Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. The Treasurer has said:

… the reason why we support fuel excise relief, we want to see people under less pressure at the bowser … Nothing would make me happier than if there was some pressure taken off families who are doing it tough …

Why is the Treasurer now refusing to cut the fuel excise to provide immediate relief to cash-strapped Australian families?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first point I would make is if the shadow Treasurer cared about the cost of living, he wouldn't be the first shadow Treasurer in living memory to take to an election a policy to increase income taxes on every single Australian taxpayer. That's the first and most obvious point.

In relation to petrol, what we did on Tuesday night from this despatch box was to find a way to give ongoing cost-of-living relief to every Australian taxpayer. That combination of cost-of-living relief—

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

Order! The shadow Treasurer has asked his question.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

whether it's cheaper medicines, cutting student debt, strengthening Medicare, tax cuts, energy bill relief, is a combination of temporary and permanent ongoing cost-of-living relief in the budget that we handed down on Tuesday night.

He has asked me about comments from just before the last election. That's a very welcome opportunity to tell the House that during the week of the last budget of those opposite, on the eve of last election petrol prices were: in Sydney, $2.15 a litre and they are now $1.95 a litre. According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum's weekly prices report, petrol prices were: in Canberra, $2.08 before the last election and $1.92 now; $2.15 before the last election in Melbourne, $1.70 now; $2.17 in Brisbane before the last election, $1.93 now; $2.18 in Adelaide before the last election, $1.82 now; $2.03 before the last election in Perth, $1.75 now; $2.09 in Darwin before the last election, $1.81 now; $2 23 in Hobart before the last election, $1.82 now.

We have found a much more effective way to help Australians with the cost of living, and the key difference between our cost-of-living package and what those opposite have come up with on the back of a coaster in the last couple of days is we will provide ongoing cost-of-living help to every Australian taxpayer. Not only do they oppose that, not only did they vote against that in the House and in the Senate yesterday, but also—quite bizarrely and unusually in historical terms—the shadow Treasurer was asked this morning if he will legislate to increase taxes on all 14 million Australian taxpayers, and he said absolutely he would. As the Prime Minister has pointed out, showing the difference between this side and that side, the Prime Minister was asked if he would increase the minimum wage and he said absolutely; those opposite were asked if they will jack up taxes for every working taxpayer in this country and they said absolutely. That goes right to the difference.