Senator Ron Boswell

New Nats Leadership team for a new Senate

New Nats Leadership team for a new Senate

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell has handed the reins over to NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash as the party’s deputy leader in the Senate.

Senator Boswell congratulated Senator Fiona Nash on her election as deputy leader and said he believes that “now is the time to hand over the Nationals deputy senate leadership prior to the swearing in of the new Senate.”

“This is a new generation of Nationals leadership team for a new Senate,” Senator Boswell said.

“The best legacy that a leader can deliver is in the people that replace them and our new leadership of Senator Scullion and Senator Nash is testimony to the strength of The Nationals Senate team.”

“Senator Nash brings to the position a wealth of experience and I look forward to working with her in her new role.”

ENDS

Media Contact –  02 6277 3046

11 comments June 30th, 2008

Boswell warns ‘Don’t invest in “lemon” tree laws’

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell warned potential investors today not to put their money into carbon sink forests until the regulations for the Bill are finalised.

The new tax law will provide a tax deduction for capital expenditure for the establishment costs of trees in a carbon sink forest.  According to Departmental modelling this measure is expected to affect 81,500 hectares of land by 2011.

“This measure will only disadvantage the farming sector and gives tax advantages to big carbon emitting companies to buy up prime agricultural land,” Senator Boswell said.

“The tax deduction is now law but we have an opportunity to stop this tree law now by disallowing the regulation that puts this legislation in place,” Senator Boswell said.

“This new law is a completely inoperable without the guidelines that spell out the environmental and natural resource management processes in relation to the establishment of trees for the purposes of carbon sequestration.”
“I have received advice from the Clerks Office and read into Hansard that ‘The important aspect of this is that either House acting alone may disallow such an instrument’
• Section 40-1005 provides for deductions if you comply with section 40-1010
• Section 40-1010 provides that expenditure is covered if you meet conditions
• One of the conditions is that you must meet the requirements of guidelines
• It is these guidelines – in subsection 40-1010 (3), which are disallowable
It would appear….. that it would not be possible to plant trees and incur “expenditure for establishing trees in Carbon Sink forests” unless those guidelines have first been made’

The Nationals Senators today won the support of the Senate to proceed with an inquiry into the ramifications of a new tax law that allows for a tax deduction on capital expenditure in the establishment of a carbon sink. The Senate inquiry will be carried out by the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee and will report by the 22nd August 2008.

The inquiry came out of concerns that the deduction would create an unfair advantage by allowing large companies to buy up prime agricultural land for tree production purely as a tax deduction.

“This is the classic argument of food versus trees and I believe that both should compete on a level playing field rather than one having a tax advantage over another.”

“This is a similar measure to the tax deduction that applies to Managed Investment Schemes which has had a detrimental effect on all broad-acre farming.”

“I would warn potential investors to hold onto their money until after the Senate inquiry which we suspect will provide sufficient evidence that this will be detrimental to rural industries. If it is detrimental there will be a disallowance motion moved,” Senator Boswell said.

“This is a lemon of a law that will potentially see prime agricultural land locked up for years all because of a tax deduction.”
ENDS

Add comment June 27th, 2008

Boswell warns ‘Don’t invest in “lemon” tree laws’

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell warned potential investors today not to put their money into carbon sink forests until the regulations for the Bill are finalised.

The new tax law will provide a tax deduction for capital expenditure for the establishment costs of trees in a carbon sink forest.  According to Departmental modelling this measure is expected to affect 81,500 hectares of land by 2011.

Add comment June 27th, 2008

NEW EXPANDED INCOME DEFINITION HITS CHILD CARE BENEFITS

“Child care benefits will be cut as a result of the Rudd government’s expanded income definition announced in this year’s budget,” said The Nationals’ Senator Ron Boswell today, “But the Rudd government still won’t tell Australians how many people will be affected and by how much.”

Senator Boswell today asked a Question Without Notice of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans, asking how many parents would receive less child care benefits from July 1 2009.

“Senator Evans, representing Minister Macklin, could not give me a straight answer. Evidence to Estimates from the Department showed that child care benefits were affected by the budget’s expanded definitions of income, but the government still won’t come clean on the details.”

