Andrew Leigh

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW 
GLADSTONE 
TUESDAY, 26 MARCH 2019

SUBJECTS: Labor’s plans to level the playing field for independent mechanics, Scott Morrison’s lack of leadership on One Nation, gun reform.

ZAC BEERS, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR FLYNN: It's great to be here today in Gladstone with Andrew Leigh, Labor's Shadow Assistant Treasurer,  talking to small businesses about what Labor's planning to do if elected the next federal election. We've made it clear here at JAX Tyres today hear in Gladstone that Labor's committed to making sure that we get the right reform when it comes to mechanics and servicing, to make sure that our small businesses right across the country have access to the right information, to make sure that they get a level playing field when it comes to servicing cars in this country. Not only that, we'll be talking about Labor's plans when it comes to what we're going to do to fix the issues n the banking royal commission and make sure that we get the right results for consumers in this country, to make certain that the findings of the Royal Commission make certain that Australian consumers get the right outcomes when it comes to accessing financial services. But I’ll hand to Andrew, who has probably got a bit more to say.

ANDREW LEIGH, SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER: Terrific. Thanks Zac, and thanks to Eli and the team for showing us around JAX Tyres today. Labor believes it's your car, so it should be your choice about where to get it fixed. Our policy of data sharing for independent mechanics will ensure independent mechanics have the data they need to fix modern cars. We've heard stories from Eli and Chris today about cars that have to be sent to Bundy or Rocky because JAX Tyres here doesn't have access to the software that the authorised dealers have. That's a waste of time for car owners and it’s a pain for great small businesses like this one. Labor will ensure that independent mechanics have the data they need to fix modern cars. 

ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER
 
ZAC BEERS
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR FLYNN
 
LABOR PUTS REFORM IN THE FAST LANE FOR FLYNN’S MECHANICS

Labor is fixing a broken system for car owners and independent mechanics in Flynn with a plan to make timely access to technical information a reality.

Whether you drive a Nissan Micra or a Ford F-150, everyone should be able to choose where they get their car serviced. But independent repairers are being driven to despair by their inability to get fair access to the data and software upgrades they need.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS
MEMBER FOR GORTON
 
ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER

MURRAY WATT

LABOR SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND

DES HARDMAN

LABOR CANDIDATE FOR FORDE

LABOR WILL BACK OUR SUBBIES IN FORDE

This evening we met with sub-contractors in Forde to discuss the benefits of Labor’s Tradie Pay Guarantee and Tradie Litigation Fund.

We heard stories of subbies losing their homes and their savings, being unable to pay their own debts, and spending weeks of their life in court chasing money they’re owed. Electricians, tilers and builders told us about being burned by dodgy phoenix directors, who flaunted their ill-gotten gains, and managed to escape the reach of the law. 

ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER
 
THE HON ANTHONY ALBANESE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, CITIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TOURISM
MEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER
 
ED HUSIC
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY
MEMBER FOR CHIFLEY

AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ARE ALREADY BENEFITING FROM LABOR'S POLICIES

Ten days after Labor announced that a Shorten Government would stop major online booking providers from using ‘price parity’ clauses in their dealings with Australian hotels, one of the two major multinational platforms, Expedia, has announced that it will unilaterally cease using these clauses in their agreements.

ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER
 
JOSH BURNS
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR MACNAMARA
 
LABOR TAKES THE WHEEL FOR MECHANICS IN MACNAMARA

Labor is driving a better deal for car owners and independent mechanics in Macnamara with a plan to make timely access to technical information a reality.

Whether you drive a Mini or a Honda, everyone should be able to choose where they get their car serviced. But independent repairers are struggling to get fair access to the standard service information they need.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS
MEMBER FOR GORTON
 
ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER

RAFF CICCONE

LABOR SENATOR FOR VICTORIA

SHIREEN MORRIS
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR DEAKIN

LABOR WILL BACK OUR SUBBIES IN DEAKIN

Today, we met with sub-contractors in Deakin to discuss the benefits of Labor’s Tradie Pay Guarantee.

We heard stories of workers missing out on super, on pay cheques and on sleep due to dodgy companies running out on their responsibilities.

Subbies working on federal government projects will be protected from being left unpaid when dodgy businesses go bust through the implementation of Labor’s Tradie Pay Guarantee. A Shorten Labor Government will address this by requiring large Commonwealth construction projects to establish a specially structured account – using a cascading statutory trust - that ensures all businesses down the supply chain get paid on time.

ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER
 
JENNIFER YANG
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR CHISHOLM
 
STRONGER, BETTER AND FAIRER: THE ECONOMY UNDER LABOR

Today we met with Chisholm locals to discuss how a Shorten Labor Government will deliver a better, fairer economy for all Australians.

Labor will close the loopholes exploited by big multinationals to avoid paying their fair share of tax, boosting the budget by billions of dollars.

COALITION ALL SIZZLE AND NO SAUSAGE ON MULTINATIONAL TAX AVOIDANCE

The Coalition’s approach to multinational tax avoidance boils down to two tactics: telling the public what they won’t do, and claiming credit for revenue raised by Labor’s laws (which they voted against in 2013).

The latest announcement by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is more of the same: explaining why he won’t implement a digital sales tax, while failing to offer any concrete action on multinational tax avoidance.

The Treasurer talks vaguely about supporting global reform of the tax system, but Australia is largely missing in action from the international reform process. We are no longer represented on the Steering Group of the OECD’s Inclusive Framework on BEPS - a key body that has been shaping the multinational tax reform agenda. 

ROSS HART

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BASS

ANDREW LEIGH MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER

SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY

SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES

SHADOW MINISTER FOR CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FENNER

ENDING TAX REFUNDS FOR FRANKING CREDITS

Launceston Examiner, 21 March 2019

Tax loopholes occur when we write our tax laws in a way that inadvertently allows revenue to slip away. Those who use loopholes aren’t breaking the law, but the effect is that we don’t raise the revenue we need to fund vital services. 

That’s what’s happened with refundable franking credits.

UPTURNING THE MONOPOLY BOARD

Crikey, 20 March 2019

As a parent, I hate the board game Monopoly. It never takes long before one lucky player has bought up a slab of real estate, and the rest are mortgaging their properties just to survive. No matter how happy the kids are when they start the game, it invariably seems to end up in tears.

As it turns out, that’s how most economists feel about real monopolies. From the British East India Company to Standard Oil, monopolies produce too little, and charge too much. Like the strongest kid in the schoolyard, they sometimes throw their weight around - threatening to bankrupt or buy off competitors. Monopolies can become fat and lazy, living off their dominant market position rather than looking for ways to produce better and cheaper products.

In recent decades, Australia’s monopoly problem has come into stark relief. To see the size of it, Australian National University researcher Adam Triggs and I analysed hundreds of Australian industries. Across half the economy, we found that the biggest four players controlled more than one-third of the market.