PRACTICAL POLICIES THAT PUT PEOPLE FIRST

PRACTICAL POLICIES THAT PUT PEOPLE FIRST 1

2 50 PRACTICAL POLICIES THAT PUT PEOPLE FIRST

MESSAGE FROM BILL I m proud to lead a party that has put forward more practical policies than any Opposition in a generation. And the 50 practical policies in this booklet put people first. Our investment in education will be the key driver of economic growth. I don t know any parent who doesn t want Australian schools to be the best in the world. What should get you into university is hard work and deep thinking, not deep pockets. Of course, not every kid chooses to go to uni, that s why we re backing TAFE. Just talk won t help innovation. What we need are practical policies that give Australians the skills and tools for the future. The key to tackling climate change is to drastically increase our investment in renewable energy like solar. Penalty rates are not a luxury, they are what put food on the table and petrol in the car for millions of Australian families. I believe all Australians should be able to get the healthcare when and where they need it. That is what will drive Labor s health policies. The problem with Mr Turnbull s 15% GST is it will increase the cost of everything for families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water. Bill Shorten 3

4 INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION IS THE KEY DRIVER OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

AUSTRALIAN PARENTS WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD AND SO DOES LABOR. CODING IN SCHOOLS A Shorten Labor Government will ensure that computer programming and digital technologies coding is taught in every primary and secondary school in Australia. Coding is the literacy of the 21st Century and every young Australian should be able to read and write the global language of the digital age. Elevate technology to the status of literacy and numeracy in the Australian Curriculum so it is taught from the beginning of formal learning. Establish a National Coding In Schools (NCIS) centre linking industry and experts to develop materials and content so that all teachers in Australia have the opportunity to develop their skills and teach code. GIRLS WHO CODE A Shorten Labor Government will invest in a targeted grants program to promote, encourage and inspire more girls to learn to code. Only 1 in 5 tech entrepreneurs in Australia are women and the number of young women starting IT courses at university is falling. Leaving women out of technology will cut in half our chance of succeeding as a nation in seizing the job opportunities of the digital economy. 5

TEACH STEM 75 per cent of the fastest growing jobs require skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). But 60 per cent of IT teachers and 40 per cent of general science and maths teachers teaching years 7-10 classes do not have a tertiary qualification in that area. A Shorten Labor Government will upskill current teachers as an urgent priority, and create a pipeline of future STEM qualified teachers. Upskill 25,000 existing primary and secondary school teachers through professional development grants in STEM with coding to be a key focus. 25,000 teaching scholarships to new and recent graduates of STEM degrees to encourage them to go on and teach. STEM GRADUATES A Shorten Labor Government will give the next generation of Australians the incentive to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). STEM occupations are projected to grow at almost twice the pace of other occupations. Labor will give 100,000 students studying STEM degrees the opportunity to graduate debt free. This will deliver significant public benefit, growing Australia s STEM capacity which will drive the jobs of the future. The selection criteria will target increasing enrolments in underrepresented groups like women. 6

POWERING INNOVATION A Shorten Labor Government will drive innovation throughout the nation and ensure our economy and all Australians benefit. Accelerate innovation in our regions through Regional Innovation Hubs. Improve Startup Capital through a suite of tax incentives. Reform innovation architecture through Innovate Australia. Back our best and brightest overseas through Landing Pads for Australian innovators. NATIONAL INFORMATION POLICY Labor is proposing a National Information Policy to ensure Australia seizes the big data opportunities of the digital age, including the jobs of the future. 7

HIGHER EDUCATION What should get you into uni is hard work and deep thinking not deep pockets. Labor s practical policies for universities will deliver more graduates, not $100,000 degrees. In the future, two in every three jobs in Australia will require a university degree. Labor will invest in every student to ensure they graduate with the skills and knowledge they need for the future and Increase the number of students completing their study by 20,000 graduates a year by 2020. Introduce a new Student Funding Guarantee to remove the need for higher fees and provide certainty for universities. Deliver more information to parents and students so they can make good decisions early through innovative digital technology. Invest $31 million to boost the quality of teaching and resources in our universities. Establish an independent Higher Education Productivity and Performance Commission to ensure graduates meet the needs of the future economy. 8

TAFE Not every kid chooses to go to uni. A Shorten Labor Government will guarantee TAFE funding because we understand the role of TAFE for apprentices, and mature aged workers looking to re-skill, in our cities and in our regions. Labor will work with the states and territories to continue to refine the contestability of VET funding so that we get the balance right between TAFE and private providers. RESEARCH & INNOVATION A Shorten Labor Government in partnership with universities, industry and the community, will commit to a national research and development investment target of 3 per cent of GDP, to put Australia in the top 10 nations for research and development by 2030. 9

