In the News
Friday, 23 August 2013
Alex Hawke
MP, Liberal candidate for Mitchell, was delighted to join with other local
dignitaries and small business owners to welcome the “Too Big to Ignore” Small
Business campaign to Rouse Hill yesterday morning.
“It was
great to join with the NSW Business Chamber and some of the hard working locals
who work in the over 6,000 small businesses in Mitchell to discuss the
Coalition’s Plan for small business,”
“Conspicuous
by his absence was the Labor candidate for Mitchell, symbolic of how Labor is
missing in action when it comes to assisting small business. After having five
Small Business Ministers in just over 12 months, I doubt that there was much
time to formulate policy in between moving in and out of offices. ” Alex Hawke
said.
“Only the Coalition stands ready
with real solutions to put the business back into small business.”
An elected Coalition Government
will:
· abolish the Carbon Tax;
· cut $1 billion in red and green
tape costs every year;
· reduce the company tax rate by
1.5 per cent to a new rate of 28.5 per cent;
· reject Labor’s $1.8 billion FBT
hit on cars;
· undertake an independent ‘root
and branch’ review of the competition framework;
· extend unfair contract
protections for small business;
· defer, by two years, the increase
in compulsory employer-funded superannuation;
· protect the rights of independent
contractors and the self-employed;
· improve small business access to
government contracts;
· ensure government agencies pay
all small business bills within 30 days;
· provide small business with a
voice on economic bodies;
· establish a new Small Business
Ombudsman – and specifically work on improving big business ‘fair commercial
conduct’;
· work with the financial sector to
improve access to small business finance;
· refine the national Franchising
Code;
· implement our policy to Boost
Productivity and Reduce Regulation; and
· ensure small business gets a seat
at the B20 forum.
Alex Hawke
MP, Liberal candidate for Mitchell, has condemned Labor candidate for Mitchell,
Andrew Punch for an unfair and false claim about Coalition plans for the GST.
This is a
perfect example of a ‘punch below the belt’, conduct that is plainly unfair and
contrary to good sportsmanship.
All Australians
know that the Coalition has no plans to alter the GST if elected and for Mr
Punch to claim otherwise is plainly wrong, said Alex Hawke.
For Mr
Punch to list everyday items that will rise in price under a mythical GST
increase is blatant fear mongering and insulting to the residents of Mitchell.
Tony
Abbott has been absolutely clear: the GST is not going to change. Instead the Coalition has a plan to abolish
the carbon tax and reduce the cost of living.
Labor
are running a scare campaign. There will be a scare a day and a lie a day from
the Labor Party. The
Australian people should expect a lie a day from an increasingly desperate
Labor Party.
I also
plead with Mr Punch to not ‘punch below the belt’ and instead fight a fair
campaign based on fact.
Monday, 12 August 2013
Alex Hawke
MP, Liberal candidate for Mitchell, has condemned Labor candidate for Mitchell,
Andrew Punch for an unfair and false claim about Coalition plans for the GST.
“This is a
perfect example of a ‘punch below the belt’, conduct that is plainly unfair and
contrary to good sportsmanship.
“All Australians
know that the Coalition has no plans to alter the GST if elected and for Mr
Punch to claim otherwise is plainly wrong, said Alex Hawke.
“For Mr
Punch to list everyday items that will rise in price under a mythical GST
increase is blatant fear mongering and insulting to the residents of Mitchell.
“Tony
Abbott has been absolutely clear: the GST is not going to change. Instead the Coalition has a plan to abolish
the carbon tax and reduce the cost of living.
“Labor
are running a scare campaign. There will be a scare a day and a lie a day from
the Labor Party. The
Australian people should expect a lie a day from an increasingly desperate
Labor Party.
I also
plead with Mr Punch to not ‘punch below the belt’ and instead fight a fair
campaign based on fact.” concluded Alex Hawke.
