support:
Improved harmonisation of Federal and State laws and regulations relating to endangered or threatened species when they present serious disruption to human activities or health;
Laws and regulations that provide greater ﬂexibility as to the range of measures available to authorities in dealing with serious disruption to human activities or health by ﬂying foxes; and
All relevant government research facilities to give urgent priority to vaccine production and distribution to counter the Hendra virus in humans and horses or any other animals.
Royal Flying Doctor Service
The Nationals will continue to provide ﬁnancial support for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, in recognition of its vital role as the primary mantle of safety covering the vast expanses of regional and remote communities.
Men’s Sheds
The Nationals support Men’s Sheds and will concentrate the Ministerial responsibility for Men’s Sheds within the Health portfolio.
Hearing tests for children
The Nationals will introduce compulsory hearing tests for all children enrolling in primary school to assist in the early identiﬁcation of hearing problems.
Pharmaceutical Beneﬁts Scheme
In government we will examine the implications of changing the Pharmaceutical Beneﬁts Scheme safety net threshold for single persons to half that applying to couples and families.
Importation of Medical Devises
In government we will apply the same regulation and audits for both importers and Australian Manufacturers of Medical Devices, as well as ensure that the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s conformity audits adhere to ISO 13485 (Standards for Quality Management System on Medical Devices).
Indigenous Australians– TAKING THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY
As all Australian citizens, Indigenous Australians are entitled to selfdetermination and the right to pursue economic prosperity and social cohesion free from constraints and prejudice.
To enable Indigenous Australians to take responsibility for themselves and their families, The Nationals consider that properly allocated resources must address disadvantage, while respecting the special and unique contribution Indigenous Australians make to our national identity.
We believe that the Australia Constitution should make reference to Indigenous Australians and we encourage public discussion on changing the preamble to reﬂect the importance of the place Indigenous Australians hold in our nation
This change should be put formally to the Australian people in a referendum.
The Nationals stand with Indigenous leaders in seeking an economic future for Indigenous people
Individuals should be able to get on with their lives and businesses without arbitrary intervention by government
For example, in the case of the wild rivers in Cape York, Queensland, we do not believe in taking away the capacity to make a living and support one’s family
We believe Indigenous leaders, with support from government, should retain control of their assets and use them for economic beneﬁt and cultural support.
Audit of state and territory Indigenous expenditure
Widespread anecdotal evidence indicates that federal funds have not been fully applied for correct purposes, and many Indigenous people have not received the assistance intended, entrenching the misery of vulnerable Australians who deserve better.
The Nationals will mount an independent national inquiry by the Productivity Commission into the way funds have been applied to Indigenous programs
It will seek to ensure national funding structures and funds allocated for Indigenous Australia are effectively delivered.
Federal takeover of Indigenous remote services delivery
Services to Indigenous Australians should be, at least, broadly consistent with those to other Australians in similar circumstances
The Nationals support full federal control of the remote segment of Indigenous services and programs, to improve coordination and increase transparency in spending.
The Nationals in government will place responsibility for coordinating remote Indigenous services within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to monitor and fast-track policy initiatives.
We will also see that Indigenous policy priorities become an essential component in other mainstream federal policies, programs and services
Biannual reporting to the Prime Minister and Parliament on progress will ensure that setbacks are addressed in a timely manner
The accountability of Departmental Secretaries and other key staff will be heightened so that Indigenous policy is taken seriously and undertaken conscientiously.
The role of COAG
Since 2007, Labor has held numerous Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meetings with the states and the territories on Indigenous disadvantage.
Hundreds of pages, large sums of money and many pledges of good intentions have not resulted in any signiﬁcant advancement
There remains disagreement on how to measure progress and how to identify what progress has actually been made.
The Nationals will ensure proper arrangements are in place for identifying the success or failure of programs and services emanating from COAG.
Only then can successes be built upon and failures corrected and redirected.
Better mainstream services for Indigenous Australians.
Many success stories have seen Indigenous Australians gain access to the same services as others in society, establish long-term employment and conduct happy family lives
They need nothing special from government.
However, in many cases, much-needed services are not user-friendly to the needs of Indigenous people
Too often bureaucrats sidestep this issue
It needs much deeper consideration
The Nationals will review the way service delivery organisations interact with Indigenous customers, to ensure their appropriateness and move services into mainstream delivery and away from multiple speciﬁc Indigenous assistanceprograms.
Improving Indigenous organisation governance
Many outstanding Indigenous organisations have proven their capacity to manage business arrangements at the highest level
Others are marked by irregular and inappropriate business practices.
The Nationals consider Indigenous disadvantage too important to allow sharp or corrupt practices to divert much-needed funding, programs and services
We oppose and will stamp out this culture of malpractice.
The Nationals in government will provide support to enable Indigenous organisations to meet compliance obligations
For example, registration with the Ofﬁce of the Registrar of Indigenous Organisations (ORIC) will be mandatory.
Development of Native Title
Under Labor, Native Title is convoluted and uncertain
Its application of Native Title has resulted in frustration, conﬂict and lengthy delays.
The Nationals support the calls by respected ﬁgures, such as Noel Pearson, who make a persuasive case for closer examination of the way that Native Title currently operates
Our goal is to reach a new understanding on Native Title, so that government can put in place a fairer system.
Strengthening awareness of Indigenous history and culture
An awareness of personal Indigenous history and culture is an essential element in becoming a full participant in the Australian community
The Nationals will expand the role of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) to enhance this knowledge base.
The Nationals support a redirection of funds from the Land Councils and other Native Title bodies currently responsible for compiling and storing this information
We will centralise this activity, providing better coordination of records for academic and research purposes, while securing other secret and sensitive materials.
The Nationals support the insertion of materials into curricula that highlights the positive contributions Indigenous Australians have made to our society
The Nationals believe that Indigenous culture and history should be included across the social sciences and taught responsibly and accurately
Indigenous housing
Indigenous Australians have the same right to quality housing as other Australians.
Progress in re-housing residents of the appalling town camps in Alice Springs is too slow
Housing is also desperately needed by Indigenous Australians in other remote locations.
The Nationals maintain that adequate Indigenous housing and infrastructure is the foundation for increasing self-respect and social cohesion
These lead to improvements in living standards, health and education
They will be high priorities for an incoming federal government.
The Nationals support the goal of personal home ownership for all Australians and Indigenous Australians are no exception.
Better Indigenous health
The poor health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians is a major concern and a national priority, with general health and life expectancy lagging substantially behind the Australian average.
Blindly throwing more money at the issues is not the answer.
The Nationals will implement policies to:
Provide targeted funding for healthcare and hygiene education;
Introduce priority programs to support educational courses for Indigenous students, informing them on health, hygiene, and physical and mental wellbeing;
Provide incentives for tertiary-educated Indigenous Australians to return to, or otherwise support, the communities most in need of their assistance; and
Provide appropriate resources to tackle drug and alcohol problems with programs that encourage and promote heightened self esteem, work participation and education.
The Nationals believe that priority, adequate funding and resources must be given to the following areas:
Reducing smoking;
Eliminating rheumatic heart disease;
Tackling diabetes;
Improving dental care;
Boosting mental health;
Recognising the Indigenous medical workforce;
Recruiting more Aboriginal health workers;
Creating better access to Opal un-sniffable fuel;
Prosecuting drug users, dealers and bootleggers;
Regulating alcohol;
Introducing social clubs;
Improving Indigenous aged care; and
Supporting Aboriginal Medical Services, including MBS Item Loading for Remote Area Medical Services, and creating an Indigenous Medical Workforce Agency.
Extension of welfare quarantining and the Family Responsibility Commission
The Nationals support welfare quarantining, as a guarantee that family budgets are spent on essentials, such as food, clothing and medicines, and not on alcohol, gambling or drugs.
Based on the positive results experienced in the Northern Territory and Cape York, there is a compelling case for welfare quarantining to be extended nationwide, starting with NSW and Western Australia.
The Nationals do not accept that individual freedom of action includes the right to neglect or abuse one’s children
No Australian should go hungry, live in unsafe situations or suffer deprivation, as do too many Indigenous children.
Extended welfare quarantining will help win this battle over neglect.
Improved law and order
The Nationals assert that Indigenous Australians living in remote communities have the same basic right to live in a civil and safe society free from fear and violence
No Indigenous community should lack the policing to maintain civil and safe daily life
We support permanent policing, where warranted, and will provide the necessary resources to ensure law and order.
The Nationals believe that, with targeted programs and human resources, the cycle of crime among young Indigenous people can be broken, and that they can become accountable for their actions
Rigorous custodial based work programs will beneﬁt these communities.
Indigenous victims of crime also deserve assistance to overcome the immediate and long-term impacts of crimes committed against them
Victims need to access counselling and assistance, arising from an expanded role of Aboriginal Medical Services in the area of mental health.
Education and youth
Indigenous parents want education for their children
They recognise education as the stepping stone to a successful life
Schools must also celebrate the presence and contribution of Indigenous students.
At present, a few heroic teachers struggle in a demoralising and underresourced system
The states and territories need help to deliver adequate educational services.
The Nationals will investigate how best further assistance can be provided
We will also investigate the adequacy of secondary schooling arrangements for Indigenous children in remote locations.
In consultation with community leaders we will examine the practicalities of adult literacy programs, using the education system to bring youth and adults together with the aim of increasing the level of literacy in Indigenous communities.
Indigenous economic development
The Nationals maintain that economic development is a realistic and achievable goal for Indigenous Australians and essential for long-term employment
Indigenous Australians often access or control substantial assets, but do not always have the capacity or the resources to develop them to the full beneﬁt.
This is particularly true of tourism in Indigenous communities, which beneﬁts both visitors and the Indigenous communities economically and socially.
We will abolish the permit system currently required to travel on roads into communities or to access community land or facilities in the Northern Territory
The permit system should, however, be retained for entry to all other Aboriginal lands.
More needs to be done to identify and encourage economic development opportunities in remote Australia
To this end, we will consider a special taxation regime for investment in any remote community where the population is sufﬁcient to provide the workforce for any local potential business or commercial project.
This taxation arrangement would allow an accelerated depreciation schedule for capital investment
Taxation zones would not be speciﬁcally deﬁned
Nor would accelerated depreciation concessions be automatically available, but would be granted subject to application and on an individual project basis, to encourage private sector investment and economic development.
Primary Production– REAPING WHAT WE SOW IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
Australia’s farmers, ﬁshers and foresters are among the most efﬁcient and sustainable in the world, producing clean, green, high quality, reliable, safe and environmentally-friendly food, ﬁbre and timber – each sector the envy of the world.
Productivity gains, driven by research and development, have enabled Australian producers to stay ahead of our international competitors
For example, over the 30 years from 1974 to 2004, Australian farms consistently achieved leading average multifactor productivity growth of 2.8% per year.
Maintaining that competitive edge is a constant battle and getting harder
In fact, Australian is losing its edge
The alarming decline in agricultural research and development sees Australia being outstripped dollar-for-dollar by many developing countries.
Meanwhile, federal Labor’s cuts to agricultural research spending, eliminating the majority of Cooperative Research Centres and the abolition of Land and Water Australia, have been extremely shortsighted.
Over the same period, Labor provided research and development funds for agriculture in other countries to the tune of $464 million – an investment that could have been injected into innovation in Australian food production, driving productivity gains here before sharing our intellectual property with others
In Australia, on current funding levels, and without a resolute vision, the days of cutting-edge farm production are numbered, and a declining trend in productivity growth in many parts of agricultural activity is now becoming common.
Research is not just a line item being cut in the Federal Budget, it represents the future
Evidence and experience shows that it takes 30 to 40 years to bring embryonic research ideas to a point where 95% of the country adopts and applies that research.
Eroding funding for agricultural research and development reduces Australia’s capability to contribute to global food production, reduces Australia’s national science capacity, and exacerbates the global food security problems of tomorrow.
Australia is one of the world’s most important food and ﬁbre producing nations, and we can still increase our productivity signiﬁcantly – as long as we have the right policy framework.
The Nationals assert that Australians must be more than self-sufﬁcient in food, we have the capacity to make a valuable contribution to feeding the world’s rapidly expanding population.
Population pressure is placing increasing demands on global food and ﬁbre and production
Many traditional food and ﬁbre producing nations face urban spread, desertiﬁcation and declining water resources, resulting in less land available for food and ﬁbre production
Food and water security are already the deﬁning issues of the 21st century
Food producers are coming under enormous pressure to increase productivity while using fewer natural resources.
Feeding our nation and fulﬁlling our trade obligations are fundamental government priorities
The Nationals are committed to a new policy direction for the nation in primary production.
Our Plan
In a world under growing population pressure and facing a changing climate, our primary producers are more important than ever to the nation’s survival, opportunities and prosperity.
Food and ﬁbre production and water availability are key drivers in shaping international policy for this century
The Nationals’ practical approach to primary production needs will position Australia as an increasingly important player in the world economy.
Recognising producers
People in regional Australia often speak of the increasing ‘disconnect’ between the realities, challenges and rewards of primary production and the perception held by urban dwellers of regional life.
This lack of understanding in the cities, where policies are developed, results in unrealistic policies, particularly on environmental matters, which are then imposed on primary producers.
The Nationals maintain that the vital role primary producers play in the economic and social fabric of the nation should be formally recognised in a major government policy statement
We will audit all environmental legislation at local, state and federal level, determining what may be best undertaken by the states and territories, to streamline regulations and removing unworkable ‘green tape’ so that food production can be expanded, where appropriate.
Australians also need to be better informed about the basic costs of producing food and ﬁbre, especially the factors inﬂuencing prices, and the very real beneﬁts to consumers of choosing Australian produce.
We will implement clear ‘truth in labelling laws’ to help buyers make informed purchasing decisions and we will support the Australian food industry in its endeavours to create more innovative and healthier products for consumers.
In particular, the industry must be allowed to continue to improve its product without being unfairly hindered by inappropriate labelling laws and ‘health trafﬁc light’ warnings on labelling that confuse and misinform the public.
We will continue to support regional forestry agreements, as providing resource security, best practice land-use, and sustainability.
Foreign ownership – agricultural land, water and food processing
Foreign investment in Australian agriculture has been, and will remain, vital for growth, capital, innovation and the development of new agricultural regions.
Yet, too much foreign control over production and supply chains could have dramatic impacts on resources, markets, supply and, ultimately, prices
This price effect could be two-fold: downstream to what farmers are paid and upstream to what consumers pay.
Only Queensland keeps a register of foreign land acquisitions
These records show that the area of Queensland owned by foreigners actually declined slightly for most of the past decade.
But over the two ﬁnancial years to July 2010, the land owned by foreign  interests tripled to 4.45 million hectares – about 2.6% of the area of the  state
Interests in the UK own half of that land, with the US, Germany,  Holland and Switzerland making up the top ﬁve.
Singapore, Malaysia, China and Korea topped the list in terms of value over 2009-2011, suggesting they are active in the premium city property market.
Foreign takeovers of Australian agribusiness have increased 10-fold since the election of the Rudd/Gillard Government
Grains, meat, sugar, dairy, dried fruits, wine, food processing and farm supplies have all seen major recent acquisitions.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ small voluntary sample suggests the amount of farmland in foreign hands in Australia has only risen by 0.1% over the past 30 years – from 5.9% to 6.0%.
People are understandably concerned by the lack of reliable data to guide sensible policies
It also means the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) is not fully informed.
The Lowy Institute’s 2012 survey shows the depth of feeling in the community about foreign ownership of Australian farmland, with 81% of people opposed and 63% of those vehemently opposed.
The Nationals have led the way this issue
We are not anti-foreign investment, but people are entitled to know what is going on, and who owns what, in their backyard
Over 2011-12 Nationals leader the Hon Warren Truss chaired the Coalition’s foreign investment taskforce, culminating in the policy discussion paper, Foreign Investment in Australian Agricultural Land and Agribusiness.
The paper argues that foreign ownership should be more transparent, proposing that more purchases be scrutinised by the FIRB to ensure they are in the national interest.
A national register of foreign acquisitions should be established so that all Australians have access to accurate information on what land and agribusinesses are owned by foreign interests.
Lowering the threshold for FIRB assessment of proposed farm and agribusiness purchases would ensure that more acquisitions are subjected to the national interest test.
In the case of farm purchases, the trigger for scrutiny would be reduced from the current $244 million threshold to $15 million
Importantly, we propose to also capture creeping acquisitions
Those buying multiple farms that add up to $15 million, even over many years, would be subjected to the national interest test.
For agribusiness, the trigger would apply where the investment represents 15% in an agribusiness valued at $244 million, or exceeds $53 million, whichever is the smaller sum.
All proposed acquisitions by sovereign wealth funds and state-owned enterprises would continue to automatically attract the national interest test.
By lowering these thresholds we can be sure that the national interest test is applied to purchases that currently go through to the keeper
We also propose a broader skills-set on the FIRB, including agricultural expertise, and increasing its size to seven members
This would enhance the board’s knowledge-base and ability to make informed assessments of the national interest in relation to farm and agribusiness acquisitions.
Having better checks and balances in place does not threaten foreign investment in agriculture
In fact, there are more onerous provisions in place for suburban real estate, commercial property and media ownership, to cite a few.
But it does give us more information and greater transparency to ensure Australia’s national interests are protected and to identify those times when issues of concern must be addressed.
Use of agricultural land
Mining, agriculture and tourism are Australia’s key industries
Forestry is an important import- replacing industry, with our trade deﬁcit in forest products running at about $2 billion a year
Generally our primary industries co-exist peacefully and, in the main, the infrastructure developed for one has provided beneﬁts for the others.
In recent years, however, conﬂict has arisen about mining access to agricultural land and, in particular, prime agricultural land, as well as conﬂict between forestry and agriculture in high rainfall areas.
State Labor governments, especially in Queensland and New South Wales sold-off mining and exploration rights and have granted land use priority over agriculture.
In the case of forestry, the taxation incentives formerly provided through managed investment schemes gave forestry (and some horticulture schemes) an unfair tax advantage and distorted investment and markets
Forestry now occupies 0.4% of Australia’s farmland, but this could rise to 6.2% by 2020 under the Labor-Greens-Independents’ carbon tax regime, which skews land use.
These conﬂicts create risks for Australia’s long term food security, water management, social and physical environment, and threaten our biodiversity
Unless addressed now, these pressures will escalate to unmanageable levels.
While land-use is predominantly (and constitutionally) a matter for the states, The Nationals insist that there is a federal responsibility to develop national solutions in consultation with the states and territories that deal fairly with all parties.
In government, The Nationals will:
Re-establish a pre-eminent land and water research body;
Charge this body with establishing, in consultation with the states and farming and forestry organisations, a national deﬁnition of ‘prime agricultural land’, based on such factors as moisture availability, temperature regime, chemical balance, permeability, surface composition, soil type, susceptibility to ﬂooding, and erosion characteristics, and closeness to urban centres, markets and processing facilities;
Fund the identiﬁcation of prime agricultural land, working through Geoscience Australia;
groundwater will not be polluted, and signiﬁcant surface impacts will not occur;
Ensure that farmers and surrounding communities are fairly compensated when mineral or gas development is allowed on their land;
Require that all agricultural land subject to surface mining be rehabilitated to the approximate original contours, and to its original or better productivity;
Establish a Working Party, including representatives of the mining, forestry, catchment management and farming industries to further deﬁne these conditions and progress their implementation;
In conjunction with the farming and forestry industries, identify criteria for land where broad scale forestry ought to be encouraged and include these criteria in catchment management plans;
Develop equivalent and non-discriminatory incentives that do not artiﬁcially distort markets for investment in agricultural and forestry activities, in consultation with those industries; and
Abolish tax deductibility for passive investors in management investment schemes.
Coal seam gas development
Coal seam gas requires a comprehensive policy approach that addresses its environmental, community and economic impacts
The principles underpinning The Nationals’ approach take a measured, rational and balanced assessment of mining and its management
Managed properly, coal seam gas has the potential to revitalise parts of regional Australia, delivering a new economic boom
Poorly managed, it could produce an environmental and social disaster.
The Nationals’ approach to the development of Australia’s coal seam gas resources is based on ﬁve core principles:
No coal seam gas development should proceed where it poses a signiﬁcant impact to the quality of groundwater or surface water systems
It must be absolutely clear that no coal seam gas development should occur unless it is proven safe for the environment;
Prime agricultural land is an increasingly important natural asset
It must be protected from activities that destroy its capacity to deliver food security – not only for our nation, but for a hungrier world, for generations to come;
Coal seam gas development must not occur close to existing residential areas
People who have bought homes, with a reasonable expectation of being well away from mining operations, must not be thrown into turmoil by coal seam gas operations springing up on their doorstep;
Landowners are entitled to appropriate pecuniary returns for access to their land
Remuneration for landowners should not be merely compensation; and
The regions that deliver much of the wealth from coal seam gas developments deserve to see a fair share of the generated revenues reinvested in their communities
There is an opportunity to grow our nation and encourage a lasting legacy from coal seam gas developments.
Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray-Darling Basin is the nation’s largest food producing resource, accounting for almost 40% of all food in Australia, and is home to 2,000,000 people.
Communities in the Basin are under increasing pressure and constant threat, not only from droughts and a drier climate, but from government policies – particularly, Labor’s the ill-advised $4 billion ad hoc water buy-back ventures.
The Nationals will insist on socio-economic impact statements before any more water is bought within the Basin
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will be notiﬁed prior to any purchase and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics will then undertake an assessment of the impacts of the buy-backs.
The focus of Murray-Darling Basin policy must be the funding of infrastructure efﬁciencies, both in-system and on-farm, with water entitlement buybacks used only as a last resort
We must ensure that more water is returned to the environment, enabling farmers to produce more food and ﬁbre using less water, while protecting the environment, communities and regional economies.
Opening northern Australia
We actively encourage the growth of agriculture in northern Australia as a potential new food bowl
With predictions that the climate will become drier in southern Australia and wetter in the north, developing food producing potential there is a must
The Nationals will drive a federal, state and territory partnership to secure sustainable agriculture development in the north as a nation building priority, and a way to resolve the environmental and Indigenous policy issues that currently limit the development of northern Australia.
The Nationals will, with relevant state and territory governments, examine the economic, social and environmental viability of making better use of water in the north, and will renew investigations into the practicality of transporting water southward.
Natural disasters
The Nationals maintain that some droughts, ﬁres and ﬂoods are truly exceptional, and no land manager can be fully prepared
Our overriding objective is to enable primary producers to return to full production as quickly as possible.
We will continue to support farmers with targeted assistance during a 1-in-25-year drought, major ﬂood or ﬁre
This assurance will include access to household support and interest rate subsidies
We will remove the $500,000 upper cap on interest rate subsidies over ﬁve years.
The Nationals in government will have taxation policy examined to see if assistance packages can be provided to agricultural producers with farm mortgages who take up off-farm employment to meet pre-existing farm debt levels.
We will seek to change the criteria for primary producers in natural disaster-declared areas to allow for the inclusion of funding to repair fences following all declared natural disasters, and that ﬁre prevention and ﬂood mitigation considerations always take precedence over environmental considerations when developing and maintaining structures such as levee banks and land clearing for ﬁre prevention.
The Nationals will also invest in practical on-ground preparedness, including, where appropriate, ﬂood and ﬁre mitigation
We will boost research and development on new plant varieties and management practices to increase farm productivity.
We will review the Australian Plague Locust Commission to ensure that its funding and governance are adequate to deal with emerging threats.
Research and development
In addition to the challenges described under our Food Security plan, Australia’s primary producers confront many challenges, including climate variability; local and exotic pests, weeds and diseases; increasing consumer demand for fresher, tastier, more sustainable and cheaper food; and increasingly expensive inputs, such as water, fuel, fertilisers, chemicals, labour and energy.
The Nationals recognise the importance of research on climate variability, founded on scientiﬁc merit
We will focus on those research projects with the potential to revolutionise agriculture, ﬁsheries or forestry production.
For example, we will accelerate research into perennial cereal crops, particularly wheat, which are disease resistant, high yielding, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are water efﬁcient, drought resistant, and can produce high protein grain.
Further, we will support the efforts of the Australian Wool Industry and others in establishing an orderly phasing out of surgical mulesing and the development of a viable alternative practice for the prevention of breech strike in sheep
The agricultural sector has the best take up rate of new technologies and production systems of any of Australia’s industries
We will establish an Agricultural Research Fund for universities to encourage innovative new research in the ﬁelds of agricultural science, food security and food production and establish programs to commercialise research project outcomes.
The Nationals will continue to support the Cooperative Research Centres and the Rural Research and Development Corporations.
Primary production is one of the very few sectors where commodity groups contribute signiﬁcant resources through transactional levies towards research and development for their sector.
We recognise and value these investments and will continue to match them dollar-for-dollar.
The Nationals support the introduction of legislation to ban the patenting of naturally occurring genes in humans, plants and animals.
We commend the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety as Australia’s leading centre of research and development in the ﬁeld of farm injury and farmer health
Its work has enabled signiﬁcant reductions in deaths and serious injury on Australian farms
In government, we will ensure its continuation.
Collective export marketing
Where producers want collective export marketing, The Nationals will continue to provide support to establish a fair system in order to maximise grower returns.
Marine park declarations
We will undertake a science-based review of marine park declarations to ensure decisions over ﬁsheries and the environment take heed of social and economic impacts.
Under Labor, community consultation has been a sham, science has taken a backseat to ‘feel good’ declarations and there has been a complete about-face on the commitment to minimise socio-economic fallout for commercial and recreational ﬁshers and regional communities.
The Nationals support a science-based review of Labor’s arbitrary marine park declarations and, in place of Green dogma, will restore common sense by making a balanced account of the economic, social and environmental considerations in the process.
In government, we will not impose any further ﬁshing restrictions on the Great Barrier Reef.
Alcohol taxation
The Nationals do not support a volumetric tax on wine or any changes to the Wine Equalisation Tax that disadvantage the Australian wine industry.
Low interest loans
The Nationals in government will review established and proposed state schemes, including that proposed by the NSW Young Farmers, to provide low interest loans to young farmers
We will consider establishing a federal scheme to work in conjunction with the states and will provide funding for this purpose.
Collective Bargaining and Codes of Practice
We support the simpliﬁcation of the process to allow primary producers to collectively bargain for the sale of their goods.
The Nationals will facilitate the development of a code governing the relationship between suppliers, processors and supermarkets which ensures fair return for all.
As a matter of priority we will take steps to strengthen the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and related regulations, to increase the bargaining position of dairy farmers and egg producers relative to the major supermarkets, by:
a) adding an ‘effects’ test to the misuse of market power provision (section 46);
b) establishing a statutory Small Business Ombudsman to facilitate a low cost tribunal process for farmers;
c) changing unfair contract laws to cover small businesses not just consumers; and
d) supporting the creation of a supermarket code of conduct applying to supermarkets and their purchase of dairy and egg products.
Regional Development– REVITALISING AND POPULATING REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
Too often taken for granted, the regions beyond Australia’s major population centres remain the economic engine room of this country, generating the lion’s share of our exports.
The Nationals assert and expect that with much of Australia’s real wealth generated in the regions it is only ﬁtting that a fairer share of the revenue it creates is returned to the regions.
At the 2010 federal election, The Nationals, with our Coalition partners, committed to a $1 billion funding guarantee, dedicated to the regions
This principle has been implemented in new regional funding programs by Liberal-National governments in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.
But it’s more than just a fair share principle
This new investment must be more than funding programs or bricks and mortar – it must also focus on building human capital in our regions.
As a nation, we are overdue in recognising the role regional areas can, and must, play in overcoming Australia’s national challenges.
Australia’s concentration of population is the highest in the OECD, and is almost double the OECD average
A staggering 88% of our population is packed into just 3% of the landmass, mainly small coastal recesses in Sydney and Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane and south coast, Adelaide and Perth.
Our regions cry out for more people, services, infrastructure, businesses and employees.
It’s time to correct that imbalance.
We need to seriously address this population squeeze and pull the policy levers that can reenergize and build the under-developed 97% of Australia that is regional
That’s where the real untapped growth potential lies.
We need a tonic for Australia’s city population ills – a proactive solution to our congested cities, bursting under a national population of just 22 million people.
Unless we, as a nation, can bring businesses and people to major regional cities and develop new commercial centres, 36 million people by 2050 will grind our cities into perpetual gridlock.
Creating dynamic, stable, secure and viable regional economies is essential for Australia’s future.
Our Plan
The Nationals will ensure that government does not hinder the development of prosperous regional communities, but actually promotes and motivates them.
Governments cannot redress uneven growth across regions, or solve the uncertainties of international markets
But the regions have the capacity for much better economic performance, and The Nationals’ practical support for regional economies will help to make them more competitive.
Our commitment to take real action on sustainable population growth will allow regional Australia to beneﬁt from a targeted skilled migration and regional Australia settlement program.
The Nationals have a proud record of achieving results in regional development
This policy builds on our past achievements and sets a bold new direction for supporting regional development.
Its key themes are:
Recognition of the need for non-negotiable provision of best practice services and infrastructure for regions;
Decentralisation of decision-making for regional planning;
Support for innovation in the regions; and
Better funding models to enable regions to achieve their visionary goals.
Our policy promotes the provision of adequate services and ﬁrst-class infrastructure for all regions
It places far greater emphasis on regional innovation and entrepreneurship as the key drivers of successful regional development
We will create new opportunities for regionwide, bottom up economic development.
The Nationals recognise the limits of any government’s capacity to control all the forces that drive regional outcomes
We realise that the regions themselves must take responsibility for their development strategies
We understand that regional development institutions must be properly resourced and then given the freedom to make their own decisions.
Regional policy challenge
Regional communities face problems neither they, nor government, can directly control
Some are seasonal, such as drought or ﬂood; some are ongoing structural challenges such as the ageing of the nonmetropolitan population and the loss of young people to the major cities; some are external, such as unstable or corrupt international markets.
Many regions outside capital cities have a relatively narrow economic base and lack the scale and resilience of cities, making them open to sudden economic shocks, and the gradual erosion of their skills base.
The Nationals support regions in addressing those problems they can directly inﬂuence, and in limiting the adverse effects of others beyond their control.
The regions have ageing populations
Their best and brightest young people often leave for the city, and many never return.
Migrants from the city or other countries do not usually settle in the regions that are most in need of new blood and ideas
The regions that beneﬁt from the inﬂux are generally on the coast or within a couple of hours of the city
Regions further away miss out.
In addition, regions traditionally reliant on agriculture have found that their structure is changing
As new industries and enterprises emerge, regional economies must diversify to ensure their future.
Those furthest away from the capital cities require support to compete for population and industry growth, and to respond to new challenges.
Dozens of regional development programs across the nation are delivered by the three levels of government with little overall coordination, direction or evaluation, compete for regional support
In addition to the tax incentives, domestic relocation and bonded migration measures in under our Economy and Taxation plan, The Nationals commit to a fairer distribution of the growing federal funding for regional Australia through a coordinated partnership with state and local governments.
Regional policy solutions
Though fundamentally important, the provision of basic services is not alone enough to ensure regional economies prosper and grow.
Regional growth arises from entrepreneurship, knowledge, networks and innovation from outside the region coming to set up shop.
Genuine regional development occurs when communities leverage their assets to achieve new economic opportunities.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are central elements of successful regional economies, and communities and regions need to be encouraged by government to embrace them through more effective support for small business.
Regional education
The Nationals will encourage regional universities to work with TAFE colleges to engage with young people, and so help produce the next generation of entrepreneurs
To encourage graduates to work in regional Australia, we will provide a partial reduction in their HECS fee obligation, based on the length of time they spend there, and the degree of remoteness.
Regional leadership
Decisions about strategy and objectives must be made by the leaders in each region, not by central governments
Local communities must take a greater role in deciding the projects that will lead to economic and social beneﬁts in their areas
This is a hallmark of The Nationals’ Royalties for Regions policy in Western Australia, the Regional Growth Fund in Victoria and the Restart NSW Fund.
Better regional policy outcomes for Australia require better funding mechanisms for regional projects, and support for better focused regional institutions, where leaders are required to be strategic and visionary.
Good local government is the key to sound regional leadership
The Nationals support the constitutional recognition of local government to ensure that the federal government is able to continue to make direct payments to local government through regional programs such as Roads to Recovery.
We will investigate the potential use of the Federal Government’s borrowing ability to leverage cheaper borrowing costs to local governments
This would assist to address the backlog of infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, community halls, libraries, paths, parks, water facilities and airports.
The Nationals support increased federal government funding for local government and we will aim to ensure that councils are fully compensated for ﬁnancial burdens associated with policies implemented by other tiers of government.
Regional skills
To help alleviate the skills shortage in regional Australia, new arrivals will be encouraged to settle in regional and rural areas
Temporary work visas (457s) will be made more accessible to businesses in regional areas with known skills shortage needs
The Nationals’ will build regional economic capacity by encouraging all regions to be more innovative and to set their own directions for economic development strategy, strongly supported by the federalgovernment.
Regional infrastructure
Under Labor governments, federal and state, country hospitals have been closed or downgraded, schools and public buildings neglected, infrastructure left to run down, and services withdrawn.
Good infrastructure – roads, rail, telecommunications, schools, hospitals, bridges, dams or airports – is vital to unlocking regional Australia’s potential
However, soft infrastructure – such as health and allied health services, education resources, childcare and other social institutions – is also lacking and forms a barrier to regional relocation
The obligation of the federal government is to provide more than money
A clearly deﬁned regional component must be identiﬁed in all long-term planning.
Infrastructure Australia was to deliver this integrated approach, but little has manifested since its inception in 2008
We will make it happen.
We will ensure that a fair share of federal government funding for infrastructure and services is allocated to regional areas
Where appropriate, we write speciﬁc obligations into ﬁnancial agreements with the states, with an identiﬁed proportion of funding being allocated to regional areas.
Government decentralisation and purchasing
The Nationals will establish a taskforce in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to identify opportunities to decentralise government service provision and relocate staff to regional locations where practical
Reviewing government purchasing and tendering policies will reduce the barriers for smaller, regional-based businesses to bid for contracts and deliver government services.
Regional Impact Statements
The effects of government decisions on regional communities need to be taken into account, as part of the decision making process.
The Nationals will require that all Cabinet submissions be accompanied by a Regional Impact Statement, outlining the economic, environmental and social consequences of government decisions on regional areas.
Regional Development Australia
Regional Development Australia must respond to local communities and build partnerships between them and government.
The Nationals will establish local committees, comprising local leaders drawn from the community, business and government, to set the direction of each Regional Development Australia ofﬁce
Committee members will be responsible for working with regional stakeholders in preparing plans to strengthen the region.
Universities, service organisations, cultural groups, sporting clubs, business and community leaders, will work with Regional Development Australia ofﬁces to assess local needs and identify targeted initiatives
The restructured Regional Development Australia network will navigate federal government funding programs, according to our fair share commitment, including a restructured Better Regions Program.
The Nationals will restructure the Regional Development Australia National Advisory Council to make it truly representative of the regions and to enable meaningful contributions to regional policy development
The new committee will have direct access to senior Ministers and will be consulted on key policy initiatives.
Fair Share Fund
The Fair Share Fund will provide resources for the following two programs:
Sustainable Regions Program
The need for special assistance for regions facing major structural adjustment as a result of unexpected demographic or economic change has continued under the Labor government.
However, Labor actions such as buying irrigation properties are adding to social and economic trauma.
The Nationals will restore the Sustainable Regions Program in areas of Australia facing these challenges
The program will be designed to support projects which create employment or establish new businesses, through partnerships between the private sector, government and the community.
Each region will have its own advisory panel comprising business, community and local leaders, who will consult with the community to determine the economic, community and social priorities for the region, and act as a ﬁrst ﬁlter for potential projects.
Better Regions Program
The Nationals will broaden the Better Regions Program – a corrupted Labor version of the former Regional Partnerships program – to provide funding for community projects supported by partnership funds from state and local governments, the community, private enterprise and individuals
All applications will undergo rigorous assessment
The Better Regions Program will have three components: infrastructure project grants for large scale industry, tourism, community infrastructure and community service proposals; community grants for initiatives that increase social opportunities, community participation and interaction; and a range of small grants to help councils and not-for-proﬁt organisations with minor community projects.
Seniors– CELEBRATING AND RESPECTING OLDER AUSTRALIANS
Australians are living longer, more productive lives, and seeking to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible
This trend is in the government’s interest; sensible policies assisting seniors to stay home are much less costly than institutional care.
It is not necessarily ‘aged care’ that we look for as we get older, but healthcare and services appropriate for our stage of life.
Key to The Nationals’ policy focus for senior Australians is the entitlement of all Australians to live with dignity throughout their lives
Our senior citizens should not be seen as welfare dependent, nor a drain on the economy
The experience and guidance of older Australians in the workforce is being recognised by employers.
Their lifelong contribution to society should be fostered and celebrated
– seniors have paid their taxes, made Australia what it is today, and have more than earned their keep.
Older Australians enrich our communities, especially in the regions
Their contribution can be seen in the essential services which keep regional communities vibrant, including policing, work in court houses, assistance in schools and hospitals, and many other community-based activities
Their civic service is vital to the health and vitality of regional Australia
Our plan is to provide the best opportunities for older Australians in regional areas to remain healthy, active and engaged in the workforce and the community
Ageing productively keeps people healthy and refutes any perception that seniors become a burden as our society witnesses an ageing population.
Where high-level full-time aged care is required, seniors must have a say in the care they receive.
Being in charge of one’s own life, treated as a grown up, is a dignity our seniors are entitled to expect.
Our Plan
The Nationals’ plan recognises that the great majority of older Australians contribute to society right through their later years, when community attitudes allow it, and when they are provided with the right services to remain healthy, active and engaged in the community.
For those in need of greater support, whether acute care or to help in overcoming social isolation, The Nationals’ plan provides for more aged care beds, better mental illness services, and practical ﬁnancial support for community groups.
Education and employment
Government and the corporate sector must take on a greater role
The Nationals maintain that education is a lifelong experience, and the best results are achieved by governments working with business and local communities to provide high quality, appropriate facilities and services.
Employers need encouragement to hire and retain older staff, and to work with other employees to retrain and redeploy them in mutually agreeable roles.
Speciﬁcally tailored training and education programs for seniors are necessary to ensure employers invest in up-skilling and re-skilling older employees
In addition, we will provide support for educational institutions developing programs aimed at older Australians.
Government can improve employment rates of senior Australians in the public service
While departments publish the details of the senior ranks, they are less forthcoming about the number of over-60s recruited in the public service’s annual intake.
We will further counter age discrimination by assisting the unemployed over 50 to ﬁnd meaningful work.
For pensioners who will undertake seasonal work, we will reform pension arrangements to support them in earning additional income
In particular, we will extend the practice of income averaging for those able to undertake this work.
To encourage seniors to stay in the workforce, we will abolish the superannuation guarantee limit, and remove the bureaucratic impediments and disincentives which discourage people from working beyond pensionable age.
Retirement income and planning
The overwhelming concern seniors often express is their uncertainty about how to plan and budget for their retirement.
Government shifting of goalposts disadvantages those looking to retire
This is not just frustrating, it fuels anxieties and can be ﬁnancially crippling.
Australians in general are encouraged to prepare for retirement with careful and considered planning, but too few do.
We will provide initiatives for the certainty people need in retirement planning
Those on ﬁxed incomes – whether pensioners or self funded retirees – have very limited ﬁnancial ﬂexibility, and lack the disposable income of those in the work force to adapt their circumstances and respond to change.
Our reforms will encourage workers to prepare for retirement, by means such as an enhanced tax treatment of savings.
We will make the cost of ﬁnancial planning tax deductible.
We will require greater accountability from superannuation funds
We will require these funds to deliver high quality service and performance, to justify their privileged position under the Superannuation Levy Guarantee.
We will establish a consumer protection program for older Australians.
Health and aged care
All Australians are entitled to the highest quality of care and such care must be provided respectfully and with dignity
Older Australians need incentives to retain private health insurance cover
For many, their optimal take up of health cover comes when they can least afford it
In government, The Nationals brought in the 30% rebate on private health insurance, and then extended it to 35% and 40% for seniors
We remain committed to these incentives.
The Nationals support greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card for self funded retirees
Through our regional health programs we will increase sub-acute care support for older Australians, improve dental care and provide more equitable access to Pharmaceutical Beneﬁts Scheme (free) medications for seniors.
We will address many people’s biggest fear – the quality of care they receive as they grow older.
The Nationals believe it is important for families to stay together wherever possible
This can be difﬁcult in regional areas, where older parents and grandparents are involved, and where appropriate aged care facilities may be far from the family base
We will provide dedicated funding, and will work with all levels of government and community, to increase the number of aged care facilities and places in regional areas, and to boost the number of aged care beds there.
As the population ages, the same expectations of funding and performance proposed for regional hospitals must be applied to aged care facilities
Incentives will be provided for regional health professionals to broaden their skills in providing expert care to the elderly.
The Nationals will introduce funding for aged care beds under similar arrangements for hospitals by establishing a new system where Commonwealth and State funding for aged care services is pooled into a single fund for each region, with managers at the regional level who can best identify community needs, directly oversee the real costs, and who will deliver the local beneﬁts of their decisions.
The Nationals package will remove the anxiety felt among older Australians as the numbers of staff – particularly nurses – are shrinking.
The Nationals support the appointment of an Aged Care Ombudsman, to give people more conﬁdence in the system by providing an independent ofﬁce to investigate the issues no statutory body or government department currently monitors.
As care needs intensify, so does the pressure on the families
Respite care is important, providing much-needed support, and helping people stay at home longer
Flexibility is needed in how respite care is provide, both for immediate needs and for the future planning required
The population age shift will bring new and different challenges in the provision of respite care.
Social isolation damages health and wellbeing
The Nationals support community initiatives to address it
Volunteer programs are valuable
However, those people in aged care who are not receiving any government funding support (i.e. through the facility in which they are housed), are currently prohibited from accessing the volunteer services.
We will remove this anomaly and maximise the reach of volunteer programs dealing with social isolation.
Small Business and Tourism– REALISING THE POTENTIAL IN REGIONAL ENTERPRISE
The Nationals is the party of, and for, small business
We recognise that regional Australia depends on small business to drive local economies and regional prosperity.
In recent years, there has been a major diversiﬁcation in the activity undertaken by small businesses in regional Australia – a move away from a mainly rural-based industry structure to include services, tourism and manufacturing.
The majority of businesses in regional Australia employ fewer than 20 people but, across the board, the sector is the largest employer
Of the 1,880,000 small businesses throughout Australia, some 35% – more than 650,000 ﬁrms – operate in regional Australia.
To be competitive, small businesses in regional Australia must have the same opportunities to share in the beneﬁts of technology as those in the capital cities.
The chronic skills shortage in regional areas is a major impediment for small business
To overcome this, The Nationals’ will make temporary work visas (457s) more accessible to regional businesses, as well as requiring skilled, semi-skilled and non-skilled immigrants to be bonded to regional areas with relevant labour needs
This is especially the case with tourism, where regional Australia struggles to get its share of the international visitor market
The ratio of domestic to international visitors in the regions is as high as 19:1
While Australia, as a whole, is seen as a desirable destination, the major cities and east coast holiday spots derive most of the beneﬁts.
Our Plan
Easing the burdens
The Nationals recognise that success in maintaining existing businesses and attracting business people to relocate to regional areas depends on access to the quality services expected as part of modern living, including education, health, infrastructure and transport.
The Nationals aim to give small businesses the competitive environment and the tools they need to make the best of opportunities, in both domestic and international markets.
We will work with industry associations and academic institutions to develop small business education programs aimed at increasing efﬁciency and productivity.
The vast number of interlocking and confusing regulations covering business activity at the federal, state and local levels must be simpliﬁed.
The Nationals commit to reinvigorating previous programs to remove red tape at all levels of government
This includes combating the indirect red tape that results from restrictions imposed by governments on other businesses, such as ﬁnancial institutions, which is then carried through to their small business clients.
We will continue our leadership role in ensuring that small business can compete on a level playing ﬁeld with bigger businesses.
Healthy competition is good, but small businesses must be protected from unfair competition by powerful resource-rich companies.
The Nationals have taken the lead in addressing deﬁciencies in the Trade Practices Act and will continue to address weaknesses in trade practices legislation affecting small business competitiveness.
We will also better resource the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to take action against large corporations that abuse their market power.
The Nationals in government will examine changes to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, to:
Provide for a third party right of appeal to the Competition Tribunal (Part III) for any matter relating to acquisitions (s.50) or misuse of market power (s.46), including matters raised formally and informally with the ACCC on which the ACCC may or may not have acted; and provide that this third party right of appeal not be liable to any cost order in the Tribunal proceedings except if found to be vexatious; and
Examine what actions, if any, are appropriate for the ACCC to apply to the Courts for the breakup of monopolies or dominant companies that engage in conduct which undermines competition.
Many economic and social advantages are evident for businesses operating in regional areas
The Nationals will support initiatives to make city businesses aware of these advantages and to encourage Australians to enjoy the beneﬁts of a non-metropolitan lifestyle.
We will also review the effect of additional costs on businesses outside  capital cities, with a view to determining what regional incentives could  be introduced to encourage city businesses to relocate.
The Nationals in government will provide a 30% investment allowance to assist small business in regional areas to expand and to create jobs, or for capital city businesses to relocate.
The allowance will be for increasing business capacity, such as major new plant acquisitions or increasing production capacity
It will be subject to requirements like job creation benchmarks and output increases.
The program will exclude passive investment, such as commercial property investment for lease.
The Nationals will review the impact of Internet trading on regional small businesses by reviewing the duty and GST exemption for imported goods valued at less than $1,000
The practicality of reducing this threshold to $20 will be examined.
The Nationals recognise that online shopping is now a fact of life, but believe that there is a need to level the playing ﬁeld, particularly for franchisees who are bound by restrictive purchasing practices that impact on their ability to compete on price.
We will review the Trade Practices Act to ensure that franchisees and others are not disadvantaged by agreements that prevent them from purchasing product at the most competitive price
In order to help retain small businesses in regional areas, The Nationals will encourage local planning authorities to take into account competitiveness issues when considering approvals for new or expanded retail developments.
State planning systems should take into account dominance in the retail sector as part of the net community beneﬁts test.
Support for Co-operatives
The Nationals in government will support the introduction of National Co-operatives Law.
Consistent with the proposals being put to the Council of Australian Governments, a uniform system will:
Provide nationally consistent laws to replace the separate legislation currently operating in states and territories;
Provide the method for applying and maintaining the uniform legislation and regulations;
Apply a clear guide as to how the law interacts with the Corporations Act 2001;
Ensure that those provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 relevant to co-operatives are applied uniformly across states and territories;
Simplify the ﬁnancial and auditing requirements for small cooperatives;
Reduce red-tape and restrictions on co-operatives operating across states and territories; and
Introduce nationally consistent provisions for the supervision of cooperatives.
The process of harmonisation will allow support of co-operatives at a national level and will allow national advocacy for co-operatives.
The Nationals in government will also review methods to change the Australian accounting standards that treat share capital in co-operatives as a liability on co-operative balance sheets.
Fair credit card merchant fees
The Nationals in government will ensure there is a ban on merchants from placing a surcharge on credit card transactions above the amount (as expressed in percentage of goods purchased) charged to the merchant by the credit card issuer for a transaction.
In addition, credit card issuers will be prohibited from crediting back any revenue derived from merchant credit transactions
Such a prohibition would prevent an issuer from charging a merchant an inﬂated percentage on a transaction with an agreement that the issuer will then credit a certain amount back to the merchant at periodic intervals.
Consumer Ombudsman
The Nationals will provide stronger protection for small businesses and farmers from anticompetitive conduct,  including through:
The establishment of a Commonwealth Australian Small Business and Farming Commissioner modelled on the Victorian Small Business Commissioner;
An amendment to the Competition and Consumer Act to provide an effective prohibition against anti-competitive price discrimination;
The strengthening of section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act to prohibit ‘creeping acquisitions’, which individually substantially lessen competition, but which over time lead to the increased dominance of
The development of a code of conduct covering large retailer-supplier dealings and dispute resolution processes.
Receivers and administrators
The Nationals note and condemn cases where family farms and small businesses have been mismanaged by receivers and/or administrators, resulting in the value of the asset being diminished and unnecessary hardship caused
In government we will provide greater protection for family farms from receivership, including the establishment of a Small Business and Farming Commissioner able to intervene in such cases.
Farm debt mediation
We recognise that farm debt recovery by banks and other lenders is increasing at an alarming rate, and note the extremely traumatic experience for farming families overwhelmed by the unconscionable behaviour of some lenders.
We strongly oppose any strong-arm tactics by banks and lenders who rush to court orders; force vacant possession; and appoint liquidators and receivers who then force a ﬁre sale, bankrupting the unfortunate proprietor where there is a shortfall.
We commit to a better process, requiring lenders to undertake compulsory debt mediation where default occurs, and allowing the landholders the right to sell their properties themselves via a controlled sale, preserving their dignity and preventing the collapse of the value of neighbouring properties
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will be required to review the Corporations Act 2001 and related industry codes so that liquidators are prevented from taking day to day management of a family-owned farm where a ﬁnancial institution forecloses on that property
In government The Nationals will work with all states/territories to achieve a national farm debt mediation standard to assist the ﬁnance sector and farmers to overcome cross-border anomalies and misunderstandings.
Award modernisation
The Nationals support the rationalisation and updating of industrial awards and the introduction of greater ﬂexibility
Small businesses are generally more reliant on the award structure than larger businesses, and even more so in the regions.
The Nationals do not support Labor’s objective of removing pay differentials between different parts of Australia or the imposition of common penalty rates.
Unlike Labor, we understand that strawberries do not only ripen between 9am and 5pm on weekdays; that prawn trawler crews do not come home for dinner every evening; that country shows are generally held on public holidays; and that family wineries do most of their business on weekends.
The Nationals in government will instruct the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to recognise the special circumstances of businesses operating outside the major capital cities and to establish a pay structure accordingly
Workers and employees should have a workplace relations framework that allows them to make changes to working conditions that are advantageous to both, with the overriding requirement that safe working practices are not traded off.
The Nationals consider that any monopoly situation enjoyed by unions should be abolished
The principle of the ‘conveniently belong rule’ of 1905 should be removed to provide competition within the union movement by allowing workers to freely form and maintain new registered unions in competition with existing unions.
The global economy
The Nationals support a Small Business Action Plan to respond to ﬂuctuations in the global economy.
Measures will include:
Tax loss carry-back to allow businesses to offset operating losses and retain staff by claiming back taxes paid over the past three years, up to a $100,000 limit;
OECD-best practice regulation, whereby, the Commonwealth will undertake a comprehensive audit of all the federal, state and local paperwork needed to start or expand a business
We will ensure that this overhead burden is reduced at least to match OECD best practice;
A one-stop shop regulation portal to deliver integrated online access to all forms and ﬁlings, regardless of the level of government imposing them; and
Support advice for family businesses on succession planning and family business development.
Supporting regional tourism
Local tourism in regional Australia needs to be supported by the vocational and professional training of tourism operators and suppliers.
The Nationals support the establishment of a regional tourism training initiative to improve the skills and professional standards of tourism operators, and to assist them to meet the particular challenges presented by regional tourist activities.
This initiative would encompass a number of programs to meet the needs of various tourism industry sectors, such as:
Grants to existing and new tourist operators of farm stays, motels, bed and breakfasts, and wineries for training in marketing and promotion, with particular emphasis on online marketing;
Training rebates for travel agents and tourism operators who undertake a training course or accreditation in regional tourism, based on the number of bed nights they sell into regional Australia within a prescribed period;
A national database and rating system, similar to the motel star system, listing tourism businesses and outlets that successfully complete vocational training courses related to tourism; and
Funding for speciﬁc regional education tours for major tourism operators, similar to the programs now conducted by other countries, to enable travel consultants to gain a better understanding of what is on offer
Many regional communities, cultural and sporting events need government support from time to time, as the regional economy ebbs and ﬂows.
Support is currently available only on an ad hoc basis from governments and government business entities.
The future of the Australian Tourism Development Program and federal government funding of tourism activities is uncertain.
While local governments bear the brunt of the cost of tourism promotion in the regions, many local governments cannot afford to provide such funding on a consistent and continuing basis.
The Nationals insist that all levels of government must commit to funding tourist promotion and that the federal government should play a leading role
Regions need consistent support to compete at an international level
We support the development of a three-year, ‘See Australia First’ campaign focused on regional tourism markets.
The Nationals support the establishment of a federal tourism fund to provide project-speciﬁc grants to support regional promotion campaigns or major regional tourism and entertainment events.
The grants process will be competitive, with a major criterion being the ability of the project to generate long-term shifts in tourist behaviour.
We also support the establishment of a permanent ‘Regional Tourism Disaster Fund’, to be used to assist with marketing campaigns in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Poker machine pre-commitment technology
The Nationals recognise the social and commercial beneﬁts clubs and pubs bring to regional communities
while we support the implementation of voluntary responsible gambling initiatives from clubs and pubs, we oppose any mandatory pre-commitment technology measures, as harmful to the viability of clubs and pubs in rural and regional areas, and we oppose the proposed $250 limit on ATM’s located in clubs and pubs.
Social Justice– A FAIR GO FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS
Underpinning all Nationals’ philosophy is the notion of a ‘fair go’ for all Australians, wherever they live
Equality of opportunity to participate in our community to the full extent of ability, capacity and desire is the birthright of every Australian.
As we represent some of the most disadvantaged electorates in the country, the plight of our seniors, carers, those with a disability, our Indigenous population and the underprivileged is our core concern
Our commitment to social justice is the foundation of all of our policies.
The Nationals oppose any attempt to introduce a statutory or constitutional charter of human rights.
The Nationals believe that forced marriages should be banned in Australia and will support legislation to that effect.
The Nationals endorse the repeal of s. 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1974 (Cth) and corresponding sections of state anti-discrimination Acts, in the interests of free speech and a free press.
Caring for fellow Australians
One of The Nationals’ core values is to provide security for Australian communities and their families through the preservation of decent health, safety, social and economic welfare standards.
The Nationals believe in:
The establishment of a National Disability Insurance Scheme;
Reasonable access to quality, affordable health care and education for all Australians, regardless of their location and personal circumstances;
Improved support services for those with a disability and their carers to better meet the needs of disabled people and their family carers
The Nationals will provide greater support for community groups engaged in the provision of accommodation to provide accommodation on a long-term sustainable basis; and
Provision of programs to assist those parents with disabled children to plan for their future, including greater support from government through arrangements such as taxation offsets and disability trusts.
The Nationals recognise the urgent need to assist ageing parents and carers of disabled children, and in government will:
Reintroduce the former Coalition Government’s Special Disability Trust program, and remove capital gains tax on the transfer of property into special disability trusts, and concentrate the Ministerial responsibility for disability services within a single portfolio;
Support the implementation of a lifelong care and support system, along the lines of the Productivity Commission report on a National Disability Insurance Scheme, for all Australians with a signiﬁcant disability whether acquired at or after birth;
Provide resources to public and private education facilities to meet the needs of the disabled;
Provision of resources to public and private education facilities to meet the needs of disabled students to enable them to reach their full potential;
Ensure that there are sufﬁcient accommodation places and support to meet the needs of all ageing people with a disability who require such a placement;
Provide resources so that young people who require 24-hour care have separate specialised accommodation, rather than being placed in nursing homes for the aged;
Uphold the rights of Indigenous Australians and recognise their special needs through properly resourced programs directed to promoting self-help, self-respect, education and job creation;
Ensure adequate funding of law enforcement and counselling services speciﬁcally directed to personal security and to overcoming domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse
In particular, we will support the expansion of community crime prevention programs aimed at supporting police, local councils and community groups to develop local solutions to local problems, including the expanded use of closed circuit television and other cost-effective measures to improve community safety;
Increase funding to combat youth mental health issues and to support better relationships between child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services;
Ensure that programs directed to the care and welfare of children provide men and women with the choice of either seeking childcare outside the home or within the home; and
Provide travel assistance for former prisoners of war wishing to travel overseas to attend one signiﬁcant commemoration ceremony.
A fair and accessible legal system
The Nationals are determined to eliminate the divide between those living in and those living outside major capital cities, including any limitation on access to a fair legal system that respects the rights and responsibilities of all Australians.
The Nationals are committed to:
Ensuring the legal system is accessible to all Australians regardless of their circumstances;
Reviewing the family law and child support system to ensure that the interests of children are paramount; and
Removing any discrimination against sexual preference,
while upholding the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman.
Telecommunications and Information Technology– CONNECTING REGIONAL AUSTRALIANS TO AFFORDABLE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Effective telecommunications unite Australians wherever they work, live and play in local, national and, increasingly, global communities.
Quality, reliable telephone services, high-speed internet access and broadcast infrastructure are essential to ensure regional Australians fully participate in the ever-evolving social and economic beneﬁts of state-of-the-art communication and information technologies.
Communications networks deliver timely and greater access to improved health services, open a new world of education options, drive employment and create business opportunities in regional Australia.
No-one understands the vital role communications play in regional Australia like the people who live there
The Nationals will bridge the communications divide between the regions and capital cities, prioritising planning and rollout of communications infrastructure.
Education and healthcare delivery are increasingly underpinned by telecommunications
These services are keys to social cohesion, participation in local communities and the broader economy, cultural wellbeing and access to emergency services.
In regional and remote communities, telecommunications are not nice extras… they are a necessity.
Our pledge is that regional Australians are entitled to access high quality, timely and affordable communication and information technologies – both for existing and emerging products and services
From that base, there is no limit to the emerging opportunities for regional families, businesses and communities, including access to:
High-speed broadband internet;
Voice-over-internet telephony;
Free-to-air and subscription digital television;
Online services for banking, bill payment, shopping, buying and selling on auction websites;
Government services;
Timely and accurate weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology;
Educational materials at all levels of schooling and, increasingly, for tertiary studies;
Future commercial television video-on-demand services delivered online – already available in other countries, such as Hong Kong and South Korea;
Video conferencing;
Telemedicine services, whether voice over telephony or via video webcam – a direct link to a doctor who might be anywhere in Australia or the world, just a click away;
Streaming media – allowing users to listen to online radio and watch online TV programs, as well as a host of other audio-visual options;
Improved mobile phone and digital television networks;
Ongoing commitment to a communications ‘black spot’ program;
Support for community radio – which ﬁlls the gaps left by bigger providers, particularly in emergencies such as bushﬁres or ﬂoods.
Our Plan
We will bring down the regulatory barriers that discourage private enterprise from entering the communications market, to provide parity of service and price to regional Australians.
In this new regulatory environment, we will reward initiative and support those providers servicing the regions.
No single technology or network can provide efﬁcient and cost-effective communications services, in particular broadband, to all regional areas.
We must develop a suite of communications infrastructure appropriate to the vast array of regional needs, taking into account the diversity of Australia’s regional communities – including the supply of satellite phone services to remote towns.
To fully integrate regional Australians into the global community, communications infrastructure must be fast-tracked in areas of greatest need.
While the market will almost always meet the communications needs of those in the capital cities, government intervention is necessary to ensure market failure gaps are ﬁlled and the needs of regional and remote parts of Australia are met
The Nationals in government will ensure that the Telecommunication Universal Service Provider is required to establish a face-to-face presence in rural Australia.
Broadband
The rollout of a fast and cost-effective broadband network to transcend distances, so regional Australians can be real-time active players in national and global digital economies, is a priority for The Nationals.
Lack of access to infrastructure is a major obstacle to new telecommunications companies competing in regional areas
More often than not, carriers ﬁnd the cost of establishing new infrastructure in regional and remote areas is prohibitive, particularly when they are unsure of market demand.
Typically, lower population densities cannot deliver the economies of scale required to generate investment
Where the market cannot sustain a variety of networks in regional areas, The Nationals insist that government has a responsibility to ensure an affordable single network is available.
Public and private partnerships can be an appropriate and innovative vehicle for delivering such telecommunications infrastructure.
Labor has fundamentally misunderstood the market and the problem
Broadband speeds of 100Mbps are already available to commercial and home users in some capital cities where, as demand grows for higher speeds, the market will continue to provide.
The federal government does not need to help these providers, but does have a role in helping regional areas where the commercial case is not strong enough to drive the delivery of high-speed services
In regional Australia, the greatest productivity gains will be made from high-speed broadband
The Nationals’ policy is to place a priority on rolling out ﬁbre optic cable to the majority of consumers in regional Australia ﬁrst – that is, before cable rollout occurs in areas where competition could already be driving provision of higher broadband speeds.
While ﬁbre optic cable is regarded as the preferred data carrying technology for the foreseeable future, other technologies such as wireless (ﬁxed and mobile) and satellite continue to develop, delivering ever-faster data speeds
These technologies may provide innovative, effective and efﬁcient answers to many of the communications problems presented by Australia’s unique population spread.
The Nationals support the continuing extension of the optic ﬁbre network to regional and remote communities currently relying on wireless and microwave technology
We support the continued presence of Telstra in regional communities, including the physical presence of Telstra Country Wide ofﬁces in strategic locations.
$2 billion Communications Fund
Mobile phone coverage is a continuing challenge
The service will not be provided in some parts of Australia unless supported by both government and community.
The previous Coalition Government established a standing $2 billion Communications Fund to ensure perpetual upgrades to new technologies and services to regional Australia as they became available
– in essence ‘future prooﬁng’ regional Australia in the fast-paced ﬁeld of technology advances
A central plank of our telecommunications plan for regional Australia is reinstating the Communications Fund, to ensure that regional telecommunications services – and the families, businesses and entire communities rely on them – are not left with antiquated technologies and/or services and allowed to fall behind the rest of Australia and the world.
Black spot program
We will also reinstate a mobile phone ‘black spot’ program to identify and redress areas of poor mobile phone reception and to ensure that mobile networks are affordable.
The Nationals will ensure sufﬁcient digital TV broadcasting towers in regional Australia to guarantee acceptable reception to viewers before switching off the analogue terrestrial signal, including the update of 600 self-help sites across Australia at no additional cost to consumers.
World-class communications infrastructure and services are a priority for any government and requires ongoing policy development and management
This will offer the ability to all Australians to keep pace with existing technologies and the next generation of technological development.
Spending tens of billions of dollars and laying cable all over the country will not ﬁx prevailing problems, nor safeguard Australians – especially, susceptible regional Australians – against growing disparities as new technologies come online.
The Nationals’ approach strikes a competitive balance between carriers, establishes a fair and transparent regulatory structure, and accommodates new technologies and solutions as they become available, to deliver timely, effective and affordable services suitable for all Australians.
Trade
– DRIVING REGIONAL ECONOMIES TO BUILD A STRONGER AUSTRALIA
International trade is a major driver of growth for regional Australia
It creates new jobs, improves living standards and ensures our future as a prosperous nation.
One-in-four jobs in regional Australia is directly or indirectly linked to exports
When The Nationals were in government, exports from regional Australia grew three times faster than exports from major cities
About a quarter of regional Australia’s income now comes from exports.
Trade is a two-way street
Australia will continue to import the ﬁnance, technology and innovation needed to develop the country and to make our industries more competitive
We also need to import consumer goods we do not produce, and to use imports to ensure year round supplies of seasonal foods.
It is essential that Australia’s quarantine and inspection services receive sufﬁcient funding and support to counter any pest or disease threats, which imports may pose
, and to ensure that products being exported are of the highest standard and meet the requirements of our export markets.
Only The Nationals can ensure that regional Australia receives its fair share of the beneﬁts generated by our export industries,
and that the regions are provided with the infrastructure and services necessary for these export industries to grow and prosper
We will ﬁght to ensure better access to international markets for our farmers, manufacturers, miners and service providers
We will ensure that our science-based quarantine services are properly resourced to protect Australia’s disease-free status.
Our Plan
Support for exporters
The Nationals will stimulate new investment and new export jobs in regional Australia
We will introduce new, targeted incentives for exporters and provide certainty in existing programs to support regional businesses.
Our industrial relations policies will ensure that maximum efﬁciency is maintained on the waterfront and other areas of frontline export activity.
We will provide the infrastructure support – roads, rail, ports and telecommunications – to enable our regions to compete on fair terms with city based businesses
We will ensure that Australian businesses can compete fairly against imports, and we will ensure that Australia’s disease-free status is protected.
We will continue to support the live animal export trade and the further enhancement of animal welfare within the trade, in partnership with Australia’s trading partners
We support the retention of an independent industry body to address grower concerns on quality assurance, port access for all exporters and transparency of stock information; so that all grain exporters can bid for grower’s grain with conﬁdence, maximising the returns to the producer.
New markets
In the international arena, The Nationals will pursue a policy of multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and trade promotion
We will support new trade agreements that deliver genuine new commercial opportunities to our farm, mining, manufacturing and service sectors.
In October 2011, Labor abandoned the Doha Round, declaring it dead and, instead, announced it would pursue sector-by-sector deals with our trading partners.
The Nationals insist that any bilateral or multilateral trade agreements must be comprehensive and all-inclusive
Agriculture remains the most distorted area of global trade, with our farmers suffering at the hands of protectionist trade barriers – such as the subsidies, tariffs and quotas applied in many destination markets.
With agriculture the single greatest stumbling block to the Doha Round, farm products are often the ﬁrst targeted for carve outs in any sector-by-sector negotiations
We will use the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement system aggressively to remove barriers to Australian exports and to ensure that international trade rules are open, fair and enforceable
We will establish the senior position of Ambassador for Trade Reform to promote further trade reform internationally
We will restore the position of Trade Representative for Australia’s agricultural industries and will establish two new roles: Trade Representative for Australia’s manufacturing industries and Trade Representative for Australia’s service industries.
Free Trade Agreements
The Nationals will continue to negotiate Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with our major trading partners and will seek opportunities for regional agreements, but only where substantial additional commercial beneﬁts to Australia can be demonstrated and delivered.
We will restore the effort to complete ambitious and comprehensive new FTAs with our biggest trading partners, including China, Japan, Korea, India and the Gulf Co-operation Council.
The Nationals will support international treaties where they are beneﬁcial to Australia – in particular, where they facilitate trade for Australia.
Industry Support
The Nationals will develop a new regional centres network to provide quick and efﬁcient support for new exporting industries, particularly the services industry.
We will increase funding for the Export Markets Development Grants Scheme and provide certainty of payment.
We will introduce new programs to increase Australia’s services exports and to assist niche export sectors to compete in global supply chains and to increase food and beverage export sales in key markets
The Nationals will reduce the cost of quarantine export inspections by reinstating the 40% cost-sharing arrangement for export inspection services, which Labor abolished.
We will ensure that our quarantine authorities receive the funding necessary to protect Australia from introduced pests and diseases.
Our Import Risk Assessment process will continue to be based on sound science
We will not take reckless risks – as Labor has done – with our nation’s irreplaceable pest- and disease-free status.
The Nationals remain fervent supporters of anti-dumping measures and, upon return to government, will ensure that the importation of cheap paper products from Indonesia and China does not impact unfairly on Australian producers.
Transport
– A STRATEGIC OVERHAUL TO LINK NETWORKS AND DRIVE EFFICIENCIES
The Nationals understand the importance of transport infrastructure – by road, rail, air and sea – to regional Australia
We know that people and businesses in regional Australia must rely on modern transport networks for their livelihoods and lifestyles.
Only The Nationals can ensure that families in regional Australia have a safe, secure, reliable and affordable transport system
The Nationals will ensure that regional Australia receives its fair share of national infrastructure spending.
Under a succession of Nationals Federal Transport Ministers, Australia gained improved transport infrastructure and services
The AusLink initiative, in particular, for the ﬁrst time brought an integrated approach to the nation’s road and rail transport needs, with the funding to achieve it.
Under Labor, Australia’s transport plans are unravelling, replaced by the same short-sighted political decision-making and deal-making that has brought state Labor government transport systems to their knees.
The Nationals retain a clear vision of Australia’s transport needs, and how to meet them
Our co-ordinated policy solutions will allow regional Australia and the nation to meet the transport challenges of the next 20 years and beyond.
Our Plan
Rail and a burgeoning freight task
With Australia’s national freight load set to double by 2030 – and treble along the eastern seaboard – an enormous effort must be made to expand and modernise our interstate and regional rail systems.
The Nationals understand that a seamless and efﬁcient rail network is essential to moving our regional produce to market, enhancing productivity growth and international competitiveness.
The Nationals will build the inland rail from Melbourne through the Central West of NSW to Brisbane
This ‘Steel Mississippi’ will reduce the time required to move freight from Melbourne to Brisbane from 36 hours to less than 24, dramatically lifting rail’s share of freight and providing signiﬁcant environmental and social beneﬁts.
The inland rail project will be completed by around 2025 and will be managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation in partnership with the private sector
The Nationals will ensure that any existing regional hub lines, which feed into the main inland rail line are appropriately upgraded and, where necessary, new lines are constructed
State Labor governments neglected country branch lines and many have fallen into disrepair
Millions of tonnes of grain must now be moved to port by private truck, damaging our regional roads and increasing trafﬁc congestion
Our reputation as a reliable supplier of grain has been badly compromised by this inability to move grain to ports on time, resulting in lost contracts and lower returns to growers.
We are fully committed to rail as the preferred mode of transport for grain and, in government, will work towards the provision of equitable access to freight rail to allow all grain growers to take advantage of domestic and export marketing options.
The Nationals will provide funding, matched by the states, to restore key country freight lines
We will also continue to upgrade the MelbourneSydney-Brisbane coastal rail link
We will ensure state-of- the-art train control systems and seamless transit at state borders.
We will seek to complete the extension of the national network to incorporate the Kalgoorlie to Perth section, to deliver a single standard gauge rail link connecting our mainland capitals.
A new approach to roads
The Nationals will implement the third stage of AusLink, investing minimum funding of $35 billion.
AusLink 3 will be funded by allocating 20 cents per litre from the Commonwealth fuel excise to AusLink
The rate of excise will not be increased
The Nationals will ensure that a minimum of 50% of the funds is allocated to regional projects.
The Nationals developed the successful Roads to Recovery program, which provided local councils with extra funding to maintain and upgrade their local roads
The Nationals will continue and expand this program in government.
We will restore the Strategic Regional Roads program, which supports major regional connections and creates jobs, and we will include agricultural productivity as one criterion when allocating funding.
We will address the neglect of small road bridges on secondary freight routes
For regional Australia, small road bridges have great economic signiﬁcance, allowing trucks to move goods and produce on to the national highway system and to shipping ports.
We will ensure that funding is allocated in partnership with local councils and state governments to repair or replace bridges no longer capable of carrying heavy vehicles.
The Nationals will ensure that our regional roads are safer
We will work with automobile associations and with organisations like Rotary to implement new driver training programs for young drivers.
We will require all new cars sold in Australia in volume to carry an Australian National Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) star safety rating.
We will provide funding for the installation of seatbelts in local school buses and will make funding available to help install air conditioning in hotter areas.
We will continue the funding to construct 500 new roadside stops for our truck drivers.
We will request a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of booster seats, to maximise the safety afforded to children in motor vehicles
The Nationals will ensure that the Australian Road Assessment Program, which measures the safety level of highways, is extended to the major secondary freight routes.
Regional access to aviation services
For the seven million Australians who live outside capital cities, regional aviation is an especially important link to the rest of the nation, providing transport, goods and medical services to and from large centres.
Support for regional aviation is essential as many regional routes are of limited commercial value, with smaller carriers struggling with rising overheads and economic difﬁculties.
The Nationals will retain the Remote Air Service Subsidy Scheme (RASS) so that isolated communities continue to receive a weekly passenger and freight service
The RASS subsidises ﬂights to more than 235 communities which otherwise have no regular transport service.
We will reinstate the En Route Charges Subsidy Scheme for Air Services Australia’s air navigation charges for regional airlines operating smaller aircraft and for aero-medical operators such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service
The En Route Charges Scheme helps regional airlines to maintain viable services to isolated areas.
From 1 July 2008, Labor limited the scheme to existing routes and service frequencies and from 30 June 2012 announced the scheme will be abolished for commercial regional airline operators.
The Nationals will reopen the En Route Charges Subsidy Scheme to small regional commercial air carriers.
Labor has introduced mandatory security screening at a number of regional airports served by larger passenger turbo-prop aircraft.
The ongoing cost of this requirement is not subsidised and can only be  paid for by very large ticket price increases
This threatens the viability  of already marginal regional air routes.
The Nationals will work with regional airlines and airports to ensure that no air services are cancelled or reduced as a result of national security requirements.
We will continue and expand the Remote Aerodrome Safety Program to assist in the upgrade of airstrips in remote and isolated communities.
We will also support general aviation – that part of the aviation sector not involved in regular public transport or scheduled services.
This involves small aircraft undertaking roles vital to regional Australia, such as charter and business ﬂights, aero-medical services, commercial and private pilot training, sports and recreational pursuits, and various kinds of aerial work such as agriculture and surveying.
The non-scheduled air and space transport sector comprises more than 1,000 businesses, employing nearly 4,000 people, and producing an industry turnover of nearly $1 billion.
Australia’s general aviation ﬂeet is ageing, with the average age of an aircraft now 30 years
The Nationals will introduce incentives to enable business to replace aircraft used for commercial activities and to keep regional Australia ﬂying.
