What we learned, Wednesday 30 April
We’re going to wrap up the blog for the day, thanks for spending the day with us. It’s been a frantic ride as we all careen towards election day, but as a reminder, here’s what happened today:
The Coalition have been on the attack today over accusations that if re-elected, Labor would try to legislate an Indigenous voice to parliament. It comes after comments from Penny Wong to a Betoota Advocate podcast where she spoke of her disappointment the referendum had failed and said that she thought future generations would look back on opposition to the voice in the same way that people now look back on opposition to same-sex marriage. Albanese has ruled out legislating a voice.
The Coalition have seized on these comments, with Peter Dutton saying today: “If you want to understand what this government would do with the Greens, if they get elected, they will introduce the voice by legislation. We will block it. So if you want to vote for Labor and the Greens, you get the voice.”
Peter Dutton has ruled out offering a cabinet post to Pauline Hanson in minority government, despite One Nation doing a preference deal with the Liberal party. The opposition leader said he “wouldn’t be mucking around” with independents and minor parties. The preference deal with One Nation has come up a few times today in interviews with Coalition members, including with Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie who said she “doesn’t know” whether Pauline Hanson’s Senate burqa stunt was Islamophobic, adding: “People can wear what they like, we are in a free country.”
Peter Dutton has taken another swipe at the national broadcaster, saying that people looking to host a good election night party need alcohol (consumed responsibly, he adds) and “not watching the ABC”.
Sussan Ley has confirmed the Coalition’s costings will be released tomorrow. Labor has been attacking the Coalition for not having yet revealed its numbers, claiming the opposition will have to “cut” services to pay for their nuclear plan.
Donald Trump has confirmed he’s aware that Anthony Albanese is keen to talk to him about tariffs, telling reporters outside the White House: “They are calling and I will be talking to him.”
And in one of the weirdest twists of the campaign, Albanese received an endorsement today from Joe Exotic, AKA the Tiger King, which he was asked about after a National Press Club speech. He dodged the question of whether Labor had sought or paid for the endorsement from the convicted murderer and Netflix star, but when pressed said “I think the point of that question was to ask the question rather than to get a serious answer – I hope!”
Updated
Tax offset policy could complicate Australia’s tax system, expert says
Continuing from our last post:
It’s worth noting the Coalition’s proposed tax offset for new small businesses may not blow that big a hole in the budget – in part because very few businesses may even be eligible.
The policy is part of a Coalition promise to increase the number of small businesses which are defined as those with under 20 workers and less than $10m in annual sales, by at least 350,000 over the next four years.
That’s a wide range, capturing 97% of businesses in Australia. But only a small share of those are making profits above their expenses, let alone in their first three years, the ANU’s Robert Breunig warns:
“Most small businesses in Australia don’t actually make a [taxable] profit, so this isn’t going to affect them … It’s really benefiting a very, very narrow part of the business community, and one that may not actually need that kind of stimulus.”
Breunig said the measure would further complicate Australia’s unbalanced tax system in favour of small businesses:
We have a bit of a fetish about small businesses … It’s better to have rules that apply equally to everybody.
Accounting body CPA Australia’s business adviser, Gavan Ord, agreed existing and many new businesses wouldn’t benefit from the tax break but said they could gain from other Coalition-proposed help for business:
Existing businesses will miss out [but] Australia needs to encourage the establishment of more new businesses … The policy intent is sound.
Updated
