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

Thanks to the member for Dunkley for her question. The member for Dunkley has only been here for a relatively short amount of time and already she's helped ensure that there will be a tax cut for every taxpayer from this week, helped ensure energy bill relief for every household in Australia, helped ensure that people on awards will get a pay rise from this week, and helped ensure that millions of Australians will get cheaper medicines and an extra couple of weeks of paid parental leave as well.

I well recall, in the member for Dunkley's campaign, going and speaking with the early childhood educators of her local community to tell them that every single one of them would be getting a tax cut because of this Prime Minister and this Labor government. It's not just the early educators but every single taxpayer in this country—$36 on average and $63 a week for the average household with kids. It's $26 a week for healthcare workers, $30 a week for teachers, $37 a week for truckies, $36 a week for builders, $51 a week for sparkies and $72 a week for miners. These are the tax cuts that come in this week because of this Prime Minister and this Labor government. Every single taxpayer in every single industry in this country gets a tax cut this week. In the shadow Treasurer's electorate 79,000 people will get a tax cut, averaging $30 a week, and in the Leader of the Opposition's electorate 79,000 people will get, on average, $31 a week.

These tax cuts are because of this government and despite that opposition. We know that, when they're asked about these tax cuts, they say of course they'll roll them back. The Leader of the Opposition wanted an election on these tax cuts when we made them fairer earlier in the year. But it doesn't end there. I think the House and the community should know that when the shadow Treasurer went on radio this morning—on 2CC, as I understand it—he was asked about the cost-of-living relief that rolls out this week and he dismissed it as handouts. He thinks that people working more, earning more and keeping more of what they earn is a handout. Doesn't that speak volumes about the shadow Treasurer and his colleagues! He said they were handouts and he said that they would ultimately make things worse. He should tell every Australian getting a tax cut this week, getting energy bill relief, getting cheaper medicines, getting a pay rise and getting an extra couple of weeks of paid parental leave that he thinks it's a handout which will make things worse. He has made it clear today that those opposite do not support cost-of-living relief for people doing it tough. We do, and we are delivering it.

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