It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the available information at election time. But Australia is too great a nation for you to not be informed about our political processes. The following is a resource to inform voters without bias or exaggeration to enable democracy and political engagement.

Below is a full policy analysis in the lead up to the 2 July 2016 federal election. The following information has been gathered from campaign documents.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Negative Gearing

= Claiming the losses and costs that come from getting into debt to hold an investment property if the rent won't cover it (eg. mortgage, interest repayments, renovations etc.) off taxable income.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Plans to limit negative gearing to only new housing from 1 July 2017 with the aim to net more than $30 billion over the next decade. Labor hopes that this will help promote construction. Investments made before this date will not be affected. Will not remove or limit. Plans to Remove negative gearing for properties purchased on or after 1 July 2015. Investments made before this date will not be affected. It is estimated that this will increase revenue by $2.9 billion over the 2014-15 forward estimates, and $42.5 billion over the next decade. It incentivizes investment in property which pushes up housing prices. Taxpayers are the ones funding this elimination of risk for investors and ensured profit from investing in property.
Verdict: No policy here is ideal, ideal would be limiting the number of properties able to be negatively geared to 1 per person, and slowely phase it out. In the immediate term there needs to be more checks in place to stop investers pretending they're renting their property(ies) out when they're not. By measuring water usage, researchers have found that there are currently “some 82,724 properties, or 4.8% of the city's total housing stock" that appear to be unused in Melbourne.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

Capital gain = profit from an investment. Primary residences are exempt from CGT, but investment properties aren’t. Currently investors are entitled to a 50% discount off the tax they pay on their profit when they sell their investment property if they have held it for over 1year.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Plans to halve the CGT discount for all assets purchased after 1 July 2017 to 25% from the current 50%. Investments made before this date will not be affected. Will not change current policy Will phase out the CGT discount by 10% each year from 1 July 2016 until there is no longer any discount from 1 July 2020. Plans to use proceeds to boost affordable housing supply and provide accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. If you are an investor a bigger discount is good for you and incentivises you to sell. The CGT discount subsidy meant a loss of government revenue of $4.2 billion in 2013-14 and is expected to reach $8.6b by 2018-19.

Health

Medicare

Medicare is Australia's public health insurance system. Doctors who bulk bill agree to receive only the payment rate set by the government for each service so patients pay nothing. If the doctor wants to charge more than what is covered by the government the patients need to cover the price gap. The issue is that the rates deemed as fair by Medicare "have not kept up with increases in costs faced by medical practitioners."Labor freezed this rate back in 2013 as a "temporary" measure, as part of a $664 million budget savings plan, this has stayed and has been planned to remain until 2019/20. This means that the amount the doctor can pocket without charging patients more has been frozen.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Has announced that it will end the freeze and restore indexation of the costs of services from January 1, 2017. This has been costed at $2.4 billion by 2019-20 and $12.2 billion over a decade. Is accusing the coalition of cuts to pathology services (laboratory testing) covered by Medicare. Will continue the indexation freeze. Is scrapping an incentive paid to pathology companies to assist with their equipment costs to encourage them to bulk bill patients worth $1.3 billion over five years due to the incentives failure to improve bulk billing rates beyond natural growth. Not destroying Medicare as per the rhetoric. Trying to make more efficient by outsourcing IT/payment functions (which isn't something that governments generally specialise in), Digitising with My Health online Record and planning to trial 'Health Care Homes' that will be responsible for co-ordinating a patient's care, this allows chronically-ill patient to nominate one GP practice as their 'home base' so they don't visit multiple clinics where changes can be missed. Calls to extend Medicare rebates for more dental and mental health. If you're a doctor and don't want to accept a cut in your income then costs will be forwarded to patients.

