Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Now that the Treasurer has confirmed that the cabinet this year considered an income tax surcharge but, as he said, it was not adopted, can he rule out any such increases in income tax during the term of this government?

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

As I said before, the Henry review is comprehensive, and we are not going to play their silly, childish game of ruling in or ruling out. But what we can do is have a comprehensive discussion in this House about taxation: what has happened in the past and what could happen in the future. So I welcome questions from the Leader of the Opposition about taxation, because it is pretty hard to put your finger on what the alternative tax policy of the opposition is. We heard yesterday about the Leader of the Opposition’s 289 proposals. I am told it was originally 290 but they could not count and left one out—

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

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance. The question went to a document that was taken to cabinet. It had nothing at all to do with the Ken Henry review.

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

The Treasurer is responding to the question.

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

We on this side of the House do read all the statements from those over there closely and we have been on the lookout for a tax policy. We know the policy delivered by the Leader of the Opposition when he was shadow Treasurer—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question was very specific. It asked about a particular proposal to increase income tax, which the Treasurer had said had gone to cabinet but had not been adopted. It was not an invitation to talk about other tax papers.

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

The Treasurer will relate his material to the question.

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. It was a question about tax policies, and when I was interrupted by the Leader of the Opposition I was referring to the 289 or 290 proposals that he had put forward four or five years ago. But there have been some more contemporary statements.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Mr Speaker: the Treasurer is defying you.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. As I indicated to the member for O’Connor last year, I can arrange for some of the people on my right who wish to commentate during question time to be given a position up in one of the soundproof booths. I will listen carefully to the Treasurer’s response. I have invited him to relate his material to the question, but give him more than two or three seconds to get underway again.

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

Mr Speaker, it was a question about the 2009 budget and it was a question about tax and what the government may or may not do in that context and policies more generally in that context. It is not every day when you are the Treasurer of Australia that you get a birthday present from your opposite number, but I am pleased to tell the House that on 30 June this year the shadow Treasurer did give me such a birthday present. He attended a business function, I think in Sydney, and he made this statement. When he was asked a question about whether he would abandon the 2009-10 tax cuts, he said—

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. It is not open to the minister to redefine the question the way he wishes to do so. He was asked a very specific question and he has to either—

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

The member for Sturt will resume his seat. On the matter of relevance I will listen carefully to the Treasurer.

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

I know the Leader of the Opposition does not read all of the statements from ‘sloppy Joe’ over there, but he ought just to look—

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

The Treasurer will withdraw so we can move on but also he will engage in the question, not engage with the frontbench of the opposition.

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Set a better example, Mr Swan.

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

I withdraw, Mr Speaker. When asked a question about his policy for the 2009 budget and what, when it came to tax, he would do, he said he would have considered cancelling them as part of the mix. This was a question about what we considered or did not consider in the lead-up to the budget and, as I answered before, these matters came forward in that process and they were not adopted.

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Laming interjecting

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

But what we on this side of the House are very serious about is a comprehensive review of our tax system. It goes to the very core of the attractiveness of this country as a place for investment; it goes to the very core of the living standards of every worker in this country. We will not be stopped by those opposite from having a comprehensive review and we are not going to play their silly political games in this House when it comes to something as fundamental as long-term tax reform.