Latest news with #AllegraSpender
Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Calls for Labor to rethink ‘unfair' super tax
Independent MP for Wentworth Allegra Spender has urged the Albanese government to reconsider its proposed superannuation tax policy. 'This really needs to be the time that the government rethinks this, because there are three fundamental problems with this legislation,' Ms Spender told Sky News Australia. 'Firstly, the taxation of unrealised gains, it's just bad policy. It is unfair… and it really penalises, taxes people for profits they may never see. 'Secondly, the fact that it is not indexed means that even though the Treasurer may say, oh, look, it only affects 80,000 people now, well, there's evidence coming out today saying if it's not indexed, the average 22-year-old will be paying this when they retire. So this is a fundamental problem. 'Finally, the unintended consequences of this is really concerning, particularly in those sectors that need risky capital, such as startups and tech growth companies, those are the companies whose valuations go up and down the most, where the valuations, where being taxed on unrealised gains is really problematic.'
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Chalmers says Labor will push ahead with delayed super tax plan despite Spender urging rethink
Jim Chalmers says Labor will push ahead with delayed changes to tax treatment for superannuation accounts worth more than $3m, stressing the moves are modest and will apply to politicians and public servants on defined benefit schemes. Coalition MPs – including newly re-elected Victorian Liberal Tim Wilson – want the opposition to go after Labor over plans to legislate the new super tax, which would mean earnings on retirement balances worth more than $3m are taxed at 30%, rather than the current 15% rate. The plan also includes tax on unrealised gains from assets including small businesses, farms and shares held in self-managed retirement accounts. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Some within the Coalition believe the former opposition leader, Peter Dutton, should have campaigned more strongly on the plans, which Labor struggled to get through parliament before the 3 May election. Independent MP Allegra Spender on Wednesday called on the treasurer to rethink the changes, even as she conceded Labor had a mandate to press ahead. The Wentworth MP helped build opposition to the plan among crossbenchers in the last parliament, warning they would unfairly hit self-managed account holders. But Chalmers on Wednesday signalled Labor would press ahead. After 1 July, Labor will be able to pass legislation in the Senate with the support of the Greens, and will no longer require crossbench votes, including David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie. The Greens want the threshold lowered to $2m, but Chalmers ruled out that change as well. 'You read from time to time on social media that somehow politicians on the old scheme before 2004 have been exempted – that's not the case,' Chalmers said. Chalmers was referring to defined benefit rules, which are based on the formula for retirement savings, usually based on an individual's salary level at retirement, rather than contributions made throughout their working life. Public servants, politicians and judges are among defined benefit recipients. Chalmers said those individuals would be included in the changes, if they had 'very substantial balances'. 'We spent a lot of time between the announcement and the legislation, making sure that we can appropriately recognise people on defined benefits. 'These changes have been in the public domain now for more than two years, they've been in the parliament for a big slice of that. 'We've made it clear that these changes are relatively modest, but they're important in the context of the budget and defined benefit schemes have been appropriately recognised as part of our effort.' The tax changes are due to come into force from 1 July, and Labor expects the plan will raise $2.3bn for the federal budget in 2027-28, the first full year of operation. Over a decade, the taxes are expected to raise $40bn. But the complicated rules of defined benefit retirement schemes have been a challenge for the design of the laws. Wilson, who defeated teal MP Zoe Daniel to win back the Victorian seat of Goldstein, has likened the super tax plan to Labor's unpopular proposal to clawback cash refunds for franking credits, considered critical to the party's 2019 election loss under Bill Shorten.
Perth Now
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Teal independents prove they're no one-hit wonders
Independents are here to stay with teal MPs retaining their seats, largely with more support after making history at the last election. So-called "teals" Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Zali Steggall in Warringah, Sophie Scamps in Mackellar, Monique Ryan in Kooyong, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein and Kate Chaney in Curtin will return to parliament. All received swings toward them, apart from Ms Daniel, whose just over three per cent margin was whittled down 1.1 per cent by the Liberals. They could also be joined by Nicolette Boele, who is ahead with more than half the vote counted after taking a slight swing toward her in the former Liberal heartland of Bradfield in Sydney's north. Crossbench stalwarts Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines, Bob Katter and Rebekha Sharkie retained their seats. Independent candidate Jessie Price is also in the lead in the formerly safe Labor seat of Bean in Canberra, where she claimed a more than 13 per cent swing with more than 70 per cent of the vote counted. The numbers were looking positive, Ms Scamps told AAP. The Liberals took a near six per cent swing out of their primary vote in her seat on Sydney's northern beaches while Ms Scamps' primary vote stayed relatively stable on nearly 39 per cent. "I think it comes down to people seeing that I have been there working hard, doing what I said I would do," she said. "The Liberal Party threw everything at this seat but when it came down to it ... people wanted hope and positivity." Independent senator David Pocock claimed a large surge in support to take first spot on the ACT Senate ticket and win a quota in his own right. He placed ahead of Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who took the gold last time. He made history in 2022 by becoming the first independent to unseat a majority party senator in the ACT with the two seats traditionally split one apiece between Labor and the Liberals.
