Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister compared the difference for families with his government's childcare calculator and the one Labor launched today at childcarecalculator.com.au? Isn't it the case that the Prime Minister's childcare scheme punishes parents for working a fourth or fifth day?

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

I'll ask the Minister for Education to add further to my answer. What I do know, when you make that comparison, is that if you are on a particularly high income you'll benefit greatly from the Labor Party's policy. This is providing very significant payments to those on higher incomes. What we've done, as a government, is to ensure that all Australians pay less tax. That's what we've been doing: ensuring that we put more money back into Australians' pockets. The more they earn, the more they'll be able to keep of that, whether they're on a low or a high income, because our government trusts Australians with their own money. We know that Australians have many needs.

Mr Burke interjecting—

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 the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance. The question was about child care.

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

Yes. The Prime Minister was comparing and contrasting briefly, I presume. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Indeed, I was doing more than that. I made specific reference to the calculator, where you can see that, if you're on very high incomes, you get very high subsidies. That's something the Labor Party once opposed. When we sought to make changes in the earlier days, they opposed those sorts of changes. What we have done, with our economic plan, which is overseeing the comeback of the Australian recovery, is to ensure the comeback of the Australian economy. The recovery we're seeing is putting more money back into Australians' pockets. We are enabling them to do that, whether it's to meet the very important costs of child care or the many other things that Australian families need. We trust Australians to make their own decisions with their own money, and that's why we want them to keep more of what they earn. And if that means that they need to access—

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

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

Order! The member for Lingiari.

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

Thank you. Whatever they need to do—working more hours—they keep more of what they earn. That is what our tax policies are designed to achieve. What I know from those opposite in the Labor Party is that they want to spend more of the money so they can take more of your money.

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

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer?

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

Yes.