Andrew Leigh

This morning I spoke with Fairfax Media's Tim Lester about what's making news, notably developments that highlight the Abbott Government's aggressively marketed asylum seeker policy is shambolic.  Here's the full transcript:

BREAKING POLITICS

FAIRFAX VIDEO

MONDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2013

Subjects: Asylum seeker stand-off with Indonesia, Warsaw Climate Change Conference, Grain Corp takeover.



TIM LESTER: There is debate about how many times it has happened in recent days but no debate over the fact that it is happening. Indonesia is turning back asylum boats that the Abbott Government would like our near neighbour to take. What does this say about the Abbott Government's asylum policy going forward? Every Monday Breaking Politics is joined by the Labor MP in Fraser, Andrew Leigh. Welcome in Andrew.

ANDREW LEIGH: Thanks Tim.

LESTER: First, does Indonesia's stance on tow-backs surprise you?

LEIGH: Not in the least Tim. This is what Labor has said for upwards of a year would happen. The Indonesian Government has been firm and consistent in their position on Mr Abbott's tow-back policies. That's why before the election he conspicuously failed to raise it with our Indonesian colleagues. I think calling the Government's asylum seeker policy ‘shambolic’ is probably being too generous. We're now learning more about what Australian navy vessels are doing through the Jakarta Post than we are through the official briefing from Mr Morrison. It appears now that the reason he wants a General to stand next to him is so that he can shield behind that General and refuse to answer questions. And, as to the ‘buy-back the boats’ policy, we've heard precious little of that in recent times. It's really disappointing Tim. This is a vital relationship for Australia. We must treat our Indonesia colleagues with respect. They are the fourth-largest country in the world; a very important relationship for Australia being dealt tremendous blows by the toing and froing, the back and forth that is this Government's asylum seeker policy.

LESTER: Tremendous blows? Is the damage to our relationship with Jakarta really that bad?

LEIGH: I think it is Tim. I think it is. The relationship with Indonesia is a vital one but you can see, reading the accounts in the Indonesian media, a real concern that the Australian Government is not treating Indonesia with the respect to which it is entitled. Policies like the boat buy-back were very worrying to Indonesia as were suggestions of payments being made directly in Indonesia for intelligence tip offs. These things would be deeply offensive to us were our Indonesian neighbours to suggest them in their political system.

LESTER: For all of this the Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, is at least at the moment able to say in his briefings is that the trend is in the right direction, that numbers of asylum boats and asylum seekers are reducing. We're heading in the right direction, at least the policy at the core of this, is being achieved isn't it?

LEIGH: Since Labor put in place the Refugee Resettlement Agreement we've begun to see a decline in asylum seeker boats and frankly I don't think there's anything that the Coalition has put in place since winning office which could reasonably be said to have contributed to that. The turn-back policy clearly is having no effect because it isn't taking effect. The buy-back policy has been hidden and I don't think anyone believes that Scott Morrison hiding from the media is having any impact on asylum seekers coming to Australia.

LESTER: The Australian this morning reports that Cabinet has decided that there will be no new agreements for the Australian delegation going to the Warsaw climate change meeting; not allowed to enter new packs of any sort. How does that strike you?

LEIGH: It's a bit of a worry to me Tim. We are the 12th largest economy in the world. We are important nation on the world stage. Now, thanks to Labor, with a seat on the U.N. Security Council and the G20 meetings happening in Australia, we ought to be holding our heads up tall in any international negotiation - sending a delegation of appropriate seniority, which isn't happening, and treating other countries with respect and being willing to listen to their views and adapt ours in response.

LESTER: Appropriate seniority, you say, would be Greg Hunt going, the Minister, or...

LEIGH: ...I certainly believe it's either appropriate the minister or the parliamentary secretary attend these talks.

LESTER: The Minister is of course has got what he considers rather pressing matter of repealing the carbon tax this week, hasn't he?