STARTUPS A Shorten Labor Government will invest in important reforms to drive a new generation of jobs. The majority of jobs to be created over the next decade and beyond will be in companies that don t exist today. But Australia currently has one of the lowest rates of startup formation in the world. A Shorten Labor Government will create a Startup Year at universities so students can develop their idea, get business know-how and connect with finance. To tackle the crippling digital skills shortages confronting the country, Labor commits to the development of a National Digital Workforce Plan. We will create two new visa classes to attract the best global entrepreneurial talent to help build Australia s growing startup ecosystem. Labor will create a new challenge platform for government to engage our best and brightest minds in solving public policy problems based on the US Government s Challenge.gov Labor will establish an Innovation Investment Partnership to identify and overcome barriers to investment in Australian-based VC funds from our $2 trillion super industry. Labor will support collaboration with small businesses and startups to give them a foot in the door on Government tenders. Working with the finance industry to establish Startup Finance, a partial loan guarantee scheme, to give microbusinesses the capital they need to grow. Labor will also establish a $500m Smart Investment Fund for early-stage & growth businesses to expand into new markets and opportunities. 10

A FAIRER TAX SYSTEM NOT A HIGHER GST 11

THE PROBLEM WITH MR TURNBULL S PLAN FOR 15% GST IS IT WILL INCREASE THE COST OF EVERYTHING FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO KEEP THEIR HEAD ABOVE WATER. MULTINATIONAL TAX A Shorten Labor Government will ensure big multinationals pay their fair share of tax in Australia. Tax deductions will be based on a company s entire global operations, not just what they do in Australia. Tax laws in Australia will be standardised with other countries so big multinationals can t double dip. Pursue multinational profit shifting with funding for an effective ATO. SUPERANNUATION A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia s world class superannuation system is sustainable and fair. Superannuation tax concessions are on track to cost the Budget more than the age pension, and yet 38 per cent of all superannuation tax concessions go to the top 10 per cent of income earners. Labor will cut tax concessions for millionaires because superannuation was never supposed to be a tax haven for the wealthy. For accounts that earn over $75,000 interest a year, which is currently tax free, a concessional 15 per cent tax will apply. Labor has also lowered the High Income Superannuation Contribution from $300,000 to $250,000. 12

50 PRACTICAL POLICIES THAT PUT PEOPLE FIRST 1. $70m in Frontline Family Violence services 2. National Crisis Summit on Family Violence 3. Family & Domestic Violence Leave 4. Fair Share of Multinational Tax 5. Fair & Sustainable Super Plan 6. Cease Emissions Reduction Fund 7. Climate Change Action Plan for Net Zero Pollution by 2050 8. 50% Renewable Energy by 2030 9. Independent $10bn Infrastructure Australia 10. 10 priority national infrastructure projects 11. Coding in the Australian Curriculum & National Coding In Schools centre 12. Girls Into Code 13. STEM skills for 25,000 current teachers 14. STEM Scholarships for 25,000 new teachers 15. 100,000 STEM Graduates debt free 16. TAFE Funding Guarantee 17. Higher Education Student Funding Guarantee 18. 3% GDP investment target for R&D 19. Startup Year 20. National Digital Workforce Plan 21. Entrepreneurs and Innovators visas 22. Innovation Investment Partnership 23. Regional Innovation Hubs 24. Innovate Australia 13

25. Australian Angel Investment Scheme & reforms to Early Stage VC Limited Partnerships 26. $500m Smart Investment Fund 27. Challenge Platforms & supporting startups and SMEs in government tenders 28. Landing Pads to take Australian ideas global 29. S-Corps: Small Business Simplification 30. National Information Policy 31. Startup Finance 32. Sharing Economy Principles 33. Future Submarines & Future Frigates Plan 34. Youth Jobs Connect 35. Townsville Stadium 36. Compassionate & Humane Asylum Seeker Policy 37. Tobacco Excise Increase 38. Regional Approach to Mental Health 39. 50% Reduction in Suicides 40. Safe & Legal Medicinal Cannabis 41. National Redress Scheme 42. Community Sector Partnerships 43. Stronger Union Governance 44. Disability Advocates 45. Empowering Young Australians 46. Justice Targets to Close the Gap 47. Empowering Indigenous girls 48. Supporting Australia s NGOs in aid programs 49. Plan for an Australian Republic 50. Marriage Equality 14

JOBS FOR TODAY, JOBS FOR TOMORROW 15 15

TOWNSVILLE STADIUM A Shorten Labor Government will contribute $100 million to build a new Townsville Stadium to support over 700 jobs in the region. CLIMATE CHANGE The key to tackling climate change is to drastically increase our investment in renewable energy like solar. A Shorten Labor Government will ensure 50 per cent of Australia s energy is generated by renewable sources by 2030. To limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, Australia needs to be a net zero pollution economy by 2050. To achieve this 2050 target, Labor will consult on the Climate Change Authority s recommended 2030 baseline target of a 45 per cent reduction in pollution on 2005 levels. Labor will meet these targets by a combination of policies that will be carefully calibrated and responsive to economic circumstances including: An internationally linked Emissions Trading Scheme An Electricity Modernisation Plan to assist companies, workers and communities transition Energy productivity initiatives such as better building standards and vehicle emissions standards Addressing land-clearing and supporting the land sector A Shorten Labor Government will implement a five yearly pledge and review mechanism to assess progress and to adjust commitments over time. 16