Drugs and addiction

Not on the Federal Election agenda even though while 200,000 people receive alcohol and drug treatment in any one year across Australia, anywhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people miss out. We do not have in place a nationally consistent clinical approach to addiction. It has been argued that we lack a system which guides both the patient and health care provider through the journey to recovery.Both major parties support tobacco excise.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Wants innovative prevention, treatment and support services, also wants a maximum penalty in jail for all people who offend. Believes that law enforcement is critical to fighting the ice problem, but isn't the only solution. Plans on a $5.69 million "to combat the scourge of ice in communities" Has agreed to adopt all 38 recommendations from the National Ice Taskforce aimed at improving prevention and treatment methods. Believes in harm minimization - all Australians with a substance abuse problem should have access to a range of evidence-based and regularly evaluated treatment and recovery services. The individual use of illegal drugs should not fall within the criminal framework but will be seen as a health issue. Will extend the range of counselling and treatment programs covered by Medicare. A drug survey showed use of ice doubled between 2010 and 2013.

International Affairs

FOREIGN AID

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Have pledged to reverse the Turnbull government's $224m cut to the international aid. Committed to contributing $800 million more to the aid program over the next four years. Although this adjustment is so minor that it will still leave the Australian aid budget at its least generous levels in history. Currently at 0.22%GDP. The 2016/17 federal budget again had a cut to Australian aid of $224 million (7.4%) = the sixth-largest cut in any one year of the aid program's history. Increases to the aid program over the next four years have been pegged to the rate of inflation. In addition, at the COP21 Climate Change talks concluded in Paris in December 2015 Turnbull pledged A$1 billion over the next five years, to be drawn from 'our existing aid program'. Have pledged a minimum 0.7% GDP aid funding , by 2025, a level that has never been achieved in Australia's history but was recently achieved by the United Kingdom while it was the depths of austerity. Reintroduction of AusAID. Can you put a cost on your conscience?

Asylum seekers

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
By 2025, Labor will increase Australia’s annual humanitarian intake to 27,000. Provide $450 million over three years to support the important work of the UNHCR. This funding commitment would place Australia in the top 5 of global contributors to the UNHCR. Will retain the option of turning boats around and keep capmps open in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. In 2016, 13,750 places will be made available for resettlement in Australia rising to 18,750 in 2018/19. These places are going to those most in need around the world, not people arriving by boat. Will retain offshore processing at an approximate cost in Nauru at 400,000 per person. Raise Humanitarian Quota, end offshore processing, provide resettlement services. A permanent migration program for refugees and migrants to Australia that prioritises family reunion and facilitates migration or resettlement to Australia within a reasonable time. No family unit to be forcibly separated by Australian immigration assessment processes. Another one for the conscience. No one chooses where they are born.

DEFENCE

Labor Coalition Greens
Defence spokesman Stephen Conroy said that "Labor supports the funding decisions taken in the defence white paper, which will see defence funding increase to 2% of Australia's GDP by 2021-21," Defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP within the decade. Will implement a vote before war and push for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.

Terrorism

Parties 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.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
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. The Government is increasing its investment in Countering Violent Extremism programs, to protect young people from the risk of online engagement with violent extremists. Also contributing to the global fight against terrorism, through Australia's military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. A focus on getting out of Afghanistan with priorities to reduce the threat of terrorism, the social and economic injustices which contribute to terrorist actions should be addressed. Does military operation abroad stop terrorism or cause reason to turn to terrorism?

ENVIRONMENT / ANIMALS

Climate change

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Aim for at least 50% renewable energy by 2030. Expand the investment mandate of 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. Aim for 28% renewable energy by 2030. $1 billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund. This Fund will target projects such as large-scale solar. Will invest $2.55 billion to incentivise business to reduce their emissions through Emissions Reduction Fund. Will continue to fight Labor's plans to reintroduce a Carbon Tax Achieve at least 90% renewables by 2030. Will do this through a range of market-based and regulatory mechanisms including a strong, effective price on carbon. Binding national emission targets for each year through to 2050 supported by a detailed strategy to reduce emissions from all sectors. An Australian government investment policy that divests from all fossil fuel extraction and consumption. Early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will ultimately be fairer and more cost effective than delaying action.

