08/02/2013 - Swan still playing for time on MRRTThe Treasurer's comments today that he would like to release MRRT revenue detail are breathtaking in their insincerity. (more..)

06/02/2013 - Senate orders release of MRRT Revenue InfoAustralians will finally find out how much or how little revenue Labor's failed Minerals Resource Rent Tax has actually raised so far. (more...)

06/02/2013 - Super Savers deserve say about more Labor Super TaxesAny Labor proposal to increase taxes on Australians saving for their retirement to plug the Treasurer’s budget black holes must be put to the Australian people at the election before they are legislated by the Parliament. (more...)

05/02/2013 - Mining Tax Revenue detail to be releasedThe Coalition welcomes indications from the Greens that they will now support our longstanding efforts to force the release of how much revenue Labor's Minerals Resource Rent Tax has actually raised so far. (more...)

31/01/2013 - Gillard to hit Australian super savers hardJulia Gillard seems to think she can use people's retirement savings like an ATM to help fund Labor's wasteful spending. (more...)

20/12/2012 - Labor cover up of Mining Tax budget black hole continuesThe Gillard government is becoming increasingly desperate in its attempts to cover up its mining tax related budget black hole. (more...)

18/12/2012 - Labor fails to fix dividend issue to prop up budgetCompanies and investors are joining many others across Australia who are paying a high price for Labor’s fiscal mismanagement and wasteful spending this time through the government's ongoing failure to resolve the confusion over the application of franking credits to dividends. (more...)

30/11/2012 - GST Review rebukes Swan's threats to States on royaltiesToday’s release of the GST Distribution Review is a sharp rebuke of Wayne Swan’s threat to penalise states for increasing royalties which are creditable under his MRRT. (more...)

29/11/2012 - Wayne Swan must rule out new superannuation tax hikesWayne Swan must immediately rule out increased taxes, charges or levies on the superannuation system in order to plug his $120 billion great big Budget black hole. (more...)

28/11/2012 - Coalition protects choice in superannuationThe Coalition has scored a significant policy victory for Australians planning for their retirement who were at risk of having their savings transferred automatically without their prior approval to a government legislated MySuper account. (more...)

28/11/2012 - Shorten locks in competitive advantage for his union friendsIn legislation passed by the Parliament today Bill Shorten has sought to protect the vested commercial interests of the union movement at the expense of the public interest. (more...)

22/11/2012 - Swan Mining Tax a shamblesThe Prime Minister and the Treasurer have made a complete mess of the mining tax. (more...)

15/08/2012 - Labor's Mining Tax secrecy continues – aided and abetted by the GreensThe mystery surrounding how much Labor's mining tax will raise continues after the Greens let the Prime Minister off the hook in a key vote in the Senate today. (more...)

31/07/2012 - Bradbury must protect taxpayers from ATO printing errorAssistant Treasurer David Bradbury must act immediately to protect taxpayers who have been placed at risk of having tax payments credited to other taxpayers’ accounts by a printing error on ATO forms. (more...)

30/07/2012 - Labor incompetence to blame for delay of Trust reformThe delay yet again of long promised reform of tax laws for managed investment trusts demonstrates that Labor is not serious about ensuring Australia's international competitiveness as a genuine financial services hub in the region. (more...)

20/07/2012 - Labor back down on Timeshare ban in FOFA welcomeThe Coalition welcomes Bill Shorten's latest FOFA back down carving out longstanding remuneration arrangements in the Timeshare industry from the ban of commission based payments. (more...)

29/06/2012 - Genuine competition in default super long overdueThe Coalition welcomes Productivity Commission recommendations to end the current closed shop anti-competitive arrangements in default superannuation. (more...)

25/06/2012 - Swan Desperate To Hide Mining Tax Budget Black HoleTreasurer Wayne Swan must come clean about his secret mining tax budget black hole.(more...)

19/06/2012 - Who is telling the truth on Carbon Tax changes – Windsor or Wong?Confusion reigns as to what last minute changes Labor may be negotiating just days before its toxic Carbon Tax comes into force. (more...)

29/05/2012 - The Carbon Tax compo which dare not speak its nameDavid Bradbury has today joined the growing list of Labor MPs too frightened to talk about the government's Carbon Tax compensation by name. (more...)

09/05/2012 - Labor's Managed Investment Trust tax grab threatens key infrastructure investmentsLabor's Budget tax grab on managed investment trusts (MITs) is a threat to foreign investment and has raised serious fears about Australia's sovereign risk profile. (more...)

