Category: Newspaper/Blog Articles/Hansard

The Age

Judith Ireland

27 April 2017

Kelly O’Dwyer’s son Edward was barely a week old when she briefly emerged from maternity leave last week.

The cabinet minister explained she was happy to speak to reporters and be photographed with her baby, because she wanted to send the message you can have a family and a high-powered political career, too.

From her Higgins electorate office in inner-suburban Melbourne, surrounded by old leatherbound law books and cradling her son, O’Dwyer said she was conscious of the lack of political role models for young people. It may be 2017, but she is still the first serving cabinet minister to give birth.

Since having her first child, Olivia, 23 months ago, O’Dwyer has gone from the junior frontbench to a cabinet gig. There was arguably a bit of a blip when she lost the small business portfolio in Malcolm Turnbull’s mid-2016 reshuffle, but the overall trajectory has been objectively groundbreaking.

While O’Dwyer notes there are inevitable compromises as she juggles work and family, she also spoke of how it had been possible to stay actively involved with budget preparations right up until Edward arrived. When she could no longer fly in the last month of her pregnancy, she phoned into cabinet’s expenditure review committee (razor gang) meetings. She was answering a colleague’s questions about superannuation as she went into hospital.

She praised Turnbull for being an “understanding, enlightened” boss, noted she was very lucky to have significant support from her husband Jon Mant and spoke about how technology means she can work anywhere and (importantly) with only one free hand. She also observed it was fortunate her children do not mind falling asleep to the sound of news on the radio.

“It is absolutely possible to serve at the highest levels and have a family,” she said emphatically. “It can be done.”

Oh the irony.

Hours after O’Dwyer’s upbeat comments, came reports she was facing a renewed push to unseat her in Higgins.

Outraged over the government’s new superannuation rules, a self-described “apolitical” group called Save Our Super has been trying to draft Tony Abbott’s former chief-of-staff Peta Credlin to run against O’Dwyer. While Save Our Super actually bobbed up before the 2016 election with no discernable impact on O’Dwyer’s 10 per cent margin and Credlin has likened a political career to “chewing glass”, the damage was done.

O’Dwyer’s message to young women that you can be a mum and a cabinet minister was drowned out by the news that some angry (old, rich) guys were gunning for her career while she was on maternity leave. The real message? Nothing is sacred.

Anyone with a passing interest in Australian politics will be aware that unexpected, unwanted job loss is an occupational hazard. And that parliament is not exactly a best practice employer of women. From Julia “ditch the witch” Gillard to Fiona “sex appeal” Scott there are many examples across the political spectrum that show it still has one foot in the Middle Ages.

But going after an MP – whether they are a cabinet minister or not – days after they have given birth is a new low.

Save Our Super founder Jack Hammond insists the most recent move against O’Dwyer has nothing to do with her maternity leave, even though it’s no secret she just had a baby. And on the ABC’s 7.30 on Monday, the barrister and former Malcolm Fraser adviser seemed comically unaware he was doing himself no PR favours as he criticised the super changes from the confines of his plush dining room.

“They [the Coalition] gave birth to an appalling policy,” he insisted with a straight face.

There are also other murky, narky forces swirling around. As Save Our Super makes unfortunate baby puns, O’Dwyer is caught up in intra-party feuding. A recent failed coup against Victorian Liberal Party President Michael Kroger has not engendered peace and goodwill in the state. Nor has the fact O’Dwyer is among those who backed Kroger challenger, Peter Reith. Note Kroger’s damningly neutral remarks when asked about O’Dwyer’s preselection: “That is a matter for branch members.”

Realistically, O’Dwyer is not under any immediate preselection threat in Higgins. For one thing, the Greens polled 42 per cent in 2016 (more than Labor), so the party would be crazy to replace the sitting MP, who is known for her moderate views on issues such as same-sex marriage. And there is some etiquette against getting rid of sitting cabinet ministers.

