Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I ask the member for Warringah, the current holder of the Leader of the Opposition job, this: the government has supported legislation in the House of Representatives which will abolish the concessional tax paid by 3.6 million Australians who earn less than $37,000 a year, so will the Leader of the Opposition—not that he ever hangs around—do the same thing? That promise is worth $1.8 billion over the forwards. Therefore the opposition have two choices: (1) they can say they do not like the mining tax—and they have said that, but they will keep this promise and they will find the money elsewhere; (2) they can say they are not going to keep this promise. They would then reimpose a tax on 3.6 million Australians who currently, under our proposal, will no longer have to pay concessional tax on their superannuation.

As they say on the game show, it is deal or no deal, member for Warringah and Leader of the Opposition. You can run but you cannot hide. We want to support small business and we want to support all Australians by sharing a fair share of the mining superprofits of the largest companies in Australia using non-renewable resources throughout Australia. Will you give the lowest paid Australians the tax cut in superannuation as this government is doing, or will you refuse to do it and demand that the money come back and instead give it to a few of the richest companies in the world? It would be better if it clarified your position today. (Time expired)

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