Holden gets cash injection

The Federal government is to invest $275 million to secure Holden’s future as a car maker in Australia.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, announced this today, saying that, in return, Holden would invest $1 billion in its Australian plants and continue making cars in this country for at least another 10 years,

Ms Gillard said the high $A had been putting a strain on Australian manufacturers, like Holden.

She said, too, that  the company had also agreed to make at least two new generations of cars in Australia.

“This funding is not a handout,” Ms Gillard said.

“It is a strategic investment that will boost our economy, foster innovation, build new business opportunities and promote adoption of new fuel saving and safety technologies.”

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Pay rises moderate

Western Australia – and the Northern Territory – led the nation’s private sector wage rises last year, with an average increase of 4 per cent.

However figures just released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that wage pressures generally remain moderate.

On original figures, the Bureau’s labour price index showed that total hourly rates of pay rose by 3.8 per cent in the private sector and 3.2 per cent in the public sector last year.

The rises in the December quarter were 0.9 per cent for private sector employees and 0.8 per cent for those in the public sector.

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Dirty plant? Clean up fast, with a little help

Still battling along, in your business or factory, with embarassingly old,  heavily polluting machinery, that you would have replaced long ago, if you had been able to afford it?

Well, here’s something you ought to know.

The Federal government has just launched a $1 billion fund to help business and factory owners improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution.

All the details are available at www.ausindustry.gov.au or call the fund’s hotline on 13 28 46.

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Help for Melbourne’s storm victims

Many families hit by violent storms in Melbourne on Christmas Day will be offered financial assistance.

The Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Robert McClelland, made the announcement.

He said assistance would be provided through the joint Commonwealth and state funded Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

Those living in  the worst hit areas of western and northern suburbs of Melbourne would be eligible.

“These storms impacted a widespread area across Melbourne and have caused extensive damage to personal property,”  Mr McClelland said.

“They could not have come at a worse time, striking just when many households were looking forward to relaxing on Christmas Day with family and friends,”

Mr McClelland said  the Commonwealth and Victorian governments are committed to helping those hit by the storms.

He said   personal hardship and distress assistance is available, under the joint Commonwealth and State arrangements.

It would include:-

* Emergency Relief Assistance of up to $1,200 to cover emergency shelter, food, clothing, personal items or specific transport needs, and

* Emergency Re-establishment Assistance of up to $30,000 to help eligible households with tasks such as clean-up, emergency accommodation, repairs, rebuilding and replacing some damaged contents.

Mr McClelland said people who had suffered personal hardship and distress should contact their local Victorian Department of Human Services branch or visit www.dhs.vic.gov.au  for further information about assistance.

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Julia Gillard’s inspirations

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, paid tribute today,  both to Australians who never give up and those who are finding new jobs and opportunities.

She gave several examples, as she opened Labor’s national conference in Sydney.

Ms Gillard said she had seen “achievement” reflected in the face of a hard-working woman she had met last month in Melbourne’s west.

“She suffers an acquired brain injury but she’s never been a victim,” the Prime Minister said.

This woman had started a business in her own home – marketing gourmet dog biscuits over the internet!

She is “now selling them to Harrod’s of London for thirty five pounds each,” Ms Gillard said.

This woman’s courage had influenced the government’s decision to lay the foundations for national disability insurance, Ms Gillard said.

This would lead to a fairer future  for two million Australians, people with disabilities and their carers.

“It will be a defining Labor reform,” Ms Gillard said.

The Prime Minister also said she had seen “opportunities reflected in the face of a woman I met in Darwin last year.”

This woman – a cancer survivor  had been worried by a sore leg that wouldn’t heal.

Ms Gillard said the woman is now getting the care she needs, because her dermatologist in Adelaide could examine her leg on a high speed video link on-line.

“That’s why we’re rolling out high speed broadband,” Ms Gillard said.

The Prime Minister said Tasmania  had led the nation in this development,  starting with the replacement of its hundred-year old copper wire network.

“And now this year in Brunswick and Armidale, Townsville and Kiama, the National Broadband Network is an investment in the future which is operating now,” she said.

Ms Gillard said new opportunities are also arising, from what she called “ our clean energy future.”

“I’ve met workers at a Brisbane tip generating power from methane, traditional apprentices with clean technology skills in Brunswick and wind farm technicians in Bungendore.”

Workers at one of our cleanest baseload power stations at Dalby and staff who told me about pioneering technology at Kogan Creek.

“ The faces of the new jobs being created in our clean energy economy,” the Prime Minister said.

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Green light for mining tax

The Federal government’s mining tax bills have passed the House of Representatives.

That happened shortly before 3am, after the government reached a deal with the Greens.

The deal gave the government the vote of the lone Green member of the lower house, Adam Bandt.

The bills are now  expected to have a clear passage, when they reach the Senate early next year.

However the Coalition has promised to repeal the tax, if it wins government.

The Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, is jubilant.

He says revenue raised by the tax will spread wealth created by the mining boom to the broader community.

The government says it will do that by funding higher superannuation contributions and tax breaks for small business.

An amendment sought by the Tasmanian Independent Andrew Wilkie to exempt smaller mining companies was included in the deal.

The Greens had said they would not pass the bills, unless the shortfall of $20 million a year, that this created, was filled by the mining industry.

However full details of the deal struck by the government and the Greens on this point have yet to emerge.

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Miners woo Green MHR

A mining chief is urging the Greens politician, Adam Bandt, to block the Federal government’s mining tax.

Simon Bennison, who heads the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, has called a media briefing to explain his case.

The Federal government needs Mr Bandt to  vote for the tax, to get it through the House of Representatives.

The Greens leader Bob Brown says his party will not support the proposed tax, a key part of the government’s platform, unless miners make up a $20 million a year shortfall, in the amount of revenue it was expected to raise.

The shortfall arises from an exemption, for small miners, that the government accepted, after meeting the Tasmanian Independent, Andrew Wilkie.

The government and the Greens have been talking on this issue today.

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Mineral tax:Waiting for the Green light

The Federal government will negotiate with the Greens today to get its controversial minerals tax through parliament.

The Greens are demanding that changes the government agreed to, with Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie, be made revenue neutral.

Mr Wilkie won exemptions for smaller miners, costed at $20 million a year.

Greens leader Bob Brown is insisting that the mining industry itself must make up this shortfall.

The government needs the vote of the Greens member, Adam Bandt, to get its tax through the lower house of parliament.

It is confident of success in these talks.

Its hopes were boosted yesterday when two other independents, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott declared their support.

That followed assurances they had won from the government on rural land management and coal seam gas seam gas developments.

The first two independents declared their position, when they met reporters at parliament house.

The government announced further concessions to Mr Wilkie later.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, is describing the  new tax as “a very important measure to spread the benefits of the mining boom right across our whole economy.”

He said it would give small business “a significant tax cut.

“The $6,500 instant asset write-off is a really big benefit to 2.7 million small businesses,” he said.

Mr Swan also said the tax would fund “ a very significant boost to superannuation savings for millions of Australian workers.

“… for a 30 year old it will mean an additional $100,000 at retirement, “ he said.

It would also make extra  money available for infrastructure in critical mining regions.

The measure is being debated in the House of Representatives this week.

The final  vote on it is expected tomorrow.

If it passes this house, as now seems likely, it will be put to the Senate early next year.

Its passage, through the upper house, is assured as the government and the Greens have the numbers there, to get what they want.

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