“This is despite my having asked these questions of two Estimates Committees, as well as yesterday and today in the Senate and not to mention the Shadow spokesman Mr Abbott having asked them in the other house.”

“What is the government hiding?”

“When will the Rudd government tell us about all the other programs that will be subject to the expanded income test from July 09, the number of people affected in each case and how much money will be clawed back by the government from working families?”

“The range of government measures where eligibility will be reduced by the new expanded definitions of income include:-
• FAMILY TAX BENEFIT PART A , plus FAMILY HELP INCOME SUPPORT PAYMENTS (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• THE CHILD CARE BENEFIT (Community Affairs Estimates 3/06/08)
• THE BABY BONUS (Community Affairs Estimates 3/06/08)
• SENIOR AUSTRALIANS TAX OFFSET (Budget Paper 2 p.30)
• MEDICARE LEVY SURCHARGE (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES RELIEF PAYMENTS and EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES INTERIM INCOME SUPPORT(Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• DEPENDENCY TAX OFFSETS (Budget Paper 2 p.30)
• INCOME SUPPORT PAYMENTS UNDER THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• PARENTAL INCOME TEST ON YOUTH ALLOWANCE (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• ABSTUDY(Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• CHILD SUPPORT ASSISTANCE FOR ISOLATED CHILDRENS SCHEME (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORT (Budget Paper 2 p.75)
• COMMONWEALTH SENIORS HEALTH CARDS (Budget Paper 2 p.30)
• DENTAL BENEFITS BILL 2008 -  Annual preventative check for teenagers ”
“Australians have a manifest right to know how their access to these government measures will be hurt by the expanded definitions of income used to assess their eligibility.”
 
“It is totally unacceptable that the government has still not provided the details.”

ENDS

Add comment June 19th, 2008

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU TAKING FROM WORKING FAMILIES?

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell has demanded that the Rudd government come clean on how many working families will be adversely affected by new income definitions introduced in a range of budget programs.

“The Leader of the Government in the Senate today again refused to detail what government support programs and assistance would be involved, how many people will have their benefits reduced, and how much the government will clawback from Australian working families,” Senator Boswell said.

“Senator Evans’ answer today deliberately focused on only one of over a dozen government assistance measures that will be caught by the budget changes to the definition of income. He spoke only about salary sacrificing and Family Tax Benefit B. That is just the tip of the iceberg.”

“I have been endeavouring over Estimates and this week in Parliament to establish just how many people will be worse off as a result and in what programs. I have been blocked at every turn and the Minister’s performance in Question Time today was another attempt to conceal the truth. This is information which the Parliament and the people of Australia have every right to. In fact, they need the information to know where they will stand come July 09. ”

“By expanding the definition of income to include net investment losses and salary sacrificing superannuation, the government has increased adjustable taxable income for many people across a whole array of assistance measures. This means that they will be entitled to lower level of benefits.”

“My questions in Estimates uncovered a whole host of other programs and measures that will use this new expanded definition of income to assess eligibility. As a result, a lot of Australians will be worse off in the following areas:-

• FAMILY TAX BENEFIT PART A , plus FAMILY HELP INCOME SUPPORT PAYMENTS (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• THE CHILD CARE BENEFIT (Community Affairs Estimates 3/06/08)
• THE BABY BONUS (Community Affairs Estimates 3/06/08)
• SENIOR AUSTRALIANS TAX OFFSET (Budget Paper 2 p.30)
• MEDICARE LEVY SURCHARGE (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES RELIEF PAYMENTS and EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES INTERIM INCOME SUPPORT(Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• DEPENDENCY TAX OFFSETS (Budget Paper 2 p.30)
• INCOME SUPPORT PAYMENTS UNDER THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• PARENTAL INCOME TEST ON YOUTH ALLOWANCE (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• ABSTUDY(Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• CHILD SUPPORT ASSISTANCE FOR ISOLATED CHILDRENS SCHEME (Economics Estimates 4/06/08)
• VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORT (Budget Paper 2 p.75)
• COMMONWEALTH SENIORS HEALTH CARDS (Budget Paper 2 p.30)
• DENTAL BENEFITS BILL 2008 -  Annual preventative check for teenagers

