Though Australia’s election is not officially until July 2nd, up to 40 per cent of people will vote before then in pre-polling, which started on Tuesday.
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, of the Liberal-National coalition, greeted the start of voting with a confident prediction. “We will win on July 2nd . . . Australians will return us to government,” he told media.
In an open letter, Bill Shorten, leader of the opposition Labor Party, tells voters that Turnbull was counting his chickens too early and “that kind of arrogance comes from being seriously out of touch”.
Friend,
Last time I checked, most of the votes in this election have not been cast, let alone counted. But Mr Turnbull has smugly decided he’s already won, declaring on Tuesday night that: “We will win on July 2nd … Australians will return us to Government.”.
That kind of arrogance comes from being seriously out of touch. It is typical of the Liberals' 'born to rule' mentality.
The people who will decide the future of this country are 16 million Australians, not Mr Turnbull.
Australians who care about Medicare. About hospitals. About schools. About the NBN. Let me tell you something. I’m in this election to win it, Labor is in this election to win it – and make no mistake, we can win.
I promise to work every day and every night between now and the election because we are in it to win it; to stand up for what matters. If you share these values, if you believe your vote counts and are insulted by Mr Turnbull’s claim that this election is over before a vote has been cast, then stand with me.
Bill
Shadow Employment Minister Brendan O’Connor has announced that Labor would set an objective test for when a person is a casual worker and when they are not if voted into government at the 2 July election.
The announcement has been welcomed by the ACTU who have been calling for casual workers to be better protected, as employment in Australia becomes increasingly precarious, with record levels of unemployment and a drastically falling number of permanent employees.
In its submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into workplace relations in 2015, the ACTU specifically asked the commission to consider a legal definition of a casual worker.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said the laws would assist 2.2 million casual workers in Australia who contend with erratic schedules and hours, low wages and insecure employment.
“Australian Unions have long asked for insecure work and the casualisation of the workforce to be addressed and we welcome this objective test,” she said.
“Australia’s workforce is increasingly insecure and there needs to be legislative intervention to better protect employment security.”
With the average tenure of casual employment now at over four years, the ACTU is particularly concerned about the use of casual employees who work on a long-term and regular basis and are permanent workers in all but name and yet are denied paid leave and the security and basic entitlements of permanent employment.
Ms Kearney said a legal definition of casual employment would help ensure that workers receive the entitlements that reflect the reality of how they work so employers are not able to evade the standard obligations and entitlements owed to permanent employees merely by paying a casual loading,
“This test is a crucial industrial relations reform that will stop the use of oxymoronic terms like ‘permanent casual' employee and will help ensure casual employees who in fact work as though they were permanent workers enjoy the basic rights and entitlements of permanent employment that they deserve,” she said.
Labor have indicated plans to reinstate the minimum rates order - introduced by the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) - thrown out by the Coalition Government in April.
The plans were outlined in a response to the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) who had asked Labor for its position on the Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration Order 2016 (RSRO) and the RSRT.
In the letter, Labor condemned the involvement of prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and employment minister Michaelia Cash in dismantling the RSRO and the RSRT.
"Labor has committed to working with employers, employer groups and unions to bring back a bipartisan forum to establish safe rates of pay in the heavy vehicle industry," the letter states.
"A government, and a minister who was genuinely concerned with the interests and safety of truck drivers, would have done what Labor suggested and brought all parties together to seek a fair and sensible solution."
Labor said it understood concerns raised by many owner-drivers and are willing to find a workable solution.
"Governments have a responsibility to respond to and ensure road safety, based on the evidence and community standards," the letter says.
"Labor understands that many owner-drivers had expressed concern regarding the effect of the tribunal’s most recent Road Safety Remuneration Order on the profitability of their business.
"Labor conceded there were deficiencies with the order, particularly the implementation arrangements and we consistently said we’d like to work with all parties to find a workable, sensible solution."
A Shorten Labor Government will tackle traffic congestion in Melbourne and lift the capacity of Victoria’s rail freight network and regional roads.
Working in partnership with the Andrews Labor Government, federal Labor’s Melbourne Roads Package and Regional Victoria Transport Package will boost productivity right across the state after three years of Liberal neglect.
Labor’s Melbourne Roads Package will include:
§ $262 million for works on roads in growth areas of outer Melbourne, including Thompsons Road, O’Herns Road, Craigieburn Road and Bridge Inn Road.
§ $510 million to improve efficiency on the Monash Freeway.
§ $356 million to complete the upgrade of the M80 Ringroad.
Labor's Victorian Regional Transport Package includes $220 million for the Murray Basin Rail project to meet increasing demand for rail freight services as well as a $350 million regional roads package.
Labor's candidate for the marginal federal seat of Corangamite, Libby Coker, said the ALP were on the right road in regards to the funding.
"Our Great Ocean Road will see $20 million for upgrades, $120 million to duplicate Barwon Heads Road and funding for the Midland Highway between Geelong and Bannockburn. It will be a safe journey with Labor," Ms Coker said.
"Many, many people have told me about the potholed road that is the key access road from Barwon Heads and Armstrong Creek to Geelong. We want it fixed."
In Corangamite, Liberal Sarah Henderson is defending her 3.9 per cent margin from a strong campaign by Ms Coker – a former surf coast councillor and mayor. Corangamite is almost 8,000 sq km and is home to popular surf coast localities, including Torquay and Lorne, as well as the large agricultural district of Colac along the seat’s eastern borders.
The ‘Western District’ in the electorate’s east historically favours the Liberal vote where the conservative rural voice is strongest – which is even more reason for Labor voters to have their say on 2 July.
Coker said her priorities for the region were simple.
“I’m running to deliver jobs for our community and to make sure nobody misses out on medical tests they need. And I’m running to ensure every child gets the education they deserve,” she said.
Shadow Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said Melbourne's population was predicted to grow by 1,700 people a week between 2011 and 2031.
"The state’s freight carrying task is expected to nearly double in the same period. We must invest now to provide the infrastructure to meet this projected growth or risk traffic congestion damaging the economy and reducing our capacity to create jobs," he said.
The Abbott-Turnbull Government has courted conflict with Victoria, particularly over the scrapped East-West Link, which would have provided a paltry 45 cents in economic benefit for every dollar invested.
Its failure to deliver major projects is reflected in Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing that public sector infrastructure investment fell by 20 per cent between the September quarter of 2013 and the September quarter of 2015.
For full details of the Melbourne Roads Package and the Victorian Regional Transport Package, please visitwww.100positivepolicies.org.au/melbourne_roads_regional_victoria_transport_packages_fact_sheet
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