Andrew Leigh

BOOSTING GROWTH AND EQUITY THROUGH MEMBER-OWNED FIRMS: THIRD PARTY SUPPORT

A Shorten Labor Government will make Australia’s economy more productive and our society more egalitarian by creating a taskforce to streamline regulations and break down barriers for new competitors.

Since announcing our plan to create a Competition and Growth Taskforce to sit within Treasury on Thursday, many key groups across the cooperative and mutuals sector have voiced their support:

“The Customer Owned Banking Association has welcomed Labor’s announcement that it would establish a Competition & Growth Taskforce. The announcement is a positive move toward improving competition in the banking sector and accommodating the customer owned model.”

- Michael Lawrence, Customer Owned Banking Association CEO.

BILL SHORTEN MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

CHRIS BOWEN MP
SHADOW TREASURER

JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FINANCE

ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER

LABOR WILL CRACKDOWN ON LOOPHOLES FOR MULTINATIONALS

A Shorten Labor Government will extend its comprehensive crackdown on multinationals not paying their fair share.

Today, Labor announces we will stop multinationals from getting a tax deduction when they unfairly funnel royalty payments to arms of their own company that pose a multinational tax risk.

Multinationals can currently ‘treaty shop’ and potentially funnel intangibles like intellectual property royalties into tax havens like the Cayman Islands.

Some transactions incur low-to-no tax rates because they use ‘patent boxes’ – where income from intellectual property is taxed very lightly or not at all. Some big companies can also get a ‘sweetheart deal’ when they are arbitrarily gifted a low tax rate.

The Liberals’ Diverted Profits Tax has not been effective in stopping this method of tax minimisation.

TAX PIRATES: ACTION PACKED DRAMA NOW SHOWING IN REAL LIFE

The Canberra Times, 4 May 2019

It is common for forms of serial fiction such as comic books, or film or television franchises, to have a new start of that universe – often called a ‘reboot’. The one I’m encouraging is Tax Pirates of the Caribbean. In this action-packed drama, a buccaneering team of tax specialists travel to Jamaica. 

Armed with their rapier wit and a brilliant knowledge of the tax code, they confront multinational firms, headquartered in nearby tax havens, who’ve been luring away the revenue that should be supporting Jamaica’s schools and hospitals.

The script should be easy to write, since the events are playing out right now. The Jamaican tax authority has ‘borrowed’ a bunch of expert tax auditors from Germany. The accountant equivalent of Captain Jack Sparrow is German auditor Steffan Scholze, who said he ‘jumped at the opportunity to … fight inequalities and give countries added confidence in their dealings with large taxpayers’. Within weeks, he was helping Jamaica take on multinationals who’d refused to pay their fair share of tax.

E&EO TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
RICHO, SKY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, 1 MAY 2019

SUBJECTS: Eastern Australian Irrigation, Clive Palmer, Facebook and Google tax bills, Adani, the Liberals’ literal decimation of public service jobs.

GRAHAM RICHARDSON: Our next guest is Andrew Leigh and he's in one of my favourite places, Townsville, or he's been there I think today. Welcome to the program, Andrew.

ANDREW LEIGH, SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER: Thanks, Richo. Great to be talking to you from Townsville.

RICHARDSON: And how was it in the Deep North? Is it, have you had a good day?

LEIGH: It’s been terrific. Cathy O’Toole and I announced a tax clinic at James Cook University. This is an investment which will see James Cook University tax students reach out to the community to help low income taxpayers and small businesses with their tax affairs and also to try and build that culture of giving back to the community among tax professionals. And then, I’m Shadow for Charities and Not-for-Profits, so in the afternoon visited a number of co-operative businesses, including Defence Bank where I bought this pig here. The pig is sold by Defence Bank to raise money for their Defence Bank Foundation, which helps soldiers with PTSD. So any of your viewers who are looking for a piggy bank for the kids, jump on the Defence Bank website, pick up a pig, help out our soldiers.

E&EO TRANSCRIPT

DOORSTOP

TOWNSVILLE

THURSDAY, 2 MAY 2019

Subjects: Labor’s commitment to help Indigenous students in remote and regional Queensland access quality education; Labor’s plans to create a fairer economy through the mutuals and co-ops sector.

CATHY O’TOOLE, MEMBER FOR HERBERT: It's really fantastic to be here today with the Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh and Queensland Senator Murray Watt and Jeff Reibel the CEO of Cowboys and also in Melina from the cooperatives and mutuals association who will speak after with Andrew. We are at NRL Cowboys House, girls house specifically, which is a fantastic facility in this Townsville community providing education for young First Nations women and they do a fantastic job with young women from year 7 to year 12. The announcement that Andrew will make in a moment means a huge deal to this facility and to this community. So we'll hand over now to Andrew to make the announcement.

