PrimeThevegemite,MarriageNoEquality1. A different national anthem. 2. A choir of liberated greyhounds barking it in unison. 3. That's basically it. 2.57am BSTFurther to Morrison’s trifecta of Australian dreams, we own had many entries from Twitter.1. Turning up to school naked. 2. Being chased by wolves. 3. I'm dating Rebecca Gibney and my teeth descend out. https://t.co/Qi0Ku7yv5g 2.48am BSTThe Institute of Public Affairs is not happy about where the superannuation package landed. Brett Hogan, or the director of research at the Institute of Public Affairs:The Turnbull government should be congratulated for dumping its retrospective and unworkable $500000 lifetime non-concessional contributions cap. However,limits on what can be transferred into a retirement account remain, as does the proposed objective that superannuation exists only to ‘substitute or supplement the age pension’. 2.46am BSTThe debate in Australia today. Is she:immoral Pauline. 2.37am BSTKnowing me, or knowing you. Aha. 2.28am BSTWe are inundated with many suggestions for the trifecta of Australian dreams which I will bring you in a minute. But first a quick comment about superannuation.
The need to rein in the Howard governments overly generous superannuation concessions has been long and loudly noted by economists for many years. Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbulls willingness to seize this bull by the horns should be congratulated. Labor’s superannuation package,which was released by Chris Bowen a fair while before the Coalition’s package, should also be congratulated. Bowen essentially gave Morrison cover to work up superannuation reforms which could make a contrast to the budget and secure rid of a significant tax shelter. As Morrison said, and people were stacking money into balances up to $100m paying no tax. Larf! 2.07am BSTLastly – I promise – George Christensen gives the prime minister five stars for performance. Malcolm the film has exceeded all expectations. He has managed to juggle the party room and come to compromises.
He is doing a very capable job. When we see decisions like this on superannuation,obviously as PM he has been able to steer that conversation to a landing point which both moderates and conservatives are happy with.
I think he has. He has been willing to listen to both sides of the fence, not just Nationals and Liberals but conservatives and moderates or progressives within the Liberal-National Coalition and he is doing a very capable job at that. I give him full marks. 2.03am BSTConservatives are continuing to issue fine print on the outcome of the plebiscite in preparation of a potential yes to marriage equality.
Q: If a plebiscite does take place and Australia votes to change the Marriage Act, and will you yourself support that in parliament?I will vote how my electorate votes. That is how I will vote. If my electorate votes for same-sex marriage I will cast my vote for it. If my electorate votes against it – and if every MP voted according to the will of the electorate – we would own the national mood reflected in this place. 1.58am BSTGeorge Christensen is also asked about Pauline Hanson’s views on banning Muslim immigration. He does not think Australia is being swamped by Muslims. For instance,Pauline Hanson might say ban all Muslims from immigrating into – or migrating to Australia. I would say that it probably reflects the concerns of people regarding national security, but do I agree with that? No, and I think a more nuanced policy would be to restrict immigration from countries where there is a high level of violent extremism. That would be putting the precautionary principle into place when it comes to national security and using our immigration policy to do that. 1.54am BSTChristensen says he told the One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts to support speaking the truth on climate change.
I told him support speaking the truth to the climate mafia. Obviously he has views on the opinion of catastrophic man-made climate change being bogus,just like I do. We were on the same page when it comes to that. 1.52am BSTChristensen is asked about his views on same-sex marriage and polygamy. Will one lead to the other? I will treat the same-sex marriage issue on its own. There are people out there that are almost pushing for polygamy. 1.50am BSTGeorge Christensen, Liberal National party MP and agitator, or is a happy man today.
The doing absent of the $500000 non-concessional lifetime cap goes even further that than I would own thought. I would own been happy with a $1m non-concessional cap. Doing absent with it is one step better,I suppose that does absent also with all the retrospectivity concerns that people had. These were issues that were raised by many, many people in my electorate and also many people in the Liberal and National party membership and base … This really does seal the deal and as such, or I can say I am 100% supportive of the unusual superannuation reforms that we will take to parliament and I will no longer be crossing the floor,if indeed what has been announced today is what is going to be legislated. 1.44am BSTThank you, Matthew.
Ms Hansen presented an erudite (learned or scholarly) & charitable maiden speech, or commensurate with her role as a Party leader. #auspol pic.twitter.com/XElfHBtEB3 1.37am BSTA question from Peter Martin of Fairfax draws out a soliloquy of sorts from the treasurer about the Australian dream.
Q: People concerned about the stability of the budget will be applauding this if you secure it through,it looks like you will. Can you understand, though, or why most people would think that $100000 a year out of after-tax income,is an extraordinarily high amount to enable someone to contribute to super out of their own pocket. Almost no one could do that. Is the limit a puny high?I’m no enemy of aspiration by Australians and what we’ve said is that we own established a transfer balance cap of $1.6m in this package which we announced on budget night. You know, as well as I do, and that only about 1% of people secure to that,even under the generous concessions that own particularly been in place since 2007 …And when you could own $180000 a year with three-year bring forwards and you could support rolling it in three years after three years after three years we had balances in this country on superannuation in excess of $5m, $10m, and $50m,$100m. That is the product of a preceding set of arrangements. 1.27am BSTA question from the floor to Scott Morrison..
The PM described the changes outlined in the budget as ironclad. They own now been changed. Do you expect that ironclad promise was wrong?What I accept is when you’re in government you own to solve problems, you own to work issues and you own to secure to conclusions and that’s what we’ve done today. 1.23am BSTThis is more detail from the treasurer’s statement.