We will address the skill shortage in the aviation industry
We will build on existing regional pilot training schemes such as that operated by Regional Express, including the establishment of a Regional Airline Pilots’ Scholarship Scheme.
More efﬁcient shipping
Coastal shipping accounts for about 25% of the domestic freight task, but produces only 4% of total transport greenhouse gas emissions
A vibrant, safe and efﬁcient Australian shipping industry provides beneﬁts for the economy and the environment, easing road congestion.
The Nationals will allow Australian shipping to compete effectively against other transport modes and internationally, while retaining our national shipping identity.
The Nationals will:
Review Labor’s recent shipping reforms with a view to revising or reversing measures that hinder the competitiveness of Australia’s shipping services;
We will repeal the ﬁve voyage minimum for voyage permits;
Introduce a national system of training support under the supervision of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to replace the existing statebased distribution of funds;
Support measures to reduce the income tax disadvantage suffered by Australian seafarers operating outside Australian waters, compared with seafarers from other nations; and
Support an Australian Second Shipping Register.
Efﬁcient port infrastructure is vital in promoting a growing maritime industry
Australian ports are owned either by state governments or private enterprises regulated by the states
As a result, port development has been uncoordinated and hindered, and the intermodal links between rail, road and shipping are grossly  inefﬁcient.
The Nationals will implement a National Port Development Plan to address capacity constraints in our ports and facilitate the efﬁcient and swift movement of our exports.
Transport Fuels
– PROMOTING USE OF CLEANER BIOFUELS AND LPG
Australia needs a range of cleaner alternative fuels
LPG, ethanol blended fuel and biodiesel offer effective steps towards reducing vehicle emissions
If Australia were to adopt E10 blended fuels nationwide, more than three million tonnes of pollution would be prevented.
A robust Australian biofuels and LPG industry ensures greater security of supply in transportation fuels
The Nationals support the wider integration of E10 ethanol and B5 bio diesel into mainstream use in Australia, together with a greater uptake of LPG.
We want to see E85 blend in widespread use by 2020.
Under Labor, the cleaner fuel sectors have been sent stop-start-stop signals, with alternative fuels policy implementation and uptake stalling.
The establishment of a thriving biofuels industry has many beneﬁts for regional Australia
Most notable are better environmental outcomes, a more diverse income source for farmers, and the jobs created by the construction and operation of reﬁnery plants.
The Nationals support cleaner fuels because they are good for the environment, and a substantial step toward developing national fuel self-sufﬁciency.
Our Plan
The Nationals take a pragmatic and decisive approach to expanding the uptake of LPG, E10 fuel blends and the development of greater biodiesel production suitable for commercial and personal use, as well as for regional industries.
A national mandate
A national ethanol mandate for petrol and biodiesel will be introduced by 2018.
Many of the states have introduced ethanol mandates, or are in the process of doing so
To ensure uniformity, The Nationals in government will introduce a national mandate to ensure each state and territory has an ethanol blend
This measure forms part of an overall strategy to meet renewable fuel targets and reduce CO2 emissions.
In consultation with industry, we have found most local producers believe they can meet a substantial amount of Australia’s demand
In order to ensure security of supply, The Nationals will support the local industry to become embedded.
Domestic production excise deferral
To assist the environment, and the further development of a locally based ethanol and biodiesel industry, The Nationals support a deferral of the introduction of excise on these fuels.
We will also ensure that imports of biofuels, which are subsidised by foreign governments, do not receive the beneﬁts of the excise rebate in Australia
We will address any excise loop holes and ensure that our producers are operating on an even playing ﬁeld.
Sustainability standard
The Nationals will also seek to ensure that both domestic and imported biofuels meet a sustainability standard, including the provision that, in the long-term, fuels must not be produced at the expense of food security.
Sustainability standards for bio fuels are being developed in several European countries and Brazil, and encourage biofuel producers to move from food stocks to non-food stock materials for fuel production.
Australia predominantly produces biofuels from waste or low grade products
This sustainability standard not only protects Australia’s interests, but ensures global grain trading is not artiﬁcially distorted, but is balanced, and prevents abuses of environmental or human rights in the production of biofuels.
In government we will:
Reinstate the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics Report no.117, entitled ‘Transport Energy Futures – Long Term Oil Supply Trends and Projections’
(The report was commissioned by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport in 2007, delivered in 2009 and then quashed);
In response, we will pursue a bio fuels distribution policy which assists Australia’s progress towards self-sufﬁciency in transport fuels from domestic sources.
Retail fuel costs
The Nationals acknowledge that retail providers face the costs of updating fuel tanks to accommodate biofuels.
We are particularly concerned that small independent rural and remote retailers ﬁnd the transition costs prohibitive
We understand that petroleum storage tanks at retail outlets manufactured after 1981 are compatible with a 10% ethanol blend, but some will require new lining to prevent leakage.
The Nationals will work with the states to develop funding schemes that complement the existing assistance offered by some state governments.
85% biofuel blends from 2015
Car manufacturers are often ahead of fuel suppliers in manufacturing vehicles able to use a range of ethanol blended fuels.
In 2010, Holden launched its E85 ﬂex fuel vehicle, able to run on blended fuel from E10 to E85.
With emerging technologies now adopting higher ethanol blends, it is realistic to project that by 2020 most new Australian vehicles will be able to use the E85 blend.
After 2015, The Nationals’ implementation plan will be based on extending the availability of E85 blends.
Promoting LPG
Australia has an abundance of LPG
In 2008-09, we produced 5,403 ML of LPG and used 3,996 ML, of which 2,253 ML was for automotive use
Considerable environmental and energy security beneﬁts attach to continuing to encourage the use of LPG.
The Coalition introduced the LPG conversion scheme, which provided a grant of $2,000 for the LPG conversion of new or used petrol or diesel motor vehicles or the purchase of a new LPG vehicle.
Labor has phased down the conversion grant to $1,000 over the period to 1 July 2012
As a result, conversion rates have halved, while 20,000 new LPG vehicles are sold each year.
The Nationals support the LPG Conversion Scheme and will provide an LPG research and development program, including development of a Collaborative Centre for Gas Systems Development and Certiﬁcation, as requested by the LPG industry.
Exploration for oil
Part of ensuring security of fuel supply is the continuation of oil exploration
Oil serves as the basis for blended diesel and ethanol products, so it is important that Australia makes the fullest use of its own oil reserves.
The Nationals support oil exploration activity and will promote further exploration in Australia and its territories.
Research and development
Research on second-generation biofuels, such as ethanol from cellulose and biodiesel from algae, has faltered.
More research is needed to optimise the adoption of non-food stock materials and to encourage car manufacturing innovations.
The Nationals will provide a support package comprising:
A new consumer information campaign;
New requirements that all petrol engine cars sold in Australia have warranty cover for E10; and
Increased research and support for the development of second generation bio fuels.
Water Assets
– STRIKING THE ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BALANCE
Careful management and sound decision-making about water allocation and usage are essential to our long-term economic, environmental and social wellbeing.
The Nationals are committed to the effective management of Australia’s water resources.
We led the way in introducing water resources reform and have set the agenda for water trading by introducing legislation aimed at better water sharing agreements.
The Nationals’ credentials in water resource management are founded on sound planning and a respect for the rights of all Australians.
We will help land and water management groups to carry out practical, day-to-day projects that ensure compatibility between environmental sustainability and land and water use, including in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Understanding and respecting the role of Landcare groups within our communities is essential
We will ensure they have sufﬁcient funding to continue their good work
We will also work with local communities and other stakeholders to understand the water needs of rural industries and communities.
We will help ensure the future viability of Australia’s irrigated communities, while still allowing ample water to ﬂow to maintain the health of our river systems.
The Nationals will monitor the national water policy framework to ensure that a fair balance between water for the environment and water for agriculture is achieved.
We support the establishment of new water harvesting schemes, including new irrigation areas in northern Australia, where high rainfall and untapped river systems provide new opportunities.
We condemn the Labor Government for continuing to carry out water buy-backs in the Murray-Darling Basin in a haphazard manner and for failing to invest in water-saving infrastructure.
We will ensure that any buy-back program ﬁrst establishes the true economic and social costs of removing irrigated farming from a particular area before committing to any buy-back.
Our Plan
Support for local communities
The Nationals will work with local communities on practical projects to save water in our cities and towns.
There are currently no speciﬁc national funding opportunities for schools and community groups for this purpose
We recognise the importance of allowing local groups to play their part in water saving and sharing programs, and will reinstate a water grants program similar to our previously successful program, Community Water Grants.
The Nationals remain committed to major investment in the re-plumbing of regional Australia to save water and to create more options for water use for the environment, farms and towns.
The Nationals will provide compensation in the form of a structural adjustment package for communities affected by water withdrawals, to ensure that Basin communities do not bear an unreasonable social and/ or economic cost where reforms are imposed in the national interest.
Contemporary urban and suburban households recognise the need for water conservation and water-saving devices, such as shower heads or slow drip watering systems
However, some still have a traditional view of water as a free and endless resource.
Campaigns to encourage better water practices around the home are valuable in changing daily habits and views about water as a resource
The Nationals maintain that current incentives to lower water usage need to be enhanced.
Support for infrastructure
The Nationals will invest in a re-plumbing of regional Australia
We recognise that what is needed is a once-in-a-century investment to improve the water-efﬁciency of our farms and regional water supplies.
The Nationals will work with farmers and local communities to invest in long-term water infrastructure on farms where ageing infrastructure needs to be upgraded
We also realise that the best advocates for sustainable water use on-farm are the landowners themselves who have the most to gain from using water efﬁciently
We will work with local communities to set targets for water to be saved from on-farm and off-farm infrastructure projects to achieve irrigation efﬁciencies.
The Nationals will also unfreeze the funds set aside as part of the $10 billion National Plan for Water Security for infrastructure
Farmers are willing to make savings and to share water with the environment, but they are entitled to, support
We will reintroduce full tax deductibility for water infrastructure expenses in the ﬁnancial year following that in which the cost was incurred.
We will also support the construction of new dams in regional Australia to underpin the future economic development of new areas, by providing secure and reliable water supplies for agriculture, mining, manufacturing and towns, and to provide further ﬂood mitigation capacity where appropriate.
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan
We will adopt all 21 recommendations of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia’s inquiry into the impact of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
We will deliver a Murray-Darling Basin Plan that is clear about the environmental outcomes being targeted.
The Nationals in government will strengthen The Murray-Darling Basin Plan to:
Clearly articulate the system-wide environmental outcomes being targeted (including below Lock 1), and provide complete documentation on how the environmental water will be used;
Ensure that the plan helps to mitigate the impact of ﬂoods;
Place a cap on the amount of water that can be returned to theenvironment through buybacks;
Allow local communities the power to determine how water is recovered
and how environmental water is delivered; and
Ensure targeted support for investment in irrigation infrastructure to deliver water savings, co-ordinated with targeted water buy backs.
We will ensure that Sustainable Diversion Limits take proper account of social and economic considerations
The Nationals believe the wellbeing of communities and the rivers that nourish them, is paramount.
The Nationals in government will address the socio-economic challenges faced by communities reliant on irrigation
The Nationals will introduce Community Impact Statements for water purchases, to assess their effect on local communities.
We will appoint an independent panel of legal experts to formulate speciﬁc amendments to the Water Act to ensure that the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Commonwealth Minister for Water have the discretion to give appropriate weight to economic, social and environmental considerations and to balance these interests against one another
We will also ensure that the Plan is immune from legal challenge.
We do not support a referendum advocating the transfer of powers of the Murray-Darling Basin to the federal government.
Coal seam gas & the NWI
In addition to the coal seam gas development statement in our Primary Production plan, The Nationals will develop special provisions for the development of minerals and petroleum projects as they relate to the principles of the National Water Initiative (NWI).
We will clarify the circumstances under which clause 34 of the NWI applies, so that water quality issues arising from coal seam gas developments are properly evaluated under the national water planning processes.
The Nationals support research to improve our knowledge of Australia’s groundwater resources, particularly the impact of the coal seam gas industry on the Great Artesian Basin, which was the focus of the Independent Expert Scientiﬁc Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Coal Mining.
Flood mitigation
The Nationals will provide increased investment in ﬂood mitigation works to provide greater protection from ﬂooding for regional communities.
We will provide funding to develop state of the art information technology based early warning systems, to provide more accurate predictions of ﬂood peaks and timing and earlier, more accurate weather forecasts.
We will also provide resources to address the inconsistencies in conditions set out in various insurance company policies.
Women– PARTNERS IN BUSINESS, AT WORK, IN THE COMMUNITY AND AT HOME
Whether in the workforce or at home, more than one-third of Australian women live outside the major population centres and play a key role in securing a prosperous future for regional Australia.
Women make up more than 40% of farm and small business owner and managers
They are integral partners in decision-making and planning, and share the triumphs and hardships of living and working in remote, rural and regional Australia.
The Nationals’ policies address women’s interests, based on the premise that the difference between regional and urban women in Australia should relate to geography, and not to any disadvantage caused by unequal distribution of resources and services or to a lack of opportunities.
The Nationals strive to achieve fair and equitable outcomes for women in all areas of regional Australia.
We believe that forced marriages should be illegal in Australia and will support legislation to ban them.
Our Plan
Sustainable regional growth
Under The Nationals in government, local committees will be set up to identify, obtain and regulate increased regional funding from central sources.
These committees will be made up of local leaders from business, community and local government, with each Regional Development Australia (RDA) node setting the direction for development in the region.
Women make up an important part of these groups.
The RDA Ofﬁces will work with local government, schools and universities, service organisations, cultural bodies, sporting, business and community leaders and associations, to assess local needs and to choose from targeted initiatives to support regional growth.
The RDA will provide a ﬁltering mechanism for potential projects brought to the table of state and federal government, which qualify for the broader ‘Better Regions Program’.
Healthcare
Health is a major factor in our lives and disease does not discriminate by gender, culture, religion, age or postcode
Not surprisingly, health concerns are the top item on the political agenda for individuals and families.
The correlation is well known between lower income levels and poorer health outcomes, and that regional Australia contains a disproportional share of electorates with lower average incomes.
In regional Australia communities have been hardest hit by the deteriorating infrastructure and diminished services now afﬂicting our public health system.
Greater demand on specialist services in regional and rural areas results from an ageing population and higher rates of disease and illness
The emotional strain on families when members are diagnosed with debilitating or life-threatening illnesses is compounded when they have to be separated by distance for treatment.
Problematic access to mental health professionals is also accentuated in regional communities across Australia, and is compounded by the declining support services available for those suffering these distressing illnesses.
The rate of suicide in regional communities mainly affects males and is estimated to be up to double that in metropolitan centres, reﬂecting.
In each of these cases, too often women are left to bear the social and economic costs, as well as the impact of other mental health problems prevalent among men in rural settings, including depression, alcohol and drug abuse.
Every woman in Australia, and especially women in regional and rural areas, has the right to expect safe and well resourced maternity services in close proximity to her local community.
There has been a disturbing decline in government provision of maternity units across regional Australia
Again, the social costs for women having to leave their support networks and travel long distances for maternity services must be recognised and addressed as a matter of urgency.
Adequate health services in regional Australia, particularly acute, maternity and mental health services, are inhibited to a large degree by the shortage of health professionals
Local health networks, where local women can have direct input into decision making on the provision of services, will ensure that the health needs of our communities are met.
The Nationals in government will:
Provide guaranteed service levels for key regional hospitals in ﬁelds such as maternity and mental health;
Provide increased ﬁnancial support for those doctors providing health services in regional and remote communities;
Establish a targeted regional health fund to provide funding for new health services;
Establish Local Hospital Boards for the larger public hospitals and also for groups of smaller hospitals;
Ensure that regional health targets are built into the Health Care Agreements;
Provide incentives for more women to undertake study in health care at a regional university; and
Respond to current midwifery shortages and avoid future shortages by providing adequate levels of funding for university and VET preregistration and pre-enrolment courses, and especially for clinical placements.
Women in the workforce
Women in regional Australia make signiﬁcant contributions to the national workforce
Married women have increased their participation from 17% in 1954 to more than 60% today
However, while many regional women are well qualiﬁed they tend to work in lower-skilled and lower paid jobs
Nevertheless, women in regional Australia are at the forefront of developing small businesses, which are complementing the more traditional commercial ventures such as farming.
This contribution by regional business women is estimated to be in the order of $1.2 billion a year.
Employment of women in the trucking industry is already widespread in mining areas, where they enjoy a safer driving record and less wear on vehicles
Given adequate health and safety standards, this is a growing area of employment for women.
The Nationals will also encourage more women to take up pilot licences.
The Nationals in government will aim for the full and equal participation of women in the paid workforce, by:
Implementing programs that encourage small business andtourism;
Encouraging more women to take up apprenticeships, traineeshipsand to undertake tertiary studies;
Providing special training programs for Indigenous women;
Supporting education programs and initiatives which give womenaccess to either face to-face training, or externally provided trainingusing the technological services now available;
Further enhancing paid maternity, paternity and parental leave,including for the self employed;
Providing more childcare places, with priority given to the needs ofregional families;
Working towards pay equality for equal work between women andmen; and
Ensuring that defence remains a major employer in areas outside  the major centres.
Youth– OPPORTUNITY AND PROSPERITY IN VIBRANT, GROWING REGIONS
The development and prosperity of regional Australia, and the survival of the lifestyle enjoyed by regional communities, depends on the ability to retain and attract young people.
The Nationals plan to revitalise and populate regional Australia, through incentives for new businesses, domestic and migrant location in regional areas and the hard and soft infrastructure expected in modern communities.
The growth of regional centres will deliver better and more opportunities and services for all in the communities, and create a better value proposition for younger Australians to pursue.
We will not only retain regional youth lured away by the opportunities in capital cities, but attract forward-looking, driven and inspired youth into growing regional areas
The pioneering spirit is alive and well in Australia, but it needs to be focused to re-energize and build the underdeveloped 97% of Australia that is regional.
Services and facilities need to be appropriate and provide opportunities for young people in social interaction, education, career and job opportunities.
Our Plan
Education
As outlined in our Education plan, The Nationals maintain that young people deserve the best in education, wherever they live and whatever they study.
Where learning facilities in a particular region are not viable, The Nationals in government will provide ﬁnancial assistance to parents and organisations providing residential facilities and will introduce a tertiary access allowance for students required to live away from home or to travel long distances for their education.
This support will include provision for students to return home at regular intervals.
We will increase the number of regional secondary schools acting as feeders to the universities
We will provide openings and help high achievers at regional secondary schools to have early experience of university and TAFE, to encourage the application of their talents.
We will also reinstate agriculture and horticulture apprenticeships on the National Skills List, which Labor removed in 2008.
Overcoming social isolation
The Nationals are well aware of the damaging effects that social isolation can have on human health and wellbeing across all age groups, and right through the community
None are more vulnerable than young people.
We will increase funding for key successful youth programs, in particular those aimed at connecting young people with the broader community
Funds will be made available to establish or expand regionally-based facilities, such as youth centres, where young people can interact with peers under limited adult supervision, and improve their lives through education, sport and recreation.
Life skills
Our young people need life skills
The Nationals in government will introduce a National Youth Safety Program, to give students basic ﬁrst aid competencies by Year 10 and to provide all students with pre-driver education and training.
We will provide opportunities for young people to learn about drugs, obesity and general health, and will increase funding to regional youth programs to address issues like drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, and the management of mental health concerns.
Health
All Australians are entitled to top quality and accessible health services
The Nationals in government will provide increased resources for regional health programs, and give the local health professionals the responsibility for decisions affecting their areas
Regional health service providers need to be skilled in the special mental and physical health needs of young people.
When full time residential care becomes necessary, we will provide that those with a disability can be cared for as close as possible to their families, and in facilities that cater speciﬁcally for young people.
Regional Youth Forum
The Nationals in government will re-organise the Australian Youth Forum to broaden participation from those outside the youth advocacy sector, and those engaged in employment and other pursuits
We will foster participation by regional youth through a new Regional Youth Forum steering committee comprising young Australians living in regional and rural areas
The Regional Youth Forum will participate with, and form part of, the national Australian Youth Forum, but will emphasise issues identiﬁed by young people living in regional Australia.
Providing career opportunities
Opportunities abound for secure, rewarding and prosperous careers in regional Australia, but young people are not being encouraged to pursue them.
The Nationals’ plan for small business, regional development, education and primary production to grow the regional economy, will give young people conﬁdence in pursuing a regionally-based career.
We will continue to encourage the decentralisation of large and small businesses, and the public sector, via our regional growth policies
Our policies encourage young people to study for careers that support regional growth and food security, unlike Labor’s centralistic view.
We will provide the ﬁnancial incentives for young people to take up traineeships in the agricultural sector, on the same footing as other traineeships and apprenticeships, and will place tertiary-level agriculture and forestry courses in the National Priorities Category of the Students Contribution Band.
The Nationals will provide incentives for regional employers to give students work experience and gap year employment, to foster their local career and job opportunities.
ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING
There is no escaping our economic future.
It is clean and green or it is no future at all.
Global warming puts our health, our economy and our precious places at risk, and we need to act.
Our plan for action on global warming will help us to move from our fossil fuel dependence and into clean energy while attracting new businesses and jobs.
The Greens are the only party with the courage to tackle catastrophic global warming & transition Australia away from coal towards a clean energy economy.
We can embrace the next wave of technologies to help reduce our reliance on coal and gas fired power.
We need to build an energy system fit for the 21st century, and transition away from the polluting industries of the past, while ensuring that workers, families and communities are not left behind.
We’re already feeling severe impacts including devastating coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef and we need to prepare and adapt in order to save lives and protect communities.
Through our comprehensive plan for climate adaptation, we can build greater resilience to disasters, and ensure frontline services have the resources they need to support our communities.
Our plan for action on global warming includes a commitment to:Create a new clean energy economy with at least 90% renewables by 2030, through our Renew Australia plan
Support Australians to repower their homes and businesses with clean energy, through community owned renewable energy, access to solar energy, and revolutionising our energysystem through battery storage
Invest in clean transport that works for people and our environment
Fund disaster preparedness and frontline services to address the global warming impacts that we are already facing
Keep coal in the ground, whilst ensuring that workers and communities are able to adjust to the transition as our coal usage and exports gradually decline
RENEWAUSTRALIA
We are currently heading towards a climate catastrophe.
Our planet is warming, sea levels are rising, we are living through hotter summers and more extreme weather events.
Our past relied on coal fired power, but coal can no longer secure us a prosperous and safe future.
It makes economic sense to act now.
The coal industry is in structural decline.
Coal exports aren declining and the world is shifting towards cleanenergy.
As one of the sunniest and windiest countries in the world, Australia can lead the transition to a clean energy powered future.
To avoid catastrophic global warming and stabilise warming below 1.5 degrees, Australia must cut pollution rapidly to achieve net zeropollution by 2040
The Australian Greens have ,a strategy to get there, and our plan for atleast 90 per cent clean energy by 2030 is a critical component.
Our plan to power the new economy includes a commitment to:Ensure that energy generation is at least 90% renewable by 2030 and our energyefficiency is doubled
Establish a new $500 million (over 5 years) government authority – RenewAustralia – tasked with planning and driving the transitionto a new clean energy system to leverage $5 billion of construction in new energy generation over the next four years
Create a $1 billion (over 15 years) Clean Energy Transition Fund to assist coal workers and communities with the transition
•Implement pollution intensity standards to enable the gradual, staged closure of coal fired power stations, starting with Australia’s dirtiest — Hazelwood.
WE’RE UP TO THE CHALLENGE
The Greens have a proven track record when it comes to tackling global warming and creating a clean economy.
We delivered in the last Parliament in spades when we negotiated, in the words of the International Energy Agency, model climate legislation that delivered $13 billion to clean energy through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and, of course, a price on pollution.
REPOWERING OUR COMMUNITIES
Australians love clean energy, and we all want to do our bit to tackle global warming.
The Greens have a vision for every Australian to be able to power their own home or business using the clean energy they generate themselves.
While the old parties hold on to the dirty, polluting industries of the past; the Greens have  a plan to take the power from the big polluters and give it back to the community.
With support for community owned renewable energy, battery storage and solar energy, we can transition to a clean energy future
This suite of measures is aimed at breaking down all the barriers that prevent businesses and households from installing clean energy and using it as efficiently as possible.
We want to help consumers take power away from big energy companies and democratize our energy system.
Our plan to repower our communitiesincludes a commitment to:Power our community with community owned renewable energy by incentivizing investment in community clean energyprojects through tax breaks
establish a $150 million start-up fund to get 50 Community Energy powerhouses up and running with up to two years of operational funding.
•The Greens will expand and support the Solar Communities Program with funding of $102.9 million
Help Australian households and businesses to take control of their power, reduce their bills, and create more solar jobs through a $5 million information campaign to promote the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s schemes to support solar installation in households and businesses
Help 1.2 million homes get battery storage by introducing a 50 per cent refundable tax credit for individuals to assist with the cost of household solar energy storage systems and introducing a grant for low income households
ensuring a fair price for solar
A national program for schools to invest in clean energy
establishing a Solar Ombudsman  to facilitate a 'right to solar' for renters
Changing legislation to increase access to solar energy and modernise our energy system
A nationwide retrofit of Australia’s public and community housing stock of 421,000 dwellings by 2030 with rooftop solar and energy efficiency to make them cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in
BUILDING OUR CLEAN TRANSPORT FUTURE
People spend too much time stuck in traffic.
It’s bad for people and bad for the planet
We urgently need to reduce our reliance on coal, gas and oil in fuelling how we get around and cut our transport-related pollution.
A world-class public transport system will fix traffic congestion and make our economy more productive
Instead of polluting toll roads, the Greens will invest $25 billion over ten years for public transport infrastructure, low pollution buses and light rail.
In addition, the Greens are committed to investment in cycling and walking infrastructure as a smart, cost-effective way to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.
We’re also driving the transition from petroleum to electric vehicles, by providing incentives for Australian consumers, businesses and government to take up clean electric vehicle technologies.
Our plan to build our clean energy future will make our cities and towns more liveable, and reduce pollution that is bad for our health and our climate.
The Greens have a plan to build our clean transport future that would:Put public transport first through investing $25 billion over 10 years into a range of efficient public transport projects as first priority, before more urban mega-roads.
This investment is sourced via the Greens’ Australian Infrastructure Bank, which will manage financing of these investments
Establish an Active Transport Fund worth $250 million annually for cycling and walking infrastructure
Reduce road trauma by committing $300 million in additional funding for the Black Spot road safety program
Help to get 31,000 more electric vehicles on the road by 2021 and 3,500 more charging stations around the country through a suite of initiatives that will accelerate the take up of electric vehicle technology around Australia
Fast-track high-speed rail to ensure more Australians can access reliable public transport
LIVING WITH GLOBAL WARMING
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth with huge coastal cities.
We must urgently cut climate pollution, but some dangers are now inevitable.
Even if the world makes rapid cuts in pollution, extreme weather, floods, fires and other natural disasters are projected to increase with global warming.
We are already feeling the impacts of global warming.
This year, 2016, is set to be the hottest on record, breaking the records set in 2014 and again in 2015.
With just one degree of warming, we already have mass bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, and swathes of Tasmania’s ancient wilderness have burned out of control.
We have the tools to fix this crisis and there are immense opportunities in jobs-rich clean energy, but some impacts are already unavoidable.
The Greens have a plan to adapt to the impacts which are already ‘locked in’, understanding our communities and infrastructure need to be resilient and prepared.
The Greens’ plan to better protect and prepare the Australian community includes a commitment to: Double the number of paid firefighters in both urban and rural areas by 2030 with an initial $120 million over the first four years.
Fund natural disaster preparedness such as disaster proofing infrastructure,
building resilience and supporting rural fire services and the SES
Secure the future of climate change adaptation research by funding the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility with a five-year, $50 million commitment
Plan for rising seas, by supporting state and local governments to invest in strategies to address inevitable sea level rise
THE END OF COAL
The climate can’t take any more new coal or gas.
The mining and burning of coal is driving dangerous globalwarming which threatens to kill our precious places like the Great Barrier Reef, and the 69,000 jobs it supports.
Around 90 per cent of the coal we dig up is exported – roughly 1 billion tonnes of Reefwrecking pollution, which is double Australia’s domestic pollution levels.
Our Great Barrier Reef and our food producing land shouldn’t be subjected to any new coal or gas mines or expansions when we have abundant clean energy that is reliable, creates more jobs and won’t worsen global warming.
The dirty energy industry is in freefall and we need to prepare now for the inevitable transition.
The Greens want to ensure a bright future for currently coal dependent communities and our environment, by making sure coal companies pay for the damage they are doing.
That money can be reinvested into clean energy projects, climate adaptation and our precious places like the Reef, and create new, long-term jobs.
To manage the transition away from coal, the Greens plan includes a commitment to:Say no to new coal or gas – the dirty energy industry is in freefall and we need
Create a $1 billion (over 15 Years) Clean Energy Transition Fund help workers and communities adjust to transition
Re-implement a price on carbon, with coal and gas exporters paying the full cost of the greenhouse gases that leak from mining operations
Stop giving miners tax-free fuel, while the rest of us pay 39¢ a litre – this would save the government $6 billion a year in subsidies
Secure jobs in mine rehabilitation before the big mining companies flee overseas and leave workers in the lurch by conducting an audit of rehabilitation costs and collecting money up-front
A CONFIDENT AUSTRALIA
Australia is a prosperous country with a proud tradition of a fair go.
We are a generous and caring nation.
We can welcome people seeking asylum who will help build our communities and contribute to our economy, becoming an asset to Australia for generations and helping make our country stronger than it has ever been.
As a wealthy nation, Australia should provide care and support for less developed countries, and contribute our fair share to alleviate povertyand long term development.
Australia must engage with the world, not turn our backs on it.
We need to transition our defence and foreign policies to be multilateraland cooperative, asserting ourselves as a responsible and independent player in the international community.
In order to be an outward-looking, futurefocused country, Australia must have the self-confidence that can only come once we are a republic.
The Greens’ plan for a confident Australia includes a commitment to: Create a safe way for people to seek asylum in Australia, givingthem a better option than a boat journey and undercutting the people smuggler’s business model
Commit our fair share towardpoverty alleviation and development by increasing our overseas aid to 0.7% of GNI over the coming decade
Take a diplomacy-first approach to defence and foreign affairs,emphasising nonviolent global cooperation
Move Australia towards becoming a Republic with an Australian headof state
A BETTER WAY TO WELCOME PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM
We have a proud history of welcoming people to our country and helping those who are in need.
We need to create a safe way for people to seek asylum inAustralia; the Greens don’t want to see people risking their lives by getting on boats.
If we assess people’s claim’s efficiently and fairly, then fly them to Australia directly, we undercut the people smuggler’s business model because nobody will need to riskgetting on a leaky boat.
The other parties’ policies have failed and they are harming people.
It’s up to us to build a better way.
The billions of dollars that we will save from closing down the Manus Island and Nauru detention camps will be reinvested in helpingmore people than ever before.
Australians have been let down by more than a decade of failed leadership on this issue.
The Greens bold and responsible visionincludes a commitment to:Help 50,000 people who are in need of protection each year, including 10,000 people under a new ‘skilled refugee’ programme
Remove all children and their families from detention immediately, including those in offshore detention and on Nauru
Shut the detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru and abolish the practice of offshore detention
Give $500 million to assessment and support organisations in our region to speed up the process and give people access to educationand work rights while they wait
Abolish temporary protection visas and provide permanent protection to people seeking safety
Establish a royal commission to shine a light on the decades of damage and devastation caused by the policy of holding children and their families in detention
Introduce a 30-day time limit for people held in on-shore immigration detention
THE GREENS WILL: Increase the number of people Australia helps from 13,750 to 50,000 per year
Fairly and efficiently assess people’s refugee claims wherethey are waiting then fly them to Australia safely
Establish a Skilled Refugee visa program for 10,000 people
OVERSEAS AID: TOWARDS 0.7% OF GNI
Australia’s overseas aid contributions have been slashed to record lows.
We are a rich country and can afford to provide assistance to disadvantaged communities in low-income countries.
To meet the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, ensure universal education and gender equity, and improve child and maternal health, the United Nations agreed that developed nations should devote 0.7 per cent of GNI to overseas aid.
The old parties formerly committed to this target, but have since slashed aid funding to record lows.
Other countries around the world, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, met this target years ago.
The British Government under David Cameron passed a bill last year that ensured that 0.7 per cent of British GNI would be put towards overseas development goals each year.
Australia is lagging well behind, to the detriment of our poorest neighbours.
As a wealthy nation, Australia should provide care and support for less developed countries and contribute our ‘fair share’ to poverty alleviation and long-term development.
The Greens plan to contribute our fair share of overseas aid includes a commitment to:  Increase our overseas aid contributions to 0.7% of GNI over the coming decade
Ensure the purpose and impact of aid is transparent and accountable
Provide greater focus on strengthening health systems to address sexual and reproductive health, and the prevention and consequences of HIV-AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases.
Increase transparency, accountability and effectiveness of gender equality in our aid program
PEACE AND SECURITY
Australia should take an independent and globally responsible approach to our foreign affairs and defence policies.
International cooperation rather than military intervention is needed toresolve most of the major foreign policy challenges that Australia faces.
Global warming looms as a multiplier of threats and an ongoing trigger of instability throughout the world.
In our region, humanitarian crises and natural disasters will become more frequent.
The relationship Australia has with our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific should be front and centre to our foreign policy.
Our priority should be to assist fragile states in our region in restoringpeace, stability and the rule-of-law.
In the face of humanitarian crises and natural disasters, we need to make sure our defence force is well equipped to assist those most in need.
Through an independent approach to our foreign affairs and defence policies, we can ensure Australia acts as a confident and constructiveplayer in our region and the world – one that respects international law, protects human rights, and advocates for our values.
The Greens plan for a confident Australia includes a commitment to: Pursue an independent foreign policy that puts the needs of Australians first
Require parliamentary approval for the deployment of Australian troops overseas
Focus on our region, ensuring that the Australian Defence Force is well equipped to assist our neighbours with humanitarian and disaster relief
Return defence spending to long-term trend levels, and ensure procurement and spending is based on risk assessment, not politics –including cancelling the hugely problematic contract to purchase 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters
Promote and support global nuclear disarmament, including a global treaty to ban nuclear weapons
TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC
There’s never been a better time for Australia to become a republic.
With all three federal political leaders in favour of a republic, and with the state and territory leaders declaring their support, there’s more momentum than ever before.
Currently, Australia’s head of state is inherited from overseas and is determined by birth rather than merit.
A confident Australia needs an Australian head of state that will placeAustralian people and institutions at the heart of their work.
Australian children born today should have the opportunity to hold thisposition into the future.
Australia has our own values and identity, and we have carved ourselves an independent place in the world.
That should be reflected in independent government institutions, and an Australian head of state.
The Greens have a plan to move toward an Australian Republic which includes a commitment to: Use a combination of online and direct citizen forums across the country to consult with Australians and organisations about whetheror not Australia should become a republic and explore possible models
Address the threshold question and models for a republic informed by the state and territory discussions through a jury of citizens
Hold a plebiscite on the threshold question to allow Australians to indicate their support for a republic before voting on any specific republican model
Hold a national convention on the republic to work on technical aspects of constitutional amendments following the outcome of the plebiscite
Conclude with a referendum to formally put a proposal for a constitutional change to the Australian people
PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS PLACES
From preventing the Great Barrier Reef becoming a coal highway to protecting our native forests from logging and global warming, commitment to our precious places has never been more important.
Around our nation, our environment is under threat from global warming, unsustainable development, mining and pollution – with the full support of the old parties.
By refusing to admit that massive new coal mines, and new gas fracking are huge contributors to global warming, they are signing the death warrants for some of our most precious natural places.
The Greens were founded on the vision of a robust and healthy environment.
We'll always stand to protect our precious places now and for future generations.
Dredging for coal and gas ports and mass coral bleaching are threatening the Great Barrier Reef.
New coal and gas mining is threatening our forests and food bowls.
Tasmania's incredible World Heritage wilderness is under threat from bushfires driven by global warming.
Forests and bushlands around the country, and their unique wildlife are under threat from tree clearing and logging.
Commitment to our precious places has never been more important. To ensure our reefs, forests and precious places are here for future generations, we must stand up to protect them.
The Greens have a plan to protect our precious places which includesa commitment to:Save our Great Barrier Reef, and invest in the jobs of the future, by transitioning away from coal and gas and implementing measures that will secure the long term health of the Reef
Enhance the sustainability of our unique environment, includingour native plants and animals, by supporting environmental initiatives like the Biodiversity Fund and Indigenous Rangers
End the destruction of our native forests, and protect our marine ecosystems
Deliver a new Environment Act and a tough new independent watchdog, the National Environment Protection Authority
PROTECTING OUR GREAT BARRIER REEF
Our Great Barrier Reef is at a tipping point.
Leading scientists say that this election is our “last chance” to save the Reef unless we take rapid action on global warming and dramatically cut water pollution.
The Reef is a national treasure, and the 69,000 jobs and $6 billion per year which it brings in for our economy are under threat.
The Greens have a $2.18 billion plan over 5 years to save the Reef.
Global warming, driven by mining and burning of coal and other fossil fuels, is already destroying parts of the Reef via coral bleaching.
The Reef has lost 50 per cent of its coral cover in the last 30 years and experts warn it could halve again in the next ten years.
It has recently suffered from the worst ever mass bleaching event affecting 93 per cent of all reefs.
Federal and State governments recognise that the Reef is in danger, but their addiction to coal and fossil fuels means they have not taken the necessary action.
For instance, the Liberal, Labor and National parties all support the environmentally disastrous and economically reckless Adani mega coal mine.
The Greens are outlining a plan to meet the scale of the challenge we face.
Our plan to save the Reef includes a commitment to: Act rapidly on global warming, with 90% clean energy by 2030, a ban on new coal mines and fracking projects, a thermal coal export levy, abolition of fossil fuel subsidies and a just transition for workers
Slash water pollution with a $2 billion fund over five years to help farmers reduce pollution, a legal cap on water pollution, protection against runaway tree clearing, and better monitoring
Stop damaging port expansion and ban all offshore dumping and capital dredging for fossil fuel port expansion by closing the loopholes in the federal and State government’s existing rules
Strengthen the Reef’s champions, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) with $90 million in extra funding, independence and stronger powers
Protect pristine areas like the Fitzroy Delta, Cape York Peninsula, address illegal fishing and make shipping safer by increasing protection for seafarers
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Whether it is our oceans, our native wildlife, or our native forests, we know that Australia has one of the most unique natural environments in the world, and we need to do all we can to protect it.
Never before in history has our natural environment been threatened with such degradation from global warming, mining, logging, tree clearing and unsustainable land use.
Iconic ecosystems like the Great Australian Bight are under threat from exploration by oil and gas companies.
Our oceans are being impacted by global warming, overfishing, marine pollution and debris, commercial shipping and offshore oil and gas exploration & production.
Critically endangered species like the Leadbeater’s Possum are at grave risk of extinction because of native forest logging.
To avoid losing our precious places and species forever, Australia must support those initiatives and programs that are working hard to protectour environment.
The Greens plan to protect our environment includes a commitment to: Re-establish the Biodiversity Fund to expand our protected areas, stop the loss of native wildlife, and better manage our established national parks, forests and reserves
Protect our unique native wildlife by investing in a Threatened Species Plan to map and protect critical habitat and to fund existing, unfunded recovery plans
Double the funding for the Indigenous Rangers program, which delivers significant benefits for people, country and the economy
Protect and plan a sustainable future for Australia’s forests, including the immediate end to logging in high conservation value forests and a rapid planned transition out of native forest logging
Protect marine ecosystems by immediately activating our marine reserves, suspended by the Abbott-Turnbull Government
Stop oil and gas exploration in the Great Australia Bight
STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
The major indicators of the health of our natural world, including nativewildlife, invasive pests and weeds, soil health and protection of freshwater are all worse than they were three decades ago when our national environment laws began.
Australia’s precious places are under threat from mining, logging,development, invasive species and the impacts of global warming.
Our national environment laws and agencies are meant to protect the places and wildlife which are so important, so fragile, and which mattered to all Australians.
The last 15 years has shown that they have failed.
Thousands of damaging developments have gone ahead and many more of our iconic and important animals and plants are in danger of becoming extinct.
Global warming is further increasing the pressure on our fragile environment.
Our current national laws have failed to protect our precious placesand stop our wildlife heading towards extinction.
To protect our precious places, we need environment laws that will stop the biodiversity crisis, save our threatened species, and protect our precious places.
We can protect what we love about Australia, now and into the future.
The Greens have a plan for strong environmental laws, including acommitment to: Establish an independent watchdog, the National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA), which will enforce our environmental laws and provide independent advice free from the influence of politicians and the big business lobby
Create a new Environment Act as the next generation of strong national environment laws, expanding federal protection and putting tough limits on development to protect nature
Give Australians the environmental democracy they deserve by improving community rights and access to justice
RENEWED DEMOCRACY
Renewing our democracy is vital to ensure that we all have a say in the decisions shaping our future and that our representatives are accountable to us.
For too long, wealthy individuals and corporations have wielded too much power.
We see it in the lobbyists that prowl the halls of Parliament House, in the mega donations made to political parties by fossil fuel companies,and the lack of transparency around political corruption.
Australians are over it.
When wealth and power are concentrated in a few hands, democracy cannot flourish.
We need to break this model of business and politics as usual and take the power back.
A strong, truly representative and participatory democracy delivering for the people is our only hope.
This means creating opportunities for all Australians to be more engaged and empowered by our democratic processes.
We have a great opportunity with a new and reformed Senate electoral system that puts votes and power back into the hands of the voters.
But the Greens know we need to take this reform further, renewing our democracy with greater transparency, accountability and participation.
The Greens have a plan to renew our democracy which includesa commitment to: Clean up politics at the federal level through a national anti-corruptionwatchdog
Fix our political donations laws with greater transparency measures and bans on donations from industries that have an unsavoury track record in influencing decision makers
Give all Australians the power to participate by using digital technologyto open up new opportunities for engaging with the democratic process
Put the freedom back into our Freedom of Information laws
NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION
Anti-corruption commissions at the state level have revealed now infamous instances of corruption, illegal donations and undue influence of the corporate sector in Australian politics.
We know this systemic corruption does not stop at state borders, and yet there is still no anti-corruption commission at the federal level.
Every state government jurisdiction in Australia now has some kind of anticorruption commission – the Federal level of government should not be an exception.
And most Australians agree, with successive polls showingoverwhelming support for a national anti-corruption watchdog.
That’s why we urgently need a National Anti-Corruption Commission to oversee anti-corruption measures at a federal level, and to close the revolving door between business and politics.
The Greens have introduced our National Integrity Commission Bill into successive parliaments.
More recent travel entitlement scandals have made action more urgent.
It’s beyond time for the other parties to get behind this and restore public confidence in the political system
We know the vast majority of Australians want a federal corruption watchdog, with more than 80 per cent of ABC Vote Compass respondents supporting the plan.
Reintroducing our plan for a National Anti-Corruption Commission will be a top priority for the Greens in the next parliament.
The Greens’ plan for holding public officials and politicians to accountincludes a commitment to: Establish an independent National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate and prosecute misconduct at the federal level, including politicians, department, agencies and staff
Include a Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner to address corruption in the Australian Federal Police and Australian Crime Commission
Include an Independent Parliamentary Adviser to give confidential advice to ministers, parliamentarians and former parliamentarians in relation to conflict of interest, entitlements claims and other matters
CLEANING UP POLITICAL DONATIONS
Parliament should serve the best interests of all Australians.
Those with money and wealth shouldn’t be able to buy political influence on issues that matter most, like global warming.
|The laws on political donations need to be cleaned up, just like the old polluting industries that exploit them.
Over the last 3 years, the old parties have accepted almost $3.7 million from fossil fuel companies.
This money buys influence that clouds politicians’ judgment when debating crucial issues like our sustainable energy future.
Little progress has been made over the years in federal politics to reduce the influence of donations over the political process, especiallycompared with the states.
There are no limits on expenditure or on who can donate to parties, and transparency is seriously lacking.
The Greens have a plan to clean up the corrupting influence of political donations in Australia, through a combination of greater transparency measures and bans on donations from industries that have an unsavoury track record in influencing decision makers.
The Greens plan to clean up political donations includes a commitment to: Ban donations from the fossil fuel industry, as well as property developers and the tobacco, liquor and gambling industries
Introduce political donations reform, including a ban on all foreign political donations and anonymous donations over $50
Cap election campaign expenditure by parties, candidates and third parties
Enhance disclosure and transparency by lowering the disclosure threshold to $1000, and adopt mandatory, real-time reporting ofdonations by political parties
Better resource the Australian Electoral Commission to enforce full disclosure and investigate discrepancies
PARLIAMENT BY THE PEOPLE
When wealth and power are concentrated in a few hands, democracy cannot flourish.
When we’re seeing our politics increasingly captured by vested interests, it’s critical that we reclaim space for Australians to directly participate in their democracy.
Technology can distribute power throughout our communities and enhance the democratic process.
The more people participate, the healthier our democracy
Technology has made it easy for ideas to be widely circulatedand debated, and for support and interest to be gauged.
The ability to directly influence legislation and debate will strengthenparticipation in the political process, and increase legitimacy of our parliament.
By giving Australians easier avenues to engage with political issues and their representatives, we can enhance transparency and accountabilityacross a range of areas, including our federal budget, foreign affairs, and human rights.
The Greens plan to increase participation in democracy through technology includes a commitment to: use interactive technology to facilitate public participation in annual government budget-setting to determine priorities for new infrastructure and services and revenue-raising measures.
Strengthen links between the community and the parliament through the Australian Citizens’ Initiative to make sure the issues the community cares about are debated in our parliament
Put freedom back into FOI by requiring all government departments to proactively release information in an easily searchable format
Enhance legitimacy of a new human rights bill by enabling all Australians to contribute to its contents
DEMOCRACY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Deliberative and participatory democracy technology has alreadybeen proven successful around the world, including at the localgovernment level in Australia.
These tools enable voters to prioritise the things they care about, and enable our representatives to be responsive to the views of their communities.
EQUALITY AND COMPASSION
As a prosperous nation, Australia can ensure that all people are treated fairly, are treated with compassion and can access world-class public health care, education and services.
But there remain those in our community who struggle to accessservices, who aren’t able to enjoy the full rights to which they are entitled, and who are being prevented from fully participating in our society.
We want a stronger, fairer Australia in which people have adequate income support, and a strong social safety net that they can rely onin times of need.
We want to ensure that all Australians have access to safe and affordable housing, and well funded, world-class hospitals and health care.
We want to make sure that all Australians – including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disabilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and the LGBTI community – have access to all the rights and services that they need.
We want to make sure that Australian law protects animals from cruelty.
The Greens have a plan for an equaland compassionate Australia which includes a commitment to:Tackle inequality and create a social safety net for the 21st Century
End the housing affordability crisis through assistance for homelessnessservices, renewing public and community housing, and tackling the cost of housing by removing unfair tax concessions like negative gearing
Invest in a healthier Australia by properly funding hospitals and betterhealth care
Ensure equality for women through confronting our domestic violencecrisis, paid parental leave and safe access to abortion
Empower and invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to create community driven solutions
Ensure a right to independence, selfdetermination and full participationfor people with a disability, including making the NDIS the best it can be
End discrimination of LGBTIQ couples by legislating for marriage equality
Promote animal welfare and end the cruelty of live animal exports
STRENGTHENING OUR SOCIAL SAFETY NET
A strong social security safety net is the foundation of a more inclusive and productive society.
No-one in a country as rich in Australia should be living in poverty.
Australia has had decades of economic growth, but the benefits haven’t been equally shared.
As our economy has grown, so has inequality.
Inequality in Australia is higher than the OECD average, and a person in the top 20 per cent has around five times as much income as someone in the bottom.
Wealth is even more unevenly distributed.
People in the top 20 per cent have around 70 times more wealth than a person in the bottom 20 per cent.
Poverty and inequality have devastating impacts on life outcomes, undermining health and educational opportunities, access to safe and appropriate housing, transport, employment and childcare, and many other aspects of full participation in society.
The Greens have a comprehensive plan to tackle inequality in Australia which includes a commitment to: lift key payments including Newstart, provide single parents with more support, and reverse Coalition cuts to income support.
Develop a national anti-poverty plan to provide a coordinated, cross-government approach to tackling poverty
Guarantee access to social services, prioritising areas of greatest need
Establish an Equality Commission, to provide advice to Government and Parliament on our income support system and progress on reducing inequality.
Poverty is a daily challenge for many Australians, holding them back from leading productive and meaningful lives.
THE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES ESTIMATES THAT AFTER HOUSING COSTS, 13.9 % OF AUSTRALIANS, OR 2.55 MILLION PEOPLE, ARE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
THAT INCLUDES 603,000 CHILDREN AND 40 PER CENT OF PEOPLE RELYING ON INCOME SUPPORT.
ENDING THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
Australia can be a great place to live, but the cost of buying or renting a home has become extreme.
It has become far too hard for first home buyers and renters to find quality housing near where they work, play and take their kids to school.
This means long commutes, less time and higher transport costs.
Australia’s chronic undersupply of affordable housing is at a crisis point.
Years of underinvestment in affordable housing supply has been accompanied by decades of generous subsidies to property investors and speculators which has driven prices up as investors outcompete first home buyers.
Our housing market is now one of the most unaffordable in the world.
In addition, every night, 105,000 Australians don’t have a place to call home.
That’s one in every two hundred people – up 17 per cent since 2006.
It’s only going to get worse if we don’t change our system.
The Greens’ plan to tackle our affordability crisis head on includes a commitment to: Reform negative gearing for future investments to stop billions of dollars each year being used to unfairly subsidise property investors at the expense of housing affordability
Remove the Capital Gains Tax Discount to rebalance the structural unfairness in the tax system
Double federal funding for homelessness services and sign a new ten-year National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness to provide ongoing security for this vital sector
Increase Commonwealth Rent assistance by 30% to help more than one million Australians struggling with rental stress
Install rooftop solar and retrofit Australia’s entire public and community housing stock by 2030 to lower the cost of living and improve quality of life for low-income Australians
More than a quarter are children under 18, most of them are fleeing family breakdowns or domestic violence
More than 300 people a day are turned away from homelessness services
Nationally, less than 1% of private rental properties are affordable to low income households
The Abbott - Turnbull Government cut almost $600m from homelessness and housing affordability programs
INVESTING IN OUR HEALTH
Every Australian deserves good healthcare.
Where you live, or how much money you earn, shouldn’t decide howwell you get looked after when you are sick.
The Greens have worked hard to protect Medicare from Government cuts, have championed Denticare, and led calls for extra investment in mental health services – especially in regional areas.
The Greens see health as an investment, not a cost.
Ensuring that our health system will always be accessible, affordable and universal is our priority.
The Abbott/Turnbull Government has taken Australia’s hospitals to the edge of a funding cliff that will decimate the health system and leave patients out in the cold.
Our primary care system is not currently meeting the needs of the one in five Australians living with multiple chronic diseases.
Our palliative care systems are under-resourced.
Millions of Australians put off essential dental care because they can’t afford it, leading to serious health problems.
The Greens’ affordable plan to give more Australians access to the healthcare they need includes a commitment to:Restore the funding model where the Commonwealth and the states share the rising costs in delivering hospital services evenly
Secure the funding formula for the long term by enshrining it into law, so that the states have some certainty, and so that future governments will require the Senate’s approval to reduce the Commonwealth’s share of hospital funding
Invest in primary care to ensure the effective management of chronic disease
Reinvest funding raised from abolition of the private health insurance rebate into public health and hospitals
Ensure publicly funded dental care through Denticare, to give more Australians access to their local dentist for the essential treatmentthey need
Invest in mental health to ensure access to effective treatment across Australia
Invest in measures to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes
Deliver a National Rural Health Plan to ensure your postcode no longer determines your health
Tackle childhood obesity with a tax on sugary drinks
Invest in palliative care services, to improve quality of life of patients, carers and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness
Promote harm reduction with a Harm Reduction Innovation Fund
Protect children from alcohol advertising with a ban during peak times
EQUALITY FOR WOMEN
Australian women have a right to equality in all aspects of life, andthis must be reflected in our laws and society.
The Greens have a long and proud history of standing up for women’s rights and full equality, and are committed to doing all we can to fight gender discrimination.
Women in Australia face many challenges.
We’re in the middle of a domestic violence crisis, but the services that support women who need help to escape violence are chronicallyunderfunded.
Outdated, conservative attitudes still influence our public debates.
Women continue to be paid less than men – in fact, the current gender pay gap of 17.9 per cent is the highest it’s been for two decades.
Women are disproportionately affected by unfair tax breaks in the superannuation system.
Legal and financial barriers to securing safe, accessible and affordable abortion remain around the country.
And they’re underpaid and undervalued when it comes to paid parental leave.
The Australian Greens have a plan to stand up for Australian women, which includes a commitment to: Increase investment in frontline services for victims and survivors of domestic violence, with a ten-year, $5 billion commitment
Introduce a progressive super system that will go a long way to reducing the inequity women currently face in retirement
Invest in decriminalisation, access and reducing out-of-pocket costs of abortion
Tackle the gender pay gap by legislating to end pay gag clauses
Reduce barriers for mums returning to work by investing in affordable childcare
Australia is in the middle of a domestic violence crisis but our safety net is full of holes.
Domestic and family violence touches people from every walk of life. The data indicates that 1 in 3 WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA HAVE EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE SINCE AGE 15.
The Greens are putting forward a bold plan to increase investment in front line services with a ten-year, $5 billion commitment.
EMPOWERING AND SUPPORTING ABORIGINALAND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES
Australia has unfinished business; the Greens acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a strong and unbroken connection to the land and sea.
To be a truly reconciled nation, it is crucial that we address the issues of sovereignty and treaties.
It is past time for these issues to be resolved.
Twenty-five years after the final report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, there are still too many Aboriginal people incarcerated, and dying in prison
Despite some modest gains in health indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, much more must be done to close the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
The latest data suggests there is still around a decade difference in lifeexpectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, andnon-Indigenous Australians.
Education outcomes are unequal.
At the same time, even after a long history of injustice, too often Aboriginal voices struggle to be heard.
The Greens support approaches that empower and invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to create community driven solutions.
The Greens plan includes a commitment to:  Provide $30 million to advance the national conversation on sovereignty and treaties
Set a national justice target, develop a national strategy to address incarceration rates, and provide $40 million for projects to reduce incarceration rates
Invest in key health programs, and work to make sure the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan succeeds
Re-fund the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples
Provide $20 million in funding for projects to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering out of home care
Develop a plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and provide $20 million for projects to support domestic implementation
Ensure funding for mental health services and suicide prevention
Double funding for the Indigenous Rangers program, which has proven benefits for people, country and the economy
Continue to stand alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities against the Stronger Futures process and income management
SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY
Everyone has a right to independence, self-determination and to be able to participate fully in society.
People with disability, their families and carers, should be able to actively participate in policy, service planning and delivery.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a fundamental shift, enabling people with disability to control their services and supports.
The Greens want a fully funded rollout of the NDIS, to ensure the NDIS is the best it can be.
People with disability should also have access to a strong social safety net.
The Greens have fought cuts by the old parties to the Disability Support Pension (DSP), and will campaign to make sure that the DSP is available to everyone who needs it.
The Greens also initiated and chaired a Senate inquiry into violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability in residential settings.
This highlighted the widespread abuse of people with disability, and made clear recommendations for a Royal Commission and immediate government action.
The Greens plan to support people with disability includes a commitment to: Ensure there is a national roll-out of a fully funded National Disability Insurance Scheme, to ensure it is the best it can be
Provide $2.3 million to make audio description available on the ABC iView
Develop a national action plan for making audio description more widely available across public and commercial broadcasters
Reverse Coalition cuts to the Disability Support Pension, so that people with a disability can continue to access income support
Establish a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability in institutional settings
Provide $42.3 million to limit preventable blindness, and $19 million annually for measures to target children with hearing impairment
Ensure students with a disability are funded for the extra school resources they need to support their education
The Greens initiated and chaired the Senate inquiry into the violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability in residential settings.
That inquiry held hearings and heard hundreds of accounts from across the country, including more than 150 written submissions.
Violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability iswidespread and on-going; data shows that over a quarter of allsexual assault victims identify as having a disability.
A Royal Commission is essential to bring to justice theperpetrators responsible and ensure that this abuse stops.
EQUALITY FOR THE LGBTIQ COMMUNITY
Valuing diversity and celebrating difference benefits all of us.
The Greens always have, and always will, stand with our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer communities.
LGBTIQ communities continue to face discrimination, attacks on human rights and limited access to vital services.
Limitations in anti-discrimination law, the Turnbull Government proposal for a divisive and expensive plebiscite on marriage equality, and attacks on the Safe Schools program all illustrate the conservative attacks faced by LGBTIQ communities.
The Australian Greens are a strong voice in our parliament for LGBTIQ rights.
Our plan to keep LGBTIQ rights firmly on the agenda, in the community and in our political debate includes a commitment to: Continue to push for a free vote on marriage equality, and push the Turnbull Government to ditch the plebiscite
Strengthen anti-discrimination laws by eliminating exemptions that currently enable religious organisations to discriminate based on sexuality
Defend and protect the Safe Schools program, and expand its funding
Ensure better access to HIV-prevention medication by advocating for PrEP to be listed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and provide a funding guarantee for people at high risk of exposure to HIV
Work hard to change laws so same-sex couples can access assisted reproduction techniques like IVF, and be able to adopt children
Remove barriers to hormone treatments for transgender and gender diverse young people
Ensure the rights of intersex people are respected and protected
Improve mental health care and aged care for LGBTIQ people
ENDING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
There is growing public support for animal welfare to be part of ourapproach to all animals in Australia.
Revelations of horrific mistreatment of animals in the live-export trade has launched a groundswell of public demand to end the practice.
Consumers are calling for Australia to align itself with other nations around the world by banning cosmetic animal testing.
A growing number of Australians are opting to buy ‘free-range’ eggs to avoid the horrific cruelty of factory farming.
Despite this public demand for humane and accountable treatment of animals, governments continue to sanction cruelty by refusing to change woefully inadequate minimum animal welfare standards and make industry transparent and accountable.
The Greens are deeply committed to improving the welfare and wellbeing of animals, and will continue working with Australia’s animal welfare and rights organisations to achieve this.
The Greens have a plan to end cruelty to animals in Australia which includes a commitment to: Transition away from the cruel live animal export trade,
and support our domestic meat processing sector by growing our more economically sustainable chilled meat trade
Establish an Independent Office of Animal Welfare to promote and oversee animal welfare in Australia
Ban cruel cosmetic testing on animals
Establish an accurate national labelling system of products that identifies cruelty-free, free-range, organic, and free from content derived from habitat destruction
Upgrade standards for farming practices for all agricultural animals which reflect commonly understood definitions of freerange and other ethical treatment of animals
THE HORRIFIC MISTREATMENT OF ANIMALS IN THE LIVE EXPORTTRADE CONTINUES.
Evidence shows Australia’s minimal live export welfare regulations do not work.
MORE THAN 1.2 million SHEEP HAVE DIED DURING THE CRUEL JOURNEY FROM AUSTRALIA OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
Australia can provide a more economically robust and humane alternative to the live export trade by boosting boxed meat exports.
NEW ECONOMY
The Greens are the only party that understands that the economy must work for the benefit of society and not the other way around.
Australians are forward-looking, well-educated and early adopters of new technologies.
We have everything we need to build the new clean economy, except the political will to invest public money for the future and the courage to take on the vested interests of the past.
With the right policies, the new economy will be driven by clean energy.
Together with smart investment, we can provide opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs, supporting them so Australia can become a global centreof ideas.
The latest in science and business development can drive innovations in health care, agriculture, tourism and advanced manufacturing generating more jobs.
We need to ensure that Australians have access to education throughout their life, from their earliest years into their employment
We need an early childhood education and care sector that is affordable and accessible,and schools funding based on needs, not sectors or means.
We need a vibrant higher education sector, including fixing our broken vocational education and training sector.
We want to ensure all Australians benefit from a lifetime of learning.
The Greens have a plan which includes a commitment to:Reverse the government’s antiinnovative and climate destroying policies, and increase Australia’s investment in science and innovation
Ensure every Australian child has access to early childhood education and care by providing families with 24 hours of universal subsidised care per week
Create a world-class school education system with needs based funding for all
Prioritise and support TAFE as a critical part of the Australian education system
Continue to fight against higher fees for university students, by reducing HELP costs by 20% and reinstating scholarship support
Work toward a cost-effective and future proof NBN,
and stand up for the digital rights of Australians
Reverse the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s harsh cuts to the ABC and SBS
Stand up for small business by levelling the playing field
Put people at the centre of our workplace laws to create a more caring society and support working people throughout their lives
SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
Australia’s economy is in transition like never before, and to make the most of these opportunities, we need to invest in science and innovation.
Innovation is more than a buzzword.
The world we are part of faces unprecedented challenges but also unparalleled opportunities.
The future drivers of the global economy will be innovators and entrepreneurs.
But we need to invest and support them if we want Australia to become a global centre of ideas.
The latest in science and business development can drive innovations in health care, agriculture, tourism and advanced manufacturing, generating more jobs.
Our service sector will flourish creating further jobs for people workingfor and with people.
The Greens, Australia’s political disruptors, will reverse the government’s anti-innovative and climate destroying policies.
Our policies would create a smarter, more innovative country,and help end Australia’s dependence on the industries of last century.
AUSTRALIA IS RATED 17TH IN THE WORLD ON THE GLOBALINNOVATION INDEX.
THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, AS WE FALL TO 72nd IN THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO TURNING RESEARCH INTO COMMERCIAL OUTCOMES.
The Greens’ plan to invest and support science and innovation includes a commitment to: Secure our future through research and development with our roadmap to increase R&D investment to 4% of GDP
Set up an Innovation Commissioner, tasked with working with industry, universities, business, government agencies and Innovation and Science Australia to advance the innovation agenda
Reverse the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s massive cuts to innovation funding, which will allow start-ups access to crucial early stage capital grants
Protecting science and research by restoring funding to the CSIRO
Invest in sustainable agriculture, boosting funding for agricultural R&D to address the broad, cross-sectoral issues and challenges our farmers and growers are facing
Commit $8.47 million in funding to help drive Australia’s evolution from the lucky country to the smart country
Commit $678.9 million to increase uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects in our schools and universities
Incentivise and support social innovation and local investment in innovation and venture capital through the Future Fund
EDUCATION EQUALITY
The Greens know that investment in public education is essential to ensure a fair Australia and is a key part of our transition to a sustainable new economy.
We’re committed to ensuring that all Australian kids have access toworld class child care, early childhood education and schools.
We know that early childhood education is crucial for a child’s development, but that it remains drastically underfunded.
Universal access to early childhood education and case (ECEC) should be central to a much needed overhaul of the childcare sector.
We know that our schools are chronically underfunded, putting pressure on teachers, students and parents.
And we know that less than half of students with disability in Australianschools are currently being funded for their support needs.
This is unacceptable, and unfair: it fails students, and it fails our schools.
The Greens have a plan for an equitable, accessible and world class education system that includes a commitment to:Cut out-of-pocket expenses to families by providing 24 hours of universal subsidized early childhood education and care per week
Increase access to early childhood education and care for all children by making more spaces available and reducing waiting list times, especially in high need areas by introducing a $200 million ‘Reducing Waiting Lists’ grants fund for centres to increase the number of spaces that they offer
Ensure schools funding is based on needs, by honouring the full Gonksi six years of National Education Reform Agreement (NERA) for all jurisdictions
Enable an equitable education for all by funding an extra $1.1 billion into disability in schools for 2016–17
Provide extra funding for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and entrepreneurial curriculums and teaching incentives
Introduce a sustainable schools fund, built on an initiative that The Greens rolled out in Tasmania, where schools can bid to the fund for energy and water efficiency projects and renewables
STANDING UP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
The Greens have the courage to back students and make high-quality post-secondary education accessible to all Australians.
University students face more barriers to education than ever before.
The Labor and Liberal parties have increased student debt and class sizes, while cutting student support.
With the Coalition committed to deregulation, studying at university will likely become out of reach for many students from lower-income ordisadvantaged backgrounds.
HELP debts could grow to the size of a housing deposit – or more.
Similarly, the challenges faced by TAFE are unprecedented.
The slash and burn approach by the Liberals along with commercialisingthe sector has reduced the number of students attending TAFE, and resulted in fees skyrocketing and campuses being forced to abandon many courses deemed unsuitable due to this commercialised approach.
The Greens believe that all Australians are entitled to free, well-funded and high quality, life-long education and training.
To make this happen, the Greens have a plan which includes a commitment to:Fight against higher fees for university students by reducing students’ HELP costs by 20%
Fund a 10% increase in base funding per student at public universities, to help universities deliver high quality courses without student fees skyrocketing
Ensure low-income students are supported through reinstatement of the Student Start- Up Scholarships, which were turned into loans by the Liberal and Labor parties
Reverse Labor and the Liberals’ funding cuts to university research, to restabilise this important funding stream
Cease providing federal government funds to for-profit VET providers
Implement a TAFE federal rescue package to boost funding for schools and students
Establish a VET Ombudsman to oversee the investigation of complaints of improper activity by VET providers
The Coalition has been pushing to deregulate course fees since their first budget in 2014.
Legislating this change would see $100K degrees become a reality and would make it increasingly difficult for young people to enter into the housing market and invest in other significant life decisions.
THE GREENS HAVE PLAYED A VITAL ROLE FIGHTING AGAINST – AND BLOCKING – THESE FEE INCREASES, WHICH HAVE BEEN A BLATANT COSTSHIFTING EXERCISE BY THE COALITION.
THE DIGITAL ECONOMY
The future of the new economy hinges on access to world class digitalinfrastructure, the protection of digital rights, and a strong communications sector.
We cannot be an innovative nation while we are encumbered by the mistakes of the Abbott- Turnbull Government.
We know that reliance on on Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and the dilapidated copper network was an avoidable mistake.
We know that our rights online are being trampled, as government has given law enforcement and spy agencies free reign over the internet.
Australian Internet Service Providers are now required by law to retain data on their users, which law enforcement and government agencies may access at any time, with no judicial oversight.
We need this infrastructure as more and more Australians are using the internet in their everyday lives.
The NBN is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever attempted in Australia, and in the event of the change of Government, we will have an important opportunity to hit reset on this troubled project, and bring it to completion.
Access to digital networks is a right, and it is incumbent upon government to make it fast and affordable.
This is critical to ensure the future of Australia’s digital economy.
The Greens’ plan for a digital economy includes a commitment to: Immediately undertake a multi-party inquiry into the most cost-effective and future-proof architecture for the NBN
Continue to fight against any legislation that reduces online security, safety or privacy
Overturn the expensive and intrusive yet ineffective mandatory data retention scheme
Introduce a Digital Rights Commissioner to advocate for the online security, safety and privacy of all Australians, and advise legislators and public servants on the impacts of proposed and existing laws on security, safety and privacy online
YOUR RIGHTS ONLINE
The Greens fought to prevent the introduction of the mandatory data retention legislation, and have opposed measures that make the Internet less open, less secure, and less free, or intrudes on individual privacy.
With both Liberal and Labor legislating away our online rights and freedoms, the Greens have called for a Digital Rights Commissioner to scrutinise government legislation, policy and procedures.
STANDING UP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The Greens will always stand up for small business against the big endof town.
There are over 2 million small businesses operating in Australia.
In fact, around 97% of all businesses in Australia are small businesses.
Small business also provides nearly 5 million Australians with a job – that's around 44% of our entire workforce.
Small businesses play a vital role in the economy, providing jobs to almost half the workforce and playing a part in localcommunities in a way big business never can.
The Greens know the burden and risk that many people take on when they establish a business.
With just over one in ten small businesses closing every year, we know it's tough for this sector.
The Greens’ plan to stand up for small business includes a commitment to:Continue to fight for market fairness through implementation of an Effects Test
Relieve small business operators of the administrative burden of acting as an agent for employee superannuation funds
Work to restore the loss-carry-back provision, axed by the Abbott-Turnbull Government, to help small business through good times and bad
Increase the small business entity turnover threshold from an annual turnover of no more than $2 million per annum, to an annual turnover of no more than $10 million per annum, to better reflect what can be regarded as small in today’s international marketplace
Extend the increase in the instant asset write-off threshold, and increase the threshold for GST registration
Support small business with a package of mental health programs,
encourage take up of renewables in Australian businesses
Reform the VET sector to ensure small businesses can employ the skills they need to succeed
WORKING TO LIVE, NOT LIVING TO WORK
Job insecurity and time pressure are on the rise.
Workplace laws should let people have a secure job, a good balancebetween working, personal and family life, and protect people’s rights at work.
In a generous and caring society like ours, supporting every employee to balance their caring and personal responsibilities with paid employment should be at the heart of our workplace laws.
We need proper paid parental leave, which enables mums and dads to have more paid time off with their newborns, not less.
We need more secure work, underpinned by guarantees such as regular and predictable hours and pay, access to paid leave and other entitlements
And we need representative workplaces, that reflect the diversity of Australian society and that everyone should have equal access to meaningful paid employment.
The Greens’ plan to put people back at the centre of workplace laws includes a commitment to:Legislate to give people who have been in their job for 12 months enforceable rights to request flexible working arrangements, including thenumber of hours they work, the scheduling of those hours and the location of work
Legislate to protect penalty rates and the weekend
Strengthen existing provisions for carers, to make sure people have the flexibility they need to care for their loved ones
Legislate for more secure work, including pathways for casual employees into more secure work, and allowing unions and employer organisations to make applications to the Fair Work Commission for ‘secure employment orders’ on a sector or industry-wide basis
Legislate to require the Australian Public Service to double the representation of people with a disability and people from non-English speaking backgrounds within the public service by 2018
Oppose any return to WorkChoices
PROTECTING WEEKEND PENALTY RATES
Many thousands of Australians depending on weekend rates of pay to make ends meet.
Many young people in particular depend on weekend rates to support themselves, including while they study.
Young people are already facing unaffordable housing, insecure work and low levels of student assistance, so cutting weekend rates would place them under immense pressure.
It is time that people have certainty about the future of their weekend rates.
It is time to ensure people’s weekend rates are protected by law.
Labor talks tough on penalty rates, yet they have committed to joining the Liberals in accepting weekend penalty rates being cut should the Fair Work Commission hit Sunday rates of pay.
The Greens are the only party that will legislate to protect weekend rates for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who depend on them.
GREENING THE BUDGET
The Greens want an Australia where everyone gets great public education and healthcare, and where we can fund vital nation building infrastructure.
This means being upfront about growing our revenue base by getting rid of unfair tax breaks, asking the very wealthy to pay more and directing investment into productive areas of the economy.
It’s time to grow the new economy, using clean energy to generate sustainable jobs and income for the future.
That means we need to stop treating debt like a four letter word.
Borrowing now so you’ve got a productive asset in the future makes for a worthwhile investment.
The Greens have outlined a policy platform that has been fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and fully funded by announced savings and new revenue.
Our platform is underpinned by sound economic management principles.
RAISE THE REVENUE WE NEED SO THAT EVERYONE CAN GET WORLDCLASS PUBLIC HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION & SERVICES AND SOWE CAN GROW THE NEW ECONOMY
We will restore government revenue to around 26% of GDP, the same level as under John Howard, within the next 4 years primarily by reforming unfair tax breaks such as the diesel fuel rebate for miners, superannuation tax concessions, capital gains tax concessions and negative gearing for new properties.
We will oppose new taxes that increase inequality, like lifting the GST, and support new taxes on environmental harms, such as carbon pollution, and new taxes that tackle inequality, like a new marginal tax rate for millionaires.
Green a growing economy
We will seek to grow key sectors of the economy including advanced manufacturing, education and services, tourism, agriculture and clean energy.
We will aim for 15 year growth targets for some sectors, for example our target of 90% renewable energy by 2030.
We will decouple growth from pollution and continue to push for a better way of measuring the country’s wellbeing.
Get money moving
Instead of having public money tied up in unproductive areas, like unfair tax breaks or inflating the real estate market, money should be put to work to build the new economy
We also need to borrow sensibly to fund the infrastructure we need.
There is greater scope for government debt to fund infrastructure and productive capital such as public transport, renewable energy and getting freight on to rail.
Grow the new economy and restorerevenue before returning to surplus
The question is not whether we are in deficit or surplus, the question is whether any surplus has been fairly achieved and whether any deficit is sustainable.
As we grow the new economy any deficits should be kept to around 3% GDP.
To ensure a better national conversation about debt and deficit, government borrowings for capital works should also be accounted for in a separate set of acccounts.
Budgets should reduce inequality
A key role of government is to reduce inequality, and Budgets are an important part of that task.
Budgets should be accompanied by an ‘inequality impact’ statement, which shows how the Budget will reduce inequality in Australia.
Investing in our schools and TAFEs: opportunity, equity and innovation
Labor wants your child to be given the same chance to succeed at school as any other child in the country.
