Ged Kearney Wins Batman

Labor Celebration – Ged Kearney and Bill Shorten at the Thornbury Theatre

Labor party faithful are waiting to celebrate with Ged Kearney, after she won the Batman by-election following a battle with the Greens over the federal seat.

Labor has claimed victory in the federal Melbourne seat of Batman after a tightly contested by-election battle with the Greens.

Former ACTU leader Ged Kearney emerged the winner on Saturday with 42 per cent of the primary vote, 52 per cent on a two-party basis, trumping the Greens candidate Alex Bhathal who has now lost the seat six times.

Ms Kearney, is yet to attend the Labor by-election party to make her victory speech, but Greens leader Richard Di Natale has conceded defeat.

The mood was electric at the Labor camp in Thornbury, with supporters wearing red chanting 'Ged, Ged' and 'solidarity forever' as results poured in, though the count remained neck-in-neck for some time.

Federal Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou was confident the party would retain the long-held seat, left vacant by Labor's David Feeney after he resigned amidst the citizenship saga.

She said that was largely due to Ms Kearney's work history, as a nurse and unionist, and warm character.

"I think all that made a big difference in terms of engaging people locally and perhaps getting them to refocus on Labor and a Labor agenda," the Member for Calwell told AAP.

MUA Members March On Rio Tinto Headquarters in Brisbane

Posted by Communications Team on March 16, 2018

MUA members have protested out the front of the headquarters of mining giant Rio Tinto over the company's continuing refusal to employ Australian seafarers for the vast majority of its interstate and intra-state shipping needs. 

Rio Tinto continues to mine and refine Bauxite in Queensland, however they are mostly employing foreign seafarers paid $4 an hour to transport bauxite from Weipa to Gladstone and alumina to Newcastle from Gladstone.

The MUA believes that Aussie seafarers should be employed in these jobs under decent pay and conditions.

MUA Queensland Branch Secretary Bob Carnegie read out a letter to Rio Tinto chief executive Peter Manion outlining the ways in which Rio Tinto is derelict in its duties.

• "This demonstration held today by Maritime Union of Australia Queensland Branch members and their supporters, call upon Rio Tinto to engage immediately with the Maritime Union of Australia Queensland branch and the Maritime Union of Australia National office to implement the standard of the 2010 MOU between Rio Tinto and our union, the letter says. "Australian merchant seafarers demand and expect to have the right to work in their own country, respected and acknowledged by employment on the vessels Rio Tinto owns and operates on the Australian coast. 
• "Our resolve is strong and if necessary we will engage Rio Tinto in a long tortuous public debate about how the second largest mining house in the world justifies employing foreign nationals at a pittance whilst skilled Australian merchant seafarers are forced onto the dole, selling their homes and feeling left out of this life (of which we only have one) whilst Rio Tinto pulls in $8 billion dollars in profits per year. 
• "The ball is now in Rio Tinto's court." Local media reported that Carnegie made a point of emphasising to the crowd that the MUA protest is not in any way against "people from other nations".
• "One of the things that we're most proud of in the MUA is that we're an internationalist based organisation and an injury to one worker anywhere in the world is an injury to all workers everywhere in the world,² Carnegie said.

Solidarity messages were presented by Michael Clifford from the Queensland Council of Unions and representatives of the Electrical Trades Union. Other unions present included the Queensland Teachers Union, the Rail Tram and Bus Employees Union, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the new Retail and Fast Food Workers Union.

US – Thousands of Students March to end Gun Violence

Thousands of students across the nation walked out of classrooms and into a political firestorm Wednesday, marking one month since the bloody rampage at a Florida high school shocked the world and fueled their dynamic movement demanding an end to gun violence. 

Students from about 2,800 schools marked National Walkout Day, many by leaving their classrooms at 10 a.m. to show solidarity for the 17 killed in the attack Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

In Parkland, students gathered on the football field, embraced and chanted, "MSD!" and "We want change!" Rejecting requests from administrators to return to classes, they joined students from a nearby middle school to walk 2 miles to memorials set up for the victims.

