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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/mar/03/turnbull-government-seizes-new-negative-gearing-report-politics-live
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| Coalition on defensive as Labor attacks leak of classified material – politics live | Coalition on defensive as Labor attacks leak of classified material – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.27am GMT | |
| 06:27 | |
| Round of applause, please | |
| Something about Zoolander economics that made me want to say goodbye with this picture. Signing off with a bit of Blue Steel. | |
| Now huge thanks to the readers for being here in such numbers throughout the parliamentary fortnight when there’s been big news everywhere. Mike and I salute you. | |
| I’ll wrap with a few thoughts about the fortnight. | |
| We’ve seen a significant intensification of activity. All the denizens of parliament house have the whiff of an election in their nostrils, and the pace of the political day shows it. | |
| There’s been a significant chest bump between Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. Turnbull has sent a message to Abbott that he’s not inclined to tolerate sniping and undermining. It will be interesting to see how Abbott responds. Does he pull his head in for the good of the government, does he escalate to destructive effect? | |
| Labor and the Greens war for progressive votes has been particularly brutal over this fortnight, with the flashpoint being the Senate voting reform package. The Greens siding with the government on the voting reform package is a bold strike by them: they are trying to project themselves into permanent balance of power. John Howard was quite right to draw attention to that being the logical consequence of the change, and to wonder out loud whether his Coalition colleagues had really thought this one through. But in the long term, there’s a big reckoning for Labor. Do you continue the turf war, or do you contemplate some form of long term coalition? And if it’s to be coalition, the Greens will have to resolve their constant tension between being a party of protest and a party of government. | |
| Apart from the scrap with the Greens, Labor is walking around with a spring in its step, sensing weakness in the government. They are right, there is weakness in the government. But life will become more challenging if Abbott can avoid the impulse to behave destructively. It looks like the government is going to occupy the “modest/incremental” space for the election contest, leaving the “bold/reform” space for Labor. I’ve said all along I think Labor’s negative gearing policy is politically risky, particularly if the government steps back from politically tough tax reform and leaves Shorten right out there. There are tough days ahead, and Labor won’t always be saved by stupid over reach by various government folks. Some days the government will get it together, leaving Labor to fight a tough fight. | |
| Anyway, enough for now. Have a great weekend, and be safe until we meet again for the final sitting week before the budget. | |
| 5.58am GMT | 5.58am GMT |
| 05:58 | 05:58 |
| Shalailah Medhora | Shalailah Medhora |
| The minister for women, Michaelia Cash, says she’s disappointed by the findings of a new report that says women in senior management earn an average $100,000 less a year than their male counterparts. The report into into the gender pay gap, released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency overnight, makes a number of alarming findings including that women earn an average of $600,000 less over ten years by the time they reach senior management. Once they’re in senior management, women are likely to continue earning less. “I was very disappointed by the data,” Cash told the Senate. “If we can get more women into work and particularly into those jobs where they can earn a comparable salary to a man, we will take steps towards reducing the gender pay gap.” | The minister for women, Michaelia Cash, says she’s disappointed by the findings of a new report that says women in senior management earn an average $100,000 less a year than their male counterparts. The report into into the gender pay gap, released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency overnight, makes a number of alarming findings including that women earn an average of $600,000 less over ten years by the time they reach senior management. Once they’re in senior management, women are likely to continue earning less. “I was very disappointed by the data,” Cash told the Senate. “If we can get more women into work and particularly into those jobs where they can earn a comparable salary to a man, we will take steps towards reducing the gender pay gap.” |
| 5.44am GMT | 5.44am GMT |
| 05:44 | 05:44 |
| In clear evidence I need to stop live blogging shortly, I call this sequence, “does my face look flabbergasted in this?” A former prime minister and defence minister, a current defence secretary and defence minister. | In clear evidence I need to stop live blogging shortly, I call this sequence, “does my face look flabbergasted in this?” A former prime minister and defence minister, a current defence secretary and defence minister. |
| Blame Magic Mike. | Blame Magic Mike. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.45am GMT | at 5.45am GMT |
| 5.10am GMT | 5.10am GMT |
| 05:10 | 05:10 |
| Michael Safi | Michael Safi |
| Backtracking slightly to cover off the departure of Michael Lawler from the Fair Work Commission. Lawler resigned today as the vice-president of the Fair Work Commission a day before he was due to respond to a report investigating his use of sick leave. | Backtracking slightly to cover off the departure of Michael Lawler from the Fair Work Commission. Lawler resigned today as the vice-president of the Fair Work Commission a day before he was due to respond to a report investigating his use of sick leave. |
| The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, confirmed Lawler had notified the governor general of his resignation, which “commences with immediate effect”, she told the Senate today. | The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, confirmed Lawler had notified the governor general of his resignation, which “commences with immediate effect”, she told the Senate today. |
| He had been the subject of a four-month investigation by former judge Peter Heerey over his use of sick leave while on a $435,000 salary. | He had been the subject of a four-month investigation by former judge Peter Heerey over his use of sick leave while on a $435,000 salary. |
| At the time the investigation was announced in October Lawler had taken about nine months of the past year as leave. | At the time the investigation was announced in October Lawler had taken about nine months of the past year as leave. |
