Latest news with #MoniqueRyan
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Secret figures show Liberal party's ageing membership in freefall in NSW and Victoria
The Liberal party's ageing membership is in freefall in Australia's two most populous states, according to multiple party sources, with one claiming their branch's biggest expense in recent years has become 'funeral wreaths'. The Liberals were decimated in major cities at the federal election, losing the Victorian seats of Menzies and Deakin as well as Banks and Hughes in Sydney and possibly Bradfield, where the electoral commission is conducting a recount. The story in the other capitals was no better. Party membership numbers are closely guarded by office bearers, but Guardian Australia has spoken to several party sources in both New South Wales and Victoria, who were willing to disclosure figures on the condition they were not named. In Victoria, three sources said membership numbers were between 9,000 and 10,000, with the majority based in the federal electorates of Kooyong, held by teal independent Monique Ryan, and Goldstein, which will likely be won by Liberal Tim Wilson. A former member of the Victorian Liberal executive said the division had about 15,000 members close to 20 years ago. The party has since shed members, according to the source, and the average age of those who remain has climbed to 68. 'One of the biggest expenses we used to have [at our local branch] was on funeral wreaths,' they said. 'We'd be down at the florist every week handing over $70.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Both state divisions are urging members to renew their annual memberships after a bruising federal election loss. One Victorian source said as of mid-May, about 30% of members had not renewed. In NSW, one Liberal source said party membership dipped below 10,000 after the state election loss in March 2023, before climbing to close to 12,000 by the end of the year. Another source said the current numbers were somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000. Earlier this month, NSW Liberal officials confirmed about 5,000 people had allowed their membership to lapse in recent years. In an opinion piece in the Australian Financial Review, they blamed the decline on factional fighting in branches. 'Our membership has declined by more than 1,000 in just a year, many branches refuse to support in any way their sitting MP not of their faction and we have lost successive state and federal elections,' three senior party elders wrote. Slightly more than 600 applicants have been refused membership, according to the party officials, due to concerns they may impact the power balance within branches. The NSW Liberal party's annual disclosures to the state electoral commission also show a significant drop in revenue from members. In 2018-19, the party generated $1.38m from 'paid individuals' who had either a membership, an affiliation or a party subscription. That figure dropped to $836,770 last financial year, according to disclosures. 'We need to actively go out and seek people and build personal relationships with them in an organisation that isn't transactional, but transformational,' said one NSW Liberal source. 'It's not about getting people to door knock or donate, it's about working together to help change government policy.' Several Liberal sources in both states, including federal MPs, have complained about losing volunteers and donors to third-party groups, such as Advance Australia. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion In Victoria, Advance's federal election campaign was bankrolled by a $500,000 donation from the state branch's nominated entity, the Cormack Foundation. When contacted for a response to these concerns earlier this month, Advance's executive director, Matthew Sheahan, accused 'bed-wetting anonymous Liberals' of 'looking to blame everyone but themselves'. One former Liberal, who is now involved in political campaigns for third-party groups, said they used to direct members from seats such as Goldstein and Kooyong to other electorates in Victoria. But since the rise of teal independents, they were now required in their own seats. They said as a result, the party had become increasingly dependent on 'non-cause actors', who are not party members, to support them at other, marginal polling booths. They referred to reports that members of the Exclusive Brethren religious sect were handed out how-to-vote cards before the 3 May poll, despite the church barring followers from voting. 'Labor has the labour movement, the Greens the environment, Nationals the country,' the source said. 