28/04/2012 - Government Budget leak confirms Labor's latest super tax on super saversThe coordinated budget leak of a super tax on super savers is nothing more than yet another ad hoc Labor Party tax grab from a government desperate for more cash. (more...)

24/04/2012 - Shorten’s payday bungling must not delay important executive remuneration fixBill Shorten’s botched handling of payday lending and executive remuneration changes continues to leave more than 100 Australian companies at risk of a Board spill. (more...)

24/04/2012 - Gillard and Swan must explain their role in dodgy Mining Tax processJulia Gillard and Wayne Swan have some serious explaining to do about the circumstances surrounding their mining tax deal negotiated through a highly improper, exclusive and secretive process with the three biggest mining companies operating in Australia. (more...)

20/04/2012 - Labor super tax grab an attack on Australian super saversAustralians saving for their retirement through the superannuation system look set to pay a high price for Labor’s reckless and wasteful spending over the past four years. (more...)

13/04/2012 - Bill Shorten all talk and no action on superBill Shorten is clearly the Minister for All Talk and No Action when it comes to necessary
superannuation reforms. (more...)

11/04/2012 - Even industry super funds want Shorten to act now on corporate governance reformsEven one of Australia’s largest industry super funds, First State Super, has now called on Bill Shorten to immediately act on the sensible corporate governance reforms recommended by Labor’s own inquiry into the superannuation system. (more...)

11/04/2012 - Competition and fair comparisons best way forward for default superThe Coalition welcomes the effective acknowledgement by the Industry Super Network that the current process for the selection of default funds under Modern Awards is inappropriate and should not continue. (more...)

10/04/2012 - Labor delay on Investment Manager Regime costs funds and jobsTreasury has confirmed that Labor’s neglect and delay in implementing the Investment Manager Regime recommended by the Johnson Report are denying Australian fund managers the opportunity to access new investment funds from overseas. (more...)

10/04/2012 - Secret tax deals raise fears of another Budget tax grabAustralia’s business community has every right to fear yet another Labor tax grab in next month’s Budget after Wayne Swan’s refusal to consult widely on proposed business tax changes.(more...)

03/04/2012 - Government executive pay blunder must be fixed nowThe government must act immediately to fix the problems it has created in its botched changes to executive remuneration laws, which have left over 100 Australian companies at risk of a Board spill.(more...)

02/04/2012 - Labor confusion and incompetence delays proxy voting changesLabor’s confusion and paralysis have reached new levels with Parliamentary Secretary Bernie Ripoll calling on the Coalition to urgently vote for a Bill which Mr Ripoll himself has previously said should not be supported in its current form. (more...)

23/03/2012 - KPMG survey shows Australia losing competitive edge under LaborThe latest international comparison of business costs reveals Australia has become a more expensive place to do business under the Gillard government. (more...)

22/03/2012 - Coalition will fix FOFA in governmentIf the Coalition is elected to govern at the next election we will fix Labor's FOFA mess..(more...)

22/03/2012 - Shorten's last minute desperate deal not the answer on FOFABill Shorten’s last minute amendment negotiated in a secret and exclusive late night special deal does not solve any of the current problems with the Future of Financial Advice Legislation. (more...)

20/03/2012 - Swan and Wong caught out by their own numbersThe great flaws in this Government’s mining tax have been exposed by none other than the
Treasurer. (more...)

19/03/2012 - MySuper must end anti-competitive default superThe government must use the introduction of MySuper to lock in the important benefits of competition for Australians in default superannuation now.(more...)

19/03/2012 - Wayne Swan's Mining Tax ConFar from celebrating tonight Wayne Swan should be explaining why Labor’s mining tax will reduce Australia’s international mining competitiveness, and kill the incentive for further investment in the industry. (more...)

16/03/2012 - Labor’s retrospective tax grabs raise sovereign risk threatDavid Bradbury has wasted no time in his new role as Assistant Treasurer continuing Labor’s bad record on retrospective tax changes that are fuelling uncertainty in the business community and risk Australia’s international reputation as a safe investment destination. (more...)

16/03/2012 - Appointment of Chair of the Future FundThe government continues to compromise the good governance of the Future Fund by its increasingly desperate attempts to defend the indefensible. (more...)

15/03/2012 - Time for Shorten to back down on other contentious FOFA changesThe Coalition welcomes today’s back down by Financial Services Minister Bill Shorten on the commencement date of his Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) changes. (more...)

11/03/2012 - Wayne Swan Must Explain Mining TaxWayne Swan is failing to tell the Australian public the real story about his flawed Minerals Resource Rent Tax. (more...)