| Concurrently he was also assisting his partner, Kathy Jackson, fight allegations she had embezzled money from the Health Services Union, which she led. | Concurrently he was also assisting his partner, Kathy Jackson, fight allegations she had embezzled money from the Health Services Union, which she led. |
| Lawler had until Friday to respond to the report, received by the government in February. | Lawler had until Friday to respond to the report, received by the government in February. |
| 4.56am GMT | 4.56am GMT |
| 04:56 | 04:56 |
| David Johnston would be remembered by many Politics Live readers as the defence minister who once observed that the Australian Submarine Corporation could not build a canoe. He was removed from his portfolio by Tony Abbott and replaced by Kevin Andrews. | David Johnston would be remembered by many Politics Live readers as the defence minister who once observed that the Australian Submarine Corporation could not build a canoe. He was removed from his portfolio by Tony Abbott and replaced by Kevin Andrews. |
| Johnston is on Sky News at the moment. He’s been asked by Sky political editor David Speers about whether he, like Tony Abbott, was “flabbergasted” when the prime minister pushed back the timetable for the acquisition of submarines in the defence white paper. | Johnston is on Sky News at the moment. He’s been asked by Sky political editor David Speers about whether he, like Tony Abbott, was “flabbergasted” when the prime minister pushed back the timetable for the acquisition of submarines in the defence white paper. |
| Johnston isn’t bothering to be very diplomatic. | Johnston isn’t bothering to be very diplomatic. |
| No, I wasn’t because I understand what’s involved. | No, I wasn’t because I understand what’s involved. |
| Q: So why didn’t Tony Abbott? | Q: So why didn’t Tony Abbott? |
| Because I was across the detail. | Because I was across the detail. |
| 4.50am GMT | 4.50am GMT |
| 04:50 | 04:50 |
| I’ve had a quick chat with Chris Bowen’s office to try and clarify some of the points raised by the prime minister in question time today. | I’ve had a quick chat with Chris Bowen’s office to try and clarify some of the points raised by the prime minister in question time today. |
| The simplest way of explaining Labor’s policy is probably this: if there is an “active” investment, like the prime minister’s example in question time of two people investing in a truck, then people will continue to be able to gear their investment. If it’s a “passive” investment – like property, or shares (which you finance through practices like margin lending), then Labor’s policy kicks in. | The simplest way of explaining Labor’s policy is probably this: if there is an “active” investment, like the prime minister’s example in question time of two people investing in a truck, then people will continue to be able to gear their investment. If it’s a “passive” investment – like property, or shares (which you finance through practices like margin lending), then Labor’s policy kicks in. |
| As further and betters come to hand, I’ll update. Right now I need to press on. Former defence minister David Johnston is speaking about submarines. | As further and betters come to hand, I’ll update. Right now I need to press on. Former defence minister David Johnston is speaking about submarines. |
| 4.17am GMT | 4.17am GMT |
| 04:17 | 04:17 |
| Further questions have been placed on the notice paper. Give me a minute to survey the landscape and I’ll be back with the afternoon. | Further questions have been placed on the notice paper. Give me a minute to survey the landscape and I’ll be back with the afternoon. |
| 4.12am GMT | 4.12am GMT |
| 04:12 | 04:12 |
| 4.09am GMT | 4.09am GMT |
| 04:09 | 04:09 |
| Have you ever wondered whether there was more to life than being ridiculously good looking? | Have you ever wondered whether there was more to life than being ridiculously good looking? |
| The prime minister: | The prime minister: |
| I have never heard of a proposal to deal with negative gearing beyond the residential housing sector. Maybe there have been. I’ve not seen them. This proposal is a dramatic, extensive attack on the entire Australian economy. | I have never heard of a proposal to deal with negative gearing beyond the residential housing sector. Maybe there have been. I’ve not seen them. This proposal is a dramatic, extensive attack on the entire Australian economy. |
| The agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce: | The agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce: |
| This one is truly Zoolander economics. What do we do with things such as margin lending? What do we do with things such as negative gearing on housing? How do we deal with partnerships? | This one is truly Zoolander economics. What do we do with things such as margin lending? What do we do with things such as negative gearing on housing? How do we deal with partnerships? |
| How does this economy work under this form of Zoolander economics? | How does this economy work under this form of Zoolander economics? |
| 3.59am GMT | 3.59am GMT |
| 03:59 | 03:59 |
| Turnbull, continuing. | Turnbull, continuing. |
| What the opposition is doing is proposing that there can be no negative gearing in respect of any other asset class, including shares and any assets other than new residential property. | What the opposition is doing is proposing that there can be no negative gearing in respect of any other asset class, including shares and any assets other than new residential property. |
| Mr Speaker, we know the Labor party hasn’t modelled the impact of their policy on housing. Nobody would have ever modelled this proposal because it is so inconceivable, so reckless! | Mr Speaker, we know the Labor party hasn’t modelled the impact of their policy on housing. Nobody would have ever modelled this proposal because it is so inconceivable, so reckless! |
| What possible relationship to housing affordability does a person’s capacity, under normal income tax principles, to negatively gear an investment in shares or some machinery or a vehicle? | What possible relationship to housing affordability does a person’s capacity, under normal income tax principles, to negatively gear an investment in shares or some machinery or a vehicle? |
| 3.57am GMT | 3.57am GMT |
| 03:57 | 03:57 |
| What we are not going to do is make policy on the run. | What we are not going to do is make policy on the run. |
| (The prime minister in answer to a question about whether he’ll rule out adjusting super taxes as part of the tax policy.) | (The prime minister in answer to a question about whether he’ll rule out adjusting super taxes as part of the tax policy.) |
| 3.55am GMT | 3.55am GMT |
| 03:55 | 03:55 |