Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

It is entirely relevant to the question. The fact of the matter is that the coalition will reduce the tax-free threshold—reverse the reform that the government made. They will increase income tax for over seven million people. The coalition will bring the lowest paid one million Australians back into the tax system. They will have to fill out a tax return and many of them will have to pay additional tax. It is a tax hike on over seven million people. That is coalition policy. There is no objection to it. That is the fact of the matter and the shadow Treasurer has confirmed it time and time again.

We have the opposition leader endeavouring to re-present himself to the community as a sensitive and caring character who understands the cost of living, but what rank hypocrisy it actually is, because he does not understand it at all. He is taking a policy position to the election to increase taxes for over seven million Australian people. I will tell you what: we do not mind campaigning on that issue.

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