Great barrier reef

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Will spend $500 million over five years to improve water quality, land management and scientific monitoring at the reef. This includes $377 million in new funding, on top of funding already announced by the Turnbull government. Will spend $500 million over five years to improve water quality, land management and scientific monitoring at the reef. This includes $377 million in new funding, on top of funding already announced by the Turnbull government. Shorten has stated that if elected his government won't provide federal resources to assist the Adani Coal Mine that has been approved by the ALP QLD Government. $2 billion will be invested on projects that include improving water quality, reducing sediment and nitrogen run off, removing crown of thorns starfish and improving scientific knowledge of the reef. A cooperative national and international approach to the management of our marine environment required to deliver clean and healthy oceans, integrated ecosystems and sustainable coastal communities. No whaling. Ever. Another one for the conscience

Mining

Neither major party supports a moratorium on coal mines, which a group of leading climate scientists called for last year as needed to halt the increase in global warming.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
The party's policy has not changed regarding donations from the fossil fuel sector Gives tax concessions to mining sector. Wants to "make sure that projects" like thehuge Adani-owned Carmichael 1.2GW coal plant in north QLD goes head, using climate funds to help pay for the project. Removing subsidies for the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels; No new coal mines or unconventional gas including coal seam gas. The prohibition of both new coal mines and the expansion of existing mines. The cessation of all existing underground coal gasification projects. Whole party backs the "pollution-free politics" pledge which calls for an end to the $2.2 billion in public funds spent on the diesel rebate for miners and a moratorium on political parties accepting donations from miners. In 2015 the Coalition and Labor took $3.7 million in donations from the fossil fuel sector

Animal testing

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Ban animal testing for cosmetics in Australia Ban the sale of cosmetic products tested on animals An end to cruel or unnecessary use of animals for teaching and research purposes. Australians can sleep easy!

Nature protection

Both major parties want to renew the Regional Forest Agreements for the timber industry.
Labor Coalition Greens
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. $50 million commitment to plant 20 million trees by 2020, with almost 10 million trees already committed for planting over the next three years. $20m will be invested in R&D to help eradicate invasive pests and support the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre transitioning into Invasive Animals Solutions next year. An accurate national labelling system for food, timber, paper and other products, identifying content derived from recent or ongoing habitat destruction or unsustainable fishing. A comprehensive, adequate and representative system of terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas, including all remaining areas of high conservation value, managed primarily to protect and restore biodiversity.

Animal cruelty

Labor Coalition Greens
Establish an independent Inspector-General of Animal Welfare to 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. $8.3m to support community expectations of improved animal welfare standards in Australia's live export markets, while remaining commercially competitive, by completing the Livestock Export Global Assurance Program (LEGAP). An end to the export of live animals for consumptive purposes. Has launched an investigation into live export rules after being shown footage by animal welfare group Animals Australia of a Vietnamese slaughterhouse. Will regulate conditions for the captivity, transport and slaughter of animals. An end to the export of live animals for consumptive purposes. An end to inhumane farming practices that are inconsistent with animals' natural behavioural needs, and a phasing out of intensive farming practices in meat, dairy and egg production. The development of a comprehensive and enforceable Australian standard for free-range farming practices for all agricultural animals, which meets community expectations of the definition of "free range".

Penalty rates

= the increased rate of pay for working overtime or unsociable hours that police officers, fire-fighters, paramedics, nurses, retail workers, hospitality workers, tourism etc get)
Labor Coalition Greens
Claims it would recommend to the Fair Work Commission to keep Sunday penalty rates Says its up to the Fair Work Commission, to set penalty rates. The Greens want to protect Sunday penalty rates with legislation.