7/03/2012 - Shorten must act on better Super Governance and Transparency nowThe Coalition welcomes today’s announcement by the Financial Services Council of new mandatory benchmarks for transparency and corporate governance in superannuation for its member companies. (more...)

2/03/2012 - Bradbury should get a ‘No More Labor Tax Hikes’ TattooThe new Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury should get a tattoo pledging no more tax increases under Labor. (more...)

17/02/2012 - Productivity Commission approach to default super inquiry welcomedThe Coalition welcomes statements by Productivity Commission Chairman Gary Banks that the Commission will consider all relevant issues during its inquiry into default superannuation and not feel constrained by the government's terms of reference. (more...)

13/02/2012 - Labor’s mining tax con The Treasurer’s admission today that his own Mining Tax could be 'adjusted' depending upon 'variable factors’ is a clear Labor plan to increase either the rate or the scope of their mining tax to meet their ever increasing expenditure bill. (more...)

12/12/2011 - Shorten rewarded despite year of failureBill Shorten has been rewarded despite a track record of failure and indecision in the financial services and superannuation portfolio over the past year and a bit. (more...)

Australians saving for their retirement will pay for Labor’s waste and mismanagement over the past four years with a cut in superannuation co-contribution payments and yet another effective reduction in concessional contributions caps. (more...)

Greens Leader Bob Brown should join the Coalition to help force the government to come clean about its secret mining tax revenue assumptions and the cost of all the promises attached to its mining tax. (more...)

Gillard government secrecy in relation to its mining tax revenue assumptions and the cost of all the related measures must end, Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann has said. (more...)

3/11/2011 - Is Bill Shorten dishonest or just incompetent?Yesterday Bill Shorten misled Parliament when he said that his Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment Bill 2011 abolishes the superannuation guarantee age limit.(more...)

The Gillard government has run out of excuses on why it will not release all of the economic modelling of the carbon tax so it can be subjected to proper independent scrutiny.(more...)

13/10/2011 - Why does Bill Shorten still not act on Ripoll Inquiry recommendations?If the Prime Minister wanted to make some progress on financial services reform any time soon, she would replace Bill Shorten with Bernie Ripoll as Minister for Financial Services.(more...)

21/09/2011 - Shorten super changes fall shortThe Coalition welcomes the announcement of the government’s proposed changes to superannuation, but is disappointed that important recommendations to improve competitiveness and corporate governance in super have been ignored.(more...)

19/09/2011 - Mining tax worse with every draftWith every new draft Labor’s mining tax is becoming more complex and less fair Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said today.(more...)

03/08/11 - Shorten ban of risk commissions short livedThe Coalition has welcomed Bill Shorten's decision to drop his ill considered proposal to ban commissions on risk insurance inside superannuation. ‬ (more...)18/07/11 - Carbon tax will hurt Western Australian manufacturingManufacturing businesses across Western Australia will be worse off under the Labor-Green carbon tax Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said on a visit to the Pacific Industrial Company on the Kwinana industrial strip. ‬ (more...)12/07/11 - Carbon tax will hurt Tasmanian manufacturingManufacturing businesses across Tasmania will be worse off under the Labor-Green carbon tax Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said on a visit to Rio Tinto Alcan in Bell Bay today. ‬ (more...)11/07/11 - Carbon Tax a massive hit on Tasmanian small businessTasmania’s 36,000+ small and medium businesses will be severely impacted without any compensation by the Labor-Green Carbon Tax, Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said today. ‬ (more...)29/06/11 - Labor's Mining Tax a fiscal train wreck in the making Recurrent costs of commitments linked to Labor's complex, unfair and ill-conceived mining tax are set to create a giant $19 billion black hole in the federal budget over the next decade, Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said. ‬ (more...)22/06/11 - Shorten's increase in compulsory super will cut take home payBill Shorten's latest statement on superannuation includes no new information and has again failed to make the policy case for Labor's proposed increase in compulsory super from 9 to 12 percent. ‬ (more...)17/06/11 - Over 99% of business reject Labor's failed clearing houseOver 99% of Australian businesses have rejected Labor's failed Medicare Superannuation Clearing House which costs Australian Taxpayers $177 for every single transaction processed. ‬ (more...)17/06/11 - Shorten wrong on compulsory superShadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann have rejected as desperate and dishonest assertions made by Bill Shorten that the Coalition was divided about Labor plans to increase compulsory super. ‬ (more...)10/06/11 - Shorten should act now to ensure default super competitionMore Australians will end up in underperforming superannuation funds as a result of Bill Shorten's decision to delay any action to remove current anti-competitive arrangements in the selection of default funds under Modern Awards until next year. ‬ (more...)9/06/11 - Shorten to blame for workers super lossesWorking families losing money because they are channelled into underperforming super funds by Fair Work Australia can blame Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten. ‬ (more...)1/06/11 - Swan appointments breach Merit and Transparency GuidelinesWayne Swan has been caught out breaching his own government’s guidelines designed to ensure ‘transparent and merit based selection’ when appointing the new Chairs of ASIC and the ACCC. ‬ (more...)28/05/11 - Gillard and Swan must abandon the mining taxThe Gillard Government this week sought to blame a $2 billion hole in its Budget on a decision by the WA Government to remove a royalty concession on iron ore fines. The reality is that Treasurer Wayne Swan has only got himself to blame. ‬ (more...)27/05/11 - Shorten must clarify commissions banBill Shorten must stop making policy on the run and clarify exactly how commissions on risk products inside superannuation will be treated as part of his latest version of FoFA proposals.‬ (more...)27/05/11 - Members should have a say in Super Fund mergersThe collapse of the proposed $9 billion merger between Vision Super and Equipsuper highlights the inadequate framework within which super fund trustees currently make decisions about fund mergers. (more...)