So our policy is school funding should go where it is most needed — to ensure the best education outcome for all Australian kids.
POSITIVE POLICY
Your Child. Our Future. Full Gonski And More. Needs Based School Funding.
Improving education is the key to opportunity, to innovation and to the future economic and social prosperity of our nation.
No matter what their background, no matter where they live - city, suburb or in the regions – no matter what type of school they go to – Government, Catholic or Independent, Labor wants every child to have the same chance of succeeding at school, and in life, as any other child in the country.
Additional school funding is an investment, and we want to see the best possible return for every student, and as a country.
Labor is putting education at the centre of our positive program for government.
For the Prime Minister to talk about innovation while he is cutting funding to schools, TAFE and universities is just that – nothing but talk.
Labor’s education plan will drive innovation and opportunity by improving education outcomes for all Australian students.
Your Child.
Our Future will put needs-based funding permanently at the heart of our school system – so every student in every school will get the support they need to achieve their best.
Labor’s plan will deliver: More one-on-one support and attention for every student
Early intervention programs in every school, so that students don’t fall behind
Remedial literacy and numeracy support in every school
Extension classes to challenge students that are excelling in class
Increased Year 12 completion through more alternative and vocational pathways, so all students leave school with the skills they need for jobs in the modern economy
Access to specialist allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists
A focus on evidence based teaching and learning to make sure our schools do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t
More subject choices
More extra-curricular activities
The choice is simple: Labor believes in investing in every Australian student to give them the opportunity to reach their potential, the Liberals will just continue with a broken and unfair system that leaves most Australian kids unprepared for the future.
Where they are being properly delivered, needs-based school reforms are already making a big difference in our classrooms – improving results and changing lives.
They are simply too important to abandon.
To deliver an education system that provides students with the skills they need for the jobs of the future, Labor will implement the Gonski agreements on time and in full and reverse Malcolm Turnbull’s cuts.
POSITIVE POLICY
Your Child. Our Future: Support for Students with Disability
Better Support For Students With Disability and Additional Learning Needs
All students – including students with disability – deserve a great education.
When students with disability do not have the right support, it not only impacts their learning, but can make it difficult for teachers to meet the needs of the class as a whole.
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver better support for students with disability, so they can reach their potential and succeed at school.
The Your Child. Our Future plan will provide $570 million in additional support for students with disability and additional learning needs by 2019, compared to the Liberals.
This will make a real difference, and will mean more allied health support – such as speech pathologists or occupational therapists, more individual attention, and more early intervention.
Autism Hubs and Dyslexia-Friendly Schools
Labor’s plan will build the capacity of schools to meet individual student needs, including through establishing Autism Hubs in each State and Territory.
Autism Hubs will provide advice on the most effective and inclusive ways to help students with autism, deliver professional development and in-class coaching for teachers, as well as link parents and families to health and specialist services in the community.
A network of Dyslexia Friendly Schools will be created across Australia, with participating schools certified for their capacity to deliver best-practice programs in inclusive education.
Tackling bullying
No-one deserves to be bullied and to miss out on educational opportunities because they are different.
Students with disability are up to three times more likely to be bullied than their peers.
Labor will establish a national approach to reducing the bullying of students with disability, and will make sure every school has anti-bullying strategies in place that protect students with disability.
School upgrades and learning technology
Labor’s plan will ensure more students with disability will get the chance to participate fully in learning and school activities, by supporting school communities so they can purchase assistive technology and improve school buildings.
Labor will invest $30 million so that from 2017: At least 3,000 grants of up to $5,000 will be available for schools to invest in equipment and technology to support learning for students with disability.
At least 500 grants of up to $30,000 will be available for minor capital works so students can access school facilities and be properly included in school activities.
Boosting teacher skills and the curriculum
More teachers will be supported to become experts in supporting students with disability and extra learning needs, with Labor investing $40 million for up to 2,000 teachers to complete a Masters in Inclusive Education.
The development of a new curriculum for students with disability will be fast-tracked so students with disability get the same learning opportunities as their peers.
POSITIVE POLICY
Your Child, Our Future. Non-Govt School funding support
Labor has announced that as part of the “Your Child. Our Future” plan, a Labor Government will provide $82 million to Independent schools associations and Catholic education commissions for the duration of the original six-year Gonski agreements.
This means an additional two years of funding, and honours the agreements Labor entered into with the non-government schools sectors.
This will be called the Teaching and Learning Support Program.
The funding will allow the non-government school associations to continue important work to implement the Gonski reforms such as: Provide better coaching for teachers
Establishing centres of excellence for the teaching of STEM
Employing School Leadership Consultants – to work with principals to make sure schools have a school improvement agenda in place to lift student outcomes
Supporting schools to implement the Australian Curriculum;
Best practice professional development to support Indigenous Independent Schools
Of course, we will expect transparency and accountability for this funding – with clear links to improved teaching and learning.
POSITIVE POLICY
More Affordable Child Care
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver child care support that is fairer and will make early education and care more affordable for families.
Our package will give parents the early education and care relief they need now – from 1 January 2017.
Under Labor’s plan: Low and middle income families will benefit from an increase to the Child Care Benefit of 15 per cent.
Every one of the 813,000 families that rely on the Child Care Benefit will be better off – an increase up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per year, will provide much needed relief for the family budget.
The annual cap on the Child Care Rebate will be increased from $7,500 to $10,000 per child, leaving families up to $2,500 per child per year better off.
107,800 families who would otherwise reach the Child Care Rebate cap this financial year won’t have to choose between paying double fees, or dropping out of the workforce.
Labor’s plan will take pressure off the family budget, help grow the economy by keeping more parents in work and ensure that all children continue to have access to two days of vital early education.
Better early education and care is essential to a growing economy – in the short-term and the long-term.
It’s central to Labor’s plan for fairer growth, real jobs and greater opportunities.
Families who rely on early education and care need a better deal now - and that's what Labor will deliver.
Labor’s plan also includes: Cracking down on unjustified price increases – New transparency and accountability standards, along with extra powers to investigate unjustified price increases and stop price gouging.
Supporting flexible Family Day Care – Investing an additional $50 million to support improvements to the Family Day Care system, including flexible options for families and enhancing the education, investigation and compliance programs.
Better services for Indigenous children and children in remote areas –Increasing support for children in Budget Base Funded Services by 15 per cent, in line with the increase to the Child Care Benefit.
Valuing our early education workforce - $150 million investment towards developing the early education workforce – developing a new Early Years’ Workforce Strategy, and establishing a national Educator Professional Development Program.
Labor will also make submissions to the Fair Work Commission proceedings in support of professional wages for early childhood educators.
Before the last election, the Liberals promised to make child care more affordable for Australian families.
But over the last three years, child care fees have increased by over 20 per cent, and out-of-pocket costs have gone up.
According to research by the ANU’s Centre for Social Research and Methods, one in three families would be worse off under the Liberals’ proposed child care changes.
Families won’t be worse off under Labor’s changes.
In government, Labor will not proceed with the Liberals’ child care changes in their current form, because of the number of families that will be worse off, the unfair activity test and the impact on vulnerable children.
While we work with experts and the sector to formalise the very best long-term reforms, Labor recognises that families need action and support now – they should not have to wait any longer.
Labor has a proud history of early education reform, and we are driven to build on this platform.
Early education and care isn’t a form of babysitting – it is critical for parent’s workforce participation and for children’s development.
Only Labor will put families first.
POSITIVE POLICY
A Stronger Vocational Education & Training Sector
A Shorten Labor Government will undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to build a stronger VET sector and weed out dodgy providers and student rip-offs.
Despite its importance to Australia’s social and economic future, Australia’s VET sector is at a crossroads.
Costs are increasing but quality is declining, particularly in private courses and states which have experienced funding reductions.
Labor’s review will ensure the VET sector is properly equipped to train Australians for the jobs of the future, proper standards are enforced and the central role of our public TAFE system is recognised.
Our national skills and training sector used to be the envy of the world – since the election of the Liberal Government it has been significantly damaged by shonks and sharks ripping off vulnerable people.
People’s livelihoods are being destroyed – and their job prospects ruined.
It is a disgrace – and action must be taken.
Having a strong VET sector is an important part of Labor’s plan to tackle inequality.
The vocational education and training sector deserves a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to policy-making to ensure it is fit for the critical task of preparing Australians for the jobs of the future.
While schools and universities have had full reviews into funding with the Gonski and Bradley reviews – the vocational education and training sector has been left behind.
The sector has not undergone a full review since the Kangan Report in 1974.
It is time for a full review of the operation of the sector including quality, funding and access.
As new jobs emerge and existing industries go through extensive restructuring the nation will rely on an effective, quality vocational sector to provide the qualifications to enable people to enter the workforce, upskill or retrain.
Billions of dollars have been wasted due to the Liberals refusal to act on the escalating VET FEE-HELP crisis with VET FEE-HELP loans escalating from $699 million in 2013 to $1.7 billion in 2014 and is expected to have blown out to over $3 billion for 2015.
To date, Labor has put forward a number of plans to guarantee funding for TAFE and to implement strong and sensible measures to stop the shonks and sharks in the private sector.
This adds to the announcement last year that a Shorten Labor Government would guarantee TAFE funding into the future by working with Premiers and Chief Ministers on a comprehensive National Priority Plan that defines the role of TAFE and places it squarely as the public provider within the VET sector.
There is abundant evidence that the vocational training sector must be underpinned by a dominant and viable public provider.
Labor is committed to protecting the reputation of the sector, prioritising the outcomes for students and meeting the national need for a well-trained workforce into the future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Computer Coding For Every School
Labor believes that coding is the literacy of the 21st Century, and every young Australian should be able to read and write the global language of the digital age.
Digital proficiency will be a foundation skill, as important as reading and numeracy.
It will increasingly determine Australians employment prospects and the opportunities available to them in the workplace.
The Australian Workforce Productivity Agency predicts that in 2025 there could be an undersupply of qualifications for key ICT occupations, with employment projected to grow between 64 and 72 per cent faster than overall employment growth, and account for around 5 per cent of all employment in 2025.
Australia needs to elevate technology to the status of literacy and numeracy in the National Curriculum so that it is taught from the beginning of formal learning by a more coding-literate teaching workforce.
That’s why a Labor Government will ensure that computer programming and digital technologies – coding – is taught in every primary and secondary Australian school, by a teacher who has had the opportunity to receive training in coding.
We will work with the states and territories, teaching bodies, school systems and the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to examine ways to lift the status of coding to a core skill that is part of learning from the start of schooling.
Labor’s plan is that by 2020 computer programming and digital technologies – coding – is taught in every primary and secondary Australian school.
We will also invest $9 million to establish a National Coding in Schools centre (NCIS) so that all teachers in Australia have the opportunity to develop their skills, and every student can have access to exciting ways to learn coding.
NCIS will collaborate and link with industry and experts to develop the materials and content to support coding in schools.
To ensure teachers and students benefit from cutting edge virtual programs that set students up for success at school and in the workplace NCIS will: Develop and promote innovative teaching of coding in our schools; ensuring teachers in every school gain access to practical hands on training in coding and its integration into the classroom;
Partner with business and industry leaders to connect the teaching of coding in schools to help establish a culture of innovation and creativity while equipping students with the skills that will be in-demand in the future, including hands-on experience;
Provide ongoing engagement with teachers across the country to support the integration of coding into their teaching with confidence.
As our economy responds to technological change, it is vital all Australians have the skills to be able to participate – to secure good jobs today and well into the future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Skilling Teachers in STEM - Upskilling Teachers
Experts predict that in the years to come, 75 per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).
But we know that unless students are interested and engaged in STEM at an early age, they are unlikely to pursue a career in those fields.
Currently this isn’t the case, with more children dropping out of STEM subjects with every additional year of study.
This partly reflects the way STEM subjects are taught, but it also happens because our teachers aren’t properly supported to engage young peoples’ natural curiosity.
This is now an urgent issue that requires immediate action.
Nationally, around 60 per cent of IT teachers and 40 per cent of General Science and maths teachers teaching Years 7-10 classes do not have a tertiary qualification in those areas.
We need to do more to support Australia’s great teachers so that they can deliver STEM courses in a way that will inspire and engage young Australians.
Labor has a two-part plan to upskill teachers as an urgent priority, and create a pipeline of future STEM qualified teachers to join the teaching ranks.
Labor will establish a five year STEM teacher training fund that will support 5,000 primary and secondary teachers a year to undertake professional development in STEM disciplines.
Coding and programming will be a key focus of this program.
The training fund will ensure the upskilling of around 25,000 existing STEM teachers in primary and secondary education, with these teachers taking their new skills straight to the classroom.
These grants will back our teachers to do what they do best, with the skills and training they need.
The grants will be flexible and will allow teachers to work with their schools in determining the best form of professional development.
Labor will work with teaching bodies, TAFEs and State Governments to develop criteria for access to the scheme and the eligible courses and uses of the grants.
We will invest $127 million in reskilling teachers over four years, kicking off in the 2017 school year.
POSITIVE POLICY
Girls Into Code
Australia has a chronic shortage of women graduating with computer science or coding skills.
Since 2001, the rate of women enrolling in an IT degree has actually fallen from about 1 in 4 to just 1 in 10.
Continuing to see women fall behind in IT will limit our capacity for all Australians to capture and embrace the opportunities of the digital economy, let alone meet the projected demand for ICT skills across industry.
The lack of diversity will also begin to affect our ability to innovate as a nation.
On top of that, women could be left out economically, shut out from influential positions in industry and government due to lack of relevant skills and experience.
This will perpetuate the gender gap in Australian IT in which currently: Only 28 per cent of workers in the ICT are women
Only 1 in 5 tech entrepreneurs are women.
It is therefore crucial that young women learn to code and consider careers in ICT as early as possible, so that they have a stake in the digital economy of the future.
That is why Labor will launch Girls into Code – a $4.5 million grants program to support organisations that promote, encourage and inspire girls to learn code.
Improving rates of participation by women in technology jobs involves capturing girls’ interest early, by providing opportunities for them to experience the creative side of ICT as through Carnegie Mellon’s Alice and MIT’s Scratch initiatives.
It is also important to highlight role models and demonstrate diverse career paths from a young age, while moving away from stereotypes.
Labor’s Girls into Code grants program will facilitate mentoring and access to role models, connect coding programs to schools, and create opportunities for girls to build up their confidence and showcase their talent in coding and ICT skills.
There are a range of organisations and movements that are doing great work delivering engaging and inclusive programs that inspire young women and girls to code, including Code Club Australia, Code Like a Girl, DigiGirlz and Girls Make Games.
Labor’s Girls into Code will ensure these programs are offered in more places, to more girls so that in the future Australian women are just as equipped to benefit from the jobs of the future as men will be.
POSITIVE POLICY
National TAFE Funding Guarantee
Under the Abbott-Turnbull Government, Australia’s TAFEs are struggling.
In the past two years we have seen the closures of TAFEs, reductions in staffing, ever-increasing course costs and unscrupulous private providers and brokers preying on vulnerable people.
This must not be allowed to continue.
TAFE must be backed by governments as it is critical to our future.
Labor has a plan to back TAFE into the future by developing a comprehensive National Priority Plan that defines the unique role of TAFE as our public provider and delivers on this by working with the states and territories to provide ongoing guaranteed TAFE funding.
TAFE must remain an essential part of Australia’s skills and training sector as it plays a vital role in servicing our regions, industries in transition and disadvantaged groups.
As the Australian economy changes, the jobs of the future will change.
Our trades will involve more technology-based skills, and workers will need training in these skills to be more effective in the workplace and to remain competitive in the employment market.
New trades and professions will emerge and require quality training programs and upskilling courses.
It is therefore absolutely critical that we invest in supporting our national asset – our public TAFE sector.
There are challenges in the way the vocational educational sector is funded which has led to the decline of the TAFE sector nationally.
Over the last year it has become clear that there has been a failure in the market and we have seen the proliferation of opportunistic and sub-standard training providers costing the taxpayers and students millions of dollars.
This needs to stop.
Under Labor’s plan for TAFE, a Shorten Labor Government will work with Premiers and Chief Ministers on a comprehensive National Priority Plan that defines the unique role of TAFE and places it squarely as the public provider within the VET sector – as the cornerstone of our economy’s need to train and retrain its workforce and deliver on improving the participation, productivity, innovation and growth efforts required for the nation.
The Turnbull Government has been silent on TAFE and now it appears they are considering abandoning the VET sector completely to the States.
This would seriously undermine the national effort required to support growth and jobs through nationally coordinated skills development.
In comparison, Labor is firmly committed to a strong TAFE sector.
We understand how critically important TAFE is to so many students, communities, industries and businesses.
It is a national asset and we must work across all levels of government to ensure its future.
POSITIVE POLICY
New Graduates into STEM Teaching
Experts predict that in the years to come, 75 per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).
But we know that unless students are interested and engaged in STEM at an early age, they are unlikely to pursue a career in those fields.
Currently this isn’t the case, with more children dropping out of STEM subjects with every additional year of study.
This partly reflects the way STEM subjects are taught, but it also happens because our teachers aren’t properly supported to engage young peoples’ natural curiosity.
This is now an urgent issue that requires immediate action.
Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships over five years to new and recent graduates of STEM degrees to encourage them to continue their study and become a STEM teacher.
A STEM degree is the best background for teaching STEM in our schools, as people with qualifications and a passion for these subjects will be better able to connect with young Australians and engage them in their studies.
Labor’s Teach STEM initiative will provide an incentive payment to attract more STEM graduates to become teachers.
Students that have just completed a STEM degree, or graduated within five years, will be able apply for the incentive payments.
The payment of $15,000 will be structured so that $5,000 is paid upon commencement of the course of study, with the remaining paid after their first year in the classroom.
This initiative will increase the attractiveness of STEM teaching careers and boost the number of qualified STEM teachers in Australian classrooms.
Labor will invest $133 million over four years to deliver our Teach STEM program.
Labor wants to upskill teachers and attract more STEM-qualified people into teaching because we understand that targeted investment across the education system to improve skills and drive innovation is vital to unlocking this country’s most important resource: the creativity and genius of Australia’s people.
POSITIVE POLICY
Investing in Indigenous Students
A Shorten Labor Government will invest an additional $100 million to support Indigenous students to succeed at school, and boost the number of Indigenous teachers.
This is part of Labor’s plan to help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
Currently, the gap between outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students is unacceptably high.
Indigenous students are still:Twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable in their first year of school.
Up to two years behind at school.
Behind non-Indigenous students’ NAPLAN results.
Less likely to complete Year 12.
This is just not good enough.
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future plan will make sure that Indigenous students get the targeted support we know makes a difference to their education.
Schools and educators will be able to put in place targeted strategies to close the gap, including: Early intervention literacy and numeracy programs.
Breakfast clubs.
Attendance, parenting and family support programs.
Targeted professional development and training for teachers.
One-on-one tutoring and mentoring.
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future will see an additional $96 million go towards improving outcomes for Indigenous students around Australia over school years 2018 and 2019.
In addition, Labor will provide $4.8 million over the forward estimates to fund 100 scholarships per year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers.
Increasing the number of Indigenous teachers is critical to improving the educational outcomes of Indigenous students.
Indigenous teachers are significantly under-represented in schools.
While Indigenous students comprise 5 per cent of the total school student population, they only represent approximately 1 per cent of the teaching community.
Labor is committed to efforts to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage – and education is key.
Mr Turnbull’s decision to dump the Gonski reforms and rip $29 billion out of schools will mean that students who need the most help are not getting the resources and support they need to succeed at school.
Only Labor will put people first – and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the investment they need to achieve their best.
Funding for the $96 million in targeted support for Indigenous students formed part of Labor’s Your Child. Our Future package announced on 28 January 2016.
Labor’s Indigenous teacher scholarships program is offset from Labor’s announced improvements to the Budget.
POSITIVE POLICY
Targeted Teaching
A Shorten Labor Government will make sure school funding is conditional on evidence-based learning programs which are proven to increase student results.
Labor will also provide $4.6 million to expand the use of Targeted Teaching – using accurate information about what students actually understand, and what they are ready to learn next.
This will put Australian students on the right track to meet Labor’s target for our schools to be back in the top five internationally for reading, maths and science by 2025.
Targeted Teaching is about recognising that a one-size-fits-all approach to the classroom does not achieve the best results, and backing our educators in their hard work to support every student.
It means catching students before they fall too far behind, and making sure students who are ahead are still challenged to reach their full potential.
It also requires educators to assess their own teaching, keep what is working and change what is not.
Labor’s plan recognises that every dollar of taxpayer funds should be going toward programs which actually make a difference in the classroom.
Labor will immediately invest $4.6 million to identify the most effective Targeted Teaching resources, and develop guidance and support so schools and teachers can make the changes we need in the classroom.
Australian trials show Targeted Teaching has the potential to improve the proportion of students meeting early primary learning benchmarks in disadvantaged schools by up to 20 per cent.
Schools and school systems will be expected to have a proven strategy to lift student results.
Labor’s needs-based Your Child. Our Future plan will mean schools have the resources at the local level to support the implementation of programs like Targeted Teaching – with Labor investing $3.8 billion more in our schools than Mr Turnbull in 2018 and 2019 alone.
Labor has made education a priority because we know it is critical to Australia’s future economy.
You can’t have a plan for economic growth if you don’t have a plan to invest in education.
The choice for families is clear this election.
A vote for Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals is a vote for a $50 billion tax cut for big business.
A vote for Bill Shorten and Labor is a vote for strong schools.
POSITIVE POLICY
Supporting Country Classrooms
Despite one in three Australians living outside our capital cities, there is a clear educational divide between the city and the country.
Across all tested year levels, students from regional and remote Australia score lower in NAPLAN.
More students in regional Australia also drop out of school, with year 12 retention rates significantly lower than in major cities.
Labor believes the future success of regional students and communities relies on a strong education system that will equip students in country schools with the skills they need to get the jobs of the future.
If Australia is to have a strong economic future, we need to make sure every student in regional and country Australia is prepared for high-skill, high-wage jobs.
Labor’s policy will ensure every child growing up outside our capital cities has the opportunity to achieve their full potential at school, and that the long-standing divide in educational achievement is closed.
Labor will invest an additional $1.8 billion in regional and country classrooms as part of the Your Child. Our Future plan for Australian schools.
Under Labor’s plan to fund the Gonski reforms on-time and in-full, students outside our capital cities will have the same opportunities to learn the skills they need to succeed.
Labor’s new school funding for our regions will benefit 1.5 million students during 2018 and 2019.
This extra support will mean more individualised support and attention for regional students, better early literacy and numeracy programs and better professional development for our teachers.
POSITIVE POLICY
Addressing The Child Care Squeeze
The struggle to secure early education and care places has been completely ignored by the Liberals.
Many parents face long and frustrating waiting lists to access early education and care services – with the current arrangements limiting work options for parents.
This isn’t only a battle before children reach school.
Parents needing Outside School Hours Care can face long waiting lists, and may even find that services simply don’t exist in their area.
Long waiting lists also drive up early education and care costs – locking low and middle income families out of high demand areas.
They also lock vulnerable and disadvantaged children out of vital early learning, when they have the most to gain.
To help tackle waiting lists, Labor will: Invest $100 million over three years from 2017-18 so services in areas of very high demand can expand – creating more places where families need them.
We will target areas of high or rapidly growing demand, with waiting lists in the local area, and priority will be given to community and not-for-profit services which would otherwise not be able to expand.
Commit $63.2 million over three years from 2017-18 to establish or expand up to 1,200 Outside School Hours Care services. Grants of up to $50,000 will be made available.
Services must be in areas of high demand, have waiting lists or be in areas where Outside School Hours Care is currently not available.
Families who rely on child care need a better deal now – and that's what Labor will deliver.
The Liberals have done nothing for 1,000 days in government other than make early education and care more expensive for families – and they have no plans at all to deal with waiting lists or expand Outside School Hours Care.
As well as tackling waiting lists, Labor will boost the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent and increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 per child per year from 1 January 2017.
Labor’s plan for better early education and care is essential to a growing economy.
It’s central to Labor’s plan for fairer growth, real jobs and greater opportunities.
POSITIVE POLICY
Real Skills, Good Jobs
Labor won’t let Australians fall behind because there is a gap between the skills they have and the ones employers are looking for.
We will help more unemployed young people into apprenticeships by creating 10,000 new Apprentice Ready places and see retrenched workers gain formal recognition of their skills through 5,000 accelerated apprenticeships so they can find their next job.
We are backing apprenticeships because we believe every Australian should have the chance to gain real skills and a good job.
Together, the creation of these 15,000 places represents a $62.5 million investment in jobs and training for Australians who are struggling to get into work.
POSITIVE POLICY
Safe Schools: Supporting LGBTI Students
Every Australian student deserves to be treated with respect and dignity at school – so they can learn free from bullying and discrimination.
Unfortunately, school is still a very difficult place for far too many LGBTI Australians: Eighty per cent of LGBTI students face verbal abuse and bullying at school.
Only one in five LGBTI students attend a school where they feel supported.
LGBTI young Australians are six times more likely to die from suicide, with bullying and exclusion major factors in suicide attempts.
Labor funded the national rollout of the Safe Schools program in 2013 to address the serious issues of bullying and poor mental health among young LGBTI Australians.
Every time bullying occurs in our schools, it distracts students from their learning and saps them of their potential.
Already, 545 schools with over 400,000 students have chosen to take part in the program HYPERLINK "http://www.100positivepolicies.org.au/safe_schools_supporting_lgbti_students" \l "_ftn4" [4].
Safe Schools is supported by Beyond Blue, The Black Dog Institute and headspace.
Despite the Liberals’ initial support for Safe Schools, Malcolm Turnbull has caved in to the extreme elements of his backbench and cut funding for the program from 2017.
This coincides with his unnecessary, damaging and divisive plebiscite on marriage equality – which will only make life harder for young Australians coming to terms with their sexuality.
Labor will invest $6 million over three years from 2017-18 to continue the Safe Schools program and support the Foundation for Young Australians to keep working with school communities to reduce bullying and discrimination.
Labor will work with schools and experts to make sure the program is based on the most effective strategies to reduce bullying, includes best-practice parental engagement and meets the needs of young Australians.
Labor will implement the program in line with the findings of the independent review.
Labor will put the interests of vulnerable young Australians facing bulling and discrimination first.
POSITIVE POLICY
Reducing Admission Fees To Questacon
For 30 years, Questacon has been exciting adults and children, and inspiring the scientists, researchers and engineers of tomorrow.
Questacon is Australia’s premier science museum, attracting 454,251 visitors and 136,155 school groups in 2015 alone.
While Questacon is attracting more visitors than ever, families under pressure from tight budgets and stagnant wages are missing out.
Current admission prices are adults $23.50, children $17.50 (children under four are admitted for free) and annual membership $160 (for the first year or $127.50 for renewing family memberships).
That means a day visit for a family of two adults and two children comes to a total of $82.
Labor believes that sparking the curiosity of young people and inspiring an interest in science and engineering isn’t just something that benefits the individual, it is something that benefits the nation.
If we are to be an innovation nation, powered by the strength of our ideas, we need to expand access to inspiring institutions like Questacon.
While simply lowering admission fees will allow more visitors, in particular from lower socio-economic backgrounds, any reduction in Questacon admission prices will reduce revenue while increasing costs through additional visitation impacting on cleaning, exhibition maintenance and staff numbers required to maintain safety and security.
That is why lowering admission prices will require action from government, which is the largest source of revenue for Questacon.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will act to improve the accessibility of Questacon for all Australians.
Labor’s plan
A Shorten Labor Government will support Questacon to lower admission fees for all visitors by $7.50. This will bring adult admission prices to $16 and a child admission to $10.
A $7.50 reduction in the per person admission price would impact Questacon by approximately a $3.675 million per year loss in revenue.
This factors in an increase in visitor numbers but not the increased operational costs associated with the reduction.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide additional financing to Questacon of $3.7 million per year ($14.8 million over the forward estimates) to allow for a reduction in admission fees without a loss to the services provided by Questacon.
Labor believes that all children and adults, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to be inspired by the exhibitions at Questacon, whether they be Canberra locals or visitors to our national capital.
A Shorten Labor Government will make sure more do.
Making health our #1 priority: protecting Medicare, investing in our health system
Labor gave Australians Medicare and we will always protect it.
We believe all Australians should be able to access healthcare when and where they need it. That is what drives Labor’s health policy.
POSITIVE POLICY
A Stronger Medicare For All Australians
Labor will ensure that access to health care is determined by your Medicare card, and not your credit card, and will reverse the Turnbull Government’s GP Tax by stealth.
Nobody wants to head down the same path as America when it comes to our health system.
That’s why a Shorten Labor Government will restore indexation of the Medicare Benefits Schedule from 1 January 2017.
This will apply to all services provided by GPs, allied health and other health practitioners and medical specialists.
We will oppose Mr Turnbull’s cuts which will reduce bulk billing and hit Australian families every time they visit the doctor, every time they have an X-Ray, every time their buy essential medicines.
Labor created Medicare and Labor will always protect Medicare.
Having failed three times to introduce its GP Tax – due to Labor’s opposition in the Senate – the Liberals imposed a GP Tax by stealth, freezing the indexation of the rebates paid to doctors for four years.
Then in his first Budget, Malcolm Turnbull ripped another $925 million out of Medicare by extending the freeze by a further two years to 2020.
All Australians should be able to access health care when and where they need it.
That’s what drives Labor’s health policy.
In contrast, Medicare is under attack from Mr Turnbull and the Liberals.
They have made no secret they want us all to pay more to see the doctor and the indexation freeze will ensure this happens.
Mr Turnbull’s only plans for Medicare are to cut bulk billing and to privatise it.
Doctors have confirmed the extension of the GP Tax by stealth in Mr Turnbull’s Budget will be the tipping point to make bulk billing unviable for many practices.
Existing co-payments will be increased.
Everyone will pay more and the sickest, the poorest and those in rural areas will be hit hardest.
President of the Australian Medical Association, Professor Brian Owler, estimates that this will likely cost patients up to $20 more for each GP visit
One in 20 Australians already say they delay visiting their GP, or do not visit at all, because of cost.
This can lead to conditions deteriorating and people being admitted to hospital – meaning worse outcomes for the patient and greater cost to the health system.
It is vital we don’t create barriers for anyone who needs to see their GP.
The Liberals’ assault on Medicare and universal healthcare must stop.
All Australians should be able to access healthcare when and where they need it.
Only Labor can be trusted to make this happen.
Labor’s policy has been costed independently by the Parliamentary Budget Office and will have an impact of $2.4 billion over the forward estimates (to 2019-20), and $12.2 billion over the decade to 2026-27.
Labor will fund this policy through announced improvements to the Budget, including not proceeding with the new baby bonus, capping VET FEE HELP loans, and not proceeding with the tax cut for multinational companies.
POSITIVE POLICY
Better Mental Health Care
Labor believes that long term mental health reform focused on delivering a more integrated, cross-sector and whole-of-government mental health care system must be a national priority but it requires national leadership.
A Shorten Labor Government will build on Labor’s strong legacy in mental health by ensuring investment goes to where it is needed most.
Labor’s commitment to strengthening support for people with mental illness and improving mental wellbeing starts with the recommendations of the National Mental Health Commission.
Labor largely supports the National Mental Health Commission’s recommendations and will outline our priorities for implementation within the first 100 days of a Shorten Labor Government.
In addition, a Shorten Labor Government is committed to making sure people with mental illness and their carers continue to be supported as the National Disability Insurance Scheme is rolled out and through the continuation of community based mental health services.
We will work towards improving the lives of those that are the most disadvantaged and we will not forget people living in regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia.
We also recognise that the pressures faced by Australia’s small business owners and operators, as well as those in farming, can lead to poorer mental health and well-being.
We know that regionally delivered and funded services can help to build community resilience through early intervention and the prevention of mental illness.
Our efforts will also focus on preventing the tragedy of suicide by identifying and addressing the causes of suicide and providing services and support which target the people most at risk.
A Shorten Labor Government will commit to the National Mental Health Commission’s target to reduce suicides by 50 per cent over the next ten years.
Labor will establish 12 regional initiatives – six urban, four regional and two remote - as the first stage in implementation of a comprehensive, whole of system approach to suicide prevention.
Regions will apply for grants to fund place-based initiatives tailored to local community needs for services and support.
We will work with stakeholders and State and Territory Governments to identify these sites within the first 100 days of government.
Labor’s plan will build on our historic investment in mental health in a way that ensures the sustainability and effectiveness of Australia’s mental health system for the long term.
POSITIVE POLICY
Medicinal Cannabis
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure patients who are suffering from a terminal illness or other serious medical conditions will be allowed access to safe, reliable and legal medicinal cannabis if prescribed by their Doctor.
There are thousands of Australians who are suffering from unbearable pain, muscle spasticity from conditions like multiple sclerosis and nausea resulting from chemotherapy who may benefit from medicinal cannabis.
No one can imagine how horrific it must be for someone to see their child, partner or parent in immense pain, knowing relief is available but illegal.
If we can do something to help people suffering immense pain from debilitating and life threatening conditions - then why on earth wouldn’t we?
There are too many stories of people suffering – and this is unacceptable in a modern society.
With the governments of New South Wales and Victoria pushing ahead with state-based schemes and Queensland joining those states in taking part in clinical trials, it is no longer tenable for the Federal Government to bury its head in the sand.
Only the Commonwealth Government can ensure there is a national scheme which ensures equity of access and a safe and reliable supply and Labor will work with the states and territories to enact it.
Action at the national level is needed because a person’s access to a product that can relieve suffering should not be dictated by the vagaries of which state or territory they live in.
POSITIVE POLICY
Indigenous Eye Health Help
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $9.5 million to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vision loss.
Labor is committed to closing the gap in eye health and vision loss between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
Shockingly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are six times more likely to suffer from blindness.
However, 94 per cent of this vision loss is either preventable or treatable.
Addressing vision loss alone would account for around 11 per cent of the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
Australia is the only developed nation where the infectious and wholly preventable eye disease of trachoma still exists at endemic levels.
And it only exists among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – where it is endemic in two out of three remote communities.
Leaders such as the Vision 2020 alliance of health organisations, including Fred Hollows Foundation and the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at the University of Melbourne are making great progress in improving Indigenous eye health.
Labor is determined to do more to support their great efforts and ensure that we finish the job and eliminate trachoma across the country.
Equitable access to specialist and general eye health care services is critical to reducing high rates of preventable blindness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
However, there is a significant unmet need – around 35 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have never had an eye exam.
Labor will deliver additional funding to increase visiting optometry services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to address the gap in general eye health.
Labor will also increase funding for ophthalmology services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to address the gap in specialist eye health care service delivery.
To continue to drive progress towards the elimination of trachoma in Australia, Labor will invest in trachoma prevention activities recommended by the World Health Organisation.
With Labor’s additional funding we can eliminate trachoma from Australia by 2020 and begin to turn the tide on this endemic health problem.
POSITIVE POLICY
Managing Allergic Diseases
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $1.1 million to better manage allergic diseases and their associated health risks.
Allergic diseases are among the fastest-growing chronic diseases in Australia with one in five Australians suffering from food and drug allergies, asthma, hay fever and other allergic diseases.
Sadly, the evidence is we are not managing allergic diseases well.
If not managed properly, allergic diseases can lead to anaphylaxis – severe, life-threatening allergic reactions and over the last 20 years hospital admissions for anaphylaxis have soared 400 per cent.
This also adds to the pressure on our health and hospitals system and properly managing allergic diseases would reduce avoidable emergency department presentations and expensive drug prescriptions.
A Shorten Labor Government will give allergic diseases the attention and funding they deserve through this $1.1 million commitment over three years to improve management of allergic diseases.
Labor’s investment will fund the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia to: Improve allergy management for young Australians: Teens and young adults are at a higher risk of fatal anaphylaxis.
But the resources available to help them manage their allergies are insufficient.
Labor’s investment will allow the peak allergy organisations to consult with young Australians on their needs, then develop resources to help them manage their conditions and prevent more serious harm.
Educate the food industry on food allergies: There is no standardised, easy way for food service providers to learn about food allergies.
This makes it harder for Australians with food allergies to eat outside their homes, and has in some cases led to food-induced anaphylaxis and deaths.
Labor’s commitment will help educate food providers about food risks and mitigations, via roundtables and an online training course.
Standardise management of drug allergy: There is no standard way to manage drug allergies in Australia, and a patchwork of approaches has emerged.
In some cases drug allergies are not diagnosed or communicated, meaning they are not properly managed in settings including hospitals.
In other cases drug allergies are ‘over diagnosed’, increasing waiting times for allergy specialists and the use of more expensive antibiotic medications.
Labor’s commitment will fund a range of activities, such as the development of new processes and protocols, to standardise drug allergy management.
Labor’s $1.1 million investment in Managing Allergic Diseases is further proof only Labor believes all Australians, no matter where they live or how much they earn, are entitled to the best possible health care, not the best possible health care they can afford.
POSITIVE POLICY
Fight Smoking Related Diseases
Tobacco consumption continues to have serious health and economic impacts for individuals, their families and society.
Each year in Australia tobacco still kills more than 15,000 people and has more than $31.5 billion in health and economic costs.
Results from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey show approximately 12.8 per cent of Australians - or around 2.5 million people - smoke daily.
The costs of smoking also continue to weigh down on the economy and on the budget through its adverse health effects and associated costs to the healthcare system.
The $31.5 billion in economic and social costs is more than triple the amount of revenue raised by the Commonwealth from tobacco excise, which stood at around $8.3 billion for the last financial year.
A Shorten Labor Government will further curtail Australia’s biggest preventable cause of disease and death by raising tobacco excise to bring it in line with world’s best practice.
Labor will introduce four annual 12.5 per cent increases in excise on tobacco.
Following the four 12.5 per cent increases in excise, taxation as a proportion of the retail price of a packet of cigarettes will sit at around the World Health Organisation’s target of 75 per cent of the retail price.
Estimates suggest that in Australia these measures should lead to tens of thousands more Australians quitting smoking and that number again will smoke less than they otherwise would for every excise increase contained in this package.
After initially opposing this measure as “another tax grab”, Labor welcomes the Coalition’s inclusion of it in the 2016 Budget.
Only Labor can be trusted to take effective action to reduce smoking.
POSITIVE POLICY
Increase Support For Australians With Breast Cancer
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $7 million to support women with breast cancer in rural Australia and women all around Australia with secondary breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, and the second-deadliest.
Despite the great advances of recent years, diagnoses of breast cancer are unrelenting – at a rate of 43 a day, 300 a week and more than 15,600 a year.
Secondary breast cancer occurs where the disease spreads to other parts of the body – like bones, the lungs, the liver or the brain.
While survival times are improving, secondary breast cancer is essentially incurable. It will kill 3,000 Australian mums, daughters, sisters and friends in 2016.
The Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) is the peak consumer organisation for Australians affected by breast cancer and has more than 110,000 members across Australia.
Labor’s $7 million investment will enable BCNA to deliver improved support and information for women with secondary breast cancer and ongoing support for women with breast cancer in rural Australia.
Almost a third of Australian women with secondary breast cancer say they do not receive enough emotional support.
Another one in five women say they have unmet needs for information.
As part of this commitment, $4.4 million will be invested over four years to improve psychosocial support and information for women with secondary breast cancer.
With Labor’s support, BCNA will deliver: a telephone counselling service for women and their families staffed by oncology social workers; expanded access to specialist secondary breast cancer nurses; and better access to information through a digital platform.
Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer face particular challenges if they live in rural Australia.
They are likely to live further from vital health services, and also further from other women and supporters who can help them on their cancer journey.
Currently, BCNA provides specialised services and support in rural Australia, but under Malcolm Turnbull’s Government, these programs are set to expire in June 2017.
Labor’s commitment of $2.6 million over three years will extend the BCNA’s funding to 2020, allowing it to continue its vital services.
This commitment will also allow the BCNA to develop new programs – such as an app to help women with breast cancer across Australia.
Labor’s commitment will fund the continued distribution of the BCNA’s key resources – the My Journey Kit for women with early breast cancer and Hope & Hurdles for women with secondary breast cancer.
It will also connect women with information and each other through community forums and the BCNA’s Online Network.
Given the unique challenges of accessing support in rural Australia, these opportunities for women with breast cancer to support each other are vital –a Shorten Labor Government will ensure they continue.
POSITIVE POLICY
Support Men With Prostate Cancer
A Shorten Labor Government will provide greater support for men with prostate cancer and their families by committing $10.6 million to double the number of Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses.
Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in Australia and our third most deadly cancer.
In 2016, more than 3,000 Australian men will die from prostate cancer, and 20,000 will be diagnosed with it.
The Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses program provides vital assistance to these men and their families.
It places highly trained registered nurses in hospitals and other health settings.
They provide expert information and support – for example, by helping men access services outside hospitals and making their journey through our health system easier.
Labor’s $10.6 million commitment over three years will double the number of Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses funded by the Federal Government to 28.
This will increase the total number of nurses around Australia to over 40, meeting unmet need.
Labor expects that its new commitment will give an additional 2,000 men each year access to a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse.
The new nurses funded by Labor will be assigned by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA), based on need.
According to Associate Professor Anthony Lowe, Chief Executive Officer of PCFA, the announcement gives hope that more Australian men affected by prostate cancer may have better access to this specialist service, especially in rural and regional Australia.
"We are pleased to hear that the Labor Party understands the importance of having the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses in the field and providing additional support to men and their families who are fighting prostate cancer,” said Associate Professor Lowe.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia created the Specialist Nurse program in 2012, with support from the Movember Foundation.
The former Labor Government expanded the Program with a $7 million commitment in 2013.
Labor’s investment doubled the number of nurses employed across Australia to the current level of 28.
But under Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership, the Liberals have not given the program the funding certainty it deserves and existing funding is set to expire in June 2017.
The program is particularly vulnerable because it’s financed from the Department of Health’s ‘Flexible Funds’ – which the Coalition has cut by around $1 billion, including almost $200 million in new cuts in Malcolm Turnbull’s 2016-17 Budget.
In contrast, a Shorten Labor Government will safeguard this crucial program with funding across the usual four-year Budget cycle, and expand its reach.
Labor’s investment to support men with prostate cancer is further proof that only Labor believes that all Australians, no matter where they live or how much they earn, are entitled to the best possible health care, not just the care they can afford.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor Will End Malcolm Turnbull’s Medicines Price Hike
Labor believes every Australian deserves access to affordable medicine.
For more than two years we have been fighting the Liberal Government’s unfair plan to drive up the cost of medicines and take this country down the path of the American health system.
Today we confirm that a Shorten Labor Government will scrap the Liberals’ medicines price hike and ensure healthcare remains affordable for every Australian.
In his horror 2014 Budget, Tony Abbott announced $1.3 billion in cuts to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), to be achieved by increasing co-payments and safety net thresholds.
This would see co-payments increase by $5 for general patients and by $0.80 for concessional patients.
The Liberals also plan to increase the PBS safety net thresholds each year for four years.
This would see the general safety net thresholds increase by 10 per cent a year, and the concessional safety nets rise by the cost of two prescriptions a year.
Malcolm Turnbull confirmed his commitment to these cuts by building them into his first budget earlier this month.
They would come on top of the existing annual indexation of copayments and safety net thresholds in line with the Consumer Price Index.
Labor will not stand by and let Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals dismantle universal healthcare.
We will scrap the Liberals’ cuts to the PBS, ensuring there will be no increase to the co-payments or safety net thresholds on top of regular indexation.
This means that under Labor, medicines will be more affordable than under Malcolm Turnbull.
Under a Shorten Labor Government, all Australians will continue to have access to affordable medicines.
This will protect access for the most vulnerable – the poor, elderly and sick – who would be worst hit by the Liberals’ plans to cut the PBS.
Our plan to keep medicines affordable has been costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office at $971 million over the next four years, and $3.6 billion over the decade.
Together with our plan to end the Government’s GP Tax by stealth, today’s announcement confirms only Labor will protect universal healthcare – for today and for future generations.
POSITIVE POLICY
Reforming Australia’s Healthcare System
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a permanent Australian Healthcare Reform Commission to assist all levels of government to continuously improve our healthcare system.
Within the Commission, Labor will establish a new Centre for Medicare and Healthcare System Innovation.
The Centre will develop, trial, evaluate and implement new payment and service delivery models that aim to reduce health expenditure while improving the quality and safety of care.
The Centre will also take over the responsibilities of the MBS Review.
Unlike the Liberals, Labor commits to ensuring that where there are any savings realised, they will be reinvested by the Centre into healthcare system innovation including new models of primary care.
Labor has a long history of reforming Australia’s healthcare system for the benefit of all.
It is thanks to the work of successive Labor governments over the past 70 years that Australia boasts a world-class healthcare system.
But Australia’s healthcare system is under increasing strain.
Rising rates of chronic disease, an ageing population and the Turnbull Government’s reckless cuts are threatening the universality and sustainability of our system.
There are also growing health disparities within our population: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a higher burden of ill health that is two and a half times that of other Australians.
A 2014 review of mental health programs and services found that distressed and vulnerable people are often dealing with a system that is difficult to navigate and doesn’t always consider their education, employment, housing, and physical health care needs.
People with physical disabilities and those who live in regional, rural and remote Australia continue to lag unacceptably behind.
Healthcare reform shouldn’t just be a term used by a government seeking to make cuts to healthcare.
If our healthcare system is to meet the changing and increasing healthcare needs of all Australians, we must have a continuing process of policy and program development, implementation, evaluation and monitoring.
Much like the successful National Health and Hospitals Commission, the new Commission will have a key advisory role.
It will investigate, develop and evaluate proposed changes to Australia’s health system, and advise governments (including State and Territory Governments) on these changes.
The Australian Healthcare Reform Commission will also have a strong implementation capacity.
It will be tasked to roll out agreed structural reforms to Australia’s healthcare system, including funding agreements and payment systems.
The Australian Healthcare Reform Commission will embed reform in Australia’s healthcare system, by focussing on: Preserving universality.
Reducing inequality.
Eliminating waste and duplication.
Integrating services.
Improving the collection and use of data and analytics.
The establishment of the Australian Healthcare Reform Commission and the Centre for Medicare and Healthcare System Innovation will ensure that we embed a constant process of reform in our healthcare, so that our world-class system can continue to meet the healthcare needs of Australians well into the future.
The Commission will be created through the consolidation of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the National Health Funding Body, and functions formerly associated with the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, National Health Performance Authority and Health Workforce Australia which have been transferred to other agencies.
POSITIVE POLICY
Stronger Medicare: New Models of Care
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world.
But Australia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, means that Australia requires new approaches to care.
Labor is committed to continuously improving Medicare so it will meet the health care needs of Australians into the future.
Labor will also provide an additional $100 million over two years to strengthen the frontline of Australia’s health care system – primary care.
Building a stronger primary care system will provide greater day to day health care for tens of thousands of Australians, meaning fewer people end up in hospital.
Labor’s investment will help develop new models of integrated primary care including the development of a unique Australian model of patient-centred medical homes – Your Family Doctor.
Labor will ensure an appropriate mix of launch sites in metropolitan, regional and rural areas, so that the models developed meet the needs of all Australians.
Labor will task the new Centre for Medicare and Healthcare System Innovation, within the permanent Australian Healthcare Reform Commission, with developing specific models of innovative primary care.
It will do so in partnership with general practitioners, nurses, Primary Health Networks, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, other primary care and allied health providers, consumers and other stakeholders.
This builds on our commitment to reverse Malcolm Turnbull’s GP Tax by stealth – his Medicare freeze - from 1 January 2017.
Only a Shorten Labor Government will protect Medicare and ensure our primary care system keeps up with Australia’s changing health care needs.
POSITIVE POLICY
Stronger Medicare: Strengthening Hospitals
Every Australian should have access to affordable, quality health care when and where they need it.
Hospitals are at the heart of Medicare: Australia’s world-class universal health care system.
A Shorten Labor Government will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and emergency departments, invest in hospitals and protect Medicare so Australia has the strong health system we need for the future.
Labor will also ramp up investment in health care at the frontline – so fewer Australians end up in hospital in the first place.
All Australians deserve access to the best possible health care when they need it – determined by their Medicare card, not their credit card.
That’s why a Shorten Labor Government will restore the National Health Reform Agreement for four years, at the originally agreed funding formula of 50 per cent of growth in costs based on the National Efficient Price, and provide additional support to the States and Territories to reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in public hospital emergency departments.
This will boost hospital funding by $2 billion more than the Liberals over the next four years, and drive efficiency by funding the States and Territories on the basis of the actual services performed.
This will mean reduced hospital waiting times, more beds, more doctors and nurses.
Hospitals that perform services more efficiently are able to use additional funding to invest in service improvement.
The Liberals went to the election promising no cuts to health – and then they inflicted savage cuts to our hospitals.
The Liberals scrapped Labor’s National Health Reform Agreement and returned to an outdated model of indexation, which saw cuts to hospitals across the country.
They have recently been forced to admit that Labor’s reforms were right all along – but failed to match Labor’s investment, committing just 45 per cent of growth in efficient costs.
While Labor’s new commitment does not restore all of the funding ripped out by the Liberals, it restores Labor’s agreement for the next four years and provides certainty for a new agreement to be negotiated under a Labor Government.
POSITIVE POLICY
An Age-Friendly Nation
A Shorten Labor Government will appoint a Minister for Ageing and develop a National Strategy for an Ageing Australia to ensure Australia becomes an age-friendly nation.
For Australia to realise the opportunities and meet the challenges presented by an ageing population, Government action is needed.
An age-friendly Australia needs to:  Have a whole-of-Government approach, under the direction of a dedicated Minister for Ageing.
Promote and support active ageing.
Undertake an independent, transparent and thorough review of the aged care reforms, with a focus on funding models.
Develop an aged care workforce strategy.
The Liberals see our ageing population as a burden rather than an opportunity.
They have not appointed a Minister for Ageing.
They have seen aged care as nothing but a savings option – cutting its funding in each of their Budgets – most recently $1.2 billion in the 2016 Budget.
Labor sees things very differently.
In 2012, Labor delivered one of the biggest reforms to aged care and ageing in a generation – the $3.7 billion, ten-year strategy known as the Living Longer, Living Better (LLLB) aged care package.
These reforms were designed to build a fairer, more sustainable and nationally consistent aged care system to meet the challenges of an ageing population.
Today, these reforms are delivering choice, easier access and better care for older Australians, their families and carers, while ensuring the aged care and services industry is equipped to deal with the dramatic growth in our ageing population.
But there is more to do.
A Shorten Labor Government will: Address ongoing problems in the My Aged Care gateway in the first 100 days of Government, in consultation with the aged care sector, consumers and medical and allied health providers.
Conduct an independent review of the LLLB reforms with a view to moving to greater flexibility, choice and consumer control by 1 July 2017, with a particular focus on the Aged Care Funding Instrument, following concerns raised by the sector and growing costs in this area.
Work with the aged care sector and unions to ensure we can meet the challenges of the increasing need for aged care workers, as well as career progression and conditions for this low paid and predominantly female workforce.
Establish the Active Ageing Fund to support programs to reduce the risk of dementia, prevent falls, improve physical activities and healthy lifestyles - enabling older Australians to age well in their own communities, at home and at work.
Labor believes that longer lives are one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century, and that longevity will define the 21st Century.
Labor is committed to ensuring that Australia becomes an age-friendly nation.
POSITIVE POLICY
Supporting Australians To Die Well
New Approaches To Palliative Care
A Shorten Labor Government will help support Australians to exercise greater choice and control over how and where they live their final days by investing in new models of palliative care.
Right now, many Australians are not able to choose where and how they are cared for before they die.
According to the Grattan Institute, up to 70 per cent of Australians want to die at home, but only 14 per cent do so.
More than half of Australians die in hospitals and around a third die in nursing homes.
Unfortunately, the rate of hospitalisation is increasing.
Labor is committed to improving palliative care in all settings, and to helping all Australians be as comfortable as possible at the end of their life.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will invest $35 million over four years to roll out new models of palliative care.
Labor new approach to palliative care will include: $21.7 million for new Palliative Care at Home packages.
Under these packages, five Primary Health Networks (PHNs) will be funded to commission the services that Australians need to stay at home at the end of their lives.
$9 million over four years to roll out the Proactive Palliative Care model.
Labor’s Proactive Palliative Care package will fund palliative specialists to partner with residential aged care facilities to promote palliative and end-of-life care, and lead case conferencing where appropriate.
Working with the states and territories, through the Council of Australian Governments, to expand the use of consistent advanced care directives across Australia.
$2.3 million over three years to allow Palliative Care Tasmania to continue its important work.
$1 million over three years to fund Palliative Care Australia to improve paediatric palliative care support, including to: Develop new resources for families, such as on talking to terminally ill children and their siblings about death.
Create an online community for the families of terminally ill children, so that parents and carers are less isolated.
Build evidence on paediatric palliative care needs across Australia, to address current gaps and plan services and supports for the future.
Labor is committed to ensuring that all Australians is comfortable and able to live their final days in the circumstances of their choice.
POSITIVE POLICY
Life-Saving Ovarian Cancer Research
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $8 million over the next four years to make Australia a world leader in life-saving ovarian cancer research.
Ovarian cancer is the second-most common women's cancer in Australia with almost 1,500 women diagnosed every year.
Mortality is very high and is not improving at a fast enough rate.
Around 1,000 Australian women die from the disease every year.
While Australia's overall cancer survival rates are the best in the world, just 43 out of every 100 women are still alive five years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
With no screening test to aid detection and prevention, most women remain unaware they have ovarian cancer until the disease is at a very advanced stage with little hope of cure.
The symptoms are hard to spot and are often mistaken for women simply feeling tired or rundown or going through menopause.
Through research done here in Australia we now know that ovarian cancer is not just one disease, but a complex range of diseases with different characteristics.
However, it is still largely being treated as one disease with limited treatment options available.
More work needs to be done to save the lives of Australian women.
Labor’s $8 million investment will deliver on the recommendations of the National Action Plan for Ovarian Cancer Research to deliver an effective and focused research funding strategy.
It will provide better outcomes for women through a collaborative approach between funders, research organisations, researchers, and clinicians together with meaningful patient involvement.
Labor’s investment supports Ovarian Cancer Australia’s 25/25 Vision to reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer by 25 per cent and to improve the five-year survival rate of women affected by ovarian cancer by 25 per cent by the year 2025.
Ovarian Cancer Australia will use this investment to leverage matched funding for all research initiatives.
In Government, Labor invested more than $3.5 billion to combat cancer.
A Shorten Labor Government will build on this record through investments like $8 million for life-saving ovarian cancer research.
Labor has also announced that it will extend and expand funding for Breast Cancer Network Australia and double the number of prostate cancer specialist nurses funded by the federal Government.
POSITIVE POLICY
National Plan for Excellence in Perinatal Mental Health
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a universal perinatal depression screening program for every expectant woman and new mother across Australia.
Labor believes every child should have the best start at life and new parents should be supported through what can be a very challenging time of transition in their lives.
Perinatal depression is a quiet, under-reported epidemic in Australia and is a significant cause of maternal death and disability.
The evidence shows that up to one in ten women experience depression in pregnancy and that this increases to one in seven in the postnatal period.
Rates of anxiety are likely to be even higher.
Men are also affected. According to Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) up to one in 20 men experience postnatal depression.
Research also indicates that 74 per cent of mothers with pre and/or postnatal depression or anxiety do not seek help until they reach the point that they cannot cope.
Labor’s National Plan will: Ensure that all pregnant women are screened to identify their risk of perinatal depression and the presence of possible symptoms, in a cost efficient and sustainable way.
Empower women and families with tailored information to guide and support them.
Facilitate best practice early intervention, treatment and support.
Integrate screening results into the My Health Record to ensure seamless referrals to health practitioners.
Collect consistent national data to support monitoring, evaluation, awareness raising, research, education and continued destigmatisation activities.
Encourage private practitioners to adopt screening as a key element of a woman’s perinatal care.
Despite all the evidence of the prevalence of perinatal depression and anxiety in Australia and the known cost of not treating the condition being estimated at $538 million per annum, the Abbott-Turnbull Government abolished the National Perinatal Depression Initiative in 2015.
Labor's National Plan for Excellence in Perinatal Mental Health will reinstate a digital screening program and follow-up support for new parents in the perinatal period across all public hospitals, maternal and child health clinics and in other health services providing care to pregnant women in regional and remote areas of Australia.
The 5-year program has been independently costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office at $20 million and will be rolled out with the support of State, Territory and local governments to ensure that every woman in Australia can be supported during pregnancy and in the critical first year of a baby's life.
Only Labor will prioritise perinatal mental health of new mums and dads so that their babies can get the best start in life.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor Will Reverse Cuts To Medicare For Pathology And Imaging
A Shorten Labor Government will reverse Malcolm Turnbull's cuts to bulk billing incentives for pathology and diagnostic imaging.
In the 2015-16 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal outlook, Mr Turnbull cut $650 million from Medicare from vital tests and scans.
Mr Turnbull's cut came in spite of the overwhelming evidence that the former Labor Government’s incentives are achieving their aim of maintaining or increasing bulk billing.
In diagnostic imaging, for example, bulk billing rates rose 10 points in just six years thanks to Labor's measure.
Labor's measure gives pathologists and radiologists a specific incentive to bulk bill.
Without it, bulk billing will fall, co-payments will rise, and patients will be forced to pay more for tests and scans - or skip them altogether.
This would mean worse health outcomes for patients and higher costs to our health system.
It is vital that patients are not turned away from care because of their ability to pay.
POSITIVE POLICY
A New National Drug Strategy
A Shorten Labor Government will invest in a new National Drug Strategy – one that is proven to work.
As Ken Lay, Chair of the National Ice Taskforce, has previously said, we can’t arrest our way out of this problem.
Labor agrees.
In addition to a strong response from police and the justice system, we need to focus on treatment, prevention and harm minimisation to tackle this issue.
Our approach is based on evidence from the frontline about what actually works.
With a $31.8 million investment, we will deliver smart, cost-effective policies that help vulnerable communities in the grip of illicit drug abuse.
The first thing we want to do is to make it easier for a person to find a treatment service than a drug dealer.
We will work with the States and Territories and with the treatment sector to ensure that people who want to turn their life around don’t have to wait six months or more for a treatment service.
Labor’s evidence-based approach includes: Providing long-term funding security to treatment services so that they can get on with the job and plan for the future.
Restore expert advice bodies axed by the Liberal Government.
Boost the treatment workforce so that every person seeking help gets the support they need.
Update our harm minimisation strategies to reflect new risks for people using illicit drugs.
This builds on our announcement that a Shorten Labor Government will invest $18.2 million to implement a package of measures to tackle Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
When it comes to solutions for tackling substance misuse the Abbott-Turnbull Government has missed the mark again and again.
Although funds have been dedicated to tackling ice use, the treatment sector remains in an overall state of chaos.
NGO treatment services have only been offered a temporary one-year funding extension for a second year in a row, which makes it difficult for them to hire and retain the skilled staff they need to meet rising demand.
The substance misuse funds that support treatment services and prevention strategies have been cut and urgent warnings from experts in the sector ignored.
Harm reduction is the poor cousin in Australia’s current National Drug Strategy and has been given the silent treatment by this Government.
Right now we can’t say that the Government is doing everything possible to save lives affected by substance misuse.
We believe that families impacted by substance misuse across Australia deserve better.
Under Labor’s plan, taxpayer dollars will be invested in strategies that deliver real outcomes.
When someone puts their hand up and says they want to turn their life around, Labor will ensure that they can get the help they need.
POSITIVE POLICY
A National Approach to Suicide Prevention
A Shorten Labor Government will target a 50 per cent reduction in suicides over the next 10 years.
Labor’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy will provide a strong national commitment to reduce the suicide toll, and coordinate a focused effort across Australia.
Suicide affects far too many Australians.
In 2014, 2,864 Australians lost their lives to suicide.
Approximately seven Australians die from suicide every day, and for every person who dies from suicide, 30 attempt it.
We have to do better than this.
Too many families, friends and colleagues are left dealing with these traumatic losses.
There are too many kids in this country who have taken days off school to go the funeral of a classmate who has taken their own life.
There are too many parents who have had to sit at their kitchen table, shattered, exhausted and grieving, trying to write a eulogy for their own child.
Australia must do more, and under Labor, we will.
A Shorten Labor Government will commission Australia’s first national data-set of suicide deaths and work with the States and Territories to establish a national suicide register, helping experts identify vulnerable groups in our community.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $72 million over three years for 12 regional suicide pilot projects.
These projects will be in places with higher-than-average rates of suicide deaths, using a whole of community response to reduce suicide deaths in the most effective way.
Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for Indigenous Australians.
Labor will take action to reduce suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by working with communities to implement the recommendations of the University of Western Sydney's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project.
Labor will also ensure that at least three of the regional suicide pilot projects are in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $9 million towards a National Suicide Prevention Fund.
The Fund will support research into reducing suicide deaths, and programs which reduce the stigma around suicide and seeking help when contemplating suicide.
In contrast to the Turnbull Government, Labor’s Strategy will provide national leadership, and builds on our commitment to:
Restore funding cut by the Liberals to six early psychosis centres, supporting young people with serious mental health problems.
Provide funding so more than 95 headspace centres around the country can stay open.
Lead the negotiation to develop the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.
Deliver regionally tailored mental health programs through existing Primary Health Networks.
Make sure people living with a mental illness continue to receive the support and care they need when they are not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Promote the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance to support better mental health at work and remove the stigma and discrimination that all too often accompanies mental ill health.
Labor’s reforms will deliver $83.7 million over four years to provide national leadership on an issue that impacts on far too many in our community.
POSITIVE POLICY
A National Dementia Strategy
A Shorten Labor Government will partner with Alzheimer’s Australia to improve the lives of those living with dementia and their families, through the development of a National Dementia Strategy and the creation of dementia-friendly communities across the country.
Dementia is not simply an aged care issue - it is a chronic health condition with social and economic implications.
People living with dementia are more than the sum of their symptoms.
They deserve to live with dignity, support and security.
With more than 350,000 Australians affected by dementia, it is important to tackle this fatal disease.
Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 65 years.
Without a medical breakthrough, close to one million Australians will have dementia by 2050.
Each week there are more than 1,800 new cases of dementia in Australia – that is about one person every six minutes.
By 2050 that is expected to grow to 7,400 new cases.
Dementia costs the economy around $5 billion annually.
It is on track to become the third greatest source of health and residential aged care spending within two decades, representing around one percent of GDP.
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $25 million to help make Australia a dementia-friendly nation and address the increasing incidence of dementia.
This will include: Developing a National Dementia Strategy to ensure a coordinated national approach to the issue.
Supporting Alzheimer’s Australia to roll out the internationally renowned Dementia Friends program across Australia.
Establishing a dementia-friendly resource and collaboration hub.
Supporting local communities to become dementia-friendly.
Conducting two trials for respite models, to support those who provide care to people living with dementia.
A Shorten Labor Government will actively lead the way to ensure Australia is equipped and prepared to manage the increasing incidence of dementia.
Only Labor will put people living with dementia, their carers and those who provide formal care and services first.
POSITIVE POLICY
Supporting Australians With Disability
A Shorten Labor Government will continue to work to improve the lives of Australians with disability.
Labor believes that people with disability deserve the same opportunities as other Australians to participate in the community and have their rights protected.
We believe Australians with disability deserve a fair go.
In recent years Australia has made a lot of progress in extending opportunity, security and fairness to people with disability.
But we still have much more to do to ensure Australians with disability are not excluded from society.
Labor’s plan for Australians with disability includes: Delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme on time and in full.
Under Labor, there will be no cuts, caps or delays to the NDIS.
Reinvigorating the National Disability Strategy to ensure it continues to reflect the needs of people with disability.
Boosting employment opportunities for people with disability by supporting private organisations to develop Disability Employment Action Plans, reforming Disability Employment Services and introducing public service employment targets.
Making Australian beaches more accessible and enjoyable for people with disability.
Ensuring there is a full-time Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
Protecting the pension for people with disability.
Unlike the Liberals, Labor will not try to cut pension indexation.
Boosting support for independent advocacy organisations representing people with disability.
POSITIVE POLICY
More Support For Australians With Diabetes
A Shorten Labor Government will improve access to life-saving technologies for Australians with Type 1 diabetes.
Labor will fully fund access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for: All children and young adults up to the age of 21.
People aged 21 and over who have severe hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and who, for health or other reasons, have limited awareness of the warning signs of impending hypoglycaemia.
Pregnant women.
This $79.7 million investment over four years will fully subsidise CGM technology for these groups, making it available to those who need it most.
Based on analysis by Diabetes Australia, more than 6,000 Australians with Type 1 diabetes are expected to benefit from Labor’s investment.
At its most extreme, hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) can be deadly.
While deaths are rare, the long term complications of Type 1 diabetes can also be devastating, with effects including kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease, stroke and blindness.
Minimising these risks has previously required a painful and inconvenient routine of finger prick tests.
Continuous glucose monitoring devices continually monitor blood glucose levels through sensors placed under the skin, which are linked to hand-held devices such as mobile phones or insulin pumps.
CGM technology reduces the risks of Type 1 diabetes and improves quality of life.
However, the technology is expensive, and it is not currently subsided by the Australian Government.
Labor will remove this cost barrier for thousands of Australians.
Labor’s investment in CGMs also makes economic sense.
The devices help to reduce the short and long-term costs of treating diabetes.
Research shows that a single severe hypoglycaemic event can cost more than $18,000, including healthcare and productivity costs.
A Shorten Labor Government will also invest $4 million to expand access to the Insulin Pump Program, ensuring it can meet future demand.
The former Labor Government established the Insulin Pump Program in 2008 and expanded it in 2013.
The Program provides subsidised access to insulin pumps, which deliver a continuous amount of insulin throughout the day.
Insulin pump therapy can be life-changing and potentially life-saving for people with Type 1 diabetes.
It reduces the frequency of severe hypoglycaemia, enables better blood glucose management to reduce the risk of complications, and reduces the costs associated with ambulance use, emergency department presentations and hospital admissions.
Due to cost and poor access, only 12 per cent of Australians with Type 1 diabetes have accessed insulin pump therapy.
Demand for the pumps continues to outstrip the number of subsidies that are available, and hundreds of Australians are on waiting lists for the Program.
Labor’s commitment of $1 million a year over four years will expand the program from the existing 68 pumps a year to 200 pumps distributed annually.
This will meet current demand and help improve the quality of life of hundreds of people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Labor’s commitment to CGM technology and the Insulin Pump Program is further proof of our belief that all Australians should get the healthcare they need, not just the healthcare they can afford.
Keeping higher education accessible for middle and working class families: no $100,000 degrees
What should get you into uni is hard work and deep thinking — not just deep pockets.
That is why Labor is 100% against $100,000 university degrees.
POSITIVE POLICY
Higher Education – Getting More Students To Graduate
Enrolment at university isn’t an end in itself.
The previous Labor Government opened access to university – 190,000 more students are at university today as a result of our reforms.
Access will always matter to Labor – and we will continue to support the demand driven system.
But our next wave of university reform will focus on completion and quality.
We want Australian students who start university to finish university with a degree.
Department of Education figures show that 23 per cent of people who started a degree as full-time students in 2006 had not completed it after eight years.
There is evidence that attrition rates have been getting worse in recent years, meaning even more students are likely to leave university with a debt but no degree.
With the Commonwealth investing $14 billion of taxpayers’ money in universities every year, Australians are right to expect outcomes that benefit the entire community; young Australians graduating as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers and scientists enhancing our society and our economy.
A Shorten Labor Government will set an ambitious goal to increase the number of students completing their study by 20,000 graduates per year from 2020.
Labor will work with the university sector to ensure that incentives within the demand driven system are introduced to achieve this goal.
And because students need to graduate with skills, knowledge and resilience for their working life, not just mark their name off at class, a Shorten Labor Government will invest an additional $31 million in Tertiary Education Quality Standards Australia.
The boost to TEQSA will lift the quality of teaching and resources to ensure that students graduate with a high quality education that will win them the jobs of the future.
This additional investment will provide the assurance that our investment in higher education is achieving the right outcomes, for students as well as our economy: highly skilled, highly adaptable, technology literate graduates ready to compete in the world.
Investing in education is the single most important thing we can do to maintain Australia’s prosperity and secure the jobs of the future.
Labor has always been committed to opening access to higher education to more Australians and supporting universities as critical drivers of innovation across the economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Regional Incubators and Accelerators
Labor will create a Regional Innovation Fund, which will kickstart a range of initiatives to expand the role of Australia’s regions in contribution to the national innovation effort.
It will, for example, invest in an expansion of the network of hubs and accelerators across the country, focussing on regional and rural sites.
Labor will also support the continuation and expansion of existing university-based hubs and accelerators in metropolitan and outer-metropolitan universities.
Our approach will be flexible, underpinned by consultations with stakeholders in rural and regional Australia to ensure investment reinforces local economic strengths and priorities.
And in recognition of the success and demonstrated potential of existing university-based hubs and accelerators in metropolitan areas, additional funding will also be available on a competitive basis for these universities to ramp up their programs.
University-based accelerators will be at the centre of this initiative; however we will remain open to other avenues to boost regional innovation activity.
For example, funded entrepreneurship hubs could be based at a regional university campus or, in some cases, a local TAFE or private consortium that has attracted demonstrated regional support across business and state/local government bodies.
A Shorten Labor Government would fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators over three years, based on applications from consortia that must include, at a minimum: a regional university or TAFE; local government(s); and
a local business organisation (such as a Chamber of Commerce) or a group of local businesses.
Each consortium would receive seed funding of up to $500,000 per year for three years, which must be matched at least dollar-for-dollar with funding from the consortium or other sources.
POSITIVE POLICY
National Digital Workforce Plan
The internet and new technologies are massively disrupting the world of work.
In June 2015, the Committee for Economic Development of Australia published a report which predicted that as many as five million of the jobs we do today - two out of every five jobs - will be replaced by machines by 2030.
This is particularly acute for the next generation of workers with 70 per cent of young people currently entering the workforce in jobs that will be radically affected by automation.
By 2050, 13 of Australia's 19 industry sectors will be either transformed or gain significant benefit from information and communications technology, according to IBISWorld.
Major economic and employment opportunities are presented by embracing policies that support and encourage tech-fuelled innovation.
For example, in the US, experts have found that the technology sector is able to create jobs 25 times faster than the rate experienced by other US industry sectors.
Labor will develop a far reaching blueprint required to tackle the serious skills deficits holding back the sector and preventing us from extracting the great economic advantage that comes from embracing innovation.
Reflecting the huge local and international demand for skills and talent, we need a National Digital Workforce plan that can meet the needs of our startup community.
Importantly, our National Digital Workforce Plan will not only focus on deepening the pool of talent available to support our startups – this is also aimed at boosting the digital skills base across the breadth of our economy.
The key priorities of this plan will include: Strengthening the flow of entrants into the workforce who are keen to develop their ICT skills and seek opportunities within our digital economy
Improving the quality of ICT teaching in schools, vocational and tertiary education arenas;
Strengthening the quality and suitability of tertiary graduates for entry-level positions;
Addressing the low levels of representation by female and mature-aged workers within our broader ICT workforce population;
Lifting the functional knowledge of ICT within traditional industries and existing companies, to ensure we have a workforce that is capable of quickly adapting to technological change; and
Boosting the digital skills within small to medium sized enterprises.
POSITIVE POLICY
Startup Year To Create More Startups
Australian startups are crucial to building the jobs of the future.
The Australian tech startup sector has the potential to contribute 540,000 new jobs in the next two decades.
Labor will boost Australia’s young aspiring entrepreneurial talent by providing income contingent loans to students to support their participation in university accelerators or similar incubators run by successful entrepreneurs.
Startup loans will be offered to 2,000 students and new graduates each year that want to establish a startup within a university-based (or similar) accelerator.
The loan will cover the cost of the support provided to them by an accredited accelerator program and accredited non-award programs and initiatives, up to the maximum annual student contribution level under the HECS system.
Delivering new startup loans through the existing HECS system will offer final year students and new graduates the option of taking an additional business-focused year so they can develop their innovative startup ideas.
It aims to encourage systemic change at universities through supporting the development of university accelerators and incubators.
Over time this may assist in supporting more partnerships with well established and leading facilities such as Tank Stream Labs, Blue Chilli, Fishburners, ATPi and equivalents around the country.
Over time, this program will drive a competitive market as education institutions seek and develop the best talent and draw in private sector mentors and investors.
This will improve collaboration between universities and the investment and technology sectors and strengthen Australia’s entrepreneurial ecosystems.
POSITIVE POLICY
Debt-free STEM Degrees
International research suggests 75 per cent of the fastest-growing occupations now require STEM skills and knowledge.
Employment in STEM occupations is projected to grow at almost twice the pace of other occupations.
In his 2014 report Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths: Australia’s Future, Chief Scientist Ian Chubb called on the Federal Government to “Support the national interest by maintaining the pipeline of STEM graduates, and increase the recognition of STEM education and careers as a public good."
The Chief Scientist recognised that economic growth cannot be sustained without inquiring and capable people, a steady pipeline of specialist STEM skills in the workforce, and general science and mathematical literacy in the community.
