ALP platform focuses on work

Labor’s draft policy platform has flagged tax breaks for small and micro businesses under an Alban­ese government.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Dylan Coker

Labor’s draft policy platform has flagged tax breaks for small and micro businesses under an Alban­ese government.

While offering little for big companies, the platform says Labor should help small and micro business grow through “tax assistance and simplification” and “lower regulatory burdens”.

It also flags a cut to red tape and assistance to small companies competing for government and private contracts.

“Labor recognises the major contribution micro and small businesses, including franchisees, make to economic growth and job creation,” the platform says.

According to the draft document, an Albanese government would crack down on business owners using causal workers and labour hire while increasing penalties to companies that underpay workers.

The draft national platform, obtained by The Australian, commits the party to an “objective test in legislation for determining when a worker is a casual”.

The document also says a fut­ure Labor government would establish­ a “national labour hire licensing scheme” to regulate the labour hire industry.

“Labor will also legislate to guarantee that labour hire workers receive the same pay and conditions as directly employed workers doing the same work. Labor will not accept the abuse of fixed-term contracts of employment,” the document says.

The draft platform, compiled by working groups of senior Labor figures and backed by shadow cabinet, warns that COVID-19 has exacerbated insecure work.

“Particularly for many service industries, such as those providing personal care, hospitality and retail,” the document says.

“Australians returning to the workforce should not face the prospect of insecure jobs without the protections and certainty that previous generations have relied on to buy a house, raise a family, or build their lives.

“Labor believes that in the workplace there is a need for new rights, new forms of equality that recognise the full range of human diversity, new types of safety and a better balance­ between work and life.”

In a “statements in detail” section at the end of the platform, the party flags that it would oppose giving environmental approval decisions to the states as recommended by the Samuel review and adopted by the Morrison government. It also vows to establish a new environment act within the first term of government.

“Labor will not support handing approval powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to state and territory­ governments and will terminate any arrangements that give states these powers,” the document says.

Labor sources said the text in the statements in detail, which was in the 2018 platform, was not reflective of where Labor policy would end up, because of ongoing negotiations with the government on changes to the EPBC Act.