LEIGH: Well, the Minister has gotten himself into terrible strife with his international counterparts. He's attacked the U.N.'s climate change chief, using Wikipedia has his main source to critique her and he's simply been unable take a stance which meshes with what's happening globally. Globally we're seeing over 30 countries putting in place emissions trading schemes. The Chinese city-wide emissions trading schemes are likely to be nation-wide after 2020. Australia has a system that's working to reduce carbon emissions. We're already seeing it having that effect. As the world's largest per capita emitter, why would you trash a policy that's working and go for a short-sighted policy that ends in 2020 and won't do the job.

LESTER: Because the electorate has told you do it, might be the answer from the Government and this week they introduce the legislation to scrap the carbon tax and you will sit in parliament with your Labor colleagues and effectively ignore the expressed will of the Australian people won't you?

LEIGH: Tim, I campaigned in the last election for a cap on carbon pollution and that's what I will do after the election. Mr Abbott might be prepared to behave like a weather vane to swing with whatever strategy he thinks best suits his political fortunes.

LESTER: He's swimming with the mandate isn't he? That's the point?

LEIGH: As am I Tim. I campaigned in the last election for a cap on carbon pollution and on the floor of parliament I will vote for a cap on carbon pollution. If Mr Abbott had behaved in the way I intend to behave in 2007 then in 2009 he would have voted for the same emissions trading scheme that he campaigned for in 2007. Mr Abbott's on the record of, at one stage, being correct in this debate, saying that an emissions trading scheme was a low cost way of reducing emissions. But he'll swing whichever way he thinks gets him the largest political advantage. I'll vote for what I think what's best for the Australian people and the planet.

LESTER: The Government, indeed the Federal Treasurer, has to make a decision on the potential foreign takeover of Grain Corp, the giant grain handler by December 17. Is this off/on, black/white decision?

LEIGH: It's not Tim. Foreign investment decisions are made typically with some conditions. My concern here is that having kicked the can down the road, having pushed the decision nearly to Christmas, that the Treasurer is looking now to make a decision which is going to satisfy his National Party colleagues by putting so many conditions on the sale that ultimately it's unworkable.

LESTER: Because the Nationals, of course, don't want the sale at all.

LEIGH: Well, Warren Truss has been quite clear that he thinks the Australian stock market will fall over if 0.2 per cent of it is purchased by Americans. Mr Hockey has pointed back, nobody, nobody, nobody will challenge him or bully him. So this is breaking out into a full-on war within the Cabinet. My concern is that ultimately where they land will be based more on politics than on good economics or based on making it look like Australia is open for business where in fact, putting so many conditions on the sale, that ultimately it can't go ahead.

LESTER: And what will that say if they do go down that track. What will that say about whether Australia is open for business or not?

LEIGH: Well, it would suggest that Mr Hockey was more concerned over the politics of foreign investment than making the right decision. If Mr Hockey wants to stymie this decision by placing so many constraints on it that the sale can't go ahead, then he might as well simply oppose it. But it's going to hard for him to [approve it] because his National Party colleagues, Barnaby Joyce, Warren Truss are very much in the fortress Australian mentality.

LESTER: So, to close, if you were in the Treasurer's chair and having to look at this, you'd give it a tick without conditions?

LEIGH: We'd make the decisions based on the national interest Tim. But this is a decision squarely for the Government. This isn't a decision the Opposition makes. Mr Hockey makes it and I think it's perfectly reasonable for us to talk about the pressures, challenges and the importance of him making a decision that's in the national interest.

LESTER: Andrew Leigh, welcome back to parliament this week and we'll look forward to talking to you again next Monday.

LEIGH: Thanks Tim.

Over the weekend I issued a media release calling on Tony Abbott to overturn a draft decision of the Tax Office that could result in higher rents for pensioners and families living in mobile homes.

Media Release

Sunday 10 November, 2013

GST HIKE ON MOBILE HOMES BAD NEWS FOR LOW INCOME AUSTRALIANS

Assistant Shadow Treasurer, Dr Andrew Leigh, has raised concern about a new draft Australian Tax Office ruling that could see thousands of mobile home owners face higher rents.

The ATO has issued a draft ruling on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid by park owners managing properties where mobile homes are based.

The draft ruling, now out for consultation, will mean park owners are slugged double the GST paid on leased sites.

“Labor is concerned the ATO ruling would not just lead to higher costs for park owners but that those costs will be passed on to low-income Australians who permanently live in demountable or mobile homes.”