But the whole episode is at odds with where the Liberal Party says it wants to – and needs – to go on gender equality. Last year, the Liberal Party signed up to a 10-year plan to boost its female representation in parliament to 50 per cent, which at the moment sits at a woeful 21 per cent (the Nationals are at 14 per cent). This is the lowest level it has been in Canberra for more than two decades.

At the time, there was talk of “organisational reform at the grassroots level”. There was specific mention of the need to bring generation Y and X (of which O’Dwyer is a member) into the party fold. And it was hailed as a big breakthrough for conservative women.

But reforms such as this will go nowhere if women like O’Dwyer continue to succeed despite the political culture around them.

And you shudder to think what young women contemplating a career in politics make of her treatment over the past week.

The Australian

26 April 2017

Glenda Korporaal – Associate Editor (Business)

The political impact of the Turnbull government’s proposed superannuation changes announced in last year’s budget is being felt.

It actually came home to roost in last year’s election with Liberal voters affected by the changes becoming disengaged and unhappy with the government, opting for minority parties in the Senate and cutting back on donations and electioneering support.

So much so that Turnbull himself had to put his hand in his pocket to help fund the campaign.

But anger at the changes among those most affected has continued to simmer and is now increasing as they work out how to rearrange their affairs — what they need to do under the old rules before June 30 and how things will change from July 1.

The issue is now erupting in the upmarket federal seat of Higgins in Victoria, held by Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer, who was one of the people who spearheaded the changes as the Minister for Superannuation and Assistant Treasurer.

The issues have been simmering since the May 2016 budget and have nothing to do with the fact that she is on maternity leave.

They have to do with the fact that she — and many other Liberals — were apparently unconcerned that some people in her own electorate would be hit by the super changes.

Higgins takes in some of the country’s most affluent suburbs including Kooyong, Toorak and South Yarra.

While people can argue they are better off than many other people around the country, one would expect their local member to have some sympathy with their concerns.

While the Nationals ferociously defend the interests of their rural constituency, the Turnbull government introduced radical changes to super which hit middle and upper middle income aspirational Liberal voters, believing that those hit by the changes had nowhere else to go.

Well, they do.

As Jack Hammond QC told The Australian yesterday, he is being deluged by emails from Liberal voters who are “white hot with anger” at the changes.

He is the founder of Save our Super, which he set up after the May budget — not to stop the changes but to allow people who have arranged their affairs under the existing rules to grandfather them in some way.

The changes did not hit the seriously rich like Turnbull himself (“Mr Harbourside Mansion”), as putting a few more dollars into super is not something that worries people with his level of assets.

The main people clapping from the May announcements were the unions, industry super funds and Labor voters. The attitude from Turnbull, Treasurer Scott Morrison and O’Dwyer was that the changes didn’t affect that many people anyway.

The changes were sold with the very distinct tone that anyone who had been putting serious money into super — under the laws as laid down by a conservative government — was some sort of evil tax dodger or one of a few rich old men whose views didn’t deserve listening to.

For many who had been steadily putting extra money into super as they approached retirement, it seemed that the government was suddenly pulling the rug from under them, and snidely criticising them for planning their retirement and somehow rorting the system.

There was particular anger that the changes were retrospective.

No one is arguing that the existing generous superannuation system — particularly as it was boosted by the Howard-Costello government — did not need to be trimmed back.

But the May budget changes were far more radical than anyone expected and far more radical than anything proposed by Labor.

The system allowed people with super to pull money out tax-free (once they reached retirement). Once funds were in “retirement phase” their earnings were also tax-free.

It sounds generous, but — like a bank account — contributions to super are taxed on the way in at 15 per cent (up to a maximum of $35,000 a year) and the earnings on the account are being taxed at 15 per cent as they accumulate.

Extra contributions can be made to super but these have to be out of post-tax dollars. No one would argue that people should be taxed on the amount of money they take out of their own bank accounts, given they have paid tax on the money going into the account and on the earnings along the way.

And some tax concessions do have to be given to people in exchange for locking their money up until retirement, instead of spending it.