'The Liberals aren't a movement. Maybe, back in the day, they were an anti-communist movement but there are no communists in Labor any more.' One Victorian Liberal MP downplayed the drop in numbers and said a decline in volunteers was common across almost all community groups – not just political organisations. They said the cost of living had contributed to a 'slight decline' in membership. Sussan Ley, on being elected as leader, pledged to rebuild the party in major cities and appeal to a broader subsection of Australian society. 'If we stay focused, our political movement has the foundations to rebuild and once again guide Australians toward a better future,' Ley said earlier this month. 'That starts with accepting the fact that Australians sent a clear message at the election. We must listen, change and develop a fresh approach.' With additional reporting by Anne Davies
News.com.au
4 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Randwick Council votes to consider ban on election corflutes on power poles
A local Sydney council has voted to consider a total ban on election corflutes on all public infrastructure, citing 'visual pollution' and a perceived 'impost on campaigns' for the move. Randwick Council voted 9-5 on Tuesday night to pass a motion from Greens councillor Masmoomeh Asgari for council staff to report on reducing election waste material and banning corflutes on council property, including parking poles. 'In the past three years we have had two federal elections, a state election and a local government election and in each case large amounts of waste have been produced in the form of corflutes and paper (how-to-votes and flyers) in order to inform voters about candidates, their policies and how they should vote,' the motion states. 'Corflute waste is a particular issue in Randwick. Ausgrid have banned them on telegraph poles, so the main display structures are council's parking poles and the like. 'This annoys residents due to the visual pollution, the inconvenience of placement and the litter, including from plastic ties. 'Informing voters is essential in a democracy but it's time to investigate how this can be done with less waste.' The potential ban follows a burst of corflute controversy in the May 3 federal election, including furious debate over where exactly corflutes are permitted. Footage of federal independent MP Monique Ryan's husband Peter Jordan pulling down a corflute of Liberal challenger Amelia Hamer went viral on social media during the heated Kooyong contest in Melbourne. The footage shows Mr Jordan walking away with the Hamer placard, with a Liberal Party supporter pursuing him. Mr Jordan claims the sign had been illegally placed on public land. 'I'm taking the sign down … it's on public land … I'm not saying who I am,' Mr Jordan says in the video. Responding to the kerfuffle, the Australian Electoral Commission said it did not regulate the placement of political signage. 'Signage on public land is generally a matter for local council,' the AEC said. Later, Mr Jordan apologised for the blow up. 'I unreservedly apologise for removing the sign. It was a mistake,' he said. 'I believed the sign was illegally placed, but I should have reported my concerns to council.' South Australia, meanwhile, has banned corflutes from public roads, trees and poles in state and federal elections. Randwick, which takes in Sydney's eastern beach suburbs, sits within the federal electorates of Wentworth and Kingsford Smith. Liberal councillor Christie Hamilton voted against the motion on Tuesday night, telling NewsWire candidate posters served an important democratic function. 'I don't think we should ban them everywhere,' she said. 'They trigger for people that there is an election coming. It is up to the parties and candidates to do all they can do to put their candidates out there and it needs to be visual. 'It can't just be words on a page, they need to see who the person is. And if they see them on the street, they can come up and talk to them. 'It's part of the democratic process.' Ms Hamilton said Ms Asgari's motion had come about because of Greens anger over their corflutes being taken down during campaigns. 'Everyone gets their corflutes taken down,' she said. '(Liberal Wentworth candidate) Ro Knox had her corflutes taken down. There's nothing you can do about it. 'She (Ro Knox) put up funny stickers saying, 'please don't steal my corflutes'. You try to combat it with a bit of humour.' A report on the motion is expected within six months and Ms Hamilton said that vote on the report's recommendation would be the crucial one to watch for. 'When it comes back with the recommendation, that's when the real fight will start,' she said. 'I don't think Labor (councillors) will do it.'
