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

Prime Minister, given families are hurting because of Labor's cost-of-living crisis, what was the logic in delaying by 15 months the Prime Minister's 70c a day tax cut?

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

I really, really thank the shadow Treasurer for that question. What I'm asked by the shadow Treasurer is, 'Why isn't the policy, which will further top up our tax cuts for every taxpayer—all 14 million of them—next year and then the year after, making a total, with the top up, of $2½ thousand less tax being paid by average taxpayers, and which they voted against, being done sooner?' That is what they've asked. But that wouldn't be quite so bad, because it is not just, 'Why haven't you done what we opposed sooner?' He's actually asked, 'Why haven't you done what we're going to repeal and reverse sooner?' Having stood up and declared this morning that he would absolutely impose higher taxes on every taxpayer, he then says, 'Why didn't you just do the reverse sooner?' It's just extraordinary.

They have voted against every measure of cost-of-living support, and, on Tuesday night, it was not just the lower taxes that the Treasurer spoke about. It was the cheaper medicines; we know they oppose that. It was the energy bill relief; we know they oppose that. They oppose the cap on gas and coal prices. We know that they oppose the cuts of $3 billion of student debt, and they oppose the future cuts that we will put in place that will cut student debt by 20 per cent, leading to an average $5½ thousand benefit for three million Australians. They oppose that—$5½ thousand for three million Australians. We know that they opposed the measures that were put in place that have allowed, first, 11 million Australians to get access to their GP just with bulk-billing. We know that they actually support a tax every time people visit a GP rather than that. We know that they've called the largest increase in rent assistance in 30 years 'waste'—all of the measures that we have put in place.

Now, those opposite have the hide to come in here and say, 'Why don't you do what we oppose sooner?' It says it all about the lack of logic in their team. No wonder they've come up with this rubbish. (Time expired)