There are at least 3,000 Australians living in mobile homes in privately run home parks.  There are many more people living long term in mobile homes in caravan parks.

“Most people living permanently in mobile homes either as a lifestyle choice or as a last resort live in very basic conditions with minimal facilities and few amenities compared to conventional forms of housing. Many are pensioners and families doing it tough,” Dr Leigh said.

“Labor MP Justine Elliot has already spoken out about the impact of this draft ruling on her constituents on the NSW north coast. But we are yet to hear boo from the Coalition.”

“I call on the Abbott Government to explain whether it supports the ATO’s ruling.

“It is a concern given the skewed values and priorities of the Abbott Government which favour the most affluent, and hurt the most disadvantaged.” Dr Leigh concluded.

ENDS

The South Australian Fabian Society generously hosted me to launch Battlers and Billionaires with former SA Premier Lynn Arnold at the University of Adelaide. Here's a video of the event.

This morning I appeared on Sky TV with host David Lipson. Topics canvassed were cuts to the public service, the asylum seeker stand-off with Indonesia, MP entitlements and the Coalition's plan to repeal racial vilification laws. Here's the full transcript:

SKY AM AGENDA WITH DAVID LIPSON

SATURDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2013

David Lipson: Joining me in the Canberra studio by the shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh. Thanks for your time today.

Andrew Leigh: Pleasure David.

Lipson: Let’s start off where we finished with Josh Frydenberg, the public service cuts. You’re a Canberra MP, how significant is the impact be on the Canberra economy. We knew this was going to happen but now it’s being put into practice.

Leigh: Well we knew it was going to happen David but it’s going to be pretty significant. Contrary to what Mr Frydenberg said, growth in public service numbers during Labor’s term in office matched population growth, the number of public servants per head didn’t change since the end of the Howard years. But what we have seen now is savage cuts; we’ve seen the incorporation of AusAID into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade being done in a terribly ham-fisted way. AusAID workers being brought into the DFAT atrium like cattle, made to stand on the ground floor while the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials look down and one of those DFAT officials mimed machine gunning those AusAID workers. Now were learning the new graduates for AusAID who had signed contracts with AusAID, and in many cases turned down other offers, in fact won’t have their jobs in February. So it’s being done in a terribly messy way -

Lipson: - that corralling is not the government’s fault, that seems to be a departmental issue doesn’t it?

Leigh: I think it ultimately does go back to the Minister, I think you need to recognise if you’re going to shut down an agency like AusAID and brutally incorporate them in to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with no proper change management process, no looking after the employees, that’s really going to hit people hard. We are seeing in CSIRO up to a quarter of the workers whose jobs are in jeopardy. This is the organisation that invented the polymer bank note and wi-fi, and perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that a Government without a science minister wants to slash the CSIRO but it’s deeply disturbing none the less.

Lipson: The reason the Government is doing all this, and as I said they did say they would do this before the election, the reason they are doing it is to draw down the debt, to get the budget back into a decent financial position, because of the huge debt that was left to this Government by Labor.

Leigh: Huge debt is completely wrong David. If you look across the developed world Australia has one of the lowest debt levels. We took on that debt in order to save jobs. If you think we should have no debt, effectively someone who says that is believing we should have had higher unemployment in the crisis. So we have a modest level of debt, but if you want to bring it down you need to do things like keeping in place revenue measures. If you’re going to give a big tax break to millionaires and billionaires though the mining tax, if you’re going to give money back to big polluters by getting rid of the carbon price, if you’re going to insist on maintaining tax breaks for people with $2 million in their superannuation accounts, well then yes you’re going to have to hit middle and lower Australia hard. Public service cuts are just a part of that. They’re taking away the Schools Kids bonus at the start of next year, taking away income support payments - effectively a cut in the unemployment benefits. Inequality is going to rise under this Government and that’s a concern to many Australians.

Lipson: On the asylum seeker stand off on the coats of Java, the Government says the important thing is that the boats are stopped and they are stopping. There have been no arrivals this week, and I think there was none last week or one. Do you agree with the Government the important thing is stopping the boats?

