Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House how the Morrison government's stable and certain economic management is enabling Australians to plan their economic future with certainty?

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

Members of this place will know that this is not the first time Australians have faced economic challenges in our history. But I tell you what, our government has great confidence in the Australian people. We know that Australians have it fully within their capacity to confront whatever challenges they face. We have seen that most recently in their strength and resilience in relation to drought, in relation to bushfires and in relation to the many challenges that we face globally as there are pressures in the global economy that impact on our own. Despite that, our economy continues to grow. Despite that, jobs continued to be added over the course of the past year and over the course of our government. And Australians continue to go out there and back themselves and make decisions for themselves and for their future.

Our plan gives Australians the confidence that they need; it gives them the ability to plan for their future with confidence by putting the settings in place that enable Australians to back themselves. That plan involves ensuring lower taxes both now and into the future—

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

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

The member for Rankin will cease interjecting!

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

lower taxes that we have already legislated, opposed tooth and nail by the Labor Party at the last election—dragged kicking and screaming—and those tax reductions legislated for the future. So Australians know that the better they do in the years ahead, the better they invest, the more chances they take and the more they put themselves out there. They know they're being backed by a government which enables them to keep more of what they earn so they can plan to earn more. They're backed by a tax system under this government which means they can keep more of what they earn.

By building the infrastructure that our economy needs to grow, by ensuring that we have stable and certain financial management which keeps expenditure under control, which keeps taxes down, which ensures that we can pay down debt and we don't increase taxes and increase the burden on Australians, they can plan confidently for their future. We can guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on at the same time as managing our budget. That means $6 billion extra this year and next financial year for health and education, $2 billion extra and more for aged care, and a staggering $9 billion more this year and next year to support the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which will see another 170,000 people come into that scheme over this year and next year, and with a budget to support it. We are taking action now on climate change—without taking people's jobs with the reckless targets that those opposite would prescribe and without putting upward pressure on power prices—and ensuring that we keep Australians safe. That's the agenda which means Australians can plan for their future with confidence. The chaos panic merchants of the other side would blow it all away.