The Age
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
What you need to know about Labor's new super tax
Currently, earnings from super in the accumulation phase (the time when people are still working and contributing to their balance) are taxed at a discounted rate of up to 15 per cent. This will be unchanged for superannuation accounts with balances of less than $3 million. But people with superannuation funds of more than $3 million will face an additional 15 per cent tax on any investment returns (including interest, dividends or capital gains) they earn on the amount above this threshold. For example, someone with a $3.5 million super balance will continue to be taxed the discounted rate of 15 per cent on everything they earn on the first $3 million of their balance. Investment returns on the additional $500,000 will be taxed at 30 per cent. What are unrealised gains? A controversial element of Labor's tax reform is that the super tax would also apply to 'unrealised gains', which refers to the growth in the value of an asset or investment that an investor holds but hasn't yet cashed in. Loading For example, an investor could hold property or shares that increase (and decrease) in value over time. However, unless they sell these assets, any rise or fall in their value is seen as 'paper profits' because they have not yet been converted into cash and locked in. Generally, earnings are not taxed until they hit your pocket. But Labor's tax on unrealised gains would mean Australians with superannuation balances of more than $3 million – while relatively wealthy – would receive a tax bill even if they hadn't actually earned any income (potentially forcing them to sell assets to pay that bill, and reduce the total amount of money in the nation's super pool, affecting returns for all super members). If a person records an unrealised loss one year – where their super balance falls due, for example, to a market downturn – that unrealised loss will be used to offset the tax on earnings from their super balance in future years. The final tax bill is generally paid directly by your super fund to the Australian Tax Office. For self-managed super funds, the tax amount is usually paid through BPAY or using a debit or credit card. What is indexing? Indexation of the super tax – or lack thereof – is another aspect that some people have criticised. Indexing refers to the practice of increasing a threshold or entitlement to change in line with another measure such as inflation, wages or tax. In the case of the super tax, Labor has not promised to tie the threshold for the 30 per cent tax rate to changes in price growth. This is a problem because $3 million this year will not have the same purchasing power as the same amount in 20 years' time. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5 per cent, an indexed threshold would capture funds with more than $5 million in 2045. While the proposed tax only affects about one in 200 Australians now, it would apply to many more if not indexed. Independent MP Monique Ryan, for example, has criticised the lack of indexation, saying it means the tax could affect all of Gen Z by the time they turn 60. What does the treasurer say? Treasurer Jim Chalmers has stood by the new tax, first announced by Labor in early 2023. Chalmers, speaking on a podcast with Michelle Grattan this week, maintained it was a 'modest change' that still gave concessional treatment – although slightly less so – to people with large super balances. 'This will help us fund our priorities, whether it's Medicare, the tax cuts and other priorities in our budget repair,' he said, noting he had consulted widely on the changes and that the controversial inclusion of unrealised gains was 'the best, simplest way to go about it' according to advice from Treasury. Chalmers also said it was wrong to assume the $3 million threshold would never change. 'There are so many instances in the tax system where thresholds aren't indexed, and from time to time, governments take decisions to raise those thresholds,' he said. 'I'm anticipating that that's what would happen here.' Who is talking about it? Several prominent figures have chipped into the conversation around the super change: among them, former treasury secretary (and author of the Henry Tax Review) Ken Henry and former RBA governor Phil Lowe. Loading In an article in The Australian, Lowe said the change was not an example of good public policy design, saying the government should explore alternatives. In the same article, Henry said the system needed to be more equitable. 'To do that, you do not need to tax unrealised capital gains,' he said, pointing to suggestions in his more-than-decade-old review. What happens next? Chalmers told The Conversation in a podcast that he was yet to start talks with the Senate crossbench. Labor will likely need support from the Greens to get the proposal turned into law.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
What you need to know about Labor's new super tax
