Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer remind the House of how the Morrison government's proven commitment to cutting taxes for families and businesses will help strengthen the rebound of our economy on the other side of the COVID pandemic? Most importantly, is the Treasurer aware of any alternative approaches?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Leichhardt for his question and acknowledge his experience as a crocodile farmer, as a grazier, as a welder, as somebody who spent nine years in the RAAF. He and others on this side of the House understand the Australian economy has shown remarkable resilience. There have been 350,000 new jobs created since the start of September. We've seen consumer confidence up and we've seen a strong pipeline of investment.

We're achieving this rebound in our economy at the same time as we're cutting taxes. Individuals on $60,000 a year, a teacher and a tradie, are $6,480 better off as a result of tax cuts that this side of the parliament has passed. When it comes to small businesses, they're now paying the lowest taxes in 50 years. When it comes to business investment incentives, we've seen a 20-year high in the growth of machinery and equipment investment off the back of our business investment incentives.

I'm asked, 'Are there any alternative approaches?' Well, we know that that weak Leader of the Opposition came up with a national drivers licence. We know that that weak Leader of the Opposition wants to remove the fuel excise on electric vehicles even though there isn't an excise on electric vehicles.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business?

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

On direct relevance. To have a reference at the end of the question to other policies doesn't mean you can have a complete rant like this.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was, 'Is the Treasurer aware of alternative approaches?' rather than 'policies'. The Treasurer is being relevant and the Treasurer has the call.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that this weak Labor leader also wants to splash $6 billion on people who've already had the jab. We also know that if Labor is given half a chance on the Treasury benches they will introduce higher taxes. How do we know? Because when they were last in government they gave us the mining tax and a carbon tax which doubled the electricity price. Then we know that, in opposition, they railed against our income tax cuts, which the member for Rankin called offensive, and they were against our small business tax cuts. Then, at the last election, they took to the Australian people $387 billion of higher taxes on your superannuation, on your housing, on your income, on your family businesses and on retirees. We know that this weak Leader of the Opposition will not stand up to the Greens, he will not stand up to the co-architects of $387 billion—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, my point of order goes to the order of the House. It is not in order for the member to go for more than half of his three minutes on a personal sledge. It's got nothing to do with the question.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer was asked questions in relation to the cutting of taxes, strengthening the economy and whether he was aware of any alternative approaches. I'm not in a position to determine whether the Treasurer should allocate a certain percentage of his answer to certain aspects.

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

To raise a question on the point you made, if you're not in a position to deal with how much of a proportion of a question is dealt with in different areas, how on earth are there rulings about preambles? How on earth have we had rulings about where you're in the first minute, or someone's just started? It is the role of the Speaker to decide whether or not question time is used for ministers to be accountable on their portfolios.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer is relevant. The Treasurer has the call.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These are inconvenient truths for this weak Leader of the Opposition and his shadow Treasurer, who's barely in the chamber and barely gets a question, because they only stand for one thing and that's higher taxes and that's fewer jobs. (Time expired.)