INFRASTRUCTURE A Shorten Labor Government will transform the way infrastructure is funded in Australia. Labor will elevate Infrastructure Australia to an active participant in the infrastructure market through a new $10 billion financing fund to mobilise private sector finance like superannuation and help deliver the productivity enhancing infrastructure our economy needs. Like the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Labor will unlock tens of billions in capital investment for key projects in each state and territory and create tens of thousands of jobs in our cities and regions. CLEANERS A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Commonwealth cleaners get fair pay and conditions. SHARING ECONOMY A Shorten Labor Government would be guided by six principles to ensure Australia embraces the sharing economy and see all Australians benefit: Primary property is yours to share New services must support good wages and working conditions Everyone pays their fair share of tax Proper protection for public safety Access for all, including Australians with disability Zero tolerance for companies that flout Labor s light touch rules FUTURE SUBMARINES A Shorten Labor Government will ensure that Australia s Future Submarines are built, maintained and sustained in Australia, by Australians. 17

18 A HEALTHY AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIANS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE WHEN AND WHERE THEY NEED IT, THAT S WHAT WILL DRIVE LABOR S HEALTH POLICIES. MENTAL HEALTH 1 in 5 Australians experience mental ill-health each year but the system is fragmented and incredibly difficult to navigate. Mental health must be person-centred and designed specifically to meet the needs of the local community. A Shorten Labor Government will ensure mental health is a national priority, with a new regional or place-based approach as recommended by the National Mental Health Commission. Labor will also commit to reducing suicides in Australia by 50 per cent over the next ten years. MEDICINAL CANNABIS A Shorten Labor Government will ensure patients who suffer from terminal illness or serious medical conditions are allowed safe, reliable and legal access to medicinal cannabis if prescribed by a doctor. TOBACCO EXCISE A Shorten Labor Government will further curtail Australia s biggest cause of preventable disease and death by continuing tobacco excise increases to bring it in line with world best practice. Each year in Australia tobacco still kills more than 15,000 people and has more than $31.5 billion in health and economic costs. Evidence suggests that increasing the price of a packet of cigarettes is amongst the most effective ways to decrease rates of smoking, especially among young Australians. 19

20 PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

MARRIAGE EQUALITY A Shorten Labor Government will make marriage equality a reality within 100 days if elected. DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE A Shorten Labor Government will deliver targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access the critical services they need. Support for frontline legal services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, to ensure women suffering from family violence get legal support. Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home. Perpetrator mapping to help prevent violence through information sharing. NATIONAL CRISIS SUMMIT Within the first 100 days, a Shorten Labor Government will hold a National Crisis Summit on family violence. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEAVE A Shorten Labor Government will provide for 5 days paid Family & Domestic Violence Leave in the National Employment Standards. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics one in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner. Family & Domestic Violence Leave will benefit both those who have experienced violence as well as business through improved productivity, employee retention and reduced absenteeism. 21

NATIONAL REDRESS A Shorten Labor Government will establish a National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. ASYLUM SEEKERS A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia has a compassionate, humane and safe approach to irregular migration throughout our region. Labor is absolutely committed to preventing people smuggling and ensuring vulnerable people don t die at sea. Labor s compassionate approach to asylum seekers and refugees includes - Provided it can be done so safely, a future Labor Government would retain the option of turning people smuggling vessels around at sea. By 2025, Labor will double Australia s annual refugee intake to 27,000. Restore references to the Refugee Convention in the Migration Act. Abolish Temporary Protection Visas and give those found to be genuine refugees a permanent Australian visa. Provide $450 million over three years to the important work of the UNHCR, making Australia the fifth largest donor. A leadership role within South East Asia and the Pacific to build a regional humanitarian framework. Independent oversight of facilities and create an independent statutory advocate to protect the interests in children seeking asylum. STRENGTHENING AUSTRALIA S OVERSEAS AID PROGRAM Over $30m for Australian international aid organisations (who are among the best in the world) to do outstanding work on the ground to lift living standards in developing countries. 22

JUSTICE TARGETS A Shorten Labor Government will set justice targets to help close the gap on incarceration rates between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians and increase community safety. Today, a young Aboriginal man leaving school is more likely to go to jail than university. And the re-imprisonment rate for Aboriginal young people is higher than the school retention rate. The first meeting of COAG convened under a Shorten Labor Government will work on justice targets. Through COAG we will create a national coordinating body to collect data and measure progress. And we will establish three new sites to explore the role of justice reinvestment to prevent crime and reduce incarceration. EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS GIRLS A Shorten Labor Government will partner with the Stars Foundation to empower and engage Indigenous girls across Australia in education. Today, less than six in ten Indigenous female students complete secondary school as opposed to eight in ten non-indigenous students. Better education for girls and young women is our best hope of promoting better health and nutrition, reducing infant mortality and maternity rates and boosting employment and participation. The Stars program provides full time mentors and using extra-curricular activities, including sport, to improve school attendance and Year 12 attainment, as well as addressing health issues and social and emotional wellbeing. EMPOWERING YOUNG AUSTRALIANS Labor will engage young Australians in the political system and empower them to drive and guide intergenerational change. 23

24 AUTHORISED B. SHORTEN, 12 HALL STREET, MOONEE PONDS VIC 3039