RECENTLY

Today I was delighted to meet with some of the television and film industry companies in Fox Studios in Sydney.

The cultural importance of the creative sector is well recognised, these companies help us express ourselves and tell Australian stories. But it’s also important to remember that these businesses employ thousands of people and contribute hundreds of millions to the Australian economy (more than $86 billion in 2014). Today’s meeting included key people involved with movies like the Great Gatsby and the Lego movies. They shared some of their expertise on how they compete with world leaders in LA, including the impact of the NBN and the quality of talent produced by our TAFEs and unis. Although this government seems determined to ignore the arts, it is important that this vibrant sector gets the support it needs to continue being a strong part of our economy. 

OUR TEAM

Labor recently announced our plan to ensure multinational companies pay Their Fair Share of tax. 

Over the last two years Chevron has paid no corporate tax. Not a cent. We’ve begun to tackle these issues with a new plan to close the loopholes that multinational companies use to evade tax. A Labor Government will return $5.4 billion of lost revenue to the Australian economy, to fund health and education. In contrast, Malcolm Turnbull is delivering a $50 billion tax cut to corporations and cutting education funding. The Coalition government is seriously out of touch.

IN DEPTH

Next week the Coalition Government will deliver its budget. What do we know so far? 

The Coalition has outlined its education plan – a plan to cut millions of dollars from the Australian education sector. Education Minister Simon Birmingham confirmed the government will cut university funding by $2.8 billion and increase the price students pay for their degrees. In addition, the Coalition will cut $22.3 billion from schools. The Australian Labor Party will not support any attempts to increase fees and make education less accessible. Students should not be asked to pay for Malcolm Turnbull’s $50 billion handout to big business.

Scott Morrison has confirmed that the budget will not include any reforms to negative gearing or renegotiation of the National Affordable Housing Agreement. Labor has a detailed plan to tackle housing affordability and it’s time the Coalition government seriously addressed this issue.

Here you can read an article by my colleague Tanya Plibersek MP on what a budget of “jobs and growth” would really look like. If the Coalition was serious about “jobs and growth” they would invest in education and training for the future of our workforce, protect Australia’s AAA credit rating, help young Australians enter the housing market, scrap their $50 billion handout to big business and close the tax loopholes currently draining $5.4 billion from the Australian economy.

I will make sure to send you all of the details of the budget next week when we have them. 

In Labor,

Jenny McAllister