West Australian
03-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Teal independents prove they're no one-hit wonders
Independents are here to stay with teal MPs retaining their seats, largely with more support after making history at the last election. So-called "teals" Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Zali Steggall in Warringah, Sophie Scamps in Mackellar, Monique Ryan in Kooyong, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein and Kate Chaney in Curtin will return to parliament. All received swings toward them, apart from Ms Daniel, whose just over three per cent margin was whittled down 1.1 per cent by the Liberals. They could also be joined by Nicolette Boele, who is ahead with more than half the vote counted after taking a slight swing toward her in the former Liberal heartland of Bradfield in Sydney's north. Crossbench stalwarts Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines, Bob Katter and Rebekha Sharkie retained their seats. Independent candidate Jessie Price is also in the lead in the formerly safe Labor seat of Bean in Canberra, where she claimed a more than 13 per cent swing with more than 70 per cent of the vote counted. The numbers were looking positive, Ms Scamps told AAP. The Liberals took a near six per cent swing out of their primary vote in her seat on Sydney's northern beaches while Ms Scamps' primary vote stayed relatively stable on nearly 39 per cent. "I think it comes down to people seeing that I have been there working hard, doing what I said I would do," she said. "The Liberal Party threw everything at this seat but when it came down to it ... people wanted hope and positivity." Independent senator David Pocock claimed a large surge in support to take first spot on the ACT Senate ticket and win a quota in his own right. He placed ahead of Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who took the gold last time. He made history in 2022 by becoming the first independent to unseat a majority party senator in the ACT with the two seats traditionally split one apiece between Labor and the Liberals.
ABC News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Pamphlets attacking Allegra Spender for being 'weak' on antisemitism investigated
An unauthorised and anonymous pamphlet distributed in a Sydney electorate has accused independent MP Allegra Spender of being weak on antisemitism and attacked her stance on indefinite detention, ABC NEWS Verify can reveal. The document, which runs for more than a dozen pages and which ABC NEWS Verify has seen, also attempts to link Ms Spender to the Labor government. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has launched an urgent investigation into the distribution of about 47,000 pamphlets in the eastern Sydney electorate of Wentworth. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ms Spender said the campaign was designed to undermine her and benefit her political opponents. "This pamphlet spreads false, misleading and offensive claims about me and does so anonymously," Ms Spender said at a press conference. The leaflet criticised Ms Spender's responses to antisemitic attacks. ( Supplied ) The bottom of each page of the pamphlet reads, "Produced by the people of Wentworth for the people of Wentworth", which puts the author of the pamphlet in breach of electoral law. In Australia, political communications are required to be authorised and include the name and address of the entity and the name of the person responsible for the communication. Photo shows A designed image showing an eye, a ballot paper and ballot box, pencil and social media like, love and angry symbols. During the federal election, ABC NEWS will be shining a light on the hidden campaign, revealing how you're being targeted, why and by whom, and we need your help. "The AEC takes these matters very seriously and has worked quickly to identify and make contact [with] the entity responsible for these pamphlets," the AEC said in a statement. "The AEC investigation is ongoing and it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this stage." ABC NEWS Verify has seen the digital version of the pamphlet and understands it has also been circulating in WhatsApp groups in recent weeks. Who is behind the pamphlet? The authors of the document remain unknown, but the digital version of the pamphlet carries a clue to the company behind its printing in its filename IVE01113_Dossier 16pp Quarto 210x275_V2.indd. Photos of bundles of the pamphlet on the street show them sitting next to another bundle with the branding of printing and distribution company IVE. ABC NEWS Verify has confirmed IVE Group was the company that printed the dossier. ( IVE Group ) ABC NEWS Verify has obtained a voicemail which appears to confirm the company as the printer of the documents. In the voicemail, an employee of the company refers to the pamphlets and names another IVE employee. ABC NEWS Verify has confirmed both the person speaking and the person they named work for IVE Group. ABC NEWS Verify does not suggest the company is the author of the pamphlet, only that it printed it. The company has had links to the Liberal Party in the past. Its former executive chair, Geoff Selig, who died in 2024, was a former president of the NSW Liberal Party, while the company has previously donated to the NSW branch of the Liberal Party. ABC NEWS Verify asked the NSW Liberal Party whether it or Liberal candidate for Wentworth Ro Knox had any involvement in the production of the pamphlet. A spokesman responded that "everything we produce has our authorisation on it". "We're running a properly authorised campaign and strongly believe it's important for all election material to have the appropriate authorisation," the spokesman said in a statement. ABC NEWS Verify understands that the electoral commission has also been in contact with IVE Group as part of its investigation. IVE Group was contacted for comment. The ABC is on the hunt for any misinformation or disinformation circulating in the lead-up to the federal election. Send us a tip by filling out the form below, or if you require more secure communication, select an option from our page.
