Opposition costings

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 22 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

To establish ten Enterprise Connect innovation centres around Australia; and
National Elective Surgery Reform Plan to reduce waiting times for elective surgery at public hospitals.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 21 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

To help tackle cancer;
To provide funding of $389.5 million for investment in hospitals and community health;
To increase existing funding of the Renewable Energy Regulator by $1.7 million;
To provide incentives for nurses out of the workforce to return to the profession;
To introduce simple, standard, readable disclosure;
To contribute to the Solar Cities programme;
To improve local stadiums and improve community amenity;
To contribute to new Climate Change and Productivity Research Program;
To strengthen partnerships between government and the primary industry sector;
To provide access to Alimta through the PBS;
To increase funding for the Adult Migrant Education Programme;
To fund better priorities in education;
To provide a partial offset for Indigenous rangers policy;
To establish a common legal services panel for the whole government;
To reduce compliance costs for business;
To redirect funds from the Better access program to radiation Oncology program;
To provide assistance to combat post-natal depression;
To provide an offset for programs announced as part of the new approach to Natural Heritage Trust Phase 3;
Better education outcomes including in vocational education and training;
To increase Indigenous Rangers and other economic opportunities from environmental initiatives;
To improve coordination of government procurement of common services across government;
To ensure better outcomes for Indigenous children;
To reduce administrative spending on travel by departments;
To fund the development of nano-technology strategy;
To reverse the 2006-07 Measure to provide additional resources for ASIC;
To offset Magnetic Resonance Imaging to improve access to Health and Hospital Reform Plan;
To fund better programme for Small Business Enterprise Centres;
Industry to fund the Financial Literacy Foundation;
To provide additional resourcing to the Department of Human Services;
To reduce spending on Invest Australia and fold these functions into Austrade;
To not proceed with the 2007-2008 MYEFO measure Climate change – Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate – extension;
To reverse Government’s 2006-07 Budget measure, Electronic Authentication and Verification;
To absorb the cost of the Future Fund Advisory Unit in the Department of Finance and Administration;
To not proceed with the recruitment of graduates and nuclear collaborative research in universities;
To invest in critical clean energy technology research under a new Energy Innovation Fund;
To improve the energy efficiency of Australian homes;
To support industry research on fuel efficiency and vehicle manufacturing;
To contribute funding to the provision of dwelling for the homeless;
To ensure greater efficiency and value for money in the Australian Government;
For industry to fund the full cost of the Do Not Call Register;
To increase Australia’s Official Development Assistance;
To reverse the 2006-07 MYEFO measure, Digital Action Plan;
To commit to a free trade agreement between China and Australia;
To facilitate Australians’ access to world-class communications services;
To direct earnings from the Health and Medical Investment Fund towards a Health and Hospital Reform Plan;
To expand inspection facilities to an additional four ports;
To assist in the construction of boarding colleges for indigenous students in the Northern Territory;
To partially offset funding for Clean Energy Plan;
To extend the reversionary benefit for defence widows;
To provide $12.5 million to support a series of Veteran’s support services;
To improve the competitiveness of Australian managed funds in attracting foreign investment;
Reversing the changes to Family Trusts introduced by the Government in Tax Laws Amendment (2007 Measure No 4) Bill 2007 to fund Labor's better priorities;
To establish an Ageing Ambassador to promote respect for and the value of older Australians;
To build more child care centres located on school grounds;
To establish a renewable energy export function within Austrade in Consultation with Department of Environment and Water Resources;
To enable communities to assess the progress of children and evaluate services;
To contribute to the Special Airs Service Resources Trust;
To implement a National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children;
To promote breastfeeding of babies to new mothers;
To establish a Renewable Energy Fund for new technologies;
To extend automatic entitlement to the war widows pension to widows and widowers of TTI and Intermediate Rate DVA pensioners;
To create additional University Places;
To increase funding to the Adult Migrant Education Programme (AMEP);
To use uncommitted funds form the Cultural Development Program to Fund its other priorities in the Arts;
To provide export assistance;
To provide additional transition care places;
To fund health services in Tasmania;
To offset uncommitted funding from the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Programme;
To ensure that all Australian Children benefit from a new Australian Early Development Index;
To provide activities associated with World Youth Day;
To provide simpler, fairer and flexible industrial relation system;
To reverse the changes to Family Trusts in the Tax Laws Amendment Bill 2007;
To reduce the withholding tax rate applied to distribution from manager funds to non-residents from 30% to 15%;
To enhance community safety;
To assist in improving productivity, innovation and profitability of Australia’s regional food producers;
Modernise Australia’s electoral systems;
To contribute to assisting the capability of Australia’s primary industry sector to prepare and respond to major quarantine events;
To assist smaller primary industry sectors to respond to increasing pressure form import competition;
To fund programmes to reduce childhood obesity;
To improve farm and forestry productivity;
Provided mentoring support to encourage students into the trades and to complete school;
To assist hew home buyers across Australia;
To conduct a healthy kids check;
To re-direct 2007-08 MYEFO measure, Onshore assistance of Fisheries Structural Adjustment package;
To re-direct the 2007-08 MYEFO measure: Advancing Australia Farmbis;
To provide support to primary producers experiencing financial hardship as a result of the drought;
To reverse the 2007-08 Budget measure, Australia on the Word Stage- enhancement;
To re-direct the 2007-08 MYEFO measure: Food Innovation Grants; and
To re-direct the 2007-08 MYEFO measure: Advancing Australia- Farmhelp.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 20 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

