Workers are being further protected from employers trying to not pay their employees full superannuation entitlements. Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill 2018 – second reading (p.6&7)
95% of superannuation guarantee obligations are paid in full but in 2014-15, around $2.85 billion went unpaid. This bill gives the ATO the tools it needs to detect future noncompliance and punish it appropriately, including with criminal sanctions in the worst cases. This bill introduces a one-off amnesty to employers who come forward and rectify any historical noncompliance with their superannuation guarantee obligations. The amnesty runs for twelve months, beginning 24 May 2018, and applies to any historical superannuation guarantee debts up to and including the March quarter of 2018.
Help small business Treasury Laws Amendment (Accelerated Depreciation for Small Business Entities) Bill 2018 – second reading (p.1&2)
Extension of the 2015-16 budgeted $20,000 instant write-off to businesses for a further 12 months until 30 June 2019. Eligibility has been widened to help businesses with larger turnovers, lifted from $2 million to $10 million annually which means that more businesses can claim this tax offset.
Look after veterans mental health and re-entering back into Australian society Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Veteran-centric Reforms No. 2) Bill 201 (p.14&15)
3 changes are proposed: a veteran who is studying full time as part of an approved return to work rehabilitation plan to be paid their incapacity payments at 100% of their normal weekly earning after 45 weeks, this is a rise from the current rate of 75%.
There is a Veteran Suicide Prevention Pilot, which provides services to ensure the veterans are accessing treatment and mental health support to reduce the risk of suicide and enhance their quality of life. The pilot will deliver a 'step down' service that takes into account factors that may lead to suicide, such as primary health, financial stress, housing and employment.
It is proposed that the partners of veterans will have 2 years rather than the current 6 months to choose how to receive compensation in the terrible case of their partner's death. The choice is as a weekly payment, lump sum or a combination of both.
Improve standards of the aged care sector Aged Care (Single Quality Framework) Reform Bill 2018 (p.16&17)
Create a competitive, market-based system where consumers drive quality and where red tape is reduced for providers of aged care. There will now be a single set of consumer focused quality standards to be called the Aged Care Quality Standards, to apply to providers of Commonwealth funded aged care. The CEO of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency will also have the power to assess the quality of care services.
Continue to address multinational tax avoidance Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Integrity and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2018 Second Reading (p.17&18) This bill continues the Turnbull government's work on combating multinational tax avoidance. It implements the OECDs hybrid mismatch rules, which are designed to strengthen the integrity of the tax system.
The government has also increased penalties for companies who fail to take reasonable care when making statements to the ATO and has expanded the ATO's capacity through the Tax Avoidance Taskforce. These rules are designed to prevent multinational companies from exploiting differences in the tax treatment of instruments or entities between jurisdictions, which enable those companies to defer or reduce tax.
Prevent terrorism Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2018 (p.11,12&13)
Counter terrorism powers will continue for a further three years, until 7 September 2021. This includes:
- A control order regime (which is ordered on an individual by a court and includes curfews, wearing electronic monitoring tags, restrictions on use of telecommunications, regular reporting to police).
- Preventative detention order regime (where individuals can be detailed when there is a threat of a terrorist attack that is capable of being carried out within the next 14 days or immediately after a terrorist act if it is likely vital evidence will be lost).
- Declared areas offences (to stop Australians who travel to conflict zones in Syria and Iraq and return to Australia with skills and intentions acquired from fighting or training with terrorist groups.
- Stop, search and seize (these powers allow police to request a person to provide their name, address and certain other details, to stop and detain a person to conduct a search for terrorism related items, to seize terrorism related items in Commonwealth places such as airports, and to enter premises without a warrant)
Innovation is popping up in ex-mining communities (reported in Constituency Statements p.82)
Morwell is the location where the privately run Hazelwood Coal Power Station closed due to the high costs associated with maintaining it. This is where a not-for-profit cooperative enterprise recycling factory called Earthworker Cooperative Project has been set up. It manufactures goods including solar hot water pumps and tank systems, a sodium-nickel-chloride battery, which uses non-toxic saltwater as an alternative to lead based lithium batteries. This is helping the local community replace coal with environmentally friendly innovation.
Keeping older people active and not be penalised to contribute to society in retirements (p. 42 of members' statements)
On recommendation from the Seniors Forum, from 1 July 2019 people on the aged pension will be able to earn $300 per fortnight, rather than the current $250 per fortnight before they have their pension cut. This keeps citizens active.
A cashless debit card trial was implemented in the electorate of O'Connor, WA. (p. 57 of Questions without notice). Western Australian police data has indicated that the domestic and non-domestic assault rate in the Goldfields is more than twice the Western Australia average. Alcohol-related hospitalisations and deaths were 25% higher than the Western Australia state average in 2007-11.
More than 2,600 cards have been issued, and 80% of people have self-activated their cards over the phone or online. Parliamentarians were told how the check-outs were seeing less alcohol and more food and essentials being bought. They commented that they had seen families buy groceries that they had never seen in the store before. The trial will be expanded.
Reduce welfare needs though a study on families that become 'trapped' in the welfare system with a Select Committee on Intergenerational Welfare Dependence (p.19,20&21 of members' statements)
It was announced by the Coalition that the enquiry will focus on why some families require welfare assistance for short periods only and why others become 'trapped' in the system. In response Labour contacted relevant stakeholders (ACOSS, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Catholic Social Services and St Vincent de Paul) who said that it would be better if best-practice interventions in breaking cycles of disadvantage should be the focus of any committee.
A positive case study was highlighted during Parliament of the excellent work going on in Logan in South-East Queensland, an area that has a very high percentage of children who are considered to be developmentally vulnerable and at risk associated with pockets of deep social disadvantage. Logan Together arose from the local community as a means to develop strong and stable families that have adequate access to resources and opportunities.
Initiatives to grow our financial services industry - facilitating market opportunities for the funds management sector. Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment Bill 2018 (p.5&6)
The bill helps implement the Asia Region Funds Passport framework which the government committed to by signing the international memorandum of cooperation in April 2016. An initiative which gives fund managers the ability to attract foreign clients from signatory countries (Thailand, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, observed by Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong) and allow their funds access to international opportunities, all in all helping facilitate international capital mobilisation.
Cybersecurity and medical efficiency/privacy (p.55 of members' statements).
Last week, the Turnbull government announced the rollout of phase 2 of My Health Record. The rollout means that every Australian's private health information will be stored online unless they opt out.
Australia Day (p. 58 Questions without notice)
Labour are interested in changing the date of Australia Day, Mr Tudge (Aston—Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) thinks mainstream Australians are very against the move.