TAX

Multinational tax avoidance

All parties support cracking down on multinational tax avoidance, including the Google tax. It is up to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to monitor this. Australia has introduced its version of the UK's Google tax in last year's budget. Australia's Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law doubled the maximum penalties that could be applied by the Commissioner of Taxation to large companies that entered into tax avoidance and profit shifting schemes. It will impose penalties of up to 120% of the tax avoided. Accounting groups and law firms which help multinationals avoid tax are also in the gun, with the ATO actively investigating whether it can hit them with fines of up to $4.5 million for promoting a tax exploitation scheme.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Wants to crack down on tax avoidance and loopholes. Will create a public register revealing the identities of the beneficial owners of shell companies. Global regulation of international finance including a global agreement on corporate tax rates and the elimination of tax havens. Somehow forcing large, multinational companies to pay tax on the profits they make in Australia would give the Australian Government a lot of revenue. Work on this is being led by the G20.

Income tax

Both major parties plan to provide a personal income tax cut for middle-income earners by increasing the upper limit for the middle tax bracket from $80,000 to $87,000.
Labor Coalition Greens
Would reinstate the 2% deficit for high income earners in the top marginal tax rate for a decade if elected which it enacted as a temporary Budget Repair levy in the 2014-15 Federal budget. Wants to scrap the 2% temporary deficit levy for high-income earners. Given a $50 billion tax cut increasing the 32.5% tax threshold from $80,000 to $87,000. This will stop around 500,000 taxpayers facing the 37% marginal tax rate. Strengthening the progressivity of the income tax and transfer system across all income levels including by reducing effective marginal tax rates for low income workers, and increasing the marginal tax rates on high income earners. Supports the Buffet Rule for a high-income tax guarantee so that people pay their fair share.

SUPERANNUATION

The money in your superannuation fund comes from contributions given directly by your employer and, ideally, topped up by your own money. People put after-tax income into super because earnings are taxed less (at 15%) compared to their income tax rate. Both major parties plan to increase the tax on contributions for those earning more than $250,000 a year, from 15-30%.
Labor Coalition Greens
Superannuation earnings for retirees in the pension phase are currently tax free, but the ALP would tax annual earnings above $75,000 at 15%. Labor said its proposal, costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, would raise $14 billion over a decade. Labor criticized the Government's plan to limit concessional contributions and cap the amount of tax-free super savings. Would change the current $180,000 a year limit on after-tax contributions (eg. extra money you put into super from your wages, after paying income tax) to a $500,000 lifetime cap. This rule would take into account all after-tax contributions since 2007 with no penalty for those who have already contributed more than $500,000. For people 60 and over, will limit the pot of superannuation they can hold where the earnings (ie. profits from investments) go tax free. Balances above $1.6 million would go into a separate pot where earnings would be taxed at 15%. Pushing for genuine reform for the super system because currently someone on $250,000 continues to pay the same 15% tax rate on their contributions as someone on $60,000.

EDUCATION

The Gonski Report - a Government commissioned investigation in 2010 into the way schools are funded. The review panel received more than 7,000 submissions, visited 39 schools, and consulted 71 education groups across Australia.Under its model every student receives a base amount of funding, with extra allocated for students with special needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds.

School

Labor Coalition Greens
Believes in needs-based funding to all schools. Will fully fund the Gonski reforms and reverse the Government's $29 billion cuts to schools. Provide long-term funding certainty so schools, principals and teachers can focus on improving outcomes for their students. Will establish a STEM teacher training fund to support 25,000 primary and secondary school teachers over five years to undertake professional development in science/technology/engineering/mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Encourage STEM graduates to teach, by offering 25,000 Teach STEM scholarships over five years, to address the shortage of qualified teachers. Will fund the first four years of Gonski with $73.6 billion. As part of this, the Government will provide an additional $1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020 for schools, contingent upon reform efforts by the States and the non-government schools sector to improve education outcomes. Wants to focus on better teaching quality, more school autonomy, engaging parents in education and strengtheningthe curriculum. Wants to take into account the resources of each individual school, a direct measure of parental socio-economic status, and the school's capacity to generate income from all sources, including fees and other contributions.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Labor Coalition Greens
Will develop a comprehensive National Priority Plan. This plan will define the unique role of TAFE as a public provider and will deliver on this by working with the states and territories to provide ongoing guaranteed TAFE funding. Similar to the UK Government's Find an Apprenticeship service, the portal will let those considering an apprenticeship search for training and job opportunities near them and connect with the Apprentice Support Network Providers who can help them through the process of signing up. Apprentice Support Network Providers will feed in up-to-the-minute advice about job opportunities on their books and the training and qualifications that pair with this. Australians considering an apprenticeship will also be able to search by industry or qualification to identify apprenticeship opportunities in their field of interest. Helping apprentices through providing Trade Support Loans to help with the costs of living, tools and training through loans of up to $20,000 each. This year the Government is supporting an estimated 68,000 employers with incentive payments to help businesses create opportunities for apprentices. $7 billion in the VET sector each year through funding and student loans. This includes $1.8 billion to the states and territories to support their training systems, including TAFE. A publicly owned and properly funded TAFE system plays an essential role in providing economic prosperity and a socially just society by offering lifelong educational opportunities and skills development to a broad range of our community.

