Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer advise the House how important it is for the tax system to support economic growth and jobs, and is the Treasurer aware of any alternative plans that would impact on Australians who are working, saving and investing for our future prosperity?

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

I thank the member for Robertson for her question and I commend her for her own plan, for the Central Coast and Robertson, for jobs and growth in the local economy on the Central Coast and a range of initiatives going right from local business opportunities through to education and others. I commend the member for Robertson.

When the coalition is engaged in changes to our tax system it is about supporting jobs and growth in the economy. That is our record. When last there were major changes to our tax system, that resulted in taxes being cut. Income taxes were cut. Stamp duties on myriad issues were cut. Bed taxes were cut. Financial institutions' duties were cut. When we change the tax system we improve the situation of Australians by ensuring the tax system is backing people who are out there working and saving and investing.

This is one of the many measures that we are doing to support jobs and growth in the economy—whether it is the Deputy Prime Minister's $50 billion rollout of the national infrastructure plan and our greatest trade minister of all time rolling out the most ambitious agenda of trade agreements or, indeed, the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and the innovation statement that will shortly be coming before the Australian people. We are unrolling this national platform for jobs and growth in our economy. When you pursue tax changes, it is about pursuing growth and jobs. That is why we are engaged. Our economy does face headwinds but we are realistically optimistic. In the last 12 months, particularly in the year to 30 June, we not only doubled the growth rate of the Canadian economy, which is a comparable economy, we also saw 315,000 jobs created in the last year, which is something positive for the economy.

When we look at changes to the tax system it is about jobs and growth, but those opposite simply see the tax system as a way to milk the Australian taxpayer. There are alternative approaches on tax and the most striking one we saw, over the last few days, was the opposition's plan to double-down on the carbon tax they had when they were in government—a 45 per cent target on the reduction of emissions, which would see a carbon tax reintroduced to this country with full fury, with absolute full fury. It would be a carbon maxitax that those opposite would seek to introduce to go after this 45 per cent target. It would cost the economy some $600 billion over 15 years. It would be an economy-crunching and a job-munching tax that would come from those opposite if they ever got their hands on the carbon tax levers again. What is it about carbon taxes they just cannot leave alone? They are like that little child who just has to keep touching it and touching it. They cannot leave it alone. The Australian people set a clear— (Time expired)

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

My question is to the Treasurer. On 16 June the Treasurer said:

The Government has made it crystal clear that we have no interest in increasing taxes on superannuation either now or in the future.

But on Friday the Treasurer backflipped and argued that, actually, superannuation concessions are not well targeted, undermine confidence in the system and need to be changed. Is this another example where the Treasurer says one thing in public but organises—for months—other things in private?

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

I thank the member for his question, and I will refer to some comments by the Premier of South Australia in a second. If he were to be truthful about outlining my statements on these matters, previously, he would note that the context of my comments related, particularly, to the retirement phase of the process.

There have been changes, and those changes have been supported by none other than the Premier of South Australia, who said:

… we need a new style of leadership: one that respects people's intelligence, explains complex issues, sets out a course of action and argues the case for it.

What he was referring to is this: he was referring to the choice that sits between the opposition and the government. He said you can sit back and be paralysed when it comes to the issues confronting this country on tax, as those opposite seek to do—off on their smoko, when it comes to tax reform. The only thing they would come up with is a sickies tax. That is their approach. Their approach is to look at tax as a big bag of cash, to chase their spending.

Or you can have the approach of the government that treats the Australian taxpayer and the Australian citizen with respect and understands that they are capable—unlike those opposite—

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

It's all about the context!

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

The member for Chifley will not display props.

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

to hold one idea in their head at a time and can look at the broader array of taxes and reforms that can leave them better off. That is what this government is doing. We are pursuing tax changes in the spirit of those announced and commended by the Labor Premier of South Australia, who does believe that we need to respect people's intelligence, that we do need to explain these complex issues, as we are doing. Those opposite just jump in the bed, pull the doona over their head and hope it will all go away.

Scenario 3—if they want to talk about taxes, the Leader of the Opposition and, particularly, the shadow Treasurer, know all about scenario 3, which is the option he modelled to expand the GST base and increase the GST rate. But I notice there are a lot of other plans. Maybe it is the plan B that the member for Grayndler is working on. Maybe he has a plan B. Maybe the member for Sydney has a plan B. We know the Leader of the Opposition is sticking with plan A.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker—

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

Has the Treasurer concluded his answer?

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

Yes.

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

The Treasurer has concluded his answer.