Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How is the Albanese government delivering better tax cuts to support workers across Australia, particularly those in the transport and construction industries?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Spence very much for that question and, particularly, for his ongoing support for the members of his community and his lifelong commitment to those in the transport sector. In the member's electorate alone, 74,000 taxpayers will receive an average tax cut of $1,207 from 1 July. We are delivering better tax cuts for the people of Spence, just as we are delivering better tax cuts for the transport and construction workers who are the backbone of this country and who are building our future—hauling freight in regional Australia, driving road trains across the Nullarbor, building Western Sydney Airport, filling potholes on local roads and building affordable housing across the country. Those workers kept Australia moving during the pandemic and they underpin our economy today. That is why our tax cuts will deliver better benefits to them and their families.

We know that 87 per cent of taxpayers in Queensland will get a bigger tax cut under Labor's plan starting on 1 July. We know that 81 per cent of taxpayers in Western Australia will get a bigger tax cut under Labor's plan and 90 per cent of taxpayers in Tasmania will get a bigger tax cut under our plan. Every taxpayer gets a tax cut, and the 90 per cent in Tasmania get a bigger tax cut. Under our plan, every Australian taxpayer—13.6 million Australian taxpayers—will be receiving a tax cut on 1 July. A construction worker on $110,000 a year will get a tax cut of $2,429. A truckie earning $77,000 will get a tax cut of $1,604. An apprentice—one of our desperately needed apprentices—on $53,000 a year will receive a tax cut of $1,000. And, of course, a worker earning $40,000 will get a tax cut of $654, compared to absolutely nothing under those opposite. An Australian on the average income of $73,000 will get a tax cut of $1,504, which is $804 more than they were going to receive under those opposite.

We know, of course, what the opposition would do in relation to these tax cuts. We had the Deputy Leader of the Opposition saying: 'Our position is to roll it back. That is absolutely—'

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. I think I know what the member for Riverina is going to say, but I will hear from him.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was not asked about alternatives, and she should stick to the question she was asked.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was not asked about alternative proposals or any obstacles to delivering the tax cuts, so I'm going to ask her to return to the question and not refer to the opposition.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We, of course, want Australians to keep more of their own money. We know what those opposite would do, but we know what we're going to do. We're putting tax cuts in place to ensure that Australian tradies, Australian truckies and Australian construction workers earn more and they get to keep more of what they earn. That is Labor's plan. Those opposite stand on their own.