Labor Insider Spills Secrets + Australia's Biggest Tax Bludgers + Punters Political Dinner
Labor Insider Spills Secrets
THE TLDR: An insider, known as 'Punter D', who previously worked for a federal MP, alleges that political parties use legal loopholes to facilitate a "cash for access" system with corporate donors. He provides a detailed example of a $3,000-a-head fundraiser for a Defense Industry Minister that was converted into a private, one-on-one meeting in Parliament House when the event was postponed, a move that would breach the ministerial code of conduct if organized by the minister's own staff. The discussion highlights the weak protections for whistleblowers and the ineffectiveness of politicians policing their own conduct through internal committees.
KEY FACTS:
1️⃣ Parties exploit loopholes for donor access, such as using backbenchers' staff to arrange ministerial meetings for donors, circumventing rules that forbid ministers from directly trading access for cash.
2️⃣ Enforcement is weak and self-regulated, with breaches of conduct facing minimal penalties from committees of politicians, while whistleblowers are offered NDAs they cannot keep.
3️⃣ Lobbyists broker access across party lines, with former ministers like Christopher Pyne sponsoring fundraisers for opposing parties to secure VIP access for their corporate clients.
Delve deeper with our Punter Citations:
Transparency International - Electoral reform deal risks being a gift to major parties
ABC - The secret donors behind the millions in 'dark money' fuelling WA politics
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I Asked Government Insiders to NAME Australia's Biggest Tax Bludgers
THE TLDR: Konrad went into Parliament House to ask policy experts and politicians one question: who are Australia's biggest tax bludgers? He found out our system is rigged against people like us - young workers with a salary and a HECS debt - while the ultra-wealthy and massive corporations get away with paying little to nothing.
KEY FACTS:
1️⃣ Konrad was told the biggest "bludgers" are the ultra-wealthy and multinationals. Experts named names like Exxon and Impex, and explained how people living off passive income from shares or the tax-free capital gains from multi-million dollar homes pay a lower rate than we do on our paycheques.
2️⃣ The workers are getting stiffed. They pointed directly at young, salaried employees as the ones carrying the tax burden, paying for benefits for asset-rich retirees while we can't even afford to buy a house.
3️⃣ We've had the solutions for over a decade, but nothing's been done. The Ken Henry review laid out a blueprint for a fairer system 14 years ago, but almost all of its 138 recommendations were ignored or repealed, showing that the political will to fix this simply doesn't exist.
Delve deeper with our Punter Citations:
ABC - Australia's tax system is worse than it was 15 years ago, and young people are paying the price, Ken Henry says
The Sydney Morning Herald - ‘Wilful act of bastardry’: Henry condemns tax system for crushing young Australians
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