Kerry Bartlett (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also addressed to the Treasurer. Is the Treasurer aware of public comments relating to the Leader of the Opposition’s announcement of tax breaks for institutional property investors? What do these comments suggest about the merits of Labor Party policy?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer is not responsible for Labor Party policy, but I will call the Treasurer.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members of the House will be aware that on Monday the Leader of the Opposition announced what he said was a policy to reduce rentals. That was a policy to hold out to property developers a tax break of $150 a week, which for a renter paying $300 a week would deliver a reduction of $60. So it was a tax break of $150 a week for a rental break of $60 a week. It was a ratio of about three to one in favour of the developer. After the Labor Party machine put out an email—and I have a copy of the email—asking for a sympathetic person who could be used as a prop to illustrate this policy, the Labor Party found Rosanna Harris. The Leader of the Opposition, in one of his now all too frequent stunts, went out to the home of Rosanna Harris, where she was renting, and on camera asked this question: ‘What is the rental on a place like this?’ Ms Harris replied, ‘Two hundred and sixty dollars a week.’ Rudd continued, ‘Two hundred and sixty dollars. So you’re effectively going to get 50-plus bucks off each week.’ That of course was entirely false. Rosanna Harris will get nothing under that policy because that policy only applies to new construction commencing in 2008. Either he did not understand his own policy or he misled Rosanna Harris. The ABC news carried footage of Mr Rudd saying to Rosanna Harris, ‘If you’re here on $260 then you’re effectively going to get 50-plus bucks off each week.’ After the cameras left and the Labor Party moved on—and now they will be on today’s distraction—one of the television networks went back to the home of Rosanna Harris.

Government Member:

Government member interjecting—

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it was not the ABC; it was Channel 9. They said to Rosanna Harris, ‘Now that you understand what the policy is, how do you feel about it?’ Rosanna Harris said this on camera: ‘It’s one step forward and three steps back.’ By the time you have taken one step forward and three steps back, you are hardly in front. She was also quoted as saying, ‘It is bloody ridiculous,’ after having learnt the truth about the Leader of the Opposition and his policy.

Since we are all interested in the propositions of being totally upright, honest and forthright, presumably the Leader of the Opposition will be going back to see Rosanna Harris. Will he be going back to see Rosanna Harris? Will he be saying to Rosanna Harris, ‘That promise that I made does not stand’? Will this Leader of the Opposition, who would have you believe that he is an upright purveyor of political truth, be going back to see Rosanna Harris? No, he will not be going back to see Rosanna Harris because, in the Leader of the Opposition’s mind, Rosanna Harris is just a prop for his own ambition. Rosanna Harris was wheeled out on the ABC news. Rosanna Harris was made a false promise. Now Rosanna Harris has no further use for the Leader of the Opposition. He will not be going back to Rosanna Harris to tell her the truth. Rosanna Harris will not be getting anything from the Labor Party. Rosanna Harris has received just about all that she is ever going to receive from this Leader of the Opposition.