There was also anger about people with large superannuation balances being able to live tax-free in retirement — and this is a fair point.

But the limits on how much could be placed into super on a concessional basis have been steadily cut back from $100,000 a year to $30,000 a year for people under 50 and $35,000 a year for people over 50. And for people earning more than $300,000, super contributions were taxed at 30 per cent.

Before the budget, the Association of Super Funds of Australia had suggested at maximum of $2.5 million in tax-free super but the government went much further than expected with its $1.6m cap and a host of other changes.

The government is particularly vulnerable in Victoria, which has pockets of people with the highest average super balances.

As Hammond pointed out ­yesterday, purses and wallets are being shut in a way that is al­ready affecting Liberal Party funding.

It might sound amusing, but after the Turnbull government has dumped on its own supporters in such an arrogant way it is not ­surprising that super is re-­emerging as political tinder for tensions within an already divided party.

The Age

23 April 2017

Amy Remeikis and Judith Ireland

Eight days into Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer’s maternity leave, vexed Victorian Liberals have moved to replace her.

Fairfax Media has confirmed Tony Abbott’s former chief-of-staff turned political commentator Peta Credlin has been encouraged to run against Ms O’Dwyer in the blue ribbon seat of Higgins, as a rebuke to the minister for the government’s soon-to-be enacted changes to superannuation.

It is understood that a number of branches within Ms O’Dwyer’s electorate, which takes in Toorak, one of Australia’s wealthiest suburbs, have chosen to meet when federal parliament is sitting, ensuring Ms O’Dwyer cannot attend.

“It’s not factional at all,” said one senior Victorian Liberal.

“I don’t think anyone thinks it’s fair that this report [on the challenge] has come just eight days after Kelly went on maternity leave. That’s not a good look at all. The fact is there are some internal issues in Higgins that need addressing.”

Those issues, Fairfax Media has been told, include anger within some branches over the superannuation issue, and some unhappy long-time supporters of Peter Costello, the former member for Higgins, who feel they have been sidelined as Ms O’Dwyer looks to promote younger members of the party.

In the midst of the 2016 federal election campaign a group, called called Save Our Super, established by Melbourne QC Jack Hammond, held a rally at the Malvern Town Hall, in the midst of Ms O’Dwyer’s seat.

That meeting attracted 200 people, mostly traditional Liberal voters. Institute of Public Affairs CEO John Roskam was among the notable attendees. A seat was, symbolically, left vacant at the meeting for Ms O’Dwyer, who did not attend.

That meeting called on the government to “grandfather” the impact of proposed changes on existing superannuation accounts.

According to reports at the time, the mood among attendees at that meeting was “white-hot rage”. That rage among a wealthy and influential group of Higgins Liberal party members has not subsided.

The approach to Ms Credlin was seen as a shot across the bow to Ms O’Dwyer, amid reports the pair did not get along during Ms Credlin’s tenure in Mr Abbott’s office.

News Ltd, which first reported the story, quoted Ms Credlin as saying she had not been “formally approached” to run for Higgins.

A spokesman for Ms O’Dwyer said the minister was “on maternity leave with an eight-day-old son and is not commenting on this story”.

The government has faced fierce opposition for its changes to superannuation, which include increased taxes on contributions for those earning over $250,000 and an annual $100,000 non-concessional cap on contributions.

The changes come into effect on July 1.

Speaking from her office on Friday ahead of the reported challenge Ms O’Dwyer wanted to send a message that it was possible to balance having a family with a career in politics.

“You can have a family and you can pursue a life of public service and you can do so at the highest levels,” she told Fairfax Media.

“It is absolutely possible.”

She also praised the support Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had given her, as she became the first woman to give birth while in Cabinet, describing him as “incredibly enlightened and understanding” when it came to working parents.

“I couldn’t ask for a better boss,” she said.

Ms O’Dwyer worked right up until the birth of her second child, Edward, on April 13, phoning in to Expenditure Review Committee meetings when she could no longer fly.

