Andrew Leigh

Today I spoke in Parliament on inequality in Australia and the unfairness of the government's Budget.

PRIVATE MEMBERS BUSINESS

Monday, 23 June 2014

Mr Leigh: I move that this House:

(1) recognises that:

(a) since 1975, earnings at the 90th percentile have risen three times faster than earnings at the 10th percentile; and

(b) since 1980, the top 1 per cent income share has doubled, and the top 0.1 per cent income share has tripled; and

(c) overall, inequality in Australia is now higher than it has been in three-quarters of a century;

I spoke in Parliament this week on the strength and importance of Australia's relationship with Japan.

PRIVATE MEMBERS BUSINESS

23 June 2014

Australia was still a collection of British colonies when it first exported coal to Japan in 1865, before the Meiji restoration. In 1888, we were shipping Australian wool to Japan. The first Australian trade mission went to Japan in the 1930s. There must have been some consternation when our two countries signed a commerce agreement in 1957, so soon after the end of World War II. Today, Australia and Japan work closely together on security challenges such as counter-terrorism in South-East Asia and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, not least in the DPRK. It would probably be ironic to my grandfather's generation that the greatest Australian concern over Japan's security role in the region is its historical reluctance to assume a higher global and regional profile.

http://youtu.be/_KJqGLi8Frk

This evening I appeared on the ABC's The Drum program to argue for the retention of two Labor initiatives; strong pro-consumer financial advice laws and the four pillars banking policy. Here's the transcript: 

TELEVISION INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

THE DRUM, ABC 1

FRIDAY 20 JUNE 2014

SUBJECT / S: Future of Financial Advice reforms; Four pillars banking policy; ALP 2013 election campaign review.

PRESENTER, ELEANOR HALL: Let me first go to the issue of the financial advice laws because we have a situation where the Government is actually, as your Shadow Treasurer put it earlier today, capitulating on the issue of commissions. Can you tell us whether Labor will now back those financial laws through the Parliament?

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER, ANDREW LEIGH: Well, we're certainly not inclined to back things that are not in the best interests of consumers. I think the best way of understanding this pretty technical area of policy is to look at who is on which side. The bankers are pushing for them, Council of the Aging, National Seniors and Choice are against them. 

On ABC Canberra 666 Breakfast this morning, the Liberals Peter's Hendy and I discussed the High Court's decision on the Commonwealth funded national school chaplains program and the Abbott Government's anti-consumer changes that water down parts of the future of financial advice (FoFA) laws. Philip Clark was in the middle asking the questions.

TRANSCRIPT, RADIO INTERVIEW

ABC CANBERRA 666 BREAKFAST

FRIDAY 20 JUNE 2014

SUBJECT / S: High Court chaplaincy decision; FOFA; Inequality.

PHILIP CLARK: Welcome to our political panel this morning. Labor member for Fraser Andrew Leigh is here in the studio this morning. Morning Andrew.

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER, ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning Philip.

http://youtu.be/a8E7d9daqGo

This week in the Parliament I spoke on the Abbott Government's poor environmental record.

19 June 2014

It is difficult to recall a government with as poor an environmental record as the Abbott government. Last night the World Heritage Committee rebuked the Prime Minister's environmental measures and gave the government one year to improve its management of the Great Barrier Reef before reconsidering whether to have it listed as in danger. 

This week the government introduced Bills for its Asset Recycling Fund. I spoke about the differences between the Government and Labor on the issue of privatisation.

19 June 2014

The Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel once said that he was for a market economy but not for a market society. I think that is a good way of characterising the differences between the two sides of the House on the question of privatisation. The perspective of the Liberal and National parties has always been a theological belief in the value of privatisation. Those on that side of the House believe in a market society. They believe that inherently privatisation is always good. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5lXcxmB3_E

On 18 June 2014, I spoke with Sky Business host Janine Perrett about why we should crack down on multinational profit-shifting, and the value of having a charities commission for donors and non-profits alike.

This week, I spoke in Parliament on the importance of the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission.

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Monday, 16 June 2014

Dr Leigh: I move that this House:

(1) recognises that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) was established in 2012 after external inquiries in 1995, 2001, 2010, Parliamentary committee reviews, issues and discussion papers, exposure drafts and consultations with experts, and is operating efficiently and effectively, helping charities, donors and taxpayers;

Yesterday I rose in the Chamber to remember Leslie Ronald Zines, an oustanding member of the legal fraternity.

SPEECH

June 17, 2014

I rise today to speak about the passing of Leslie Ronald Zines, a great constitutional scholar and teacher. Of Leslie Zines it was said by Anthony Mason, the former Chief Justice of the High Court.  With the retirement of the eminent constitutionalist Geoffrey Sawer, Professor Zines became the leading commentator on the Australian Constitution.

 

Today I issued a media release welcoming a minority report produced by Labor Senators in favour of retaining the charities commission.

MEDIA RELEASE

 EVIDENCE IN FAVOUR OF ACNC “COMPELLING”

Labor Senators have urged their upper house colleagues to reject the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Repeal Bill.

In their Dissenting Report, tabled last night with the Economics Legislation Committee Chair’s Report into the ACNC (Repeal) (1) Bill 2014, Labor Senators Mark Bishop and Louise Pratt concluded:

1.24 The Labor members found the evidence in favour of retaining the ACNC compelling—not only because of the sheer numbers of charities and other organisations that strongly supported the work of the ACNC but because of the soundness of their arguments.

1.25 In its very short life, the ACNC has already registered impressive achievements, maintained strong support for its work and has shown itself flexible and accommodating through the transition period. It has been especially willing to develop mechanisms to assist highly regulated organisations to minimise their administrative burden.