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Treasurer Scott Morrison Delivers 2017 Federal Budget

May 09, 2017

The Treasurer, Scott Morrison, has delivered the Turnbull government’s second Budget, forecasting a return to surplus in four years, abandoning stalled budget cuts, guaranteeing Medicare and the PBS, incresing the Medicare levy and imposing a new levy on the commercial banks.

The Budget also includes provisions for first home buyers to salary sacrifice into their superannuation. It includes a crackdown on welfare recipients.

The Budget marks a break with the Abbott years. It abandons the “zombie” cuts stalled in the Senate whilst increasing spending in traditional Labor areas. Morrison said it was a “reset”.

  • Listen to Scott Morrison deliver the Budget (32m)
  • Watch Morrison (32m)

Budget Documents – PDF downloads


Filed Under: Audio, Budget, Defence, Education, Health, Infrastructure, Liberal Party, NDIS, Social Welfare, Taxation, Turnbull, Video Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hockey Talks Of Economic Reform In Speech To London Institute

Oct 13, 2014

The Treasurer, Joe Hockey, has addressed the Institute of Economic Affairs in London on the future of the Australian economy.

HockeyIn his speech, Hockey discussed the importance of economic change. “Economies, and their enterprises, that are slow to adapt will be left behind,” he said.

Hockey compared Ford and Google: “The Ford Motor Company, which revolutionised manufacturing and the auto industry in the 20th century, currently has a market capitalisation of $53 billion after 110 years of operation. Google is more than 7 times larger in just 15 years.”

Structural reform will “lay the foundation for a more promising and secure future,” Hockey said. “Over the next decade, the traditional macroeconomic levers of monetary and fiscal policy will not deliver enduring growth… With fiscal policy constrained and monetary policy limited, the only alternative to facilitate growth is to undertake further structural reform in response to global change. Structural reform is indeed the key plank of Australia’s economic strategy under the Abbott Government.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Economy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ken Henry’s Address To The National Press Club

Nov 12, 2008

The Treasury Secretary, Ken Henry, has addressed the National Press Club, in Canberra.

HenryAn affable, confident and articulate Henry delivered a speech on taxation and then took questions on allegations from the Liberal Party that he has conspired with the Federal government to manipulate the economic growth forecasts.

The speech introduced Jim from Jericho, an Australian equivalent of Joe the Plumber, who gave Henry a lesson on the taxation of fencing wire.

  • Listen to Ken Henry’s speech (55m)

Text of Ken Henry’s prepared speech:

Towards a tax and transfer system of human scale

1. My working holiday

As people all around the world quickly learned – such is the reach of the electronic media these days – I spent July with my wife, Naomi, in the Epping Forest Scientific National Park in central Queensland, helping look after what may be the last 115 northern hairy nosed wombats left on the planet.

The care of our native wildlife is one of my passions. Another is tax policy. That, too, has occupied a fair bit of my time this year as we have been undertaking one of the most fundamental tax reviews ever attempted in this country.

Spending time on one’s passions would normally be considered a good thing. In some respects, then, this has been a good year. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Audio, Cabinet-Ministry, Public Service, Rudd, Taxation Tagged With: , , ,

Calculate Your Tax Cut: Obama’s Online Widget

Oct 25, 2008

The Obama campaign is using an internet widget to allow voters to calculate their tax cuts under the Obama and McCain plans.

As the 2008 presidential campaign enters its final 10 days, it is clear that Obama has made more extensive use of the internet, particularly social networking sites, to disseminate his message.

The tax cut calculator is in addition to an extensive online campaign of voter registration, get-out-the-vote and fundraising strategies.

Filed Under: Elections, Elections - USA Tagged With: ,
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