Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to highlight the mendacity of the Liberal Party—a party that promised they would never, ever have a GST. When they dogged on that promise they then promised to never increase it beyond 10 per cent. The mendacity of those opposite knows no bounds. I submit that if they want to solve the revenue problem they have they merely have to apply a GST to the Prime Minister's arrogance. That is untapped potential. Ignore the perpetual energy machine—just tax his arrogance and all our spending and revenue problems will be solved.

We heard ridiculous claims from those opposite, including from Barnaby Joyce, about $100 legs of lamb. What would put up the price of a leg of lamb is a 15 per cent GST on fresh food and vegetables. If you are worried about lamb prices, rule out a GST on fresh food. The truth is that those opposite were happy to play the rule-in, rule-out game in 2009, the last time we had the member for Wentworth as the leader of that political party. Why won't they play that game now; why won't they rule out hitting ordinary Australian families with a 15 per cent tax on food? The truth is that they do not care about low- and middle-income Australians—all they care about is looking after their mates in the top end of town. They will be condemned by history for their mendacious attitude and their attack on the working women and men of Australia.