Key facts
- The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) has issued a manifesto with tax reform proposals.
- The manifesto calls for new taxes on high earners, wealth, and inheritance.
- It also proposes extracting more revenue from gas companies.
- The union suggests these measures could fund free education, higher welfare payments, and nationalized aged care.
- The proposals are circulating ahead of the Labor party's national conference.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) has unveiled a comprehensive manifesto ahead of the Labor party's national conference, proposing significant tax reforms and social policy changes. The document calls for a new marginal tax rate for individuals earning over $500,000 annually, alongside the introduction of wealth and inheritance taxes aimed at curbing intergenerational wealth concentration.
The union also advocates for increased revenue from gas companies, suggesting a fundamental reform of the petroleum resource rent tax. These proposed revenue streams could potentially fund initiatives such as raising the jobseeker rate, making education free from childcare to university, and nationalizing the aged care system.
The AMWU describes its 32-page manifesto as a "working-class instruction" to the government, aiming to create a society that benefits working people. While the proposals are not costed and extend beyond the current government's agenda, they are expected to shape discussions at the Labor conference in Adelaide.
Further proposals include winding back fuel tax credits for large mining companies, adding dental care to Medicare, and ensuring social security is treated as a right. The union also seeks to give workers veto rights over artificial intelligence in the workplace and to negotiate for a share of its generated revenue. The blueprint also addresses Indigenous sovereignty and justice, including enacting the Uluru statement from the heart.