Leigh: I think the Refugee Resettlement Agreement is having an effect as Labor said it would after we put into place. It’s a firm policy but our view was that if we accompanied it with an increase in the humanitarian intake that was overall a decent thing to do. The Coalition is cutting back on the number of asylum seekers and then throwing a veil of secrecy over asylum seekers – as they are in so many other areas of Government. Australians are frankly entitled to know if naval ships are being used to intercept asylum seeker vessels. They would have been told that under Labor. Just put the boot on the other foot, just imagine what Scott Morrison would have said if Labor in office had been refusing to release details of an asylum seeker stand-off on the high seas. These are our tax dollars that go to fund these naval vessels; we have a right to know how they are being used.

Lipson: The Government is reigning in MPs entitlements, or at least just tightening up the system, we don’t have the exact details yet, but do you welcome this move?

Leigh: I certainly do, I think the abuse of entitlements we’ve seen now with a quarter of cabinet having used taxpayer funds to attend weddings is a concern. One of the interesting questions for me will be whether these new rules will for example allow something like what Mr Abbott did of using taxpayer expenses to fly to attend a sporting event and a party-political fundraiser or whether perhaps a trip which just includes a sporting event and a fundraiser is off limits under the new rules. That will be a challenge he will face given that so many of his cabinet members are embroiled in entitlement misuse and that many members of the Liberal party are refusing to pay money back, Phillip Ruddock and Bronwyn Bishop refusing to pay back the costs of attending Peter Slipper’s wedding.

Lipson: Next week on of the first pieces of legislation that will be introduced, not just the carbon tax, but this legislation to repeal the racial discrimination act section that found Andrew Bolt guilty, what’s your view on that?

Leigh: The Prime Minister says this is about free speech but really this is about hate speech. Labor believes that hate speech ought to be banned. This is a provision that isn’t used very often but past cases in which it’s used for example include vilification of Jewish Australians, denying of the Holocaust and the vilification of an Indigenous woman. This is a provision which is I think is important to a tolerant and multicultural Australia. I agree with Colin Rubenstein when he says that this is important in maintaining tolerance and acceptance for Jewish Australians. Mr Abbott doesn’t believe in free speech under all circumstances - he’s a defamation plaintiff in the past. But somehow he thinks it’s okay for him to use the defamation law but for others not to have hate speech laws to use.

Lipson: Andrew Leigh we’re out of time, thanks for your time.

Leigh: Thank you David.

On Friday 8 November, I joined my friend Craig Emerson on his seventh 'Emmo Forum' to discuss what it means to be an economist and a progressive.

You can watch it on YouTube below, or download the podcast here.

I spoke today on ABC666 with host Adam Shirley about job losses at CSIRO, the organisation who helped invent wi-fi. The shift from natural attrition to voluntary redundancies represents a clear breach of the Liberals' pre-election pledge to only reduce jobs through natural attrition.

Here's a podcast.

Media Release

7 November 2013

COALITION SHOWING ITS TRUE COLOURS

Labor's Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Andrew Leigh, says he is alarmed by the skewed priorities of the Abbott Government that slug the poor and favour the rich.

Assistant Treasurer, Arthur Sinodinos, said today "We need cuts across the board that reflect our policy priorities and by that I mean more focus on infrastructure spending as opposed to recurrent spending."

"So far cuts across the board has meant abandoning a tax break for low-income superannuants, cutting the School Kids bonus, reducing income support and slashing jobs in the public service,” said Dr Leigh.

“But cuts across the board exempts mining billionaires, millionaire parents and tax breaks for those with more than $2 million in their superannuation accounts.

"Labor does not object to governments doing a stock take. What we do have a problem with is the values and priorities of the Abbott Government which indicate that it is comfortable with taking from the poor and giving to the rich.

"As the saying goes, if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. The only ones on the Coalition chopping board are low and middle Australia," Dr Leigh said.

"Prime Minister Abbott said on taking office that he will not let down ‘the forgotten families of Australia’. But he seems to have forgotten that they will bear the brunt of the government’s cuts across the board.

"The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer must know that their policies will lead to greater inequality. I urge the Abbott Government to rethink their cuts across the board."

