Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

This motion is only able to be put because of the support of the Labor Party today in the House, and this motion being put will allow this bill to then go to the Senate on Thursday. That will create an opportunity for amendments to be moved to make sure that every Australian worker is able to receive a tax cut. Labor will be moving amendments and is supporting this being debated tonight to make sure that every Australian worker is able to receive a tax cut. The government bill at the moment that has been presented does not allow every Australian worker to receive a tax cut. Unless the government opposes those amendments, every Australian worker will be able to get a tax cut as a result of this bill passing the House today. Labor is supportive of this bill going through. It is supportive of the motion that has been put tonight.

We also believe—there was an earlier mention of this—in the Bob Hawke resolution being dealt with tomorrow. It was a request from Labor that that happen so that Bob Hawke can have a day entirely devoted to his memory, and I do want to acknowledge the government's cooperation with that.

The information that has come from the Reserve Bank today leaves the strongest argument there could be for the need for every single Australian worker to be able to receive a tax cut. Those amendments will be put. That opportunity is contained within the resolution that is there today and, if we do not get the cooperation when those amendments are put to the House today, if government members choose to vote against every Australian worker receiving a tax cut now—

See this speech in context