Retail trade figures; credit figures; Labor’s Baby Care Payment; costing errors; Labor’s payroll tax increase – Doorstop Interview, Parliament House, Canberra
March 31, 2004Stamp duty, New South Wales taxes, home ownership – Interview with John Laws 2UE
April 7, 2004
NO.018
LABOR’S POLICY BUNGLES
A costing of Labor’s Baby Care package announced yesterday has revealed
that the package faces a $347 million shortfall.
The forward estimates for the Baby Bonus as confirmed by the Treasury are:-
|
Budget Year |
2003-04 |
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2007-08 |
|
Expense $m |
150 |
220 |
260 |
300 |
250 |
False Claim on Minimum Wage
Labor is also making false claims about the value of their baby care payments
to parents. Labor says the payment will be “delivering the equivalent
of 14weeks of pay for people on the Federal Minimum Wage (after tax) by 2010”.
This claim is false.
The current Federal Minimum Wage is $448.40 per week which converts after tax
to a take home wage of $384. Fourteen times $384 is $5376.
Labor’s policy is that $5380 will be paid in 2010 – this is equivalent
of 14 weeks of the 2004 Federal Minimum Wage, NOT the 2010 wage.
The only way Labor can deliver its policy of “14weeks of pay for people
on the Federal Minimum Wage (after tax) by 2010” is by holding the Federal
Minimum Wage constant between now and 2010.
CANBERRA
1 April 2004
Contact: David Alexander
02 6277 7340