|
Politics, News
‘Deteriorating
environment’: Tech giants warn Australia on news
tax
June
2, 2026
By
Sam Buckingham-Jones
Powerful
lobby groups representing major US multinationals
have decried Australia’s plans to tax Meta, Google
and TikTok at a higher rate if they do not strike
commercial deals funding journalism, warning it is
part of a “deteriorating tax environment”
for investment in Australia.
Draft
legislation unveiled by the government in April could
force those three companies to strike deals worth
about $250 million a year with Australian news outlets.
Under
the News Bargaining Incentive law, those three companies
would pay an extra 2.25 per cent tax on their Australia-based
revenue. That charge could be fully offset if they
negotiated at least four deals with Australian media
companies worth 1.5 per cent of their local revenue.
The
policy, which is a development on the former Coalition
government’s News Media Bargaining Code, was
designed to address the imbalance between major tech
platforms that monetise information online but do
not compensate the original producers of the news
content that improves their products. Meta and Google
negotiated deals in 2021, but Meta refused to renew
deals, threatening to pull news off its Facebook and
Instagram platforms.
The
policy has attracted swift criticism from the White
House, which described it as “foreign extortion”.
The
National Foreign Trade Council, which counts the likes
of Amazon, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Meta, Google and
Shell as members, and the Software and Information
Industry Association, which also represents Google
and Meta (among others), have each doubled down on
their denunciation in submissions to the Albanese
government.
Assistant
Treasurer Dan Mulino has previously said the government
remains committed to the News Bargaining Incentive.
“Placing
the onus for the commercial viability of Australian
journalism on a handful of foreign companies due to
evolving media consumption patterns is a flawed premise,”
the NFTC’s vice president of global trade policy,
Tiffany Smith, wrote in the group’s submission.
The
law risked becoming a “significant and avoidable
irritant in the bilateral trade relationship at a
time when co-operation on digital trade and technology
policy should be deepening”, she added. It was
a “discriminatory digital services tax that is
designed to primarily target US companies”.
“Australia’s
insistence in moving ahead with this proposal is deeply
troubling,” Smith wrote, concluding with a warning.
It was a part of a broader trend of targeting big
companies that sent a “negative signal to global
investors”.
“At
a time when Australia faces productivity challenges
and seeks to attract capital to support digital transformation,
this policy introduces unnecessary risk and sets a
troubling global precedent,” she wrote.
The
SIIA’s vice president of competition and trade
policy, Morten Skroejer, echoed Smith’s points.
“Despite a shift over time in the advertising
market from print to digital, Australia’s major
media companies appear to be quite economically viable.
As a result, it is not clear what market failure the
Incentive is intended to correct,” he wrote.
“The
Incentive would likely run afoul of Australia’s
obligations in the chapters dealing with cross-border
trade in services, electronic commerce, and investment.
“It
stands to reason, therefore, that the Incentive would
qualify as the type of measure that the Trump Administration
has said it might retaliate against.”
So
far, there have been no direct, punitive trade sanctions
imposed on Australia in retaliation to the News Bargaining
Incentive. (AFR)
Media
Man Group
News
Politics,
News, Art, Illustrations, Creative, Content and more
showcased via Media Man Facebook and social media;
Art and news do mix
US
government hours from shutdown, funding chaos - September
30, 2013
The
US government on Saturday was hours from shutting
down after the far right of the Republican Party scuppered
final attempts at a temporary budget agreement, throwing
into doubt everything from access to national parks
to Washington's massive support for Ukraine.
The
closure of all but critical government services, set
to start after midnight Saturday (0400 GMT Sunday)
if lawmakers fail to reach a deal, would be the first
since 2019 -- immediately delaying salaries for millions
of federal employees and military personnel.
The
two chambers of Congress are deadlocked, with a small
group of Republicans in the House of Representatives
pushing back against stopgap measures that would at
least keep the lights on.
On
Friday, House Republicans defeated a plan proposed
by their own leader, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to keep
funds flowing, deepening the sense of growing chaos
within the party ahead of 2024 elections where hard-right
former president Donald Trump hopes to return to the
White House.
The
White House Office of Management and Budget's director
Shalanda Young said there was "still a chance"
of avoiding a shutdown if Republicans could end internal
divisions.
And
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made
clear that President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second
term in 2024, did not intend to wade in.
"The
conversation needs to happen between Speaker McCarthy
and his caucus. That's the fix, that's the chaos that
we're seeing," she said.
Speaking
to the news outlet ProPublica on Friday, Biden said
McCarthy has made "a terrible bargain. In order
to keep the speakership, he's willing to do things
that he, I think, he knows are inconsistent with the
constitutional processes."
McCarthy,
however, blamed Democrats, saying they are the ones
blocking a solution.
-
Big question on Ukraine -
All
critical government services will remain functioning.