26/05/11 - Coalition welcomes Oakeshott opposition to FOFA Opt-InThe Coalition welcomes recent comments by Independent MP Rob Oakeshott that he does not support Labor’s proposed Opt-In provisions. (more...)

Wayne Swan knew of WA's plans to increase royalties on iron ore fines well before he advised the Prime Minister to sign the MRRT deal with the three big miners. (more...)

Wayne Swan has only got himself to blame for the $2 billion black hole in his Budget as a result of WA's decision to increase iron ore royalties. (more...)

Another hole has appeared in the federal Budget today making it even less likely that Wayne Swan will achieve a surplus in 2012-13. (more...)

In this Budget Labor has continued to ignore its own pre-election policy and a Senate motion to bring more transparency and competition into the default superannuation fund market. (more...)

Labor has finally answered the Coalition’s call to stop savers from being inappropriately hit by punitive additional tax penalties on their superannuation contributions. (more...)

Investors who receive financial advice will face more red tape, increased costs and reduced choice if Labor's latest version of Future of Financial Advice proposals passed the Parliament in full. (more...)

20/4/2011 - WA Unions must join fight against carbon taxWA unions must stand up for jobs in Western Australia and join the fight against Labor's job destroying carbon tax.19/4/2011 - Gillard hiding Carbon Tax detail to avoid Estimates scrutinyg the release of her carbon tax design and costings until after the Budget to avoid the scrutiny of Senate Estimates during two weeks of hearings scheduled for late May 2011. (more...)15/4/2011 - When will Shorten start making decisions?Bill Shorten’s release of the Privilege in relation to tax advice discussion paper confirms that he is the Minister for Reviews and Discussion Papers and the Minister for Not Making Decisions.(more...)15/4/2011 - Shorten must fix super complaints processing timesDelays of over 300 days in finalising complaints in the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal are causing significant inconvenience to consumers and undermining confidence in Australia’s superannuation system.(more...)15/4/2011 - Goverment must model Carbon Tax impact on jobsPaul Howes and the AWU must insist the Gillard government conduct proper modelling of the impact of its carbon tax on jobs this time.(more...)13/4/2011 - Compensation gap highlights importance of good adviceThe lack of compensation for members in self-managed superannuation funds in the wake of the Trio Capital collapse demonstrates the importance of people understanding all the risks associated with their superannuation investments.(more...)

5/4/2011 - Common definition of flood long overdueThe Coalition supports efforts to develop a single, standard definition for floods across the entire country and across every insurance company as the best way forward. (more...)29/3/2011 - Please explain Prime MinisterDuring her visit to Perth Julia Gillard must explain why she continues to use WA as a cash cow for Labor's wasteful spending out of Canberra. (more...)24/3/2011 - Mining Tax still a bad tax - It should be scrappedThe mining tax remains a bad tax, which makes our tax system more complex, less fair and it should be scrapped Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said today. (more...)

20/3/2011 - Labor wants more taxes not tax reformLabor never intended to keep its promise to hold a Tax Summit by 30 June 2011 Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said. (more...)

4/3/2011 - Shorten asleep at the wheel as Australians overtaxed on superThe number of Australians hit with additional tax on their super contributions has more than doubled in the wake of Labor's broken promise not to change superannuation laws. (more...)

