2012-13 Budget Documents

May 08, 2012

Download the official 2012-13 Budget documents released tonight by the Treasurer Wayne Swan.

All documents are PDF.

Filed Under: Budget, Gillard Government Tagged With: ,

Treasurer Wayne Swan’s 2012 Budget Speech

May 08, 2012

This is the official transcript of Treasurer Wayne Swan’s 2012-13 Budget Speech in the House of Representatives.

  • Listen to Swan’s speech:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Bill now be read a second time.

Strong Economy and Fair Australia

Wayne SwanThe four years of surpluses I announce tonight are a powerful endorsement of the strength of our economy, resilience of our people, and success of our policies.

In an uncertain and fast‑changing world, we walk tall — as a nation confidently living within its means.

This Budget delivers a surplus this coming year, on time, as promised, and surpluses each year after that, strengthening over time.

It funds new cost of living relief for Australian families.

It helps businesses invest, compete and adapt to an economy in transition.

And it finances bold new policies to help Australians with a disability, the aged, and those who can’t afford dental care.

It does these things for a core Labor purpose:

To share the tremendous benefits of the mining boom with more Australians. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2012, Budget, Economy, Gillard Government Tagged With: ,

Reserve Bank Cuts Interest Rates By 0.5%

May 01, 2012

The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut the cash rate by 50 basis points, or 0.5%, to 3.75%.

The decision, predicted last night by former RBA Governor Bernie Fraser, takes interest rates back to where they were in December 2009.

Treasurer Wayne Swan, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Peter Anderson have all commented on the rates decision.

  • Listen to Treasurer Wayne Swan’s press conference (12m) – transcript below

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey’s media conference (5m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to Peter Anderson’s media conference (6m)

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Table of interest rate changes since 1990

Text of statement by RBA Governor Glenn Stevens.

At its meeting today, the Board decided to lower the cash rate by 50 basis points to 3.75 per cent, effective 2 May 2012. This decision is based on information received over the past few months that suggests that economic conditions have been somewhat weaker than expected, while inflation has moderated.

Growth in the world economy slowed in the second half of 2011, and is likely to continue at a below-trend pace this year. A deep downturn is not occurring at this stage, however, and in fact some forecasters have recently revised upwards their global growth outlook. Growth in China has moderated, as was intended, and is likely to remain at a more measured and sustainable pace in the future. Conditions in other parts of Asia softened in 2011, partly due to natural disasters, but have recently shown some tentative signs of improving. Among the major countries, conditions in Europe remain very difficult, while the United States continues to grow at a moderate pace. Commodity prices have been little changed, at levels below recent peaks but which are nonetheless still quite high. Australia’s terms of trade similarly peaked about six months ago, though they too remain high. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2012, Gillard Government, Reserve Bank Tagged With: , , , , ,

Latest CPI Figures Show Lower Inflation

Apr 24, 2012

Inflation increased by a negligible 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2012.

In the year to March, there was a 1.6 percent increase in prices. The underlying inflation rate was 2.1 per cent.

The low Consumer Price Index figure has surprised some commentators. The Reserve Bank is now being widely tipped to lower interest rates next week.

  • Listen to Wayne Swan’s press conference on the CPI figures:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Statement from the Treasurer, Wayne Swan.

Consumer Price Index – March Quarter 2012

Today’s inflation data show a moderation in both headline and underlying inflation through the year to March, with underlying inflation remaining well contained at the lower end of the Reserve Bank’s target band after falling to its lowest level in well over a decade.

Today’s figures are another reminder of Australia’s strong economic fundamentals – solid growth, low unemployment, strong public finances, a huge pipeline of investment, plus contained inflation – which put the Australian economy in a league of its own. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2012, Economy, Gillard Government Tagged With: ,

State Treasurers Not Impressed After Meeting With Swan

Apr 04, 2012

Liberal State Treasurers were in Canberra today to meet with Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan, ahead of the Council of Australian Governments meeting.

State Treasurers Mike Baird (NSW), Kim Wells (Vic), Christian Porter (WA) and Tim Nicholls (Qld) commented on their meeting with Swan.

  • Listen to the Treasurers before their meeting:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • And after their meeting:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • And Treasurer Wayne Swan’s perspective:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2012, Federalism, Gillard Government, N.S.W., QLD, VIC, W.A. Tagged With: , , , , ,

Rudd Has No Labor Values, Says Swan

Feb 22, 2012

8.40pm – Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan has excoriated Kevin Rudd in a statement released just hours after the Foreign Minister’s resignation.

Wayne SwanSwan’s statement, issued on plain paper, says Rudd has never been a “loyal or selfless example” of the ALP’s “values and objectives”. Swan says Rudd “has been putting his own self-interest ahead of the interests of the broader labour movement and the country as a whole”.

According to Swan, Julia Gillard has “the overwhelming support of our colleagues”. He says Gillard has always known in her heart that “the Labor Party is not about a person, it’s about a purpose”, but that “Kevin Rudd has never understood”.

The statement is one of the most vicious attacks ever seen by a senior cabinet minister on a former prime minister and colleague. It signals that the Gillard camp is determined to cripple Rudd’s leadership prospects.