Labor agrees.
That is why we will make a university STEM degree more attractive than ever before, representing a major step towards delivering the high-skilled graduate workforce our country needs.
We will provide a financial incentive for students to enrol in, and complete, a STEM undergraduate degree, in recognition of the significant public benefit of growing Australia’s STEM capacity.
Labor will offer 20,000 STEM Award Degrees a year for five years.
Upon graduation, the entire HECS-HELP debt will be written off, meaning these students can graduate debt free.
At present, an average science graduate will take eight years to pay off the $44,000 HECS debt they leave university with.
A Labor Government will give the next generation of Australians an incentive to undertake STEM degrees and offer them a head start in their working life, free of student debt.
This policy will take effect in the 2017 school year.
Previous incentives to study STEM subjects have been small, piecemeal and largely unsuccessful.
The STEM degree scholarships will provide incentives with a different scale and scope.
This policy reflects Labor’s focus for higher education: structuring assistance to encourage and incentivise completions at university.
Students will continue to accrue their HECS-HELP debt as normal, so a failure to graduate will see them retain that liability.
The policy will also reflect Labor’s equity objectives, with the selection criteria to target increasing enrolments in underrepresented groups like women.
With women representing only 20 per cent of engineering and related technologies enrolments, and 14 per cent of information technology enrolments, boosting the representation of women in STEM degrees is a serious priority.
Labor will consult with the Chief Scientist, and work with universities and State Governments to develop selection criteria  around access to the scheme, the eligible courses and use of the grants.
This policy will seek to encourage universities to work with schools and TAFEs to target students in their last two years of their schooling or TAFE, with an emphasis in boosting the number of STEM students from underrepresented groups such as women, Indigenous, regional and lower SES backgrounds.
The independent Parliamentary Budget Office has costed our plan to boost the number of students doing STEM degrees at $45 million over the next four years.
POSITIVE POLICY
Higher education – Student Funding Guarantee
Investing in education is the single most important thing we can do to maintain Australia’s prosperity and secure the jobs of the future.
Labor has always been committed to opening access to higher education to more Australians and supporting universities as critical drivers of innovation across the economy.
A Shorten Labor Government will build on this record – not just because it is the fair thing to do, but because our future prosperity depends on it.
Two in every three jobs created in the future will require a university degree, and so we need to be building the workforce of the future today.
The role of Government should be improving access to higher education not putting walls around our universities through a massive debt burden.
Labor is the party of education and expanding opportunity to higher education.
Because of our past reforms an additional 190,000 students are enrolled at university today.
Labor will continue the demand driven system and ensure that access to university remains a matter of hard work and good marks, not your bank balance.
A Shorten Labor Government will introduce a new Student Funding Guarantee to provide certainty to universities and remove the need for higher fees.
Under a Shorten Labor Government, average funding per undergraduate student in 2018 will be more than $11,800.
This additional investment will ensure that students are encouraged rather than deterred from studying at university, improving the productive capacity of our economy.
To provide certainty and confidence to a sector that is vital to maintaining Australia’s prosperity, Labor will legislate the Student Funding Guarantee, and index the funding to ensure the value of the contribution isn’t eroded over time.
Only Labor is committed to investing in higher education to create and sustain the jobs of the future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Higher education – Independent Commission
Studying at university should open the door to a well-paying career.
For that to occur, universities must be responsive to labour market pressures and educate students for growth areas in the economy.
Labor will continue to support the demand driven system which has seen an additional 190,000 students enrolled at university today.
But universities must also be attuned to the future labour market and the needs of employers.
Improvements in access to big data and advanced analytics capabilities will assist in developing better labour market profiles and forecasting skills needs.
A Shorten Labor Government will work with our universities, industry and science agencies to get the incentives right to meet the needs of the future economy.
From skill shortages in key occupations to productivity-driving opportunities in new industries, universities will be encouraged within the existing funding system to be more responsive to drivers of growth.
In consultation with universities, Labor will establish an independent Higher Education Productivity and Performance Commission to drive these labour market outcomes.
Similar Commissions are common in other developed economies; in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Hong Kong, and provide good examples of best practice for Australia to consider.
The current arrangements between the Commonwealth and universities have not always worked as well as they could or in the way they were intended.
Representing a $14 billion a year investment, Australian taxpayers are entitled to demand that their hard-earned money is delivering the highest standards of teaching and learning, for the benefit of individual students as well as our society and our economy.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will work with the sector to uphold a focus on accountability and performance and to lift productivity in our universities.
POSITIVE POLICY
Higher education – Clearer Information For Parents and Students
The success of our students starts with choosing the right course, at the right university.
There is an obligation on government to assist students in making informed choices upon entering university.
From the final years of high school, to applying for courses at university, we must do more to ensure that students and parents have the information they need to make good decisions.
With the demand driven system similar to a marketplace for students and course offerings, government should ensure that students are well-informed consumers.
Before enrolling for a degree, students should have access to information like what the average salary is upon graduation, and career opportunities upon graduation.
There are many opportunities to leverage digital technology and a Shorten Labor Government will engage Australia’s burgeoning start-up industry in this process.
More informed students and parents will mean better decisions and ultimately improved outcomes.
A similar approach has recently been announced in the United States by President Obama in the form of a College Scorecard.
Labor is committed to ensuring that students have the best information available when deciding to enrol into a specific course and will work with students, parents, universities, professional career counselling bodies and business to embrace new technology and forms of transparency.
Investing in education is the single most important thing we can do to maintain Australia’s prosperity and secure the jobs of the future.
Labor has always been committed to opening access to higher education to more Australians and supporting universities as critical drivers of innovation across the economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Higher education – Clearer Information For Parents and Students
The success of our students starts with choosing the right course, at the right university.
There is an obligation on government to assist students in making informed choices upon entering university.
From the final years of high school, to applying for courses at university, we must do more to ensure that students and parents have the information they need to make good decisions.
With the demand driven system similar to a marketplace for students and course offerings, government should ensure that students are well-informed consumers.
Before enrolling for a degree, students should have access to information like what the average salary is upon graduation, and career opportunities upon graduation.
There are many opportunities to leverage digital technology and a Shorten Labor Government will engage Australia’s burgeoning start-up industry in this process.
More informed students and parents will mean better decisions and ultimately improved outcomes.
A similar approach has recently been announced in the United States by President Obama in the form of a College Scorecard.
Labor is committed to ensuring that students have the best information available when deciding to enrol into a specific course and will work with students, parents, universities, professional career counselling bodies and business to embrace new technology and forms of transparency.
Investing in education is the single most important thing we can do to maintain Australia’s prosperity and secure the jobs of the future.
Labor has always been committed to opening access to higher education to more Australians and supporting universities as critical drivers of innovation across the economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
University of Tasmania Jobs and Growth Package
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $150 million in the education-driven economic revival of North and North-Western Tasmania to improve education outcomes and deliver jobs.
Under the $300 million co-investment plan with the University of Tasmania, two new campuses will be constructed at Inveresk in Launceston and West Park in Burnie.
It will create 3,110 jobs, including 265 additional academic and professional staff jobs and support 12 000 new students into higher education in North and North-West Tasmania
The plan is estimated to deliver $1.1 billion economic output during the construction phase alone and an additional $428 million a year in economic activity.
Project partners UTAS will provide $75 million towards the plan which will provide high quality, work ready, affordable associate degrees programs which are aligned to what industry needs, meaning more students into jobs.
Federal Labor today calls on the State Government to match the university and commit the final $75 million to make this project happen.
Over the last 12 months Labor’s Tasmania Taskforce has engaged with local communities in a frank conversation about how best to get Tasmania moving again.
Tasmanians - in each and every conversation and submission – have raised education as the key factor to power additional jobs and prosperity.
The University of Tasmania presented their proposal to the Tasmania Taskforce and have made a compelling case for a project that will transform Tasmania’s future.
This co-investment will both increase higher education participation and attainment in Tasmania, as well as underpin growth and prosperity in North and North-West Tasmania.
Tasmania continues to fall behind the rest of Australia in educational outcomes and rates of youth unemployment remain too high.
Tasmania has the country’s lowest proportion of higher education attainment, with just 14.2 percent of people having successfully completed university compared with 19.9 percent in NSW and 20.8 percent in Victoria.
This low level of educational attainments continue to put a hold on economy growth and productivity in Tasmania.
Analysis shows that Tasmania is an ideal pilot location for this type of facility, and the potential expansion of Associate Degrees as a way of addressing educational disadvantage more broadly across the country.
We are letting young Tasmanians down by not equipping them with the skills they need and disadvantaging businesses who want to employ Tasmanians and grow.
Labor’s investment will help young Tasmanians to get the education they need to get a job and support a stronger economic future for the state.
This approach will help build a more skilled and better qualified workforce, in an economy which is in transition from its traditional commodity and manufacturing base to the knowledge and service industries of the future.
The University of Tasmania believes that up to 35,000 eligible Tasmanians are not going to university when they could – this investment will change that.
While the Liberals' agenda to deregulate our higher education sector would see our regional campuses in Burnie and Launceston close their doors, Labor’s investment will ensure they not also stay open, but grow.
Only Labor has a positive plan for higher education.
The Liberals plans for universities revolve around $100,000 and huge cuts, which will hurt universities in places like Tasmania the hardest.
It would see regional campuses in Burnie and Launceston close their doors.
POSITIVE POLICY
Restoring Integrity in VET and Protecting Students and Taxpayers from Rip-offs
A Shorten Labor Government will introduce a loan cap of $8,000 a year in the VET FEE-HELP program as part of an integrity package to stop the massive waste of taxpayers’ money, to prevent price gouging of students and improve training outcomes.
Under the Liberals, the VET FEE-HELP loans scheme has escalated from $699 million in 2013 to $1.7 billion in 2014 and is expected to have blown out to over $3 billion for 2015.
At the same time, students are being ripped off by unscrupulous colleges and dodgy providers - and taxpayers are being forced to pick up the tab.
In some colleges it is costing taxpayers over a million dollars in VET FEE-HELP loans to produce a single graduate.
In 2014, the ten largest private training college recipients of VET FEE-HELP subsidies in Australia were paid $900 million in government subsidies - yet less than five per cent of their students graduated.
Labor will stop this waste of taxpayers’ money and exploitation of students.
Our plan will restore integrity to the system, by cleaning out the dodgy private providers who have been ripping Australians off for too long.
Labor’s plan to rein in these taxpayer subsidies and restore integrity to the vocational education sector will save Australian taxpayers $6 billion over ten years.
There will be an exemption on legitimate high-cost courses such as nursing and engineering following ministerial approval.
Other measures in Labor’s integrity package include: Ensuring that funding for providers is linked to student progress
Set national priorities to help meet the skills needs of industry
Crackdown on the use of brokers to recruit students
Ensure that only the highest quality colleges get access to funding
Tougher powers to audit, investigate and suspend unscrupulous providers
Nation-building infrastructure: jobs, road and rail
We are committed to nation-building.
That’s why Labor will invest in roads and rail to ensure our cities and regions have properly integrated transport systems that boost productivity.
POSITIVE POLICY
Empowering Infrastructure Australia
Australia has an infrastructure deficit.
Infrastructure Australia estimates the economic cost of underinvestment will reach $53 billion a year by 2031 and become an increasing drag on growth.
Well-targeted investment in infrastructure - whether by the private or public sector - creates jobs now and increases our jobs capacity in the future.
Investment in transport, energy, communications and water infrastructure also expands the productive capacity of the economy, growing the base for future Budget revenue.
The current Liberal Government has presided over a collapse in infrastructure investment. ABS figures show public sector engineering work has fallen by 20 per cent compared with the last quarter of the Labor Government in 2013.
Labor will take the politics out of infrastructure and put the nation’s interest at the heart of nation building again.
We will empower Infrastructure Australia to become an active participant in the infrastructure market, working with State Governments and brokering deals to bring nation building projects to fruition.
Infrastructure Australia will develop a long term pipeline for projects for the Commonwealth Government and ensure that projects move through the assessment, development and financing phases.
Just as the Reserve Bank of Australia is the independent authority at the centre of monetary policy, Infrastructure Australia will be at the centre of capital investment, driving results that are in the national interest.
It will operate in a similar way to the Reserve Bank of Australia and a Shorten Labor Government will properly consult the Opposition on all board appointments.
Under Labor, Infrastructure Australia will deliver:  Independent assessments and scrutiny
We will ensure that Infrastructure Australia independently assesses all major infrastructure projects on the basis of the benefits they provide to the economy and society as whole, their commercial viability, and their capacity to enhance national productivity.
Transparency
We will strengthen the transparency in infrastructure decision making through publishing the business case for projects and proper engagement with the community.
It is critical the public has confidence in infrastructure development.
Brokering
Under Labor, Infrastructure Australia will be given new authority to structure deals, engage private sector partners, and work closely with the state governments to take projects from the drawing board to construction.
Infrastructure Australia will work with the States, long term investors, the private sector, financiers and constructors, to address the market failure in bringing new infrastructure projects to the market.
Our plan to empower Infrastructure Australia to make decisions in the national interest and pursue projects with major economic gains will kick-start a new phase of infrastructure investment and help unblock the bottlenecks that are holding productivity back across our cities and regions.
POSITIVE POLICY
Plan For Our Cities
Cities matter.
They produce 80 per cent of our GDP
and are home to four out of five Australians.
Indeed, in the Asian Century they matter even more than they did in 1972.
The opportunity is clear: by 2030, the Asia Pacific region will have a middle class of 3.2 billion people, almost twice as many as Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East combined.
By 2025, this region will produce over half of global output.
Australia is fortunate to be at the world’s economic epicentre.
We must compete with our innovation, our skills and ability to deliver high value outcomes.
In the 21st century, productivity is the main weapon we have to grow national wealth, lift living standards and stay in front in the battle for international competitiveness.
Creative cities policy which boosts productivity will be critical to our success.
Labor has a 10 point plan for cities.
The plan represents a comprehensive vision that goes to the heart of what makes our cities productive, sustainable and liveable.
The plan comprises: Investing in properly integrated transport systems involving public transport and roads
Investing in active transport solutions which connect up with public transport, education and employment hubs;
Addressing housing affordability through the use of urban planning, land supply and use of incentives;
Aligning greater housing density with public transport corridors;
Promoting jobs growth in outer suburbs.
This could be through direct investment such as Badgerys Creek Airport and Moorebank Intermodal project
, or by giving consideration to incentives for location of business;
Promoting jobs growth in middle rings around cities by investing in research precincts around universities and hospitals;
Supporting connectivity and productivity through fibre-to-the-premise National Broadband Network;
Supporting renewable energy including buildings and precincts that produce their own power in new developments;
Enhancing sustainability and resilience of household and industrial water supply and rehabilitating our urban waterways which for too long were used for industrial waste;
Cooperation between Governments to promote the development of second or third CBD’s to decentralise jobs growth.
It recognises the need to create alternate employment centres,
protect our urban environment,
address the issue of housing affordability
and ensure our cities have integrated public and active transport systems.
POSITIVE POLICY
Financing The Infrastructure Of The Future
The current Liberal Government has presided over a collapse in infrastructure investment in Australia. ABS figures show public sector engineering work has fallen by 20 per cent compared with the last quarter of the Labor Government in 2013.
Infrastructure Australia estimates the economic cost of underinvestment in Australia’s roads, rail links and ports will reach $53 billion a year by 2031 and become an increasing drag on growth.
Labor will take the politics out of infrastructure and put the nation’s interest at the heart of nation building again.
We will empower Infrastructure Australia to become an active participant in the infrastructure market, working with State Governments and brokering deals to bring nation building projects to fruition.
To deliver a stable and ongoing pipeline of infrastructure into the future, Labor will also give Infrastructure Australia an independent financing capacity and balance sheet to jumpstart the development of new projects.
Establishing an independent, funded project broker that is able to structure projects and work programs to reflect risk will provide greater certainty for investors and incentivise States to propose projects and clear approvals.
Under a Shorten Labor Government, Infrastructure Australia will be given a new Financing Mandate that will mobilise private sector finance through a range of instruments including loans, loan guarantees and equity investments.
A more active role for the Federal Government has been called for by a broad range of public finance experts as well as private sector investors and the business community.
Operating in a similar way to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Labor’s new Infrastructure Australia will have a $10 billion financing facility, if needed, to deploy a combination of guarantees, loans or equity to get new projects started provided they meet stringent criteria.
Using a conservative analysis prepared by Infrastructure Partners Australia, a $10 billion infrastructure investment will directly create approximately 26,000 jobs
and add around an extra $7.5 billion every year to Australia’s GDP.
This is not a grants program.
Empowering Infrastructure Australia in this way will attract more private investment – not crowd it out.
It will only offer loans, loan guarantees and equity where there is market failure and where projects are expected to deliver a return on its investment.
This ensures that there is flexibility in financing arrangements to deliver the most efficient and effective arrangements on a project by project basis.
Labor won’t just talk about infrastructure; we will ensure it actually gets built by boosting Infrastructure Australia with an independent financing facility to make smarter investments that can get our cities and regions moving again.
POSITIVE POLICY
Smart, Sustainable Infrastructure
A Labor Government will toughen assessment of proposed major infrastructure projects by requiring the incorporation of smart infrastructure technology and sustainability measures before projects qualify for Commonwealth funding.
Under current arrangements, Infrastructure Australia independently advises the Commonwealth on major projects in terms of their cost-benefits analysis and how they fit with the existing infrastructure mix.
But a Labor Government will broaden Infrastructure Australia’s role.
We will add new assessment criteria on smart infrastructure and sustainability to increase value for public money and take genuine action to improve liveability in our major cities.
Smart Infrastructure:
Smart infrastructure is technology that increases the efficiency of infrastructure.
On roads, for example, modern signalling and traffic monitoring allows for traffic flows to be adjusted according to the time of day, making more lanes accessible during peak time.
This technology increases the efficiency of new roads, but in some cases, smart technology can also make existing roads so efficient there is no need to build new ones.
Under a Labor Government, road project proponents will need to demonstrate they have incorporated smart infrastructure and at least considered the alternative option of using technology to improve existing roads.
This will ensure we squeeze every drop of efficiency out of existing infrastructure and that new projects meet world’s best practice.
Sustainable Infrastructure:
Labor’s new sustainability criteria will ensure that government incorporates measures that add to sustainability when they design new roads and railway lines.
For example, when building a new road in a city, we should consider opportunities to build an adjacent bike track or walking track at the same time.
This will take more cars off the roads by increasing travel options.
In the same way, it makes sense that when we build new railway lines, stations should include safe storage areas for bicycles to make it easier for people to leave their cars at home.
The sustainability mandate represents genuine action on tackling traffic congestion in urban Australia, which will cost the nation $53 billion by 2031 if we don’t act to tackle it.
These new criteria for projects will be implemented through Infrastructure Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Plan for Australian Metals Manufacturing and Jobs
Being an advanced economy that can make things here at home means ensuring Australia’s strategic industries have a sustainable future.
To secure the long-term future of our local metal industries, we need to make smart use of the opportunities in front of us and build on Australia’s natural strengths.
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver a new plan to secure our strategically significant metals manufacturing industries, starting with Australia's steel industry.
Labor’s six-point Plan for Australian Metals Manufacturing and Jobs demonstrates Labor’s commitment to a strong future for Australia’s metal industries.
Under our six-point plan, Labor will:
1. Ensure Australian standards are upheld in Federal Government funded projects
We will introduce new steel procurement regulations that require projects receiving government funding to use steel that meets Australian standards and certification requirements.
These regulations will be developed in a way that is consistent with our international obligations, and adherence to them will be verified and monitored with rigorous third party audits.
Where there is currently no relevant Australian standard, these will be developed in consultation with industry and Standards Australia.
2. Seek to maximise the use of locally-produced steel in Federal Government funded projects
We will ensure local steel producers have the best opportunity to participate in federal projects through the enhanced use of Australian Industry Participation Plans and the rigorous application of Australian standards.
3. Halve the thresholds for projects required to have an Australian Industry Participation Plan to drive more opportunities for local businesses
Under Labor’s Australian Jobs Act, major public and private projects with capital expenditure above certain thresholds must prepare and implement an Australian Industry Participation (AIP) plan.
These plans ensure information about opportunities to bid for work on major projects is made available at all levels of the supply chain.
Labor will halve the threshold for private projects to prepare an AIP Plan from $500 million to $250 million.
We will also halve the public sector threshold from $20 million to $10 million.
4. Double funding for the Australian Industry Participation Authority and appoint an Australian Industry Participation Board
Labor set up the AIP Authority to advise and assist those developing major projects in meeting their obligations under the Australian Jobs Act.
The Authority’s role includes evaluating, approving and publishing summaries of Australian Industry Participation plans, as well as monitoring and reporting on the implementation of these plans.
5. Ensure Australia’s anti-dumping system has the right powers and penalties in place
Labor will make sure Australia’s anti-dumping system is operating effectively and will work with the Anti-Dumping Commission to accelerate enhancements to the system.
6. Create a National Steel Supplier Advocate
The National Steel Supplier Advocate will work with Australian steel manufacturers to win major contracts.
The Steel Supplier Advocate will particularly work with small and medium sized steel fabricators to generate the kind of consortia and co-production deals that will allow them to deliver products at scale and in more competitive ways.
Labor will start delivering our Plan for Australian Metals Manufacturing and Jobs within 100 days of forming office, with the establishment of the Metals Manufacturing Innovation Council.
Labor has developed our plan by listening to industry and being willing to act on the practical challenges holding our metal industries back.
We’re not just talking about keeping these industries strong for the future; we’re acting to make sure they can be.
POSITIVE POLICY
Backing Apprenticeships
A Shorten Labor Government will boost apprenticeships across the country, giving more Australians the opportunity to gain real skills and a good job.
Labor will do this by ensuring a proportion of the jobs on major federally funded-projects are delivered as apprenticeships.
We will start with a target of seeing one in 10 jobs on Labor’s priority infrastructure projects filled by Australian apprentices.
This will create 2,600 new apprenticeship places for young workers seeking a job and real skills.
In government, we will also work with the States and Territories and industry to develop procurement rules for apprentices that will apply to all infrastructure, construction and defence projects with capital expenditure over $10 million.
This will create tens of thousands more apprenticeship places in the years to come.
Only Labor backs apprentices and vocational training, because we believe every Australian should have the chance to gain real skills and a good job.
POSITIVE POLICY
Fast-tracking Priority National Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure projects have become much too politicised under the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Labor will take the politics out of infrastructure and put the nation’s interest at the heart of nation building again.
We will achieve this by empowering Infrastructure Australia to become an active participant in the infrastructure market, working with State Governments and brokering deals to bring nation building projects to fruition.
We will also give Infrastructure Australia an independent financing capacity and balance sheet to jumpstart the development of new projects.
We have announced an initial short-list of projects that Labor supports and would pursue as a priority in Government.
The initial list of projects that Labor will support includes: The Airport Rail to Badgerys Creek, connecting the Western and South lines
The Melbourne Metro
The Cross River Rail project in Brisbane
The ‘G’ Light Rail on the Gold Coast
Tasmania’s Midland Highway
Perth Metronet
Gawler Line electrification and AdeLINK in Adelaide
The Pacific and Bruce Highway packages, projects that have been underway for several years, but need to be fast tracked to completion
These are projects that Infrastructure Australia has either assessed, or where Labor will work with state governments to fast-track assessments – they are Australia’s national to-do-list of priority infrastructure projects.
Beyond these immediate priorities, Labor will develop a long term pipeline for projects and ensuring the steady movement of projects through the assessment, development and financing phases.
By building Infrastructure Australia up as an independent, funded project-broker, we will provide new and greater certainty to investors as well as creating a powerful incentive for State governments to propose and approve projects.
Just as the Reserve Bank of Australia is the independent authority at the centre of monetary policy, Infrastructure Australia will be at the centre of capital investment, driving results that are in the national interest.
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver better infrastructure to ease congestion, create jobs and improve productivity.
POSITIVE POLICY
Build Jobs and Industry While Tackling Climate Change
Labor’s guiding philosophy for more than a century has been that a stable job, with decent pay and conditions, is the bedrock of a decent life.
Saving for a home, raising a family, having financial security in retirement are only possible when you have a decent job.
Climate change will drive the most significant economic transformation in modern history.
That’s why we need a plan to address the challenges posed by a changing climate and create new opportunities for our businesses and industry –
and secure the jobs of the future.
To achieve this, a Shorten Labor Government will establish a Strategic Industries Taskforce to undertake in-depth engagement with emissions intensive, trade exposed (EITE) industries and identify options to support their future competitiveness.
This will be supported by a Strategic Industries Reserve Fund of $300 million to support the transition of key industries to 2020.
The heightened awareness of climate risk is driving rapid and accelerating innovation in our energy sector, resulting in falling costs for clean technology and renewable energy.
On top of this, the increasing market for low-carbon products, new patterns of international production and trade and technological advances have dramatically altered the shape of the global economy over the last two decades.
But there is an important choice for governments the world over – do they support this transition, ensuring their countries and citizens benefit from the change, or do they ignore the shifts, consigning their countries to laggard status in the global race for growth and jobs?
Labor recognises this rapid change means that “Business as usual” is no longer an option - structural change is inevitable, but we need to act now so that we can capitalise on these shifts to build a stronger, fairer and more resilient economy.
The transition of Australia’s economy to a clean energy future is not negotiable.
POSITIVE POLICY
High Speed Rail
A Labor Government will establish a High Speed Rail Authority to work through a process for gathering international expressions of interest over the construction of a High Speed Rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra.
Labor’s push to advance this visionary project will end three years of Coalition inaction on High Speed Rail, which would revolutionise interstate travel and turbo charge regional development.
A feasibility study completed in 2013 found the project would be viable, with the Sydney to Melbourne leg expected to return more than $2 in economic benefit for every dollar invested.
And an expert panel led by former Nationals Leader Tim Fischer and the Business Council of Australia’s Jennifer Westacott recommended creation of a planning authority to work with the Queensland, NSW, Victoria and ACT governments to advance planning and begin to acquire the corridor before it is built out by urban sprawl.
Despite the former Labor Government allocating $54 million to establish the Authority, the incoming Liberal Government scrapped the idea.
The Coalition has since refused to facilitate debate of the Private Member’s Bill that Labor introduced into Parliament in December 2013.
A Labor Government will create the Authority and, once it is established, work through a process for gathering any expressions of interest.
High Speed Rail is a proven technology.
Around the world millions of people travel using it every day.
Almost every example of well deployed High Speed Rail involves a partnership between government and the private sector.
Companies based in Japan, China, Korea and Europe have experience in constructing and operating successful High Speed Rail projects and we should use that expertise.
High Speed Rail would allow for travel between capital cities in as little as three hours.
It would also drive economic development of regional communities on its route including the Gold Coast, Casino, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Southern Highlands, Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga and Shepparton.
High Speed Rail stacks up.
We just need a government with the vision to get the ball rolling.
POSITIVE POLICY
National Cycling Strategy
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $1.25 million in the Australian Bicycle Council to ensure the ongoing development of a national cycling strategy.
The former Labor Government funded the Council in 2011 so it could develop the 2011-2016 National Cycling Strategy, in consultation with Australia’s Transport Ministers and other interest groups.
The 2011-2016 strategy saw a number of improvements nationwide, which included the introduction of pedal-assist bicycles, consistency in design guidance for bicycle infrastructure, the publication of national metrics and reporting on cycling participation, safety, integrated planning and government investment in cycling.
With funding set to end in December 2016, the Turnbull Government is jeopardising the development of this active transport policy by refusing to commit to any additional funding.
In contrast, Labor understands that our cities face challenges of increased congestion, which is why we will prioritise the cycling strategy.
A Shorten Labor Government will require that all projects submitted to Infrastructure Australia add another criterion to its assessments – the inclusion of active transport modes including cycling and walking.
We will also continue to work with States and Territories to consider establishing a new Walking, Riding and Access to Public Transport Council, as outlined in the 2013 Walking, Riding and Access to Public Transportreport.
Linking active transport through walking and cycling to our public transport systems is a key part of sustainable urban design.
This announcement builds on Labor’s plans to improve our cities and ensure they are productive, sustainable and liveable.
POSITIVE POLICY
Manufacturing Transition Boost
A Shorten Labor Government will unite with the Victorian and South Australian Governments to deliver new jobs in the regions worst affected by motor vehicle production closures.
Labor will commit $59 million to the Manufacturing Transition Boost jobs package to ensure regions across the nation - including Geelong and Northern Adelaide - continue to have strong workforces and local jobs.
These regions face the prospect of high unemployment and social dislocation after the Liberals goaded the car industry into closing down and leaving Australia.
This jobs package will provide pathways to new jobs for skilled workers by attracting new business investment in advanced manufacturing.
Firms will be given new incentives to diversify into new products and markets and employ automotive workers who have lost their jobs.
This package is critical not just for the automotive industry and jobs – it's critical for Australia’s economy.
Automotive vehicle production is supported by a supply chain of around 160 businesses, involved in component manufacturing, engineering, design and tooling.
It's estimated that for every one automotive job, 6.5 jobs are generated in associated supply.
Modelling suggests that 200,000 people will lose their jobs as a result of closures in motor vehicle production between now and 2017.
The shutdowns will rip $29 billion from the economy – about two per cent of GDP.
Under the Manufacturing Transition Boost jobs package, funding of $10.5 million will help existing automotive businesses develop and implement plans to plug into new supply chains, bring new products to market and improve productivity.
This will benefit firms across the nation including in Victoria and South Australia where the automotive industry is concentrated
as well as the 16,000 automotive manufacturing jobs in NSW and Queensland.
In addition, $48.1 million will be provided to stimulate investment in new opportunities in advanced manufacturing.
Rather than duplicate programs at the State and Federal level, Labor will leverage the work already done by State Governments and supplement existing state programs, both by increasing the resources these programs can draw on and by expanding their scope.
In Victoria, Labor’s Manufacturing Transition Boost will expand the Victorian Government’s successful Local Industry Fund for Transition (LIFT) program.
With location targeted assistance in North Melbourne, South East Melbourne, West Melbourne and Geelong, this boost will back Victorian workers as they transition to new jobs.
In South Australia, Labor will expand the existing South Australian Government Automotive Supplier Diversification Program (ASDP) through a $15 million investment to expand the program to non-automotive manufacturing businesses in South Australia.
Australians, and Labor, understand the importance of this industry, even if the Turnbull Liberal Government does not.
The Liberals have done nothing but drive advanced manufacturing jobs offshore and have abandoned Australia’s automotive industry.
For the last three years, the only jobs they've been worried about have been their own.
While Mr Turnbull waffles about the importance of manufacturing and a diverse economy, over 50,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost under the Liberals since 2013
Malcolm Turnbull and Christopher Pyne have sat in the Cabinet room and signed up to billions of dollars of short-sighted cuts that undermined Australia’s ability to be an innovation nation.
In contrast, Labor will fight to keep high-skilled, high-wage jobs in Australia, and is committed to supporting manufacturing workers and their families in the transition to the future economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Perth Growth Corridor Infrastructure Program
Labor believes in making our cities work better and ensuring Australians in growth areas have access to the same quality infrastructure as those living in more established ones.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will invest in new infrastructure in Perth’s key growth corridors.
Labor will fund a METRONET with a $1 billion contribution to planning and then construction.
Labor will duplicate Armadale Road, build the North Lake Road Bridge and fix one of Western Australia’s most notorious intersections at Denny Avenue in Kelmscott to get ahead of congestion in southern Perth.
This is the first step in Labor’s plan for productivity enhancing infrastructure in Perth that will deliver hundreds of jobs and make life easier for tens of thousands of families and businesses.
The Community Connect South project will open up the south eastern corridor of Perth, removing congestion, improving travel times and improving access to the new suburbs of Piara Waters, Harrisdale, Hilbert, Haynes, Banjup and Forrestdale.
This important project will support the growth of business parks and shopping centres in the area which in turn will support and grow local jobs.
Labor will also deliver $25 million to upgrade Denny Avenue and its intersections with Streich Avenue, Albany Highway and the rail crossing.
Recent growth in the Kelmscott area has seen this 200 metre stretch of road become increasingly hazardous.
Since 2010, 18,000 new residents have settled in the City of Armadale which puts increased pressure on this rail crossing and intersection.
A preliminary estimate of the cost of this project is around $50 million and further detailed design and planning work will be required.
These investments are a much-needed down payment to create more local jobs, more liveable suburbs and more productive communities in the West.
Labor will also address congestion issues in Perth’s north-west corridor.
Wanneroo Road is specifically mentioned in Infrastructure Australia’s description of congestion points in the Perth north-west corridor.
Delays at these intersections are contributing to an estimated delay cost of $2 billion by 2031 across this corridor.
Labor’s $45 million commitment will provide up to $22.5 million for the grade separation of Wanneroo Road and Ocean Reef Road, and a further up to $22.5 million for the grade separation of Wanneroo Road and Joondalup Drive.
These overpasses will provide for grade separation between Wanneroo Road and the crossroads at these intersections, avoiding the need for lights and significantly improving the flow of traffic.
These works will improve traffic flow at these growing intersections, significantly improving journey times and safety.
Labor calls on the WA Liberal Government to match Labor’s commitments and to provide the additional funding required to complete these projects.
How our cities function is a key productivity, growth and jobs issue. It strongly links to economic policy.
Labor has a proper cities policy, that means taking an integrated approach to how cities are built, developing public transport and roads together, using smart infrastructure solutions to manage our existing infrastructure assets better and planning ahead.
Labor has always been interested in cities, not just putting in a half-hearted effort in the last six months.
We need to anticipate and get ahead of expected growth.
These overpasses are an example of that.
The Abbott-Turnbull Liberals have done nothing to help create jobs in WA either, with deep cuts hitting business and consumer confidence.
Western Australians deserve better, and when it comes to local infrastructure, Labor will ensure they get it.
And there’s more to come.
POSITIVE POLICY
Build Perth METRONET
A Shorten Labor Government will create more jobs and get Perth moving again by investing in the city’s most important public transport project: METRONET.
We will end the shambles that the Liberals have made of transport planning by providing an initial $1 billion to build new lines and extend the passenger rail network across the city.
Perth is a fast growing city and it needs a clear transport plan.
Between 2001 and 2007 under the previous Labor State Government, 82 kilometres of rail was built.
But since 2008 just 8 kilometres of track has been laid.
Infrastructure Australia says that without additional funding for transport projects in Perth, the cost of delays in urban transport will blow out from $2 billion in 2011 to $16 billion by 2031.
While the best Malcolm Turnbull will do it take selfies on public transport, Labor will actually build it.
We will work with the West Australian Government to get the planning underway for METRONET, and submit a full business case to Infrastructure Australia.
Labor will contribute $760 million to the project out to 2020, with a further $240 million available in the following two years.
Priorities for planning and assessment will include: Building a Morley-Ellenbrook Line.
Extending the Northern Suburbs line to Yanchep.
Extending the Armadale Line to Byford.
Commencing a Circle Line, linking the Mandurah Line to the Thornlie Line.
Remove unsafe level crossings that slow traffic on the Midland, Armadale and Fremantle Lines and help provide an incentive for urban renewal
Building a new station at Karnup on the Mandurah Line.
Labor’s funding commitment to METRONET will depend on a positive assessment from Infrastructure Australia.
This is consistent with our position that all major infrastructure projects must be subject to a thorough and detailed assessment prior to securing funds.
The current Coalition Government cut over $4 billion in funding to public transport projects when it was elected, including $500 million for Perth public transport.
A Shorten Labor Government will not proceed with funding the Perth Freight Link project.
Instead, we will undertake proper planning for Perth’s container capacity as Infrastructure Australia has proposed.
We will also retain the current $59 million commitment to the Leach Highway upgrade.
This comes on top of the significant local road projects that Labor has already announced, like funding for the North Lake Bridge.
Like those projects, our funding injection for METRONET is a direct investment in jobs that will make Perth a more liveable city.
Only Labor has a plan to get Perth moving because we understand this growing city out west needs the same quality infrastructure and services as other Australians enjoy.
POSITIVE POLICY
A First-Class Stadium For Townsville
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $100 million to build a new Townsville Stadium in partnership with the Queensland Labor Government.
Construction of the project is expected to support over 700 jobs in the region and make a significant boost to the local economy.
For too long, football fans have been watching their Rugby League and other sport at sub-standard facilities compared to football stadiums in southern Queensland and New South Wales.
Labor will change this.
North Queensland and the City of Townsville need a first class sports stadium so that it can compete on the national stage.
Townsville continues to grow as a key northern Australia hub critical to the economy of Far North Queensland.
Modern community infrastructure is critical to local economics, particularly in regional cen-tres, helping to drive economic growth and local jobs.
Townsville Enterprise, a group comprising the Council, local businesses and stakeholders has been actively seeking funding commitments from both the State and Federal Govern-ments and Opposition to replace the ageing stadium.
Labor expects stadium construction to commence by early 2018 with the ground complete for the 2020 NRL season.
This project will be an important boost to the local community, and Labor will work with the Queensland Labor Government and the Council to encourage as much of the work is sourced locally as possible.
Labor’s commitment of $100 million is dollar for dollar with the Queensland Government’s commitment, to ensure that this important project gets off the ground.
This government funding is expected to attract a further $50 million from the Council and the National Rugby League.
Only a Shorten Labor Government will deliver the Townsville stadium that North Queensland’s community deserves.
POSITIVE POLICY
A ‘National Interest Test' For Gas Exports
As Australia makes the transition to becoming the world’s largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exporter, a Shorten Labor Government will introduce a Domestic Gas National Interest Test for new LNG facilities to ensure exporting natural gas is in the interests of all Australians.
The Liberals have refused to recognise the impact that soaring LNG exports are having on Australian businesses, especially manufacturers.
Our National Interest Test will help Australia’s gas exports continue to flourish while ensuring that all the economic costs and benefits, including those impacting manufacturers, are considered when assessing LNG project expansions.
Australia stands to reap huge rewards from our growing LNG export industry.
Only Labor can be trusted to ensure that these benefits flow to the entire Australian community, including Australian industry.
POSITIVE POLICY
Western Sydney Night 'No-Fly Zone'
Labor will act to ensure there is no noise impact on existing residences and communities from night time flights as part of Badgerys Creek Airport master planning.
This will be a part of a comprehensive aircraft noise mitigation plan.
This will ensure Western Sydney benefits from the economic boost Sydney’s second airport will deliver – including thousands of jobs – while communities aren't disturbed by night time aircraft noise.
We will ensure that approach and departure flight paths at night are directed away from residential areas.
Permissible night time flights at Kingsford Smith Airport are not allowed to fly over built up areas.
This will also apply at Badgerys Creek under a Shorten Labor Government.
This will amount to a “no-fly zone” at night, similar to that which operates at Kingsford-Smith Airport.
These flight path designations are easily achievable during the low capacity periods at night at Badgerys Creek Airport.
Labor will also ask for proven noise mitigation measures such as the landscaping that acts as a noise sponge at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam to be incorporated in the construction of Badgerys Creek Airport to ensure it is environmental best practice.
We will also ensure there is no concentration of aircraft flight paths over any particular community, as per best practice in other Australian airports.
Labor’s community consultation plan adopted in government will ensure that there is ongoing community input into the operation of the airport.
Labor is committed to ensuring that there is rail access to Badgerys Creek Airport and the employment lands in the region from the beginning of the operation of the airport.
We will also ensure that there is a local employment plan to ensure Western Sydney residents benefit from the jobs generated at the airport.
POSITIVE POLICY
Brisbane Roads Package (M1 and Ipswich)
M1 upgrade
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $168 million to upgrade the Gateway-M1 merge to ease congestion and boost productivity in one of the fast-growing regions of Queensland.
With congestion in this busy area frequently causing long queues and delays for motorists, Labor will add additional southbound lanes on the M1 between Eight Mile Plans and Springwood to improve the merge with the Gateway Motorway.
Under existing conditions, seven lanes merge into three at this bottleneck.
The $210 million upgrade, to be delivered in conjunction with the Queensland Labor Government, will significantly improve productivity by reducing travelling times, not just for commuters, but also for trucks moving freight around the region.
The upgrade is the perfect example of how the Commonwealth can work with state governments to unlock productivity gains and significantly improve liveability in our cities.
Labor will put people in the Brisbane-Logan-Gold Coast corridor first by lowering traffic build-up and easing congestion on this nationally significant highway.
The project is already listed on Infrastructure Australia’s national priority list.
Traffic congestion remains one of the nation’s most-serious economic challenges, with Infrastructure Australia warning the problem will cost the nation $53 billion a year in lost productivity without action now.
A Shorten Labor Government will confront the problem head-on by investing in strategically important road projects as well as the public transport that is needed to take cars off our busy roads.
It contrast the Abbott-Turnbull Government has failed to achieve progress on major road projects, actually cutting investment in the important upgrades of the Bruce and Pacific Highways.
These failures are reflected in Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing public sector infrastructure investment fell by 20 per cent between the September quarter of 2013 and the September quarter of 2015.
Labor has a strong record of investing in the M1, with millions of dollars’ worth of upgrades to the road paid for and completed when we were last in Government.
Despite the Liberals’ big talk on the M1, they haven’t provided a single cent for upgrades since taking office.
Ipswich
A Shorten Labor Government will match the Queensland Labor Government’s $200 million commitment to the first stage of upgrading the Ipswich Motorway between Rocklea and Darra to tackle traffic congestion on Brisbane’s southside.
The project scope includes:
Upgrading Ipswich Motorway from four to six lanes between Granard Road and Oxley Road
New southern service road connection from Rocklea industrial precinct to the Oxley commercial and retail areas
Seven new bridges, plus major culverts
Suscatand Street intersection traffic signals
Active transport improvements.
This important project will boost the capacity of the Ipswich Motorway from four lanes to six between Granard and Oxley roads, reducing travelling times for 85,000 motorists who use it each day, including 12,000 trucks hauling freight.
Labor committed to this upgrade in 2013.
But the incoming Turnbull-Abbott Government has failed to advance the project.
Last year’s Infrastructure Australia Audit identified the direct cost of congestion along this corridor at up to $40 million a year in 2011 and increasing.
The project is on Infrastructure Australia’s Priority List.
It’s time to get it done.
With south-east Queensland continuing to grow strongly, it is critical that our roads and railway lines are efficient or traffic congestion will impede economic growth and reduce job creation.
The Turnbull-Abbott Government has reduced infrastructure investment over the past three years.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing public sector infrastructure investment fell 20 per cent between the September quarter of 2013 and the September quarter of 2015.
A Shorten Labor Government will get infrastructure delivery back on track, not only to lift productivity, but also to provide relief for millions of Australian commuters who already spend too long in their cars.
The former Labor Government spent over $2 billion on earlier stages of the Ipswich Motorway between 2007 and 2013.
POSITIVE POLICY
Hobart Airport Infrastructure
An elected Labor Government will invest $32 million to upgrade the Hobart Airport Roundabout to ease congestion and boost tourism and trade.
This project will reduce travel times for local residents and visitors, increase productivity for truck freight, enhance trade opportunities for local producers, and improve access to the commercial precinct
The $40 million project will deliver a grade-separated overpass to remove the current bottleneck and allow free movement of vehicles on the Tasman Highway.
Residents living in Midway Point, Sorell and Forcett will be the key beneficiaries of reduced travel times and less congestion.
The funding is based on the State Government contributing $8 million to get the job done.
The Hobart Airport is also the main gateway to Tasmania with two million passengers entering the state by air every year.
With passenger numbers forecast to increase by 130 per cent and aircraft movements expected to double over the next 20 years, there has never been a more important time to invest in infrastructure in Tasmania.
Traffic around the airport will also more than double over the coming decade making tackling congestion and boosting productivity critical tasks to supporting growth.
The upgraded Hobart Roundabout will also help drive growth in Tasmania’s booming aquaculture industry, which relies on efficient access to the airport for airfreight of high value, high perishable produce.
In stark contrast the Coalition has failed Tasmanians, cutting Midland Highway funding by $100 million, the Rail Revitalisation Program by $60 million and failing to commit a single new dollar of infrastructure funding during its three years in office.
Tasmanians know that the only way their state will receive the infrastructure funding it needs to support jobs and growth is with a Federal Labor Government.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor’s $500 Million Commitment To Adelaide Jobs And Infrastructure
A Shorten Labor Government will create 2000 jobs in Adelaide by investing in the AdeLINK project.
Labor will invest $500 million to kick start this project, giving the South Australian economy and local workforce a much-needed boost.
AdeLINK will create local jobs today and give an opportunity for South Australians to develop skills to do the jobs of the future
Critically, Labor’s support for this project will reenergise the local workforce and create 2000 jobs over the construction life of the entire project.
Developing public transport infrastructure is critical to plans to ease congestion and reduce pressure on inner city roads in Adelaide.
Adelaide needs a public transport system which supports the future of Adelaide.
According to Infrastructure Australia, without additional funding for transport in Adelaide, the cost of delays in urban transport will quadruple from $1 billion in 2011 to $4 billion by 2031.
The State Government is currently preparing a detailed business case for the construction of the AdeLINK tram network.
The business case will include planning, design, and identification of the precise tram routes and stops, as well as environmental and land value capture benefits.
AdeLINK is already on the Infrastructure Australia Priority List as a priority initiative in the next five years.
Labor has a strong commitment to the local steel industry, and local steel jobs.
Labor’s contribution to the AdeLINK project will be consistent with our Plan for Australian Metals Manufacturing and Jobs, which requires all federally-funded projects to use steel that meets Australian standards and certification requirements.
This $500 million announcement, together with additional funding from the South Australian Government and local councils, will provide significant opportunities to leverage private sector involvement.
The $10 billion Infrastructure Finance Facility announced by Bill Shorten in October last year will also be able to allocate additional concessional finance.
Unlike the Coalition, Labor will not cut other projects in South Australia to fund projects.
The Coalition’s recent Tonsley line announcement was funded by cutting an Infrastructure Australia approved grade separation project at Torrens Junction.
The Liberals have added no jobs and done nothing to address the 20% fall in public sector infrastructure work that has occurred under their watch.
Labor is committed to creating jobs in South Australia
and growing the South Australian economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Boosting Rail Freight at Port Botany
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $175 million to unclog freight rail bottlenecks at Port Botany which are currently costing jobs across Sydney.
Australia’s economic prosperity is tied to our ability to minimise bottlenecks in the logistics chain and Port Botany is vital to that.
Labor understands this and will invest in the infrastructure needed to create jobs and boost operations at this important trade hub.
As a main gateway for container freight, unclogging Port Botany is a priority project for the future of Sydney industries, and central to boosting employment in the industry.
The full Port Botany Rail Freight Upgrade Program aims to take 300,000 trucks off the road each year by shifting containers to rail.
Duplicating the Rail will free up the movement of goods for exporters and importers, reduce logistics costs and boost capacity, productivity and jobs across industries that rely on container movements through the Port.
Sydney’s freight task is growing.
The more freight that travels by rail, the less congested the roads around Port Botany, including the M5, will be.
Only about 14 per cent of containers that arrive at the Port are currently carried by rail.
Labor’s investment will help the Australian Rail and Track Corporation (ARTC) achieve its target to take a higher percentage of containers on rail into and out of the Port.
The funding will also provide for a crossing loop at Warwick Farm in Sydney’s West, facilitating better movement by rail of containers and improving efficiency in south-western Sydney.
The funding is subject to an Infrastructure Australia assessment of the business case.
The $175 million is by way of equity injection into the ARTC, and will not have an impact on the underlying cash balance or fiscal balance.
Upgrading the freight rail line out of Port Botany is on the Infrastructure Australia Priority List for addressing in the near term – Labor is committed to acting as soon as possible to boost the Port’s capacity.
Developing the Port is good for local jobs, it is good for the economy and it is good for Australia.
Labor understands that an investment in infrastructure is an investment in local jobs.
POSITIVE POLICY
NBN - National Broadband Network
Labor is the nation building party.
From the Snowy Mountains Scheme to the National Broadband Network, Labor builds the infrastructure for the jobs of the future.
The original Labor National Broadband Network would have delivered optic fibre to 93 per cent of homes and businesses, providing speeds of up to one gigabit per second on a network easily scalable to much higher speeds in the future.
It would have provided our nation’s businesses, entrepreneurs, students and scientists with the tools they needed to compete in the global economy of the 21st century.
In 2013, Malcolm Turnbull scrapped Labor’s world class fibre-to-the-premises NBN.
Instead the Liberals are building a slower, second-rate copper NBN that will leave Australia behind and hamstring our economy into the future.
In the last three years Australia has plummeted from 30th in the world for internet speeds to 60th.
We are now behind most of Europe.
We are behind most of Asia.
We are behind the United States and Canada and New Zealand.
We are even behind Romania, Russia, Poland and Slovakia.
Due to the mess Malcolm Turnbull has made of this critical infrastructure project, Labor’s original plan for the NBN can no longer be achieved in one stage.
The Liberals have sunk $15 billion into the NBN in the last three years, and much of the initial build is under contract.
A Shorten Labor Government will deal with Malcolm Turnbull’s mess in two ways.
First, we will scale up the rollout of fibre-to-the-premises and phase out the rollout of fibre-to-the-node.
Construction of fibre-to-the-node will cease when the current pipeline of construction work is completed and design and construction of fibre-to-the-premises is scaled back up.
This will deliver fibre-to-the-premises to up to two million homes and businesses during the initial build that would otherwise get Malcolm Turnbull’s second-rate copper version.
Second, a Shorten Labor Government will commission Infrastructure Australia, with input from relevant experts, to manage the development of a plan that outlines how and when the parts of Australia left with Mr Turnbull’s second-rate NBN should be transitioned to fibre-to-the-premises.
You can’t have an innovation boom while you are still buffering.
We must get our broadband infrastructure right to be competitive in the region and globally.
Our neighbours in the region – Japan, South Korea, Singapore, even New Zealand – are all rolling out fibre networks.
Labor will ensure that Australia has the digital infrastructure we need to create the jobs of the future – right here in Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Western Sydney Rail
A Shorten Labor Government will tackle traffic congestion in western Sydney by building a missing rail link, connecting the north-west and south-west of Sydney, via the second Sydney Airport.
When complete, Sydneysiders will have a passenger rail network that allows north-south rail travel across western Sydney, and an outer orbital rail network.
Labor’s Western Sydney rail package includes $400 million made available to the New South Wales Government to get the project underway.
The funding will allow planning and construction to run parallel with the development of the airport.
This initial funding will create over 1,000 local jobs in planning and construction.
The project will help drive development in western Sydney potentially including value capture, including at the new airport.
Potential other points along the route include the Sydney Science Park and University of Western Sydney campuses.
Sydney is a rapidly growing city.
Infrastructure Australia forecasts that 84 per cent of New South Wales’ population increase will occur in Sydney.
Currently, most commuters travelling between home and work outside of the CBD have little practical choice other than to drive.
The second Sydney airport is estimated to host up to 9,000 permanent jobs by 2030, which is why it is so important to invest in the vital infrastructure to ensure people in western Sydney have access to these jobs.
The Abbott-Turnbull Liberal Government cut funding to public transport when they were elected, and are now trying to play catch up.
Since the Liberals were elected public sector infrastructure funding has fallen across Australia.
We’ve lost three years under the Liberals, and Australia can’t afford to lose any more.
Labor is the party of nation-building. Our infrastructure investments in growth areas will ensure that Western Sydney has the rail it needs to manage its growth and drive job creation.
Infrastructure Australia lists a Western Sydney Airport public transport connection as one of its national priorities.
Labor’s commitments are contingent on a positive assessment from Infrastructure Australia, consistent with our position that all major infrastructure projects need to go through a thorough and detailed assessment prior to securing funds.
These infrastructure projects are an important part of Labor’s cities policy.
Labor believes that the Federal Government should be involved in cities.
With 80 per cent of Australians living in cities, how we plan and design our cities is vital to making them productive, sustainable and livable.
The proposed connection has support from local councils and the National Growth Areas Alliance.
A Shorten Labor Government will work to get people out of traffic and to their destination quicker.
POSITIVE POLICY
Melbourne Metro & Park-and-Ride Infrastructure
A Shorten Labor Government will invest in public transport infrastructure in Melbourne which will manage a fast growing population and drive job creation.
If elected, Labor will commit $500 million to support the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project and a Park and Ride Access Fund.
The Metro Tunnel project will directly target capacity constraints in Melbourne’s public transport network, adding to the liveability of the city of Melbourne.
The project will add capacity to Melbourne’s existing public transport network.
Five new underground stations will be built and 65 new high-capacity trains will be added.
This investment will take pressure off the existing City Loop, allowing more trains to travel in and out of the CBD.
This will not only benefit the Melbourne inner-city, but Greater Melbourne, which will have more regular services and travel options.
Labor will invest $120 million in a Park and Ride Access Fund to boost car parking capacity at high use train stations, and make funding available for new stations where demand growth is expected.
Dedicated cycle facilities will also be incorporated in these projects.
Up to 12,000 commuter car spaces will be enabled by this investment.
Labor’s investment will take the total federal contribution to the Metro and the Park and Ride Fund to $1.35 billion.
This commitment is made contingent on a positive assessment from Infrastructure Australia, consistent with Labor’s requirement that all major infrastructure projects need to go through a thorough and detailed assessment prior to securing funds.
These infrastructure projects are an important part of Labor’s cities policy.
Labor believes that the Federal Government should be involved in Cities.
With 80 per cent of Australians living in cities, how we plan and design our cities is vital to making them productive, sustainable and liveable.
Only Labor will build the transport infrastructure that the residents of Melbourne will need in the future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Brisbane's Cross River Rail
A Shorten Labor Government will invest in the Brisbane Cross River Rail Project which will ease congestion, improve transport connections and create local jobs for a growing Brisbane population.
The project will create an estimated 8,000 jobs and the focus on infrastructure investment will increase the capacity of the entire Brisbane public transport network, getting ahead of growth.
Labor will provide $800 million towards the Cross River Rail, subject to a positive business case and finalised negotiations with the State Government and the new delivery authority.
Labor’s announcement follows the State Government’s announcement in its 2016 Budget that it will establish a delivery authority which will obtain environmental approvals and commence scoping of value share opportunities, early works and pre-procurement activities for the transformative project.
The Cross River rail project includes a 10.2 kilometre link from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills, with 5.9 kilometres of tunnel under the Brisbane River and CBD.
It will connect to northern and southern rail networks, providing significant benefits to commuters from both directions.
Stations will be developed at five key locations: Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street, Roma Street and the Exhibition showgrounds.
Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city.
Without an effective transport system providing access to jobs, Brisbane’s economic output could be restricted by about $69 billion between 2015 and 2031.
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver the infrastructure that Queensland needs to manage its strong growth and drive job creation.
In addition, a Shorten Labor Government will work with the State Government to access Labor’s $10 billion Infrastructure Finance Facility, which was announced in 2015, to determine whether innovative financing options are available to unlock federal funds.
Working in conjunction with the State Labor Government, a Shorten Labor Government will honour its strong commitment to the local steel industry and local steel jobs by maximising the use of Australian steel in all federally-funded projects.
When they were elected, the Abbott-Turnbull Liberal Government cut all funding to new public transport projects, including to Cross River Rail, and since its election, public sector infrastructure investment across Australia has fallen.
We have lost three years on public transport in Brisbane under the Liberals and cannot afford to lose any more wasted infrastructure years under a Liberal Government.
Labor is the party of nation-building.
Our investments will help the people of Queensland get their fair share of federal funding for infrastructure.
Labor’s commitments are contingent on a positive assessment from Infrastructure Australia, consistent with our position that all major infrastructure projects need to go through a thorough and detailed assessment prior to securing funds.
This project is an important part of Labor’s cities policy.
Labor believes that the Federal Government should be involved in cities.
With 80 per cent of Australians living in cities, how we plan and design our cities is vital to making them productive, sustainable and livable.
Only Labor will build the transport infrastructure that the residents of Brisbane will need in the future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Melbourne Roads
A Shorten Labor Government will tackle traffic congestion in Melbourne through targeted investment aimed at addressing growth.
Working in partnership with the Andrews Labor Government, federal Labor’s Melbourne Roads Package will boost productivity right across the state after three years of Liberal neglect.
Labor’s Melbourne Roads Package includes: $262 million for works on roads in growth areas of outer Melbourne, including Thompsons Road, O’Herns Road, Craigieburn Road and Bridge Inn Road.
$510 million to improve efficiency on the Monash Freeway.
$356 million to complete the upgrade of the M80 Ringroad.
Melbourne is growing quickly.
Between 2011 and 2031, its population is expected to grow by 1,700 people a week and the state’s freight carrying task is expected to nearly double in the same period.
We must invest now to provide the infrastructure to meet this projected growth or risk traffic congestion damaging the economy and reducing our capacity to create jobs.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has courted conflict with Victoria, particularly over the scrapped East-West Link, which would have provided a paltry 45 cents in economic benefit for every dollar invested.
Its failure to deliver major projects is reflected in Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing that public sector infrastructure investment fell by 20 per cent between the September quarter of 2013 and the September quarter of 2015.
A federal Labor Government will end the needless conflict.
We’ll get on with delivering the roads that Melbourne needs to manage its strong growth and drive job creation.
Labor is the party of nation-building.
Our investments will help Victoria get its fair share of federal funding for infrastructure.
We will also ensure that all major investments are subject to proper cost-benefit analysis ticked off by the independent Infrastructure Australia.
The last thing Victoria needs is another planning disaster like the East-West Link, a dud project funded by the Liberals without cost-benefit analysis.
There is a separate policy on the Melbourne Metro and Park and Ride Commuter Infrastructure.
POSITIVE POLICY
Victorian Regional Transport
Our Victorian Regional Transport Package includes $220 million for the Murray Basin Rail project to meet increasing demand for rail freight services as well as a $350 million regional roads package.
Between 2011 and 2031, Victoria’s freight carrying task is expected to nearly double.
We must invest now to provide the infrastructure to meet this projected growth or risk traffic congestion damaging the economy and reducing our capacity to create jobs.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has courted conflict with Victoria, particularly over the scrapped East-West Link, which would have provided a paltry 45 cents in economic benefit for every dollar invested.
Its failure to deliver major projects is reflected in Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing that public sector infrastructure investment fell by 20 per cent between the September quarter of 2013 and the September quarter of 2015.
A federal Labor Government will end the needless conflict.
We’ll get on with delivering the railways and roads that Victoria needs to manage its strong growth and drive job creation.
Labor is the party of nation-building.
Our investments will help Victoria get its fair share of federal funding for infrastructure.
We will also ensure that all major investments are subject to proper cost-benefit analysis ticked off by the independent Infrastructure Australia.
The last thing Victoria needs is another planning disaster like the East-West Link, a dud project funded by the Liberals without cost-benefit analysis.
POSITIVE POLICY
Boost for Central & North Queensland Roads
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver record funding to improve road safety, boost productivity and make life easier for North and Central Queenslanders.
If elected, Labor will deliver the following road upgrades: Gladstone Port Access Road – next stage ($80 million).
Walkerston Bypass ($150 million).
Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road ($30 million).
Hann Highway ($43 million).
Capricorn Highway Overtaking Lanes ($19 million).
Capricorn Highway – Rockhampton to Gracemere ($75 million).
Rockhampton (Bajool to Port Alma Road) Port Access Road ($15 million).
Cairns Airport Access Upgrade ($6 million).
The funding for these roads will come from the Northern Australia Roads Program, which is already in the Budget.
Despite the Abbott-Turnbull Government talking big about infrastructure in the north, they have failed to deliver a single new major infrastructure project for Northern Australia during its term.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that from the September 2013 to September 2015 public sector infrastructure work fell by 20 per cent under the Liberals.
In Queensland this included significant cuts to the Bruce Highway.
It’s simply not good enough.
Queensland is a large state which relies heavily on roads for the movement of people and freight.
North and Central Queenslanders also rely upon roads to connect their communities and provide access to services.
While the Abbott-Turnbull Government stood still on Queensland infrastructure, Labor stands on its record.
The former Labor Government provided $8.7 billion of infrastructure investment in Queensland between 2007-2013, doubling spending from $143 to $314 per person.
Only a Shorten Labor Government will deliver the infrastructure that Queensland needs to boost exports, create local jobs, drive growth and keep people safe on the roads.
POSITIVE POLICY
Bass Strait Interconnector
A Shorten Labor Government will fast-track the development of a business case for a second Bass Strait interconnector, delivering greater energy security and more job opportunities for Tasmanians.
Tasmania has some of the best renewable resources in the world, and already produces 17 per cent of Australia’s renewable energy output.
However, Tasmania’s own energy supply is not as secure as it should be, and there are limited opportunities to grow the sector.
The energy crisis that Tasmanians experienced this year – with the shutdown of the single interconnector – should not be allowed to happen again.
A second cable will protect the energy security of Tasmanian businesses and households, as well as opening up new economic opportunities.
A second link across the Bass Strait will expand Tasmania’s access to the National Electricity Market.
This will boost the capacity of Tasmania’s renewable energy generators to boost supply and local jobs.
If elected, Labor will work with the Tasmanian Government to develop a business case for the second interconnector for urgent consideration by Infrastructure Australia.
Labor will provide $5 million for the development of the business case, which will build on the existing feasibility study.
Subject to a positive business case and an assessment by Infrastructure Australia, up to $500 million will be made available through our Infrastructure Financing Facility for the construction of the second cable.
The project will be funded and delivered in partnership with the Tasmanian Government and the private sector.
Exporting Tasmania’s renewable energy to the rest of Australia is the key to new investment in Tasmania and new jobs for Tasmanians.
Labor believes Tasmania can become the renewable energy powerhouse of Australia – and we have a plan to make it happen.
A second Bass Strait interconnector is one part of Labor’s energy plan for Tasmania.
Labor has a comprehensive plan to boost investment and jobs in renewable energy, including: Ensuring that at least 50 per cent of the nation’s electricity is sourced from renewable energy by 2030.
Expanding the investment mandate of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
Ensuring the Commonwealth Government leads by example as a direct purchaser of renewable energy.
Labor’s energy plan is good for Tasmania’s energy security, good for Tasmanian businesses and.
good for Tasmanian jobs
Acting on climate change, protecting the environment
The key to tackling climate change is to drastically increase our investment in renewable energies like solar.
That is why we’ll commit to 50% renewable energy by 2030 because it will cut pollution, help create jobs of the future and lower energy prices.
POSITIVE POLICY
Net Zero Pollution by 2050
Labor has set a long term goal of net zero pollution by 2050.
This will ensure Australia delivers on the global, bipartisan goal of limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius on pre-industrial levels.
If we do not act, Australia will continue to experience an increase in extreme weather events, more severe droughts and rising sea levels.
All of which will come at an incredibly high cost to our economy, our environment and our way of life.
Labor accepts the science that limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius is necessary to avert dangerous climate change.
That commitment requires Australia to be a net zero pollution economy by the middle of the century.
Transitioning Australia to a net zero emissions economy by 2050 requires a decarbonisation pathway.
Under Labor, this pathway will have a number of milestone targets to ensure that Australia is on-track.
Experts, the environment sector and vulnerable nations strongly advocate for five year pledge and review arrangements and the UK, US, China and France have also proposed this.
A Shorten Labor Government will implement a five yearly pledge and review mechanism to assess progress and to adjust commitments over time.
To achieve the target of net zero pollution by 2050, Labor has set a target at 2030 for a 45 per cent reduction in carbon pollution on 2005 levels.
And within a year of coming to Government we will also put in place a 2025 target.
A 45% target is in line with recommendation of the Climate Change Authority and is the minimum level required to ensure that Australia can deliver and remains consistent with the objective in the Paris Agreement of keeping global warming to well below two degrees Celsius.
Labor will also continue to support the independence and expert-led Climate Change Authority.
That is why Labor will commit $17.4 million over the forward estimates to reverse the Government’s abolition of the Climate Change Authority and ensure that it continues to be appropriately resourced to achieve its role.
POSITIVE POLICY
50% Renewables by 2030
Climate change is driving the most profound restructuring of the world economy this century – the transition from fossil fuel based energy to renewable energy.
The transition is happening now and it is accelerating.
With the right policies the renewable energy sector provides immense opportunities: it will drive jobs creation, drive manufacturing investment and put downward pressure on power prices for families and small businesses.
A Shorten Labor Government understands the fundamental importance of this transition and the massive opportunities it brings.
We will put a strong renewable energy sector at the centre of Australia’s response to the challenge of climate change.
Transitioning electricity generation to renewable energy is also critical to dealing with carbon pollution.
The electricity sector accounts for 33 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions – the single biggest source of emissions.
That’s why a Shorten Labor Government will: Ensure that 50% of the nation’s electricity is sourced from renewable energy by 2030;
Provide certainty and flexibility with less red tape and more technology options for investment to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation;
Provide $206.6m to ARENA to support a specific Concentrated Solar Thermal funding round;
Establish a Community Power Network and Regional Hubs at a cost of $98.7m over four years; and
Ensure the Commonwealth Government leads by example as a direct purchaser of renewable energy.
The Liberal Government has done everything in its power to try and destroy Australia’s share in one of the world’s fastest growing industries with devastating consequences for our country.
In the last two years more than 2 million renewable energy jobs were added to the global economy, but over the same period 2,600 jobs were lost in Australia.
In 2014, clean energy investment grew in China (32 per cent), the US (8 per cent), Japan (12 per cent), Germany (3 per cent) and the UK (3 per cent).
But over the same period, investment in large scale renewables dropped by 88 per cent in Australia– from over $2 billion to around $240 million.
A strong renewable energy sector will be at the centre of Labor’s response to the challenges of climate change.
With the right policies the renewable energy sector also provides immense opportunities: it will drive jobs creation, drive manufacturing investment and put downward pressure on power prices for families and small businesses.
Labor’s 50 per cent target includes not just large-scale renewables but small and industry based generation.
The existing LRET and SRES schemes will continue operate to 2020 as per current legislation.
We want to see solar panels become the norm on the roof-tops of Australian homes and businesses, with millions more to be built and installed over the next 15 years.
We want to see battery technology continue to improve so that electricity from solar panels can be stored in most homes and small businesses to lower power bills.
We want to make sure that investors in windfarms and other renewable energy generators can be confident about investing.
Setting a long term signal for renewable energy will attract investment.
Over $2.5 trillion is expected to be invested in renewables in the Asia Pacific region to 2030 – it’s our job to make sure that that investment is made here.
The renewable energy and energy storage industries present an enormous economic opportunity of the next several decades.
POSITIVE POLICY
Animal Testing Ban
Animal testing of cosmetic ingredients is legal in Australia, but in practice it is rarely conducted here.
The large majority of cosmetics that sit on our shelves contain an ingredient or ingredients that, at some point, have been tested on animals.
Mostly, these ingredients have been tested on animals overseas.
Often, results from animal tests are used to verify products so they can be brought into the Australian market.
Animal testing is conducted on rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats and other animals.
The tests used to ascertain the safety of cosmetic ingredients often subject animals to pain and distress without pain relief (due to potential interference with test results).
Testing includes testing for skin irritation, dripping ingredients into the eyes of animals, testing for skin sensitisation, tests for allergies, etc.
There are no reliable figures on how many animals die each year as a result of animal testing, but the RSPCA estimates that tens of thousands of animals are tested each year.
Animals Australia believes that far more animals die each year as a result of cosmetic testing.
Labor will ban animal testing in Australia for cosmetic purposes and ban the sale in Australia of cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients that have been tested on animals.
The law should reflect the ethics of the community.
It’s clear that the vast majority of Australians don’t believe animals should suffer for better lipstick or cleanser.
Our policy is about the phased in prevention of animal testing.
Animal testing that has already occurred is not subject to the Bill, and cosmetics that are already available in Australia will continue to be available.
The registration process for new chemicals will be amended so that, in the case of a new cosmetic ingredient, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) must be notified of a substance’s animal testing history during the application process.
Under the proposed policy, if animal testing is found to have occurred it cannot be registered.
Our policy will be phased-in in over three years, allowing NICNAS time to develop alternative testing means and allow industry to change their current processes if required.
POSITIVE POLICY
Cut Pollution – Emissions Trading Scheme
If climate change continues unmitigated over the coming years, it will cause serious and damaging economic dislocation across the world, with Australia set to suffer the worst consequences.
For Australia, unmitigated climate change will come at a huge economic cost, not least of which will include severe and damaging impacts to the nation’s infrastructure and the death of ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Australia needs to reduce pollution and take serious action against dangerous climate change.
That’s why a Shorten Labor Government will: Introduce a domestic emissions trading scheme that will have two distinct phases.
The first phase is designed to get Australia’s pollution levels back under control and to establish the architecture for an enduring ETS.
The second phase will then drive the long-term transition in our economy;
Phase one of the ETS will operate for two years, from 1 July 2018 until 30 June 2020 to align with the second (and final) commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol;
Phase two of the ETS will operate from 1 July 2020.
Pollution levels will be capped and reduced over the course of the decade in line with Australia’s international commitments under the Paris agreement;
The broader ETS does not apply to the electricity sector (see separate fact sheet on Cleaner Power Generation); and
The scheme will allow business to work out the cheapest and most effective way to operate and will not involve taxpayers handing over billions of dollars to Australia’s large polluters.
Climate change does not just pose a threat to the ecosystems and infrastructure at risk, the costs will be more real and wide ranging.
Unabated climate change will cause huge upheaval in financial markets across the world, markets which underpin the wealth of Australians and the retirement incomes of Australia’s ageing population.
Recent studies have put the cost of unmitigated climate change to investors around the world at US$2.4-US$24 trillion.
Ambitious global mitigation action is necessary to avert this pending environmental and economic crisis.
Recent global agreements have been positive.
At the Paris climate change meetings, governments around the world, including Australia agreed to limit temperature rises well below 2 degrees Celsius whilst also acknowledging the need to for global emissions to peak as soon as possible.
POSITIVE POLICY
Cleaner Power Generation
A transition is needed to modernise Australia’s electricity sector.
Labor’s plan will establish an orderly pathway for this transition.
Australia’s electricity generation sector is the largest source of carbon pollution in the economy, producing around one third of the nation’s pollution.
It simply must get cleaner.
To achieve this, a Shorten Labor Government will: Ensure the National Electricity Market meets the needs of 21st century consumers through an Electricity Modernisation Review;
Develop a plan to ensure the orderly transition of Australia’s energy generation from polluting coal-fired power stations to renewable and clean energy, with a core focus on supporting workers and communities
; and implement an electricity emissions trading scheme
Labor’s plan will drive billions of dollars in new investment in renewable energy in Australia - boosting our generation capacity and re-shaping the energy mix that powers our businesses and households.
This step up in renewable energy capacity will mean that old, heavy polluting power stations will become less and less a feature of Australia’s energy future.
This shift will require a framework to ensure that the transition is orderly, so that the hand over from old to new sources of generation is in the best interests of the economy and consumers.
This framework will need to be designed to strengthen and modernise the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Labor is proposing a standalone approach for cutting pollution in the electricity sector.
Labor recognises that the electricity sector is unique to the economy, and so this package of measures has been structured to best meet our climate change targets in the most efficient way.
Labor has designed policy settings to strengthen energy security, apply downward pressure on power prices, and drive the transition to clean sources of power.
POSITIVE POLICY
Increased Energy Efficiency
For Australia to build a strong economy we need to lift productivity across the board.
Energy is a key input and significant, growing driver of costs in our economy.
That is why we need to put in place strategies to ensure that energy – like labour, capital and other economic inputs – is used efficiently and productively.
To achieve this, a Shorten Labor Government will: Double Australia’s energy productivity by 2030;
Introduce new emissions standards for motor vehicles to reduce emissions in the transport sector;
Support policies that reduce per capita environmental impacts in our cities, including more efficient building design and public transport systems;
and Broaden Infrastructure Australia’s role to include new assessment criteria of smart infrastructure and sustainability.
We need to have an energy system that is secure, reliable and sustainable while also being efficient and affordable.
Boosting our energy productivity helps lift our overall competitiveness.
It will reduce costs for business, improve profitability of enterprise and free up capital for investment and job creation.
Improving energy productivity is also key to decarbonising Australia's economy while maintaining economic growth.
Australia remains a relatively energy-intensive economy by OECD standards.
Energy productivity improvements in recent years have been poor, against both OECD and G20 averages.
Over the past two decades, for example, China has improved its energy productivity twice as fast as Australia.
We currently sit in the bottom quartile of OECD nations on this important economic measure.
Australia’s relatively poor performance has been exacerbated by large increases in energy costs in recent years - electricity in the past decade and gas more recently.
Energy costs grew by two thirds in the decade to 2011-12 - from $72 billion to $120 billion, which is close to the total private sector labour costs for the whole of Queensland.
Over that same decade, average energy prices rose by 38 per cent, while productivity only increased by 16 per cent.
Improving energy productivity can make a significant difference to improvements on overall economic productivity.
Strong performance in energy productivity has multiple benefits - reducing pollution and reducing costs for households and business, and driving growth in the national economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Carbon Capture on the Land
The farming sector has made the most substantial contribution to emissions reduction in Australia over the past twenty years, largely through the land clearing restrictions placed on the sector at State level as well as the successful Carbon Farming Initiative implemented by the last Labor Government.