Higher education

Deregulation is the reduction or elimination of government power in setting costs
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
No deregulation of university fees Will offer universities the ability to deregulate university fees for a "small number of flagship courses" so there is more competition. Will save $12 billion from sector. 20% funding cut for universities remains on the table. Free university The growth in higher education Government spending over the last 20 years has doubled the growth rate of the economy, so that is not of course a sustainable trajectory for higher education to continue on.

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

Labor Coalition
The "Working Futures" program will offer 20,000 people aged between 15 and 24 a work and training program. It will include: a 6-week work readiness course focusing on essential employment skills as well as personal presentation, interview techniques and job hunting; a6-month work placement with an employer, paid at an award-equivalent training wage; a fully-funded Certificate III in a subject of their choice. The program will be targeted towards young people who have been unemployed for more than a year and have no post-school qualifications. Provide incentives for business to hire under 25year olds A new Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare-Trial-Hire) Programme that provides young Australians with intensive pre-employment skills training followed by an internship placement. Up to 30,000 job seekers each year will gain a four to 12 week placement in an industry of their choosing. And employers who hire an eligible young job seeker in an ongoing job will receive an accelerated wage subsidy of up to $10,000, paid over 6 months. For youth under 25 that have been on unemployment benefits for 6 months or more.

INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Labor Coalition Greens
Accelerate innovation through Regional Innovation Hubs; reform the innovation architecture through Innovate Australia; improve the flow of capital to startupsthrough Startup Capital; and back our best and brightest overseas through a Landing Pad for Australian innovators. The National Innovation and Science Agenda will drive stronger university collaboration with industry through an additional $127 million in targeted research funding and new research impact measures. $1.1 billion tax incentives to encourage investment in innovative start-ups so they can survive and thrive; making it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to access crowd-sourced equity funding; helping small businesses attract world-class staff by improving employee share schemes; and providing long-term funding certainty for cutting-edge, national research infrastructure. More investment in R&D, support the CSIRO. Increased expenditure in public and private research and development in Australia to at least 3% of GDP. Prioritise funding for research into sustainable energy technologies with the aim of developing competitive energy technologies with zero carbon emissions.Science and technology - in particular information and communication technology - available to help maintain the viability of rural and remote communities.

SMALL BUSINESS

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
Backed the Governments cut to the company tax rate for businesses with a turnover of less than $2 million. Cut the small business company tax rate to 27.5% for small businesses with a turnover less than $10 million. Increase the unincorporated tax discount from 5 % to 8%, capped at $1,000 for small businesses with a turnover less than $5 million.Extend access to the instant asset write off so that small businesses with a turnover less than $10 million can instantly deduct each and every asset under $20,000. Make life easier by simplifying Business Activity Statements (BAS), reducing reporting labels from seven to three. The company tax rate will be progressively lowered to 25 per cent by 2026-27 for all companies. Plansfor a small business to be redefined as having turnover of less than $10 million, five times the current level to qualify. Allocate $815.9 million over 4 years to restore loss- carry-back provisions that enable small businesses to manage 'lumpy' cash flows; 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; support the $20 000 instant asset write- off; increase the threshold for GST registration to $150,000 or more for businesses, and to $300,000 or more for not-for-profits to reduce administrative burdens; free up small businesses from the administrative burdens of being a superannuation intermediary, by having employee super collected with tax as a pay as you go contribution, to be distributed by the Australian Tax Office. Around 97% of all businesses in Australia are small businesses

LARGE BUSINESS

Labor Coalition Greens
Doesn't support cutting taxes for bigger business with turnover of over $2 million which will pocket almost $50 billion in savings. 30% corporate tax rate for big business with plans to reduce to 27.5% over time to a blanket rate of 25%. Measures to reduce excessive executive salaries.

