Pirate Congress 2013/Motions

= Policy and Platform Amendment Motions =

PM-1: Cover geoblocking in copyright policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
insert the following text under the “Curtail attempts to restrict consumer rights” point in the copyright policy:


 * Grant ACCC powers to examine and prosecute anti-competitive conduct around intellectual property, including geoblocking.

Justification
This has recently been an issue and it is worthwhile for PPAU to take an explicit stance.

PM-2: Add optional extension for artists to copyright policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
Insert the following text under the “Reduce copyright duration to 15 years” point in the copyright policy:


 * An optional 15 year extension on copyright may be sought by the creator of copyrighted material, provided they maintain the original copyright.
 * Extended copyright may be held and exercised only by the creator of the work.

Justification
This was raised at the April policy congress. To include it would:
 * Provide an incentive for creators to hold onto copyright instead of selling it to Disney
 * Ensure the ongoing production of large and epic works (think Game of Thrones)
 * Reduce the risk of PPAU being seen as undermining artists
 * Move copyright back to the (approximate) original duration

PM-3: Clarify company tax amendment in tax policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
In the tax policy, replace:


 * Cut the company tax rate from 30% to 25%, subject to cash flow tax revenue, and other changes to be revenue neutral.

with:


 * Cut the company tax rate from 30% to 25%.
 * Other changes including cash flow tax settings and improved efficiency will provide revenue neutrality.

Justification
Clarity - the variable here should be cash flow tax, not company tax.

PM-4: Insert additional clause on tax thresholds into tax policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
In the tax policy, replace:
 * Increase the tax-free threshold to a level equal to the poverty line (currently $25,140) and remove the present clutch of offsets and thresholds.

With:


 * Increase the tax-free threshold to a level equal to the poverty line (currently $25,140).[13]
 * Apply simpler and lower tax brackets for income levels above the poverty line.
 * A 30% tax rate for income up to $120,000.
 * A 43% tax rate on income above $120,000.
 * Remove tax offsets and thresholds to simplify collection and broaden the tax base.

Justification
An improvement to the policy. I modeled combinations of levels and thresholds and this set of values is the best. It will slightly reduce tax at every income level, retain revenue by closing loopholes and simplify the tax code by cutting 4 tax brackets down to 2.

PM-5: Update tax policy to account for recent ATO misbehaviour
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
In the tax policy, insert under “Make tax administration more transparent and citizen-focused”:


 * Remove ATO powers to impose or enforce confidentiality clauses on taxpayers.

Justification
A response to a recent issue (the ATO gagging taxpayers to hide its own mistakes).

PM-6: Insert clarifying text into welfare policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
In the welfare policy, under “A Parenting Supplement will provide a fixed amount per child to cover food, clothing and other direct costs of child raising”, insert:


 * Parenting and childbirth supplements will be available as discrete modules to working parents who qualify under the means test.

And

Under “Introduce a modular, simplified transfer payments system”, insert (underneath all other sections):


 * Pensions administered by the Veteran’s Affairs Department will remain unchanged and will continue to operate under existing arrangements.

Justification
The policy always intended to retain child support payments for workers on low incomes, and was always intended to reorganise centrelink programs only. These changes make this more explicit.

PM-7: Update welfare policy to include NDIS
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
Under “A Pension Supplement will provide an additional $70 per week for senior citizens, disabled persons and full-time carers.”, insert:


 * Additional resources will be available for persons facing profound disability.
 * The NDIS is supported as the best means to provide those resources.

Justification
Improves benefit customisation and extends PPAU support to the NDIS.

PM-8: Add additional description to the welfare policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
Insert at the end of the platform amendment:

A single modular payment which can be customised to individual circumstances will provide a more efficient and effective safety net than the current system of rigid, segregated payments.

Justification
Sells the policy a bit more.

PM-9: Add additional text on the social benefits of the energy policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
In the energy policy, replace:

A large-scale rollout of renewable power will enable us address climate change in the necessary time frame, create over 150,000 jobs[6], and provide urgently-needed stimulus to the struggling manufacturing and construction industries. Associated costs can be met through the sale of completed power assets, and by re-working existing levies and revenue streams allocated to renewables. The project brings the ambition and vision encapsulated in the Snowy River Hydro scheme[7] to the 21st century.

With:

A large-scale rollout of renewable power will address climate change in the necessary time frame, create over 150,000 jobs[6], and provide urgently-needed stimulus to the struggling manufacturing and construction industries. It also offers a means to provide long-term jobs, investment, and financial independence to our most impoverished and remote communities. Associated costs can be met through the sale of completed power assets, and through reworking of existing levies and revenue streams allocated to renewables. The project brings the ambition and vision encapsulated in the Snowy River Hydro scheme[7] to the 21st century.

And

Under “Institute a 10-year construction project to build a renewable energy grid”, insert:


 * Placement will include plans for construction and investment in remote and deprived areas, including willing indigenous communities.

Justification
Our policy could lead to employment, investment and a potential answer to abuse and poverty in remote communities. We should play up this social dimension.

PM-10: Allow for a potential mixed private/public ownership model in the energy policy
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
In the energy policy, replace:


 * A $2/week household energy levy (raising approximately one-quarter of revenue required over the duration of the scheme)

With:


 * A $4/week household energy levy (raising approximately one-half of revenue required over the duration of the scheme)

And replace:


 * The sale of completed power generation assets.

With:


 * The sale of a portion of completed power generation assets.
 * Some power generation may be retained under public ownership to provide consumer choice and price competition.

Justification
Provides a more robust funding base for the policy. The levy is affordable given the removal of the RET. It allows for a combination of public and private ownership structures to keep prices down and appeal to people who support public ownership.

PM-11: Update digital liberties policy to reflect recent developments
Put by: Mark Gibbons

Motion
Insert at end of platform amendment paragraph 1 (includes updated citations):

“Australians today are subject to an array of monitoring which includes secret, warrantless spying on emails, chats, photographs, documents and website addresses.[x]”

[x] NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others, Greenwald and MacAskill, June 7 2013, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data (Accessed June 20 2013)

U.S., British intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret program, Gellman and Poitras, June 7 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html (Accessed June 20, 2013)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/

And replace:

Prevent the institution of a state-mandated data retention regime Prevent the institution of Internet censorship
 * Oppose and repeal any legal mechanisms enacted to create records of Internet use among the general public.
 * Securely delete any data collected though such a regime.
 * Oppose and repeal any mandatory censorship architecture.
 * Linking should not be a crime.

With:

Protect internet users from snooping, blocking and censorship
 * Oppose mandatory censorship and web-blocking architecture.
 * Repeal the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999
 * Repeal the Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Act 2007
 * Delete section 313 of the Telecommunications Act
 * Oppose legal mechanisms enacted to create records of Internet use among the general public
 * Repeal the Cybercrime Act
 * Records obtained through such schemes to be securely deleted
 * Ensure no criminal offence applies for linking to websites

Justification
This policy was overtaken by events.

= Other Motions =