Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his service and his commitment to Australia's Defence Force and his tireless advocacy on behalf of Australia's defence families.

Every member of the Australian Defence Force, every public servant in the Department of Defence, every person working in Australia's defence industry will receive a tax cut under Labor's tax plan. What that means is that those people who are serving our nation through their involvement in Australia's defence establishment will now be able to take home more of what they earn through a tax cut which is deeply deserved. For example, an Air Force sergeant working at RAAF Base Amberley on Australia's Super Hornets will now have a tax cut of more than $2,400. A sub-lieutenant doing antiwarfare training at HMAS Watson in Sydney will have a tax cut of more than $2,000. In the member's own electorate, a captain in 1 Brigade in Darwin will have a tax cut of $2,880. And, here, a defence civilian working at Defence's call centre at Cooma—not so far from here—will receive a tax cut of $1,463, which is more than twice the tax cut that person would have received under the policy of those opposite.

Since coming to power, we've been completely focused on cost-of-living pressures, which have been persistent. But the most important step that we can take is to fight on behalf of Australia's working families for a tax cut.

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