However, a shutdown would mean the majority of national
parks, for example -- from the iconic Yosemite and
Yellowstone in the west to Florida's Everglades swamp
-- would be closed to public access beginning Sunday.
With
student loan payments resuming in October, officials
also said Friday that key activities at the Federal
Student Aid office would continue for a couple of
weeks.
But
a prolonged shutdown could cause bigger disruptions.
A
shutdown "unnecessarily" places the world's
largest economy at risk, White House National Economic
Council Director Lael Brainard told CNBC.
Risks
that could percolate through the wider economy include
air travel delays, with air traffic controllers asked
to work without pay.
Treasury
Secretary Janet Yellen warned a closure could also
delay infrastructure improvements.
"In
the immediate term, a government shutdown will only
reduce GDP by 0.2 percentage points each week it lasts,"
said a report released Friday by the Center for Strategic
and International Studies, a think tank.
"However,
halting critical trade functions of the United States
will also undermine the United States' overall credibility
as a commercial partner, impede ongoing negotiations
and hinder export control enforcement capabilities,"
the report added.
The
mess casts a growing shadow over Biden's policy of
arming and funding Ukraine in its desperate war against
the Russian invasion. For Republican hardliners behind
the derailment of a new budget, stopping aid to Ukraine
is a key goal.
Most
Republican members of Congress continue to support
US backing for Ukraine, but the shutdown will at minimum
raise questions over the political viability of renewing
the multibillion-dollar flow of assistance.
Laser-eyed
superhero to the rescue: Trump hawks trading cards
as campaign lags - 16th December 2022
New
York: Donald Trump teased a “major announcement”
just weeks after declaring a third presidential run,
leading political-watchers to speculate about big
campaign moves.
Instead,
he hawked digital trading cards with his head atop
cartoon super-hero figures in an NFT market that’s
already sagging.
Trump
said on his Truth Social platform that the “Donald
Trump Digital Trading Card collection” could
be collected like baseball cards and stored digitally
(a NFT, or non-fungible token, is essentially a unique
digital file). The “cards” cost $US99 ($147)
each and people who buy them are also entered into
a sweepstake for prizes including a golf outing with
the former US president.
They
are being offered by NFT INT LLC, which says on its
website that they are not connected to Trump’s
2024 presidential campaign and the company is not
owned, managed or controlled by Trump, his company,
or their affiliates. Trump gets paid under a licence
for use of his name and likeness, according to the
website.
Trump
has over the years licensed the Trump brand to a number
of third-party, and mostly failed, products including
steak, vodka, an airline and a university.
The
market for NFTs has fallen sharply in recent months
along with the rest of the crypto universe, which
has endured a series of spectacular blow-ups including
the November implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s
FTX digital-asset empire.
Trump
had teased the announcement with a post on his social
platform on Wednesday depicting himself as a Superman-like
character standing in front of Trump Tower with lasers
shooting from his eyes saying, “America needs
a superhero”. In crypto parlance, laser eyes
are a bullish signal and that picture is now one of
the available digital cards.
There
was speculation that the “major announcement”
would be something dramatic like Trump returning to
Twitter or running to be House speaker.
Trump
announced on November 15 that he would wage a 2024
White House bid.
Trump’s
comeback run has so far been marked by one downturn
after another, including being blamed for a disappointing
Republican midterm showing; the growing popularity
in the party and among voters of Florida Governor
Ron DeSantis; the public dinner he held with two well-known
anti-Semites; deepening legal woes; subpar online
fundraising and polls showing him losing favour among
his base.
President
Joe Biden took a jab at Trump on Twitter, noting that
he, too, had some “MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS,”
over the last couple of weeks, including signing the
Respect for Marriage Act and securing the release
of basketball star Brittney Griner from a Russian
prison.
Shortly
after his NFT announcement, Trump posted a video to
his social site to outline what he described as a
platform to “reclaim” the right of free
speech should he retake the White House in 2024.
Media
Man
Politics,
News, Art, Illustrations, Creative, Content and more
showcased via Media Man Facebook and social media;
Art and news do mix
Donald
Trump and Ron
DeSantis
Andrew
Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman,
attorney, lobbyist, and political candidate. Yang
is best known for being a candidate in the 2020 Democratic
Party presidential primaries and the 2021 New York
City Democratic mayoral primary. He is the co-chair
of the Forward
Party, alongside former New Jersey Governor Christine
Todd Whitman. (Wikipedia)
Jesse
Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is
an American politician, actor, and retired professional
wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling
Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of
Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor
with the Reform Party and is the party's only candidate
to win a major government office.
