Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister withdraw his $50 billion tax cut for big business instead of threatening to increase the taxes of every Australian?

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

The Leader of the Opposition would be more persuasive in the case he puts if he had not been so eloquent in defending the case for cutting company tax. There has never been a better and more succinct case put for them than by the Leader of the Opposition when he said, 'Lowering company tax will increase productivity, investment and employment.' Well, we are all in favour of that. That is what he said, and he did not just say it once—he did not go as far as the member for McMahon, who wrote a book about it, I have to say—but the Leader of the Opposition, again and again, went out there talking about the importance of cutting company tax.

He was very precise about that, but he has not been so precise on another matter today. Not even the indefatigable Sabra Lane of the ABC could get him to tell us what his Renewable Energy Target would cost. Four times she asked him, and he could not answer the question. He refused to answer the question. It was as though he was hit with a horror of having to face up to his own recklessness. I will tell the Leader of the Opposition this: the people of South Australia know what a 50 per cent renewable target would look like led by a Labor government. They have 40 per cent, and they cannot keep the lights on. That is the reality in South Australia.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

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

On direct relevance: the question deals with taxation policy, it deals with the company tax policy and it deals with the government talking about putting higher taxes on other Australians. That is all it deals with.

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

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business. It is correct that the question dealt with those matters. The Prime Minister is entitled to compare and contrast, briefly, and I think he has just about done that. But the subject of the question was on tax—that is correct. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I will conclude with the Leader of the Opposition at his best—as an advocate for cutting company tax. We all know he says one thing to one group and another thing to another. Mark Latham wrote about it. Privately, to Latham, as opposition leader, the Leader of the Opposition was all in favour of the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement, but he said, 'You can't say that to the workers.' So when he was talking to the members of the AWU he was all against it. You see, the problem is you never know what he stands for.

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer?

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

I have one—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides! Just before I hear from the Manager of Opposition Business, even though we are only a couple of minutes in, we will take a break. Yesterday I warned a number of people. The level of interjections is far too high. I will deal with those who continue to interject. I am giving fair warning now, this early in question time. If anyone warned yesterday cannot remember, I suggest they consult the Hansard. I have a list here, and I am not going to sound like a broken record on this subject right through question time.

A government member interjecting—

I will say to whoever it is on my right who is interjecting, it applies equally to them. It was not the Leader of the House. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

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

Under standing order 91(c), you directed the Prime Minister, quite specifically, to return to the question. All we are getting, all week—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business can resume his seat. I am sure the Prime Minister is doing that right now. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wanted to remind the House of the Leader of the Opposition when he was an advocate for cutting company tax. He said, in this place:

Cutting the company income tax rate increases domestic productivity and domestic investment.

More capital means higher productivity—

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

No, sorry, the Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is talking specifically on company tax, which was the subject of the question. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is in order. I have asked him to direct himself back to the question and you cannot complain when he does. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition said:

More capital means higher productivity and economic growth and leads to more jobs and higher wages.

That is the case for cutting business taxes and, of course, he made it then and he still believes it, but for his own political purposes he is saying the exact opposite. That is the story of this disingenuous leader's life.