To invest $150 million to encourage landlords to install insulation in up to 300,000 properties that are currently uninsulated;
To provide refundable tax credits to help fund construction of major desalination plants;
To invest up to $220.3 million over four years to establish up to 30 GP Super Clinics around Australia;
To encourage more students to study Maths and Science and for the first time categorise Maths and Science as an area of national priority;
To encourage more Maths and Science graduates to work in their field of study and enhance their valuable skills for the Australian economy;
To invest $250 million to support practical, nation building projects to help deal with Australia’s water crisis in our towns and cities where millions of Australians live;
To provide $50 million over four years from 2008-09 towards a national reciprocal transport entitlement for State Government Senior Card holders;
Savings for Labor’s Better Priorities: Abolition of Access Card, to not proceed with the implementation of the Access Card;
To support current and prospective child care workers to gain nationally recognised qualifications by making payments to the states on the condition that they abolish TAFE fees for eligible child care diplomas from 2009;
To provide an additional $4 million per annum to Orthodox Jewish School to improve outcomes at these schools;
To fund additional commencing places for University of Notre Dame’s Sydney and Fremantle campuses and provide $7.5 million in capital funding;
To provide $62.5 million over three years to fund 25 pilot projects across Australia for the construction of shared facilities between government and non-government schools;
To double the number of Commonwealth learning Scholarships and Australian Postgraduate Awards by 2012;
To increase the telephone allowance by 50% for age pensioners (including Veterans Affairs pensioners), Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card Holders (CSHC), Disability Support Pensioners and Carer Payment recipients if they have a home internet connection;
To establish a preschool system for all 4 year olds;
To create a Future Fellowship program to support fellowships for mid-career researchers;
To provide funding for special security needs of schools that are assessed to be at risk;
To provide additional teachers for Aboriginal children who are not enrolled in schools in the 60 “prescribed communities” in the Northern Territory;
To establish a $15 million Senior’s Internet Fund to establish internet kiosks in key community locations such as senior citizens centres and neighbourhood houses; and
Skilling Australia for the Future, to allocate funds to provide up to 450,000 training places over four years.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 19 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

To provide tax incentives to institutional investors to boost the supply of affordable rental housing;
To provide better access to radiation oncology services for the people of Lismore and Cairns;
To invest in computers in schools by providing up to $1 billion over four years to establish the National Secretary School Computer Fund;
Labor will provide $250 million over six years to offer a rebate of up to $500 for 500,000 homes to help install new piping for grey water use or rainwater tanks;
Labor Government will establish a clean business fund to help Australian business prepare for climate change;
To quarantine 25% of the estimated Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRTP) from the Gorgon project for a Western Australian Infrastructure Fund;
Labor will establish a national clean coal fund worth $500 million (over the period to 215), to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure jobs in the coal industry;
Labor will contribute $5.1 million to a new Asia Pacific Centre for Civil Military Cooperation (APC-CIMIC);
To improve farming practices in order to improve water quality flowing on to the Great Barrier Reef and protect the Reef against climate change;
Labor will invest an additional $7.6 million over four years in the National Arts and Crafts Industry Support (NACIS);
Labor will establish the position of chief nursing and midwifery officer within the Department of Health and Ageing;
Labor will provide $20.0 million over four years form 2007-08 for the establishment of infrastructure Australia;
Federal Labor will increase the contribution to the Australian Football Federation by $8 million in each of 2007-08 and 2008-09;
A Rudd Labor Government will provide $1.7 million over four years to encourage successful community initiatives to tackle obesity;
The policy will establish Commonwealth dental health scheme, Medicare teen dental plan, payments to states and territories and assistance towards annual costs for check up;
To provide $100 million for five years community cost care program to help local communities protect the Australian coastline and prepare for the impact of climate change;
To provide $12.8 million over four years to fund a Kitchen Garden Pilot Program in 190 primary schools across Australia;
To provide $3.5 million over four years to develop and distribute guidelines on healthy eating and physical activity in early childhood settings;
To provide $2.9 million to produce a Healthy Habits for Life guide, providing practical information to help parents assist their children to develop healthy habits for life;
To create Skills Australia, an independent statutory body to advise government on fixing the nation’s skills crisis;
To provide $12 million to assist small businesses implement family friendly work practices; and
Labor will establish an Office of Northern Australia with offices in Townsville and Darwin.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 16 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

