THE Queensland Resources Council has congratulated Thuringowa State High School (SHS) – one of 46 Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy schools across the State – on a State Government regional Showcase Award for Excellence in Industry Partnerships for its Global Tropical Futures Program.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the QMEA works with the school to prepare students for a career in the resources sector and other related industries. 

“I congratulate Thuringowa SHS on this important recognition. By working with industry the school is expanding the educational opportunities for students living in North Queensland,” he said.

"The Showcase Awards is a great initiative of the Queensland Government which encourages excellence in a range of teaching and learning platforms. 

“Through QMEA the school only this week was working with Downer professionals to deliver a mining innovation class, which is part of the Global Tropics Futures Program."

Downer’s general manager for talent, Clare Hudson said, “Downer is delighted to support the QMEA and Thuringowa SHS, and help students understand the range of interesting and challenging careers available in the resources sector. 

“We expect to see some fantastic innovative solutions from the students through this project,” she said. 

The school now has the opportunity to compete in the next round of the awards to be in the running as a state finalist. 

QRC is the peak representative body for Queensland ‘s resource sector. The Queensland resources sector provides one in every $6 dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16,400 businesses across the state, all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.

The QMEA is QRC’s education arm. It is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. 

www.qrc.org.au

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MASTER BUILDERS has applauded Labor’s decision to reverse its earlier decision to repeal tax cuts for small businesses that turnover between $10 million and $50 million.

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said, "Labor deserves credit for this decision. It shows that they have listened to the concerns of thousands of SME builders. 

“Company tax cuts for small and medium business is heartland issue for Master Builders as SME builders make up 98 percent of our members and of our industry. We have been very direct in saying that scrapping tax cuts is the wrong call and Labor has listened,” Ms Wawn said. 

“However, we note that this decision applies to tax cuts that will already be implemented if Labor were to win the next Federal Election and not the future cuts that have already been legislated with the strong support of the Parliament including the Senate crossbench," Ms Wawn said.

"Master Builders will continue to constructively engage with Labor on further reductions in company tax for SMEs."

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THE House Tax and Revenue Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow to consider the value of the Australian Taxation Office adopting a regulatory philosophy to govern its engagement with taxpayers and other stakeholders as services are digitised.

The Committee’s review of the performance of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for the 2016–17 tax year has looked at how operational standards and frameworks affect taxpayers’ experience, as well as considering the function of the ATO’s systems and services themselves.

The Committee chair Jason Falinski MP said, “As the ATO’s trajectory towards full digitisation of taxpayer services matures, public concerns about the imbalance in the power relationship between the ATO and the community have grown."

“Tomorrow, the Committee will review the currency of the Taxpayers’ Charter as the ATO moves to full digitisation of services and consider whether it might be timely to update it or introduce a Regulatory Philosophy document to better safeguard taxpayer rights and protections," Mr Falinski said.

Introduced in July 1997, the Taxpayers’ Charter was drafted to assist taxpayers understand their rights and obligations and to describe the ATO’s service standards, complaint handling and review procedures as the agency moved to a self- assessment model of compliance.

The hearing will feature the Inspector-General of Taxation, who conducted a review of the Taxpayers’ Charter in 2016; Professor Valerie Braithwaite, from the ANU’s Regulatory Institutions Network, who was involved in the design of the ATO’s compliance model under self-assessment; and an Executive Officer from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) who engineered and implemented the agency’s Regulatory Philosophy to reduce risk and build community trust in the regulator.

Public hearing details: 9am to Midday, Friday 29 June 2018, Committee Room 2S3 Parliament House

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.

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THIS week’s announcement by Labor, indicating they will reverse the recently implemented company tax cuts if elected to Government, is a threat to Australia’s family owned and operated small and medium businesses (SMEs).

“Company tax cuts announced in the 2018/19 Federal Budget, are good news for SMEs. They are sensible measures that help to deliver employment and investment opportunities for thousands of businesses and tradespeople. A reversal of these measures will have a significant and negative impact upon employment growth and the uptake of trade apprenticeships in Australia,” said Suresh Manickam, CEO National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA).

A significant number of Australian businesses are family owned SMEs with turnovers within the $10-$50 million bracket. It is these businesses, their employees and apprentices that will feel the brunt of Labor’s tax policy.

"It’s a kick in the guts to Australians who seek to get ahead," said Mr Manickam.

“Reversing these tax cuts creates economic uncertainty by undermining the Government’s long-term strategy of tax relief – and it's definitely not in the best interests of the electrical contracting sector. We're perplexed that the Henry Tax Review, commissioned by the former Labor Government, recommended a reduction in company taxes, and yet the current ALP leadership is recommending the opposite. NECA is struggling to understand this new position taken by the Opposition,” he added.

NECA calls upon the Opposition to reflect upon this announcement, and to reassess its position in the interests of national employment opportunities, apprenticeship growth, encouraging family businesses and the maintenance of a responsible and efficient tax system for Australia.

About NECA:

NECA is the peak industry body representing the interests of electrical and communications contractors Australia-wide. Membership comprises over 5,000 contracting companies with over 50,000 employees. NECA wholly-owns Registered Training Organisations and Group Training Organisations in NSW, VIC & WA, the EcoSmart Electricians initiative, ACRS (a national cabling registrar) and has a joint venture with NESS Super in NSW. NECA employs around 2000 apprentice electricians, training a further 2000.

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