“The Rudd government must come clean over the reduced access by Australians to all these government measures. The Rudd government must come clean on the full list of programs and measures are involved in this clawback of benefits from Australians. ”

ENDS

Add comment June 18th, 2008

MACKLIN MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER OWN PORTFOLIO ACTIONS

“Families Minister Jenny Macklin is battling for credibility as she struggles to explain why the government is imposing rule changes to dramatically cut family payments to community sector workers”, said The Nationals’ Senator Ron Boswell.

“The Minister must take responsibility for the actions of her own Department and portfolio which will reportedly hit 200,000 community sector workers up to $50 a week from July.”

Senator Boswell said that the Minister couldn’t back away from her role in overseeing the implementation of these changes. “There are two tests to prove whether Minister Macklin is responsible for the fringe benefit tax reporting that leads to reduced eligibility for family tax payments:-.  

1. HAS THE RUDD GOVERNMENT DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE THESE CHANGES HAPPEN?

YES

See the substantial references to the changes in the attached extract from the Explanatory Memorandum to Minister Macklin’s Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (2008 Budget and other measures) Bill debated a fortnight ago in the House of Representatives.

Note also the Australian Financial Review article (18/6/08):-But Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu partner Elizma Bolt said the changes definitely related to this year’s budget and named a 2008 budget bill in Ms Macklin’s portfolio as the legislation that would introduce the regime on July 1.

2. HAS MACKLIN’S DEPARTMENT WRITTEN TO WORKERS TELLING THEM OF THEIR REDUCED PAYMENTS?

YES – as noted in attachment EM, the process of calculating indexed estimates and sending notices to recipients began in April.

“Either the Minister has no idea of what is going on in her own department and legislation or she has known all along and went along with it.”

“The government must come clean and answer how many people will be affected and by how much – questions I’ve been putting to the government for weeks now – in Estimates and in Question Time yesterday.”

ENDS

18 comments June 18th, 2008

NO EXCUSE FOR MACKLIN FORGETTING 200,000 FAMILIES

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell today questioned how Families Minister Jenny Macklin could be unaware that 200,000 workers in not-for-profit groups and hospitals would be adversely affected by her own budget measures.

This follows media reports that 200,000 low income families in the community sector could lose up to $50 a week by changes to fringe benefits tax reporting. Yet the Minister told ABC Radio this morning “the Government was only recently made aware of the problem.”

“Two weeks ago I asked questions on this exact issue in Senate Estimates and the Department acknowledged it, cited recent publicity and had even written letters to affected people, so how could the Minister not know of the effects of her own policy?”

“I am still waiting for the Department to answer my questions on how many working families will be affected by this and other budget changes to income definitions that affect eligibility for a range of Government support programs and assistance delivered through the tax system.

“The fringe benefit tax reporting changes can be found in schedule 6 of the Minister’s Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008 debated in the House of Representatives two weeks ago.”

On the 29 May 2008, National Disability Services outlined in a media release that the organisation had ‘ written to the Federal Treasurer asking that not-for-profit service providers be exempt from a Budget measure that will diminish the attractiveness of salary packaging for disability support workers’. 

In questioning in the Senate today Senator Evans in representing the Minister for Families admitted that “there is no doubt that there are some consequences of this measure that are appearing  that are going to hurt people quite seriously and the Minister has undertaken to discuss this with the various groups and try and work through the issues.”

“This revelation must throw into question Minister Macklin’s knowledge of her own portfolio. How could the Minister have overlooked this? What other measures has she overlooked? How many more working families are going to be hurt by unknown measures in this budget?” Senator Boswell said.

ENDS

Add comment June 17th, 2008

BOSWELL WARNS OF DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF WHEAT DEREGULATION

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell warned today of the potentially dire consequences of dismantling the Wheat Industry Single Desk.

Senator Boswell cautioned that the legislation to dismantle the Single Desk threatens the livelihood of thousands of growers and removes the only advantage that Australian farmers have over heavily subsidized international competitors”.

