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

My question is to the Treasurer. On 2 March last year, the Treasurer dismissed political dissenters in his own ranks by describing those who disagreed with him as 'a few political bed-wetters carrying on'. Does the Treasurer believe that those who he dismisses in this manner are working to undermine his plan to increase the GST? And does the Treasurer agree that the Australian people have a right to know about his plans to make everything cost more?

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting —

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

The first part of the question, like the last one, is not within the standing orders. The Treasurer can address the next two questions that were contained within it on tax, and the member for Gorton will not interject.

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

Again, the shadow Treasurer wishes to focus on triviality, but I will go to the substance.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney.

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

The substance is this: the government is engaged in a genuine, real discussion broadly with the Australian community.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat. Yesterday I asked a number of members to cease interjecting a number of times, and I warned some on multiple occasions. I am giving fair warning now that those members do not come into question time today with a clean slate. The member for Sydney was asked to cease interjecting five times yesterday and was warned twice. I simply cannot allow members to ignore my repeated warnings to them. If those members—and they know who they are—who were warned yesterday and asked on multiple occasions to stop interjecting persist today there will be no warnings and they will be removed under 94(a). The Treasurer has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The government are engaged in a genuine discussion with the Australian people and within our own ranks as a government as we work through the very real issues about how you can have a growth-friendly tax system that will support jobs and growth. Part of that process is to work through the issues and that is exactly what the government are doing, intentionally. They are working through those issues. I can make it very clear, as I know the Prime Minister knows and all cabinet knows, that the government have not made a decision on this matter. I have not made any final decision on this matter, nor has the Prime Minister or the cabinet or anyone else. There is an open and obvious discussion taking place about what is the best way to support jobs and growth through our tax system.

On this side of the House we, of course, would very much like to ensure that the tax burden on Australians who are working and saving and investing is easy—of course we would like that. We would really like to see personal income taxes lower than they are today, but there are only three ways you can do that. First of all, you could fund it from a surplus that you inherited from the previous government. Well, we did not inherit a surplus from the previous government. What we inherited was an absolute mess, so you could not fund changes to personal income tax based on a strong budget position that was left to us by those opposite. Equally you could fund them by strong growth in nominal GDP into the future at the more than 11 per cent which occurred in the eighties, or the well over five per cent which was occurring under previous governments, or you could do it off soaring commodity prices which those opposite experienced while they were in government. But we know the reality of the global circumstances. We are wrestling with the very real issues of how to reduce the burden on Australians who are going to work every day and running small businesses every day, and try to ease the tax burden on them. It is not an easy task. Those opposite are not interested in that task. They just want to tax and spend.