AUSTRALIAN BANKING/FINANCIAL SECTOR

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) are Australia's corporate, markets and financial services regulator. They ensure that Australia's financial markets are fair and transparent, supported by confident and informed investors and consumers and are an independent Commonwealth Government body.
Labor Coalition Greens
Push for a $53 million, two-year royal commission into banks after more bank scandals including bank's traders manipulating interest rates. Royal commission does have benefits over a standard investigation by ASIC, including that a royal commission can hold public inquiries. Turnbull says a royal commission into banks unnecessary because ASIC "has all of the powers of a royal commission; all of the powers of a royal commission plus much more. It has the ability to initiate prosecutions, to take action, to issue fines, to ban people from trading, from operating as company directors, or in financial services." Coalition MPs are individually backing a royal commission. Retail banking fees are generally regressive and should be as transparent and low as possible. Wants to establish a financial transactions tax (a Tobin/Robin Hood tax), at an international level. To put a tiny levy on financial transactions to discourage high-frequency transactions to the Australians stock market which would reduce speculation and helpstabilize our financial system.


AGRICULTURE AND DROUGHT

Labor Coalition Greens
Will reinvigorate the COAG National Vegetation Management Framework $4 million to support early stage investment in the development of a rice industry in northern Australia building on initial research crop-trial research in Queensland. backpacker tax increase Will establish a Regional Investment Corporation to fast-track the delivery of $4.5 billion in Commonwealth drought and water infrastructure loans."No longer will the Commonwealth have to barter with state governments to process drought and dairy concessional loans to help farmers." To ensure that drought assistance and other incentives for land managers encourage long term risk reduction strategies. The reorientation of Australia's approach to international food trade to ensure it does not undermine food security or sovereignty domestically or internationally, compromise our biosecurity, or undermine the prosperity and sustainability of farming systems and communities. To ensure that the Foreign Investment Review Board rigorously regulates, monitors and reports on all foreign acquisition and ownership of agricultural land, to ensure that it does not impact negatively on Australian agriculture and food security.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The recent Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption found a "widespread" and "deep-seated" culture of lawlessness with mention of thugs, bullies, thieves, perjurers, those who threaten violence, errant fiduciaries and organisers of boycotts". The Royal Commission referred 93 individuals and entities for further investigation for breach of the civil or criminal law, but conceded "it would be utterly naive to think that what has been uncovered is anything other than the small tip of an enormous iceberg". How many charges have been laid as a result?
Labor Coalition Greens
Think it's excessive. Previously abolished the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and reveals that it would deny people's rights of representation - you could be compelled to give testimony without legal representation. Wants to establish an Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) to try to stop bullying, intimidation and lawlessness which are rife in the construction industry. Didn't support the ABCC bill, instead supports establishing a national broad-based anti-corruption watchdog that would have the power to investigate corruption wherever it occurs.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
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. On roads, for example, modern signaling and traffic monitoring allows for traffic flows to be adjusted according to the time of day, making more lanes accessible during peak time. When building a new road include 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. Labor wants to see a return to evidence-based policy decisions, where projects are assessed independently by Infrastructure Australia. $50 billion in Australia's land infrastructure. $3.2 billion over the next four years and $500 million has been allocated to fix road black spots, along with $300 million for the Bridges Renewal Programme. Supports Infrastructure Australia's first ever 15 Year National Infrastructure Plan. Greater incentives for superannuation funds to invest in public infrastructure. High quality rail corridors between major cities and regional centres, to support fast and efficient freight and passenger services, including east coast high speed rail. Australian ports and coastal shipping to operate in the public interest, and to ensure environmental and social sustainability of our coastal regions. Partnerships between Federal, State and Local Government to plan and deliver sustainable transport initiatives and infrastructure. Australia has a well-established infrastructure deficit, with the economic cost of underinvestment, on Infrastructure Australia's estimates, reaching $53 billion a year by 2031.

NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK(NBN)

Labor Coalition Greens
1000/400 Mbps Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) Between $74 billion and $84 billion, rollout could not be completed until at least 2026.

Your house is connected to the internet via an optic fibre. The expected minimum lifetime of this fibre is 60 years. The NBN is completely passive, all that lies between your house and the exchange is strands of glass and optical prisms, no power or ongoing maintenance is required. Upgrading the speed of the NBN is simply a matter of replacing the equipment at each end of the fibre. Speeds exceeding 40,000 Mbps have already been demonstrated in research laboratories using the same type of fibre as in the NBN. 		25/5 Mbps Fibre to the Node (FTTN). $49 billion, rollout completion 2020.

"faster, cheaper" model Going to continue the rollout that they started. "We are absolutely confident that 25 megs is going to be enough, more than enough, for the average household" - Tony Abbott Your house is connected to a NBN node via existing copper wire. Each of the planned 30,000 nodes is a self-contained mini telephone exchange. These nodes have complicated internals that require regular maintenance and a reliable power source. Your internet connection speed to the coalition's NBN is dependent on the distance of your house to the nearest node, the quality of your existing telephone line, and the quality of your home's internal copper wiring. 		Supports Labor's FTTP plan
in order to ensure effective investment of resources in a long-lasting advanced telecommunications system for the benefit of all residents.

INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

All parties support amending the constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
The first meeting of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) convened under Shorten will consider priorities for justice targets to be included under the Closing the Gap framework that builds safer communities and addresses levels of Indigenous incarceration. Has initiatives aimed at justice reinvestment works on the principle of redirecting funds spent on justice system to prevention and diversionary programs to address underlying causes of offending. Will invest $100 million to support Indigenous students to succeed at school and to boost the number of Indigenous teachers in our schools and universities. Invest $9.6 million over eight years to provide 400 teacher training scholarships to increase the number of Indigenous teachers in the classroom. Scholarships will be valued at $5,000 per year of full time study and will be available for up to four years of continuous study. 100 scholarships will be offered each school year from 2017. Has promised establishing a $115 million Indigenous Entrepreneurs package, including a $90 million for an Indigenous Entrepreneurs Fund; $23.1 million for Indigenous Business Australia's Indigenous Business Development and Assistance Programme; $1.9 million for the development of the Indigenous business sector strategy and building on the early success of our commitment to three% of Government procurement coming from Indigenous businesses. Compensate the Stolen Generation; End the NT intervention: Achieve a treaty or treaties and Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Another one for the conscience. A young Indigenous man is more likely to go to jail than university.

WOMEN

Domestic and family violence

All parties recognise that this is a big problem in Australian society.
The definitive risk factor for experiencing family violence is being a woman.
Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
$47.4 million for targeted legal services; $15 million for a Safe at Home grants program could include infrastructure such as: key changes and lock upgrades to doors and windows, alarms etc; $8.4 million to improve perpetrator interaction mapping. Within the first 100 days of coming to Government, Labor will commission a National Crisis Summit on family violence with State and Territory Leaders and to openly engage with sector stakeholders to coordinate a national response to family violence. Reform the National Employment Standards to include up to five days leave for survivors of family violence. 100 million in new funding over three years to implement the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010 - 2022. Create a new $5 billion National Partnership Agreement on Domestic Violence to specialist services such as crisis phone services, women's shelters, training for service providers, counselling, perpetrator interventions, and other specialist domestic violence services. Roll out more effective perpetrator interventions including men's behavior change programs and early intervention programs worth $128 million over 4 years. Fund a national peak body for specialist domestic violence services with $8 million over 4 years. Spend $100 million over 2 years on crisis accommodation to make sure no-one is left without a place to stay. Increase funding for legal assistance by at least $200 million per year. Support State and Territory governments to roll out specialist domestic violence courts with $5 million over 2 years. Make family law safe, with a $60 million package. Build long-term affordable housing to clear the bottleneck in the system, including immediate construction of 14,500 affordable dwellings funded by changes to negative gearing. Provide 10 days of paid domestic violence leave as a right for every worker. 112 women were homicide victims in 2007-08 in Australia, and of these women 62 (55%) were killed by a partner or ex-partner. Around one in four women have experienced violence at the hands of a partner since the age of 15. Indigenous women and girls are 35 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence related assaults than other Australian women and girls.