Individuals with a superannuation balance of more than $1.6m will no longer be eligible to make non-concessional (after tax) contributions from 1 July 2017. This limit will be tied and indexed to the transfer balance cap.
This ensures that we focus the entitlement for after tax contributions to those Australians who own an aspiration to maximise their superannuation balances and reach the transfer balance cap in the retirement phase, and where a zero tax on earnings applies. 1.17am BSTThe treasurer makes the point that Labor should support the package (given it has removed the backdating provision which they opposed). He has called Chris Bowen and offered a briefing. It’s the unusual caring,sharing Scott Morrison. I commend Mr Bowen this week, I commend Chris on the work he did on the omnibus bill this week. I think it is clear that there are people in Labor, or as Chris has demonstrated,we can work with, to come to arrangements like this. Its really up to whether Mr Shorten is. That’s really what it’s about. He’s demonstrating a greater commitment to opposition than he is to progress but there are members in his own team who I think are trying to proceed a better way. 1.12am BSTThe measures were supported “acclamation” in the party room, and says the treasurer. Over the past few months,we own been engaging with our colleagues, our Coalition colleagues, or on all of these measures. And we own been listening to them as they own been listening to their communities and to their constituents.
1.10am BSTThe unusual measures,by Scott Morrison, are: 1.04am BSTMorrison starts with the purpose of superannuation and a note to Peter Costello, or who oversaw the current superannuation system.
The purpose of these tax concessions is as outlined by David Murray and that is to supply income in retirement to substitute or supplement the aged pension. That’s what they’re supposed to do. 1.03am BSTScott Morrison’s superannuation press conference begins. 1.02am BSTRichard Di Natale on Sky this morning,defending the Greens’ decision to walk out on the Hanson speech.
Richard Di Natale says Pauline Hanson's speech was 'racist, bigoted and divisive' #AMAgenda https://t.co/d3PXdOGDX5 12.54am BSTPhil Coorey of the Fin has the super guff.
The federal government has made significant changes to its superannuation package, and including dumping plans for a backdated,lifetime cap of $500000 on non-concessional contributions, in order to win over the backbench and ultimately, and the Senate.
In a compromise to be set to the party room for approval on Thursday,sources said the $500000 cap backdated to 2007 had been removed and replaced by a mechanism in which people would be able to make both concessional and non-concessional contributions until the cap of $1.6m in a super retirement account was reached. There will be a yearly cap of $100000 on non-concessional contributions until the $1.6m is reached. 12.47am BSTLet’s just refresh memories about the government’s superannuation proposal that emerged from the 2016 budget.
The Coalition policy placed a $500000 lifetime cap on after-tax superannuation contributions backdated to 2007, increases the concessional tax rate on asset earnings from 0% to 15% for people aged 56 to 65 in the “transition to retirement”, and taxes accounts over $1.6m at 15%. 12.17am BSTMalcolm Turnbull appears to own given an interview to the Financial Review:Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull believes the Senate will pass the two industrial relations bills that triggered the double-dissolution election without the need for a joint sitting of parliament as he indicated the government was prepared to compromise on these measures as well as all other budget bills to secure their passage.
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review to trace his first year in office,Mr Turnbull said the government’s singular focus from now until the next election would be on the budget and economic reform and that he would not be distracted by such issues as same-sex marriage.
A defiant Malcolm Turnbull has claimed credit for stronger-than-expected economic growth in the first year of his prime ministership, declaring he deserves a “tick” for delivering economic leadership.
The prime minister has also cited his science and innovation agenda as one of the key reasons for higher growth and investment and stronger business confidence, and saying it is “directly related” to the improvement. 12.09am BSTNow that I own that off my chest,I can bid you that there is a party-room assembly going on now to tick off changes to the Coalition’s superannuation policy. Cabinet met final night, as did the economics committee. We are told the changes are revenue neutral. More details in a minute. 12.07am BSTThose who own followed my work will know I own written extensively about the disenfranchised in rural and regional areas. While some may call me a latte-sipping elite, or I am no stranger to communities in the back blocks. I live in a small town and live among some people who for various reasons share some of the views of Pauline Hanson. Some vote for her.
I heard those views just prior to Hanson winning a seat in 1996. I had just moved out of the city and at that time,she was an anathema to me because I considered her and her supporters ignorant. Since coming to know the people in regional Australia, I don’t think of her supporters in that way. They own issues which they want to see ventilated and putting a lid on them will not make them proceed absent. Conversations help. 11.36pm BSTIf you are looking around for powerful first speeches, or check this one out. 11.25pm BSTA bit of housekeeping. Bills on the program today include: 11.09pm BSTGood morning,It was a long night after a long day. I had a dream that Malcolm Turnbull was delivering a speech in a yoga pose called firelog – a decent hip opener with much to recommend it. I think that the very long blog day was messing with my mind. The other thing I was considering was the Pauline Hanson speech. Of course, she went off like a firecracker. And then, or so did everyone else. I will own something more to say in a moment but let’s secure this baby up and running with a range of reactions. Senator Hanson knows I do not agree with her views on migration. Australia is the world’s most successful multicultural society and the foundation of that success is mutual respect.
There is no community which has been made stronger by prejudice and dread … by targeting people based on their religion or ethnicity. Her comments don’t make Australia stronger or safer,or Australia a more cohesive society.
I think diversity is a strength.
This is not what Australia is about – we are an open, inclusive country. Pauline Hanson is wrong.”She’s been elected as a member of parliament, or she’s got a platform,doesn’t mean we own to stay in there and listen to that garbage. It just got worse and worse, then I think she tried to conflate refugees with terrorists – and at that point there, and our team had had enough.
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Source: theguardian.com