“The Wheat Export Marketing Bill will be the catalyst for wholesale change to the growing, financing, transporting, storage and marketing of Australian wheat,” he said.

 Senator Boswell warned that “Under the new system there will be increased pressure on port monopolies as the system is not designed to cope with large short term movements of grain.”

“There is no financial security for growers at point of sale or after. There is no receiver of last resort. This is necessary in large production years or back to back good harvests and in years where quality is outside the normal receival standard.”

“Blending grains to bring them up to a higher quality and a better price for growers cannot be done efficiently on a national scale without the national pool.” 

“In its essence there will be no sharing of risk across a national pool to share gains and diminish losses for the individual. There will be extreme pressure to take marketing positions because of volatility and the risk will now be taken by the individual. Forward marketing and hedging was done by the national pool operator before which could spread the risk over all the Australian harvest.”

“For the first time in 60 years there will be no body chartered to maximise returns to growers. We still do not know how the premiums for quality Australian wheat will be preserved. We do not know how multiple buyers will gain fair access to the storage, handling and shipping facilities which are effectively state based monopolies. Nor do we know how the ‘industry good’ benefits of the single desk manager will be continued.”

Senator Boswell questioned, “Who handles and pays for delays of shipments delayed by customer complaint on quality?”

“And the core question remains unanswered in the legislation before us:-
How will a multitude of licensed exporters compete effectively against subsidised growers overseas, especially to single desk buyers?”

“The ramifications of dismantling the Single Desk will be to abolish the national pool and buyer of last resort which has been an effective and orderly marketing system for the past 60 years.”

“Two prominent market analysts recently stated that the drop in pool participation will lead to much lower advances and a rise in cash sales.”

In speaking about the Wheat Growers protest outside Parliament, Senator Boswell said “Today they have spoken. They have told us, the legislators, what they need to survive and keep their industry strong. They want the single desk for export wheat to remain.”

Senator Boswell said “Today is a terribly sad day for Australian agriculture and wheat growing families and communities. The Nationals are the voice of the Wheat Grower in Parliament today. If only there were more of us.”

ENDS

1 comment June 17th, 2008

Boswells stand on Abortion Aid goes Global

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200806/FOR20080604a.html
 
Australia May Lift Restrictions on Abortion-Related Aid
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
June 04, 2008

(CNSNews.com) - The Australian government is considering lifting abortion-related restrictions on overseas development aid, drawing warnings of a possible backlash by churches.

Christian opponents of the move charge that it is being driven by a domestic ideological agenda, not as a result of requests from nations that get assistance from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

The 12-year-old policy, strongly opposed by the political left and reproductive rights groups, states that AusAID funds may not be used to pay for abortion advice, training and services in developing countries. Opponents say it harms women in some of the Asia-Pacific region’s poorest countries such as East Timor and Papua New Guinea, key targets of Australian aid.

Australia and the United States are believed to be the only countries to enforce such restrictions.

The U.S. “Mexico City Policy” denies aid funds to non-governmental organizations that promote or perform abortions, even if they use money from other sources to do so.

Dubbed the “global gag rule” by opponents, the policy was introduced in 1984 by the Reagan administration, rescinded by the Clinton administration, and reinstated by President Bush in 2001. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama opposes the policy, as has his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton; Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain supports it.

The Australian policy was introduced by the Liberal-National coalition government of former Prime Minister John Howard, at the instigation of a pro-life independent senator, Brian Harradine, who retired in 2005 after three decades in parliament.

Even before the conservative coalition was voted out of office last November, support was growing in parliament for the “Harradine guidelines” to be overturned.

In May 2007, a report by a cross-party parliamentary group on population and development said the policy was “cruel and illogical” and effectively encouraged unsafe illegal abortions.

The Howard government set the report aside in the run-up to the election, but Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Labor government is now revisiting the issue.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, who has the power to lift the restrictions without any change in legislation required, has asked the Labor caucus to debate the matter and make a recommendation on whether he should do so.

Senator Ron Boswell of the conservative National Party is spearheading the effort to keep the measure in place.

