Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Today the working people of this country are one step closer to a bigger tax cut to help with the cost of living. This bill is all about backing in the hard work of the truckies, the nurses, the teachers, the police officers, the steelworkers, the plumbers, the sprinkler fitters and the early educators. Thirteen point six million Australian workers will get a tax cut because of this legislation. Unlike those opposite, we will be voting for these changes enthusiastically because we believe that, when people work hard to provide for their loved ones, they should be able to get ahead. We believe that people should be able to earn more and keep more of what they earn. We reject the approach taken by those opposite, who say that the only way to prosper as a country is for the Australian working people to work longer and for less pay, and that's what this bill, at its very core, is all about.

The Australian people are closer to getting a tax cut because of this legislation before the House today. Now, if those opposite are supporting these tax cuts, they have a funny way of showing it. We heard once again from the member a moment ago and his mate before him. They're going out of their way to bag these tax cuts and they want the Australian people to believe that they support them. Of course they don't, because they are abandoning Middle Australia in opposition just like they abandoned them in government for the best part of a decade.

I want the whole House to know that the effect of the amendment moved by those opposite is to take the words, 'cost of living' out of title of the bill. I mean, oops. Did they really think that through, to take 'cost of living' out of the name of the bill? They don't just want to take 'cost of living' out of the name of the bill; they dare not mention 'cost of living' all week, not in question time, not in the name of this bill, not in the questions they ask or the speeches they give, and that's because they couldn't give a stuff about the cost-of-living pressures that Australian people are facing. We know that because the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, when asked about rolling back the tax changes, said, 'That is absolutely our position.' So if they're supporting these tax cuts, they have got a funny way of showing it. After all of the hyperventilating and all of the red-faced incoherence that we've heard from those opposite, they want the Australian people to believe that they support our tax changes. Of course they don't. They might be voting for it, they might have been dragged to this kicking and screaming, they might vote for it reluctantly in a few minutes, but we know what they really think about the working people of this country.

So I say to the member for Menzies, the member for Groom: ordinarily, when you're asked to speak to an amendment moved by a frontbencher, usually it's because the frontbencher is not available. Now, the frontbencher is right there. He might not be up to it, he might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he's available. He's right there in the front row. So when the shadow Treasurer gives you an amendment to move and says, 'I'm available to speak to it but I don't want to,' that should ring the alarm bells for the member for Menzies and the member for Groom. Have a yak with the member for Forde; he's been around a little bit longer and he'll give you the heads up.

We on this side support these tax changes enthusiastically. We're very proud that every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut because of the changes that we are putting through the House today, and 11½ million Australians will get a bigger tax cut to deal with the cost-of-living pressures that we understand, even if those opposite don't.

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