Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister Assisting for Deregulation. How is the government supporting hardworking Australian families by delivering tax relief, infrastructure, and health and education services? Why is it important for taxpayers that this support is properly costed and budgeted, and what would be the impact if it was not?

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Greenway for her question, as she is a tremendous advocate of the people of Western Sydney and, like all members of the Gillard government, she understands the modern pressures that families are facing across this country. That is why we have put in place a number of targeted policies to assist families and to ease those cost-of-living pressures. We have put in place a schoolkids bonus, we have increased assistance to families, we have provided tax cuts, tripling the tax-free threshold, and we are increasing superannuation.

While this government is out there putting in place policies that will assist families, those opposite have already flagged their intention to take a meataxe to these assistance measures. They have announced two policies so far and both of them are an attack on working families. In the first one they want to rip away the schoolkids bonus. In the second one they want to jack up taxes on the superannuation of the lowest paid Australian workers. But, of course, lots of pamphlets and two policies does not make a plan. It does not make a plan, and there is increasing pressure on them to reveal full details of what they want to take to the election.

Indeed, it is no surprise that they do not want to tell the Australian people what it is they intend to do. We saw today with the release—or should I say the embarrassing leak—of their policy on Northern Australia exactly why they want to keep their policies a secret.

Mr Morrison interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Cook, the minister has the call.

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a plan that will divide Australia. It is a plan that will relocate tens of thousands of jobs from places like Western Sydney to the far north of Australia. The message that the coalition is sending to those families in Western Sydney is: 'You either pack up your bags and pack up your family and move to the far north if you want to keep your job; or, if you're not prepared to do that, we'll jack up taxes so that we can fund billions of dollars of white elephant infrastructure projects in the north of Australia.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order on relevance, Madam Speaker. Could he just explain which infrastructure in Northern Australia would be a white elephant.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Herbert will resume his seat.

Mr Christensen interjecting—

The member for Dawson will leave the chamber under 94(a). I have given so much latitude and you do not heed the standing orders. The minister has the call.

The member for Dawson then left the chamber.

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Speaker. I direct the member to ask that question of his frontbench. The fact they have not shared their policy with him yet is not my problem. This is a plan that will increase taxes on people in places like Western Sydney in order to fund white elephant infrastructure projects that have not yet even been conceived. As a result of this policy, we will see gold-plated footpaths in Karratha while people are stuck in traffic gridlock in places like Western Sydney. They talk about real solutions but, I tell you what, if you ever get to see their policies, you will see they have got nothing but real problems for the Australian people.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the member for North Sydney seeking to table a document?

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

I am, because the Assistant Treasurer mentioned pamphlets. I am seeking to table a pamphlet from him saying, 'We have delivered a surplus on time as promised.' I am seeking leave.

Leave not granted.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has talked about the importance of fully costed policies for families and taxpayers in Western Sydney and right around the country. Why is it also important that these are set out transparently and are open to proper scrutiny?

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Greenway for her supplementary question. This government has detailed its plans and policies and handed down budgets year after year in office; we have delivered fully costed plans that have delivered this assistance into the pockets of working Australians. Those opposite now have the opportunity to release their plans to the Australian people, and this is important because we want to make sure that at the next election the Australian people have the opportunity to scrutinise the policies and the impact of those policies on their future.

What we have seen so far from those opposite on the question of timing and when they actually intend to release costed policies is the member for North Sydney and the member for Goldstein telling us last year that they already had their policies fully costed, ready to be released. Where are they? We saw recently from the member for Sturt that they have 90 policies that they intend to release. Where are they? Then the Leader of the Opposition said, 'We will release all of our policies fully costed between the budget and the next election.' But my favourite contribution was from the member for Curtin, who, when she was asked when they would provide their costings, said that the figure in her mind was 30 September. The only problem with that is that that is after the next election. We all know that is what they intend to do: to keep their plans secret from the Australian people. (Time expired)