Ventura
was a member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition
Team during the Vietnam War.[6] After leaving the
military, he embarked on a professional wrestling
career from 1975 to 1986, taking the ring name "Jesse
'The Body' Ventura". He had a lengthy tenure
in the WWF/WWE as a performer and color commentator
and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of
2004 In addition to wrestling, Ventura pursued an
acting career, appearing in films such as Predator
and The Running Man (both released in 1987 and starring
fellow actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger).
(Wikipedia)
Your
text advertisement here from as little as $100USD
per 12 months
Profiles
Art
Cartoons
Creative
Arts Politics
Media
Television
Music
Movies
Hollywood
WWE
Wrestling
Business
Gaming
Entertainment
Advertising
Promotions
News
Politics
and sports, athletics, do not mix" - Mean Gene
Okerlund. New York, Madison Square Garden, during
;Iron Sheik match
Donald
Trump orders Florida crowd to ‘re-elect’
Ron DeSantis (Sky News Australia)
WWE
Crown Jewel 2018; Triple H makes a compelling argument
on why the vent in Saudi Arabia should go ahead as
planned
Take
a leaf out of Bondi’s book and ban smoking on
this ‘filthy’ street, says Maroubra resident
Local
newspaper story back on track for Maroubra Business
Media; Community people power thank you, by Greg Tingle
- September 2017
Arnold
Schwarzenegger: King of bodybuilding, movies, politics
and media, by Greg Tingle - 8th August 2003
Arnold
Schwarzenegger doing motivational speaking tour of
Australia; Flys into Sydney Airport; Starts tour in
Perth today - 12th June 2013
Interviews
PM
Malcolm Turnbull addresses Google presented conference:
Let's Put Our Businesses On The Map with Google. (Question
by Greg Tingle - Media Man Australia and Media Man
Int) video
- 22 April 2016
Phillip
Adams, journalist, author, intellectual and farmer
- 3rd April 2003
Graham
Young, Director & Editor, Online Opinion - 11th
May 2003
Logan
Clements, Candidate for Governor of California: 21st
August 2003
Peter
Ueberroth, Political Candidate for Governor, California
Recall Election: 30th August 2003
Jesse
Ventura (by Chris Jericho) - July 2022
Talk
Is Jericho: Jesse Ventura Talks About Suing Vince
McMahon (YouTube)
Videos
It's
'shaping up to be a very good night' for Republicans
in the midterms - 9th November 2022 (Sky News Australia)
'The
Five': Democrats will get a reality check (FOX News
YouTube)
Election
2022 voting results from top races across the country
| LiveNOW from FOX
Pelosi
attacker, David Depape, to face attempted murder &
other charges | LiveNOW from FOX
Can
we explain Twitter v. Musk in 2 minutes? A POLITICO
reporter tries (and fails)
Succession
Season 4 | Official Teaser | HBO Max
POLITICO
YouTube Channel
One
America News Network YouTube Channel
Politics
(from Greek: politiká, 'affairs of the cities')
is the set of activities that are associated with
making decisions in groups, or other forms of power
relations among individuals, such as the distribution
of resources or status. The branch of social science
that studies politics and government is referred to
as political science.
It
may be used positively in the context of a "political
solution" which is compromising and nonviolent,
or descriptively as "the art or science of government",
but also often carries a negative connotation. The
concept has been defined in various ways, and different
approaches have fundamentally differing views on whether
it should be used extensively or limitedly, empirically
or normatively, and on whether conflict or co-operation
is more essential to it.
A
variety of methods are deployed in politics, which
include promoting one's own political views among
people, negotiation with other political subjects,
making laws, and exercising internal and external
force, including warfare against adversaries. Politics
is exercised on a wide range of social levels, from
clans and tribes of traditional societies, through
modern local governments, companies and institutions
up to sovereign states, to the international level.
In
modern nation states, people often form political
parties to represent their ideas. Members of a party
often agree to take the same position on many issues
and agree to support the same changes to law and the
same leaders. An election is usually a competition
between different parties.
A
political system is a framework which defines acceptable
political methods within a society. The history of
political thought can be traced back to early antiquity,
with seminal works such as Plato's Republic and Aristotle's
Politics in the West, and Confucius's political manuscripts
and Chanakya's Arthashastra in the East. (Wikipedia)
International
Olympic Committee: Credit: Cagle
Cartoons
Rupert
Murdoch illustration by David
Rowe (The
Australian Financial Review)
News
John
Shakespeare wins Media Man 'Illustrator / Artist Of
The Month' award
John
Shakespeare
John
is one of Australia's leading cartoonists / illustrators,
well known for his work appearing in The Sydney Morning
Herald. A most deserving winner.
In
second place we have Megan Hess, and Bondi's Nina
Norden scoops third.
Well
done to all. The competition in the professional arts
and illustrations world is fierce and next month we
will be handing out awards once again so stay tuned.
John
Shakespeare
Media
Man
Features
Megan
Hess
Nina
Norden
Photography
by Greg Tingle
|