She is officially planning six weeks of leave with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann acting in her portfolio.

Ms O’Dwyer faced a strong challenge to hold her seat during the 2016 election, particularly from Greens candidate Jason Ball, but held on to win with a 9.9 per cent margin.

A powerful group of local Liberals want Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff to challenge Ms O’Dwyer in retribution for her role in an unpopular tax on their superannuation savings. When asked by the Herald Sun about the plan on Friday, Ms Credlin would only say: “I have not been formally approached to run for Higgins”.

It’s understood the group of ­current and former Liberal branch members have made an unofficial approach and are willing to bankroll a challenge to the Revenue and ­Financial Services Minister because of their fury over the Turnbull Government’s changes to super.

HOW SUPER CHANGES MAY AFFECT YOU 

Victorian-born Ms Credlin has long been touted as a political candidate.

While she ran the former prime minister’s office, Ms Credlin was accused of ­deliberately holding back Ms O’Dwyer’s political career.

As Mr Abbott’s closest ­political adviser, Ms Credlin played a pivotal role in the former Liberal leader’s rise and fall and was accused of being a “control freak” and “micromanager” by Cabinet ministers and Mr Abbott’s political ­rivals.

Since the pair were ousted by the Turnbull regime, she’s been a continued critic of the current government — despite having once worked for Malcolm Turnbull — through her roles as a TV commentator and newspaper columnist.

Peta Credin: Mainstream politicians must ‘honestly’ talk about radical Islam

She has previously been linked to a Victorian senate bid as well as the safe northeastern suburbs seat of Menzies should Abbott ally Kevin ­Andrews ­retire.

The Herald Sun has been told Victorian Liberal president Michael Kroger — part of a rival faction to Ms O’Dwyer’s — is aware of the plan from Higgins branch members to challenge. Mr Kroger did not return calls on Friday.

Ms O’Dwyer, who supported Mr Turnbull in the leadership ballot over Mr Abbott, was vocal in her support for Peter Reith’s challenge on Mr Kroger for the party’s top Victorian role last month before he withdrew his nomination following a health scare.

Ms O’Dwyer is currently on maternity leave.

Any challenge would be a warning shot against warring NSW Liberals faction who are understood to be considering a challenge for Mr Abbott’s ­federal seat of Warringah.

The Save Our Super group emerged in Melbourne during last year’s election campaign after contentious Budget moves, including a $500,000 “lifetime cap” on after-tax super contribution.

SUPERANNUATION CHANGES: GOVERNMENT’S $500K CAP AND OTHER POLICIES FACES COALITION BACKLASH

Many of the group were members of the Higgins branch and complained that they were not given a fair ­hearing by their local MP. A series of leaked emails last year revealed a number of members had quit the party or were ­refusing to raise funds for Mr Turnbull because of the policy.

Mr Turnbull and Ms O’Dwyer declined invites to address a Save Our Super rally at Malvern Town Hall two weeks out from last year’s ­election day.

The changes, which come in to effect on July 1, include a tax increase from 15 per cent to 30 per cent on contributions for workers earning more than $250,000. The seat of Higgins takes in Melbourne’s wealthiest postcode, Toorak.

The Daily Telegraph

23 April 2017

ANNIKA SMETHURST, National political editor, News Corp Australia Network

AUSTRALIA’S biggest industry super funds have handed more than $50 million to Labor-aligned unions in the past decade, new figures reveal.

A long-term analysis of election funding data obtained by The Sunday Telegraph ­reveals six industry super funds — First Super, TWU Super, HOSTplus, Cbus, LUCRF and Australian Super — have all paid more than $5 million each to unions since 2006.

The payments have angered the Turnbull government, which argues that people ­deserve to know “where their nest egg is being spent”.

There are roughly five million Australians with industry super funds, but only 15 per cent of workers belong to a union.

Last year Cbus, the Construction and Building Unions Superannuation fund, made the largest contribution with more than $1 million in payments to ALP entities.

