Foreign Aid
LABOR
-Millennium Goal of 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) - or 50 cents for every $100 of income - spent on foreign aid by 2016 - 2017.
-Newly created Minister for International Development to monitor Australia's overseas development aid.
COALITION
- Still committed to 0.5 per cent of GNI Millennium Goal but have not set a date
GREENS
Asylum Seekers
LABOR
- The PNG Plan: Asylum seekers who arrive by boat will never be settled in Australia, they will be sent to Manus Island or Papua New Guinea for processing.
- If they are found to be refugees, they will be resettled in Papua New Guinea.
COALITION
- ‘Operation Sovereign Borders’, a military-led response to combat boat arrivals and turn back boats where it is safe to do so, headed by a three star general.
- Establish automatic presumption against refugee status for people who arrive on boats without identity papers.
GREENS
- End mandatory detention for asylum seekers arriving by boat after health, security and other checks which must be completed in 30 days.
- Close offshore processing centres.
- Give full work rights, social security and other welfare benefits to asylum seekers.
Education
LABOR
- Gonski Reforms: The National Plan for School Improvement.
- ‘Better Schools’ funding reforms will deliver an extra $15 billion in funding over the next six years.
- ‘Schoolkids’ bonus’ offered to eligible families.
-$450 million to after-school care facilities for increased services and longer opening hours.
COALITION
- Honour Labor’s ‘Better Schools’ funding plan for four years from 2014.
- ‘Schoolkids’ bonus’ to be scrapped.
- $22 million in flexible teaching methods for local primary schools, targeting remote areas.
-Plans for a review of the national curriculum.
- Preference for Howard-era funding model of removing Trades Training Centre programs in favour of separate technical colleges.
GREENS
-Additional $2 billion (on top of the government’s $3 billion) help bring public schools up to the Schooling Resource Standard.
- Reverse the $2.3 billion in cuts to the tertiary education budget, taken by the government to pay for the school reforms.
- Reverse the $2.3 billion in cuts to the tertiary education budget, taken by the government to pay for the school reforms.
Health
LABOR
- $125 million of regenerative medicine funding to be matched by private sector
- Build on existing investments in hospitals to ensure states and territories are equipped to deliver health infrastructure
- Implement the National Men’s Health Policy
COALITION
- Giving health minister authority to list more medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme without cabinet approval
GREENS
- Adequately funded mental health services, focussing on prevention and early detection of mental illness and suicide.
- Boost access to health care delivered in locally run community health centres
Carbon Emissions
LABOR
- Move from a carbon tax to a floating carbon price, implemented through a market-based Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
- 20 per cent of energy from a renewable source by 2020
COALITION
- Abolish fixed price on carbon (Carbon Tax).
- Implement a ‘Direct Action’ plan: Establish an Emissions Reduction Fund with the aim of providing incentives and subsidies for energy producers and businesses to reduce C02 emissions.
- Same emissions reduction target as Labor.
GREENS
- Net zero or net negative greenhouse gas emissions within a generation, or by 2050.
- Binding national targets for each year.
- An equitable transition to a net zero carbon economy.
Parental Leave
LABOR
- Parental pay leave at minimum wage ($622 per week, before tax) for a maximum of 18 weeks, and two weeks leave for partners on the minimum wage.
COALITION
- Paid parental leave scheme based on primary carer’s real wage for six months, as opposed to minimum wage.
GREENS
- 6 months paid leave at 100 per cent of the primary carer’s regular wage, capped at $100,000 per annum (including super contributions), and two weeks leave for partners at regular wage.
- This will be funded by a 1.5 per cent business levy on companies’ taxable incomes above $5 million.
Indigenous
LABOR
- ‘Stronger Futures’ plan. 10 year, $3.4 billion to improve lives in the Northern Territory targeting alcohol abuse and school attendance.
- Wants constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by passing an Act of Recognition.
- Close the gap in life expectancy, early childhood education, in reading, writing and numeracy, infant mortality, Year 12 retention rates, tertiary and further education rates, detention and imprisonment rates, and in employment outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
- $1.5 billion to a Remote Jobs and Communities Program to get more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into jobs and participating in remote communities.
COALITION
- Supports the referendum and constitutional recognition. Promises a draft amendment within first year of office.
- Tony Abbott would bring indigenous affairs into the PM’s department, and spend a week in a remote community.
GREENS
- Want an ambitious constitutional referendum.
- Opposes income management, and restriction of sections of welfare payments for essentials like food and rent.
- Also opposed Labor’s plan to link welfare payments to school attendance. - Wants measures to reduce alcohol supply e.g. fewer liquor licenses, set minimum price.
Same Sex Marriage
LABOR
– Bill to legalise gay marriage to be put forward within the first 100 days of new term.
- MPs to be given conscience vote.
COALITION
- No commitment to allow MPs a conscience vote.
- Not a priority issue.
GREENS
- Want to legalise gay marriage and recognise same-sex marriages from overseas.
National Broadband Network
LABOR
- 7 per cent of buildings in regional areas connected via fixed wireless and satellite connections.
- Minimum upload speeds: 40mbps.
- Universal price for all customers.
- Completion date: 2021.
COALITION
- Optical fibre delivered to a street “cabinet” or “node” which provides internet access via wireless or copper cables to homes within 1km.
- Will use existing phone lines and NBN infrastructure.
- Upload speeds: Not detailed.
- Encourage competition via mixed pricing.
- Completion date: 2019
GREENS
- Support FTTP, not FTTN.
- Ensure needs of regional areas are met
- Prevent sale of NBN Co to private parties
Economy
LABOR
- Move investment in mineral and energy commodity prices.
- Low interest rates and lower exchange rates.
- Expected deficit in 2013-14 is now $30.1 billion, and the expected deficit in 2014‑15 is now $24 billion.
COALITION
- Paid parental leave scheme to give mothers 26 weeks paid leave, at full wage or the national minimum wage plus super.
GREENS
Defence
LABOR
COALITION
- Expand defence facilities to support strategic and regional objectives/allies.
- Appoint a three-star general to oversee a new defence taskforce to turn back asylum seeker boats (Operation Sovereign Borders).
GREENS
Car Industry
LABOR
- Introduce a 100 per cent target for Australian-made cars in Commonwealth fleets.
COALITION
- $1 billion would remain in that scheme to 2015, and another $1 billion in the scheme from the start of 2016.
- Proceed with the 2008 Productivity Commission review of the industry.
GREENS
- Introduce Mandatory Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards for all vehicles sold in Australia.
- Cash grants to develop renewable technologies.
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