NATION Mixed visions on tax cut bid
THE Northern Territory Government will move to allow same sex couples to legally adopt children to bring it in line with the rest of the country.
The NT is Australia’s only jurisdiction that denies people in same sex or de facto relationships the right to adopt.
But this week Labor will introduce an amendment that removes this discrimination, Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield said. “We need to modernise our adoption laws, to reflect the diversity of Territory families today,” she said. “All couples who genuinely want to open their hearts and home to adopt a child in need should be eligible to apply.” THERE’S been no sign of a snorkeller who disappeared while swimming north of Newcastle, at Port Stephens, NSW at the weekend.
Scott McGuire, 29, went snorkelling with a friend about 4pm on Sunday. Police were notified when he failed to return to shore or arrive home.
Authorities searched the waters on Monday and again yesterday. It’s expected the search will resume at first light today. The Department of Primary Industries yesterday responded to multiple great white shark alerts at Forster, about 80km north of Port Stephens. DOCTORS, lawyers and human rights experts are demanding the age of criminal responsibility be raised Australia- wide so troubled primary school kids don’t face a future behind bars.
On Friday the Northern Territory Government accepted the Youth Justice Royal Commission’s recommendation for an Australian- first increase in the age a child can be charged, brought to court and imprisoned from 10 years to 12.
A collective of health, legal and indigenous advocates are now calling on other states and territories to lift their criminal liability benchmarks to at least 14 years. FOUR tiny meerkat pups played peek- aboo with delighted Victorian schoolkids yesterday.
Melbourne Zoo keepers spotted the three- week- olds, the first meerkats born at the zoo in two years, pop their heads out of their burrow last week before they plucked up the courage to go for a stroll.
Under the watchful gaze of mother Sam, father Jubjub and two other male sentries, the four furry critters cuddled up in front of Diamond Creek East Primary School students yesterday.
“They’re quite inquisitive,” keeper Fiona Melvin said about the new arrivals, estimating each weighed less than 100g.
“It’s been about a week that they’ve been consistently spending more time outside and it correlates with the warmer weather.”
The genders of the tiny foursome, who remain milk- dependent, will be determined as part of their first examination in coming weeks, with keepers reluctant to interrupt the bonding process.
“We’ve been very gentle to ensure we don’t impose any stress on the adults and the pups,” Ms Melvin said. “They’re doing really well.”
The meerkat gang is usually on the lookout for potential threats but when there’s food about, their defences drop.
“It’s a bit frantic,” the keeper said, handing out minced meat.
Grey meerkats are native to Angola, Namibia, South Africa and southern Botswana. BUSINESS has backed Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge to cut personal tax but Opposition parties have scoffed at the Prime Minister’s attempt to create a diversion when the only tax change on the table at present is a Medicare levy hike.
Tax experts would prefer to see a more holistic approach to tax reform, while one economist didn’t think it was a good idea when the Government was supposed to be repairing the budget.
Dismissed as a “thought bubble” by Labor, the Prime Minister said income tax cuts for middle- income earners would be the Government’s focus in the 2018 Budget.
“We are determined to make sure that there is more money in the pockets of hardworking Australians,” Mr Turnbull said yesterday.
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said it was a desperate attempt to distract attention from this “banana republic move to stop the parliament sitting”, referring to the Government decision to cancel next week’s scheduled sitting of the House of Representatives.
“When he says he wants to reduce personal income tax, he has no credibility,” Mr Bowen said.
Labor points out an average wage earner on $ 80,000 will pay an extra $ 400 a year in tax through the Government’s planned 0.5 per cent Medicare Levy increase, which the Opposition opposes, but a millionaire will have gained $ 16,400 in less tax by ending the deficit levy.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said Mr Turnbull thought he could have huge corporate and personal income tax cuts and achieve a budget surplus.
“Somehow we are all magically going to be better off. This is fantasy land stuff. The fairies at the bottom of the garden have moved into the House and are running the show,” Senator Di Natale said.
Deloitte Access Economics economist Chris Richardson said the country had had a long- running budget deficit, and while the Coalition Government tried to cut spending, it failed and plan B was to raise taxes.
“Six months later we are talking about tax cuts. This is all about the politics,” Mr Richardson said.
But Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said there would be benefits making the company tax rate more competitive and reducing personal taxes.
“This would have the potential to deliver benefits for a very broad cross- section of households,” he said.
KPMG tax partner Grant Wardell- Johnson was concerned Mr Turnbull would abandon his company tax cuts to finance personal tax cuts.