Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Today the Financial Review reports that the Treasurer said Labor needs to suggest alternative revenue measures. How can the Treasurer possibly not know that, for more than a year now, Labor has been calling for reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax, which deliver the budget more than $37 billion over the medium term?

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

I thank the member for the question. They would be aware that was not in direct quotes. What I was saying yesterday is those opposite need to identify the other ways that this can be afforded. Those opposite, I am very well aware, have got lots of ideas about how to increase taxes, because that is what they are the party of. They are the party of higher taxes, higher spending, higher debt, higher deficit. That is the record. That is their record on every single location. What they failed to do in government when they set out their expenditure years into the future, well beyond the forward estimates, as we know, is to fund those increases in expenditure, and in particular when it comes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme they failed and left an open and empty promise to the people of Australia about how the NDIS would be funded.

We know that the funding gap from 2019-20 rises from $4.1 billion up to, in 2024-25, $6 billion a year. But I note that those opposite said yesterday, 'Oh no, we had this funded by other savings'—unspecified savings. You will not find those savings specified anywhere at all on how that was to be funded. So I ask a question: how the gap was to be funded, not by the Medicare levy or the NDIS levy—

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

The Treasurer will resume his seat. I just caution the member for Jagajaga. Whilst the Treasurer says he is asking a question, he is not entitled to get an answer. The member for Jagajaga on a point of order.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will give him an opportunity. I seek leave to table a Treasury document that sets out our—

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

The member for Jagajaga will resume her seat.

Mr Porter interjecting—

The Minister for Social Services will cease interjecting. The Treasurer has the call.

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

Perhaps she might like to table this. Can she confirm that one of the savings that the Labor Party said they were going to do to provide funding for the NDIS was the continuation of the indexation freeze on the Medicare Benefits Schedule beyond 2016-17? Can you confirm that?