At a Senate hearing on government expenditure on Tuesday, Boswell asked officials whether AusAID recipient countries had requested funding for services related to abortion.

“The [foreign affairs] department responded that they were not aware of any particular requests to fund abortion related activities,” he said afterwards.

“Why is the Rudd government even considering funding abortion in its overseas aid programs when Australia has never done so in the past and has not been approached by other countries to do so?”

Boswell voiced concern that changing the policy could divert funds from existing programs including clean water programs and maternal and child welfare services.

He said churches and church-related aid agencies would oppose “any decision to use Australia’s overseas aid programs to further the ideological aims of a pro-abortion lobby group at home.”

In a radio interview Wednesday, Boswell warned that if the policy was changed Rudd could face a backlash from Christian voters whose support he sought last year.

“He cuddled up to the churches for the last election,” he said. “If he does this to them then they’ll turn upon him.”

Labor lawmaker Bob McMullan, who serves as parliamentary secretary for international development assistance, said the decision could not be made based on electoral considerations.

Although some Australians shared Boswell’s view on the matter, “a large bulk of people” did not feel passionately about it, while others took the opposite view, he said.

“We’ll have a discussion we will make a decision and then we’ll get on with it.”

Among those who do share Boswell’s view is the Australian Christian Lobby, whose managing director, Jim Wallace, said the government should “reject any moves to allow a pro-abortion agenda to be incorporated into Australia’s aid program.”

Wallace recalled that last year’s federal election campaign had for the first time seen international aid become an issue, largely due to calls from churches and Christian organizations for foreign aid levels to rise.

“Christians pushing for this increased aid would be appalled to think that some of those aid dollars might now be re-directed towards ending the life of unborn children in poor countries,” he said.

The Australian Christian Lobby is also troubled by the fact that a policy change decision could be taken without a parliamentary vote. Australia’s major political parties generally allow their members a free conscience vote on sensitive issues like abortion.

The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance, an organization promoting “public support for enhanced reproductive and sexual health in Australia and internationally,” strongly opposes the ban and wants its lifted.

“It is our form of the Global Gag [rule] where women are denied education about a significant issue of reproductive health and the right to know how to protect themselves from injury and death,” it said in a statement on its Web site.

 ENDS

Add comment June 6th, 2008

NO OVERSEAS DEMAND FOR AUSAID ABORTION PLAN

“Department officials confirmed in Estimates today that Australia has not been approached by overseas countries to fund abortion related activities,” said The Nationals’ Senator Ron Boswell today.

“I asked whether overseas countries had come to us and asked us for help in funding abortion services. The Department responded that they were not aware of any particular requests to fund abortion related activities.”

“Why is the Rudd government even considering funding abortion in its overseas aid programs when Australia has never done so in the past and has not been approached by other countries to do so?”

“The presiding Minister at the Estimates hearing, Senator Stephens, and Department officials confirmed a plan to fund overseas abortions was being considered by the Rudd government. The Department also confirmed that Australia has never in the past funded abortions in its overseas aid program.”

“Democrat Senator Lyn Allison also confirmed her presence at a meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, at 8.30 am on Wednesday 14th May 2008 as part of a delegation of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development members led by the Chair, Senator Moore to discuss the current family planning guidelines.”

“The government is now considering their recommendation to abolish the Guidelines so that abortion services can be carried out under AUSAID funding.”

Senator Boswell said that no legislation would be required to implement this historic policy change which could take funds away from programs for maternal and child welfare, food and clean water.

“The government has not consulted with non-government organisations like the Catholic aid arm Caritas on how they would be affected by aid funds being transferred to abortion services.”

“Any decision to use Australia’s overseas aid programs to further the ideological aims of a pro-abortion lobby group at home would be fiercely opposed by many Australians including the churches and their sister aid organisations who are the ones delivering the international aid in most instances.”

Senator Boswell said that the government must answer which programs would be cut if abortions were funded by AUSAID. “Would there be cuts to existing maternal and child welfare services, clean water and food services? Would this disrupt the work of church aid groups with their long and generous record of helping the poorest of the poor?”

ENDS

7 comments June 3rd, 2008