Womens Equality

Labor Coalition Greens
Empowering women at work and making it easier for them to save for their retirement and grow older with security. Extending opportunity to women in education, particularly in coding and computational thinking in the schools and science, engineering, technology and mathematics at university. Mentoring for Indigenous girls to stay engaged in their education.Elevating women in leadership, in the board room and in parliament. And celebrating the success of our female athletes with more women sport on our ABC. Turnbull in favour of women in top job targets in the public service. He has said that achieving gender equality should be a "critical objective" of the bureaucracy. A simpler, more transparent superannuation system with fairer rates of taxation and ethical investment structures, which provides equitable retirement incomes, particularly for women. The elimination of the gender pay gap. An enhanced national paid parental leave scheme.

FAMILIES

CHILDCARE

Labor Coalition Greens How this impacts you
The childcare rebate cap will be lifted from $7,500 to $10,000, and the childcare benefit will also increase by 15 per cent, providing families with up to an extra $31 a week. Labor will also provide $160 million to increase childcare and after-school care places in areas where there is a high demand, and boost funding for services that cater for Indigenous children. More than $3 billion in a new Jobs for Families child care package to make child care simpler, more affordable and more accessible for almost one million Australian families.Also ensuring all Australian children can receive 15 hours of preschool a week in the year before school (and exempting these 600 hours a year from the child care activity test). Affordable childcare Workplace-provided care Fair wages for carers Accessible high-quality early childhood education 25% of women nominate a lack of childcare as their reason for leaving the workforce.

OLDER AUSTRALIANS

Labor Coalition Greens
Provide incentives for business to hire over 55year olds. Would appoint a new Minister for Ageing to oversee a whole of government approach to becoming an age-friendly nation, protecting the rights of older Australians and enabling them to keep working if they choose and live active lives in retirement. Would also reinstate a full time Age Discrimination Commissioner, a position that the current Coalition Government cut to a half role. Help ensure older Australians feel safe, cared for, and respected. Includes developing a national elder abuse hotline; developing pilot training programmes for frontline staff; a study into the prevalence of elder abuse to better understand the problem; and developing a national awareness campaign to educate and to change attitudes and values. Dignity and choice

LGBT Equality

The Safe Schools program was initiated by the previous Labor government but was not launched until 2014 under the Abbott government. It is the first national programme funded by the Australian Government aimed at creating safe and supportive school environments for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse people by reducing homophobic and transphobic bullying and discrimination in schools. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently described the program as "social engineering", and called for its remaining funds to be scrapped.
Labor Coalition Greens
Labor supports same sex marriage and will initiative legislation for it within Parliament. Supports the 'Safe Schools Program' Turnbull supports same sex marriage but some in the Coalition don't. They will be asking Australians what they think with an Australian wide plebiscite (a vote). Turnbull called for a review of the programme after a group of Coalition MPs raised concerns, all with unjustified claims. Senator Cory Bernardi said school children are "prematurely sexualized" by the program, Queensland MP George Christensen likened the program to "pedophile grooming" and claimed that it recommended pornographic content, sex shops and sex clubs to school children, which it didn't. Marriage equality, equal right to parent, identity recognition, accessible and inclusive services. The removal of religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws.