Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minster has asked for a serious conversation about tax in Australia, but is the Prime Minister seriously asking Australians to have a conversation about extending the GST to rent and paying more to rent their home? Why won't the Prime Minister just rule out putting a 15 per cent GST on everybody's rent?

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What are you repeating Tanya's question for?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hughes will cease interjecting.

Mrs McNamara interjecting—

And the member for Dobell.

Mr Tudge interjecting—

The member for Aston is denying the Prime Minister the call.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. As I say, it does make me feel as though I have not been away; it is just the same questions they asked a week ago. It is good; it is very touching.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member's rather feeble attempt to get a rise out of me will not be gratified, I am afraid. Let me simply say that the object of a full discussion on tax is not to salami slice the debate and rule out one thing after another. That is where the former, Labor, government got into trouble with the Henry tax review. That was a fundamental mistake. The honourable member knows that there should be a broad discussion.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga is warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Some of the proposals that they have put up are utterly fanciful. Nonetheless, we are not going to go down the road of ruling things in or out, because that defies the need for a full discussion. I will invite the shadow Treasurer's opposite number to add to this answer.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister, and simply note this: the Australian people understand that what we are looking at is a package of reforms that will grow jobs and that will grow the economy. They understand that the last time this government was involved in serious questions about improving our tax system it involved a raft of measures that saw taxes cut. And I recall that although those opposite campaigned against them and railed against them and went on and on and on about them, by the time they got to government they rolled none of them back—they changed none of them—because they knew there was a package of reforms that improved our economy. Those opposite simply do not want to get into that sort of discussion. As the Prime Minister says, they want to salami slice it down and treat the Australian people like mugs.