ANDREW LEIGH, SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER: Thanks very much, Cathy. Cathy has been at the forefront of addressing social disadvantage as Member of Herbert. She is somebody who is a passionate campaigner against inequality and for a fairer and more inclusive society. Terrific to be here too with my friend and colleague Murray Watt and Melina Morrison, who will say a few words in a moment about a separate announcement. 

INVESTING IN COWBOYS HOUSE TO ADDRESS INDIGENOUS DISADVANTAGE

A Shorten Labor Government will partner with the North Queensland Cowboys to assist young Indigenous women from remote and regional Queensland to access quality education.   

This election is a choice between a Shorten Labor Government with a plan for local communities, or more cuts and chaos from the LNP.   

If elected, Labor will invest $200,000 in the Cowboys Community Foundation, the charity arm of the community-owned North Queensland Cowboys.    

Managed by the Foundation, NRL Cowboys House provides accommodation and support for young Indigenous students from some of the most remote regions of North Queensland. The boarding facility not only removes geographical barriers for students to access education in Townsville, but also provides comprehensive programs to support their broader health and wellbeing to ensure improved social outcomes for their students. 

BOOSTING GROWTH AND EQUITY THROUGH MEMBER-OWNED FIRMS

A Shorten Labor Government will make Australia’s economy more productive and our society more egalitarian by creating a taskforce to streamline regulations and break down barriers for new competitors.

This election is a choice between Labor’s plan for more health investment or bigger tax loopholes for the top end of town under the Liberals, paid for by cuts to the services Australians rely on.

Over the past generation, Australia’s start-up rate has fallen, and inequality has risen. Productivity growth has been disappointing, retail sales are fragile, and the gains from economic growth have gone disproportionately to corporate profits rather than wages. 

That's why as part of our Inclusive Ownership, Inclusive Growth policies, Labor will create a Competition and Growth Taskforce to sit within Treasury and include staff from diverse backgrounds including not-for-profits, superannuation and the cooperative and mutuals sector. The Taskforce would be allocated $3 million over the forward estimates.

E&EO TRANSCRIPT

DOORSTOP

TOWNSVILLE

WEDNESDAY, 1 MAY 2019

Subjects: Labor’s commitment to fund an ongoing tax clinic in Townsville, Eastern Australian Irrigation, Clive Palmer, Facebook and Google tax bills.

CATHY O’TOOLE, MEMBER FOR HERBERT: It's really great to be here this morning with Dr Andrew Leigh, the Shadow Assistant Treasurer, at James Cook University with Van as well. Andrew is going to talk to you this morning about a wonderful initiative that Labor has for a tax clinic. It will create an enormous opportunity for our students here to practice tax law. It will be with industry. It will be one of the best opportunities young people get to put their studies into practice and this is a valuable announcement for our community here in Townsville. And I'll just hand over to Andrew.

ANDREW LEIGH, SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER: Thanks, Cathy. There’s no more ferocious fighter for Townsville than Cathy O’Toole. She’s been arguing very strongly that James Cook University should receive this funding for an ongoing tax clinic. Labor's tax clinic policy was announced last year ahead of the government. It’s not for a set of trials - it's for ongoing funding, $150,000 apiece for ten tax clinics across Australia. We're delighted to announce that one of those tax clinics will be right here at James Cook University, headed by Van Le. 

LABOR WILL HELP TOWNSVILLE TAXPAYERS 

A Shorten Labor Government will ensure that Townsville residents get the help they need to navigate the tax system by funding a tax clinic at James Cook University. 

Labor will commit $150,000 annually to help establish the Townsville-based initiative, as part of Labor’s proposed expansion of 10 tax clinics around Australia. 

Multinationals and millionaires can afford an armada of experts to navigate the tax system. But low and middle-income Australians are often intimidated by the tax system, and unsure where to turn to get help. 

While Scott Morrison carves out chaotic deals with Clive Palmer - a man whose private jet was registered in a tax haven - Labor is committed to working with everyday Australians.

CLEARING THE ROAD FOR MAITLAND MOTORISTS

Car owners and independent mechanics in Maitland will have a smoother ride under a Shorten Labor Government with plans to make timely access to technical information a reality.

Whether you drive a Jazz or a Jaguar, everyone should be able to choose where they get their car fixed. But independent repairers are being driven to despair by their inability to get fair access to the data and software upgrades they need.

As Australian drivers make the switch to electric vehicles and their myriad of onboard computers, this issue will become increasingly important.