It is in the national interest that the sector be able to exploit the new, enhanced export opportunities in a way that is consistent with responsible land management.
The land and agricultural sector represent Australia’s largest opportunity in coming years to sequester carbon pollution (through soil carbon methods, re-afforestation, avoided deforestation and more).
That’s why a Shorten Labor Government will: Work with stakeholders to develop an appropriate “trigger” in federal environmental protection laws to cover Australia’s national and international commitments around climate change;
Require the adoption of consistent reporting of land and tree clearing across States and the Commonwealth;
Reinvigorate the COAG National Vegetation Management Framework;
And Reinvigorate the Carbon Farming Initiative.
Climate change will severely impact on those families, farmers and businesses that depend on natural resources, like agriculture and forestry for their livelihoods.
That’s because climate change means longer droughts in parts of Australia estimated, from 2020, to cost Australia $7.3 billion annually - reducing GDP by 1 per cent, per annum, broken by more damaging floods, more frequent bushfires and more severe storms.
Australia achieved our first commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to restrain carbon pollution (to 108% of 1990 levels by 2012) because of a significant reduction in land sector emissions.
These are known technically as “land use, land use change and forestry” or LULUCF.
The Kyoto Protocol only set binding targets for pollution reduction on developed nations, and most of them had stopped land clearing a long time ago.
Australia lobbied hard to allow reductions in land sector emissions to be counted within the Kyoto Protocol.
As a result, that provision is generally described as the “Australia clause”.
Many other developed nations resent such emissions changes being counted, but it was critically important to Australia’s achievement of our first Kyoto commitment.
Excluding LULUCF (which many nations do in counting emissions), Australia’s emissions averaged 130% of 1990 levels (rather than 103%) over the first commitment period (2008-2012).
POSITIVE POLICY
Protecting Animal Welfare And Boosting Agricultural Profitability
Protecting animal welfare and boosting agricultural profitability aren’t competing aims – they support one another.
Labor has a six-point plan to ensure protecting animals is a top priority for every industry that works with them.
A Shorten Labor Government will:
1. Establish an independent Office of Animal Welfare
In government, we will work with the States and Territories to identify the most appropriate structure for an Office of Animal Welfare operating independently of government.
The office would ultimately have responsibility for providing advice and oversight on the full spectrum of animal welfare issues – including issues like kangaroo culling, puppy farms and commercial animal husbandry – with equal buy-in from the Commonwealth, States and Territories.
Labor will also re-establish State and Territory intergovernmental cooperation to ensure animal welfare matters receive the consistent national approach they deserve.
2. Establish an independent Inspector-General of Animal Welfare
We will provide $1 million a year to establish the Inspector-General of Animal Welfare as an independent statutory position operating from within the Department of Agriculture.
The Inspector-General will be responsible for leading the work to establish the independent Office of Animal Welfare.
They will also be responsible for advising on the protection of animals in all Commonwealth-regulated activities, and will report directly to the Minister of the day on issues like live exports, animal welfare standards and guidelines.
3. Renew the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy
Labor will work with the States and Territories, industry and animal welfare groups to update and renew the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy for the coming decade.
We will draw on the best available research and evidence to develop a strategy that confirms Australia as a leader in our region for the care and protection of animals.
4. Review the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System
The Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System plays a critical role in reassuring Australian agricultural producers, their customers and the broader community that animal welfare is being protected at every stage from the farm gate to the plate.
In government, Labor will conduct a top-to-bottom review of the system to ensure it is working as effectively and efficiently as possible.
5. Provide more transparency and accountability
Under Labor, the Minister for Agriculture will provide quarterly reports to the Parliament on:  New and emerging markets.
The number of head exported.
Any allegations of breaches of animal welfare standards and investigations undertaken.
Any sanctions or other action taken for breaches of Australia’s animal welfare standards.
6. Ban animal testing for cosmetics within Australia and the importation or sale of new products tested on animals overseas
Labor’s national consultations on animal testing in 2014 received more than 13,000 submissions.
Over 90 per cent supported a ban on animal testing for cosmetics, along with the importation of products that use this.
Labor’s plan will re-establish national leadership on animal welfare – filling the void left by the Abbott-Turnbull Government over its time in office.
POSITIVE POLICY
Double The Number Of Indigenous Rangers
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $200 million over 5 years to double the number of Indigenous rangers under the Working on Country program, from 775 in 2016-17 to 1550 in 2020-21.
This is an excellent program that builds on the strong link between Indigenous Australians and the land to improve environmental and cultural conservation and to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Rangers undertake valuable work in endangered species protection, fire management, cultural site management, feral animal control, weed control, environmental monitoring, pollution and climate change impact management and tourism management.
But this program is about more than environmental and cultural conservation work.
Indigenous rangers are role models in their communities, providing a pathway from welfare to work that has been shown to improve Indigenous health, incomes, crime rates and incarceration rates.
It is a program that provides training and real, good jobs in some of the most remote and disadvantaged Indigenous communities in Australia.
Labor is proud of its environmental record and we are proud of our record in tackling Indigenous disadvantage.
Our commitment to double the size of the Indigenous Ranger Program continues our record in both areas.
POSITIVE POLICY
Great Barrier Reef Plan
Labor recognises the huge environmental, social and economic importance of the Great Barrier Reef. We also recognise that this incredible natural wonder is a delicate ecosystem that needs careful study, management, investment and preservation.
The Great Barrier Reef attracts more than 2 million visitors each year, contributes $5.7 billion to the economy, and supports approximately 70,000 jobs.
Since 1985, half the hard coral cover across the reef has been lost due to pressures such as climate change, poor water quality (nutrients, sediments and pesticides), coastal development, extreme weather events including freshwater inundation, ocean acidification and outbreaks of Crown of Thorns Starfish.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority provides an assessment of the outlook for the Reef every five years.
The Outlook Report in 2014 found that the overall outlook for the Great Barrier Reef is poor, and the situation has deteriorated since 2009.
The Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce report of May 2016 confirms that Climate Change is the single biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef.
This is made stark given recent coral bleaching events in the Reef, which are unprecedented in scale and scope.
We face a complex environmental and economic challenge in protecting our Reef for future generations and to rise to that challenge we need to work with all interested and affected parties.
Only Labor has a plan that is equal to this challenge.
Labor’s Great Barrier Reef Plan
Labor’s plan for the Great Barrier Reef represents a $500 million down-payment on a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address all the pressures being faced by this great natural wonder.
Our plan will be implemented in close consultation with the Queensland Government and all other stakeholders, with the Environment Minister taking a direct leadership role in its implementation.
Labor will work with the Queensland Government and stakeholders to implement the recommendations of the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce report, released in May 2016.
We will do this as part of our Great Barrier Reef Plan.
Our plan has three pillars: Science and Research: Improve science and research and monitoring of reef issues to ensure the protection and sustainability of the Reef is based on the latest, specialised science.
This includes an additional investment in climate and reef science at the CSIRO of $50 million.
Direct Environmental Investment: Integrated direct investment to improve water quality, land management, agricultural and transport sustainability and environmental impacts.
Reef Management: Improve Reef management architecture and incentives to fix the fragmented and uncoordinated approach that has for too long characterised Reef management and conservation.
We must work together and develop an organisational architecture that works effectively and efficiently, with all stakeholders playing their part, if we are to rise to the challenge and truly protect the Reef and restore its health.
Our plan is flexible and it will be implemented to meet the dynamic needs of Reef preservation in a fit for purpose and efficient way.
Through our flexible but considered and collaborative approach, we will ensure the Great Barrier Reef has the very best change to grow as a national environmental and economic asset, generating more jobs, businesses and memories for countless Australian and overseas visitors for generations to come.
POSITIVE POLICY
Community Power Network
Labor knows that as part of Australia’s economic transformation we need to seriously tackle climate change.
All Australians need to be able to benefit from renewable energy solutions in their homes and communities.
But we also know that some people and communities face massive barriers to taking advantage of renewable energy.
Social and community housing, rental properties and apartment-style living all face barriers and to overcome these barriers, we need a government that is willing to act.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will work with the State and Territory Governments to develop a Community Power Network that will draw from the skills and expertise around the country to support the delivery of renewable energy solutions in social and community housing, rental properties and apartment-style living.
The Network will oversee the creation of up to ten Community Power Hubs across Australia that will help local communities access renewable energy.
Community Power Hubs will provide legal and technical expertise and start-up funding to help kick-start clean energy projects across Australia.
The Network will also develop an online community to ensure that ideas, models, business plans, implementation strategies and case studies are freely available to all community energy groups.
Labor will provide $98.7 million over four years to establish the Community Power Network and Community Power Hubs.
This funding includes over $16.0 million per year in competitive grants for community groups to pilot new approaches and demonstration projects in community housing, providing lessons that can then be rolled out nationally through the Network.
POSITIVE POLICY
Government Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements
In 2020 the Large Scale Renewable Energy Target and Small Scale Renewable Energy Schemes come to an end.
In order to further boost support for renewables, a Shorten Labor Government will also show leadership in driving the transition to renewable energy by facilitating a process through which the Commonwealth bundles its total energy demand into Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).
PPAs are a key financing mechanism to drive new investment in renewable energy.
The Government is a significant energy user and a Shorten Labor Government will play a direct role in expanding Australia’s renewable energy industry.
To directly drive investment in renewable energy, from 2020 a Shorten Labor Government will work with energy providers to enter into PPAs equal to bringing Commonwealth energy use up to 50% renewable energy by 2030.
These will be 10 to 15 year contracts, and will provide the certainty needed for long term investment in the renewable energy sector.
Labor will consult with the energy industry and regulators in finalising the design of this proposal.
In contrast to Labor’s pro-renewables policies, the Liberals have overseen almost 3,000 renewable energy job losses and in their first year in Government, their anti-renewable stance resulted in an 88 per cent fall in large scale renewable energy investment.
Only Labor has a positive plan to support and grow renewable energy and
grow jobs in this crucial industry
POSITIVE POLICY
Marine Parks: Protecting Our Oceans And Fisheries
Labor understands Australians have a strong connection to our marine life.
The Marine Park plan the last Labor Government put in place created the world’s largest network of marine protected areas in the world – over 2.3 million square kilometres were protected as Commonwealth Marine Parks.
As part of this plan, Labor also released a Fisheries Adjustment Assistance Package to help the commercial fishing industry adjust to the creation of expanded Marine Parks.
A Shorten Labor Government will re-commit to both our expanded network of Marine Parks and a Fisheries Adjustment Package to ensure any impacted fishers will be assisted with any impacts from expanded Marine Parks.
Labor understands that commercial fishing is an extremely important industry to regional communities and the country as a whole.
That is why we’re determined that our Marine Parks do not undermine this industry.
Labor will achieve our marine ecological, economic and social objectives in an open, integrated, participatory and planned manner.
Labor will use modern, best practice public processes like marine spatial planning involving stakeholders in a transparent way, to create and establish a more rational, adaptive and strategic use of marine space and the interactions between its uses.
Protecting penalty rates and your rights at work
Labor believes in weekend penalty rates.
This is a core Labor belief.
That is why Labor will fight to protect your penalty rates and your rights at work.
POSITIVE POLICY
Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines
A Shorten Labor Government will reinstate the Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines, which were callously and heartlessly abolished by the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
The Guidelines will ensure better wages and conditions for cleaners working in Commonwealth buildings by requiring those companies who tender for Commonwealth cleaning contracts to pay cleaners modestly above the award wage.
The decision to abolish the Guidelines is just one of a string of Abbott-Turnbull Government attacks on low paid workers, including delaying the rise in super from 9 to 12 per cent and slashing penalty rates.
In view of the history of underpayment, exploitation and unsafe work practices in the cleaning industry, the former Labor Government identified this sector as requiring special attention to promote fairness, bargaining, freedom of association and other workplace rights.
Our view has not changed.
Cleaners do a fantastic job, and they deserve respect and fair wages and conditions.
They’ll get them under a Shorten Labor Government.
POSITIVE POLICY
Safeguarding Workers Rights
Recent examples of clear and widespread worker exploitation at notable companies have been met by silence and inaction from the Turnbull Government, despite continuous calls from Labor to give more power and resources to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
In 2015 we saw too many instances of workers’ rights trampled, not just by fly-by-night operations, but by household names.
Employers who deliberately underpay their workers not only deny working and middle class Australians a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, they also undercut employers who are doing the right thing for their workforce.
It’s a distortion of the market that drags everyone down.
A Shorten Labor Government will stand up for working and middle class families.
Labor will put people first, strengthening and protecting workers’ rights at work by:  Cracking down on the underpayment of workers, with increased penalties for employers who deliberately and systemically avoid paying their employees properly;
Ramping up protections for workers from sham contracting;
Giving the Fair Work Ombudsman the powers and resources to pursue employers who liquidate their companies in order to avoid paying the money they owe their workers
Introducing reforms to ensure that temporary overseas workers are not being exploited and underpaid and that there is a level playing field for all workers in Australia.
Labor’s package of reforms builds on its strong record of protecting wages and conditions and cracking down on worker exploitation.
That is because only Labor understands that fairness at work helps to drive a more productive, competitive and prosperous economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Protect Weekend Penalty Rates
Labor believes that penalty rates continue to be a fundamental part of a strong safety net for Australian workers, enabling those in low income and highly casualised industries to share in the nation’s economic prosperity.
Labor understands that penalty rates are not a luxury; they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for the 4.5 million Australians that rely on them.
Penalty rates are not only critical to the individuals and their families who rely on them; if you reduce the take home pay of low-paid workers, you reduce the amount they spend, which will negatively impact the economy as a whole.
Hospitality workers are in the bottom 30 per cent of Australian income earners.
Along with hospitality and food services, retail has the largest proportion of low paid workers in Australia.
Women make up a disproportionate share of workers in both the retail and hospitality sectors accounting for 55 per cent of all those employed.
Labor understands that for these workers weekend penalty rates are not a luxury, they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table.
Labor supports workers' weekend penalty rates and will oppose Mr Turnbull's attempts to cut them.
The election of a Shorten Labor Government election will result in a stark change in the direction of the Australian Government regarding penalty rates.
In Opposition, Labor has already taken the unprecedented step of making a submission to the FWC arguing that penalty rates must not be cut.
Labor’s submission is available here.
Labor in Government will intervene in proceedings to make a further submission to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), in favour of retaining penalty rates.
The Commonwealth Government last made a submission in favour of penalty rates during the two-year review of modern awards – when Labor was in power.
Labor also made changes to the Fair Work Act in 2013 to ensure that the Fair Work Commission took into account the need to provide additional remuneration for employees working outside normal hours, including weekends.
This is in sharp contrast with the Abbott-Turnbull Government which has made it clear penalty rates should be cut, through the Productivity Commission’s report.
The difference between Labor and the Liberals couldn’t be more stark.
At a time when we are facing the slowest wages growth in 25 years, Labor supports workers' penalty rates and will oppose Mr Turnbull's attempts to cut them.
Only Labor will defend workers from attacks on penalty rates.
We will never stop fighting for penalty rates - before and after the decision.
POSITIVE POLICY
Better Union Governance
The Australian union movement has been the driving force behind universal health care, superannuation, the eight hour day and the minimum wage among many other achievements.
Workers have fundamental democratic rights to representation in the workplace, to freedom of association, to collectively bargain, and to organise and be represented by their union.
For these reasons, Labor has zero tolerance for criminality or corruption in the union movement and has consistently argued that any criminal conduct in the union movement must be investigated by police and prosecuted in the Court.
Recent revelations of theft and the flagrant misuse of union members’ money by a small number of union officials requires a tough and effective response.
We must ensure such conduct is detected and acted upon at the earliest opportunity.
As democratic institutions, unions must also be transparent in the conduct of their elections.
Indeed election fundraising must be more transparent across all institutions in the Australian polity.
Labor will introduce a series of reforms to ensure better union governance.
This includes: Labor will provide the General Manager of the Fair Work Commission with an additional $4.5 million over four years to monitor the 109 employer and employee organisations presently registered.
Labor will introduce tougher penalties for union officials who break the law.
Labor will require registered organisations to rotate their auditors every 5 years, consistent with the requirements under the Corporations Act.
Labor will extend current electoral funding laws to donations and expenditure relating to all elections managed by the Australian Electoral Commission – whether they are union elections or the Federal election.
Labor has long advocated for lower disclosure thresholds, and if elected will reduce the current disclosure threshold in the Commonwealth Electoral Act for election funding from $13,000 to $1,000.
POSITIVE POLICY
Protecting Rights At Work: Licensing Labour Hire
A Shorten Labor Government will protect the pay and conditions of vulnerable workers through a national licensing regime for the labour hire industry.
From 1 July 2017, an elected Labor government will make it unlawful for labour hire companies to operate without a licence and for other firms to knowingly or recklessly use an unlicensed labour hire company.
Breaches of these licensing laws will carry a penalty of $216,000 for individuals (1,200 penalty units) and $1.1million (6,000 penalty units) for a body corporate.
Recent examples of wrongdoing by dodgy labour hire companies that engage in unscrupulous practices and rip off workers is tarnishing employers that do the right thing, and is undercutting wages and conditions.
To help oversee the new licensing rules, Labor will establish a Labour Hire Licensing and Compliance Inspectorate within the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman which will have the power to monitor compliance with the licensing regime, and will also keep a public register of all licensed labour hire companies.
Labor’s reforms build on our strong record of protecting wages and conditions.
Only Labor understands that fairness at work helps to drive a more productive, competitive and prosperous economy.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has done absolutely nothing to deal with the unscrupulous practices of labour hire companies.
This is yet another area of public policy that Labor is taking the lead on.
Only Labor can be trusted to stand up for the wages and conditions of workers.
Budget repair that’s fair: a 10 year plan to strengthen the Australian economy
The problem with Mr Turnbull is he's soft on multinationals but hard on schools and hospitals.
The budget is a matter of priorities -- and that’s why Labor will level the playing field for first home buyers and make multinationals pay their fair share.
POSITIVE POLICY
Making Multinationals Pay Their Fair Share of Tax
It is not fair that Australians work hard and pay tax while big multinationals get to play by different rules.
The Australian Tax Office has revealed one in four big multinationals pay no tax at all in Australia – not one cent.
It is not fair that Australian businesses are paying more tax in Australia than big multinationals.
Every tax dollar that gets sent offshore is a dollar that can’t be spent on things that matter here at home: like schools, hospitals and roads.
Labor will shut down loopholes which allow big multinational companies to send profits overseas, ensuring they pay their fair share of tax just like everyone else has to.
Our package includes: Changes to the arrangements for how multinational companies claim tax deductions
Greater compliance work by the ATO to track down and tackle corporate tax avoidance
Cracking down on multinational companies using hybrid structures to reduce tax
Improved transparency and data matching.
Labor’s plan has been fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, and will bring at least $7.2 billion back to Australia in tax from big multinationals over the next decade.
Our tax system shouldn’t get softer the higher it goes.
How much tax you pay shouldn’t be decided by how good a lawyer you have.
Labor’s approach has been developed in consultation with multinational tax practitioners, academics, industry and costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.
This approach also draws on the OECD’s global action plans for countering base erosion and profit shifting.
Tightening Australia’s tax net will not be easy – it is a complex and difficult task.
But we need to act decisively to make sure big multinationals start paying their fair share of tax now.
POSITIVE POLICY
Helping Small Business Access Finance
Australia has an unprecedented opportunity to transition from an economy based on resources, primary industries and domestically focused businesses to one based on high-growth, knowledge-intensive businesses that can compete globally.
Currently Australian micro-businesses either struggle to get a loan or may borrow via other means, such as residential mortgages, in the absence of cheaper, more appropriate financing alternatives.
We want to help more Australians convert their great ideas into good businesses.
We will enable entrepreneurs to access the capital they need to start and grow their enterprises without them having to take risks on the family home.
Labor will work with the banks and finance industry to develop StartUp Finance, a partial guarantee scheme which will improve access to finance for Australian micro-businesses.
Under StartUp Finance, Labor will examine partially guaranteeing small loans from banks and finance institutions to give start-ups the affordable capital they need to get going with their business.
Australia is one of the only countries in the developed world without such a scheme in place.
Labor will establish this scheme to back in the creativity and ingenuity of Australians
and grow more good local jobs.
POSITIVE POLICY
Helping Small Businesses Incorporate
More sole traders will see the benefits of incorporating their businesses under Labor’s plan to give small businesses the benefits of incorporation – which lower tax rates and improves liability protection.
Increasingly small businesses are moving towards becoming companies – allowing them to gain the legal protection of limited liability, promote asset protection, retain profits for working capital, succession planning and income distribution.
But currently, small businesses owners, who are often time-poor and face cash-flow challenges, are confronted with a hugely daunting and highly complex system in order to make this happen.
Labor will help small businesses to incorporate without additional red tape. Incorporation helps promote asset protection, retaining profits for working capital, access to CGT discounts, succession planning and income distribution.
Labor will improve Australia’s current complicated and expensive arrangements, with another stream of incorporation, one that provides a single, simplified structure, tailored for small business.
As the Australian economy transitions, the role of our small businesses as drivers of economic growth and prosperity has never been more important.
This is why Labor will work to help ease the burden on small businesses and allow them to grow and prosper.
POSITIVE POLICY
Lowering The Small Business Company Tax Rate
Small businesses make a huge contribution to national prosperity and supporting Australian jobs. Small businesses play a central role in the economy.
Over 2 million businesses – sole traders, partnerships, trusts and small employers – have helped underpin 25 years of economic growth.
Labor stands for helping our small businesses succeed in a competitive global economy.
That’s why Labor has committed to a reduction in the small business company tax rate providing there is bi-partisan support from the coalition and that it is conducted in a fiscally responsible fashion.
Labor supported the cut in the company tax rate for small businesses to 28.5% and will support the further cut to 27.5% proposed in the 2016 Budget.
This will cover small businesses representing 83 per cent of Australian companies.
Billion dollar operations are not small businesses and so Labor will not proceed with the Government’s company tax to 25 per cent and plan to extend the small business threshold to $10 million and beyond.
According to preliminary estimates from the independent Parliamentary Budget Office, this proposal will improve the Budget by $49 billion over the decade.
Labor did not support the Government’s abolition of Labor's original instant asset write-off in the 2014 Budget.
Labor did support its restoration in the 2015 Budget.
POSITIVE POLICY
Research and Development Investment Target
Australians want to know where the new jobs are coming from, what their kids will do for a living and what the jobs of the next generation will be.
Nothing matters more to Labor than securing the jobs of the future: jobs that help Australians aim high, raise families and lift their standard of living.
The new jobs of the future require new skills.
Designing skills, coding skills – building, refining, adapting and servicing the machines and supply chains of a new age.
Three out of every four of the fastest growing occupations in Australia will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Not just researchers and programmers but technicians, electricians, plumbers and machine mechanics.
Yet right now, in our schools, TAFES and universities, there not enough people are acquiring these skills.
Australia must get smarter – or we will get poorer.
Labor believes Australia can be the science, start-up and technology capital of our region: attracting the best minds, supporting great institutions and encouraging home our great expats.
That is why Bill Shorten has nominated the goal of seeing Australia devote 3 per cent of our GDP to research and development by the end of the next decade.
Labor wants more Australians making breakthroughs and adapting technology here at home.
And more Australian businesses sharing in the benefits of that technology: in our warehouses, in our factories, in our farms and design firms.
Devoting 3 per cent of GDP to research and development will help harness the power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to prepare for the future.
A future of knowledge and service industries and advanced manufacturing, a nation of ideas and a country that makes things here.
Our future prosperity depends on harnessing Australian ideas and defining a new global market for world-leading products.
POSITIVE POLICY
Backing In Startups and Innovative Companies
Labor believes our potential as a nation comes from the creativity and ingenuity of Australians.
We know our future prosperity depends on harnessing Australian entrepreneurship and defining a new global market for world-leading Australian products.
Australia has an unprecedented opportunity to transition from an economy based on resources, primary industries and domestically focused businesses to one based on high-growth, knowledge-intensive businesses that can compete globally.
A Shorten Labor Government will work hand in hand with banks, the finance industry, venture capital and tens of thousands of Australian entrepreneurs to harness the smarts and skills of our people to drive economic growth and create the jobs of the future.
The recent Startup Economy study undertaken by PwC and commissioned by Google Australia projected that, in the right conditions, high-growth technology companies could contribute 4 per cent of GDP (or $109 billion) and add 540,000 jobs to the Australian economy by 2033 from a base of approximately 0.2 per cent of GDP today.
To support this transition, Labor will create a new $500 million Smart Investment Fund to back-in great Australian ideas and help them compete on the world stage.
The Smart Investment Fund will partner with venture capitalists and licensed fund managers to co-invest in early stage and high potential companies, providing a Commonwealth investment of up to 50 per cent of the start-up capital needed to help Australian companies commercialise their smart ideas and innovations.
The Smart Investment Fund will open two rounds over five years, with the intention of making it a rolling program, to develop an ecosystem for ongoing innovation and jobs.
In addition to providing a co-investment, businesses supported by the Smart Investment Fund will gain access to expert advice in commercialisation and access to international networks.
The Smart Investment Fund will be based on the successful Innovation and Industry Funds, which were created by the Howard Government in 1998 and cut by the Abbott Government in last year’s Budget.
POSITIVE POLICY
Getting Startups Capital - Angel Investment Schemes & Reforming ESVCLPs
Labor will help supercharge the formation of startups in Australia by delivering tax relief for angel investors through a new Australian Angel Investment Scheme and through changes to the existing Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnerships.
Australian Angel Investment Scheme
The Australian Angel Investment Scheme, based on the UK SEIS, aims to attract greater private financing support for startups in the early stage of their development.
It will reward individual support for the nation’s early stage innovation effort via modest tax relief to investors who purchase an equity stake in those businesses.
The benefits of targeting significant tax relief to very early stage startups (as opposed to more well established businesses in latter stages of development) is that these they have the most trouble getting access to finance because its where the largest market barriers exist.
Once early stage startups have proven concepts and get on their feet, they are in a better position to then seek out other avenues of finance, such as venture capital and crowd-source funding.
The Australian Angel Investment Scheme will have the following characteristics: An upfront 50 per cent tax deduction for an investment up to a maximum of $200,000 per year
Investors can ‘carry back’ tax relief if they don’t reach the maximum $200,000 cap in any particular year.
Full capital gains tax exemption for equity held in the startup venture for more than three years.
Any realised losses following investment in the scheme can be deducted against wage and salary income.
Deferral of capital gains tax on investments if the investor directs a prior capital gain into a new startup venture.
Startups supported under the scheme would have the following characteristics: Maximum of 25 employees;
Maximum $400,000 in assets; and
Maximum raised under the scheme is $300,000 per year.
Businesses accessing this support must have a permanent presence in Australia and must meet certain rules and eligibility requirements.
Labor will review the program following implementation to ensure it is appropriately calibrated and attracts smart angel investors that can take startup businesses through future stages of development.
Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnerships
Venture capital funds of between $10 million and $100 million invested in Australian businesses are entitled to preferential tax treatment through the ESVCLP program.
ESVCLP entitles a fund to flow-through tax treatment and its investors receive a complete tax exemption on their share of the fund's income (both revenue and capital).
Labor will lower the minimum level of investment required for entry into the ESVCLP program from $10 million to $5 million to facilitate increased funding from angel investors.
Labor will also make sensible changes to streamline and update the requirements of the ESVCLP program, including implementing measures that were proposed by Labor in 2013, in response to a Board of Taxation Review, but abandoned by the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Currently the ESVCLP rules restrict any one entity from contributing more than 30 per cent of a fund.
Only financial institutions are exempt from this rule.
To encourage greater participation from investors in other sectors, rules should enable the regulator to provide exemptions for certain widely held companies who demonstrate an active, sizeable commitment to Australian innovation.
Accordingly, a Labor Government will work with relevant regulators and stakeholders to ease ESVCLP contribution restrictions for widely held companies and sophisticated investors.
POSITIVE POLICY
National Information Policy
The explosive growth in digitisation and connectivity in Australia has created an opportunity for a new, economy-wide productivity agenda.
Today, digital data – information - is the fuel for digital innovation and productivity growth across the public, private and community sectors.
Today, the Internet of Things and cheaper telemetry means we now have unprecedented volumes of data.
This data can be aggregated and pooled, helping to maximise benefits for consumers.
Technology consultancy, Gartner estimates that there will be 4.9 billion connected devices in use by the end of 2015 – and 26 billion by 2020.
This data is the fuel of digital innovation and productivity growth across the public, private and community sectors.
That is why it is important the right policy settings to protect consumers, create new business opportunities, promote innovation and lift productivity.
Labor will pursue a new, national reform agenda - National Information Policy - to be pursued through a cross-sector Independent Data Council.
The Independent Data Council would be modelled on the New Zealand ‘Data Futures Partnership’ and the UK ‘Open Data Institute’ and would include experts from government, academia and the private sector.
It would be tasked with promoting an optimal open data culture in Australia supported by appropriate rules and institutions.
A National Information Policy would follow the model of the Keating Government’s National Competition Policy and systematically scan institutions (public, private and community), policies and regulations to identify obstacles to optimal data generation, protection, access and use.
POSITIVE POLICY
Entrepreneur Landing Pads
Labor will back our best and brightest overseas, encouraging Australian entrepreneurs find new markets, sources of finance and develop expertise internationally.
A Shorten Labor Government will boost commercialisation of Australia’s R&D and support Australian entrepreneurs in the United States by setting up more dedicated innovation and commercialisation global ‘landing pads’.
These landing pads will advance Australia’s digital economy and startup sector by: providing a home base for newly arrived Australian startups seeking to enter the US market;
introducing Australian entrepreneurs to venture/risk capital firms;
supporting links between American research institutions, companies and their Australian counterparts;
And showcasing technologies developed by research agencies such as CSIRO and by Cooperative Research Centres to investors to develop a commercialisation pipeline.
This proposal has been recommended by StartupAus and is based on the Kiwi Landing Pad, a successful initiative supporting New Zealand entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
The Innovate Australia Landing Pad will complement and build on the previous Labor Government’s investment in the Advance Innovation Program.
With support from corporate sponsors, Australian global talent network, Advance, has since transformed this initiative creating elevate61 which is “designed to enable high performing Australian businesses to fast track their growth into the United States and beyond”.
The Landing Pads will be supported by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s international counsellors network, in collaboration with CSIRO, Austrade and other relevant Australian agencies and non-government organisations.
Innovate Australia will also oversee a similar initiative to support our entrepreneurs and startups to engage in Asian economies, particularly those with mature capital markets, such as Singapore.
POSITIVE POLICY
Greater Budget Transparency
The Abbott-Turnbull Liberals have trashed the principles of budget honesty and transparency during their first term in office.
From the misleading figures included in their first Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook to the politicisation of the most recent Intergenerational Report, this government has shown it is time for Australia to put in place new rules to ensure greater transparency and independence in our national budgeting.
Labor will give the independent Parliamentary Budget Office an enhanced role in Australia’s macroeconomic reporting to promote stronger fiscal discipline and enhance transparency around Commonwealth Budgets.
Under Labor, an enhanced Parliamentary Budget Office will: prepare the macroeconomic forecasts that underpin all key Budget statements and updates;
prepare and publish the Intergenerational Report every five years;
prepare and publish an annual structural budget balance statement.
The Australian people and financial markets should be able to trust the integrity of the way budgets are put together.
Unfortunately, the Abbott-Turnbull Government has shown that nothing is sacred when it comes to rewriting political history at the expense of confidence and trust in economic and fiscal decision-making.
The Charter of Budget Honestly served us well up until the last federal election.
But it is now time to strengthen it in line with other fiscal authorities around the world.
Delegating further responsibilities to the independent PBO will strengthen Australia’s budget frameworks that currently underpin our AAA credit rating from all three major ratings agencies, achieved for the first time under Labor.
The vast majority of independent fiscal councils overseas evaluate the long-term sustainability of the government’s finances – transferring responsibility for the Intergenerational Report to the PBO moves Australia in line with other countries.
Annual structural budget balance statements each and every year will also help avoid the misstep of the previous Coalition Government which, despite running headline surpluses, drove the budget into structural deficit towards the end of its tenure – doing so at a time when the economy was already running at full capacity.
Labor will ensure the enhanced PBO has the resources it needs to undertake these three new roles and we will work to see these reforms implemented within 12 months of Labor taking office.
Improving outreach
In addition to enhancing the PBO, a Shorten Labor Government will open an Australian Treasury outreach office in Perth to develop closer links with Australian businesses and boost engagement with the nations in our region.
This is critical for a better understanding of the Australian economy as well as the challenges confronting different sectors, including the Western Australian economy.
The Australian Treasury has some of the best and brightest minds and will benefit from being ‘on the ground’, working more closely with some of Australia’s biggest and most important companies, including resource, agriculture and service-oriented businesses.
The office will have a dedicated number of Treasury staff and will be located in the Perth central business district.
POSITIVE POLICY
Challenge Incentives for SMEs
Government purchasing decisions are too often steered towards acquiring well established products and services.
Conservative decision-making prevents Commonwealth agencies from engaging effectively with startups and SMEs.
This means that new technologies and the offerings of Australia’s innovative SMEs are often bypassed.
But with Commonwealth Government procurement worth over $48 billion per year, we should be encouraging departments and agencies to better engage with SMEs and startups, to drive innovation and help Australian entrepreneurs prove the value of their ideas.
Labor will trial an ‘AusGov Challenge Platform’ to engage all Australians in the challenges that face Government.
Similar to challenge.gov in the US, this platform will provide a single portal for government agencies to submit challenges for the public to respond to.
The trial will initially engage a group of ten to twelve agencies that are seeking to identify new approaches to utilising data, technology and analytics to solve their policy and management challenges.
These projects – essentially competitions – will be managed through a centralised online platform, with agencies setting reward funding or prizes on the basis of the expected return to government from solving the problem.
In the United States, for example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is offering $10,000 in prizes for the creation of a system to automate the identification of endangered right whales using a dataset of aerial photographs.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is offering $300,000 in prizes to create algorithms for identifying redundancies, gaps, conflicts and interactions among care-plan items and other data.
Labor will commit $5 million to establish the online challenge platform and build capacity in agencies that choose to participate in the trial.
If successful, the platform will be expanded and the procurement rules and processes amended to enable the challenge platform to grow and adapt as agencies develop new, more complex challenges.
POSITIVE POLICY
Sharing Economy
The sharing economy is changing how Australians buy and sell goods and services.
At the same time, it is changing how we think about work and the dividing line between our private goods and public assets.
Labor wants to see all Australians share the benefits of the sharing economy.
We also want to get the rules right to protect workers, consumers and the community.
Labor’s work on the sharing economy is part of our plan to build a more innovative and entrepreneurial Australia.
We are stepping up to the new challenges and opportunities of the digital economy.
Our principle’s on the sharing company comprise: Primary property is yours to share
New services must support good wages and working conditions
Everyone must pay their fair share of tax
Proper protection for public safety
Access for all
Playing by the rules
A Shorten Labor Government will work with state and territory governments to deliver legislative and regulatory reforms which turn Labor’s five sharing economy principles into concrete laws.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Productivity Commission will be tasked with monitoring developments to determine how well this new regulatory approach is working and the impact on existing markets.
POSITIVE POLICY
Keeping Super Fair
Labor is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the retirement income system in a way that delivers fairness and enables Australians to maintain a comfortable standard of living in retirement.
Tax concessions are an important part of the superannuation system, as they encourage people to contribute funding and preserve these savings until their own retirement.
But these tax concessions benefit high income earners more than other Australians and over time will place an increasing burden on the Budget.
This is unsustainable and unfair.
The Government’s own Financial System Inquiry found that 10 per cent of Australians receive 38 per cent of Australia’s super tax concessions, more than the combined benefit of the bottom 70 per cent of Australians.
Labor’s plan is to put the retirement income system on a sustainable footing by targeting superannuation tax concessions to those that need them the most.
We will:
1. Reform the tax exemption for earnings on superannuation balances that exceed $1.5 million
The tax-free status of all superannuation earnings is disproportionally beneficial to high income earners and is unsustainable.
Labor will better target the tax concession for earnings on superannuation assets supporting retirement income streams.
This measure will only apply to those in retirement.
The proposed measure would reduce the tax-free concession available to people with annual superannuation incomes from earnings of more than $75,000.
From 1 July 2017, future earnings on assets supporting income streams will be taxfree up to $75,000 a year for each individual.
Earnings above the $75,000 threshold will attract the same concessional rate of 15 per cent that applies to earnings in the accumulation phase.
This measure will affect approximately 60,000 superannuation account holders with superannuation balances in excess of $1.5 million.
2. Reduce the Higher Income Superannuation Charge (HISC) threshold from $300,000 to $250,000
Current superannuation tax concessions provide greater benefit to people on high-incomes than people on average incomes.
For instance, someone on $250,000 currently receives a concession of 30 per cent from their top marginal tax rate on superannuation contributions, while someone on $35,000 currently receives a concession of only 4 per cent from their top marginal tax rate.
We will improve this measure by lowering the HISC threshold to $250,000.
Around 110,000 people will be affected by the new arrangements.
This would more closely align the concessions receive by those on middle incomes with those on very high incomes, so that tax relief for superannuation contributions are distributed more fairly and sustainably.
Together, these measures will save $14.3 billion over the decade, allowing Labor to invest in other important areas like schools, hospitals and keeping the pension strong.
POSITIVE POLICY
Entrepreneur Visas
The UK, Singapore, New Zealand, Ireland and a number of other countries have all created specific visa policies to attract a growing pool of early-stage entrepreneurs.
Labor will introduce two new visa categories that will help attract the best global entrepreneurial talent to help build Australia’s growing startup ecosystem.
Startup Entrepreneurial Visa
The Startup Entrepreneurial Visa will be provided annually to 2,000 global entrepreneurs looking to establish themselves in Australia;
This visa will be provided to applicants with proven access to capital [in the order of around $200,000] that they will invest in a startup venture in Australia (though less if funding has been provided by a venture capital firm registered with the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Limited or by startup accelerators and incubators);
This visa category will run for a maximum of 3 years, though visas may be extended for another year or converted to permanent residence after 2 years if all eligibility requirements are met.
Graduate Startup Entrepreneurial Visa
This new visa will be provided annually to 2,000 university graduates who have a credible and genuine startup business idea.
Graduates will be allowed to stay in Australia for 1 year to establish a startup business after graduation.
Graduates can apply to extend this visa for a second year provided they have a new endorsement letter from their higher education institution confirming they have made satisfactory progress in developing their business.
There will be no upfront funding requirement for this visa, though graduates will require endorsement from a participating higher education institution.
POSITIVE POLICY
Innovation Investment Partnership
Historically, Labor has been well placed in bringing together groups to work as one for the national economic interest – a major economic priority right now must be opening up pathways to encourage stronger investment flows towards innovation activity in this country.
Labor will establish an Innovation Investment Partnership, bringing together venture capital, superannuation fund and startup stakeholders – designed to identify and overcome barriers to investment in Australian-based VC funds.
It will also explore opportunities to develop mechanisms that encourage the superannuation sector to invest in and support Australian venture capital, as occurs in almost every other developed economy in the world.
Building the linkages between VCs and super funds will provide an added longer term benefit for startups – sharpening up their commercial and business acumen through the process of seeking funding support.
POSITIVE POLICY
No Increase to the GST
A 15 per cent GST on everything will make families pay more for what they need the most.
Malcolm Turnbull says he doesn’t want to increase the GST to 15% on everything, but make no mistake after the election Malcolm Turnbull will try and increase the GST.
On the GST just like on marriage equality and climate change, Malcolm Turnbull says one thing but he does another.
Malcolm Turnbull is committed to increasing the GST.
The Liberals can’t be trusted on the GST, after all John Howard said we would ‘never ever’ have a GST, and then after he had won an election he set about introducing a GST.
Labor knows that increasing the GST just doesn’t make sense: NATSEM and Parliamentary Budget Office modelling shows an increase in the GST would see those least able to afford it pay the biggest share of their incomes in GST.
Labor wants to talk about tax reform in the areas of ensuring multinational companies pay their fair share, and making our superannuation system fairer.
But increasing the GST? It will increase the cost of everything and it’s just not fair.
POSITIVE POLICY
Positive Plan on Housing Affordability - Negative Gearing Reform
For most young families in Australia, the dream of purchasing and owning their own home is almost completely out of reach.
Working and middle class families are increasingly being priced out of the housing market.
Ownership rates for young people aged 25-34 have spiralled downwards in recent years from 60% to 48%.
Young people are being forced to take on levels of debt unimaginable just a few decades ago.
With first home buyers making up just 1 out of 7 of all home purchases, we have to do better.
It’s well and truly time someone did something about making housing more affordable in Australia.
That’s why Labor has announced a policy that will help level the playing field for first home buyers competing with investors.
Labor will reform negative gearing effective from 1 July 2017, a policy which will help put the Australian dream of home ownership back within the reach of middle and working class families.
Australia aspires to be a fair society and we expect our tax system to align with this aspiration.
For most Australians this is the case – their tax is withheld fortnightly on the basis of their wages.
The more an employee earns, the greater the amount of tax they pay.
This simple principle of progressive tax scales is a fundamental pillar of our tax system,  and ensures that the burden of tax falls on those most able to bear it.
While this principle applies to fortnightly pay cheques, it does not apply to other aspects of the tax system.
Significant tax subsidies are available for people that hold investments, establishing a significantly more favourable tax basis for holding capital, rather than earning income.
Higher income Australians are able to use these tax subsidies to reduce the income tax they pay, primarily through negatively gearing property.
Ultimately, a dollar of tax avoided by high income Australians is an extra dollar of tax paid by all other Australians.
Labor is committed to ensuring that the tax system is fair for all Australians.
Labor will reform negative gearing to ensure that our tax system is fair, sustainable and targets jobs and growth.
Negative gearing refers to the situation where investors make an investment (mostly in property) that loses money in the short term (e.g. loan and related costs are greater than rental income), in the expectation of making capital gains in the future.
The investor can deduct any losses associated with the investment from their salary and wage income.
Labor will limit negative gearing to new housing from 1 July 2017.
All investments made before this date will not be affected by this change and will be fully grandfathered.
This will mean that taxpayers will continue to be able to deduct net rental losses against their wage income, providing the losses come from newly constructed housing.
From 1 July 2017 losses from new investments in shares and existing properties can still be used to offset investment income tax liabilities.
These losses can also continue to be carried forward to offset the final capital gain on the investment.
POSITIVE POLICY
Positive Plan on Housing Affordability - Capital Gains Tax Reform
For most young families in Australia, the dream of purchasing and owning their own home is almost completely out of reach.
Working and middle class families are increasingly being priced out of the housing market.
Ownership rates for young people aged 25-34 have spiralled downwards in recent years from 60% to 48%.
Young people are being forced to take on levels of debt unimaginable just a few decades ago.
With first home buyers making up just 1 out of 7 of all home purchases, we have to do better.
It’s well and truly time someone did something about making housing more affordable in Australia.
That’s why Labor has announced a policy that will help level the playing field for first home buyers competing with investors.
Labor will reform the capital tax discount effective from 1 July 2017, a policy which will help put the Australian dream of home ownership back within the reach of middle and working class families.
Australia aspires to be a fair society and we expect our tax system to align with this aspiration.
Ultimately, a dollar of tax avoided by high income Australians is an extra dollar of tax paid by all other Australians.
Labor is committed to ensuring that the tax system is fair for all Australians.
Labor will halve the capital gains discount for all assets purchased after 1 July 2017. This will reduce the capital gains tax discount for assets that are held longer than 12 months from the current 50 per cent to 25 per cent.
All investments made before this date will not be affected by this change and will be fully grandfathered.
This policy change will also not affect investments made by superannuation funds.
The CGT discount will not change for small business assets.
This will ensure that no small businesses are worse off under these changes.
Labor will consult with industry, relevant stakeholders and State governments on further design and implementation details ahead of the start date for both these proposals.
POSITIVE POLICY
Comprehensive Credit Reporting
In Australia, the traditional form of financing a new small business, using personal housing as collateral, is becoming more and more difficult for young people with a new idea.
This is why Labor wants to make it easier for potential new small business owners to access to finance and promote competition in small business lending.
We already know how important information is when making investment decisions.
Comprehensive Credit Reporting is about sharing positive client information to allow financial lenders to make better decisions.
Allowing more lenders to access positive information about clients, such as good repayment histories on credit cards and regular contributions to savings accounts, will promote competition for small business financing in the banking sector.
This is good for consumers, good for small business and good for banks.
David Murray noted “personal credit history is a major factor in credit providers’ decisions to lend to consumers, but also to new business ventures and smaller firms”.
Historically, Australian banks have shared negative credit information.
Yet we lag the world when it comes to sharing positive information.
This inhibits competition and reduces the potential number of successful loan applications.
Other OECD countries like Japan and New Zealand have pushed ahead with positive credit reporting.
Importantly, while supporting consumers and potential new small businesses, positive credit reporting also has a benign economic impact.
An ACIL Tasman study found a one-off improvement in capital productivity of 0.1 per cent, worth up to $5.3 billion over a decade.
International studies also show a decline in the default rate of loan applications.
David Murray recommended a formal review into Comprehensive Credit Reporting and Labor will undertake that review.
If the review finds the industry code isn’t up to scratch, we will introduce mandatory reporting to share positive credit information amongst lenders.
The message is clear.
If you want to start a business, you can and a Shorten Labor Government will help you.
If you already own a small business, a Shorten Labor Government will support you.
POSITIVE POLICY
Multinational Tax Transparency
Labor will continue to shine light on the dark corners of multinational tax.
Making multinationals pay their fair share has always been a Labor agenda.
In government, we closed loopholes and improved transparency, over the repeated objections of the Liberals.
From Opposition, we have led the debate, releasing strong policies to reduce excessive debt-loading and properly resource the tax office.
The Government is still welcome to adopt our $7.2 billion package.
If elected to Government, Labor will introduce an additional comprehensive suite of new measures to increase transparency on the tax affairs of multinational corporations.
In Government, Labor will: Increase penalties for non-compliance with country-by-country reporting:
It is simply wrong that the current penalty for failing to file country-by-country reports is a mere $5400 – less than you get for streaking across the SCG.
Labor will increase that penalty 50 times.
Should a company continue non-compliance after the maximum fine is reached, the Commissioner of Taxation is empowered to conduct a broad review of the company’s tax affairs.
Restore the $100 million threshold for reporting the tax affairs of large private firms bringing them back in line with public companies:
Labor’s original threshold was watered-down in a dirty deal between the Coalition and the Greens last year, with 600 companies being shielded from public scrutiny as a result.
Obligation to disclose the beneficial ownership for Australian legal identities:
Labor will ensure that the G20 principles Australia committed to at the G20 summit in Brisbane in 2014, which are based on guidance from the Financial Action Task Force, are implemented fully and quickly to ensure that Australia cannot be used as a destination for money-laundering, tax evasion, terrorism financing or other criminal behaviour.
This will be achieved by establishing a publicly accessible central registry of the beneficial ownership of companies, trusts and other corporate structures.
The Coalition – which voted against every multinational tax avoidance reform Labor introduced in government - refuses to take this issue seriously.
The occasional measures they announce are ad hoc and only in response to the pressure applied by Labor and public outcry.
The government’s refusal to ensure companies and individuals pay their fair share of tax demonstrates once again that it has forgotten small business and ordinary people.
When large corporations and wealthy individuals use loopholes in our tax laws and secret tax havens to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, all Australians suffer through higher taxes or poorer government infrastructure and services.
As Australia’s Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan told the Senate Estimates Committee “(O)ur Australian tax system is under fire from the actions of multinationals and large companies seeking to abuse it.”
Now Australians know that if you want a party that gets tough on multinationals, vote Labor.
If you want a party that gets tough on Medicare, vote Liberal.
POSITIVE POLICY
Protecting Paid Parental Leave
A Shorten Labor Government will put people first by reversing Malcolm Turnbull’s unfair cuts to paid parental leave.
Under Labor’s policy, each year 80,000 families with new babies will be as much as $11,800 better off than they would be under the Liberals.
By contrast, if Malcolm Turnbull is re-elected, new mums will be forced to choose between returning to work early and missing out on time with their newborn, or staying at home and having their living standards drastically reduced.
Last year on Mother’s Day – the Liberal Government announced huge cuts to Labor’s paid parental leave scheme.
Senior Liberal Ministers disgracefully labelled hardworking mothers double-dippers, rorters and fraudsters.
Malcolm Turnbull locked in these cuts to paid parental leave in his Budget.
These cuts are scheduled to begin after the election.
If Labor is elected, we will immediately end the Liberals’ war on working mums.
We will protect their paid parental leave entitlements and their living standards.
The choice for families is clear this election: Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals will cut paid parental leave, cut family payments and cut penalty rates, all while giving tax cuts to millionaires and multinationals.
Labor will put people first.
We will protect paid parental leave for young families.
In 2011, Labor delivered Australia’s first national paid parental leave scheme.
Since then, more than 730,000 families have been given extra support to spend more time at home in the critical early months of their child’s life.
Labor’s paid parental leave scheme gives eligible new parents 18 weeks’ pay at the National Minimum Wage.
This is a modest and affordable scheme that appropriately targets assistance to women on low and middle incomes.
About 75 per cent of parents receiving Labor’s paid parental leave scheme are on incomes of between $10,000 and $70,000 a year.
Malcolm Turnbull’s election promise to cut paid parental leave shows how out of touch he is with middle and working class families.
He is promising to cut support for hardworking families at the same time as promising a new $1000 baby bonus which the country can’t afford.
Before the last election, the Liberals promised an unfair and unaffordable paid parental leave scheme that would have given $75,000 to wealthy people.
After breaking their promise, the Liberals are now promising to cut thousands of dollars from the household budgets of young families.
Only Labor can be trusted to deliver a fair paid parental leave scheme.
POSITIVE POLICY
Innovate Australia – Stronger Innovation Support.
Labor understands that creating the jobs of the future depends on the strength of our national innovation system.
Innovation is the key to Australia’s future prosperity.
Most of the jobs of the future will be with companies that do not exist today or in industries that have changed dramatically to keep pace with rapid advances in technology.
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a new independent agency called Innovate Australia charged with accelerating economic growth, delivering critical innovation programs and providing expert advice to governments.
Innovate Australia will be modelled on the highly successful innovation agency in the UK, Innovate UK. Innovate Australia will be a new independent agency.
It will be responsible for the administration and delivery of new innovation initiatives, along with existing programs.
POSITIVE POLICY
Fair Income Taxes For Budget Repair That’s Fair
Labor takes the challenge of fair Budget reform seriously.
For Labor, this means being able to demonstrate how we will pay for our policy commitments in a responsible and sustainable manner.
It means making tough decisions, prioritising important social and economic investments in schools, hospitals and infrastructure, while providing fair Budget reform.
Labor will not give individuals earning over $180,000 a tax cut to their marginal tax rate like the Liberals.
The top 3 per cent of income earners should not be receiving a tax cut from 1 July 2017 if the bottom 75 per cent won’t.
According to preliminary estimates from the independent Parliamentary Budget Office this decision will improve the Budget by $16 billion over the decade.
Labor has been leading the debate on tax reform and savings over the last few years, outlining fully costed and funded plans.
We will not repeat the mistake of the Turnbull-Abbott Government of promising a magic pudding and delivering a Budget of broken promises and cuts.
POSITIVE POLICY
Cutting Government Waste: Stop Paying Polluters Not to Pollute
Labor has a clear fiscal plan to get the budget back onto a sustainable footing by delivering more savings than spending over the coming decade.
We have clearly identified a range of Abbott-Turnbull Government policies which do not meet our test for the national interest and will be discontinued under Labor.
For example, the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s emissions policies put Australia at the back of the global pack, and yet we have the highest emissions per person in the developed world.
To date, the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s only response to climate change has been to give billions of dollars to big polluters under Direct Action, run ridiculous scare campaigns and try to destroy the renewable energy industry.
Direct Action is a waste of money built on one counter-productive idea: giving great wads of taxpayer cash to big polluters to keep polluting.
Analysis from Reputex indicates that under this policy, emissions will actually rise by 20 per cent over the next decade.
We can’t afford to waste taxpayers’ money on a plan that won’t work.
A Shorten Labor Government will put a strong commitment to renewable energy at the centre of Australia’s response to climate change.
Renewable energy will deliver new investment, good jobs, lower power bill for homes and small businesses and it will help cut pollution.
If elected, Labor will scrap the Abbott Government’s expensive and ineffective Emissions Reduction Fund.
We will honour contracts that the Government has entered into, but the waste ends there.
Abolishing the Emissions Reduction Fund represents savings of over $1 billion.
These savings, in concert with Labor’s fair plans on multinational taxation, high end superannuation, negative gearing and tobacco excise will help set the budget on a more sustainable trajectory so that Australia can afford to make important investments in the things that matter: like schools, hospitals and infrastructure for our future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Cutting Government Waste: No Plebiscite For Marriage Equality
Labor has a clear fiscal plan to get the budget back onto a sustainable footing by delivering more savings than spending over the coming decade.
We have clearly identified a range of Abbott-Turnbull Government policies which do not meet our test for the national interest and will be discontinued under Labor.
Labor has been clear that we will not proceed with Malcolm Turnbull’s wasteful $160 million plebiscite on marriage equality.
This national vote is completely unnecessary when the Australian Parliament could deal with marriage equality straight away.
Not only that, but the harm done to gay and lesbian Australians and their families through a divisive and hurtful public campaign against marriage equality would cost our community dearly.
These savings, in concert with Labor’s fair plans on multinational taxation, high end superannuation, negative gearing and tobacco excise will help set the budget on a more sustainable trajectory so that Australia can afford to make important investments in the things that matter: like schools, hospitals and infrastructure for our future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Cutting Government Waste: Not Proceeding With The New Baby Bonus
Labor has a clear fiscal plan to get the budget back onto a sustainable footing by delivering more savings than spending over the coming decade.
We have clearly identified a range of Abbott-Turnbull Government policies which do not meet our test for the national interest and will be discontinued under Labor.
Labor will also oppose Malcolm Turnbull’s $1,000 Baby Bonus payment for families with a child under one, saving the Budget $380 million.
This new payment is not about helping Australian families; it was all about Malcolm Turnbull buying support from the National Party to get the top job as Prime Minister.
Australians shouldn’t have to pay the price for this Liberal/National deal.
These savings, in concert with Labor’s fair plans on multinational taxation, high end superannuation, negative gearing and tobacco excise will help set the budget on a more sustainable trajectory so that Australia can afford to make important investments in the things that matter: like schools, hospitals and infrastructure for our future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor’s Budget Repair Strategy
Labor’s Budget strategy will successfully repair the budget without smashing family budgets.
Our budget strategy is framed by our 10-year economic plan that is focused on six key priorities to build a stronger, fairer economy that will support the economic transition today while driving productivity and living standards into the future.
Investing in people – Labor will improve the quality of education and training, to drive productivity and ensure Australians are prepared for the jobs of the future.
Building Australia – Labor will facilitate the economic transition by investing in roads, rail and the NBN, creating jobs and improving the liveability and productivity of our cities and regions.
Driving investment in renewables and new industry – Labor will stand up for jobs in manufacturing and send the right signals to attract investment in renewables.
Supporting innovation and startups – Labor will drive jobs and innovation through tax relief and support for startups.
Helping small business – Labor will deliver tax cuts to small businesses while putting them on a more even playing field when it comes to competing in the marketplace.
Budget repair that's fair – Labor will better target tax concessions to middle and working class families and ensure greater female participation in the workforce.
These investments are vital to future growth in our economy, and to boost wages and living standards.
They also underpin future budget revenue, and a sustainable fiscal position.
Labor has been outlining our 10-year economic plan from opposition.
Throughout, we have been announcing responsible and calibrated budget repair measures to fund our investments and improve the budget position.
We have a clear plan for economic growth, and a clear plan to pay for it.
Labor will take the hard choices in the national interest
We know that funding our priorities requires difficult choices.
Our top priorities are better schools,
protecting Medicare
and investing in job-creating infrastructure –
and we are prepared to make difficult budget decisions to ensure we can fully fund our priorities.
Under our plan for budget repair, we will reduce the deficit every year and return the budget to balance the same year as the Liberals.
Labor will not announce a policy that cannot be funded.
We can afford our policies because: We are supporting responsible savings measures;
We are proposing our own savings measures;
and We are opposing the Liberals’ irresponsible new spending.
These are difficult decisions, but the right decisions, and they offer a clear choice for people at this election.
Budget improvements
Following the release of the independent PEFO and consistent with our practice of updating our proposals to reflect the latest Budget forecasts and parameters based on advice from the independent Parliamentary Budget Office, Labor is releasing an updated package of budget improvements.
From Opposition, Labor has taken difficult decisions to announce $122.3 billion in budget improvements.
This includes measures to better target negative gearing, and ensure big multinationals pay their fair share of tax.
To present the most accurate account of Labor’s budget improvements, we are no longer including proposals where Labor has led the policy debate, and which have most recently been adopted by the Government, such as changes to the tobacco excise and generous superannuation tax concessions for high income earners.
Labor is building on the savings we have already announced with a further $6.1 billion of improvements to the budget over the medium term.
Labor will also resolve several unlegislated measures that remain stuck in the Parliament.
These unfair measures have been rejected by the Parliament and the Australian people and yet remain in the Government’s budget, destroying the credibility of their bottom line.
With the Budget now in a much worse state than it was in 2014, Labor is taking difficult decisions to not reverse some measures.
Resolving the Government’s budget mess will have a budget impact of $5.5 billion over the forward estimates, and $23 billion over medium term.
After fixing the Government’s budget mess, new savings and the latest updates on Labor’s previously announced budget improvements, the total budget improvements proposed by Labor amount to $105.4 billion over the decade.
POSITIVE POLICY
CSIRO – Future Smart Science
A Shorten Labor Government will restore CSIRO’s capacity to drive the national science, research and innovation agenda that will grow new industries and build a smarter Australia.
The Liberals ripped $115 million out of CSIRO in the horror 2014 Budget. One in five CSIRO scientists lost their jobs as a result.
Labor knows Australia cannot be an innovation nation while ripping the heart out of CSIRO.
We will act to end the uncertainty and restore funding and confidence to this great Australian institution.
After more than two years, it is clear that the hallmarks of the Liberals’ innovation agenda are cuts to funding, cuts to scientific infrastructure, cuts to science jobs and the largest brain drain in Australia’s history.
In contrast, Labor has a strong plan for science and innovation, which will help build the industries of the future and create more jobs.
Only Labor can be trusted to restore CSIRO to its place as a world leader in public good research that makes Australia smarter and fairer.
POSITIVE POLICY
Tasmanian Tourism Jobs
A Shorten Labor Government will boost the Tasmanian tourism industry by providing the funding necessary to develop key attractions, delivering jobs and economic benefits for decades to come.
Tasmania is an increasingly popular destination for international tourists, and was declared the number four destination on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2015.
Tourism directly and indirectly supports around 38,000 jobs in Tasmania or about 16.2 per cent of total Tasmanian employment — the highest in the country.
Just this week, figures released by Tourism Research Australia saw a 9 per cent increase in overseas arrivals over the year to March 2016, with a record spend of $349 million.
But without top-class attractions, Tasmania will not be able to retain that growth and capture the full benefits that come with it.
This is particularly vital for the Tasmanian economy as it goes through a period of transition.
A Shorten Labor Government will create a new $44 million Tasmania Tourism Infrastructure Fund to support the tourism industry and build the attractions that will entice tourists and create local jobs.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will announce today the first four grants that would be made from the fund under a Shorten Labor Government.
They are: $1.275 million towards completion of the Burnie Waterfront Masterplan through development of a coastal promenade and shared pathway.
$4 million for the final stage of the Three Capes Walk.
$10 million to transform ex-HMAS Tobruk into a dive wreck off Tasmania's north-east coast. Tasmania is the only state without a modern naval vessel dive site.
$15 million for an upgrade to amenities on Cradle Mountain.
The remaining $13.725 million funding will be subject to further announcements.
Labor will stand up for Tasmanian jobs and ensure the Apple Isle has all it needs for a prosperous and fair economy.
POSITIVE POLICY
Northern Australia: A Tourism Powerhouse
A Shorten Labor Government will help northern Australia build the tourism infrastructure it needs to harness the huge economic potential of the Asian tourism boom, creating jobs and driving growth in our regions for decades to come.
Tourism is one of the biggest employers in northern Australia and is growing.
But the lack of high-quality facilities will limit Australia’s ability to capture and grow our share of the booming Asian travel market unless we invest today.
By 2030 there will be over three billion people in the Asian middle classes seeking international tourism opportunities in our region and beyond.
We want them to choose Australia.
Labor will allocate $1 billion from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to a Northern Australia Tourism Infrastructure Fund, to boost partnerships with the tourism sector and provide incentives for investment in new and upgraded tourism infrastructure across the north.
The following will be eligible for funding: Projects targeting the expanding Asian tourism market.
Projects promoting Australia’s natural environment such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Eco-tourism.
Indigenous tourism ventures.
Event-based facilities including stadia and convention centres.
Transport and access upgrades, including for ports and airports.
Funding will take the form of concessional loans and other forms of project finance, with successful projects required to pass through rigorous selection processes.
Projects will be encouraged to attract private financing in addition to grants.
Finance will be available to projects in northern Australia.
Labor will resource a renewed Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to administer the Fund.
This will be a competitive process, with clear qualifying and evaluation criteria that will be the subject of prior consultation with the sector.
Because this money will be resourced from the existing Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, there will be no net impact on the Budget.
The money will remain dedicated to the development of the north.
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund was announced over a year ago by Tony Abbott, and precisely nothing has happened since.
The legislation was rushed through the Parliament in its last sitting week this year, and no new projects have been announced.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has also cut Tourism Australia funding in real terms, abolished the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Survey of Tourist Accommodation and cancelled Australia’s membership of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and presence at trade shows.
Labor has a proud record of investment in tourism in the north, including the Townsville V8 Supercar Event Precinct, Karratha Leisure Centre and Magnetic Island Walkway in Townsville.
The former Labor Government provided matched capital investment in tourism through the T-QUAL program to 283 projects between 2011 and 2013.
Australians can’t trust the Liberals and Nationals to invest in tourism in our north.
Only Labor will deliver the investment northern Australia needs to capture the amazing potential of the coming tourist boom and deliver secure Australian jobs for the future.
POSITIVE POLICY
Reforming Competition Policy for Fairer Markets
Unequal market power and increased market concentration have contributed to increasing income and wealth inequality in Australia.
Competition policy reform is a cost effective approach to addressing inequality and preventing unconscionable conduct.
There have been a number of deplorable contraventions of consumer rights targeting the most vulnerable members of our community in recent years, including predatory consumer leasing agreements, breaches of product safety standards, scams and misleading advertising.
In criminal law, conduct targeting or disproportionately impacted disadvantaged Australians is considered an “aggravating factor” in determining penalties.
This is not currently the case in competition law, although authorities can prioritise their investigations to address particularly egregious cases of unconscionable conduct.
What is Labor’s proposal? How will it drive growth or improve fairness?
Labor’s policy is focussed on competition reforms that explicitly address inequality and disadvantage and reinforce our commitment to a more equal society.
Labor is proposing to:  Amend section 76 of the Competition and Consumer Act to allow a court to apply higher penalties for conduct that targets or disproportionately impacts disadvantaged Australians, or apply lower penalties when firms have provided adequate compensation to those affected.
Include a requirement in the Competition and Consumer Act that the ACCC prioritise investigation of conduct that targets or disproportionately impacts disadvantaged Australians.
Investigate the negative impact of increased market concentration on income inequality in Australia.
Encourage the States and Territories to include competition principles in planning and zoning legislation, as recommended by the Harper Review, with a specific focus on shortfalls of appropriately zoned land for key services in disadvantaged communities.
How will it work?
Amending the Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) will allow courts to hand down harsher penalties to businesses that exploit vulnerable groups in our community, and will explicitly direct the ACCC to investigate breaches of competition and consumer law that target disadvantaged Australians.
Labor proposes amending section 76 of the CCA to require a court to consider whether the contravening conduct targets or disproportionately impacts disadvantaged groups when determining financial penalties.
A court would also be required to consider whether the company concerned has sought to compensate those affected by the conduct, providing an incentive for companies to be proactive in providing compensation to affected consumers.
As a complementary reform, we are proposing a new provision be added to Part VII of the CCA requiring the ACCC to prioritise investigations of alleged conduct that targets or disproportionately impacts disadvantaged Australians.
The combination of the two amendments would see the number of cases with inequality implications – and the magnitude of fines – increase.
This would also have a deterrent effect beyond the specific cases that are taken to court.
A Shorten Labor Government would investigate the impacts of increased market concentration on income inequality in Australia and produce policy recommendations on how these effects could be mitigated.
As recommended by the Harper Review, state and territory governments should be encouraged to amend planning and zoning regulations to ensure they promote competition and do not act to limit entry into a market.
There should be a particular focus on shortfalls of appropriately zoned land for key services in disadvantaged communities.
Labor’s record
Labor believes in tackling inequality.
Australians can trust Labor to get it right when it comes to competition and consumer protection.
They can trust us to make sure markets and competition are fair and equitable.
Labor is the party of the Trade Practices Act, National Competition Policy, the Australian Consumer Law and the criminalisation of cartels.
Labor’s proud history of promoting social and economic equality includes needs-based school funding, Medicare, HECS, the Sex Discrimination Act, the Racial Discrimination Act and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
POSITIVE POLICY
New Jobs Tax Cut
Under Labor’s New Jobs Tax Cut, small businesses will be able to claim a tax deduction of up to $20,000 per worker to offset the wages of up to five new employees.
Just like the previous Labor Government’s instant asset write-off, businesses will be able to claim the New Jobs Tax Cut as part of their regular tax return.
This minimises paperwork for busy employers
This represents a $257 million investment in getting older Australians, parents, carers and younger Australians back to work.
It will help up to 30,000 Australians find a job each year.
Our New Jobs Tax Cut will reward small businesses that invest in jobs and do their bit to get these Australians back to into work.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Fiscal Plan
LABOR HAS A CLEAR PLAN TO BUILD A STRONG AND FAIR ECONOMY FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS.
A Shorten Labor Government will: Reduce the deficit every year until the budget returns to balance.
Balance the budget in 2020-21, the same year as the Government.
Build strong surpluses over the medium term through fair savings measures that steadily and permanently improve the budget bottom line.
Labor’s reforms will achieve $10.5 billion more in budget improvement than the Government over the decade, while: Protecting Medicare.
Properly funding our schools and universities.
Investing in job-creating infrastructure.
Supporting family budgets.
Budget Repair. THAT IS FAIR
Labor has a clear plan to build a strong and fair economy for all Australians.
We will make the right investments and structural reforms today, while protecting the incomes of working and middle class families.
Labor’s responsible and fair savings improve the budget gradually and permanently over the medium term.
The Australian economy is in transition during a period of global change and immediate financial market uncertainty.
This is not the time to be making deep cuts to family budgets, education, health or job-creating infrastructure.
Budget repair must be fair to support the economy, while strengthening the Commonwealth balance sheet over time.
Under the Abbott-Turnbull Liberal Government, the budget position is deteriorating, the economy is fragile and working and middle class Australians are being left behind.
Before the last election the Liberals promised to fix the budget.
But after three years, net debt is more than $100 billion higher and the budget deficit has tripled since the Government’s first budget.
The Government has not made any meaningful contribution to budget repair.
Instead the Liberals have spent virtually all of their announced savings even though many of these savings will never pass the Parliament and never be realised.
The Liberal Government’s budget and economic policies have put Australia’s hard-earned AAA credit rating from the three major ratings agencies at risk.
The case for a change from the Liberals’ failed fiscal policies is clear.
Australians are experiencing the longest fall in living standards since records began in the 1970s.
Inequality in Australia is at its highest level in 75 years.
Household budgets are under pressure with increasing debt, lower savings and wages growing at the slowest rate on record.
The Abbott-Turnbull Liberal Government has the wrong plan for Australia.
Their policies will weaken the economy and worsen the budget over the medium term.
They are attacking the disposable incomes of millions of working and middle class families.
Malcolm Turnbull is cutting Medicare,
education
and infrastructure.
His budget strategy relies on retrospective policies and Tony Abbott’s unlegislated “zombie” measures which have been resoundingly rejected by the Australian community.
Malcolm Turnbull’s only economic plan is to deliver a $50 billion tax giveaway to big business.
Australia can not afford this reckless policy which undermines our fiscal sustainability.
The Liberal Government’s own budget papers show that the structural budget balance is expected to get worse – not better – over the medium term.
More than ever it is vital that governments pursue budget repair that helps, not hinders, broad-based prosperity and growth.
This is achieved by measured and responsible budget improvements that strengthen the budget over time, but boost growth by creating space for productivity enhancing investments that will see Australia’s standard of living rise.
That is why an elected Shorten Labor Government will strengthen the budget over the medium term through a fairer tax system and reducing tax concessions like negative gearing and capital gains.
Our responsible savings and structural reforms will steadily and permanently improve the budget bottom line, making room for critical investments in Medicare, education and infrastructure.
Labor’s plan for inclusive growth will invest in people.
Our responsible and fair approach ensures that middle and working class families are not left behind.
Right now, the Australian economy is being confronted with two challenges – supporting the domestic economy transition from the largest investment boom in the nation’s history to broader-based growth, and arresting the unprecedented decline in living standards through lifting productivity.
In this election, the contrasting budget and economic approaches of Liberal and Labor could not be starker.
Labor has been prepared to make the hard calls and the tough choices to fully fund our priorities.
That is why Labor has more budget improvements over the decade than new spending commitments.
Under Labor, deficits will decline every year over the forward estimates and, on current forecasts and projections, Labor will get the budget back into balance in the same year as the Liberal Government.
Labor’s fiscal plan will deliver stronger surpluses over the medium term, and deliver real debt repayment to strengthen our balance sheet.
Labor’s fiscal plans are fully costed, responsible and put people first.
Our Economic Plan
Australia is facing two major economic challenges: supporting our fragile economy in the short term; and lifting productivity and living standards over the long term.
Labor’s economic plan will boost growth now through nation-building infrastructure,
make our nation smarter and more productive through investing in education
and drive greater participation through protecting and strengthening Medicare.
Labor’s inclusive growth approach will ensure that middle and working class families are not left behind.
Labor’s structural reforms will deliver gradual and permanent improvements to the budget.
The current economic circumstances means that now, more than ever, is not the time to be making deep cuts to family budgets and pursuing austerity.
Labor’s approach to fiscal policy is at the heart of our economic plan.
We need to be selective and strategic in where we invest and what we prioritise.
At the same time, we also need to make fair, reasonable savings to make room for our investments and improve the long term sustainability of the budget.
Labor’s six key priorities to build a stronger, fairer economy are: 1. Investing in people – Labor will improve the quality of education and training, to drive productivity and ensure Australians are prepared for the jobs of the future.
2. Building Australia – Labor will facilitate the economic transition by investing in roads, rail and the NBN, creating jobs and improving the liveability and productivity of our cities and regions.
3. Driving investment in new industry and renewables – Labor will stand up for jobs in manufacturing and send the right signals to attract investment in renewables.
4. Supporting innovation and startups – Labor will drive jobs and innovation through tax relief and support for startups.
5. Helping small business – Labor will deliver tax cuts to small businesses while putting them on a more even playing field when it comes to competing in the marketplace.
6. Budget repair that’s fair – Labor will better target tax concessions to middle and working class families and
ensure greater female participation in the workforce.
Our Fiscal Plan
Labor has a clear budget plan that funds important investments in the near term and strengthens the budget for the decade to come.
Our comprehensive budget plan underpins our investments in a stronger, fairer economy for all Australians, including our investments in Medicare,
education
and infrastructure.
We are being upfront and honest about our plans, in contrast to the current government which deceitfully hid it’s plans for harsh cuts from the Australian people before the last election.
It is clear that the Turnbull Liberal Government is doing the same in the 2016 election as the Abbott Opposition did in the 2013 election, telling Australians one thing and doing another: Hiding their plans for a 15 per cent GST on everything.
•Double income taxation for working families.
•More harsh cuts to important services to pay for a $50 billion big business tax cut.
The Liberals’ unfair approach to the budget has damaged confidence in the economy, which has delayed the budget repair task and put Australia’s AAA credit rating at risk.
Labor’s fiscal plan is responsible and fair.
Labor will not smash the family budget to fix the Liberal Government’s mess.
Labor’s approach to fiscal policy has been guided by two objectives: funding important investments in the near term, and implementing the structural improvements required to strengthen the budget over the medium term.
An important discipline has been our commitment to achieving more budget improvements than spending over the decade.
Labor has met this commitment and will strengthen the budget through $10.5 billion more savings than spending over the decade.
On the 2016 Pre Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook (PEFO) budget forecasts and projections Labor will: Reduce the deficit every year until the budget returns to balance.
•Balance the budget in 2020-21, the same year as the Government.
•Build strong surpluses over the medium term through fair savings measures that gradually and permanently improve the budget bottom line.
Labor’s fiscal strategy is designed to ensure fiscal sustainability over the medium term, while allowing flexibility in response to changing economic conditions.