24/2/2011 - Ken Henry Confirms Mining Tax a National Tax on WAMore than 80 per cent of Gillard mining tax revenue will come out of WA over the current forward estimates according to evidence by Treasury Secretary Ken Henry at Senate Estimates today. (more...)

24/2/2011 - No Tax Summit by 30 June 2011: HenryContrary to promises Labor made to key Independents to gain support for its minority government, there will be no Tax Summit by 30 June 2011.(more...)

18/2/2011 - Gillard mining tax a massive tax on WASecret Treasury modelling which has finally been released under Freedom of Information legislation reveals that the Gillard mining tax is a massive tax on Western Australia. (more...)

16/2/2011 - Scrap the Mining Tax JuliaJulia Gillard should cut her losses and scrap the mining tax now Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said. (more...)

Working families across Australia will be worse off as a result of Bill Shorten's obsession with putting the vested interests of the union movement ahead of the public interest. (more...)

There is confusion at the highest levels of government about who is responsible for the delivery of the Tax Summit and what it will involve, Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann said. (more...)

Labor's proposed mining tax is in such a mess that Wayne Swan is doing everything he can to stop further embarrassing details getting out. (more...)

The Coalition will support any changes making our superannuation system more efficient, transparent and competitive and which deliver better value to superannuants across Australia. (more...)

In an incredible display of incompetence Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten is creating unnecessary uncertainty for Australian consumers and businesses in the lead-up to Christmas. (more...)

Wayne Swan is so desperate to get his hands on $50 billion of State GST that he can't be bothered doing the most basic homework first. (more...)

The Coalition will not support Labor plans to breach the 1999 GST Agreement. (more...)

The Gillard government has failed to stop Senate moves to bring transparency and competition into the default superannuation fund market.. (more...)

Superannuation Minister Bill Shorten should support moves in the Senate to introduce competition between superannuation funds selected as default funds under modern awards. (more...)

The government has again refused to release information about its $10.5 billion mining tax ignoring demands from the Senate made now for more than a month. (more...)

Supernnuation Minister Bill Shorten needs to put his union bias to one side and start acting in the public interest on superannuation. (more...)

The Gillard government has again been ordered by the Senate to release information about its $10.5 billion mining tax, which so far has been kept secret. (more...)

Bill Shorten's first statement as the new Minister for Superannuation is short on detail and does not contain any new information. (more...)

Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten must explain why he has rejected Henry Review recommendations
on super before pressing ahead with what is effectively a 3% pay cut for working families. (more...)

Wayne Swan's efforts to keep mining tax information secret prove the Gillard government has something to hide. (more...)

Julia Gillard's claim of a new era of openness and transparency is in absolute tatters today. (more...)

The Gillard government has been ordered by the Senate to release detailed information about its $10.5 billion mining tax which it has so far tried to keep secret. (more...)

The Gillard government’s addiction to spending threatens to impose a raft of damaging taxes on the Australian people. (more...)

The Gillard government has been ordered by the Senate to release important information about the Henry Tax Review’s recommendations on superannuation. (more...)

Despite billions of dollars wasted on Labor Party spending sprees, youth unemployment continued to go up even when overall unemployment levels started to come down. (more...)

Regardless of recent changes, the Gillard government's new tax on mining remains a threat to the Western Australian economy and jobs. (more...)

Regardless of recent changes, the Gillard government's new tax on mining remains a threat to our economy and jobs, especially in Western Australia and Queensland. (more...)

No amount of slogans and catchy names can hide Labor’s failure when it comes to technical education and training over the past three years. (more...)

If Julia Gillard had nothing to hide about her new tax on mining she would allow Treasury Secretary Ken Henry to answer all the outstanding questions about her tax tomorrow. (more...)

WA Liberal Senator Mathias Cormann has accused Julia Gillard of using Western Australia as a cash cow to fund Labor's reckless spending in Canberra. (more...)

The Senate Fuel and Energy Committee will reconvene next Tuesday and has recalled Dr Henry to appear and answer questions about the government's mining tax deal. (more...)

At a hearing of the Fuel and Energy Committee this morning Treasury confirmed that the impact on jobs and investment in the mining industry would be worse under the deal negotiated by Julia Gillard than under the RSPT. (more...)

The Coalition welcomes the government’s back-down from its decision to scrap face-to-face interviews between job seekers and Centrelink. “This latest back-down is most welcome, because regular quality contact between job seekers and Centrelink is important,” Shadow Minister for Employment (more...)