Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to comments recently made by the Minister for Health and Ageing regarding tax increases to pay for the future of Australia’s health system, and I quote:

Those on higher incomes might be able to bear more of the cost.

Does the Treasurer agree with the minister for health that taxes will increase to pay for the government’s health plan?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition are so desperate that they are asking yesterday’s question and the answer is the same today. I agree with what the Prime Minister had to say yesterday.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The question has been asked.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If they wanted to have a debate about taxes they could have asked the finance minister about a statement he made 15 years ago. Four years ago the Leader of the Opposition had a lot to say about taxation. In fact, he put forward something like 280 separate proposals. They were not ones that impressed the then Treasurer, who had a few choice words to say about the Leader of the Opposition—but we will come back to that.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There is no possibility that this question will be answered by the Treasurer—he has evaded every question in question time today. Will he rule out a new tax?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer is responding to the question. I will listen carefully to the Treasurer’s response.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I must correct the record. I have just been reminded by one of my colleagues that there were not 280 proposals, there were 279. Some of them were real doozies. Option 124, for example: abolishing the top two tax rates to have one at 15 per cent and one at 30.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It goes to the question about the comments of his own minister for health about increasing taxes on Australians now. Can the Treasurer simply answer just one question on tax?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. As he is aware, the occupant of the chair is not in a position to direct the way in which a minister will answer the question but I will listen carefully to the response of the Treasurer. The Treasurer will respond to the question.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Using the standards set by those opposite, there are 279 questions that the Leader of the Opposition has to answer, including how he could put forward a proposal which would mean that someone on 30 thousand dollars a year gets zero, someone on 60 thousand dollars a year gets zero and someone on 150 thousand dollars a year gets 5,600 dollars a year.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The only point of order that the member for North Sydney can have is on relevance. I will listen carefully to the way in which the Treasurer is relating his material to the question, which went to a colleague’s opinions on tax related matters to other matters including health policy.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And finally, someone on $250,000 a year got a tax break of $18,500 dollars a year. That is the Sheriff of Nottingham proposal! And of course he had another doozy: option 53 was to eliminate the tax-free threshold, which was then going to cost someone on $12,000 a year $900 dollars per year. And someone on $40,000 a year—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under the standing order of relevance, the Treasurer is clearly defying your admonition of him. These answers have nothing whatsoever to do with the question about the minister for health’s prediction of higher taxes.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sturt will resume his seat. The Treasurer will relate his material to the question.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When talking about tax, the Leader of the Opposition and those opposite have a very clear record over a long period of time. They are very strong in taxing the weak and very weak in taxing the strong! It has been demonstrated in this House time and time again. We on this side of the House understand the importance of the national interest. We understand the importance of getting incentive right—that when people work hard they get a bit extra in their hands. That incentive is so important. It is why personal tax reform is so important. It is important when it comes to company tax. It is important when it comes to the reform of federal-state relations—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Treasurer will commence bringing his answer to a conclusion.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and we will not be deterred by those opposite in putting forward reforms from the Henry report, when it is brought together and published, considering those in a methodical way and acting in the national interest. As for the minister for health, she is a terrific health minister.

Government Members:

Hear, hear!