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

Gai Brodtmann

Andrew Leigh

Kate Lundy

6 November 2013



ACT FEDERAL LABOR REPRESENTATIVES CALL ON ZED TO COME CLEAN AS GOVERNMENT'S NATURAL ATTRITION LINE COMES UNSTUCK

Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann, Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh and Senator for the ACT Kate Lundy have called on ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja to admit that he has broken his natural attrition promise.

The three say that Senator Seselja’s pre-election promise that planned public service job cuts would be made through natural attrition alone is looking increasingly feeble, with the Canberra Times reporting this week that several departments have already offered post-election redundancies.

Senator Zed Seselja repeated throughout the 2013 election campaign that the Coalition would only cut jobs from the public service through natural attrition, not through redundancies:

[The Coalition has] “been good enough to put their policies on the table and that policy is to, across Australia, reduce the size of the public service by 12,000 through natural attrition. Now, my job should I be elected to the Senate will of course be to hold the Coalition to that promise that it will occur through natural attrition.” (4 July 2013, 666 ABC’s Drive with Adam Shirley)



“the Coalition has said through attrition across Australia that they’ll reduce the size of the public service by 12,000... it would be through attrition that they would reduce the size of the public service… The Coalition has announced a plan to make savings. They’ve been very clear about that, that it will come through natural attrition…We’ve got one party, the Coalition that grows the economy, that has announced a plan through attrition.” (9 July, 666 ABC with Louise Maher)

“Our policy is stated. The policy is that the public service through natural attrition will be reduced over two years.” (5 August, 666 ABC’s Breakfast with Ross Solly)

“I think the positives about it are the natural attrition and it will be my job if I’m elected to the Senate to hold an incoming Coalition to account on that… if you’re going to make savings you should do it through attrition…” (31 August in the Canberra Times)

The Canberra Times analysis released this week shows that according to the Public Service Gazette, only 251 public servants have left their jobs since the Abbott Government was elected some two months ago, 182 of whom received a redundancy package. This is around one-sixth of the departure rate required for the Government to meet its target of 6000 job cuts by the end of June.

Natural attrition is typically achieved with retirements and resignations. As predicted public servants are holding on to their jobs in an uncertain and insecure job environment.

Ms Brodtmann, Dr Leigh and Senator Lundy have asked Senator Seselja to come clean with Canberrans by answering the following questions:

Is the Government going to stick by its promise to only cut jobs through natural attrition, even if it means not meeting job cut targets?

1. Are the redundancies currently being offered in various departments part of the Government’s plan for 6000 job cuts this financial year, or are these additional cuts?


2. Will there be any forced redundancies, including in those departments affected by Machinery of Government changes?


3. Will the Government increase its public service job cuts target or introduce forced redundancies if the Commission of Audit recommends it should?

ENDS

This afternoon I issued a media release in response to the Government's announcement today it will shy away from a package of measures to prevent multinationals taking profits offshore.



6 November 2013

MEDIA RELEASE



HOCKEY GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO BIG MULTINATIONAL TO MINIMISE TAX

Shadow Assistant Minister, Andrew Leigh, says the Government has watered down Labor’s efforts to get multinationals to pay their fair share of tax.

“Labor’s rules were designed to stop profits being shipped overseas. The Treasurer’s amendments announced today will put less pressure on multinationals and more pressure on families.

“Labor’s rules would have swollen the budget by $1.8 billion but the Coalition’s amendments will only net $1.1 billion. That means there will be $700 million less in tax revenue and a reduction in services or higher taxes.”

“After railing against a so-called budget emergency, Mr Hockey is now presiding over a budget blow-out.”

“Mr Hockey’s cave-in to multinationals means that Australian families will pay more tax or get fewer services.”

“It means the Government’s Commission of Cuts will have to deliver an even more savage blow to families.”

“Australians understand that multinationals need to pull their weight,” said Dr Leigh.

ENDS

On 4 Nov, I joined host Kieran Gilbert and Liberal Senator Mitch Fifield to discuss the Western Australian election, Mr Abbott's selective appeal to mandate theory, Labor's democratic process for choosing a leader, and the split between the Liberal Party and the National Party over foreign investment.