At this election, the Coalition offers
strong, experienced and stable government, a stronger economy, stronger
borders, a stronger Australia and a better future – for all Australians.
Only the Coalition can form the strong,
stable government to deliver a stronger economy with more jobs, real help for
families and small business, lower taxes and secure borders.
The Coalition is ready nationally
and I am ready locally to fight an election and speak about our real solutions
plan for the future. In particular, locally I will be working for a
stronger economy focussed on reducing the substantial burdens from Government
on small and medium businesses that make up the backbone of our community.Click here to read further.
The Coalition’s Policy to
Improve the Fair Work Laws will improve the prospects of higher real wages
for Australian workers, lift standards of behaviour in trade unions, make it
easier for small business to employ people and lift Australia’s productive
capacity.
Our policy is part of the
Coalition’s Real Solutions Plan to create one million more jobs, lift real
wages and have more competitive Australian businesses.
All Australians want harmonious,
productive and smart workplaces where effort is rewarded, loyalty is encouraged
and where businesses and their employees share in the success of the
enterprise.
We want to see the take home
wages of Australian workers increase, just like they did under the last
Coalition government. From 1997 to 2007, average real wages grew by 21.5
per cent.
Under our policy, no Australian
worker will be worse off and businesses will be encouraged to grow.
The priority of our Real
Solutions Plan is to build a stronger, more productive and diverse economy that
delivers more jobs, higher wages and better services for all Australians.
That is why we can say with certainty: No Australian worker or business will go
backwards because of this policy.
This policy will, however, make
life more difficult for militant building unions and dishonest union officials
who continue to abuse their position. We make no apology for
that. Australians have seen enough from the excesses of the Health
Services Union and allegations surrounding the AWU to know something is very
wrong with the standards and culture of some important national unions. We know
that those who profit from such abuses will fight against these common sense
changes.
The Coalition’s Policy to Improve
the Fair Work Laws will:
· Keep
and improve the Fair Work laws – including the independent umpire
· Re-establish
the Australian Building and Construction Commission
· Provide
better protection for members of Registered Organisations
· Provide
practical help to small business workplaces
· Guarantee
workers the right to access fair flexibility
· Create
realistic timeframes for Greenfield agreements
· Ensure
union right of entry provisions are sensible and fair
· Promote
harmonious, sensible and productive enterprise bargaining
· Ensure
the laws work for everyone and an independent review by the respected
Productivity Commission will be undertaken
· Deliver
a genuine paid parental leave scheme and lift female participation rates in
Australian workplaces
· Ensure
workplace bullying is comprehensively addressed
· Urgently
review the Remuneration Tribunal for the trucking industry
· Implement
many recommendations from the Fair Work Review Panel report
· Give
underpaid workers a better deal.
Our policy will not
re-introduce Australian Workplace Agreements, nor will it weaken safety nets or
cause any Australian worker to go backwards. There won’t be another WorkChoices
– it is dead, buried and cremated. The past is the past and we will not
go back to it.
Our policy seeks to improve the
current Fair Work laws by providing common sense solutions to practical
problems such as ensuring right of entry provisions are sensible and not
abused, providing practical help to small businesses within the Office of the
Fair Work Ombudsman and tackling lawlessness on building sites and construction
projects by re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
These sensible and common sense
measures will address the flexibility, militancy and productivity problems that
exist within the operation of the current system. Our changes are about
helping our workplace relations system work better.
Unlike Labor, who say one thing
before an election and do another thing after it, we will keep our word.
We will not deliver less than our policy and we will go no further. If
elected, these are the only changes that an incoming government will make in a
first term.
The centrepiece of our economic
agenda is to create one million new jobs within five years and two million jobs
within ten years. We will achieve this aim through dynamic, harmonious
and productive workplaces where employers and employees share the benefits of
growth.
It is through our commitment to
deliver stronger workplaces, lower taxes and more efficient government that the
next Coalition government will deliver a strong, prosperous economy and a safe,
secure Australia.