Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Over the past few weeks here in parliament, we've all had front-row seats to the Liberals' tax cut circus, and without a doubt the ringmaster of that circus has been the shadow Treasurer. His acrobatics on Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts will put him up there even against the most seasoned trapeze artist or contortionist. We've seen the shadow Treasurer out there arguing against Labor's tax cuts and then revealing that he'll support them. When asked whether he wanted more support for low-income earners, he said no. And, of course, we've had their support acts let slip their desire to roll back our cost-of-living tax cuts. In the final act, the 'wheel of electoral death', one morning the shadow Treasurer said Labor's tax cuts were Marxism, only to reveal by the end of the day that he would vote for them—truly an inspired performance.

Let's just contrast the Liberal circus with Labor's plan for middle Australia. Labor wants to deliver a tax cut for every Australian, not just some. Labor's plan will ensure that 84 per cent of Australians will be better off. In Bennelong, a software engineer on $140,000 will get a tax cut that is $500 more than under the Morrison plan. Labor's tax cuts are the right economic policy made fairer and better for the right reasons, because on this side of the House we want Australians to earn more and keep more of what they earn.

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