Importantly, Australia will continue to have one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the developed world under a Labor Government.
Labor has prioritised the need to protect Medicare,
deliver needs-based schools funding
and boost jobs through nation-building infrastructure In the near term.
As a result Labor will achieve more modest budget improvement than the Government over the forward estimates.
However, our savings are substantial and build steadily over time, permanently improving the budget over the medium term.
The more modest fiscal consolidation over the forward estimates of around 0.2 per cent of GDP per year (on average) is more than made up for by Labor’s structural savings over the medium term.
Labor’s approach to budget management has fairness at its core, and will not seek to fix the Liberals’ budget mess by attacking family budgets.
We will budget transparently and honestly.
Labor’s plan is not built on measures so out of touch with the community that they will never pass this Parliament, or any Parliament.
Labor is sensibly and responsibly building savings through a deliberate strategy to help support the Australian economy through a transition in an uncertain global economic environment, and to run larger surpluses over the medium term.
“Fiscal consolidation should be back-loaded in light of economic uncertainties. Tax reform should be a core element of structural policy.” OECD Economic Outlook, June 2016
Making Investments Today
Labor’s plan invests in Medicare, education and job-creating infrastructure today while delivering a stronger budget over the medium term.
The Liberal Government’s approach has been to make deep and harsh cuts to Medicare, education and infrastructure, despite these investments being crucial to growing the economy and creating new jobs.
Labor has made a clear choice with our budget priorities and we will always put people first.
The modest difference between Labor’s budget position and the Government’s PEFO position over the forward estimates is entirely a result of Labor protecting Medicare and,
investing in education
skills and infrastructure.
Half the difference is due to Labor’s investments in our schools and universities.
The economic rationale for these fiscal decisions is clear – Labor will invest in human and physical capital as the key drivers of economic growth.
Labor’s approach prioritises inclusive growth.
The Australian economy would be weaker over the medium term under at Liberal Government with: Underfunded schools.
•$100,000 university degrees.
•Declining investment in roads and rail.
Unlike Labor, the Liberals’ fiscal strategy would put our long term prosperity at risk, and working and middle class families would suffer.
As the below chart demonstrates, without Labor making these positive investments in Medicare, infrastructure and education, Labor’s budget deficits would be lower than the Liberals’ over the projection years.
The Turnbull Government is continuing to make poor budget choices, for the economy and Australian working families.
The Government’s budget centrepiece is a 10 year company tax handout to big businesses and multinationals.
Compare this to Labor prioritising investment in every school as the pathway to inclusive growth.
Investing in our young people is a core Labor value that will open the door to jobs and opportunity and drive economic growth and prosperity.
Labor’s policy is supported by experts, with almost two thirds of 31 economists from the Economic Society of Australia agreeing with the statement that:Australia will receive a bigger economic growth dividend in the long-run by spending on education than offering an equivalent amount of money on a tax cut to business.
Moreover, research from the Australia Institute comparing company tax rates and education spending across OECD economies has demonstrated that there is no correlation between company tax rates and GDP per person, while there is a strong correlation between increased education spending and higher GDP per person.
Labor’s investment in Medicare is also grounded in strong economic analysis, with the link between investment in public health and economic prosperity clear – good health underpins economic growth.
This is particularly true of investment in prevention and addressing health inequalities.
There is considerable evidence that countries with better, more accessible primary care achieve better health outcomes, at lower cost, and with greater equity, than countries with a higher focus on specialist and acute care.
For business, accessible and affordable primary care through Medicare means employees remain healthy and able to work, reducing hours lost and boosting productivity across the economy.
As the OECD Observer notes, “Countries with weak health and education conditions find it harder to achieve sustained growth.”
The economic benefits from investing in infrastructure have long been recognised as a vital element for growth.
Investment in nation-building infrastructure has a double dividend – it creates jobs now but also boosts our future productive capacity.
Labor’s fiscal plan is designed to support growth in the near term, and unleash our economic potential over the medium term.
A Stronger Budget over the Medium Term
Labor’s plan will strengthen the budget over the medium term, through fair and responsible savings that steadily and permanently improve the budget bottom line.
During this term in Opposition, Labor has proposed important structural expenditure reductions to the budget in areas such as the VET-FEE HELP program, reforms to private health insurance and better targeting family payments.
Our approach improves the fairness of the tax system, rejects retrospectivity and protects the most vulnerable members of our society.
Labor is closing several tax loopholes and better targeting a number of existing tax concessions.
This is an approach supported by Martin Feldstein, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, former Chair of President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors, who noted that: “Reducing those [tax] subsidies, then, is really cutting government spending. The resulting deficit reductions show up on the revenue side of the budget, but the economic effect is to cut government spending. … Anyone opposed to government spending should favor removing these subsidies from the tax code.”
This approach is also supported by international ratings agency Moody’s, which sent a warning to the Government in April this year arguing that revenue measures are essential to repair the budget
Moody’s explicitly stated: “Without such [revenue] measures, limited spending cuts are unlikely to meaningfully advance the Federal Government’s aim of balanced finances by the fiscal year ending June 2021 and Government debt will likely continue to climb, a credit negative for Australia.”
The Government’s ideological refusal to reform areas like negative gearing and capital gains, for the purpose of protecting vested interests, undermines Australia’s fiscal sustainability and leaves our economy more vulnerable.
Importantly, Labor is making major budget improvements through measures that apply prospectively – not retrospectively.
This is an important principle, and one that guides Labor’s tax policy development.
Labor respects investment decisions made under existing rules and as a result of grandfathering, our budget improvements build steadily over the forward estimates before delivering a substantial fiscal dividend in the medium term.
The Liberal Government, in contrast, has announced retrospective policies that have undermined public confidence in our superannuation system.
Furthermore, the Government continues to cling to the rejected measures from Tony Abbott’s disastrous first budget, a budget that was completely at odds with community standards, based on broken promises and damaging to the economy.
Yet these harsh measures remain at the heart of Malcolm Turnbull’s budget – propping up his big business tax cut.
The Liberal Party has managed to remove Mr Abbott from the Prime Minister’s office, but they haven’t been able to remove his harsh cuts from their budget.
Malcolm Turnbull’s 2016-17 Budget is inflated by more than $30 billion of unlegislated saving measures (so called “zombie” measures), which will never pass the Parliament.
If these unlegislated measures are removed from the Government’s budget, Malcolm Turnbull’s deficit increases by 50 per cent in 2019-20, from $6 billion to $9 billion.
If the Government was honest and transparent, and abandoned the pretence that these measures will ever pass the Parliament, the Government would barely be in surplus over the medium term (grey bars below).
Labor has accounted for the reversal of these unlegislated measures in our final budget position.
This is an honest and transparent approach to fiscal policy, and also recognises that, two years on, Tony Abbott’s 2014 Budget remains a failure.
Labor’s fiscal plan, after accounting for these unlegislated measures, still sees strong surpluses build beyond 2020-21.
Budget repair requires community support, and a medium term plan that supports economic growth in the near term, while strengthening the balance sheet over time.
The Liberal Government avoids discussing the medium term because they do not have a medium term plan for the economy, and they do not want their $50 billion tax hand out to big business scrutinised.
Modelling by Janine Dixon of the Centre of Policy Studies at Victoria University shows that cutting company tax “will lead to a fall in real incomes. In present value terms, this loss is in order of $800 to $2,000 per person” and as a result “a cut to company tax is not in the national interest.”
Even Treasury modelling on which the Government relies admits that its modelling may overstate the economic gains of cutting the company tax rate.
While our savings build structurally over time, the Government’s tax cut for big business does the opposite.
Budget improvements from Labor’s negative gearing and capital gains reforms builds to around $8 billion in 2026-27.
This compares to the Government’s company tax package that costs the budget around $14 billion in 2026-27.
The Government has committed to delivering this costly tax cut for multinationals at a time when its own budget papers show that the structural position of the budget is weak, with the structural budget balance deteriorating over the medium term.
There is also a significant funding shortfall that is not accounted for in the budget, because the Liberals have not funded their Emissions Reduction Fund beyond 2020, despite committing to new 2030 emissions reduction targets.
The Australian Industry Group estimates the cost of reaching these targets through the Emissions Reduction Fund to be around $60-140 billion in today’sdollars.
If this cost was included in the accounts, the Liberal budget would never be in surplus.
If this funding is not included, Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Government will fail to meet Australia’s international climate obligations.
Importantly, consistent with the current budget, Labor will not simply be relying on constantly increasing average tax rates on personal income to improve the budget.
Labor will deliver stronger surpluses over the medium term due to structural budget improvements associated with negative gearing and capital gains reforms and only proceeding with the Government’s small business tax cut.
Under Labor, Australia’s tax-to-GDP ratio will continue to be low by international standards.
“Fiscal policy can also promote equality of opportunity and greater intergenerational mobility. Spending focused on increasing access to education and health can enhance social mobility and help break the inter-generational transmission of poverty and disadvantage.” International Monetary Fund, 2014
Budget Choices Matter for Inequality
Australia has the highest level of inequality in 75 years.
What Australia needs is a budget that reverses this trend, not one that exacerbates it.
The form and effect of budget repair is crucial in this task, and can have direct effects on further prosperity, inequality and growth.
Malcolm Turnbull’s approach has been to: Cut Medicare.
•Cut health and hospital services.
•Under-fund schools and price students out of university with $100,000 degrees.
•Cut pensions and family payments.
•Cut infrastructure projects.
•Roll out a copper NBN.
Three years of the Abbott-Turnbull Government has been a disaster, and Australia cannot afford three more years of failed policies.
The Liberals have the wrong plan for Australia, ignoring the recommendations of international organizations like the IMF that budget repair should “improve the access of lower-income groups to higher education and maintain access to health services.”
This isn’t just fair, it’s also good for growth.
This is precisely Labor’s approach.
Labor will deliver budget repair that doesn’t leave people behind and makes important investments that support long term, sustainable economic growth.
Labor’s plan will deliver budget repair that’s fair, while protecting Medicare
and making important investments in job-creating infrastructure.
A Shorten Labor Government will fight for middle and working class families and reverse the Liberal Government’s savage cuts.
Middle and working class families will be better off under Labor.
For example, under Labor: A couple with two young children where one parent earns $75,000 and the other $15,000 will be around $2,322 better off.
•A single parent with two teenage children earning $65,000 a year will be around $3,453 better off.
•A couple with two young children where one parent earns $80,000 and the other $25,000 will be around $1,665 better off.
Budget repair under Labor will occur without smashing family budgets.
Only Labor will stand up for families, because only Labor will put people first.
A Budget with More Transparency Independence
Australian people and financial markets should be able to trust the integrity of government budgets and economic forecasts.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has abused the Charter of Budget Honesty requirements and debased budget documents for their own political gain.
That is why Labor will strengthen Australia’s budget framework and move towards international best practice by expanding the mandate of the independent Parliamentary Budget Office to ensure greater confidence and independence in economic and fiscal decision-making.
Labor’s reforms will see an enhanced and expanded Parliamentary Budget Office that: Prepares macroeconomic forecasts that underpin all key budget statements and updates.
•Prepares and publishes the Intergenerational Report (IGR) every five years.
•Prepares and publishes an annual structural budget balance.
These reforms will improve the quality of the debate over budget and economic forecasts.
For example, the recent budget forecast nominal growth of 4.5 per cent in 2016-17 was highly contested by a range of economists and ratings agencies.
These reforms won’t eliminate differences of opinion about the forecasts but they will help to ensure they are prepared without political bias.
An incoming Labor Government will move promptly to bring clarity to the budget by bringing forward the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) to within the first 100 days of Government.
This will be an opportunity to reflect the new Government’s priorities, implement our budget improvement measures and start the task of repairing the budget position left behind by the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
2016 -17 BUDGET
Labor’s fiscal position reflects the impact of all Labor’s measures against the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which includes all the recent 2016-17 Budget measures.
Labor has taken the following positions which do not have a fiscal impact: Given Labor’s concerns about the Government’s superannuation changes, including retrospective elements, Labor would consult with stakeholders and take a broader examination of all these measures on coming to government.
Labor would also investigate how to replace the 2016-17 Budget Efficiency Dividend measure and the 2015-16 MYEFO Efficiency Target for national cultural and collecting institutions in the 2017-18 Budget with new measures aimed to achieve the same level of budget savings through genuine efficiencies that are not targeted at staffing, including targeting contractor and consultant costs, advertising and travel.
The Opposition has not been given the opportunity to properly scrutinise the Government’s removal of the clean energy supplement or seek advice from the Department on its effects.
In government, Labor will seek further advice on the impacts of this measure.
Labor has already confirmed that we will conduct an independent review of the adequacy of the Newstart Allowance – to ensure it can keep people out of poverty while also helping people into work.
Budget Impact of Labor´s Decisions
•Labor has worked closely with the independent Parliamentary Budget Office over the last three years in costing our policies.
•Labor has a fully costed budget plan over the forward estimates and medium term.
•All of the policy costings have been fully assessed and reviewed by an independent costing panel.
A UNITED LABOR TEAM WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A healthcare system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent. University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS.
WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Giving the Consumer Watchdog More Teeth
This policy suite is designed to deter and punish anti-competitive and anti-consumer conduct by increasing penalties, using some of the increased revenue from these penalties to increase the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) litigation budget, and give the ACCC formal powers to conduct market studies in the public interest.
The case for change
There is a broad public concern about the lack of competition in Australian markets.
This concern is not limited to banks, supermarkets and petrol retailers.
Many people are worried that Australia’s markets are not sufficiently competitive in a range of areas.
At the same time, penalties for engaging in anti-competitive conduct and for breaching the rights of consumers are inadequate.
Penalties are too small to act as a deterrent, are low by international standards and are seen as a mere “cost of doing business” according to the Federal Court [i], [ii], the ACCC [iii], and consumer advocates [iv].
For example, the ACCC has appealed the $1.7 million penalty imposed on Reckitt Benckiser for misleading or deceptive conduct regarding Nurofen products.
The penalty was small relative to company turnover and the profits made on the products, and is unlikely to have a deterrence effect [v].
Over the last 5 years we have seen a range of appalling contraventions of consumer rights, often targeting the most vulnerable members of our community.
These include predatory consumer leasing agreements, breaches of product safety standards, scams and misleading advertising [vi].
The maximum penalty a corporation faces for breaching the Australian Consumer Law (‘the ACL’) is $1.1 million.
This is very small relative to the annual revenue of large companies.
It is one-tenth the size of the maximum penalty under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (‘the CCA’) competition provisions.
Whether it involves cracking down on misleading consumers, inappropriate market practices with suppliers, or busting cartels, Australians want to know that they have a strong competition regulator on the beat.
The primary criticism of the ACCC is that it lacks teeth because of insufficient penalties, which is a legislative constraint imposed on the Commission.
What is Labor’s proposal?
Labor will: Increase civil penalties under the Australian Consumer Law from a maximum of $1.1 million to $10 million, bringing penalties in-line with the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
Adopt the EU’s penalty system for anti-competitive conduct, which is based on 30 per cent of the annual sales of the relevant product or service, multiplied by the number of years the infringement took place, limited to the greater of 10 per cent of annual turnover or $10 million (as per existing threshold).
Use some of the revenues from increased penalties to increase the ACCC’s litigation budget from its current level of $24.5 million to a maximum of twice that level ($49 million).
Amend the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to give a market studies function to the ACCC to explore public interest issues such as pricing discrepancies and increased market concentration.
How will it work?
The policy package will require legislative amendments to the CCA.
The policy package deters and punishes unscrupulous conduct by businesses that hurt consumers – particularly vulnerable community members.
It builds upon the reforms announced in Labor’s Fairer Markets for a Fairer Australiapolicy.
The policy package fosters competitive markets as per the original intention of the CCA and ACL.
Competitive markets improve consumer welfare, drive innovation, increase production and job creation and reduce the cost of living.
The proposed anti-competitive conduct and market studies reforms bring Australia in line with international best practice (including the EU and UK).
Currently the ACCC escalates about 60 consumer and fair trading cases per quarter from approximately 10,000 complaints.
An increased litigation budget will assist in prosecuting large and complex cases without decreasing the number of escalated cases.
An increase in the litigation budget signals the ACCC will have the capacity to pursue the most egregious breaches.
These breaches warrant the highest penalties but also involve complex litigation.
A market studies function was recommended by the Harper Review.
Market studies explore competition issues of public interest such as increased market concentration, [ix] the impacts on inequality in certain markets, and to ensure markets are functioning in the best interests of consumers.
Australia is an outlier internationally, having no body with a fully independent market studies function.
Formal market studies can guide policy makers, instigate legal action, and inform consumer information campaigns.
We believe the ACCC is a natural fit for market studies, our proposal formalises and significantly expands some of the market study functions available to the ACCC.
The recent laundry detergent cartel [xi] demonstrates the reality of such behaviour in Australia.
A new penalty formulation in the CCA will guide courts to more appropriate, higher penalties.
This policy will deter and punish unconscionable conduct, ultimately leading to better outcomes for consumers and more competitive markets.
Labor’s record
The Labor Party is the party of the Trade Practices Act 1974, the National Competition Policy, the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and the criminalisation of cartels.
Australians can trust Labor to get it right when it comes to competition and consumer protection.
The ACL is a vital piece of legislation that protects consumers from things like unconscionable conduct, unfair contracts, unsafe products, misleading conduct and scams.
The ACL brought together State, Territory and Federal governments, and was implemented by the previous Labor Government.
Liberals’ record
Labor, in contrast to a divided Liberal Cabinet, is united and releasing tangible policies, including strengthening the ACCC, Australia’s frontline defence of competition and consumer issues.
The Liberal Government has not supported the ACCC to pursue litigation.
In a recent annual report, Rod Sims noted the difficulty in operating in a constrained fiscal environment [xii].
Financial Implications (PBO)
The costed components are expected to increase the underlying cash and fiscal balances by $62.4 million over the 2015-16 Budget forward estimates period.
This represents an increase in revenue of $111.4 million from the increased ACL civil penalties component which is partially offset by the increased departmental expenditure of $49.0 million associated with the increased ACCC litigation budget.
Tackling inequality and disadvantage
We will always have problems if we allow inequality to continue.
That’s why Labor is committed to tackling inequality.
Labor has to stand up for people who are less off and that’s what our policies will do.
POSITIVE POLICY
Frontline Funds for Family Violence
We have a responsibility to ensure women have somewhere safe to go if they’re being abused – whether that is their own home, or somewhere else.
The nightmare of family violence is a reality for far too many Australian women.
No-one should have to face this ordeal on their own.
The latest research shows: 1 in 3 Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15
17 per cent of Australian women have experienced violence by a current or previous partner in their lifetime;
and 20 per cent of Australian women who have experienced current partner violence reported it to police. (ANROWS; Personal Safety Survey, ABS 2012)
Labor will deliver more than $70 million over three years in targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access critical services when they need them.
Labor will commit almost $50 million to frontline legal services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, to ensure women suffering from family violence get legal support.
The aim of this is to ensure, at least, that women facing court have access to appropriate legal services.
We will also make an initial investment of $15 million in Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home.
In addition, Labor will invest $8 million in perpetrator mapping to look at the interactions across family violence, law enforcement, justice, child protection and related systems to help identify opportunities to prevent violence through information sharing.
Labor’s plan has been developed in consultation with experts, academics and advocates like Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty.
POSITIVE POLICY
Supporting Stronger Disability Advocates
A Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $2 million a year to peak disability advocacy organisations to ensure people with disability have a powerful voice in the debates and decisions that affect their lives.
People with disability and their advocates spent decades fighting for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Now, because of their hard work, the NDIS is real.
As the NDIS rolls out across the country, independent advocacy for people with disability becomes more important, not less.
Advocacy organisations help people with disability ensure their rights are protected; help them make decisions about their lives; and make sure their voices are heard in matters that affect them.
The additional funding that Labor is committing will ensure disability advocacy peak bodies have secure funding into the future, so they and the people they work for have certainty.
This funding will also support new and emerging organisations to advocate on behalf of people with diverse sets of disabilities.
In contrast to Labor’s strong support for advocacy, the Liberals have done all they can to silence the voices of people with disability.
The Liberals have cut funding for peak disability advocacy organisations.
Organisations like the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, Deaf Australia and Blind Citizens Australia had their future thrown into uncertainty.
While a very small part of this funding has since been reinstated, this funding is inadequate and the future of these organisations remains in doubt after 1 July 2016.
The Liberals also abolished the full-time Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, silencing another powerful voice for people with disability, only recently reinstating the position.
Under Labor, people with disability will have strong advocates to make sure their interests are never sidelined, never ignored and never forgotten.
POSITIVE POLICY
National Redress Scheme
For too long in this country, children in the care of institutions were subjected to appalling sexual abuse and terrible violence.
No country should stand by and let this happen.
No country should stand by and let perpetrators get away with these crimes.
Most importantly, no country should stand by and do nothing to help with the healing of survivors.
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
The establishment a National Redress Scheme is a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and is a critical part of the process of healing.
Under Labor, it will happen.
Labor has carefully considered the recommendations of the Royal Commission with a full heart and open mind, knowing how important this issue of redress is to survivors.
In its final report on redress and civil litigation, the Royal Commission determined that around 60,000 survivors of child sexual abuse should be given access to redress.
Labor is committed to ensuring they get the redress they deserve.
In line with the Royal Commission’s recommendations, Labor believes the cost of redress must be met by institutions responsible for the perpetrators of the abuse.
Labor will contribute $33 million to the National Redress Scheme.
As part of meeting its responsibility, a Shorten Labor Government will commit an initial $20 million to the establishment a National Redress Agency.
The National Redress Agency will oversee the implementation of a National Redress Scheme for victims of child sexual abuse in institutional settings.
This initial $20 million contribution will support the National Redress Agency to work with state and territory governments and responsible institutions to make this happen.
Labor strongly believes that redress should be survivor focused.
All redress should be offered, assessed and provided with appropriate regard to the needs of particularly vulnerable survivors.
Labor is committed to helping survivors of institutional abuse heal – putting in place the right support and redress mechanisms will play a central role in that healing.
POSITIVE POLICY
Empowering Indigenous Girls
We cannot close the gap in disadvantage between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians without investing in the educational opportunities of Indigenous girls and young women.
Right now, less than six in ten Indigenous female students complete secondary school as opposed to eight in ten non-Indigenous students.
Labor believes we must invest in engaging young people at school and beyond to have full opportunity to participate in further training, education and work.
Low engagement with education creates economic and social disadvantage, but when Indigenous students achieve Year 12 or its equivalent, there is almost no disparity in employment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
That is why Labor will partner with the Stars Foundation to empower Indigenous girls through education and gender equity.
We will build on their existing programs in schools in the Northern Territory, to provide 7155 student places through an expanded program in the Northern Territory and new programs in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria.
The program supports Indigenous girls and young women at risk of disengaging from education, providing full-time school-based mentors including sport, art, music, dance and community experiences to achieve targets and outcomes.
There is a need to provide gender equity in school-based engagement programs for Indigenous girls and young women.
Over recent years, significant investment has been directed at male youth, resulting in improved outcomes for young Indigenous men. But this has not been the case for young women.
Labor’s $8.4 million investment will direct resources to the only national organisation solely dedicated to the engagement, development and empowerment of Indigenous girls and young women.
Labor believes we cannot be a fair and inclusive Australia without engaging and empowering Indigenous girls and young women.
POSITIVE POLICY
Empowering Young Australians To Participate In Our Democracy
Today, more than at any other time in Australia’s history, the policy challenges affecting our nation’s future will play out not over a number of years, but over generations.
While no Australian under the age of 40 has experienced a recession in their adult lives, the need for reform to ensure that our economy remains productive, competitive and sustainable into the future will require generational decision-making.
For the young people of today, grappling with these policy challenges will be a centrepiece of their adult lives.
Research by the Whitlam Institute has shown that ‘young people want to be involved in decision-making processes and should be offered opportunities to do so within existing political structures’.
Encouraging their participation will encourage greater transparency and engagement, inspire short term issues-based or community-centred action to improve longer term decision making processes and value and acknowledge the contribution of young people through a process of accountability back to those young people.
Accordingly, Labor believes they deserve a say at the ballot box about the future direction of our nation.
As part of a broad strategy to engage young Australians in the political system and empower them to drive and guide change, Labor proposes the following:
Expanding the electoral franchise to Australians aged under 18
Improving the enrolment of individuals once they reach voting age
Better ways to improve the engagement of young people with disability, young Indigenous people, and young people living in outer suburban, regional and remote Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Indigenous Justice Target
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver a nationally coordinated approach to close the gap in Indigenous incarceration and victimisation rates.
These rates have reached a crisis point.
A young Indigenous man is more likely to go to jail than university.
An Indigenous adult is 15 times more likely to be imprisoned than a non-Indigenous adult and an Indigenous child is 24 times more likely to be in detention.
And an Indigenous woman is 34 time more likely to be hospitalised as a result of family violence than other women. This is unacceptable.
Labor will apply leadership and innovation to address the justice gap – though community-driven and national strategies that empower communities to address the complex causes of incarceration and crime.
Labor believes we cannot close the gap in education, health and employment disadvantage between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians without national leadership to change the record and build safer, stronger communities.
POSITIVE POLICY
Republic Timeline
In the 21st century we no longer hide behind the walls of fortress Australia, seeing ourselves as an outpost of empire, fearfully perched on the edge of Asia.
We no longer take a narrow, race-based notion of citizenship.
We celebrate diversity, we are grateful to count people from every nation, culture, tradition and faith as our own.
We should go to our region and the world proudly independent – declaring that we are no longer going to borrow a monarch from another country on the other side of the world.
Our constitution came into being as an act of the British parliament – 114 years later, our nation has changed, our place in the world has changed, and our constitution should change with it.
The republic debate is a chance for all of us to bring our constitution home, to vote our national birth certificate into existence as an Australian document, for our times.
An expression of the sovereign will of all Australians, where, unlike in 1901, the voices of women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be heard.
Labor believes in modernising our Constitution to appoint an Australian as our Head of State.
Labor will actively promote and campaign for an Australian Republic by establishing a clear plan to build the case for an Australian republic and the process to achieve it.
Labor's roadmap to a republic will include thorough consultation with the Australian people through: A Constitutional Convention;
A plebiscite to gauge support for an Australian Head of State, and a preferred model of appointment and a referendum to formally adopt a change.
In a future Labor Government a member of the Executive will be appointed with the responsibility of promoting the benefits of an Australian Head of State, and building awareness of the process for Constitutional reform and the nature of proposed changes.
POSITIVE POLICY
Youth Jobs Pathway
Youth unemployment is much too high in Australia.
For the last 12 months the average trend unemployment rate has been 12.9 per cent for people aged 15 to 24 and 18.4 per cent for those aged 15 to 19.
There are now more than 255,000 young people who are unemployed, including 138,000 aged between 15 and 19.
Labor understands that without a successful transition from study to work, young people will experience life-long employment disadvantage.
The costs to the community of that disadvantage are well known.
Labor won’t let young people fall between the cracks into a lifetime of unemployment and reliance on welfare.
We will help young people move from unemployment to work through Youth Jobs Connect.
3000 young people who are at risk of life-long employment disadvantage will complete an intensive six month pilot program to help them get and keep a job.
Youth Jobs Connect will be piloted in 15 locations where youth unemployment is significantly above the national average.
Youth Jobs Connect will provide one-on-one coaching to help young people in areas of high youth unemployment make realistic decisions about available career opportunities that will work for them, as well as the education and skills they will need to get there.
Employers have identified that young job seekers are often not job-ready.
They need employees who are reliable, willing to learn and able to fit into the workplace
That’s why we will support the program’s young participants to tackle barriers to employment like literacy and numeracy, homelessness and mental health.
They will also receive training in the core skills that are necessary to gain employment and participate effectively in the workplace.
This includes skills like punctuality, communication, self-management, planning, decision making and problem solving.
Importantly, the program will broker opportunities for work experience with local employers so young people get a practical understanding of what employers expect and what careers they may want to pursue.
And young people themselves will receive mentoring and support to find and keep a job.
We won’t let young Australians fall behind because they’re struggling to get into work.
Labor’s $21 million Youth Jobs Connect pilot will help get more young people working and pursue a new approach to helping young Australians make successful transitions from school into employment.
POSITIVE POLICY
Marriage Equality
Labor will legislate for marriage equality within the first 100 days of the next parliament.
At its heart, marriage equality is about removing discrimination from our laws.
It is a recognition that love between two people of the same gender is of equal meaning, equal value and entitled to equal respect.
Marriage equality is a simple, overdue change to Australian law our Parliament could deal with in one day of considered debate culminating in a free vote.
Couples could sit in the Parliamentary galleries and gather on the lawns to celebrate the moment when their love became equal in law.
Since the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality, to the present day, Labor Governments have consistently been at the forefront of removing discrimination and fighting for the equal rights of LGBTI Australians.
Labor opposes Malcolm Turnbull’s $160m dangerous and divisive plebiscite on marriage equality.
A plebiscite could act as a lightning rod for the very worst of the prejudice so many LGBTI Australians endure.
The plebiscite will turn into a platform for people to attack, abuse and demean Australians on the basis of who they love.
The fact is, casual, unthinking discrimination and deliberate, malicious homophobia are still far too common in our society.
Two out of five young Australians who are gay have thought about self-harm or suicide.
A young Australian who identifies as gay is six times more likely to consider taking their own life, compared to their sibling, classmate, colleague or teammate.
Malcolm Turnbull’s plebiscite will give a taxpayer-funded platform and a megaphone to the very worst forms of hateful abuse we will only add to the burden too many Australians have to bear.
POSITIVE POLICY
Family Violence Paid Leave
Labor is committed to addressing the national disgrace that is family and domestic violence.
Intimate partner violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and ill-health in Australian women aged 15-44.
Over 12 months, on average, one woman is killed every week as a result of intimate partner violence.
The number of women affected by domestic and family violence negatively impacts business productivity across Australia.
The Department of Social Services reports that violence against women and their children cost the Australian economy an estimated $13.6 billion in 2009.
Without appropriate action to address violence against women and their children, an estimated three-quarters of a million Australian women will experience and report violence in the period of 2021-22, costing the Australian economy an estimated $15.6 billion.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will provide for five days paid domestic and family violence leave in the National Employment Standards.
The National Employment Standards provide statutory minimum conditions for all employees – women and men – covered by the national workplace relations system.
Labor’s plan is a part of the solution to reduce the costs of domestic and family violence to individuals suffering domestic violence, as well as businesses and the Australian economy.
Those who have access to the leave entitlement will retain their job and income, which gives women choice, reduces isolation, and helps them to care for their children and provides them with a safe home environment.
Providing those impacted by domestic violence with time to attend court appearances and related appointments, to seek legal advice and make relocation arrangements will contribute to employees returning to work and contributing to business productivity.
Labor will provide the necessary educational support to employers, particularly small businesses, to implement the mandatory arrangements.
Labor believes businesses, which already offer a variety of forms of leave, including sick leave, annual leave, and long service leave, will see a reduction in lost revenue associated with absenteeism and decreased productivity.
It is vital for people who have experienced family and domestic violence that their workplace understands the impact violence has on their lives, and for leave arrangements to be handled sensitively and confidentially, which will happen as part of Labor’s plan.
POSITIVE POLICY
National Family Violence Summit
There is no clearer symbol of continuing gender inequality in our society than the epidemic of violence against women.
The biggest risk factor for being a victim of family violence is being a woman. 1 in 3 Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
That’s not good enough; in fact that is a crisis.
That is why Labor will commission a National Crisis Summit within 100 days of coming to government.
A national crisis summit on violence against women is required for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to agree to urgently implement coordinated judicial and social services reform within their areas of responsibility to better deal with family violence.
A national crisis summit on violence against women is the best way for stakeholders to openly and transparently lay down the key policy challenges for addressing family violence.
Family violence isolates, excludes and traumatises its victims - it disconnects people from community, work, education, friends and family.
In recent years there has been a growth in public awareness and the evidence base for tackling family violence.
The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (National Plan) put in place by Labor in office (2010-2022) has driven a range of world leading strategies as well as action by community and for-profit sectors.
Over the past few years, considerable evidence has emerged through the South Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Domestic and Family Violence, the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland and the Commonwealth Senate Inquiry – Domestic violence in Australia and further evidence is being gathered in the landmark Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence.
The National Crisis Summit seeks to build on this work with a program for clear action - to prioritise, bring forward innovation and better coordination.
And ultimately, to end the ‘postcode lottery’ that results in different outcomes for victims in different locations.
From the Summit, a Federal Labor Government will seek a new deal on coordinated judicial and social services reform to better respond and prevent family violence.
POSITIVE POLICY
Community Sector Partnership
Under a Shorten Government, the Labor Community Sector Partnership will meet regularly to inform and advise on the best approaches to tackling new and emerging community issues.
Since going into Opposition, we’ve continued to work on ways to strengthen civil society.
One of the vehicles for this is Labor’s Community Sector Partnership, which met for the first time in April 2015.
It brings together leaders from the community sector to outline priorities for social policy reform and set a new agenda for working together to deliver positive social change.
The partnership is about providing a mechanism for Government and the community sector to work together to design, implement and deliver policy.
It is an important first step in developing new approaches to solving complex problems.
POSITIVE POLICY
Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a unique place in our nation as Australia’s first peoples and as custodians of the oldest continuing cultures in the world.
Australia’s Constitution needs to change to recognise the history, language and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and reflect our nation’s fundamental belief in the importance of equality and non-discrimination.
Labor wants meaningful and substantive change, change that unites the nation and reflects the hopes and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Labor is working to build public support for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
POSITIVE POLICY
Royal Commission into the Financial Services Industry
Confidence and trust in Australia’s financial services industry has taken a huge hit after an ongoing range of scandals and high profile consumer rip offs in recent years.
Retirees have had their retirement savings gutted.
Families have been rorted out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Small business owners have lost everything.
Life insurance policy holders have been denied justice.
There are literally tens of thousands of victims, if not more.
Enough is enough.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will hold a Royal Commission into misconduct in the banking and financial services industry.
This is an important decision that was not taken lightly – it has been made after careful consideration over an extended period of time.
This sector employs almost half a million people and is the fastest growing in the Australian economy.
We have one of the strongest banking systems in the world and Labor wants to make it even stronger.
We need Australians to have confidence in their banks and financial institutions, to sweep away the doubt, to uncover and deal with unethical behaviour that compromises that confidence.
Even the Prime Minister has expressed concern about illegal and unethical behaviour in the banking sector: “There have been too many troubling incidents over recent times for them simply to be dismissed.” (MALCOLM TURNBULL, SPEECH TO WESTPAC’S 199TH BIRTHDAY, WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL 2016)
Every Australian uses a bank and every Australian relies on the integrity of the banks – we need to restore that trust and confidence.
After a damaging series of Liberal cuts to ASIC, getting to the bottom of the wide-ranging and severe issues uncovered in recent years is now beyond the capacity of regulators.
A Royal Commission into the financial services industry will examine issues such as:how widespread instances of illegal and unethical behaviour are within Australia’s financial services industry;
how Australia’s financial services institutions treat their duty of care to their customers;
how the culture, ethical standards and business structures of Australian financial services institutions affect the behaviour of these institutions;
whether Australia’s regulators are really equipped to identify and prevent illegal and unethical behaviour;
comparable international experience with similar financial services industry misconduct and best practice responses to those incidents; and
other events as may come to light in the course of investigating the above.
This proposal for a Royal Commission into Australia’s Financial Services Industry has been costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office at $53 million over two years.
There are Members of Parliament in the Liberal and National Parties who are fed up with hard-working people in their communities getting ripped off.
The Government should listen to these MPs and the concerns of the Australian community and support Labor’s call for a Royal Commission.
POSITIVE POLICY
Small Business Ombudsman – Access to Justice
Small business owners and operators want an even playing field when they are competing in the market place.
Feedback and surveys consistently show this is amongst the leading concerns of small businesses.
Anti-competitive behaviour damages the economy, jobs and future growth.
Small businesses know this better than most.
A new idea to provide goods and services can disrupt a market, competing against established businesses. The constant change driven by small and growing businesses across Australia is one of the most important factors for productivity and growth.
Research shows young, small businesses are one of the most important drivers of new net jobs in the labour market.
Small businesses play a central role in the economy.
Over 2 million businesses – sole traders, partnerships, trusts and small employers – have helped underpin 25 years of economic growth.
Practical support for competition policy is a priority for Labor.
Labor will ensure a more even playing field for private litigants, so that small businesses and their industry representatives can better use existing legislation to prove the abuse of competition under Part IV of the Competition and Consumer Act.
At an early stage of the court case, the private litigant will be able to request a ‘no adverse cost order’, preventing large legal fees of the defendant being transferred to the litigant.
The judge will then weigh up the initial arguments and decide whether there is merit to the case.
If merit is established, any liability for the defendant’s legal fees will be waived.
To assist in this process, a Labor Government will fund the Small Business Ombudsman to provide an initial assessment on whether a private litigant is likely to be granted a no adverse cost order.
The representatives of small business private litigants will be able to submit their proposal to the Ombudsman and receive a professional opinion on the likelihood of success.
While this will not be legally binding, the Ombudsman will assist small businesses better understand their prospects of successful action under the Competition and Consumer Act.
POSITIVE POLICY
Human Rights Commissioners
A Shorten Labor Government will appoint a full-time Disability Discrimination Commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Discrimination against people with disability is still far too common in Australia.
People with disability face discrimination in the workplace, when accessing services and in the community.
Complaints relating to breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act are consistently the most common complaint received by the Commission.
That’s why Australia needs a dedicated Disability Discrimination Commissioner – because people with disability deserve a powerful voice to advocate their interests.
Upon taking office, a Shorten Labor Government will immediately begin the process of appointing a full-time Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
In the horror 2014 Budget, the Liberal Government cut funding for the Human Rights Commission and sacked Graeme Innes – Australia’s longest-serving Disability Discrimination Commissioner and a powerful advocate for Australians with disability, their families and carers.
A Shorten Labor Government will right this wrong.
This change will result in the Age Discrimination Commissioner also returning to a full-time role, ending the forced sharing of the two job roles which has occurred under the Liberal Government.
The new Disability Discrimination Commissioner will have a special focus on removing barriers to employment for people with disability, and will work with business, governments and the community sector to boost job opportunities for Australians with disability.
This is just one part of Labor’s plan to strengthen the voices of Australians with disability.
A Shorten Labor Government will also provide an additional $2 million a year to peak disability advocacy organisations so that people with disability have the biggest say in the decisions and debates that affect their lives.
Federal Labor has a proud record of delivering greater support for people with disability.
Labor designed, funded and introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which is already transforming the lives of thousands of people with disability, their families and carers.
POSITIVE POLICY
Advancing Australian Multiculturalism
A Shorten Labor Government will renew investment in Australian multiculturalism, with $28.3 million of new funding to support social cohesion and economic inclusion.
A Shorten Labor Government will renew investment in Australian multiculturalism, with $28.3 million of new funding to support social cohesion and economic inclusion.
Investing in new humanitarian migrants means promoting economic opportunity.
We know the ability to speak English is the single most important factor in getting a job.
By funding migrant support properly in the short term, Australia will be better off over the long term.
By ensuring our programs and policies continue to improve, more new migrants can fully participate.
Australia is one of the most diverse societies across the globe.
This was no accident and has been the result of hard work.
We cannot stop now.
Promoting social cohesion and economic inclusion will see the multicultural dividend grow into the future.
In the coming financial year, Australia will see one of the largest humanitarian programs in our history, with over 20,000 new humanitarian migrants expected to arrive and settle in Australia.
Many will be from Syria and Iraq, where people are fleeing persecution.
Labor’s plan will ensure every new humanitarian migrant is given the best possible start to life in Australia.
An Office for Multicultural Affairs will be created in the Australian Public Service to improve coordination, policy development, research and evaluation, and program management.
Labor will invest $11.3 million to fund capital works for settlement and community sector organisations.
For too long, support for new and established migrant communities has occurred without the necessary infrastructure.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government, in one of their first decisions in 2013, slashed the Building Multicultural Communities program.
Even after letters of successful grants had been received by many organisations, overdue projects were snatched away at the last minute.
Labor will also invest in the people who support new and established migrant communities. A funding stream of $7.5 million will help organisations build critical skills in their staff.
From community leadership to volunteer management to bilingual engagement, these skills are vital to support new migrants settle into society and the labour market.
These policies have been informed from the grassroots.
After listening to settlement and multicultural organisations who live and breathe support for new migrants, Labor has the right plan to ensure future citizens are given the support they need.
This investment represents a stark contrast to the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Instead of asking settlement and multicultural organisations to do more with less, as we saw in the Budget, a Labor Government will invest in organisations to help new humanitarian migrants succeed.
POSITIVE POLICY
Water Safe: Labor’s National Water Safety Education Program
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $40.9 million to roll out a national water safety education program to every primary school student in Australia, ensuring all Australian children have the necessary training and skills to be safe around water.
Australians live by the water.
Being in and around water is part of our culture and identity.
However, our love of water brings with it risks that can be fatal.
In 2014-15, 271 people drowned in Australian waterways.
There is considerable evidence that providing young children with training in swimming and water safety significantly reduces this risk.
This is backed by evidence that children aged 5 to 14 are, of all age groups, the least likely to drown due to the acquisition of water safety skills and knowledge at school.
Sadly, Australia has no national approach to swimming and water safety education.
In many cases, the level of water safety education a child receives is dependent on where they live or their parents’ income.
In some States and Territories there is no swimming or water safety program in schools, while in others, it is an essential part of the school curriculum.
This inequity is even greater for Indigenous children, who are less likely to achieve identified benchmarks for water safety competence compared to non-Indigenous students.
This is also the case for children not born in Australia.
Labor’s plan for a national approach to water safety will address this inequity and ensure that all primary school children, regardless of where they live, who their parents are, or where they go to school, will receive water safety training.
POSITIVE POLICY
Counting the Cost: Veterans’ Homelessness and Suicide
Labor recognises that mental health issues arising from active service, including as post-traumatic stress disorder, have affected veterans from all conflicts.
We encourage and support measures designed to ensure that existing programs take account of the mental health requirements of veterans.
A Shorten Labor will fund a comprehensive study into veterans’ homelessness, in addition to establishing an ‘ADF Flag’ for minimum data sets on homelessness and suicide.
A Study into Veterans’ Homelessness
Approximately 10 per cent of Australian’s experiencing homelessness are from the veteran community—a shocking statistic.
Yet there is no comprehensive system to collect data that would allow the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, ex-service organisations and frontline homelessness services to identify, connect and support veterans experiencing homelessness.
To redress this, a Shorten Labor Government will fund a comprehensive study into veterans’ homelessness to identify members of the veteran community who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
A Minimum Data Set On Homelessness and Suicide
As part of its mental health policy, Labor has committed to working with States and Territories to build an accurate picture of deaths by suicide and suicide attempts and agree to a national minimum data set for suicide prevention.
As part of this initiative, Labor will ensure the inclusion of an ‘ADF flag’ within this data set, to allow governments to identify if an individual had previously served in the ADF or was a partner or child of an individual who served in the ADF.
The inclusion of an ADF flag would ensure that data can be disaggregated by ADF service and an ongoing record of veterans’ suicide could be maintained, regardless of whether that death is the subject of a DVA dependant compensation claim.
As noted above, there is currently no comprehensive system to collect data that allows governments and service providers to identify homeless veterans.
To address this information gap, Labor will work with States and Territories to include an ‘ADF flag’ within the existing Specialist Homelessness Service Collection (SHSC) which accumulates data from frontline homelessness services based on a national minimum data set.
This will ensure that governments and frontline services providers are able to access an accurate picture of the level of veterans’ homelessness and their needs, including how they use services.
This will support future policy development and better targeting of existing veterans’ support and services, as well as providing a benchmark against which homelessness prevention initiatives can be assessed and help avoid duplication of services.
POSITIVE POLICY
Committing to Family Violence Services
A Shorten Labor Government will provide funding certainty to the organisations delivering the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.
Labor’s commitment of $65 million over six years will ensure 1800 RESPECT, Our WATCh and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) can continue their critical work in tackling the scourge of family violence.
These organisations provide critical frontline support services to women experiencing family violence and help drive cultural change.
In Australia today, one in three women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
A woman dies at the hands of a current or former partner almost every week.
These are shameful statistics, and ending the scourge of family violence will be a key priority of a Shorten Labor Government.
This funding commitment locks in support for these organisations to 2021–22, giving them certainty over the life of the National Plan.
In Government, Labor delivered the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children to provide a comprehensive approach to the prevention of violence against women and to improve coordination between Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments.
The implementation of the National Plan was always going to result in more women seeking support and it is critical that these services can continue to support women as demand increases.
We will ensure that the funding goes directly to frontline services providers, meaning victims of abuse can speak directly to qualified professionals as quickly as possible.
In addition to providing frontline services, Australia needs to continue to build our evidence base, so that we get the best insights into how to reduce and ultimately eliminate violence against women.
Labor’s commitment will allow ANROWS to continue to improve the knowledge about the causes, consequences and factors of family violence, and how we can prevent it.
We also need to keep working towards stopping violence before it occurs.
To achieve this, we need cultural change.
That is why advocacy organisations like Our WATCh are so important—to build awareness and help create a society where violence is not tolerated.
This package builds on Labor’s earlier commitment to deliver more than $70 million over three years in targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access critical services, and to make domestic violence leave a universal right.
If elected, Labor will work alongside these organisations to ensure women and children are free to live safe from violence.
Financial Implications
Labor will commit an additional $65.7 million over six years, a cost of $40.1 million over the forward estimates.
POSITIVE POLICY
Fighting Discrimination Against LGBTI Australians
Every Australian has the right to live their life free from discrimination.
But for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians, discrimination remains an all-too-familiar part of life.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will appoint a full-time LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), to ensure the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians are protected, and they are free to live their lives without discrimination.
Labor’s LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner will be a new champion for the rights of LGBTI Australians, and help build a more inclusive Australia.
The fight against discrimination continues
While much progress has been made in the fight for a fairer Australia for LGBTI Australians, that fight is far from over.
Unfortunately, LGBTI Australians continue to face discrimination in many areas of their life.
A significant number of LGBTI Australians report hiding their sexuality or gender identity in a range of situations for fear of violence or discrimination.
LGBTI Australians also continue to face a range of challenges in accessing government services as well as public participation in sport.
We also know that LGBTI people, particularly young people, suffer from a range of mental health issues.
In its Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Rights report HYPERLINK "http://www.100positivepolicies.org.au/fighting_discrimination_against_lgbti_australians" \l "_ftn1" [1] last year, the AHRC noted: Research suggests that the rate of suicide for LGBT people is 3.5 to 14 times higher than the general population.
LGBT people are also at a higher risk for a range of mental diagnoses.
LGBT people are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety.
In 2013, the former Labor Government amended the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 so that the Act would cover discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender diverse discrimination.
However, until now, these issues have been investigated by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
A New Champion for LBGTI Human Rights
Labor will appoint a permanent, dedicated full-time LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner, to ensure that the rights of LGBTI Australians have a new champion, and lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex Australians can feel safer, more secure and more included in Australian society.
Whilst Labor understands that this will not put an end to the discrimination experienced by many LGBTI Australians, having a dedicated discrimination commissioner is an important next step in the fight for a more equal Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Creative industries, creative country
Labor believes the creative industries are central to our lives as Australians.
The visual arts, film, music, theatre and dance chronicle our Australian stories while creating jobs across our cities and regions.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has delivered nothing but chaos and cuts for the arts.
Labor has a plan to fix the damage and restore our creative industries to their rightful place at the centre of Australia’s cultural and economic life.
From Gough Whitlam’s establishment of the Australia Council to the Gillard Government’s wide-ranging Creative Australia policy, Labor has valued and elevated the contribution of the creative industries to Australia’s social, cultural and economic life.
Our comprehensive plan for the arts will see this sector flourish, reaching out to touch the lives of all Australians.
POSITIVE POLICY
Supporting Indigenous Justice
Labor understand the importance of legal assistance services in providing access to justice for all Australians, and has always supported these vital services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) operate in every State and Territory to deliver culturally appropriate front line legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in need.
Consistent with Labor’s long-standing commitment to ensure access to justice for all Australians, Labor will ensure that the ATSILS are able to carry out their vital role by committing approximately $24 million to the ATSILS over three years, comprising:
$18.18 million to completely reverse the devastating funding shortfalls imposed by the Abbott-Turnbull Government;
$3.6 million to boost the ATSILS capacity to deal specifically with the scourge of family violence, as part of Labor’s Family Violence Package;
$2.25 million to build capacity in National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS), the peak national representative body for the ATSILS.
For over forty years, the ATSILS have delivered legal assistance, community legal education, advocacy, law reform advocacy and prisoner through-care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contact with the justice system.
However, significant cuts to the eight ATSILS by the Abbott-Turnbull Government are undermining the capacity of the ATSILS to provide their vital services to vulnerable Indigenous Australians and communities in desperate need.
Labor recognises that the ATSILS must be properly resourced to fulfil their critical role for Indigenous Australians. For example: Today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are twice as likely to be in custody than in higher education.
In 1991, at the time of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were 7 times more likely to be in prison.
Despite ongoing efforts to improve this appalling statistic, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ‘Prisoners in Australia’ data, in 2015 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were 15.5 times more likely to be incarcerated than other Australians.
ABS statistics also reveal that since 2004 there has been an 88 per cent increase in the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders imprisoned, while the non-Indigenous rate has risen by 28 per cent.
The provision of expert, culturally appropriate legal assistance is often critical to ensuring that Indigenous Australians, particularly younger offenders, are not drawn into the downward cycle that often commences with a prison sentence for a relatively minor offence.
With respect to the scourge of family violence, which affects all communities, it is deplorable that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of injuries caused by assault than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Again, access to legal support may be critically important to survivors of family violence.
Cuts to legal assistance services are a hallmark of Senator Brandis’ disgraceful tenure as Attorney-General under the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
To add insult to injury, despite having responsibility for the ATSILS as the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis has refused every invitation to meet with the executive officers of the NATSILS throughout his entire term of office.
NATSILS report that if unaddressed, the impending funding cuts to the ATSILS imposed by the Abbott-Turnbull Government will: Significantly impact on the capacity of the ATSILS to deliver front line legal services, particularly as budgets have already been cut significantly.
Require the ATSILS to reduce staffing numbers not only for 2017-18, but also going forward into 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Result in an unavoidable withdrawal of frontline services resulting in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being unrepresented in courts and unable to access culturally competent legal services.
Have unintended costs and put more pressure on the courts, the health sector, corrections services and in this way increase costs to the Federal Government.
Deny many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the access to justice and procedural fairness that all Australian citizens deserve.
A Shorten Labor Government will not let this happen.
POSITIVE POLICY
Committing to Community Radio
Australian communities will continue to enjoy independent community digital radio, with a Shorten Labor Government committed to restoring much-needed funding to these services.
Community radio is the independent voice of our communities.
More than five million people have access to community radio, with a broad reach not only in our cities, but in rural and regional Australia.
Community radio plays a particularly significant role for Indigenous, print handicapped, ethnic and religious communities.
Unfortunately, Malcolm Turnbull’s approach to community radio is just another example of him saying one thing, and doing another.
As Minister for Communications, Malcom Turnbull said he supported community digital radio. In his first Budget as Prime Minister, he cut $5.6 million from it.
According to the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, 37 community digital radio services are facing closure altogether from 1 July 2016.
Labor knows these services are a valued part of Australian culture, and we will restore funding to ensure continued delivery of community digital radio services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
This $5.6 million commitment over four years – $1.4 million per annum – will assist with digital platform and infrastructure costs including data connectivity, linking, multiplexing and transmission.
Labor introduced digital radio in Australia and we have a strong track record of supporting community broadcasting.
Independent radio voices should not disappear from our communities — Labor’s support will make sure community broadcasting continues to thrive.
POSITIVE POLICY
Giving Women’s Sport The Attention It Deserves
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver to the ABC the resources it needs to boost coverage of women’s sport, giving our female sports stars the recognition they so obviously deserve.
Australia’s female athletes have given our country some of its greatest sporting glories in recent years – including victories for the Diamonds at the Netball World Cup in 2015, the Southern Stars at the Ashes in 2015, and the Matildas at the Asian Cup in 2010.
Yet in 2014 the Australian Sports Commission found that television coverage dedicated to women’s sport was only 7 per cent of all broadcast sports hours.
This is not good enough.
Better television coverage is the first step toward giving our female athletes equal recognition with their male counterparts.
Without it, sportswomen will continue to face barriers to equality in pay, corporate sponsorship and fan support.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s savage cuts to the national broadcaster made the problem worse, contributing to the ABC’s decision to cut its regular broadcasts of women’s sport including the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).
The $21 million in funding Labor will provide to the ABC will increase coverage of women’s sport on both television and digital platforms by approximately 500 live hours over the next four years.
It is anticipated that the funding will be used to acquire the rights to female sporting competitions that are currently under-represented and where commercial broadcasters have decided not to pursue these rights.
These may include:  The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The Women’s Hockey World Cup and Champions Trophy.
The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the WNBL.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The funds may also be used by the ABC to develop a dedicated women’s sport space on its digital platform iView, covering international women’s teams like the Southern Stars, Opals, Matildas, Diamonds and the Hockeyroos.
This month’s announcement of a landmark deal between Channel 9, Telstra and Netball Australia is a fantastic step in the right direction and shows that the time for greater recognition of Australian sportswomen has finally come.
Today’s announcement is part of Labor’s long-standing commitment to women in sport.
The previous Labor Government invested in female athletes through the Australian Sports Commission; supported the appointment of women to leadership positions on sports boards and governing bodies; and funded a $1.45 million Women in Sports media grant program.
Mr Turnbull broke a promise to the Australian people and slashed more than $250 million from the ABC.
Only Labor will ensure our national broadcaster has the funds necessary to boost women’s sport.
POSITIVE POLICY
A Strong, Vibrant and Sustainable Community Sector
A Shorten Labor Government will reset the Commonwealth’s relationship with the community and not-for-profit sector and usher in a new era of meaningful partnership for positive social change.
Labor understands the critical role played by Australia’s community and not-for-profit sector in building the capacity of individuals and communities, strengthening community cohesion, addressing inequality and harnessing opportunity.
We know that government alone cannot solve all our social problems.
Only by working in partnership with community organisations – and communities themselves – can we bring about lasting change.
But for three years, the Liberals have treated the community and not-for-profit sector with contempt.
First the Liberals ripped more than $270 million worth of funding from frontline services.
They stripped peak advocacy organisations of their funding and slashed money from community legal centres and family violence services.
Then they completely botched their community grants process – pitching community organisations against one another and leaving many frontline services without funding certainty.
As a result, some frontline services have had to cut staff or reduce their services.
Some have closed entirely.
The Liberals also tried to scrap the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission – only to be fought off by a relentless campaign by Labor and representatives of the community sector.
It’s time to change the way that government works with the community sector.
That is why, a Shorten Labor Government will draw a line in the sand and embark on a new agenda of partnership with community and non-for-profit organisations.
Unlike the Liberals, Labor believes that Government and the Community Sector should work together to develop quality policy, to implement that policy and ensure it delivers real outcomes for vulnerable Australians.
Labor has already established a Federal Labor Community Sector Partnership – a regular forum for debating policy ideas and direction.
If elected, Labor will make the Community Sector Partnership a permanent interface between Government and the community sector.
Labor will also: Reinvigorate the National Compact with the Third Sector – to outline the terms of engagement and agree a joint agenda for working together.
Scrap the Liberal’s shambolic community grants program.
This has been a disaster for community organisations and should not be allowed to continue.
Whilst Labor will honour all existing contracts, over time we will move towards a fairer approach to funding community organisations, including longer term contracts.
Continue to work through the ACNC to streamline reporting mechanisms and cut red tape for community and not-for-profit organisations.
In addition, Labor will work with the community and not-for-profit sectors in the development of Labor’s national information policy, to ensure that the power of open data is available to assist the community sector to do its job more effectively.
We will continue to support community organisations through the volunteer grants program.
We know that community organisations often rely on these small grants to assist them to attract and keep volunteers. Labor will provide a further $10 million toward this important program.
Labor also understands that – particularly as the NDIS and Living Longer Living Better Aged Care Reforms roll out around the country - casualisation insecure work ae of great concerns to many employees.
Labor will work with the community and not-for-profit sector to protect the wages and conditions of employees as these reforms roll out around the country.
POSITIVE POLICY
Jobs Plan For People With Disability
Australia has one of the lowest rates of employment for people with disability in the developed world.
Australia is currently ranked 21st out of 29 countries in employment rates for people with disability.
Labor believes that people with disability deserve the same opportunities as any other Australian to participate in our economy.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme – designed and delivered by Labor – is giving more individual support to people with disability so they have access to employment opportunities.
But the NDIS is just one part of the solution.
As well as delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a Shorten Labor Government will deliver three concrete actions in our first term to boost job opportunities for people with disability.
Labor’s jobs plan for Australians with disability will encourage business and community organisations to employ more Australians living with disability, trial reforms to Disability Employment Services so there is more choice and control, and ensure more people with disability can work in the public service.
Disability Employment Action Plans
Labor will support businesses and not-for-profit organisations to develop their own Disability Employment Action Plans.
These Action Plans will allow organisations to: Identify existing barriers to employment for people with disability in their workplace.
Improve recruitment policies and procedures so they are more inclusive.
Outline specific strategies and targets to boost employment and training opportunities for people with disability within their organisation.
Businesses will continue to be supported by the Employment Assistance Fund, which helps fund workplace modifications so that people with disability can succeed at work.
Labor will provide $1 million to an independent, national not-for-profit disability organisation so they can promote, advise and coordinate the development and delivery of Disability Employment Actions Plans.
The successful organisation will be selected from a competitive tender process
Trialing new approaches to Disability Employment Services
The last Labor Government delivered big changes to employment support services for people with disability.
Since 2010, the number of people with disability receiving employment support has increased by almost 50 per cent and the number of job placements has doubled.
But we know the current system is far from perfect, which is why the next Labor Government will trial further reforms to improve Disability Employment Services.
Labor will ensure changes reflect the core NDIS principles of choice and control.
Labor will investigate new approaches that ‘unbundle’ Disability Employment Services funding so that participants have more control over the services they receive.
This means jobseekers will be able to control their own funding, and choose different service providers to provide different employment supports, depending on their individual needs.
It will mean greater choice for participants, and encourage more competition and innovation in the sector.
Labor will also invest $5 million to trial a new approach to better integrate Disability Employment Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In selected NDIS locations, people with disability looking for work will be able choose their own employment supports as part of their individual plan.
This means they can access a range of employment assistance from different service providers, depending on their individual needs.
The size and scope of these trials will be informed by consultations with service providers, the National Disability Insurance Agency and local communities.
Public sector employment targets for people with disability
Labor recognises that if we want more businesses and organisations to employ Australians with disability, we must first lead by example.
A Shorten Labor Government will task the Australian Public Service Commission with developing a series of employment targets for people with disability, in partnership with different departments and agencies and in consultation with disability advocates.
The employment targets will be national, department and agency-specific, and will include targets for leadership positions.
Commonwealth departments and agencies will also be expected to develop or update Disability Employment Action Plans to make sure these targets are met.
In this way, Labor will act as we expect others to act – providing opportunities for people with disability to succeed at work.
Labor’s jobs plan for people with disability has been costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.
POSITIVE POLICY
Working Futures: Tackling Youth Unemployment
Australia’s youth unemployment rate has been too high for too long.
Today, more than 262,000 people aged between 15 and 24 are out of work – a little less than one in three Australian jobseekers.
We must do better to stop these young people falling through the cracks and steer them into a secure future instead.
Labor’s Working Futures plan will get more young people into work – and keep them there – by giving them real skills and real opportunities.
Unlike the Turnbull Government’s flawed internships scheme, Working Futures will offer real work experience and fair pay, along with the chance to achieve a proper qualification.
Labor’s Working Futures program will focus on the young people who are finding it hardest to break into the jobs market.
Each year, we will support 20,000 people aged between 15 and 24 through a comprehensive work and training program that sets them on track for a life in work.
As part of Working Futures, jobseekers will take part in:  A six-week work readiness course focusing on essential employment skills as well as personal presentation, interview techniques and job hunting.
A six-month work placement with an employer, paid at an award-equivalent training wage.
A fully-funded Certificate III in a subject of their choice.
Working Futures aims to stop young people getting trapped in unemployment as they get older by tackling the specific barriers that keep them out of work.
Unlike the Turnbull Government’s flawed youth internship program, we will give young jobseekers real skills and real experience for a successful future in work.
POSITIVE POLICY
A National Affordable Housing Strategy
A Shorten Labor Government will provide the national leadership required to address housing affordability and homelessness.
At a time when the number of people experiencing housing stress is rising and the rates of homelessness remain high, we cannot continue to stand by and adopt a business as usual approach.
A Shorten Labor Government will develop a national affordable housing strategy to drive the development of an agreed, coordinated approach to addressing housing affordability in Australia.
A Shorten Labor Government will: Appoint a Minister for Housing and Homelessness.
Make housing affordability a standing item on the COAG agenda.
Include a more comprehensive coverage of housing as part of the Closing the Gap report.
Develop an Affordable Housing Industry Plan to ensure the long-term development of a sustainable affordable housing sector.
Re-establish the National Housing Supply Council.
Investigate the development of national rental standards.
A Shorten Labor Government, in partnership with State and Territories, will: Aim to halve homelessness by 2025.
Agree on national targets to increase the supply of affordable housing dwellings.
Report annually through COAG on progress towards the targets.
Labor wants to work with homelessness services to deliver long-term certainty for the sector and will begin this important work by immediately hosting a national roundtable on homelessness and a meeting of State and Territory Housing and Homelessness Ministers.
A Shorten Labor Government will also provide $88 million over two years for a new Safe Housing program, to improve transitional housing options for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
From 1 July 2017, Labor will limit negative gearing to new property.
This is a significant policy that will provide an incentive for new construction and add thousands of jobs to the building industry.
Labor is committed to improving fairness, particularly for first home buyers, and will fully grandfather and preserve the tax offsets that are currently available to existing property owners.
Too often discussions on affordable housing concentrate on home ownership – yet over 30 per cent of all households are renters.
Labor will ensure that the needs of renting households are considered within the national strategy on affordable housing.
A Shorten Labor Government will work with the States and Territories to reach agreement on a set of national minimum rental standards.
Labor will commission work to examine:  Rental contract lengths.
Fair processes where landlords seek termination.
Ways to provide greater freedom of choice for tenants.
A Shorten Labor Government will also provide a one-off establishment grant of $3 million to Homes4homes (H4H) a social enterprise by The Big Issue, looking to raise capital funds to invest into affordable housing supply.
POSITIVE POLICY
Increasing Efforts To Prevent And Address Family Violence
A Shorten Labor Government will give the issue of family violence national prominence, with the Prime Minister to deliver an annual Family Violence Statement to Parliament.
This is part of Labor’s latest measures aimed at ending the scourge of family violence in our community.
Eliminating family violence must be a national priority – it will be one of the most important priorities of a Shorten Labor Government.
While Australia has made good progress – there is much more that must be done.
That’s why Labor is announcing further measures aimed at ending the scourge of family violence in our community: An annual statement to the Parliament on progress in eliminating family and domestic violence.
A commitment to responding to the recommendations of the Final Report of the COAG Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children, and the recommendations of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, within a year of taking office.
The appointment of additional Federal Circuit Court judges to Brisbane and Parramatta; to appoint a permanent Federal Circuit Court judge to Wollongong; and to appoint an additional Family Court judge to Brisbane.
$43.2 million over four years to avoid re-traumatisation of victims and survivors from being cross-examined by alleged perpetrators personally – and instead providing for both parties to be legally represented.
A commitment to prohibit non-consensual sharing of private sexual images and recordings, within the first 100 days of a Shorten Labor Government.
A commitment to working within COAG to create specific offences prohibiting the covert installation of spying apps on smartphones.
$3.6 million for pilot programs in relation to family and domestic violence in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Protection for people on temporary visas facing family and domestic violence by creating a new type of temporary visa, which will remove impediments to women leaving their partners, and carry work rights so that women leaving violent relationships can seek to support themselves.
These measures build on Labor’s earlier significant commitments to stopping family and domestic violence, including measures such as critical funding for frontline legal services, transitional housing options for women and children escaping family and domestic violence, and hosting a National Crisis Summit within our first 100 days of office.
A Shorten Labor Government will work to ensure women and children are free to live safe from violence – today’s announcements build on our commitment to eliminate family violence in all forms.
POSITIVE POLICY
Champion The March To Gender Equality
Equality for the women of Australia will be a national priority for a Shorten Labor Government.
Central to our plan is Labor’s commitment to safe housing for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, which is a major cause of homelessness in Australia.
Family violence is a crisis which requires more than a change in attitudes.
It is a national disgrace that demands a national approach.
Over one third of people who accessed specialist homelessness services over the three years to 2013-14 were seeking assistance due to domestic and family violence.
The majority of those were women - 110,000 women compared to 12,000 men– and more than 45,000 of this group were women with children.
Many more women want to leave an abusive relationship, but cannot.
Or do leave, only to return because they have nowhere else to go.
This has to change.
Labor will invest $88 million over two years in a new Safe Housing program, to improve transitional housing options for women and children escaping domestic and family violence by filling the gap between crisis housing and longer term arrangements.
The Safe Housing program will increase the number of dwellings specifically available for women and children fleeing domestic violence and will provide funding for support programs that help women to stay safe in their own homes.
This commitment builds on Labor’s announcement in 2015 of an initial $15 million investment in Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home.
Through strong government leadership, Labor’s positive plan for gender equality will also focus on: Ending the scourge of family violence.
Women’s health.
Support managing work and care.
Equal Opportunity in education.
Gender Pay Equity.
Making retirement incomes fairer.
Advancing women’s wellbeing at home and abroad.
Promoting women’s sport.
Ensuring equality for women in Australia through full, fair and equal access to opportunities in the workforce, leadership and education, is both a social issue and economic issue - a test of our national character and vital building block for national prosperity.
The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the pay gap is still too high at 17.3 per cent.
Australian women are now earning on average $277.70 per week less than men and have an average of $90,000 less in superannuation.
The G20 has acknowledged that one of the world’s most significant barriers to global economic growth is the persistently low level of women’s participation in the workforce compared with men.
Labor knows that increasing women’s participation and economic security requires action from all parts of the community and there is no area of Australian life, no sector of Australian community, that does not and will not benefit from the full and equal inclusion of women.
The march of women through the institutions of power will define the decade ahead. It is our responsibility to speed this advance, to offer all our daughters and our nation a more prosperous, more equal future.
Labor will provide the genuine leadership and the real resources to deliver equality of opportunity for the women of Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Safe Housing For Women
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $88 million over two years in a new Safe Housing program to increase transitional housing options for women and children escaping domestic and family violence and to support programs that enable women to stay safe in their own homes.
One of the most common reasons why women remain in violent relationships is the lack of housing options available if they leave.
Safe Housing projects will support women and children escaping domestic and family violence by providing: Funding to construct or purchase accommodation used to provide short term or transitional housing options at affordable rents with flexible bond arrangements.
Funding for homelessness prevention initiatives which support women and children to remain safely in their own homes.
Labor’s Safe Housing program will provide funding to construct or purchase accommodation used to provide short term or transitional affordable housing options for women and children.
It will support a range of housing options including single or multiunit developments, new builds or existing dwellings.
It will support projects which complement existing domestic and family violence services that provide ongoing support to women including access to financial counselling and legal services.
Labor’s Safe Housing program will also provide funding for initiatives that increase the safety of women and children in their own homes.
States and Territories will be able to bid for funding through a competitive process.
To leverage more funding for the program, the States and Territories will be required to match the federal funding.
Community housing providers, in partnership with specialist domestic violence services, will also be able to submit an application for funding as long as the project has a valid business case which meets the objectives of the program.
Australia’s place in a changing world
Australia seeks a good international society. Our national interest is in a peaceful, stable and prosperous world.
There are many challenges to this global vision – including the threat of conflict between states, the rise of non-state actors, growing economic inequality, and climate change.
We acknowledge our leading role in our region and accept our global responsibilities.
POSITIVE POLICY
Defence Under Labor: A Safe, Secure and Independent Australia
A Shorten Labor Government will keep Australia safe and prosperous while protecting our values and unique way of life.
This should always be the primary obligation of any government.
Labor will continue to adopt a constructive and bipartisan approach to Australia’s national security, because there is no place for political partisanship when it comes to the safety and security of our nation and our fellow Australians.
Labor acknowledges the pivotal role that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) plays in defending Australia and our national interests.
We also acknowledge the critical role that Australian defence industry plays in supporting and equipping our defence personnel.
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia retains a world-class defence force and innovative defence industry by:
Implementing the funding goals of the 2016 Defence White Paper, including raising Defence funding to 2 per cent of GDP by 202021.
Building 12 Future Submarines in South Australia, and mandating that at least 70 per cent of the work is done in Australia.
Maintaining Australia’s strategically vital naval shipbuilding industry by implementing a continuous build of surface warships and ending the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s practice of denying local shipyards the opportunity to compete for work.
Continuing to strengthen defence cooperation with the United States, including by redressing the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s neglect of the US Force Posture Initiatives in Australia’s north.
Reforming the means by which ADF pay and conditions are determined and putting an end to the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cynical attempts to cut the pay and conditions of ADF personnel.
Establishing an intergovernmental taskforce to develop a nationally consistent approach to perfluorinated chemical contamination at Defence and Commonwealth sites.
POSITIVE POLICY
Generating Jobs Through Trade And Investment
A Shorten Labor Government will pursue trade and investment policies that support Australian jobs and living standards by opening up new markets, driving exports into those markets, and attracting new investment.
Labor understands that as the Australian economy transitions out of the mining boom we need to find other sources of growth and jobs.
We need to realise the export potential of sophisticated Australian services industries such as education, tourism, and financial and professional services.
We want to see our advanced manufacturing firms access the global value chains that are reshaping international production.
And our farmers and food processors supplying more high-value Australian food to the rapidly growing countries of Asia.
A Shorten Labor Government will negotiate high-quality international trade agreements that open up new export markets by reducing tariffs, quotas and “behind the border” barriers to trade.
We will do so while maintaining Australia’s right to adopt sound public policies in areas such as health care, ,.
environmental protection
fair working conditions and job opportunities for Australian workers
POSITIVE POLICY
Respecting And Supporting Our Veterans
A Shorten Labor Government will strengthen support for our valued veteran community.
Labor believes in the robust provision of entitlements, services and support to our veterans and their families as a sincere gesture of thanks for the service and sacrifice they have provided our nation.
Australia has a good record of looking after our veterans, it does not have a perfect one.
Labor has listened to the veterans’ community, and recognises that more needs to be done.
Our veterans’ policy needs be structured to respond to the differing needs of veterans according to their stage of life, with flexible programs based on meeting contemporary needs.
In addition to the specific programs outlined below, more information on Labor’s veterans’ policy is available here.
A First Principles Review of Veterans’ Affairs
When grave concerns are raised about the administration, governance and processes within Veterans’ Affairs, we must act.
Serious instances of processing delays, disclosure of veterans’ private information, overpayment of entitlements and continued high levels of complaints have undermined the veteran community’s confidence in the delivery of government services.
A Shorten Labor Government will commission a First Principles Review of Veterans’ Affairs and the delivery of government services.
This end-to-end holistic review will be based on the outcomes required of the Department and focused on agreed upon first-principles.
A first principles review will: Rectify administrative, governance and process failings.
Ensure government services are structured in a way that allows them to meet existing and future challenges efficiently.
Secure the trust of the veterans’ community.
This is not an attack on DVA employees, or their commitment to the important work they do.
This is about putting people first.
This is about making sure the systems we have in place work for the people they are meant to serve.
This is about making sure the foundations of our veterans’ affairs system is strong.
More information on this policy is available here.
The Australian National Veterans Arts Centre in Melbourne
In addition, a Shorten Labor Government will establish the Australian National Veterans Arts Centre (ANVAC) at 310 St Kilda Road in Melbourne.
Currently derelict, the St Kilda Road facility was formerly a repatriation centre used by World War I veterans as the Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic.
The building will be remediated and restored by the Department of Defence, before being returned to its original purpose as a centre caring for veterans.
The facility is superbly located for this purpose, being proximate to the Shrine of Remembrance, Victoria Barracks, public transport links and the Melbourne CBD.
ANVAC will host programs and initiatives for a new generation of veterans seeking support for mental health and PTSD, including through arts therapy.
Veterans have long engaged in the arts for a range of reasons including for rehabilitation from wounds, injury or illness, or as a form of therapy to capture their lived experience and to stimulate morale within peer groups.
More information on Labor’s plan for the Australian National Veterans Arts Centre is available here.
Counting the cost: Veterans’ suicide and homelessness
The rate of veteran suicide and homelessness, and the way in which it is recorded, continues to raise significant concerns within the veterans’ community and the general public more broadly.
The lack of comprehensive data or the ‘under-reporting’ of veterans’ suicide has been of particular concern.