Savings for Labor’s Better Priorities: Reintroduce Voluntary Student Supplement Scheme. Labor will re-introduce the voluntary student financial supplement scheme; and
Labor will establish a new superannuation-style low tax First Home Saver Accounts for aspiring first home buyers.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 15 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

Labor will invest up to $489 million in a National Solar Schools Plan, providing private and public schools with grants of up to $50,000 between 2007-08 and 2014-15;
Labor will re-direct funding for Work Skills Vouchers to Labor’s better plan to skill Australians, Skilling Australia;
Labor will reduce funding to the National Capital Authority by $3.5 million in each year of the forward estimates;
Labor will replace the Green Vouchers for Schools Programme with the National Solar Schools Plan;
Limit access to FTB (B) to families with an adjusted taxable income of less than $250,000;
A Rudd Labor Government will offset $160 million of uncommitted funding from the Commercial Ready program, reprioritising this funding to Labor’s Climate Ready and Tooling Up for the Future programs;
Labor will reverse funding from the 2007-08 Budget and 2007-08 MYEFO for the enhanced Medicare Item for Patients with Chronic and Complex Conditions. Labor’s plan is to reinstate the Commonwealth Dental Health Programme and providing funding to address the waiting lists in State and Territories public dental schemes;
To reduce the number of Parliamentary Liaison Officers in electorate officers;
Labor will reverse the 2007-08 MYEFO measure: Clinical Training for Enrolled Nurses and instead implement its better plan to increase the number of nurses in our hospital by up to 9,250 over five years;
Labor will provide $1,408 million over four years to increase the Child Care Tax Rebate (CCTR) and pay it more regularly;
Labor will reduce funding to the Carrick Institute by $10.7 million per annum;
Labor will increase funding to the ATO to yield a compliance dividend. Increased funding will be provided to the ATO to improve compliance, particularly for large business and high wealth individuals;
Labor will reverse the 2007-08 Budget measure to provide resources to establish Australian Industry Productivity Centres, as Labor’s Enterprise Connect Centres will be better able to meet the needs of Australian Industry; and
Labor will close Nauru and Manus Island detention centres as these do not represent value for money for the Australian people.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 12 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

Textile Clothing and Footwear Outworkers, Labor will provide $1.0 million per year to the Homeworkers Code of Practice;
Volunteer Community Grants, Labor will establish a Volunteer Grants program to provide eligible organisations with grants up to $3000 for small equipment and petrol;
Savings for Labor’s Better Priorities: Reducing the Number of Ministerial Staff. Reduce government waste and mismanagement and use these resources to fund Labor’s Better Priorities for Australia; and
New Directions for Older Australians – Expanded Residential and Respite Facilities, to provide $300 million loans to build or expand residential facilities to fast track bed construction.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 5 November 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

Savings for Labor’s Better Priorities: Remove Tax Deductibility for Political Donations;
The Labor Party will fund an additional 500 Australian Federal Police Recruits over five years;
Labor will increase the number of nurses in our hospitals by up to 9250 over five years by providing incentives for nurses out of the workforce to return to the profession and increasing the number of nurses graduating from University; and
Labor will provide funding for 1500 new early childhood education places at University by 2011.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 30 October 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

Labor's tax plan for Australia's future; and
Labor’s 50% Education Tax Refund.

Opposition Election Commitment Costing Request of 26 October 2007
These policies outline initiatives:

Labor’s Education Revolution: a national curriculum board for Australian schools;
Labor’s Education Revolution: National Asian Languages and studies in Australian schools programme;
Labor’s Education Revolution: Enterprise and Career Education Foundation;
Labor’s Education Revolution: Trades training centres in secondary schools;
Labor’s Education Revolution: School grants for on-the-job training;
Savings for Labor’s better priorities: MPs and Senators printing allowances;
Savings for Labor’s better priorities: Partially reverse ‘Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Budget sustainability’; and
Securing the future of Tasmania’s forestry industry.