Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How will Labor's tax cuts help Australians under pressure, and what is standing in the way of delivering cost-of-living relief to Australians?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hasluck for her question. I look forward to being back in Western Australia again next week, when we will have the third cabinet meeting that we have had in Western Australia since we came to office, following on from the last successful meeting that we had in Port Hedland in regional Western Australia.

On 1 July this year, every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut under Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts. That's all 13.6 million of them, not just some, because we understand that we want to leave nobody behind. We also want to make sure that people can aspire, which is why we have tax cuts right throughout each of the income tax thresholds—all the way through. I must say that it has been well received out there. That is why we made this decision. It was because of cost-of-living pressures, particularly amongst low- and middle-income Australians. These tax cuts are aimed squarely at middle Australia—at those people who go to work, work hard to make a difference for themselves and their family and deserve a reward.

We want Australians to earn more and to keep more of what they earn. Those opposite want people to work longer for less. They want them on call 24 hours a day. They oppose every wage increase, and we know that they didn't want to pass on Labor's tax cuts. They reluctantly now say that they are supporting them while they argue against them consistently all the way through. These things are so bad that they are going to vote for them. We on this side of the chamber do not want Australians to work longer for less. What we want them to do is to earn more, which is why we've put in place measures such as the increase in the minimum wage, support for aged care workers and the industrial relations legislation, and it's why we are putting in place Labor's cost-of-living tax cuts. Indeed, it's not just the beneficiaries who say that. Someone in my electorate, Phuac from Croydon Park, wrote to me and said: 'I think most Australians will see that what your government has done is to make the whole tax changes fairer and much more economically realistic. Peter Dutton will rant and rave and be as negative as possible'—you got that right!—but this was the right decision.' This is the right decision. Those opposite oppose higher wages, vote against help with your power bill, vote against cheaper medicines, vote against affordable housing and vote against penalty rates, of course. Now they want you to be available 24 hours a day— (Time expired)