Newsletters 2023
Week 67: Now's the Time to Have Your Say on Housing, Superannuation and the Voice
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Kylea discussing the Voice referendum with voters last month. |
This weekend, Australia goes to the polls to decide whether we will recognise First Nations people in our Constitution by providing them with a Voice to Parliament. All citizens aged 18 and over must vote by 6pm tomorrow, writing either "Yes" or "No" on their ballot cards.
Over the past few months, my team and I have had thousands of conversations across the electorate about the proposed Voice to Parliament, and have heard some very passionate arguments from both sides of the debate. While public discourse over the Voice has gotten pretty ugly lately, I hope that we in North Sydney can strive to engage respectfully with the people around us. Ultimately we must all make up our own minds on how we will cast our vote and while we may not all agree on the final outcome, I truly believe that democracy is best served by community conversations that are fair, balanced, and well-informed. To that end, my team has collated a great list of resources about the proposed Voice to Parliament here. There's also some helpful information about the Referendum question and key arguments from parliamentarians on both sides of the debate on the AEC's website. I'd also love your thoughts on housing affordability ahead of this month’s North Sydney Community Housing Forum, and on the Government's proposed superannuation tax changes, which will reduce concessions for people with balances over $3 million. As it stands, I have two primary concerns regarding the proposed Treasury Laws Amendment (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions) Bill 2023. Firstly, in its current form, the draft legislation is likely to tax people on unrealised gains, meaning they will need to pay tax on profits they are yet to make. Secondly, there is no indexing built into the $3 million cut-off — nothing in the legislation indicates that this number will move with inflation, meaning more Australians will be directly affected by this change in the years to come. As always, please get in touch on [email protected] if you have any feedback or if there is something I or my team can help you with. With only three sitting weeks left in this year, my diary is filling up so please send any meeting or event requests early! |
- KT |
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PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON SUPER TAX CHANGES The Government has released a draft of the new Treasury Laws Amendment (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions) Bill 2023 for public review, and is calling for responses by Wednesday 18 October. You can make a submission here and/or let Kylea know what you think via email to [email protected]. |
NORTH SYDNEY COMMUNITY HOUSING FORUM Politics-as-usual doesn’t love a big idea, because they’re risky — but Kylea has promised to do politics differently. We are taking ideas from across the electorate to help address the Housing Affordability crisis. Submissions will be considered by a jury of citizens randomly drawn from across our area. |
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WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY |
IN THE NEWS |
The $50m idea that could save renters up to $1594 a year on energy bills - Sydney Morning Herald, 4 October. Kylea and her fellow crossbenchers are advocating for a tax concession for landlords to encourage the electrification of rental properties and help reduce renters' energy costs. You can read the letter in full here. How we speak to each other in Parliament, public and the community - The Village Observer, October 2023. "You get more done when you approach another person respectfully," Kylea writes. "Respectful engagement may seem like an obvious standard: yet living it, giving it and standing up for it is something we all need to fight harder for." |
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Other relevant posts
Week 76: Best wishes for the festive season
Week 75: Celebrating North Sydney's volunteers
Week 74: Climate, workplace laws and how we're holding the government to account
Week 73: Driving progress for human rights, women's safety and workplace laws
Week 72: This week in Parliament: Mental Health, Social Cohesion and Fair Work Laws
Week 71: A step forward for Human Rights
Every Friday
Kylea's newsletter hits the inboxes of people right across our electorate of North Sydney. Stay up to date with Kylea's plans and progress as she tells us about her week speaking with people in our community. We'll also highlight the latest community events and initiatives to get involved with.