Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pays huge price to keep Nationals within the coalition
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been made to pay a huge price to win the support of the Nationals. Warren Truss, the Nationals leader, reportedly demanded no change be made to the emissions trading scheme or the policy on the same sex marriage. It also asked for implementing social measures worth between AU$2 billion to AU$4 billion and expanding the small business sector on competition policy.
The deal presented by Truss and his deputy Barnaby Joyce after the Question Time on Tuesday is being seen as a huge win for the Nationals. Apart from the aforementioned clauses, Nationals also made Malcolm promise that under his ministership, the Cabinet will consider investing AU$600 million on 140,000 families along with AU$1000 benefit a year for mothers who stay at home, according to Queensland Senator Matt Canavan.
"Our tax system subsidises both parents to go to work", Senator Canavan said. "That's exactly the wrong way around. We should be encouraging more people to stay at home with their children, particularly when they are young. I firmly believe that we must move our tax system to one based on the family, not the individual."
But according to a report, the central point of the agreement was the deal “no carbon tax and no emissions trading scheme.” Also according the Financial Review, Mr Turnbull will be required to take the present targets for emission reduction to the Paris climate change talks.
Joyce is also expected to take the responsibility of water besides his role as the minister of agriculture. The Nationals have pointed out that the environment has been given too much attention while water too is a part of the environment.
Funding for mobile phone black spot as well as for maintaining infrastructure and inland rail will also be continued.
Mr Turnbull is expected to have agreed to push the competition policy reforms subject to cabinet endorsement, which have been originally proposed by small business minister Bruce Billson. The reforms promised to resist big businesses to misuse the market power. But it was side-lined by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said the discussions were becoming too theological.
The big businesses on the other hand were very upset with the proposed reforms.
"No other economy in the world has such a weak provision dealing with dominant businesses able to use their economic muscle -- not to win the contest to delight customers, not to support economic growth, competitiveness in the economy and outcomes for consumers, but to take out businesses or to fortify their positions so that new entrants don't get a chance to take on established players," Billson said.
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