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Chris Bowen Says The ALP Must Be The Party Of Growth, Opportunity And Fairness

Jul 18, 2014

The Shadow Treasurer, Chris Bowen, has set out a policy approach for the Labor Party’s future.

BowenIn a speech to the McKell Institute, Bowen attacked the “prejudice” and “lazy thinking” of the Abbott government.

Of the way forward for the ALP, Bowen said: “Well, it is certainly not to retreat inward, to shy away from trade, to resist technology in a Luddite fashion or to become more inward looking, more suspicious of foreign investment or more embracing of protection. But nor is it to retrench support for individuals, to cut investments in basic services or give up the fight for a more equal society and for equality of opportunity.”

Bowen said the ALP had to be the party of growth: “Labor is and should always be a party of economic growth.”

More than ever, Bowen said, the ALP also needed to be the party of opportunity and fairness: “…Equality of opportunity has always mattered to Labor. It’s what drives us. And it is now more important than ever before.”

Bowen began his speech with a tribute to the former NSW Labor leader, William McKell, who was Premier between 1941 and 1947. McKell also served as Governor-General from 1947 until 1953.

Transcript of speech by Chris Bowen to the McKell Institute.

Growth, Opportunity And Fairness: A Better Way

I’d like to thank the McKell Institute for the opportunity to speak here today.

Ever since I first read Vince Kelly’s “Man of the People” many years ago as a young lad, I’ve been an admirer of William McKell’s and respecter of his legacy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P. Tagged With: , , , ,

Government’s Values Are Not The Nation’s Values: Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen At National Press Club

May 21, 2014

The Abbott government’s values are not the nation’s values, Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has told the National Press Club.

Bowen

Delivering the traditional response from the Opposition to the Federal Budget, Bowen said the “swingeing” cuts “take us to an Australia so much less than what we could do”.

Bowen said the issue went “way beyond broken promises”. The government had been “robbed of its moral authority in its first six months”.

  • Listen to Bowen’s speech (28m)

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  • Listen to Bowen respond to questions (34m)

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Transcript of Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen’s Address to the National Press Club.

The Coalition’s First Budget: Pain Without Principle

[Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Budget Tagged With: , , ,

ALP And Greens Condemn Government Over Audit Commission Report

May 01, 2014

The ALP and the Greens have both condemned the government, following today’s release of the National Commission of Audit’s report.

Shorten

The Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, and the Shadow Treasurer, Chris Bowen, have held a press conference in Sydney. Shorten described the Audit report as “a blueprint of Tony Abbott’s broken promise for his Budget”. He said it was a plan to put up taxes and cut services. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Budget, Greens Tagged With: , , , , ,

ALP Pledges To Keep Qantas Australian; Says Jobs Will Be Lost Under Government Plan

Mar 03, 2014

The Federal Opposition will oppose the Abbott government’s plan to repeal Section 3 of the Qantas Sale Act.

Speaking at a press conference in Canberra tonight, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Infrastructure and Transport spokesman Anthony Albanese and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the “Australian icon” and jobs would be lost offshore.

Shorten

Albanese said the airline would not be Australian if its head office wasn’t in Australia or if maintenance jobs were based overseas. He said the decision was another example of a government that was good at getting into office but didn’t know what to do when it got there.

Bowen said the issue was more than just about Qantas. “This is about Australian businesses having trust in the government,” he said.

Shorten said the fiction of the last six months is that the government will fight for Australian jobs. He said the government was creating a new export industry of exporting jobs.

The Greens have also announced that they will oppose the legislation and will move to set up a Senate inquiry into the issue. Opposition from the ALP and Greens means the legislation won’t pass the current Senate. The new Senate, including the Western Australian senators who will be elected on April 5, takes office on July 1.

  • Listen to Shorten, Albanese and Bowen (16m)

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Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Aviation Tagged With: , , , ,

Opposition Reacts To MYEFO; Claims Hockey Is Softening Up Electorate For Budget Cuts

Dec 17, 2013

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Shadow Finance Minister Tony Burke have responded to the government’s release of the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Bowen said that MYEFO showed that $10.2 billion of the $17 billion blowout in this year’s deficit is down to decisions taken by the government since the election. The major component of this is a payment of $8.8 billion to the Reserve Bank to bolster its reserves.

Bowen

Bowen said: “Joe Hockey is softening up the Australian people. He’s preparing the ground for deep and brutal cuts come Budget time, cuts to come which will affect every Australian.”

Tony Burke said that the government had added $167 million a day to Australia’s deficit since the September election. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Budget Tagged With: , , ,
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