"To the parents supporting their children walking out, thank you for raising this new generation of leaders," tweeted Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kasky. "To the parents who didn’t support their children who walked out anyway, thank you for raising this new generation of leaders."

At Columbine High School south of Denver, hundreds of students solemnly filed onto the soccer field for a short rally. They released balloons to memorialize the Parkland victims, along with the 13 people killed at their own school 19 years ago. 

“We should never go to school in fear of our lives,” said sophomore Leah Zundel, 15, as her voice broke. “Enough is enough.”

ACTU demands action on Exxon’s $1.4 billion in unpaid tax

14 March 2018

The ACTU has addressed the Senate Corporate Tax Avoidance Inquiry and called for significant changes to tax law to stop the unprecedented tax avoidance being undertaken by Exxon.
Exxon’s entire business is structured to enable massive tax avoidance, which has cost at least $1.4 billion according to some estimates.

Exxon has paid no corporate tax for several years, despite making hundreds of millions of dollars in profit every year off Australian natural resources.

Quotes attributable to ACTU National Campaign Coordinator Lance McCallum:

• “In the 2015/16 financial year, Australian working people went without $13.4 billion dollars’ worth of teachers and school infrastructure, hospital beds, nurses and doctors, road building and other vital services because big companies don’t pay their fair share of tax.
• “Companies which avoid paying their full share of tax in Australia are taking money away from all working people in this country and using our infrastructure, our labour, our natural resources, to send profits overseas.
• “It’s a glaring example of how big businesses have too much power, and get to play by an entirely separate set of rules to ordinary people.
• “We need to change the rules so that companies like Exxon are held to account and has to pay its fair share.”

ACOSS – The Tax War and Essential Services

The tax cut war and why everyone must pay for essential services, including wealthy shareholders

14 March 2018

Labor’s policy on tax refunds for shareholders released on 13 March 2018 is a stark reminder that policies addressing the huge gaps in Australia’s revenue base are necessary.

Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS, says that governments’ continued provision of essential health, aged care, NDIS and other services is shaky as long as large gaps in Australia’s revenue base remain.

• “One of the gaps is the excessively generous tax breaks for wealthy retirees. Their super funds are not taxed on their income, including share dividends. Instead, in many cases, the Tax Office pays them thousands of dollars a year in tax credits on their share investments. Only 16% of people aged 64 years and over pay income tax, and many who don’t are actually very well off. This is not sustainable.
• “We have a choice. We close gaps like these in the tax system, or we charge people more for services like aged care and home care.
• “In the debate over winners and losers from Labor’s policy, some of the so-called ‘’evidence’’ will be misleading. We need proper data on who is affected. 
• “Although we’re confident the proposal will mainly affect people with substantial private wealth and, among retirees, those in the top 20 per cent by total income, we need to see a breakdown of the total income and wealth of those affected (both direct investors and those investing through super), and not just their taxable income which is often zero due to over-generous retirement tax-breaks.
• “But all of this is a distraction. We are increasingly concerned that we are entering into a pre-election  tax cut bidding war, when our priority should be to make sure we have the revenue we need to deliver essential services, including for older people. 
• “This is not the time for personal tax cuts, company tax cuts, or more tax breaks for investment. We need to be certain the budget has moved into surplus before tax cuts are delivered. We need to prepare for all the expenditure challenges governments will face into the future.
• “We need to get the budget back on a firmer footing by making sure everyone is paying their fair share for essential services. That includes reducing over-generous tax breaks for super and shares, strengthening the Medicare Levy, and closing tax shelters in capital gains tax, negative gearing and trusts.
• “The parties need to focus on how to pay the future costs of health, aged care and the NDIS while meeting urgent needs such as affordable housing, public infrastructure, and reducing the worst poverty by increasing Newstart.
• “Today’s data showing a disturbing increase to 116,000 people who are homeless in Australia is a stark reminder of who is really doing it tough and the priorities that should be set by any government committed to tackling poverty and inequality.