Spot the difference: Where the parties diverge on policy
Updated
Company tax cuts
Coalition
Cut the company tax rate to 27.5 per cent for businesses turning over up to $10 million per year, dropping to 25 per cent for all businesses by 2026.
Labor
Cut the company tax rate to 27.5 per cent for businesses turning over up to $2 million per year, but maintain existing rates for larger businesses.
Greens
Won't support any cuts to the company tax rate.
Negative gearing
Coalition
Keep negative gearing for all investment properties.
Labor
Restrict negative gearing to new housing from 2017, while grandfathering current investments.
Greens
End negative gearing on future investments and phase out for current investments.
Superannuation
Coalition
Increase tax on contributions from 15-30 per cent for people earning more than $250,000. Super balances over $1.6 million to be taxed at 15 per cent, and a $500,000 lifetime cap on after-tax contributions.
Labor
Increase tax on contributions from 15-30 per cent for people earning more than $250,000. Tax superannuation earnings above $75,000 per annum at 15 per cent.
Greens
A sliding scale of tax on superannation based on income starting at 0 cents in the dollar for those earning less than $19,401 increasing to 32 cents for those on $180,001 onwards.
Climate change
Coalition
A 28 per cent reduction on 2005 levels by 2030; continue $2.55 billion in Emissions Reduction Fund to encourage companies to reduce emissions.
Labor
Introduce two emissions trading schemes: one for the electricity sector and one for other large emitters; a 45 per cent drop in carbon emissions on 2005 levels by 2030.
Greens
Put a price on carbon and a levy on coal exports; no Australian greenhouse gas emissions within a decade; no new coal-fired power stations or coal mines.
Asylum seekers
Coalition
Turn back boats; keep regional processing centres open; keep Temporary Protection Visas available.
Labor
Turn back boats where safe to do so; keep regional processing but increase oversight; increase humanitarian intake to 27,000 by 2025.
Greens
Raise humanitarian quota to 50,000 a year; close regional processing centres and bring detainees to Australia for processing.
School funding
Coalition
Will only fund four years of the Gonski changes, however will provide $1.2 billion to the states for the final two years the program was due to run.
Labor
Will fully fund the Gonksi changes, including the final two years at a cost of $4.5 billion.
Greens
Supports fully funding the final two years of the Gonksi changes at a cost of $4.5 billion.
University funding
Coalition
Full deregulation policy is out, but 20 per cent funding cut still on the cards; other possible measures include increasing student fee contributions.
Labor
Opposes deregulation; will spend $4 billion to lift course subsidies by $2,500 per person; save $6 billion restricting vocational education loans.
Greens
Opposes deregulation; free university for Australian students; increase per-student funding for public universities.
Medicare rebate freeze
Coalition
Will extend its freeze on the indexation of Medicare rebates by another two years, in a measure expected to save $925 million.
Labor
Will lift the freeze on Medicare rebates, restoring indexed increases to account for inflation from January 2017.
Greens
Opposed the Government's decision to freeze rebates for four years, and the decision to extend this freeze until 2020.
Penalty rates
Coalition
Will adhere to any Fair Work Commission ruling; some MPs support cutting Sunday rates to Saturday levels for some industries.
Labor
Rely on Fair Work Commission to keep current levels, though not legislate to protect penalty rates.
Greens
Use legislation to keep penalty rates at current levels.
The National Broadband Network
Coalition
Using a multi-technology mix, which includes the copper network, Optus TV cable, a satellite network, and some fibre to the premises [FTTP].
Labor
Will likely initially stick with the Coalition's plans, but prioritise FTTP, then upgrade the remaining elements after the network is finished.
Greens
Remain committed to fibre to the premises as outlined in Labor's original plans for the NBN.
What should I read next?
- Policy in-depth: Where the parties stand on the big issues
- Election 2016 ad tracker: How much are the parties spending?
- Budget winners and losers: See who got what in the 2016 budget
- Australia Votes: Full coverage of the 2016 Federal Election
Credits
- Reporters: Tim Leslie, Paul Donoughue
- Developer: Colin Gourlay
- Designer: Ben Spraggon
- Illustrator: Lucy Fahey
- Editor: Matthew Liddy
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-elections, australia
First posted
