Teals aren’t letting the Liberals whitewash them as Greens (6 Dec 2024)
Article summary: A proposed government tax on superannuation accounts over $3 million failed to pass the Senate last week due to opposition from key crossbench senators and teals, including Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, Monique Ryan, and Kate Chaney.
The tax's design flaws—such as taxing unrealised gains, excluding indexing, and issues with defined benefits and judges' pensions—prompted criticism. Spender, representing Wentworth, had earlier worked with crossbench senators to highlight these issues, demonstrating her influence on parliamentary decisions.
Spender continues to champion reform, recently pushing to redefine small businesses from those with up to 15 employees to 25, supported by various business organisations. This proposal, co-signed by teals including Kate Chaney, would exempt 46,500 businesses from navigating complex industrial relations laws. Though Spender credits good policy over politics, her advocacy strengthens the teals’ reputation as pragmatic, effective lawmakers.
The teals, a group of independent women, hold nine former Liberal strongholds and act cohesively on key issues despite not being a formal party. This poses a significant challenge to the Coalition's efforts to regain seats lost in 2022.
Liberal leaders, including Peter Dutton and Paul Fletcher, have intensified rhetoric against the teals, branding them as aligned with Labor and the Greens. However, Spender’s policy successes complicate this narrative and may resonate with voters seeking practical governance over partisanship.
