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This was published 6 years ago
We'll wrap up there.
Another day at Parliament dominated by tax cuts and energy policy. And those issues, needless to say, are far from resolved.
The blog will be back in the morning.
Until then, you can find me on Facebook here and Twitter here. Photos today were from Alex Ellinghausen – find him on Twitter here.
And, as always, I welcome your feedback and hot tips at fergus.hunter@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
ScoMo.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, by announcing a Labor government would repeal tax cuts for companies turning over $10 million to $50 million annually, has guaranteed Australia will be heartily sick of the term “class warfare” by the next election.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his colleagues will howl it from dawn to dusk and beyond, declaring it will destroy employment prospects for workers. Treasurer Scott Morrison called it “the snake of envy” within minutes of the Labor leader announcing his decision on Tuesday.
And this time, tens of thousands of small to medium-sized businesses - potentially nearly 100,000 until Shorten clarifies his plans for the tax cuts of small businesses turning over $2 million to $10 million - will be howling along with the government.
In turn, Shorten will make much of his earlier proposal to limit tax cuts to low-income workers, but to ensure those workers get more than the $520 a year just legislated last week by the Coalition.
Labor, in allowing itself to be painted as reverting to its old-time “workers versus the bosses” stance, is taking a significant political risk, as is Turnbull the multi-millionaire in reviving the “politics of envy” charge.
Read the full piece here.
Shorten.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Ciobo.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Thick as thieves. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Frydenberg. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The Labor side.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
University graduates taking home as little as $730 a week will have to start repaying their student loans from Sunday after the Turnbull government clinched a deal to claw back $250 million in higher education debt.
The bill debated in the Senate on Tuesday requires graduates to repay at least 1 per cent of their student debt once they start earning $45,000 a year, reducing the threshold from close to $54,000.
It will also impose a lifetime cap on taxpayer loans of $104,440 for most students, but this will now be replenishable, after the government agreed to changes urged by its own members. This means students who reach the cap can access new loans once they pay down their debt.
Senator Stirling Griff of the Centre Alliance - formerly the Nick Xenophon Team - confirmed his party supported the crackdown, which was also backed by One Nation and key crossbenchers.
The changes are slated to begin on July 1 and affect current students as well as those with existing HECS debts. Once graduates earn more than $44,999 a year they will need to repay at least 1 per cent of their debt annually, with the proportion gradually increasing to 10 per cent once they earn $132,000.
Read more here.
Question from Queensland Liberal Andrew Wallace to Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher.
Wallace asks about the mobile blackspot program.
Fletcher says the government has hundreds of base stations to help address blackspots in mobile reception. He says Labor delivered nothing.
And Question Time is over.
Question from Labor MP Susan Templeman to Malcolm Turnbull.
Templeman asks about gross debt breaching $500 million and suggests the government will make further cuts to education, health and welfare if the economy goes downhill.
Turnbull says the question was misleading and inaccurate.
He says the government has got the budget under control and is therefore able to fund essential services and cut taxes.
Question from Queensland Liberal Scott Buchholz to Health Minister Greg Hunt.
Buchholz asks about a strong economy enabling investment in health services for regional and rural areas.
Hunt runs through some funding figures . He then says Labor has demonstrated a "pattern of lying" about this funding.
Question from Tanya Plibersek to Malcolm Turnbull.
Plibersek asks about tax cuts and funding cuts.
Turnbull says tax cuts are not a giveaway because it is taxpayers' money. He says Plibersek doesn't understand economics.
He says this show Labor has contempot for hard-working Australians and businesses.
Question from SA Liberal MP to Rowan Ramsey to Josh Frydenberg.
Ramsey asks about policies to make energy affordable and reliable.
Frydenberg notes the industry support for the National Energy Guarantee, which he says will drive down power prices.
Question from Bill Shorten to Malcolm Turnbull.
Shorten asks if the PM considers the big banks to be deserving of tax cuts.
Turnbull notes the government has already imposed a levy on the big banks and says Shorten is running a campaign against businesses small, medium and large.
After some interjections and complaints and a bit of tension, Speaker Tony Smith ejects NT Labor MP Warren Snowdon under 94a.