Text of statement released by Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

Prime Minister Gillard and I and the overwhelming majority of our colleagues have been applying our Labor values to the policy challenges in front of us and we’re succeeding despite tremendous political obstacles.

For the sake of the labour movement, the Government and the Australians which it represents, we have refrained from criticism to date. [Read more...]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Cabinet-Ministry, Gillard Government Tagged With: , ,

Confusion, Timidity And Capitulation On Asylum Seekers

Dec 26, 2011

Late on Friday, twenty minutes after Republicans in the United States Senate agreed to a compromise proposal on a payroll tax extension, Air Force One lifted off to take US President Barack Obama to Hawaii for Christmas.

Asylum seekersIt was a near-miss. The president’s family had gone on ahead and Obama remained alone in the White House with the family’s dog for most of the week, sweating on a political deal with his strident opponents in the Congress.

Here, Julia Gillard went on holidays a week ago, leaving her deputy, Wayne Swan, and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen to slug it out with an equally strident Opposition on the perennial issue of asylum seekers.

Unlike Obama, Swan and Bowen left town on Friday with no hint of an agreement. The discussions were “cordial”, both sides agreed. Further talks are anticipated, but the Opposition made it clear the initiative must come from the Government.

On Christmas Eve, a boat carrying 116 passengers was intercepted off Christmas Island. It was the 69th boat to enter Australian territorial waters this year. The previous 68 carried 4,457 passengers. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gillard Government, Opinion, Refugees Tagged With: , , ,

Government Offers Nauru To Abbott In Return For Malaysia

Dec 22, 2011

The federal government has capitulated to Tony Abbott’s demand for a specific proposal on breaking the deadlock over asylum-seeker processing.

For the past week, the Opposition Leader has refused to authorise Scott Morrison to meet with Chris Bowen unless a proposal was put on the table.

Tonight the government has written to Abbott offering to implement the Malaysia arrangement and offshore processing on Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

The government’s decision was announced by Immigration Minister Chris Bowen.

Text of letter from Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott:

ACTING PRIME MINISTER
22 DEC 2011

The Hon Tony Abbott MP
Leader of the Opposition
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Mr Abbott

Thank you for your response to the Government’s further correspondence of 19 December 2011.

As you know, the Government has attempted three times to secure your agreement for discussions between Mr Bowen and Mr Morrison to examine opportunities to identify a mutually agreeable outcome on offshore processing. Those offers were made in good faith and clearly demonstrated the Government’s willingness to engage constructively with the Opposition on this matter. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Gillard Government, Liberal Party, Refugees Tagged With: , , , ,

Bowen Calls On Abbott To Work With Government On Refugees

Dec 20, 2011

The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, has attacked Tony Abbott for refusing to work with the government to resolve the refugee issue in the light of this week’s drownings off Indonesia.

Bowen said he believed “the Australian people have had a gutful of the politicking”. He said: “Now we have the frankly bizarre situation that Labor and Liberal, Government and Opposition, agree that we need offshore processing. And yet we have a political impasse. Legislation to authorise offshore processing would fail in the Senate because the Liberal Party would not support it.”

Bowen released an exchange of letters between the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Opposition Leader. In one of them, Abbott says: “I don’t see much point in further private discussions between Mr Morrison and Mr Bowen.”

  • Read the Gillard-Abbott letters (PDF)
  • Listen to Chris Bowen’s press conference – transcript below:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to Scott Morrison’s media conference – transcript below:

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to Wayne Swan comment on Abbott’s reaction

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

  • Listen to Greens leader Bob Brown comment

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Transcript of Immigration Minister Chris Bowen’s press conference.

Bowen: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Well, Australians have witnessed another tragedy at sea. We’ve watched as men, women, children and babies have lost their life making the dangerous journey to Australia. The Government’s policy has been driven by the aim and the hope of avoiding these sorts of tragedies. We have been driven to pursue offshore processing to ensure that people don’t risk their life at sea.

And now we have the frankly bizarre situation that Labor and Liberal, Government and Opposition, agree that we need offshore processing. And yet we have a political impasse. Legislation to authorise offshore processing would fail in the Senate because the Liberal Party would not support it. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Gillard Government, Refugees, Video Tagged With: , , , , ,

Carbon Tax Legislation Becomes Law

Dec 09, 2011

Royal Assent has been given to the Gillard government’s Clean Energy Future legislation.

The legislation, a package of 21 bills, introduces a carbon tax and associated measures.

Text of media release from Treasurer Wayne Swan, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet, and Families Minister Jenny Macklin:

Clean Energy Reforms Receive Royal Assent

The Gillard Government welcome the Royal Assent of a further 21 bills of the Clean Energy Future Legislative Package and the proclamation of their commencement dates.

The completion of this process means that the Government has the central legislative pieces in place to deliver a clean energy future for Australia.

The Clean Energy Act 2011, Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Act 2011, Steel Transformation Plan Act 2011 and Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011 and 17 related bills have all now received Royal Assent. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Change, Gillard Government Tagged With: , , , ,