As part of its mental health policy, Labor has committed to working with the States and Territories to build an accurate picture of deaths by suicide and suicide attempts and agree to a national minimum data set for suicide prevention.
As part of this initiative, Labor will ensure the inclusion of an ‘ADF flag’ within this data set, to allow governments to identify if an individual had previously served in the ADF or was a partner or child of an individual who served in the ADF.
Labor will also work with the States and Territories to include an ‘ADF flag’ within the existing Specialist Homelessness Service Collection.
In addition, Labor will fund a comprehensive study into veterans’ homelessness to identify members of the veteran community who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The study will make recommendations to address factors that increase the risk of homelessness and solutions on how to better connect homeless veterans with appropriate support services.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Regional And Global Efforts
According the UNHCR, the number of displaced people fleeing from war, conflict or persecution is now at its highest level since World War II.
The forced displacement of people around the globe is currently at unprecedented levels.
By the close of 2015 an estimated 60 million individuals were forcibly displaced globally by persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.
This is equivalent to one person in every 122 on the planet being displaced by violence and war.
Labor believes that Australia can do more to address this global humanitarian crisis.
We believe in a compassionate approach to asylum seekers that enables refugees to progress their claims safely and securely.
Labor has a plan to work in our region and with international humanitarian agencies to tackle this crisis while maintaining the integrity of Australia’s borders.
First and foremost, a Shorten Labor Government will provide significantly increased annual funding to the UNHCR for its global work program and its work in South East Asia and the Pacific.
At a time when the global humanitarian need is greater than ever, Labor will provide $450 million over three years to support the important work of the UNHCR.
This funding commitment will place Australia in the top 5 of global contributors to the UNHCR.
Labor will also reinstate references to the UN Refugees Convention in the Migration Act to reverse the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s retrograde efforts to undermine international law.
Furthermore, we will take a leadership role within South East Asia and the Pacific to build a regional humanitarian framework to improve the situation of asylum seekers.
This would include supporting the UNHCR in providing health and education services to asylum seekers.
It would also involve advocating for work rights for asylum seekers, similar to what would have been achieved under the proposed Malaysia Agreement in 2011.
Labor believes Australia has a role to play as a responsible global citizen in responding to the current humanitarian crisis.
We will not shirk this responsibility as the Abbott-Turnbull Government has consistently sought to do. Instead, we will work in our region and with international agencies to progress refugees’ claims safely, securely and responsibly.
POSITIVE POLICY
Protecting Overseas Aid Projects
A Shorten Labor Government will act immediately to save projects facing closure due to the Liberals’ cuts to overseas aid.
Because of a $224 million cut to overseas aid in the Liberals’ last Budget, critical projects like maternal and child health, schooling, clean water, and sanitation, risk being axed from 30 June this year.
Today, Labor commits that if elected, we will reverse the $224 million cut – to keep these projects going in 2016-17.
Since coming to Government in 2013, the Liberals have gutted Australia’s aid program.
It is now the weakest in history.
Sadly, the Liberals’ cuts have been so deep that it is impossible to fix the aid program quickly.
Labor’s commitments are designed to help start rebuilding Australia’s aid program.
In addition to today’s $224 million announcement, Labor will: Provide $450 million, over three years, to support the important work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, placing Australia in the top five global contributors.
Invest an extra $40 million a year, from 2017-18, to help Australian NGOs deliver frontline services to some of the world’s poorest people.
Legislate to restore accountability to Australia’s aid program by reintroducing the annual Ministerial Budget Statement on overseas aid, after it was axed by the Liberals in 2014.
Labor will release the statement at the same time as each federal Budget to show how aid is allocated by sector, country, and region.
Legislate for an independent evaluation of Australia’s aid program, as well as the measurement and reporting of effectiveness.
Over the next four years, Labor will provide around $800 million more for overseas aid than the Liberals.
Labor supports a strong aid program because as a good global citizen Australia has a duty to help reduce poverty and inequality, and respond effectively to humanitarian crises.
Labor supports a strong aid program because it helps keep Australia safe, by working to tackle serious diseases and violence in our region, and in our world.
Labor supports a strong aid program because it benefits Australia’s economy when countries go from being aid recipients to trading partners.
POSITIVE POLICY
Australia’s Submarines Built Here.
Under Labor, Australia’s Future Submarines will be built, maintained and sustained in Australia.
Building and delivering Australia’s new submarine fleet is an inter-generational decision.
Future Prime Ministers, from both sides of politics, will have to live with the decision that is taken.
This is the most significant procurement decision of our time, with construction and maintenance costs going beyond many billions of dollars over the life of the project – it is vital that we get it right.
For strategic defence reasons it is critical that Australia retains an independent capability to build, sustain and maintain our next fleet of submarines.
It is simply too important for flawed selection processes and partisan politics.
Before the last election, the future construction of Australia’s submarine fleet was bipartisan, with both Liberal and Labor declaring the next generation of submarines would be built in Australia.
Since then, the Liberals have turned the issue of Australia’s submarine build into a political football and refused to guarantee they will deliver on that promise.
And while a preferred bidder – DCNS – has been announced, contracts are not yet signed.
Only Labor has been clear and consistent: we would make it a condition of the contract that the successful tenderer build Australia’s Future Submarines in Australia.
This will ensure Australia secures a future submarine fleet that meets our national defence requirements at the most competitive price for taxpayers
, and grows thousands of good Australian jobs in the process.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Increasing The Humanitarian Intake
Major conflicts in Syria, Iraq and the nations across Africa have seen the number of displaced people fleeing from war, conflict or persecution rise to its highest level since World War II.
The forced displacement of people around the globe is currently at unprecedented levels.
By the close of 2015 an estimated 60 million individuals were forcibly displaced globally by persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.
This is equivalent to one person in every 122 on the planet being displaced by violence and war.
Australia is a nation writ large because of migration.
We should never forget the debt we owe to generations of migrants, and refugees, who in seeking a better life have enriched the lives of all Australians.
There can be no doubt that immigration has unreservedly been one of the secrets of Australian success.
We are proud so many of us are Australians by choice.
That is why Labor will increase Australia’s annual humanitarian intake to 27,000 by 2025.
As part of our commitment to demonstrating leadership in our region, a portion of the program will be dedicated to resettling refugees from the region.
This is Labor’s plan to ensure that Australia takes our fair share of refugees.
It is a plan that ensures that Australia steps up and fulfils a greater responsibility as a good global citizen; a nation that is responsible in the world and secure at home.
POSITIVE POLICY
Defending Australia – Future Frigates
Under Labor, Australia’s Future Frigates will be built, maintained and sustained in Australia.
For strategic defence reasons it is critical that Australia retains an independent shipbuilding capability here at home.
Having a truly world class shipbuilding sector will require a commitment to a continuous build program for our Future Frigates to ensure these vessels not only have the best technology at the best price but also maximise efficiency and workforce expertise.
Labor will provide Australian shipbuilders with the certainty they need to make investments and to recruit and retain the highly-skilled workforce needed to build these vital capabilities for Australia’s defence forces.
Expert advice is unequivocal; that anything less than a commitment to build the Future Frigates in Australia will put jobs at risk, along with our capacity to continue to be a world-class naval shipbuilding industry for the long term.
POSITIVE POLICY
Counter Terrorism under Labor
Protecting Australians, Defending Human Rights
There is no greater responsibility of government than to protect the safety and security of its citizens.
Terrorism is an affront to all humanity, and Labor will continue to ensure our nation’s security while upholding the democratic rights and freedoms that Australians have for generations fought to protect.
Proper resourcing and an effective legal framework that gives our security and law enforcement agencies the powers they need to keep us safe are fundamental to Australia’s security environment.
Labor will continue to fully support our agencies in their vital work to protect the safety of all Australians and defend our nation’s security.
Australians expect transparency and accountability in security and enforcement activities to the greatest extent possible, and Labor will continue to champion those safeguard mechanisms.
In ensuring that the rights and freedoms of Australians are protected as well as their physical security, transparency and accountability safeguards also help ensure that Australians have confidence in their security and law enforcement agencies.
This further reinforces our security because maintaining a close relationship with the community they protect helps our security agencies to carry out their vital role.
Bipartisanship
National security is a bipartisan issue.
It should always be above politics, as no individual and no party has a monopoly on patriotism.
A Shorten Labor Government will continue to work in a bipartisan way to ensure our nation’s security.
Throughout the term of the Abbott-Turnbull Government, Labor has worked in a constructive manner through the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to ensure all proposed national security legislation is fit for purpose.
Following rigorous scrutiny of new laws through the committee process, Labor has achieved significant improvements to national security legislation including the introduction of important safeguards such as the establishment of a Public Interest Advocate in situations where security agencies seek metadata from journalists.
Working in a bipartisan manner, Labor helped to enact over 100 substantive amendments to the national security bills put forward by the Abbott-Turnbull Government, including 26 substantive amendments to the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill 2015.
In each new round of counter terrorism legislation proposed by the Government, Labor has enhanced oversight and transparency.
We have ensured that any new powers are extended for no longer than is necessary, through the application of sunset clauses on some extraordinary powers, and with mandated reviews.
Our focus is about the best interests and safety of Australians.
Our interest is always in striking the right balance between national security considerations and the fundamental democratic rights and freedoms all Australians cherish.
Labor will always be mindful that in seeking to protect ourselves from the terrorist threat, we do not undermine the very foundations of our strength that the terrorists want to destroy.
An Inclusive Approach To National Security
A Shorten Labor Government will pursue a balanced approach to counter terrorism—drawing on new means, new methods and adapting to new challenges.
We put our trust in the expertise, professionalism and skill of our security agencies and emergency services personnel, and we should be guided by their advice.
Labor believes early intervention and community engagement, working in combination with strong and bipartisan counter terrorism legislation, are all key to preventing vulnerable young Australians being groomed into extremist ideology.
As was noted by ASIO director-general Duncan Lewis in mid-2015, “we understand we can’t arrest our way to success. If there is indeed a silver bullet to solving the issue of radicalisation, it is in the area of social cohesion.”
Countering violent extremism programs need appropriate funding, cohesive narratives and they need to provide viable alternatives to disenfranchised young Australians who may be vulnerable to terrorist recruiters.
We must give agencies and communities all the support we can to enhance their capability and to counter the radicalisation of vulnerable youths.
In addition, Labor will build effective partnerships with other countries to respond to common security challenges, including continuing engagement with the United States and Europe, and further strengthening our ties with our Asian and other regional neighbours.
Strong international institutional arrangements should coordinate international responses to security threats.
Labor will respect and uphold these arrangements and actively participate to influence positive outcomes.
Under a Shorten Labor Government, Australia will continue to work directly with regional institutions to strengthen their capacity to deal with terrorist challenges in our region.
Labor’s Record
Labor is proud of our record on national security.
In Government between 2007 and 2013, we increased funding for public order and safety by hundreds of millions of dollars in real terms.
In December 2008, Prime Minister Rudd delivered Australia’s first National Security Statement to Parliament, setting out our national security challenges and a comprehensive approach to responding to those challenges.
Labor also commissioned and built ASIO’s new purpose-designed headquarters, named after Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley, who in 1949 signed the directive establishing ASIO.
In 2010 Labor published a Counter Terrorism White Paper, which outlined a detailed strategy to combat the threat of terrorism, based on four key elements: Analysis: an intelligence-led response to terrorism, driven by a properly connected and properly informed national security community.
Protection: taking all necessary and practical action to protect Australia and Australians from terrorism at home and abroad.
Response: providing an immediate and targeted response to specific terrorist threats and terrorist attacks should they occur.
Resilience: building a strong and resilient Australian community to resist the development of any form of violent extremism and terrorism on the home front.
The White Paper established a Counter Terrorism Control Centre within the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to create closer links and bring together expertise from across our security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies and focus Australia’s counter terrorism efforts.
In addition, Federal Labor has improved cooperation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), ASIO and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
POSITIVE POLICY
Advancing Australian Multiculturalism
A Shorten Labor Government will renew investment in Australian multiculturalism, with $28.3 million of new funding to support social cohesion and economic inclusion.
A Shorten Labor Government will renew investment in Australian multiculturalism, with $28.3 million of new funding to support social cohesion and economic inclusion.
Investing in new humanitarian migrants means promoting economic opportunity.
We know the ability to speak English is the single most important factor in getting a job.
By funding migrant support properly in the short term, Australia will be better off over the long term.
By ensuring our programs and policies continue to improve, more new migrants can fully participate.
Australia is one of the most diverse societies across the globe.
This was no accident and has been the result of hard work.
We cannot stop now.
Promoting social cohesion and economic inclusion will see the multicultural dividend grow into the future.
In the coming financial year, Australia will see one of the largest humanitarian programs in our history, with over 20,000 new humanitarian migrants expected to arrive and settle in Australia.
Many will be from Syria and Iraq, where people are fleeing persecution.
Labor’s plan will ensure every new humanitarian migrant is given the best possible start to life in Australia.
An Office for Multicultural Affairs will be created in the Australian Public Service to improve coordination, policy development, research and evaluation, and program management.
Labor will invest $11.3 million to fund capital works for settlement and community sector organisations.
For too long, support for new and established migrant communities has occurred without the necessary infrastructure.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government, in one of their first decisions in 2013, slashed the Building Multicultural Communities program.
Even after letters of successful grants had been received by many organisations, overdue projects were snatched away at the last minute.
Labor will also invest in the people who support new and established migrant communities. A funding stream of $7.5 million will help organisations build critical skills in their staff.
From community leadership to volunteer management to bilingual engagement, these skills are vital to support new migrants settle into society and the labour market.
These policies have been informed from the grassroots.
After listening to settlement and multicultural organisations who live and breathe support for new migrants, Labor has the right plan to ensure future citizens are given the support they need.
This investment represents a stark contrast to the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Instead of asking settlement and multicultural organisations to do more with less, as we saw in the Budget, a Labor Government will invest in organisations to help new humanitarian migrants succeed.
POSITIVE POLICY
Water Safe: Labor’s National Water Safety Education Program
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $40.9 million to roll out a national water safety education program to every primary school student in Australia, ensuring all Australian children have the necessary training and skills to be safe around water.
Australians live by the water.
Being in and around water is part of our culture and identity.
However, our love of water brings with it risks that can be fatal.
In 2014-15, 271 people drowned in Australian waterways.
There is considerable evidence that providing young children with training in swimming and water safety significantly reduces this risk.
This is backed by evidence that children aged 5 to 14 are, of all age groups, the least likely to drown due to the acquisition of water safety skills and knowledge at school.
Sadly, Australia has no national approach to swimming and water safety education.
In many cases, the level of water safety education a child receives is dependent on where they live or their parents’ income.
In some States and Territories there is no swimming or water safety program in schools, while in others, it is an essential part of the school curriculum.
This inequity is even greater for Indigenous children, who are less likely to achieve identified benchmarks for water safety competence compared to non-Indigenous students.
This is also the case for children not born in Australia.
Labor’s plan for a national approach to water safety will address this inequity and ensure that all primary school children, regardless of where they live, who their parents are, or where they go to school, will receive water safety training.
POSITIVE POLICY
Counting the Cost: Veterans’ Homelessness and Suicide
Labor recognises that mental health issues arising from active service, including as post-traumatic stress disorder, have affected veterans from all conflicts.
We encourage and support measures designed to ensure that existing programs take account of the mental health requirements of veterans.
A Shorten Labor will fund a comprehensive study into veterans’ homelessness, in addition to establishing an ‘ADF Flag’ for minimum data sets on homelessness and suicide.
A Study into Veterans’ Homelessness
Approximately 10 per cent of Australian’s experiencing homelessness are from the veteran community—a shocking statistic.
Yet there is no comprehensive system to collect data that would allow the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, ex-service organisations and frontline homelessness services to identify, connect and support veterans experiencing homelessness.
To redress this, a Shorten Labor Government will fund a comprehensive study into veterans’ homelessness to identify members of the veteran community who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
A Minimum Data Set On Homelessness and Suicide
As part of its mental health policy, Labor has committed to working with States and Territories to build an accurate picture of deaths by suicide and suicide attempts and agree to a national minimum data set for suicide prevention.
As part of this initiative, Labor will ensure the inclusion of an ‘ADF flag’ within this data set, to allow governments to identify if an individual had previously served in the ADF or was a partner or child of an individual who served in the ADF.
The inclusion of an ADF flag would ensure that data can be disaggregated by ADF service and an ongoing record of veterans’ suicide could be maintained, regardless of whether that death is the subject of a DVA dependant compensation claim.
As noted above, there is currently no comprehensive system to collect data that allows governments and service providers to identify homeless veterans.
To address this information gap, Labor will work with States and Territories to include an ‘ADF flag’ within the existing Specialist Homelessness Service Collection (SHSC) which accumulates data from frontline homelessness services based on a national minimum data set.
This will ensure that governments and frontline services providers are able to access an accurate picture of the level of veterans’ homelessness and their needs, including how they use services.
This will support future policy development and better targeting of existing veterans’ support and services, as well as providing a benchmark against which homelessness prevention initiatives can be assessed and help avoid duplication of services.
POSITIVE POLICY
Committing to Family Violence Services
A Shorten Labor Government will provide funding certainty to the organisations delivering the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.
Labor’s commitment of $65 million over six years will ensure 1800 RESPECT, Our WATCh and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) can continue their critical work in tackling the scourge of family violence.
These organisations provide critical frontline support services to women experiencing family violence and help drive cultural change.
In Australia today, one in three women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
A woman dies at the hands of a current or former partner almost every week.
These are shameful statistics, and ending the scourge of family violence will be a key priority of a Shorten Labor Government.
This funding commitment locks in support for these organisations to 2021–22, giving them certainty over the life of the National Plan.
In Government, Labor delivered the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children to provide a comprehensive approach to the prevention of violence against women and to improve coordination between Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments.
The implementation of the National Plan was always going to result in more women seeking support and it is critical that these services can continue to support women as demand increases.
We will ensure that the funding goes directly to frontline services providers, meaning victims of abuse can speak directly to qualified professionals as quickly as possible.
In addition to providing frontline services, Australia needs to continue to build our evidence base, so that we get the best insights into how to reduce and ultimately eliminate violence against women.
Labor’s commitment will allow ANROWS to continue to improve the knowledge about the causes, consequences and factors of family violence, and how we can prevent it.
We also need to keep working towards stopping violence before it occurs.
To achieve this, we need cultural change.
That is why advocacy organisations like Our WATCh are so important—to build awareness and help create a society where violence is not tolerated.
This package builds on Labor’s earlier commitment to deliver more than $70 million over three years in targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access critical services, and to make domestic violence leave a universal right.
If elected, Labor will work alongside these organisations to ensure women and children are free to live safe from violence.
Financial Implications
Labor will commit an additional $65.7 million over six years, a cost of $40.1 million over the forward estimates.
POSITIVE POLICY
Fighting Discrimination Against LGBTI Australians
Every Australian has the right to live their life free from discrimination.
But for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians, discrimination remains an all-too-familiar part of life.
That is why a Shorten Labor Government will appoint a full-time LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), to ensure the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians are protected, and they are free to live their lives without discrimination.
Labor’s LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner will be a new champion for the rights of LGBTI Australians, and help build a more inclusive Australia.
The fight against discrimination continues
While much progress has been made in the fight for a fairer Australia for LGBTI Australians, that fight is far from over.
Unfortunately, LGBTI Australians continue to face discrimination in many areas of their life.
A significant number of LGBTI Australians report hiding their sexuality or gender identity in a range of situations for fear of violence or discrimination.
LGBTI Australians also continue to face a range of challenges in accessing government services as well as public participation in sport.
We also know that LGBTI people, particularly young people, suffer from a range of mental health issues.
In its Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Rights report HYPERLINK "http://www.100positivepolicies.org.au/fighting_discrimination_against_lgbti_australians" \l "_ftn1" [1] last year, the AHRC noted: Research suggests that the rate of suicide for LGBT people is 3.5 to 14 times higher than the general population.
LGBT people are also at a higher risk for a range of mental diagnoses.
LGBT people are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety.
In 2013, the former Labor Government amended the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 so that the Act would cover discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and gender diverse discrimination.
However, until now, these issues have been investigated by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
A New Champion for LBGTI Human Rights
Labor will appoint a permanent, dedicated full-time LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner, to ensure that the rights of LGBTI Australians have a new champion, and lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex Australians can feel safer, more secure and more included in Australian society.
Whilst Labor understands that this will not put an end to the discrimination experienced by many LGBTI Australians, having a dedicated discrimination commissioner is an important next step in the fight for a more equal Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Creative industries, creative country
Labor believes the creative industries are central to our lives as Australians.
The visual arts, film, music, theatre and dance chronicle our Australian stories while creating jobs across our cities and regions.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has delivered nothing but chaos and cuts for the arts.
Labor has a plan to fix the damage and restore our creative industries to their rightful place at the centre of Australia’s cultural and economic life.
From Gough Whitlam’s establishment of the Australia Council to the Gillard Government’s wide-ranging Creative Australia policy, Labor has valued and elevated the contribution of the creative industries to Australia’s social, cultural and economic life.
Our comprehensive plan for the arts will see this sector flourish, reaching out to touch the lives of all Australians.
POSITIVE POLICY
Supporting Indigenous Justice
Labor understand the importance of legal assistance services in providing access to justice for all Australians, and has always supported these vital services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) operate in every State and Territory to deliver culturally appropriate front line legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in need.
Consistent with Labor’s long-standing commitment to ensure access to justice for all Australians, Labor will ensure that the ATSILS are able to carry out their vital role by committing approximately $24 million to the ATSILS over three years, comprising:
$18.18 million to completely reverse the devastating funding shortfalls imposed by the Abbott-Turnbull Government;
$3.6 million to boost the ATSILS capacity to deal specifically with the scourge of family violence, as part of Labor’s Family Violence Package;
$2.25 million to build capacity in National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS), the peak national representative body for the ATSILS.
For over forty years, the ATSILS have delivered legal assistance, community legal education, advocacy, law reform advocacy and prisoner through-care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contact with the justice system.
However, significant cuts to the eight ATSILS by the Abbott-Turnbull Government are undermining the capacity of the ATSILS to provide their vital services to vulnerable Indigenous Australians and communities in desperate need.
Labor recognises that the ATSILS must be properly resourced to fulfil their critical role for Indigenous Australians. For example: Today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are twice as likely to be in custody than in higher education.
In 1991, at the time of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were 7 times more likely to be in prison.
Despite ongoing efforts to improve this appalling statistic, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ‘Prisoners in Australia’ data, in 2015 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were 15.5 times more likely to be incarcerated than other Australians.
ABS statistics also reveal that since 2004 there has been an 88 per cent increase in the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders imprisoned, while the non-Indigenous rate has risen by 28 per cent.
The provision of expert, culturally appropriate legal assistance is often critical to ensuring that Indigenous Australians, particularly younger offenders, are not drawn into the downward cycle that often commences with a prison sentence for a relatively minor offence.
With respect to the scourge of family violence, which affects all communities, it is deplorable that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of injuries caused by assault than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Again, access to legal support may be critically important to survivors of family violence.
Cuts to legal assistance services are a hallmark of Senator Brandis’ disgraceful tenure as Attorney-General under the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
To add insult to injury, despite having responsibility for the ATSILS as the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis has refused every invitation to meet with the executive officers of the NATSILS throughout his entire term of office.
NATSILS report that if unaddressed, the impending funding cuts to the ATSILS imposed by the Abbott-Turnbull Government will: Significantly impact on the capacity of the ATSILS to deliver front line legal services, particularly as budgets have already been cut significantly.
Require the ATSILS to reduce staffing numbers not only for 2017-18, but also going forward into 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Result in an unavoidable withdrawal of frontline services resulting in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being unrepresented in courts and unable to access culturally competent legal services.
Have unintended costs and put more pressure on the courts, the health sector, corrections services and in this way increase costs to the Federal Government.
Deny many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the access to justice and procedural fairness that all Australian citizens deserve.
A Shorten Labor Government will not let this happen.
POSITIVE POLICY
Committing to Community Radio
Australian communities will continue to enjoy independent community digital radio, with a Shorten Labor Government committed to restoring much-needed funding to these services.
Community radio is the independent voice of our communities.
More than five million people have access to community radio, with a broad reach not only in our cities, but in rural and regional Australia.
Community radio plays a particularly significant role for Indigenous, print handicapped, ethnic and religious communities.
Unfortunately, Malcolm Turnbull’s approach to community radio is just another example of him saying one thing, and doing another.
As Minister for Communications, Malcom Turnbull said he supported community digital radio. In his first Budget as Prime Minister, he cut $5.6 million from it.
According to the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, 37 community digital radio services are facing closure altogether from 1 July 2016.
Labor knows these services are a valued part of Australian culture, and we will restore funding to ensure continued delivery of community digital radio services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
This $5.6 million commitment over four years – $1.4 million per annum – will assist with digital platform and infrastructure costs including data connectivity, linking, multiplexing and transmission.
Labor introduced digital radio in Australia and we have a strong track record of supporting community broadcasting.
Independent radio voices should not disappear from our communities — Labor’s support will make sure community broadcasting continues to thrive.
POSITIVE POLICY
Giving Women’s Sport The Attention It Deserves
A Shorten Labor Government will deliver to the ABC the resources it needs to boost coverage of women’s sport, giving our female sports stars the recognition they so obviously deserve.
Australia’s female athletes have given our country some of its greatest sporting glories in recent years – including victories for the Diamonds at the Netball World Cup in 2015, the Southern Stars at the Ashes in 2015, and the Matildas at the Asian Cup in 2010.
Yet in 2014 the Australian Sports Commission found that television coverage dedicated to women’s sport was only 7 per cent of all broadcast sports hours.
This is not good enough.
Better television coverage is the first step toward giving our female athletes equal recognition with their male counterparts.
Without it, sportswomen will continue to face barriers to equality in pay, corporate sponsorship and fan support.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s savage cuts to the national broadcaster made the problem worse, contributing to the ABC’s decision to cut its regular broadcasts of women’s sport including the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).
The $21 million in funding Labor will provide to the ABC will increase coverage of women’s sport on both television and digital platforms by approximately 500 live hours over the next four years.
It is anticipated that the funding will be used to acquire the rights to female sporting competitions that are currently under-represented and where commercial broadcasters have decided not to pursue these rights.
These may include:  The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The Women’s Hockey World Cup and Champions Trophy.
The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the WNBL.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The funds may also be used by the ABC to develop a dedicated women’s sport space on its digital platform iView, covering international women’s teams like the Southern Stars, Opals, Matildas, Diamonds and the Hockeyroos.
This month’s announcement of a landmark deal between Channel 9, Telstra and Netball Australia is a fantastic step in the right direction and shows that the time for greater recognition of Australian sportswomen has finally come.
Today’s announcement is part of Labor’s long-standing commitment to women in sport.
The previous Labor Government invested in female athletes through the Australian Sports Commission; supported the appointment of women to leadership positions on sports boards and governing bodies; and funded a $1.45 million Women in Sports media grant program.
Mr Turnbull broke a promise to the Australian people and slashed more than $250 million from the ABC.
Only Labor will ensure our national broadcaster has the funds necessary to boost women’s sport.
POSITIVE POLICY
A Strong, Vibrant and Sustainable Community Sector
A Shorten Labor Government will reset the Commonwealth’s relationship with the community and not-for-profit sector and usher in a new era of meaningful partnership for positive social change.
Labor understands the critical role played by Australia’s community and not-for-profit sector in building the capacity of individuals and communities, strengthening community cohesion, addressing inequality and harnessing opportunity.
We know that government alone cannot solve all our social problems.
Only by working in partnership with community organisations – and communities themselves – can we bring about lasting change.
But for three years, the Liberals have treated the community and not-for-profit sector with contempt.
First the Liberals ripped more than $270 million worth of funding from frontline services.
They stripped peak advocacy organisations of their funding and slashed money from community legal centres and family violence services.
Then they completely botched their community grants process – pitching community organisations against one another and leaving many frontline services without funding certainty.
As a result, some frontline services have had to cut staff or reduce their services.
Some have closed entirely.
The Liberals also tried to scrap the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission – only to be fought off by a relentless campaign by Labor and representatives of the community sector.
It’s time to change the way that government works with the community sector.
That is why, a Shorten Labor Government will draw a line in the sand and embark on a new agenda of partnership with community and non-for-profit organisations.
Unlike the Liberals, Labor believes that Government and the Community Sector should work together to develop quality policy, to implement that policy and ensure it delivers real outcomes for vulnerable Australians.
Labor has already established a Federal Labor Community Sector Partnership – a regular forum for debating policy ideas and direction.
If elected, Labor will make the Community Sector Partnership a permanent interface between Government and the community sector.
Labor will also: Reinvigorate the National Compact with the Third Sector – to outline the terms of engagement and agree a joint agenda for working together.
Scrap the Liberal’s shambolic community grants program.
This has been a disaster for community organisations and should not be allowed to continue.
Whilst Labor will honour all existing contracts, over time we will move towards a fairer approach to funding community organisations, including longer term contracts.
Continue to work through the ACNC to streamline reporting mechanisms and cut red tape for community and not-for-profit organisations.
In addition, Labor will work with the community and not-for-profit sectors in the development of Labor’s national information policy, to ensure that the power of open data is available to assist the community sector to do its job more effectively.
We will continue to support community organisations through the volunteer grants program.
We know that community organisations often rely on these small grants to assist them to attract and keep volunteers. Labor will provide a further $10 million toward this important program.
Labor also understands that – particularly as the NDIS and Living Longer Living Better Aged Care Reforms roll out around the country - casualisation insecure work ae of great concerns to many employees.
Labor will work with the community and not-for-profit sector to protect the wages and conditions of employees as these reforms roll out around the country.
POSITIVE POLICY
Jobs Plan For People With Disability
Australia has one of the lowest rates of employment for people with disability in the developed world.
Australia is currently ranked 21st out of 29 countries in employment rates for people with disability.
Labor believes that people with disability deserve the same opportunities as any other Australian to participate in our economy.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme – designed and delivered by Labor – is giving more individual support to people with disability so they have access to employment opportunities.
But the NDIS is just one part of the solution.
As well as delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a Shorten Labor Government will deliver three concrete actions in our first term to boost job opportunities for people with disability.
Labor’s jobs plan for Australians with disability will encourage business and community organisations to employ more Australians living with disability, trial reforms to Disability Employment Services so there is more choice and control, and ensure more people with disability can work in the public service.
Disability Employment Action Plans
Labor will support businesses and not-for-profit organisations to develop their own Disability Employment Action Plans.
These Action Plans will allow organisations to: Identify existing barriers to employment for people with disability in their workplace.
Improve recruitment policies and procedures so they are more inclusive.
Outline specific strategies and targets to boost employment and training opportunities for people with disability within their organisation.
Businesses will continue to be supported by the Employment Assistance Fund, which helps fund workplace modifications so that people with disability can succeed at work.
Labor will provide $1 million to an independent, national not-for-profit disability organisation so they can promote, advise and coordinate the development and delivery of Disability Employment Actions Plans.
The successful organisation will be selected from a competitive tender process
Trialing new approaches to Disability Employment Services
The last Labor Government delivered big changes to employment support services for people with disability.
Since 2010, the number of people with disability receiving employment support has increased by almost 50 per cent and the number of job placements has doubled.
But we know the current system is far from perfect, which is why the next Labor Government will trial further reforms to improve Disability Employment Services.
Labor will ensure changes reflect the core NDIS principles of choice and control.
Labor will investigate new approaches that ‘unbundle’ Disability Employment Services funding so that participants have more control over the services they receive.
This means jobseekers will be able to control their own funding, and choose different service providers to provide different employment supports, depending on their individual needs.
It will mean greater choice for participants, and encourage more competition and innovation in the sector.
Labor will also invest $5 million to trial a new approach to better integrate Disability Employment Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In selected NDIS locations, people with disability looking for work will be able choose their own employment supports as part of their individual plan.
This means they can access a range of employment assistance from different service providers, depending on their individual needs.
The size and scope of these trials will be informed by consultations with service providers, the National Disability Insurance Agency and local communities.
Public sector employment targets for people with disability
Labor recognises that if we want more businesses and organisations to employ Australians with disability, we must first lead by example.
A Shorten Labor Government will task the Australian Public Service Commission with developing a series of employment targets for people with disability, in partnership with different departments and agencies and in consultation with disability advocates.
The employment targets will be national, department and agency-specific, and will include targets for leadership positions.
Commonwealth departments and agencies will also be expected to develop or update Disability Employment Action Plans to make sure these targets are met.
In this way, Labor will act as we expect others to act – providing opportunities for people with disability to succeed at work.
Labor’s jobs plan for people with disability has been costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.
POSITIVE POLICY
Working Futures: Tackling Youth Unemployment
Australia’s youth unemployment rate has been too high for too long.
Today, more than 262,000 people aged between 15 and 24 are out of work – a little less than one in three Australian jobseekers.
We must do better to stop these young people falling through the cracks and steer them into a secure future instead.
Labor’s Working Futures plan will get more young people into work – and keep them there – by giving them real skills and real opportunities.
Unlike the Turnbull Government’s flawed internships scheme, Working Futures will offer real work experience and fair pay, along with the chance to achieve a proper qualification.
Labor’s Working Futures program will focus on the young people who are finding it hardest to break into the jobs market.
Each year, we will support 20,000 people aged between 15 and 24 through a comprehensive work and training program that sets them on track for a life in work.
As part of Working Futures, jobseekers will take part in:  A six-week work readiness course focusing on essential employment skills as well as personal presentation, interview techniques and job hunting.
A six-month work placement with an employer, paid at an award-equivalent training wage.
A fully-funded Certificate III in a subject of their choice.
Working Futures aims to stop young people getting trapped in unemployment as they get older by tackling the specific barriers that keep them out of work.
Unlike the Turnbull Government’s flawed youth internship program, we will give young jobseekers real skills and real experience for a successful future in work.
POSITIVE POLICY
A National Affordable Housing Strategy
A Shorten Labor Government will provide the national leadership required to address housing affordability and homelessness.
At a time when the number of people experiencing housing stress is rising and the rates of homelessness remain high, we cannot continue to stand by and adopt a business as usual approach.
A Shorten Labor Government will develop a national affordable housing strategy to drive the development of an agreed, coordinated approach to addressing housing affordability in Australia.
A Shorten Labor Government will: Appoint a Minister for Housing and Homelessness.
Make housing affordability a standing item on the COAG agenda.
Include a more comprehensive coverage of housing as part of the Closing the Gap report.
Develop an Affordable Housing Industry Plan to ensure the long-term development of a sustainable affordable housing sector.
Re-establish the National Housing Supply Council.
Investigate the development of national rental standards.
A Shorten Labor Government, in partnership with State and Territories, will: Aim to halve homelessness by 2025.
Agree on national targets to increase the supply of affordable housing dwellings.
Report annually through COAG on progress towards the targets.
Labor wants to work with homelessness services to deliver long-term certainty for the sector and will begin this important work by immediately hosting a national roundtable on homelessness and a meeting of State and Territory Housing and Homelessness Ministers.
A Shorten Labor Government will also provide $88 million over two years for a new Safe Housing program, to improve transitional housing options for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
From 1 July 2017, Labor will limit negative gearing to new property.
This is a significant policy that will provide an incentive for new construction and add thousands of jobs to the building industry.
Labor is committed to improving fairness, particularly for first home buyers, and will fully grandfather and preserve the tax offsets that are currently available to existing property owners.
Too often discussions on affordable housing concentrate on home ownership – yet over 30 per cent of all households are renters.
Labor will ensure that the needs of renting households are considered within the national strategy on affordable housing.
A Shorten Labor Government will work with the States and Territories to reach agreement on a set of national minimum rental standards.
Labor will commission work to examine:  Rental contract lengths.
Fair processes where landlords seek termination.
Ways to provide greater freedom of choice for tenants.
A Shorten Labor Government will also provide a one-off establishment grant of $3 million to Homes4homes (H4H) a social enterprise by The Big Issue, looking to raise capital funds to invest into affordable housing supply.
POSITIVE POLICY
Increasing Efforts To Prevent And Address Family Violence
A Shorten Labor Government will give the issue of family violence national prominence, with the Prime Minister to deliver an annual Family Violence Statement to Parliament.
This is part of Labor’s latest measures aimed at ending the scourge of family violence in our community.
Eliminating family violence must be a national priority – it will be one of the most important priorities of a Shorten Labor Government.
While Australia has made good progress – there is much more that must be done.
That’s why Labor is announcing further measures aimed at ending the scourge of family violence in our community: An annual statement to the Parliament on progress in eliminating family and domestic violence.
A commitment to responding to the recommendations of the Final Report of the COAG Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children, and the recommendations of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, within a year of taking office.
The appointment of additional Federal Circuit Court judges to Brisbane and Parramatta; to appoint a permanent Federal Circuit Court judge to Wollongong; and to appoint an additional Family Court judge to Brisbane.
$43.2 million over four years to avoid re-traumatisation of victims and survivors from being cross-examined by alleged perpetrators personally – and instead providing for both parties to be legally represented.
A commitment to prohibit non-consensual sharing of private sexual images and recordings, within the first 100 days of a Shorten Labor Government.
A commitment to working within COAG to create specific offences prohibiting the covert installation of spying apps on smartphones.
$3.6 million for pilot programs in relation to family and domestic violence in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Protection for people on temporary visas facing family and domestic violence by creating a new type of temporary visa, which will remove impediments to women leaving their partners, and carry work rights so that women leaving violent relationships can seek to support themselves.
These measures build on Labor’s earlier significant commitments to stopping family and domestic violence, including measures such as critical funding for frontline legal services, transitional housing options for women and children escaping family and domestic violence, and hosting a National Crisis Summit within our first 100 days of office.
A Shorten Labor Government will work to ensure women and children are free to live safe from violence – today’s announcements build on our commitment to eliminate family violence in all forms.
POSITIVE POLICY
Champion The March To Gender Equality
Equality for the women of Australia will be a national priority for a Shorten Labor Government.
Central to our plan is Labor’s commitment to safe housing for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, which is a major cause of homelessness in Australia.
Family violence is a crisis which requires more than a change in attitudes.
It is a national disgrace that demands a national approach.
Over one third of people who accessed specialist homelessness services over the three years to 2013-14 were seeking assistance due to domestic and family violence.
The majority of those were women - 110,000 women compared to 12,000 men– and more than 45,000 of this group were women with children.
Many more women want to leave an abusive relationship, but cannot.
Or do leave, only to return because they have nowhere else to go.
This has to change.
Labor will invest $88 million over two years in a new Safe Housing program, to improve transitional housing options for women and children escaping domestic and family violence by filling the gap between crisis housing and longer term arrangements.
The Safe Housing program will increase the number of dwellings specifically available for women and children fleeing domestic violence and will provide funding for support programs that help women to stay safe in their own homes.
This commitment builds on Labor’s announcement in 2015 of an initial $15 million investment in Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home.
Through strong government leadership, Labor’s positive plan for gender equality will also focus on: Ending the scourge of family violence.
Women’s health.
Support managing work and care.
Equal Opportunity in education.
Gender Pay Equity.
Making retirement incomes fairer.
Advancing women’s wellbeing at home and abroad.
Promoting women’s sport.
Ensuring equality for women in Australia through full, fair and equal access to opportunities in the workforce, leadership and education, is both a social issue and economic issue - a test of our national character and vital building block for national prosperity.
The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the pay gap is still too high at 17.3 per cent.
Australian women are now earning on average $277.70 per week less than men and have an average of $90,000 less in superannuation.
The G20 has acknowledged that one of the world’s most significant barriers to global economic growth is the persistently low level of women’s participation in the workforce compared with men.
Labor knows that increasing women’s participation and economic security requires action from all parts of the community and there is no area of Australian life, no sector of Australian community, that does not and will not benefit from the full and equal inclusion of women.
The march of women through the institutions of power will define the decade ahead. It is our responsibility to speed this advance, to offer all our daughters and our nation a more prosperous, more equal future.
Labor will provide the genuine leadership and the real resources to deliver equality of opportunity for the women of Australia.
POSITIVE POLICY
Safe Housing For Women
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $88 million over two years in a new Safe Housing program to increase transitional housing options for women and children escaping domestic and family violence and to support programs that enable women to stay safe in their own homes.
One of the most common reasons why women remain in violent relationships is the lack of housing options available if they leave.
Safe Housing projects will support women and children escaping domestic and family violence by providing: Funding to construct or purchase accommodation used to provide short term or transitional housing options at affordable rents with flexible bond arrangements.
Funding for homelessness prevention initiatives which support women and children to remain safely in their own homes.
Labor’s Safe Housing program will provide funding to construct or purchase accommodation used to provide short term or transitional affordable housing options for women and children.
It will support a range of housing options including single or multiunit developments, new builds or existing dwellings.
It will support projects which complement existing domestic and family violence services that provide ongoing support to women including access to financial counselling and legal services.
Labor’s Safe Housing program will also provide funding for initiatives that increase the safety of women and children in their own homes.
States and Territories will be able to bid for funding through a competitive process.
To leverage more funding for the program, the States and Territories will be required to match the federal funding.
Community housing providers, in partnership with specialist domestic violence services, will also be able to submit an application for funding as long as the project has a valid business case which meets the objectives of the program.
Australia’s place in a changing world
Australia seeks a good international society. Our national interest is in a peaceful, stable and prosperous world.
There are many challenges to this global vision – including the threat of conflict between states, the rise of non-state actors, growing economic inequality, and climate change.
We acknowledge our leading role in our region and accept our global responsibilities.
POSITIVE POLICY
Defence Under Labor: A Safe, Secure and Independent Australia
A Shorten Labor Government will keep Australia safe and prosperous while protecting our values and unique way of life.
This should always be the primary obligation of any government.
Labor will continue to adopt a constructive and bipartisan approach to Australia’s national security, because there is no place for political partisanship when it comes to the safety and security of our nation and our fellow Australians.
Labor acknowledges the pivotal role that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) plays in defending Australia and our national interests.
We also acknowledge the critical role that Australian defence industry plays in supporting and equipping our defence personnel.
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia retains a world-class defence force and innovative defence industry by:
Implementing the funding goals of the 2016 Defence White Paper, including raising Defence funding to 2 per cent of GDP by 202021.
Building 12 Future Submarines in South Australia, and mandating that at least 70 per cent of the work is done in Australia.
Maintaining Australia’s strategically vital naval shipbuilding industry by implementing a continuous build of surface warships and ending the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s practice of denying local shipyards the opportunity to compete for work.
Continuing to strengthen defence cooperation with the United States, including by redressing the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s neglect of the US Force Posture Initiatives in Australia’s north.
Reforming the means by which ADF pay and conditions are determined and putting an end to the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cynical attempts to cut the pay and conditions of ADF personnel.
Establishing an intergovernmental taskforce to develop a nationally consistent approach to perfluorinated chemical contamination at Defence and Commonwealth sites.
POSITIVE POLICY
Generating Jobs Through Trade And Investment
A Shorten Labor Government will pursue trade and investment policies that support Australian jobs and living standards by opening up new markets, driving exports into those markets, and attracting new investment.
Labor understands that as the Australian economy transitions out of the mining boom we need to find other sources of growth and jobs.
We need to realise the export potential of sophisticated Australian services industries such as education, tourism, and financial and professional services.
We want to see our advanced manufacturing firms access the global value chains that are reshaping international production.
And our farmers and food processors supplying more high-value Australian food to the rapidly growing countries of Asia.
A Shorten Labor Government will negotiate high-quality international trade agreements that open up new export markets by reducing tariffs, quotas and “behind the border” barriers to trade.
We will do so while maintaining Australia’s right to adopt sound public policies in areas such as health care, ,.
environmental protection
fair working conditions and job opportunities for Australian workers
POSITIVE POLICY
Respecting And Supporting Our Veterans
A Shorten Labor Government will strengthen support for our valued veteran community.
Labor believes in the robust provision of entitlements, services and support to our veterans and their families as a sincere gesture of thanks for the service and sacrifice they have provided our nation.
Australia has a good record of looking after our veterans, it does not have a perfect one.
Labor has listened to the veterans’ community, and recognises that more needs to be done.
Our veterans’ policy needs be structured to respond to the differing needs of veterans according to their stage of life, with flexible programs based on meeting contemporary needs.
In addition to the specific programs outlined below, more information on Labor’s veterans’ policy is available here.
A First Principles Review of Veterans’ Affairs
When grave concerns are raised about the administration, governance and processes within Veterans’ Affairs, we must act.
Serious instances of processing delays, disclosure of veterans’ private information, overpayment of entitlements and continued high levels of complaints have undermined the veteran community’s confidence in the delivery of government services.
A Shorten Labor Government will commission a First Principles Review of Veterans’ Affairs and the delivery of government services.
This end-to-end holistic review will be based on the outcomes required of the Department and focused on agreed upon first-principles.
A first principles review will: Rectify administrative, governance and process failings.
Ensure government services are structured in a way that allows them to meet existing and future challenges efficiently.
Secure the trust of the veterans’ community.
This is not an attack on DVA employees, or their commitment to the important work they do.
This is about putting people first.
This is about making sure the systems we have in place work for the people they are meant to serve.
This is about making sure the foundations of our veterans’ affairs system is strong.
More information on this policy is available here.
The Australian National Veterans Arts Centre in Melbourne
In addition, a Shorten Labor Government will establish the Australian National Veterans Arts Centre (ANVAC) at 310 St Kilda Road in Melbourne.
Currently derelict, the St Kilda Road facility was formerly a repatriation centre used by World War I veterans as the Repatriation Commission Outpatient Clinic.
The building will be remediated and restored by the Department of Defence, before being returned to its original purpose as a centre caring for veterans.
The facility is superbly located for this purpose, being proximate to the Shrine of Remembrance, Victoria Barracks, public transport links and the Melbourne CBD.
ANVAC will host programs and initiatives for a new generation of veterans seeking support for mental health and PTSD, including through arts therapy.
Veterans have long engaged in the arts for a range of reasons including for rehabilitation from wounds, injury or illness, or as a form of therapy to capture their lived experience and to stimulate morale within peer groups.
More information on Labor’s plan for the Australian National Veterans Arts Centre is available here.
Counting the cost: Veterans’ suicide and homelessness
The rate of veteran suicide and homelessness, and the way in which it is recorded, continues to raise significant concerns within the veterans’ community and the general public more broadly.
The lack of comprehensive data or the ‘under-reporting’ of veterans’ suicide has been of particular concern.
As part of its mental health policy, Labor has committed to working with the States and Territories to build an accurate picture of deaths by suicide and suicide attempts and agree to a national minimum data set for suicide prevention.
As part of this initiative, Labor will ensure the inclusion of an ‘ADF flag’ within this data set, to allow governments to identify if an individual had previously served in the ADF or was a partner or child of an individual who served in the ADF.
Labor will also work with the States and Territories to include an ‘ADF flag’ within the existing Specialist Homelessness Service Collection.
In addition, Labor will fund a comprehensive study into veterans’ homelessness to identify members of the veteran community who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The study will make recommendations to address factors that increase the risk of homelessness and solutions on how to better connect homeless veterans with appropriate support services.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Regional And Global Efforts
According the UNHCR, the number of displaced people fleeing from war, conflict or persecution is now at its highest level since World War II.
The forced displacement of people around the globe is currently at unprecedented levels.
By the close of 2015 an estimated 60 million individuals were forcibly displaced globally by persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.
This is equivalent to one person in every 122 on the planet being displaced by violence and war.
Labor believes that Australia can do more to address this global humanitarian crisis.
We believe in a compassionate approach to asylum seekers that enables refugees to progress their claims safely and securely.
Labor has a plan to work in our region and with international humanitarian agencies to tackle this crisis while maintaining the integrity of Australia’s borders.
First and foremost, a Shorten Labor Government will provide significantly increased annual funding to the UNHCR for its global work program and its work in South East Asia and the Pacific.
At a time when the global humanitarian need is greater than ever, Labor will provide $450 million over three years to support the important work of the UNHCR.
This funding commitment will place Australia in the top 5 of global contributors to the UNHCR.
Labor will also reinstate references to the UN Refugees Convention in the Migration Act to reverse the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s retrograde efforts to undermine international law.
Furthermore, we will take a leadership role within South East Asia and the Pacific to build a regional humanitarian framework to improve the situation of asylum seekers.
This would include supporting the UNHCR in providing health and education services to asylum seekers.
It would also involve advocating for work rights for asylum seekers, similar to what would have been achieved under the proposed Malaysia Agreement in 2011.
Labor believes Australia has a role to play as a responsible global citizen in responding to the current humanitarian crisis.
We will not shirk this responsibility as the Abbott-Turnbull Government has consistently sought to do. Instead, we will work in our region and with international agencies to progress refugees’ claims safely, securely and responsibly.
POSITIVE POLICY
Protecting Overseas Aid Projects
A Shorten Labor Government will act immediately to save projects facing closure due to the Liberals’ cuts to overseas aid.
Because of a $224 million cut to overseas aid in the Liberals’ last Budget, critical projects like maternal and child health, schooling, clean water, and sanitation, risk being axed from 30 June this year.
Today, Labor commits that if elected, we will reverse the $224 million cut – to keep these projects going in 2016-17.
Since coming to Government in 2013, the Liberals have gutted Australia’s aid program.
It is now the weakest in history.
Sadly, the Liberals’ cuts have been so deep that it is impossible to fix the aid program quickly.
Labor’s commitments are designed to help start rebuilding Australia’s aid program.
In addition to today’s $224 million announcement, Labor will: Provide $450 million, over three years, to support the important work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, placing Australia in the top five global contributors.
Invest an extra $40 million a year, from 2017-18, to help Australian NGOs deliver frontline services to some of the world’s poorest people.
Legislate to restore accountability to Australia’s aid program by reintroducing the annual Ministerial Budget Statement on overseas aid, after it was axed by the Liberals in 2014.
Labor will release the statement at the same time as each federal Budget to show how aid is allocated by sector, country, and region.
Legislate for an independent evaluation of Australia’s aid program, as well as the measurement and reporting of effectiveness.
Over the next four years, Labor will provide around $800 million more for overseas aid than the Liberals.
Labor supports a strong aid program because as a good global citizen Australia has a duty to help reduce poverty and inequality, and respond effectively to humanitarian crises.
Labor supports a strong aid program because it helps keep Australia safe, by working to tackle serious diseases and violence in our region, and in our world.
Labor supports a strong aid program because it benefits Australia’s economy when countries go from being aid recipients to trading partners.
POSITIVE POLICY
Australia’s Submarines Built Here.
Under Labor, Australia’s Future Submarines will be built, maintained and sustained in Australia.
Building and delivering Australia’s new submarine fleet is an inter-generational decision.
Future Prime Ministers, from both sides of politics, will have to live with the decision that is taken.
This is the most significant procurement decision of our time, with construction and maintenance costs going beyond many billions of dollars over the life of the project – it is vital that we get it right.
For strategic defence reasons it is critical that Australia retains an independent capability to build, sustain and maintain our next fleet of submarines.
It is simply too important for flawed selection processes and partisan politics.
Before the last election, the future construction of Australia’s submarine fleet was bipartisan, with both Liberal and Labor declaring the next generation of submarines would be built in Australia.
Since then, the Liberals have turned the issue of Australia’s submarine build into a political football and refused to guarantee they will deliver on that promise.
And while a preferred bidder – DCNS – has been announced, contracts are not yet signed.
Only Labor has been clear and consistent: we would make it a condition of the contract that the successful tenderer build Australia’s Future Submarines in Australia.
This will ensure Australia secures a future submarine fleet that meets our national defence requirements at the most competitive price for taxpayers
, and grows thousands of good Australian jobs in the process.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Increasing The Humanitarian Intake
Major conflicts in Syria, Iraq and the nations across Africa have seen the number of displaced people fleeing from war, conflict or persecution rise to its highest level since World War II.
The forced displacement of people around the globe is currently at unprecedented levels.
By the close of 2015 an estimated 60 million individuals were forcibly displaced globally by persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.
This is equivalent to one person in every 122 on the planet being displaced by violence and war.
Australia is a nation writ large because of migration.
We should never forget the debt we owe to generations of migrants, and refugees, who in seeking a better life have enriched the lives of all Australians.
There can be no doubt that immigration has unreservedly been one of the secrets of Australian success.
We are proud so many of us are Australians by choice.
That is why Labor will increase Australia’s annual humanitarian intake to 27,000 by 2025.
As part of our commitment to demonstrating leadership in our region, a portion of the program will be dedicated to resettling refugees from the region.
This is Labor’s plan to ensure that Australia takes our fair share of refugees.
It is a plan that ensures that Australia steps up and fulfils a greater responsibility as a good global citizen; a nation that is responsible in the world and secure at home.
POSITIVE POLICY
Defending Australia – Future Frigates
Under Labor, Australia’s Future Frigates will be built, maintained and sustained in Australia.
For strategic defence reasons it is critical that Australia retains an independent shipbuilding capability here at home.
Having a truly world class shipbuilding sector will require a commitment to a continuous build program for our Future Frigates to ensure these vessels not only have the best technology at the best price but also maximise efficiency and workforce expertise.
Labor will provide Australian shipbuilders with the certainty they need to make investments and to recruit and retain the highly-skilled workforce needed to build these vital capabilities for Australia’s defence forces.
Expert advice is unequivocal; that anything less than a commitment to build the Future Frigates in Australia will put jobs at risk, along with our capacity to continue to be a world-class naval shipbuilding industry for the long term.
POSITIVE POLICY
Counter Terrorism under Labor
Protecting Australians, Defending Human Rights
There is no greater responsibility of government than to protect the safety and security of its citizens.
Terrorism is an affront to all humanity, and Labor will continue to ensure our nation’s security while upholding the democratic rights and freedoms that Australians have for generations fought to protect.
Proper resourcing and an effective legal framework that gives our security and law enforcement agencies the powers they need to keep us safe are fundamental to Australia’s security environment.
Labor will continue to fully support our agencies in their vital work to protect the safety of all Australians and defend our nation’s security.
Australians expect transparency and accountability in security and enforcement activities to the greatest extent possible, and Labor will continue to champion those safeguard mechanisms.
In ensuring that the rights and freedoms of Australians are protected as well as their physical security, transparency and accountability safeguards also help ensure that Australians have confidence in their security and law enforcement agencies.
This further reinforces our security because maintaining a close relationship with the community they protect helps our security agencies to carry out their vital role.
Bipartisanship
National security is a bipartisan issue.
It should always be above politics, as no individual and no party has a monopoly on patriotism.
A Shorten Labor Government will continue to work in a bipartisan way to ensure our nation’s security.
Throughout the term of the Abbott-Turnbull Government, Labor has worked in a constructive manner through the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to ensure all proposed national security legislation is fit for purpose.
Following rigorous scrutiny of new laws through the committee process, Labor has achieved significant improvements to national security legislation including the introduction of important safeguards such as the establishment of a Public Interest Advocate in situations where security agencies seek metadata from journalists.
Working in a bipartisan manner, Labor helped to enact over 100 substantive amendments to the national security bills put forward by the Abbott-Turnbull Government, including 26 substantive amendments to the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill 2015.
In each new round of counter terrorism legislation proposed by the Government, Labor has enhanced oversight and transparency.
We have ensured that any new powers are extended for no longer than is necessary, through the application of sunset clauses on some extraordinary powers, and with mandated reviews.
Our focus is about the best interests and safety of Australians.
Our interest is always in striking the right balance between national security considerations and the fundamental democratic rights and freedoms all Australians cherish.
Labor will always be mindful that in seeking to protect ourselves from the terrorist threat, we do not undermine the very foundations of our strength that the terrorists want to destroy.
An Inclusive Approach To National Security
A Shorten Labor Government will pursue a balanced approach to counter terrorism—drawing on new means, new methods and adapting to new challenges.
We put our trust in the expertise, professionalism and skill of our security agencies and emergency services personnel, and we should be guided by their advice.
Labor believes early intervention and community engagement, working in combination with strong and bipartisan counter terrorism legislation, are all key to preventing vulnerable young Australians being groomed into extremist ideology.
As was noted by ASIO director-general Duncan Lewis in mid-2015, “we understand we can’t arrest our way to success. If there is indeed a silver bullet to solving the issue of radicalisation, it is in the area of social cohesion.”
Countering violent extremism programs need appropriate funding, cohesive narratives and they need to provide viable alternatives to disenfranchised young Australians who may be vulnerable to terrorist recruiters.
We must give agencies and communities all the support we can to enhance their capability and to counter the radicalisation of vulnerable youths.
In addition, Labor will build effective partnerships with other countries to respond to common security challenges, including continuing engagement with the United States and Europe, and further strengthening our ties with our Asian and other regional neighbours.
Strong international institutional arrangements should coordinate international responses to security threats.
Labor will respect and uphold these arrangements and actively participate to influence positive outcomes.
Under a Shorten Labor Government, Australia will continue to work directly with regional institutions to strengthen their capacity to deal with terrorist challenges in our region.
Labor’s Record
Labor is proud of our record on national security.
In Government between 2007 and 2013, we increased funding for public order and safety by hundreds of millions of dollars in real terms.
In December 2008, Prime Minister Rudd delivered Australia’s first National Security Statement to Parliament, setting out our national security challenges and a comprehensive approach to responding to those challenges.
Labor also commissioned and built ASIO’s new purpose-designed headquarters, named after Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley, who in 1949 signed the directive establishing ASIO.
In 2010 Labor published a Counter Terrorism White Paper, which outlined a detailed strategy to combat the threat of terrorism, based on four key elements: Analysis: an intelligence-led response to terrorism, driven by a properly connected and properly informed national security community.
Protection: taking all necessary and practical action to protect Australia and Australians from terrorism at home and abroad.
Response: providing an immediate and targeted response to specific terrorist threats and terrorist attacks should they occur.
Resilience: building a strong and resilient Australian community to resist the development of any form of violent extremism and terrorism on the home front.
The White Paper established a Counter Terrorism Control Centre within the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to create closer links and bring together expertise from across our security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies and focus Australia’s counter terrorism efforts.
In addition, Federal Labor has improved cooperation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), ASIO and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
POSITIVE POLICY
Chemical Contamination At Defence Sites
Labor will establish an intergovernmental taskforce to develop a nationally consistent approach to perfluorinated chemical contamination at Williamtown and other Commonwealth sites.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide additional support to address the immediate needs of the Williamtown community as a result of perfluorinated chemical contamination.
Perfluorinated chemical contamination in Williamtown and elsewhere is a serious issue.
We will fund an initial round of 10,000 voluntary blood tests at affected sites across the country, establishing baseline readings to allow for ongoing monitoring of contaminant exposure.
At Williamtown, a Shorten Labor Government will: Improve community consultation by establishing a local community liaison officer at RAAF Base Williamtown, ensuring the community has a single point of contact — if you want to speak to Defence, you’ll know who to contact.
Fund a study to analyse the impact of perfluorinated chemical contamination on the Williamtown community.
Provide a grant to the NSW Government to connect affected properties within the Williamtown investigation area to town water, as identified by the NSW EPA.
Extend income support for affected commercial fishers until March 2017.
Advocate for leniency by lending institutions with respect to business and home loan repayments until February 2017 for affected individuals.
Seek leniency with respect to licence fee payments until February 2017 for commercial fishing licences.
Labor has listened to the local community..
We understand their concerns regarding uncoordinated and poorly communicated responses from government
We will rectify this.
A Shorten Labor Government will develop a nationally consistent approach for screening and health guidelines, assessments, containment, management, standards and remediation protocols for sites that are identified as being contaminated with perfluorinated chemicals.
We also recognise that perfluorinated chemical contamination is a growing concern at Commonwealth sites around Australia.
Defence has identified 18 sites known, or likely, to have used substantial quantities of perfluorinated chemicals on site.
There are also other Commonwealth sites that have, or are suspected of having, perfluorinated residues.
The intergovernmental taskforce will coordinate the response of government agencies to the contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown and other Commonwealth sites.
This will ensure that the Federal Government’s response is consistent, coordinated and transparent.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Tourism Visa Reform
A Shorten Labor Government will undertake an audit of Australia’s tourist visa offering for each of our main target markets, and undertake an assessment of how that offering compares to our major competitors.
Australia’s position in the Asia-Pacific presents an unparalleled opportunity to respond to the increasing number of Asian visitors, particularly from China, who want to visit Australia.
However, the tourism industry is increasingly concerned that Australia’s current policy settings around visa charges and the interaction with our border are not conducive to capitalising on our position in the region.
The tourist visa audit will assess the competitiveness of our visa fees, visa processing arrangements and the ease of interaction with the Australian border.
In addition, with a view to the growing Chinese market, Labor will review: The cost of the 10-year multiple entry visa so that it is competitive with that for Chinese citizens visiting the US and the EU.
Introducing an online visa application, in both English and Mandarin, which can be submitted online at any time.
Reducing the processing time for visas submitted online to within 48 hours.
The feasibility of reforming the Tourist Refund Scheme by introducing an online, streamlined claiming process based on the Singapore model.
The factors which have an impact on passenger facilitation at International Airports, with Perth International Airport to be looked at as a priority.
POSITIVE POLICY
Defence Remuneration Reform
To ensure greater fairness and transparency in remuneration for the Australian Defence Force, a Shorten Labor Government will reform Defence’s Workplace Remuneration Arrangement and the means by which ADF pay and conditions are determined.
Unlike most employees, ADF personnel are not legally entitled to cooperatively negotiate their pay, conditions and terms of employment.
Instead, proposed wage rises are jointly determined by the Australian Government and the ADF.
These proposals are then approved or rejected by the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, which has no arbitral powers in this case and can only approve or reject.
ADF members rely on independent peak associations, such as the Defence Force Welfare Association, to advocate for them in this process.
In 2014, the Abbott-Turnbull Government shockingly botched the pay deal for our sailors, soldiers and air force personnel.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s initial offer consisted of a below inflation pay rise of 1.5 per cent per annum over three years, and cuts to precious recreational and Christmas leave.
Following a campaign led by the Defence community and supported by Labor, the Liberals ultimately settled on a 2 per cent per annum increase and the maintenance of existing conditions.
The Liberals’ mishandling of ADF pay highlighted the inadequacies in the current process used to set ADF pay and conditions.
This process was roundly criticised by Defence commentators as being conflicted and non-consultative.
Labor’s plan
A Shorten Labor Government will provide ADF personnel with a greater voice in the remuneration process by providing appropriate resources for the Defence Force Welfare Association to undertake this role.
Labor will safeguard fairness and transparency in the setting of remuneration for the ADF through:
The provision of a grant of $100,000 per annum to improve the capacity of the Defence Force Welfare Association to advocate on behalf of ADF members, particularly in relation to remuneration determinations.
Amending, where needed, and in consultation with stakeholders, the timelines and processes by which a future Labor Government would make ADF remuneration determinations.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Mandatory Reporting And More Transparency
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia has a compassionate, humane and safe approach to irregular migration throughout our region.
Labor believes in a compassionate approach to asylum seekers which enables refugees to progress their claims safely and securely.
Labor is absolutely committed to preventing people smuggling and ensuring vulnerable people do not drown at sea.
Labor’s regional resettlement arrangement has been the most effective deterrent against the ability of criminal people smugglers to prey on vulnerable people.
But processing offshore does not, for one minute, mean we can offshore or outsource our responsibility to treat people fleeing from persecution with humanity.
Vulnerable people should never be subject to degrading violence in Australia's name.
Labor will restore the faith of Australians in our onshore and offshore processing networks by providing independent oversight of facilities, and creating an independent statutory advocate to protect the interests in children seeking asylum.
We will also legislate mandatory reporting of any instances of abuse of children in immigration detention.
Labor’s policies fulfil Australia’s fundamental desire to be a safe, prosperous nation.
Our humane and compassionate policies will keep vulnerable people safe and restore Australia’s place in the world as a respected and responsible global citizen.
Above all, a Labor Government will fulfil the solemn duty we owe to the youngest people in our nation's care.
POSITIVE POLICY
Letting Australian NGO's Do Their Good Work Overseas
Social justice and environmental protection play a central role in economic growth and development.
It is now well acknowledged that inequality hampers growth.
The IMF, OECD, Reserve Bank of England, and various Nobel economists are all saying that more equal growth is good for the rich as well as the poor, and that more equal growth equals longer, stronger, and higher growth.
It is now undeniable that climate change will have, and in places is already having, a particularly savage effect on developing nations.
This includes nations in the Pacific which have contributed little carbon pollution to the atmosphere, but are feeling climate change in their everyday lives already.
At the same time we face acute development challenges as millions of people are displaced by conflict across the world.
It’s clear that with new global challenges like this, our aid program needs to change too.
That is why future Labor Government will provide greater certainty and more support to Australian NGOs to make sure they are well placed to meet global development challenges.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $30 million a year to the Australian NGO Cooperation Program from 2017-18.
Our commitment is for new and additional funding to the aid program.
Since the 2013 election, the Abbott-Turnbull government has drastically cut aid funding and created a great deal of uncertainty for NGOs.
Australian NGOs are among the best in the world.
They do outstanding work, particularly on policy development and implementation, sharing knowledge and expertise, and measuring and reporting on progress towards sustainable development.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $10 million each year from our first Budget in 2017-18 to build partnerships, increase the effectiveness of Australian programs, and ensure we are getting the most from every single dollar spent on aid.
As part of this new program Labor will support planning, research, evaluation and greater collaboration across the sector – with funding available to NGOs, academia, government, and the philanthropic and private sector.
This will mean that we will continue developing our aid evidence base, our measurement and reporting on aid effectiveness, and we will know just how well we are shaping up against our targets.
This funding will help us to share with the world the remarkable Australian expertise in areas like anti-corruption and good governance; disability inclusive aid; treating preventable blindness; WASH; and of course, efforts toward improving gender equality.
Labor will also restore accountability to the Australian aid program by reintroducing the annual Ministerial Budget statement or “Blue Book” on overseas aid.
And we will legislate for transparency and accountability to improve aid effectiveness.
Thanks to decisions by the Abbott-Turnbull Government, Australia’s overseas aid program is the weakest it has ever been in our nation’s history.
Labor is committed to rebuilding so that we can once again see Australia lead in international development.
Labor is committed to supporting Australia’s aid program, not gutting it.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor’s Positive Plan For Tourism
After three years of neglect and cutbacks by the Liberal Government, Labor will restore tourism to the heart of Australia’s economic narrative, recognising its importance as a super-growth sector for local jobs and the economy.
Tourism is Australia’s largest services export and employs over one million Australians.
There are more than 276,000 tourism businesses in Australia, which deliver $94.5 billion in revenue every year.
Tourism GDP increased 5.3 per cent in 2014-15, more than three times the growth for the total economy.
This trend is expected to continue over the next 20 years – but a coordinated approach by the Federal Government is essential to realise its full potential.
Putting people first in every State and Territory
Labor will govern for all Australians, in every State and Territory.
That's why we've got positive plans to build infrastructure and create jobs for every State and Territory.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For WA
Western Australia Labor´s positive policies
A MESSAGE FROM BILL SHORTENI believe Labor’s positive plan is the right one for Western Australia.I believe that when middle and working class Western Australians succeed, the whole of Western Australia will prosper.That’s why I will work every day to deliver for middle and working class families in Western Australia.Western Australia’s economy is going through a difficult transition.As Western Australian families feel the impact of the end of the mining investment boom, Western Australians deserve a Federal Government with a clear plan to transition the economy in a way that protects jobs and improves living standards.Labor has developed more than 100 positive policies to achieve just that.Labor’s plan will build the infrastructure that Western Australia needs to create jobs and drive growth."Labor will build the Perth METRONET, creating 4,000 jobs for Western Australians."It includes protecting Medicare, keeping medicine affordable and investing in hospitals.It includes record investment in schools, scrapping the Liberals’ plans for $100,000 degrees and reforming TAFE.Labor’s plan includes protecting penalty rates, scrapping the Liberals’ harsh and unfair cuts to Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefits and giving families immediate child care relief.On 2 July, Western Australians will have a choice between Labor’s positive plan and the Liberals’ plan for another round of harsh and unfair cuts – all so Malcolm Turnbull can give a tax cut to big business.My commitment to Western Australia at this election is that a Shorten Labor Government will always put people first.I invite you to read more about Labor’s positive policies atwww.100positivepolicies.org.auBill Shorten
LABOR’S PLAN TO PROTECT WESTERN AUSTRALIAN JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Western Australia’s economy is in transition.
As the mining investment boom declines, Labor is investing in the job-creating infrastructure that will create jobs and drive Western Australia’s economy for the next generation.
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE WESTERN AUSTRALIA NEEDS
Labor is building the infrastructure that Western Australia needs.
Labor will contribute: $1 billion to plan and build Perth’s METRONET, which will create 4,000 jobs for Western Australia.
$80 million to build the North Lake Bridge.
$45 million for the Wanneroo Road upgrade, which will create around 230 jobs for Western Australia.
$59 million for the High Street Fremantle upgrade, creating around 150 jobs in Western Australia.
$25 million for Denny Avenue grade separation project.
$3 million for roadworks at Scarborough Beach Road.
$1 million for Bayswater Train Station.
$2 million for Kwinana Outer Harbour logistics planning.
Labor is committed to ensuring one in ten jobs on our priority projects will be filled by new apprentices – so young Western Australians can learn the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced.
Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
Labor will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to protect weekend penalty rates.
COMPLETING THE NBN
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Western Australia needs to create the jobs of the future. Under Labor, more than 133,000 more WA households will get fibre-to-the-premises than they will under the Liberals.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN OUR REGIONS
Currently, around two-thirds of Australia’s startup activity takes place in just one city: Sydney.
Labor will create a Regional Innovation Fund, which will kick-start a range of initiatives to expand the role of Australia’s regions in contributing to the national innovation effort.
Labor will fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators in universities or TAFEs in regions around the country.
This means students that live outside Perth will get access to resources often limited to people living in the big cities.
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA TOURISM FUND
Labor’s Northern Australia Tourism fund will help build the tourism infrastructure that northern Western Australia needs to grow the sector and create jobs.
INDIGENOUS RANGERS
Labor will double the number of Indigenous Rangers working under the Working on Country Program.
This means more Indigenous Australians in Western Australia will have the opportunity to have their work on country recognised as paid employment, whilst at the same time protecting the natural and cultural treasures of Western Australia.
LABOR’S PLAN TO STOP THE PRIVATISATION  OF MEDICARE
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then they tried to introduce a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
The Liberals have done all they can to destroy Medicare.
By contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal health care system continues to deliver good health outcomes for every Australian into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will fight to protect it.
Labor will reverse the Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means an average family in Western Australia with two children will be around $400 better off under Labor.
Labor will fight the Liberals’ attempts to privatise Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberal’s medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script.
This means that under Labor, medicines will be more affordable than under Malcolm Turnbull.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
Labor will increase funding for Western Australian hospitals over the next four years.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
Under Labor, hospitals in Western Australia can expect to receive around $220 million more than they would under the Liberals.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
But Australia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, mean that Australia requires new approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop, pilot and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life saving research and care for those Western Australians suffering from chronic disease.
These commitments include: $10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses.
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer. in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
With an economy in transition, Western Australia’s future prosperity depends more than ever on the quality of our education system.
Australia can’t be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Western Australian child the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy.
IMPROVING WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future plan aims to put Australia’s schools back among the very best in the world.
Every student in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in: More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs - and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade, including $330 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Western Australian schools in 2018 and 2019 alone, compared to the Liberals.
Labor will also support the Stars Foundation to increase the number of young Indigenous women completing Year 12.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
Western Australia won’t have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university – no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee - removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at the University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University and Curtin University based on good marks and hard work, not their bank balance.
PROTECTING TAFE - STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and maths – STEM.
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean around 5,000 new or up-skilled STEM teachers for Western Australian schools. Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
Labor will also make sure all Western Australian students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for the future workforce.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR STRONG FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class families are succeeding, Australia succeeds.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
Labor believes in budget repair, but unlike the Liberals we will not be fixing the Malcolm Turnbull’s budget mess by attacking the family budget.
CHILD CARE
Every one of the 38,800 families in Western Australia that rely on the Child Care Benefit will be better off under Labor.
From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Many of the 61,310 families in Western Australia that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year with Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will oppose the Government’s harsh cuts to Family Tax Benefits.
Under Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
Families earning over $100,000 will have a modest reduction of 50 per cent of their FTB-A end of year supplement.
Under Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
THE LIBERALS HAVE TAKEN WA  FOR GRANTED
Under the Liberals, Western Australians have been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to Family Tax Benefits and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
RISING UNEMPLOYMENT
Since the Liberals were elected, the unemployment rate has skyrocketed from 4.6 per cent to 5.6 per cent.
There are 15,900 more Western Australians lining the unemployment queues since 2013. 29,200 full time jobs have been lost under the Liberals.
There are now 700 fewer apprentices in Western Australia than there were in 2013.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut more than $3.1 billion from Western Australian schools.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students.
It means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best.
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
Since 2013, the Liberals have ripped nearly $600 million from Western Australian universities.
If the Liberals get their way, students in Western Australia would be facing fees of up to $100,000 for degrees.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have made massive cuts to Western Australian hospitals.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 137,000 families in Western Australia will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected.