HOSTplus, the industry superannuation fund representing hospitality workers, has handed over more than $6 million to unions in the past decade, including more than $900,000 in 2015-16.

The nation’s biggest industry super fund, Australian Super, paid more than $600,000 to unions last year.

But Industry Super Australia (ISA) said the transactions were all commercial payments which can include advertising costs, interest on investments, dividends and director fees.

ISA chief David Whiteley said funds complied with disclosure laws and outperformed bank-owned funds.

Ray Hadley dumps Treasurer Scott Morrison after four years:

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has been dumped as a weekly guest by Sydney-based radio presenter Ray Hadley…

Hadley, based in 2GB in Sydney but who broadcasts nationally through the Macquarie Radio network, … made the announcement to his listeners this morning after he found out that Mr Morrison was about to appear on ABC radio in Melbourne with presenter Jon Faine.

Clearly angry, Hadley said Mr Morrison’s office had told him he was not available to do his regular spot with him this morning because he was “travelling.”

Hadley was about to tell his listeners that they would not be hearing the Treasurer today because he was in transit when he was notified that at the same time Mr Morrison was appearing — in the studio — in Melbourne.

“He’s lied to me, or his staff have lied,” Hadley said.

“If he wants to dud me then he’ll get dudded every chance he gets.”

Hadley said the reason Mr Morrison may have wanted to avoid the appearance may have been because the Coalition had just lost 11 Newspolls in a row under Malcolm Turnbull.

Newspoll confirms a landslide is on:

Older Australians are deserting Malcolm Turnbull’s government in a powerful swing that is fuelling the rise of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, with the federal Coalition suffering a 10 per cent fall in support among voters older than 50 since the last election.

The government is also under threat from a backlash in Queensland and Western Australia, where voters are recording the strongest shifts in a nationwide trend that has the Coalition trailing Labor by 47 per cent to 53 per cent in two-party terms.

Big swings against Liberals in NSW by-elections on Saturday:

The Berejiklian government recorded a swing against it of 24 per cent in the Sydney seat of Manly which has been vacated by former premier Mike Baird… In the nearby seat of North Shore and the Central Coast seat of Gosford, there were swings to Labor of 15.5 per cent and 12.2 per cent respectively.

An internal review warns Turnbull not to offend his base and to get a plan:

Former Liberal federal director Andrew Robb’s Review of the 2016 Federal Election, obtained exclusively by The Daily Telegraph, has recommended the Prime Minister, his senior leadership team, the federal executive and senior party figures change their campaign techniques, step up research, focus on ethnic voters and call out Labor’s lies, to lift their performance at the next federal election in two years’ time.

It also urges the Turnbull Government to respect the Liberal Party’s core supporters, amid concerns they deserted the Party in droves, refusing to man polling booths or donate to the party, furious with the Government’s proposed superannuation changes.

“While governing for all, at all times respect, and be seen to be respecting our base,” the review states…

Addressing criticisms the Government has no narrative, the Review recommends the Liberals “formulate a clear plan, priorities and build a supporting narrative of where a Coalition is taking Australia.”

And Tony Abbott says the Turnbull Government must give supporters something to fight for:

The former PM said the Liberal Party had to give the public something to hope for and give people in the Liberal heartland “something to fight for”.

He said the federal government should prioritise affordable power prices.

“The best thing we can do there is stop subsidising these windmills because they’re making power less reliable and less affordable,” Mr Abbott told 2GB’s Alan Jones.

“The other thing we can do is fight for senate reform because good government is becoming almost impossible in this country, Alan.

“You can never get a populist crossbench to vote for less spending, less regulation and less tax on the most productive people in our society.”

Mr Abbott reiterated his support for a proposal first put forward by John Howard in 2003, which would amend Section 57 of the Constitution so that if the Senate rejected legislation twice three months apart, a joint sitting of both houses could be held without need for a double dissolution election.

(Thanks to readers Peter of Bellevue Hill, PSFR and others.)