Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

As Senator Coonan would be well aware from her experience as a minister in the former government, Treasury model a great number of options. Ultimately it is the government of the day that determines what options are adopted, if indeed the particular option she is referring to was one. I can confirm that it is longstanding government practice not to comment on matters that may or may not have gone to cabinet or its committees. As the documents make clear, these various options were canvassed in the context of the 2009-10 budget in May and were not adopted.

What we do know, of course, is that the current shadow Treasurer, Mr Hockey, did want to adopt at least one of those options. It is interesting that the Liberal Party, as advanced by the arguments of the shadow Treasurer, Mr Hockey, are the only political party that want to increase taxes in Australia. They are the ones—