Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The top five per cent pay a third of the tax in this country.

In this budget, we brought forward the stage 2 tax plan that we outlined to this parliament in budgets in the past. That was designed to support low- and medium-income taxpayers, and it does. It brings forward the opportunity for Australians to keep more of what they earn, and it's not a cost to government. We're not spending anything. We're letting Australians, as we should, keep more of what they earn. When the Greens and the Labor Party talk about tax cuts, they call them a cost. They say it costs. No, it doesn't. It's their money, and it is our intention, before we leave this chamber and before those in the Senate leave their chamber this week, to ensure that those tax cuts will be passed and to ensure that Australians, at the end of this week, will have the absolute assurance—those on low and middle incomes—that they will be able the keep more of what they earn, because that's what they need right now, in the middle of this COVID-19 recession. We are bringing those tax cuts forward to ensure Australians have the help they need right here, right now, and that's what we call on members of this parliament to support before they leave this place.

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