Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to respond to some of the more hysterical commentary from Senator Cormann. If the Liberals had one fig leaf of credibility on this debate, then Senator Cormann would be responding and dealing with the facts and admitting that, in actual fact, it was his government—the previous government—that introduced the surcharge, with a high-income test. How he can stand here credibly and try and defend that $50,000 represents high-income earners continues to astound. So why don’t you just come clean? You are not interested in protecting low-income earners here and giving them a tax cut. There are 300,000 Australians you are denying a tax cut to; it is that simple.

You do not have any credible argument as to why it should stay at $50,000—none; zero. You have had many opportunities, and I invite you again, to try to justify defining $50,000 as a high income. Feel free at any stage in this debate—and you have spoken many times now—to try to explain why $50,000 remains a high-income threshold for something you introduced—when was it, 10 years ago? Seriously, your credibility is zero, Senator Cormann. But I invite you once again to try to justify your resistance to moving the $50,000 income threshold.