Media releases

Today I outline Australia's response to the recommendations of the Financial Stability Forum (Forum) Report on enhancing the resilience of financial markets and financial institutions.

Today in a statement to the House of Representatives, and in the interests of stability and competition, I will announce the Rudd Government will maintain the existing Four Pillars policy for the b

Today I announce a package of measures to further enhance the stability of the Australian financial system.

The Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan, MP will discuss major global economic challenges with foreign government ministerial counterparts and participate in the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) an

I am pleased to announce that the Rudd Government and Laurie Lawrence will work together on water safety education for all newborn babies in Australia, to reduce drowning injuries and deaths among

It's always good to get home to Australia's greatest city. Especially having just flown this week from Canberra, to Melbourne, to Perth, to Adelaide, and to Sydney.

Today I announce that the Government will increase its issuance of Commonwealth Government Securities (CGS) as part of the Government's commitment to the effective operation of Australia's financia

Malcolm Turnbull has left the Liberal's economic credibility on life support this morning, admitting he has not costed the Liberals' policies, declaring he will not nominate any savings to offset t

A report in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald suggesting one in 10 Sydney households (110,000 in total) will be caught by the Government's new $150,000 means tests for Family Tax Benefit B and the

As part of the Rudd Government's ongoing efforts to improve financial literacy, today I am announcing the Government's decision to transfer the functions of the Financial Literacy Foundation to the

The Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan MP, and the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, today announced the Government's plans to proceed

At the time the Parliament was prorogued, on 15 October 2007, the previous government was still to enact almost 60 announced tax measures.

The Government will introduce legislation to improve the integrity of prescribed private funds (PPFs), with effect from 1 July 2009.

As part of its commitment to ensuring the tax system is as fair and efficient as possible, the Government will amend the rules dealing with the taxation of capital protected borrowings.

The Government will apply a family income test to the eligibility criteria for the entrepreneurs' tax offset (ETO) to more appropriately target the offset towards genuine small, micro and home-base

The Government will increase the depreciation period for expenditure on 'in-house computer software' which is capital in nature from 2.5 years to 4 years. 

Tonight I announced that eligibility for the dependency tax offsets will be better targeted so that those on high incomes are no longer entitled to claim them. 

In order to enhance the fairness and integrity of the tax and transfer systems the Rudd Government will remove inconsistencies in the treatment of non-wage remuneration and take better account of c

The Government will remove the current exemption of condensate from the Crude Oil Excise. Condensate is a light crude oil extracted from natural gas.

As part of its commitment to establish Australia as a regional financial hub, the Rudd Government has acted to dramatically improve the competitiveness of the Australian managed funds industry.