Currently, earnings from super in the accumulation phase (the time when people are still working and contributing to their balance) are taxed at a discounted rate of up to 15 per cent. This will be unchanged for superannuation accounts with balances of less than $3 million. But people with superannuation funds of more than $3 million will face an additional 15 per cent tax on any investment returns (including interest, dividends or capital gains) they earn on the amount above this threshold. For example, someone with a $3.5 million super balance will continue to be taxed the discounted rate of 15 per cent on everything they earn on the first $3 million of their balance. Investment returns on the additional $500,000 will be taxed at 30 per cent. What are unrealised gains? A controversial element of Labor's tax reform is that the super tax would also apply to 'unrealised gains', which refers to the growth in the value of an asset or investment that an investor holds but hasn't yet cashed in. Loading For example, an investor could hold property or shares that increase (and decrease) in value over time. However, unless they sell these assets, any rise or fall in their value is seen as 'paper profits' because they have not yet been converted into cash and locked in. Generally, earnings are not taxed until they hit your pocket. But Labor's tax on unrealised gains would mean Australians with superannuation balances of more than $3 million – while relatively wealthy – would receive a tax bill even if they hadn't actually earned any income (potentially forcing them to sell assets to pay that bill, and reduce the total amount of money in the nation's super pool, affecting returns for all super members). If a person records an unrealised loss one year – where their super balance falls due, for example, to a market downturn – that unrealised loss will be used to offset the tax on earnings from their super balance in future years. The final tax bill is generally paid directly by your super fund to the Australian Tax Office. For self-managed super funds, the tax amount is usually paid through BPAY or using a debit or credit card. What is indexing? Indexation of the super tax – or lack thereof – is another aspect that some people have criticised. Indexing refers to the practice of increasing a threshold or entitlement to change in line with another measure such as inflation, wages or tax. In the case of the super tax, Labor has not promised to tie the threshold for the 30 per cent tax rate to changes in price growth. This is a problem because $3 million this year will not have the same purchasing power as the same amount in 20 years' time. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5 per cent, an indexed threshold would capture funds with more than $5 million in 2045. While the proposed tax only affects about one in 200 Australians now, it would apply to many more if not indexed. Independent MP Monique Ryan, for example, has criticised the lack of indexation, saying it means the tax could affect all of Gen Z by the time they turn 60. What does the treasurer say? Treasurer Jim Chalmers has stood by the new tax, first announced by Labor in early 2023. Chalmers, speaking on a podcast with Michelle Grattan this week, maintained it was a 'modest change' that still gave concessional treatment – although slightly less so – to people with large super balances. 'This will help us fund our priorities, whether it's Medicare, the tax cuts and other priorities in our budget repair,' he said, noting he had consulted widely on the changes and that the controversial inclusion of unrealised gains was 'the best, simplest way to go about it' according to advice from Treasury. Chalmers also said it was wrong to assume the $3 million threshold would never change. 'There are so many instances in the tax system where thresholds aren't indexed, and from time to time, governments take decisions to raise those thresholds,' he said. 'I'm anticipating that that's what would happen here.' Who is talking about it? Several prominent figures have chipped into the conversation around the super change: among them, former treasury secretary (and author of the Henry Tax Review) Ken Henry and former RBA governor Phil Lowe. Loading In an article in The Australian, Lowe said the change was not an example of good public policy design, saying the government should explore alternatives. In the same article, Henry said the system needed to be more equitable. 'To do that, you do not need to tax unrealised capital gains,' he said, pointing to suggestions in his more-than-decade-old review. What happens next? Chalmers told The Conversation in a podcast that he was yet to start talks with the Senate crossbench. Labor will likely need support from the Greens to get the proposal turned into law.
AU Financial Review
19-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Boele pulls off miraculous comeback in tight Bradfield race
That's a wrap. Thanks for following The Australian Financial Review 's live coverage this Monday, May 19. Join us tomorrow for more coverage. Here are some of the stories we covered today: Monique Ryan demands government scrap 'harmful and unfair' super tax: The recently re-elected teal independent has joined the pile-on against Labor's plans to increase the tax on $3 million-plus superannuation accounts. Carbon offsets set aside following greenwashing lawsuit: One of Australia's largest energy firms has issued an apology to more than 400,000 customers, acknowledging that carbon offsets 'do not prevent or undo harms' caused by burning fossil fuels. PM promises more Ukrainian support in Vatican meeting: More tanks from Australia are 'on their way' to Ukraine, the prime minister has told President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Anthony Albanese was urged to apply further sanctions on Russia. Company tax cut could boost investment: Productivity Commission boss Danielle Wood says reforming the corporate tax system could stimulate business investment, which has been flatlining for 15 years. PM meets Pope, EU seeks defence pact: Anthony Albanese spoke to Pope Leo XIV about his mother after being ushered into St Peter's Basilica in Rome following the Catholic leader's inauguration mass.