That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 117,000 single parents and single income families will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of Western Australia’s 300,000 pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, pensioners in Western Australia who are trying to study will lose $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Age Pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will have their pension reduced after six weeks under the Liberals.
CUTS TO SCIENCE AND THE CSIRO
The Liberals’ cuts to the CSIRO have resulted in 49 job losses in Western Australia.
A further 29 jobs will be lost if Malcolm Turnbull is re-elected.
LABOR’S NEW TEAM FOR WA WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A health care system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS. WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For Tasmania
Tasmania. Labor´s positive policies
LABOR’S PLAN TO STOP THE PRIVATISATION
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then they tried to introduce a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule and now they are trying to privatise Medicare services.
The Liberals are doing everything they can to wreck Medicare and take our healthcare system down the same path as America’s, where it is your credit card and not your Medicare Card that determines the quality of your health care.
By contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal healthcare system continues to deliver good health outcomes for Tasmanians into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will always fight to protect it. Labor will reverse the Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means an average family in Tasmania with two children will be more than $400 better off under Labor. Labor will reverse the Liberals’ plans to privatise Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class Tasmanian families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script.
This means that under Labor, medicines will be more affordable than under the Liberals.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
With Labor, hospitals in Tasmania can expect to receive around $40 million more in funding than they would under the Liberals.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments at Royal Hobart Hospital, Launceston General Hospital, North West Regional Hospital and Mersey Community Hospital.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
But Australia’s healthcare system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, means that Australia requires new approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop, pilot and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life-saving research and care for those Tasmanians suffering from chronic disease..
These commitments include: $10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer all around Australia.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
Almost $1 million to deliver Youthbeat Mission Australia safety and early intervention program in North-west Tasmania.
$3 million to build a 10 bed hospice at the Allambi facility in Northern Tasmania.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
Tasmania’s future prosperity depends more than ever on the quality of its education system.
Australia cannot be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Tasmanian student the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy and job market.
IMPROVING TASMANIAN SCHOOLS-YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future plan aims to put Tasmania’s schools among the very best in the world.
Every student in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in:
More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs – and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade, including $60 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Tasmanian schools in 2018 and 2019 alone, compared to the Liberals.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Labor will also make sure all Tasmanian students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for the future workforce.
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean new and up-skilled STEM teachers for Tasmanian schools.
Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
Tasmania won’t have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university – no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee – removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at the University of Tasmania without a $100,000 debt sentence.
UTAS EXPANSION
Labor will invest $150 million so the University of Tasmania can construct two new campuses at Inveresk in Launceston and West Park in Burnie.
The projects will create 3,110 jobs, including 265 additional academic and professional jobs, and support 12,000 new students in North and North-West Tasmania.
PROTECTING TAFE, STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor knows that every student does not want to go to university.
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
LABOR’S PLAN TO PROTECT TASMANIAN JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Labor is investing in the job-creating infrastructure that will create local jobs and drive Tasmania’s economy for the next generation.
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TASMANIA NEEDS
Labor is investing in the infrastructure that Tasmania needs, including: Shared pathway between Latrobe and Devonport.
Develop rest of the Kentish Trails Masterplan.
The Hobart Airport Roundabout Upgrade.
The Circular Head Pool.
Former Kingston High Site Revitalization.
The Derwent Valley Sporting Precinct.
The Northern Midlands Fitness and Sports Centre.
The Okines Community Garden Facilities Extension.
The York Cove Precinct Plan.
The George Town Economic Development Prospectus.
The Silt Management Initiatives in York Cove.
Stage Two of the Wivenhoe Recreation Ground Lighting Project.
Upgrade of the Burnie Tennis Centre.
Delivering the Wynyard Foreshore Masterplan.
Delivering the NBN to Tasmania’s west coast communities.
Prospect Sports Complex.
Labor will establish a framework requiring a proportion of the jobs on major federally funded projects to be delivered as apprenticeships – so young Tasmanians can learn the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced.
Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
A Shorten Labor Government will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to make a further submission in favour of retaining penalty rates.
COMPLETING THE NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Tasmania needs to create the jobs of the future.
Under Labor, up to 2 million more homes and businesses across the country will get first-rate fibre-to-the-premises than they will under the Liberals, including the West Coast of Tasmania.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN TASMANIA’S REGIONS
Labor will create a Regional Innovation Fund, which will kick-start a range of initiatives to expand the role of Tasmania’s regions in the national innovation and jobs effort.
Labor will fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators in universities or TAFEs in regions around the country, including in Tasmania.
This means students that live in Tasmania’s regions will get access to resources often limited to people living in the big cities.
TASMANIA TOURISM FUND
Labor’s Tasmania Tourism Infrastructure Fund will deliver a $44 million boost to tourism infrastructure investment in Tasmania. Initial commitments include:$1.3 million for the Burnie Waterfront Masterplan.
$4 million for the Three Capes Walk in south-eastern Tasmania.
$10 million to sink the ex-HMAS Tobruk off Tasmania’s north-east coast as a dive wreck.
Tasmania is the only state without a modern naval vessel wreck.
$15 million for Cradle Mountain amenities upgrades.
The remaining $13.7 million in funding will be subject to further announcements.
MIDLAND HIGHWAY
Tasmanians know that the only way their state will receive the infrastructure funding it needs to support jobs and growth is with Labor.
Labor will give back the $100 million the Liberals stole from the Midland Highway upgrades and deliver the full $600 million State and Federal commitment that Tasmanians were promised.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Labor believes Tasmania can become the renewable energy powerhouse of Australia – and we have a plan to make it happen.
Labor will provide $5 million to fast-track the development of a business case for a second Bass Strait interconnector, delivering greater energy security and more job opportunities for Tasmanians.
Subject to a positive business case and an assessment by Infrastructure Australia, up to $500 million will be made available through our Infrastructure Financing Facility for the construction of the second cable.
The project will be funded and delivered in partnership with the Tasmanian Government and the private sector.
BASSLINK
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Tasmania needs to create the jobs of the future.
Under Labor, up to 2 million more homes and businesses across the country will get first-rate fibre-to-the-premises than they will under the Liberals, including the West Coast of Tasmania.
TASMANIA TASKFORCE – DELIVERING FOR TASMANIA
For over a year, Labor’s Tasmania Taskforce has been engaging with Tasmanians in a frank conversation about how best to get our state moving again.
The Tasmania Taskforce has looked at where we are today, and more importantly where we want to be tomorrow.
Specifically, the Taskforce has focussed on: Economic Development – supporting Tasmania’s transition to growing industries, including renewable energy, boutique food production, aquaculture and eco and cultural tourism.
Employment – creating the jobs of today and the jobs of the future with particular focus on working with businesses and the community to improve opportunities in areas of high youth unemployment.
Education – expanding the skills base, knowledge and resilience of students and increasing Year 12 attainment rates to ensure the next generation are equipped to drive the new economy, as well as to provide retraining and upskilling opportunities for experienced workers.
Growth – building on the clean, green, safe lifestyle of our state and the premium reputation of Tasmanian goods and services.
Labor’s positive plan for Tasmania has been developed to reflect the findings of the Tasmanian Taskforce.
SUPPORTING TASMANIA’S FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class Tasmanian families are succeeding, Australia prospers.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
With Labor, budget repair will be fair.
Unlike the Liberals we will not be fixing Mr Turnbull’s budget mess by attacking the family budget.
EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE
There are 11,800 families in Tasmania that rely on the Child Care Benefit who will be better off under Labor. From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017 will also mean that many of the 14,400 families in Tasmania that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will not support the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cuts to Family Tax Benefits (FTB).
With Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
For families earning over $100,000 there will be a modest reduction of 50 per cent of their FTB-A end of year supplement.
With Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
With Labor, Family Tax Benefits will be targeted to the Tasmanian families that need them most.
LIBERAL CUTS HAVE HURT TASMANIA
Under the Liberals, Tasmanians have been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to families and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Tasmanians cannot afford another three years of cuts that hurt Tasmanian families and the economy.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut $640 million from Tasmanian schools over the next 10 years.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students in Tasmania and fewer jobs for Tasmanian workers.
It also means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best.
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
The Liberals will rip $168 million from the University of Tasmania over the next five years.
If the Liberals get re-elected, students in Tasmania will be facing fees of up to $100,000 for a university degree.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have made massive cuts to Tasmanian hospitals.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care and put the health of Tasmanians at risk.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 40,000 families in Tasmania will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected. That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 33,000 single parents and single income families in Tasmania will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of Tasmania’s 106,000 pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, many pensioners in Tasmania will lose up to $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Under the Liberals, age pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will also have their pension reduced after six weeks.
CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS
In their 2014 Budget, the Liberals tried to leave young jobseekers with nothing to live on for six months.
In 2015 they tried to leave them with nothing for a month.
The Liberals also tried to cut $2,500 from jobseekers under 25 by changing the eligibility age for Newstart and Youth Allowance.
These measures would have pushed young people into poverty.
A UNITED LABOR TEAM WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A healthcare system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS.
WE ARE UNITED.
WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For The Central Coast
Central Coast.Labor´s positive policies
A MESSAGE FROM BILL SHORTENA few weeks ago I came to the Central Coast to announce that Labor will protect Medicare.Labor will fight for Medicare, and we will fight for the people of the Central Coast." I believe that when middle and working class people from the Central Coast succeed, the whole region will prosper.”That’s why I will work every day to deliver for middle and working class families in this marvellous region.My commitment is to always put people first.Labor’s positive plan is the right one for the Central Coast.Our plan includes protecting Medicare, keeping medicine more affordable and investing in hospitals. We will govern for all Australia, not just the big cities, not just the people who have the money to be able to afford to go and see the doctor.Our plan includes record investment in schools, scrapping the Liberals’ plans for $100,000 degrees and reforming TAFE, because Labor wants every child to have the same chance of succeeding at school, and in life.We will build the infrastructure that the Central Coast needs – improving local roads and building other vital community projects.Labor’s plan includes protecting penalty rates, scrapping the Government’s harsh and unfair cuts to Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefits and giving families immediate child care relief.On July 2, people from the Central Coast have a clear choice: between Labor’s positive plan and the Liberals’ plan for another round of harsh and unfair cuts – all so Malcolm Turnbull can give a tax cut to big business.I invite you to read more about Labor’s positive policies at www.100positivepolicies.org.auBill Shorten
LABOR’S PLAN TO PROTECT CENTRAL COAST JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Labor is investing in the infrastructure that will create jobs and drive the Central Coast’s economy for the next generation.
INVESTING IN THE INFASTRUCTURE THE CENTRAL COAST NEEDS
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $65 million in infrastructure funding for Central Coast locals, businesses and tourists.
Labor’s Central Coast Roads Rescue Package will remedy long-standing congestion and safety issues across the region.
Labor will support: $60 million for the Central Coast Roads Rescue Package.
$2.5 million for footpaths to improve pedestrian safety and movement.
$2.5 million for stage two of the popular Ettalong foreshore project to extend the Labor-funded stage one, delivered in 2013.
$500,000 to scope the feasibility of straightening the railway line between the Central Coast and Sydney and building a new road from Woy Woy to the M1.
Labor’s investment in Central Coast roads will create hundreds of local jobs.
CENTRAL COAST MEDICAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $32.5 million in the Central Coast Medical and Research Institute, to be built adjacent to Gosford Hospital.
This world-class facility will create hundreds of jobs and enable local medical, nursing and allied health students to train where they live.
INNOVATION HUB AT THE CENTRAL COAST CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE
Labor’s Regional Innovation Fund will kick-start a range of initiatives to expand the role of the Central Coast region in the national innovation and jobs effort.
Labor will fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators in universities or TAFEs in regions around the country, including one potentially at the University of Newcastle (Central Coast).
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced.
Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
Labor will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to protect weekend penalty rates.
ARTS CENTRE FOR THE GOSFORD WATERFRONT
Labor will commit $20 million to build a Performing Arts Centre in Gosford, because we believe the arts belong to all Australians.
The arts are not just an important avenue for creativity – the arts sector generates jobs and brings communities together.
COMPLETING THE NBN
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Australia needs to create the jobs of the future.
Under Labor, Gosford got the real NBN and the jobs have already started to flow.
LABOR WILL STOP THE  PRIVATISATION  OF MEDICARE
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then they introduced a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule and now they are trying to privatise Medicare payments.
The Liberals are doing everything they can to wreck Medicare and take our health care system down the same path as America’s, where it is your credit card and not your Medicare Card that determines the quality of your health care.
By contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal health care system continues to deliver good health outcomes for the Central Coast into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will always fight to protect it.
Labor will reverse the Liberal Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means an average family on the Central Coast with two children will be more than $400 better off under Labor.
We will prevent the Liberals from privatising Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class Central Coast families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script.
Under Labor, medicines will be more affordable.
HELPING CENTRAL COAST WOMEN ACCESS DRUG TREATMENT
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure that pregnant women in need of residential drug treatment to manage their addiction have better access to services.
Labor will invest $2.2 million in Kamira Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services in Wyong, which provides residential rehabilitation treatment for mothers and pregnant women with alcohol and drug addiction problems.
We recognise drug and alcohol dependency affects families from all walks of life – this funding will enable this facility to provide greater services to help families make positive changes in their lives.
NEW PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITY
Labor will provide $2 million to fit out a new primary health care facility on the Woy Woy peninsula.
People from the Central Coast should be able to access the health care they need, when and where they need it.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
Labor will increase funding for Central Coast hospitals over the next four years.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
Under Labor, hospitals in NSW can expect to receive around $630 million more than they would under the Liberals.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world.
But Australia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, mean that Australia requires new approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop, pilot and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life saving research and care for those on the Central Coast suffering from chronic disease.
These commitments include: $10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses.
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer all around Australia.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
$84 million to improve access to lifesaving technologies for Australians with type 1 diabetes.
$1.5 million to upgrade paediatric services at Wyong Hospital.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
Every child deserves to have the same chance of succeeding at school, and in life, as any other child in the country.
Improving education is the key to opportunity and to the future economic and social prosperity of our nation.
Australia cannot be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Central Coast child the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy.
IMPROVING CENTRAL COAST SCHOOLS - YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s “Your Child. Our Future” plan aims to put Australia’s schools back among the very best in the world.
Every student in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in: More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs – and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade, including $79 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Central Coast schools in 2018 and 2019 alone, compared to the Liberals.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Labor will also make sure all Central Coast students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for the future workforce.
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean new and up-skilled STEM teachers for Central Coast schools.
Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
The Central Coast will not have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university, no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee, removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at the universities on the Central Coast, in the Hunter and in Sydney based on good marks and hard work, not their bank balance.
COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION – GOSFORD
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a Commonwealth Institute of Higher Education to deliver new technical and higher education opportunities in Gosford.
A total of ten pilot sites will be established across Australia, in locations where need is demonstrated, and where institutions, industry and local communities are ready to implement locally tailored Institutes.
The Institutes will see universities working together with TAFEs to trial approaches tailored to local conditions, giving students the skills they need to find local jobs.
PROTECTING TAFE, STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
STRONG FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class families are succeeding, Australia succeeds.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
Labor believes in budget repair, but unlike the Liberals we will not be fixing Mr Turnbull’s budget mess by attacking the family budget.
CHILD CARE
Every one of the 10,090 families on the Central Coast that rely on the Child Care Benefit will be better off under Labor. From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017 will also mean that many of the 12,080 families on the Central Coast that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will not support the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cuts to Family Tax Benefits (FTB). With Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
For families earning over $100,000 there will be a modest reduction of 50 per cent of their FTB-A end of year supplement.
With Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS
A Shorten Labor Government will invest in a range of community projects to improve quality of life on the Central Coast.
These include:  $500,000 for the Banjo Memorial Skate Park in Wamberal.
$50,000 for the Bateau Bay PCYC for youth programs.
$1 million to build a grandstand at Edsaac Oval for the benefit of the whole community.
THE LIBERALS HAVE HURT THE  CENTRAL COAST
Under the Liberals, the Central Coast has been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to Family Tax Benefits and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
The Central Coast cannot afford another three years of cuts that hurt families and the local economy.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut almost $400 million from Central Coast schools.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students on the Central Coast..
It also means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
Over the next five years the Liberals will rip more than $1.8 billion from NSW universities, including more than $200 million from the University of Newcastle.
If the Liberals get their way, university students from the Central Coast would be facing fees of up to $100,000 for degrees.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have made massive cuts to Central Coast health facilities.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 20,000 families on the Central Coast will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected.
That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 17,000 single parents and single income families on the Central Coast will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of the Central Coast’s 66,000 pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, many pensioners from the Central Coast will lose up to $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Under the Liberals, age pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will also have their pension reduced after six weeks.
CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS
In their 2014 Budget, the Liberals tried to leave young jobseekers with nothing to live on for six months.
In 2015 they tried to leave them with nothing for a month.
The Liberals also tried to cut $2,500 from jobseekers under 25 by changing the eligibility age for Newstart and Youth Allowance These measures would have pushed young people into poverty.
A UNITED LABOR TEAM WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A healthcare system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS. WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For Victoria
VICTORIA LABOR’S POSITIVE POLICIES
A MESSAGE FROM BILL SHORTENThis election, my commitment to the people of Victoria is that I will always put people first.Labor has a clear plan to grow the economy in a way that protects jobs and improves living standards.Labor will protect Medicare, keep the price of medicine affordable and invest in Victoria’s hospitals.We will properly fund schools, reform TAFE and scrap the Liberals’ plans for $100,000 degrees."We will build the infrastructure that Victorians need to create well-paying jobs and drive long-term growth across the state."As the automotive industry declines, we will work with Victorian parts makers to open new markets for advanced manufacturing, here in Australia and overseas.We will protect penalty rates and scrap the Liberals’ harsh and unfair cuts to Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefits.Labor’s plan also includes giving families immediate child care relief, tackling child care waiting lists and increasing access to outside school hours’ care.I believe Labor’s positive plan is the right one for my home state, Victoria.That’s why I will work every day to deliver for middle and working class families in Victoria.Australians deserve a Federal Government with a clear plan – not just a slogan.On July 2, Victorians will have a choice between Labor’s positive plan and the Liberals’ next round of harsh and unfair cuts – all so that Malcolm Turnbull can give a $50 billion tax cut to big business.Labor has developed more than 100 positive policies to build a fairer Australia – I invite you to read more about them at www.100positivepolicies.org.au.Bill Shorten
LABOR WILL PROTECT VICTORIAN JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS  OF THE FUTURE
Labor is investing in the job-creating infrastructure that will create jobs and drive the Victorian economy for the next generation.
Labor is committed to ensuring every Victorian has the opportunity to work to their full capacity.
Our initiatives will create more than 5,000 real jobs for Victorians.
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE VICTORIA NEEDS
A Shorten Labor Government will build the infrastructure that Victoria needs.
Labor will invest: $380 million to support the Melbourne Metro project.
$356 million to complete the upgrade of the M80 Ring Road, completing the final three sections of the 38 km corridor.
$510 million to upgrade the efficiency of the Monash Freeway, one of Australia’s busiest.
$120 million to boost park-and-ride capacity at high use train stations.
$220 million for the Murray Basin Rail project, upgrading Victoria’s rail freight network.
$350 million for a Victorian Regional Roads package.
$90 million to upgrade Bridge Inn Road, to serve the growing community around Mernda.
$85 million to upgrade Thompsons Road, opening up industrial areas in Melbourne’s southeast.
$67 million to build the O’Herns Road upgrade, improving freight movements through industrial areas.
$22 million for an extension to the number 11 tram route, improving access to services and reducing congestion.
$20 million for the first stage of the duplication of Craigieburn Road.
$50 million to establish a High Speed Rail Planning Authority.
BACKING SMALL BUSINESS TO CREATE LOCAL JOBS
A Shorten Labor Government will reward small businesses that are creating jobs and getting Australian jobseekers back to work.
Labor’s New Jobs Tax Cut will allow small businesses to claim a deduction of up to $20,000 to offset the wages of up to five new employees.
The jobs tax cut will be available to businesses who employ young people, carers returning back to work or older Australians.
Businesses supporting job seekers will be able to claim an additional deduction of up to $100,000 a year for hiring new staff.
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Labor will work with the Victorian Government to deliver new jobs in the regions worst affected by motor vehicle production closures.
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $59 million to the Manufacturing Transition Boost to ensure regions across the nation – including Geelong – continue to have strong workforces and local jobs.
This jobs package will provide pathways to new jobs for skilled workers by attracting new business investment in advanced manufacturing.
Firms will be given new incentives to diversify into new products and markets and employ automotive workers who have lost their jobs.
LOCAL JOBS FOR LOCAL PEOPLE
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $68.6 million over the next four years to deliver our Local Jobs for Local People program.
This will connect people in disadvantaged communities with jobs and training opportunities, while also tackling the complex social and local issues that can keep Australians from finding work.
Local Jobs for Local People will operate in up to 20 communities across Australia in areas of high employment or entrenched disadvantage.
WORKING FUTURES
Labor will get more young people into work and keep them there by delivering real skills and real opportunities through our Working Futures program.
We will support 20,000 people per year aged between 15 and 24 through a comprehensive work and training program, setting them on the right path to ongoing high-quality jobs.
Working Futures will offer real training for real jobs.
This is in stark contrast to the Liberals’ exploitative Youth PaTH program, which subsidises employers to place jobseekers on internships without sufficient workplace protections.
REAL SKILLS GOOD JOBS
Labor will help more young people into apprenticeships by creating 10,000 new Apprentice Ready places, offering a 20-week, industry endorsed pre-apprenticeship course for trades on the National Skills Needs List.
A Shorten Labor Government will help retrenched workers gain formal recognition of their skills through an accelerated apprenticeship program to help them find their next job.
A National Skills Recognition Entitlement program will help 5,000 mature-aged, retrenched workers turn their extensive work experience into formal qualifications.
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced. Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
Labor will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to protect weekend penalty rates.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN OUR CITIES AND OUR REGIONS
Labor has a comprehensive plan to drive innovation in our cities and our regions.
This includes: Supporting great ideas by co-investing in early stage and high potential companies through the $500 million Smart Investment Fund.
Bringing together the superannuation, venture capital and startup sectors in an Innovation Investment Partnership to identify barriers holding back investment in Australian-based venture capital funds and early-stage enterprises.
Improving access to finance for startups and micro-businesses through a partial guarantee scheme, Startup Finance.
Getting startups to help solve government problems through Challenge Platforms and support startups to compete in government tenders.
Accelerating innovation in our regions through Regional Innovation Hubs.
Reforming the innovation architecture through Innovate Australia.
Improving the flow of capital to startups through Startup Capital.
Backing our best and brightest overseas with Landing Pad hubs for Australian innovators.
COMPLETING THE NBN
A Shorten Labor Government will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s mess and build the national broadband network Australia needs to create the jobs of the future.
We will scale up the rollout of fibre-to-the-premises and phase out the rollout of fibre-to-the-node.
This will deliver fibre-to-the-premises to up to two million homes and businesses across the country that would otherwise get Malcolm Turnbull’s second-rate copper version, including hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in Victoria.
For example, Mernda, Doreen, North Bendigo, Geelong, Belgrave and Upwey will all be fibre-to-the-premises.
LABOR WILL STOP THE PRIVATISATION  OF MEDICARE
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then the Liberals tried to introduce a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
The Liberals are doing all they can to destroy Medicare.
In contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal health care system continues to deliver good health outcomes for every Australian into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will always fight to protect it. Labor will reverse the Liberal Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means that under Labor an average family in Victoria with two children will be more than $400 better off.
We will prevent the Liberals from privatising Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class Victorian families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script. Under Labor, medicines will be more affordable.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
A Shorten Labor Government will increase funding for Victorian hospitals over the next four years.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
Under Labor, Victorian hospitals will receive $500 million more than they would under the Liberals.
This means that Goulburn Valley Health, Alfred Hospital, the Royal Women’s Hospital and all public hospitals in Victoria will be better resourced under Labor.
REVERSING CUTS TO PATHOLOGY AND IMAGING SERVICES
A Shorten Labor Government will reverse Malcolm Turnbull’s cuts to bulk billing incentives for pathology and diagnostic imaging.
Labor’s measures give pathologists and radiologists a specific incentive to bulk bill.
Without it, bulk billing will fall, co-payments will rise, and patients will be forced to pay more for tests and scans – or to skip them altogether.
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH PACKAGE
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia.
Many of these diseases are due to preventable risk factors such as physical inactivity, poor nutrition, smoking and harmful use of alcohol.
Labor has developed a five-point plan to combat chronic disease:  Investing in 50 Healthy Communities nationwide, to help communities at the greatest risk of chronic disease to stay well.
Tackling obesity through Australia’s first National Physical Activity Strategy and a National Nutrition Framework.
Expanding the successful Better Health Channel into a nationwide platform for health information.
Continuing the push to reduce smoking rates, particularly in at-risk communities.
Addressing harmful use of alcohol through a National Alcohol Strategy.
A NATIONAL APPROACH TO SUICIDE PREVENTION
A Shorten Labor Government will target a 50 per cent reduction in suicides over the next 10 years.
Our National Suicide Strategy will provide a strong national commitment to reduce the suicide toll, and coordinate a focused effort across Australia.
Labor will commission Australia’s first national data-set of suicide deaths and invest $72 million over three years for 12 regional suicide pilot projects.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world.
But Australia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, means that Australia requires new and innovative approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life saving research and care for those Victorians suffering from chronic disease.
These commitments include, nationally: $10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses.
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer all around Australia.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
$84 million to improve access to lifesaving technologies for Australians with type 1 diabetes.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
Australia cannot be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Improving education is the key to opportunity, to innovation and to the future economic and social prosperity of our nation.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Victorian child the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy.
IMPROVING VICTORIAN SCHOOLS - YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future plan will put Australia’s schools back where they belong among the very best in the world.
Every student, in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in: More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs - and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade.
This includes $815 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Victorian schools in 2018 and 2019 compared to the Liberals.
Whether your child is studying at Ballarat High School or at Strathmore Secondary College, they will get more targeted, needs-based investments under Labor.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
Victoria will not have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university – no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee - removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at La Trobe or Monash University based on good marks and hard work, not their bank balance.
PROTECTING TAFE - STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Labor will also make sure all Victorian students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for our future workforce.
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support a further 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean around 6,500 new or up-skilled STEM teachers for Victorian schools.
Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
STRONG FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class families are succeeding, Australia succeeds.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
Labor believes in budget repair, but we will not be fixing the Liberals’ budget mess by attacking the family budget.
CHILD CARE
Every one of the 139,580 families in Victoria that rely on the Child Care Benefit will be better off under Labor.
From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Many of the 185,770 families in Victoria that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year with Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will oppose the Government’s harsh cuts to Family Tax Benefits.
Under Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
Families earning over $100,000 will see a modest reduction in their FTB-A end of year supplement.
Under Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS
A Shorten Labor Government will invest in a range of community projects to improve quality of life for the people of Victoria.
These include: $5 million to deliver the Colac Early Years Children’s Centre, providing primary and tertiary health and wellbeing services to young children and their families.
$5 million to fund a major upgrade to the Ballarat Sports and Event Centre project.
$2 million to upgrade car parking at Maroondah Hospital, building more than 300 new spaces to ease chronic congestion.
$6 million for the Wheatsheaf Community Hub in Glenroy – this facility will include a children’s centre, a modern local library, multipurpose community meeting rooms and a Neighbourhood House.
$2 million to redevelop the Bendigo Tennis Centre and support the cultivation of future tennis stars in regional Victoria.
$1.4 million to expand the capacity of the Gisborne Oaks Residential Aged Care Facility to address urgent demand for dementia care in Macedon Ranges region.
THE LIBERALS HAVE HURT VICTORIA
Under the Liberals, Victorians have been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to Family Tax Benefits and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Victorians can’t afford another three years of cuts and chaos.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
Under the Liberals the youth unemployment rate in Victoria has remained above 12 per cent, more than double the national unemployment rate.
The number of young people in job training across the country has plummeted, and there are now an astonishing 30,000 fewer apprentices in Victoria than there were in 2013.
Labor is committed to ensuring one in ten jobs on our priority projects will be filled by new apprentices, so young people from all across Victoria can learn the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut more than $7.1 billion from Victorian schools.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students in Victoria.
It also means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from lowsocio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best.
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
Since 2013, the Liberals have ripped nearly $1.5 billion from Victorian universities.
If the Liberals get their way, students in Victoria would be facing fees of up to $100,000 for their university degrees.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have cut billions from Victorian hospitals.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 379,000 families in Victoria will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected.
That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 308,000 single parents and single income families in Victoria will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of Victoria’s more than one million pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, pensioners in Victoria who are trying to study will lose $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Age Pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will have their pension reduced after six weeks under the Liberals.
CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS
In their 2014 budget, the Liberals tried to leave young jobseekers with nothing to live on for six months.
In 2015 they tried to leave them with nothing for a month.
The Liberals also tried to cut $2,500 from jobseekers under 25 by changing the eligibility age for Newstart and Youth Allowance.
These measures would have pushed young people into poverty.
A UNITED LABOR TEAM WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A healthcare system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS. WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Chemical Contamination At Defence Sites
Labor will establish an intergovernmental taskforce to develop a nationally consistent approach to perfluorinated chemical contamination at Williamtown and other Commonwealth sites.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide additional support to address the immediate needs of the Williamtown community as a result of perfluorinated chemical contamination.
Perfluorinated chemical contamination in Williamtown and elsewhere is a serious issue.
We will fund an initial round of 10,000 voluntary blood tests at affected sites across the country, establishing baseline readings to allow for ongoing monitoring of contaminant exposure.
At Williamtown, a Shorten Labor Government will: Improve community consultation by establishing a local community liaison officer at RAAF Base Williamtown, ensuring the community has a single point of contact — if you want to speak to Defence, you’ll know who to contact.
Fund a study to analyse the impact of perfluorinated chemical contamination on the Williamtown community.
Provide a grant to the NSW Government to connect affected properties within the Williamtown investigation area to town water, as identified by the NSW EPA.
Extend income support for affected commercial fishers until March 2017.
Advocate for leniency by lending institutions with respect to business and home loan repayments until February 2017 for affected individuals.
Seek leniency with respect to licence fee payments until February 2017 for commercial fishing licences.
Labor has listened to the local community..
We understand their concerns regarding uncoordinated and poorly communicated responses from government
We will rectify this.
A Shorten Labor Government will develop a nationally consistent approach for screening and health guidelines, assessments, containment, management, standards and remediation protocols for sites that are identified as being contaminated with perfluorinated chemicals.
We also recognise that perfluorinated chemical contamination is a growing concern at Commonwealth sites around Australia.
Defence has identified 18 sites known, or likely, to have used substantial quantities of perfluorinated chemicals on site.
There are also other Commonwealth sites that have, or are suspected of having, perfluorinated residues.
The intergovernmental taskforce will coordinate the response of government agencies to the contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown and other Commonwealth sites.
This will ensure that the Federal Government’s response is consistent, coordinated and transparent.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Tourism Visa Reform
A Shorten Labor Government will undertake an audit of Australia’s tourist visa offering for each of our main target markets, and undertake an assessment of how that offering compares to our major competitors.
Australia’s position in the Asia-Pacific presents an unparalleled opportunity to respond to the increasing number of Asian visitors, particularly from China, who want to visit Australia.
However, the tourism industry is increasingly concerned that Australia’s current policy settings around visa charges and the interaction with our border are not conducive to capitalising on our position in the region.
The tourist visa audit will assess the competitiveness of our visa fees, visa processing arrangements and the ease of interaction with the Australian border.
In addition, with a view to the growing Chinese market, Labor will review: The cost of the 10-year multiple entry visa so that it is competitive with that for Chinese citizens visiting the US and the EU.
Introducing an online visa application, in both English and Mandarin, which can be submitted online at any time.
Reducing the processing time for visas submitted online to within 48 hours.
The feasibility of reforming the Tourist Refund Scheme by introducing an online, streamlined claiming process based on the Singapore model.
The factors which have an impact on passenger facilitation at International Airports, with Perth International Airport to be looked at as a priority.
POSITIVE POLICY
Defence Remuneration Reform
To ensure greater fairness and transparency in remuneration for the Australian Defence Force, a Shorten Labor Government will reform Defence’s Workplace Remuneration Arrangement and the means by which ADF pay and conditions are determined.
Unlike most employees, ADF personnel are not legally entitled to cooperatively negotiate their pay, conditions and terms of employment.
Instead, proposed wage rises are jointly determined by the Australian Government and the ADF.
These proposals are then approved or rejected by the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, which has no arbitral powers in this case and can only approve or reject.
ADF members rely on independent peak associations, such as the Defence Force Welfare Association, to advocate for them in this process.
In 2014, the Abbott-Turnbull Government shockingly botched the pay deal for our sailors, soldiers and air force personnel.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s initial offer consisted of a below inflation pay rise of 1.5 per cent per annum over three years, and cuts to precious recreational and Christmas leave.
Following a campaign led by the Defence community and supported by Labor, the Liberals ultimately settled on a 2 per cent per annum increase and the maintenance of existing conditions.
The Liberals’ mishandling of ADF pay highlighted the inadequacies in the current process used to set ADF pay and conditions.
This process was roundly criticised by Defence commentators as being conflicted and non-consultative.
Labor’s plan
A Shorten Labor Government will provide ADF personnel with a greater voice in the remuneration process by providing appropriate resources for the Defence Force Welfare Association to undertake this role.
Labor will safeguard fairness and transparency in the setting of remuneration for the ADF through:
The provision of a grant of $100,000 per annum to improve the capacity of the Defence Force Welfare Association to advocate on behalf of ADF members, particularly in relation to remuneration determinations.
Amending, where needed, and in consultation with stakeholders, the timelines and processes by which a future Labor Government would make ADF remuneration determinations.
POSITIVE POLICY
Immigration – Mandatory Reporting And More Transparency
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia has a compassionate, humane and safe approach to irregular migration throughout our region.
Labor believes in a compassionate approach to asylum seekers which enables refugees to progress their claims safely and securely.
Labor is absolutely committed to preventing people smuggling and ensuring vulnerable people do not drown at sea.
Labor’s regional resettlement arrangement has been the most effective deterrent against the ability of criminal people smugglers to prey on vulnerable people.
But processing offshore does not, for one minute, mean we can offshore or outsource our responsibility to treat people fleeing from persecution with humanity.
Vulnerable people should never be subject to degrading violence in Australia's name.
Labor will restore the faith of Australians in our onshore and offshore processing networks by providing independent oversight of facilities, and creating an independent statutory advocate to protect the interests in children seeking asylum.
We will also legislate mandatory reporting of any instances of abuse of children in immigration detention.
Labor’s policies fulfil Australia’s fundamental desire to be a safe, prosperous nation.
Our humane and compassionate policies will keep vulnerable people safe and restore Australia’s place in the world as a respected and responsible global citizen.
Above all, a Labor Government will fulfil the solemn duty we owe to the youngest people in our nation's care.
POSITIVE POLICY
Letting Australian NGO's Do Their Good Work Overseas
Social justice and environmental protection play a central role in economic growth and development.
It is now well acknowledged that inequality hampers growth.
The IMF, OECD, Reserve Bank of England, and various Nobel economists are all saying that more equal growth is good for the rich as well as the poor, and that more equal growth equals longer, stronger, and higher growth.
It is now undeniable that climate change will have, and in places is already having, a particularly savage effect on developing nations.
This includes nations in the Pacific which have contributed little carbon pollution to the atmosphere, but are feeling climate change in their everyday lives already.
At the same time we face acute development challenges as millions of people are displaced by conflict across the world.
It’s clear that with new global challenges like this, our aid program needs to change too.
That is why future Labor Government will provide greater certainty and more support to Australian NGOs to make sure they are well placed to meet global development challenges.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $30 million a year to the Australian NGO Cooperation Program from 2017-18.
Our commitment is for new and additional funding to the aid program.
Since the 2013 election, the Abbott-Turnbull government has drastically cut aid funding and created a great deal of uncertainty for NGOs.
Australian NGOs are among the best in the world.
They do outstanding work, particularly on policy development and implementation, sharing knowledge and expertise, and measuring and reporting on progress towards sustainable development.
A Shorten Labor Government will provide $10 million each year from our first Budget in 2017-18 to build partnerships, increase the effectiveness of Australian programs, and ensure we are getting the most from every single dollar spent on aid.
As part of this new program Labor will support planning, research, evaluation and greater collaboration across the sector – with funding available to NGOs, academia, government, and the philanthropic and private sector.
This will mean that we will continue developing our aid evidence base, our measurement and reporting on aid effectiveness, and we will know just how well we are shaping up against our targets.
This funding will help us to share with the world the remarkable Australian expertise in areas like anti-corruption and good governance; disability inclusive aid; treating preventable blindness; WASH; and of course, efforts toward improving gender equality.
Labor will also restore accountability to the Australian aid program by reintroducing the annual Ministerial Budget statement or “Blue Book” on overseas aid.
And we will legislate for transparency and accountability to improve aid effectiveness.
Thanks to decisions by the Abbott-Turnbull Government, Australia’s overseas aid program is the weakest it has ever been in our nation’s history.
Labor is committed to rebuilding so that we can once again see Australia lead in international development.
Labor is committed to supporting Australia’s aid program, not gutting it.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor’s Positive Plan For Tourism
After three years of neglect and cutbacks by the Liberal Government, Labor will restore tourism to the heart of Australia’s economic narrative, recognising its importance as a super-growth sector for local jobs and the economy.
Tourism is Australia’s largest services export and employs over one million Australians.
There are more than 276,000 tourism businesses in Australia, which deliver $94.5 billion in revenue every year.
Tourism GDP increased 5.3 per cent in 2014-15, more than three times the growth for the total economy.
This trend is expected to continue over the next 20 years – but a coordinated approach by the Federal Government is essential to realise its full potential.
Putting people first in every State and Territory
Labor will govern for all Australians, in every State and Territory.
That's why we've got positive plans to build infrastructure and create jobs for every State and Territory.
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For WA
Western Australia Labor´s positive policies
A MESSAGE FROM BILL SHORTENI believe Labor’s positive plan is the right one for Western Australia.I believe that when middle and working class Western Australians succeed, the whole of Western Australia will prosper.That’s why I will work every day to deliver for middle and working class families in Western Australia.Western Australia’s economy is going through a difficult transition.As Western Australian families feel the impact of the end of the mining investment boom, Western Australians deserve a Federal Government with a clear plan to transition the economy in a way that protects jobs and improves living standards.Labor has developed more than 100 positive policies to achieve just that.Labor’s plan will build the infrastructure that Western Australia needs to create jobs and drive growth."Labor will build the Perth METRONET, creating 4,000 jobs for Western Australians."It includes protecting Medicare, keeping medicine affordable and investing in hospitals.It includes record investment in schools, scrapping the Liberals’ plans for $100,000 degrees and reforming TAFE.Labor’s plan includes protecting penalty rates, scrapping the Liberals’ harsh and unfair cuts to Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefits and giving families immediate child care relief.On 2 July, Western Australians will have a choice between Labor’s positive plan and the Liberals’ plan for another round of harsh and unfair cuts – all so Malcolm Turnbull can give a tax cut to big business.My commitment to Western Australia at this election is that a Shorten Labor Government will always put people first.I invite you to read more about Labor’s positive policies atwww.100positivepolicies.org.auBill Shorten
LABOR’S PLAN TO PROTECT WESTERN AUSTRALIAN JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Western Australia’s economy is in transition.
As the mining investment boom declines, Labor is investing in the job-creating infrastructure that will create jobs and drive Western Australia’s economy for the next generation.
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE WESTERN AUSTRALIA NEEDS
Labor is building the infrastructure that Western Australia needs.
Labor will contribute:$1 billion to plan and build Perth’s METRONET, which will create 4,000 jobs for Western Australia.
$80 million to build the North Lake Bridge.
$45 million for the Wanneroo Road upgrade, which will create around 230 jobs for Western Australia.
$59 million for the High Street Fremantle upgrade, creating around 150 jobs in Western Australia.
$25 million for Denny Avenue grade separation project.
$3 million for roadworks at Scarborough Beach Road.
$1 million for Bayswater Train Station.
$2 million for Kwinana Outer Harbour logistics planning.
Labor is committed to ensuring one in ten jobs on our priority projects will be filled by new apprentices – so young Western Australians can learn the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced.
Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
Labor will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to protect weekend penalty rates.
COMPLETING THE NBN
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Western Australia needs to create the jobs of the future. Under Labor, more than 133,000 more WA households will get fibre-to-the-premises than they will under the Liberals.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN OUR REGIONS
Currently, around two-thirds of Australia’s startup activity takes place in just one city: Sydney.
Labor will create a Regional Innovation Fund, which will kick-start a range of initiatives to expand the role of Australia’s regions in contributing to the national innovation effort.
Labor will fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators in universities or TAFEs in regions around the country.
This means students that live outside Perth will get access to resources often limited to people living in the big cities.
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA TOURISM FUND
Labor’s Northern Australia Tourism fund will help build the tourism infrastructure that northern Western Australia needs to grow the sector and create jobs.
INDIGENOUS RANGERS
Labor will double the number of Indigenous Rangers working under the Working on Country Program.
This means more Indigenous Australians in Western Australia will have the opportunity to have their work on country recognised as paid employment, whilst at the same time protecting the natural and cultural treasures of Western Australia.
LABOR’S PLAN TO STOP THE PRIVATISATION  OF MEDICARE
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then they tried to introduce a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
The Liberals have done all they can to destroy Medicare.
By contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal health care system continues to deliver good health outcomes for every Australian into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will fight to protect it.
Labor will reverse the Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means an average family in Western Australia with two children will be around $400 better off under Labor.
Labor will fight the Liberals’ attempts to privatise Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberal’s medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script.
This means that under Labor, medicines will be more affordable than under Malcolm Turnbull.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
Labor will increase funding for Western Australian hospitals over the next four years.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
Under Labor, hospitals in Western Australia can expect to receive around $220 million more than they would under the Liberals.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
But Australia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, mean that Australia requires new approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop, pilot and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life saving research and care for those Western Australians suffering from chronic disease.
These commitments include: $10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses.
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer. in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
With an economy in transition, Western Australia’s future prosperity depends more than ever on the quality of our education system.
Australia can’t be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Western Australian child the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy.
IMPROVING WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future plan aims to put Australia’s schools back among the very best in the world.
Every student in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in: More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs - and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade, including $330 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Western Australian schools in 2018 and 2019 alone, compared to the Liberals.
Labor will also support the Stars Foundation to increase the number of young Indigenous women completing Year 12.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
Western Australia won’t have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university – no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee - removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at the University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University and Curtin University based on good marks and hard work, not their bank balance.
PROTECTING TAFE - STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and maths – STEM.
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean around 5,000 new or up-skilled STEM teachers for Western Australian schools. Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
Labor will also make sure all Western Australian students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for the future workforce.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR STRONG FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class families are succeeding, Australia succeeds.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
Labor believes in budget repair, but unlike the Liberals we will not be fixing the Malcolm Turnbull’s budget mess by attacking the family budget.
CHILD CARE
Every one of the 38,800 families in Western Australia that rely on the Child Care Benefit will be better off under Labor.
From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Many of the 61,310 families in Western Australia that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year with Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will oppose the Government’s harsh cuts to Family Tax Benefits.
Under Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
Families earning over $100,000 will have a modest reduction of 50 per cent of their FTB-A end of year supplement.
Under Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
THE LIBERALS HAVE TAKEN WA  FOR GRANTED
Under the Liberals, Western Australians have been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to Family Tax Benefits and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
RISING UNEMPLOYMENT
Since the Liberals were elected, the unemployment rate has skyrocketed from 4.6 per cent to 5.6 per cent.
There are 15,900 more Western Australians lining the unemployment queues since 2013. 29,200 full time jobs have been lost under the Liberals.
There are now 700 fewer apprentices in Western Australia than there were in 2013.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut more than $3.1 billion from Western Australian schools.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students.
It means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best.
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
Since 2013, the Liberals have ripped nearly $600 million from Western Australian universities.
If the Liberals get their way, students in Western Australia would be facing fees of up to $100,000 for degrees.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have made massive cuts to Western Australian hospitals.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 137,000 families in Western Australia will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected.
That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 117,000 single parents and single income families will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of Western Australia’s 300,000 pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, pensioners in Western Australia who are trying to study will lose $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Age Pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will have their pension reduced after six weeks under the Liberals.
CUTS TO SCIENCE AND THE CSIRO
The Liberals’ cuts to the CSIRO have resulted in 49 job losses in Western Australia.
A further 29 jobs will be lost if Malcolm Turnbull is re-elected.
LABOR’S NEW TEAM FOR WA WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A health care system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS. WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For Tasmania
Tasmania. Labor´s positive policies
LABOR’S PLAN TO STOP THE PRIVATISATION
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then they tried to introduce a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule and now they are trying to privatise Medicare services.
The Liberals are doing everything they can to wreck Medicare and take our healthcare system down the same path as America’s, where it is your credit card and not your Medicare Card that determines the quality of your health care.
By contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal healthcare system continues to deliver good health outcomes for Tasmanians into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will always fight to protect it. Labor will reverse the Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means an average family in Tasmania with two children will be more than $400 better off under Labor. Labor will reverse the Liberals’ plans to privatise Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class Tasmanian families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script.
This means that under Labor, medicines will be more affordable than under the Liberals.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
With Labor, hospitals in Tasmania can expect to receive around $40 million more in funding than they would under the Liberals.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments at Royal Hobart Hospital, Launceston General Hospital, North West Regional Hospital and Mersey Community Hospital.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
But Australia’s healthcare system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, means that Australia requires new approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop, pilot and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life-saving research and care for those Tasmanians suffering from chronic disease..
These commitments include: $10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer all around Australia.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
Almost $1 million to deliver Youthbeat Mission Australia safety and early intervention program in North-west Tasmania.
$3 million to build a 10 bed hospice at the Allambi facility in Northern Tasmania.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
Tasmania’s future prosperity depends more than ever on the quality of its education system.
Australia cannot be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Tasmanian student the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy and job market.
IMPROVING TASMANIAN SCHOOLS-YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s Your Child. Our Future plan aims to put Tasmania’s schools among the very best in the world.
Every student in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in:
More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs – and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade, including $60 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Tasmanian schools in 2018 and 2019 alone, compared to the Liberals.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Labor will also make sure all Tasmanian students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for the future workforce.
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean new and up-skilled STEM teachers for Tasmanian schools.
Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
Tasmania won’t have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university – no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee – removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at the University of Tasmania without a $100,000 debt sentence.
UTAS EXPANSION
Labor will invest $150 million so the University of Tasmania can construct two new campuses at Inveresk in Launceston and West Park in Burnie.
The projects will create 3,110 jobs, including 265 additional academic and professional jobs, and support 12,000 new students in North and North-West Tasmania.
PROTECTING TAFE, STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor knows that every student does not want to go to university.
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
LABOR’S PLAN TO PROTECT TASMANIAN JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Labor is investing in the job-creating infrastructure that will create local jobs and drive Tasmania’s economy for the next generation.
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TASMANIA NEEDS
Labor is investing in the infrastructure that Tasmania needs, including: Shared pathway between Latrobe and Devonport.
Develop rest of the Kentish Trails Masterplan.
The Hobart Airport Roundabout Upgrade.
The Circular Head Pool.
Former Kingston High Site Revitalization.
The Derwent Valley Sporting Precinct.
The Northern Midlands Fitness and Sports Centre.
The Okines Community Garden Facilities Extension.
The York Cove Precinct Plan.
The George Town Economic Development Prospectus.
The Silt Management Initiatives in York Cove.
Stage Two of the Wivenhoe Recreation Ground Lighting Project.
Upgrade of the Burnie Tennis Centre.
Delivering the Wynyard Foreshore Masterplan.
Delivering the NBN to Tasmania’s west coast communities.
Prospect Sports Complex.
Labor will establish a framework requiring a proportion of the jobs on major federally funded projects to be delivered as apprenticeships – so young Tasmanians can learn the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced.
Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
A Shorten Labor Government will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to make a further submission in favour of retaining penalty rates.
COMPLETING THE NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Tasmania needs to create the jobs of the future.
Under Labor, up to 2 million more homes and businesses across the country will get first-rate fibre-to-the-premises than they will under the Liberals, including the West Coast of Tasmania.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN TASMANIA’S REGIONS
Labor will create a Regional Innovation Fund, which will kick-start a range of initiatives to expand the role of Tasmania’s regions in the national innovation and jobs effort.
Labor will fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators in universities or TAFEs in regions around the country, including in Tasmania.
This means students that live in Tasmania’s regions will get access to resources often limited to people living in the big cities.
TASMANIA TOURISM FUND
Labor’s Tasmania Tourism Infrastructure Fund will deliver a $44 million boost to tourism infrastructure investment in Tasmania. Initial commitments include:$1.3 million for the Burnie Waterfront Masterplan.
$4 million for the Three Capes Walk in south-eastern Tasmania.
$10 million to sink the ex-HMAS Tobruk off Tasmania’s north-east coast as a dive wreck.
Tasmania is the only state without a modern naval vessel wreck.
$15 million for Cradle Mountain amenities upgrades.
The remaining $13.7 million in funding will be subject to further announcements.
MIDLAND HIGHWAY
Tasmanians know that the only way their state will receive the infrastructure funding it needs to support jobs and growth is with Labor.
Labor will give back the $100 million the Liberals stole from the Midland Highway upgrades and deliver the full $600 million State and Federal commitment that Tasmanians were promised.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Labor believes Tasmania can become the renewable energy powerhouse of Australia – and we have a plan to make it happen.
Labor will provide $5 million to fast-track the development of a business case for a second Bass Strait interconnector, delivering greater energy security and more job opportunities for Tasmanians.
Subject to a positive business case and an assessment by Infrastructure Australia, up to $500 million will be made available through our Infrastructure Financing Facility for the construction of the second cable.
The project will be funded and delivered in partnership with the Tasmanian Government and the private sector.
BASSLINK
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Tasmania needs to create the jobs of the future.
Under Labor, up to 2 million more homes and businesses across the country will get first-rate fibre-to-the-premises than they will under the Liberals, including the West Coast of Tasmania.
TASMANIA TASKFORCE – DELIVERING FOR TASMANIA
For over a year, Labor’s Tasmania Taskforce has been engaging with Tasmanians in a frank conversation about how best to get our state moving again.
The Tasmania Taskforce has looked at where we are today, and more importantly where we want to be tomorrow.
Specifically, the Taskforce has focussed on: Economic Development – supporting Tasmania’s transition to growing industries, including renewable energy, boutique food production, aquaculture and eco and cultural tourism.
Employment – creating the jobs of today and the jobs of the future with particular focus on working with businesses and the community to improve opportunities in areas of high youth unemployment.
Education – expanding the skills base, knowledge and resilience of students and increasing Year 12 attainment rates to ensure the next generation are equipped to drive the new economy, as well as to provide retraining and upskilling opportunities for experienced workers.
Growth – building on the clean, green, safe lifestyle of our state and the premium reputation of Tasmanian goods and services.
Labor’s positive plan for Tasmania has been developed to reflect the findings of the Tasmanian Taskforce.
SUPPORTING TASMANIA’S FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class Tasmanian families are succeeding, Australia prospers.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
With Labor, budget repair will be fair.
Unlike the Liberals we will not be fixing Mr Turnbull’s budget mess by attacking the family budget.
EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE
There are 11,800 families in Tasmania that rely on the Child Care Benefit who will be better off under Labor. From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017 will also mean that many of the 14,400 families in Tasmania that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will not support the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cuts to Family Tax Benefits (FTB).
With Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
For families earning over $100,000 there will be a modest reduction of 50 per cent of their FTB-A end of year supplement.
With Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
With Labor, Family Tax Benefits will be targeted to the Tasmanian families that need them most.
LIBERAL CUTS HAVE HURT TASMANIA
Under the Liberals, Tasmanians have been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to families and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
Tasmanians cannot afford another three years of cuts that hurt Tasmanian families and the economy.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut $640 million from Tasmanian schools over the next 10 years.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students in Tasmania and fewer jobs for Tasmanian workers.
It also means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best.
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
The Liberals will rip $168 million from the University of Tasmania over the next five years.
If the Liberals get re-elected, students in Tasmania will be facing fees of up to $100,000 for a university degree.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have made massive cuts to Tasmanian hospitals.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care and put the health of Tasmanians at risk.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 40,000 families in Tasmania will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected. That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 33,000 single parents and single income families in Tasmania will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of Tasmania’s 106,000 pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, many pensioners in Tasmania will lose up to $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Under the Liberals, age pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will also have their pension reduced after six weeks.
CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS
In their 2014 Budget, the Liberals tried to leave young jobseekers with nothing to live on for six months.
In 2015 they tried to leave them with nothing for a month.
The Liberals also tried to cut $2,500 from jobseekers under 25 by changing the eligibility age for Newstart and Youth Allowance.
These measures would have pushed young people into poverty.
A UNITED LABOR TEAM WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A healthcare system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS.
WE ARE UNITED.
WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For The Central Coast
Central Coast.Labor´s positive policies
A MESSAGE FROM BILL SHORTENA few weeks ago I came to the Central Coast to announce that Labor will protect Medicare.Labor will fight for Medicare, and we will fight for the people of the Central Coast." I believe that when middle and working class people from the Central Coast succeed, the whole region will prosper.”That’s why I will work every day to deliver for middle and working class families in this marvellous region.My commitment is to always put people first.Labor’s positive plan is the right one for the Central Coast.Our plan includes protecting Medicare, keeping medicine more affordable and investing in hospitals. We will govern for all Australia, not just the big cities, not just the people who have the money to be able to afford to go and see the doctor.Our plan includes record investment in schools, scrapping the Liberals’ plans for $100,000 degrees and reforming TAFE, because Labor wants every child to have the same chance of succeeding at school, and in life.We will build the infrastructure that the Central Coast needs – improving local roads and building other vital community projects.Labor’s plan includes protecting penalty rates, scrapping the Government’s harsh and unfair cuts to Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefits and giving families immediate child care relief.On July 2, people from the Central Coast have a clear choice: between Labor’s positive plan and the Liberals’ plan for another round of harsh and unfair cuts – all so Malcolm Turnbull can give a tax cut to big business.I invite you to read more about Labor’s positive policies at www.100positivepolicies.org.auBill Shorten
LABOR’S PLAN TO PROTECT CENTRAL COAST JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Labor is investing in the infrastructure that will create jobs and drive the Central Coast’s economy for the next generation.
INVESTING IN THE INFASTRUCTURE THE CENTRAL COAST NEEDS
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $65 million in infrastructure funding for Central Coast locals, businesses and tourists.
Labor’s Central Coast Roads Rescue Package will remedy long-standing congestion and safety issues across the region.
Labor will support: $60 million for the Central Coast Roads Rescue Package.
$2.5 million for footpaths to improve pedestrian safety and movement.
$2.5 million for stage two of the popular Ettalong foreshore project to extend the Labor-funded stage one, delivered in 2013.
$500,000 to scope the feasibility of straightening the railway line between the Central Coast and Sydney and building a new road from Woy Woy to the M1.
Labor’s investment in Central Coast roads will create hundreds of local jobs.
CENTRAL COAST MEDICAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $32.5 million in the Central Coast Medical and Research Institute, to be built adjacent to Gosford Hospital.
This world-class facility will create hundreds of jobs and enable local medical, nursing and allied health students to train where they live.
INNOVATION HUB AT THE CENTRAL COAST CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE
Labor’s Regional Innovation Fund will kick-start a range of initiatives to expand the role of the Central Coast region in the national innovation and jobs effort.
Labor will fund the establishment of up to 20 new accelerators in universities or TAFEs in regions around the country, including one potentially at the University of Newcastle (Central Coast).
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced.
Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
Labor will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to protect weekend penalty rates.
ARTS CENTRE FOR THE GOSFORD WATERFRONT
Labor will commit $20 million to build a Performing Arts Centre in Gosford, because we believe the arts belong to all Australians.
The arts are not just an important avenue for creativity – the arts sector generates jobs and brings communities together.
COMPLETING THE NBN
Labor will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN mess and build the NBN Australia needs to create the jobs of the future.
Under Labor, Gosford got the real NBN and the jobs have already started to flow.
LABOR WILL STOP THE  PRIVATISATION  OF MEDICARE
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then they introduced a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule and now they are trying to privatise Medicare payments.
The Liberals are doing everything they can to wreck Medicare and take our health care system down the same path as America’s, where it is your credit card and not your Medicare Card that determines the quality of your health care.
By contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal health care system continues to deliver good health outcomes for the Central Coast into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will always fight to protect it.
Labor will reverse the Liberal Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means an average family on the Central Coast with two children will be more than $400 better off under Labor.
We will prevent the Liberals from privatising Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class Central Coast families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script.
Under Labor, medicines will be more affordable.
HELPING CENTRAL COAST WOMEN ACCESS DRUG TREATMENT
A Shorten Labor Government will ensure that pregnant women in need of residential drug treatment to manage their addiction have better access to services.
Labor will invest $2.2 million in Kamira Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services in Wyong, which provides residential rehabilitation treatment for mothers and pregnant women with alcohol and drug addiction problems.
We recognise drug and alcohol dependency affects families from all walks of life – this funding will enable this facility to provide greater services to help families make positive changes in their lives.
NEW PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITY
Labor will provide $2 million to fit out a new primary health care facility on the Woy Woy peninsula.
People from the Central Coast should be able to access the health care they need, when and where they need it.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
Labor will increase funding for Central Coast hospitals over the next four years.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
Under Labor, hospitals in NSW can expect to receive around $630 million more than they would under the Liberals.
INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE
Because of Labor, Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world.
But Australia’s health care system continues to face significant challenges.
An ageing population, growing health inequality among many groups, as well as locations of disadvantage, mean that Australia requires new approaches to care.
If elected, a Shorten Labor Government will provide an additional $100 million over two years to develop, pilot and roll out new models of primary care around Australia.
LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND CARE
Labor will invest in life saving research and care for those on the Central Coast suffering from chronic disease.
These commitments include:$10.6 million to increase the number of prostate cancer nurses.
$8 million for ovarian cancer research.
$7 million to assist women with breast cancer in rural areas and with secondary breast cancer all around Australia.
$1.1 million to assist people managing allergic diseases.
$4 million to improve care and support for people suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
$84 million to improve access to lifesaving technologies for Australians with type 1 diabetes.
$1.5 million to upgrade paediatric services at Wyong Hospital.
LABOR’S PLAN FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES  AND TAFE
Every child deserves to have the same chance of succeeding at school, and in life, as any other child in the country.
Improving education is the key to opportunity and to the future economic and social prosperity of our nation.
Australia cannot be an innovation nation without a world class education system.
Labor will make the targeted, needs-based investments we need to give every Central Coast child the chance to reach their potential and get ahead in the knowledge economy.
IMPROVING CENTRAL COAST SCHOOLS - YOUR CHILD. OUR FUTURE
Labor’s “Your Child. Our Future” plan aims to put Australia’s schools back among the very best in the world.
Every student in every school will be supported to achieve their best through investment in: More one-on-one support.
Better remedial literacy and numeracy programs – and more extension options.
Early intervention programs in every school.
Improved Year 12 retention – supported by more vocational pathways.
Better access to allied health support – like speech and occupational therapists.
Labor’s investment is targeted to improve the results of those students who need it most, including students with disability, Indigenous students, students in regional and rural areas, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Labor’s policy is a $36 billion investment in our nation’s schools over the next decade, including $79 million more in targeted, needs-based funding for Central Coast schools in 2018 and 2019 alone, compared to the Liberals.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHS
Labor will also make sure all Central Coast students have the opportunity to learn coding – an essential skill for the future workforce.
Seventy-five per cent of the fastest growing occupations will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Nationally, Labor will provide 25,000 teaching scholarships for recent STEM graduates and support 25,000 existing teachers to up-skill.
This will mean new and up-skilled STEM teachers for Central Coast schools.
Labor will also provide 100,000 STEM Award Degrees – meaning students who graduate from certain STEM courses will do so without a HECS debt.
KEEPING OUR UNIVERSITIES OPEN TO ALL
The Central Coast will not have a strong economy if students are forced to pay for $100,000 degrees.
Under the Liberals, many students will be priced out of university, no matter how bright they are.
Labor will deliver a Student Funding Guarantee, removing the need for higher fees.
With Labor, students will be able to study at the universities on the Central Coast, in the Hunter and in Sydney based on good marks and hard work, not their bank balance.
COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION – GOSFORD
A Shorten Labor Government will establish a Commonwealth Institute of Higher Education to deliver new technical and higher education opportunities in Gosford.
A total of ten pilot sites will be established across Australia, in locations where need is demonstrated, and where institutions, industry and local communities are ready to implement locally tailored Institutes.
The Institutes will see universities working together with TAFEs to trial approaches tailored to local conditions, giving students the skills they need to find local jobs.
PROTECTING TAFE, STRENGTHENING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Labor will protect TAFE by introducing a TAFE Funding Guarantee that will ensure a minimum proportion of vocational education funding stays with TAFE.
Labor will also undertake a comprehensive National Vocational Education and Training Sector Review to make sure the system is meeting the needs of students and employers, weed out dodgy providers and enforce strong standards.
STRONG FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Labor believes that when middle and working class families are succeeding, Australia succeeds.
That is why Labor has a plan to protect the living standards of middle and working class families.
Labor believes in budget repair, but unlike the Liberals we will not be fixing Mr Turnbull’s budget mess by attacking the family budget.
CHILD CARE
Every one of the 10,090 families on the Central Coast that rely on the Child Care Benefit will be better off under Labor. From 1 January 2017 Labor will increase the Child Care Benefit by 15 per cent.
This is an increase of up to $31 per child per week, or up to $1,627 per child per year.
Labor’s plan to increase the Child Care Rebate cap from $7,500 to $10,000 from 1 January 2017 will also mean that many of the 12,080 families on the Central Coast that rely on the Child Care Rebate will be up to $2,500 better off per child per year.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ plan to cut Paid Parental Leave to around 80,000 new mums each year.
Under Labor, parents will be as much as $11,800 better off when they have a baby.
FAMILY TAX BENEFITS
Labor will not support the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cuts to Family Tax Benefits (FTB). With Labor, families earning less than $100,000 will maintain their FTB at current rates.
For families earning over $100,000 there will be a modest reduction of 50 per cent of their FTB-A end of year supplement.
With Labor, a couple with a single income of $85,000 and two children in primary school will be around $1,300 better off each year.
A sole parent with income of $65,000 and two children in high school will be around $3,000 better off each year under Labor.
LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS
A Shorten Labor Government will invest in a range of community projects to improve quality of life on the Central Coast.
These include:  $500,000 for the Banjo Memorial Skate Park in Wamberal.
$50,000 for the Bateau Bay PCYC for youth programs.
$1 million to build a grandstand at Edsaac Oval for the benefit of the whole community.
THE LIBERALS HAVE HURT THE  CENTRAL COAST
Under the Liberals, the Central Coast has been through three years of harsh cuts, chaos and broken promises.
Cuts to schools and universities, cuts to Medicare, cuts to Family Tax Benefits and cuts to pensions.
This is the legacy of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
The Central Coast cannot afford another three years of cuts that hurt families and the local economy.
CUTS TO SCHOOLS
The Liberals have cut almost $400 million from Central Coast schools.
This means larger classes, less personal attention and fewer resources for students on the Central Coast..
It also means Indigenous students, students with disability or additional learning needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds will miss out on the support they need to achieve their best
CUTS TO UNIVERSITIES
Over the next five years the Liberals will rip more than $1.8 billion from NSW universities, including more than $200 million from the University of Newcastle.
If the Liberals get their way, university students from the Central Coast would be facing fees of up to $100,000 for degrees.
CUTS TO HOSPITALS
The Liberals have made massive cuts to Central Coast health facilities.
This will put further pressure on already stretched public hospitals and push up waiting times for elective surgery and emergency department care.
CUTS TO FAMILIES
More than 20,000 families on the Central Coast will lose their full Family Tax Benefit A Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected.
That’s a cut of $726 per child, per year.
More than 17,000 single parents and single income families on the Central Coast will lose their Family Tax Benefit B Supplement if the Liberals are re-elected – a cut of $354 per family per year.
CUTS TO PENSIONS
In 2014, the Liberals tried to cut the indexation arrangement for every one of the Central Coast’s 66,000 pensioners.
If the Liberals are re-elected, many pensioners from the Central Coast will lose up to $1,600 because of the abolition of the Pensioner Education Supplement and $208 from the abolition of the Education Entry Payment.
Under the Liberals, age pensioners who were born overseas and want to spend more time overseas when they retire will also have their pension reduced after six weeks.
CUTS TO VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS
In their 2014 Budget, the Liberals tried to leave young jobseekers with nothing to live on for six months.
In 2015 they tried to leave them with nothing for a month.
The Liberals also tried to cut $2,500 from jobseekers under 25 by changing the eligibility age for Newstart and Youth Allowance These measures would have pushed young people into poverty.
A UNITED LABOR TEAM WILL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
From the day Bill Shorten became Leader, Labor’s team has remained united, with a single-minded commitment to deliver those policies that put people first.
A healthcare system underpinned by Medicare.
An education system that gives every child in every school more individual attention – Public, Catholic or Independent.
University and TAFE that is accessible for all.
WE HAVE PUT FORWARD OUR POSITIVE PLANS. WE ARE UNITED. WE ARE READY.
WE'LL PUT PEOPLE FIRST
POSITIVE POLICY
Labor's Positive Plan For Victoria
VICTORIA LABOR’S POSITIVE POLICIES
A MESSAGE FROM BILL SHORTENThis election, my commitment to the people of Victoria is that I will always put people first.Labor has a clear plan to grow the economy in a way that protects jobs and improves living standards.Labor will protect Medicare, keep the price of medicine affordable and invest in Victoria’s hospitals.We will properly fund schools, reform TAFE and scrap the Liberals’ plans for $100,000 degrees."We will build the infrastructure that Victorians need to create well-paying jobs and drive long-term growth across the state."As the automotive industry declines, we will work with Victorian parts makers to open new markets for advanced manufacturing, here in Australia and overseas.We will protect penalty rates and scrap the Liberals’ harsh and unfair cuts to Paid Parental Leave and Family Tax Benefits.Labor’s plan also includes giving families immediate child care relief, tackling child care waiting lists and increasing access to outside school hours’ care.I believe Labor’s positive plan is the right one for my home state, Victoria.That’s why I will work every day to deliver for middle and working class families in Victoria.Australians deserve a Federal Government with a clear plan – not just a slogan.On July 2, Victorians will have a choice between Labor’s positive plan and the Liberals’ next round of harsh and unfair cuts – all so that Malcolm Turnbull can give a $50 billion tax cut to big business.Labor has developed more than 100 positive policies to build a fairer Australia – I invite you to read more about them at www.100positivepolicies.org.au.Bill Shorten
LABOR WILL PROTECT VICTORIAN JOBS TODAY AND CREATE THE JOBS  OF THE FUTURE
Labor is investing in the job-creating infrastructure that will create jobs and drive the Victorian economy for the next generation.
Labor is committed to ensuring every Victorian has the opportunity to work to their full capacity.
Our initiatives will create more than 5,000 real jobs for Victorians.
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE VICTORIA NEEDS
A Shorten Labor Government will build the infrastructure that Victoria needs.
Labor will invest: $380 million to support the Melbourne Metro project.
$356 million to complete the upgrade of the M80 Ring Road, completing the final three sections of the 38 km corridor.
$510 million to upgrade the efficiency of the Monash Freeway, one of Australia’s busiest.
$120 million to boost park-and-ride capacity at high use train stations.
$220 million for the Murray Basin Rail project, upgrading Victoria’s rail freight network.
$350 million for a Victorian Regional Roads package.
$90 million to upgrade Bridge Inn Road, to serve the growing community around Mernda.
$85 million to upgrade Thompsons Road, opening up industrial areas in Melbourne’s southeast.
$67 million to build the O’Herns Road upgrade, improving freight movements through industrial areas.
$22 million for an extension to the number 11 tram route, improving access to services and reducing congestion.
$20 million for the first stage of the duplication of Craigieburn Road.
$50 million to establish a High Speed Rail Planning Authority.
BACKING SMALL BUSINESS TO CREATE LOCAL JOBS
A Shorten Labor Government will reward small businesses that are creating jobs and getting Australian jobseekers back to work.
Labor’s New Jobs Tax Cut will allow small businesses to claim a deduction of up to $20,000 to offset the wages of up to five new employees.
The jobs tax cut will be available to businesses who employ young people, carers returning back to work or older Australians.
Businesses supporting job seekers will be able to claim an additional deduction of up to $100,000 a year for hiring new staff.
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Labor will work with the Victorian Government to deliver new jobs in the regions worst affected by motor vehicle production closures.
A Shorten Labor Government will commit $59 million to the Manufacturing Transition Boost to ensure regions across the nation – including Geelong – continue to have strong workforces and local jobs.
This jobs package will provide pathways to new jobs for skilled workers by attracting new business investment in advanced manufacturing.
Firms will be given new incentives to diversify into new products and markets and employ automotive workers who have lost their jobs.
LOCAL JOBS FOR LOCAL PEOPLE
A Shorten Labor Government will invest $68.6 million over the next four years to deliver our Local Jobs for Local People program.
This will connect people in disadvantaged communities with jobs and training opportunities, while also tackling the complex social and local issues that can keep Australians from finding work.
Local Jobs for Local People will operate in up to 20 communities across Australia in areas of high employment or entrenched disadvantage.
WORKING FUTURES
Labor will get more young people into work and keep them there by delivering real skills and real opportunities through our Working Futures program.
We will support 20,000 people per year aged between 15 and 24 through a comprehensive work and training program, setting them on the right path to ongoing high-quality jobs.
Working Futures will offer real training for real jobs.
This is in stark contrast to the Liberals’ exploitative Youth PaTH program, which subsidises employers to place jobseekers on internships without sufficient workplace protections.
REAL SKILLS GOOD JOBS
Labor will help more young people into apprenticeships by creating 10,000 new Apprentice Ready places, offering a 20-week, industry endorsed pre-apprenticeship course for trades on the National Skills Needs List.
A Shorten Labor Government will help retrenched workers gain formal recognition of their skills through an accelerated apprenticeship program to help them find their next job.
A National Skills Recognition Entitlement program will help 5,000 mature-aged, retrenched workers turn their extensive work experience into formal qualifications.
PROTECTING PENALTY RATES
It is clear that the Liberals want to see weekend penalty rates reduced. Labor does not want some of our lowest paid workers to be forced to take a pay cut.
Labor will intervene in proceedings in the Fair Work Commission to protect weekend penalty rates.
DRIVING INNOVATION IN OUR CITIES AND OUR REGIONS
Labor has a comprehensive plan to drive innovation in our cities and our regions.
This includes: Supporting great ideas by co-investing in early stage and high potential companies through the $500 million Smart Investment Fund.
Bringing together the superannuation, venture capital and startup sectors in an Innovation Investment Partnership to identify barriers holding back investment in Australian-based venture capital funds and early-stage enterprises.
Improving access to finance for startups and micro-businesses through a partial guarantee scheme, Startup Finance.
Getting startups to help solve government problems through Challenge Platforms and support startups to compete in government tenders.
Accelerating innovation in our regions through Regional Innovation Hubs.
Reforming the innovation architecture through Innovate Australia.
Improving the flow of capital to startups through Startup Capital.
Backing our best and brightest overseas with Landing Pad hubs for Australian innovators.
COMPLETING THE NBN
A Shorten Labor Government will fix Malcolm Turnbull’s mess and build the national broadband network Australia needs to create the jobs of the future.
We will scale up the rollout of fibre-to-the-premises and phase out the rollout of fibre-to-the-node.
This will deliver fibre-to-the-premises to up to two million homes and businesses across the country that would otherwise get Malcolm Turnbull’s second-rate copper version, including hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in Victoria.
For example, Mernda, Doreen, North Bendigo, Geelong, Belgrave and Upwey will all be fibre-to-the-premises.
LABOR WILL STOP THE PRIVATISATION  OF MEDICARE
First they tried to introduce a GP Tax, then the Liberals tried to introduce a GP Tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
The Liberals are doing all they can to destroy Medicare.
In contrast, Labor has a positive plan to protect Medicare and ensure our world class universal health care system continues to deliver good health outcomes for every Australian into the future.
PROTECTING MEDICARE
Labor built Medicare and we will always fight to protect it. Labor will reverse the Liberal Government’s freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This means that under Labor an average family in Victoria with two children will be more than $400 better off.
We will prevent the Liberals from privatising Medicare.
SCRAPPING THE MEDICINE PRICE HIKE
Labor will scrap the Liberals’ medicine price hike and ensure medicine remains affordable for middle and working class Victorian families.
Under the Liberals, medicine will go up by as much as $5 per script. Under Labor, medicines will be more affordable.
INVESTING IN HOSPITALS
A Shorten Labor Government will increase funding for Victorian hospitals over the next four years.
This will reduce waiting times for elective surgery and in emergency departments.
Under Labor, Victorian hospitals will receive $500 million more than they would under the Liberals.